His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

If you’re looking for an action read involving war dragons, this isn’t it. There are a few skirmishes, but they are far between. Instead, this is a book about the relationship between a very unique dragon and a naval officer snatched out of the life he was used to when chosen by the dragon to become his master and friend.

The book takes place over a year, during which time, Temeraire grows and learns, while Laurence grows and unlearns. Their relationship is endearing and drives the story wonderfully. The descriptions of the various dragons and the processes and people involved with making them part of the various aerial forces is very interesting.

I love the unusually treatment of dragons in this book. They aren’t the typical force of darkness or mysterious wisdom. They are feared by those who don’t understand them but utterly loved and respected by those that do.

Side note: Weight is certainly an issue, but you’d think more would be done to armour the dragons to better protect them against each other.

Side note2: Head canon says that Temeraire looks exactly like this.

4 of 5 stars

Clay's Ark by Octavia E. Butler

Clay's Ark by Octavia E. Butler

This was the most disturbing books by Octavia E. Butler that I have read yet, further inspiring my desire to have a conversation with her to find out just how that brain worked. Her concepts are fascinating, even when as disturbing as this one.

Perhaps it was the violence and rape of young children that has me troubled. The ending, certainly, is not for the faint of heart. However, I did not dislike this book because of this. My dislike comes, perhaps from a bias regarding its place as part of the Seed to Harvest collection.

Clay's Ark carries the similar theme of a community of humans, mutated both physically and psychologically, who must fight against outward and inward forces to maintain their humanity -- a theme that dominates just about every book I've read from this author. Beyond that and the name, there is very little that relates it to the Patternists created by Mary in Mind of My Mind or the superhumans created by Doro, beginning in Wild Seed. In fact, Clay Dana's involvement is not mentioned until more than half way through the book.

I took a quick peek at the first few pages of Patternmaster and I see the results of Clay's Ark may play a part in that story, but for now, it is an odd addition to the series that perhaps was not intended to be part of the series at all (considering it was created several years after Patternmaster.)

2 of 5 stars

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I recall a complaint somewhere or other claiming this book to be just an excuse to spout off ample '80s trivia. I'm guessing that complaint came from someone who has no appreciation for that incredible decade - no, dare I say ... dynasty!

Movies, television and music are already happily tapping into the '80s and have been for some time, so I don't see an issue with a book doing so. I am certainly not one to argue, considering I am happily indoctrinating my kids with the things that I loved growing up. It warms my heart to hear them fighting for the honor of Greyskull.

This is also a book that any geek can appreciate because it's all about us. No, not true, the major focus is on video gaming, but there is more than enough for any comic book, sci fi and fantasy, D&D nerd to appreciate.

The book mainly takes place in and around the OASIS, which is a virtual world of massive proportions that no one would ever leave -- particularly because reality has become so desolate. It's a world where both the social networker and the gamer have a place. (Literally. You can purchase your own planet.)

Ready Player One fortunately does not simply toss out the '80s nostalgia in random intervals without context. Everything is sewn together coherently, and when it does get carried away with the trivia, it's usually in the form of the main character, a teenaged boy, doing what teenaged boys do best when surrounded by friends: showing off.

While I'm sure this book was conceived well before #Nymwars, there is a strikingly familiar concept at play within the OASIS, where its creative company, GSS, firmly respects users' right to privacy and anonymity, while a rival corporation, bent on taking over GSS and turning OASIS into a massive billboard, would ensure that anonymity be a thing of the past. All the better to market to you, my dear.

Anonimity is a prevailing theme, where OASIS users vehemently hold on to theirs, no matter how close they become. I relate to almost everything in this book save for this. I'm sure it is true of some, but I have made and even lost some wonderful friends online and once those friendships have been solidified, of course we've taken off the pseudonym veil.

***

Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

Aside from the overindulgence in semi-colons and "And" at the beginning of sentences, this was a fun read. The plot is a bit predictable and leaping from time to time, but the main character is interesting enough to keep me reading. Her neurosis goes overboard from time to time, but usually within context. She's not a perfect character and her issues aren't contrived.

I very much appreciated the fact that this was, I believe, the first urban fantasy with a female lead that did NOT spend ridiculous amounts of time describing the rippling hotness of the potential love interests in the books (bonus points for one of them being a "kick ass drag queen"). Not that Raylene was immune to this. It just wasn't dwelt on with ridiculous detail and when a romantic moment came, it was tender and, well, romantic, instead of just hawt dirteh sex. That can come later.

3 of 5 stars

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

What a fascinating book. I read Mind of My Mind first, where I met the main characters here, but as that was not their story, they did not have much depth. Reading Wild Seed, it made me somewhat disappointed that they did not have as much to do in the sequel, but as the book progressed, I came to appreciate their diminished roles in Mind of My Mind since their story was told so completely here.

The first striking thing about this book is that it takes place during the time of slave ships where tribes were kidnapping and selling their neighbours. Doro took many of these slaves for his little breeding project, but never treated them as other slaves were treated. But they were no less slaves. Through fear and/or reverence he controlled them. More often than not, his people loved him for what remains almost inexplicable reasons.

Meanwhile, Anyanwu, semi-immortal like Doro, becomes one of his people - as much as it is possible for Doro to tame the "wild seed" that she is.

Again, there is an all-mother/father theme, but one that is far different from what Mary creates in Mind of My Mind. Again, too, the notion of good and evil is forced on you. Is Doro evil for what he does? Is Anyanwu evil for allowing it?

In the end, I came to the realization that this book was, in fact a love story. A strange and twisted romance that crosses every taboo subject regarding sexuality, humanity, loyalty, propriety, marriage...

5 of 5 stars

Kingdom Come by Mark Waid

Kingdom Come by Mark Waid

Never have I respected Superman as much as I did after reading this comic. Superman and I have a rocky relationship. I have never been a big fan of his because he’s just too perfect. And I have a hard time caring for perfect characters. I won’t go into that rant again. This isn’t about that.

This is set in an AU (alternate universe). Superman has retreated to solitude after a hero named Magog is acquitted of killing Joker—who went on a killing spree in Metropolis, a bender that resulted in Lois’ death. When humanity expresses that Magog is where superheroism should go, Superman leaves them to that, seeming to lose quite a bit of faith in people.

Shortly thereafter, humanity learns that heroes left unchecked terrorize the just and the unjust alike and aren’t too different from the “villains.” They only care about fighting and destroying what they personally perceive as threats to the people (such as one “hero” attacking immigrants), much of which is personal prejudices and biases.

Then, Wonder Woman appeals to Superman to come back after a devastating battle between the “good” guys and the “bad” guys leaves Kansas in ruins and millions dead. Reluctantly, Superman returns, but things don’t go as smoothly as hoped when he’s faced with opposition from this new school of heroes, enemies, and even old allies, namely Batman.

This seemed to be a commentary on old school superhero comics versus today’s ultra-violent, grim “heroes” who seem more intent on destroying half the city than saving human lives with Superman representing how heroes used to be and Magog representing these new “heroes.”

I thought it was interesting (and superb storytelling) that the story isn’t told from any of the heroes’ point of views. Instead, the story is told by Norman McCay, a minister and a friend of Sandman who has “inherited” Sandman’s powers after his death. McCay is struggling with his faith and, like Superman, has lost some faith in humanity. Before his death, Wesley Dodds (Sandman) had apocalyptic visions that most people thought were the result of senility. He passed these visions on to McCay.

A being known as Spectre uses McCay to bear witness to the madness unfolding between the heroes and tells him that he must ultimately pass judgment on them, to decide who is right and who is wrong, a decision that proves difficult because both sides start making rash decisions in this “war.”

And while logically, readers know that Magog is wrong (and even that plays interestingly into the story), you can’t say the old school heroes are completely “right” either. Some of them, such as Wonder Woman, have their own reasons behind that fight as well, causing them to be as brutal and decisive as the new heroes. And you can even somewhat see the new heroes reasoning for their actions.

Superman is presented very human here, making it hard for me to hold a grudge against him. He’s a man who has lost a lot, and even though he won’t admit it, he’s living in some kind of bubble that filters out the rest of the world. He reluctantly comes out of retirement and makes tough decisions, while questioning if this is really what it’s come to.

And the ending, wow. I actually got a little misty-eyed there, and I’m not even that familiar with Shazam or his exploits. And the art really was able to pull out a lot of emotion in this story. It was breathtaking, enhancing an already well-written tale. Overall, this was a great read. Definitely goes on my favorites list.

Final Verdict: 

5 of  5 stars

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

A friend introduced me to this book and its opening line:

It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.

I loved the concept of this book - mobile cities hunting each other like animals, trying to survive in a post one-minute war future. London is one of the greater cities, but even it will falter if it does not find better hunting grounds.

The first protagonist we meet is Tom, a friendless orphan, who soon becomes wrapped up in the espionage brought on board London by Hester Shaw - a once pretty girl, hideously scarred by Tom's hero, Valentine, against whom Hester seeks revenge. Valentine is also the father of Katherine, who in turn meets shy engineer, Pod, as she searches for the truth about her dad. The four of them are, typically,very unlikely heroes and, what I appreciated more, unlikely couples. I was pleasantly surprised by their ultimate fates and the fate of those they meet along their journeys. Not everything needs a Hollywood ending.

The book fails slightly on delivery. Some things feel a bit rushed, and I was frustrated by the change of tense that usually came when dealing with an 'evil' character. Initially the change to present tense is bound within the respective chapters, but when everything and everyone comes together in the end, it becomes an annoyance.

This isn't enough of an issue to prevent the book from being enjoyable. It is part of a series based on an interesting concept, so I am curious to learn more about this future.

3 of 5 stars

Sorrows of Adoration by Kimberly Chapman

Sorrows Of Adoration by Kimberly Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not a book I would have picked up of my own volition, but since it was written by a friend and lent to me by another and I initially started reading it out of that "obligation" of friendship.

At 2:00 Wednesday morning, I finally decided I needed to get to bed. And then I spent all of Wednesday in a melancholy book funk because I was so smitten with the characters and the what will happen next. That night, I was up until the wee hours again to finish it.

Sorrows of Adoration starts out in, what I assume, is a typical romance novel manner. (I say "what I assume," because I don't read that stuff. The only romance novel I've ever read is the one I snuck from my sister's collection... the one about sexy aliens...). I didn't mind the overindulgence of lovicuddles and kisses and proclamations of love, partially because I am a closet romantic, but mostly because I knew, based on the title and the blurb, that this wasn't going to last.

Plus I know Kimberly Chapman. There is no way she was going to give me a squishy romance novel!

Soon enough, the Big Bad Thing^TM happens, and the results of that event is where this book takes a dynamic twist that removes it from the ranks of silly romance. It delves deep into the darkness of emotion and relationships, proving the phrase "you always hurt the ones you love." It even goes well beyond the feminist twist trope of a strong female who doesn't need a man to save her.

4 of 5 stars

Namaah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

I've read the original Kushiel Trilogy three times, but haven't been able to finish the last book in the series involving Imriel de la Courcel. I've had Namaah's Kiss sitting beside my bed for well over a year and finally decided to pick it up and was instantly swept back into that world. Carey's writing is so elegant and her ability to paint a picture with her words is undeniable. Of course, I could be biased because I already know the world and most of its history, but I don't believe a new comer would be lost.

This trilogy begins many generations after the events of the last six books, which makes it a refreshing return for me. The histories of many events and people are often mentioned, but only in a way to quietly remind old readers and to subtly inspire new ones to seek them in their entirety.

Once again, we have a main character, Moirin, who is an outcast, but unlike Phedre and Imriel in the past, she is not a victim. She has grown up knowing unconditional love, which serves to guide her in finding her destiny as much as the various gods of her heritage do.

The blurb for this is misleading. It implies great adventure, but in fact, Moirin does not embark on the mage/warrior-princess/dragon-filled epic until almost 500 pages in. That leaves 500 pages where Carey artfully defines her character and all the intricate relationships and political intrigue of Terre D'Ange.

When it comes time to depart for Ch'in, the departure is just as jarring for the reader as it is for Moirin. Here it was a slightly less compelling read because of this, perhaps. Whereas with Kushiel's Dart, the heroine's journey climaxes in a war where we already know the setting and the people, here, it is slightly more difficult to appreciate these new characters and what is at stake.

Still, despite a somewhat disappointing ending because of the disconnect, it is still enough to entice me to read on...

3 of 5 stars

Mind of My Mind by Octavia Butler

Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler

This was a surprisingly short read, which I picked up as part of the Seed to Harvest series, but have read before Wild Seed.

I'm not sure what I ultimately expected, but what was there was a bit of a let down. There were many themes and issues raised, but none truly pursued. Most notably so was the issue of race. For the most part, characters physical appearances were only vaguely described. Most times, when we came to know someone was Black, it was because Mary was making a comparison or wishing/pleased someone was so (ie wanting to know why Doro had chosen a White husband for her, or being pleased that Doro appeared to her in a Black body). Rachel's race is introduced as a non sequitur that serves no further purpose but to add to Jan's "Oh god, niggers," comment later (we learn earlier that Jan is racist when a Black boy happens past her and therefore we assume she is White, as there does not seem to be any other option but Black or White).

Later, Emma angrily raises the issue of non-telepaths being referred to as "mutes," which she compares to "niggers." Beyond her brief tirade, this is not addressed again beyond the obvious comparison of mutes being used as slaves to the Patternists (though here, the mutes are all very content and mistreatment by Patternists is punished). Emma's tirade is particularly hypocritical since she is as much a slave to Doro as all the rest of Doro's children whom he keeps in line with violence and threats of death.

Overall, this was a very disturbing theme. The notion that one man is working to breed people with super human powers, particularly telepathy. Those who are failed experiments are left to die, while the successes eventually come together thanks to Mary, who is Doro's ultimate success and thereby becomes his ultimate rival. Between the two of them, there are thousands of people running around the country with the ability to control minds, or inflicting horrible violence against others because they can't control their own minds. Apparently, domestic violence is caused by this lack of control in active and latent telepaths.

There is an attempt to offer a mother/father juxtaposition, where Doro is the cruel male figure whom his children love, though they know he cares nothing for them and would quickly kill them. Mary is the mother figure whom we assume is the representation of nurturing, but in fact, while she displays much greater conscience than Doro, she's most certainly not a Mother Theresa figure.

One thing I did appreciate was the fact that there was no good vs. evil. Doro might have been considered an evil worthy of destruction, but how much of Mary could truly be considered "good?"

3 of 5 stars