Review: Lovedeath by Dan Simmons

Title: Lovedeath
Author: Dan Simmons
Genre: horror, science fiction, short stories
Series: N/A
Pages: 354 (paperback edition)
Published: January 1994
Source: bought
Rating: 5/5

A collection of five novellas exploring the exquisite conjunction of love and death, combining literary artistry and undiluted emotional impact. Includes Entropy's Bed at Midnight, Dying in Bangkok, Sleeping with Teeth Women, Flashback, and The Great Lover.

The novella is an ideal length for dark fiction: short enough to sustain mood, long enough to develop interesting characters. This fine collection of five novellas shows off Simmons' range of styles: a literary tale of a man and his daughter on a scary mountainside; a Bram Stoker Award-winning horror tale about female vampires in Thailand; a semi-horrific Native American story about a young Sioux who undertakes various trials in order to become holy; a dark science fiction tale about a drug that has pernicious effects on society; and a harrowing, ambitious tale about the horrors of World War I.

Reviewed by April.

I picked this book up because I’d never heard of it before, and now I’m wondering why it’s so obscure.

Lovedeath is Simmons at the level of, well, Simmons. All of his work I’ve read so far (which is admittedly not much) has been at the very least excellent (if not outright mind-blowing) and this one is no exception. This is really a collection of five novellas which are centered around the themes of- you guessed it- love and death (but really nothing so simple).

A note about each piece:

Entropy’s Bed at Midnight- a father loses his son and wants to protect his daughter- but what’s the cost? Hell, just stepping out the front door can kill you. I like the way Simmons juxtaposes the memory of the past loss with the reality of the present fear of loss. It’s a simple story but told in a heartbreaking manner that has bittersweet written all over it.

Dying in Bangkok- Darker than the first tale, this is a pretty creepy look at the underbelly of pleasure and the ways in which our sexual desire can lead us astray. It’s sensual, cautionary, and a bit disturbing all at once- an excellent mix.

Sleeping with Teeth Women- A little Native American guilt, anyone? (Just kidding.) This is about a seemingly useless young man (who just wants to get laid!!) who ends up being the hope of his people. I found this one a little long winded but nebulous in a sort of funny way. The end of it will probably surprise you.

Flashback- Simmons’ nod to science fiction, this is about a drug where people can live out their memories again, at the expense of the present. I sensed a little of the cautionary in this as well, in a more realistic sense than the second of this collection. This is almost dystopian and could become reality fairly easily; it’s a plea to live life to the fullest and live in the present, something a lot of us forget to do.

The Great Lover- I understand why this was saved for last. It’s a long novella, but twists beauty and grimness to create a tapestry that is one of the better short works of speculative fiction I’ve ever read. The paranoia, terror, and tragedy of war is intertwined with the main character’s epiphany of the meaning of life. Sounds trite, but come on- if anyone can pull off this kind of depth it’s Simmons, and he does it with flying colors.

So- read this. Even if some stories are too terrifying or gritty for your taste, you’d be hard pressed not to find something to like in this collection. And if you’re a Dan Simmons fan, it’s a must read.

Highly recommended.

Review: Caine's Law by Matthew Stover

Title: Caine's Law
Author: Matthew Stover
Genre: fantasy, science fiction
Series: Overworld #4
Pages: 496
Published: April 2012
Source: ARC from SF Revu
Rating: 4/5

SOME LAWS YOU BREAK. SOME BREAK YOU.
AND THEN THERE’S CAINE’S LAW.
 
From the moment Caine first appeared in the pages of Heroes Die, two things were clear. First, that Matthew Stover was one of the most gifted fantasy writers of his generation. And second, that Caine was a hero whose peers go by such names as Conan and Elric. Like them, Caine was something new: a civilized man who embraced savagery, an actor whose life was a lie, a force of destruction so potent that even gods thought twice about crossing him. Now Stover brings back his greatest creation for his most stunning performance yet.

Caine is washed up and hung out to dry, a crippled husk kept isolated and restrained by the studio that exploited him. Now they have dragged him back for one last deal. But Caine has other plans. Those plans take him back to Overworld, the alternate reality where gods are real and magic is the ultimate weapon. There, in a violent odyssey through time and space, Caine will face the demons of his past, find true love, and just possibly destroy the universe.

Hey, it’s a crappy job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Reviewed by April.

Caine is back after a long layoff. He is “up against it,” as usual. This time, though, all of his experiences can only go so far; his heart will have to carry him the rest of the way. In this fourth and probably last novel in the phenomenal Acts of Caine series, Stover tries to pull off a difficult storytelling form in addition to some strange twists to the story itself, and almost succeeds.

The reader should, first off, be forewarned about a couple of things in Caine's Law. This book definitely fixes the long-endured frustration of Caine Black Knife readers who were stuck with the cliffhanger ending in the last book. It also adds synergistically to that story--both novels are better together than the sum of their parts. However, if you haven't read the previous books in the Acts of Caine, do NOT start here. With Stover's use of nonlinear time and mysticism, this could get confusing very quickly. Additionally, keep in mind that Caine is of the Labor caste; he grew up in a slum. He curses constantly. The violence in all the Acts of Caine is fairly gratuitous as well. This is not a series for the faint of stomach heart.

Caine's character has been through hell and back. His no-care, no bull attitude towards life is part of why he is one of the best postmodern sword and sorcery characters in existence. His capital P Presence is again one hundred percent, well, present; he remains Matthew Stover's magnum opus. All the other things fans of Stover have come to expect are here, too: for instance, the various subthemes like personal vs. collective consciousness, the abstract vs. the literal, and individual vs. society. This kind of social, political, and philosophical commentary help make these stories not just action-packed and entertaining, but also intellectually stimulating.

While Caine remains the best example of Stover's ability to create flawed, true to life characters, one particular addition to the cast in this novel was a stroke of genius. Those who know Caine realize the painful journey he's taken in his love life. In several ways, Caine finds peace--at least more than he ever supposed he'd find. One of those ways is through the horse witch: a gruff, mysterious woman with little to say but so much to give. The chemistry these two characters generate surpasses anything Pallas Ril could ever have hoped to have. The most amazing part is that that seems to have been Stover's intention. Chemistry is a tricky thing to try to force, and for this author the generation of relationships both positive and negative falls into place naturally.

Unfortunately, this installment in the Acts of Caine does have a few notable problems. Although it is well worth it at the end, impatient readers may find themselves confused and frustrated with the structure of the story itself. While I admit to spending time trying to dig through a little bit of the story, the bigger problem for me was that Caine becomes too larger than life this time. He's always been over the top to some degree--and in many ways that is what is so awesome about him--but I never got the feeling that Caine's death was imminent, like I did in the previous novels. There was never a doubt that he would win the day. In a way, that's a backhanded compliment though, because it means the protagonist is finally grown up and has found some form of contentedness within himself. While it diminishes the novel somewhat, there is satisfaction in the end of the series as a whole. That's not to say us huge Caine fans out there wouldn't love to see some prequels or novels of Caine between these story events, but it does feel like his journey is finally at the right ending.

So what is Caine's Law? That, you would have to read to find out. While this is not the strongest of the Acts of Caine, it still makes a fine addition to the series and is well worth the read. Caine remains one of the best characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.

Recommended.

This book was sent as an ARC from SF Revu.

Review: Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov

Title: Invitation to a Beheading

Author: Vladmimir Nabokov

Genre: classic, general fiction

Series: N/A

Pages: 223 (paperback edition)

Published: 1936

Source: bought

Rating: 3/5

Like Kafka's The Castle, Invitation to a Beheading embodies a vision of a bizarre and irrational world. In an unnamed dream country, the young man Cincinnatus C. is condemned to death by beheading for "gnostical turpitude" an imaginary crime that defies definition. Cincinnatus spends his last days in an absurd jail, where he is visited by chimerical jailers. an executioner who masquerades as a fellow prisoner, and by his in-laws. who lug their furniture with them into his cell. 

When Cincinnatus is led out to be executed. he simply wills his executioners out of existence: they disappear, along with the whole world they inhabit.

Warning: This is a rare “classic” read. I am very hard on the classics, since I find them just as enlightening as other genres but far less entertaining. Read this review with a grain of salt.

Invitation to a Beheading is classic existentialist literature. The main character, Cincinnatus C., is accused of some crime for which no one really has a definition. As you read, you come to realize that crime is being somehow more substantial than everyone else; Cincinnatus refers to it a few times as being “opaque.” The story is about his bizarre stay in jail while awaiting execution, and includes getting to know his executioner and dealing with his in-laws “moving in” for a short period of time… among other things.

I found it rather funny that in the introduction, Nabokov states that it’s strange that he’s compared so often to Kafka, when he had never read any German literature. But literally within the first two pages I thought, “This guy is Kafka v.2.0.” Nabokov defines the term Kafkaesque better than anyone I’ve read. His prose has that intangible, dreamlike quality while his main character is over-intense and paranoid. The similarities are eerie.

In high school, I couldn’t push through either Kafka or Conrad. I’m not going to say I enjoyed this story, and because I’ve maybe matured (hey, I said maybe, assholes!) but this was an easier read once the ball was rolling. Nabokov portrays a world not chaotic but translucent, a world with rules but rules that make no sense. Within Cincinnatus, we see reflected the concept of the individual as a pillar of perspective; what the world sees in us is not who we truly are. The society of Cincinnatus is neither with him nor against him, they are simply separate in a visceral fashion.

Recommended for anyone with a craving for some down and dirty existentialist nonsense silliness fun.

Review: Vengeance by Ian Irvine

Title: Vengeance

Author: Ian Irvine

Genre: fantasy

Series: The Tainted Realm #1

Pages: 544 (paperback edition)

Published: November 2011

Source: SFRevu

Rating: 5/5

In Cython’s underground slave camps, only the timid and obedient survive – and Tali is neither, for she has sworn to bring her mother’s killers to justice. In Cython, having magic means the death penalty, and Tali’s gift is swelling out of her control.



Her dramatic escape precipitates Cython's war on a weakened Hightspall and, when Tali is rescued by Rix, heir to Hightspall’s greatest fortune, they flee through a land in turmoil. But Rix’s subconscious is scarred by a sickening secret that links him to the killing, and before they can solve the crime, and defend the realm, Tali and Rix must learn to trust each other.

All the while, Tali is hunted by a faceless sorcerer who can only be beaten by magic, yet the one person who can teach her to use her unruly magic is the sorcerer himself.



As she unravels the ages-old conspiracy behind her mother’s murder, Tali’s quest for justice turns to a lust for vengeance. But how can she avenge herself on a killer who died two thousand years ago?

Tali is a slave, and Rix is a noble, but they share a secret that could break them both. Add to this a brewing war and magic that destroys as well as it creates, and you've got a mix that is both fascinating as a premise and difficult to execute successfully. Yet author Ian Irvine builds a stunning start to an epic fantasy that should become a dark jewel in the genre.

Tali is just a child when she witnesses the brutal murder of her mother. She lives in a state of constant terror -- terror of her slave's life and of dying the way her mother died. There are forces at work within herself far beyond her ability to comprehend, let alone control. She has to find a way to avenge her mother's death and discover her own hidden secrets before history repeats itself, or her masters decide to kill her for fun. Her character is strong, willful, and she never gives up. These qualities make her a first class heroine, but she is also stubborn and immature, which gives her character a layer of flaw that demonstrates Irvine's ability to bring characters to three dimensions.

Rix, too, is an imperfect hero, a haunted young man with a desire to do the right thing by the people he loves and protects with a sense of honor that goes far beyond necessity and nearly into obsession. Rix is Tali's only hope of survival -- and even more may ride on their journey together than they can guess. They, though, are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the author's ability to create amazing characters, as Tobry and Lyf, two other important players in this story, can show.

The world building politically, culturally, and physically is top notch. Irvine even uses the land itself as character that can express itself in its own limited way. These two peoples, struggling against each other for centuries, vie for power in the land. Yet what are the true motivations for this power? Is it vengeance for perceived past wrongs? Who is really in control of these cultures behind the scenes?

Rix and Tali's desire to see peace and prosperity for everyone in the land seems an overwhelming task already, even more so given the unseen currents of power trying to weave the future in their realm to their own advantage. Yet Irvine creates a discussion of fate and chance, for though events may seem preordained, no one has the power of a God. The main characters are on a chessboard, moving to a stunningly clever dance, the outcome of which neither side can see. Action and reaction lead to a climactic build up where the reader will be on seat edge wondering who comes out on top.

My favorite part of this story is the dramatic tension. It's exciting as a reader to know most of the pieces of the puzzle, and to watch these characters you love try to piece it together as well. Can they do it quickly enough to build a life for themselves, and to save the people they love against a power they can't truly understand? Sure, this is the definition of dramatic tension, but it is done in classic fashion that helps make this story a thrill ride.

As a first time Ian Irvine reader, I can't comment on how this new series beginning compares with his previous works. However, the depth of character, the quality and pacing of the action, and the heart of the story itself -- the journey of life with all its heartbreak and joy -- all lead me to believe that if any of these qualities interest you, you should go pick up this book now.

Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC from SF Revu. 

Review: 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Title: 172 Hours on the Moon

Author: Johan Harstad

Genre: young adult, horror, sci fi

Series:  N/A

Pages: 368

Published: first September 2008

Source: publishers for review

Rating: 4/5

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever.

Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune.
Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan.
Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.

In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

The United States, hoping to breathe some life back into its space program, holds an international lottery for three teens to take a trip to the moon. Ostensibly for mining resources, there is more to this voyage than meets the eye. A journey to the moon might become a real life nightmare for this small crew.

Mia, Midori, and Antoine are chosen as the lucky teens who get to spend 172 hours on the moon. All have very personal reasons for going, which are well fleshed out by the author. Those backstories, though, are one of the book's few weak points. Nearly half the book is spent explaining the lives of these three young people. Regardless, the pages will fly by, as the writing style is easy to read and doesn't waste time bogged down in unnecessary details.

The relationships between the three teens is very well realized. Author Harstad creates a true to life microcosm of teenage existence in the small space he has to do so. Love interest, jealousy, and companionship are addressed in a satisfying manner.

Once on the moon, things quickly take a turn for the worst. Harstad pulls out all the stops here. Events move rapidly, and readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats. Unexplainable, frightening things are happening, and soon it is a race against time for the three young heroes to discover why and find a way out of their hopeless situation. Beware, reader: you might find the dark a little uncomfortable while reading this.

The book's biggest flaw is in its lack of explanation. We come to understand what is going on, but the why and how remain elusive. A look into this universe through the eyes of the antagonists would be a great idea for a sequel. But are there even antagonists, really? Or is what is going on just a natural phenomenon, a reflection of a collective unconsciousness' fears? The addition of just that little bit of information could turn this very good book into a great one.

Overall, 172 Hours on the Moon delivers on its promise of a rising star in young adult fiction. The ending especially packs quite a punch. A slightly slow buildup as well as the aforementioned lack of explanation are relatively small flaws in an otherwise well told, downright creepy story. A strong 4/5 stars.

Review: The Games by Ted Kosmatka

Title: The Games

Author: Ted Kosmatka

Genre: science fiction, dystopia

Series: N/A

Pages: 368 (ARC edition)

Published: March 13, 2012

Source: ARC for review

Rating: 4/5

This stunning first novel from Nebula Award and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award finalist Ted Kosmatka is a riveting tale of science cut loose from ethics. Set in an amoral future where genetically engineered monstrosities fight each other to the death in an Olympic event, The Games envisions a harrowing world that may arrive sooner than you think.

Silas Williams is the brilliant geneticist in charge of preparing the U.S. entry into the Olympic Gladiator competition, an internationally sanctioned bloodsport with only one rule: no human DNA is permitted in the design of the entrants. Silas lives and breathes genetics; his designs have led the United States to the gold in every previous event. But the other countries are catching up. Now, desperate for an edge in the upcoming Games, Silas’s boss engages an experimental supercomputer to design the genetic code for a gladiator that cannot be beaten.

The result is a highly specialized killing machine, its genome never before seen on earth. Not even Silas, with all his genius and experience, can understand the horror he had a hand in making. And no one, he fears, can anticipate the consequences of entrusting the act of creation to a computer’s cold logic.

Now Silas races to understand what the computer has wrought, aided by a beautiful xenobiologist, Vidonia João. Yet as the fast-growing gladiator demonstrates preternatural strength, speed, and—most disquietingly—intelligence, Silas and Vidonia find their scientific curiosity giving way to a most unexpected emotion: sheer terror.

In a technologically advanced future, people have added a genetic engineering contest to the Olympic Games. Each country uses it to show off its prowess, and the United States has won since the inception of this twisted arena fight to the death.

This time around, though, Silas Williams, head of development for the project, feels something has gone terribly wrong. Using a different tactic, Olympic development has allowed a computer genius to use his supercomputer to help create the creature. From its birth, Silas and several others working with it have wondered if maybe they've pushed too far this time. It's hyperintelligent, more like a true alien than an animal. Silas enlists his friend Ben and his new love interest, Vidonia, into helping him figure out what this thing really is- before it's too late.

Kosmatka did a great job in raising some important moral dilemmas in his exploration of genetic engineering and the creative process. Above and beyond what they've created this time, did they ever have the right to create creatures just to send them to their deaths? (This happens to be an issue I had with the premise as well. Would people be evil enough to condemn these creatures to death just for their entertainment? I hope not.) Does the good that comes from engineering these creatures- like breakthroughs in biotechnology- justify doing it in the first place? Do we really know how to judge sentience in a creature, or for that matter, a computer? Can we ever fault a being, no matter how manipulated its inception, for wanting to do what it takes to survive? The author uses these questions to create a thoughtful story with some scary implications.

The characters were only mediocre from my point of view. Kosmatka captured intelligence and social awkwardness fairly well, but I felt no real passion from any of the characters either. Even the love story was a tad dull, though I did root for Silas and Vidonia as they raced against the clock to discover what this creature was and stop it from gaining the upper hand against its human creators.

Whatever else I might have felt about this book, I was surprised to notice a day after finishing it that it was on my mind. I ran through it as though I had watched it in the movie theatre. The story, while not bringing in much action until about halfway through, nevertheless flows nicely. By that halfway mark, I didn't want to put the book down.

Overall Kosmatka does a good job with a slightly flawed premise. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thoughtful science fiction or scientific ethical dilemmas. A solid four stars.

I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. 

Review: Thomas World by Richard Cox

Title: Thomas World

Author: Richard Cox

Genre: Science fiction

Series: N/A

Pages: 396 (ARC edition)

Published: August 2011

Source: ARC for review which in no way affected the views expressed

Rating: 3.5/5

Thomas Phillips knows he''s losing his mind. He''s been losing it for as long as he can remember. And yet, when a strange old man asks him to consider that he, out of everyone in the world, knows the real truth, Thomas'' life begins to spiral out of control. He loses interest in his job and is fired. He refuses his wife''s suggestion of psychiatric care, and she leaves him. In the end, Thomas is alone. Except he's not, because someone seems to be following him. What if you were Thomas? Where would you go? What would you do? What if you realized every person in your life had been scripted to be there? What if you were haunted by the idea that you'd lived all these encounters before, hundreds or even thousands of times before? And what if the person watching all this time was you? Thomas World explores what happens when the borders of reality start seeming a bit pores... when things start bleeding through the edges, challenging ones perceptions of the universe. The grand tradition of Dickian, New Wave SF is explored by Richard Cox in this 21st century thriller.

Have you ever found yourself wondering if your life was planned? Ever expect to open up a book by some strange author you've never heard of and see your life embedded there in the pages? Or, maybe you've even read of characters that it seems you've met on the streets, and as you follow them through their fictional world, you can almost feel every hurt or joy they experience. You wonder if they're out there, somehow, living this life you are reading. This work of Richard Cox may speak strongly to you, then. Here in Thomas World, he has a created a voice that may whisper creepy things to you days after you have finished this book.

Thomas Phillips is slowly going insane. Unable to trust his own perceptions, he loses everything--his job, his wife, his work--and finds himself less and less sure of anything. But the truth is buried under layers of instability and imbalance, and Thomas has to dig dangerously deep to find the path to understanding. Drawing partially on the literature of Philip K. Dick, author Richard Cox manages to create a creepy, original story that is not a cheap Dick regurgitation. While he shamelessly points to Dick as inspiration (indeed, Dick is even a character), Cox uses the work of Dick as a springboard into a new, relevant adventure.

At first, Thomas World reads a bit like following a declining schizophrenic. As a reader, it's easy to find yourself thinking that the character of Thomas Phillips belongs in the mental institution, and that's that. Cox's portrayal of schizophrenia is scarily spot-on, even though Thomas' problems obviously go quite a bit deeper than that. About halfway through the novel, author Cox pulls out all the stops and twists the story in a way which Dick would definitely appreciate. There's paranoia and strangeness to spare, sure, but is Thomas Phillips truly insane? You'll find yourself reexamining your own perceptions of the world as he tries to figure out what is causing his own world to unravel.

For fans of Philip K. Dick and/or conspiracy theories, this book is sure to impress. For others, though, disbelief is difficult to suspend entirely. Not knowing the truth until the very end of the book, it can be difficult for the average reader to buy the premise. However, the ending does wrap it up neatly, and as it turns out, in a way that is not totally improbable.

Some interesting philosophical points are also brought up throughout the story, making Thomas World a nice little piece of brain candy for anybody interested in the nature of reality and perception... or a way to screw with their brains for an enjoyable evening of reading.

Review: Somewhere Beneath Those Waves by Sarah Monette

Title: Somewhere Beneath Those Waves

Author: Sarah Monette

Genre: short stories, fantasy, science fiction, horror

Series: N/A

Pages: 331 (paperback edition)

Published: November 2011

Source: purchased

Rating: 3/5

The first non-themed collection of critically acclaimed author Sarah Monette’s best short fiction. To paraphrase Hugo-award winner Elizabeth Bear’s introduction: “Monette’s prose is lapidary, her ideas are fantastical and chilling. She has studied the craft of fantastic fiction from the pens of masters and mistresses of the genre. She is a poet of the awkward and the uncertain, exalter of the outcast, the outre, and the downright weird. There is nothing else quite like Sarah Monette’s fiction.”

I picked up this lovely book by Sarah Monette because I've read her Doctrine of Labyrinth series as well as A Companion to Wolves (with Elizabeth Bear.) She has a very lyrical style without getting too bogged down in the description. And she loves to write about queer characters. Her characters also tend to have an Otherness to them that I can identify with.

This collection grows in strength as it continues. One of the things that I disliked about the stories is that Monette's heroes and heroines didn't make the decisions I would have. They let the ills of life wash over them and just accepted their fates. The characters, and therefore stories, I liked most were the ones who showed inner strength in the face of adversity. Some crumpled up, said no to true love, let The One walk away... and I didn't enjoy those stories, which is why this collection is rated a 3.5 even though the last few stories were very strong.

Some favorites:

A Light in Troy- dark tone, sad story... but at the end of the day even the conquerors are human and this story shows how it's possible to move on from losing everything.

No Man's Land- interestingly enough, one of her darker stories in the collection. But dark in the way I like it. Without revealing too much, let's just say it's a war story and an identity story with a bit of irony thrown in.

A Night in Electric Squidland/ Impostors- she says she has more stories in her head about these guys, and I hope she writes them. A paranormal investigation duo working together? Yeah, we've seen hundreds of those. But these guys have a certain je ne sais quoi together that really makes them fun to read about.

After the Dragon - a girl gets a new lease on life after she realizes that, for better or worse, she can't be what she was before. But maybe that's a good thing.

I wanted to like Three Letters from the Queen of Elfland, but instead it became one of my least favorites of the collection. This is part of what I alluded to above and I'm not going to spoil. It's an amazing story up until the end.

Overall, Monette impressed me, partially by making the stories stronger as I read. I would recommend this to someone who already likes her writing, or to someone who likes bittersweet, cross-genre stuff. 

 

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: dystopia, young-adult, science fiction

Series: Divergent #1

Pages: 487

Published: May 2011

Source: bought

Rating: 4/5

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her. 

Divergent is a dystopian thriller about a society based around five principles: peace, bravery, knowledge, selflessness, and truth. Every person belongs to one of these factions, which is chosen when they reach adulthood. They go through initiation into their chosen faction and are either accepted or rejected. Normally, their choice is made easy for them: whichever faction they identify with most strongly, as based on their test. But some, called divergent, are able to manipulate their VR simulation- we learn early that they are rare, and they are dangerous. But not for the reasons you might think.

This is the story of Beatrice, a young woman undergoing the trials and tribulations of divergence. Told to keep her true result quiet, she chooses the faction Dauntless- those who value bravery over all else. Coming from Abnegation- the faction of selflessness- she expects to be welcomed into the fold as a new member, but an ugly surprise awaits her. She has to fight, literally and figuratively, her way into the ranks of Dauntless. And along the way, she will discover there is much more to this divergence thing than she could have imagined.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It probably would have been rated a full five if not for the expectations placed upon it. The premise itself was what I found hardest to believe. Five factions, five ways of thought; these are supposed to hold all of human experience? People are far too complex to fall into these kind of circle-shape-goes-in-circle-hole categories. My assumption would be that nearly everyone would be divergent; human action and reaction often depends on the situation presented. Even the most selfish of us can act selfless given the right motivation. Amirite? Having a really scary dystopian landscape where people are forced to identify with ideas far more simplistic than they truly are is a well-known literary tactic. For the purpose of this author's story, the scary factor was almost nil, in the sense that it was more story driven and not concept driven. For me, that meant the story was exciting enough, but not really riveting in the way that mind-fuckers like 1984 are.

That being said, as a YA novel this hit the mark very well. The character of Beatrice, her love interest Four, and the other young adults she has to work with fill the story in a way that speaks of major talent. In comparison with The Hunger Games, (because you knew I'd have to bring that up) the love story is Divergent's strong point. Four and Tris are believable as a couple from the moment they meet, and Four has this sort of brooding, needy sexuality that spices up the narrative nicely.

All in all, a job well done, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

Review Take Two: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Genre: young-adult, fantasy

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1

Pages: 418 (hardcover edition)

Published: September 2011

Source: from publishers for review

Rating: 5/5

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The first book in a new series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is an urban fantasy about a girl, an age old war, and the consequences of love. It starts with the daily routine of Karou, a strange creature with two lives. On one hand, she is a young art student in Prague, with the normal fears and dreams of a young woman. On the other hand, she is an errand-runner for otherworldly Brimstone and his fellow chimera, the only family she has ever known.

Tossed about between these two worlds, Karou only wants to know who she is, and what her real purpose in life is to be. Beyond the strangeness of her life lies a truth Karou wants and needs to know, but it will cost her dearly to learn it. Learn it she does, over an unusually constructed but effectively told story line that gradually sucks in the reader.

The story starts with Karou's point of view and her current life in Prague. Her friend, Zuzana, is the best character in the story, even if she is a secondary one. She provides perfectly timed comic relief at the moments where it seems Karou starts pulling a bit towards the angsty, self-obsessed teen of those middling paranormal stories that seem a dime a dozen nowadays. As the book continues, Zuzana's genuine and relevant sense of humor sticks with the reader, even when the deep substance of Taylor's artistry starts to reveal itself.

The sudden entrance of the love story, a little less than halfway through the book, was a bit jarring. At first it felt contrived or forced, but as the depth of the author's storytelling came to the fore, it seemed more and more a splendidly done thing. The banter of the characters also stuck out as exceptional, if handled in an unusual fashion.

Overall, Laini Taylor shows herself as an author with an honest sense of humor and a gift for better-than-average storytelling and whimsy. Karou's character busts out of her shell in a way that will delight readers of young adult literature, and also faces enough pain and consequence to satisfy readers of a more mature bent. As an urban fantasy, it has enough true character to put itself ahead of the class, and is well worth the read even for fans of predominantly other speculative subgenres. 

Highly recommended.

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My review for this novel, first published in September of 2011, also gives DoSaB 5/5 stars because I LOVED IT! It was one of my favorite reads for the year, and Laini was my favorite 'new discovery' for an author. Read this book, especially if you feel the PNR/UF genre has gotten a little stale - it's fresh, unique and gorgeously written.

Review: The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee

Title: The Birthgrave

Author: Tanith Lee

Genre: fantasy, science fiction

Series: Birthgrave #1

Pages: 408 (mass market paperback)

Published: June 1975, republished 2012

Source: bought

Rating: 5/5

She woke from a sleep of countless years, reborn from the heart of a raging volcano. Her body was a masterpiece all men desired, her face a monstrosity that must go masked. Warrior, witch, goddess and slave, she was doomed to travel through a world of barbaric splendour, helped and betrayed by her lovers, searching for escape from the taint of her forgotten race, and the malice of the demon that haunted her.

Tanith Lee's The Birthgrave is one of the best pieces of feminist speculative fiction I have ever read.

The main character is a woman of the old race- humanlike creatures with apparent immortality and powers above and beyond that which we possess. She awakens in a volcano, and is told by the spirit in the fire that she is the last of her kind and will spread a curse of unhappiness across the land, unless she can unlock the secrets to the power and knowledge hidden within herself. Thus she leaves the mountain on a series of adventures, trying to discover the lost truthof her own past.

This book is about power: the power of belief, the power of the Other, and the power of womankind. As our main character, nameless, interacts with the world around her, she takes many roles: that of goddess, slave, warrior, healer. Lee does a fantastic job of painting more primitive human cultures, lost in their own beliefs and unwilling or unable to see the world around them for what it is because of their dogma and fear. Through these cultures drifts our heroine, a complex woman of quicksilver, trying to understand the legacy left her by her forebears.

The focus of her story for me is that while she has the physical and mental powers of her kind, the real victory comes from her strength of will. In a world dominated by men, she is both revered and feared, for while she hides what she can, the men around her- especially those with power- can sense that there is more to her than meets the eye. These men use her for their own gain. Some put her on a pedestal; others suppress her. But they are always watching her, because they know that her substance is something they cannot even begin to guess. In this, she represents the true inner strength of all womankind, forisn't the male of our species always trying to define and understand us? Our nameless heroine runs the gamut of all that men have done in
the effort to realize a definition for the power and beauty ofwomanhood.

But it's the eventual outcome of her quest that is truly refreshing and surprising- through it, she finally comes to understand that there is no need for an outward locus of self. All those confusions and mysteries are there inside her. She is not cursed, but blessed.

Highly recommended.

Review Take Two: Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick

Title: Among Thieves

Author: Douglas Hulick

Genre: fantasy

Series: A Tale of the Kin #1

Pages: 414 (mass market paperback edition)

Published: February 2011

Source: won in GoodReads giveaway from publisher

Rating: 4/5

Drothe is a Nose, an informant who finds and takes care of trouble inside the criminal organization he’s a part of. He also smuggles imperial relics on the side. When his boss sends him to Ten Ways to track down who’s been leaning on his organization’s people, Drothe discovers hints of a much bigger mystery. Someone is trying to stir up trouble between lower-level criminal organizations, including the one Drothe belongs to. And there’s a book rumored to contain imperial glimmer (or magic) that a lot of very dangerous people seem to be looking for — including two crime bosses known as the Gray Princes. When Drothe discovers the book, he finds himself holding a bit of swag that can bring down emperors, shatter the criminal underworld, and unlock forbidden magic… that's if he can survive long enough to use it.

 I was very excited to receive Among Thieves as part of the Librarything Early Reviewers program. I was not disappointed.

Among Thieves is an action-packed romp through a fantasy city known as Ildrecca. The main character, Drothe, is a rogue, gathering information for his crime lord and collecting relics as a sort of hobby. Then a particular relic enters his life and turns it upside down. He has to choose between promises and friendship, doing the right thing or the easy thing.

One of the biggest strengths of Hulick's writing are his battle scenes. The timing of each sword stroke, each move by the combatants, seems real beyond most other writers' abilities. Nor is the fun bogged down by unnecessary details; the history of the world and just enough setting detail integrates seamlessly into the story.

One of the questions I ended up asking myself, though, was whether or not I liked the main character. I found him believable certainly. Clever in his own right, concerned for his people, and honorable almost to a fault. I didn't feel the connection I wanted to feel to him, though. I had fun with him, but I don't feel like I learned anything new from him.

Over all, I think Hulick's first try is fairly successful. I am definitely going to pick up the next book when it comes out. I want to find out what happens to the empire, to Drothe and all the Kin.

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My review can be found right here; it was posted about seven months ago. I rated it less a star than did April here, but still very much enjoyed the journey into Hulick's beginning series. The second novel, Sworn in Steel, is so far slated for an April release.

Review: Catch the Lightning by Catherine Asaro

Title: Catch the Lightning

Author: Catherine Asaro

Genre: science fiction

Series: Saga of the Skolian Empire #2

Pages: 320 (mass market paperback edition)

Published: April 1997

Source: bought

Rating: 4/5

In the distant future, the Skolian empire rules one third of the human galaxy, and is the most powerful of all. For the ruling family has the power of telepathy, and through it, the ability to communicate faster than light across the interstellar space. but their most determined enemy, the traders, who thrive on human pain, need to interbreed with a Skolian to gain their powers. And now they have her.

 Catch the Lightning, one of the older novels of the Skolian Empire saga, is Catherine Asaro in her true form. Slight spoilers ahead, but only if you haven't read any of the other Skolian novels.

First off let me say I am a huge fan of this series. It's hard sci fi for non-hard sci fi readers. She makes the physics and the genetics relatively easy to understand while weaving a story that is able to touch people emotionally. Since Asaro has worked on the last three novels, she seems to have been more caught up in the musical aspect of her work, which is tied into the story as a whole but most closely with Diamond Star. Admittedly, part of why Asaro is an idol of mine is because of her multiple talents, and I think that adding music to the story of one of the Skolian family is something to be proud of. But whether because of that or because of what's happening in the latest novels, her work has not quite been mind blowing stuff like the beginning of the series.

I've saved this one for last almost last because it is chronologically the latest story in the series. But like those first novels she wrote, I really learned and interacted with the universe she has created. She revisits the physics without making it boring- I love her for that. She also explains the Rhon genetic project from the views of a woman from an alternate 1987, something which had become a bit muddied for me since I started reading the series with Primary Inversion.

But not only that, there's space combat again! This time she adds time travel too; classic space opera stuff here, ladies and gentlemen. Also, I hate to admit that the capture of a Rhon psion makes for the best anticipation, but it's true. The torture of a psion is upsetting for us readers with a high Kyle rating, but the lack of empathy present in the Traders is fascinating to see firsthand, as it were, through the eyes of the main characters.

And then we also find out where the Raylicans originated (although I imagine that the secrets of the star-faring people who brought them there and inadvertently gave them the inversion drive may be forever hidden from us.) The future of the Rhon may depend on this knowledge and I want to see it explored more in the future by the author.

This is a great addition to the saga that is an easy, quick read. Recommended. 

Review Take Two: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Before we jump into April's review of The Book Thief, I'd like to explain what a 'Review Take Two' is. Occasionally, from here out April and I will review the same book, as is the case with Markus Zusak's beautiful novel. Afterwards, both will post a review with their independent thoughts. It's easy to distinguish in case one doesn't wish to read two reviews of the same novel so close together. This first one is more spaced out (or maybe they will end up usually spaced out. Who knows. I plan a lot of things.... and then life.) as my review was posted at the end of December last year. Here is April's:

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Genre: young-adult fiction, historical fiction

Series: N/A

Pages: 550 (paperback edition)

Published: 2006

Source: bought

Rating: 5/5

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.

So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

The Book Thief came highly recommended and I was excited to read it. It’s about several years in the life of a young girl during WWII, as narrated by Death. Really, though, it’s about so much more than that.

The young book thief, Liesel, is adopted by a foster family and taken away from her mother who, seemingly sick, cannot take care of her and her brother. En route to their new home, her brother dies suddenly. Her mother has to leave her with her new family, so now she is alone and knows nobody, drowning in sorrow. But it is as she is at her brother’s funeral that she steals her first book, opening new paths that would eventually touch all of those around her.

Like many people, Liesel’s ability to rebound from the horrors in the world is remarkable. Death finds himself fascinated by her strength and passion, especially when it comes to those she loves. Zusak paints a picture of a girl who fits the expression “whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” Her growth as a character ultimately leads you, as a reader, to find hope in the hidden corners of a basement or a deliberately left-open window into a library. Her heart is open and she finds room in it for new parents, new friends, and a hidden Jew, who all help in showing her that as long as there is love, there is life.

Believe me, though, there is tragedy aplenty in this novel. Much of it is nicely foreshadowed, or even outright warned, by Death. But from page one, you can almost taste it. A work of fiction it may be, but it’s still a work of fiction about Nazi Germany. Many of the true horrors are merely hinted at; regardless, the knowledge that these things really happened (within the last hundred years!) should still tear at you. (Unless you’re completely heartless, of course. I mean, someone several someones in history had to be, to allow this unfortunate spot in human history to occur.)

Liesel’s story is a touching and bittersweet one, with a sort of existential truth at the heart: life truly is what you make of it. It is about the love and sorrow of a young girl, the greater humanity those things represent, and ultimately the power of words to heal. Highly recommended.  

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My review is hardly contrasting as I rated the book the same 5/5 stars and had equal love for all things The Book Thief. If interested my review can be found here.

Two Minute Review: The Garden of the Stone by Victoria Strauss

Title: The Garden of the Stone 

Author: Victoria Strauss

Genre: fantasy
Pages: 375

Published: 1999/2011
Source: ARC
Rating: 4/5

At the heart of the Fortress lay the Garden.

At the heart of the Garden lay the Stone.

It was a living entity of power beyond understanding-not even by the men who had used its energies to control the unGifted masses, ever since the wrenching cataclysm that shattered the union of Hand and Mind and split the world centuries ago. Then came Bron, his arrival long foretold, destined to restore the balance between Hand and Mind. But Bron had other plans. He stole the Stone...and vanished.

Now Bron's daughter Cariad, a powerful empath and skilled assassin, must follow the footsteps of a father she has never known, into the depths of the same Fortress. Waiting there is Jolyon, her father's deadly enemy, a man whose thirst for domination is matched only by his taste for blood...and who possesses the power to satisfy both appetites. Cariad must learn the secret of Jolyon's strength before it is too late. For just as her father's arrival was prophesied, so too is his return. And this time Jolyon is ready-for Bron to die.

The Garden of the Stone was sent to me as a goodreads first read. Itwas signed by Vicki Strauss.

This was a very enjoyable book. I hadn't read the first in the series but didn't need to- this one stood alone just fine. The action and pace were good. The main character was deep and had realistic and interesting flaws. At the beginning of the story, she knows she will live to see her father in the Garden. What she fails to understand is that, because of this prophecy, she will rush into danger, not realizing that she would meet her father a changed woman. Not necessarily for the worst, but different.

My only problem with the book was that the villain's character was not realized enough. I would have liked to see some of his point of view. The rest of the characters were fully realized and understanding a bit more about why he was the way he was would have rounded out the story better.
Overall, a recommended read.

This title is also just $4.99 for Nook right now, so if you feel like giving this series/author a shot, now is the cheap time to do it.