Series Review: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

Titles: The Abyss Surrounds Us and The Edge of the Abyss

Author: Emily Skrutskie

Genre: science fiction

Pages: 273 & 296

Published: Feb 8 2016 & April 18 2017

Source: purchased & ARC from NetGalley

Ratings: 4/5

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.

There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea.

But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she's not about to stop.

With just these two monster-centric books, new author Emily Skrutskie has already made quite an impression. Though her novels are rather on the short side for science fiction at less than three hundred pages each, both contain so much plot and action and character development that not a page feels wasted or more needed. With its ambitious, clever imagination, complex and morally-grey characters, and the detailed world-building needed to back up a world balanced by seamonster fights, Skrutskie's ecologically-impaired version of the future is dynamic and original while still being a high-stakes and action-packed read.

Sea monsters and pirates and the battles between comprise the bulk of the series' action, plotting, and attention across the two books in this series. Through the main character of Cas, a headstrong teen girl first on the legit side of the monster vs pirates lines that define her world, and later on the lawless side, the book uses a first-person viewpoint to explore both sides of the central conflict. Cas's role over the course of both books is pivotal and evolves along the way, from the Reckoner trainer initially introduced in The Abyss Surrounds Us to the crewmember of the Minnow in The Edge of the Abyss. It's not an easy transition to handle and remain believable: from hostage to outsider to pirate, but Skrutskie's characterization has depth and takes the time to make Cas' changes feel organic for the character.

It's not only martial conflict that plagues Cas over the course of this duology. She has to contend with a barrage of emotional damage in a relatively short amount of time: distance from her family, living among a hostile crew, training a "little shit" of a Reckoner in stressful environs, a Captain who likes to play deadly mind games, and a love interest that may or may not betray her depending on the given day of the week. The romance between Cas and Swift is long-gestating and complicated. The seeds of their attraction are authentic and planted in the first novel, but thanks to a severe imbalance in power between the two, it is never cemented. By the events of the the second book, the girls are on more even terms but their relationship is now troubled by the actions of Swift in the past, her future as a pirate, and by Cas's own actions. 

Outside of the characters and character interactions, the world-building of The Abyss Surrounds Us as a series remains a high point. There's cool tech invented for the world's necessities and in-depth thought given to crafting the eco-systems of the NeoPacific. Skrutskie's premise and imagination are strong and she uses scientific principles to create additional suspense and tension. The plotting reflects the author's knowledge, and while both books are mostly well-developed, they can also fall prey to tropes and conveniences on occasion. This is particularly noticeable in book two when Santa Elena needs other pirates to recognize the danger of a Hellbeast and hark! ONE APPEARS JUST THEN and attacking CIVILIANS! The series may go for the easy answer from time to time to tie plotlines or characters together, but its the exception rather than the rule.

The Abyss Surrounds Us was an excellent introduction to the world of Cas, Swift, Santa Elena and the Reckoners; short but impactful, and very memorable. The Edge of the Abyss continued those good traits and then builds a new, relevant plot to end the duology. The effortlessly diverse cast is worth noting and commending as well. This post-apocalyptic tale has f/f relationships, women of color in positions of power, Cas herself is of an unspecified Asian descent, aaaand The main human villain is a mediocre white failed businessman. Very much recommended.

Backlist Series Review: Dreamdark by Laini Taylor

Titles: 

Blackbinger

Silksinger

Author: Laini Taylor

Genre: fantasy

Series: Faeries of Dreamdark #1 and #2

Pages:

442

464

Published:

June 2007

January 2009

Source: purchased

Ratings:

4.75/5

4.75/5

When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, she's devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago.

 With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself, the creator of the world, she may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?

Lovely and sharp, Laini Taylor's unique take on faeries is full of the gorgeous, creative prose she's come to be known for since these were published way back in 2007 and 2009. Combining fantastic writing, lush imagery and that one-of-a-kind imagination (full of devils and djinn and magic and mayhem and feathers), Taylor's Dreamdark books are engaging, original, and thoroughly fun to read. These two books both skew a bit younger than the more famous and widely-available Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, but each shows the same skilled hand at plotting, characterization, and worldbuilding. 

Taylor's books have a way of enveloping readers into whichever world is being inhabited by these characters and created by this author. First with Blackbringer and then followed and expanded in Silksinger, the stories and fae mythology invented easily capture attention and interest. From the slang to the fresh spin on magic to the disparate faerie cultures, the world of Magpie and Talon is different and intriguing one. The threat of the devils is present for both books, but Taylor is clearly playing a deeper, evolving game with her antagonists. There's a larger series plot arc concerned, the history of which is slowly being revealed as Magpie, Whisper and more are entangled in the Tapestry.  

Blackbringer provides an excellent entrance into the world of djinn and darkness, and Silksinger ably continues the story right where the first leaves off. Magpie , as the main character and heroine, especially gets the chance to shine and grow into her role in the course of the two novels. But first her 'feathers' and Talon (and then later Whisper and Hirik) make for an entertaining and loveable group of side characters to accompany her on her travels; Mingus and Bertram are particular favorites. The plots begins simply enough, but as Magpie uncovers more about herself and her world, the mysteries and the story deepen. Even in book two, there's more to be found out -- this writer has an ace up her sleeve and more subtle twists than can be predicted.

Laini Taylor is the rare author that is actually a wordsmith; she knows how to perfectly craft a sentence that is lovely, memorable, and full of imagery. Her books are replete with standout images and language, and her debut series shows those talents began early.  And while her talent for that aspect of her craft is appreciated and apparent in the narratives, it must be said that the Dreamdark series sadly doesn't feel wholly complete at the end of these two (published) books.

A high-energy duology, filled with humor and harsh realities, both Blackbringer and Silksinger pack in the desperate action along with the picturesque writing. The main plot in each are wrapped up with means both clever and believable for the preceding chapters; there are high stakes and no deus-ex-machinas. There's a lot of plot potential left hanging at the ending of Silksinger and the overarching themes and plots introduced are far from being satisfactorily wrapped up. The incompleteness of the narrative is hopefully temporary because Magie, Talon, Whisper, Hirk, and the crows have a lot more adventures left in them to come.

Series Review: The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham

.

Titles:

The Dragon's Path

The King's Blood

The Tyrant's Law

The Widow's House

The Spider's War

Author: Daniel Abraham

Genre: fantasy

Series: The Dagger and the Coin #1 - #5

Pages:

TDP: 555

TKB: 501

TTL: 497

TWH: 495

TSW: 492

Published:

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

Source: all purchased

Ratings:

4/5

3.5/5

4/5

4/5

5/5

All paths lead to war...

Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.

Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path-the path to war. 

I am going to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, and when not the spoilers will be whited out inside parentheses. (Like so, for an example.)

The Dagger and Coin spans five books, thousands of pages, and contains a rather large cast of characters from heroines to antiheroes to the truly vile. It can seem an intimidating series to start, but Abraham has a steady hand on the wheel for all five books in his WWII-inspired fantasy world. Even when the series seems to be headed along a certain path, there are plenty of twists, turns and creative ideas to keep veteran readers engaged and surprised. If the story can seem too large in scope at the start, the author's vision is far-reaching and capable. 

The first two novels make for an impressive if occasionally uneven introduction to the fictional world and the invented races. The worldbuilding shown is little more sparse than I'd like to see for the first book especially, but what is provided is intriguing enough to lead to questions and hunger for information and more books in the series. Another positive for the series is that this isn't just a pseudo-Europe setting. The second book somewhat meanders around but the seeds of Geder Palliako's arc are really established here. He grows from in menace and The King's Blood also sets the stage for book three, The Tyrant's Law, in a really unexpected way.

Daniel Abraham is consistently clever in his approach to his 5-book series. He does some new things and plays with new spins on old genre ideas and tropes, and that extends to both character and plot. Over the course of these many books, I grew to care about nearly all involved. There were of course favorites in the multitudes: Marcus Wester and Clara Kalliam. One is somewhat of a genre trope and the other is a complete surprise; not many fantasies feature the POV of a middle-aged married noblewoman (who also gets a romance with a younger man once widowed and also LEADS THE RESISTANCE). But Clara is much more than a wife and mother, as Marcus is much more than the washed-up mercenary he appears.

So many epic fantasies seem to base their premises along the same familiar lines. And while war, injustice, prejudice and strife are key themes to all the Dagger and the Coin novels there's also the addition of Cithrin Bell Sarcour's unique plot arc. I really love that one of these books' main and important POVs is an (rogue) underage female banker who uses math and economics to fight against the forces of her enemies. It's unexpected and Daniel Abraham makes it work so well and without infodumping or sounding like an AP economics class. Cithrin's role is pivotal in all the novels; as an individual with agency, as a catalyst for others -- both good and bad. But Cithrin is a great element of the story; she mixes up the scenery and the plot and the stakes, and she does it smartly.

The way religion and magic are used in all five book is another strong and original aspect to this series. Abraham intertwines the two and creates a compelling, threatening secondary antagonistic force besides/with Geder Palliako. The Spider Priests abilities and culture is unique to Abraham's imagination and presents a very real, very hard to fight evil arrayed against the heroes (and antiheroes).

The author has impressed me with these five books. They are consistent and inventive and like to turn expected fantasy tropes on their head (I will never forget the "let's just kill the goddess and we will be saved!" plot twist. Brilliant and unexpected ploy to spin that trope). The best of the characters include a teenage girl who fights through bank loans, a widowed and badass (former) baroness (who now spies and plots while marching with armies), and a mercenary captain who's (killed kings, controls the last dragon in existence), and is waiting for his second-in-command to rise up and steal the company.The main human villain is spoiled, self-indulgent manchild who invaded several countries because a woman rejected him and he lucked into power. Because he was laughed at, or felt confused. Basically...he's an MRA/Trump in a fantasy world and he is CHILLING in his echoes of real humanity.

Also, The Dagger and the Coin one of the few series with no sexual abuse on the page. A fantasy series with no rape is so refreshing and so sadly hard to find. There's still plenty of grim and darkness to be found in its pages -- after all, this is inspired our real world's horrors in WWII. Every book was good, entertaining and complete in itself. There were three four stars, sole three and a half star - with the series last offering being its best and highest rated at 5 out of 5 stars.

Series Review: Noctis Magicae by Sylvia Izzo Hunter

Titles:

The Midnight Queen

Lady of Magick

A Season of Spells

Author: Sylvia Izzo Hunter

Genre: historical fiction, fantasy

Series: Noctis Magicae #1 - #3

Pages: 

TMQ: 417

LoM: 448

ASoS: 432

Published:

September 2014

September 2015

expected December 2016

Source: bought the first two, third from NetGalley via publishers

Ratings: 

3.5/5

2.5/5

3/5

In the hallowed halls of Oxford’s Merlin College, the most talented—and highest born—sons of the Kingdom of Britain are taught the intricacies of magickal theory. But what dazzles can also destroy, as Gray Marshall is about to discover…

Gray’s deep talent for magick has won him a place at Merlin College. But when he accompanies four fellow students on a mysterious midnight errand that ends in disaster and death, he is sent away in disgrace—and without a trace of his power. He must spend the summer under the watchful eye of his domineering professor, Appius Callender, working in the gardens of Callender’s country estate and hoping to recover his abilities. And it is there, toiling away on a summer afternoon, that he meets the professor’s daughter.

Even though she has no talent of her own, Sophie Callender longs to be educated in the lore of magick. Her father has kept her isolated at the estate and forbidden her interest; everyone knows that teaching arcane magickal theory to women is the height of impropriety. But against her father’s wishes, Sophie has studied his ancient volumes on the subject. And in the tall, stammering, yet oddly charming Gray, she finally finds someone who encourages her interest and awakens new ideas and feelings.

Sophie and Gray’s meeting touches off a series of events that begins to unravel secrets about each of them. And after the king’s closest advisor pays the professor a closed-door visit, they begin to wonder if what Gray witnessed in Oxford might be even more sinister than it seemed. They are determined to find out, no matter the cost…

With three solid books in a now-finished series, Sylvia Izzo Hunter has built a viable, envisionable world of magic and manners. Part fantasy, part historical fiction and also part romance, these three books have been entertaining if not the most original the subgenre has to offer its readers. Starting with The Midnight Queen, which serves as a good first introduction for this alternate version of history, the story of Gray is further continued and complicated in Lady of Magick. Finally, definitively concluded with the third novel, A Season of Spells, this is a series that has lead readers and its characters in unexpected but engaging directions.

Combining the Regency period in England with magic is not precisely a new idea, but Hunter's adaption of the premise is centered on main character Gray and his love interest Sophie. The era and culture of the 19th century they live in is familiar but still distinct with the author's own spin on reality.  Each successive book sets out to test the two in ways both magical and mundane; admittedly this conceit wore a bit then by the end, but theirs is a strong bond and believable relationship. Gray may be the intentional main character for the Noctis Magicae books, but Sophie and her personal arc nearly steal the show from him numerous times in the trilogy.

Though the plots of each book were strong and independent of one another, they are somewhat forgettable once that individual novel is finished. I was the biggest fan of A Season of Spell's main plotline (Sophie's goal in particular worked for me) because the new mix of intrigue provided a nice balance to the magic and rules that govern the rest of the narrative. The fast-paced nature of these stories also work both for and against the books as a whole; the narrative moves so quickly from plot point to plot point that things can get lost in the headlong rush. I appreciated that the story doesn't waste time connecting the dots but the clarity of the story was sometimes sacrificed.

This is a well-rounded and solidly executed trilogy. Perhaps they feel a bit longer than necessary at 400+ pages, but each book in the series provides plenty of entertainment and unpredictability. The series wavered a bit with the slower and more sedate Lady of Magick, but found its footing well in time to end satisfactorily with A Season of Spells.

 

Series Review: Wayfarers by Becky Chambers

Technically, these two books are more companions than series, but eh, it's my blog and I do what I want.

Title: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Author: Becky Chambers
Genre: science fiction
Series: Wayfarers #1
Pages: 404
Published: August 2015
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 4.5/5

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there.

But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war.

Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

Title: A Closed and Common Orbit
Author: Becky Chambers
Genre: science fiction
Series: Wayfarers #2
Pages: 512
Published: October 20 2016
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 4.5/5
 

Lovelace was once merely a ship's artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in an new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who's determined to help her learn and grow.

Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced readers to the incredible world of Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a restless soul and secrets to keep. When she joined the crew of the Wayfarer, an intergalactic ship, she got more than she bargained for - and learned to live with, and love, her rag-tag collection of crewmates.

A Closed and Common Orbit is the stand-alone sequel to Becky Chambers' beloved debut novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and is perfect for fans of Firefly, Joss Whedon, Mass Effect and Star Wars.

--

Take note: Becky Chambers has published two excellent, diverse, and just plain fun science fiction novels in the last few years. First with the spaceship quest across galaxies among a ragtag band of characters and species in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and then planetside, wrestling with existential crises with AI and engineered humans during A Closed and Common Orbit, Chambers has shown an impressive breadth of imagination and creativity in her pair of companion novels. Both books have been entertaining and thoughtful; original in scope and in plot but not without humor and a ship or two.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet does a great job of setting up the world/s the characters occupy and travel among. The many rules and imagined cultures of this imagined future are varied and unpredictable but the author does a great job of disseminating the info without halting the pacing. Chambers' version of future includes multiple non-human aliens who interact (and are often confused/horrified by) humankind in unexpected but interesting ways. A Closed and Common Orbit is a bit less diverse when it comes to characters, aliens, and foreign cultures, but it also uses a nonhuman main character in an effective way to analyze humankind. 

 Societal expectations, gender, identity, and what it means to be human and/or alive are all key themes touched on within Chambers' clever science fiction. Using first Rosemary in TLWtaSAP and then Lovelace and Pepper as main characters is a smart move because of the different backgrounds and exposures each of the three women bring to their unique perspectives. Rosemary's struggle with politics, personal history and gender bias is contrasted with Lovelace's existential dilemma and also with Pepper's harrowing history and continuing quest. Their individual stories are wildly disparate, but each are deftly rendered and thoughtfully explore many issues relevant in modern society (slave labor, cloning, child labor, prejudice and discrimination, environmental waste...etc).

More than anything else, even with the occasionally heavy subject, these two books are original and entertaining to read. Each could be read independent of the other or without knowledge of other's contents, but I wouldn't recommend that. They both offer a ton of humor and are each filled with fantastically developed characters -- of all species and kinds. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet may be more action-oriented than the introspective nature of A Closed and Common Orbit but both are great, fun reads; fantastic new additions to the scifi genre.

Series Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Titles: 

A Wicked Thing

Kingdom of Ashes

Author: Rhiannon Thomas

Genre: Fantasy, retellings

Series: A Wicked Thing #1 and #2

Pages: 337 and 368

Published: 

February 2015

February 2016

Source: publishers via edelweiss

Rating: 

4/5

3/5

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

This was a solid YA duology filled with magic and mayhem, curses and kisses, death and dragons. Rhiannon Thomas's fantasy slash fairytale remixes are fun, memorable and entertaining adaptations and inventions. Beginning with the after-ever part of Sleeping Beauty's Aurora's story in book one, the eponymous A Wicked Thing, and then following her to a new kingdom and plotline in Kingdom of Ashes, Thomas makes each book a well-rounded adventure with a hint of mystery and a lot of danger.

The first book is the somewhat the stronger of the two, but each has its own distinct plotline and the second  gives a real sense of resolution. A Wicked Thing does a great job of introducing this version of Aurora and the secondary characters that surround her; Kingdom of Ashes gives her plenty of room to grow and evolve in an ever more political situation, along with a few of the characters from before. One of the things I like most about Aurora is that she is always an active main character (though in a thoughtful, strategic manner rather than outright fighting) , even if she has made silly decisions for no plot reason.

Creative, inventive and original while still being recognizable as a retelling in nature, A Wicked Thing was a promising start for the series and this author. While the conclusion Kingdom of Ashes offered may have waxed a little long and overwrought, it was still a solid ending. The romance is a bit hit or miss but it's not overwhelming and there are some good scenes between Aurora and her various love interests. One twist in the second story was particularly telegraphed before the "reveal" but it's still very possible to have fun with both books. 

 

Series Review: The Tales Trilogy by G.R. Mannering

Title:

Roses

Feathers

Author: G.R. Mannering

Genre: fantasy, retellings

Series: The Tales Trilogy #1 and #2

Pages:

Roses: 328

Feathers: 288

Published: June 7 2016

Source: publishers via edelweiss

Ratings: 

1.75/5

1.25/5 

She bears no name. Her silvery appearance is freakish to the numerous inhabitants of Sago, the cosmopolitan capital of Pevorocco in the Western Realm. With her mother vanishing at the instance of her birth, she is sent to live with the cruel, rich Ma Dane, where she is punished daily for something, though she knows not what. Tauntingly named Beauty, she flees Sago in a violent uprising that sets out to massacre all Magics and journeys to the farthest point of the country.

But Beauty cannot hide in the grassy Hillands forever. Before long, the State officials find her and threaten to take her back to war-torn Sago where death surely awaits. In a midnight blizzard she escapes them, running into a deep, enchanted forest to a great and terrible beast who will bargain for her life.

But can Beauty accept Beast? Eternity is a long time. Now for the first time in paperback, Roses is sure to capture your heart as you fall in love with Beauty and her Beast all over again.

For readers 12+, this is a very imaginative, fantasy retelling of a classic fairy tale, which is still popular to the YA genre. With lessons about bullying others and falling in love, this is not only a light, fun read but also engages kids to think about their relationship to others in the real world.

There seem to be more and more fairy tale retellings appearing lately and G.R. Mannering's new fantasy series is set on retelling several old favorite tales, to small and varying degrees of success. The first book, Roses, is a new take on Beauty and the Beast story and it's not exactly a perfect first outing. Despite misgivings about the style of the novels and the writing itself, I was willing to take a chance on the second novel's attempt at retelling Swan Lake, but there found even less to enjoy. Each novel was a lackluster effort at originality and feel plodding  instead of fresh and new.

There were kernels of originality to be found in each book; enough to keep me reading instead of DNFing, at least. I especially liked that the Swan Lake retelling of book two, Feathers, genderbent the roles and got somewhat creative in general. Feathers overall did better at executing new ideas and including new inspirations to the story, but faltered more when it came to the technical aspects of the novel itself. Both books suffer from slow and confusing beginnings and rushed endings that provide little resolution for readers or characters.

The worldbuilding in the series is slim, even after it should, supposedly, have been expanded over the two novels into something substantial. It's so slight as to be nonexistent or otherwise just egregiously generic fantasy. Even for the younger readers this series may be aimed at, "Westernlands" and "Hillands" and "Magical Cleansing" are such broad, ill-defined elements for a fantasy novel. There's no feel of culture, history, or atmosphere to be found. It's an empty story operating in an echo chamber. There's no depth to this world, so there's even less reason to invest in Ode or Beauty's stories.

There are some tired and problematic tropes to be found in these two novels (the less said about Ode and Briar's "relationship" the better...), and each proceed pretty much as expected. There's less invention and more time spent on corny dialogue than desired. The reliance on staid tropes and uninspired stereotypes severely hampers the execution and leaves the Tales Trilogy a half-hearted effort. Even though the second novel ends on a cliffhanger, I can say I won't be tuning in for the third outing in this fairytale retelling series.

Series Review: Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

Titles: 
Beware the Wild (#1)
Behold the Bones (#2)
Author: Natalie C. Parker
Genre: gothic, magical realism 
Series: Beware the Wild #1 - #2
Pages: 
BtW: 327
BtB: 368
Published:
BtW: October 2014
BtB: February 2016
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating:
BtW: 4/5
BtB: 4.25/5

It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp—the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance—and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.

I had never wanted to visit a swamp until I read Chime by Franny Billingsley. Even then, I was pretty sure that was a one-time urge, because swamps sound like the opposite of where I want to be... until Natalie C. Parker's stories about a magical swamp in Louisiana were filled with such atmosphere that it felt real, like the kind of place that magic would appear. This author's talent for atmosphere and setting are showcased extraordinarily well between the two books she's written in the series. Book one, Beware the Wild was good -- engaging, fresh, filled with defined characters, and excellent writing. Book two, Behold the Bones, has all that its predecessor does, but builds on that lore and incorporates new characters and plots for an even better read.

There's a lot to love about both books, but besides the evocative atmosphere in the writing, the characterization and interaction of the teens and adults in the stories are also top-notch and deftly handled. First with Sterling and later with Candace as the main characters, Parker builds very authentic and real-seeming kids with problems that may be uniquely supernatural, yet still manage to feel sympathetic and relateable with a more mundane existence. The romance in Beware the Wild was a bigger focus and thus carried my feels more than the ship(s) that were introduced for Candace over the course of book #2. I did like the author's inclusion when it came to the characters -- not everyone is straight, or white, or interested in being a parent.

I greatly enjoyed Beware the Wild, but found Behold the Bones to be an even better followup to Parker's impressive debut. I rated it around 4.25ish but the new novel was pretty much all that I wanted and was scared to hope for in a sequel to Beware the Wild. It was gothic, eerie, atmospheric, the supernatural elements tied in naturally, the characters were diverse and inclusive, and the plot was tied to the first novel's but was not dependent upon it for understanding or advancement of this second story. Parker's writing is also even stronger here; the introspective nature of Candace's thoughts are mature and interesting ("the things I lack don't define me; I define them.") and show a slow, careful, very authetnic evolution of the character.

Southern gothic magical realism novels may be a niche genre, but gems like Natalie C. Parker's duology might make a fan of me yet. Her plots are detailed, rich and memorable and her characters are the same. The pacing in both novels felt a bit off for me, especially in the beginning for each, but these are two novels that build into something rather special once the main plots are engaged and moving forward. Evocative, original, and detailed, these are definitely two books that I will remember long after I have finished. Everything in Sticks seems like it's fairly wrapped up and the stories ended by the final page, so I appreciate the resolution offered. I would, however, be open to more stories with new POVs, set in this place.

Backlist Series Review: Percheron by Fiona McinTosh

Titles: Odalisque, Emissary, Goddess
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Percheron #1 - #3
Pages: Odalisque: 480
Emissary: 544
Goddess: 576
Source: purchased
Rating: Odalisque: 2/5
Emissary: 1/5
Goddess: N/A

Captured by slave traders in the inhospitable desert, Lazar fought his way to freedom, earning the coveted position of Spur of Percheron. Charged with protecting his adopted city from enemies on both sides of its walls, he has led a charmed life as confidant to and protector of Zar Joreb for many years. But now Joreb is dead. . . .

Though Joreb's well-intentioned fifteen-year-old heir, Boaz, will take the title of Zar, the balance of power lies in the hands of his beautiful and cruelly ambitious mother, a former harem slave who rose to power by the Zar's favor. Aside from Lazar, whom Boaz trusts and respects, the young Zar's only friend is Pez, the court jester, a misshapen dwarf whose tricks and diversions are accepted only because he is known to be mad.

When a stunning young girl is brought to the palace to fill a space in Boaz's harem, both Boaz and Lazar are surprised by their unexpectedly strong reactions to her. But Ana, the odalisque, finds the closeted world of the harem stifling and unbearable. And unbeknownst to all, the gods themselves are beginning to rise in a cyclical battle that is just beginning, and will enmesh everyone in the palace in a struggle for the very soul of Percheron.

This is a series review, however I only made it all the way through the first two books of this fantasy trilogy. I skimmed the third novel to see how it would all end but I was just completely unwilling to commit to the however long amount of time it would have taken me to complete that 576-page beast. This was one I wanted to love but ended up being disappointed and frustrated at the end. So, my thoughts on the first two books.... 

Set amongst a dangerous royal succession, book one had potential. The new Zar of this fantasy version of Istanbul, Boaz, has to face some heavy duties -- like deadly them court intrigue and the weight of ruling. However, Boaz's character arc is exactly the obvious one you'd guess. He does what you expect and never really matures into a memorable character, even over the course of the two books in this long-winded I managed to finish.

In another book with a more development, I would be most interested in Boaz's mother Herezah, aka the dowager Zarah, called the Valide in the culture that McIntosh has created. Giving her a storyline dedicated to her rise to power through political machinations (like in Karen Miller's Empress about a power-hungry female MC) would have been great. I love stories about cunning and able women who survive and thrive against the odds in a world of patriarchal values. However, Herezah's development is so over the top as to be rendered a caricature. There's no depth to her characterization; she's evil because... she needs to be evil to further the predictable plot.

There also just little to no subtlety in the Percheron series. Our hero's name is.... Lazar (YEP, really). The bad guy is obvious and underdeveloped. Everyone's motives are what exactly your first guess would assume. Another con of the writing throughout this series: trope of a main female characters (pssst if the only way your female character is "strong" is by making every other woman in the harem weak? You fail.) -- they're all perfect and gentle and kind... unless they're Herezah. That, to me, is lazy writing and unwanted in fantasy novels. There are many kinds of strong female characters, but there needs to be individuality, as well. The religion angle has possibilities; it's at least original and different from the genre staples that influence the majority of the book's aspects.
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I kept reading beyond the first book despite a 2-star rating because I did love that there was a resurgent matriarchal religion, the Istanbul-ish locale as an inspiration for a fantasy world, and the original worldbuilding when it wasn't infodumped. I thought the culture of this series was pretty creative and memorable and wished it had been featured in a series with more depth and development. There was a lot of potential for growth but the execution left me unable to invest with emotion or my time after book two was just as predictable and shallow as the first. The Percheron saga is made of slow-moving books with predictable plotting and one that fails to utilize the aspects that would set it apart in the genre.

Backlist Series Review: Original Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks

Titles: The Sword of Shannara, 
The Elfstones of Shannara, 
and The Wishsong of Shannara
Author: Terry Brooks
Genre: fantasy
Series: Original Shannara trilogy #1-3
Pages: SoS: 726
EoS: 636
WoS: 544
Published: SoS in 1977
EoS in 1983
WoS in 1987
Source: purchased
Rating: SoS: 2/5
EoS: 5/5
WoS 4/5.

Long ago, wars of ancient Evil ruined the world and forced mankind to compete with many other races - gnomes, trolls, dwarfs, and elves. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles until giant, forbidding Allanon, with strange Druidic powers, reveals a supposedly-dead Warlock Lord plots to destroy the world.

The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, only usable by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flies into the Vale to kill Shea. To save the Vale, Shea flees, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.

The Shannara books are a staple for fantasy fans that grew up in the eighties and nineties. Though The Sword of Shannara is the most generic and ... obviously inspired...  by Lord of the Rings, they soon break from the bland established mold and become creative, well-drawn, immersive reads. Brooks is an author that is adequate at plotting, but excells in worldbuilding and in characterization. As the series continue in Elfstones and Wishsong, those two aspects become the major selling point and the reason he could launch so many spin-off and sequel series from these three novels. 

I won't say much about the first book because it honestly merits little thought and makes little impact on its own. It's very generic, very much a debut, and very clearly, as I said earlier, inspired by the major fantasy novels that preceded it. The plot and the general aspects are not very original in The Sword of Shannara but there are original characters that go on to have influences and descendants on the later books and series. For a first time reader of the series I wouldn't go as far as to say it can be skipped, but it can be skimmed when it veers too boring or repetitive. 

Elfstones of Shannara is the series second book and where Brooks really shows his abilities as a fantasy author. The world shown in book one is expanded and built upon. (It's a post-apocalyptic Earth with evolved races like elves*, trolls, gnomes, Mwellrets, and more. It's smart without being smug.) The author uses and reinvents some creatures we have seen before, like the Furies, a Reaper,  but also invents a myriad of his own that are creepy, effective, memorable, and totally original (Dagda Mor, Changeling - dear christ THE CHANGELING). The lore of this often wartorn world -- the Ellcrys, the details on the world before -- is also expanded in a way that makes sense and provides a much more engaging and fresh plot for the story.

As much as I appreciated Brooks stepping it up in the plot and worldbuilding department for book two, the characters are what truly make Elfstones (and later Wishsong) such favorites of mine. Shannara is a world of ships, OTPs, and all-time favorite characters for me; it's what I love the most and remember most vividly. The people created are vast, disparate, unique, sympathetic, or unknowable; Brooks can craft a hero, an antihero, a confused girl equally well. Wil and Amberle from Elfstones pretty much introduced me to ships and OTPs. Crispin and his Elven hunters were as real to me as Allanon. 

Wishsong takes what Elfstones really began to show and fleshes out the world even more, though in a shorter amount of pages. The plots in each book center on different parts of the world and showcase Brooks' talent for setting and worldbuilding. Wil's kids are the main characters here, and again, their skillful characterization is the highpoint of the novel. Brin (daughter) and Jair (son) also get a new form of magic -- another that is more original and useful than the standard for the first two. Brooks doesn't get lazy with plotting - while the stakes and tension aren't as high as in Elfstones - this journey for these characters is more personal. This was another book that boasts shippy goodness and great chatracters; Rone and Brin are OTP but let's be real, I start the book counting down the pages until Garet Jax appears.

The original series concludes on a strong note. The Sword of Shannara is a bland novel; one that seems exhaustive at over 700 pages. However, the rest of the series that springs from it is more than  worth the time and investment if you're into complex worlds, interesting conflicts, and well-drawn characters.  Brooks is one of fantasy's most prolific and long-running authors. Shannara is widely-explored world and one that is always fun to revisit. I've read the first book twice (once as a teen and again for this review + the upcoming show) but I've read the second two about four times each. I reread them for fresh eyes on the MTV show but it just lead me to rebuy and reread the series after it.*

*there's later Shannara canon that goes on to differentiate how the elves exist/always existed in this world but it's pretty in-world and not relevant here. I just put this disclaimer for any super Shannara fans (are there any of you besides me??) that come at me for being wrong. 
*that's the four-book Heritage of Shannara series and I will try to review it in January because I WANT TO 

Review(s) Take Two: The Paper Magician & The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Title: The Paper Magician
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Series: The Paper Magician #1
Pages: 224
Published: September 1 2014
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 3/5

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

Title: The Glass Magician
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Series: The Paper Magician #2
Pages: 222
Published: November 4 2014
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 2.5/5

Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

This is not a true series review as the third and final book in the Paper Magician series, The Master Magician, is not out until 2015. But I started and finished both of Charlie Holmberg's published books in less than a day and a half and they kind of melded together into one story. They're both quite short stories so it's not hard to speed through all of Ceony and Emery's adventures, though be advised things can and will get weird before the end.

The Paper Magician starts things off well, and continues in good fashion for a period. It also introduces the totally fun and inventive magic system, one of the cleverest and most original I've come across in fantasy. Danielle explains it pretty perfectly here and I am firmly a fan of Holmberg's creativity. I'm less enthused when it comes to her plotting and pacing. Notably less polished on both counts in the first novel, there are just some odd ways the timeline plays out, combined with all-too-often infodumps/exposition, and not to mention how infrequently we feel any kind of presence from the antagonist.

The Glass Magician fared rather better in regards to plotting and especially pacing than its predecessor, but it also felt rote at times. Ceony and Ethan's nebulous relationship feels more "expected" than a wholly natural development for the two of them, for one example. The characters are likeable enough, I guess, but they're missing a certain spark, both individually and as a unit. I want to care about them more than I actually do -- I'm always a big fan of creativity and it's obvious Holmberg has that in spades.

Endings seem to be a problem area for this author. Both failed to deliver, to my disappointment. The second one was a more egregious flouting of the expected, but each felt more like a placeholder than offering any real resolution to the novel. I finished each book ready for the next but it's still a vaguely unsatisfying experience when the author seemingly cheats her own established worldbuilding at the expediency of a plot twist that wasn't that twisty lbr here.

There's always room for growth and this is a series with some serious potential. The third book could and has every possibility of being creative, fun, and memorable. The Paper Magician was a good starting point for the trilogy and while The Glass Magician was only slightly less impressive experience, it was still a good indicator of Holmberg's abilities. I will still look forward to reading The Master Magician when it publishes, but I won't rush out to buy the hardcover to find out the series end.