Tag: fantasy

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Crystal Rain and Death Sworn

Tobias Buckell’s Crystal Rain is post-technology sci-fi, where people have colonized a distant star, but lost the technology (due to war). The resulting society is interesting; in the Capitol there are a number of forces who remember a star faring era, but the leadership and common people live no more advanced than riffles and trains.

One twist is that the local culture is Caribbean derived; the language has propagated forward, with regional variations. Similarly, the aggressors are Aztec, but manipulated by aliens to have strong reinforcement in their ways of sacrifice.

The conflict between the two is interesting; all of my sympathies were on the Caribbean side, but the peeks we get at the life under the Aztecs makes them understandable. John deBrun is interesting; I found myself doubting and disappointed in him–just the way he and other major characters view him. The reveal near the end is okay, but the resolution of the ship seemed arbitrary. (Well, the final run, at least.)

In the end, I’m mildly curious about the next books in the series, but it didn’t inspire “must buy now”. Though the galactic situation that was setup is quite interesting, and was barely touched on in this book.

Death Sworn, by Leah Cypress, was a fast, fun book. It’s YA, with a solid protagonist, who really does have a reason to mope. Her struggle to uphold the responsibilities placed on her, and her navigating of the assassin’s society, were all captivating. Her big breakthrough–in figuring out how her whole mission had been manipulated into being–was a surprise to me, but made perfect sense in the resulting conversation.

The relationship between the two main characters was very interesting and felt authentic; their sense of duty to their organizations, suspicion at the setup, confidence in their own abilities, and such all worked very well. The Empire has just enough threat–and the characters seem to have an appropriate for their age lack of understanding of the details of the Empire’s modern nature and recent acts–that I’m interested to see what we learn about them.

If I’d had the sequel on hand, I’d have immediately begun reading the next book. (Admittedly, that’s true of most books… but I did enjoy it. And its low complexity made it an easy read.)

I picked up my Winter and Spring issues of Boom: A Journal of California and finally read them. Both were engaging on their main topics; Winter’s theme was The Future, and included articles about how California has often stood in for “the future” for authors. An article about sustainability was excellent, and dug under my perceptions of what sustainability should be trying to maintain and how it’s measured. It seems intuitive… which is how is escapes from being challenged on its underpinnings.

Spring’s subtitle was THE WORLD IN CALIFORNIA. CALIFORNIA IN THE WORLD. It felt more loosely connected, but I enjoyed most of the articles. (Bring the World to California felt a little too like an informercial–and the hard parts were signposted instead of solved.) This issue felt dreamier, more reflective, though the border article was concrete.) I enjoyed them and renewed for another year…

Summer will bring “What’s the Matter with San Francisco.” I’m curious to see what they’ll see.

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The Deed of Paksenarrion

A familiar to me trilogy; this is probably my third or fourth read through.

The first book, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, was very strong. Moon builds a realistic feeling world; it has a technological feel similar to the middle ages/stock fantasy, but the political structures vary. There’s also magic… but this is a grittier world, with magic mostly on the sidelines.

What’s particularly good about this–or, at least what is presented convincingly to me–is the soldier’s eye view, beginning with basic training. It has a fantasy gloss, but concentrates on the details–the drill, tedium, and lifestyle. The book is tough on its characters; they’re mercenaries, fighting in war, and anyone can die. That emphasizes the low-key feel of the world, even when it becomes more driven and magical in the second half.

The second book, Divided Allegiance is still well written and grounded. It suffers a bit, as Paks quickly leaves a military setting and flounders a bit in her choice of companions. Brewersridge proves a great way station in the center of the book; Paks’ adjustments and changes get worked through nicely. Once she’s off to Fin Panir the book changes tone again, and again once they’re on quest. It’s a series of tricky transitions; I rooted for Paks to make it through, to adjust to each new setting… but there is a bit of repetition to the feel, since she keeps having to start from scratch in new contexts.

The end of the second book is horrible; it prompts you to immediately pick up the third book, to reassure yourself that the end isn’t as bitter as we’ve experienced. It’s hard to imagine waiting a year with that depth of disappointment… I wonder how many people abandoned the series after book 2, unwilling to pick the series up a year later when book 3 came out due to a hazy memory of distaste left by the ending.

Once you’re past that, the third book, Oath of Gold gets things back on track pretty quickly. Pak’s unusual path, including her crippling by fear and pain and its unusual healing, strongly sets her on a “not your typical Paladin” path. Her investigation, fumbling, dedication and final sacrifice (and its odd side effects) all combine to make her a very non-standard in SF hero. Very well done, as a trilogy–I really enjoy the series.

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Shadowmarch

Shadowmarch was a 4 book series (Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise, and Shadowheart); a modern very long fantasy novel take on heroic adventure. It was quite successful. After the disappointments of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn I initially checked out only the first book, but it proved strong enough that I checked out and read the remaining books in the series.

They did not disappoint. Characters were stronger, varied, and interesting. It didn’t fall into the trap of introducing a multitude of less interesting viewpoints in later books; the major viewpoint characters were constant throughout the series.

Together, the characters explored the world–though not exhaustively, and never with a “just to show the next shiny city” motivation. The troubles that beset the characters are huge and transformative. Some of the storylines fade for a while, but that’s actually a good thing–the main through lines continue and you’re interested when the action finally gets back to the second string characters.

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The Darkness that Comes Before by R Scott Bakker

A pretty good book, filled with intrigue. It was almost set aside; the prologue felt very fan-fic, with a super heroic character, cut off from everything, overcoming outrageous odds and completely manipulative and dispassionate. Fortunately I stuck it out and got much more appealing characters in the next several chapters.

The book has the struggle intrigue rich books always suffer; there’s a complex set of interactions and history that the major players all know, but the reader has to get introduced to them as transparently as possible. The author does a good job of not info dumping intensely, though separating the dreams and history from the book’s current day is tricky the first time it comes up.

In the end, I liked the characters– they are all flawed, but most have extenuating (or at least explanatory) circumstances. The nebulous evil is very shadowy– we only come to certain proof at mid-book (from a minor character’s POV, and at the end (for the movers and shakers).

The book doesn’t even pretend to come to a real conclusion; it ends on a turning point, but there’s no clear break or circumstance to ground it. Despite my grousing, I do want to look up the other books in the series and see where the characters wind up. The end of the world’s a good place for drama…

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Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

An excellent book with very sympathetic characters in very difficult conditions. Unlike Martin’s Westeros, the scum still strive, debate if they’re good people, and struggle in a difficult world. I continued to enjoy them even as they changed– grew worse and better throughout. Monza, the primary POV character, is dead committed to her revenge– but it’s understandable and she has enough doubts and twinges that I don’t loathe her.

The characters are well drawn; even the chapters from her associates POVs prove well well thought out. The cast balloons up early, but never gets too unwieldy, and usually remains pretty tightly linked to the primary storyline. Monza’s flashbacks provide interesting details that we’ve already heard about, revealing a more complex story than you get on first pass.

I like the book and it ended well– I don’t anticipate a sequel. I look forward to seeing what else Joe Abercrombie has written and plan on checking it out.

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Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham

A great book. This is a fantasy story with very low key magic. It’s gritty– the world order is based on drug addiction and slavery, with a lot of political scheming and struggle. It feels a lot like GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire, but it has some appealing protagonists, and they don’t all die!

The book does a good job of hopping between interesting scenes and switching among many POV characters. It leads to a somewhat choppy feel; occasionally the focus shifts away just before a dramatic confrontation and when you return it was resolved off screen and a month has gone on. It’s a little jarring at times– you’d ordinarily expect the focus to be on the conflict scenes– but it works. It made me think of a movie with obvious and dramatic cuts and quick story advancement, but it works. And you get the novel’s advantage of stepping into their minds, though I suspect actors could convey many of the thoughts well.

In the end, the contrast between the four children is stark. Corinn’s arc is well handled, as is her eventual decision to continue the dark path of history. Until the final chapter or three I thought it was a solid book and was going to appreciate it as a stand alone. The final scenes reincorporate some of the earlier promises and drive home how the world has reached a new and different equilibrium. It’s unstable, particularly given Mena’s promise Aiken… but that’s why I’ll eagerly look for book two.

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Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox

A good book, solidly rooted in a fantasy Asia. The setting has large and subtle effects, and does a great job of kicking you out of “standard fantasy” mode. Jade is important, and more than symbolically, as comes clear as the book advances. The Jade Throne is more than a name…

The POV characters are all clearly drawn with interesting and overlapping storylines. The unlikely rise from fisherwoman to concubine was handled deftly, and the mountain man’s introduction to more complex society is disheartening and impressive by turns. The strange life of a servant and slave is very strange… and sets up the ending well.

This is the first book of Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water– as the final scene makes clear. I’ll keep my eyes out for book two.

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Beka Cooper: Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

A great followup to Terrier– Beka takes to life as a Dog very well. She has changed a bit, but her core remains the same. The primary plot is about counterfeiting, which the author does well in tying real consequences to. Beka goes through a lot, but her most trying events mostly involve her seeing deeper into the world… not exactly getting jaded, but being exposed to more corruption and courtship.

The courting was very well handled; though pitched at YA readers, Beka has full fledged feelings and experiences. The curtain comes down before she talks about mechanics… but that’s ideal to my mind, and is something I usually appreciate in novels pitched at anyone. (Some phrasings, like “peaches” are cute and consistent.)

In the end, if you liked the first book, you’ll like this one. The characters she meets are as well drawn as those of the first book, rouges, scoundrels, and nobles alike.

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Hawk of May, Kingdom of Summer, and In Winter’s Shadow

One of my favorite trilogies– and my favorite retelling of Arthurian myth. This trilogy by Gillian Bradshaw is sympathetic and with characters understandable to modern readers.

Hawk of May centers on Gwalchmai, a version of Gawain, this time a son of Lot. He’s a compelling character, a weak warrior who finds a cause and his destiny. He’s the only really high magic character– everyone else scorns and disbelieves magic… in the daylight. The situation feels authentic, with numerous kingdoms in turmoil, striving and ignoring the looming threat nearby.

His mother, Morgawse, is half a goddess and completely consumed by darkness. Gwalchmai struggles with doubt (his own and others’), but finds a solid path. The relations between the brothers is very well written, and changes surprisingly as the story goes on.

Kingdom of Summer is trickier; while the viewpoint character changes (to Rhys ap Sion), the story focus really remains on Gwalchmai. Shifting the viewpoint allows us to see how extraordinary Gwalchmai is, particularly for his era and profession. Rhys is well motivated and clearly drawn, but he’s not the high magic hero of the first book.

In Winter’s Shadow was hard to enjoy the first time; I was unsympathetic to Gwynhwyfar and heaped the blame on her. Since she was the viewpoint character, I had a lot of problems enjoying the book. On rereading, I cut her a lot more slack and came to sympathize with her. Each time I fall a little more for her; her struggle is understated and her story starts late– the great efforts of her early years are short flashbacks, not lived.

Medraut is compelling, though his persuasion has to be chalked up as supernaturally effective and his motivation seems thin. Despite that, he’s an excellent foil, one on whom all of the characters can project their own darkness. Bedwyr becomes more contemptible to me, but I understand his pain and need for love.

The end is excellent; while you know everything is failing, you hope that some brightness can be saved and passed on. You’re rooting, even when all seems lost.

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Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

A solid book in an analog of Italy. The nine provinces are divided among tyrants, and the name Tigana has been wiped from everyone’s thoughts by powerful magic. This was a reread.

It’s a tale of intrigue, compromise, and unlikely alliances. I enjoyed it quite a bit, particularly the characterization. Our viewpoint character has a lot hidden from him, but it’s a natural way to introduce us to the layers of plotting and history that are essential to the flavor of the book.