Review: The Fifth Season

Whew - it's been a while. Time to get back into things and share some recent reads, that are also phenomenal summer reads. We'll start with my latest.

THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin

Book 1 of the Broken Earth Trilogy.

I don't even know if I am ready to write about this. Probably not. This is one of those books where I want to tell you as little about it as possible because so much of my enjoyment came from peeling back the layers, just immersing myself in this chaotic world that has "ended" more times than the surviving civilization can recall.

So, we start with the latest end of the world (which usually is the beginning of a new one, of course), a land where civilization has been "destroyed" many times over and rebuilt again, survivors (and all the myriad ways, pro and con that they survive), people who have magical control over geology, strange beings that look human but aren't, slavery, injustice, vengeance, conspiracies, and something very big that is missing....

And that's all you get. Even talking about the characters might give something away and I will not do it.

When I first started the book, it took a little while to familiarize myself with all the "players" and the timeline. Then I got to the "Oh shit" moments as I put it all together. Followed by a few more "Damns," "Oh shit," "Oh no!" "NO NO NO" right up to a big exhale and needing to read book 2.

Fantastic read. I'm glad THE OBELISK GATE comes out in August so I don't have too long to wait.

THE FIFTH SEASON ($4.99 for the ebook!) Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Powell's | BAM | Indiebound

Pre-order THE OBELISK GATE Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Powell's | BAM | Indiebound

Review: Three Parts Dead

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

I can honestly say that this book was nothing like what I expected.

The trickiest part about writing this review is that no matter what I say, I don't think I can adequately describe the utter uniqueness of the story. I'll try, though.

Let's look at the cover: knife, shiny, magicky looking mark on arm, shrouded city. I'm thinking: action and magic, with a dark tone. Looks like an Urban Fantasy maybe.

Kind of.

There is magic. And there is action. It takes place in a city. But the whole style, world, plot, problems, characters were not what I was expecting.

It all was a bit more corporate, and lawyer-ey (I don't care if that isn't a word, it totally fits).

In Tara's world, the Craftspeople (human magic users) battled with the gods. And the Craftspeople won.

There are still gods and goddesses, but the world is run according to Craft law. The Craftsmen and women are the ones who draft contracts and handle disputes. Life essence is currency. Of course, in a magic court, the truth is relative to whoever has the most power.

Tara is a novice who was thrown out of Craft school for some reason. She gets a job under Elayne Kevarian, a very powerful Craftswoman. They are needed to resurrect a god. But why did the god die in the first place? And what is with the gargoyles in the city? And why oh why did the opposing counsel have to be her enemy? What kind of f'ed up world is this anyways?

Here's the thing - this isn't what I expected, but I still really liked it. I had a bit of "What is going on here" in the beginning, but I still kept turning the pages, wanting to see how it all turns out.

There isn't any romance, and while there is some action, Tara is not throwing punches right and left. She has power, but she also is very, very smart. Her counterpart, Abelard, a devotee of the dead god, was very interesting to follow as well. Don't think think this is a "get the team together and go on a quest" story either. We have a team, of sorts, with varying levels of trust.

If you have strict lines where your fantasy must fall, you might have some issues getting into this one. However, if you want something different on your fantasy shelf, give Three Parts Dead a try.

[received an ARC to review.]

Review: The Dead of Winter

The Dead of Winter (Cora Oglesby #1) by Lee Collins

This book was so good - a mix of the action I love, interesting characters, and a few kicks to the emotional gut.

Cora Oglesby is a character I always want to read about - the older, experienced, battle-hardened female lead. Cherie Priest and Philippa Ballantine have done this so well, and now I can add Lee Collins to the list.

Set in the late 1800s American West, Cora and her husband, Ben, are bounty hunters. However, the things they hunt are vampires, werewolves, hellhounds, and other dark creatures that prey on humanity. They have been doing this for a long time - 20 years, and while very experienced and kickass, Cora is starting to feel those years. Her penchant for whiskey and gambling takes its toll too.

Cora and Ben find themselves in a mining town beset by a savage killer who is hunting people for food. They also meet an English vampire hunter and scholar whose employer has a problem with vampires in his mine. Through it all Cora relies on her network of priestly connections for information and weapons, faces a terrible enemy, finds a bitter truth, and kicks some serious ass.

Cora and Ben's relationship is also unique. At the start of the book,  it's quiet and understated. You get the feeling that they know all about the other persons crap, have accepted it, and made their own groove to fit alongside. This isn't the fiery first passion. These two have lived and fought together, respect each other, and have a real partnership, to the point that Cora takes point on most of their hunts. Ben is more the bookish type. It felt very real.

And here I'm going to stop because I will not spoil one thing. I will say that there were more than a few "Damn!"'s uttered as I read it. Those kicks to the emotions I mentioned. Yeah, Collins delivered.

However, if you read it and want to discuss, we can do that.

Another book that proves the Western is not dead. Can't wait for book 2.


[I received an ARC to review.]

Review: The Assassin's Curse

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

I really got into this one. The pages flew by and I had a lot of fun reading it. You know I love YA, and I can usually handle ones set in high school, but I've read lots of those lately. I LOVE that this is a YA fantasy outside of the schoolroom, in a completely unique world.

Ananna is a pirate, raised in a pirate clan on the seas. She is an expert thief, knows her way around a sword, and while not bloodthirsty she also doesn't run from a fight. She also has a good sense of self-preservation and while her manners might be rough, she is very intelligent.

So, I was very, very happy with our lead.

Ananna's parents are trying to marry her off to the pretty boy son of another pirate clan. Of course, Ananna has other plans. Her father taught her to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, and she jumps at the first chance to escape. Her intended's family sends an assassin, Naji, after her, a blood magician and the stuff of legend and nightmares. However, Ananna saves the assassin's life and he becomes bound as her protector, something neither one wants. He is overcome with intense pain if she is too far away from him or if she is in danger. Ananna and Naji team up to find a way to break the curse and stay one step ahead of everyone trying to kill them.

This is action-packed goodness right here. There is a teensy bit of romance, something that I'm sure will develop in another book. I liked how Naji and Ananna start forging a tenuous friendship. Neither one trusts easily. I really liked both leads and I'm looking forward to them traveling to new lands with even more adventures.

The story is definitely not done, but I got enough for now.

Highly recommended if you like YA Fantasy, fairytales, magic and pirates.

[I received an ARC to review.]

Review: The Iron Wyrm Affair

The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

This story punts you out of the plane and lets you free-fall without a parachute into the world. It took some getting used to, but I got absorbed in it. So much so that it was high on my list of addictive reads (I talked about it over at Stellar Four).

This is the first book in the Bannon & Clare series. It's alt-Victorian with magic, gadgets, deductive geniuses, conspiracies against the crown, fantastical creatures, and a team that may or may not be able to trust each other.

I referred to this book in the past as steampunk, but I'm starting to question the use of the genre name. Overall, I don't know that much of us really have a concrete definition of steampunk. I've been thinking about it, and I tend to lump fantasy with alt-history (esp Victorian England or late 1800s elsewhere in the world) and some kind of gadgetry in the steampunk sub-genre. I think this is pretty consistent with your average reader. Purists might be gagging right now, but so be it. Feel free to school me in the comments.

I would say that Saintcrow takes elements of steampunk/alt-history to concoct some bookish alchemy, and I truly enjoyed the effect. I can't say that I understood every reference. There are a couple of lines of dialogue that completely went left when my brain went right. It really didn't matter for me.  I rarely understood the techno-gobbledygook on Star Trek:TNG, but I still watched it faithfully every week. The arcane references felt much the same - background detail that the characters knew all about, but weren't crucial to understand the main plotline. What worked was the vivid descriptions and that the world was revealed as the action went along. We didn't have a lot of asides telling us all about the world. I gleaned what I could as the story progressed.

Miss Emma Bannon is a sorceress. A very, very powerful sorceress. She is overworked, isn't sure she can trust her Shield, Mikal, and is still reeling from a traumatic event in her past. Mr. Archibald Clare is a mentath - a deductive genius (think Sherlock) who survives on logic and must have puzzles to stimulate his vast intellect or he might go mad. Throw in an Italian assassin, a German mechanist, and loads of conspiracies and you have one action-packed story.

Now, seeing the line-up with the magical Miss Bannon and logical Mr. Clare, you might be thinking, "Opposites attract, there is going to be some kind of romance here." Yeah, you can think that, but if it's romance you're after, this isn't that book. Not that there aren't developments, but it's not the crux of the story. Can't reveal anymore without spoilers.

Of course, I long ago stopped thinking that I would get the usual from Saintcrow. Now I just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Review: Mockingbird

Mockingbird (Miriam Black 2) by Chuck Wendig

"You capture a tempest in your teacup, you better expect a little blood on your carpet and some crazy-ass moonbat conversations at five o'clock in the morning." - Mockingbird

Yep - that pretty much sums up why I love Wendig's Miriam Black series. Miriam is still as crass, crude & rude as ever, and she wears her crazy as a shield, but there is truth to her ways. I read a lot of books with tough as nails female leads. A LOT. Miriam is near the top of my badass list and she does it without any superpower other than her ability to touch a person and know how they die. That and she knows how to fight dirty. The last third of this book is just nonstop action-packed don't-interrupt-me-now-I-mean-it awesome.

If you are new to the freakishly wonderful world of Miriam Black, you can see my thoughts on  Blackbirds, go read the book, then come back.

Book 2's are important. They need to build on the main storyline, show some character progression, and most of all make you want to grab book 3. Mockingbird does all of that so well.

We start with Miriam working at the checkout of a grocery store. She has been trying a "normal" life with Louis, and even wears gloves so she can't touch anyone. The high of finally being able to change fate is wearing thin and "normal" isn't the stuff of dreams. Luckily, we don't spend much time here (Miriam in customer service? cue maniacal laughter), and soon the gloves are off and Miriam is itching to be back on the road. Not necessarily with Louis.

I really like what Wendig has done with Louis and Miriam's relationship. I felt I got Louis a bit better in this book, and he also raises the very important question of what happens to a person when Miriam changes their death, their fate. This is something I hope we get to delve into more in the future.

I also really love Miriam's quasi-friendship with Katey, the terminally ill teacher at the reform school where the bulk of the action takes place. It feels like one of the most honest relationships Miriam has allowed herself to have. True, she knows there isn't a future in it, but I thought it was a big step.

It is at the school that Miriam sees the future horrific murder of a student. The anti-Fate is back in Miriam's life, taunting her, and although she would probably rather go back to the easier life of not trying to give a shit, Miriam has changed. This means she's on a mission to change fate once again. Of course, Miriam has her own way of doing things and some things are larger than they appear.

Stopping there. We can discuss more when you're done reading.

If you liked Blackbirds, you should love Mockingbird. A must for those who love troubled, twisted, kickass characters.

Mockingbird is out August 28, 2012.

[Received an ARC to review.]

A Cozy Little Fantasy

In the last post, I talked about some books I loved that were on the dark side. Ones that slap your emotions around for awhile.

However, sometimes I also want to just curl up with a story where I'm not worried that someone's getting tortured in the next room. A nice, cozy read where you don't need to leave the lights on at night.

Reviews: 3 Short Stories

There's going to be quite a few reviews posted over the next week or so. I've got a backlog, but I'm finally getting my review groove back. Today I have 3 short stories, 2 from existing series, 1 that is a standalone.

Passing the Narrows by Frank Tuttle
This was a good short story. It's one of those shorts where you are thrown into a situation and get to live through this one particular night with the characters.

Set in the South after the Civil War (in a world where magic was and is in use) where hard feelings run deep and a Yankee sorceress is pressing a steamboat captain to continue on to Vicksburg, even if it means encountering something very very bad and angry.

Loved the atmosphere and really enjoyed the characters.

Blindsight (Mirus #1.3) by Kait Nolan
I haven't read any other books in the Mirus series, so that's my caveat.

This felt more like a snippet than a complete story. That doesn't mean I didn't like it, and it did it's job as I was left wanting more. It just didn't have the same feel as a complete short story.

The world is very interesting, I liked the characters, and there is a setup here for a very good action-romance.

Nolan has a good narrative voice and I'll be checking out more from her.

The Abandoned (Graveyard Queen #0.5) by Amanda Stevens
Prequel to The Restorer, but honestly, I think it's better I started with The Restorer and then read this one. It was a bit too short for me, but does introduce some of the side characters/groups in The Restorer, and includes a little bit of Amelia (MC of the Graveyard Queen series) seen from other characters' POV.

Stevens does creepy well, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Her ghosts are not ones to mess around with, either. It is a good taste of what you'll get with the series.

Recent Reads - Fantasy & Romance

I have a couple of UF reads, as well as the third in a Romantic-suspense trilogy.

Grave Dance (Alex Craft #2) by Kalayna Price

I was trying to figure out my next read and I tried the opening chapters of a couple of different books. Then I popped this one open and the next thing I knew I was halfway done. I love it when a book just sucks you in. I'm talking about a book 2 here, so if you haven't read Grave Witch yet, stop here. And then go get it because this series is very good.

Alex is dealing with all of the revelations that happened in book 1. A lot of the book deals with her family's secret heritage. On the romance front, she is unsure what to do about Death, who loves her, but, well, he's Death so how is that going to work out? And Falin has disappeared without a word. Then there is a problem with a bunch of feet that have been discovered, so it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. Add in the unwanted attention of the Faerie courts and Alex is in over her head in no time.

Some New UF/Fantasy Reads

We have a new UF series, a Middle Eastern fantasy from a new author, I finally read book 1 of a fairytale-inspired Princess series, and there is the final book in a favorite paranormal steampunk  series.

Reviews: 2 Shorts and an Antho

So, you know I love short stories. Sometimes, when I have just a bit of time, I like to read a novella versus just reading a tiny bit of one of the books I have on the pile. It's a little break, and I like it. I also like reading anthologies, not just because many of my favorite authors contribute stories, but also to get a taste of an author I haven't read before. Today I have a novella featuring one of my favorite supporting characters, an interesting short with dragons, and an anthology featuring some kickass women, monsters and guns.

Note: I usually don't give a whole lot of story details in my reviews, because, well, I think that's part of the fun of reading a book. When it comes to shorts, I give even less story info - otherwise I'd give away all the good stuff!

New Fantasy and Urban Fantasy Reviews

Let the review updates continue! Today I have a time traveling Fantasy, an Urban Fantasy featuring people with superhero powers who are not very "heroic," an Austen-esque Fantasy with magic, a thrilling book 4 in an Urban Fantasy series, and a Steampunk retelling of one of Shakespeare's plays.