Category: Reviewing

Book Review: The Dark is Rising by Cooper (3.5 Stars)

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in September 2009

A good adventure quest tale. A bit lacking in character development, but there were some heart-pounding scenes that made up for it. Towards the end, I almost had a sense deja vu, like I was reading Moonheart by DeLint, which got me thinking this could be classified as early urban fantasy.

As with most Young Adult fiction, the lines of good and evil are clearly drawn. Only one or two characters traversed the grey, pulling and tugging against the inevitable tides of either side.

Some blurbs and reviews have compared this novel’s moral message to the likes of C.S. Lewis or Tolkien, but I think that’s a stretch. Cooper never once made me laugh or cry, although she did get my pulse racing a few times.

Perhaps had I read this as at the age of twelve or before, I might view it differently.

That being said, I still recommend it as a good coming-of-age quest adventure tale.

Book Review: The Sparrow by Russell (4 Stars)

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

4 out of 5 stars

Read in February 2009

During a long trip back and forth to Houston, Texas this past weekend, I listened to the audio book version The Sparrow. The narrator, David Colacci, did a fairly good job of narrating. Some of his voice characterizations were too similar to distinguish between the individuals in a heated debate or conversation. I particularly disliked his female voice impersonations. It was at times difficult to hear some of the dialogue, which was whispered, over the high decibel level in a vehicle without increasing the volume so much that the next person to speak was shouting, literally, through my car stereo speakers.

The story is a first contact story but also a journey of faith for one man – Emilio Sandoz. The story starts at the end and bounces back and forth on two separate time-lines until convergence and revelation are achieved at the end. This literary device is one of my favorites so I enjoyed the pacing and enlightenment immensely.

I plan to read the sequel, Children of God, as many others have recommended it as the completion and fullness of Emilio’s story.

Book Review: The Hobbit by Tolkien (5 stars)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

5 out of 5 stars

Read most recently in November 2009.

A delightful introduction to the world of Middle Earth. Follow the adventures (or misadventures) of a respectable hobbit turned burglar, a wizard and a baker’s dozen of dwarfs in their quest to slay the dragon, redeem the lost treasure and restore peace and prosperity among dwarfs, elves and men.

Along the way, the young audience will learn the pitfalls and consequences of greed, pride and arrogance, tempered with a hobbit’s good sense, good cheer, compassion and self-sacrifice.

Update April 2013:  I decided not to re-read the novel before watching the recently released movie of a similar name (click here for my review of said movie).  I did end up buying the ebook edition prior to viewing the movie so I would have it available to search and peruse before, during and after.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be able to search through an ebook.  Compared to page turning and skimming, it’s better than sliced bread (well maybe not my sliced bread).

Book Review: Sailing to Sarantium by Kay (4 Stars)

Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay

4 out of 5 stars

Read in June 2010

A strangely compelling story even though none of the characters evoked compassion, laughter, anger or any other strong emotion from me. Normally, without an emotional connection, I become bored and sputter to a stop. Kay crafted an exquisite tale, a risky reckless journey into intoxicating intrigue fueled by ambitious visions and ruthless machinations.

Fantasy elements are kept to a minimum, the purview of alchemists and the occasional supernatural intervention. I read this novel with the understanding that Kay ‘re-imagined’ the Byzantine Empire of Justinian II. Sort of an alternate history where the names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

Book Review: Hyperion by Simmons (3 Stars)

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

3 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2008

I’m disappointed. Just when I was getting pieces of the puzzle and a few of the questions answered, the story ends. Abruptly. Thank goodness I didn’t read this when it was first published or I would probably also be angry.

This is a re-imagining or a re-working of the literary frame tale, similar to Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales but as science fiction space opera.

Seven pilgrims en route to Hyperion to petition the Shrike, also known as the Lord of Pain and the Avatar of Final Atonement. Each pilgrim tells their tale to the other pilgrims in the hope that they collectively will discover why they were chosen for the final pilgrimage. Each of the tales reveals each pilgrim’s connections to Hyperion and insights into the Shrike and the Time Tombs. And between the tales, we eek out what’s really going on in the love triangle gone nearly to the brink of interstellar war between the Hegemony (static humanity), the Ousters (evolved humanity) and the TechnoCore (AIs).

Along the way, one of the pilgrims is either murdered or fakes his death to disappear. There is some concern that their party is no longer a prime number, a requirement for the Shrike Pilgrimage. After the last tale is told, the pilgrims decide to proceed to the Time Tombs at dawn. And there the novel ends.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters. And I’m left with more questions than answers. I’m not sure I feel compelled to seek the answers. Perhaps time will tell.

Book Review: Jaran by Elliott (3.5 Stars)

Jaran by Kate Elliott

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in September 2009

The only parts of this long novel that truly interested me were the brief interludes of science fiction/space opera involving Tess’s brother, Charles. Otherwise, this was a rather long-winded almost romance between an ambitious educated barbarian nomad Ilya and the lost rebellious ‘foreigner’ Tess (running from herself, her former life and her brother’s destiny for her). Predictable.

The alien archaeologists and Tess’s inept attempts at espionage provided another subplot to relieve the boredom.

I connected very well with Tess and Yuri, her adopted jaran brother. But I was completely unconvinced or motivated by the supposed attraction between Tess and Ilya, whom she ultimately fell in love with.

Halfway through reading this story, I re-shelved it as science-fiction from fantasy because there are no magical elements present at all. In fact, it barely qualifies as science fiction. Ninety percent of this story is spent on horseback on the plains of Rhuin, similar to the plains of Wyoming or the steppes of Mongolia. In fact, all the jaran names were of Slavic origin (Yuri, Ilya, Aleksia, etc.).

The author attempted to push the envelope of gender relationships in an interesting way. Even though the point of view was not first person, I still received most of my impressions about jaran society filter through Tess’s eyes and thoughts. Just not enough information to really pique my curiosity. Women have no choice in marriage, but freedom to take as many lovers as they wish? Men that are not aggressive sexually or predatorially to any woman? Refreshing, but hardly believable.

I may continue this series, just because I want to find out what happens with the Chapalii Empire and Charles’s intrigue and rebellion plans.

Book Review: Grimspace by Aguirre (4 Stars)

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

4 out of 5 stars

Read in April 2009

I rarely like stories told from the first person viewpoint, but Grimspace is the exception to my rule. I enjoyed most the character development of Jax, the protagonist. It’s a no-holds barred look at her as a “rock star” jump navigator, accused mass murderer, psych ward patient/victim, fugitive, coward and finally almost martyred.

Oddly, the romance between March and Jax or Kai, her dead pilot, and Jax, didn’t sit well with me. Even though March and Jax supposedly connected psychically, I wasn’t convinced of their attachment, yearning, or love.

The action and mystery are well done and the pay off at the end is satisfactory. It almost qualifies as a space opera.

Book Review: A Sorcerer’s Treason by Zettel (4 stars)

A Sorcerer’s Treason by Sarah Zettel

4 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2009

From the first page, Zettel snared me with her characters, their predicaments, their dreams, ambitions, fears, lies, hopes … the full gamut of human emotion and condition. Usually, when I read a novel chock full of imperial political corruption and intrigue, I’m bored or disgusted. Zettel managed to overcome the clichéd and astound from the heart. Even more surprising was her ability to do this from nearly every character’s point-of-view.

I did not want the story to end, and thankfully, there is more to be read from the world of Isavalta.

The title intrigues me. After finishing the book, I would call the title a bald-faced spoiler. Or it could be a red herring. Truly, there are many sorcerers and many definitions of treason, depending on your perception at any given point in the plot.

Highly recommended to lovers of fantasy with great characterization and plot weaving.

Book Review: Red Moon and Black Mountain by Chant (4.5 Stars)

Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read in March 2013

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I subscribe to numerous SFF RSS feeds and e-mail newsletters. I skim them as time allows, usually when I’m rubbing the sleep out of my eyes in the pre-dawn darkness on my smartphone or ereader tablet.  Back about six weeks ago, in the middle of February, I stumbled across an article on Tor’s web site entitled Forgotten Classics: Joy Chant’s Red Moon and Black Mountain by Erin Horakova.  After reading her erudite and articulate review, I immediately went hunting for a copy of this classic to read for myself.

I tapped into my local libraries’ catalogs and grumbled to myself that no copy existed within a couple of hundred miles.  I knew better than to hope for an ebook edition, since I knew from Erin’s article that the book had been out of print for some time.  I didn’t want to buy a used copy, as I’m trying to avoid adding to the clutter at home, so I returned to my favorite local library, the Kansas City Public Library, and sent in an ILL (interlibrary loan) request, promptly forgotting I made said request once I closed the web page.  A couple of weeks later, I received a phone call from the Library letting me know my request was waiting at the Plaza branch.  I quickly retrieved it, as all ILL loans are immediately checked out to library patrons upon receipt and the time was already ticking on my loan period.

I read the book over the course of two weekends, bracketing the last week in March.  I found Chant’s prose enthralling, her worldbuilding transcendent and her characterization enlightened.  I soaked in elements of epic and high fantasy and reminisced about other parallel world fantasies I’d read in my youth (Lewis’ Narnia series; Cooper’s The Dark is Rising; Hambly’s Darwath series; and to a lesser extent classics like Burrough’s John Carter and Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland).

I try to note while reading books any phrases that resonate through my status updates on my GoodReads feed.  Since I happened to be reading a print edition, instead of an ebook edition, this task proved slightly more difficult and inconvenient, which translates into skipping many excellent references to avoid disrupting the rapport I experienced while reading Chant’s story.  This quote, however, stood high above  the rest, and came within a few pages of the end:

And have men sunk so far, that the best they can hope for is innocence? Do they no longer strive for virtue? For virtue lies not in ignorance of evil, but in resistance to it.

The perfect moment from a near perfect ending and completely apropos, encompassing all that had gone before.  I refuse to spoil the story further for you and ask that you give this forgotten classic a chance.  I predict you will be pleasantly surprised.

Book Review: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Willis (3.5 Stars)

To Say Nothing of the Dog By Connie Willis

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in March 2009

This was a very enjoyable jaunt through time in search of a missing bishop’s bird stump for the Coventry Cathedral’s restoration.  It’s 2057 and Lady Shrapnell (very aptly named by the way) is restoring the Coventry Cathedral exactly as it was before it’s destruction in 1940 in a German air raid.  She commandeers the services of Oxford’s space-time continuum researchers and lab to travel back in time and solve the mystery of the bird stump’s disappearance.

Initially, we meet Ned Henry, one of the researchers and time travelers, as he’s searching the still burning ruins of Coventry Cathedral in 1940 as an Air Raid Patrolman. He fails to locate the bird stump but starts acting strangely, a clear indication of severe time-lag.  He returns to 2057 and is ordered by the Infirmary nurse to two weeks of bed rest.  Lady Shrapnell will have none of that so Mr. Dunworthy, the head researcher or professor, send Mr. Henry back to 1888 on a simple mission and to hide him from the overbearing Lady Schrapnell.

Still suffering from the symptoms of the time-lag, Ned can’t remember the specifics of his assignment.  He chances to meet a young man, a student at Oxford, who convinces Ned to hire a boat for a trip downriver on the Thames.

Ned continues to meeting unbelievably interesting quixotic people and unusual circumstances – all highly hilarious.  I kept hearing or seeing the actors from Monty Python’s Flying Circus or Michael Caine performing the voices and antics of these delightful Victorian characters.  Even the pets are supporting actors, especially Cyril the English bulldog.