Fiction - The Irresponsible Reader

by Bill Watterson and John Kascht

DETAILS:
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 72 pgs.
Read Date: October 31, 2024

What’s The Mysteries About?

Here’s the Publisher’s Description, if I try, I’m going to end up telling the whole, brief story:

In a fable for grown-ups by cartoonist Bill Watterson, a long-ago kingdom is afflicted with unexplainable calamities. Hoping to end the torment, the king dispatches his knights to discover the source of the mysterious events. Years later, a single battered knight returns.

I’m not going to say more, even though I think we could use a teensy-weensy expansion to really sell the story. But the story isn’t the important part because…

WOW. The Art!

This is why you pick up this book. Period. You’re curious about what Watterson’s been up to for the last umpteen years, how his art has changed and developed. What’s got his attention? And we won’t really know much given how short this book is and how atypical it is, but still, that curiosity is there.

Maybe you know John Kascht’s work and want to see what he’s been dabbling in.

Either way, this is why you come to this book—and you will be well rewarded for it.

I’m not going to try to explain how these black-and-white images capture so much—and yet, leave so much to the imagination. But I’ve already gone through this book a few times just to see the art without caring about the words (which, yeah, I’ve read twice—but not as often). There are a couple of samples here.

Here’s a video put out by the publisher where the two artists describe how they worked together (and no, you don’t get to see any faces. Just hands and the works in progress).

So, what did I think about The Mysteries?

Honestly, the story doesn’t do much for me. It’s fine—good enough to justify your time, but that’s it. It feels like the first 50-70% of a Neil Gaiman story (but told in far fewer words). Honestly, anyone who described something like that to me would be enough to get me to pick it up—but I wanted a little more from Watterson.

But the more I think about it, I’m always going to want more from Watterson than he seems willing to give. So I should shut up and be happy about it.

I cannot say enough good things about these images, though—the visual look of the book as a whole, either. I’m so glad I got this just for that experience. And it’s an experience I can repeat frequently.

I’m not going to give this a rating, because…I don’t know. I can’t assign a number to this. I’m just happy to see that Watterson is still out there doing creative things and hope he decides to share some more in the years to come.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher: This Series has Legs

By HCNewton

On November 20, 2023

In Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Long Past Dues

by James J. Butcher

DETAILS:
Series: The Unorthodox Chronicles, #2
Publisher: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 401 pg.
Read Date: November 13-15, 2023

“You make them sound like monsters.” [Grimsby said]

He scoffed. “If only. Monsters are much simpler to deal with than people.” His face grew grim. “Much simpler.”

What’s Long Past Dues About?

Tired of the grunt-work and make-work befitting a rookie and relatively-untested Auditor (despite the heroics that got him his job), Grimsby acts on impulse and hijacks a case assignment from the closest thing he has to a friend in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs. It’s an investigation into the remains of an unidentified ritual. His job is to figure out what the ritual was supposed to do and who was behind it—particularly if the ritual was intended to produce something hazardous to humans. Rayne can’t—or won’t—tell anyone why she was so curious about this particular ritual, but the fact that Grimsby stole the assignment from her is enough to put their already tenuous relationship at risk.

Jumping into something out of his depth and under orders to make sure he’s not working alone, Grimsby tries to shake Mayflower off of his new/renewed attempts at putting the bottle to his head and pulling the trigger. Mayflower eventually emerges to help—not because of anything Grimsby said, or out of a sense of duty. But Grimsby dropped a photo that reminded Mayflower of one of his biggest successes, one of the rare times he shot someone and wasn’t haunted by it. How is anything about it back to rear its head?

Grimbsy and Rayne fluctuate between working together, racing each other, and trying to save each other while on this case.

While Grimsby was waiting for the Huntsman to come around, he spent a little time trying to help Wudge with something. It didn’t go wholly according to plan. Or much according to plan at all, really. Along the way, Grimsby picked up something that twists his magic in a way he’s having trouble adjusting to. And picked up an enemy—or at least adversary—or three. All of which is going to complicate things for him in the immediate future.

Digging Deeper into Mayflower

The first book explored both partners, but we learned more about Grimsby for sure. The accent fell more to Mayflower in this book—at least when it came to backstory and filling out the character—Grimsby was the focus of the plot again, to be sure.

That said, I think most readers would’ve guessed correctly to 95+% of what we learned about Mayflower here. But it’s good to have it spelled out for us—not in a spoon-feeding way, but the kind of confirmation that’s welcome. We also get a better understanding of what Mayflower sees in Grimsby, why he stuck up for him, and did what he had to to get Grimsby recruited by the Department.

Again, we probably could’ve guessed it, too. But I liked actually getting to see it.

I enjoy the way the two partners see themselves and each other—the way those perspectives conflict with each other and the way they roughly match up.

Wudge

It’d be super-easy to consider Wudge as comic relief primarily—with a hint of pathetic. Sure, he’s good for another perspective on the supernatural world and to help Grimsby out in a pinch—but he’s first and foremost someone to laugh at. Like Dobby. (I’m saying that because I’ve slipped into it, and that makes me feel better)

But it’s a mistake to think that—he’s more like Gurgi early on—funny, pitiful, with a hint of malice. Like Hearne’s hobgoblin Buck, but less trustworthy (and less easily amused). He’s dangerous, he’s looking out for himself more than anything—and is perfectly willing to take advantage of Grimsby. You, like Grimsby, can’t help but like him when he’s around. You feel bad for the guy and hope that Grimsby can give him the assistance he needs.

But something tells me that he’s more like the scorpion that stings the frog as they’re crossing the water together—his nature isn’t to pal around with a human. And we’re going to regret chuckling at him in the near future.

Or, I’m way off base and I’m going to have to come along and issue a retraction.

The Anti-Nick Fury?

Without getting into particulars, this book ends in a very similar way to the way its predecessor did. Someone out there is scheming, picking up the pieces from whatever Grimsby, Mayflower, and the rest of the Department left behind (and one has to assume they’re doing this with non-Grimsby cases, too). Exactly what they’re doing with the people and artifacts left behind we’re not told. It’s clearly ominous, but that’s about it.

It’s like the opposite of the post/mid-credit scenes in the early MCU movies where Fury is recruiting people for the Avengers Initiative. It’s more like those scenes in the Garfield Spider-Man movies (although, it’s been a few years so my memory is pretty fuzzy)—everyone, including Spidey, has thought he saved the day, righted the wrongs, and sent the bad guys packing, someone is out there coming along behind him with something clearly nefarious in mind.

Now, if James J. Butcher has really learned much from Jim Butcher, I expect that we’ll see/start to see what this has all been leading up to in Book 5. But I figure he knows that readers might expect that—so maybe it’ll be Book 4 or 6 instead. Whenever he reveals what’s cooking in these last looks, it’s going to be big. And it’s going to be bad news for Grimsby and Mayflower. It’ll be good for the reader, no mistake, but bad for our heroes.

Grimsby climbed out of the jeep and glanced around at the lot of black, mirrorless cars. Mayflower’s rusted-out vehicle stuck out like a mountain crag in the middle of a rolling black sea.

“Didn’t they offer you a car when you came back?” he asked as they entered the building’s concrete facade.

“They tried,” Mayflower said, then scoffed. “Even insisted.”

“And you said no?”

“That jeep has been with me since the start. I’ve rebuilt her from little more than scrap more than once. I know every sound she makes, every grind of every gear. You think I’d trade that for anything?”

“Okay, but have you ever thought about the ship of Theseus?”

“Yes.” The Huntsman scowled. “But Theseus never had a jeep.”

So, what did I think about Long Past Dues?

So, yeah, I picked up on the big twist pretty early on. And then the twist to that twist, too—although I’m not sure I got that earlier than Butcher wanted us to. Being ahead (?) of where we were supposed to be didn’t diminish things at all for me—if anything it amped up the suspense for me because I wondered how long it was going to take for Grimsby and Mayflower to suss it out, and how bad things were going to have to get for them to see it.

I’m rarely that into a twist surprising me—I’m far more interested in how the reveal is executed and Butcher did it just right here—I wouldn’t have minded the heroes putting the pieces together a bit quicker, but I’m not going to complain about how it came about. What I didn’t expect was just how it was going to play out after the reveal—and what the long-term ramifications were going to look at. And…whoa.

So much of what I thought was going to happen to/hoped would happen for Grimsby over the next few books went away in a paragraph or two. I feel so bad for him—and am so filled with anticipation to see what Butcher replaces my expectations with.

I really appreciate the way the partnership between the Huntsman and the rookie Auditor is developing. Whatever their bond in Dead Man’s Hand may have been, they’re not BFF’s by any means at this point. There are growing pains ahead, stops and starts to their partnership, and some pretty big obstacles they need to work through. But at the core—that relationship, respect for, need (?) for each other is a great starting point to see both grow as people and agents. I don’t know that Mayflower will ever get all his issues resolved, all his personal demons exorcised, etc. But he can get closer, he can maybe become really functional again—and that’s enough.

We got a couple of new and potentially recurring characters here that I really enjoyed. The magic—and the magical worlds—are enough to satisfy an Urban Fantasy fan. The monsters—and how they manifest in the real world—are great. The societies—Usual and Unorthodox—are intriguing in all the right ways. The banter is just what a buddy-cop reader wants to read. The moral choices aren’t easy or too clear-cut (which is great). The principal characters are engaging and believable. Basically, this series is really working for me. I can’t list all the things it’s doing right, actually.

I don’t have any major criticisms or complaints—I just want more of this series. Next year and for at least a handful of years to come. Long Past Dues didn’t disappoint and lived up to the promise of Dead Man’s Hand. Can’t ask for much more.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Grandpappy’s Corner: Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator): A Little Pug Faces a Cozy Challenge

By HCNewton

On November 17, 2023

In Dogs, Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

Grandpappy's Corner Logo

Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain

by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Noodle and Jonathan
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 32 pg.
Read Date: November 9, 2023

What’s Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain About?

This is a story about poor Noodle needing to find a place to get comfortable for the day—he needs to be able to smell nice smells, see his Jonathan, watch for a snacking opportunity (or several), but most importantly feel comfy.

After some searching, he finds the perfect place on the top of the couch! But how can a little pug get up to something so tall?

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

I wish I had some samples to show (you can click on the artist’s name above and see his portfolio, which doesn’t have any pages from this, but you can see his skill). So let me say this instead—before I had a chance to read the book, I gave it to my wife and daughter to look at while I went upstairs. Their collective “Ohhhh!!”s and “Awwwwwwwww!!”s were so loud I had to pause my audiobook until they finished.

It is just adorable. I don’t have another word to describe the art—it’s so cute that it’s hard to put into words. Also, there’s one picture that you can practically see the tail wagging. I’m not sure how a cartoonish art style is able to convey that so effectively, but it did.

Consider me a fan of Tavis.

How is it to Read Aloud?

It’s fine—there’s not a lot of wordplay, there’s no rhyming, or anything like that. It’s simple phrasing that you can put whatever kind of emphasis on and read without difficulty.

If you’ve watched enough of Graziano’s videos, you can borrow his style to read it; it works really well. If you haven’t? No big deal, just read it naturally and it’ll be fine.

What did the Little Critter think of It?

He’s still a bit too young to be giving opinions. But he liked the sound it made when he slapped it.

So, what did I think about Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain?

Like when I was describing the art, I don’t know what else to say but it’s hard-to-describe just how cute this is.

It’s a nice little story that most readers can relate to in some way—I think particularly if they’re on the small side and need assistance getting up to a place to sit, as young children tend to be. The story is a little stronger than the previous book’s–which was primarily about the feeling of a No Bones day, and I appreciate that (without criticizing the first book! I’m not heartless.)

There’s a little life lesson about asking for help that we can all use—no matter our age or size—included. Which is a nice bonus.

Do I recommend this adorable read? Yes. Obviously. Get your hands/eyes/ears (as applicable) on anything about Noodle, it’ll make your day brighter.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Chaos Terminal by Mur Lafferty: Not the Sequel I Expected, but the Sequel we Needed

By HCNewton

On November 13, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Science Fiction

Chaos Terminal

by Mur Lafferty

DETAILS:
Series: The Midsolar Murders, #2
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 384 pg.
Read Date: November 3-9, 2023

What’s Chaos Terminal About?

A contingent of humans is about to arrive on Eternity—a mix of scholars wanting to interact with all the alien races on board, a couple of tourists, a couple of spies, the detective who had Mallory in his sights for years, and the new ambassador to Eternity. Sadly, they arrive at a bad time—Mrs. Brown, the new host for the sentient space station has left for some training on how to be a better host, leaving Eternity functional, but not optimally so. Mallory has been left as the primary contact for Eternity (which only Mrs. Brown and Eternity seem to think was the right choice)—but she’s not quite herself once these humans arrive.

Now, as is wont to happen around Mallory, one of this group is murdered. Something is going on with the Sundry that no one can quite understand. The Gneiss outside of Eternity aren’t happy with what Tina and Stephanie did in the concluding chapters of the last book—and just might attack the station to express their displeasure. Oh, and among the newly-arrived humans are two people Mallory has had zero contact with for years—her High School BFF, Amy, and Amy’s brother, Parker. Parker is Mallory’s long-lost unrequited love, and it’s pretty clear that he’s never really put the torch he carries for her down anywhere.

Adrian

After what happened to him in Station Eternity (and what he did before that), I really thought we were done with the former ambassador, Adrian. Alas, I was wrong—he’s still around. For a guy who’s not a villain or a real antagonist, he’s really unpleasant as a character. I really wish he was something other than “the annoying human on the station.”

He’s toned down a little bit after his recent experiences, but at his heart, he’s still an arrogant twit who doesn’t contribute much of worth to anyone. At least that I can tell. I really hope that now that his replacement is on board he decides to head back to earth.

(or, fine, Lafferty does something really interesting with him in the next book would be preferable to losing him—she really didn’t this time out—but it’d have to be quite interesting not to get on my nerves)

The Killer

I want to start out by saying that I really don’t have sympathy for the killer and think things wrapped up justly for them (that’s a fairly spoiler-free way to put it, I think).

But once it was revealed what led up to the murder—and how things spiraled out of control afterward—I kind of felt bad for them. They were unknowingly wrapped up in things and fell victim to bad assumptions because of that. Yes, their reactions were utterly wrong—but I can understand how they got to the point where murder seemed like a solution. That understanding lasted until they started taking the next steps to cover up the crime and everything that ensued.

I do appreciate that Lafferty set things up that way for the killer—the alien cultures, the intrigue around the killer and the trip to Eternity, and the least-sympathetic murder victim I remember reading this year—help the reader to be ambivalent about the killer’s actions (at least initially). Not enough writers do that.

So, what did I think about Chaos Terminal?

The one thing I wish Lafferty had done differently was the humor in this book. Not that Station Eternity was a yuk-fest by any means, but there was a fairly steady stream of humor throughout—either in character moments, misunderstandings between the aliens and humans, or just the preposterous nature of Mallory’s abilities and what she did with them. The humor in Chaos Eternity was almost entirely centered on Tina. She was a walking, talking (and/or yelling) embodiment of chaos and slapstick. So much so that it started to be too much a few times (but Tina and Lafferty won me over each time I was tempted to give up).

I do wish Xan had a little more to do, too. But he was integral to so much of the plot, but not in an overt way—I remember him playing a bigger role in Station Eternity than he did here. He was almost as important as Mallory before, and he was demoted to the fourth-most integral character. Here’s hoping that’s not a permanent thing.

While I was engaged, very curious, and entertained throughout—I wasn’t having as much fun as I did with Station Eternity and I will admit I wondered if I misjudged the other book. Then two things happened—1. Mallory and Parker had a good conversation where they both communicated* and 2. The killer was revealed. After that (or in the midst of that) everything clicked into place and almost everything that had me on the fence about this book went away.

* There was nothing wrong with the scenes earlier where they failed to actually communicate, both were distracted, unsure if they could trust the other, getting over baggage, and thinking they could delay the conversation.

I did say “almost everything” there. I’m not wholly on-board with everything Lafferty was doing. I really haven’t had as much time to think about this book as I wanted to between the time I finished and the time I wrote this post—I assume that if I had, a lot of what I’m uncertain about would make sense to me. I really don’t understand some of the relationships in this book, why some of the interpersonal conflicts existed, and just why Lafferty decided to take up so much space with all that. However, most of that provided a couple of red herrings—or at least things that distracted Mallory from what she needed to focus on—which was likely a large part of the point. It could be as simple as Lafferty was using everything possible to add to the titular chaos.

None of this detracts from everything that (eventually) worked about the novel, but it keeps me from raving about it. It’s not really what I expected from this sequel—and that’s such a good thing. What happens in the last few chapters ensures that Book 3 won’t be anything like this or Station Eternity. I’m not sure what’s going to happen—nor am I going to bother trying to guess (although it’s probably safe to assume that a new group of humans will visit Eternity and one of them will be murdered). I will trust Lafferty to come through with a satisfying conclusion however.

And, boy howdy, did this conclusion satisfy. Everything was wrapped up fairly nicely—those things that weren’t really only served to set things in motion for Book 3.

As the dust settled with the book’s events—and as the dust settles in my mind about those events and Lafferty’s plotting—I’m left satisfied and impressed with the way it all went down. I had my doubts, but they were quelled and assuaged, leaving me able to say that those who enjoyed Station Eternity would do well to pick this up—more importantly, those who like a good mystery in an even better SF setting, in the years soon following First Contact should grab both books in this series and prepare for something great next year (or so).

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 38: Operator by R. T. Slaywood: An Overall Lack of Bedside Manner

By HCNewton

On November 9, 2023

In Urban Fantasy

The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 38: Operator

by R.T. Slaywood

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #38
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: November 9, 2023

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.

What’s Operator About?

Bonaduke is in rough shape when they get him back to the apartment, collapsing before he can really do much at all. The others rush to his aid, but since doesn’t realize how much he’s injured he struggles against it. He more than struggles–he lashes out (effectively, it should be noted) when the treatment/examination hurts as much as the injuries do, or inflames them.

The others struggle to restrain him and largely have success until Myrrh enters the room, and his rage toward her fuels him to attack her with magic unlike he’s been able to before–and when that fight is over, everything fades to black.

If it weren’t for the fact that there are dozens of episodes left (with more to come), you could make the case that this was a cliffhanger. But the suspense around Michael’s continuing existence is low. The real question is…what’s the situation going to be like when he comes to?

So, what did I think about Operator?

Too often in fiction (on page or on screen) I can’t help get frustrated by the lack of communication–honestly, if someone had taken a moment to talk to Bonaduke–or to listen to him–here, things might have gone better for all involved. Maybe not, but it would’ve been nice to see some effort.

There’s a point or two that would’ve been helped with a dialogue tag, honestly. The other part that would’ve been nice is to refer to some of these old faces with more than a name–something to help those of us who haven’t thought of them in 20 episodes or so to remember who they were. None of these are significant issues, and might say more about my memory than anything.

Overall, it was good to dip my toe back into the water here–and hopefully, I get back into regular reading of it. And, most importantly, I want to see what the next episode holds.

3 Stars

PUB DAY REPOST: Partial Function by JCM Berne: A Mom With A Particular Set of Skills

By HCNewton

On November 7, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction, JCM Berne, The Hybrid Helix

Partial Function

by JCM Berne

DETAILS:
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 361 pgs.
Read Date: October 9-10, 2023

The First Chapter

Don’t worry, I’m not about to go through this book chapter-by-chapter talking about each one—there are thirty chapters, and while I know I can go on and on about books that I like…

No, I’m going to focus on the first chapter for a moment for one reason—your reaction to the first chapter is going to tell you everything you need to know about this book. If you read that chapter (and everyone who’s stumbled onto this post should do at least that) and you think “Yeah, I can see myself enjoying this book.” You almost certainly will. If you read it and think, “Oh yeah! Give me more of that!!” You definitely need to read on. If you read this chapter and aren’t that interested in going on—trust that instinct and move on with your life. Also, I feel bad for you. (but I say that without judgment, even if it doesn’t sound like it).

This chapter isn’t quite the novel in microcosm, but it comes close—it has the spirit, the humor, the action, the supernaturally-charged martial arts, and the panache that will characterize the rest of the book. Anddddd, best of all, it features a very good dog. The book will bring in more characters than just Akina Azure and her dog (frustratingly named Dog*), which is the biggest reason I can’t say this chapter is a microcosm.

* It’s not just this that Akina has in common with Walt Longmire—I actually could write a post comparing the two—but this is my biggest complaint with both of them. You two have great canine companions, they deserve a great name.

So, What’s Partial Function About, Anyway?

I don’t know that I can do better than the description I was given for the cover reveal a couple of weeks ago—I’ve tried, and I keep unintentionally borrowing elements from it, so let’s just use it:

If Taken starred Michelle Yeoh and was set on a Jurassic Park-inspired Cradle.

Monster hunter Akina Azure inherited the most powerful weapon in the martial world before retiring to a peaceful life raising her twin girls.

The Reaver has them kidnapped, thinking Akina will trade that weapon for their safe return.

Will she? Or will she use it to wreak a terrible retribution on the men who took her girls?

You get one guess.

I’ll expand a bit on that, though.

Akina was part of a legendary band of adventurers, The Five Fangs, and then she and her husband Petrick (also one of the band) retired to go live far away and start a family. None of their friends have seen—or heard—from them or of them in years. Long enough for them to raise twins into their teens before Petrick died of blood plague (I don’t know what that is, but the name alone…).

Now, Akina tracks down one of the Fangs, Remy, to help her. She needs his connections to put her in touch with the people she needs to put her rescue plan into action. It wouldn’t hurt to have one of the few people alive that she trusts to have her back, either.

Remy isn’t crazy about the idea, but he can’t say no to Akina. These two past-their-prime warriors are soon joined by a much younger fighter (who is not quite in her prime and has a lot to learn first) that they can’t entirely trust, but can certainly use. Three people and a dog against the most powerful, feared, and twisted warrior (and his army) living. That’s if they can dodge the kaiju-esque monsters along the way.

It’s really not a fair fight.

Fantasy’s Answer to Sam Axe

I predict that most people talking about this book are going to focus on Akina—as they should. And I’m tempted to spend a lot of time talking about Dog, because he’s such a good boy.

But I want to hone in on Remy for a bit. He’s so essential to the way this book works, and I think he’s so easy to overlook. Sure, Akina and Zhu have some good, snappy, dialogue, and Dog being dog is amusing. Remy’s easily the funniest character in the novel and can be seen as only comic relief. That’s an error.

A couple of days ago, in an earlier draft of this post, I made a joke about him essentially being Sam Axe from Burn Notice. I haven’t been able to get that comparison out of my mind. It’s so on the nose. Remy serves as Akina’s Devil’s Advocate, voice of reason, conscience, and confessor. He’s the only one she fully trusts anymore. He knows someone (or knows someone who knows someone) everywhere they go and can get them whatever resources they need. In a fight, he’s almost as good as Akina and saves her on more than one occasion.

He covers all this with a commitment to doing nothing but drinking, womanizing, and lazing about all day—which is pretty much what he’s been doing since Petrick took Akina off to who-knows-where. When called upon, he steps into action, griping the entire time about how it’s cutting into his drinking. Again—Sam Axe.

If you’ve ever wondered what a wuxia-adjacent Bruce Campbell would be like, this is the book for you.

Okay, setting that all aside—at the end of the day, you’re going to like Remy and trust him to do the right thing more than pretty much anyone else in the book (see the next section for a hint of that). His agenda is pretty clear—do the right thing by his friend, do the right thing in general, and then leave everyone to their business so he can get back to pickling his liver. He may not understand the nuances of everything going on—but he’s honest, he’s clever, and he’s tough. Just the kind of guy you want to have around.

The Central Question of the Book

Most—possibly all—of the “bad guys” in this novel wouldn’t describe themselves that way. They think they’re doing the right thing to save the world, or at least civilization. Not just the right thing—the only thing that will save humanity.

But they’re so focused on the ends that they cross all sorts of lines when it comes to means. They do things to increase their power that are repugnant to the reader and just about every character in the novel. Honestly, kidnapping Akina’s twins in order to compel her to surrender her weapon is pretty much the mildest thing the “villains” like the Reaver do to secure the ability they think will help them.

It’d be easy to write them off here—ends don’t justify the means and all that, right?

But when you stop and think about the steps that Akina takes to enable her to rescue the twins? It’s hard to think of her as a hero (and she doesn’t pretend to be one, in fact, she outright denies it).

The novel focuses on Akina; she’s nice (generally) to Remy, Zhu, and her dog as they travel; she’s funny; she defends young women from creeps and slavers…and so on. So you reflexively think of her as a “good guy” a “hero.”

As we read Partial Function, we’re thinking about things like Taken. So let’s start there—are the actions that Bryan Mills takes to rescue Kim, the right thing to do? Sure some of them—but all of them? How about John Wick—think of the death and destruction that comes from him getting his vengeance? We’re inclined to think of Mills* and Wick as the heroes—but are they? I’d ask the same thing about Akina.

* Who am I kidding? None of us think of him as Mills, we think “Liam Neeson”—or “Liam Neesons,” maybe. No one thinks of him as Bryan Mills.

Now, that isn’t a criticism of her as a character. I loved Akina. I wanted to see her win, her whole plan was brilliant, I enjoyed watching her fight, banter, be corrected, and wreak vengeance. Maybe even more than I enjoyed Neeson or Wick doing the same.

I’m just not sure I should.

So, what did I think about Partial Function?

I have a couple of pages of notes that I can’t get to. There are so many quotable moments—because of heart or laughs. Berne’s got a way with words that I’m tempted to call Butcher-esque, and I just want more of it. But I need to get moving, so let’s just say that I had so, so, so much fun with this. Between this, Chu’s The War Arts Saga, and talking a little to Tao Wong this summer, I’ve decided I need to make more room in my reading for wuxia-inspired works.

The world-building deserves a paragraph or five to celebrate it (but it’s taken me 2 weeks to get this much written, I’m not risking putting this off any longer). For example, I should talk about the kaiju-ish creatures, but beyond saying they’re dinosaurish animals with powers that love snacking on humans (when they’re not stomping on them), I don’t know what to say. The political/clan system serves the whole thing well and I’d enjoy seeing more of it in a future installment.

Partial Function is a fast, enjoyable, action-packed read with a lot of heart and just enough humor to help you deal with the stakes and destruction. And these characters? I loved getting to know them and spending time with them. There’s a lot to chew on in these pages if you’re in a thoughtful mood, and if you’re not? You don’t need to, you can just enjoy the ride.

This was intended as a stand-alone, but the door is open for another adventure or so for the survivors. If we get a sequel, I’ll be first in line for it. If we don’t? This is going down as one of my favorite fantasy stand-alones. Either way—I’m encouraging you to read the first chapter and apply what I opened with. I’m sure there will be those who don’t get into this, but I can’t understand why.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author—after repeated requests—in exchange for this post and my honest opinion.

5 Stars

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

A Few Quick Questions With…JCM Berne

By HCNewton

On November 7, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Fantasy, Fiction, JCM Berne, The Hybrid Helix

It’s Publication Day for Partial Function by JCM Berne and what better way to commemorate it than with a Q&A with the author his own bad self?

Give us a quick origin story—how old were you when you caught the Writing Bug? What made you decide “I’m going to get serious about it now” (whenever that happened to be)? etc.
I wrote what we’d call fanfic (I had never heard the term) in elementary school, but I didn’t try to write an actual story until just after dropping out of grad school. I was inspired by RA Salvatore – The Cleric Quintet – and I wanted to write fantasy stories about dwarves. Something about his dwarves really struck a chord in my imagination. This was around 1998.

I wrote a couple of novels, went nowhere with them, and tried again in 2006. Self-publishing as we know it didn’t really exist back then, so I basically gave up. In 2019 I got the bug again – I had a little bit of time, and Invincible gave me the same writing itch that I’d gotten from Salvatore – and I wrote Wistful Ascending in one big burst, promising myself that I’d put it on Amazon even if it sucked. Which I did! (for the record, he ended up putting it on Amazon without it sucking)

What came first—the desire to take a break from The Hybrid Helix or this story? How important was it for you to take this break?
I didn’t exactly want to take a break. I wanted to write something more marketable – HH is a very tough sell, commercially (it’s a superhero story that doesn’t include superhero conventions like an origin story or supervillains, and it’s VERY hard to describe – count the reviews that say, “this isn’t what I expected!” – it’s a lot of reviews.) A lot of my target readers are much more into fantasy. And I really, really wanted to do better in SPFBO, which is totally an ego thing and not rational in any sense. AND I wanted something with less pressure. Every HH book gets harder, because I have to keep in mind the series-level story and the book-level story simultaneously. With a standalone I can drop all of that pressure.

So I decided to start from a killer pitch, instead of the weirdness that is Wistful Ascending, and write a straight fantasy (instead of superhero/sci-fi) with a straightforward narrative and see what happened. And I failed, because of course I did. I should have made Akina an Elven Ranger and set the story in a setting that could pass for an amateur D&D campaign. But I love fisticuffs and dinosaurs more than I love archery, and I had the worldbuilding basically done (it’s the same universe as HH, broadly speaking), and I didn’t want to take six extra months to do it.

Another aspect of doing something new was trying to write something cheaper. The HH books – with the cover artist, narrator, and editor I’m committed to – are huge money pits. I wanted the chance to release something that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. And I failed again, though Partial Function cost me a lot less than a HH book, it didn’t end up being anywhere near as bare-bones as I intended.

I’ve heard authors say that they learn something while writing each book. What did Partial Function teach you that The Hybrid Helix hasn’t? How was the experience different in this new world?
I learned that, once again, my sense for what other people will enjoy is not very good. I had very little confidence in this book. I mean, I knew I loved it, and I knew it did what I wanted it to do from a craft perspective, but I didn’t really think other people would like it. And so far, the reception has been really positive. People aren’t hung up on the weird stuff in the book as much as I thought.

It’s a nice feeling, but also disturbing, because it’s good to have people like your art, but it’s also a bummer to know I’m not good at judging my audience. I suppose I might as well just go on writing what I love and hoping.

You’ve described yourself as a “kitchen sink writer,” I used more words to describe it, and greatly prefer your pared-down version—what do you mean by that? Is that just who you are, or did you make decision along the way to become one? (I never expected to ask a nature vs. nurture question)
I have a lot of interests, in fiction and outside it, and I like to throw stuff from all of that into my books. Infinity bagua is actually a really interesting martial arts idea – bagua is a real martial art in which training is focused on walking in circles (I’m oversimplifying), and infinity walks are a real training tool used by some very serious coaches, so combining them isn’t actually as random and silly as it sounds. I’ve read a lot of manga and American comics and watched a LOT of martial arts movies, so I threw a lot of pieces from them into this.

It was never really a decision. If I try to write something more straightforward, without a lot of weird things thrown in – if I had tried to make this “Taken, but set in Shannara” – I get bored. This isn’t my day job: if the writing gets boring, I’ll quit. I have no idea what would change if this WERE my day job and I really had to write something commercial, but that’s a question for another lifetime.

I want to ask a couple of questions about Partial Function characters. I have a handful about Zhu, but…I can’t think of a way to ask them without spoiling something. So, what would you want a prospective reader to know about her? (basically, say whatever you want about Zhu)
I included Zhu because I was too lazy to draw a map. In fantasy novels, travel is a big thing – you have to have a map, measure distances, calculate the average distance a wagon can travel over rough terrain in a day, etc. etc. etc. I had no enthusiasm for that. So I gave everybody teleportation magic and let them hop around to my heart’s content.

Once I put Zhu on the team, she had to do more than just be a human taxi. She’s a teenager, so I made her snarky, because the day I write a non-snarky teenager is the day they can pull the plug on my life support. It’s low hanging fruit, basically. But I didn’t want to make her too obnoxious, or rebellious for its own sake, because those traits annoy me, so I tempered that out a bit.

The other piece of it is allowing us to see a little bit of Akina-as-a-mom. That part was mostly accidental, but I felt like it raised the stakes to see that side of her. I’ve seen the “I’ve got to rescue my kids because I was a negligent parent and it’s my way to work out my guilt” trope in other stories and I hate it. Akina was a good mom, in her own opinion, and she wanted her girls back because she loved them. Full stop.

After that, Zhu just became fun. Once I have a character’s voice in my head, it’s joy to give them their own dialogue, their own jokes, with their own timing and approach. Good jokes are character-specific (I learned that from Howard Tayler).

I talked a little bit about Remy in my original post about the book, and you told me he was important to you. Can you unpack that a bit?
I love all the main characters, but I feel like Remy is the least sexy. Sort of. People are desperate for action moms in fantasy – it’s something I’ve heard repeated – and people love competent younger characters coming into their own. And come on, everybody loves animal companions, especially when they’re adorable. But big guys who are good at fighting aren’t in short supply.

To me, Remy was important because of what he wasn’t, in some ways. He loves Akina with zero romantic or sexual intent, and vice versa. They’re genuine friends, and he’ll do anything for her, exactly the same way he’d have done anything for Petrik. And I like that kind of relationship. I feel like the expectation is that we find out halfway through that he would have had some spark for Akina and been pining after her for years, and I just wanted to pull the plug on that. He doesn’t want to have sex with Akina, at all, period. He just loves her, and she loves him, and that’s that.

Who are some of the bigger influences you have in your writing—this book and others—whether or not readers can see them, you know they’re there?
I’m 52 and I’ve been a compulsive consumer of media for about 42 of those years, so there’s an awful lot.

For writing style I have to say some RA Salvatore (who I forget to mention as often as I should) and Jim Butcher. But I was writing like this before Storm Front was published, so maybe that’s not quite right. Maybe my influences were more Glen Cook (PI Garrett Cook, not Black Company Cook, in terms of style) and Steven Brust.

I also take a lot from comics, too many to remember. Brubaker, Starlin, Chaykin . . . I wouldn’t know where to stop. Ellis. Moench. I had a bad habit when I was younger of buying comics and not paying attention to the creative team, so I didn’t even know who was influencing me, but they were.

And for this book in particular, I use a lot of movie influences. Taken, John Wick, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Jurassic Park! And a lot of anime and manga. Those influences are big in HH, but maybe even bigger in Partial Function. I never wanted to see Wistful Ascending adapted to film (I mean, I wouldn’t say no, but it was never a thing I cared about) but I’d LOVE to see a series made of PF.

What’s next for JCM Berne, author? I’ve seen some things you’ve posted on social media sites, but I can’t tell how serious you’re being—and either way, I’m very intrigued.
I have a bad habit of getting excited about something, planning it, writing a chapter, then realizing the voice doesn’t work for me. Well, that’s not the bad habit, but posting about it on twitter IS. My progression fantasy about tiny dragons is a solid idea but I just didn’t enjoy writing it as much as I thought.
Right now I have three ongoing project. I’m going to continue the Hybrid Helix, because I haven’t even gotten to the point yet. I have no idea how long that will be, but I can’t imagine fitting the story I want to tell into ten or fewer books. 12? 17? We’ll see.
I wrote Partial Function as a standalone, and I didn’t deliberately throw anything in there that was meant to seed a sequel (unlike Wistful Ascending, which I wrote from the start as the entry point to a series). The story is over, and any sequel has to have a new story. I didn’t really have a good idea for that sequel until a couple of weeks ago, but now I think I have one. I might write that in December, or the next HH, I haven’t decided yet.
The third project is The Grimdwarf, a story about an immortal, cursed Dwarf who keeps trying to die in battle. It’s sort of an homage to Gotrek and Felix, except Felix is a woman and they have a dog. I’m playing with the structure, writing it almost like a manga. Some chapters are standalones, some are tied together into arcs, but I’m not building it into novel-length pieces – some arcs might be novel-length, but some might be much shorter, and I’m allowing that deliberately.
I have no idea what to do with this. It’s a story I love, personally, but I don’t know if other people will want to read it. Lots of punching, lots of banter, some worldbuilding, a touch of pathos. I might just give it away (say, a chapter a week) to patreon patrons or people who get my newsletter or just toss it onto Royal Road and say, “here you go!” A lot depends on reception. I will see how much I can get done this month – sort of a fake NanoWriMo (since it’s not really a novel) – and maybe get some alpha/beta readers to tell me if I should trunk it or not.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for Partial Function—I had such a blast with this and hope it finds the audience it deserves!
Thank you so much, HC! Positive critical reception is a huge part of why I’m still writing. I’m very glad you gave this book a chance.

Partial Function is out NOW—go grab yourself a copy.

A Few Quick Questions

Archie Goodwin on Voting

By HCNewton

On November 6, 2023

In Calendar Items, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, News/Misc., Quotations, Rex Stout

It’s Election Day in the U.S. tomorrow, so I thought I’d share this little bit from Archie Goodwin to commemorate it.

The most interesting incident Tuesday morning was my walking to a building on Thirty-fourth Street to enter a booth and push levers on a voting machine. I have never understood why anybody passes up that bargain. It doesn’t cost a cent, and for that couple of minutes, you’re the star of the show, with top billing. It’s the only way that really counts for you to say I’m it, I’m the one that decides what’s going to happen and who’s going to make it happen. It’s the only time I really feel important and know I have a right to. Wonderful. Sometimes the feeling lasts all the way home if somebody doesn’t bump me.

–Archie Goodwin
from A Family Affair

A Good Rush of Blood by Matt Phillips: A Life at the Cruel Intersection of Bad Luck and Poor Choices

By HCNewton

On November 2, 2023

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

A Good Rush of Blood

by Matt Phillips

DETAILS:
Publisher: Runamok Books
Publication Date: November 1, 2023
Format: ARC
Length: 299 pg.
Read Date: October 23-26, 2023

What’s A Good Rush of Blood About?

Creely Nash is almost forty, single, a waitress in downtown Portland, and a drug runner. That last item may be eye-catching, and it’s really the only thing in Nash’s life that could be described that way.

She’s been driving for Animal for long enough for him to trust her implicitly—she gets the job done with no muss, no fuss, and no questions. Pick up from some place in the Western US and deliver it somewhere else. Period. She gets a nice flat fee and goes back to work. She’s started a savings account so that one day she can move south of the border and forget everything else.

And then Animal has her do a job in Palm Springs, California. When she was 16, Creely ran away from her mother there and never looked back. She’d never been back, either. She should’ve told Animal no—it might not have been good for their working relationship if she had, but it’d be better than it ended up being.

One thing leads to another, and she runs into a face from her past who tells her that Creely’s mother is doing life in Chino for murder. The wheels come off at that point—there’s no love lost between Creely and Blossom, but you don’t shake off news like that. Creely delays returning to Portland (angering Animal) to stop in Chino. Blossom tells Creely she’s innocent, but not much else.

Creely decides to stay in Palm Springs and get some answers—at least for herself, but maybe for her mother, too. Animal is beyond angry at this point and promises Creely that if she’s not home soon, she’ll be killed.

She’s about as unlikely an amateur detective as you’re going to find—and this is no cozy where gumption and banter are going to get her anywhere. But luck, making a good friend or two, and a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time just might put her on the right trail.

So, what did I think about A Good Rush of Blood?

I didn’t think of Know Me from Smoke once while reading this book. But I’ve had a hard time not thinking about it every time I’ve thought about the book since then. Briefly—this is a better novel in just about every way that I can think of. But I didn’t care about what was happening or the people it was happening to nearly as much as I did with Know Me from Smoke. This probably says more about me than either book (I’m not sure what it says, however).

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, hopefully, my subconscious will allow me to focus on this book by itself.

The characters are so well-drawn that it’s hard to think of them as characters. It’s common to talk about a well-depicted as “flawed.” These characters are beyond flawed—some of them seem to be nothing but flaws. This is not a criticism in any way—these characters are real. The kind of people that we pass by every day—some of us even are these people.

Throughout the book, Creely accumulates people to help her in one form or another. And she does very little to obtain these helpers—in fact, she sometimes tries to shake them off. But it’s only through the addition of her allies that she comes closer and closer to getting the answers that she’s looking for. It’s not that she’s been friendless before—or ally-less even. But I didn’t get the impression that she’s had this many at once before.

I don’t understand the motivation for two of her allies—the two who end up personally most important to her. The more I consider the novel—and what these two characters say about themselves and their reasons for helping Creely—the less I understand them. It’s not that I find them unbelievable as characters (see what I said above), nor that I think we have to understand the motivations of everyone in life or fiction. But I really want to sit them down and ask, “Why are you putting yourself through this for this stranger? I know what you said, but really, why?” Maybe it’s because they’re easily the most likable characters in the book that their involvement in this mess (to put it succinctly)—and the ones who will benefit the least from it—that I’ve spent so much time thinking about them.

But those are secondary matters—the focus of this book is Creely. The murder mystery and what she (and others) must accomplish and endure to get answers is secondary, too. This is ultimately a matter of Creely understanding herself and getting a better understanding of the world. That is not to say the reader will necessarily agree with the latter—but it’s important. Creely would, I believe, sneer at the notion of “self-discovery” (I’m not sure that Phillips would be crazy about it either), so I won’t say she’s on a voyage of self-discovery here—although that’s the cliché one would appropriately use for any other protagonist in similar circumstances.

Creely’s life has been characterized by survival—I imagine her aspirations have been low, characterized primarily by “different than now” and “less bad.” Even her vague plans for getting out of drug running (eventually) could be seen as “getting by in better weather.” But this news about her mother and how it impacted Creely give her the opportunity to do something that counts. Something that could have a lasting impact for someone (in a positive way). It’s not about making a mark on the world in a way that draws attention to herself, garners fame, or any of the usual things we see in fiction. Creely finds an opportunity to accomplish something that will affect people. She’s not had that ever—and is unlikely to have it again (especially if Animal finds her.

That’s what drives Creely, what drives the novel—and she discovers, like so many of us, that she really didn’t understand much about her childhood, her parents, and what set her on her path. Sure, there’s more tragedy and drama in her past than some experience—and few have as hazardous a path to learn this as she does. But most readers will be able to relate to what she goes through in some way. By the end of this experience, Creely might be able to do more than simply exist, there might be more for her than getting to the next day. I doubt self-reflection has been a big part of her life prior to these events—and it might not be a huge component after. But she does do some now—and that’s no small thing.

I’ve gone on a lot about character, self-discovery, and whatnot—and you may be saying to yourself that this is a far cry from the “sweaty, fast-paced neo-noir” “[p]eopled with bent cops, grizzled reporters, hardened drug dealers, eccentric sidekicks, and sexy librarians” that the back of the book promises. You’re absolutely right to do that. I can only blather on like that because I’m late with this post—if I’d written this immediately (as intended), I’d have focused on that kind of thing and maybe devoted a paragraph to the things I’ve started to explore above. But I’ve had time to ponder.

“Sweaty” is an incredibly apt word. I kept thinking greasy and grimy for some reason while reading—just a present and real sense of wanting to wipe your hands off on something throughout. It’s like that hole-in-the-wall restaurant where you know why the lights are dim and you don’t care what kind of dodgy things happen in the kitchen because the food is great. “Fast-paced: might be an exaggeration, but it is propulsive—once the “murder” comes into play, there’s a momentum that carries you forward and you can’t get off. Like the moment the roller coaster starts to move and you get the sense that nothing can stop it now.

There’s both a rawness and a cleanness to the prose that makes you know that Phillips sweated over every line—possibly every syllable. It was absolutely worth it—it’s been five years since I first read Phillips, and he’s put them to good use (and the memory of the quality of that writing has remained with me longer than other books I read that year). The power of what he’s given the readers is going to linger in your subconscious.

This is one of the noir-est books I’ve read in 2023—a statement that would hold up in almost any year you read it—solidifying my impression of Runamok Crime as an imprint to stalk. Fans of Jordan Harper, Eli Cranor, or Vern Smith would do well to pick this up.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher, but my opinions are my own and honest.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Partial Function by JCM Berne: A Mom With A Particular Set of Skills

By HCNewton

On October 27, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction, JCM Berne, The Hybrid Helix

Partial Function

by JCM Berne

DETAILS:
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 361 pgs.
Read Date: October 9-10, 2023