Category: Fiction Page 313 of 349

by Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising, #1

Hardcover, 382 pg.
Del Rey, 2014
Read: Feb 26 – Mar 6, 2014

I’m having a hard time deciding what to say about this one. To really talk about it would require me spoiling every plot point that I loved (most of which I didn’t see coming). So I won’t. I’ll just say that I really, really dug this book.

I don’t want to just compare this to The Hunger Games, as much as reviews/blurbs/etc. make a guy want to. There are some surface-level similarities, yeah. And you could make the case (as I did when just starting the book) that Brown’s Mars was just the place for people who thought Collins’ Panem was a bit easy. In fact several parts of this feel like >The Hunger Games dialed up to 11. The working/living conditions for Darrow and his family are more severe, what Darrow has done to him to prepare him for what’s to come makes what Cinna et al. do to Katniss look like child dress-up, Darrow plays a deadly game on a larger scale than Katniss, and so on. But Darrow’s motivation is different than Katniss’ — she’s trying to survive, he’s trying to do far more (and much of the time, survival’s pretty low on his list) — the stakes he’s playing for are greater, and he will go to lengths that Ms. Everdeen doesn’t have to.

There are a few moments when things seem too slow, or meandering, or even redundant — but each time, I was wrong, and Brown made it all pay off. Visceral was the word that kept coming back to me as I read the book. I had almost visceral reactions to some of the horrors depicted, I could feel the grime and muck (literal and metaphorical) that Darrow crawled around in.

This shows every indication of leading to something epic in the next volume, leaving Mars behind and moving to other planets and/or the space between. As well as seeing if Darrow can retain his self and purpose — and how far will he be willing to go to carry it out.

There is a classic SF reference in Part IV that made me giggle with delight (in the middle of a pretty grim part of a fairly grim book, so I appreciated the placement). I won’t spoil it, but Pierce Brown has bought a lot of loyalty from me with two simple words.

Go grab this one.

—–

5 Stars

Dusted Off: Blue Diablo

By HCNewton

On March 10, 2014

In Fiction

Blue Diablo

by Ann Aguirre
Mass-Market Paperback, 336 pg.
Roc, 2009
Read: June 3-5, 2012

Ann Aguirre starts the 4th (or so) chapter by quoting the show, Coupling, which I’m pretty sure means I have to buy every book she’s written/will write. Doesn’t hurt that her heroine, Corine Solomon, has the same power as Anton Strout‘s Simon Canderous–psychometry (just a grittier version than Simon’s).

The book starts off in a nice, homey setting–but it’s clear that Corine has a dark backstory. It’s not too long before we meet a shadowy guy from her past and we’re off and running through a murky mix of various types of magic/magic-users, human trafficking, drugs, and other types of depravity. The plot takes some darker turns than I’d expected (and one or two pretty sillier ones). Corine meets plenty of new people along the way–most of whom are the kind of characters you grow to like and/or are interesting enough that you want to spend more time with.

Overall, a strong start to what should prove to be a very satisfying series.

I really could live without the Guy A or Guy B or Guy Neither storyline (but if push comes to shove, consider me Team Jesse), I did appreciate what Aguirre did with it this time–just not looking forward to more of it).

—–

3 Stars

Dusted Off: Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

By HCNewton

On March 10, 2014

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Grimspace

by Ann Aguirre
Mass-Market Paperback, 312 pg.
Penguin Group, 2008
Read: June 19-20, 2012

Action-packed, complexly-plotted, character-driven. Grimspace is a heckuva first book (would’ve been a heckuva 3rd, book, too). Not perfect, but so good that you put up with the short-comings.

This is more Ronald D. Moore/Joss Whedon-y S.F. than a Roddenberry/Lucas SF. The characters are people: flawed, self-deceived, selfish, scared… You grow to care about them, not just what happens (which would be interesting enough on its own, actually).

Actually, now that I’ve said it above, I’m more and more convinced this is Firefly without the livestock or distinctive dialogue. Can’t wait til I get my hands on the sequel. 4 Stars

Death Without Company by Craig Johnson

By HCNewton

On March 5, 2014

In Authors, Craig Johnson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Walt Longmire

Death Without Company

by Craig Johnson
Series: Walt Longmire, #2

Hardcover, 271 pg.
Viking Adult, 2006
Read: Feb. 11-13, 2014

Granted, I took too long to get back to this series, so it’s possible that my memory is more of the TV show than The Cold Dish, but I think I remember it well enough to say that Death Without Company has a more enjoyable, casual feel throughout than its predecessor did.

Which isn’t to say this is a laugh riot, or silly — Johnson is no Evanovich. But the atmosphere of the book, the relationships between Vic, the Ferg, Henry, Cady and Walt are effortless, they feel like coworkers and friends. So even when the bodies start to pile up, the external pressures mount, and answers are in short supply, there’s an ease to things that make the book more entertaining than it could’ve been. Even as Sheriff, Walt still comes across as deferential and secondary to his former boss Lucian Connally (though he doesn’t hesitate to put his foot down when necessary).

When Lucian tells Walt in no uncertain terms that a death in the retirement home he lives in is not from natural causes, he has to investigate. Even if he’s not entirely convinced. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that Lucian’s right — otherwise, we wouldn’t have a novel to read. Which takes Walt on a journey through the the murky history of both one of Walt’s oldest friends and the area he calls home — this time with a different minority group as the focus (though the Rez and its inhabitants are always lurking around in the background).

There’s a new romantic interest in these pages — as well as a couple of new deputies for Absaroka County (the particular skill set of one of these is a bit too deus ex machina-y for my tastes, but he’s so likable, who cares?). Throw in the kind of snow storm you can only get in rural Wyoming (or areas like it) and some brushes with Indian spirituality, and you get a distinctive kind of mystery novel, making the adventures of Walt Longmire and his cohorts the kind of story you can get nowhere else. It won’t take me as long to come back to this series next time.

I had no idea where to fit this into the review, but I thought Walt’s observation deserved to be repeated — due to its wisdom as well as the way it’s phrased:

Everything to do with women is foolish, and, therefore, absolutely essential.

—–

3.5 Stars

Dusted Off: Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

By HCNewton

On March 3, 2014

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

by Truman Capote
Paperback, 178 pg.
Vintage International, 1993
Read: Jun. 24, 2012

Am not sure why this one resonates with so many, why it’s so acclaimed, but it is. For the most part, the narrative left me cold, as did the characters.

Capote’s descriptions on the other hand…great stuff, delicious writing there. Made it worth my while, but I can’t imagine I’ll be back for more.

—–

2 Stars

Dusted Off: The Drop by Michael Connelly

By HCNewton

On March 3, 2014

In Authors, Fiction, Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Drop

by Michael Connelly
Series: Harry Bosch, #17

Paperback, 448 pg.
Grand Central Publishing, 2012
Read: Jun. 23-25, 2012

How does he do it? How does someone as accomplished as Connelly continually top himself? Equaling himself would be a tough act (and not one he always pulls off), but topping himself? Inhuman.

This was gripping (duh). This was harrowing (duh). The suspense was there, the intrigue was thick (duh). What was shown about the human condition should cause anyone to reflect (duh). All of that is par for the course for Connelly and Harry Bosch.

But this one…the depravity, Harry’s reaction to it–not just the bad guys, but the politics surrounding the cases…hit harder than normal. You can really feel for Bosch in this one, you can curse his mistakes (and even the right things he did that don’t feel so right), but the closing chapters carry a kind of emotional weight that Bosch novels normally don’t.

This is Connelly at his best. Looking forward to the next time he tops himself.

—–

5 Stars

Chimera by Kelly Meding

By HCNewton

On February 26, 2014

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Chimera

by Kelly Meding
ePub, 242 pages
Pocket Star, 2013
Read: Feb. 14-25, 2015

Chimera

a first-person account of super-hero life from an under-represented type of Super-Hero — Check!
Personal conflicts, Personal demons, general turmoil — moreso than most X-Men, even — heroes that carry emotional scars in addition to those earned in battle — Check!
Impending Government Persecution of Super-Heroes — Check!
A sex scene that goes on far too long for comfort — but is thankfully easily skippable — Check!

Yup. Chimera is a MetaWars book. It carries all the marks.

Renee Duval, aka Flex, is the focus this time around. She and a notorious ex-Bane have been dispatched to investigate a series of thefts that have to be being carried out by one or more teen Metas. With the threat of officially sanctioned internment of Metas hovering over them, the last thing the Rangers need is some punk kids bringing down the heat on them and any other law-abiding Meta. So Renee and Chimera have their work cut out for them — particularly considering that Renee’s doing her best to hang on to her anti-Bane sentiment, far after the rest of her team is softening. What they discover is unsettling for them, and doesn’t exactly fill the reader with a sense of joy, either.

One the one hand, I get Meding’s motive for varying P.O.V. characters in each book — and in many ways, I prefer this to the books that jump P.O.V. every chapter or so. But it’s also a weakness — for example — Trance was our entry into this world, we saw it all through her eyes. But we don’t get a whole lot of Trance any more — and what we do is just in brief bursts of conversation, and we don’t get the same impression of, knowledge of, experience of her. Still, Flex is a strong, yet flawed character, and it was nice to get in her head.

Plenty of action, some solid character growth, good plot advancement — Chimera is another good installment in a very satisfactory series. For a dystopian future, there’s something welcoming about this world, and I enjoy any time I get to spend in it. This book took me a freakishly long time to finish. That’s not a reflection on the character(s), the story, or the author — I was apparently busier and more tired than I realized until I saw just how long I’d spent reading the book (I’m not so unaware to not notice it was taking me awhile, just didn’t see how long I was taking). It was a good read, an engaging read.

—–

3.5 Stars

Dusted Off: The Girl in the Steel Corset

By HCNewton

On February 24, 2014

In Fiction, Steampunk, YA/MG/Children's Books

The Girl in the Steel Corset

by Kady Cross
Hardcover, 473 pg.
Harlequin Teen, 2011
Read: June 26-27, 2012

When I started this, I kept thinking, “this is the steampunk version of Twilight.” A good, fun read, but nothing to get too excited about. But as I read on, I started thinking that less and less. Maybe because it was getting better, maybe because I just got into the story fully. Doesn’t matter.

Midly predictable plot, but entertainingly told. The characters are engaging and frustrating (in a way that serves to underline how much you like them). The steam-tech is fun and well thought out. The whole super-power thing? Very well executed. Super Powers and Steampunk? That’s some peanut butter you can get in my chocolate, anytime.

Fun, fun, read–with a good jump start to the sequel.

—–

3.5 Stars

Dusted Off: The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

By HCNewton

On February 24, 2014

In Authors, Craig Johnson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Walt Longmire

The Cold Dish

by Craig Johnson
Series: Walt Longmire, #1

Paperback, 400 pg.
Penguin Books, 2006
Read: June 28-30, 2012

It’s hard to believe this is a first novel. I love it when that happens. Johnson is assured in his writing, he knows his characters and their world, there’s no mistaking that.

It’s not a fast-paced tale by any means–Johnson saunters through his prose like Longmire would through the world. That doesn’t mean it’s not gripping, though. It’s lush with detail, as scenic and expansive as the Wyoming country it takes place in.

I figured out whodunit pretty quickly, but it took a while to get the why. The journey to the why was compelling, interesting and well worth the time. Looking forward to the next installment.

—–

4 Stars

Hide by Lisa Gardner

By HCNewton

On February 21, 2014

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

Hide

by Lisa Gardner
Hardcover, 313 pg.
Bantam, 2007
Read: Dec. 21, 2013

D. D. Warren is back for her second adventure, and second time being overshadowed by supporting character, Bobby Dodge. They’re reunited by a crime scene that’s decades old and contains multiple bodies of little girls — the chamber they’re found in is worthy of Thomas Harris or Val McDermid, and will immediately grab the reader’s attention (or turn them off to the book straightaway).

Soon after the news hits the press, a young woman comes forward claiming that they’ve misidentified one of the girls, as she’s the actual Annabelle Granger. The tale she tells convinces the detectives (mostly), and provides fuel for their investigation. I won’t get into Annabelle’s story — it’s worth checking out the novel just for it — but it’s at once totally believable and preposterous.

Dodge and Warren face many obstacles along their way — both from the past and present. And following the crooked path to the killer — and Annabelle’s real history — is more complicated and dangerous than anyone would expect. Including crossing paths with Catherine Rose Gagnon (from the previous volume, Alone). The last couple of chapters will keep you turning the pages as quickly as you can.

This is twisted, creepy, disturbing, suspenseful, and not very predictable (although I realized who the bad guy was a long time before the Warren or Dodge did). While I don’t know that it excels in any of these areas, it delivers what it promises. In short, it’s a good read. I’ll be back, and not just to see if Warren ever gets the prime narrative spot in her eponymous series.

—–

3 Stars