Category: Fiction Page 87 of 342

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: April 18, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 38 min.
Read Date: August 31-September 1, 2022

This is one of those books that grabbed my interest and then I immediately forgot about it for months. Thankfully, the library system here had it in their audiobook catalog where I stumbled on it. Knowing what I know about it now, I’m pretty annoyed that I took this long to get to it.

The Hook

The book opens with the protagonist/narrator in a police interrogation room. Ruby Simon is being questioned about her husband’s death. She’s innocent–100% guiltless–it’s clear from the get-go, that she did not murder her husband.

But…there are three other people that Ruby has killed over the last couple of decades. She’s never even been looked at as a suspect in these deaths–they’d previously been judged to be accidental, in fact.

But after death #4, it’s hard to believe that with all this smoke, there might not be a fire.

What Comes After the Hook

The first part of the book focuses on the events in the interrogation room–the detective presses for details on these four deaths, and as Ruby dances around her answers, we get to see her life story in flashbacks. Her childhood (punctuated by a murder), her party days as a teen (punctuated by a murder), her college years and training as a psychologist (punctuated by a murder), and then her falling in love with her husband and beginning their life together (punctuated by his death by natural causes).

The rest of the book focuses on the legal battle that ensues–the investigation that follows, her eventual arrest, the decimation of her career and reputation that results, and the eventual resolution of it all.

Conflicting Impulses

Ruby is a completely horrible person, she’s a murderer–and in two of the three cases, it’s entirely unjustified. The motives behind those two are so…pointless is the best I can come up with. The third murder probably wasn’t necessary, Ruby could’ve found a non-lethal solution to the situation–but you can understand and appreciate why she did it. She deserves to be behind bars (at least), she needs to be tried, convicted, and punished. It’s the right thing.

And yet she’s innocent here. She loved her husband, would never have killed him, and shouldn’t be dragged through the mud over this. The reader/listener constantly finds themselves rooting for this character that in normal circumstances you want to be pursued by a dogged investigator.

It’s similar to Dexter or Hannibal–with them, we embrace their homicidal acts and desires while rooting for them. There’s part of you that wants Dexter to get away with it so he can take down another serial killer. A similar part of you wants Hannibal to slip away from custody because he’s disturbingly charming. But it’s different in Blood Sugar–we have an actual injustice, and we instinctually recoil from that and want her exonerated.

But…you can’t get away from the injustice of her getting away with the other murders.

At the same time, you resent Detective Jackson for doing his job. He’s absolutely wrong about Jason’s death and shouldn’t be in Ruby’s life. But in any other book/series, we’d be rooting for him. He might as well be Harry Bosch or a similar character–he’s got all these pieces before him and is assembling a case that’s 75% correct. He’s doing everything right, and has an actual killer in his sights–and you want him to fail. Not only that, you probably are angry with him and have some active distaste for him.

But if this book was told from his perspective? You’d love him and admire his ingenuity and intuitive leaps.

For a long-time reader of detective fiction, this is a great twist on the conventions.

Ruby’s Antagonist

Someone has to be behind all her problems right? Det. Jackson isn’t going to look into Jason’s death without someone or something prompting him. Once you figure that out–which will probably happen before the actual reveal–it’s delicious. This might be my favorite thing that Rothchild does in this book.

For a book that’s full of confusing impulses for the reader, it’s nice to have an adverse reaction to someone that’s straightforward and uncomplicated.

A Brief Thought about the Narration

Ryan did a great job of this–she made Ruby Simon a human being. Her portrayal helps you identify and embrace Ruby as the innocent–with a shady past. You want to believe her when she says that she’s not a sociopath.

There were a couple of scenes (with one of Ruby’s patients in particular, and some involving Ruby’s dog) where I was moved because of the narration. I don’t know if they’d have been as effective (or affective) if I’d read the book, but with Ryan’s work, I was absolutely gripped.

So, what did I think about Blood Sugar?

I thought this was a great listen–a great experience.

I relished this approach to the story and characters, and the way you were forced time and time again to re-evaluate the characters, their actions, and your reactions to them.

Do I want a steady diet of this? No. Do I hope that a future Rothchild novel is either more conventional–or tweaks conventions in a different way? Absolutely. I can see Rothchild being a Lisa Lutz-type of writer. With stand-alones where you never know what you’re going to get–other than some wry humor, deep characters, and an approach to Crime Fiction that you hadn’t considered before.

I strongly recommend you pick this up in audio or print.

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.

Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma by Preeti Chhibber: A Fun Time with Everyone’s Favorite Webhead

By HCNewton

On September 9, 2022

In Comics, Fiction, Science Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma

by Preeti Chhibber

DETAILS:
Publisher: Marvel Press
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 325 pg.
Read Date: September 6, 2022

What’s Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma About?

So this is a Peter Parker in High School story—he’s been Spider-Man for 6 months or so, he’s fought some bigger villains, but he’s still got a lot to learn. J. Jonah Jameson is campaigning against him. He’s learning how to balance school and web-slinging. It’s definitely set in 2022, and isn’t in a comic timeline or one from any of the movie universes. It feels a little like the early Ultimate Spider-Man, but MJ is closer to the MCU version.

Sandman and Beetle have attempted to steal a 100+-year-old device that is powered by something alien (or so rumor has it). But both of them are acting a little strangely lately—Peter can’t say what it is exactly, but they’re more violent, more determined. He’s still able to hold his own against them, but it’s a little work.

So, what did I think about Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma?

I really don’t have a lot to say about this—it’s a fun Spider-Man story. And who needs more than that? But let me try…

It’s fun and fast-paced, with good action. Chhibber combined tried-and-true Spider-Foes with a new threat, I appreciate mixing the two rather than just giving us one more ride with the Green Goblin—or someone we’re not at all familiar with. The action scenes are handled deftly and you can see them as clearly as if a Romita or a Bagley were bringing them to life.

Chhibber clearly knows this universe well and has a strong affection for the series—and that shines through. I may not have been able to keep up with the comics over the last decade or so, but Spider-Man has long* been my favorite, and to see him handled like this does my heart good.

* In this case, long = since 1980.

Yeah, this is targeted for an MG audience—but it didn’t feel that way. It felt more All-Ages to me. A classic Spider-Man story—with requisite numbers of laughs, action, and optimism. If Marvel Press has Chhibber return (and the stage is set here for a sequel), I’ll be first in line for this. It was a blast.

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.

Travel by Bullet (Audiobook) by John Scalzi, Zachary Quinto: The Dispatcher is Back Again

By HCNewton

On September 8, 2022

In John Scalzi, Urban Fantasy

(and clearly, I can’t think of anything to put in the headline)

Travel by Bullet

John Scalzi, Zachary Quinto (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Dispatcher, #3
Publisher: Audible
Publication Date: September 1, 2022
Format: Audible Original
Length: 3 hrs., 44 min.
Read Date: September 2, 2022

What’s Travel by Bullet About?

A recent pandemic* has resulted in all Dispatchers being strongarmed into working long and hard shifts in hospitals. Their work isn’t that effective in light of the disease, but that doesn’t change the requirement. In the middle of a shift, Tony Valdez is called to the ER.

* It was never named, but you’re probably not wrong to assume it’s one you recognize.

A friend (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) and colleague, who spends a lot more time on the morally ambiguous side of the vocation, is in the ER after throwing himself out of a moving vehicle and getting hit by a car. Clearly, things aren’t going well for him. He looks to Tony for help, and well…things go bad from there.

The duo finds themselves mixed up with a handful of the city’s richest and most powerful, who are busy trying to get the best of each other while staying off the radars of both the Chicago Police and the FBI.

As much as Tony might try to fool the reader/the police/himself, he’s no stranger to the morally ambiguous—sure, he tries not to stray as far as his friend does, but still. Making this book, like the others in the series, another bit of Urban Fantasy Noir.

The Urban Fantasy-ness

I’ve always thought there was a vaguely SF feel to this series like it’s set a couple of decades in the future or something. In retrospect, I don’t know why. It was just an impression I picked up. This one struck me as incredibly contemporary and made me feel pretty silly for thinking that about the others.

When I wasn’t kicking myself for getting the chronology wrong, I spent a little time admiring the simplicity of Scalzi’s approach to Urban Fantasy and how it makes The Dispatcher stories really stand out. In most UF, you get something like magic, or a lycanthrope, or a vampire—and then before you know it, you’ve got all of those. But here, this world is just one tweak away from our world—no wizards, no Fae, no were-anythings—just that murder almost always doesn’t work (see earlier posts about this series for details if you want them, I don’t want to reinvent the wheel here).

The number of changes that this one butterfly wing flap makes in this world—health care, law enforcement, and crime (and who knows what else…)—is pretty monumental. You don’t need the Fae or a Council of Mages or anything to radically reshape the world. Yet it still is very recognizably our world.

Zachary Quinto

Quinto really needs to do more audiobook narration—I’m not sure how he got attached to this series, but it’s such a good thing that he did. He’s really able to embody Valdez and bring the stories to life. I really enjoyed this performance, and look forward to more.

So, what did I think about Travel by Bullet?

This was a blast—this world has always felt realized, but I felt more “at home” in it this time than I remember. I enjoyed this ride more than I remember enjoying the last one (not that I had any real problems with it). I don’t know if those two sentences are all that related, and if so, which came first—I also don’t think it matters.

This is a tight thriller—no wasted moments, but nothing’s rushed, either. Just settle in and enjoy the ride.

I feel like I should have more to say, but I don’t. All I can think to add at this point is that I want more of these, and hope that Audible and Scalzi provide them. Providing more soon would be a great bonus.

PUB DAY REPOST: Final Heir by Faith Hunter: It All Comes Down to This

By HCNewton

On September 6, 2022

In Book Tour, Faith Hunter, Fiction, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, Urban Fantasy

Final Heir

by Faith Hunter

DETAILS:
Series: Jane Yellowrock, #15
Publisher: Ace Books
Publication Date: September 5, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 464 pg.
Read Date:  August 15-18, 2022

What’s Final Heir About?

The Vampire War in Europe is over—and the old guard seems to be defeated. Edmund is on his way to NOLA to be crowned and then some stability–and whatever passes for peace with the Mithrans should settle in for some time.

But first…there’s the Heir to deal with. The last hope of the Sons of Darkness, the old ways—and possibly a turn to a darker time for humanity—still needs to be dealt with. Years ago, Leo Pellissier was given a prophecy about the defeat of the Heir and after Jane came to work for him, he decided she was at the center of the prophecy. Jane, as the Dark Queen, could defeat him. So Leo set to work organizing things in the way that only he can.

Now it’s the endgame—time for the rest of the dominos that Leo set up to fall, for Jane to end the Heir, and change everything for the Mithrans. And possibly the rest of the supernatural world. Assuming she can. There’s no certainty about that. There’s also no certainty about who will survive this endgame—even if she manages to vanquish the Heir,* she may not survive the attempt. Even worse (in her mind) family, friends, and allies may die.

* He’s a significant enough power that I don’t feel too silly using a word like vanquish.

This isn’t going to be easy. This is for all the marbles—and that’s a great way to end a series.

The Youngers

Of all the characters we met along the way, I may miss Alex and Eli the most (as soon as I say that, I start to think about Angie, and question myself—but I really don’t have time to go into that). Eli hasn’t changed much since we first met him—he’s opened up a bit more, he may be a bit more emotionally mature, but he’s essentially the guy we met at the beginning. Faith Hunter’s answer to Joe Pike. He knows his business, he enjoys the work (as grim as it is)—maybe finds a peace in a fight that he can’t find elsewhere. He’s also incredibly loyal, he takes care of his people—first and foremost, his brother.

Aside from Jane, no character in the series has changed—grown, developed, and matured–than Alex Younger. He started off as a rebellious, unhygienic, hacker—focused only on what he could do with his computer. And maybe not letting his brother down (too much) again. He’s now an adult, he’s responsible, he can handle himself in a fight, and there are things/people he cares about in his life—he’s still a wiz with the computers, thankfully. He’s essentially a version of Alex with a different weapon-set.

Their humanity (Eli is still largely human) is one of the few lasting examples we have in the series at this point, and they keep things grounded in the middle of all the vampires, weres, witches, extradimensional beings, and whatnot. They’re great because of that, they’re great outside of that, too.

I do feel bad for poor Eli—in the last couple of books, he’s really taken a beating. It’s even worse in this novel. If he survives to the end (I’m carefully not answering), he’s going to have physical and psychological scars that are going to last. I know he wouldn’t have it any other way, he gets them doing what he thinks is right. But still, you can’t help but feel for the guy.

Beast

The Beast and Jane dialogue/interchanges in this novel were fantastic. I relished each of them.

Once again, Beast has her own agenda—as is her right and fitting for her character. But given the stakes here, some of the information she decides not to pass on to Jane is hard to believe. Sure, Beast may not get all the details, but I don’t see how she doesn’t understand the urgency and the importance of what’s going on.

But you know what? I just didn’t care. I like how Beast is her own creature—she comes through for Jane when the chips are down, but on her terms.

Homecoming Week

There are so many supporting characters in this book, that it’s really hard to fathom. There are so few characters from the series (that are still living/undead) that don’t at least get a named drop or a check-in. But several show up for more. There were characters that we’d lost track of—a couple that I’d forgotten even existed played a role in this book.

Hunter pulled out all the stops for this book.

I’m probably not alone in spending time reflecting on the series as a whole as I read this book, and bringing up so many names from the past (ones we may have regretted losing track of—and a couple we were probably happy to have lost) really helped with that.

The Chapter Titles

I don’t think I’ve talked about the chapter titles in these books before—and that’s a crying shame. I’m not a big fan of chapter titles in general, but this series has featured some doozies. Several of them in Final Heir are amongst the best in the series. I really don’t have a lot to say about them—but complimenting the chapter titles is overdue. There’s a lot that Hunter does right in these books, and this is just one of the more consistent and amusing.

Final Heir as a Series Finale

I’m not entirely sure it’s fair to do, but I can’t help but think about other series finales–particularly in the UF genre.* Last year, I compared the Alex Verus finale to the Iron Druid Chronicles. Final Heir doesn’t match up well with either of them–it’s more like the ending of the Kitty Norville series (and not dissimilar to the ending of The Hollows)—Jane and her friends and allies are up against a vampire (and his forces) bent on world domination in a final face-off. Okay, now that I start thinking about it, there are a lot of parallels between the two–but this isn’t the time for that.

* Benedict Jacka’s been talking about ending his series recently, and a lot of what he’s had to say is helpful when thinking about things like this. I’m not going to use his categories to talk about Final Heir because of spoilers, but if you haven’t read these posts (even if you haven’t read the Alex Verus series)—go check it out after you read Final Heir.

Hunter has spent several books lining things up for this confrontation—not unlike Leo Pellissier’s machinations in getting Jane to this point. Looking back at all the ins and outs from this perspective really is impressive. Final Heir is filled with combat and battles—maybe more than most novels in this series, they’re definitely more savage and meaningful. I don’t have a word-count, but I’d wager the final battle is longer than any we’ve yet encountered in the series. Hunter really gave her fans what they’ve been wanting (and will be missing). This is an epic villain, with giant stakes, it has to be an epic scene.

Better yet, following the battle, the novel’s dénouement also serves as one for the series—and if the final battle gave fans what they wanted, then they’re going to be knocked for a loop by the dénouement. We get the few dangling threads tied up and a good look at what the future offers for most of the characters.

I had expected a lot from the finale aspect of this book, and Hunter surpassed it.

So, what did I think about Final Heir?

I think this is a bit more rambling than I want to be—it’s also longer than it necessarily needs to be. Part of that is because there’s so much to talk about in this novel—and I’ve barely scratched the surface so I don’t give it all away. Part of the longer-than-usual nature of the post is also that there’s part of me that knows I’m pretty much done with these characters when I hit “Schedule.” Sure, I’ll listen to the audiobook sometime next year, and I’ll likely re-read/re-listen to the series sometime after that. But all of that is revisiting. Finishing here is finishing the series, so I’m trying to drag it out.

For the first four or five books, this series served to fill the time while I was waiting for other Urban Fantasy books to come out. But around then it took on the role of being something I needed filler for while waiting for the next Yellowrock book. And lately, it’s one of those series I organize my reading schedule around. Listening to the series on audio over the last year has really helped me see all the ways Hunter’s been preparing the characters and the readers for these events, and it’s truly impressive. As it now stands, the Jane Yellowrock series ranks near the top of the UF pantheon for me (completed or on-going series), beating out stiff competition.

But let’s set that aside for a moment and just focus on this book—it’s full of all the action, the heart, the magic, and sense of family we’ve grown accustomed to. Jane Yellowrock finally finds her place in this world (sure, she found it before, but it’s more solidified now), her priorities are intact, she’s doing good in ways she hasn’t been able to before–and those that she cares about (many she’d never have considered caring for 15 books ago) are in good places. Just for the character work alone around Jane, this book is worth the time.

I think someone new to this series would come away from this one entertained and impressed—I don’t know why someone would do that, but I’m sure someone will.

From the jaw-dropping (whoa, Hunter’s taking no prisoners!) first chapter to the last lines that genuinely made me misty, Final Heir was a great ride. If I have to say au revoir to Jane, Bruiser, Eli, Alex, and the rest—especially Beast—this is was quite the way to do it. Bravo, Faith Hunter.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Let’s Talk! Promotions and Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to all for this.

5 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.

My thanks to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

The Orville: Sympathy for the Devil by Seth MacFarlane: A Quick Dose of Preachiness in a Tie-In Wrapper

By HCNewton

On September 6, 2022

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Sympathy for the Devil

by Seth MacFarlane

DETAILS:
Series: The Orville 
Publisher: Disney Press
Publication Date: July 19th, 2022
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 120 pg.
Read Date: September 3, 2022

The “Back” of the Book

Here’s what the Publisher said about the book, anything I say will ruin the book (and not because it put me in a foul mood):

An original novella set in season three of The Orville—straight from the pen of Seth MacFarlane, creator of the beloved sci-fi TV show!

When Captain Ed Mercer and the crew of the U.S.S. Orville come face-to-face with one of humanity’s most vile ideologies, they must solve the moral conundrum of who to hold accountable for evil deeds real… and imagined. Occurring just after episode 308, this is the Orville like you’ve never seen it before.

The Orville

I watched all three seasons of the show this year, after putting it off since I started to hear positive things about Season 1. I really appreciated most of this not-Star Trek, although like the show it totally isn’t ripping off,* it’s not perfect.

* Wink.

One thing that The Orville surpasses its inspiration in is its sanctimoniousness. When this show gets preachy, there’s nothing that compete with it. For the most part, I could endure those episodes, but a couple of them got pretty difficult. The last half of this book was pretty much one of those episodes. It’s a lot harder to tolerate without F/X to look at.

So, what did I think about Sympathy for the Devil?

There was almost nothing about this that made it an Orville story. Maybe others can describe this without giving everything away, but I can’t. Sure, every primary cast member from season 3 is in the novella—and some characters from other seasons are mentioned—so it’s technically an Orville story, but just technically. A good tie-in story should feel like a long or an in-depth version of the source IP. This couldn’t feel less like an episode.

And the writing? It was clearly written by someone who doesn’t do prose that often—scripts, sure. It was lazy writing, the descriptions of characters were clunky, the dialogue was iffy, and the pacing was poor. We don’t see a single character from the show until the 50% point.

Would I read another novella set in this universe? Oh, absolutely. Even another one by MacFarlane. I like the universe enough to give it another try. I just hope it’s a fun, SF adventure next time (maybe even with a touch of the condescension, it’s what the viewers expect). The only thing that was clearly delivered was the message.

The Marauders, the Daughter, and the Dragon by K.R.R. Lockhaven: Adventure and Second Chances on the High Seas

By HCNewton

On September 5, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction

The Marauders, the Daughter, and the Dragon

by K.R.R. Lockhaven

DETAILS:
Series: The Azure Archipelago, #1
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 331 pg.
Read Date: August 1-3, 2022

A Couple of Preliminary Matters

I was supposed to post something about this a couple of weeks ago in return for my advanced copy—August 23 was my plan—but I just didn’t like anything I wrote there (and have ended up deleting almost all of it, almost everything here is new today). It was one of those perfect-is-the-enemy-of-done situations. I want to apologize to Lockhaven for that, and stress that you should all do what I did: go buy a copy of this book and enjoy a bit of happiness. Also, go check out the Q&A we did about this book.

I’m still not crazy about this post, but it’s done. So it’s got that going for it. Here it is in a nutshell: this novel is appealing, sweet, and earnestly fun. You should read it.

What’s The Marauders, the Daughter, and the Dragon About?

The League of Islands has a new governor. He came to power by tapping into, and exacerbating, human prejudices against other species—orcs, ciguapas, fauns, and so on. One of those humans, is the co-owner of the Red Dragon Inn, John Brine. John’s daughter, Azure (yes, she’s “The Daughter”) is not a fan of the new governor or his “Human First” policies. Years ago, the two were incredibly close, but things have been increasingly strained for some time, her father deciding to close the Inn to accompany the governor on the ship he’s taking to his inauguration, was the last straw. The two have a major blow-up before he leaves.

Azure regrets things almost immediately and tries to catch him before he leaves. It doesn’t work, so she and her friend/companion/might-as-well-be-sister, Robin (a talking bird summoned from another dimension), finagle their way on board. Azure has to swallow her objections and pretend to be a supporter, so she can stay on board and try to patch things up. While there, Azure becomes convinced that there’s an ulterior motive for this voyage and tries to suss it out. Whatever it is, it’s going to be big and bad for a good portion of the populace of the League.

That doesn’t work and Azure and two non-humans on board are cast off and end up on an island. They encounter a group of quasi-pirates (the “Mauraders) who bring them on board and end up agreeing to help Azure put a stop to whatever the governor is up to.

And, yes, there’s a dragon along the way. But I don’t want to tell you anything about him.

The Daughter

It’s Azure’s status as “the Daughter” that provides the heart for the novel—without it, there wouldn’t be a story. She wouldn’t be the protagonist of anything—she’d have stayed home, working in the Inn. She’d likely have griped about the political situation, but wouldn’t have done anything beyond that.

But she loves her father, and can’t stand to see him taken in by this Governor. So she abandons the inn, pushes down her anxieties, and sallies forth to save her father and hopefully, their relationship.

There are other storylines, other emotional arcs—some you may appreciate more than this one. But none of them happens without this—and the novel doesn’t care about the rest as much as it does this one. It’s also incredibly relatable—sure, not every daughter (or son) who reads this will have that kind of relationship with their father (or mother), but there are very few of us who don’t have some sort of relationship they’ll risk everything for.

The Marauders

I do not know how someone couldn’t like this group. It’s a group of men and women who, for various and sundry reasons, have embraced life on the seas, of swashbuckling their days away (at least until they have to embrace responsibility or parenthood)—they’re not ambitious enough to make a serious effort at transporting passengers or cargo. They like the idea of a life of piracy but aren’t that into all the violence or theft and all that. They like to sail, have adventures, and sit around drinking, telling stories, and singing songs all night. If not for the fact I get seasick just thinking about getting on a boat, it sounds like a great life to me. Oh, and that no one should have to hear me sing.

The camaraderie of this group and the way they embrace Azure and the others is more attractive than their way of life. You can’t help but want a group of people like this to spend your days with.

I should mention their songs. I have little patience for songs/poetry/etc. in the middle of a novel. My brain just turns off when I encounter them, despite years of trying to do otherwise—it doesn’t matter how good they might be, I just can’t do them. But these songs? I actually read most of them on my first attempt. And I enjoyed them.

The Dragon

Yeah, this is too risky to talk about without spoilers. There’s a dragon, it flies around doing dragon-y things.

Comparing Lockhaven’s Works

Comparing this novel to Lockhaven’s previous novel is a classic case of comparing apples to oranges (making Zoth-Avarex’s Escape Plan a Clementine, I guess). The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex was a comedy with a bit of satire. MD&D, is a humorous fantasy or maybe a light fantasy (last year, Lockhaven described it as “hopepunk” in our Q&A). The former went for as many laughs as it could while telling a story. This tells a story, and throws in a few laughs (or grins or chuckles) along the way. The comedy isn’t the focus, it’s the characters and their journey.

So, what did I think about The Marauders, the Daughter, and the Dragon?

I want to talk more about some of these characters and ideas—Elijah, the talking skeleton; Nargol and Orok, the orc couple; I don’t believe I’ve even heard of ciguapas before, and now I want them everywhere; Roger, the happy and nice crew member on the Governor’s ship—but in the interest of space, and of just getting something completed, I’m going to pass over it. But I assure you that this collection of characters is just fantastic and you’ll want to spend a lot of time with them.

There is a sweetness to this book that you just don’t find very often—particularly in Fantasy. There is that hope implied in the way Lockhaven described it, and an earnestness, a straightforwardness to almost every character and their motivation that fuels this hope and sweetness. It’s worth reading the novel just for this.

That’s also part of the problem—just about everything is too straightforward, there’s almost no nuance, no shades of anything, no complexity. I’m not saying the book or the characters needed to be complicated, obtuse, murky, or compromised, etc. But it leads to the book feeling shallow on occasion.

The magic system is intriguing—and I’m curious to see how it is expressed outside of the circumstances of this book. I don’t often encounter a multiverse in a fantasy novel, and that alone would almost be enough to bring me back.

While reading, I got caught up in the spirit of the book—that doesn’t happen that often—that hope and earnestness seeped into my subconsciousness and affected how I saw the world for a couple of days. I like this book—I heartily recommend it, and the overall impact more than makes up for any shortcomings (real or perceived). I’m eager to see what lies ahead for Azure and the rest.

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

4 Stars

Out of Spite, Out of Mind (Audiobook) by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels: An Assortment of Britts

By HCNewton

On September 2, 2022

In Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction

Out of Spite, Out of Mind

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Magic 2.0, #5
Publisher:  Audible Studios on Brilliance
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 34 min.
Read Date: August 17-18, 2022

First Things First

I can’t talk about this one without spoiling the end of Fight and Flight. This entire book is built on the foundation of that last chapter. Read at your own risk.

What’s Out of Spite, Out of Mind About?

Let’s get the subplots out of the way (at least one of which is going to turn out to be important for the next book, and one will be important for this one). Gary hires a local peasant—and then several others—in a misguided, but surprisingly good-hearted, attempt to help them out. This is almost entirely a comic storyline, and I love that Meyer takes the time to do things like this.

Martin and Gwen are fighting (which happens a lot, sure)—because they both want to get married, but not right now, and things are awkward because Martin raised the subject. If that seems odd to you, imagine how poor Martin feels. It feels very sitcom-y—if the sitcom is in a later season and is trying to come up with some low-stakes conflict because the writers can’t figure out how to keep happy couples interesting. I rolled my eyes at this stuff a lot—but found it a little amusing. Where this storyline resolved, however, might end up being the most grounded, mature, and admirable thing in this series.*

* Wow, I’m supposed to keep my evaluative-powder dry in this section. Whoops. Feel free to call our Customer Service line for a full refund.

The third subplot also involves Martin (he’s our point-of-entry character for this series, so it makes sense that he gets 2 storylines)—he’s convinced that Phillip is being stalked by some sort of masked figure who keeps launching stealth-attacks at him. None of the attacks are particularly successful—especially once Martin susses them out and works to prevent them. But they’re also not at all lethal, at best they’d be impediments to his activities, irritations, distractions—ridiculously elaborate pranks, really. Phillip thinks that Martin is seeing things. Gary, Gwen, and the rest of the gang aren’t really convinced either. It’s Martin vs. the Masked Meddler.

But the main thing is this—in the last book, we learn that Britt the Elder has different memories of the events of Fight and Flight than Britt the Younger does. And we’re not talking about how two people who were at the same event recall details differently—we’re talking about different outcomes here. As Britt the Elder is—ask anyone who isn’t Phillip—the older version of the Younger, who co-exists with her younger-self in a way that only works in silly time travel stories, that should not be.

Britt spends some time pondering this and trying to get to the bottom of it and ultimately determines there’s a problem in the Code, and she’s going to need help figuring all this out. While she’s doing this pondering, she starts to develop some physical glitches as well. She’s really going to need help. Sadly, the only person she can really rely on here is Phillip—who’s dating her younger-self and really can’t spend time with the Elder without getting the Younger upset. Things get stranger and worse from here.

How was the Narration?

This is about an audiobook, so I need to say something about the work Luke Daniels put in. But…but…it’s Luke Daniels. I’ve run out of things to say about how great a narrator Luke Daniels is. I literally have no idea what to say here.

This is the best I can do—my first exposure to this series was the eBooks, and I read the initial trilogy that way, Only coming to the audiobooks as a way to review the trilogy before getting to the second trilogy. I don’t change formats for a series—if I listen to a series, I listen to a series. If I read a series, I only listen to re-read (and then not exclusively). After listening to Daniels narrate the first three, I’m not going back to the print version. I switched to audio-only for the remainder of the series (however long that is).

So, what did I think about Out of Spite, Out of Mind?

So all my complaints and concerns and whatever from the last book are gone. This might be the best book in the series since the first. Meyer and the characters brushed up against exploring the whole philosophical underpinning of the series premise—but don’t get bogged down in it. And they fully embrace—and exploit—the silliness of time-travel conceits.

Earlier in the week, I talked about Chu’s fantastic fight scenes in his new book—there’s a fight scene at the end of this book that is almost their equal in execution and description—but far surpasses them in hilarity. The only way I can think of to describe this adequately is to say: “imagine a fight scene starring Lucille Ball, magic, and medieval weapons—with a soundtrack of ‘Yakety Sax’ (but not really, because the book specifies a different soundtrack).”

We get a dangling plot point resolved (and, boy howdy, do I wish we hadn’t), we get some great comic stories, some strong emotional moments, and a good set-up for the next book (it’s not as tantalizing as the set-up for this was, but it does make the next book sound pretty appealing).

If you’re on the fence about this series after the first trilogy—get back to it. If you haven’t read the series at all (how did you make it this far in this post?)—change that, but go to the beginning or it won’t make any sense. These books are a great hybrid—Meyer got his comedy chocolate in his SF peanut butter and wrapped it in a candy-coating of Fantasy—and this is one of the more enjoyable installments in the series.

3.5 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.

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu: Will Simply Blow You Away

By HCNewton

On August 30, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction, The War Arts Saga, Wesley Chu

The Art of Prophecy

by Wesley Chu

DETAILS:
Series: The War Arts Saga, #1
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: August 8, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 528 pg.
Read Date: August 19-24, 2022

What’s The Art of Prophecy About?

Briefly (cuz, boy howdy, I could go on and on and on about this): There’s a prophesied Champion who will save his kingdom from the Eternal Khan, but he’s a spoiled brat who is not as skilled a warrior as he believes—and he’s even less skilled than he needs to be. But that’s okay, because the prophecy is broken—or wrong. The greatest living practitioner of magically-enhanced war arts has decided to take over his training and protection. Two incredibly dangerous women from very different backgrounds and for very different reasons have decided he needs to die.

Taishi

Taishi is almost certainly my favorite new character of 2022*. She’s elderly—exactly how old, I don’t think we’re told. In her prime, she fought the Eternal Khan to a stalemate more than once. Somewhere along the line, she lost the use of one of her arms. Her age and the loss of her arm have slowed her down and made her less effective. But not so slow that anybody but her can tell. She’s practically a force of nature. Since then, she’s pretty much retired but is strongarmed into checking in on Jian’s training. It’s hard to say what she’s less-impressed with—him or the work of his expert trainers—she’s spreading the scorn all around.

* Sure, it’s possible the next four months will bring someone better across my path, but not really likely.

She’s opinionated, set in her ways, cantankerous, and stubbornly determined. Pity those who try to get in her way. Once she determines that she needs to shepherd and educate Jian, nothing (including Jian) is going to stand in her way.

Taishi’s voice—both in dialogue or as it comes across in the narration—is strong, sardonic, and sarcastic. I loved every second of her point-of-view chapters (seeing her through other characters’ eyes was just as good, though). I was mildly annoyed every time the point-of-view changed, while still being curious about the other arcs.

Wuxia

Wuxia is my new word for the month—from at least one article online (so it must be true), I’m not a total novice when it comes to this genre—I watched the first two Kung Fu Panda movies with my kids when they first came out. But that’s it. So I don’t know how much of this story/world is Chu using or playing with or subverting the conventions of the genre. But it looks like he’s using several of them, and seems to be having fun with them (at least he’s getting the reader to have fun).

I can say that I’m pretty curious about the genre now—and intend to keep an eye out for more opportunities to expose myself to it.

Obviously, one of the defining characteristics of wuxia is the martial arts, and what’s the point of a martial-arts-based fantasy without fight scenes? The Art of Prophecy delivers those in spades. Maybe even by the bucket. I’ve always enjoyed Chu’s fight scenes, but these make the stuff in the Tao books look basic. They’re just fantastic—and littering them with the quips from the point-of-view character (either expressed or kept internal) made them all the better. I could read these all day.

So, what did I think about The Art of Prophecy?

I don’t know that I can really express how excited I am about this book. The last time I was this enthusiastic about a Fantasy novel was Kings of the Wyld, and I’ve read some really good Fantasy since then. But this is a whole different level.

I’m going to leave it at that—if I went into the kind of depth I want to, I’d either spend another week or so trying to get it all out (or would never finish because I was dissatisfied with it). I could do a couple of hundred words on the nature of prophecy and free will in this universe alone (and someone smarter than me had better do that soon)—or even the importance of honor, role, and manners (do not try to cut in line around these people). So I’m going to go shallow with this post—this is a great premise—and the execution of the premise is as great. The world-building is fascinating, and the history that’s hinted at is some of the best I can remember. I loved every one of these characters (none as much as Taishi, but that’s nothing against the others) and feel like I could’ve read a version of this book that was 50% longer just for more time with them. Probably the best action scenes I’ve read this year. It’s too long to read in a single sitting, but it’s the kind of book you want to read in one.

Stop wasting time reading about it, start reading The Art of Prophecy.

5 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.

20 Books of Summer 2022: Wrap-Up

By HCNewton

On August 29, 2022

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

So today, I completed the 20 Books of Summer Challenge, as hosted by Cathy at 746 Books.

Or maybe it was Friday. If you count finishing the reading*, then it was Friday. Either way, I’m done.

And I typically do.

This is my third attempt at this challenge—one year, I finished only because I re-defined the deadline (in the U.S. we colloquially consider Labor Day as the end of Summer). Last year, I didn’t finish writing about the books until September (well, okay, I still haven’t written about one of them. Don’t ask me why, I can’t explain it). But this year—I put forth a list of 20 books, read that list, and posted about that list between June 1 and August 29.

I call that a win. Even better—I enjoyed all of them. Well, at least I appreciated the writing or storytelling of a few. I didn’t dislike any of them, anyway. Still, it’s a win.

Works for me.

11. Divine and Conquer by J.C. Jackson (my post about it)
✔ 12. Mortgaged Mortality by J.C. Jackson (my post about it)
✔ 13. The Ghost Machine by James Lovegrove (my post about it)
✔ 14. Roses for the Dead by Chris McDonald (my post about it)
✔ 15. A Wash of Black by Chris McDonald (my post about it)
✔ 16. Whispers in the Dark by Chris McDonald (my post about it)
✔ 17. Down the River unto the Sea by Walter Mosely (my post about it)
✔ 18. Crazy in Poughkeepsie by Daniel Pinkwater (my post about it)
✔ 19. Ghost of a Chance by Dan Willis (my post about it)
✔ 20. The Border by Don Winslow (my post about it)

(also, this is the first year that I didn’t end up making any substitutions along the way).
20 Books of Summer '22 Chart

Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley: The Re-Birth of a Detective

By HCNewton

On August 29, 2022

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

Down the River Unto the Sea

by Walter Mosley

DETAILS:
Series: King Oliver, #1
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: February 19, 2018
Format: Hardcover
Length: 322 pg.
Read Date: August 26, 2022

I like detective novels. The dick is either smarter, braver, or just luckier than his nemeses. He, or even she, works pretty much alone, sticking out his jaw whenever there’s a blow coming. If he gets arrested that’s okay. If some pretty young thing needs sex, it’s probably not the right time for him, or her, just then.

The literary PI usually takes on one case at a time and he stays on the trail until it is solved, whether or not justice is done.

Sometimes I liked to pretend that I was a detective out of a book.

What’s Down the River Unto the Sea About?

Ten years ago, for reasons he’s still unsure about, King Oliver was framed for a crime that ruined his career as an NYPD Detective, destroyed his marriage, and put him in jail for months.

Today, he’s keeping a PI agency afloat with his teenage daughter as an admin assistant. He’s really never recovered psychologically (aside from some scarring, he seems okay physically) from his incarceration and the accusation. His daughter and the work are what keep him going.

When he receives a letter from his accuser, offering to help him clear his name—everything changes. He has a glimmer of hope, a renewed sense of purpose—and a new client. This client works for a defense attorney—he’d been representing a convicted cop killer and had vowed to free him. Suddenly, the attorney has changed his mind and is going to tank the case. The convict is a journalist/activist who claims to have been acting in self-defense, and this associate believes him. She wants Oliver to discover what changed the attorney’s mind—but more importantly, she wants help clearing the journalist.

Oliver agrees to look at the files but makes no further promises. He’s quickly intrigued by some of what he reads and It’s not long before he starts working the case as well as working to clear his name. The letter has changed everything for him.

Melquarth Frost

Before he was framed, Oliver arrested Mel Frost, and earned his respect from the way Oliver treated him during the arrest and trial. After Frost’s release, he came to thank Oliver and the two have struck up a strange near-friendship over chess games and the occasional meal.

Oliver realizes he’s not going to be able to handle everything in these investigations—particularly when things get dicey, so he hires Mel to help him.

Mel fills the Hawk/Joe Pike/Bubba Rogowski/Nate Romanowski role—he’s dangerous, he’s skilled, and really has no moral compunctions about anything. He is aware of it, and knows he should follow a different path—and attempts, but will resort to his former ways in a heartbeat.

I’m Such a Sucker

Shortly after that opening quotation, Oliver cites Tecumseh Fox. Fox was the protagonist of a short-lived series by Rex Stout, alongside Nero Wolfe. Elizabeth Breck gets big bonus points from me for her frequent citations of Wolfe, but a Tecumseh Fox reference is a heckuva deep cut. If I hadn’t already decided that I really liked Oliver, this would’ve pushed me over the edge. Not only am I a sucker for Stout, but referring to a 3-book series that ended in 1941 really underscores Oliver’s description as being someone who reads a lot.

So, what did I think about Down the River Unto the Sea?

I was born to be an investigator. For me it was like putting together a three-dimensional, naturalistic puzzle that in the end would be an exact representation of the real world.

I really enjoyed this book—most of the plot seemed pretty predictable, but I never minded for a second because of the execution. Also, there were a couple of twists that caught me flat-footed. I don’t mind if everything plays out as you’d pretty much expect as long as the writer delivers a good story and characters (I know if I get on the freeway headed west, I’ll end up on the Pacific Coast. I just want a smooth drive with maybe a couple of interesting sights and snacks along the way)—and there are few as good at that as Walter Mosely.

This wasn’t really an origin story, this was more of a renaissance, a reawakening. Now that King Oliver is back—he’s invested in life, his career, and people again—further books in the series are going to have a different feel, a different focus, and I can’t wait to see where Mosely takes this character.

3.5 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.