Rosemary and Rue October Daye #1, by Seanan McGuire, readalong week 2
16 January 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: October Daye, Readalong week 2, Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
Today is week two of our Rosemary and Rue readalong arranged by Lisa from Over the Effing Rainbow. I’ve been looking forward to reading this and so far it’s really living up to my expectations – this week’s chapters were great so I apologise for going overboard with the questions – but I had things on my mind and I needed answers!!
The schedule is as follows and it’s definitely not too late to join in so go and grab a copy – or if you’re already read it dive in with the comments:
Week 1: Saturday 9th January, Chapters 1-6, hosted by Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Saturday 16th January, Chapters 7-14, hosted by moi at Lynn’s Books
Week 3: Saturday 23rd January, Chapters 15-20, hosted by Anya at On Starships and Dragonwings
Week 4: Saturday 30th January, Chapters 21-End, hosted by Over the Effing Rainbow (still me!)
All are welcome to join in and there’s a discussion page over on Goodreads if that makes it easier to join. Without further ado here are the questions and answers with a word of warning that spoilers will be lurking below:
1. We finally get to meet Devin and Sylvester. They’ve both played important roles in Toby’s life. What were your initial impressions of both of them and the worlds in which they live. What were your first thoughts about them?
I think I need more information about Devin and this whole setup of his because at the moment I’m not totally sure I understand what it’s all about. He obviously has an interest in Toby (and by interest – I mean ‘an interest’!) I can’t quite make my mind up at the moment if he’s being portrayed as a bit sleazy and dangerous but really he isn’t – or maybe really he is! It’s interesting that he surrounds himself with slightly more vulnerable and younger types – so, he either has a heart of gold but likes to give off a ‘don’t mess with me attitude’ as a cover or he finds it easier to play the boss in this way. I don’t really get the feeling it’s the latter. Or maybe I’m just hoping that there’s more to him if you scratch the surface as at the moment I didn’t immediately dislike him or anything – although he has made something of a pact with Toby which I think she may regret.
Sylvester – he seemed to be so genuinely pleased, nay thrilled, to see Toby – twirling her around and grinning, acting all concerned, etc. But, at the back of my mind, and I’m not saying I distrust him – but I can’t help wonder why he didn’t make the effort to go and see Toby himself when he knew she was alive – he kept sending messages. I know, I know, he shouldn’t have to run his own errands – but even so.
Do you remember the whole scene in LoTR where Frodo and Sam first meet Strider and Sam says something along the line of trusting him because he looks foul but feels fair – well, it kind of makes me think… maybe sometimes things look fair but feel foul.
That being said, I liked Sylvester. Okay, I’m just going to go away and debate (argue with myself) some more.
2. I’m totally intrigued by the Hope Chest – do you have any ideas about what exactly it is and what might be the significance of it being found?
Well, I have a notion that it somehow increases the magical abilities of the changelings – which is why they’re drawn to it like iron filings to a magnet. Now, the only reason I thought that is because Toby seemed of a sudden to be able to conjure things more easily, for example, her human appearance or her fancy pants dress when she appeared in Sylvester’s court. That could of course be a complete clanger but I thought I’d chuck it out there. You can see why the fae would want to keep it hidden as it certainly would tip the balances a little. So, not to enjoy my own idea too much – I was then, on the other hand thinking of the name – A Hope Chest – is this a play on words or is this chest genuinely going to give hope to those that find it. Can’t wait to find out.
3. Tybalt – I was curious as to Toby’s reasoning to trust him with the Hope Chest – what do you think?
I guess it goes back to the Strider/Frodo scenario above. Can you really trust Tybalt. Is he foul or fair? I actually think you can. I’m not sure that I totally agree with Toby’s reasoning. But, maybe underneath it all she trusts Tybalt more than she wants to admit. After all there’s a fine line between love and hate and these two do seem to be getting in each other’s faces so far. Plus, there was that whole ‘rescuing Toby from the coming dawn scene’! *waggles eyebrows* – come on, he could have just left her to it methinks!
4. We experience the reaction of other members of the fae to the murder of Evening and Toby telling them about the Queen’s reactions – did their reactions give you any clues at all??
Yes, they did – but now I’ve forgotten in what way! Well, not totally (but why oh why don’t I make some notes occasionally!). Okay, it was interesting that everyone seemed to be puzzled by the Queen’s reactions to Evening’s murder. It seems to be genuinely felt that maybe she’s going a little crazy. Personally, it feels like she’s almost afraid – that could be totally off kilter but she feels like the ostrich with her head in the sand at the moment. She has her hands over her ears and is singing ‘lalalalalalal’ to stop from hearing anything. Which just makes me puzzled. She’s powerful isn’t she. Surely she wants to know who murdered Evening – unless she does know and is scared. Why, oh why, am I making all these highfalutin guesses! Simply to give you all a giggle.
5. What were your thoughts on Raysel and Luna?
You know – my immediate feelings with the whole ‘gone missing’ episode was that ‘how do we know they’re really who they’re supposed to be’ (arrggghh, stop with the guesses – stop, stop, stop!) After all – I can’t stop – fairies are always swapping fae for humans – what if they also swap fae for fae! IT COULD HAPPEN. Failing that, I guess they’re both traumatised by their ordeal (completely understandable). Luna feels a little withdrawn – Raysel, well, what can you say. Maniac, maybe? Too strong?? I wouldn’t want to meet her alone in a dark alley – that is all. Plus there’s this whole element of blaming Toby – she didn’t abduct them did she. She didn’t find them either but she wasn’t responsible for the fact they went missing, plus, her investigation was a bit hampered by the lack of a body and the addition of gills and fins.
6. That ending, did we just end up back in the first post? – what is going on? Speculation?? Lets just talk about it please.
I couldn’t believe it! I mean, obviously it’s not totally a deja vu to the prologue because Toby isn’t turned into a fish! Bear in mind that I haven’t read on here at all so I’m just going to say that I have no idea. Why was somebody in her car – and that did give me the goosebumps , I’ve got them again now just thinking about it – part of me wondered if he just really wanted to talk to her – and then I thought, yeah, maybe breaking into somebody’s car wouldn’t be the best way to go about doing that – plus, surely he had a chance to garble something during Toby’s high speed car drama. I’m genuinely puzzled over all of it and for once have no fantastical flights of fantasy floating round my noggin.
I must admit I really enjoyed these chapters though and can’t wait to read everyone’s thoughts 😀
Vintage Sci Fi: Book No.15
15 January 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Covers, Little Red Reviewer, Vintage Sci Fi
No.15: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.
As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers. Today’s choice is: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. I think I may have mentioned (or not) that a few of my choices on here might be controversial in terms of whether or not they’re really sci fi – this is one of them. First published in 1726 this definitely fits into ‘Vintage’ and apparently it’s so popular that it’s never been out of print – hence lots of covers. It is a great story for sure although it’s been a while since I read it and it certainly is without doubt a classic. Personally I think it fits the sci fi bill. It’s all about exploration, and surviving in different environments that feel ‘alien’.
I actually really like this one: Just the style altogether draws me in.
1899 by Henry Altemus Co
I also really like the one below and would never guess it was 1912:
1912 by rand McNally & Co
Penguin 1920
1940 Whitman Publishing
1960 Pocket Books
1977 Oxford Uni Press
1985 Penguin Books
1996 Dover Thrift
These two are almost like mirror images! Although the Dover Thrift colours are lovely.
2004 Barnes and Noble
2010 Penguin Books
Monstrous Little Voices by Jonathan Barnes, Emma Newman, Kate Heartfield, Foz Meadows, Adrian Tchaikovsky
‘Mischief, Magic, Love and War.
It is the Year of Our Lord 1601. The Tuscan War rages across the world, and every lord from Navarre to Illyria is embroiled in the fray. Cannon roar, pikemen clash, and witches stalk the night; even the fairy courts stand on the verge of chaos.
Five stories come together at the end of the war: that of bold Miranda and sly Puck; of wise Pomona and her prisoner Vertumnus; of gentle Lucia and the shade of Prospero; of noble Don Pedro and powerful Helena; and of Anne, a glovemaker’s wife. On these lovers and heroes the world itself may depend.
These are the stories Shakespeare never told. Five of the most exciting names in genre fiction today – Jonathan Barnes, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Emma Newman, Foz Meadows and Kate Heartfield – delve into the world the poet created to weave together a story of courage, transformation and magic.’
I don’t usually cut and paste the descriptions for the books I review but the above is perfect so I thought I’d sneak it in here.
Monstrous Little Voices is a book that I simply fell in love with. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book – although I will give it a go.
Firstly, in case you’re thinking ‘this is Shakespeare and I haven’t read any of his works’, well, to be honest, I’ve only ever read A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’ve always felt that as these were written as plays they’re something you have to watch – although plenty of people I am sure would disagree with me there. I am familiar with a number of the plays but not all of them and certainly not well enough to know all the characters. So, I probably felt a little bit wary going into this but my fears were groundless. This was so good. Forget Twelve Nights – I devoured this in two and couldn’t put it down until I was finished. I just loved it – did I mention that already. It’s one of those books that made me smile – in fact it’s one of those books that I wanted to hug.
Basically, this book contains five stories each taking characters, settings and influence from different plays created by the bard. I’m usually the first person to say I don’t enjoy short stories but just recently I’ve discovered that I do – provided they’re in the context of a bigger picture. So, whilst these stories are short they already feel familiar. I felt like I already had the setting and the characters in my head and I knew the background to the plays. On top of this the writing is uptodate and it really is all wonderful – and I do mean all five stories. And, finally, all of the stories overlap to form what is effectively one larger tale. Absolutely brilliant not to mention wonderful that five different authors could come together in this way, all with their own unique style and yet create this perfect little gem that flows so easily and is so very entertaining to read.
I don’t know that I should really go into the detail of the stories themselves because that would simply spoil it. You’ll probably already have some background – or maybe you’ll have a whole heap of background – but no matter what your level of expertise in terms of Shakespeare I think this can be easily enjoyed and in fact I’m sure people will take different things away from the read.
Word to the wise – go into this with the knowledge that all the stories connect and so whilst they probably can be read individually you will want to keep each story in mind when reading the next so that you pick up all the little nuances.
What I can tell you here is that this story is full of magical characters. The fae world comes to life on the page with Oberon and Titania playing a much stronger role in our mundane lives. Puck is one of the earlier characters that you will meet, plus sorcerers, witches and ghosts. There’s love, there’s war, there’s deceit and trickery. You really do have to hand it to Shakespeare for such early fantasy delights and then to have those characters brought back to the page in such a lovely form with a more modern voice and one overall story arc makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I can’t recommend this book enough.
An excellent achievement. My hearty thanks go to the authors involved and thanks to the publisher for a review copy. The above is my own opinion.
Vintage Sci Fi: Book No.14
14 January 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Covers, Little Red Reviewer, Vintage Sci Fi
No.14: The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers. Today’s choice is The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison. This is another of my Vintage Sci Fi reads.
The original blurb:
‘We must be as stealthy as rats in the wainscoting of their society. It was easier in the old days, of course, and society had more rats when the rules were looser, just as old wooden buildings have more rats than concrete buildings. But there are rats in the building now as well. Now that society is all ferrocrete and stainless steel there are fewer gaps in the joints. It takes a very smart rat indeed to find these openings. Only a stainless steel rat can be at home in this environment.’
I must confess that I’m not absolutely enamoured with any of these. If anything, I would say the Ace 1986 is my favourite – I like the bold colour and the mechanical looking rat.
First Edition 1961
Sphere 1973
Ace 1986
Sphere 1988
Orion 1988
Steal the Sky (The Scorched Continent #1) by Megan E O’Keefe
I’m going to be totally honest here and just come out and say that Steal the Sky was a book that I very nearly decided to skip. I don’t know why. On the face of it this book has everything that I would normally jump at so I guess at the time I was maybe just having a ‘moment’. I’m so glad it was a fleeting moment because I did pick up a copy (clearly) and it was a really enjoyable read.
At the start of the story we have two conmen arriving in the City of Aransa. Honding and Tibs are about to undertake their most ambitious heist yet – they’re planing on stealing a brand new and sparkly airship, however, all their planning isn’t going to prevent this heist from going to hell in a handcart.
First things first. A bit about the setting. I was really impressed with the world building and the way that you find out little by little what you need to know. In fact I thought that O’Keefe showed great ability with establishing the scene and the characters. The world seems to be split between the green and pleasant parts and the scorched, difficult to live in parts and obviously the Empire chooses to live in the green and pleasant parts of the world whilst the dry and uninhabitable areas seem to be where people out of favour are sent. Well, it also seems to be where the vast majority of mining takes place. So as well as outcasts the City of Aransa plays home to the miners and obviously the city has grown over time to include your usual slums, taverns, markets and other supporting areas.
This is a world where Selium exists. Selium is a very strange gas, incredibly light and with powers that give those that are sel-sensitive the ability to perform certain types of magic. Selium is found deep within the mines and is sought after as it is used to power things such as the airships. Those who are sel-sensitive can have varying degrees of ability which range greatly. I’m not going to elaborate on that because it is expanded on in the book and I was really surprised by it all. Mining Selium is dangerous with the threat of explosions and the only people who can sense where the Selium is are those who are sel-sensitive. So, finding yourself with Selium abilities is something of a double edged sword as with one hand you’re gifted the ability to perform certain types of magic but on the other you become enlisted by the empire and sent to the mines. Don’t get me wrong, the miners are looked after and provided with certain comforts but still, at the end of the day, their freedom and ability to make their own life decisions has been effectively removed. To cut a long story short it’s akin to being a prisoner. Those with an affinity are trapped in this life with no choice to take a different route until they are incapable of mining or are injured. And, those with really ‘special’ abilities have a different future in store altogether – a bit of a tease but I really can’t say more on that aspect.
Now, the people. We have Detan. He has a lot of secrets and a reason for trying to keep low on the radar. His trusty sidekick is Tibs. They have a great friendship and a way of working together that makes you suspect they can almost read each others mind! We also have a watch captain called Ripka – she’s a great character and I really liked her. I can’t even put my finger on why, other than she’s had to work hard, she’s firm but fair and she’s just a tough, no nonsense type. Then we have General Thratia, fondly known as the throat slitter – and with good reason! and finally Pelkaia. Pelkaia is sel sensitive. Most people refer to her as a doppelganger but she prefers to be known as an illusionist. Pelkaia has her own agenda and her and Detan are going to make a strange sort of alliance. All their fates seem to be rushing headlong on a collision course.
Now, basically, I’m trying to be a little bit coy about the plot because there are a good deal of twists and turns as the story progresses and I don’t want to give them away. Detan and Tibs try to do their ‘thing’ but somebody throws a spanner in the works and all hell breaks loose. Pelkaia does a bit of sneaking about and Ripka tries to get a grip on everything! Is that all perfectly clear? Probably not. Long story short – you can’t trust anybody! Nobody and nothing is what you think and it’s a good deal of fun getting it all sorted out. This is much more than the heist story that it sets out as. We have corruption and bigger plans being put into place by those in power and alongside this somebody in the shadows plotting vengence.
I would definitely recommend Steal the Sky. It’s a very entertaining read. The characters are a great combination of goodies and baddies and somewhere inbetweens. The writing is smooth, the plot dives about like a maniac and the ending is a great set up for the next book. I’m pleased that I didn’t miss this one.
This review first appeared at the Speculate Herald (here)
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
