Deadlands: Ghostwalkers by Jonathan Maberry
18 September 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Deadlands: Ghostwalkers, Jonathan Maberry, Pulp horror/zombie
Just finished reading Deadlands by Jonathan Maberry. This is one super strange read! It’s a fantasy smorgasbord. Set in the weird wild west with a larger than life gun toting bad boy cowboy gun for hire who, with his almost Tonto-but-not sidekick, is about to come to the rescue of a sleepy backwater town where the inhabitants are being driven out by a greedy rail magnet type. I actually enjoyed this. It’s larger than life, totally hammed up and full of every trope imaginable but it felt like a cheeky read and I would definitely continue with this series.
The setting, clearly the Wild West, California, or what remains of it, following the great quake of 1868. This place is weird to say the least. If you’ve read Journey to the Centre of the Earth for example, now imagine the earth’s crust has split open and revealed all these caverns beneath – and all the unimaginable creatures that lurk therein. On top of this the quakes have revealed ‘ghost rock’ – forget about panning for gold, everybody wants ghost rock and unfortunately it’s in fairly short supply. Basically ghost rock is a strange substance that can create great power, curiously, when it’s burned it emits a screaming noise that sounds like the minions of hell writhing in a fiery pit! The discovery of this strange fuel is a game changer. The US has found steampunk and is now filled with dirigibles and other creations. On top of this, we have a strange alchemist who has come up with a diabolical use for this new fuel and now, with dreams of world dominion is about to unleash utter chaos upon the an unsuspecting population.
The main characters are Grey Torrance. Torrance is a tough, weathered character and a dab hand with a gun. When he says he’s running away from ghosts he’s not talking about memories that trouble his thoughts – he’s talking about actual ghosts that are following him to presumably seek their revenge. Thomas Looks Away is a sioux scientist, classically educated in the UK and consequently with a strange stiff upper lipped vocabulary. The two of them are something of a comical pair and have a strange friendship that oftentimes borders on irritation. There are plenty of other characters. Not least a young former ranch woman and a disgraced man of the church. And, of course, the crazy, mad eyed alchemist who has delusions of grandeur.
There is such a lot going on here that it practically boggles the mind. Necromancy, zombies, manitou, harrowed, disappearing ghost-like/vampire(ish) towns. I’m just going to stop there because if you can imagine it – it’s probably in this book. So, yes, it’s kind of crazy and almost a little bit overpowering. Did I mention that there’s a lot of death? People lose their heads and much more. Blood and viscera fairly liberally paint the landscape – not in an overly graphic way but just thought I should mention it for good measure.
I did have a few criticisms. Fairly minor to be honest. There’s a little bit of an info dump feel to the way Looks Away provides information about the mines and the rocks, etc. There was also at the beginning of the story a bit of a disjointed feel. I don’t know how else to phrase it other than it felt as though we were going to jump from one adventure to the next. Fortunately that didn’t turn out to be the case. The only other thing that did bring me up short was a tendency to either repeat certain phrases or, as the action stepped up to use word repetition such as ‘Fired. Fired. Fired’. To one extent I understand the use of it – it almost comes across like the use of ‘wham’ and ‘kerpow’ in comic books.
I understand that this is based on a RPG – I confess, I have absolutely no idea how this compares so I’m not going to go there. What I can say is that if you like weird, wild and whacky pulp horror fiction then you might enjoy this.
I received a copy of this from the publishers through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
‘ The far land of Spare Oom where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of War Drobe’
16 September 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Portals, Tough Travelling
Surely Narnia has to be on this list – reached by a little girl playing hide and seek in a wardrobe in a spare room:
This week over at the Fantasy Review Barn Nathan is taking us Tough Travelling looking at the tropes of fantasy. This week the topic up for discussion is:
PORTALS TO ANOTHER LAND
Fantasyland often has some unique entry points; not every traveler is born within its boundaries. It is a regular event for someone from a non-magical place to suddenly find themselves in this world of dragons, magic, and danger.
Now, I’m not sure all of these are portals but here goes:
- The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – in which a young boy called David climbs through a hole in the Garden Wall straight into the land of fairy. A wonderful retelling and mismash of lots of old favourite fairytales in a lovely coming of age story.
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones- in which Howl’s castle has a door in which depending on which way the handle is turned leads to a number of different places.
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman in which Coraline finds a small doorway with a tunnel beyond and an alternative family that seems to be too good to be true.
Is the rabbit hole a portal? I can’t make my mind up – it certaiinly leads to a different world. I tend to think of portals as being doorways and whilst this rabbit hole doesn’t have a door it’s certainly the entrance????
Anyway, what about these doorways:
ddd
The Traitor (Baru Cormorant) by Seth Dickinson
16 September 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson, The Traitor
I’ve had to have a good long think before writing a review for The Traitor. When I picked up this book I didn’t really know what it was about but I was prepared to be wowed and what I can say straight off is this is a very unusual, unique and thought provoking tale. I think it’s a story that will satisfy people who want to dwell on the finer elements and mull over the whys and wherefores for days after and, equally, I think it will satisfy those people who want a more immediate fix.
I’m not really going to elaborate too much on the plot. The core element here is one of revenge. This is a world that is slowly being dominated by conquering forces known as The Empire of Masks. Known as such because their officials conduct business behind the cooly anonymity of a mask. Of course not all the conquering is accomplished by the sword. This is an empire that are adept at inveigling themselves into a country and slowly making themselves essential. These conquerors come bearing gifts. They bring education and law and order. Unfortunately, long after the appeal of the gifts has worn off, it becomes apparent that they bring less palatable goodies. They sanitise the country, eliminating customs and years of history. They sanitise the population stopping what they believe to be unclean behaviour. They root out those who won’t comply and they also, rather slyly, take those that show the most promise and train them in the hopes of becoming another member of their own elite.
This is a revenge story with a difference that follows the exploits of a young woman (Baru Cormorant) who is determined to undermine this vast empire from within.
When I started reading I was immediately taken with the world created here and was fascinated with Baru’s world and looking at things through her eyes. Of course, I was reading all this with an ever growing sense of dread – which seems to be the emotion that I felt throughout the entire story. I admit, though, that I struggled a little in the middle, it’s difficult to say why but this coincided with a part of the book where Baru had left her own island. At this point there were lots of characters to take on board, all consumed with their own politics and machinations. There were plots and spies and underground movements and for me personally it felt like I was taking a history lesson somehow. However, though I did have a little lull in the middle the last third of the book certainly makes up for that.
Now, so far, I don’t think I’m really telling you much about the plot and whilst that feels remiss I think it’s the only way with this particular story. I could tell you something of the main character – Baru. What an unusual woman. To say she’s remarkably driven by her own personal goals would be to massively understate the fact. Baru is a savant and as such she has been entrusted as an accountant of the Empire. This is a massively responsible role, made even more so by the fact that she is placed on an island that still displays rebellious undertones. I think Baru is another reason why I at first struggled a little. I wouldn’t say that she’s an easy character to engage with – part of me even wonders if her own particular brilliance doesn’t come hand in glove with a certain amount of emotional detachment. However, you do become invested in the character. Enough so that you read with an element of fear about what awful repercussions are going to come down the line for her.
So, you’re probably wondering about how gripping a story about an accountant could be (unless of course you’re an accountant and so already know). Well, this is really more about economics and politics to be honest. It’s not so much that Baru is number crunching but more than that she’s weighing the costs of rebellion, looking at the books and coming up with plans. On top of this the last chapters of the book are riddled with battles and moments of heart lifting triumph and great sadness.
I began this story intrigued. I thought I had it’s number but of course I didn’t and that for me is the real beauty. I was completely suckered in. I was so confident that I knew what was going to happen and I was nowhere near to the truth. This is very grand in scope, I found the writing a little difficult to get used to until I became accustomed to it and then I appreciated the way the author leaves things for you to read into (literally to read into!). I liked the way that this is thought provoking – are the conquerors really bad? How far will one person go in order to achieve their own desires? When does a person cross the line and become as bad if not worse than those they’re rising against.
I may have had a little dip in the middle of this book but I think the ending totally redeemed it for me. I look forward very much to finding out where the story takes us next.
I received a copy of this from the publishers through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
‘More than kin and less than kind’
15 September 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
This week over at the Broke and Bookish the Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie – which basically means you can come up with whatever idea you like. My topic this week is fictional families. From comedic to vampiric, brought up by animals or members of nobility who simply act like animals. Fantasy families:
- The Cratchits from Charles Dickens Christmas Carol – a great family, poor in money, rich in love.
- The Weasley’s from J K Rowling’s Harry Potter – a great family – again, they haven’t got two pennies to rub together but they’re an excellent family and bring great entertainment value to the series.
- The Bennetts from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The beleaguered Mr Bennett with his five daughters. Not to mention his rather loud wife. I was always puzzled how the two of them ever would have got together. (Ahem, not really fantasy, but….)
- The Scotts from M L Brennan’s Generation V series. This is a very unusual family – they’re all vampires. The head of the family is the now aged Madeline, the family matriarch who doesn’t suffer fools. The children, Fort – who is only just really starting to feel his true vampire self. His sister Prudence. A total maniac who terrifies all the other supernatural critters in the series and their elder brother Chivalry.
- The Lannisters from GRRMartin’s Game of Thrones series – could you have a more odd family! They really don’t need any introduction do they?
- The Cassels – a family of curse workers, each with different abilities, highly illegal of course, which gets them into a lot of trouble. Holly Black’s curse worker series.
- Merricat, her sister and uncle – the remaining Blackwood’s from Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. These three are the only surviving members of an arsenic attack. I won’t elaborate as it would ruin the plot. All I will say is that Merricat is a very strange creature in deed.
- Coraline’s ‘other’ family in the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman. Very good example of being careful what you wish for.
- Mowgli from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Brought up by wolves and with a bear and a panther as mentors. A very unusual family indeed.
- The Adam’s family – I had to have them. Wednesday and Pugsley, Cousin It, Uncle Fester – one of the strangest and darkest families ever – but I would have loved to pay them a visit for some strange reason.
Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey, readalong, final chapters
13 September 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Chosen, Readalong
Today is the final week of our readalong for Kushiel’s Chosen. This week Emily at Emma Wolf is hosting. As you would expect – spoilers lurk below – so beware. Please feel free to jump in on the comments (clearly it’s a bit late to join in the readalong!). However, we are proposing a readalong for book No.3 and all are welcome so if you want to join that readalong then let me know in the comments and we can add you to the list. This week’s questions and answers below:
1. Earlier in the book, Phedre promised to rid the temple of Asherat of corruption. Here we see her speaking for the goddess. Is this what you had in mind? Is Phedre channeling the goddess or using her own words? Was her act a sign from the goddess, as Cesare Stregazza said, or merely a trick, as Marie-Celeste said? (I realize this is very similar to Lynn’s question from last week. I read ahead and wrote these questions early. I flatter myself to think that great minds think alike.)
Haha – I like this question – I think it’s good that we look at this again with the benefit of having now read it. Yeah, I don’t think she’s channeling the goddess to be honest – she’s using her own words, in fact, didn’t she mention something about having been practising what she was going to say just before she stood up? Even so, her actions have the same effect and do actually help to cleanse the temple. I do think that Phedre feels she has made a connection with Asherat and more than that she has made a promise to help and that’s what she feels she’s doing.
2. Ysandre offers (or demands) to take Imriel into her own household to spare him the “taint” of being a traitor’s son. What do you think of this? Would an Imriel raised by Ysandre be welcomed by the people as the heir to the throne? Or would the people remember Melisande’s treachery when they see her son?
I thought that was such a great gesture. How well it would work would remain to be seen but I think if anybody is capable of undertaking that in the proper spirit it would be Ysandre. As to being welcomed by the people – I think so actually. I think they would see the example set by Ysandre and would probably be happy with her actions and follow her lead. It’s the nobility that would probably have more of a problem. They seem to be the one who hold very long grudges. They have more at stake after all – money, favour, lands – and they’re always positioning so to have a child of Melisande on the throne could possibly cause division – we’ve learnt that some of the nobility don’t like Ysandre’s choice of partner for example. They would probably seek to overthrow Ysandre at any opportunity to raise Imriel up. And there could be others who have an eye on the throne themselves and so wouldn’t take kindly to Melisande’s child being raised to that purpose.
3. What do you think of Melisande taking sanctuary in the temple to Asherat and the Doge allowing it? Is it blasphemous? Ysandre asks Phedre what she can expect from Melisande, and Phedre cannot answer. What do you expect from Melisande?
I just knew she’d wriggle out of trouble somehow. She always has all her bases covered and even now – she’s not going to be worried. She is constantly thinking of how to manipulate a situation. She’s safe, her son is safe so her end game will still be the same. We know that she won’t take defeat so it stands to reason that she’s now thinking of another way to get her son on the throne. As to the Doge allowing her to take sanctuary. I think that he’s also edging his bets. Melisande has a son who could be the next heir – it doesn’t really do to burn all your bridges and clearly she has supporters. For me, he’s just keeping his options open and waiting for the best time to jump so he can see what direction to jump in.
4. After seeing his fellow Cassiline Brother attempt to assassinate their charge in La Serenissima, Brys no Rinforte is badly shaken and is unable to accompany Ysandre through the Royal Army and into the City of Elua. What do you make of this? Phedre called it “defection,” which, according to dictionary.com, has two meanings: 1) desertion from allegiance, loyalty, duty, or the like. Apostasy; and 2) failure, lack, loss. What do you think of Phedre’s description? Phedre also tells us that Ysandre dismissed the Cassilines from her service. What share of the blame does Brys deserve for Ysandre’s decision? What do you think of the irony that Cassiline Brothers have become more popular among D’angelines?
It was unusual and even now I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I’m not sure whether Rinforte was suffering from similar feelings to those we’ve often witnessed in Joscelin where he beats himself up over any type of failure. Or, whether there’s something else underlying it and he actually was more aware of what was going to happen and has actually defected – in the way of changing allegiance. If this was Joscelin, for example, I think he would be suffering tremendous guilt but I also think he would want to make reparation so I think he would want to accompany Ysandre into Elua. It makes me wonder whether Rinforte has jumped ship. You can’t really blame Ysandre for dismissing the Cassilines – it must feel like a terrible betrayal to have those that you trust so implicitly turn against you. I think Ysandre will need to chose very carefully from now on those people that she chooses to to surround herself with.
5. The Rebbe Nahum ben Isaac said “you Children of Elua are too quick to forget how the love you invoke may cut like a blade.” What do you think? Is Elua a gentle, loving god or is the rebbe right?
I think this is a great question. it raises the ups and downs and upsets that Phedre and Joscelin have been inflicting on each other. This whole idea of free love for example, it’s an ideal but it’s difficult to completely sign up to. At the end of the day it would be difficult to share somebody who you love, at least I think it would. I think the Rebbe makes a very clever remark for more reasons than one. It is easy to hurt someone you love – as we’ve seen with Joscelin. Also, I think to an extent, the ‘children of Elua’ are perhaps a little bit imperious in that they seem unaware of the love they inspire in others and therefore the fact that they have the ability to hurt those people without even really being aware of it. Joscelin is more often than not completely unaware of the feelings he creates in others and Phedre, whilst I think she is more aware of the feelings she creates in those around her, seems quite detached from the pain it might inflict. Not that I’m implying that she would deliberately inflict pain on somebody, it’s more that she doesn’t seem to recognise that people will become attached to her.
Other participants:
Allie at Tethyan Books
Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow
Grace at Books Without Any Pictures
Nancy at FaeStruck’s Reviews & More
James at James T. Witherspoon
Emily at Emma Wolf
Susan at Dab of Darkness
Books and travelling with Lynn 