Imperfect Letter

I read. Lots. I track everything I read, but I don't review it all; only the reviews go here. Ask me stuff.

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Short reviews for Jemisin, Carriger, Meyer, and McGuire

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin I picked this book up because Jemisin will be at a con I'm going to. It was a fascinating story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger Finished school, book 1 Sophronia Temminnick is more interested in machines than fashion and etiquette, so she's concerned when her mother packs her off to finishing school to - apparently - learn to be a lady. However, with an airship as a school, immortals for teachers, and classes in poisoning alongside classes in dance, it isn't quite what Sophronia was expecting. Etiquette & Espionage is great fun and absolutely charming. I can't wait for the sequels! Scarlet by Marissa Meyer The Lunar Chronicles, book 2 I really liked Cinder, the first book in the series. I was less enamored with Scarlet, though I'm not even entirely sure why. The characters were interesting - Cinder is back, little Iko reappears, and I like Scarlet and Wolf, two new main characters. Not so much Thorne. But something about the story just didn't grab me the way the first book did. Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire InCryptid, Book 2 Fun times. I love McGuire's books. Her human characters are great fun and the nonhumans (or, in this series, cryptids) are fantastic.

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Among Others

Among Others by Jo Walton This is a world where faeries live, and ghosts exist, and magic happens. But it's hard to tell, because it isn't a flash-bang sort of magic, but a subtle twisting kind. Like if you want an industrial plant to stop polluting the land - this would be a spoiler, except it happens at the very start of the book - you cast a sort of spell, and then last week the decision was made to close it down. But if you hadn't done anything, that decision wouldn't have been made. It's impossible to tell what sort of ripples are caused by that kind of magic. I love Morwenna, the main character. She reminds me in some ways of myself at that age (without the familial complications and physical limitations), devouring books after book, mostly science fiction and fantasy. Books are better, more reliable companions than people, and then of course finding people to talk about those books with is amazing. Among Others is Morwenna's journal and in it she talks openly about her life, her family, her friends, and of course her books. Her life revolves around her books and her reading. I don't think you have to have read the books she discusses to enjoy Among Others (I haven't read them all), but it certainly helps to be familiar with fantasy and science fiction from the 70s.

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Omnitopia Dawn

Omnitopia Dawn by Diane Duane

It's a great book, I'd forgotten since I read read it just how much I enjoyed it.

I'm not much of a gamer (well, not much of a video gamer) but DD clearly loves it and wants to share the best parts, the friendship and camaraderie, the joy in creation and sharing one's creation, the thrill of the adventure. Those are all things I can understand. A lot of other things happen, too, but I particularly enjoy the parts that take place in the game. That's a game I would love to visit! Also, some of her main characters are painted as genuinely good people, without being either saccharine or "hiding" it with lots of sarcasm, which is a refreshing change of pace from other books I've read recently (but not altogether surprising, given the characters in Duane's other books). Not that I don't like sarcasm and sassy characters - I do - but variety is a good thing.

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Soulless

Soulless by Gail Carriger Parasol Protectorate, book 1 Alexia Tarabotti is "soulless", a preternatural, whose touch cancels the supernatural abilities of werewolves and vampires. This ability gets Alexia into trouble, as well as out of it. I like this book immensely. Although it is a romance and it is obvious from the beginning the direction the story will take in that department, it isn't only a romance and there is a whole other storyline going on while the romance part happens alongside it. Alexia is fantastic and her interactions with the other characters are wonderful - her playful banter with Lord Akeldama, her verbal sparring with Lord Maccon, her sarcastic yet patient conversations with her friend Ivy. I didn't love everything about the book. For example, the frequent references to Alexia's "ampleness" and apparent unattractiveness were tiresome. She's big, I get it - and while I love reading about main characters who aren't of the standard thin-and-pretty set, I don't need to be reminded of it in every other paragraph. Also, there was rather more explicit sex than I expected. The good certainly outweighs the bad, however, and I've enjoyed the whole series.

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Machine

Machine by Jennifer Pelland Celia has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. While waiting for a cure, her body is put in stasis and her brain is copied into a bioandroid duplicate. The body is supposed to look and feel exactly the same, to let her live a normal life while she waits - but from the moment she wakes up in her new body, her life is anything but normal. This book reminded me in some ways of Skinned by Robin Wasserman. Both books deal with potential consequences of putting a human mind into a new body. One of the most interesting differences is that in Skinned, Lia feels detached from her new body and everything around her and does the things she does in order to feel, while in Machine Celia feels too much and deliberately seeks detachment. I didn't quite buy the speed of the plot. Most of the book takes place over the course of only a few weeks, and it didn't make sense to me that, for instance, Celia would drop into depression and then instantly start scouring the net for information. Depression is paralyzing, not motivational. Also, there was a lot of sex. It was an interesting book, but not one I would go out of my way to recommend.

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Timeless

Timeless by Gail Carriger Parasol Protectorate, book 5 As a review of the 5th book in the series, this contains spoilers for previous books. Alexia and her daughter are summoned to Egypt to meet the oldest living vampire, the queen of the Alexandria hive. Hijinks ensue, secrets are revealed, Alexia and Conall fight, Genevive acts suspiciously, Ivy behaves surprisingly sensibly, gadgets, balloons, werewolves, vampires, and so on. Timeless has what may be best-written plot in the Parasol Protectorate series. The characters are also great, with everyone growing and changing as befits their character and circumstance. The Alexandria Queen is formidable as well, for all she must speak through a translator.

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Velveteen vs the Junior Super Patriots

Velveteen vs the Junior Super Patriots by Seanan McGuire Velveteen vs is a set of funny, charming, and occasionally poignant stories of Velma Martinez (codename Velveteen), a superhero with the power to animate toys, who walked away from Super Patriots, Inc. and is just trying to live her own life. Unfortunately for her, Marketing doesn't let go that easy. Recommended if you like - I don't even know, just recommended. The stories are also available online here. They're terrific.

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Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Dashti is trained as a lady's maid and meets her lady, Saren, on the day she is to be imprisoned for seven years for refusing her arranged marriage. Together they are sealed into a tower, and it's up to Dashti to keep them alive and sane. This is a retelling of a fairy tale that I am unfamiliar with, presented as Dashti's journal including both text and drawings. It's a great story. Dashti is a wonderful character and it's refreshing to read about a character who doesn't magically become beautiful at conclusion. Saren is a more difficult character but still achieves a degree of growth by the end.

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Realms of the Gods

Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

The Immortals, book 4

Daine and Numair go up against a group of magical creatures of a kind they've never seen before and when it turns out that neither Daine's wild magic nor Numair's Gift can effect them, rescue comes from a surprising direction. But now they're stuck in another realm while war threatens Tortall. There are a lot of new and interesting characters introduced in this last book in the Immortals series, including various gods, dragons, and other immortals and magical creatures, and Daine's prejudices against Stormwings are tested. The realm of the gods itself is an intriguing place to read about, with different rules from the moral realm and wonders and dangers all its own. It's a fitting end to the series. I'm not fond of Margaret Strom as a reader for these books. One of these days I'll get the Full Cast Audio version, but for now this is what I have.

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Emperor Mage

Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

The Immortals, book 3

Daine and her friends are sent to Carthak, to meet with the Emperor. Daine's duty is to see if she can heal the Emperor's pet birds and otherwise to stay out of trouble, but unfortunately for her, the god-touched don't have a choice about where and when they're called on to intervene. Emperor Mage is another thoroughly enjoyable Tortall story. The Immortals series really improves with each book. I love Daine's interactions with the gods and how she chooses to use her borrowed power in a way that reflects her so very well (and which is not precisely the way she is expected to use it). As I said, Margaret Strom is an inconsistent reader. Her odd pronunciation of some words, including common names like Alanna and Gary, threw me out of the story. I recommend the Full Cast Audio version instead.

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Wolf-Speaker

Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

The Immortals, book 2

Daine's wolf pack from her former home asks her to talk to humans about the destruction of the land, the water, and the hunting grounds in the new valley they have moved to, but it turns out that the situation is much different - and much worse - than anyone could have guessed. Wolf-Speaker is one of my favorite Tortall books. Although the main characters are (as usual in Pierce's books) just a touch too good to be true, Daine grows and learns and makes mistakes throughout the story, and people besides her play roles vital to the plot. I particularly like Maura, a young noblewoman who is terrified but brave, and Tkaa, one of the immortals that Daine meets and befriends. Margaret Strom is an inconsistent reader. Often she's fine, even pleasant to listen to, but she also mispronounces words and pauses at odd times, especially during dialogue, which sounds awkward or even changes meaning. I prefer the Full Cast Audio version.

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Wild Magic

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

The Immortals, book 1

Even in a world filled with magic, Daine Sarrasi's gift with animals stands out, and between her unusual gift and having to hide the secrets from her past, it's easier for her to connect with animals than people. It takes time (and some gentle and not-so-gentle coaxing from friends and mentors) for Daine to come to trust her new acquaintances. I really enjoy these books and always like the strong women characters that Pierce writes, though she does have a tendency to pound the reader over the head with the idea that something bad had happened in Daine's past, long before we find out what it is. A few fewer - or more subtle - mentions of how she can't trust these new people with her secret because they'd surely hate her would have been just as effective, if not more so. But things like that aside, it's a good story and a fun, easy read. I love Full Cast Audio. They do wonderful recordings, with just enough sound effects and fantastic voice actors.

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The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (audiobook)

Blue is the daughter of a psychic, in a family of psychics, although she herself is not one. Blue has two rules: Stay away from boys, because they're trouble, and stay away from Raven boys, because they're bastards. Yet somehow she's drawn into an intricate mystery involving ley lines, a dead Welsh king, and four Raven boys. I wasn't sure about this book at first because as interesting a character as Blue is, it seemed she was right about the Raven boys. Except slowly, as she (and we) spent more time with them, they all turn out to be more than they seem. Also, the writing is excellent; Stiefvater's writing gets better with every book, and Raven Boys is no exception. It is very much the first book in a series. There is no cliffhanger, but there are major plotlines that aren't resolved, and others kick off around the time the book ends. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel. Will Patton as reader was adequate but not spectacular. He did a variety of accents well, but the different voices he used for Blue's mother and aunts (for example) were distracting at times.

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Short Reviews: Redux

A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire October Daye, book 2 October is sent to the County of Tamed Lightning on what should be an easy job: just check on the Countess and makes sure everything is okay. But of course, everything isn't okay... A Local Habitation may be my least favorite book in the October Daye series. The characters and world are still a lot of fun, but the plot and resolution are weak, especially compared to the other books in the series.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson Fire and Thorns, book 1 Reread. I liked it, but not quite as much as the first time I read it. I would prefer to read about fat/plain/etc women who do awesome things while being fat/plain/etc than ones who do awesome things only after losing weight or becoming beautiful or whatever. On the up side, there were several characters who loved her regardless of her appearance and the little boy was pretty great. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, read by Nicola Barber Shades of London, book 1 I liked the book well enough, but I do not recommend the audiobook. Nicola Barber had a pleasant enough voice, but I had trouble losing myself in the story while listening to her. Her Southern and British accents generally sounded okay (as far as I could tell), but her enunciation was far too precise for the Midwestern accent she used for the non-dialogue portions of the book and it constantly jarred me out of the story.

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October Daye

Rosemary and Rue, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses, and One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire

Books 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the October Daye series

After being linked to a great post on her blog, I moved Seanan McGuire to the top of my TBR list and what I found was (most of) the October Daye series. At the beginning, the series seems like a typical faerieland/human world conflict, but it's definitely one of the more interesting variations that I've read. October (Toby) Daye is half-faerie and half-human, a "changeling" who fits in neither world. She works as a private detective, usually for fae living in the human world and occasionally in the faerielands as well. The latter are strange and dangerous cases peering into the darkest side of faerie. I'm having trouble putting all my thoughts on these books into words. It's not a deep series, obviously, but the characters are much more interesting than the typical mysterious, untouchable fae, and the intersection between the human and faerie worlds (cell phones, internet, portals, and so on) makes for a fun world. Another thing I like is that the books don't end as soon as the major plot is finished; there's always at least another chapter of wrap-up and wind-down. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed the series and can't wait to read the rest of it.

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Juniper

Juniper by Monica Furlong

Prequel to Wise Child. Juniper, whose real name is Ninnoc, is a princess in Cornwall who is sent to learn about magic and healing from her godmother, Euny. At first she is horrified by Euny's poverty but gradually she begins to appreciate the simpler life and understand the power Euny draws from it. Juniper's own growing powers are tested when a childhood friend is bewitched by a dangerous sorcerer. It always confused me that the story in this book didn't match the tale Juniper tells in Wise Child, but that discrepancy at least can be explained away. Wise Child is young and in pain when Juniper tells her the story and could have misunderstood or misremembered it. I love Juniper as a character, but this book is a little uneven. It's interesting to read about most of her training, the contrast between her life as a princess and her life with Euny, the differences between her two teachers, and the things she learned. But some things that are made out to be vital to the training or practice of their power in one book are not mentioned, glossed over, or changed in the other. I do like this book, but it's not as good as Wise Child.

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Return of Short Reviews

Doctor Who: The TARDIS Handbook by Steve Tribe I expected - for obvious reasons - the book to focus exclusively on the TARDIS and information (or speculation) directly related to it, but half the book was descriptions of the Doctor's regenerations, a brief history of the Time Lords, Eleventh Doctor episode summaries, companion bios, etc. While there is some fun stuff, let's just say I was a little disappointed.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce Originally an animated short film of the same name, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore has beautiful illustrations and a wonderful story that book-lovers will appreciate. I read this the other day and, then I watched the film, and I was completely blown away by them both. They are both absolutely incredible.

Alias: Shadowed by Elizabeth Skurnick Alias (tv show) prequel series, book 12 A mission goes awry and Sydney is suspected of being a double agent. It's pretty obvious early on (to the reader) who the real bad guys are, though how and why doesn't come out until later, and then rather oddly in some alternating perspective first-person chapters. It's a stylistic device that isn't entirely effective; it's unclear if the text is supposed to be written, like a journal entry, or spoken, like an extended internal monologue. As usual, a fun story for fans of the tv show but not a particularly good book.