Reviews Results
Book Review: A Talent for War
A Talent for War (Alex Benedict #1)
By Jack McDevitt
I’ve read other works by McDevitt (the Priscilla Hutchins/Academy series, Eternity Road, Ancient Shores) and been impressed, so I finally got around to trying out his other series. The Talent for War is the first book in it, and while it is part of a series (which I haven’t read yet, so am not sure how it fits in) it could easily stand alone. Alex Benedict is left a puzzle by his late uncle that leads him to dig into events surrounding humanity’s latest war and greatest hero. McDevitt is a master of pacing, and keeps things moving and interesting, even though the protagonist spends a good deal of time doing what could be boring investigative work and traveling. Alex himself is a very likeable character, if reluctant investigator, and is good for a few snarky asides that made me chuckle. The plot has well-done nuances of political and emotional agendas, and wraps up almost everything nicely. My main issue with it, without going into spoilers, is one significant supporting character whose presence and actions aren’t really adequately explained. Also, regarding the alien race whom the latest war was with, and whom also have a stake in Alex’s investigation – it’s never really clear whether they are actually as malicious as the book’s history would have you believe. Though I also kind of like that the ‘bad guys’ aren’t clear cut bad guys; it gives the fiction a touch of realism, since things in real life are rarely clear cut black-and-white. Overall, a very engaging read, and I look forward to seeing how the series continues.
Also: proof that I read science fiction as well as fantasy!
I give it 4/5 stars.
Book Review: Midnight Never Come
Midnight Never Come
By Marie Brennan
“England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.” – back cover blurb
Ok, I’ll be honest. When I started this book, my hopes were not too high. The first few chapters, all we really learn about the two main characters (the fae Lune and the human Michael Devon) is that they are ambitious. And for me, that’s not the most engaging characteristic. Luckily, things took a turn for the better. There’s intrigue, magic, a dire mystery, thwarted love, and a few surprising reveals. It hits upon a few well-known historical events to give it weight and realism. The characters ended up likable and somewhat relatable, if not the most fully developed. And it has this going for it: I did not guess some of the major plot elements ahead of time (which is generally a problem when I read fantasy, as it tends to follow a pattern). Now whether that means the author was being particularly subtle, or the plot took some unconnected twists, I’m not decided on yet. Regardless, it ended up a very entertaining and enjoyable read.
I give it 3.5/5 stars.
Book Review: Scar Night
Scar Night (Deepgate Codex #1)
By Alan Campbell
I wasn’t too impressed with this one. I had high hopes, from the jacket text, but ultimately it was just too disjointed for me. I’m not even sure how to sum it up. There’s questions of mortality, the soul, angels, religion, warfare, etc… but it’s all kind of jumbled, and set in a really dark world, where even the inhabitants of the place view life as pointless. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a dark setting in and of itself; but if the setting’s going to be that dark, then I really need to be able to connect to a character to get pulled into a book and care about what happens. That was not the case here. It may just be that since the characters didn’t really seem to care about their own lives or existence, I saw no reason to either. Well, I did like Dill with his color-changing eyes, but he never really DID anything. And the end was just odd. I don’t know. This one just didn’t do it for me. It was, however, very well written with some great imagery, so it has that going for it. I probably won’t be picking up the rest of the series, though.
I give it 2.5/5 stars.
Book Review: India Black
India Black
By Carol K. Carr
The new fiction shelf at my library turns up some fun things sometimes. This was a fun and quick read. A madame at a brothel in London in 1876 becomes embroiled with one of England’s spymasters and matters of national security when a top government official dies at her establishment. The action is well-paced, the characters likeable (if not 100% believable), and Carr sets it up well for sequels/a series. India has a mysterious backstory that is hinted at in intriguing tidbits but not fully explored yet. The real-world history exposition can be a bit dry, but including it is unavoidable in any kind of historical fiction, I’ve found. My two major complaints with this book are: 1) while Carr makes it clear in the preface that (although the main character is a brothel owner and sometimes practitioner) there will be no detailed sex scenes, I did not think this also meant there would be no romance; and there wasn’t, despite ample opportunity between two certain characters (a 3rd character even comments on a likely attraction between the two, but neither of the two mention, act like, or act on such an attraction), which was a bit of a letdown as the back cover blurb led me to believe the romance plot line was not only existent but significant; and 2) after all the danger and hullabaloo and spy stuff, they are not successful in achieving one of the main objectives (all I can say here, without massive spoilers). So, while it was generally a fun read and I enjoyed the characters, the story as a whole ended on a somewhat disappointing note. Still, I will likely pick up the next one, just for some sense of resolution.
I give it 3/5 stars.
Book Review: Dawnthief
Dawnthief (Chronicles of the Raven, Book 1)
By James Barclay
You’ll note in the above title, and on the book cover itself that this is Book 1 (the first) in a series titled Chronicles of the Raven (the Raven being the mercenary group the series revolves around). So you can imagine my surprise when, within the first 100 or so pages, 4 out of the 7 members of the Raven have been killed off. Yeah. And since the remaining members spend most of their time in those first 100 page mourning the death of their fellows, it’s a little hard to really get into reading this. Half of the main characters you’re supposed to care about are already dead, without giving you time to get to know them (and thus care that they’re dead), and the other half don’t show any individual character traits at all other than mourning their losses for the first long bit, so you don’t get to know them/care about them either. Not to mention that this is supposed to be an elite, highly skilled, always-gets-the-job-done type of group, and they’re dying like flies – doesn’t lend the setup credibility. Very unsatisfying. I was about ready to give up and put the book down for good when the author finally quit trying to prove how tough and rule-breaky he was, and quit killing off his characters long enough for me to give a damn. The second half or so of the book is better in that you do get to know the characters, though there’s some inconsistency in how they’re portrayed – Hirad, for example, is generally portrayed as fairly low intelligence, but has a few random comments that don’t at all fit with that, and have no explanation. The action is fast-paced and generally believable for the fantasy world it’s set in. The writing in general was unimpressive. If you can make it past the first 100 pages, you should have a light, relatively enjoyable read. That said, I will not be picking up any of the rest of this series.
I give it 2/5 stars.
Book Review: The Masters of Solitude
The Masters of Solitude
By Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin
This was another relic (1978) unearthed on my bookshelves, remnant of a long-ago library sale shopping spree. The Masters of Solitude is a post-apocolyptic story about the divide between the two groups who have emerged since the disaster, and the attempt of one family to bridge that divide. In the book, some unspecified disaster occurred in the distant past. In its wake, humanity divided into two groups: those in The City who still possess advanced technology and have walled themselves off (literally and aggressively) from the rest of the world; and everyone else, spread across the land in primitive clans/covens who have developed their own special skill to compensate for their lack of technology. The story centers around one family: Garick, head of his clan/coven; Judith, the City woman he takes as his first wife; Singer, son of Garick and Judith and so half City/half coven and belonging to neither; and Arin, Garick’s son from his second marriage to a coven woman and so fully of the coven (at least at first). While it’s not always a gripping read, it is thought-provoking, one of those rare blends of books where story and philosophy are inextricable. Central to the book is the idea of Community vs. Self – where the line is, and what Alone truly means. There’s also the obvious Technology vs. Nature duality, explored through the covens’ quest to get through to the City, and the City’s continually uncaring non-response. The characters are complex and interesting, though due to their mindsets and the portrayal in the text it’s hard to get emotionally attached, but that’s just the nature of a more cerebrally-focused story like this. I’m not sure what else I can say here without giving out some spoilers. It’s good, will get you thinking, and is well worth the read if you don’t mind working through the few slow parts for it. It also has a surprising and satisfying twist at the end. I intend to pick up the sequel, Wintermind, at some point in the future.
I give it 3.5/5 stars.
Book Review: Heartless
Heartless
By Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Another New Fiction shelves find at the library; luckily, this one was worth the find. This book plugs itself as ‘timeless fantasy’ which is true. It’s a classic prince must rescue the princess from the dragon theme, but with a few unique twists. The princess is mortal, the prince is not, the dragon is not what you expect, and there are a whole slew of other suitors and misscommunications to cause complications. It’s a light but very enjoyable read, and I look forward to more Tales of Goldstone Wood as promised by the end-leaf in the book.