Epic – Various (Review)

Paperback, 624 pages
Published November 1st 2012 by Tachyon Publications
Source: E-book by Publisher

Synopsis:

There is a sickness in the land. Prophets tell of the fall of empires, the rise of champions. Great beasts stir in vaults beneath the hills, beneath the waves. Armies mass. Gods walk. The world will be torn asunder.

Epic fantasy is storytelling at its biggest and best. From the creation myths and quest sagas of ancient times to the mega-popular fantasy novels of today, these are the stories that express our greatest hopes and fears, that create worlds so rich we long to return to them again and again, and that inspire us with their timeless values of courage and friendship in the face of ultimate evil—tales that transport us to the most ancient realms, and show us the most noble sacrifices, the most astonishing wonders.

Review:

I didn’t think it was possible but it actually is as this book showed me. This collection of short epic fantasy stories – which are admittedly longer than most short stories – present a particular subgenre of fantasy that has always intrigued me. I like fantasy a lot. Epic fantasy with a strong female protagonist is also one of  my favourite type of books so I jumped at the chance to review this one. And come on now, look at the line up of authors – most of them are award winning so double win, eh? Yes. It is a hefty book at over 600 pages but it contains in it some gems that make it worthwhile. My favourite story remains the first one by Robin Hobb. It is a journey of a woman, a rather cosseted woman who has lived her life as a pampered wife and daughter, into a wild and strange place. Her husband was exiled for treasonous behavior and they were sent with several other nobles to this strange land. The main character’s growth from the beginning of the story to its denouement is amazing and authentic. I love how she came into her own, discovered her strengths and made peace with her weaknesses. It definitely put Robin Hobb on my radar and I look forward to discovering more of her writing.

Another story that I really liked was by Brandon Sanderson. Despite owning a trilogy of his, I have yet to read anything by him. However, this very short story was enough to whet my appetite for more of his writing. Kate Elliott’s tale about a girl’s desire for more than what her father and society will give her is intriguing as is Kowal’s tale about a woman warrior pulled out of her time and into the future. Jemisin’s return to the world her most recent duology was set in was a pleasure to read.

There was only one story that I did not like. I did not like it a lot and it was by Moorcock. I dislike how he treated the female in his story. “Dumbly” and “mutely” were two adjectives used a lot on her and she was often stripped off her name as well and simply called “the girl.” Being a feminist and sensitive to these issues in literature, this raised my hackles. I recommend skipping his story. I wasn’t too impressed with Rothdfuss’s story either as the main character seemed like the male version of a Mary Sue.

So this collection is like a fruit salad. There are some sweet bits, some sour ones but over all, it has some brilliant stories. It is difficult to condense the world building and detailing necessary in an epic fantasy tale into the number of words dictated by short story standards but most of these authors succeeded. I recommend this collection if you like epic fantasy already. It is not a good introduction to the genre as the stories assume some sort of familiarity with the tropes of the genre being read but it is definitely worthwhile checking out.

The Assassin’s Curse – Cassandra Rose Clarke (Review)

Paperback, 1st Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication: October 2nd 2012 by Strange Chemistry
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Review:

Can I just say first that I love the cover? Because I really love it. It’s so…lovely. The calligraphy almost seems like Arabic, fitting in with the rest of the elements of the cover. So kudos to whoever designed it.

Okay, moving on to what we are gathered here to talk about. Mainly, the novel. It starts with a runaway bride. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the fact that she leaves it so late in the game to make the run. You know what I mean? She could run away the night before or two days before or even before she meets the guy but she just decides on a whim that I can scarcely credit to just flee. And flee she does, on a camel no less. I wish I had seen that, I truly do.

And so begins the adventure of a lifetime. (If she manages to survive it.) Ananna is a spunky protagonist but then, you have to be to escape on a camel from a fiancé who is so beautiful that all he does is inspire hate in you. Yeah. The world building was a bit lacking for me because it’s a rich Clarke creates and I would have loved to know more about it. The assassin was awesome and Ananna’s relationship with the assassin was the greatest appeal of the novel. She saves his life and wham, he is cursed to protect her. There is no insta-love for which I am thankful but I wish their relationship had progressed somewhat significantly by the end. It didn’t. I wanted a kiss. I didn’t get it.

Okay. Fine. I gave that away. Sorry. But really, this is an entertaining novel and a great debut. It has lots of interesting and new paranormal creatures, new mythology, a different kind of wizard and magical powers with a slightest taste of the Eastern. There are pirates and punches and this evil, totally distasteful beautiful woman who just should be made to walk the plank. And the assassin’s stupidity for the said beautiful and evil woman. Sheesh. I liked that Ananna doesn’t go bananas for the love interest. I liked that their relationship is a constant push and pull, though not enough pulling where I am concerned. I felt rather dissatisfied at the end because I felt that there was so much more that could have happened, the narrative could have gone in a different direction, I just wanted more, okay?

Which is why I am going to read and in fact, look forward to the sequel. This is an entertaining novel. If you want something light, not fluffy all the time but easy to read. I have to mention at this late time that  Ananna killing that person did not sit well with me. I mean, it did not. Really. Not that she had any other choice really but I felt like she should have.

Do I recommend this? Hell yeah. Read it. It comes with my backing.

Wonders of the Invisible World – Patricia Mckillip (Review)

Paperback, 240 pages
Expected publication: October 1st 2012 by Tachyon Publications
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Stylistically rooted in fairy tale and mythology, imperceptible landscapes are explored in these opulent stories from a beloved fantasy icon. There are princesses dancing with dead suitors, a knight in love with an official of exotic lineage, and fortune’s fool stealing into the present instead of the future. In one mesmerizing tale, a time-traveling angel is forbidden to intervene in Cotton Mather’s religious ravings, while another narrative finds a wizard seduced in his youth by the Faerie Queen and returning the treasure that is rightfully hers. Bewitching, bittersweet, and deeply intoxicating, this collection draws elements from the fables of history and re-creates them in startlingly magical ways.

Review:

I have read Patricia Mckillip’s novels before, I am certain of that but for some reason, I did not remember just how fantastic her world weaving and wordsmithery really are. Wonders of the Invisible World satisfies on so many levels that had I the time, I would have reviewed each story in the anthology because each story deserves careful, individual attention. As it is, unfortunately, I do not have the time so I shall focus on a few favourites.

“Wonders of the Invisible World”

This story is a fantastic juxtaposition of the fantastical and science fiction. While the occasions referenced to in the story have a paranormal aspect, Mckillip gives it a much more benign framework when you realize that the main character is actually a time traveler and that the supernatural instances are carefully choreographed in part due to the new technology of the future. What I loved about this short story is how, even in the limited space present in a short story, Mckillip manages to infuse so much personality in all her characters. I would have happily read an entire book based on this premise and hopefully she will someday return to the world she creates in this story.

“The Kelpie”

McKillip portrays almost perfectly the languorous life of painters set in a time she does not explicitly state but one can infer that this could be during Renaissance or some similar time when art is flourishing. There is a sweetness to this story, a very real sense of danger in the mysterious and very sinister painter who is, despite all his unwelcome attention and unpleasant personality, very talented. Ned and Emma’s romance is so beautifully constructed without ever becoming too mushy, too romantic and melodramatic. And trust me, I am one of the most difficult people to convince where fictional romance is concerned. The paranormal aspects of this story neatly weaves in with the general atmosphere and the tone of the narrative as a whole. It satisfied me despite its shortness.

“Hunter’s Moon” and “Oak Hill”

These two stories are both short but pack a punch by their very pithy nature. None of the words, sentences in these two stories are wasted and it is only at the very end of them that you realize the weight of each sentence.

“Jack O’Lantern”

Perhaps my favourite in the entire collection, this story portrays the brief nature of childhood, the magic that is present even in children who straddle the fence between childhood and adulthood. The story manages to steal magic out of very ordinary circumstances and highlights the plight of women in a past England. It also very briefly, very sweetly shows us a lightning flash of romance. A lovely story that I will return to when I need some magic in my own life.

“Knight of the Well”

This one was delicious as well. It crafted a world where water is worshipped and infused it with life, vibrant characters and a story that could be narrated fully in the length of a short story. I loved this one as well.

“Naming Day”

This one was pithy, clever and an awesome juxtaposition of magic and the ordinary life.

As you can see by now, I loved all the stories in this collection and if I still have to tell you to try this out, well, you haven’t been reading my review. Honestly, if you like short stories, well, even if you don’t like them usually, give these a try. Patricia Mckillip is a master at what she does. Strongly recommended.

 

Cast in Peril – Michelle Sagara (review)

Paperback
Expected publication: September 25th 2012 by Luna
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

USUALLY DISASTER DIDN’T STRIKE QUITE SO CLOSE TO HOME…
It has been a busy few weeks for Private Kaylin Neva. In between angling for a promotion, sharing her room with the last living female Dragon and dealing with more refugees than anyone knew what to do with, the unusual egg she’d been given was ready to hatch. Actually, that turned out to be lucky, because it absorbed the energy from the bomb that went off in her quarters….

So now might be the perfect time to leave Elantra and journey to the West March with the Barrani. If not for the disappearances of citizens in the fief of Tiamaris-disappearances traced to the very Barrani Kaylin will be traveling with..

 

Review:

When I found out at the end of the last novel that Kaylin would be going on a journey with Nightshade, I was happy because I felt that Nightshade would finally get the page time he so richly deserves. I really didn’t expect the novel to turn out as it ultimately does. I really didn’t.

This is not to imply Cast in Peril was bad. Not in the least. The novel delivers on action, further development in some characters and deepening the mystery about the marks found on Kaylin’s body. It just doesn’t deliver what it promised where Nightshade, the character, is concerned. Severin gets more than ample page time as his relationship with Kaylin veers into uncharted territory and Kaylin herself starts to, perhaps, warm to the idea of Severin as more than just the best friend and companion she has cast him as so far. What is lacking for me is the interaction, real honest interaction, between Nightshade and Kaylin. If he is not a contender for her feelings, I would prefer it to be known rather than having the whole thing lingering. I am okay with him as just another character in the wonderful world that Sagara has built up but at this point, I need some development either ways.

So yeah, that’s my gripe with this novel. Another thing that surprised me was that for the first time in the series, a story arc is not completed by the end of the novel. So the next book is a continuation of the adventure from this book and a year is just too long a wait for the next one.

I did like this novel. I know it may not seem like it from my complaints but I would read anything Sagara wrote with a smile on my face. Her word smithery is sheer genius and she instinctively knows how to create situations and characters that are alien to anything human and yet still retain a spark that you can relate to and empathize with. I mean, when you are empathizing with stone buildings, you have to admit the author has talent. You know? I also liked how this novel lets you glimpse the politics behind the dragons and the Barrani. And the familiar, a little dragon who has decided Kaylin belongs to him? Is just beyond cute.

So yes, if you are a faithful reader of this series, it will in turn enthrall you and frustrate you. But you will come back for the next one because if there’s anything this novel proves, it is Sagara’s ability to tell a good story.

Stormdancer – Jay Kristoff (Review)

Hardcover, USA Edition (1st Edition), 336 pages
Expected publication: September 18th 2012 by Thomas Dunne Books
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Review:

You wouldn’t believe how excited I was for this novel. The synopsis reads like someone looked into my head and took what I wanted to read and then wrote it.

Wait. Let me get my bearings because this “review” is going to be epic and rambling. Have a cupcake and some tea while you’re reading it. Ready? Okay.

Sometimes you come across books that you like absolutely and sometimes you come across books that you loathe absolutely. And if you are unlucky, you come across books that made you scream in utter frustration (true story) but also tickle your book-reading-bone (my bones are very talented) at the end. Writing reviews for the latter kind of books is very tricksy. You cannot eloquently state five different reasons the book sucks or doesn’t suck. You have to stare at the screen for ages (my eyes hurt) and then try to compose a written expression of your roiling feelings (roiling, I like that word, my feelings, they roil).

I had many expectations of Stormdancer and I feel that it could have met all of them had the novel not been so very verbose. Reading the first quarter was torturous and I’m not exaggerating here. I literally screamed at my Kindle because I was so frustrated. My frustration came from what seemed to me unnecessarily detailed description using terms that I am not familiar with about people who, while adding to the scenery no doubt, do not have any major importance in the narrative. (There is a glossary at the end but when you’re reading an e-copy, flipping to the back becomes complicated.) Every scene change is accompanied by lines and lines of dry description.

Before you tell me to snark off, let me tell you that I am well read. I have read lots of novels where the descriptions have been just as copious but there was a certain flow to them, a certain reason to them that I felt was lacking in this one. The author sacrifices plot and character development to scene description. The sad thing is, the descriptions are all well written and may have added more to the novel had they not been so plentiful. A fellow reader gave up on the novel because of this problem so I am certainly not alone with this problem.

The author sacrifices the momentum that is finally building to drive the story forward with yet more description and really, I was almost at the end of my endurance by then.  Someone tell him that less is more! Another thing that bothers me about this novel is the fact that despite the almost indecent (hur) overuse of the word “lotus” we are never really told why this lotus is bad. What makes it so bad? Is it its chemical composition? Its mythical properties (of the evil kind) or what? There is a lot of talk about the war with the “gaijins” (foreigners or white people, I guess) but never really any explanation of the war and who the major players are (or perhaps there is and my oversaturated mind refused to absorb it). There are many gaijin slaves but they are flaunted in an off hand manner without any interaction or closer look. What is their purpose to the narrative besides changing things around and making the colonizer the slave for once? Is it to show the power of the country? Why are the gaijin slaves so plentiful? Are they prisoners of war or are they sold from their country of origin?

Another thing that bothered me so verrrrry much is the way “sama” is used in the novel. The glossary states that it a SUFFIX attached to a name or title to show respect to the person. However, most of the time in the novel, it is used as a noun. Like, “young sama.” Maybe it won’t bother anyone who is not familiar with Japanese but if you are familiar with the language it will be bug the heck out of you. Or maybe it’s just me being picky. I don’t know but it bothered me!

Now for the romance in the novel. It’s not going to win any awards any time soon. Not from me anyway. So, here’s the thing, as far as I know, Japanese people (you’ll have to forgive me for the assumption that the setting is a mythical Japan, all evidence points to that) do not have green eyes. Yet the samurai who features so prominently in Yukiko’s dream has green eyes. (She met him for half a minute and that was it, insta-lust, she didn’t even see his face, just his eyes and she was gone!) I initially got excited because hey, gaijin slave promenading as a samurai! Interesting stuff! Right? Wrong. No explanation given there but maybe it’s just me being extra picky on the details. Also, Hiro, he of the powerful green eyes, is the least developed character in the entire novel. I feel bad for him, I really do. All he did was move the plot forward.

Now that I have complained (almost) to my heart’s content, let me talk about the good things of the novel. The world building is not perfect but it is off to the right start. The character development is strong and I particularly like Buruu and the relationship he has with Yukiko. The dynamics between Kasumi, Akihito and Masaru was well written. The action sequences are well executed, tense and poised. You felt that you were there in the moment along with the characters. It was intense.

There are also scenes that are brilliantly and I mean brilliantly narrated. I mean, I can still call them up in exact detail with the atmosphere and the emotions intact. Kristoff creates a rich world with a complex and involved politics and history. I find his strongest points to be when he is narrating the action, when things are happening.

The gender politics in the novel was interesting until it wasn’t. Lady Aisha was given a motive and was, at one point, one of the most fascinating characters in the novel but it went nowhere. The Shogun was not well developed at all. I wouldn’t have minded that but since all the other characters were given such rich and complex characterization, the disparity was obvious and had to be noted.

Despite all my complaints, however, the book is not without its merits. It just may be that the writing style was not for me. All I can tell you for sure is that after 75% of the novel, the last 25% was the best part. No wait, that’s not true. There are scenes within the descriptions that kept me reading. I can’t tell you to check it out or give it a pass because this is one novel you have to make your own mind about. However, I will definitely be checking out the second one in the series because even though this book wasn’t perfect and it did make me scream at it, it also kept me intrigued enough to keep on reading till the end. Stormdancer is also very different from the typical YA fantasy in a good way.

Titan Magic – Jodi Lamm (Review)

Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Published (first published September 30th 2011)
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Mute, heartless, and tormented by auditory hallucinations, Madeleine Lavoie never questions why her family has hidden her from the world. But the night her brother casts her out, she learns the mysterious voice she thought existed only in her mind is no delusion, and no matter how hard she tries, she can never disobey it.

Now Madeleine must find her own voice in a cacophony of powerful tyrants, monsters, and gods. If she fails, she will forfeit her life and the lives of everyone who loves her. But if she succeeds, she may finally gain the ability to love someone in return.

Review:

I demand that you all go and purchase a copy of Titan Magic and then read it. Seriously, I mean it. Go!

Okay fine, I’ll give you some reasons that will perhaps justify my demand.

I don’t usually read self-pubbed novels and even more rarely am I moved to write a review on the ones I do read. This one intrigued me initially because of the description of the main character and then Misty of the Book Rat rated it highly. Titan Magic presents a very new type of heroine (and I will not give away the type she is) and a very different (fresh, new, innovative, attach what adjective you will) mythology. Maddy is one of the more fascinating protagonists that I have come across.

She is a curious mix of spitfire and vulnerable. Her inability to talk does not present as much trouble as I had expected. I liked how Lamm portrays her inhuman-ness. Usually we are told that a main character is not human yet she acts exactly like human teenage girl. Maddy’s confusion about her nature, about the way she feels about certain people, her questions about who she is and what she is form the foundation of the character. Her interactions with the various people are also, interestingly, character building. The way she reacts to the various characters shows who she is. There are a lot of male characters in the novel. I just realized that Maddy is the only girl in the novel. However, it’s just an observation and not a criticism. There is a love triangle which is not really a love triangle. It is really difficult to write a review without giving away one of the main elements of the novel. Suffice it to say that this novel explores themes of self-discovery, courage and desire in a bold new way.

The novel is quite an accomplishment and I really do recommend it to you. There are betrayals, angst, creepy crazy parents, love but not love, love plus self-hate. It’s a smorgasbord of emotions and ambitions. It’s just really really intriguing, you guys and I am really making a mess of my review. But I do not want to spoil the discovery because I feel the discovery is an important aspect of the story.

Just take my word for it, okay?

Read the book.

Everlasting – Angie Frazier (Review)

Hardcover, 336 pages
Published June 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Sailing aboard her father’s ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a lady in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love in order to preseve her social standing. On her last voyage before the wedding, Camille learns the mother she has always believed dead is in fact alive and in Australia. When their Sydney-bound ship goes down in a gale, and her father dies, Camille sets out to find her mother and a map in her possession – a map believed to lead to a stone that once belonged to a legendary civilization…

Review:

I was worried before I read this book that it would turn out to be one of those sappy books that are all about soulmates and falling in lurve. You can’t blame me. Look at the cover! Look also at the trailer. However, to my surprise, I found that the novel was refreshingly brisk and while there are loads of tense moments where hearts beat in the rhythm of first love, it is not the focal point of the novel. And yes, I totally did that purple prose on purpose. Hur. I also alliterate to entertain myself.

Everlasting is an adventure. The kind with swords, pirates, shipwrecks, tough decisions and islands with buried treasure. The novel is populated with colourful characters who will make you chortle, who will make you seethe with anger and who will make you wish you were present right there in the novel along with two loaded pistols. There are spiders, thick and as huge as a man’s palm, that had me shivering and shuddering, there are beasties who would kill you and eat you as a snack between luncheon and dinner and there is good writing, folks.

There are themes of greed, of sacrifices, of filial piety, of acceptance and forgiveness, both of one’s own self and other people. The pace of the novel is brisk at times and I loved how minutely the author has envisioned the world her world is set in. I must say this because I am currently reading a novel that is driving me nuts with its absolutely overwhelming description that this author manages to create a world without descending into extreme verbosity. I felt the heat, felt the spray of the ocean, heard the roar of the beast.

I also liked how the romantic conflict is approached. The physical part of a relationship is addressed and considering that it’s a historical novel, I found that refreshing. She has a fiancé but he doesn’t give her thrills and she has a friend who actually does. There is no insta-love in this, thank you author, but a gradual realization of love that does not seem contrived at all.

In plain speak, I enjoyed the hell out of this novel and I recommend to all you people looking for a good book adventure to go on.

Alif the Unseen – G. Willow Wilson

Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: July 3rd 2012 by Grove Press
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients–dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups–from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif–the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the State’s electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover’s new fiance is the head of State security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers “The Thousand and One Days,” the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen.

Review:

Dear People who Read Books,

Please read this book.

No, really, I mean it. Okay fine, I will tell you why you need to read this. The characters in this novel, while not being teenagers, are young adults and therefore this novel meets the criteria set (by me) to be called Young Adult. Okay, let me begin again. Properly this time.

Alif the Unseen is set in a city in the middle east and it is, perhaps, one of the few books I have read that manage to write in a setting like middle east without preaching about or demonizing Islam. The setting is one of the reasons that I really wanted to read this novel – that and the synopsis. The synopsis sounds bloody bleeding amazing. And I can tell you on good authority that the synopsis does not lead you astray. I want to write a panegyric for this novel but I will satisfy myself with a garbled review. (Sorry about that.)

It will perhaps take a few pages to get used to the setting, especially if you read books that are almost exclusively set in North America. There is a definite shift in dynamics, there is a sense of the exotic, a “foreign-ness” about the whole setting that is immediately fascinating. Alif is a very compelling character who draws you into his life, into his thoughts, politics, love and family. You can relate to him and empathize with him and that’s a big deal to me because usually male protagonists are not a favourite of mine as…well, I just can’t seem to get into their heads the same way I can with a female MC. What is also very interesting to me is how the love interest in this novel spends the majority of the novel veiled. Yet she does not become a lesser character or anything like that. In fact, she serves as a brilliant foil to Alif – as though the veil gives her the distance that is not visible to Alif – his passion is tempered by her cool logic and vice versa. She is one of the stronger and more intelligent characters in the novel. All the characters in Alif the Unseen are given personalities that are larger than the book they live in. The writing is beautiful and the narrative smooth.

One of my favourite characters is Vikram the Vampire who is actually a Djinn/Jinn/Ifrit. His manner of speaking is amusing and his otherworldliness is excellently portrayed. At the same time, his sincerity in wanting to help Alif gives him a touch of human that makes him utterly irresistible.

The novel presents a compelling mixture of digital gadgetry and supernatural themes. It does not at all shy away from narrating the imbalance between the rich and the poor, the cultural discrimination, the hierarchies. The computer jargon, programmer code-speak reveals the depth of research Wilson must have done for the novel. At the same time, her level of familiarity with Islamic myths, cultures is apparent with the ease with which she weaves it into her grand narrative. Wilson’s juxtaposition of the mundane with the supernatural is excellently written. The novel nests the narrative in current events, showing an alternative reason or more accurately, a hidden perspective that explains the events that took place in the Arab Spring.

Alif the Unseen is a novel that needs to be read widely. It shows people a different side to Islam and Muslims. It shows people a culture rich with stories and traditions that are not entirely and wholly about bloodshed and killing. It shows real people with real problems and not made up terrorists who look for excuses to bomb countries and buildings. Alif the Unseen is a brilliant accomplishment both on the part of the writing and on the part of the storytelling. I recommend it strongly.

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern (Review)

Hardcover, 387 pages
Published September 13th 2011 by Doubleday
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Review:

The credit goes to my friend Teng for finally prodding me into reading this and I am glad she did because it was a glorious experience. Not as glorious as I expected it to be but glorious nonetheless. Thank you, Teng!

I’ve heard so much about this novel. I won an ARC last Armchair BEA and before it came in the mail, I hadn’t even heard of it. But once it did, I started noticing it everywhere. In reviews, in bookstores, on shelves that were not my own. I went to the library sale this year and picked up a hardcover copy in very good condition for only 70 cents. It was a deal, yes it was. A good deal. It languished on my shelf for a good long while before I picked it up though. Not because I didn’t want to read it but because there were other books I needed to read for review or checked out from the library.

Reading the book is an experience. Heck, just holding it is an experience. It is perhaps the most beautiful book I have had the fortune to hold in my hands. Its pages, the cover, the construction of the pages into the physical book – these are all so exquisite that reading becomes a sensuous experience. You are feeling the texture of the page on your fingertips as your mind is lost in the wonder of the circus. The Night Circus is the stuff of dreams, you people. The descriptions perhaps do not do it justice because my mind conjured up places that can hardly exist outside the realm of imagination. I could smell the caramel, taste the popcorn and see the lights of the circus.

The novel is exquisitely written – not in the decadent prose characteristic of Franny Billingsley but a clean elegant style that does not waste words. There is a scarcity in the prose and the distinct lack of purple is noted and appreciated. One of my favourite scenes in the book is when Celia comes to audition for the part of the illusionist in the circus. It is narrated so brilliantly that I must have read it at least half a dozen times.

Moving on, while I liked this book very much, I did think there were some points to it that could have been better. First of all, I was very frustrated at points in the novel when it seemed the author was deliberately creating a distance between the reader and the protagonists. When I wanted to read about Celia and Marco, the narrative would spend an inordinate amount of time with Bailey and the twins who, though important to the plot, hardly have the prominence that the protagonists have. In fact, this forced distance between the reader and the protagonists made  their ordeals and their seemingly tragic love difficult to empathize with. The second person bits were wearying after a while and I simply wanted to know much more about Celia and Marco than I was allowed to.

That said, I liked this novel a lot. It’s gorgeously crafted, well written and envisioned and it’s going to make a marvelous movie whenever it comes out. I loved reading about the circus and all the people who worked in it and I wish that some time in the future, I will be bale to visit the tents of the circus and experience for myself the wonder and the lights that lie in them.

The Oracle’s Queen – Lynn Flewelling (Review)

Mass Market Paperback, 557 pages
Published November 26th 2008 by Spectra (first published 2005)
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:
Under the rule of a usurper king, the realm of Skala has suffered famine, plague, and invasion. But now the time for the rightful heir has come, a return to the tradition of warrior queens. And the Lightbearer’s prophecy is to be upheld at last: so long as a daughter of the royal line defends and rules, Skala will never be subjugated.

Now a mystical fire has burned away the male body known as Prince Tobin, revealing Princess Tamír, a girl on the verge of womanhood–and a queen ready to claim her birthright after a life in disguise under the protection of wizards and witches. But will her people, her army–and the friends she was forced to deceive–accept her? Worse, will the crown’s rival heir, friend to Tobin, turn foe to Tamír, igniting civil war in a fierce
battle for Skala?

 

Review:
Oh my goodness, this had to be one of the most satisfying conclusions to a trilogy that I have ever read. It involved me fist pumping, beaming, reading breathlessly, awwing and you know, the whole spectrum of emotions. It was so so good to see Tamir come into her own as a woman, as a soldier and as a queen. It was very easy for me to forget that she was a mere fifteen at the time because the way she was written, seemed to be at least in her twenties. But experiences age a person far more and the incongruousness between Tamir’s voice and her age didn’t upset me at all. I had been afraid that Tamir’s character may develop Mary Sue-ish qualities in the last novel but I was wrong and she continues to display the same enchanting mixture of vulnerability and world-weariness that suits her position. She doesn’t stop growing in this last installment and her inability to move in the predicted lines of past rulers keeps the narrative fresh and intriguing.

I also really really appreciated how Flewelling dealt with Niryn. At first I thought it was somewhat anticlimactic and then I realized that Niryn was an instrument of the conflict but not the conflict itself. And the irony of Niryn’s fate was not lost on me. It is the subtlety that plays in the narrative, enjoining one event to another, one coincidence to another fact that makes the overall story so very readable. All the characters retain their greyness and I liked how Tamir manages to stay good and not become sanctimonious. The novel has a huge cast of characters – even more than the usual novel since it is the third installment in a trilogy but Flewelling manages to keep them all real in that they could really exist. Her characterizations are wonderful.

One of my favourite parts of the novel was how the romance between Ki and Tamir is approached. I loved how it wasn’t an instant attraction and culmination of that attraction. Flewelling spends time in developing and portraying the necessary confusion that arises when your best friend becomes a girl and you find yourself seeing him in ways that you don’t necessarily want to.

I would recommend this trilogy to anyone who likes high fantasy. I think you could easily term this one of the better young adult high fantasy trilogies (though it is not exactly marketed in that way, it can be seen as part of the YA genre since its protagonists are young adults, I think). The trilogy is more complex and more mature than what is normal to the genre but I think this is a good thing rather than bad. Read this especially if you like strong heroines with a dash of vulnerability and wonderful world building. Strongly recommended.