Review dump!
Mar. 5th, 2009 02:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
megwritesI just realized that I've got a list of thirteen books that I have read but haven't reviewed here on my LJ.
Part of me sort of wants to give up, because I'm not sure my reviews are that good or that helpful to anyone, and when I read my old ones, they're sort of rambling and not that coherent. In fact, I've noticed that I have a rather non-linear style of thinking, especially on the sentence level.
It's just how my brain works. It's also why I have to line edit so viciously before I send anything off.
Yet part of me would at least like to keep some sort of record of the things, especially since I really want to make sure I record the CoC/GLBT/Gender scores for these books. So, to that end, I've decided on doing thirteen really quick and dirty reviews of the books I've read.
Note about scoring: For each category the ratings go from 1 (the worst ever) to 10 (the best ever). But those categories which get a 0, indicate a book that does not deal with the topic and has no characters in that category (for instance, a book with no GLBT characters or a book with no female characters).
I will do my best to briefly explain why I personally gave the books those ratings. I don't expect everyone (or anyone!) will agree with my ratings, and I won't hold it against anyone if they wish to disagree with my scoring. In fact, I welcome discussion of any of these books and why they are better or worse than I've rated them!
1. Urban Shaman (Walker Papers, Book 1) by C.E. Murphy
Basic plotline: Joanne Walker (who was born as Siobhan Walkingstick), who is half-Irish, half-Native American gets entangled in an ancient, mystical plot after coming home from her mother's funeral in Ireland and seeing someone in danger from the plane, several thousand feet above Seattle. She quickly learns that she has special powers as an "urban shaman", and that she must stop the ancient Celtic god Cernunnos and his Wild Hunt with the dubiously helpful help of Coyote.
The positives: For one, a heroine of color in a line of books that's really been focused on white heroines is good. It was an engaging, if sometimes thin, and unique kind of urban fantasy that Murphy has plotted. I was glad to see that no one mythology held dominance, but that they - like the cultures that created them - come into conflict and sometimes harmony. The character of Joanne was refreshingly not shallow, and I appreciated her struggles and experiences dealing with having a mixed heritage.
The negatives: There are some accuracy issues with the police and the procedures in the books. Those looking for a gritty, dead accurate realistic novel about law enforcement need not even crack this one open. There are also some accuracy and logic issues concerning Joanne and her experiences growing up on the Qualla Boundary, and I fully realize that this might put those who are frustrated with inaccurate and wrong portrayals of Native Americans in literature off. The writing, also, is not as sharp or intense as the writing in The Queen's Bastard (a whole other series, not from the Luna line), but this is also a much earlier novel in Murphy's career, so keep that in mind.
CoC Rating: 7 Points awarded for having a heroine of color as the center of the books and well as other minor CoC's. Points deducted for inaccuracies concerning the Cherokee.
GLBT Rating: 0. No GLBT characters of note or attitudes about GLBT people mentioned notably in the book.
Gender Rating: 9. Points awarded for a complex, engaging female heroine.
2. His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) by Naomi Novik
Basic plotline: Captain Will Laurence captures a dragon egg from a French vessel during an alternate Napoleonic era in which dragons are a regular part of the world and integrated into the military. The dragon that hatches, Temeraire, becomes attached to Will and thus Will goes from a naval captain to a rider in the Aerial Corps to fight in the ever intensifying war against Napoleon.
The positives: Despite a first sentence with a semicolon that actually delayed me continuing this book for, like, two years, it's actually very well written on a prose level and easy to get into. The character of Temeraire is extremely likable, naive, inquisitive, affectionate, protective, and loyal. The character of Will makes a good match for him, and their chemistry as friends and fighters is engaging. The research on the period is thorough and makes the story convincing. I also appreciated that there was a portrayal of how this relationship could become abusive.
The negatives: As a piece of literature, there are few negatives. Some of the action sequences got a bit hard to follow for me, but not to the detriment of their story. I also would have liked some explanation for why dragons that can talk, fly, and think just as intelligently as people allow themselves to be ridden and used like horses and airships. Also, along with the 19th century setting, Novik brings 19th century prejudices. Whether these are part of the author's psyche, or just part of the landscape of 19th century England is for the reader to decide.
CoC Rating: 0. Though it is worth noting that the next entry in the series takes place in China. I haven't read it, so will reserve judgment, but anyone who gets frustrated with the lack of CoC's in this book might find comfort there. Maybe. Depends on how it's written, which I can't yet speak to.
GLBT Rating: 0.
Gender Rating: 5. Points awarded for having female dragon riders, but taken away for not showing over much of them, save a single female dragon rider that Will befriends, though what was shown was mostly positive.
3. Butcher Bird - Richard Kadrey
Basic plotline: After his life is saved in a barfight by the blind assassin Shrike, Spyder Lee becomes able to see the supernatural and super weird world that is invisible to most normal people. This allows him to see that his best friend Lulu is in danger from organ collectors and gets him involved in Shrike's quest to hell as part of a job she takes.
The positives: The characters are vivid, colorful, and wonderful. The adventure is original, blending the weird, the mystical, the mythical, and even the blasphemous in a journey that is part carnival, part horror show, and all dazzling.
The negatives: Not that much. There is a slight thread of domination by Western myths (Satan, for example) over other people's mythology, which bothered me a little. But most of the supernatural is created out of whole cloth in this book, and the pervasiveness of it is not so bad that I, personally, couldn't enjoy the novel. Others may, understandably, feel different.
CoC Rating: 7.5. Points awarded for a wonderful blind assassin princess heroine of color and her ability to be just so awesome it's not funny. A few points taken away because there could've been more CoC's in the book, and for slight domination by Western mythology.
GLBT Rating: 8. A positively portrayed lesbian character who doesn't die! I found Lulu to be a great character, and wanted to see more of.
Gender Rating: 9. Points awarded for great women, Lulu and Shrike and a general sense of women having just as much agency and ability as men. One single point taken away because it would've been even cooler if this was Shrike's book.
4. Fall of the Kings - by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
Basic plotline: Another entry in the Riverside series, this book follows Theron Campion and Basil St. Cloud as they meet at a university and begin uncovering the ancient truths about the long gone kings and the wizards that supported their power, now a taboo subject under the current government and society. As Basil studies and researches deeper in the university archives, with his merry band of students with him, powerful nobles are hoping to work against him, with Theron and the Campion family firmly in the middle of it (as they always are). It is set several decades after The Privilege of the Sword.
The positives: I loved the two previous books, and this one is very much in the same vein as those. I have to admit that this one is my least favorite, but it is still a very complex, intricate book with plots running inside of plots, and politics, and swordfights, and snarky nobles, and daring academics. The relationship between Theron and Basil is both touching and twisted in it's way.
The negatives: I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two. It felt like a much too dreamy, pseudomystical entry in an otherwise lucid, solid series that focused very much on a fantasy about nobility, fighting, and love in both the social and personal senses. I also had a harder time keeping up with the politics and the tangled webs woven in this one, not to mention that I was a little disappointed that yet again, this story in Riverside was about the academics and the nobles. Furthermore, it seems like this book was meant to be the culmination of something, but I'm not sure and it leaves me looking back at the whole series wondering if I've missed a punchline somewhere.
CoC Rating: 0. If there were CoC's, I didn't see them. And furthermore, I'm a little disappointed, because I didn't see any reason why there couldn't have been plenty.
GLBT Rating: 7.5. Several gay couples shown as lovers, in a society that openly tolerates such things, or at least does not punish them. Points deducted for the tragic gay lovers that die trope because it would be really nice if that didn't happen.
Gender Rating: 4. A very male centric novel, there were strong women in the background, but there could have been more and they could have been more focused on.
5. Ill Wind (Weather Wardens, book 1) - Rachel Caine
Basic Plotline: Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is one of the people who controls the weather and keeps Earth safe (mostly). She is on the run for her life because she's accused of murder and has a Demon Mark that is eating away at her. She picks up a hitchiker who assists her in her quest to remove the mark and clear her name.
The positives: The weather science in the book is well researched, and I enjoyed that this is not a commonly used trope in urban fantasy. No vampires in sight. Djinn also, are a rarity. The plot make sense and moves swiftly. The writing is less forced, and the first person narration is better organized than most in this genre. The sex scenes were tolerable and not that bad.
The negatives: Another heroine obsessed with material things. Sigh. This one is obsessed with clothes and car and sex, apparently. I was disappointed to learn that she was younger than I read her to be, because at first I thought the voice was one of a woman in her late 30's. I'd really love a heroine who isn't 25 years old for once.
CoC Rating: 3. Three notable characters of color, one African-American (or at least African derived, it's not clear because she's a Djinn and goodness only knows how old or from where) one Latina and one Native American. The Latina goes evil and dies at the end of the book, and before that is the best friend/helper of the white heroine.
GLBT Rating: 0. It's a het-fest. Heterosexuality as far as the eye can see.
Gender Rating: 6.5. Yet another fashion obsessed heroine. Points for a heroine at all, but points taken away for fashion obsession and shallowness.
6. Heat Stroke (Weather Wardens, book 2) - Rachel Caine
Basic Plotline: Former Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin has been reborn as Djinn and is now traveling with her Djinn lover, David, trying to learn to deal with her new existence. Before she can begin to learn, an unprecedented natural disaster begins brewing, and Joanne discovers that the price of being resurrected as a Djinn by David is a steep one, one that is a risk to all Djinn. She must stop the coming disasters and learn to be a Djinn before she is cut off from David and causes disaster for Djinn and human alike.
The positives: A quick read that's based on a premise not often used in urban fantasy/paranormal romance, so that's refreshing. The heroine is 40% less shallow than most of the urban fantasy heroine's I'm irritated with, and that's also positive. The narrating voice is more cohesive and less colloquial in unnecessary places than other books in the same genre. Joanne and David's relationship is also easy to read. The characters are all colorful, and we do see that Joanne has a conscience and a spine to go along with her fashion sense. There is also some discussion slavery and captivity within the context of the Djinn.
The negatives: Unfortunately, Joanne is just as bewilderingly fashion/looks obsessed as other female protagonists I'm fed up with. There are also some disturbing racial issues, and the discussion of slavery/captivity/dominance isn't enough for my liking, especially since I think this could have been a really compelling moral dilemma if better explored. Not to mention that my Skanky Race Issues detector beeped when I saw that the Djinn (a figure non-Western, non-white mythology) were started and lead by a white guy named Jonathan. Not sure why a white guy has to come to prominence among a group of people derived pre-Islamic Arabian folklore. The references to the Old Testament bible is also a little bothersome and not well thought out.
CoC Rating: 2.5. This is now the second book where the character of color with the most part to play has snuffed it, and there was no need for Rahel to die in this book. In the first book and there wasn't a dazzling array of CoC to begin with. The only named, important CoC left standing is Marion Bearheart, and given the trend in this series, I don't fancy her chances for book 3.
GLBT Rating: 0.
Gender Rating: 6.5. The looks/beauty obsession and the unexamined use of the male gaze have not abated.
7. Dust (Jacob's Ladder, Book 1) by Elizabeth Bear
Basic Plotline: Rien is a servant girl when the defeated angel woman Perceval is brought in with her wings cut off by the merciless Ariane, a princess. She helps Perceval escape when she discovers Perceval is her half-sister. They must journey through the generation ship they live on to stop Ariane's plans and save the ship which is orbiting a star that will very soon go nova, something that is also the concern of Jacob Dust, who wants to make a deal with Perceval and make her the ship's new Captain. (Nota Bene: this is rather inaccurate plot description).
The positives: This is a much easier, faster read than the Promethean Age books. There are still a lot of difficulties, but the story is tighter and leaner in this one, and the mythology is less intensive, so one does not need to know every thing about Arthurian legend to enjoy the story and follow the plot. There are also several intersexed characters in the book who receive rather positive treatment. The characters are, if not likable, at least interesting and complex.
The negatives: Some of the science is rather iffy in this novel, though most is at least somewhat solid. There is also very little explanation of why the ship is in the condition it's in or how things got to be the way they are, which I would have liked. Furthermore, it's yet another novel where a world which should be more diverse is dominated by Western mythology, even when the characters involved are not Western or white. So, apparently they've managed to hold onto Japanese-style gardens and other accoutrements of other cultures, but everything is still described and dominated by Christian, Western, white mythos. Nobody else's culture made it into space, apparently. Plotwise and writing, the ending movies very quickly and seems oddly mainstream for an Elizabeth Bear novel.
CoC rating: 3.5. There are not that many CoC's in this book, and it's all dominated by Arthurian legends, Christian concepts of God and angels, as well as Christian biblical tropes. I was bothered that Ng, who has most of the useful information for helping them, is reduced to being a voice in Rien's head when it seems like he deserved more.
GLBT rating: 8. There are many characters which are intersexed (forgive me if this is the wrong word, but I'm not sure how to describe them in relation to the vocabulary I have), and many same sex relationships.
Gender rating: 9. No skanky gender issues that I could find. Women and men pretty much get treated equally.
9. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent - Galen Beckett (Mark Anthony).
Basic plotline: In an alt-Austen era setting, the three Lockwell sisters live in a quiet house and have quiet lives with their mother and mad former magician father. When their mother dies, Ivy, the oldest daughter, must take a job as a governess far out in the countryside to make ends meet for her sisters who will be evicted on the streets otherwise, and uncovers a conspiracy that goes straight to the heart of her father's madness and the mysteries of magic in Invarel all surrounding the aligning of two planets that are supposed never to meet in the sky.
The positives: If you like Jane Austen or Bronte, this story will be right up your alley. It is a read rich with the tropes and stylings of those authors. The plot builds steadily, if slowly. The characters are vivid and the dialogue is mostly sharp.
The negatives: The plot is rather slow and there is a lot of excess material in the book. The thwarted romance between Ivy and Rafferdy is pointless, as it comes to nothing and takes up a good third of the book for no reason. In fact, the plot and action of the book don't begin for a good 150 pages or more. There are three basic characters. There's Ivy, Rafferdy, and Eldyn Garritt. Eldyn's story line, with his sister and the highwayman and his thwarted attempts to recover the fortune his father squandered is also rather pointless and it's reason for even being related to the story doesn't become apparent until the last two chapters. I would also point out that the book is falsely advertised in the book jacket. It is not, in fact, Galen Beckett's debut novel, because Galen Beckett is actually Mark Anthony, who published a six book series (The Last Rune) with Spectra, which I think hardly qualifies him to be a "debut" author. That put me off when I went to Google the author to find out who they were (because, at the time, I wanted to see if a sequel was forthcoming).
CoC Rating: 0
GLBT Rating: 0
Gender Rating: 7. Points given for many female characters, most of them well written. Points deducted for occasionally making Ivy do silly things. Yes, women in this era may have felt compelled to act in certain ways, but it doesn't mean they actually were that way.
10. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Basic plotline: When his family is assassinated, a young boy with no name finds refuge in a graveyard with the spirits of the dead and it's keeper to protect and raise him. Named "Bod" (short for Nobody Owens), he lives a happy, if quirky existence in the graveyard until the Bod starts to venture beyond the bounds of the graveyard, and the old foe that killed his parents comes back to trouble him once again.
The positives: While this is a children's book (sort of), it's really quite a delightful read. Neil Gaiman's authorial voice is, as always, smooth as milk chocolate and just as delicious. The residents of the graveyard and their care of Bod is touching and somewhat strange. The illustrations, also, are like a wonderfully demented version of Seuss or something.
The negatives: Gaiman is beginning to repeat himself in some places. There is the Young Plucky Hero who Gets His Girl (see also: American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust), there is also the Romantic-Interest Heroine Who Is Not As Important as The Hero (see also: American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust).
CoC Rating: 0.
GLBT Rating: 0.
Gender Rating: 5. Various women of varying strengths, but none as important as any of the men, which I find disappointing.
12. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Basic plotline: Locke Lamora, an orphan raised by a crooked priest who teaches him to steal and con, is the leader of the Gentlemen Bastards, a group of talented thieves and con artists who, well, steal and con. While they're pulling off their biggest, best job ever, something goes terribly wrong and the fate of the city they're living in is put in jeopardy by a murderous, mysterious figure called the Grey King who is coming after the city's underworld and even the Duke of Camorr himself.
The positives: While it looks, from the outside, to be your typical Nauseatingly Big Epic Fantasy book (weighing it at 752 pages, it's hardly svelte), it's not. It has more in common with Ellen Kushner's Riverside than with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Set in a sort of alternate Venice (complete with a watery city and boats), it's actually a slick, fun read with characters who are charmingly snarky, smart, savvy and kind of lovable. They're loyal and close knit in their way, and the book has an interesting setting. I liked the sense of a cut-throat, dirty city without the sense of despair or decay, because oddly enough, the optimism seems more realistic to me, as though the author isn't kidding anyone that even the best, most modern cities in the world don't have just as seedy and seamy an underbelly. I really had a lot of fun with this book. The dialogue is entertaining and refreshing, and fits just right with these characters.
The negatives: The organization of the book and the interspersion of flashbacks got a little distracting at points, and there were moments when I really didn't want to take time out of the middle of an epic heist to see Jean Tannen training with swords.
CoC Rating: 0/4. I wasn't sure if there were or were not CoC's in this book. The author describes the skin/hair color of his characters, but saying someone has golden looking and has dark hair doesn't mean anything. See also: white people with tans. This is set in alt-Italy. I fully expect to see swarthy but Caucasian characters. However, it could be that I'm being dense. If there are CoC's and they are who I think they are, then a lot of the best, most prominent ones die.
GLBT Score: 0.
Gender Score: 5. Points awarded for fish fighting gladiator women and uppity whores who take matters into their own hands. Points deducted for lack of major, vital women, though the women, where they appeared, they were fairly well written. One even turns out to be the infamous Spider (leader of the Duke's secret and most feared police), but even that woman doesn't have a tremendously big role. There is one female Gentleman Bastard, but she manages to be off screen not only during the main plot but during all the flashbacks even though Locke is appearently madly in love with her.
13. Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
Basic plotline: There are packs of lycanthropes operating in and around the L.A. area who all have their various schemes. When the female of one of these packs gets involved with a dogcatcher named Anthony and deserts her own pack just as it gets ripped apart by a traitor and a rival, the overlapping schemes of the dogs and people involved really heats up (this is a poor description, but the plot really is complex).
The positives: I liked that this book was unique, in that it was written as an epic poem about werewolves, which is kind of neat and not something I've ever seen before. The poetry was very touching, and I liked that Barlow was able to express many things with few words using this medium. The plot was complex and interweaving, almost too much so, because everything ended up connecting in the end, much like a heist movie or mystery or something. Chilling and touching at the same time, the book is a good examination of a lot of things. Order, dominance, belonging, violence, love, hate, need, sex. All of the things that, oddly enough, are just as part of human life as canine life. The chilling, unresolved ending is also a plus, and will make even the most hardcore dog lover take a second look at Fluffy before they go to bed tonight.
The negatives: The plot was so interwoven, complex, and connected that it got hard to follow. There were a lot of schemes that seemed almost implausible in their intersection. The characters, also, were not as vivid and came across as flat and more like vessels for the story than as real people.
CoC Rating: 7. Points awarded for diversity and a half-Latino main character, as well as many supporting characters of color. Some points deducted for not having enough, and for staying well to the whiter side of California, even though it's a 50-60% Latino/Hispanic state (not sure of the exact figures, but it's somewhere in that range, IIRC) and you'd think that there'd be a mostly Latino/Hispanic cast with some white people instead of the other way around.
GLBT Rating: 4. There is one same-sex couple mentioned in the book. And one of them dies in the end. Surprise, surprise. But there is one line about "so you're saying queer means weird?" that is a bit funny, so a half point awarded for that, making a total of four.
Gender Rating: 4. There were strong female characters, but I wasn't comfortable with the fact that each pack had only one female who's job, apparently, was the screw the boy dogs to make them feel better. Not sure why that is, when dog and wolf packs don't generally operate this way and the author never explained what the purposes of the one-female-per-pack thing was. Also, a lack of examination of the word "bitch" even though it was used somewhat made me a little uncertain about this book.
Part of me sort of wants to give up, because I'm not sure my reviews are that good or that helpful to anyone, and when I read my old ones, they're sort of rambling and not that coherent. In fact, I've noticed that I have a rather non-linear style of thinking, especially on the sentence level.
It's just how my brain works. It's also why I have to line edit so viciously before I send anything off.
Yet part of me would at least like to keep some sort of record of the things, especially since I really want to make sure I record the CoC/GLBT/Gender scores for these books. So, to that end, I've decided on doing thirteen really quick and dirty reviews of the books I've read.
Note about scoring: For each category the ratings go from 1 (the worst ever) to 10 (the best ever). But those categories which get a 0, indicate a book that does not deal with the topic and has no characters in that category (for instance, a book with no GLBT characters or a book with no female characters).
I will do my best to briefly explain why I personally gave the books those ratings. I don't expect everyone (or anyone!) will agree with my ratings, and I won't hold it against anyone if they wish to disagree with my scoring. In fact, I welcome discussion of any of these books and why they are better or worse than I've rated them!
1. Urban Shaman (Walker Papers, Book 1) by C.E. Murphy
Basic plotline: Joanne Walker (who was born as Siobhan Walkingstick), who is half-Irish, half-Native American gets entangled in an ancient, mystical plot after coming home from her mother's funeral in Ireland and seeing someone in danger from the plane, several thousand feet above Seattle. She quickly learns that she has special powers as an "urban shaman", and that she must stop the ancient Celtic god Cernunnos and his Wild Hunt with the dubiously helpful help of Coyote.
The positives: For one, a heroine of color in a line of books that's really been focused on white heroines is good. It was an engaging, if sometimes thin, and unique kind of urban fantasy that Murphy has plotted. I was glad to see that no one mythology held dominance, but that they - like the cultures that created them - come into conflict and sometimes harmony. The character of Joanne was refreshingly not shallow, and I appreciated her struggles and experiences dealing with having a mixed heritage.
The negatives: There are some accuracy issues with the police and the procedures in the books. Those looking for a gritty, dead accurate realistic novel about law enforcement need not even crack this one open. There are also some accuracy and logic issues concerning Joanne and her experiences growing up on the Qualla Boundary, and I fully realize that this might put those who are frustrated with inaccurate and wrong portrayals of Native Americans in literature off. The writing, also, is not as sharp or intense as the writing in The Queen's Bastard (a whole other series, not from the Luna line), but this is also a much earlier novel in Murphy's career, so keep that in mind.
CoC Rating: 7 Points awarded for having a heroine of color as the center of the books and well as other minor CoC's. Points deducted for inaccuracies concerning the Cherokee.
GLBT Rating: 0. No GLBT characters of note or attitudes about GLBT people mentioned notably in the book.
Gender Rating: 9. Points awarded for a complex, engaging female heroine.
2. His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) by Naomi Novik
Basic plotline: Captain Will Laurence captures a dragon egg from a French vessel during an alternate Napoleonic era in which dragons are a regular part of the world and integrated into the military. The dragon that hatches, Temeraire, becomes attached to Will and thus Will goes from a naval captain to a rider in the Aerial Corps to fight in the ever intensifying war against Napoleon.
The positives: Despite a first sentence with a semicolon that actually delayed me continuing this book for, like, two years, it's actually very well written on a prose level and easy to get into. The character of Temeraire is extremely likable, naive, inquisitive, affectionate, protective, and loyal. The character of Will makes a good match for him, and their chemistry as friends and fighters is engaging. The research on the period is thorough and makes the story convincing. I also appreciated that there was a portrayal of how this relationship could become abusive.
The negatives: As a piece of literature, there are few negatives. Some of the action sequences got a bit hard to follow for me, but not to the detriment of their story. I also would have liked some explanation for why dragons that can talk, fly, and think just as intelligently as people allow themselves to be ridden and used like horses and airships. Also, along with the 19th century setting, Novik brings 19th century prejudices. Whether these are part of the author's psyche, or just part of the landscape of 19th century England is for the reader to decide.
CoC Rating: 0. Though it is worth noting that the next entry in the series takes place in China. I haven't read it, so will reserve judgment, but anyone who gets frustrated with the lack of CoC's in this book might find comfort there. Maybe. Depends on how it's written, which I can't yet speak to.
GLBT Rating: 0.
Gender Rating: 5. Points awarded for having female dragon riders, but taken away for not showing over much of them, save a single female dragon rider that Will befriends, though what was shown was mostly positive.
3. Butcher Bird - Richard Kadrey
Basic plotline: After his life is saved in a barfight by the blind assassin Shrike, Spyder Lee becomes able to see the supernatural and super weird world that is invisible to most normal people. This allows him to see that his best friend Lulu is in danger from organ collectors and gets him involved in Shrike's quest to hell as part of a job she takes.
The positives: The characters are vivid, colorful, and wonderful. The adventure is original, blending the weird, the mystical, the mythical, and even the blasphemous in a journey that is part carnival, part horror show, and all dazzling.
The negatives: Not that much. There is a slight thread of domination by Western myths (Satan, for example) over other people's mythology, which bothered me a little. But most of the supernatural is created out of whole cloth in this book, and the pervasiveness of it is not so bad that I, personally, couldn't enjoy the novel. Others may, understandably, feel different.
CoC Rating: 7.5. Points awarded for a wonderful blind assassin princess heroine of color and her ability to be just so awesome it's not funny. A few points taken away because there could've been more CoC's in the book, and for slight domination by Western mythology.
GLBT Rating: 8. A positively portrayed lesbian character who doesn't die! I found Lulu to be a great character, and wanted to see more of.
Gender Rating: 9. Points awarded for great women, Lulu and Shrike and a general sense of women having just as much agency and ability as men. One single point taken away because it would've been even cooler if this was Shrike's book.
4. Fall of the Kings - by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
Basic plotline: Another entry in the Riverside series, this book follows Theron Campion and Basil St. Cloud as they meet at a university and begin uncovering the ancient truths about the long gone kings and the wizards that supported their power, now a taboo subject under the current government and society. As Basil studies and researches deeper in the university archives, with his merry band of students with him, powerful nobles are hoping to work against him, with Theron and the Campion family firmly in the middle of it (as they always are). It is set several decades after The Privilege of the Sword.
The positives: I loved the two previous books, and this one is very much in the same vein as those. I have to admit that this one is my least favorite, but it is still a very complex, intricate book with plots running inside of plots, and politics, and swordfights, and snarky nobles, and daring academics. The relationship between Theron and Basil is both touching and twisted in it's way.
The negatives: I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two. It felt like a much too dreamy, pseudomystical entry in an otherwise lucid, solid series that focused very much on a fantasy about nobility, fighting, and love in both the social and personal senses. I also had a harder time keeping up with the politics and the tangled webs woven in this one, not to mention that I was a little disappointed that yet again, this story in Riverside was about the academics and the nobles. Furthermore, it seems like this book was meant to be the culmination of something, but I'm not sure and it leaves me looking back at the whole series wondering if I've missed a punchline somewhere.
CoC Rating: 0. If there were CoC's, I didn't see them. And furthermore, I'm a little disappointed, because I didn't see any reason why there couldn't have been plenty.
GLBT Rating: 7.5. Several gay couples shown as lovers, in a society that openly tolerates such things, or at least does not punish them. Points deducted for the tragic gay lovers that die trope because it would be really nice if that didn't happen.
Gender Rating: 4. A very male centric novel, there were strong women in the background, but there could have been more and they could have been more focused on.
5. Ill Wind (Weather Wardens, book 1) - Rachel Caine
Basic Plotline: Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is one of the people who controls the weather and keeps Earth safe (mostly). She is on the run for her life because she's accused of murder and has a Demon Mark that is eating away at her. She picks up a hitchiker who assists her in her quest to remove the mark and clear her name.
The positives: The weather science in the book is well researched, and I enjoyed that this is not a commonly used trope in urban fantasy. No vampires in sight. Djinn also, are a rarity. The plot make sense and moves swiftly. The writing is less forced, and the first person narration is better organized than most in this genre. The sex scenes were tolerable and not that bad.
The negatives: Another heroine obsessed with material things. Sigh. This one is obsessed with clothes and car and sex, apparently. I was disappointed to learn that she was younger than I read her to be, because at first I thought the voice was one of a woman in her late 30's. I'd really love a heroine who isn't 25 years old for once.
CoC Rating: 3. Three notable characters of color, one African-American (or at least African derived, it's not clear because she's a Djinn and goodness only knows how old or from where) one Latina and one Native American. The Latina goes evil and dies at the end of the book, and before that is the best friend/helper of the white heroine.
GLBT Rating: 0. It's a het-fest. Heterosexuality as far as the eye can see.
Gender Rating: 6.5. Yet another fashion obsessed heroine. Points for a heroine at all, but points taken away for fashion obsession and shallowness.
6. Heat Stroke (Weather Wardens, book 2) - Rachel Caine
Basic Plotline: Former Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin has been reborn as Djinn and is now traveling with her Djinn lover, David, trying to learn to deal with her new existence. Before she can begin to learn, an unprecedented natural disaster begins brewing, and Joanne discovers that the price of being resurrected as a Djinn by David is a steep one, one that is a risk to all Djinn. She must stop the coming disasters and learn to be a Djinn before she is cut off from David and causes disaster for Djinn and human alike.
The positives: A quick read that's based on a premise not often used in urban fantasy/paranormal romance, so that's refreshing. The heroine is 40% less shallow than most of the urban fantasy heroine's I'm irritated with, and that's also positive. The narrating voice is more cohesive and less colloquial in unnecessary places than other books in the same genre. Joanne and David's relationship is also easy to read. The characters are all colorful, and we do see that Joanne has a conscience and a spine to go along with her fashion sense. There is also some discussion slavery and captivity within the context of the Djinn.
The negatives: Unfortunately, Joanne is just as bewilderingly fashion/looks obsessed as other female protagonists I'm fed up with. There are also some disturbing racial issues, and the discussion of slavery/captivity/dominance isn't enough for my liking, especially since I think this could have been a really compelling moral dilemma if better explored. Not to mention that my Skanky Race Issues detector beeped when I saw that the Djinn (a figure non-Western, non-white mythology) were started and lead by a white guy named Jonathan. Not sure why a white guy has to come to prominence among a group of people derived pre-Islamic Arabian folklore. The references to the Old Testament bible is also a little bothersome and not well thought out.
CoC Rating: 2.5. This is now the second book where the character of color with the most part to play has snuffed it, and there was no need for Rahel to die in this book. In the first book and there wasn't a dazzling array of CoC to begin with. The only named, important CoC left standing is Marion Bearheart, and given the trend in this series, I don't fancy her chances for book 3.
GLBT Rating: 0.
Gender Rating: 6.5. The looks/beauty obsession and the unexamined use of the male gaze have not abated.
7. Dust (Jacob's Ladder, Book 1) by Elizabeth Bear
Basic Plotline: Rien is a servant girl when the defeated angel woman Perceval is brought in with her wings cut off by the merciless Ariane, a princess. She helps Perceval escape when she discovers Perceval is her half-sister. They must journey through the generation ship they live on to stop Ariane's plans and save the ship which is orbiting a star that will very soon go nova, something that is also the concern of Jacob Dust, who wants to make a deal with Perceval and make her the ship's new Captain. (Nota Bene: this is rather inaccurate plot description).
The positives: This is a much easier, faster read than the Promethean Age books. There are still a lot of difficulties, but the story is tighter and leaner in this one, and the mythology is less intensive, so one does not need to know every thing about Arthurian legend to enjoy the story and follow the plot. There are also several intersexed characters in the book who receive rather positive treatment. The characters are, if not likable, at least interesting and complex.
The negatives: Some of the science is rather iffy in this novel, though most is at least somewhat solid. There is also very little explanation of why the ship is in the condition it's in or how things got to be the way they are, which I would have liked. Furthermore, it's yet another novel where a world which should be more diverse is dominated by Western mythology, even when the characters involved are not Western or white. So, apparently they've managed to hold onto Japanese-style gardens and other accoutrements of other cultures, but everything is still described and dominated by Christian, Western, white mythos. Nobody else's culture made it into space, apparently. Plotwise and writing, the ending movies very quickly and seems oddly mainstream for an Elizabeth Bear novel.
CoC rating: 3.5. There are not that many CoC's in this book, and it's all dominated by Arthurian legends, Christian concepts of God and angels, as well as Christian biblical tropes. I was bothered that Ng, who has most of the useful information for helping them, is reduced to being a voice in Rien's head when it seems like he deserved more.
GLBT rating: 8. There are many characters which are intersexed (forgive me if this is the wrong word, but I'm not sure how to describe them in relation to the vocabulary I have), and many same sex relationships.
Gender rating: 9. No skanky gender issues that I could find. Women and men pretty much get treated equally.
9. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent - Galen Beckett (Mark Anthony).
Basic plotline: In an alt-Austen era setting, the three Lockwell sisters live in a quiet house and have quiet lives with their mother and mad former magician father. When their mother dies, Ivy, the oldest daughter, must take a job as a governess far out in the countryside to make ends meet for her sisters who will be evicted on the streets otherwise, and uncovers a conspiracy that goes straight to the heart of her father's madness and the mysteries of magic in Invarel all surrounding the aligning of two planets that are supposed never to meet in the sky.
The positives: If you like Jane Austen or Bronte, this story will be right up your alley. It is a read rich with the tropes and stylings of those authors. The plot builds steadily, if slowly. The characters are vivid and the dialogue is mostly sharp.
The negatives: The plot is rather slow and there is a lot of excess material in the book. The thwarted romance between Ivy and Rafferdy is pointless, as it comes to nothing and takes up a good third of the book for no reason. In fact, the plot and action of the book don't begin for a good 150 pages or more. There are three basic characters. There's Ivy, Rafferdy, and Eldyn Garritt. Eldyn's story line, with his sister and the highwayman and his thwarted attempts to recover the fortune his father squandered is also rather pointless and it's reason for even being related to the story doesn't become apparent until the last two chapters. I would also point out that the book is falsely advertised in the book jacket. It is not, in fact, Galen Beckett's debut novel, because Galen Beckett is actually Mark Anthony, who published a six book series (The Last Rune) with Spectra, which I think hardly qualifies him to be a "debut" author. That put me off when I went to Google the author to find out who they were (because, at the time, I wanted to see if a sequel was forthcoming).
CoC Rating: 0
GLBT Rating: 0
Gender Rating: 7. Points given for many female characters, most of them well written. Points deducted for occasionally making Ivy do silly things. Yes, women in this era may have felt compelled to act in certain ways, but it doesn't mean they actually were that way.
10. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Basic plotline: When his family is assassinated, a young boy with no name finds refuge in a graveyard with the spirits of the dead and it's keeper to protect and raise him. Named "Bod" (short for Nobody Owens), he lives a happy, if quirky existence in the graveyard until the Bod starts to venture beyond the bounds of the graveyard, and the old foe that killed his parents comes back to trouble him once again.
The positives: While this is a children's book (sort of), it's really quite a delightful read. Neil Gaiman's authorial voice is, as always, smooth as milk chocolate and just as delicious. The residents of the graveyard and their care of Bod is touching and somewhat strange. The illustrations, also, are like a wonderfully demented version of Seuss or something.
The negatives: Gaiman is beginning to repeat himself in some places. There is the Young Plucky Hero who Gets His Girl (see also: American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust), there is also the Romantic-Interest Heroine Who Is Not As Important as The Hero (see also: American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust).
CoC Rating: 0.
GLBT Rating: 0.
Gender Rating: 5. Various women of varying strengths, but none as important as any of the men, which I find disappointing.
12. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Basic plotline: Locke Lamora, an orphan raised by a crooked priest who teaches him to steal and con, is the leader of the Gentlemen Bastards, a group of talented thieves and con artists who, well, steal and con. While they're pulling off their biggest, best job ever, something goes terribly wrong and the fate of the city they're living in is put in jeopardy by a murderous, mysterious figure called the Grey King who is coming after the city's underworld and even the Duke of Camorr himself.
The positives: While it looks, from the outside, to be your typical Nauseatingly Big Epic Fantasy book (weighing it at 752 pages, it's hardly svelte), it's not. It has more in common with Ellen Kushner's Riverside than with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Set in a sort of alternate Venice (complete with a watery city and boats), it's actually a slick, fun read with characters who are charmingly snarky, smart, savvy and kind of lovable. They're loyal and close knit in their way, and the book has an interesting setting. I liked the sense of a cut-throat, dirty city without the sense of despair or decay, because oddly enough, the optimism seems more realistic to me, as though the author isn't kidding anyone that even the best, most modern cities in the world don't have just as seedy and seamy an underbelly. I really had a lot of fun with this book. The dialogue is entertaining and refreshing, and fits just right with these characters.
The negatives: The organization of the book and the interspersion of flashbacks got a little distracting at points, and there were moments when I really didn't want to take time out of the middle of an epic heist to see Jean Tannen training with swords.
CoC Rating: 0/4. I wasn't sure if there were or were not CoC's in this book. The author describes the skin/hair color of his characters, but saying someone has golden looking and has dark hair doesn't mean anything. See also: white people with tans. This is set in alt-Italy. I fully expect to see swarthy but Caucasian characters. However, it could be that I'm being dense. If there are CoC's and they are who I think they are, then a lot of the best, most prominent ones die.
GLBT Score: 0.
Gender Score: 5. Points awarded for fish fighting gladiator women and uppity whores who take matters into their own hands. Points deducted for lack of major, vital women, though the women, where they appeared, they were fairly well written. One even turns out to be the infamous Spider (leader of the Duke's secret and most feared police), but even that woman doesn't have a tremendously big role. There is one female Gentleman Bastard, but she manages to be off screen not only during the main plot but during all the flashbacks even though Locke is appearently madly in love with her.
13. Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
Basic plotline: There are packs of lycanthropes operating in and around the L.A. area who all have their various schemes. When the female of one of these packs gets involved with a dogcatcher named Anthony and deserts her own pack just as it gets ripped apart by a traitor and a rival, the overlapping schemes of the dogs and people involved really heats up (this is a poor description, but the plot really is complex).
The positives: I liked that this book was unique, in that it was written as an epic poem about werewolves, which is kind of neat and not something I've ever seen before. The poetry was very touching, and I liked that Barlow was able to express many things with few words using this medium. The plot was complex and interweaving, almost too much so, because everything ended up connecting in the end, much like a heist movie or mystery or something. Chilling and touching at the same time, the book is a good examination of a lot of things. Order, dominance, belonging, violence, love, hate, need, sex. All of the things that, oddly enough, are just as part of human life as canine life. The chilling, unresolved ending is also a plus, and will make even the most hardcore dog lover take a second look at Fluffy before they go to bed tonight.
The negatives: The plot was so interwoven, complex, and connected that it got hard to follow. There were a lot of schemes that seemed almost implausible in their intersection. The characters, also, were not as vivid and came across as flat and more like vessels for the story than as real people.
CoC Rating: 7. Points awarded for diversity and a half-Latino main character, as well as many supporting characters of color. Some points deducted for not having enough, and for staying well to the whiter side of California, even though it's a 50-60% Latino/Hispanic state (not sure of the exact figures, but it's somewhere in that range, IIRC) and you'd think that there'd be a mostly Latino/Hispanic cast with some white people instead of the other way around.
GLBT Rating: 4. There is one same-sex couple mentioned in the book. And one of them dies in the end. Surprise, surprise. But there is one line about "so you're saying queer means weird?" that is a bit funny, so a half point awarded for that, making a total of four.
Gender Rating: 4. There were strong female characters, but I wasn't comfortable with the fact that each pack had only one female who's job, apparently, was the screw the boy dogs to make them feel better. Not sure why that is, when dog and wolf packs don't generally operate this way and the author never explained what the purposes of the one-female-per-pack thing was. Also, a lack of examination of the word "bitch" even though it was used somewhat made me a little uncertain about this book.
