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Books 2015: 73-80
73. David Weber, The Sword of the South. Baen, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher. (Ebook.)
I confess myself astonished to read, after many years, a David Weber novel that isn’t largely composed of technological exposition, talking heads, and battlefield set-pieces. The Sword of the South is a strong throwback to Weber’s Oath of Swords, and opens a new chapter in the story of Bahzell Bahnakson, champion of the war-god of the Light.
Some seventy years have passed since War Maid’s Choice, and the forces of the Dark are moving once again. Arrayed against them, for now? There’s a mysterious red-haired man who’s lost his memory (but who might be a great warleader plucked out of time), a thousand-year-old wizard with uncanny knowledge, a cross-dressing assassin… and Bazhell. We’ve got a good old-fashioned sword and sorcery fetchquest here: go find and reclaim the Object of Power (a sword, natürlich) from the fortress of the Evil Wizard, who’s a pawn of the Even Eviller Wizards across the sea. (And for the first time in a while Weber’s written a villain who strikes one as understandable and even almost admirable in her self-honesty – although I might like her better because she doesn’t go chundering on about politics like most of his previous ones.)
I’ve got a giant soft spot for well-done sword and sorcery, and even though I think the most interesting characters in the whole book were shuffled off to the side very early, this is still a lot of fun. More smashing things! Fewer talking heads! Definitely better than I expected!
74. Django Wexler, The Mad Apprentice. Corgi, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
In addition to writing pretty decent epic fantasy, Wexler is also writing fun, engaging books for the 8-13 set. The Mad Apprentice is a sequel to last year’s enjoyable The Forbidden Library. Alice, apprenticed to a Reader (an almost-immortal magician whose power comes in some peculiar way from books), is sent on a… I suppose it is a quest, along with the apprentices of her master’s allies. Their mission? To find and bring back an apprentice who seems to have killed his own master, and who is now hiding in that master’s stronghold. But the stronghold is a labyrinth, and within it Alice will discover several unpleasant truths.
And fight monsters.
It’s a lot of fun. Definitely worth the read.
75. Max Gladstone, Last First Snow. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for review for Tor.com. Brilliant stuff, as per usual.
76. Carolyn Ives Gilman, Dark Orbit. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for review for Tor.com. Crunchy science fiction with a philosophical bent.
77. Naomi Novik, Uprooted. Macmillan, 2015.
I understand why everyone's gone delirious over this one. It's an utterly marvelous fantasy novel - reminds me of The Goblin Emperor in many ways, although it is a completely different book. Friendship between women! Interesting magic training not-montage! Darkness from THE WOOD! So many good things! (So many exclamation marks when I'm talking about it!)
78. Jane Lindskold, Artemis Invaded. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for column. Meh.
79. Carrie Vaughn, Low Midnight. Tor, 2014. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
Read for column. Quite a bit of fun.
nonfiction
80. Tom Reiss, The Black Count. Vintage, 2013.
A very readable biography of General Alexandre Dumas, father to the author of The Three Musketeers. I would have preferred more Dumas and less about things like the Tennis Court Oath, but I suspect that's because I already have sufficient context for the early stages of the French Revolution to be comfortable going straight in. A good read, but I would have much preferred footnotes to endnotes.
73. David Weber, The Sword of the South. Baen, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher. (Ebook.)
I confess myself astonished to read, after many years, a David Weber novel that isn’t largely composed of technological exposition, talking heads, and battlefield set-pieces. The Sword of the South is a strong throwback to Weber’s Oath of Swords, and opens a new chapter in the story of Bahzell Bahnakson, champion of the war-god of the Light.
Some seventy years have passed since War Maid’s Choice, and the forces of the Dark are moving once again. Arrayed against them, for now? There’s a mysterious red-haired man who’s lost his memory (but who might be a great warleader plucked out of time), a thousand-year-old wizard with uncanny knowledge, a cross-dressing assassin… and Bazhell. We’ve got a good old-fashioned sword and sorcery fetchquest here: go find and reclaim the Object of Power (a sword, natürlich) from the fortress of the Evil Wizard, who’s a pawn of the Even Eviller Wizards across the sea. (And for the first time in a while Weber’s written a villain who strikes one as understandable and even almost admirable in her self-honesty – although I might like her better because she doesn’t go chundering on about politics like most of his previous ones.)
I’ve got a giant soft spot for well-done sword and sorcery, and even though I think the most interesting characters in the whole book were shuffled off to the side very early, this is still a lot of fun. More smashing things! Fewer talking heads! Definitely better than I expected!
74. Django Wexler, The Mad Apprentice. Corgi, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
In addition to writing pretty decent epic fantasy, Wexler is also writing fun, engaging books for the 8-13 set. The Mad Apprentice is a sequel to last year’s enjoyable The Forbidden Library. Alice, apprenticed to a Reader (an almost-immortal magician whose power comes in some peculiar way from books), is sent on a… I suppose it is a quest, along with the apprentices of her master’s allies. Their mission? To find and bring back an apprentice who seems to have killed his own master, and who is now hiding in that master’s stronghold. But the stronghold is a labyrinth, and within it Alice will discover several unpleasant truths.
And fight monsters.
It’s a lot of fun. Definitely worth the read.
75. Max Gladstone, Last First Snow. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for review for Tor.com. Brilliant stuff, as per usual.
76. Carolyn Ives Gilman, Dark Orbit. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for review for Tor.com. Crunchy science fiction with a philosophical bent.
77. Naomi Novik, Uprooted. Macmillan, 2015.
I understand why everyone's gone delirious over this one. It's an utterly marvelous fantasy novel - reminds me of The Goblin Emperor in many ways, although it is a completely different book. Friendship between women! Interesting magic training not-montage! Darkness from THE WOOD! So many good things! (So many exclamation marks when I'm talking about it!)
78. Jane Lindskold, Artemis Invaded. Tor, 2015. Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read for column. Meh.
79. Carrie Vaughn, Low Midnight. Tor, 2014. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
Read for column. Quite a bit of fun.
nonfiction
80. Tom Reiss, The Black Count. Vintage, 2013.
A very readable biography of General Alexandre Dumas, father to the author of The Three Musketeers. I would have preferred more Dumas and less about things like the Tennis Court Oath, but I suspect that's because I already have sufficient context for the early stages of the French Revolution to be comfortable going straight in. A good read, but I would have much preferred footnotes to endnotes.
