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hawkwing_lbBooks 2012: 250-257
250. Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons. Tor, 2013. ARC courtesy of Tor.com.
I really like this book. I mean, I think it's fucking brilliant, mostly because of the voice and the fact that the protagonist is believable as a respectable-pseudo-Victorian lady. Someone (whose name I redact) pointed out in conversation that several pieces of plot progression rely on remarkable coincidences, but with that marvellous voice? I still think it's brilliant. GIVE ME MORE.
Also, the illustrations are also fucking brilliant.
251. Elizabeth Bear, Shattered Pillars. Tor, 2013. ARC courtesy of Tor.com.
It doesn't quite live up to the awesome that was Range of Ghosts - which would hard, as Range of Ghosts was The Best Thing Ever - and I confess I find the Edene... thing... quite confusing at this point in time. (Was I paying enough attention, from within my Cloud Of Woe? Or some elements of Middle Book Diffusion, perhaps?) But very pretty, stunning use of imagery, and the Lung Demon plague was a)horrifying, b)kind of fantastic, and c)did I mention horrifying?
Recommended.
252. Kristin Cashore, Bitterblue. Gollancz, 2012.
I hear someone was complaining over the number of gay people in this book. Well, there's one couple with on-screen interaction, one couple mostly off-screen with a few lines, and one couple mentioned - all of once - as being deceased. This does not seem like a large number for a universe that's never been explicitly defined as homophobic. Particularly since none of these characters are pivotal in any way.
So, about the book itself. It's a fantastic piece of Young Adult fantasy, and deserves to see wide recognition. It does have a distinctly modern sensibility, and I suspect will resonate far more with fourteen-year-olds than it does with me - but I like it lots.
253. Tina Connolly, Ironskin. Tor, 2012. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
The cover copy makes it sound like a pallid homage to Jane Eyre, with fey magic. It is a homage, but a far more interesting and intelligent one than the cover copy makes it sound. Connolly's debut is a very promising one, and her fey are extremely creepy.
254. Kelly McCullough, Crossed Blades. Ace, 2012.
Another entertaining installment in McCullough's Blade series. An old friend re-enters Aral's life in search of help. Death and betrayal follow...
255-257. Ilona Andrews, Fate's Edge, Bayou Moon, Steel's Edge. Ace, various dates.
The latter a review copy courtesy of Tor.com, the former acquired and read for context - so I may judge that Steel's Edge, which I kind of like but won't rave about, is definitely the best of the lot. The other two are fairly formulaic romancey, with insufferable asses as the love interests.
250. Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons. Tor, 2013. ARC courtesy of Tor.com.
I really like this book. I mean, I think it's fucking brilliant, mostly because of the voice and the fact that the protagonist is believable as a respectable-pseudo-Victorian lady. Someone (whose name I redact) pointed out in conversation that several pieces of plot progression rely on remarkable coincidences, but with that marvellous voice? I still think it's brilliant. GIVE ME MORE.
Also, the illustrations are also fucking brilliant.
251. Elizabeth Bear, Shattered Pillars. Tor, 2013. ARC courtesy of Tor.com.
It doesn't quite live up to the awesome that was Range of Ghosts - which would hard, as Range of Ghosts was The Best Thing Ever - and I confess I find the Edene... thing... quite confusing at this point in time. (Was I paying enough attention, from within my Cloud Of Woe? Or some elements of Middle Book Diffusion, perhaps?) But very pretty, stunning use of imagery, and the Lung Demon plague was a)horrifying, b)kind of fantastic, and c)did I mention horrifying?
Recommended.
252. Kristin Cashore, Bitterblue. Gollancz, 2012.
I hear someone was complaining over the number of gay people in this book. Well, there's one couple with on-screen interaction, one couple mostly off-screen with a few lines, and one couple mentioned - all of once - as being deceased. This does not seem like a large number for a universe that's never been explicitly defined as homophobic. Particularly since none of these characters are pivotal in any way.
So, about the book itself. It's a fantastic piece of Young Adult fantasy, and deserves to see wide recognition. It does have a distinctly modern sensibility, and I suspect will resonate far more with fourteen-year-olds than it does with me - but I like it lots.
253. Tina Connolly, Ironskin. Tor, 2012. Copy courtesy of Tor.com.
The cover copy makes it sound like a pallid homage to Jane Eyre, with fey magic. It is a homage, but a far more interesting and intelligent one than the cover copy makes it sound. Connolly's debut is a very promising one, and her fey are extremely creepy.
254. Kelly McCullough, Crossed Blades. Ace, 2012.
Another entertaining installment in McCullough's Blade series. An old friend re-enters Aral's life in search of help. Death and betrayal follow...
255-257. Ilona Andrews, Fate's Edge, Bayou Moon, Steel's Edge. Ace, various dates.
The latter a review copy courtesy of Tor.com, the former acquired and read for context - so I may judge that Steel's Edge, which I kind of like but won't rave about, is definitely the best of the lot. The other two are fairly formulaic romancey, with insufferable asses as the love interests.
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Date: 2012-12-09 01:43 pm (UTC)Ironskin, huh? I had a negative impression of it for some reason. It might or might not have been OH GOD NO, STOP MESSING WITH MY BOOKS YOU IDIOTS, after all of the Jane Austen zombie paranormal telepathic ghost-seeing detective nonsense. But since you say it...
And Bitterblue. I hadn't heard of it, but I might buy it in paper so I can offer it to the school library. That's the biggest problem with ebooks. If I bounce off them, I can't pass them on to somebody who will love them.
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Date: 2012-12-09 05:51 pm (UTC)The Brennan is, I think, probably going to be my favourite book of 2012, barring upsets. I am in love with the voice. With Shattered Pillars, I'm not following the Erem/Edene storyline at all clearly, and I would've enjoyed it more if it had exposited at me just a little more.
If you're offering things to school libraries? Malinda Lo's Adaptation. It's brilliant YA, I think. Bitterblue is a little less brilliant/brilliant in different ways.
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Date: 2012-12-09 06:09 am (UTC)I need to order A Natural History of Dragons.
And I tried, I tried really hard, to read Ironskin. I just kept bouncing off of it hard.
But I'm not a Jane Eyre reader and I think that's what it was. Alas.
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Date: 2012-12-09 12:58 pm (UTC)Tor.com were pretty awesome to send Pillars to me, I think. 'Course, I'm still getting my own copy - it's been on preorder for months now.
(I loved A Natural History of Dragons. Loved loved loved.)