Glory Days

This is a bit of a retro post – going back to a book published in 2005 – but I feel compelled to pound out a short note.  Early in June, I read a wonderful, little novella by Brandon Sanderson called “The Emperor’s Soul”:

http://booksofbrian.com/on-the-nightstand-the-emperors-soul-6-23-2018/

It was my first chance to read anything by Sanderson and I really enjoyed it – his writing style, his characters, the world he created – it was a brief but intense pleasure.  I also mentioned in the post – having enjoyed “The Emperor’s Soul” as much as I had – that I planned to go back to his debut and see what he was like at the beginning.  Since I’d finished everything on my June Release List plus a bit more – I did just that and wanted to take the chance to finish out the trip.

First – and I caveat this by acknowledging that I haven’t experienced much of his work – I suspect that anyone who goes back to this book after reading Sanderson’s later work will notice a difference.  It’s not as tight as it should be – he dawdles a bit with his narrative – some of the content and some of his characters are a bit cliched – the ultimate reveal was a bit obvious to me early on in the story – there are too many red herrings and plot cul-de-sacs.  Still – I have to say it was fun and, for a lengthy book, it was a relatively fast read.  One of the reasons it went quickly was because this isn’t the type of book that compelled me to focus and pay attention to each word – a reflection of some of the earlier criticisms – but that really hurt the experience for me.

Sanderson has a novel concept and he writes into it in a very engaging way.  What really shines through and what I think I enjoyed is the way Sanderson’s two protagonists – Raoden and Sarene – are so unavoidably endearing.  They just ooze goodness in everything they do – Sanderson obviously wanted them both to reflect an uncompromising decency, courage and heroism and he was thoroughly successful.  As they develop and grow, you can’t help but root for them and want them to win.  While some might find them a bit too sugary sweet – it didn’t bother me – I’m a sucker for a true good guy or girl.

I actually found one of Sanderson’s secondary characters – Galladon – to be more effectively constructed and more interesting.  His worldliness and cynicism were a welcome counter to Raoden’s purity.  While he was a bit cliched – I also enjoyed his antagonist – Hrathen – a conflicted villain trying to do as little bad as he could – one who eventually finds redemption.

Overall, I’m very glad “The Emperor’s Soul” led me to Elantris.  It was an impressive enough debut – even with the small blemishes – that I feel like I have to move on to his “Stormlight Archives”.  If nothing else, my sis won’t be able to shake her head at me any more about not having experienced Sanderson’s works. 🙂

This is going to be a shorter post – not because the book deserves few words – but because I’ve already created so many opportunities in so many other posts to praise this series by Yoon Ha Lee. To be brief and to the point, these books – “Ninefox Gambit”, “Raven Stratagem” and “Revenant Gun” – stand out alongside Ann Leckie’s “Imperial Radch” series as the best, most innovative science fiction I’ve read in years.

Both series have been recognized with Hugo and Nebula Award nominations and have received their share of critical praise – which should reassure any fans of the genre that this isn’t just one of my quirky affections. For me personally – at my age and given the amount of science fiction I’ve read over the course of the last fifty years – I have to say that it’s exceptionally rare to find new work that can do all of the following: 1) provide me with a radically different vision of the future of humanity and human society, 2) do that within the boundaries of a truly engaging narrative, 3) delivered via really, really good writing. In my opinion, these books do all three in an exceptionally satisfying way. They represent instant SF classics that people will be reading for many years to come.

One note – these two authors make different but equally compelling choices as they evolve their narratives over the course of three books. Ann Leckie begins big – with a series starter set on a galactic scale – wrestling with a narrative that involve imperial politics and macro-level societal change. She then goes small and sets her two subsequent volumes on a single planet within that Empire and writes about related issues but on a micro-scale. Lee actually starts his series on a smaller stage – focused on a single military campaign but he does so in a way that helps you develop a solid understanding of the incredibly novel and extremely complex society which he’s created. Lee then goes big and moves his narrative onto a much larger stage involving multiple worlds and increasingly complex story lines. Both authors make these choices work extremely well and leave you extremely satisfied by the end of their third books.

Having said that – were I forced to choose between the two – and thank goodness that I’m not – I would probably go with Lee’s “Machineries Of Empire”. As much as I enjoyed Leckie’s three books – given how BIG Breq (her protagonist) became in that first “Imperial Radch” novel – I couldn’t help but feel that Leckie had placed him in too small a box with books two and three. Nothing could be further from the truth with respect to Lee’s “Machineries”. He starts with an expanse concept and it just kept getting bigger.

Short to long – if you claim to be a Science Fiction enthusiast and you haven’t read this series – shame on you. Clear your TBR list, move these books to the top and settle in for hours of challenging but rewarding reading. They are that good. Once you’re done with Lee – if you haven’t already done so – then move right along to Leckie. I’m sure you’ll thank yourself for doing so.

Have a Great Weekend.

PS: The final sentence in Lee’s “Revenant Gun” relating to Jedao delivers an intriguing hint that he may not be finished with this universe just yet. I can only hope. 😀

**Spoiler Alert**

When I was about 9 years old, our family set out on one of those typically American road trip summer vacations. The plan was to drive from El Paso, TX, to the Grand Canyon in AZ – no small ambition on the part of my parents given multiple days trapped in a car with 3 children between the ages of 9 and 5. The only thing that made it manageable were the stops along the way – Gila National Forest, White Sand National Park and – most amazing to me – Carlsbad Caverns. As stunning as the Grand Canyon was – and it’s something everyone should see – I think Carlsbad Caverns actually left me with the most lasting impression.

In particular, there’s a feature within the cave complex called The Bottomless Pit which – at the time – kind of freaked me out. Of course, there’s nothing bottomless about it – I think it only goes down about 150 feet – but that’s not information you can find anywhere on the touristy guide plaques and it left my young, overly imaginative self wondering just how deep into the Earth it went and what one might find at the bottom of The Bottomless Pit. It’s silly – I know – but I’ve always hauled that sensitivity to deep, dark places around with me and – depending on your perspective – that makes them either the best or the worst setting for a horror story.

As I said in my review of “Ararat”, Horror really is not my genre and it rarely winds up on my nightstand. In this case, I saw a review for the book from FanFiAddict and I was intrigued enough to put it onto my June Releases list. Where Ararat turned out to be a disappointment – little to no creep factor – you can probably guess, given my feelings about subterranean settings, that this one truly worked for me.

Take about 100 people – mostly terrified, ordinary folk – and trap them in a subway station sitting deep under the Hudson River with thousands of flesh eating monsters who are every bit as formidable as the monster in “Alien” and you’re going to give me chills. It punched all my “creep” buttons and was, in that respect – the one thing a horror novel HAS to do – thoroughly satisfying.

I had a few small quibbles: 1) the two main protagonists – the Mayor of New York and The President of the United States – were a bit caricatured, 2) love interest #1 wasn’t particularly well handled – of course the Mayor and his wife went into the story with a broken relationship that was healed through a brave and hair-raising rescue, 3) love interest #2 was also a bit silly – of course the one noble, selfless paladin in the story sacrificed himself saving all those slightly less worthy, 4) why in the world was a Nazi backstory introduced into the plot – because, as one of the characters comments, it always involves “those guys” and because you need a hook for the second book in the series and, finally, 5) why should I believe the suggestion in the final pages of the book that a disgraced, middle-aged, former Mayor of New York City, a heroic female NYPD SWAT Officer and a former NY Transit System Engineer are capable of traveling to Europe and taking on a shadowy, multi-national organization capable of subverting national governments and disappearing Heads of State.

Even with all that – the creep factor, the action and the quality of the writing were more than enough – I really enjoyed the story and I burned through it. I don’t know that I’d pick a subsequent entry – I suspect that my quibbles would probably kill it for me. This one worked, though – well enough so that it’ll be in the back of my head the next time I hop onto a subway.

Thanks to FanFiAddict for a good recommendation and a fun read.

“Missed It By That Much”

Maxwell Smart

**Spoiler Alert**

This is the second time I’ve used that Maxwell Smart quote this month and it’s going to be for similar reasons.  I’ve just returned home from a three day trip – during which I was able to make a lot of progress on my June releases – finished this one, finished “Awakened” and have a few chapters left in “Revenant Gun”.  I’m going to try and get reviews out for all three and finish with a quick vanity post inspired by something I saw on “Morgana’s Book Box” that featured reading nooks.

I have to start by saying that just about everyone seems to love this book.  It’s hard to find a negative review and those I have found seem fixated on the amount of profanity and sex / sexual banter the author throws at you.  I don’t have a problem there.  The characters in this book lead hard lives in a hard land and death is a daily event.  If the profanity, sex and sexual banter weren’t there – I’d begin to wonder why.

I’ve read a lot of reviews that describe this as a bit of a tribute to “Sons Of Anarchy” – I wouldn’t know.  Never watched the show and I’ve never understood the appeal that motorcycles have for some people.  Having said that, the society that French creates with the Hoofs – the bloody, male-dominated, warrior culture – is a fascinating one and there’s plenty there for a grimdark enthusiast to appreciate.

I don’t have any significant criticisms of the book – I did really enjoy it.  It’s well-written – French creates a dirty, brutal world in the Lots that you enjoy getting to know.  For the most part, it’s well-paced – the narrative pulls you right along.  There are plenty of intriguing characters – particularly the Jack/Oats/Fetch triumvirate.  I’m just not one of those reviewers trumpeting its sheer “awesomeness”.

The book truly shines in the first half – from the opening scene at Sancho’s brothel to the first leadership vote.  For me, the book was at it’s best here – getting to know the Grey Bastards, their way of life, the way the Hoof was organized and run.  It was hard to put the book down during this part of the story.

It became a little less compelling during the second half – once Jack is out of the Hoof and learning more about the world outside the Lots and the backstory of how things came to be.  It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it – the narrative just lost some of the visceral power that came with life inside the Hoof.  I would have been perfectly happy with a book that kept me with the Hoof and within the Lots.  Once you’re outside that small but fascinating world, it became less unique and slightly less special.

Still – all was good enough until French decided to finish the narrative with two developments that – for me – just didn’t sit well.  The first was the Hoof’s decision to go out in a blaze of glory – ten riders deciding to charge a party of 200+ orcs – and then have them saved by a last minute arrival of the Tines.  Fine…but it felt a bit contrived to me and I couldn’t help but think there might have been a better way.  The second was the elevation of Fetch to Chief.  In doing so, the Grey Bastards basically jumped past three logical candidates for Chieftain – Warbler, Jack and Oats – and went for someone who – from the perspective of tradition – would have been the least likely choice.  It’s not that I didn’t like Fetch as a character – she was fascinating and a great part of the book.  It’s just that French gave us nothing about the Grey Bastards during any part of the story that would suggest a willingness or ability on the part the Grey Bastards to make that kind of break with their past.  Jack was the center of the story from page one – his journey and his growth as a character left him ready and able – and his leadership during the final climactic battle all left him prepared to assume the mantle of leader.  To snatch that away in the final couple of pages and drop it onto the shoulders of the character least likely to rise to the role in all too many ways – just didn’t seem right.

Don’t get me wrong – great concept, great read, deserving of plenty of praise.  I just felt a tiny bit let down when I turned the final page.

As I think back across the month, I’ve read 4 books that more or less fall into the grimdark category – three of which have been debuts:

• The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
• The Traitor God by Cameron Johnston
• Blackwing by Ed McDonald

And one by a previously published author:

• The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French

Here’s how I see them breaking out – at least for me – you can check my reviews for additional perspective.

“The Poppy War” was an enjoyable book but it was broken in too many ways.  It’s not one I’d recommend, I regret having purchased it and I won’t continue with future installments should the author continue the series.

Both “The Traitor God” and “The Grey Bastards” were fine reads – very well done.  I enjoyed them both, I’m very glad to have purchased and I will continue with the series as the author continues to write.  I just felt there were a few problems with books – largely involving the conclusions – that kept them from achieving their full potential.

“Blackwing” stands out about all the others – an exceptionally well written book and a fascinating story.  This one did get there for me in every way and I can’t wait for McDonald to bring us his next installment.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve missed Harry Dresden. I picked up “Storm Front” in 2000 when it was first released and was immediately hooked. Over the course of 15 years and 15 books, I gradually fell in love not just with Harry but with every odd-ball member of his extended family – Karin Murphy, his Chicago Police Lieutenant friend – Bob, his skull bound “Spirit of Intellect” sidekick – Thomas, his White Court Half Brother Vampire – Molly Carpenter, his apprentice, aka Grasshopper or Palawan – Michael Carpenter, Molly’s father and a Knight of the Cross – Gentleman Johnny Marcone, the ruthless and oddly principled leader of the Chicago Underworld – Mouse, Harry’s dog – and Waldo Butters, the polka loving, computer gaming, closet-nerd Chicago Coroner who ultimately takes up Fidelacchius, which manifests for him as a Light Sabre, and enters into service as the newest and oddest of the three Knights of the Cross. I read a lot – I’ve read so many good books and so many good, extended series – and I can honestly say – with the possible exception of Steven Brust’s “Vlad Taltos” books – that no collection of stories and no collection of characters has brought me more joy than “The Dresden Files”. I even tried very hard to like the crushingly mediocre TV adaptation that was released a decade ago.

Every new “Dresden Files” release is – for me – cause for celebration. I buy them the day they’re available and I read them the day they arrive. In addition to the humor they deliver, the extremely well constructed supernatural universe that exists side by side with our own mundane world, the quality of the mystery at the heart of every story – the books are about heroes – and not just super-charged practitioners of magic – but mundane, normal, human heroes like Karin and Butters who still find a way to face fear, confront evil, loyally serve and ultimately triumph. They’re also about both friends and family and the strength that comes those critical relationships. I see a fair number of posts by my fellow bloggers asking the question – what fictional world would you choose to live in if you could. For me – there are only three – Harry Dresden’s Chicago, Vlad Taltos’ Adrilankha and – of course – Middle Earth. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than be a member of Harry’s posse.

Having said all that – I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to a bit of concern when this book was released. Butcher’s last full length Dresden File novel – “Skin Game” – was released three years ago in 2015. I’ve been expecting the next installment for quite some time and was starting to wonder whether Butcher was getting tired of Harry or if he’d written himself into a corner and couldn’t write himself out. When “Brief Cases” – a short story collection – was announced, those worries started to intensify and while I went into the book with hope intact – I was also prepared to be disappointed.

I really shouldn’t have worried. While this was a different experience, while the first story in the collection was a bit of a disappointment, while three of the stories had already been released in a short publication called “Working For Bigfoot” – I have to say I loved the book and I loved it for two reasons. First – it gave me some really enjoyable short pieces about several members of Harry’s crew – a great story about Johnny Marcone that helps you understand why we like him in spite of the life he leads, an interesting story about Molly that filled in some narrative holes between “Changes” and “Ghost Story”, a second very good story about Molly that shows her beginning to grow into her role as the new Winter Lady of the Unseelie Court and a very fun story about Butters and the first time he’s called to serve as a Knight of the Court. If you are – as I am – a true and devoted baseball fan – you won’t help but be able to love the story about the Cubs World Series Curse. Finally, it all came together beautifully in the end with Zoo Day – the story that shows Harry grappling for the first time with the challenges of parenthood. I went in wondering what I would find. I ended with a huge smile on my face after reading a book that was all about family and how it sits at the center of all we are.

One final element of the book that I really enjoyed – Butcher prefaced every story with a brief prologue that allowed him to explain his love for the characters he’d developed, how they’d come to be and/or what he was attempting to do with his narrative. I’ve never taken the time to read anything from Butcher about his own writing and what was propelling him and I found these short prologues to be both entertaining and insightful – in a way that left me loving the stories and the characters that much more.

I’m still anxiously awaiting his next Dresden novel but this was more than enough to tide me over.

Thank you Jim – for a great day and for making that flight much shorter than it otherwise would have been. 😀

I’m kind of kicking myself right now because I found this wonderful little story via a review and recommendation by someone from the WordPress community and I can’t – for the life of me – remember who it was.  I normally like to call out anyone who’s made a recommendation that turns into a wonderful read and I just can’t this time.  Whoever you were, my very sincere thanks.

I’ve never read Brandon Sanderson and I’m not sure how that’s happened.  He seems to be very well regarded and he’s certainly been successful.  My sister loves him and swears by “The Stormlight Archive” – some of her favorite books.   So…Sis – this one’s for you.  If you haven’t read this book – go download it to your e-reader and give it a try.  It’s a novella – little over 100 pages – it’s a quick read that you’ll finish in an hour and a half with your morning coffee before the rest of the house gets moving – and I think you’ll really enjoy it.

I was really impressed by how much Sanderson was able to accomplish in so few pages.  He managed to define four really interesting characters – Shai, the forger – Gaotono and Frava, the Arbiters – even Ashravan, the Emperor, despite the fact that he’s lying in a coma until the final few pages of the book.  He presented an interesting system of government in enough detail to make it real.  He constructed a pretty novel system of magic that he rooted in a real life experience (side note – if you pick this up, make sure to read the Postscript and the Acknowledgement as they provide both Sanderson’s thoughts on inspiration and his source for this story).  He constructed a very active narrative that grabs you early, moves you along and never really lets you go.  Finally, he serves up a beautifully hopeful story about the nature of art, redemption through second chances and the subtlety of human connection.  I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend a brief hour and a half of your life.

I’ve never spent much time reading novellas – always gravitated to novels – enjoying the room they gave authors to create, develop and play with their world, their story and their characters.  I have to say that my reading this year is really forcing me to re-evaluate – both this book and the two novellas in “The Murderbot Diaries” that I’ve had the pleasure of devouring.  I can see how how much harder it probably is for an author to craft a truly enjoyable tale in a very short format.  Every chapter and every sequence of the narrative has to matter.  There’s no room for misses.  Sanderson does an exemplary job in this respect with “The Emperor’s Soul”.

On top of both the challenge and potential reward of the format, publishers are putting some of these stories out in beautifully bound editions.  I really enjoyed this edition’s size – it fits comfortably in your hand the way a full length hardcover novel never does – and the cover art was really elegant.  This is a purchase I’d recommend for collectors and I’m glad it’s now on my shelf.

The final bit of good news – I enjoyed this so much that I’ve gone back and ordered Sanderson’s debut novel – “Elantris”.  If I enjoy it as much as I did “The Emperor’s Soul”, I’ll be moving right along to “The Stormlight Archive”.  See Sis – there’s hope for me yet. 🙂