Book Reivew: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive #2)
Author: Brandon Sanderson 
Genre: Epic Fantasy 
Publisher: Tor Books (US), Gollancz (UK)
Date Published: March 2014
Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Blurb (from Goodreads):
In the first volume, we were introduced to the remarkable world of Roshar, a world both alien and magical, where gigantic hurricane-like storms scour the surface every few days and life has adapted accordingly. Roshar is shared by humans and the enigmatic, humanoid Parshendi, with whom they are at war. Among those caught up in the conflict are Highprince Dalinar Kholin, who leads the human armies; his neice Jasnah, a renowned scholar; her student Shallan, a brilliant but troubled young woman; and Kaladin, a military slave who, by the book’s end, was beginning to become the first magically endowed Knight Radiant in centuries.

In Words of Radiance their intertwined stories will continue and, as Sanderson fans have come to expect, develop in unexpected, wonderfully surprising directions. The war with the Parshendi will move into a new, dangerous phase, as Dalinar leads the human armies deep into the heart of the Shattered Plains in a bold attempt to finally end it. Shallan will come along, hoping to find the legendary, perhaps mythical, city of Urithuru, which Jasnah believes holds a secret vital to mankind’s survival on Roshar. The Parshendi take a dangerous step to strengthen themselves for the human challenge, risking the return of the fearsome Voidbringers of old. To deal with it all, Kaladin must learn how to fulfill his new role, while mastering the powers of a Windrunner.


Why I read it: I’m a big fan of Sanderson’s work, so I was always going to get around to his new book eventually. But I ended up finishing it sooner rather than later because my brother also just finished reading this one, and I wanted to discuss it with him.

My review:

I should start this review by admitting my (not-very-guilty and not-very-secret) preference of stand-alone novels to long series. This is something that definitely impacted my enjoyment of this book, for while the second book of the Stormlight Archive has a strong plot, there’s also a lot of setup – manoeuvring characters into situations that don’t seem to matter now, but presumably will in later instalments.

The Way of Kings featured Kaladin as its central protagonist, and I was looking forward to his chapters most. Here, Words of Radiance doesn’t disappoint. The former bridgeman gets some nice growth in this novel, while remaining the wilful character I loved from book one. His dislike of lighteyes combined with his new-found proximity to them was especially fun to read.

However, it is Shallen – a fairly minor character from the first book – who takes centre-stage in this novel. She comes into her own while travelling across the Shattered Plains; once there, she navigates lighteyed politics and her proposed betrothal with entertaining competence and wit. Watching her get her flirt on was great (although the shippy scenes made me yearn for some queer romance. Given Sanderson’s views on homosexuality, this seems unlikely). 

Also, the scene where Kaladin and Shallen first meet is a gem. I won’t spoil it for you, but it was hilarious.

There are other things that I liked about this book - there are some unexpected twists and epic fights, all described in Sanderson’s workmanlike prose. But I was pretty disappointed with the magic system. Simply put, I don’t really understand it. The role of spren remains unclear, as do the many uses of stormlight. Don’t even get me started on fabrials and soulcasting! I don’t think Sanderson is making it up as he goes along; I'd be surprised if he didn't have it all mapped out. I just wish we could find out now, and not several books down the line.

All in all – a good book, not a great one. I’ll read the next, but I won’t go crazy waiting for it.


The Cover: Gotta admit that I'm not a fan of either cover. The British one is boring! Oversized sun, generic warrior... yawn. The US one is better, simply for the textures (although I'm not too keen on the old-fashioned style). But my main problem is that Words of Radiance is Shallen's book - would it be so hard to feature her on the cover?

Book Review: The Seeing Stone by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Title: The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles #2)
Authors: Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Date Published: 1st May 2003
Ranking: 3 out of 5 stars

Why I read it: I was searching for a novel for one of my ESL classes. A lot of my students like fantasy books, so I thought this might suit. (Also, I’ve read some of Holly Black’s YA novels and liked them.)

Review: 

What can I say about this book? I liked it, certainly. It’s a sweet little novel, telling the story of two kids (James, the protagonist, and Mallory, his acerbic older sister) who venture into the forest surrounding their house. Goblins have stolen away their brother Simon, but they intend to rescue him back.

As a fantasy nerd, I liked the faeries – there are brownies who speak entirely in rhyme, a water troll afraid of sunlight, and a pack of devious goblins. They’re all brilliantly described and the accompanying illustrations are beautiful. And as a teacher, I appreciated the easy, elegant prose. The authors use a lot of vocabulary that is probably unfamiliar to students reading at this level (forlorn, menagerie, crumbling, skittered, etc.) but it’s always clear from the context what is meant. They also manage to keep their sentence structure simple.

My main quibble with the book was Mallory’s secondary role. She’s the older sister; she should have been leading the group! But I think this is a problem more with middle grade fiction as a whole (unless specifically aimed at girls, the protagonist always seems to be male) than something that is wrong with this book in particular.

For those with kids (or a class full of restless Grade 4s) – this is a lovely read. Definitely recommended.

Cover: What's not to love here? It's simple, whimsical and fay - just like the book, really.

Book Review: Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Title: Deathless
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Genre: Fantasy
Date Published: 29th March 2011
Publisher: Tor Books
Ranking: 3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation

Why I read it: I thought I was fairly well-read when it comes to mythology. Reading The Secret History of Moscow last year made me realise I wasn’t, so I searched for more novels inspired by Russian myth and discovered Deathless. It’s been on my TBR pile ever since.

My Review:

I’m not quite sure what to think of Valente’s Deathless. It’s a feminist retelling of a classic tale, this time set in the Soviet Union under Stalin. Sounds fascinating, right? And it was, at least to start – after the first half of the book, I found myself increasing disinterested. The writing was stunning, but the plot kept floundering. 

Part one begins with Marya’s childhood, balancing history and myth extremely well. Marya sees her older sisters married off to birds, one by one, in a passage that could be lifted straight from a fairytale. However, the long pale house she inhabits is firmly settled in Russia – right down to the committee of domovye (house elves) that are fervent supporters of the changing world, and revel in their new-found ability to make trouble via paperwork.

Later in the novel, Koschei spirits Marya away to his realm. I loved the setting here. We see forests of firebirds, fountains of blood, houses constructed of living skin, magic galore, and of course the ever-present influence of the Party. There is also Marya and Koschei’s compelling relationship to enjoy: dark and passionate, with strong S&M elements. It’s rare to see such relationships represented well (or at all) in fiction, and I especially liked how the dominant partner shifted back and forth throughout the novel.

And yet.

As the book progresses, it becomes clear that there’s no overarching theme to the parts. Marya grows older – something I appreciated, as she is portrayed as a formidable yet flawed woman. Yet her days fly by with Koschei, with Ivan, with herself, her sisters, her house. She is buffeted by historical events. There is a war, including the grim Siege of Leningrad. And there is still magic. But the power of the novel seemed to slip away, and at times, the lack of plot tempted me to give up on it entirely. (I’m glad I didn’t, if only for the writing.)

Basically? This was a great novel with significant flaws.

The Cover: Surprisingly, I don't have much to say about this one. Aside from that it's well designed and representative of the novel, and I like it.

Book Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Superhero

Published: By Gollancz in the UK and Random House in the US, both in 2013.

 

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Why I read it:

My brother (who is a huge Brandon Sanderson fan) bought it for me for my birthday.

Thoughts:

My guilty geek secret: I don’t really like comic books. I watched The Avengers, sure. But I’ve never been excited by the source material. So when I realised Sanderson’s latest novel was a superhero one, I almost didn’t read it. However, a 12 hour flight from Auckland-Hong Kong & minimal battery on my Kindle pushed me to finish it in one setting – and I’m very glad I did. Because this book is fun. 

Like always, Sanderson excels at worldbuilding. The universe he creates is beautifully atmospheric. We have a steel city bathed in everlasting night, where tyrannical “Epics” preside over a hopeless underclass. Fashion for the rich has regressed to a style reminiscent of 1920s America. Old-fashioned lanterns are hung from fused light bulbs, because of course electrical fittings were destroyed when Chicago was turned to steel. And beneath the city, there are the understreets: winding steel catacombs that house beggars and the Reckoners, a rebel cell aiming to topple the current government. 

Seriously, this book is begging to be made into a movie. 

The main character was David, an absurdly lucky teenager driven by vengeance. Obsessed by guns and bad metaphors, he studied the Epics and their weaknesses for years. To be honest, I thought the information he collected (details about the Epic’s magic systems, as clever as any of Sanderson’s other magic systems) was much more interesting than the character himself. Another central figure was Megan: a stereotypical badass, oozing sex appeal. I found the relationship between David and Megan puzzling – why would a woman that ‘perfect’ have time for a reckless teenage runaway? Other side characters were better, but also slightly one dimensional. 

Still, the fast-paced plot (and the setting! Oh the setting!) more than made up for the characters. Not to mention that the ending was action-packed, including a couple of well-telegraphed twists that were a pleasure to read. In conclusion? This was a very entertaining novel, and not just one for superhero devotees.

The Cover:

The British cover – meh. It shows the city from the distance, but you can’t tell that it’s steel (one of the most interesting things about it). The figure in the middle just screams superhero too; a definite turn-off for me, as I’ve never enjoyed comic books. The American cover has more personality. Sparks flying from a ripped-open steel wall, dramatic lighting, hints of the everlasting night. Although I don’t know who the central figure is meant to be – surely not our nerdy protagonist?

Book Review: Feast of Souls by Celia Friedman

Name: Feast of Souls

Author: Celia Friedman

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Notes: Published in 2007 by Orbit in the UK and Daw Books in the USA. I bought the British paperback edition.

In the High Kingdom of Danton Aurelius, magisters from across the known world are gathering for an unusual meeting. The King’s son is dying of an apparently incurable wasting disease, and he has charged them with providing an explanation and a cure.

There is a mystery here, but not the one the High King thinks. The magisters know the cause of the prince’s illness but they dare not reveal it for fear that it will expose the secret at the heart of their order. The mystery is not what is responsible, but who…

 

Why I read it:

I bought this on a whim, really. I’d never heard of Celia Friedman, but her book had a nice blurb from Tad Williams (whose books I like) and the prologue seemed interesting.

My Review:

Imagine a world where there are two types of magic users. The first are witches. Male and female both, witches use their own life source – their soul fire – to cast spells. Small sorceries cost witches mere minutes of their lifetime, while larger undertakings might cost days or even years. Only the Magisters can use magic freely. An immortal order of mages, by tradition male-only, they fuel their sorcery by siphoning the soulfire of others.

It’s a great premise, right? I actually think it’s one of the best things about this book. I loved the idea of vampiric mages. Drawn to novelty, incredibly learned, and dabbling in politics to pass the years, they’re compelling figures. Indeed, several of the main characters are Magisters – but ­­Friedman never lets us forget the callous choice they make every day: to kill others so they can live. The Magisters also stand out as the most original part of a book populated with fairly typical fantasy archetypes; of course there’s nothing wrong with noble princes, insane kings, dashing magicians and tomboy heroines, but I’ve seen them all before.

The most ‘dark’ thing about this book is the setting. Sexism permeates everything. At one stage a female character is raped, and even sympathetic characters use unpleasant gendered language. (“Forgive me, my fierce little whore.” Ummmmm, what?!) It almost made me stop reading, although in hindsight I’m glad I didn’t. There are also hints of homophobia – although no outed queers – and it’s obvious that peasants suffer under the magical feudal system. It’s a depressing backdrop for a story, although Friedman puts it to good use. At least not all the characters were white. 

Still, there were a lot of positives about this book. Kamala, an ex-prostitute and survivor to the core, is a brilliant protagonist.  I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at some of her sections – because of course she hates dresses and feels the urge to monologue about it – but on the whole her quest to become the world’s first female Magister was a compelling one, especially given what a dubious moral choice it is. There is also a looming battle against the “Souleaters”: vicious dragon-like creatures reemerging out of legend and leaving destruction in their wake, creatures that even the Magisters are ill-equipped to deal with. I’m expecting big things from Book 3. 

Bascially? This was a great novel. I can’t wait to finish the trilogy.

Cover Commentary:

I don’t mind the British cover. Yes, it’s slightly boring. But the colours go well together and the castle is nicely drawn, although I’ve no idea why they the publishers decided to overlay the building with elven-esque writing. It’s certainly a damn sight better than the American cover, which for some reason has dragonfly wings framing an underdressed and sexualized Kamala. It’s a horrible portrayal of a character that 1) is repeatedly described as unfeminine and masquerades as a boy for most of the novel, and 2) is a former prostitute who loathes her former life. 

Book Review: Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

Title: Earth Girl

Author: Janet Edwards 
Genre: Science-fiction, Young Adult
Notes: Published in 2012 by Harper Collins in the UK & Pyr in the USA. 

 
2788. Only the handicapped live on Earth. Eighteen-year-old Jarra is among the one in a thousand people born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Sent to Earth at birth to save her life, she has been abandoned by her parents. She can’t travel to other worlds, but she can watch their vids, and she knows all the jokes they make. She’s an “ape,” a “throwback,” but this is one ape girl who won’t give in.

Jarra makes up a fake military background for herself and joins a class of norms who are on Earth for a year of practical history studies excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities. She wants to see their faces when they find out they’ve been fooled into thinking an ape girl was a norm. She isn’t expecting to make friends with the enemy, to risk her life to save norms, or to fall in love.

Why I read it

It got a very nice review over at The Book Smugglers and I thought the premise sounded interesting. Also, the UK cover is gorgeous and I am a shallow bookworm. 

Thoughts

For the handicapped, the universe is restrictive. They’re tied to one planet rather than being able to portal to others. (I imagine this feels like being confined to your hometown for your entire life.) To make things worse, most were given up by their birth families, and all are constantly mocked by offworld “norms”. Enter Jarra, the main character of Earth Girl. She’s handicapped, and understandably bitter about that fact. However, a love of history and a desire to escape lead her to enroll in an off-world history course – one she can attend for the first year only, as it takes place on Earth. 

I thought Jarra was an excellent character. Her bitterness at being handicapped felt very real to me, but it never overshadowed her drive to succeed or her love of history, other core aspects of her personality. Other reviews have called her a Mary Sue, but I disagree. It’s true she initially outshines the others on her course, but this is understandable: thanks to her disability, she’s had amateur experience at Earth dig-sites, and is a history-nerd to boot. My only complaint was the reason why Jarra kept her identify secret for so long. I won’t spoil the book, but I feel like the ending glossed over the ramifications of this choice. Hopefully it’ll be better addressed in the sequel.   

Jarra’s classmates were an entertaining bunch. They’re a diverse group hailing from every sector in the galaxy, providing steady subplots of gossip, friendship and romance. I thought the sexual Betans were particularly well-drawn. Karth, a foil for Jarra rather than a person in himself, was the only character I found frustrating. He was described as suspicious of the military, thanks to his left-wing conspiracy theorist of a father. Fair enough. But he was also most bigoted norm of the course (again courtesy of his “left-wing” father). How does that make sense? I think it would have been better to split the character into two, and give each more complexity.  

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a clever YA novel that pairs a bitter and capable teenage protagonist with excellent worldbuilding, and absolutely deserves all the hype it’s been getting. 

The Cover

I love the English cover. The combination of colours and the font are stunning, and I’m not surprised that this is the image the author used for her blog. The American one, on the other hand, makes the novel look like a handbook for young environmentalists. I really don’t understand why the strident, capable Jarra was portrayed so passively here, or why she’s hugging the Earth that gives her so much pain. It doesn’t fit the tone of the book at all.