The Gentleman by Forrest Leo Genre: fantasy, I guess? I read it as a(n): audiobook Narrator: Samuel Roukin and John Keating Length: 7:56:00 Her Grace’s rating: 4 stars
Imagine you are a writer. Maybe not a super successful one, maybe not the very best one, but a writer all the same. You make words on the page and sell them and people buy them and at least some of those people enjoy them and are eager to read the next words you put on the page and sell. You love what you do but then you discover that you’re broke and so you decide to find a lady and marry her just for her money. This effectively kills your muse and you don’t write for months. Then, during a dinner party you didn’t want to host, you accidentally sell your new wife to the devil – the Gentleman in question – and then, to your horror, discover that you actually are in love with her and now you have to go on a mission to get her back.
This is what happens to Lionel Savage, broke peer of the realm, mediocre poet, and failed but besotted husband. The book is told through Lionel’s essay on the adventure, with footnotes added by his editor (and cousin-by-marriage), Hubert Lancaster, who is possibly the best character in the book besides Simmons the butler.
If you are looking for a book that challenges your deeply-held beliefs or is a philosophical exploration on the mysteries of love, inspiration, and family dynamics, this is absolutely not the book for you! If you want a pseudo-Victorian historical fiction filled with duels, flying machines, secret societies, a soft-spoken Devil who uses Dante as a gardener, literary snobbery by one of the characters, derring-do, brutal British wit, and general madcap adventure in the vein os Pratchett, Wilde, or Wodehouse, then step right up!
I haven’t laughed this hard at a book since the last Scalzi I read.
Flights of Treason (Tesha #4) by Judith Starkston Genre: historical fantasy I read it as a(n): digital ARC Length: 522 pp Her Grace’s rating: 5 stars
Flights of Treason, the 4th and final book in Judith Starkston’s Tesha historical fantasy series, takes place about 3 years after the end of book 3, Of Kings and Griffins. Queen Tesha of Alpara and her husband, King Hattu, are facing off against Hattu’s corrupt and incompetent nephew, Great King Urhi. Adding to this already tense political situation is the fact that Traj, one of the griffin cubs from the previous book, has been lured to Hattusa where he was bound with evil magic and nearly killed. The griffin king is enraged by the harm to his son and vows to kill the sorceror who hurt Traj. Unfortunately, that sorceror appears to be Tesha and Hattu’s 4-year-old daughter, Arinnel. Magic, demons, griffins, and more converge into this exciting final novel in the Tesha series!
I loved this book so much! In the spirit of full transparency, Judith is a friend of mine. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this was an awesome read. The characters all have a great deal of growth throughout this book as well as the series overall. Tesha has tremendous guilt about her magic, which is powerful, but she refuses to use it to its full potential because of the inadvertent damage it did to Arinnel in the womb. (For that story, you’ll need to read book 2, Sorcery in Alpara.) Tesha tries to do what she can to help without using magic, and she has to work through her feelings of guilt and fear to become the queen she needs to be. Her reluctance to use her magic causes some tension with Hattu, particularly when it comes to using it to force his nephew, Urhi, to become a better king. I liked this because it felt like an actual issue that causes couples to get mad at each other in real life. It wasn’t Big Drama, it wasn’t hugely emotional or a cause to worry that Tesha and Hattu were going to call it quits. It was just one of those things that happens to any couple on occasion, and it made the novel feel that much more relatable.
Tesha’s older, blind sister, Daniti, has a big role as well. Her previous bond with the griffins and her ability to speak telepathically to them over great distances plays a vital role in the conflict between humans and griffins. Arinnel shares her aunt’s telepathic abilities, a source of tremendous joy to both of them most of the time. Arinnel, though, has blocked Daniti out of her thoughts and, because of this, everyone fears that that little girl was, in fact, responsible for the grievous injuries the griffin cub Traj suffered.
Marak, Hattu’s second in command and Daniti’s husband, has a slightly smaller role in this than he did in previous books, but his role remains important. He is almost as brilliant a military strategist as Hattu himself, and Marak’s diplomatic bonds with the Paskans comes into play in a very big way. I have a soft spot for Marak. He always strikes me as sort of a protective big brother who seems fierce but is all squishy around the edges.
Flights of Treason is filled with exciting battles ranging from fighting with human armies, facing off against sorcerors, or making a stand against fantastical beasts. These scenes are all vividly depicted and they played out like a movie in my mind.
Starkston absolutely excels at the historical details in this book, as she does in all her other books as well. The series might be marketed as historical fantasy, but it is solidly based in actual Hittite history. Many of the spells and incantations are actual documented parts of ceremonies and rituals found on clay tablets from the Hittite Empire. Her skill lies in taking those snippets of historical fact and weaving them into a fascinating new story that is both unique and also remains true to the remarkable, ancient people who provided the inspiration.
I have said for years and years that sci-fi/fantasy is an ideal medium in which to discuss real-world issues. Flights of Treason is no different. I love the themes of fighting for one’s home, doing what needs doing even if it scares the crap out of you, and going through self-discovery to become who you are really supposed to be. These are all things that people in the real world need to do at one point or another. Maybe we don’t battle actual griffins in our life, but we sure as hell battle our own inner demons. We do things that scare us because we need to do them. We learn to define what “home” means to each of us, and then fight to keep it safe. There are so many things we do in real life that are explored in fantasy novels, barely hidden beneath the veneer of magic. In a well-written fantasy such as this, it is easy to find ourselves in the pages even as we get lost in the story.
One more thing that I really loved about this book was actually the ending. Starkston did what I wish more authors of series could do: she gave a satisfying ending with no loose threads left, didn’t make those endings feel like an afterthought by rushing through them, and yet still left openings to return to the series later if she decides to. I honestly am not sure of any other authors that I have personally read who managed to pull that off so well! Because I am a selfish creature, I want MORE Tesha books, but if such is not meant to be, then the way this one ended is the ideal way to conclude the series.
As with the three preceding books in the series, I highly recommend Flights of Treason for the amazing world-building, complex characters, and fascinating historical details woven into every page. You will not be sorry you read this!
Thorn Hedge by T. Kingfisher Genre: fantasy I read it as a(n): hardback Length: 116 pp Her Grace’s rating: 4 stars
A retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” Thorn Hedge asks, “What if Briar Rose slept not because she was cursed but to protect everybody else?” Not all curses should be broken, as the blurb says, and it’s true. Kingfisher takes a beloved fairy tale and breathes new life into it. I loved everything about this story – the atmosphere, the self-discovery, and the anxiety it gave me to think about what might happen if the Princess woke up. Also, I think there needs to be a cat at some point in my future that I will name Toadling.
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White Genre: SF I read it as a(n): paperback Length: 398 pp Her Grace’s rating: 3 stars
I had read White’s second book, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, a while back and loved it. My daughter read this one first and begged me to read it, too, so I did. I enjoyed it but I was kind of grossed out. I dig a good cult book and escaping from said cult, but the body horror in this one was over the top. I loved the characters, though, and the dynamics between them all.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planetby Becky Chambers Genre: SF I read it as a(n): paperback Length: 441 pp Her Grace’s rating: 5 stars
I’ve had this one on my TBR for several years and I don’t know what took me so long to get around to reading it. I loved it! In some ways, it felt a bit like a more lighthearted version of The Expanse books. Not in terms of plot at all, but more in the sense of found family. It had enough action but also plenty of terrific world-building and character development.
Happy March, friends. I like to call it Middle Earth March. I specifically look forward to March 25th each year. In the Tolkienverse, it’s the Gondorian New Year, the day Sauron fell, the One Ring was destroyed, and the beginning of the Fourth Age of Gondor. It’s often celebrated as Tolkien Reading Day, the theme of which this year is “Service and Sacrifice.” March 25 is also my almost-birthday. On this day, I fix many meals – first and second breakfast, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper – and hole up with a Tolkien book. Ha ha, get it? In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit? Anyway. Sometimes I reread an old favorite and revisit The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Other times, I’ll pick a less familiar work. It’s been probably 20 years and more since I read The Silmarillion, and I have only read Leaf by Niggle but once. Might be the year for that. Who knows? I did read The Fellowship of the Ring to my daughter for the first time a couple years ago. She was ten at the time and was mightily impressed that Frodo gets to go on a quest and see the elves and all. I think she will never forgive me for not warning her that Gandalf falls in Moria, though. She’s still mad at me for not warning her. But what could I do? I couldn’t spoil it for her. On the Gondorian New Year, I’ll definitely make all the food for her. I’m determined to make her a Tolkien fan and so far, my plan seems to be working.
As a lifelong Tolkien fan myself, it is natural for me to reread the books every few years. Each time, I discover something entirely new in them. I’ve always changed in some way between readings, grown older, hopefully a little wiser, and so I pick up new things in the text. It’s like an English trifle, each reading revealing a hidden layer to reveal some new treasure within. It’s delightful. I honestly don’t know if it is just because I love Tolkien’s works so much, or if they are just that rich, or what, because there are any number of other books that I adore and reread often but don’t find that much new in them upon rereading. In any case, there are many life lessons I have learned from Tolkien’s works. Just a few of the ones I have found to be the most meaningful are below.Continue reading “Middle Earth March: Life Lessons from Tolkien”→
The Salt Path by Raynor Winn Genre: memoir I read it as a(n): audiobook Narrator: Raynor Winn Length: 09:00:00 Her Grace’s rating: 5 stars
Raynor Winn and her husband, Moth, are in their 50s when they lose everything due to a bad business scheme their friend got them into. They find themselves with no home, no business, no money, and no one able to help. On top of all that, Moth is diagnosed with a terminal degenerative illness just days after they lost everything else. So they pack their backpacks and set off to walk the South West Coastal Path, a 600+ mile trail around the Cornish peninsula. Just like any normal person would (WARNING: sarcasm detected). Having lost all their savings, they are dependent upon the miniscule amount of government funds they’re entitled to, which is something like £20 per week.
I first became aware of this book because of an article I saw that said it was being filmed and is starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson. BOTH of my celebrity crushes in the SAME MOVIE OMFG *FLAIL* WHEN CAN I WATCH IT??
Here’s the thing, though. After reading it, it doesn’t even matter to me if Jason and Gillian are starring. At this point, I would have watched it no matter who was in the film. They could have cast Adam Sandler (shudder) and Gwyneth Paltrow (double shudder) and I would still watch it. That’s because I already know this book will top out in my 5 favorite reads of 2024.
I read this book a few weeks ago and I still can’t get it out of my head. I felt so bad for Ray and Moth. I can’t imagine how hurt and scared they must have been to be screwed over like they were by a “friend” or how unfair the legal system was to them (they had proof they were not at fault but weren’t allowed to use it because they didn’t submit a form exactly right WTF). Also, how awful it must have been for Moth to carry on when his body was betraying him.
One thing that struck me throughout the book was the casual cruelty they experienced. They could be sitting by themselves, bothering nobody, in a public park, and someone often would come along and tell them they’re disgusting for being drunk in public or sleeping in public or being crazy in public or whatever the fuck. Nevermind the fact that they were not drunk or stoned or anything like that, and they were homeless. There aren’t enough shelters or space in the existing ones. Where the fuck are they supposed to sleep, the Savoy? And what kind of judgmental jerk automatically assumes that if a person is homeless, they must also be an addict, criminal, or mental patient of some kind? I guess being poor in public is also frowned upon. The fact that these were educated, productive members of society prior to their devastating loss apparently never even occurred to any of the people who gave them grief. Also? I don’t know about you but if I were homeless, numbing all of that with drugs and alcohol probably would seem like an excellent idea.
I think the thing that made me feel the worst to hear about was when they were laying in their tent in the early morning (in a location where it is perfectly fine to pitch a tent) and waiting to get the day started when a random hiker and his dog both take a piss on their tent. I mean, who the fuck DOES that? What kind of asshole do you have to be to piss, literally, on someone’s home? See, this is an example of why I should never become a Jedi. If I had the Force, there is a 100% chance I would use it to give instant karma to assholes like that. Want to pee on someone’s tent? Cool – instant, antibiotic-resistant UTI for you. Maybe a scorching case of jock itch as well. Enjoy it, dickweed.
All that is to say that this book correctly challenges the perceptions much of society has towards people who are marginalized, whether they are unhoused, addicted, mentally ill, or anything else. People without homes are still people. People with addictions are still people. People who are impoverished are still people. The fact that this needs to be said is a pathetic indictment on humanity as a whole.
That said, they also did encounter many people who were kind and helpful along the way. Some of them were also walking the south west coast path and they ran into them more than once, though those people were all walking on vacation and only had so many days before they got into a car and drove back home. While they were generally kind and eager to share, it seemed like that was a painful encounter as well since Ray and Moth had no home to go to when they were cold or hungry or sick. Listening to it felt a little like rubbing salt in the wound.
The book is also an exploration of home and what makes a home. Initially, home was their lost farm, the place where their kids had been born and grew up, where all their things were. By the end, home was simply with each other. They learned that they needed far less than they ever thought, and got by on less than that even though it was out of necessity. As long as they were together, that was really all they needed. That was home and they can take it with them anywhere they go.
FAVORITE QUOTE
We were lightly salted blackberries, hanging in the last of the summer sun, and this perfect moment was the only one we needed.
Since I decided to make my own reading challenge for 2024, I figured it is a good idea to figure out which books I might want to use to complete the tasks. I’m going to see how many of my own TBR books I can use, first, and how many I can do with women/LGBTQ+/BIPOC authors for as many as I can. Below are some suggestions for each task. Double-dipping is totally allowed!
Also, as I researched for books to complete these tasks, I learned that I need better definitions for some things, or that some others could be worded differently, or be defined in a broader way. Sorry about that! I will try to do better for next year’s tasks.
If you have any suggestions for any of the tasks, please share them in the comments! I love book recs!
A title longer than 6 words: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Catherynne Valente) Written by an author with your initials: Katherine Mansfield for me The MC is an animal: The Bees (Laline Paull) or Hollow Kingdom (Kira Jane Buxton) Takes place underwater: The Mountain in the Sea (Ray Nayler), Startide Rising (David Brin), A Darkling Sea (James L. Cambias) Doesn’t have the letter “e” in the title: Hollow Kingdom (Kira Jane Buxton) or Loki’s Ring or any number of others on my list, I reckon. Or Gadsby by Ernest Vincent Wright if you want to read an entire book that doesn’t have an E anywhere. By or about being a refugee: Downbelow Station (C.J. Cherryh), Girl at War (Sarah Novic), The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (Michael Chabon), or American Dirt (Jeanine Cummins) In translation: The Little Paris Bookshop (Nina George), The Three-Body Problem (Cixin Liu), Walking Practice (Dolki Min) A cover featuring neon colors: The Ultimate Cyberpunk Anthology The MC is a non-human entity (robot, alien, etc.): Murderbot! I plan to read the whole series this year. Other options are The Last Unicorn (Peter Beagle) or The Bees (Laline Paull). Set in space: Since I mainly read sci-fi, any number of books will complete this task. The first one that comes to mind is Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh. Another option is The Best of All Possible Worlds (Karen Lord). Written by an Indigenous/Native American/First Nations author: Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer), Walking the Clouds (ed. Grace L. Dillon), or anything by Stephen Graham Jones. An anthology: Walking the Clouds or The Ultimate Cyberpunk Anthology Released in your birth month: March: Loki’s Ring (Stina Leicht), Infinity Gate (M.R. Carey), The Mimicking of Known Successes (Malka Older), Walking Practice (Dolki Min), A House with Good Bones (T. Kingfisher)
The title is a question: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (PKD) or How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? (NK Jemisin) The MC or author is transgendered: Light from Uncommon Stars (Ryka Aoki), Pet (Akwaeki Emezi), The Memory Librarian (Janelle Monae), or Bang Bang Boddhisattva (Aubrey Wood) The weather plays a significant role: The Maddaddam trilogy (Margaret Atwood), Parable of the Sower (Octavia Butler), The Broken Earth trilogy (NK Jemisin), or The Road (Cormac McCarthy) Has an unusual format (epistolary, choose your own adventure, etc.): Me Being Me Is Exactly As Insane As You Being You (Todd Hasak-Lowy, told in lists); Horrorstor (Grady Hendrix, told in Ikea catalog format) The protagonist is a plant: Semiosis (Sue Burke), Legacy of Heorot (Larry Niven), the Dragonriders of Pern (Anne McCaffrey), or the Southern Reach trilogy (Jeff VanderMeer) 2024 adaptation: The Salt Path (Raynor Wynn), The Three-Body Problem (Cixin Liu), or Mickey7 (Edward Ashton) You have no idea where you got this book: I mean, this is the majority of my TBR. I look at some of them and wonder where the fuck this book came from. The MC has a phobia: The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman), Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells), or Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell) Set during your favorite holiday or event: A lot of sci-fi books have holidays such as a “Founder’s Day” or something similar. Pern has Hatching Day, so I might go with that. Or Something Wicked This Way Comes (Bradbury) A one-word title: Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer), Anathem (Neal Stephenson), or Fingersmith (Sarah Waters) The MC is a time traveler: Long Division (Kiese Laymon), Door into Summer or Farnham’s Freehold ( both by Heinlein), or How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional World (Charles Yu) By or about a person who is asexual: The Sound of Stars (Alecia Dow) or Guardians of the Dead (Karen Hawley) A color in the title: The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins) or Red, White, and Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston), or Red Mars trilogy (Kim Stanley Robinson)
Published in the year of a big historical event in your lifetime: 1986: Count Zero (William Gibson) or The Physician (Noah Gordon) or Howl’s Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones) The protagonist has a weird job: The Ravenmaster (Christopher Skaife), The Trauma Cleaner (Sarah Krasnostein), or Ancillary Justice (Ann Leckie) A MC who collects something unusual: Keeper of Lost Things (Ruth Hogan) A book that has won an LGBTQ+ literary award: Dhalgren (Samuel Delany), The Female Man (Joanna Russ), or The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell) Over 400 pages: Anathem or Cryptonomicon (Neal Stephenson) A novella: Murderbot, The Seep (Chana Porter) Written by an author who shares your zodiac sign: Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Dan Simmons, Life on Mars (Tracy K. Smith) Features 24 (a 24-year-old MC, or was published 24 years ago, etc): 1999: Cryptonomicon (Neal Stephenson), Flashforward (Robert Sawyer) Women in STEM/ Girl coders, etc: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (Gabrielle Zevin), The Calculating Stars (Mary Robinette Kowal), Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer) An attention-grabbing title: Noor (Nnedi Okorafor), Cyteen or Downbelow Station (C.J. Cherryh), or Thistlefoot (GennaRose Nethercott) Author or MC is HIV positive: The Immortals (Tracy Hickman), Push (Sapphire), or Darker Proof (Adam Mars-Jones and Edmund White) Takes place in a haunted house: Possibly Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer), Revelation Space (Alastair Reynolds), and there’s always The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson) Title starts with G: Gateway (Frederik Pohl), Glory Road (Heinlein), Gnomon (Nick Harkaway), Goliath (Tochi Onyebuchi)
A book of poetry: the witch doesn’t burn in this one (Amanda Lovelace), Anne Sexton’s fairy tale poems, Life on Mars (Tracy K. Smith) A microhistory: An Informal History of the Hugos (Jo Walton), Extra Virginity (Tom Mueller) By or about a neurodivergent person: Ninefox Gambit (Yoon Ha Lee), The Speed of Dark (Elizabeth Moon), Rules (Cynthia Lord), A Girl Like Her (Talia Hibbert), or Happiness Falls (Angie Kim) Book with a main character over 60 years old: Remnant Population (Elizabeth Moon), Old Man’s War (John Scalzi), The Adventures of Amina-Al-Sirafi (S.A. Chakraborthy) It has a pretty cover: The Hazel Wood (Melissa Albert), The Last Unicorn (Peter Beagle), The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell) MC has a strange hobby: The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Drew Hayes), Mostly Dead Things (Kristen Arnett), The House of Small Shadows (Adam Nevill), The Taxidermist’s Lover (Polly Hall) Set in a city you’ve never visited: The House of Shattered Wings (Aliette de Bodard), The Little Paris Bookshop (Nina George) By or about a person with a mental illness: The Devil in Silver (Victor LaValle), Planetfall (Emma Newman), Outside (Ada Hoffman), Stormlight Archives (Brandon SAnderson) A title that rhymes: Eye in the Sky (PKD), Wed, Read, and Dead (V.M. Burns), To Brie or Not to Brie (Avery Aames) Set in a parallel universe: The Space Between Worlds (Micaiah Johnson), Ilium/Olympos duology (Dan Simmons), Interworld (Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves) Published in your birth year: Dinosaur Planet (Anne McCaffrey), The Persistence of Vision (John Varley), Gateway (Pohl), Lucifer’s Hammer (Niven and Pournelle) Indie or small press published: Ancient Oceans of Central Kentucky (David Connerly Nahm), Alien Stories (E.C. Osondu), Winterset Hollow (Jonathan Edward Durham) By or about a person on the autism spectrum: Outside (Ada Hoffman), The Speed of Dark (Elizabeth Moon), 600 Hours of Edward (Craig Lancaster)
Greetings, friends! This year I thought I might try something new – creating my own challenge for 2024! I always participate in annual reading challenges. My favorites are the ones by The Nerd Daily, Book Riot, and PopSugar. It looks like The Nerd Daily hasn’t added their reading challenge for 2024 yet, so keep an eye on that site if you look forward to that particular one as much as I do.
For this year, as I did last year in the challenges I participated in, I am going to try to complete this by shopping my own TBR first. I have an unimaginably huge TBR – seriously, I think it’s about 500 books. So I am trying to pare that down and also still have some fun with reading challenges. I try, too, to make it more challenging by reading only women, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+ authors. It’ll be interesting to see if I manage to complete my own challenge. I haven’t completed a challenge in a couple years, though I did hit my Goodreads goal to read at least 50 books.
If anyone decides to try this reading challenge out, it would be awesome if you left a comment below or tagged me in one of the social media places! 💖
Also, I’ve been super into junk journaling lately, so I designed the PDF of the challenge prompts to look similar to a junk journal page. Thank you, Canva, for making design easy!
Here is a link to a basic Word doc with the prompts as well, if anyone wants that.
Somewhere to Belong (ST: DSC) by Dayton Ward Genre: sci-fi I read it as a(n): paperback
Length: 333 pp Her Grace’s rating: 2.5 stars
Spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the show.
Now that the threat from the Emerald Chain is dealt with and the source of the Burn has been identified and corrected, Burnham and the crew of Discovery are able to take some down time to reflect on what the implications really are for them now that they’ve arrived in the 33rd century. Dr. Culber had been standing in as the counselor for the crew, but now that they’re at a starbase, a temporary replacement counselor has been assigned. Then they all get sent out to continue their mission of reconnecting with formerly allied planets that had been cut off from the Burn. They answer a distress signal and discover a ship of Xaheans, staunch allies of the Federation in the 22nd century. Only now, the Xaheans have by necessity become a wandering society and are isolationist on the verge of xenophobia. Capt Burnham has to try her hand at diplomacy to resolve a potentially deadly situation from exploding, and taking her ship and crew with it.
I have never taken so long to read a Star Trek book in my life. I was carting this around with me for the better part of a month! It was barely 300 pages, it should have taken me maybe a week even with work. It was. So. S L O W. I have never DNFed a Trek book but I came very close to doing so on this one. It was so out of character for Dayton Ward’s novels that it was kind of shocking how fucking bored I was with this one. It felt like he wrote himself into a corner and had no options for resolution other than cheesy and unbelievable ones.
The overarching theme in the story is, of course, finding where one belongs. Ward explores the topics of what makes a home, how we create a found family, if home is a place or a feeling, and so on. At times, the exploration was a bit ham-handed. It felt sermony, which is usually reserved for Burnham although she managed to refrain from sermonizing this time.
Also, this is kind of a weird observation. To be fair, I haven’t read every Trek book Ward has written so I could be wrong. But this book makes me think that he does not know how to write gay male characters. Stamets and Culber were definitely not right in this book. They were always saying something petulant or acting moody. Even though the characters recognized that and corrected it, it was still the first thing that was described. None of the other characters were handled that way. Maybe he just doesn’t like Culber or Stamets, which is fine if so. We don’t have to like all the characters. But I hope he figures out how to write those two characters better if he writes more Discovery books in the future. And I DO hope he does! He wrote Drastic Measures, which is one of my favorite Disco books, partly because it focused mainly on a young Lieutenant Gabriel Lorca, and he’s played by Jason Isaacs who I’m in love with. And partly because of that little tidbit at the very end that was obviously a confused and scared Prime Lorca stuck in the MU and I want to read that story!
The Ghost Machine (Firefly) by James Lovegrove Genre: sci-fi I read it as a(n): hardback
Length: 336 pp Her Grace’s rating: 3.5 stars
The crew of Serenity are hired by Badger to ship a device to a client on one of the outer worlds. Mal, though, gets a real bad feeling about it and declines to take it on board his ship. That doesn’t stop Jayne from bringing it on himself. Unfortunately for all, it is a device that attacks brainwaves, sending people into a coma-like sleep in which they have vivid hallucinations. They start out like everyone’s greatest dreams come true, but gradually change to their worst nightmare. Only River seems able to enter into the others’ visions, which she does in a desperate attempt to wake someone up before the ship crashes into a moon.
I enjoyed this one, even though I don’t remember tons of details about it. It only took me 2 days to read. I liked it because it gave us a “what if” glimpse into what the crew’s secret desires are, though some are not hard to guess. The thing I seriously disliked was that Lovegrove seemed not to know what to do with Shepherd Book and Inara, so he shipped them off on an errand off-ship and they didn’t come back until the crisis was averted. I think he missed a great chance to fill in some of Book’s backstory in particular.
Image retrieved from Goodreads
Generations (Firefly) by Tim Lebbon Genre: sci-fi I read it as a(n): hardback
Length: 281 pp Her Grace’s rating: 2.5 stars
Mal wins a strange star map in a game of poker and immediately the bad luck begins. Someone else tries to steal it and kill everyone in the process, River gets crazier because of something in the map, and there’s a Big Bad Secret that the Alliance has hidden in orbit around a far-outer planet. But, if the crew can manage to get there and back in one piece, there is a trove of historical relics worth a fortune on the black market. X marks the spot, I guess.
This one wasn’t as well developed as the previous three Firefly books. The characters seemed less complex and we didn’t really get a good view of things from River’s POV, even though she was the main protagonist in this one. Also, if I’m being honest, it was kind of slow. Not much actually happened. Probably my least favorite Firefly book so far, but I still enjoyed it because I will take Firefly in any way I can.
Image retrieved from Goodreads
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix Genre: horror I read it as a(n): audiobook Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller Length: 10:11:00 Her Grace’s rating: 3 stars
Abby and Gretchen are best friends and have been ever since Gretchen saved Abby’s 10th birthday party from being a total disaster. The girls are inseparable until high school when, after a weekend spent at another girlfriend’s house, Gretchen starts acting strange. She stops washing or changing her clothes, she is cruel, and she dumps Abby in favor of richer friends. Abby eventually figures out that Gretchen is possessed by a demon and sets out to help her. Of course no one believes her.
So I got this one because I thought it would be funny. I mean, the title alone kind of implies humor. Also, demon possession is fucking hilarious. There are people who actually believe it’s real. But it was really not funny. It was a straight-up horror story, which is fine. I don’t usually care for actual horror because I can’t suspend my disbelief. See above comment about people actually believing in demon possession; I am not one of them. So that’s on me for not looking into it further before I got it.
Mainly, though, it’s a story about friendship, growing up, and changing as you grow, which is a good enough theme.
I listened to this on audio and the narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, did a good job, as usual. She may not be on my list of very favorite narrators but she is definitely good and I wouldn’t decline to listen to a book just because she’s narrating.
The Earthly Blaze by Alice Poon Genre: fantasy I read it as a(n): digital ARC Length: 396 pp Her Grace’s rating: 4 stars
In The Earthly Blaze, author Alice Poon takes up immediately after the events of the first book of this duology, The Heavenly Sword. Jumping right into the thick of it, Sai’er, who is the earthly incarnation of the goddess Chang’e, and her friends struggle against the forces of Prince Zhu Di, the earthly incarnation of the evil Sky Wolf. The fighters form a sect to network and recruit new members, resist the wicked acts of Zhu Di and his government, and hone their skills in kung fu to aid them in their battles. Along the way, bonds between the group are strained and tested in ways none of them could have foreseen. Adding in betrayals and double agents makes the entire situation all the more fraught, burdening Sai’er, Sanbao, Binhong, Yinho, and the rest of the Sect with wavering morale and uncertainty about who is friend and who is foe.
I enjoyed this book even more than The Heavenly Sword. After reading that first entry, I realized that I actually had No Clue™ about kung fu/ wuxia in general beyond having watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and some Jackie Chan films, and even less about the literary genre. So I set out to learn a few things about it and lo and behold! I was rewarded by my new understanding with an even greater appreciation for the story as a whole and for the wuxia genre specifically.
This action-packed book was rich in Chinese culture and mythology. I loved the attention to detail throughout. Everything from broad strokes such as landscape descriptions to tiny details such as decorations on a person’s clothes were included and helped to make a vibrant backdrop for the story. It made it feel like I was immersed and part of the action. Likewise, references to various deities and myths enriched the reading experience and, in a couple places, made me go off and look up a myth or character that was previously unfamiliar to me. The worldbuilding overall is excellent, and I also really loved the politics in this. They were complex, at times even labyrinthine, and provided some good insight into the social structures in real-life in earlier times. The legends, politics, and epic martial arts sequences mix together for an explosive adventure.
I enjoyed getting to know Sai’er better. She was very much a mother figure to the Sect members and they looked up to her. She is not perfect, though, but her flaws and uncertainties make her relatable. It was fun to see how not only Sai’er grew as a person and how her celestial identity was resolved, but also how the others fulfilled their own roles, whatever those happened to be. Everything worked itself out the way it needed to, even when we lost characters along the way or wished that something had gone differently. One sign of a good story, to me, is when an author can take readers where they may not want to go but ultimately where they need to go; Poon does that exactly right.
Finally, a small point that nevertheless made a big difference. There was a recap of book 1 at the beginning! I had read and enjoyed the first book in this duology but, as with the majority of the books I read anymore, I forget most of the things about it as soon as I finish reading. The recap was greatly appreciated and was enough to jog my memory so that I could dive right into this one.
At the end of the day, this duology is a sweeping journey through a world filled with courage, destiny, and cosmic forces colliding in an epic battle of good vs. evil. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves kung fu, Chinese mythology, or just a rip-roaring, action-packed story.
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