brokenmnemonic (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
brokenmnemonic) wrote2019-08-04 08:07 pm
brokenmnemonic) wrote2019-08-04 08:07 pm
July Reading
July was another quiet month for reading. I've not been in work as many days as usual, because my new boss is letting me work an extra day from home, to give me a chance to try and swim while the school holidays are on. Unfortunately, having done something to my hip that's causing me some problems, I've been swimming less, and my reading time on the train has seen me napping more than anything else because I'm not sleeping that well at night. Woe.
401. Battlestar Galactica Classic #2 by John Miller ★★★
402. Batltestar Galactica Classic #3 by John Miller ★★★
403. Battlestar Galactica Classic #4 by John Miller ★★
404. The Loop by Nicholas Evans (re-read - or listen in this case, as I fancied trying the audiobook as a distraction at work) ★★★★
405. Red Sonja #6 by Mark Russell ★★★
406. Livewire #7 by Vita Ayala ★★★
For some unknown reason, this issue has Kieron Gillen listed as the writer, but it's definitely Vita Ayala.
407. Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff ★★★
In some ways, I like this spin-off from the Blood Ties series more than I do the original. It has a definite 90s genre-tv feel to it, which may well be intentional given that it's set inside the filming of a fictional genre tv show featuring a vampire detective. Tony makes for an interesting protagonist, particularly as he's aware of the negative aspects of his relationship with Henry, and Henry's inherent territoriality is a definite presence in the book. The mystery itself didn't grab me perhaps as much as it should've done - I think it was a little more out there as fantasy plots go than I was in the mood for - but it did have some moments that made me laugh. Plus, it's nice to have an urban fantasy series with a gay male lead. There are enough straight white dudes running around as it is.
408. James Bond: Origin #11 by Jeff Parker ★★★
409. House of Whispers #11 by Nalo Hopkinson ★★★★
This comic book series is eally, really good. I've probably said that a few times before. It's a part of the Sandman universe, but it focuses around a cast of mythological beings from the voodoo world, and draws heavily on the African-American culture of New Orleans. this issue, the main protagonist is the genderfluid Alter Boi, who acts as a ride for Erzulie when she manifests during normal events, and Boi is out doing his bit to try and save the world as mythologies go to war. If you want a genuinely different experience from the Sandman universe, this is definitely the comic to be reading.
410. War In Heaven by Gavin G. Smith ★★★
This was the second part of a two-part military sci-fi series someone at work loaned me, and I think a part of the reason that they like it is that it'full of predominantly British characters, rather than American. I'm not sure it set out what it intended to do, and the alien nanoculture from the first novel was largely absent, but it was interesting to read. It was far from flawless - there weren't exactly a lot of female characters, the villains are fairly two-dimensional, etc... but it wasn't a bad book, and there were a couple of surprises in there.
411. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann ★★
I gather this is the first in an ongoing series of steampunk stories, and it was trying to blend zombies, a royal disgrace and murders together, but I found I just couldn't get into it, even with the steam-powered Queen Victoria.
412. Smoke and Mirrors by Tanya Huff ★★★★
For some reason, this series has a very 80s or early 90s feel to it, but I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I thought this was a great riff on the traditional haunted house story, and the way in which supernatural things - like being an incipient wizard, or prince of darkness - have to deal with other people, and the reactions of those people, if a lot of fun. Where else could Tony be working other than a tv company? It's clearly the kind of weird world he's destined to fit into...
413. Domino: Hotshots #5 by Gail Simone ★★★★
414. Firefly #8 by Greg Pak ★★★★
415. James Bond 007 #9 by Greg Pak ★★★
416. American Gods: Moment of the Storm #4 by Neil Gaiman ★★★★
This was a 3.5 for me - I'm enjoying the story, but this issue felt like it was dragging without really showing me anything I didn't expect, for some reason.
417. Battlestar Galactica Classic #5 by John Miller ★★★
418. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #6 by David Avallone ★★★
419. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #7 by David Avallone ★★★★
420. The Dragon's Legacy by Deborah A. Wolf ★★★★
There's a lot I like about this novel. Most of it is told from the point of view of characters from the Zeeranim, a desert-dwelling matriarchal culture/nation that's fading, but determined to survive. It's not often that I've seen a fantasy novel where the primary characters and culture that gives us the viewpoint through which the other nations are seen is a matriarchal one, and the Zeeranim are a fascinating, touchy, enthusiastic people with a strong warrior tradition. The majority of their warriors are women, and the book would in many ways be worthwhile reading just for reading about them, and about the Zeeranim who manage to become Zeeravashani, bonded to some of the great sabretooth cats of the desert, all of whom are telepathic and... well, big cats with distinct, catlike personalities. Ever had a cat in the house that's seemed contemptuous of you? Chances are you'll recognise that cat's voice here somewhere.
This is definitely more on the dark side of fantasy stories - the various peoples of the world are dwindling, one nation is ruled by a demon emperor of some kind, war is brewing and it looks like the end of the world might be on the way. The magic in this is distinctive, and the different flavours carry different kinds of penalties or prices for using them, and the fantastical beasties scattered throughout the book are thoroughly integrated into the world, which I really enjoyed. The different cultures of the world are distinctive, and there's a healthy lexicon of terms in different languages from the world, without the pace being slowed down by explanations of different words for readers - the majority of the language becomes familiar from seeing the words out there in the world, and reading how they're used, and I very much liked that about the storytelling.
My favourite thing about the novel was Hafsa Azeina, an adoptive member of the Zeeranim, and one of their dreamshifters, and mother to another of the main protagonists. She's driven, fierce, more than capable of cruelty and violence, creepy, loyal and intelligent. She does some very unpleasant things, entirely in keeping with her character, and is one of those women that could rearrange the world through force of will and a willingness to spill blood herself. She's difficult to like, but fascinating to read about, and someone I think I'd be genuinely terrified to meet.
With all that said, this 500-ish page novel definitely reads like an introduction to the next - people are being moved around, portents are dropping, but there's a lot of setup for future events, and some plots and questions are introduced and not answered, so I think it's a book best read if you're looking for a new series to commit to, rather than a standalone novel. Personally, I'm going to see if my library has the second volume available to borrow...
421. The Creative Fire by Brenda Cooper ★★
I think from the author's page that this was trying to be a retelling of Evita, but set on a generational spaceship. Unfortunately, the lead character isn't particularly sympathetic, the relationships - which I'm somewhat reluctant to call romantic - felt dodgy to me, and the attempts to explore classism/class struggle felt like a pale reflection of those in Rivers Solomon's novel An Unkindness of Ghosts.
422. Stiletto #3 by Palle Schmidt ★★★
423. Star Trek: The Q Conflict #6 by Scott Tipton ★★★
424. Must Love Magic by Erica Ridley ★★
This was basically pure fluff, and firmly embraced a sense of the ridiculous. It was an ok read, but not really what I was in the mood for. Bureaucracies are the same everywhere though, it seems.
425. Aliens: Rescue #1 by Brian Wood ★★★
426. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Spring Special by Dan Parent ★★★
427. Xena: Warrior Princess #2 by Vita Ayala ★★★
428. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter ★★★
429. A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes DNF
I just couldn't make myself finish this one, having read maybe 40% of it. The description sounded interesting, but the writing just didn't feel good, to the point that I'm wondering if the book had an editor or was entirely self-published.
430. Wonder Woman: The Movie Novelization by Nancy Holder ★★★
August is likely to be another quiet month, for much the same reasons as July.
401. Battlestar Galactica Classic #2 by John Miller ★★★
402. Batltestar Galactica Classic #3 by John Miller ★★★
403. Battlestar Galactica Classic #4 by John Miller ★★
404. The Loop by Nicholas Evans (re-read - or listen in this case, as I fancied trying the audiobook as a distraction at work) ★★★★
405. Red Sonja #6 by Mark Russell ★★★
406. Livewire #7 by Vita Ayala ★★★
For some unknown reason, this issue has Kieron Gillen listed as the writer, but it's definitely Vita Ayala.
407. Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff ★★★
In some ways, I like this spin-off from the Blood Ties series more than I do the original. It has a definite 90s genre-tv feel to it, which may well be intentional given that it's set inside the filming of a fictional genre tv show featuring a vampire detective. Tony makes for an interesting protagonist, particularly as he's aware of the negative aspects of his relationship with Henry, and Henry's inherent territoriality is a definite presence in the book. The mystery itself didn't grab me perhaps as much as it should've done - I think it was a little more out there as fantasy plots go than I was in the mood for - but it did have some moments that made me laugh. Plus, it's nice to have an urban fantasy series with a gay male lead. There are enough straight white dudes running around as it is.
408. James Bond: Origin #11 by Jeff Parker ★★★
409. House of Whispers #11 by Nalo Hopkinson ★★★★
This comic book series is eally, really good. I've probably said that a few times before. It's a part of the Sandman universe, but it focuses around a cast of mythological beings from the voodoo world, and draws heavily on the African-American culture of New Orleans. this issue, the main protagonist is the genderfluid Alter Boi, who acts as a ride for Erzulie when she manifests during normal events, and Boi is out doing his bit to try and save the world as mythologies go to war. If you want a genuinely different experience from the Sandman universe, this is definitely the comic to be reading.
410. War In Heaven by Gavin G. Smith ★★★
This was the second part of a two-part military sci-fi series someone at work loaned me, and I think a part of the reason that they like it is that it'full of predominantly British characters, rather than American. I'm not sure it set out what it intended to do, and the alien nanoculture from the first novel was largely absent, but it was interesting to read. It was far from flawless - there weren't exactly a lot of female characters, the villains are fairly two-dimensional, etc... but it wasn't a bad book, and there were a couple of surprises in there.
411. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann ★★
I gather this is the first in an ongoing series of steampunk stories, and it was trying to blend zombies, a royal disgrace and murders together, but I found I just couldn't get into it, even with the steam-powered Queen Victoria.
412. Smoke and Mirrors by Tanya Huff ★★★★
For some reason, this series has a very 80s or early 90s feel to it, but I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I thought this was a great riff on the traditional haunted house story, and the way in which supernatural things - like being an incipient wizard, or prince of darkness - have to deal with other people, and the reactions of those people, if a lot of fun. Where else could Tony be working other than a tv company? It's clearly the kind of weird world he's destined to fit into...
413. Domino: Hotshots #5 by Gail Simone ★★★★
414. Firefly #8 by Greg Pak ★★★★
415. James Bond 007 #9 by Greg Pak ★★★
416. American Gods: Moment of the Storm #4 by Neil Gaiman ★★★★
This was a 3.5 for me - I'm enjoying the story, but this issue felt like it was dragging without really showing me anything I didn't expect, for some reason.
417. Battlestar Galactica Classic #5 by John Miller ★★★
418. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #6 by David Avallone ★★★
419. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #7 by David Avallone ★★★★
420. The Dragon's Legacy by Deborah A. Wolf ★★★★
There's a lot I like about this novel. Most of it is told from the point of view of characters from the Zeeranim, a desert-dwelling matriarchal culture/nation that's fading, but determined to survive. It's not often that I've seen a fantasy novel where the primary characters and culture that gives us the viewpoint through which the other nations are seen is a matriarchal one, and the Zeeranim are a fascinating, touchy, enthusiastic people with a strong warrior tradition. The majority of their warriors are women, and the book would in many ways be worthwhile reading just for reading about them, and about the Zeeranim who manage to become Zeeravashani, bonded to some of the great sabretooth cats of the desert, all of whom are telepathic and... well, big cats with distinct, catlike personalities. Ever had a cat in the house that's seemed contemptuous of you? Chances are you'll recognise that cat's voice here somewhere.
This is definitely more on the dark side of fantasy stories - the various peoples of the world are dwindling, one nation is ruled by a demon emperor of some kind, war is brewing and it looks like the end of the world might be on the way. The magic in this is distinctive, and the different flavours carry different kinds of penalties or prices for using them, and the fantastical beasties scattered throughout the book are thoroughly integrated into the world, which I really enjoyed. The different cultures of the world are distinctive, and there's a healthy lexicon of terms in different languages from the world, without the pace being slowed down by explanations of different words for readers - the majority of the language becomes familiar from seeing the words out there in the world, and reading how they're used, and I very much liked that about the storytelling.
My favourite thing about the novel was Hafsa Azeina, an adoptive member of the Zeeranim, and one of their dreamshifters, and mother to another of the main protagonists. She's driven, fierce, more than capable of cruelty and violence, creepy, loyal and intelligent. She does some very unpleasant things, entirely in keeping with her character, and is one of those women that could rearrange the world through force of will and a willingness to spill blood herself. She's difficult to like, but fascinating to read about, and someone I think I'd be genuinely terrified to meet.
With all that said, this 500-ish page novel definitely reads like an introduction to the next - people are being moved around, portents are dropping, but there's a lot of setup for future events, and some plots and questions are introduced and not answered, so I think it's a book best read if you're looking for a new series to commit to, rather than a standalone novel. Personally, I'm going to see if my library has the second volume available to borrow...
421. The Creative Fire by Brenda Cooper ★★
I think from the author's page that this was trying to be a retelling of Evita, but set on a generational spaceship. Unfortunately, the lead character isn't particularly sympathetic, the relationships - which I'm somewhat reluctant to call romantic - felt dodgy to me, and the attempts to explore classism/class struggle felt like a pale reflection of those in Rivers Solomon's novel An Unkindness of Ghosts.
422. Stiletto #3 by Palle Schmidt ★★★
423. Star Trek: The Q Conflict #6 by Scott Tipton ★★★
424. Must Love Magic by Erica Ridley ★★
This was basically pure fluff, and firmly embraced a sense of the ridiculous. It was an ok read, but not really what I was in the mood for. Bureaucracies are the same everywhere though, it seems.
425. Aliens: Rescue #1 by Brian Wood ★★★
426. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Spring Special by Dan Parent ★★★
427. Xena: Warrior Princess #2 by Vita Ayala ★★★
428. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter ★★★
429. A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes DNF
I just couldn't make myself finish this one, having read maybe 40% of it. The description sounded interesting, but the writing just didn't feel good, to the point that I'm wondering if the book had an editor or was entirely self-published.
430. Wonder Woman: The Movie Novelization by Nancy Holder ★★★
August is likely to be another quiet month, for much the same reasons as July.