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ergative's reviews
925 reviews
The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
4.0
This was a beautifully constructed tale, set in Spain during the 16th century, when the Spanish inquisition expelled the Jews. Sitting alongside this historical world we also have the world of the Maziks, magical immortal beings who can only step into the human world during the full moon. These worlds are intertwined and mirror each other in nebulous ways: the upheaval of the expulsion of the Jews is reflected in a political power struggle in the world of the Maziks, and in the chaos of flight two young Jews, Toba Peres and Naftaly Cresques, become separated from the rest of their friends. Toba stumbles into the world of the Maziks, while Naftaly joins forces with an old woman who refuses to give her name, and must make his way through mortal Spain on his wits, while visiting Maziks in his dreams.
The structure of this book was very clever: the theme of linked duality emerges everywhere from the worldbuilding (mortal vs. Mazik world); plot structure (Toba vs. Naftaly's separate-but-related storylines); character (at one point Toba splits into two versions of herself, Toba and Toba Bet); and even the smallest details of magic. Naftaly, in learning to transform cloth into gold, learns that linen will hold the transformation but wool will revert more quickly.
There were some elements that were a bit confusing, in particular a certain amount of backstory that is revealed a little bit too slowly, so that by the time certain important events are revealed I've forgotten why they were important, since their initial hints that introduce them were so long ago. But overall, this is a fresh new story, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
Longer review to be posted on nerds-feather.com on 22 May 2024.
The structure of this book was very clever: the theme of linked duality emerges everywhere from the worldbuilding (mortal vs. Mazik world); plot structure (Toba vs. Naftaly's separate-but-related storylines); character (at one point Toba splits into two versions of herself, Toba and Toba Bet); and even the smallest details of magic. Naftaly, in learning to transform cloth into gold, learns that linen will hold the transformation but wool will revert more quickly.
There were some elements that were a bit confusing, in particular a certain amount of backstory that is revealed a little bit too slowly, so that by the time certain important events are revealed I've forgotten why they were important, since their initial hints that introduce them were so long ago. But overall, this is a fresh new story, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
Longer review to be posted on nerds-feather.com on 22 May 2024.
The King of Crows by Libba Bray
5.0
Just a great series all around. I really, really enjoyed this so much.
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older
4.0
I quite liked this! It was a solid mystery, with a very well-constructed world that didn't feel skimped even given the novella-length room available to construct it in, and a reasonably compelling relationship arc between Mossa and Pleiti. The only thing I wish were different was that bit right at the end, when the dude calls Pleiti 'young lady'. I rather enjoyed the gender ambiguity that Pleiti's first-person narration gave me, and having that Schroedinger's gender collapse in front of my eyes was a bit of a disappointment.
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
3.75
Solid fun, as the previous one was. Wendell's pepetual grumping about being poisoned on his birthday was cute, and I liked the side story about the lost researchers from half a century before. Fawcett is definitely building herself some material for a prequel with them there.
I also enjoyed the growing respect between Emily and Rose, although I feel like it was underdeveloped. Rose's position as a character and member of the expedition didn't seem quite right. He didn't have quite enough to do, didn't have quite enough to offer. It would have been more satisfying if he had some area of expertise sufficiently different from Emily's that he could make a more distinctive contribution. As it was, they were rivals in very similar areas, and so it didn't seem like Rose could do much of anything that Emily couldn't do on her own.
I did rather expect the persistent unanswered proposal from Wendell would turn out to be more important than it did, though. I thought that when he becomes formally engaged something about his status as the true king of his realm would shift in a way that is important for his conflict with his stepmother.
Still, it was an enjoyable tale, that I was eager to pick up and slow to put down I'll read the next book in this series with pleasure.
I also enjoyed the growing respect between Emily and Rose, although I feel like it was underdeveloped. Rose's position as a character and member of the expedition didn't seem quite right. He didn't have quite enough to do, didn't have quite enough to offer. It would have been more satisfying if he had some area of expertise sufficiently different from Emily's that he could make a more distinctive contribution. As it was, they were rivals in very similar areas, and so it didn't seem like Rose could do much of anything that Emily couldn't do on her own.
I did rather expect the persistent unanswered proposal from Wendell would turn out to be more important than it did, though. I thought that when he becomes formally engaged something about his status as the true king of his realm would shift in a way that is important for his conflict with his stepmother.
Still, it was an enjoyable tale, that I was eager to pick up and slow to put down I'll read the next book in this series with pleasure.
Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill
3.0
I think the psychologial exploration of the kids' reaction to their father's murder is very good. And the art does a great job of weaving timelines and POVs together effectively. But, despite the skill of the composition and construction, I find the actual execution of the art style a bit disagreeable.
The Silver Eggheads by Fritz Leiber
3.25
I honestly don't feel right giving this book a rating. It was bonkers as heck, and a very interesting perspective into how a fed-up author with a bone to pick with the publishing industry went about picking that bone, while also smoking something quite potent. Or several somethings. Fritz Lieber is a skilled writer, though. He's struck me as much better at basic level writing than some of the other 'golden' age SFF authors, and I'm very glad to have had this peek into his psyche.
This is quite a newly relevant book, actually, in light of all the AI tosh that's flushing its way into fiction writing these days. Replace the Wordmills with LLMs, and the wordmill button pushing 'authors' with 'prompt engineers' and he basically forsaw all of this AI mess. I think in Lieber's case he was making a point about excessive editorial control leading to formulaic and repetitive writing, but his prediction was more literally true than I think he knew. I was very pleased to see the authors taking axes to smash the wordmills.
This is quite a newly relevant book, actually, in light of all the AI tosh that's flushing its way into fiction writing these days. Replace the Wordmills with LLMs, and the wordmill button pushing 'authors' with 'prompt engineers' and he basically forsaw all of this AI mess. I think in Lieber's case he was making a point about excessive editorial control leading to formulaic and repetitive writing, but his prediction was more literally true than I think he knew. I was very pleased to see the authors taking axes to smash the wordmills.
Skios by Michael Frayn
3.75
An entertaining farce to read on a plane. Very good situational chaos, but the ending decided to play games, and I felt slightly disrespected.
The Phlebotomist by Chris Panatier
3.5
The quality of the writing in this was a bit more workmanlike than I would have liked, but the story was engaging, and I enjoyed the details about blood. In particular, there were several really good details that completely assuaged my knee jerk reactions along the lines of 'Well, if they have tech that can do X, then why are they still constrained to do Y?' And, in fact, those details turned out to be plot-relevant in key ways that were very satisfying. This was a good book to read on a plane (which is good, because I was on a plane), but I don't think I'll hang on to it now that I'm done.
Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Vol. 1 by priest
3.0
This was entertaining, and the quality of the publication (illustrations, printing, binding) is really nice. The physical experience of reading this book is pleasing. But I can certainly tell the episodic nature of its original composition. There is very little sense of broader plot structure--which makes it easy to pick up and put down, but leaves me feeling a little unsatisfied when I finished the book. I may well read the rest in the series, though. It's fun and undemanding with lovely illustrations and pretty vibes.
Death In The Spires by KJ Charles
3.75
(Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC)
I enjoyed reading this, but I think that if I were not already a regular commuter on the K. J. Charles train, this would not be enough to get me there. Broadly, we have a sort-of-two-timeline story: First, there is a cohort of brilliant young Oxford students, who end their time in school when one of them is murdered (yes, it is all very Secret History). Circumstances make it clear that the murder was committed by one of the cohort, that is clear, but none of them (except the murderer) knows which it is.
Then, there is the main plot, ten years later, when one of the cohort decides to solve the murder once and for all, tracks down the old gang, and a series of grim and unfriendly reunions ensues. Charles does a very good job of evoking that sense of curdled, poisoned friendship, and the lurking suspicions even among people who were otherwise devoted to each other. The eventual unraveling of the secrets and revelations of the circumstances surrounding the murder were very emotionally satisfying.
I can absolutely see why Charles chose this narrative structure, but the fact remains that by putting key details in the flashback chapters, she also has to make us wait for details that everyone knows but isn't telling us in the main narrative. I found that rather irritating. I hate when a book is obviously keeping secrets from me for reasons of structural convenience, rather than for reasons related to plot. If the viewpoint character knows a thing, I really ought to know it too. So once the flashback chapters were done, I found the plot much more entertaining. Yet I don't think they could have been dispensed with altogether, because the emotional punch of the ten-years-later plot really does require that you have experienced what the cohort of students were like in their prime.
So maybe, in the end, my trouble with this book is that I don't much care for dual timelines, and that's not Charles's fault.
I enjoyed reading this, but I think that if I were not already a regular commuter on the K. J. Charles train, this would not be enough to get me there. Broadly, we have a sort-of-two-timeline story: First, there is a cohort of brilliant young Oxford students, who end their time in school when one of them is murdered (yes, it is all very Secret History). Circumstances make it clear that the murder was committed by one of the cohort, that is clear, but none of them (except the murderer) knows which it is.
Then, there is the main plot, ten years later, when one of the cohort decides to solve the murder once and for all, tracks down the old gang, and a series of grim and unfriendly reunions ensues. Charles does a very good job of evoking that sense of curdled, poisoned friendship, and the lurking suspicions even among people who were otherwise devoted to each other. The eventual unraveling of the secrets and revelations of the circumstances surrounding the murder were very emotionally satisfying.
I can absolutely see why Charles chose this narrative structure, but the fact remains that by putting key details in the flashback chapters, she also has to make us wait for details that everyone knows but isn't telling us in the main narrative. I found that rather irritating. I hate when a book is obviously keeping secrets from me for reasons of structural convenience, rather than for reasons related to plot. If the viewpoint character knows a thing, I really ought to know it too. So once the flashback chapters were done, I found the plot much more entertaining. Yet I don't think they could have been dispensed with altogether, because the emotional punch of the ten-years-later plot really does require that you have experienced what the cohort of students were like in their prime.
So maybe, in the end, my trouble with this book is that I don't much care for dual timelines, and that's not Charles's fault.