Been away for a while. Been reading . . .
Back to transitting to and from PSU regularly, which means I've had a lot of time to read, which is convenient, because four books recently came out that I had on my list. In order of reading:
Pack Dynamics by our very own agilebrit:
Definitely a strong debut. It feels like the first in a series in that it's obvious from the start that there's a lot more to the characters and the world than the author's going to be able to reveal in one book. That can be a dicey position, but it's handled well. The author never treats the audience like they're stupid and need everything spelled out. You either buy into this world that's 15 minutes into the future, where there's advanced nanotech and there are werewolves and vampires and who knows what else, or you don't. Personally, I bought in. Even the werewolf bunnies. Bunnies that turn into cute little terrifying werewolves. It's not a mental image I'm getting over quickly, but I kind of love the sheer weirdness of it. I'm looking forward to the next book. Recommended!
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
I tend to be a monogamist with authors; I will get hooked on one series and read only it and not any other series by the author. I absolutely, unequivocally adore Butcher's Dresden Files, but I've never read his Codex Alera and don't really plan to. However, the description of this book looked so interesting that I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It kicks all kinds of ass.
Sometime in the future, some sort of disaster has left the surface of Earth basically uninhabitable. Unnamed Builders created the cinder spires, massive towers that now house humanity and keep them safe from the horrifying abominations that crawl the surface. Specialized crystals are grown in vats. They collect mysterious energy called ether and power the airships that are the engines of trade and war between spires. Otherwise, there is no technology past that of, say, the late 19th century.
The writing is Butcher at his best. While it lacks the charm of Harry Dresden's narration, the narrative is smooth and vivid and the characters are all distinct and multi-dimensional. Fully half of the major characters are female: Hot-headed, yet well-meaning and hard-working aristocrat Gwen; Bridget, who's more level-headed, but finds herself repeatedly out of her depth; Folly, an "etherealist" (one who directly interacts with the ether) with some severe social difficulties; the terrifying Mrs. Cavendish; and Calliope, who might very well be what you could call a "pirate."
My personal Wild Mass Guessing: This is a possible far future of the world of the Dresden Files. The unnamed disaster opened the Outer Gates and has left the world at the mercy of Outsiders. The Builders were Fae and wizards, who used the material of the Gates to build the spires in order to shelter humanity. Ether is wild magical energy that has altered the very laws of physics in our world. Etherealists are wizards. Harry's discussed the price of magic for different ages in the Dresden Files, and I think in the future, it's the mental instability that afflicts all etherealists. The elder wizard is a compulsive hoarder and can't work doorknobs. Folly is unable to directly speak to people. Mrs. Cavendish is just plain terrifying. And finally, I'm pretty sure Mister is directly responsible for the cats that inhabit the spires.
Absolutely recommended!
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
I was frankly disappointed in the last two Discworld books, so I put off getting this one. Turns out there was no need to be hesitant. Pratchett was in great form, showcasing his trademark humor, pathos and optimism in his final book. "The world is changing" was very much the motto for this book. It includes a very important character death, a character we've known since practically the beginning of the series, who is given a worthy send-off. Tiffany Aching, perhaps the youngest protagonist of any of the DW novels, is also a worthy protagonist of this final book. The book wasn't quite finished when Pratchett died, and you can tell; a couple of threads are uncharacteristically dropped, and the end is a bit abrupt. Nonetheless, this final outing of a series that has given so many people so much joy is as worthy a send-off as was given to the character who dies. Sir Terry, you are missed. Book status: recommended.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan has previous tackled Greek gods, Roman gods and Egyptian gods, so it's high time he got around to Norse gods. There's a lot to like in this book. There's his trademark quirkily-irreverent worldbuilding, such as the Hotel Valhalla, which our young hero finds himself in after his dramatic death. (Barely a spoiler; it happens in just about the first chapter.) We get a cast of interesting characters, including a deaf elf, a snazzy-dressing dwarf, a disgraced Iraqi-American Valkyrie, and our hero, who's a homeless, teenage, dead demigod. Riordan unfortunately falls back on his old standard of our hero's intentions being tragically misinterpreted by the nominal good guys, which is a terribly tired plot device in any case. It's a fun book, and I'll read the rest of the series, but it's definitely the weakest of this bunch. Recommended if you've enjoyed Riordan's other books.
So. What should I read next?
Pack Dynamics by our very own agilebrit:
Definitely a strong debut. It feels like the first in a series in that it's obvious from the start that there's a lot more to the characters and the world than the author's going to be able to reveal in one book. That can be a dicey position, but it's handled well. The author never treats the audience like they're stupid and need everything spelled out. You either buy into this world that's 15 minutes into the future, where there's advanced nanotech and there are werewolves and vampires and who knows what else, or you don't. Personally, I bought in. Even the werewolf bunnies. Bunnies that turn into cute little terrifying werewolves. It's not a mental image I'm getting over quickly, but I kind of love the sheer weirdness of it. I'm looking forward to the next book. Recommended!
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
I tend to be a monogamist with authors; I will get hooked on one series and read only it and not any other series by the author. I absolutely, unequivocally adore Butcher's Dresden Files, but I've never read his Codex Alera and don't really plan to. However, the description of this book looked so interesting that I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It kicks all kinds of ass.
Sometime in the future, some sort of disaster has left the surface of Earth basically uninhabitable. Unnamed Builders created the cinder spires, massive towers that now house humanity and keep them safe from the horrifying abominations that crawl the surface. Specialized crystals are grown in vats. They collect mysterious energy called ether and power the airships that are the engines of trade and war between spires. Otherwise, there is no technology past that of, say, the late 19th century.
The writing is Butcher at his best. While it lacks the charm of Harry Dresden's narration, the narrative is smooth and vivid and the characters are all distinct and multi-dimensional. Fully half of the major characters are female: Hot-headed, yet well-meaning and hard-working aristocrat Gwen; Bridget, who's more level-headed, but finds herself repeatedly out of her depth; Folly, an "etherealist" (one who directly interacts with the ether) with some severe social difficulties; the terrifying Mrs. Cavendish; and Calliope, who might very well be what you could call a "pirate."
My personal Wild Mass Guessing: This is a possible far future of the world of the Dresden Files. The unnamed disaster opened the Outer Gates and has left the world at the mercy of Outsiders. The Builders were Fae and wizards, who used the material of the Gates to build the spires in order to shelter humanity. Ether is wild magical energy that has altered the very laws of physics in our world. Etherealists are wizards. Harry's discussed the price of magic for different ages in the Dresden Files, and I think in the future, it's the mental instability that afflicts all etherealists. The elder wizard is a compulsive hoarder and can't work doorknobs. Folly is unable to directly speak to people. Mrs. Cavendish is just plain terrifying. And finally, I'm pretty sure Mister is directly responsible for the cats that inhabit the spires.
Absolutely recommended!
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
I was frankly disappointed in the last two Discworld books, so I put off getting this one. Turns out there was no need to be hesitant. Pratchett was in great form, showcasing his trademark humor, pathos and optimism in his final book. "The world is changing" was very much the motto for this book. It includes a very important character death, a character we've known since practically the beginning of the series, who is given a worthy send-off. Tiffany Aching, perhaps the youngest protagonist of any of the DW novels, is also a worthy protagonist of this final book. The book wasn't quite finished when Pratchett died, and you can tell; a couple of threads are uncharacteristically dropped, and the end is a bit abrupt. Nonetheless, this final outing of a series that has given so many people so much joy is as worthy a send-off as was given to the character who dies. Sir Terry, you are missed. Book status: recommended.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan has previous tackled Greek gods, Roman gods and Egyptian gods, so it's high time he got around to Norse gods. There's a lot to like in this book. There's his trademark quirkily-irreverent worldbuilding, such as the Hotel Valhalla, which our young hero finds himself in after his dramatic death. (Barely a spoiler; it happens in just about the first chapter.) We get a cast of interesting characters, including a deaf elf, a snazzy-dressing dwarf, a disgraced Iraqi-American Valkyrie, and our hero, who's a homeless, teenage, dead demigod. Riordan unfortunately falls back on his old standard of our hero's intentions being tragically misinterpreted by the nominal good guys, which is a terribly tired plot device in any case. It's a fun book, and I'll read the rest of the series, but it's definitely the weakest of this bunch. Recommended if you've enjoyed Riordan's other books.
So. What should I read next?