Reading report, links roundup
I just learned to my regret that David Feintuch died last week. He wrote the Seafort series (beginning with Midshipman's Hope), a Hornblower-influenced space opera series. I didn't know him personally, but he was so very kind as to give me one of my first blurbs, though he didn't know me from Adam; my editor Betsy had just sent him the book out of the blue to read, and he was both encouraging and generous. mabfan has a lovely tribute to him here.
My orgy of reading from the last couple of days, in summary:
Magic Lessons (forthcoming sequel to Magic or Madness) by Justine Larbalestier (larbalestier on lj): And, wow, Justine really went there. *impressed* Also, I have come out of this without any certainty of what resolution I am hoping for -- this series is one of the few fantasies I've ever read that successfully makes magic feel like a terrible and very real burden, essentially bitter, which I adore, and yet I don't know if I could bear seeing the characters suffer the ultimate consequences.
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld: Freaked me out badly; am now convinced I am infected with mind-controlling brain parasites. Meep. I particularly enjoyed the mental incongruity of being in the middle of reading this while walking past the big brightly-colored "Peeps!" sign in the window at Dylan's Candy Bar with the fluffy yellow marshmallow chick beaming out happily.
The Privilege of the Sword by ellen_kushner: I love Katherine wholeheartedly, and for those on my flist who have been hoping, yes indeed, there is more Richard and Alec. The one shadow on my own otherwise-complete enjoyment was knowing that now I have to come up with a blurb, and while full of complimentary emotions, I can't figure out what to say. (I also can never think of anything to write when signing books, summaries for the website, back cover copy, etc. Synopses I can do; it's the distill-it-down-to-one-line that I can't manage.) However, I will endeavour to bear up under this weight in exchange for having my lovely advance copy.
The Secrets of Jin-shei by anghara, which I virtually yanked out of her hands at Lunacon: I have only begun this one, but already I am in love with the world of it; it is set in an alternate history of China, and it is beautiful and lush.
Cotillion: ♥ Freddy
Half a dozen Nero Wolfe books: ♥ Archie
What is really pathetic is that none of this has decreased the size of my to-be-read pile in the least; these are all books I acquired in the last week. Except for Cotillion and the Nero Wolfe books, where I am roughly on my tenth? eleventh? re-read. Clearly I am operating on the stack rather than queue method.
And, oh, finally, an exercise in vanity, collecting up some more reviews. I will hide them away below so as not to bore, but I will indulge in one quote above the cut-tag, possibly my favorite blurb ever (see, I want to be able to come up with ones like this):
Lev Grossman in Time Magazine: "Enthralling reading-it's like Jane Austen playing Dungeons and Dragons with Eragon's Christopher Paolini."
It's from an article in the March 13 issue subtitled Dragons! Lipgloss! Death!, which I have temporarily stolen as the new name for my lj, because how could I not. (And yes, I did indeed do a little jig when I learned this would be coming out.)
More reviews:
Print:
Frieda Murray in Booklist, February 1 issue: (starred review) "...a superbly written, character-driven series, which conjures the Napoleonic-era military replete with aerial corps of fighting dragons and their handlers."
Gary K. Wolfe in Locus, February issue: "The action sequences are terrific, the characters enormously appealing, the style accomplished and ironic."
Publishers Weekly, January 23: "In this delightful first novel, the opening salvo of a trilogy, Novik seamlessly blends fantasy into the history of the Napoleonic wars."
Bookmarks Magazine: "Against the convincing backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, Novik limns fantastical battle scenes, creates emotionally astute and appealing characters (dragon included), and provides unique insight into dragons, their abilities, and their breeding combinations."
Jon Courtenay Grimwood in the Guardian, January 14: "her air battles between French and British dragons have a stark simplicity that is quite her own."
Faran Miller in Locus, January issue: "A lively hybrid of fantasy and historical adventure."
Online:
Mark Rose at Bookgasm.com
T.M. Wagner at SF REVIEWS.NET, separate reviews on His Majesty's Dragon, on Throne of Jade, and on Black Powder War
Patrick on fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com, with an interview
Paul Haggerty at SFRevu
Rose Fox at Strange Horizons
Hobbit at SFF World
Andrew McKiernan at Oz Horrorscope
Rachel Barenblat at Inkmail
Jenny Davidson at Light Reading, on His Majesty's Dragon and on Throne of Jade and Black Powder War
Harriet Klausner at Alternative Worlds (I feel like I have arrived)
Sarra Borne at Front Street Reviews
matociquala, in livejournal
Jo Rogers at MyShelf.com
And I also have to mention the one piece of coverage that made me laugh and laugh, an article/profile in SFX Magazine, where I appeared between (not kidding!) Tom Welling and Rachel Luttrell. *dies*
Finally, thanks a lot, marycrawford. *goes out to buy Oblivion*
My orgy of reading from the last couple of days, in summary:
Magic Lessons (forthcoming sequel to Magic or Madness) by Justine Larbalestier (larbalestier on lj): And, wow, Justine really went there. *impressed* Also, I have come out of this without any certainty of what resolution I am hoping for -- this series is one of the few fantasies I've ever read that successfully makes magic feel like a terrible and very real burden, essentially bitter, which I adore, and yet I don't know if I could bear seeing the characters suffer the ultimate consequences.
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld: Freaked me out badly; am now convinced I am infected with mind-controlling brain parasites. Meep. I particularly enjoyed the mental incongruity of being in the middle of reading this while walking past the big brightly-colored "Peeps!" sign in the window at Dylan's Candy Bar with the fluffy yellow marshmallow chick beaming out happily.
The Privilege of the Sword by ellen_kushner: I love Katherine wholeheartedly, and for those on my flist who have been hoping, yes indeed, there is more Richard and Alec. The one shadow on my own otherwise-complete enjoyment was knowing that now I have to come up with a blurb, and while full of complimentary emotions, I can't figure out what to say. (I also can never think of anything to write when signing books, summaries for the website, back cover copy, etc. Synopses I can do; it's the distill-it-down-to-one-line that I can't manage.) However, I will endeavour to bear up under this weight in exchange for having my lovely advance copy.
The Secrets of Jin-shei by anghara, which I virtually yanked out of her hands at Lunacon: I have only begun this one, but already I am in love with the world of it; it is set in an alternate history of China, and it is beautiful and lush.
Cotillion: ♥ Freddy
Half a dozen Nero Wolfe books: ♥ Archie
What is really pathetic is that none of this has decreased the size of my to-be-read pile in the least; these are all books I acquired in the last week. Except for Cotillion and the Nero Wolfe books, where I am roughly on my tenth? eleventh? re-read. Clearly I am operating on the stack rather than queue method.
And, oh, finally, an exercise in vanity, collecting up some more reviews. I will hide them away below so as not to bore, but I will indulge in one quote above the cut-tag, possibly my favorite blurb ever (see, I want to be able to come up with ones like this):
Lev Grossman in Time Magazine: "Enthralling reading-it's like Jane Austen playing Dungeons and Dragons with Eragon's Christopher Paolini."
It's from an article in the March 13 issue subtitled Dragons! Lipgloss! Death!, which I have temporarily stolen as the new name for my lj, because how could I not. (And yes, I did indeed do a little jig when I learned this would be coming out.)
More reviews:
Print:
Frieda Murray in Booklist, February 1 issue: (starred review) "...a superbly written, character-driven series, which conjures the Napoleonic-era military replete with aerial corps of fighting dragons and their handlers."
Gary K. Wolfe in Locus, February issue: "The action sequences are terrific, the characters enormously appealing, the style accomplished and ironic."
Publishers Weekly, January 23: "In this delightful first novel, the opening salvo of a trilogy, Novik seamlessly blends fantasy into the history of the Napoleonic wars."
Bookmarks Magazine: "Against the convincing backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, Novik limns fantastical battle scenes, creates emotionally astute and appealing characters (dragon included), and provides unique insight into dragons, their abilities, and their breeding combinations."
Jon Courtenay Grimwood in the Guardian, January 14: "her air battles between French and British dragons have a stark simplicity that is quite her own."
Faran Miller in Locus, January issue: "A lively hybrid of fantasy and historical adventure."
Online:
Mark Rose at Bookgasm.com
T.M. Wagner at SF REVIEWS.NET, separate reviews on His Majesty's Dragon, on Throne of Jade, and on Black Powder War
Patrick on fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com, with an interview
Paul Haggerty at SFRevu
Rose Fox at Strange Horizons
Hobbit at SFF World
Andrew McKiernan at Oz Horrorscope
Rachel Barenblat at Inkmail
Jenny Davidson at Light Reading, on His Majesty's Dragon and on Throne of Jade and Black Powder War
Harriet Klausner at Alternative Worlds (I feel like I have arrived)
Sarra Borne at Front Street Reviews
matociquala, in livejournal
Jo Rogers at MyShelf.com
And I also have to mention the one piece of coverage that made me laugh and laugh, an article/profile in SFX Magazine, where I appeared between (not kidding!) Tom Welling and Rachel Luttrell. *dies*
Finally, thanks a lot, marycrawford. *goes out to buy Oblivion*