THE SILENT ARMY – James A. Moore

Posted by Daniel on January 21, 2019
Posted in: SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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Another James A. Moore book!  Yes! This one was a little ways back in my ARC queue, but I’m always happy now to read some great fantasy from the hands of a modern master. And if you’re not sure if this will be exciting enough for you, take note of that slug line on the top of the book: Total war. That should get your heart racing!

The Silent Army is the conclusion (?) of the Seven Forges series – a series that I haven’t read in its entirety and am likely reading out of order.  But I don’t care.  I get caught up in Moore’s worlds and stories so easily, and he lets us know what’s important for the story at hand, that I don’t miss what I don’t know (this isn’t true with all writers and their series of books).

As with the other James A. Moore books I’ve read, there is a lot of brutal killing here.  This is the sort of fantasy that would have been labelled “Sword and Sorcery” when I was first reading books of this nature by authors such as Michael Moorcock, Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Lin Carter, and others. Elric and Conan and Fafhrd did their fair share of hacking as well, so this sort of fantasy brutality is nothing new. And as for sorcery … we have a city that floats and moves out of the way (among other things), so there’s plenty of appeal and good reason to label this as sword and sorcery fantasy!

I usually like to give a paragraph description of the story, but there’s so much going on here that I’m not sure I can write a paragraph and adequately describe the story in an appealing way! Here is the story as teased on Goodreads:

The power that was hidden in the Mounds is on the move, seeking a final confrontation with the very entities that kept it locked away since the Cataclysm. Andover Lashk has finally come to accept his destiny and prepares to journey back to Fellein. The Sa’ba Taalor continue their domination over each country and people they encounter, but the final conflict is coming: The Great Wave of the Sa’ba Taalor stands to destroy an empire and the Silent Army prepares to stop them in their tracks.

Caught in the middle is the Fellein Empire and the people who have gathered together on the final battlefield. The faithful and the godless, the soldiers and killers alike all stand or fall as old gods and new bring their war to a world-changing end. Some struggles are eternal. Some conflicts never cease. The Gods of War are here and they are determined to win.

What this only barely touches on is how the armies wipe out and/or absorb the communities in their paths, and the final battle between two chosen champions that will have the reader holding his/her breath in anticipation.

Moore’s story (both this and the larger story arc of the series) is about gods and the battle of mortals challenging those gods, which makes for high drama, but the books work so well because against this backdrop of godly battles is a story of individuals serving as champions and trying to understand their own place in the world.  It is these stories of individuals that connect us, the readers, to the book and have us caught up in the greater story.

I don’t easily put a writer on my “must read immediately” list but James A. Moore is now there and I look forward to my next Moore adventure.

Looking for a good book? The Silent Army by James A. Moore is the epic conclusion of the Seven Forges series and is a tremendous climax that is well worth reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Silent Army

author: James A. Moore

series: Seven Forges #4

publisher: Angry Robot

ISBN: 0857665758

paperback, 393 pages

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I ONLY KILLED HIM ONCE -Adam Christopher

Posted by Daniel on January 18, 2019
Posted in: MYSTERY, SF/FANTASY. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Raymond Electromatic is an assassin.  An assassin posing as a private gumshoe. Raymond Electromatic is also a robot.  And not just any robot … he is the last robot since the Department of Robot Labor (DORL) saw to the end of robot production. Ray Electromatic is very good at his job but he has one serious flaw.  His internal memory tape only provides enough memory for twenty-four hours.  For anything beyond that he relies on his provider/boss, Ada to keep him in the know and on track with his assignments. Ada is a computer.  A desktop computer that sits in the office of the Electromatic Detective Agency.

In I Only Killed Him Once, the detective office is visited by a mysterious man dressed in black who comes to issue a warning that Ray and Ada are in danger.  Ray has the distinct impression that he has seen this man before but he can’t remember why or when (24 hour memory, remember). When he asks about it, Ada tells him to forget about it, which is unlike her. Not long after, when Ray comes to the office again because Ada isn’t responding to him, he discovers that the agency office has been raided and Ada is gone. It appears as though she may have been dismantled by DORL.

Raymond now has only twenty-four hours of memory tape to find Ada, uncover the identity of the man in black, and determine how the dark stranger fit in to Ada’s disappearance.

I’ve really come to enjoy the Raymond Electromatic mysteries.  They are ripping good yarns! This book made me smile with the very first sentence: “They say you should never start with the weather, but look, it was a dark and stormy night and I don’t care who knows it.” And I smiled the rest of the way through.

Author Adam Christopher puts together a very nice mystery, with a few surprises along the way and does it with this very unique world he has created – a 1960’s alternate era with a very futuristic AI computer and robot acting like 1950’s noir detectives.  Does that sound like fun?  It is! But it’s more than just fun because the mystery itself is worth exploring.

It makes me sad, however, to read that this is likely the last book in the series.  I could read a new Raymond Electromatic Mystery once a year for a very long time if they were made available.  But since they likely won’t be, you should be sure to pick up your copy now.

Looking for a good book? I Only Killed Him Once by Adam Christopher is the last (?) book in the Raymond Electromatic Mystery series and it is a fun science fiction mystery that you can easily enjoy.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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I Only Killed Him Once

author: Adam Christopher

series: Raymond Electromatic Mysteries #3

publisher: Tor Books

ISBN: 0765379228

hardcover, 256 pages

RECENTERING THE UNIVERSE – Ron Miller

Posted by Daniel on January 17, 2019
Posted in: CHILDREN'S, NON-FICTION, Uncategorized, YA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This is a really interesting little book!

This is a history/science book targeted at an advanced middle school reader, but really it’s the perfect book for someone like myself. As a youngster I probably wouldn’t have cared for this book too much.  There are a lot of names that don’t roll off the tongue, and a lot of dates, and plenty of science terms that would have been tough for the younger me.

The book describes some of the early theories of earth, the sun, and the solar system. From the geocentric views of the earliest philosophers (up through the 1970’s!) to the heliocentric view commonly understood today, this book covers a lot of ground in a very short time.

Although on the surface it appears to be a book about the early science of studying the cosmos, there’s a strong, almost anti-religious sentiment here.  Of course, in the early days of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton, the Church was the ultimate source for information about the cosmos (also known as ‘the heavens’). The science that most of us understand today was radical theory and opposite of what the Church preached, so it is understandable that a book about the science of the time would reflect a great deal of conflict with church doctrine.

But it’s the last chapter that has a weird feel to it.

I absolutely love the fact that I learned something in this last chapter (though truthfully, I learned something in all the chapters!) – I’d never heard of the Muggletonians or Cyrus Teed or Wilbur Glenn Voliva and, well, if I hadn’t heard of any of them I wouldn’t be any worse off. I understand that there’s an interesting point here that science and religion are often still at odds despite the more accepted Church having come to a better understanding and acceptance of science … but what do these more recent religious fringe elements have to do with ‘recentering the universe’?  It feels more like trying to poke fun at all religions by picking out a few of the more extreme fringe elements. I would have much rather seen a chapter on some of the more modern scientists (Carl Sagan? Stephen Hawking? Neil deGrasse Tyson?) than give any kind of credence to the crackpots.

Otherwise, a worthy book for students.

Looking for a good book? Recentering the Universe by Ron Miller is a wonderful abbreviated history of the struggle between science and religion when discoveries about the solar system were being made, but the book takes a tangent near the end that takes away from the value of the rest of the book.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Recentering the Universe: The Radical Theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton

author: Ron Miller

publisher: Twenty-First Century Books

ISBN: 0761358854

hardcover, 88 pages

GOLDEN SON – Pierce Brown

Posted by Daniel on January 15, 2019
Posted in: SF/FANTASY. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Golden Son is the second book in Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series. The first book, Red Rising, really took me by surprise (in a good way) and I have the most recent book in my ARC queue so I thought I’d better get caught up with the series.

Darrow grew up as a ‘Red’ – a worker class citizen in a caste-based civilization. The upper class – the Golds – led the Reds to believe that they were working to create a better future for everyone, but the discovery that the entire system was designed only to make the Golds’ lives easier. The Reds revolted and many were killed during the uprising. Darrow managed to escape and secretly build a new life for himself.

Now Darrow is the favored son of the ArchGovernor’s family and he continues to build friends and followers and power among the Golds (who have no idea of his Red past). But of course he has also developed his share of enemies who aren’t happy with this new-comers rise.  But Darrow was raised as a Red and he is ill-prepared for the political back-stabbing and conspiracy that her now faces. Darrow will need to think quickly and keep an eye on his back while he moves forward with hopes to bring down the whole rotten caste.

Like its predecessor, this book is constant action around a carefully plotted story. Too often we find a second book that tries to recreate the magic of a first book only to rehash plot and action.  It’s refreshing then to have this book stay in the same world but have such a different feel about it. Darrow’s experiences here are quite different from how we saw him earlier.  But his heart is the same and he doesn’t just go on a quick Gold-killing spree but he tries to get to understand the people he’s around, hoping to get them to make changes that will benefit all classes of people. But he’s not afraid to take action – and he’s now well-trained!

This is a fun book and an exciting series so far.  I look forward to getting deeper into the series.

Looking for a good book?  As the second book in the series, Golden Son by Pierce Brown keeps up the excitement and suspense in the Red Rising Saga.

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Golden Son

author: Pierce Brown

series: Red Rising Saga #2

publisher: Del Rey

ISBN: 0345539818

hardcover, 442 pages

THE HIDDEN MACHINERY – Margot Livesey

Posted by Daniel on January 14, 2019
Posted in: NON-FICTION, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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I was not at all familiar with Margot Livesey before reading this. When I requested this book I was on a bit of a kick to read books about writing (if you’ve been following my blog you can probably recall a few titles that have been reviewed here). I was also attracted to the very unusual nature of the cover for this book.

I felt a connection to the author very early on when she writes:

Because we come to reading and writing so early—as a life skill, not an art form—people often overestimate their own abilities as fiction writers. “Oh, yes, I’m thinking of writing a novel,” my fellow passengers tell me on planes and trains. As soon as we consider Serena Williams playing tennis, or Yo-Yo Ma playing the cello, we recognize the absurdity of thinking that one can easily move from audience member to performer. No one would imagine that all they had to do was listen to music and then they’d be able to play at the Village Vanguard, or visit the Metropolitan Museum regularly and then paint a masterpiece.

How succinctly she puts it!   I’ve heard other authors say this, but never quite so simply and smartly.  That she also makes the distinction between writing as an art form and (as she puts it) a ‘life skill’ makes tremendous sense, and this is something I have not previously run across.

I absolutely adored the essay “Mrs. Turpin Reads the Stars: Creating Characters Who Walk off the Page.” “I am character handicapped,” Livesey writes and notes that not being able to write vivid characters is akin to golfers who can’t putt or drummers with no sense of rhythm. And yet, judging by the characters I see in so many books, there are plenty of character-handicapped authors out there. But this seemingly simple essay has more depth to it than most books.  This essay alone is worth the price of the book and should be required reading in high school and college writing courses.

From her recognition of what she doesn’t do well with thoughts on how to rewrite and overcome her own deficiencies, to writing prompts and rules (i.e. “Every character should have something I absolutely do not share: perfect pitch, the ability to recognize edible mushrooms”) this essay – a personal reflection on writing – is packed with tremendous advice for writers of all levels.

“Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be: Paying Homage” is a wonderful essay touting the case for borrowing or ‘re-imagining’ stories. There’s a fine line between re-imagining and plagiarism, but Livesey’s arguments are worth considering.

I could quote at length from this book.  So many times I read, then re-read a sentence or a paragraph because there was so much power, so much truth in the words, and I highlighted my digital copy in almost systematic fashion.  When I was done reading my digital ARC I immediately put a hard copy in my online shopping cart.  I want this book handy to be able to call upon it time and again.

Looking for a good book? Anyone even slightly interested in writing should own a copy of Margot Livesey’s The Hidden Machinery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing

author: Margot Livesey

publisher: Tin House Books

ISBN: 1941040683

paperback, 302 pages

quotes – Jan 2019

Posted by Daniel on January 12, 2019
Posted in: OTHER, Thoughts, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

From my first post of book quotes I wrote:

For about as long as I have been reading, I have collected quotes. What makes a good quote? I think it’s a snippet of writing that speaks volumes. It is the prose version of a poem – something that, in a condensed manner, waxes philosophic on a subject. Or it might be a turn of a phrases that perfectly captures or identifies a moment. Or might just be a sentence that makes me burst out laughing.

There have been times that I’ve looked back on a quote and wondered why I had thought a quote worth saving, but more often than not, I’ve enjoyed looking back on the quotes I’ve collected.

I thought it might be nice to share some of the quotes I’ve been finding in the books I’ve been reading for this blog. I hope you enjoy these as well.

My collection of quotes has been growing rapidly, but I’ve been slow on sharing them.  I hope I can change that in 2019.

 

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“I think maybe my waking life is becoming so interesting that I don’t need to dream things up anymore.”
The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden by Philippa Dowding

 

“All I want to do with my life is get out and fly above the troubles of this crappy world.”
The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden by Philippa Dowding

 

“You’re alone when you die, even if you’re surrounded by hundreds.”
A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison

 

“People are a precious commodity, in bulk. Individuals tend to get lost in the shuffle.”
The Interminables by Paige Orwin

 

“Anyone who has had a friend or been one knows that it takes an awful lot of work.”
The Christmas Tree by Julie Salamon

 

“No one likes to think that they might not be the smartest person in the room.”
Playing Tyler by T.L. Costa

 

“All people want to live dignified lives, dignity just means something different to different people.”
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

 

“Two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead.”
“The Twithead with the Dragon Tattoo” by Charlotte Moore in Dragonwriter

 

“May I never be too old to have a birthday, and you to make magic of it!”
Julian Hawthorne: The Life of a Prodigal Son by Gary Scharnhorst

 

“One house isn’t built for two nasty people.”
Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker by Chuck Haddix

SKYFARER – Joseph Brassey

Posted by Daniel on January 11, 2019
Posted in: SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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Joseph Brassey’s Skyfarer is a delightful throwback to science fantasy of the 1970’s and 80’s.

Aimee de Laurent is fresh out of the academy where she has studied wizardry (wizarding?).  She is now apprentice to one of the best teachers in the entire galaxy, Harkon Bright, and they are about to head out on a very long (years) expedition to explore the galaxy in their skyship.

As they begin, however, Aimee casts the initial spell to set their ship on its journey (Spell-Casting 101, right?) and something goes wrong. Very wrong. Aimee and Harkon end up far away and in the middle of a fight.  They are part of a resistance protecting an island planet, New Providence. Attacking the planet are magic-wielding knights. Their leader is the cruel Lord Azrael of the Eternal Order.  He is seeking a rare gem, the Axiom Diamond, that could bring great power to Azrael’s masters.

It doesn’t take long for Aimee and Harkon to recognize the vicious brutality of the Eternal Order and to choose their side. And even though Aimee is only a recent graduate from wizarding school, she and Azrael will face off time and time again through the course of the book. While she will need every ounce of skill and luck to survive … so will Azrael.

There’s a lot of high drama here.  This is really fine space opera, and as such, the villains are clearly bad, the good guys, our heroine and her mentor, are clearly good. And the goal that each is looking to obtain is as sparkling clear as a diamond.

Even though the characters and tropes all seem familiar, I really enjoyed this story. Joseph Brassey spins a good yarn and we get sucked in.  There are reasons that certain ideas and stock characters become tropes and stock characters … because they work.  Or at least they can work when created from the pen of someone who knows what he’s doing.

This is fast and fun and a great way to spend a weekend reading.

Looking for a good book? Skyfarer by Joseph Brassey is a swiftly moving space opera that is a lot of fun to read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Skyfarer

author: Joseph Brassey

series: The Drifting Lands #1

publisher: Angry Robot

ISBN: 0857666762

paperback, 334 pages