Book #18 - 'The Godless' by Ben Peek

Started - 11/04/16

Finished - 14/04/16

I've been looking forward to this one for a long time but it's not quite what I expected.

The writing is a rich lush intoxicant, there is plenty of flow and tastes of the exotic that I love in fantasy when so many books rely on more staid or uniform environments and cultures. The langue at times however is muddied, there are lines I had to re-read a few times before I understood them and this is not helped by the overt philosophical feel of the book. This could have been a strength if the balance between plot and philosophical thought had been right, but as it is sometimes it over powers.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I did. As I've said there is the exotic in this book that puts me in mind of Amanda Dowum's 'The Drowning City', there are great ideas, exploration, myths, rich history, wonderful characters, magic, whole worlds waiting to be expanded upon AND so many intertwining stories so by and large I really liked it. With so many excellent set pieces I would have love this book to be illustrated like old expeditions; there is a lot of colour and live in there that feels very refreshing.

I am really looking forward to its sequel and seeing where he's going to go with it.

 

Book #17 - 'Railsea' by China Mieville

Started - 29/03/16

Finished - 11/04/16

New job again so I've been terminally busy.....

I'm a big fan of China Mieville, though Embassy Town almost killed me, and this was no exception. Railsea has hints of Moby Dick and Treasure Island but a huge percentage of the weird, inventive and intoxicating imagination Mieville is known for. I really can't fault this one. He's become the master of the anticlimactic which was unforgivable in The Scar but here works wonderfully because by the time you reach the end you're loving the adventure, the characters, the failed nature of obsession. He's managed to capture that sense of the labour behind a expedition so you feel as wrung out as the characters.

The writing can take a little time to get used to, but he loves playing with language and you do get used to it. In fact once you are used to it it gives the book a great feel of age, like you're reading a real account of adventures from the days of grand voyages.

The only time I was less enchanted with this book was the aside chapters, someone's a few paragraphs sometimes a few pages. At first they were interesting but towards the end they felt too indulgent and unnecessary. It's a tiny criticism.

Again there are places hinted at that I wished he'd touched on BUT for once he addresses that himself in the final chapters and it actually works to lessen my annoyance, and when I think about it including every little scrape of the Rail Sea in this story would have been detrimental. Though I do hope he returns to them at some point. I want to know more!

Wonderful book. Couldn't recommend it more.

Book #16 - 'Harrison Squared,' by Daryl Gregory

Started - 27/03/16

Finished - 29/03/16

I have a thing for books featuring sea monsters. It's almost a sure fire way to get me to buy. So when I saw the tentacle on the cover of this book, then read the blurb, I was hooked (no pun intended)

It's an assured, strongly written novel. The prose just slips alone, though I would say after you're pulled in by the first few pages that lessens slightly. The problem with that is any awkward sentences or repetition then pulls you from the story. It only happen once of twice.

Overall it's a good little book. I thought it might be too short but the pacing and delivery is spot on, the characters likable (goodies and baddies), the plot interesting and imaginative. The oddball nature of some of the town's residence could have been heightened, I would have liked to have seen a bit more casual whimsy. Harrison's acceptance of strange things is believable because of what he's after so Gregory could have really ramped that up. But maybe that would have made things too much because as it is he strikes a good balance.

I'm really hoping there will be more. The book is set up as - if not the start of a series - than the start of a few continuations.

Book #15 - 'Trollhunters' by Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus

Started - 18/03/16
Finished - 27/03/16

I'm a big fan of almost everything Guillermo Del Toro does (and I felt a little bad about not warming

to The Strain), then I heard Trollhunters was illustrated and that was all I needed. This is my first time reading Daniel Kraus, but I will look up more of his work now.

It's YA fiction even if the sheer about of gore and some of the themes are darker than I get from most young adult fiction with this kind of marketing.

To be clear everything from the cover work to the type screams it's the young side of young adult, but some of the descriptions and some of the events are decidedly on the adult side of young adult. It's a great balance. One of the reasons I've not read YA fiction in a while (beyond the need people seem to have of shoe horning love triangles into them) is the softening of aspects that could give the stories a much better edge and impact. There is too much rounding of corners, treating kids like they shouldn't read this stuff. This was a really refreshing change.
As Del Toro was involved you know you're in for buckets of imagination that's beyond the pale. There are characters that are stereotypes, some plot points that are too happenstance to be believed but really these things are tiny by comparison.

It's a good rollicking romp of a story that doesn't gloss over the mental impacts of these situations. If I don't see a film version in the next few years I'll be very surprised.

Arty Interval: something old

No too old. These are the acrylics I started about a year ago to teach myself how to paint. They worked out a lot better than I expected.

 

 

Arty Interval: someting new

Here's a few pieces I did with copic markers, promarkers, a few hints of 4b pencil and watercolour backgrounds. I do love the first more than the others. I'm working on a more intricate one right now between job interviews, reading and finishing submissions for anthologies. Excellent. Forward!

Book #14 - 'After Alice' by Gregory Maguire

Started - 18/03/16

Finished - 18/03/16

I have always liked the idea of Alice in Wonderful. The madness, the invention, the inherent threat of a place that doesn't hugely consider consequences or compromise; there are characters in there like the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts that I love. However I have always hated Alice. She is a brat. Together it's always seemed a waste for all that imagination and potential to be yoked to such an unlikable character. It means I've been waiting for someone to take up the story and give these character the attention they deserve. American McGee did a twisted dark job of it in their computer games (which I love!) if someone could have done that in a illustrated book I'd happily sleep with it under my pillow next to a vorpal blade to deter thieves.

Now for Gregory Maguire. In high school I was severely dyslexic. I could barely read, my spelling was so bad my writing was a hieroglyph. I worked extremely hard to enjoy books because I knew there were good things between those covers. I came to Wicked somewhere between growing confidence and fluid with my reading and still struggling a little. It's a hard read, but I stuck with it and felt accomplishment when I finished it (not enough magic for my tastes, no idea how they turned it into a musical!) and went on to read Son Of A Witch.

So I knew what I was getting myself into when I picked up After Alice. Gregory Maguire writes densely. He clearly has a love of language and is far from afraid to use it. After Alice is perhaps more lyrical then his other books. Like a dream, akin to the book this is based on, but with a slightly dark note, a hint of adult themes and threat and philosophy. A Midsummers Night Dream is referenced and it's that that feels the biggest influence. There is a chance the narrative could become lost within the verbal gymnastics but he comes across playful and it lets you role along with it rather than acting as an obstacle. This is played up by the narrator, a voice that takes this story as a time capsule out of it's setting giving it a timeless parable air..... yet still very light and playful.

I will say I lost my way a few times, there were lines of story that didn't hold my attention, but overall I enjoyed this book for a two reasons. It's lyrical nature made me feel good and I liked Alice's counterpart Ade were as I've never liked Alice.