Author: Nicky

Review – Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore

Posted March 25, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore, Bettany Hughes

Originally reviewed 11th October, 2012

Bettany Hughes was made an honorary Fellow of my university in the same ceremony as I became a graduate, so I’ve been planning to read this ever since. That, and the story of Troy has always been fascinating to me. There’s definitely something very compelling about Bettany Hughes’ writing, which though very detailed isn’t dry — or maybe I just have a weakness for descriptions of “sumptuous palaces” and so on trained into me by my early love of a book (by Christine Desroches-Noblecourt) describing the treasures of Tutankhamen’s tomb in detail. She makes the book colourful, anyway. And from whatever I know of Greek history and myths, she chooses her material well and does wonders in digging through the evidence of millennia to look at the idea of Helen of Troy, where she came from and what she has meant to generations of people.

I think my favourite section was actually the discussion of what the fabled Helen had to do with Eleanor of Aquitaine: the interaction of real queens with figures of legend like Helen of Troy, Queen Guinevere and female Christian saints fascinates me…

I’m not sure how well I think the information was organised, though. Admittedly, Helen is hard to pin down, but I’m not sure I can pinpoint how Hughes wanted to present her ideas. For me, reading cover to cover and for pleasure, it worked fine, but if I were to come back and try to refer to some specific point, I think I’d have trouble finding it.There are extensive notes and a long list of references to other works, so all in all I think this book is very well organised and researched. And — to me, more importantly — I really enjoyed reading it.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Flashback Friday, non-fiction

Review – The Winner’s Kiss

Posted March 24, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

The Winner’s Kiss, Marie Rutkoski

Received to review via Netgalley

After The Winner’s Crime, I was a little nervous I wouldn’t like this. After all, while I rated it highly in the end, the second book in the series relied heavily on one of my least favourite tropes: miscommunication, misunderstanding, a refusal to see. Mostly on Arin’s part, but Kestrel contributed plenty: her strategies might be good if they don’t involve Arin, but when he’s involved, she loses her cool and doesn’t know quite what to do. At least in The Winner’s Crime. In The Winner’s Kiss, well: things change. The plot moves pretty swiftly, and though there was a brief part where Arin’s ignorance was so contrived I wanted to scream (the narrative flagging up “there’s a messenger and oh, Arin forgets to see him!” just made me want to bash my head against something, I’m afraid), eventually he gets the message and things get back on track.

I read The Winner’s Kiss in one day; in many respects, it makes a very satisfying ending. Kestrel and Arin both find out more about themselves, and each other; things aren’t easy, but they find their way. When an opportunity for all-too-easy revenge rears its head, Rutkoski went for a more complex and more effective way of dealing with the aftermath of betrayal, with the aftermath of a wrecked relationship. There’s no easy resolution to what Kestrel’s father is and has done, but there’s no easy refusal to deal with those issues either.

Things I wanted more of: Sarsine. Jess, and resolution with her. Roshar and his friendship with Arin. Arin the tiger. Risha.

I find that, at the moment, I don’t want to pick this apart any further. I enjoyed it, and I think people will find it a worthy final book in the series. After the tortuous miscommunications of the middle book, this final book gave me more of the feeling I had from the first.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, romance, SF/F

Review – Carry On

Posted March 23, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Carry On, Rainbow Rowell

Ever since I heard Rowell was actually going to write this, I’ve really wanted it. I mean, it explicitly features two boys being idiots in love, in exactly the same way as Rowell’s other books portray heterosexual couples being stupid (and sweet, and impossible, and teenage). And people were so excited about it — it seemed pretty mainstream. So that was cool. And then of course it takes an adversarial relationship a la Harry and Draco and develops it into love, which is one of my things.

Did it live up to my hopes? Hell yes. I was worried about a couple of things: in Fangirl, the world of Carry On was basically created to take the place of Harry Potter. I don’t actually like Harry Potter (sorry), and I was also worried that this would just turn out to be a serial-numbers-filed-off version. That didn’t happen: I was actually impressed with the way Rowell constructed her fantasy world, especially the power of words — and the way that pervaded the whole narrative: the worst thing to do to a mage is to steal their words, and at one point Simon says something trying to make it true. Perfect.

Another concern was, well, I didn’t like Draco. I thought he was slimy and cowardly. Now, Baz isn’t perfect — but he’s a worthy lead, flaws and all. He doesn’t always do the right thing, and he has opinions that we might not 100% endorse, but he’s in a difficult position and he works with what he’s got.

Finally, I was worried that Simon and Baz being gay (or bisexual, or demisexual as some people suggest, in Simon’s case) would be a Big Thing. Actually, it shockingly isn’t. There are a few points where Simon isn’t sure about it, but it isn’t a Big Angsty Issue. And Rowell writes them well; I love the way Baz only calls Simon by name when they’re “being soft with each other”. It all feels pretty boyish.

As for the rest, well — Penelope Bunce, guys. She’s all the great things about Hermione and Ron in one, without the annoying pettiness. And she has an amazing friendship with Simon — yes, a boy and a girl being friends in YA without complications, without romance. Hurrah!

Despite the fact that Agatha got to have a voice, I didn’t feel like it was quite fair to her. She seemed fickle and cowardly, when wanting to have a life of her own was a perfectly reasonable wish, and wanting to be loved now and for herself, not as the Happy Ever After In Waiting. Still, the way it examines the tropes of the Chosen One and the Happily Ever After are welcome and interesting.

I didn’t want it to be over, and I am definitely reading it again in future.

“It’s okay,” Baz says. “It’s all okay now.” One arm is tight around Simon’s back, and the other is smoothing his hair out of his face. “You did it, didn’t you?” Baz whispers. “You defeated the Humdrum. You saved the day, you courageous fuck. You absolute nightmare.”

Rating: 5/5

Tags: book reviews, books, queer fic, Rainbow Rowell, romance, SF/F

Review – Solstice Wood

Posted March 22, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Solstice Wood, Patricia A. McKillip

Solstice Wood is a loose sequel to Winter Rose, set a few generations later in the same place. That gives it a really weird feel, because it’s very much rooted in place and time, while Winter Rose could be almost anywhere, anywhen. I don’t really remember the same concrete sense of place about Winter Rose at all; perhaps because half of it was spent in the other world, but still. That felt untethered in time, and this really isn’t — planes, phones, worrying about reception. It feels realistic, and that’s odd compared to the narrator of Winter Rose and her unconcern for the barriers between what’s real and what isn’t.

Oddly enough, although I understood it better, I think I liked it less than Winter Rose. Some of the beauty and mystery was missing — which in a way was part of the point, but still. And the main character’s grandmother is just stunningly unable to see what’s going on under her nose for someone who is meant to be stubborn and shrewd. Love blinds us all, I guess, but it still felt odd.

The fae stuff in this book is perhaps more attractive than in Winter Rose, though; we get to see the gentler side, the enticing side, and more nuance. Still, I’m not greatly enamoured.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Patricia A. McKillip, SF/F

Top Ten Tuesday

Posted March 22, 2016 by Nicky in General / 18 Comments

This week’s theme is “Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven’t Talked About Enough/In A While”. I can do that, right? Right!

The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison. I’m never going to be over this book, or feel like I’ve said enough about it. It probably dethroned my previous fairly longterm favourite. I would rather reread it right now than reread The Lord of the Rings, and believe me, nobody expects me to say that.
Carry On, Rainbow Rowell. Okay, I haven’t talked about it enough because my review hasn’t gone up yet. But STILL. I loved it and I loved what Rowell did with the starting material and I can’t get over Simon and Baz.
Seaward, Susan Cooper. It’s like The Dark is Rising grew up and discovered sex. Except not in any crude way, it’s just that attraction is a thing for the main characters and it shapes what they grow through. A magical journey for a different stage of adolescence.
Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds. I haven’t talked about this much because it’s been so long since I read it, but I’m rereading it right now, so there’s that. It’s actually the book that made my sister into a reader after she totally lost interest.
Sunshine, Robin McKinley. I have to confess, I’m actually a little scared to reread it in case it isn’t as awesome as I remember.
My Real Children, Jo Walton. I feel like I didn’t talk about this enough when it came out, though I loved it. I might even love it more than Among Others, in that it might have more to say to an adult version of me, whereas Among Others talks to the teen I was.
Vicious, V.E. Schwab. I don’t anyone in my day to day life who has read it, and my partner hasn’t read it (yet). CAPSLOCK WITH ME.
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern. I love this book and I want to read it again. It’s just so magical. And people often say “but I don’t like circuses”, and guys, it doesn’t matter.
Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey. I always tack disclaimers on this one because of the sex and BDSM, which often makes people look at me like “what weird things are you into?” But I love these books for the politics and the world and Joscelin, who is not at all kinky unless paladins who are meant to be celibate but fall in love are your fetish. (More power to you, if so.)
Bloodshot, Cherie Priest. I haven’t fallen for any of Priest’s other books as much as the duology this kicks off. And there’s no series I can think of that I want more of so powerfully. Must reread soon. (My partner tried and was bored. Aaah.)

I could probably think of a ton more books to flail about. This is a good topic!

Tags: books, Top Ten Tuesday

Review – The Winner’s Crime

Posted March 21, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 7 Comments

The Winner’s Crime, Marie Rutkoski

I started this eagerly and then stalled about two hundred pages into it, because the lack of communication between Kestrel and Arin was just killing me. Which on the one hand speaks for Rutkoski’s skill — I was worried about the characters and their relationship, not purely frustrated with the kind of plot I hate — and on the other meant I put it aside for a while, because wanting to scream just communicate damn it! at other people’s characters is not my favourite feeling. Fortunately, I did pick it back up, and then raced through the rest; I think it just took taking a step back and letting some of the arghiness dissipate!

As for that relationship — well, it remains rocky, of course. One reaches out and the other pulls back; miscommunications and missteps make everything difficult; love and loyalty come between them. And, of course, the brief periods where one owned the other (either outright or de facto in the way Arin owned Kestrel after the rebellion — she certainly wasn’t free!). And I find myself hoping for them as an outcome more than I did in the first book, and seeing it as a relationship that could work. (Provided they start communicating and stop making dumb assumptions — Arin, I’m looking at you.)

What really broke me in this book, though, was Kestrel’s relationship with her father. GAAAH. No spoilers, but love and loyalty is again an issue, and the emperor is a cold, manipulative, clever ruler. Actually, the person he reminds me of most in literature would be President Snow. There’s a similarity with the theatrical manoeuvring, the spectacle, and the lies.

I’m glad I have The Winner’s Kiss to go onto already, even though I am stupidly late getting to the ARC. The story remains engaging, the world intriguing: I have to know how things resolve.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, SF/F

Review – Junk DNA

Posted March 20, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Junk DNA, Nessa Carey

I’ve read Nessa Carey’s work before, in The Epigenetics Revolution, so I had high hopes for this — especially because it involves a lot more discussion of epigenetic modification of gene expression, and because genetics in general is something that fascinates me. If this is an interest of yours, then this will definitely work for you; I didn’t feel like it repeated the basics too much, but at the same time, it was perfectly readable for anyone at a lower level. I think so, anyway; it’s hard for me to judge now, after so much reading and now study of genetics! I can definitely say that if you know the basics about genetic inheritance and the central dogma of biology, this should work for you.

It’s also very readable and enjoyable; I’ve read some books which unfortunately manage to make genetics boring, even for me, but Carey’s isn’t one of them. This is one of the books I have no doubt I’ll keep entertaining friends and families with random information from — did you know? Did you know?

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, non-fiction

Review – Clean Sweep

Posted March 19, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Clean Sweep, Ilona Andrews

Okay, the concept reminds me of Tanya Huff’s Summon the Keeper, which I haven’t read yet but which is held in high esteem by some of my friends. But Ilona Andrews’ writing is just darn fun. Dina is funny and takes no crap, the whole concept of the inns and the responsibilities of the inn keepers is good, and while Sean Evans is kind of an ass, he’s the kind of ass that can grow on you — like Curran, from the Kate Daniels books. I actually read this in one sitting, despite rather wanting to go to bed before I started, and when done, I handed it straight to my sister.

And come on, if nothing else grabs you, the unique “vampires” from actual outer space are a really cool concept. Between this and the magic/technology mixture in the Kate Daniels books, you’d better believe that the Andrews team can come up with some great settings and interesting worlds.

Guess I’m going to have to get my hands on Sweep in Peace, though I sort of hope that neither potential love interest turns out to be the one. Shoo, Sean. Go pee on someone else’s trees.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Ilona Andrews, romance, SF/F

Stacking the Shelves

Posted March 19, 2016 by Nicky in General / 19 Comments

Well, for the first time in a while I haven’t got any new books this week! I did pick up some print copies of books I already owned for my collection, but I don’t really count those as acquisitions unless I’m going to reread. And there was a library trip, but only a small one!

Yes, honestly, that is a small one. I technically own the Heyer books… somewhere.

Books read:

Reviews this week:

–The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All The Way Home, by Catherynne M. Valente. A worthy final book, though I was disappointed not to see more of a couple of characters. It ends very neatly. 4/5 stars
–Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days, by Brian K. Vaughn. I wanted to like it more, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the art. Made a decent introduction, though. 3/5 stars
–Winter Rose, by Patricia A. McKillip. I normally love McKillip’s work, but this was my third read and I consistently don’t seem to “get” this one. 3/5 stars
–Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, by Kai Ashante Wilson. I wanted to like it, but the pacing was off and there were so many things skimmed over that I really wanted to know. 2/5 stars
–Alex + Ada: Volume One, by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn. Very very introductory, so it’s hard to say if I’ll like the rest of the series. 3/5 stars
–Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay: The Dodgy Business of Popular Music, by Simon Napier-Bell. Gossipy and light, but uses terms like “Red Indians”. Whaaa? 2/5 stars
–Flashback Friday: The Postman, by David Brin. An interesting concept for a post-apocalyptic story. I wanted more female characters, though. 3/5 stars

Other posts:

–Why reread? Examines why I like to reread — and asks whether you do, too.
–Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR. What it says on the tin: some books I hope to read soon.

So how’s your week been? I wish I’d read more, but it hasn’t been a bad week. My only worry is getting together the money for my domain name renewal and such.

Tags: books, Stacking the Shelves, weekly roundup

Review – The Postman

Posted March 18, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

The Postman, David Brin

I enjoyed the first two parts of this very much. The first part covers serendipitous discovery of an old uniform by the main character, Gordon Krantz, just when he needs it after his camp has been raided and all the gear he needs for survival taken. The second part involves the way he becomes a symbol, at first without meaning to, and then the way he builds up a movement around himself, making his lies a reality.

The third part is where it falls down a bit for me, where he comes seriously involved in a basically military operation, and themes of scientific manipulation and so on come in. The climax of the novel is a fight between two characters which barely involves the protagonist, though fortunately it returns to being about Gordon for the last part.

The world of The Postman is bleak, post-apocalyptic, both recognising the elements among us who are violent and opportunistic, and the basic decency a lot of people have. There’s hope here as well.

The way the novel deals with female characters… troubled me. The fact that there are few to no women in positions of power — at least among the decent folks, though of course not among the antagonists due to their philosophy — and the one who is ends up proving herself dangerously naive. Many women are strong, and would be capable of a lot better in a post-apocalyptic dystopian situation than the showing they make here.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Flashback Friday, SF/F