Author: Nicky

Giveaway – A Gathering of Shadows

Posted February 20, 2016 by Nicky in Giveaways / 6 Comments

Today, I learned a thing. I was not very happy to learn this thing. See, it turns out that when you grab a book that’s been put out ahead of the release date, the sale doesn’t count towards that (fairly important) first week sales metric. I just googled it for something to link and easily found a bunch of people talking about it.

And yes, you caught me….

So. Time to fix this a bit.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Instead of using The Book Depository as usual, I will pre-order two copies of A Gathering of Shadows and then mail them out myself when the giveaway is over. So you can be absolutely sure these will count, and if the Post Office ships to you, you can enter. I will end it at the end of February, so people aren’t waiting too long for their copies.

Now, I did include some options for extra entries by following my blog, etc, but the main way is via that tweet, and you can do that once per day.

So what’re you waiting for?!

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted February 20, 2016 by Nicky in General / 33 Comments

It’s been a busy week, both for books bought and books read! What’s everyone else been getting their hands on or reading this week?

Books bought

Cover of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard Cover of Courage is the Price by Lynn E. O'Connacht Cover of A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Truthwitch arrived in Illumicrate’s second box, and I’m excited to read it — especially with Robin Hobb’s endorsement on the cover. Courage is the Price is written by a friend of mine, and now it has a print edition, so of course I had to get it. Aaaand Waterstones had a copy of A Gathering of Shadows already, so I grabbed it and cancelled my preorder. But, to make up for that (since apparently sales like that don’t count for first week sales), here is a preorder giveaway!

Plus, uh, a batch of comics. Which I justify by pointing out they are female superheroes, and as such need supporting.

Cover of Spider-woman: Vol 0 Cover of Spider-woman: New Duds Cover of Spider-Gwen

I mean, until Jessica Drew, Carol Danvers and Hope Van Dyne join the Avengers in the MCU, I won’t believe that Marvel have finally got the message we want them.

Library books

Cover of The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne Cover of The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon Cover of The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

I already own The Girl in the Road and The Speed of Dark… somewhere. This should be impetus to read them. In theory.

Books to review

Cover of False Hearts by Laura Lam Cover of The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski Cover of The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu

Thanks, Pan Macmillan, Bloomsbury and Saga Press! Because I am dreadfully behind, False Hearts will actually be my first book by Laura Lam, and I’ve only just got The Winner’s Curse… good thing I felt like reading it, haha.

Read this week:

Cover of Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller by Jennifer Kloester Cover of Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood Cover of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater Cover of Dead Man's Embers by Mari Strachan Cover of Ms Marvel: Last Days

Cover of City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett Cover of Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton Cover of Old Man's War by John Scalzi Cover of Courage is the Price by Lynn E. O'Connacht Cover of The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Yes, I did read all of those. Yes, I do eat and sleep, we just don’t quite understand how I fit it in.

Reviews this week:
Soundless, by Richelle Mead. Not a favourite of mine, unfortunately, especially because it features the magical healing of a deaf character. 2/5 stars
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, by Catherynne M. Valente. Now this I loved, quite predictably, since I’ve enjoyed the whole series. It’s a Changeling-child of a book within the series, but I didn’t resent it for that. 4/5 stars
Lois Lane: Fallout, by Gwenda Bond. I love superhero novels, and I love the increasing role of women in comics and comic-related media. So, yep, I loved this, too. 4/5 stars
Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller, by Jennifer Kloester. It has a lot of detail, and does its best to shine a light on a woman who was very private when alive. 4/5 stars
Colour Me Calm: Mandalas, by Elizabeth James. One quibble: it had at least one design that has been published before. It could be innocent, but it bothered me a bit. 3/5 stars
Death by Water, by Kerry Greenwood. I enjoyed this one a lot, since it allows Phryne to leave behind the comforts of home and her familiar cast, and go a bit further afield. 4/5 stars
Flashback Friday: Camelot’s Blood, by Sarah Zettel. The last of the quartet, this romance does interesting things with the Arthurian setting. 4/5 stars

Other posts: 
Appreciating comics. A piece on how exactly I came to love comics — and appreciate them as an art form.
Top Ten Tuesday: Songs I Wish Were Books. Heavy on the modern folk music.
Review of Illumicrate’s Box #2. What it says on the tin!

And seriously, if you like V.E. Schwab’s work and haven’t got a preorder of A Gathering of Shadows, welp, I got you covered.

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Review – Camelot’s Blood

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

Cover of Camelot's Blood by Sarah ZettelCamelot’s Blood, Sarah Zettel
Originally reviewed in February 2010

I really love this book. I don’t remember how strongly I felt about it the first time, but I have a thing for second sons in fiction, second sons like Agravain — the quieter, grimmer ones, the dutiful ones with their hidden passions and their determinations. Agravain is a perfect example, and it’s also interesting that in this story, he and Laurel fall in love after their marriage, which comes of necessity and politics more than anything else. The four romances are much more differentiated than I remembered. In this one, I genuinely felt pain for Agravain and Laurel when they were separated, which is possibly because I found their situation more real.

The romance is still a little hurried in places, but I do like what we get of it. I also love the magic of this — Laurel’s magic, as she becomes unafraid and throws herself into it, doing what she has to do. I like how a lot of hints come together — the stain on Guinevere’s palm, for one thing, just that one tiny repeated detail finally finding meaning and explanation. Not something I noticed, on a single reading.

I found this somewhat unsatisfying as an end, the last time I read it. Morgaine is defeated, but Mordred is not killed, he flees. Reading it again, his defeat is pretty conclusive, and he runs like a child, but mostly I’m reminded of the fact that it’s still prophesied that he will bring down Camelot, and the threat of him isn’t neutralised at all. In one way, ending like this is very appropriate, because the quartet follows the sons of Lot, not the court of Arthur — but the court of Arthur and the importance of Arthur’s kingdom is important throughout the books, so it’s kind of odd that it ends without a real conclusion for that.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Death By Water

Posted February 18, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 7 Comments

Cover of Death by Water by Kerry GreenwoodDeath By Water, Kerry Greenwood

Ah, Death By Water is a satisfying one, for me. For all that I love the extended family that Phryne has made, it’s also interesting to go off and meet other characters, and visit some other environs. Death By Water takes us on a cruise and has a glimpse into Maori culture, and though I’m no expert, it seems respectful and interesting. Given the setting, the Maori village and so on is a bit like sightseeing, and the non-Maori white professor who has been practically adopted by the Maoris seems like wish fulfillment, but never mind, for the most part it works.

The cast of this one is both charming and dastardly, in the right amounts, and I enjoyed watching Phryne playing each person off against the others and working out the mystery. It’s made that bit less predictable by the fact that there are new characters — we know how Jack Robinson will react to Phryne’s interference, but another detective might raise an eyebrow (and does). We know Bert and Cec are to be relied upon, but what about on a cruise ship where Phryne can’t rely on them for muscle? Etc.

It also helps that the book takes her away from Lin Chung, and though he’s referenced once or twice, he isn’t her sole interest. And the word “concubine” doesn’t occur once, also a relief (to me, anyway).

I can’t put my finger exactly on what makes this so much better than, say, Death Before Wicket, but it had the right feel somehow. And it did give me a chuckle by referencing the Attenbury Emeralds! If only the Honorable Miss Fisher would one day run into one Lord Peter… Maybe they even knew each other as kids, who can say?

(Well, I know it mentions Sayers and Wimsey as fiction in one of the books, but hush. Hush.)

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Illumicrate Box #2

Posted February 17, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Illumicrate is a newish book box subscription service, mailing out four times a year, priced at £30 per box. The second box arrived Monday morning, a couple of days after shipping, and as with the first box, it looks great and is packaged really well. Before we go on, of course, I must warn that there are spoilers below for the contents of the box!

I’m really pleased with this box, as I’ve been doubtful about book subscription services, but both Illumicrate boxes have contained some stuff I love. It’s never going to be 100% for anyone, I think, but I do enjoy the stuff and I’d be quite happy to buy other things from the various suppliers. This quarter’s box contains:

  • Truthwitch, by Susan Dennard. I’ve heard so much about this book! Looking forward to reading it.
  • “Threadsisters” bookmark via Daydreaming Designs. What better than a matching bookmark? 
  • Bookcase pouch from Elena IllustrationCute! And just perfect for my markers.
  • Magnetic bookmarks from BeeDooThese are cute too, and bookmarks are always gonna go down great with bookworms.
  • “A Darker Scent of Magic” Grey London candle from Simple Candle CoI don’t know if everyone got the same A Darker Shade of Magic themed candles, but this is neat and I like the scent.
  • Bookish quote pencils from Pobble and PingOne of mine says “I’d rather be reading”. Yep!
  • Other small bits including The Dark Days Club badges, a tote bag, bookmarks…

Photo of the second Illumicrate box, including the book Truthwitch and some extra goodies

I’d say this one is definitely worth the subscription price, and I’m looking forward to the next box already!

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Review – Colour Me Calm: Mandalas

Posted February 17, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Cover of Colour Me Calm: Mandalas by Elizabeth JamesColour Me Calm: Mandalas, Elizabeth James

An okay book of around thirty mandalas to colour, printed on one side of the page only. The paper seems good enough quality — my markers aren’t bleeding through onto the next design, though they do bleed through the page a little — and there’s a nice range of fiddly bits and larger areas to colour, with some extremely detailed mandalas among the more simple ones. It’s not bad for the price, which was only a couple of pounds.

My only issue is that I immediately recognised the fifth to last mandala from another colouring book, the Creative Colouring for Grown-Ups book of mandalas. On a bit of checking up, it’s possible they both got the image from Shuttershock innocently, since both credit Shutterstock at the front, but it does make me wonder a little about where exactly the mandalas were gathered from and if due credit was given… in either of the two books, since both came out in 2015.

So, a lesson, I guess — if you design mandalas, check yours hasn’t made it into one of these books.

Rating: 3/5

 

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Review – Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller

Posted February 16, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller by Jennifer KloesterGeorgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller, Jennifer Kloester

If you ever feel like, as a writer, feeling like you’re a hack who doesn’t even write that fast, I do suggest you read this biography of Georgette Heyer — or just take a look at her publishing history. Holy wow. She started early and kept on going and going and going, producing books which people love to this day almost right up to her death. And yeah, she had a formula for the Regency books, in a way, but they still remained full of wit and humour which makes each one feel fresh, and she did venture beyond those bounds: she wrote a medieval historical novel, contemporary romances, short stories, a novel which is still used as an example for her portrayal of the battle of Waterloo…

She was a versatile, accomplished and prolific author. I feel like she’d have got on with modern writers like Kameron Hurley in her outlook (though not, goodness me, politically or morally) on writing as a job, and one where she had to keep to deadlines, pay attention to her income, and constantly stay ahead of debt and the Tax Man. She may have loved it and it may have been a craft to her, and I think that is apparent, but it was also work and she took it seriously, using it to support her family.

The personality of Heyer is a little elusive because she was a notoriously private person, giving no interviews. On the other hand, there is a wealth of letters written by her available, including some she wrote to fans and to her agent, so her personality shines through there: self-deprecating in a very proper British way, but proud of her work and her research where merited; conscientious about her commitments; blunt and to the point about her likes and dislikes, even when she’s trying to support a friend.

There is quite a bit of repetition on these points, including a recurring theme of Heyer claiming that she doesn’t write well in adversity, and Kloester pointing out that she does. There’s a bit of repetition about her deep relationship with her husband (and the fact that it was not especially physical). But overall it’s an interesting biography which shines a bit of light on Heyer, and has made me scribble some of her works down in my list to read soon. Something about knowing the context in which she wrote them and the feelings she had about them makes them more intriguing. And oh, Heyer, how dare you not just adore The Taliman Ring? It’s so much fun!

Rating: 4/5

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Top Ten Tuesday

Posted February 16, 2016 by Nicky in General / 12 Comments

This week’s theme is all about music — and one of the suggestions is “10 songs I wish were books”. Well, let’s see…

  1. Suzanne Vega’s ‘Gypsy’Please do not ever look for me, but with me you will stay / and you will hear yourself in song blowing by one day.
  2. Dar Williams’ ‘The Ocean’. I didn’t go back today, I wanted to show you / that I was more land than water / I went to pick flowers, I brought them to you / Look at me, look at them, with their salt up the stem.
  3. Danny Schmidt’s ‘Firestorm’. I used to flap my tongue like fists of flint against the granite fools / Until sparks blazed in my eyes, it’s true / But now I’m done with that, I haven’t / Torched the woods to kill one rabbit / Not for years, not until they came and fucked with you.
  4. Show of Hands’ ‘Haunt You’. I’ll haunt you / Sleep in fear / Whisper curses in your ear / I’ll course right through your heart of steel.
  5. Jon Boden’s ‘Beat the Bounds’. Sat behind the broken wheel / soft-top gone, nothing left to steal / broken shades upon her eyes / oblivious to cloudy skies.
  6. Fairport Convention’s ‘Matty Groves’. “A grave, a grave,” Lord Donald cried / “To put these lovers in / But bury my lady at the top / For she was of noble kin.”
  7. Heather Dale’s ‘Lady of the Lake’. And their touch was like a lover’s / Clear and sweet, drenching and unfolding / With no need for air or sunlight in the deep / And in the passions that they bared / In pledges won and secrets shared / They’d stand together in what destiny would bring / And crown a king.
  8. Heather Dale’s ‘Confession’. She’s given up the veil, the vows she’d sworn / Abandoned every effort to conform / Without a word to anyone she’s gone her way alone / A dove escaping back into the storm.
  9. Dar Williams’ ‘This Was Pompeii’. I am thinking about a teacup / Suspended and half-served / and all the scholars know is that it’s perfectly preserved.
  10. Thea Gilmore & Joan Baez’s ‘The Lower Road’. From the fruit on a poplar tree / To the bruise round a band of gold / From the blood in a far country / To the war of just growing old / We travel a lower road / And it’s lonely and it is cold.

I listen to folk music a lot, so there’s a whole wealth of songs which tell stories. And sometimes I’d like a glimpse deeper…

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Appreciating comics

Posted February 15, 2016 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

A lot of readers don’t like comics, or just can’t get into them, or can’t see what extra dimension comics add that works for other people. And I get it; there was a point where I didn’t really read comics, and in fact looked down on them as little more than picture books with extra dialogue (because teenagers can be snobs like that, and because I had some cognitive dissonance which allowed me to claim manga was something else entirely). But someone comments on one of my reviews today and asked what I like about comics in general, and I found myself wanting to explore it at some length.

I started readinCover of Marvel's Young Avengers: Mic-Drop at the Edge of Time and Spaceg comics really because of the MCU. I wanted more of Steve Rogers (“I don’t want to kill anyone, I just don’t like bullies, wherever they’re from”) — much as I loved him on the screen, that was only a handful of hours of time with him, and a lot of that taken up with explosions and supervillainy. I don’t think I particularly started with Cap comics, but I did mostly start with Marvel, where the character colours a lot of the narratives because he’s such an integral Marvel character — an instigator of Civil War, a moral compass, the leader of the Avengers. A mentor to the Young Avengers; a friend to so many others.

And then I found that in comics there was a whole lot more diversity, too. Female superheroes like Captain Marvel, whose translation to the screen we’re still awaiting. Gay superheroes like Teddy Altman and Billy Kaplan. Disabled characters like Vengeance Moth and Oracle.

think that’s when I got hooked. For the characters. But also because comics could tell me more about those characters, and give my very non-visual brain more to work with: the way they stand, the way they move, the way they react. The bonds between characters which would be overstated if you took a paragraph tCover of The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapio describe them, but which are explained so simply in a single panel of a comic.

It’s also worth noting that there are tons of really worthwhile comics which are not about superheroes, which is something people forget, because the words comics and superheroes have become so strongly linked. But there’s awesome stuff out there — The Wicked + The Divine, Bitch Planet, Saga, Rat Queens — which explores other kinds of worlds, and works like Maus and Persepolis which use the form to explore very serious, autobiographical subjects.

What really taught me to appreciate comics was Prof. William Kuskin’s MOOC, Comic Books and Graphic Novels. It’s a very rewarding course if you’re willing to engage with it, teaching you to dissect a page of a comic in just the same way you might a famous poem — understanding the conventions of the form like panels and gutters in the same way as you can learn to spot rhythms and couplets. It’s one thing to unconsciously be affected by these things, I find, and another to take a moment to realise how the page ratchets up the tension, how a particular artist has broken a convention or bent a rule to let the action explode out of the page.

Comics aren’t just novels with pictures — which is why I find the term graphic novel a bit disingenuous. It’s a whole different form, combining words and art, and I think it’s best appreciated that way. Reading it just for the words or the images and not for the way they combine to tell the story is definitely not the best way to experience them.

(And if it remains not your thing, that’s fine, just like it’s fine not to like poetry.)

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Review – Lois Lane: Fallout

Posted February 15, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of Lois Lane Fallout by Gwenda BondLois Lane: Fallout, Gwenda Bond

Received to review via Maximum Pop

Gwenda Bond was on Strange Chemistry’s roster of authors, superhero novels are a thing I enjoy, and making the female supporting characters (like Lois Lane) the star of the story is 100% my thing, so I was quite intrigued by this, and glad to win it for review. Before reading it, I was a little surprised to see people complaining that it doesn’t contain more of Superman/Clark Kent. I mean, the title says Lois Lane. What did you expect? I’m baffled. After reading it, I feel even more so — one, Clark’s a reasonably big figure in the story even if we don’t see him, and two, why do you want Clark when Lois is perfect as the star of this story?

Fallout is a reimagining of Lois’ story, a teen reporter in a new school who cares about the people around her, and doesn’t care much for being asked to sit down and shut up. I don’t remember anything about Lois Lane’s traditional background in the comics and TV adaptations, but here she’s the daughter of an army general — brought up to take care of herself, with a very strong will of her own, and thus clashing with her parents and authority figures in school, but always with heart. She sees an injustice, she goes after it.

Which gives us the very topical basis of the premise: Lois sees that there’s a group of bullies in the school who are getting away with everything, and hears a star student complaining to the principal about it, only to be dismissed. Straight away she’s on the case — and Perry sees her instincts right away, recruiting her for the school magazine. It’s a bit of wish fulfilment, but it keeps the story from dawdling, and puts the focus on the problem, and the developing mystery surrounding it. You can feel how well-aimed this is, in a world that’s increasingly conscious of bullying, particularly cyberbullying.

And then it takes it one step further, and adds the conspiracy theory, the weird almost-magical techy bits. This is such a teenage book: Lois, well-meaning and determined, suspicious of the adult world and penetrating the issues immediately. She’s a great hero; as a teen, I’d have wanted to be her. And it bases it on such a realistic foundation: school officials who don’t notice bullying? I don’t know anyone who got through school without noticing some of that…

Lest you be wondering, Clark is a part of the story. Lois only knows him from the internet, but they trust each other and back each other up, and there’s… something… between them. Nothing they put a name to, not so far, but they care for each other and you can feel how much they want to meet in person and share everything. Clark’s insistence on keeping his secret worked well, and Lois’ reactions as well. Again, I suppose you could see it as topical with how you can meet people online, can you trust them, etc, etc.

For all that I’m saying it’s topical and it feels based in reality and it’s definitely a teenage-feeling book, I’m not saying I enjoyed it any the less for that. I appreciated all of that and enjoyed the story. It’s such an absorbing read, it just felt like pure fun to me. I got back from a day long journey from Brussels to Yorkshire on the train, meant to go right to bed, and picked it up ‘just for a minute’. Seventy pages later, I did eventually make myself go to bed…

Rating: 4/5

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