Review – Captain Marvel: Stay Fly

Posted July 17, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Captain Marvel: Stay Fly, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Marcio Takara, David Lopez

If you’re not a fan of Captain Marvel, this issue probably isn’t going to make you into one. The three storylines are relatively light, though there is some sweet stuff — parts where Spider-woman, Rhodey, Kit, Tic and Chewie all appear. One of the storylines focuses on Chewie, in fact, with Rocket Raccoon along for the ride. There’s also a nice bit with Tracy, continuing the theme of her relationship with Carol.

A lot of this is funny/silly, and I love Takara’s art style. But it’s not any kind of gamechanger for Captain Marvel or Kelly Sue’s writing. It’s just fun.

I still think Carol/Rhodey is genius.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Marvel

Review – Huntress

Posted July 17, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Huntress, Malinda Lo
Review from 10th October, 2010

Huntress is a sort of prequel to Ash, but it is set a long time before it. If I remember rightly, this story is mentioned in Ash. Anyway, this story is about the journey of six people: Con, the son of the king; Taisin, a young woman who wants to be a celibate sage; Kaede, a classmate of Taisin’s with no talent for the magic; and Shae, Pol and Tali, their guards. They have to see the Fairy Queen, during a period when nature has gone out of balance.

The story of the journey itself isn’t really unique, but the love between Kaede and Taisin is. I loved the fact that the book treats them in pretty much the same way as a male-female couple is usually treated in fantasy stories — I mean, that it seems natural and inevitable that they should be drawn together, and that their desire for each other is palpable and not treated euphemistically. Okay, there’s nothing explicit, but the physicality of their relationship is there.

It’s also easy to read, a quick read, and the situations and emotions ring reasonably true. The emotional involvement that was lacking in Ash was definitely there, for me, which made it that much more enjoyable.

I really wish books like this had existed when I was younger. I hope the arrival on the market of books like Ash and Huntress isn’t just a one off.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Flashback Friday, Malinda Lo, queer fic, SF/F

ARC August

Posted July 16, 2015 by Nicky in General / 0 Comments

I just found I signed up for this last year, too, and I’m not sure I really got anywhere — some of the books I still haven’t read. Oops. Anyway, it’s time for another round of ARC August: a whole bunch of us getting together and cracking down on our lists of ARCs.

Because I plan my TBR in advance, I’m reasonably sure of what I’m putting on the list for August, which means I’m fairly sure of what I am determined to read during the month (though there might always be more, since I give myself wildcards — ten wildcards, next month, even). So here’s what I’ll be working on:

One-eyed Jack, Elizabeth Bear. I picked this up from the library too, so now I have extra motivation and a slightly less guilty conscience. But it’s still in my Netgalley list, so down it goes.
The Palace Job, Patrick Weekes. I don’t want to know how late I am with this one…
Seven Forges, James A. Moore. I own this too, but it’s still in my NG backlog. And I keep getting nearly to the end and then getting distracted, which is a shame, because I enjoy it.
The Hollow Crown, Dan Jones. Another one I’m grabbing from the library, and not as chronically late as the others, I think. Still late enough — it’s out in paperback now.
The Galaxy Game, Karen Lord. Library as well as Netgalley. Which is good, because obviously I don’t have access through NG anymore, and I’m fairly sure it was a DRM protected file.
Pacific Fire, Greg van Eekhout. I need to read California Bones first, though.
Knight’s Shadow, Sebastien de Castell. I’m not chronically late with this one yet, at least.
Fair Play, Josh Lanyon. Another one where I needed to read the first book and didn’t get round to it… but it’s Josh Lanyon, so it should be fun.
Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho. I’m hoping to finish this on a wildcard in July’s TBR, but if not, I definitely owe a review for this after begging for a copy.
Gretel and the Dark, Eliza Granville. I’ve had this for ages, but only just refound the copy I was sent to review. It’s probably about time.

The last three aren’t strictly on the August TBR (at least so far), so I might replace those later or deprioritise them or something. I just like groups of ten…

Tags: books, readathon

Review – The Killing Kind

Posted July 16, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 1 Comment

The Killing Kind, Chris F. Holm
Received to review via Netgalley

I was excited to get this ARC. I loved Holm’s Collector series, and though this goes more into the detective line and away from the fantastical aspects that got me into it, I still love Holm’s writing, and I love the concept. I don’t know if this is meant to become a series or something — there’s room for it, given the ending, but it would be awkward to put the emotional punch into it. The main character is already a ghost, cut off from family and friends: there’s basically only two people he cares for, and by the end of this book, one of them is dead and the other is going into witness protection where she should, in theory, be safe.

Still, if Holm decides to write more, I trust him to do it well. There’s a redemption plot here, after all: Hendricks is killing hitmen with the eventual goal of redemption. When exactly he might reach that, I don’t think the character knows.

Anyway, this has slick writing, with just the right levels of detail. I love that it has some queer characters, too, just casually in with the rest because that’s how it works. I felt like I knew what was coming a little too often at the end, but maybe that’s just in comparison to mysteries where the end is deliberately from out of nowhere.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Chris F. Holm, mystery

Review – Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery

Posted July 15, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery, Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch

I might have to revise this review after some thought, because I’m not sure what to make of Rat Queens. It’s cheerfully NSFW, LGBTQ+, full of unapologetically kickass female characters of various types who are living it up and having a great time. The problem for me is with the drugs, sex and wholesale violence aspect; I’m not that interested by those as motivators for characters, and the total lack of background for the Rat Queens leaves me pretty cold. All we see for most of the book is the drugs, sex and violence. I want to know why they’re friends, how they know each other, where they’ve come from and where they’re going. There’s not much of that here, beyond a few hints.

On the upside, the art is gorgeous, and I do enjoy some of the banter, the camaraderie between the Queens, and the unapologetic nature of all of it. I just want more meat in terms of characterisation. I’m going to try the second volume and see if that helps.

Rating: 3/5

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

Review – Adaptation

Posted July 14, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Adaptation, Malinda Lo

I’ve been meaning to read this since it first came out, and at one point I even had an ARC of it, I think for the UK release. I ended up grabbing it and the sequel on our way to the airport, and read it on the flight. Which was possibly not a good idea given all the plane crashes at the start, heh. I don’t quite buy the explanation given in the book for that — genetically manipulated birds all somehow released at once and in multiple places worldwide? Seems a bit of a hole in the story there.

Still, if you elide the science stuff (e.g. I’m also not sure introducing alien DNA via mitochondrial DNA would have reliable effects), this is still pretty fun. It’s definitely YA, with the preoccupations of teenage readers fairly front and centre. What stands out is less the plot and more the characters. Even then, it’s not characterisation I’m talking about, but character diversity. The main character is, for instance, actually bisexual! And she actually initially read to me as ace, maybe grey-A, because she doesn’t seem to grok attraction as a general thing.

So that’s pretty cool. I’m not overwhelmed by plot and character, though there are some great moments — Reese’s mother, for example, and her adult life going on in the background — but it’s enjoyable and easy to read.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Malinda Lo, queer fic, SF/F

Top Ten Tuesday

Posted July 14, 2015 by Nicky in General / 10 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is the last books that you got your hands on, whether you bought them or got them from the library. There’s always my STS posts for that, but hey, I never miss a chance to squee about books. Plus, excuse to talk about all the cool bookshops I’ve been to.

Adaptation, Malinda Lo. Picked this up at the Chapters in the West Edmonton Mall on the day I left Canada, and promptly read it on the plane.
Inheritance, Malinda Lo. The sequel. I haven’t read this one yet.
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett. I’ve been meaning to read this foreeeever. Also from Chapters in Edmonton.
Artemis Awakening, Jane Lindskold. I don’t actually know much about this one, I just thought it looked kinda fun. From Chapters in the Chinook Mall, Calgary.
Dreams of Shreds and Tatters, Amanda Downum. Eee, Amanda Downum. Looking forward to this. Got this one from the Indigo in the Core in Calgary.
The Stone Prince, Fiona Patton. I’ve had this on my list for a while, and hey, Fiona Patton is apparently Tanya Huff’s wife? Cool. Got this from Fair’s Fair on 14th Street in Calgary.
Illusive, Emily Lloyd-Jones. I had this as an ARC once upon a time. Heh. From Shelf Life in Calgary, on 4th Street.
A Desperate Fortune, Susanna Kearsley. Aaaages ago, Susanna offered to send me a spare ARC she had. It finally arrived. Whoop!
Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho. Received to review via the publisher. I’m excited for this one; people mentioned Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Georgette Heyer as influences…
Heir of Fire, Sarah J. Maas. Bought in Fnac in Leuven while I was at my partner’s. Excited for this one, though I need to read The Assassin’s Blade first. Which I also got.

What’s everyone else been getting? Any exciting bookshops?

Tags: books, Top Ten Tuesday

Review – Ms Marvel: Crushed

Posted July 13, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Ms Marvel: Crushed, G. Willow Wilson, Mark Waid, Takeshi Miyazawa, Elmo Bondoc, Humberto Ramos

Ms Marvel continues to be fun and cute, though I have to say this volume felt pretty fragmented. First there’s the Loki stuff, then a brief dodge back to the Inhumans plot, and then to an unrelated incident in Kamala’s school. Kamala’s geekiness and enthusiasm is still awesome, and the glimpses into her interactions with her family, but with the first bit dealing with Agent of Asgard stuff and the last dealing with SHIELD stuff (Coulson! <3)… I felt that the Inhumans plot was the only thing of substance, and it was over so fast.

I like most of the art in this volume, but the Loki section definitely isn’t my favourite style. And despite not being that fond of Wolverine/X-Men in general, I kind of miss that weird mentor relationship he had with Kamala in book two — there’s no sign of him!

It feels weird to me the way comic and movie-verse are collapsing together. This seems to fit in with what I know of Agents of SHIELD canon; does that mean it fits into the MCU too? Does that mean young!Loki is going to be a thing? Sometimes I long for the simplicity of a book series you can just read in order.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, comics, Marvel

Review – Voices

Posted July 12, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Voices, Ursula Le Guin

Voices is perhaps a more outwardly compelling book than the first, Gifts, partly because it features some of the same characters, and partly because it has more action. Memer is still pretty introspective, but the scale has changed: from a small mountain community, we’re now in a big city, and a city which is under the control of an occupying force.

Obviously the issues here are ones pretty close to my heart: reading and literacy, but also the way imperialism tries to break down local culture, failing to understand it or branding it primitive, even heretical, or just ignorant. With less heresy and supernatural stuff, and more “you stupid ignorant people”, that’s the relationship between Wales and England. (No, don’t chime in to tell me it’s not. I refer you to the Treachery of the Blue Books and the Welsh Not for just two examples.) Obviously the situations aren’t directly analogous, but it still resonated — particularly Memer’s initial inability to read, considering I still can’t read Welsh. I’m not sure if a single non-border English school offers Welsh classes on the curriculum, but mine definitely did not.

Since this is Ursula Le Guin we’re talking about, it’s beautifully and meditatively written. If you’re looking for big epic battles in which two armies clash, you’re in entirely the wrong place, but if you want a blueprint for how people can interact, even when their cultures clash, then Le Guin’s got your back.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, SF/F, Ursula Le Guin

Review – The Compatibility Gene

Posted July 11, 2015 by Nicky in General / 15 Comments

The Compatibility Gene, Daniel M. Davis

I read this in a bit of a piecemeal fashion, due to holidays, so my impressions of it are probably a little more scattered than usual. It’s basically a book which combines immunology and genetics, and even some neurology, to discuss the way certain genes work in humans. Since that’s right up my street, I found this fascinating, although I found some chapters really slow going.

One thing I’m not 100% a fan of is the personal details about some of the scientists, because it’s not really relevant. Whether a female scientist prioritises children or her career doesn’t have any effect on the importance of her findings, and as a way of identifying motives for studying stuff, it’s pretty weak. Not everything has a personal connection.

The main thing I’m taking away from this book is that we still don’t know half there is to know about the immune system, about genetics, about our own bodies. If that doesn’t speak to the importance of such research, I don’t know what does.

Did you know that dogs have a sexually transmitted cancer? Not just an oncovirus like HPV, but a contagious cancer.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, SF/F