Tag: book reviews

Review – A Fall of Moondust

Posted July 14, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. ClarkeA Fall of Moondust, Arthur C. Clarke

Before there was The Martian (and indeed, before Apollo 13), there was A Fall of Moondust. I don’t know if the one influenced the other, but the feel is very much the same: people are stranded in a situation in space in which there are problems of communication, air, sanity, etc. (The exact same situations don’t come up, but the same basic problems apply, as of course they would.) I’m not sure how feasible the science of the Sea of Thirst is, but Clarke makes it work within the story, and as far as I can tell follows all his conclusions through logically — x causes y in the way it should, etc.

Unlike The Martian, a whole group of people are trapped and so it goes into the psychology of that kind of situation; the sniping, the attempts to keep harmony, the struggles for control. For the most part it all feels fairly mild — somehow I never really doubted that they would survive and be saved — but the steps of problem solving are interesting, and the glimpses of character and the way people come together for an issue like this. And the atmosphere of the moon, the eeriness of the dusty expanses and the vastness of space, that is all brought across well too.

It’s quite a short book, and maybe there’s not as much character engagement as in a modern work like The Martian, but I enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Mortal Heart

Posted July 13, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Cover of Mortal Heart by Robin LaFeversMortal Heart, Robin LaFevers

After enjoying the first two books, I expected quite a bit from Mortal Heart. I love the way the series uses history and blends it with myth and fantasy elements; I enjoy the way that it takes a unique look at the figure of Death and what, in fact, the god of death might be like. The first two books have shown us two aspects of Mortain, in the form of women called to serve him. This book shows us another, and perhaps the most intimate yet.

I was enjoying this a lot until the point where a certain reveal is made, and then it just felt… over the top, out of nowhere. It just didn’t feel like it fit. I mean, we know it’s a world where gods are real and their presence is felt, but… to this degree? I shouldn’t say too much about it for fear of spoilers, but that aspect definitely made this my least favourite of the trilogy, despite Annith being an interesting character.

This book also deals with the issues of the Abbess and what exactly is going on there — why she’s doing what she is, why she doesn’t seem to be serving Mortain (as the heroines of the previous two books rightly felt), and it also solidifies some of the connections between characters, and shows us them anew. It even manages to humanise the Abbess, a little, which is hard going with her actions in this book and the previous two.

Overall, I think this was the weakest of the trilogy, because that reveal jars and because I think I prefer Ismae and Sybella as characters. But it was still entertaining and hard to put down.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – Saga Volume 3

Posted July 12, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Cover of Saga vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona StaplesSaga Volume 3, Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples

The third volume of Saga feels like it slows down a bit — and not at all in a bad way. Most of the characters get some development here, and one of the major themes about Marko and Alana’s transgressive cross-species relationship gets explored a bit more. Marko’s mother, Klara, takes a pretty active role too, while at the same time the Will, Gwendolyn and Slave Girl (Sophie) get to know each other more while stranded on a seemingly idyllic planet. (Classic storyline there, too, executed with wit and humour — that’s a thing I especially love about Saga; while the storylines aren’t necessarily unique, the approach makes everything fresh.)

My favourite scene of all, though, is a small and quiet one. Slave Girl is talking to the Lying Cat about herself, and says that she did bad things because of what happened to her as a sex slave. She speaks as if the moral responsibility for that is on her, as if it was something she did — and Lying Cat says, “Lying.”

It just says so much, so perfectly contained in one panel.

The art, of course, continues spectacular, and my only complaint is that the volumes never seem to last long enough.

Rating: 5/5

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Review – Murder and Mendelssohn

Posted July 11, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry GreenwoodMurder and Mendelssohn, Kerry Greenwood

The last Phryne book so far! Not quite sure what I’ll do without her; in fact, I’m vastly tempted to just pick up Cocaine Blues and begin again, the same way I do with Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter books, sometimes. Murder and Mendelssohn is a strong entry in the series because of the side characters, who no doubt most readers will recognise — the war-damaged John Wilson, and the genius investigator Rupert Sheffield.

They very much follow the BBC Sherlock interpretation of the characters, and if you know anything about the fan community surrounding that show, you can guess what Greenwood does with them. It’s a little weird at times because it feels downright voyeuristic, but of course Phryne plays Cupid and makes Sheffield realise that, in fact, he can’t live without Wilson and that — though he never realised it — he’s attracted to him, and even possessive of him. There is a very… weird scene involving Phryne and Sheffield, and really that whole side plot might not attract readers who aren’t so interested in queer love stories, but I think Phryne’s tenderness for her former lover was compelling, and their shared memories of the war likewise.

The main mystery was not so compelling, relying on Phryne’s sparkle; as usual, Greenwood’s Australia, or at least Phryne’s circle there, are full of queer people, unexpected people, big characters… and small petty killers, too, of course. I figured out the murder method very quickly — I’m trying to think if I read a similar plot somewhere else, or something like that. To me it was just way too obvious, somehow.

I’m very sad to leave Phryne behind, all the same: the mysteries might not always have enchanted, but Phryne and her found family certainly did. I’ll be first in line if there’s ever another book in the offing.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Talking Hands

Posted July 10, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of Talking Hands by Margalit FoxTalking Hands, Margalit Fox

Talking Hands is in part the story of the development of sign languages around the world, and in part an exploration of the development of language and how that might have occurred in human history. The little Bedouin settlement which is the main case study is a place where a sign language has arisen independently of other sign languages, and its development has mirrored that of the development of spoken languages in ways which may reveal important things about the way the human brain handles language.

Most of the neurological stuff wasn’t new to me, and it’s definitely on a level any reader can appreciate; it doesn’t go into massively technical terms, or dissect vast case studies about the way injuries affect the brain, etc. The historical context of sign language and how people treated deaf and dumb people in the past was newer for me. I wasn’t aware, for example, that for ages people — even deaf people — considered sign language inferior because it lacked the sort of grammar people recognised. It was even suppressed in favour of cumbersome sign language which followed word-for-word the pattern of spoken language, ignoring the potential for a spatial grammar.

Margalit Fox comes across as a science writer rather than a scientist, making the book very accessible — either on its own, or as a complement to more in-depth works about language like Steven Pinker’s. I didn’t find it as fascinating as her book on decrypting Linear B, but her writing is clear and concisely informative, and I enjoyed reading the book. I wasn’t always sure about the way she characterised actual people; I wouldn’t find some of those descriptions very flattering/respectful… but she did write it with the approval and help of the team working in the Bedouin village, according to her introduction, and it’s never disrespectful about disability or intelligence.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – Fever

Posted July 9, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of Fever by Mary Beth KeaneFever, Mary Beth Keane

Fever is a novelisation of the life of Mary Mallon, the famous ‘Typhoid Mary’. It attempts to dig into why she didn’t stop cooking for people despite knowing the risks; it also tries to provide her with inner life and give the reader someone human to sympathise with. It works relatively well; Mary emerges as a hard-working woman who doesn’t want to believe that something she loves could be making people sick, who struggles with the idea that maybe she is to blame, who has to find a way to get along with the skills she has. It also includes other characters around her who support her and share her views, to remind us that this is a world where germ theory is in its infancy.

It mostly does a good job of making Mary sympathetic, though it has a tough job considering her carelessness. Sometimes she does come across as lacking empathy, and of being too intelligent to miss the implications of what’s happening — so it seems as if she’s stubbornly going through with something she knows is actually a bad idea, potentially dangerous for those around her.

The most emotionally engaging thread is perhaps that of her partner, Alfred. I don’t know how much basis in reality he has, but it provides some emotional handhold throughout the book. They have an on/off relationship as he struggles with addiction and she struggles with her diagnosis as a typhoid carrier. They’re separated and yet come together again and again; there’s something engaging in the way Mary slowly accepts what he is and just works with it, and something pathetic in the way her proudness is worn down.

It’s not very sympathetic to the medical community — Soper seems like a glory hound, for example, who hunts Mary for his own fame — but that’s probably to be expected considering this book tries to see things from Mary’s point of view.

Overall, I think it’s pretty successful, and the historical details seem to be right. It’s very easy to read; the style is relatively simple, but Mary’s voice is strong.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – The Island of the Mighty

Posted July 8, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 5 Comments

Cover of Island of the Mighty by Evangeline WaltonThe Island of the Mighty, Evangeline Walton

Originally reviewed 17th June, 2011

Island of the Mighty retells the last branch of the Mabinogion, the story of Gwydion, Arianrhod, Llew Llaw Gyffes, Blodeuwedd and Goronwy. It begins with a retelling of stealing the pigs belonging to Lord Pryderi. Gwydion uses this to provoke war, allowing his younger brother to rape the king’s footholder. This also leads to the death of Pryderi, which doesn’t endear Gwydion to the reader who has also read the retellings of the other three branches — and also to the disgracing of Arianrhod and the birth of Llew Llaw Gyffes.

The themes Evangeline Walton explored in the other books come to fruition here, as power passes more and more from women to men, even power over birth and the rearing of children. Arianrhod is not very sympathetically dealt with, I have to say: often Walton’s work suggests that the passing of women’s power is a bad thing, but Arianrhod is capricious and unkind, considered by characters and text unnatural — for the crime of not having wanted to bear a child! Blodeuwedd isn’t treated with much sympathy here, and the other women are barely characters.

It’s hard to sympathise with most of the characters here, particularly as they stir up war, steal, lie and trick each other. I still enjoyed it as a retelling and think Walton dealt well with the material, but I wish she’d been kinder to Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd, who were both unable to fit in the patriarchal society that wanted power over women’s bodies, and expected them to abide by two conflicting sets of rules.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – Airs Above the Ground

Posted July 7, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Cover of Airs Above the Ground by Mary StewartAirs Above the Ground, Mary Stewart

I misremembered this one somewhat, as I’d expected more time spent in the castle that actually only comes in about halfway through. It does speak well of Stewart’s usual ability to evoke an atmosphere; the castle/hotel works perfectly, and so does the circus. There’s not as much of a sense of landscape, though; it feels like it could be set anywhere, at least until the ending with the night time chase and the train lines on the mountain.

I remembered all too well why the romance in this bothered me. The couple are already married, and not estranged, but it turns out that he’s been keeping a big secret. I did like that she played along, didn’t blow his cover — Stewart’s heroines are often better at this sort of thing than you’d expect, even if it is in a rather ‘I’ll do anything for my man’ sort of way. I don’t like that he’s hidden all this from her and she thinks that’s okay, that they barely talk about it before he’s forgiven; I hate that suddenly he gets to beat people up ‘for’ her and that’s romantic. Gah. Bad taste in my mouth. And worse because she likes it.

Not my favourite Stewart romance at all; it lacks a lot of the charm. The saving grace is the horses: that story is poignant and enough to get invested in. The ending is, thus, perfect. Just keep the main couple out of it and finish with the horse.

Rating: 2/5

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Review – Blood Lines

Posted July 6, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of Blood Lines by Tanya HuffBlood Lines, Tanya Huff

If you enjoyed the first two books, this is more of the same, and that’s not a bad thing at all. I find them fairly comfortable reads, though some of the themes may be fairly harrowing — the effects of the curse on Henry, Tony’s fear, the attempt to torture Vicky… But it’s also classic: it’s basically a mummy with a curse, and it’s fun to watch the characters running around trying to cope with that.

Of course, in terms of character development, the book also throws Vicky, Mike and Henry together to work with one another again. And naturally, that doesn’t go one hundred percent as any of them would hope. Mike and Henry still have to learn to work together, because Vicky won’t put up with their pissing contests. (And Henry’s relatively civilised in general, but I still feel like if Mike Celluci wanted to have a dick measuring contest, Henry could be provoked. And don’t get me wrong, I like that byplay between them.)

I like the ending a lot — not just Vicky firmly telling Mike and Henry not to baby her, but also the larger plot (though I don’t know if it gets used later) about the three of them knowing of the existence of a god who thrives on pain, who could worm his way into their minds and use them, someday. Vicky’s way of dealing with that fact is great.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – Saga Volume Two

Posted July 5, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Cover of Saga vol 2 by Brian VaughanSaga Volume Two, Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples

In volume two of Saga, Fiona Staples’ art continues to really shine. She manages to make the characters come alive, conveying movement and expression, mood and attitude and even a little of their voice. It helps that the characters are pretty awesome: the Lying Cat is a pretty amazing creation, Alana, Gwendolyn and Marko’s mother are straight-up badass, the interlude with Barr manages to inject just enough emotional attachment…

Oh, and in case you were wondering if Marko’s ex-fiancé was a fridged love interest who wouldn’t turn up again because his love for Alana is all the matters, nope. Gwendolyn shows up, kicks ass, and has very decided opinions about Marko and what he’s up to.

And I do love the device of the narrator being Alana and Marko’s child; it sets the tone, and makes some scenes less harrowing, while also bringing in hindsight.

And don’t forget the humour. Normally, I’m quite difficult to please when it comes to Saga, and it’s possible I wouldn’t laugh at the visual and verbal jokes if someone made them IRL. However, when it’s me and a book…

Rating: 4/5

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