Posted November 3, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Undertow
Genres: Fantasy,
Mystery,
Romance Pages: 90
Series: Whyborne & Griffin #8.5 Rating: 
Synopsis: Shy secretary Maggie Parkhurst knows there’s nothing special about her. She’s neither sorceress, nor fighter, nor scholar. What could she possibly have to offer Persephone, the chieftess of the inhuman ketoi — and the woman Maggie’s fallen in love with?
After Maggie’s friend Irene goes missing under mysterious circumstances, she has no choice but to turn to Persephone for help. When the trail leads to a shadowy acting troupe, they discover a plot that stretches much farther than a single vanished woman.
But when a dark truth is revealed, Maggie must choose between a man from her past… and the impossible yearnings of her heart.
Undertow gives us the story of Dr Whyborne’s secretary, Maggie, and her friendship with his sister, Persephone. It’s a short one, but it has a nice action sequence, and shows us a slightly different side of Widdershins society.
I do think it’s funny that Maggie still hasn’t worked out that Whyborne’s in a relationship with Griffin. All the signs are there, she sees them, and… doesn’t clock on.
It’s nice to spend time with a character other than Whyborne, and also to see Maggie find happiness instead of mooning after him. I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed Persephone’s efforts to woo Maggie. Dead squid, indeed.
Rating: 3/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Jordan L. Hawk, romance, SF/F
Posted October 29, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Sacraments for the Unfit
Genres: Fantasy,
Short Stories Pages: 146
Rating: Synopsis: The isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic brought out the ritualist in many of us. In this collection of contemporary weird short fiction, a variety of different persons and beings try to fill up their days in varying states of isolation and mystery, real or imaginary. An angel outlives the Apparat that used to employ him; a deity complains about no longer feeling seen; a museum curator living alone begins to inexplicably alter; a medievalist suffering from vision loss gets into a strange relationship with the ghost of the codicologist M. R. James; enigmatic objects begin to work themselves out of the ground by the grave of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, prompting scholarly speculation. Sacraments For the Unfit is a series of vignettes about the transformations that can happen while staying in place.
I can see why this book has been compared with Ursula Le Guin’s work. It had the same quality I have with some of her more impenetrable stories where I just don’t quite “get it”. Some of them seem to require some outside knowledge for more clarity — a little knowledge of M.R. James wouldn’t hurt, or Wittgenstein, which is quite the ask (I know a little about James, almost nothing about Wittgenstein).
In the end I don’t regret reading it, but also it wasn’t quite 100% squarely my thing, if that makes sense. I’m eager to read more of Tolmie’s books and stories, though: I really liked The Fourth Island and All the Horses of Iceland.
Rating: 3/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Sarah Tolmie, SF/F, short stories
Posted October 25, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
The Butcher of the Forest
Genres: Fantasy Pages: 160
Rating: 
Synopsis: At the northern edge of a land ruled by a monstrous, foreign tyrant lies the wild forest known as the Elmever. The villagers know better than to let their children go near—once someone goes in, they never come back out.
No one knows the strange and terrifying traps of the Elmever better than Veris Thorn, the only person to ever rescue a child from the forest many years ago. When the Tyrant’s two young children go missing, Veris is commanded to enter the forest once more and bring them home safe.
Received to review via Netgalley
The main character of this novella, Veris, once went into the forest to save a child. It’s no ordinary forest, and her journey is the only time anyone has been known to be successful in entering and leaving the forest, let alone bringing a lost child back. When the local Tyrant’s children go missing, he has her brought to him: she must go and retrieve his children, or he will kill her family.
Well, what choice does she have? It’s an interesting set-up, since she’s a middle-aged protagonist, and she’s full of aches and pains as she makes her way into the forest — and she’s no great witch, holds no great power to find her way, just a bit of knowledge and some luck. And the luck’s tenuous.
It’s a genuinely creepy story in that tense sort of way, with a lot of blank spots at the edge of the canvas of things we don’t really get to see/understand. The focus is on Veris’ journey, and her efforts to find the children, despite the sense that there’s so much more going on.
I found it enjoyable, though I’m still sort of letting it settle.
Rating: 4/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Premee Mohamed, SF/F
Posted September 12, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
The Possibility of Life, Jaime Green
The Possibility of Life looks to both science and science fiction for an idea of humanity’s hopes, dreams and fears of what alien life might look like, how realistic that might be, and what it’s based on. If you’re an SF/F fan, you’ll probably recognise a lot of the references, and not just the old white men or the hit TV series of SF either: Ursula Le Guin and N.K. Jemisin are here too.
I found it very readable, and thought Green presents the scientific facts (such as they are) very well. The enthusiasm for the subject is palpable, and optimistic, but doesn’t over-egg it (we’re probably not five minutes from meeting a Vulcan or Cardassian).
Nothing too surprising for me, but I enjoyed the approach to the subject.
Rating: 4/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Jaime Green, non-fiction, science, SF/F
Posted September 8, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, Malka Older
Recieved to review via Netgalley
It’s pure chance that I’d so recently read The Mimicking of Known Successes, but it definitely made me eager to read this follow-up. The setup continues rather Holmesian, but set on a planet full of dangers, not quite hospitable to humans, on which humanity has nonetheless made a home in a series of settlements joined by rails. Mossa is an investigator, looking into a disappearance — and Pleiti is her girlfriend.
The previous story’s shadow lingers here, with Pleiti definitely upset by her experiences, her worldview shaken, and with people around her a little wary and doubtful given her involvement in what happened. Mossa remains… well, Mossa, but her care for Pleiti shows in so many ways. I really enjoy their relationship: Pleiti has to guess a little at whether Mossa’s gestures are significant, is maybe over-reading significance into some things (and underestimating others); their relationship isn’t quite stable yet, but nonetheless, their careful attitude to it and to each other, carefully building things up, is enjoyable.
The mystery itself is less gripping to me: I enjoy it as a vehicle for understanding the world better, for seeing Mossa and Pleiti together, but any mystery would do, for that. The solution was actually a little obvious, when it came, but it was the getting there that mattered.
I enjoyed this a lot, and eagerly look forward to more novellas centring these two.
Rating: 4/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Malka Older, mystery, SF/F
Posted August 11, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
The Bookshop & The Barbarian, Morgan Stang
I feel unfair giving this one star, because I did finish it and it was mildly entertaining while it went by, but when I sit back to think about it… it just didn’t work for me. One major thing that bothered me was the broken English spoken by Asteria: I get that there’s this idea of what fantasy “barbarians” speak like, but that’s a whole heap of stereotypes about people and about how English-as-a-second-language people speak that just… nope, no thank you, please go away and keep your broken English in your head with your other patronising fantasies. You don’t have to play into that nonsense.
In addition, you can be irreverent and playful in your narration and break the fourth wall all you like, but that does open you up to people thinking your narrative voice isn’t that funny, or is kind of an asshole, and that’s where I’m at with this.
Rating: 1/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Morgan Stang, romance, SF/F
Posted August 8, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 1 Comment
A Glimmer of Silver, Juliet Kemp
A Glimmer of Silver is a novella looking at not first contact, but how contact with an alien lifeform might evolve. It reminds me of some other story that I can’t quite bring to mind, which is driving me a bit nuts. Anyway, the idea is that the ocean of this planet is in fact sentient, and humans are — for the most part — carefully keeping themselves separate from it, thinking that this is what Ocean wants. No fishing, no drinking the water (without careful distillation), etc.
Jennery is a Communicator, but a reluctant one, having wanted to become a musician instead. Still, it seems that what Ocean wants is not at all what the status quo has established, and the humans on Ocean (other than the Communicators) are equally restless.
The solution is a neat one, and worth pondering. Overall, it’s a fairly slight story, but worth it, I think.
Rating: 3/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Juliet Kemp, SF/F
Posted August 6, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Peter Darling, Austin Chant
Peter Darling takes the story of Peter Pan and imagines what might be the reasons behind Peter’s insistence that he’ll never grow up, his wildness and casual cruelty. What if Peter comes back to Neverland — how have things been without him?
I don’t want to say too much about it, because I think this exploration of Neverland is best taken as it comes, allowing the story to make it clear what exactly it wants to explore in its own time. I found it really enjoyable, though, and loved that the nature of the relationship between Hook and Peter was explored, developed and deepened.
I think their time alone together — and the way their relationship changes as a result — is nicely done, and the only reason I’m not sure about the ending is that it doesn’t entirely feel right that Peter “has to” grow up and accept — well, you’ll see. At the same time, the novel never denies Peter’s assertion that he is not Wendy, and not a girl, so it was more of a slightly off note for me than something which spoiled it.
Rating: 4/5
Tags: Austin Chant, book reviews, books, SF/F
Posted August 2, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Wild, Wild Hex, Jordan L. Hawk
Wild Wild Hex is a short story that takes us quite different places than the main series. Instead of following the MWP, it follows the fortunes of a “Hexas Ranger” (and yep, he hates the pun plenty) as he chases down a notorious bandit, and discovers that he has a chance to do a lot more than that.
The emotional connection between the two leads is quick, as rendered necessary by the shortness of the story, but it doesn’t feel totally rushed — instead it feels pretty natural for these particular people, thrown together in this particular situation. It’s not quite the same level of attachment as I feel about, say, Cicero and Tom, but it’s enough to make this little story satisfying.
Rating: 4/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Jordan L. Hawk, romance, SF/F
Posted July 29, 2023 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Hexhunter, Jordan L. Hawk
Hexhunter breaks the mould of this series a little bit, which was a relief: the couple didn’t have a mid-book miscommunication-and-break-up, which was a feature of each of the others. Not that Isaac and Bill’s story is entirely smooth-sailing: there’s a whole jealousy subplot (sigh) and, of course, Isaac’s trauma and self-hatred. If you might have triggers around that and about a victim blaming themself for what happened to them, be careful with this one (though Bill is entirely supportive of Isaac).
The relationship between them is sweet, though in the relatively short space of the book you don’t have time to entirely feel the weight of the pining Bill’s been doing for quite some time. Isaac’s road to some kind of recovery is pretty satisfying, given we’ve been seeing his pain since book one.
This book doesn’t draw the series to a close, either, despite the fact there’s been nothing new since that one — the overarching plot that ran through the four main stories isn’t solved, though each couple has had a happy-ever-after. So that’s worth noting, too.
Not my favourite of the series, I think, but enjoyable as ever!
Rating: 4/5
Tags: book reviews, books, Jordan L. Hawk, mystery, romance, SF/F
