Book Review - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
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| Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: October 1, 2010
Version I Read: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: 3.75/5
I have mixed feelings about this one. The book is, quite simply, amazingly crafted, but I had a hard time really emotionally liking it. Perhaps this is just one of those titles that I appreciate critically while not liking personally.
I can't really think of a good way to give a quick recap, so you might want to go read the official book description. Also, spoilers.
The cultures (that the book addresses, at least) and mythology of this world are lushly presented. The plotting is also very, very good, with many engaging twists and turns, especially near the end. I like the narrative style and the voice - the way Yeine's narration jumps around feels authentic to real thought. This was one of the few pieces of media I've come across where it actually makes sense why this cruel ruling class is and remains in power: they literally have enslaved gods on their side.
The narrative isn't as vast or expansive as its title suggests, which is fine because the book really does only focus on certain characters. But I think it's a misnomer to call it The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. It's not really epic fantasy - more like political intrigue low fantasy with a dash of mystery. The focus isn't on the mortal world and its goings-on but the gods: their past, present, and future. Which, fortunately, was well done.
The big problem for me was the characters. The only ones I cared about at all were T'vril, Relad, and, most of the time, Yeine. I genuinely liked T'vril and Relad - they were decent guys and I wanted to take them home and bake them cookies. While I may not have liked him, Viraine was truly a multidimensional character - probably the only one besides Yeine, Dekarta, and, to a lesser extent, Nahadoth and Relad.
Yeine herself is a refreshing heroine in the fantasy genre, just as the author, N.K. Jemisin, is a refreshing voice, being a black woman able to make that too-long-unheard voice heard. Yeine is decidedly human, with flaws and a believable voice. Most of the time, I was completely behind her, wanting her to triumph. I especially admire her desire, even after all the horrors she has seen, to make the world a better place, even if she must die for it. But every now and again, she would really try my patience. My two biggest problems with her are as follows: her choice to kill the two Menchey men and her relationship with Nahadoth.
Whether or not she felt the need to appear strong, killing the Menchey men (especially the second one) was, put simply, a dick move and almost made me not finish the book. It would have actually made a lot more sense for her to allow the first man to die (because he had tried to attack her) while sparing the second one (because all he tried to do was help his comrade). I think that would have sent a more powerful message to Menchey: that if you attack us, we will destroy you, but if you don't, you won't be harmed. This would have sent a two-pronged message of threat and assuredness that's more likely to get what you want. Whether she felt guilty afterward or not is irrelevant; she made the choice and was the direct cause of the innocent death of a pawn who really didn't have much choice to begin with. That turned me off to her hard and fast. (Also, why didn't she bring Relad back to life at the end?)
That moment was both a little hypocritical and, I'd even argue, out of character, as throughout the rest of the book, Yeine proves herself to be a decent, compassionate human being, wanting nothing more than to not be Arameri. And then she goes ahead and does something very Arameri. It's understandable that she wants to protect her homeland, especially seeing as she knows she is going to die, has some power now, and is the former leader of her people. However, when taken along with her wish that the world become a better place, her actions come across as hypocritical. She shows no interest in any nation other than her own Darre, including the ones that she's given responsibility for.
Her relationship with Nahadoth is also problematic for a number of reasons (besides the over-the-top supernatural bed-destroying sex scene). First, it continues to pander to the "girls want bad boys" trope, which I have written about before. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but only if handled exceedingly well. In this case, I couldn't really fathom why Yeine is so drawn to Nahadoth over T'vril, unless it's because 1) she wants to experience a more exciting relationship before she dies (which is problematic because that's hardly the basis for a healthy romantic relationship) or 2) she carries the soul of his beloved sister and she is drawn to him because of Enefa (also problematic, because then she's not wholly herself in choosing him, even if you overlook the squicky fact that Enefa and Nahadoth are siblings). I'm not against sex and romance in fantasy, in fact, I encourage it, but something about the portrayal here felt lacking. He just seemed too inhuman for her to really have any chemistry with. A guy who sleeps with his kids and his brother and sister. Yeah, a real winner. Befitting behavior for a god, certainly, but not something to be admired or sought after by mortal morals.
The ending was fantastic and I want to see where this world goes now that its gods are no longer present. This is a plot I love to see in fantasy and so I will definitely be reading the next book.
The Verdict: Rich mythology, amazing take on the relations between gods and mortals, engaging plot and ending. Problematic romance. Characters largely unlikable or flat.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
On Depictions of Abuse in Fiction
Labels:
abuse,
author advice,
book authors,
child abuse,
creative writing,
emotional abuse,
fiction,
opinion,
physical abuse,
sexual abuse
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This disturbed me for a number of reasons, but first and foremost, the astounding number of people (including people who knew abuse survivors) stating that they would never read such a thing, that the subject matter was appalling, and even that it shouldn't be written. This type of attitude, this silence about such a horrific yet important issue, only makes the problem worse.
Child abuse is a subject commonly depicted in my works, because I feel the greatest sorrow in my very soul for human beings who have had to go through such deep pain. I have been fortunate to never have it happen to me, but I know several people who have. It is an issue that is dear to my heart and I truly want to gain support and understanding for victims by depicting abuse and its life-destroying consequences in my fiction.
So when people act as if this kind of subject matter shouldn't even be brought up, I get a little upset. Fiction is meant to challenge us, and no, it's not always rosy or easy to read. But without it, we're never going to grow as a society and rally together against all of the horrible things that happen behind closed doors. People in abusive relationships sometimes don't even recognize the abuse for what it is, and instead of remaining silent about it, we need to scream loud and clear, though our fiction and otherwise, that these things are not okay. And sometimes, yes, this involves details you probably don't want to know. If making our readers feel and see the pain of these fictional characters helps even one real life person, and we have to share descriptions not everyone wants to read, so be it. After all, for real victims, there are no scene changes or time jumps.
Now obviously, I am not referring to any abuse written in an obviously salacious way (that's beyond disgusting), or if the abuse is simply used for shock value. While it is never a good idea to make an abusive experience practically the sole trait of a character (because, hello, it's not), keep in mind that this might be the result of an inexperienced or mediocre writer with good intentions even if the execution fell short. Also, while I'm not the biggest fan of trigger warnings, if your book contains scenes of detailed abuse or its aftermath, you owe it to your readers to slap a warning label on it.
What do you all think? Speak in the comments!
Announcing a New Story!
Labels:
creative writing,
free book,
novelette,
science fiction,
writing
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Past, Present, and Future is an 11,000 word digital standalone exclusive, due out on February 29th and will be published by Loyalty Press.
The price will be free. That's right, free. This is partially to apologize for my lack of new material published in 2015 (it was a big year for me), but also for the fact it's taking me a lot longer than I would have hoped to get a draft ready of December's sequel, July. At this point, The Brooch of Storisvaria will probably be ready first... So I'm sorry, and I hope you can enjoy this in the meantime.
Past, Present, and Future began life as a piece in my still-in-progress short story collection, The Profane and the Sacred and Other Stories. After it became much longer than I would have wanted to put in a short story collection and it became clear I wouldn't have a new novel to present in 2015, I have chosen to publish it separately for everyone to enjoy.
The story is about a soon-to-be modern college freshmen, Melanie, discovering that she has the rare and amazing ability to Jump to two times other than her own. One is Victorian England, and the other a space station orbiting a devastated Earth far in the future. As more and more complications come to light, Melanie finds herself faced with an agonizing choice.
Again, Past, Present, and Future is due out on all major digital platforms on February 29, 2016. Be sure to pick up a copy!
On the Editorial Process
After finishing the first draft, the first thing I do is absolutely nothing. You heard right. Nothing. I sit on the piece for as long as I can - ideally at least a month. If I can't do that, I still give it as much time as I can.
I then read through it again, start to finish, in Word, making changes and notes. Here are some simple things I look for that all writers should at this stage:
- Remove as many occurrences of "that" as possible.
- Check for long, wordy, stringy sentences.
- Also check for short, choppy sentences (especially if they're close together).
- If need be, read dialogue aloud to make sure it sounds natural.
- Check for incomplete sentences and run-ons.
- Revise passive writing if at all possible.
- Try and notice repeated words/phrases and awkward/clunky sentences or phrasing.
- Watch for any inserted exposition that could grind the narrative to a halt.
Bonus Tip: If you have to stop and reread a sentence, it likely needs to be revised.
It's exceptionally hard for authors to notice potential issues with characterization or logical fallacies in their own stories because we're so close to our writing, so while I keep an eye out for those, I also address them in the next step.
I then send the story to both my editor and a close friend. My editor checks the story with a professional eye and my close friend reads the book and tells me what she thinks as a casual reader. Both viewpoints, in my opinion, are of equal value. Their edits are considered and implemented or not.
(As an aside, I also offer editing services, if anyone is interested.)
The last step is the final read. To do this, I convert and load the story onto my ereader. I then read through and highlight words, phrases, or even scenes I still think might need edits. Once done, I then get back into the main document and make those edits.
After that, I begin the formatting process for the ebook and print versions of the piece, and release them on the date they're due out.
So that's my process. Is yours different? Discuss in the comments!
To Pen Name or Not To Pen Name?
Despite the fact that I use a pen name, I actually advocate using your real one if at all possible for a number of reasons and to avoid several complications.
In my opinion, authors should really only use a pen name for one of the following reasons:
- You have an extremely common name (i.e. John Smith).
- You have written a book or write in a genre that you don't want connected to you for personal or professional reasons. (Example: if you primarily write children's fiction but want to try your hand at erotica)
- You share your real name with a reasonably famous author (this one's my issue and why I use a pen name).
- Previous books you have published have had a negative reception and you're trying to restart.
- If you really, really just hate your name, are transgender, or are better known by a nickname.
Bonus Tips:
- While it used to be true that books written by certain genders in certain genres didn't sell, I think this trend is largely going away and so it is not necessary to use an opposite-gendered name, unisex name, or initials. However, if this is still an issue for your gender/genre, you might choose to use a pen name.
- If your name is difficult to spell or pronounce, you might want to use a pen name, even though I personally think it's better to use that uniqueness to help build your brand and stand out from the crowd.
- It's an extraordinarily bad idea to use a pen name to hide from people (Examples: while writing non-fiction that lambastes real people or to avoid breaches of publishing contracts). You will likely be found out and could be sued for libel or breach of contract.
If you're self-publishing, it's really nothing to use as many pen names as you want. It will, however, make it harder to build an audience with readers because there will not be as much name recognition. Book marketing is largely personal these days, so consider how you will accomplish that if you don't want people to know who you are.
If you are publishing traditionally, using a pen name is a little more involved. You do not want to only use your pen name when communicating with your agent or publisher. Make it clear up front that you want to publish your piece under your pen name, but again, use your real name for all formal communication. Advances and royalties can get complicated if you use a pen name as well.
For registering copyright, you can use your pen name or your real name. It is generally recommended to register so both names are on record, but if you can only pick one, use your real name for maximum protection.
As for how far you should go with an assumed identity, I think that is up to the individual author to determine. For example, if you are writing under a pen name of the opposite gender, it might be pertinent to come up with a vaguely factual fake biography for your back cover. Jury's still out on how appropriate it is to use opposite gendered pronouns. Don't claim credentials you haven't earned or outright lie. Major lies, if discovered, are likely to make readers lose faith in you.
So that's what I have to say about pen names. Agree? Disagree? Anything I missed? Any interesting pen name stories? Be sure to say so in the comments!
Book Review - Artemis Awakening
Labels:
artemis awakening,
book review,
jane lindskold,
science fiction
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| Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Jane Lindskold
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Version I Read: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: 5/5
By now, it should be no secret that I'm a big fan of Jane Lindskold's work, so when I heard she had a new series coming out, I nabbed a copy at the earliest opportunity. Needless to say from my five star rating, it's good.
Centuries ago, a powerful empire dominated the stars. With their advanced technology, they were able to accomplish seemingly the impossible, like creating an entire pleasure planet for their elite, complete with residents. When the empire and their technology were destroyed in a war, the planet, named Artemis, was lost and left to evolve on its own. Now, young archaeologist Griffin Dane has come to the planet, hoping to make the archaeological find of the century. Too bad his shuttle crashes...
There's not a lot to talk about, really. It's just a good all around book. No one thing in particular sticks out, but that's because every element is done nicely and it all blends together to create a good story that still leaves some questions unanswered and some plot threads open.
Major spoilers!
First off, this book, unlike some others, has been edited down to necessity, making it very tightly-plotted. The allows the action and the story to move along at a clipped pace and never drag.
The villain, the Old One Who Is Young, is not a new breed by any stretch of the imagination, but he is an effective one. When describing the horrors of the Old One's experiment/breeding program, Lindskold pulls no punches, making a great case for why this man is so unbelievably horrible he deserves to be called a villain. (Long story short, he's breeding human beings for reasons that make sense in context, and abduction, rape, and removing children from their parents is a regular occurrence). This also allows the narrative to scratch the surface of showing how Stockholm Syndrome can cause victims to victimize others, and why they shouldn't be held entirely accountable for it. He is also mentioned early enough that his importance is consistent throughout the novel, and his betrayal is effective in its surprise.
I also found the romance realistic, especially in regards to Adara and Julyan. It's a spot-on description of a young woman, caught up in the throes of first love, falling for a man whose dominant personality becomes problematic (understatement) in the future. The interactions between Griffin and Adara and Terrell and Adara (and Griffin and Terrell's friendship in spite of the "competition") turn them into real people (albeit from completely different origins) and the reader, as well as Adara, can see the good points of each. Both Griffin and Adara thinking they are not good enough for the other (for different reasons) was a nice touch. They also make a very good team. Adara herself is sufficiently badass and crafty (pretending to be stupid around the Old One so she may avoid his attentions while sneaking about on her own to investigate), joining the ranks of other similar Lindskold heroines. Her connection to the planet itself is intriguing and I'm interested to see where it will go as the story continues.
Research was clearly done on pumas in order to write Sand Shadow, and Artemis itself is an organic, fascinating world that, hopefully, will only continue to be built upon in subsequent novels. While it's been done before, the discovery of this lost world is just as mysterious and intriguing as any which came before.
Centuries ago, a powerful empire dominated the stars. With their advanced technology, they were able to accomplish seemingly the impossible, like creating an entire pleasure planet for their elite, complete with residents. When the empire and their technology were destroyed in a war, the planet, named Artemis, was lost and left to evolve on its own. Now, young archaeologist Griffin Dane has come to the planet, hoping to make the archaeological find of the century. Too bad his shuttle crashes...
There's not a lot to talk about, really. It's just a good all around book. No one thing in particular sticks out, but that's because every element is done nicely and it all blends together to create a good story that still leaves some questions unanswered and some plot threads open.
Major spoilers!
First off, this book, unlike some others, has been edited down to necessity, making it very tightly-plotted. The allows the action and the story to move along at a clipped pace and never drag.
The villain, the Old One Who Is Young, is not a new breed by any stretch of the imagination, but he is an effective one. When describing the horrors of the Old One's experiment/breeding program, Lindskold pulls no punches, making a great case for why this man is so unbelievably horrible he deserves to be called a villain. (Long story short, he's breeding human beings for reasons that make sense in context, and abduction, rape, and removing children from their parents is a regular occurrence). This also allows the narrative to scratch the surface of showing how Stockholm Syndrome can cause victims to victimize others, and why they shouldn't be held entirely accountable for it. He is also mentioned early enough that his importance is consistent throughout the novel, and his betrayal is effective in its surprise.
I also found the romance realistic, especially in regards to Adara and Julyan. It's a spot-on description of a young woman, caught up in the throes of first love, falling for a man whose dominant personality becomes problematic (understatement) in the future. The interactions between Griffin and Adara and Terrell and Adara (and Griffin and Terrell's friendship in spite of the "competition") turn them into real people (albeit from completely different origins) and the reader, as well as Adara, can see the good points of each. Both Griffin and Adara thinking they are not good enough for the other (for different reasons) was a nice touch. They also make a very good team. Adara herself is sufficiently badass and crafty (pretending to be stupid around the Old One so she may avoid his attentions while sneaking about on her own to investigate), joining the ranks of other similar Lindskold heroines. Her connection to the planet itself is intriguing and I'm interested to see where it will go as the story continues.
Research was clearly done on pumas in order to write Sand Shadow, and Artemis itself is an organic, fascinating world that, hopefully, will only continue to be built upon in subsequent novels. While it's been done before, the discovery of this lost world is just as mysterious and intriguing as any which came before.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Book Review - The Novice
Labels:
book review,
fantasy,
taran matharu,
the novice,
the summoner trilogy,
YA,
young adult
·
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| Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Taran Matharu
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Version I Read: Hardcover
Rating: 4/5
Version I Read: Hardcover
Rating: 4/5
I picked this one up on a whim because it sounded interesting, and I certainly was not disappointed. Not completely wowed, but certainly not disappointed.
The Novice tells the story of Fletcher, an orphan living in a small remote mountain town in the north of the empire of Hominum. On accident, he ends up summoning a demon, proving he has the ability to summon. On the run from a "crime he didn't commit," according to the book cover, but more like a possible murder in self-defense, he finds himself enrolled at the academy that trains adept summoners where he is bound to learn more about himself and the world around him.
Some spoilers.
The two biggest strengths of this book are the world building and the magic system. The entire system for summoning and keeping a demon is amazingly logical and thought out. The politics and players in them are likewise astonishingly well-detailed for a book like this, especially the relations between the races and the interesting cultural details about each one the author manages to squeeze into the narrative (like the dwarven women's customs being so similar to Islamic ones. It was nice to see a positive portrayal.) This book also had a rather fresh approach to elves, dwarves, and possibly even the orcs (as well as the somewhat unique inclusion of firearms), which I appreciated.
The plot is also pretty decent, especially the neat twist that even the reader doesn't know if Didric actually died or not. The opening third is the best part, but the book also ends on a high note with a cliffhanger of an ending that would bother me if it hadn't been built up. Unfortunately, while it does the school sections better than most, I have never been a big fan of magical school stories for precisely that reason. The school sections tend to be boring and drag. While they weren't as bad here because the magic system was so solid and the reader was learning along with the characters, these sections still felt tedious in places.
Most of the messages of the story are generic (don't discriminate against people based on their origin or race) but a small one near the end was noteworthy enough to be mentioned here: the dwarf Othello has a more radical twin brother named Atilla whom Othello regularly impersonated in order to keep his brother from harm. But near the end of the book, after Fletcher and co have rescued Atilla, Othello admits he was wrong because his brother rarely had a sense of consequence, and so his self-destructive behavior continued. While there's nothing wrong with protecting those you love, shielding them too much can, obviously, lead to problems and it was nice to see this book point that out.
There are some other issues. Namely, the sheer hatred everyone seems to have towards commoners being battlemages. It comes off as more shallow and stupid than usual. Medieval society or not, they are desperately fighting a war on two fronts and need everyone capable they can find. This leads to the order about not testing orphans for summoning ability because they could be bastard children of nobles (the ability is usually inherited) coming off as incredibly stupid. First, the vast majority of orphans are not going to be illegitimate nobles. Second, I'm sure plenty of those kids did end up with families who pretend to be their biological ones, so how is being an orphan such a big indicator? You're going to pass on a rare and powerful resource just because some of your nobles couldn't keep it in their pants and they don't want their honor tarnished? It was their fault in the first place! The racism towards the dwarves and the elves works a lot better, in spite of the fact that it's been done to death. But can we start exploring some other issues in our fantasy, please?
The characters are mostly hits with some misses. For being as many as there are, they all do have their places and are relatively well-developed. Fletcher, Captain Lovett, Othello, Sylva, Sereph, and to a lesser extent Atilla and Arcturus are all badasses. On the flip side, most of the other students at the academy don't get to do much (I was expecting both Genevieve and Rory to have more of a front and center role, and I think it was interesting that the author decided to have Sylva, Othello, and Fletcher be the power trio instead.) The villains, however, are downright irritating in their simplicity, especially Didric and Rook. At least Isadora and Tarquin have some sort of motivation, but it doesn't make them three-dimensional characters. All of the villainous characters' lack of any sort of depth or being anything other than obnoxious bullies is quite jarring compared to the excellent thought the author put into the world, the magic system, and the rest of the characters. Hell, it even looks like the orcs might not be everything they seem.
Last but not least, the book would have greatly benefited from a character list and world map.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
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