by Jane | Apr 18, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
The Killing Moon by N. K. Jemison is the story of a world in which mercy killing is supervised by the religious group Hetawa and carried out by members of that group known as Gatherers. “Dreamblood” is then drawn from these “tithes and can be used to heal other people. Unfortunately, because the collections can also include people who are corrupt, it opens the door to use these killings for political reasons. And that is exactly what the Prince, ruler of Gujaareh, is doing.
There are three main characters. Ehiru is a Gatherer who is starting to question some of his assignments, and Nijiri is his wide-eyed apprentice. On their first assignment together, they are sent to collect a tithe from Sunandi Jeh Kalawe, an ambassador from Kisua, a land where Gatherings are considered murder. These three band together to try and uncover the treachery misusing the Hetawa.
This book reminds somewhat of Throne of the Crescent Moon, another Nebula nominee that I reviewed earlier, partly because of the desert setting and partly because of the relationship between Ehiru and Nijiri. In both books, there is a somewhat contentious relationship between apprentice and mentor. In The Killing Moon, Nijiri must learn to trust Ehiru as they fight against the evil in the land.
I enjoyed this book, although it wasn’t what I would call a page-turner. Each of the main characters had lessons to learn and sacrifices to make. A moderate amount of suspense, along with very strong characters, kept me interested.
by Jane | Apr 11, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is the story of Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin imprisoned in the salt mines of Ardolan. She is released in order to compete for the position of King’s Champion. If she wins and serves the king for four years, she will be granted her freedom. Twenty-three men stand between her and the prize, but two men are there to help her: Prince Dorian, her sponsor, and Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, who acts as both her trainer and guard.
Though under constant guard, Celaena manages to make a friend, Princess Nehemia, from a land recently conquered by Ardalan. But she also has many enemies, not just the other candidates and their sponsors but also a jealous woman who doesn’t like the way the prince looks at Celaena.
Training is hard, but Celaena manages to pass test after test, while forming an unlikely relationship with the Captain. The problem arises when competitors begin to be slaughtered in a grotesque and unnatural manner. With the help of her friends and a long-dead monarch, Celaena discovers secrets in the castle. Through these discoveries, some questions are answered but even more are raised.
Throne of Glass is a very engaging book, told through Maas’ excellent writing style. The training and competition remind me of both Divergent and The Hunger Games, but Throne of Glass brings us more. There is treachery all around Celaena, and she is unsure at times who she can really trust. She also must deal with the two men in her life, while learning about political maneuverings and forbidden magic. All these elements lead to a build-up of tension which keeps the reader involved and is resolved at just the right time.
An excellent book, which leaves me anxious to read the next in the series: Crown of Midnight.
by Jane | Apr 4, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Ironskin by Tina Connolly has been compared to Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre. It has also been called steampunk. I don’t believe it is any of these, simply the best fantasy novel I have read in quite some time.
Jane Eliot is known as an Ironskin because she wears an iron mask to protect against the curse of rage that she received during the war against the fey. There is a mix of technologies in this book, which is why some people consider it steampunk, but unlike steampunk, there is no real emphasis on this mixture. The reason for it is the war with the fey. Since most advancements were bought from the fey they are no longer available, and most people have been forced to return to horse-and-buggy and candlelight.
Jane comes to work for Edward Rochert as governess for his little girl Doria. Instead of having a curse, she seems to have some fey powers which she cannot control. It is Jane’s job to stop her from using them so she can develop the use of her hands.
Edward is a widower and an artist. As in Jane Eyre, he is looking for a wife and Jane starts to develop a crush on him. Unlike the Bronte novel, rather than a mad wife locked in the attic, Edward keeps secret the origin of his daughter’s power, as well as his true profession. Little by little, Jane begins to understand what these secrets mean and fears for her safety and that of her charge.
This was a book that flowed excellently and I did not want to put down. A very good choice for a Nebula nominee. The winner must have been very special to have beat this one out.
by Jane | Mar 14, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Divergent is the first book in the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. The major character is a girl named Beatrice Prior, who is later known as Tris. She lives in a dystopian world where people are grouped into factions: Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, Amity, and Dauntless. Each faction has its own rules of behavior and perform certain jobs for the city.
Children are born into a faction, but can choose to change factions during an annual ceremony when they are sixteen. But before they are allowed to choose, each child is put through a test to determine which factor they belong in. It is then that Tris discovers that she does not truly belong in any one faction, but is Divergent, which the test administrator tells her she must hide, because it is very dangerous.
During the ceremony, Tris decides to leave Abnegation for Dauntless, where she goes through a vigorous initiation process, learning to fight with her hands, guns, and knives. One of her trainers is known as Four, and her growing relationship with him and her discoveries about what it means to be Divergent make up the rest of the book.
This book had me involved from the first page, learning about Tris world, the factions, and the hard choices Tris has to make. Tris learns valuable lessons about friendship, family, and who she can and cannot trust. Nothing is ever easy for her, and the resulting plot twists keep the reader engaged at every turn. I highly recommend this book.
by Jane | Feb 21, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
The Captains is a documentary produced and directed by William Shatner, in which he travels around the country and to England to interview all the actors who have played Star Trek captains from Patrick Stewart to Chris Pine. When I first added this film to My List on Netflix, I was skeptical about watching it, not knowing exactly how it would play out. And frankly, I was afraid it be too much Shatner. I was pleasantly surprised.
The film is a very candid look at the experiences of these actors during the filming of their TV shows and movies, as well as the effect of the work itself and the Star Trek phenomenon on their personal lives. All the actors are quite different people, something that is well-reflected in their interviews. For instance, Kate Mulgrew spoke of how the experience affected her as a woman, and Avery Brooks sang most of his answers while playing jazz piano. Scott Bakula had a different perspective on science fiction TV due to his run on Quantum Leap, while Chris Pine brought the viewpoints of a new generation.
My favorite interview, though, was between William Shatner and Patrick Stewart. I always enjoy watching Patrick, simply because he is such a gentleman, but I also enjoyed this interview because there seemed to be a connection between the two, not as much present with the other captains. Maybe its because they worked together, or maybe its because they are closest in age. All I know is that it worked.
In all of the interviews, Shatner put forth his own viewpoints and feelings about the franchise, but he was really forthright during the sessions with Patrick. For part of this interview, Patrick was talking and Shatner responding and for part, Patrick was responding to Shatner in almost an avuncular fashion.
Shatner’s openness during this interview, and to some extent for the entire film, is very important for two reasons. First, it seems to answer much of the criticism that he has endured over the years. For instant, that he is arrogant, doesnt care about the fans, and (yes) that he overacted on Star Trek TOS (The Original Series). Second, it makes us look at him in a new way.
An exclamation point on this film was footage of a Las Vegas Star Trek convention, where he seem walking through an open room, talking to attendees and getting into pictures without being asked. This, in addition, to his talk with Patrick Stewart, make me believe that either his arrogance has been exaggerated, or that he himself, as he recounted, changed as a result of preparing for that interview.
Other highlights of the film were filmed interviews with one other member of each cast (except TOS), which shed more light on the captains, and also Shatners humor (as when he waited in a cardboard box on the streets of New York for the interview with Kate Mulgrew.)
I would highly recommend this film and am hoping to attend the next convention in Las Vega myself. Maybe William Shatner will stop me in the lobby for a photo op.
by Jane | Feb 14, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
I recently came across an old issue of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Bulletin, and saw that it featured the 2012 Nebula nominees and winners. Lately, I have been reading a lot of young adult works, since that is the genre I want to break into. So, I thought reading the Nebula nominees would be a good way for me to get back into mainstream science fiction and fantasy.
The first book on the list was Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed. It is the story of an old ghul hunter, Adoulla Makhslod, his assistant Rassed, and the lion shapeshifter Zamia, whom they meet along the way. In the city of Dhamsawaat, a man calling himself the Falcon Prince, a Robin Hood-type character, is wreaking havoc among the nobility, while at the same time, there is a supernatural danger to the land that only Adoulla (also known as the Doctor) and his friends can conquer.
I found this a very interesting book, easy to read, and very rich in that it took multiple perspectives throughout. It starts out with an action scene, has two or three in the middle, then a large, explosive one at the end. The rest of the book seems to be these three and two other friends (Dawoud and Litaz) planning their strategy (much to Zamias disappointment). Further complications are the feelings growing between Rassed (a dervish sworn to celibacy) and Zamia (who only wants revenge on the fiend who murdered her tribal band) and Adoulla’s realization that he may be getting too old for this type of work. Much internal conflict is generated by these situations, and this, paired with the external conflicts of evil they must face, keeps the book interesting.
Though I, like Zamia, would have preferred more action and less talking, The Throne of the Crescent Moon is definitely worth a read. Ahmed writes well and knows how to tell a story. I would pick up another book by him in an instant.
This post was originally published on the writing group site Write Here Write Now, which is no longer active.
