Germline by T.C. McCarthy

This article was posted on Friday, April 20, 2012 | There are 2 comments

Germline, T.C. McCarthy’s ambitious debut novel, is the first installment in his Subterrene War trilogy.  While it is ostensibly labeled as work of near-future military science fiction, that description barely scratches the surface of the true scope of the novel: Germline is, in essence, a gritty and confronting coming-of-age story featuring a deeply flawed protagonist. The result is intense, uncomfortable, and more than just a little bit brilliant.

A grim, believable future, and a protagonist to match

Germline is set in a decidedly bleak near future where U.S. and Russian troops battle for the Earth’s few remaining mineral deposits. Foremost in the Americans’ arsenal are deadly squads of all-female, genetically engineered super-soldiers. These women, known as Genetics, are indoctrinated into a cult-like religion of Faith and Death and exist for the sole purpose of killing as many enemy soldiers as possible before they themselves die or are “honorably discharged” (via a bullet to the head) at the age of eighteen. However, the U.S. advantage is short-lived, as the Russians soon begin to engineer Genetics of their own. As the supply of healthy human troops dwindles, women are “encouraged” to stay at home breeding future war fodder while the U.S. military recruits old men and boys.

Enter Oscar Wendell, a sub-par, drug-addicted reporter with a few friends in high places and ambitions for a Pulitzer Prize. When Wendell manages to secure an assignment with U.S. troops on the front lines in Kazakhstan, he believes he has finally scored the story that will make him famous. However, he soon realizes that nothing could have prepared him for the realities of war. Already an addict, Wendell begins to rely increasingly upon narcotics while both his former life as a reporter and the civilian world gradually cease to exist to his tormented mind.

Daring and confronting

I say Germline is an ambitious debut because it is in no way the kind of “safe” first novel we sometimes see from new authors. McCarthy refuses to limit his fiction by sticking to familiar or uncontroversial concepts, or those we can view from a comfortable distance. Nor does he feature characters and scenarios calculated for the broadest possible appeal and least likelihood of causing offence. Instead, McCarthy chooses a nihilistic and disturbed protagonist, places the reader inside that character’s broken mind through first person narration and then proceeds to pack his novel with biting social commentary.

So many things could go wrong with this kind of setup that one has to admire McCarthy’s daring, if nothing else. Yet he manages to pull the novel off in spectacular fashion, creating a grueling experience sure to impress the reader.

A harrowing first person perspective 

Oscar Wendell’s first person narrative is undoubtedly one of the key factors that make Germline such an intense novel. Reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson, Wendell is not necessarily a likeable protagonist and the reader is privy to his every flaw. He is a selfish, self-indulgent, broken wreck of a human being whose emotions jump between extremes with alarming regularity. Furthermore, he is not even particularly capable compared to the novel’s other characters and his continued survival in a war-zone is just as often due to the efforts of a progression of friends in high places, genetics, fellow soldiers, and dumb luck than the result of any actions of his own.

Despite all this, Wendell is somehow the perfect protagonist to carry the reader on an eye-opening journey through McCarthy’s desolate future. In addition, although I am no expert on psychology and addiction, McCarthy’s depiction of this aspect of Wendell’s character seems very true to life. Wendell is, in essence, a deeply flawed and believable human being who—seemingly beyond hope—must learn to take responsibility for himself the hard way. “The hard way” doesn’t get much harder than this.

The prose itself is direct and unadorned in a way that perfectly complements the setting and protagonist. After all, there is little time for poeticism when the world is falling apart around you.

No shortage of social commentary here, sir

Germline gives the reader their first glimpse of a world where basic human rights have been all but stripped away and provides countless hints at more to come. Although we are limited to Oscar Wendell’s personal experience in this world, once one looks below the surface much more may be read into the novel. The horrors that Wendell witnesses cannot be viewed in isolation: they are, after all, the product of the society that allowed them.

For instance, the gender of the Genetics serves a dual purpose. The accepted explanation to the Genetics’ gender holds that the initial male prototypes, unlike their female counterparts, are too prone to uncontrollable, testosterone-fueled violence; but the female models provide yet another benefit. Their presence on the battlefields can be used by those in power to counter any allegations of sexism in excluding women from the front lines. While this idea may make some readers uncomfortable, it is deliberately calculated to be troubling and one would be hard pressed to say that this kind of set-up is in any way endorsed.

And now for the really uncomfortable part…

All in all, although Germline is a work of science fiction it is, in many ways, not all that far-fetched or unfamiliar.  The technology depicted throughout the novel is futuristic yet disturbingly plausible. McCarthy merely takes already existing and fast developing technologies such as genetic modification and cloning to the next level. As someone who has some familiarity with genetics and related science, there was nothing depicted in the novel that I found particularly implausible.

Likewise, the novel’s premise, despite being unpleasant, is also quite believable and finds its basis in real world issues. Most would agree that humanity is just beginning to realize, somewhat reticently, that natural resources are not infinite. Furthermore, it is not hard to believe that if we continue to rely upon such finite materials too much longer we could well end up with the kind of resource war scenario McCarthy depicts. Some may be so bold as to suggest that, to some extent at least, we already have.

So why should you read this book?

Germline is without doubt one of the most intense and affecting books I have read in long time.  The fact that the details of the novel remain clear in my mind a month after finishing it should be a good indication of the extent to which it engaged me as a reader. Nevertheless, it won’t suit everyone: Germline is not a light read, nor is it an easy one. What it is however, is a well-executed and relevant novel that will haunt you long after you finish reading. It is gritty, unsettling, confronting, and at times quite harrowing yet I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

Sela Blog Tour – Giveaway of Readheart & Sela (Books 1 & 2 of the Leland Dragon Series)

This article was posted on Friday, April 6, 2012 | There is one comment

 Sela is the second instalment of the Leland Dragon Series by award winning author Jackie Gamber. While the books are aimed at young adults, they can also be read and enjoyed by older readers (as demonstrated by the lovely Stephan who apart from adoring Redheart, the first book in the series, also designed this site).

     

 

Blurb for Sela

Peace was fleeting. Vorham Riddess, Venur of Esra Province, covets the crystal ore buried deep in Leland’s mountains. His latest device to obtain it: land by marriage to a Leland maiden. But that’s not all.

Among Dragonkind, old threats haunt Mount Gore, and shadows loom in the thoughts of the Red who restored life to land and love. A dragon hunter, scarred from countless battles, discovers he can yet suffer more wounds.

In the midst of it all, Sela Redheart is lost, driven from her home with only her old uncle to watch over her. As the dragon-born child of Kallon, the leader of Leland’s Dragon Council, she is trapped in human form with no understanding of how she transformed, or how to turn back.

Wanderers seek a home, schemes begin to unfurl, and all is at risk as magic and murder, marriage and mystery strangle the heart of Esra. A struggle for power far older and deeper than anyone realizes will leave no human or dragon unaffected.

In a world where magic is born of feeling, where the love between a girl and a dragon was once transformative, what power dwells in the heart of young Sela?

Here are some reviews of the first book in the series, Redheart.

-  Here’s one by Stephan from The Ranting Dragon.

- And on Goodreads

 

Seventh Star Press is running a blog tour to celebrate release of second book and has kindly given me the opportunity to giveaway some copies of both Redheart and Sela to four lucky readers.

• One winner will receive a set of Redheart and Sela in softcover with a set of art cards from each book. US/Canada residents only
• Three other winners will each receive a set of Redheart and Sela ebooks (kindle or epub formats according to preference). This prize can be won by residents of any country.

To enter the competition just fill in the form below (with a valid email address).

Don’t worry, your details will not be visible to anyone but me.

 

Name(required)

Email(required)

Country of revidence(required)

Were you interested in the softcovers, the ebooks, or both?

The contest will run for four days and close at 11.59 pm on the 10th of April. I will then contact the winners by email to notify them, and in the case of the softcovers, confirm a mailing address. If there is no response within a week I will be forced to choose another winner so keep an eye on your emails!

Good luck!

Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards: Trophy Reviews

This article was posted on Sunday, March 11, 2012 | There are no comments

 

There always seems to be some kind of drama in the world of speculative fiction lately, so I thought it was about time to attempt to create my own controversy with a serious ‘warts and all’ analysis of each of the major SFF awards and their merits.

Just kidding.

I’m most likely going to be away for a week or so to undergo some surgery and then recover and I thought I might leave you with something a bit more lighthearted.

So here is an irreverent and joking analysis of the trophies (or similar) received by the winners of five speculative fiction awards.

My comments on the trophies are meant purely in jest and in no way intended as a comment on the prestige or validity of the awards themselves.

Clearly not every major award is listed here.

The trophies for some awards change each year and many awards only give the winners a certificate and/or useful things like money, prestige and the right to list the award on their book covers. In other words, they neglect to provide the winners with a distinctively shaped shiny object. Shame on them!

I’ve selected these particular awards on the basis of which trophies I thought would be the most fun to write about.

Please accept my apologies in advance for the bad attempts at humour that will inevitably follow.

 

Award: The David Gemmell Legend Award

Trophy: A scale model of Snaga (the legendary battle-axe of Druss the Legend), the winners name and novel are laser etched into the blade.

Is there anyone who doesn’t want a life-size battle-axe?

Review: The battle-axe presented to the winners of the Gemmell award gets points for being both decorative and practical. Not only does it look completely bad-ass but it may also come in handy in the case of a zombie apocalypse. It can also fulfill a multitude of other practical uses such as cutting cakes, defending your honour or expressing your boredom with tiresome conversations by ‘clefting the furniture in twain’.

Also, no-one is going to come up to you and contest the quality of your writing while you are holding the Gemmell battle-axe.

Rating: 10/10

 

Award: The World Fantasy Award

Trophy: A stylized bust of H. P. Lovecraft

It’s a big ugly head!

Review:  No matter what you think about H.P. Lovecraft as a person or a writer, most of us would be pretty stoked to receive a World Fantasy Award.  But what of the trophy itself, shaped as a bust of the famous writer?

In all honesty, I find this trophy rather ugly and a slightly creepy looking. I’m not going to contest that the sculpture itself has a particular artistic merit. However, would I want something that looks like that sitting on my shelf and staring at me while I try to write if it wasn’t symbolic of a prestigious award? Probably not.

Rating: 3.5/10

 

Award: The Bram Stoker Award

 

Trophy: A fanciful eight-inch haunted house replica. The door opens to reveal a small plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author.

Cute, creepy and very cool.

Review: This trophy is intricate, distinctive and fun. The door opening on the little plaque is a very nice touch. I think the finish is quite attractive and the model is interesting and distinctive without being overly gaudy. I would assume winners of this award would put it somewhere visible to show their friends and family. However, they should also keep it close on hand when writing so they can repeatedly swing the little door open and closed long into the night as they concoct more horrifying plots.

Or maybe that’s just what I’d do…

Rating: 9.5/10

 

Award: The Hugo Award

Trophy: The trophy features a stylized rocket ship, however the base of the trophy changes each year.

Is that a Hugo in your pocket or are you just happy to be at Worldcon?

Review: I’ll admit that I only recently realised that this trophy was a rocket ship. Until then I guess I assumed it was a generic and slightly suspiciously shaped silver trophy. As T.C. McCarthy succinctly put it, such speculation means that I am ‘banned from the SF world. FOREVER!’

Crass jokes aside, I actually quite like this trophy. While the rocket part of the trophy is undeniably minimalist, the different bases each year add some interest and there have been some very nice ones throughout the years. There’s a galley of them here if you’d like to see for yourself.

Rating: 7.5/10

 

Award: The Kitschies

Trophy: A hand-crafted plush tentacle (different colours for different awards)

 It’s a tentacle. And there is rum. Enough said.

Review: I have a soft spot for cephalopods (take that how you will) and this award is no exception. I have a hard time believing that any sane person could not ardently desire to be the proud owner of one of these hand-crafted trophies.

Yet while the Kitschie tentacle is very cute and definitely has its uses, the downside is that its appealing plush nature also makes it harder to use as an improvised weapon and there is always the risk that your dog/cat/ferret/child might chew it up. That would be very sad.

Luckily, you could always make yourself a new one (following these instructions) without running the risk of an unfortunate smelting accident, as may be the case with many of the other trophies.

Rating: 9.5/10

 

For more extensive lists (and serious information) on the various genre awards out there you might want to take a look at these useful resources:

-Science Fiction Awards Watch

-The Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards

 

Do you know any more good resources or want to share your own thoughts on various awards and/or trophies? Comment away!

Cheers.

The Lies of Locke Lamora Read Along – Week 1

This article was posted on Saturday, March 10, 2012 | There are 12 comments

 

I’ve been waiting to read Scott Lynch’s ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ for a long time now and recently came across the perfect opportunity thanks to The Lies of Locke Lamora Read Along that is currently being hosted by a number of book blogs.

Seeing as I’ve had some health problems in the past months that mean I’ve got a large backlog of reviews still to finish, now is the perfect time for me to read some of the books I’ve been holding in reserve while I catch up. Horray for the unexpected upside!

This weeks questions deal with the prologue up until the end of the interlude called ‘Locke stays for dinner’.

I’d also love to hear your thoughts on the book and the points raised by the questions as well.

 

Discussion Questions

1. If this is your first time reading The Lies of Locke Lamora, what do you think of it so far?  If this is a re-read for you, how does the book stand up to rereading?

While I’ve had this book on my shelf for quite a while now and had it recommended to me by countless people, this is indeed my first reading.

I always expected I would enjoy it (I also really wanted to because Scott Lynch seems really nice) and I’m happy to say that it is just as good as I hoped it would be.

So far I’m very impressed with the writing, the characters and the slightly evil sense of humour that runs through the novel (evil humour often being my favourite kind). I think it’s especially impressive as a debut, and if it continues to be as good until the end it will be well on its way to becoming a favourite.

 

2. At last count, I found three time lines:  Locke as a 20-something adult, Locke meeting Father Chains for the first time, and Locke as a younger child in Shades Hill. How are you doing with the flashback within a flashback style of introducing characters and the world?

When I first started reading I found the flashback style slightly distracting and wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. However, I got used to it pretty quickly and as I got further into the book I came to appreciate the way this technique was used to build suspense, incorporate backstory without lagging and juxtapose particular scenes and ideas. When I think about it, it really suits the story and I think it works better than a purely chronological format would in this case.

 

3. Speaking of the world, what do you think of Camorr and Lynch’s world building?

The world building is great so far and I can’t get enough of Camorr. The glass towers and bridges are a nice touch and I love the role the waterways play in the city with all the islands, barges and markets. In some ways Camorr makes me think of a fantasy version of Venice. I thought the little tidbits we receive about the way people live and operate in Camorr are really well done and add a distinctive flavor to the narrative and manage to convey plenty of information without ever growing tiresome  or feeling like an info-dump. I especially liked the description of the Revel festivities that were taking place during Locke’s negotiations with Don Lorenzo. I thought that added a lot to the events taking place and managed to tell us quite a bit about the city, its governance and its inhabitants.

 

4. Father Chains and the death offering. . .  quite the code of honor for thieves, isn’t it? What kind of person do you think Chains is going to mold Locke into? 

At this stage I feel that Father Chains and his gang are pretty much the ‘nobility of thievery’, the highest class of thieves in the criminal hierarchy. I think the heists they pull are going to be more ambitious than most and therefore the stakes will be that much higher. To survive they will need finesse, discipline and a high level of co-operation. As a result they likely have a strong code by which they operate and an emphasis on camaraderie and loyalty. I think Chains will mould Locke into someone with a strong, albeit unconventional, sense of honour and morality. I think he will make him into a sort of ‘confidence artist’ rather than any opportunistic con-man.

 

5. It’s been a while since I read this, and I’d forgotten how much of the beginning of the book is pure set up, for the characters, the plot, and the world. Generally speaking, do you prefer set up and world building done this way, or do you prefer to be thrown into the deep end with what’s happening?

It really depends on the book for me. Sometimes being thrown into the deep end works well but other times I prefer being given some background to become invested in the story and truly immerse myself in the world. Both have their advantages and possible pitfalls. When I think about some of my favourite books there seems to be around an even mix of both types. Yes, I know that is a cop-out answer, but you can’t make me choose!

 

6. If you’ve already started attempting to pick the pockets of your family members (or even thought about it!) raise your hand.

I can’t raise my hand. It’s too busy lifting my boyfriend’s wallet from his pocket while I type this with the other.

 

That’s all for now! I can’t wait to read more and will definitely have trouble drawing the book out until the questions each week.

Some thoughts on review parity

This article was posted on Friday, March 9, 2012 | There are 6 comments

Disclaimer: This article is my personal opinion only and does not aim to be accusatory in any way. I’ve tried to be as factually correct as possible, so if I have made any mistakes feel free to let me know in the comments. Lastly, I have been quite ill lately and as a result may not be as coherent as I’d like to be. So, sorry if it makes no sense!

 

What am I talking about and why?

Recently there has been much discussion about gender parity in the world of science fiction and fantasy.  You may have heard that Paul Cornell has expressed concern about panel disparity at genre conventions and resolved to act on this by stepping down from any panels he believes unnecessarily exclude female speakers. China Miéville has also done so in the past and various other authors have also decided to follow suit.

I live in an area with few SFF conventions and as a result have never attended one. Therefore, I’m not even going to pretend I know anything about panel parity.

However, I do sell books as my job and review books for pleasure, so I thought I might be at least as qualified as most people to venture an opinion in regards to that side of things.

I am also well aware that there are many more urgent and important problems in the world than what any of us choose to read. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean it is necessarily not worth thinking about and if a book blog isn’t the place to discuss these things, I’m not sure where is.

 

Gender discrepancy in book reviewing

Throughout the years there have also been a number of different studies showing various degrees of disparity between the number of reviews received by male/female authors in various publications (I’ve listed a couple below) and then, this study, which attempted to do the same for SFF review blogs.

Various studies:

-A study on review parity in Australian publications

-A study on review parity in US publications

-A study on review parity in science fiction and fantasy publications

 

Despite the best intentions of those conducting the study, inevitably results such as these tend to leave a percentage of people either feeling guilty or getting defensive.

 

Personal experience

Thinking about gender bias in genre fiction isn’t particularly new to me for a number of reasons, although in the past I have thought about it in slightly different terms.

Now, be prepared for some anecdotal evidence here.

During my work at a bookstore, every now and then I happen upon a customer who feels the need to condescend to me by bluntly refusing to believe I know anything about science fiction or fantasy purely because I am a woman. And yes, some of them are willing to state that outright. Of course, there are always rude people you must deal with in customer service and I probably wouldn’t care if I wasn’t in most cases reasonably sure I knew more about that genre then they did. (Sorry, that will be the most bitter, ranting and conceited comment in my post, I promise)

I’ve also had quite a few occasions when I’ve been recommending books to customers who do trust my ability to judge genre works only to have them tell me that they only read books by male authors or (occasionally) vice versa.

This makes me slightly sad.

Before I worked at a bookstore (and before I talked to a couple of female authors who noticed disparity between their books that were marketed under their real names and those with just initials or a pseudonym on the cover) I was naïve enough to think that discriminating against books purely by the authors gender was a thing of the past. Also, I’ve noticed that people who do so often end up with a nasty (for them) and amusing (for me) surprise when they discover that the books they have enjoyed are actually by a member of the opposite sex writing under another name.

So, I am willing to except that, to some extent at least, such a gender bias does persist. The question is really how extensive it is, what it might tell us about society as a whole (don’t worry, I’m not going to get into that) and how damaging it is to the prospects of authors of either gender. I’ll stick to talking about the genres I know best although I’m sure that in some other genres (eg. Romance- paranormal or otherwise) the gender discrepancy may swing the opposite way.

However, I doubt any of you need a lecture on gender equality because frankly, if you really don’t put any stock in women’s opinions when it comes to SFF, I doubt you would be reading my blog in the first place.

 

My thoughts on the book blog study

Overall, there are a lot of variables that weren’t incorporated into the aforementioned blog study (eg. Sub-genre preferences and their gender parity, availability etc.), possibly because there are just too many to easily account for and still have any results by this time next year.

Nevertheless, the results still provide interesting food for thought as long as we keep them in perspective.

If it turns out that you or someone else have somehow reviewed a overwhelming percentage of books by authors of one gender and few of the other it might be worth thinking about. However, there is no need to freak out and it doesn’t necessarily mean you are subconsciously a raging misogynist.

On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that there just genuinely aren’t as many good science fiction or fantasy books available that are written by female authors.

 

What would I suggest?

All in all, I would advocate awareness more than anything else. If you realize that you have a huge disparity between author genders I would suggest perhaps keeping an eye out next time you are book searching to see if you can find some books by female authors that sound enjoyable.

I would not however, advocate reading only female authors or reading dozens of books that don’t otherwise appeal to you just to achieve parity.

Reading books you are not interested in is not fun for anyone; not the reviewer, not the people who read the review, and not the author of the book who is (hopefully) seeking readers and reviewers that will truly engage with their work.

If you really have tried and still can’t find any promising female-authored books yourself, then perhaps you could do worse than to ask someone else. The fact that this is even a topic of discussion would imply that there are plenty of people who would be willing to recommend some to you.

That said, parity isn’t limited to gender, and I’d also always consider it beneficial to read widely both within and outside any particular genre.

Personally, I try to sample works by many different authors of various genders, races, nationalities, philosophies and backgrounds for my own sake. I also attempt to read a mix of debut novels, books by established authors, classics, translations, fiction, non-fiction, and books from different eras.

I’d encourage others to do the same if they don’t already do so.

However, there’s one thing that books you read should have in common: they should all appeal to you in some way.

Reading/reviewing need never be a chore.

 

Note: Just in case you are wondering about my personal reviewing parity (doubtful), I quickly collected all the full-length reviews I could find last night and it looks like (counting books only) that as of today my percentage of reviews for books by male and female authors is exactly 50/50 (some authors do repeat for both genders). However, I can’t take any credit for this as it was not a conscious decision and is, in all likelihood, pure dumb luck. I feel I could just as easily have reviewed far more books by men, or books by women without thinking about it.

Short Fiction Feature: Apex Magazine (Issue 31)

This article was posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 | There are no comments

In the last few months I have been reading, critiquing, and occasionally writing, a fair amount of short fiction. In doing so, I have discovered a range of interesting stories from talented authors that can be enjoyed all in one sitting. Despite the wide range of talent on offer from the realm of short fiction, short stories rarely get the kind of attention from readers and reviewers that we give their longer counterparts.

Therefore, I thought I might make an effort to read a couple of short stories a week, mostly from recent journals, magazines or whatever I happen to have on hand, and review them.

Therefore, I am proud to announce the first instalment of my new Short Fiction Feature, hopefully destined to become a weekly (or at least, bi-weekly) occurrence.

This week I’ve decided to review the three short stories (two original works and a reprint) featured in the 31st issue of Apex Magazine.

 

The 24 Hour Brother by Christopher Barzak 

 The 24 Hour Brother begins with the birth of Joe, the narrator’s brother. However, it soon becomes clear that Joe is no ordinary boy and is afflicted by a mysterious condition that means he will be born, grow, age and die, all in the timeframe of a single day. Through Joe, Barzak depicts the quintessential human struggle to understand and come to terms with the nature of ones existence, all condensed into a twenty-four hour period. Nevertheless, the story is less about Joe himself, as it is about the lasting effect his short life has on those around him; his family and most of all the narrator.

Overall, The 24 Hour Brother offers a well written, thoughtful and affecting depiction of the fleeting thing that we call life.

 

Faithful City by Michael Pevzner

Faithful City, Pevzner’s first published story, is set in what would appear to be a future version of Earth, or at least what is left of it in the wake of a cataclysmic environmental apocalypse. One city remains, heralded as the last bastion of humanity, while the rest of the surviving population struggles to subsist on the wreckage civilisation left behind. The city grants visions to those it considers worthy, calling them to it with its irresistible song. However, the city may not be what it truly seems, and what exactly does it want from those it summons? All in all, Faithful City is a strange, dark tale that offers a glimpse of a disturbing yet intriguing world. Although it is perhaps not as polished as the other two stories in this issue, and I was able to guess how its conclusion with relative ease, I still thought it was generally well written and imaginative, a decent all-round effort for a first published short story.

 

The Yellow Dressing Gown by Sarah Monette (reprint)

The classic reprint in this issue, The Yellow Dressing Gown, was first published in Weird Tales 63:2 (March-April 2008).

The Yellow Dressing Gown tells the tale of Michael Overton, the slightly over-zealous curator of the 18th century clothing exhibit in the Samuel Mather Parrington Museum from the perspective of one of his museum colleagues, Mr Booth. Although Booth dislikes Overton, and is sick to death of his propensity to commandeer more than his fair share of the museums resources, he soon finds himself bearing witness to the textile-enthusiast’s growing obsession with finding the hideous yellow dressing gown worn by Ephraim Catesby, a rather famous, and seemingly rather insane, 18th century artist. Unfortunately for Michael, it soon becomes evident that the horrifying subjects of Ephraim’s paintings may be slightly more than the mad imaginings of a tormented artistic soul. This story was probably my favourite in this issue, although it does have the advantage of being a carefully selected reprint instead of a previously unpublished work. All in all, I found it interesting, well-paced and readable and believe Monette deserves some commendation for managing to make an ugly dressing gown, of all things, convincingly sinister.

 

So that is all for this week, seeing as I’m new to reviewing short fiction I’d love to hear any comments or suggestions you might have, and would appreciate any recommendations of magazines or journals that might be worth a look.

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

This article was posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 | There are no comments

Touch of Power is the ninth book by popular fantasy author Maria V. Snyder and marks the beginning of a new series, known as either the Avry of Kazan or Healer series. Throughout her career, Snyder’s books have struck a chord with young adults and adults alike, and Touch of Power should be no exception. While the prose is relatively simple and accessible to a young adult audience, the characters are endearing and the story is absorbing enough to also keep the interest of older readers.

Touch of Power is narrated in the first person by the protagonist, Avry of Kazan. Avry is a healer, and thus gifted with the ability to magically heal others by assuming their wounds or illnesses. However, healers are accused of causing a deadly plague that has ravaged the population. Therefore, her ability marks Avry as a criminal with a hefty bounty on her head. After years on the run, Avry is finally caught when she heals a dying child and is left too weak to escape afterwards. Sentenced to death, Avry is prepared to met her end. Yet it seems this is not to be. The night before her execution, she is abducted by a band of rogues, led by the stubborn and magically gifted Kerrick. Kerrick has spent years searching for a healer to attend to his plague afflicted friend, Prince Ryne, who he believes can prevent war from breaking out between the territories. However, there are a couple of small problems with this plan. Firstly, Avry has met Ryne before and despises him, and secondly, healing Ryne will kill Avry.

War, plague, and man-eating plants!
One of the most interesting aspects of Touch of Power has to be the setting. While in many ways Avry’s world is a traditional pre-industrial fantasy world, it contains a number of twists that give it a distinctive edge. For instance, in the wake of the deadly plague, many former settlements lie abandoned and desolate, while the Territories as a whole are rife with civil unrest. Warring factions battle for dominance over the remaining settlements and their surviving populations. All in all, this gives the novel a post-apocalyptic feel and provides the perfect setup for a novel featuring a healer. Not only are the people sorely in need of healing, so is civilization as a whole. The magic system is also quite interesting and features a variety of different magical schools that one might be gifted in, each offering very distinct abilities with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, the most fascinating aspect of the worldbuilding is the presence of large sentient plants known as Death and Peace lilies. While both varieties of lily are visually indistinguishable, Death lilies are known to attack humans and inject them with a unique and often deadly toxin. However, things are not always as they seem, and Avry, having survived a lily sting, seems to have developed a connection with the plants. They seem to be trying to tell her something. Could it be that the lilies are as misunderstood as the healers? All this combined makes for a unique and compelling world that begs to be explored further and I hope to see Snyder make further use of this potential throughout the rest of the series.

A smart and likeable protagonist
The characters are another strong element of Touch of Power. Avry is a likeable character who is strong willed, sassy, intelligent, and who always tries to do the right thing. Early in the novel, she seems to verge on being a little too perfect and perhaps a little too obvious a role model for young women. However, not every character has to be an antihero and Avry has a distinct personality that prevents her from becoming a Mary-Sue. Furthermore, her numerous qualities and talents make sense within the context of the story; she is smart, independent, and resourceful because she has to be to survive, and she is self-sacrificing as this is an innate aspect of healer nature. Furthermore, as the novel progresses, we discover that Avry is not infallible and, at times, can be just as stubborn and short-sighted as her love interest, Kerrick. The romance aspects of the novel are also quite well done and the love/hate relationship between Kerrick and Avry has spark. The supporting characters, such as the other members of the rogue band, are also well-written and one cannot help growing attached to them. On a similar note, the primary antagonist is satisfyingly warped and devious.

An easy, enjoyable, relatively straightforward read
Touch of Power is, in essence, a pleasure read. Easy, enjoyable, but not particularly challenging. The prose is relatively simple, and although this is understandable given the fact that the book is aimed primarily at young adults, at times I still thought some slightly more complex writing couldn’t hurt. While the story is never tedious, the pacing is slower at the start of the book while the scene is set and the characters are developed. This is only really noticeable when compared to the last third of the book which had a much faster tempo and had me madly turning pages. This is merely the beginning of Avry’s story, and the fact that the ending leaves just as many questions as it answers means that those who lack patience may have trouble waiting a year for the next book. If you are such a reader, perhaps consider waiting until closer to the sequel’s release to pick up this book.

Why should you read this book?
If you are looking for a quality young adult fantasy novel that has more substance than just another teen soap opera, Touch of Power is definitely worth a look. Fans of Snyder’s earlier novels, as well as other similar works such as Kristen Cashore’s Fire and Graceling, should also find this one to their liking. It may also suit anyone looking for an easy read that isn’t just mere fluff.