A bit like getting into the Lap Pool: In the Shadow of Lightning

 It's not that fantasy epics that clock in at over 550 pages are not worth it- they are.  But only the greatest grab you from the start and don't let go, and you find that since  page 35  you've been reading non-stop for eight hours. Otherwise, even novels with decently complex characters, sharp action and solid worldbuilding take a bit of investment, especially when there are three or four narrative threads- and then you reach a point where they take off and you're along for a fun ride.   Brian Mcclellan's  quite solid "In the Shadow of Lighting"  is one of those latter cases.   It took me a week of reading here and there to really get far enough into the book to reach a point were everything was moving and I really wanted to see what the next page took.  It was like when I swam laps to stay fit as a lifeguard.  The lap pool was always 10 degrees colder than the main pool, and getting in was always a bitch.   But after a time,  you were glad for the cool water of the lap  as you did your turns and strokes,  because that same workout int the warmer main pool felt like swiming in chicken soup-  too warm and thick. In the lap pool you could swim longer and faster because the cooler water made it possible.   Getting this work started was like getting into the lap pool.  Not easy at first, but worth it later. 

I'm rating "Lightning"  a whole 29 Richmans because it took time to build all of its narrative threads into a thightly moving cord of action.  But once it got going, high millitary magic and adventure were at hand! Huzzah!    The magical system in the world is fun and cutting (ha!), but it is the political world of  houses and guilds,  hotels and assemblies that really are what I feel draw you in. And then there is a layer of something sinister behind that political world,  something dangerous.   Good show. 

This is a good choice for a read when you'll have a weekend with reading time.  You may need to pick up the book a few times before you reach a point where the pages are turning almost on their own. A few folks have bitched about the ending.  I'm not quite sure where the real trouble is, but I'm a real stickler for wanting authors to stick the landing,  and the last chapter as well as the epilogue were in fine form as seen from my POV.  Folks may disagree with that, but opinion is opinion; in most cases they can have theirs and I can have mine and nothing terrible will happen. 

An up all night page turner! Thanks, Colin.

Most of the time,  the inexpensive offerings on Amazon's specials for Kindle; for sci-fi are more miss than hit. Some are pleasant, but I have stopped a third or half-way through several books of late, thinking "this is just not well written enough to keep reading. I could be snuggling with my kids instead of read this."  And then I go snuggle with the kids. But I found myself reading way into the early morning reading "Starman's Saga: The Long, Strange Journey of Leif The Lucky" by Colin Alexander, and I did not want to put the thing down. If any of Alexander's other works are this gripping, I'm going to be delighted with having found a "new" author. This was a solid 35 Richmans. Great narration, solid characters, and scince fiction that never makes the science feel too much like fiction.  Human nature may doom life on Earth in the long run,  the author may be saying,  but going to the starts may save the species.  Fair enough.   Action on an alien world,  academics who are astonishingly accurate in their nature, flawed people,  great worldbuilding-  this was a great ride that never felt like it was sermonizing, but leaves you with what to think about.

A fun time cheering for terrible people

 Oh my,  at 35.5 Richmans,  "The Malificent Seven" by Cameron Johnston is a guilty pleasure.  An evil general recruits her six most awful captains, but this time to save a small village?  You know that can't be the only thing going on in this gory, really well paced  dark fantasy novel.   And can I say how great it was that it in fact did not actually follow the "Magick, Dearie"  rule that makes so much grimdark cliche and irritating?   The "Magick Dearie" rule is the way that most grimdark authors leave plenty of magic around,  but its all evil and only the evil can use it or make it happen.   A front without a back,  "Magick always comes with a price, Dearie"  authors have it that no good person, or even a person who wants to do good,  can do magic-- or at least not without paying a horrible price.  So much for altruism, wisdom, or even gods with a sense of humor.   Now in this work, despite so much of the magic being inhuman or inhumane in nature,  it never feels like there is only one side to magic- although we don't see really noble magic users here.  yet this isn't that kind of book. In this book, you are rooting for evil. 

Well, not all the evil-  the book has evil and also eeeeevil.  But there is quick and effective world building,  twists and turns,  solid characters,  and my oh my,  a triple ending that for me was quite satisfying.  So many recent fantasy novels have failed to stick the landing,  but not "The Malificent Seven."  You are welcome to disagree, and perhaps I would have felt differently in past years.  This time,  though,  a gory, messy,  necromancy drenched adventure was a fun read,  delivering all the goods. 

Nine years worth of books? No, but a few worth mentioning.

 Myke Coyle's "Sixteenth Watch" works as well as it does because of characters-  strong, solid characters who breathe and feel and cry and laugh-  and then blow stuff apart in the space around the moon.   For those who normally don't exactly adore millitary or scifi or millitary sci-fi,  this is worth a try.  Recommended at 33 Richmans, for sure. 

Nathan Lowell's "The Wizard's Butler" should not be as pleasant a read as it is.  Some people found it a bit dull,  but most found it wonderful to read.   Sure, there is some magic, but no renevants or undead,   no outworld threats or ancient evil unleashed.    The plot line never resolves one of the issues affecting the main characters.  But as one reviewer noted,  Lowell is writing with such warmth and style that you don't realize you are interested in the story even though you just read a page about getting internet installed in a mansion,  and you want to know what happens next.  No combat,  no really evil people (just greedy) and yet a  stunningly smooth read.   31 our of 40 Richmans-  Recommended indeed. 

So what gets a 42?

I've read it at least 7 times:  Piers Anthony's great fusion of magic, science and supernatural, "On a Pale Horse."  Genre bending,  mixing theology and adventure, there is nothing quite like the story of Zane, the man who became death.   A book you can read over and over and each time find something new about it - or yourself- that gets a 42.  Dune, it goes without saying, is a 42.  Another?  Memory, by Lois Bujold gets the 42,  with her works   A Civil Affair  and Curse of Challion  hot on its heels at 40.

Unincorporated Woman

To keep it short, when it comes to the Kollin's third volume, things seem to drag, and then halfway through you sense "oh crap, this is not the last book in the saga. 22/42 richmans. Epic, lurching. Interesting, but, well, eh.

Here, here, well spoken, Theo.

What a fun and effervescent read! Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers is a delightful start to a series that will call to young readers who are lovers of Edwardian England- or at least England of yesteryear, Egyptian Mythology, and main characters who very bright, but ignored because they are girls. With just enough action and fighting to bring it to the edge of Young Adult, the book still has a gentle manner about it, shielding the main character- and thus the reader- from too much angst, agony, or aggravation. The heroine may not resonate with everyone, but the book keeps moving at a bold pace, introducing its characters and magical rules as it moves along smoothly. 30 out of 42 Richmans. I'm surprised the Disney Channel has not made it into a series yet.

Fuzzy Apples?

Joe Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation was a book I put down twice. Usually, once I pick up one of his books, I'm glued to it. Perhaps I have been reading a bit less lately, and it wasn't the book. I can't exactly pin down why I felt it dragged at the beginning, perhaps because the main character is a bit of an anti-Hero. But after having made it half-way though, I gave it a third try and was suddenly keen to finish it. It has a rousing finish, with a set of wallops that you expect from Scalzi. You may even think you have one spotted, and you will probably be right- but there's a payoff that will still delight you. 30/42 Richmans. The Land of the Silver Apples is a solid YA Fantasy book, with a rating of 26/42 Richmans. It's not a new classic of YA fantasy, but it has some really delightful aspects that make it worth recommending. I did not read the preceding book in this series, but I'll read the next one. As with a good bit of YA work, characters are not completely developed. But so what? There is humor, the characters do have substance and development, and the world setting is solid. The main character is somewhere between a druid and a wizard in a time when the world was between Christianity and older religions. Nancy Farmer did some delightful work, and a third volume, "The Island of the Blessed" will be on my list. I'll certainly add her to my list of recommended YA authors.

A discovery of chick-lit meets fantasy.

Look, I don' t know what to make exactly of Deborah Harkness' "A Discovery of Witches." Is it a bold mix of standard fantasy tropes (vampires, witches, magic powers) and romance novel cliches? Yes. Does that mean it's nothing more than "Twilight" for grown-ups? I don't think so. But even if that is the case, it is, bear in mind, for grown-ups. There's no sex for grownups- but that is the only area the book is not adult. There is a knowledge of the academic world that sets the story in a decidedly adult world. Can I recommend it strongly? No, but I want to. There is an amazing creativity here and some original stuff. There is a command of history involved here that is delightful. It works well in spite of reading like a romance a bit too often, and being afraid of anything that's more erotic than a kiss with a bit of tongue. Rating: 24 out of 42 Richmans. Recommended but with a bit of hesitation.

The ESB effect?

So is the Kollin brother's second work, The Unincorporated War, an "Empire Strikes Back" of a middle chapter? It's darker, yes, and intense. It does not have to introduce all the concepts and notions that it's predecessor did, which makes it free to grow in many ways, which often leads to pitfalls or predictability. But the Kollins take this Civil-War-in-space novel in strong creative directions, with both virtual and inner conflicts being fought along the millitary. There's good character building here, and in true ESB fashion the good guys are not sitting pretty at the end. 33.4/42 Richmans- not as thought provoking, but in many ways a better read than its politically astute prequel. Solid stuff.

I can't believe I read the whole thing.

Sure, in high school and college, a 1000 page epic was a great way to spend an afternoon (I was a much faster reader back then). But after Jordan and Martin's massive epics left me annoyed at their glacial pace, I was sure that Brian Sanderson's The Way of Kings wouldn't be a good read.

I'll admit I put it down twice, and the third time I got into it by reading the storyline of one of the main characters about 3/4ths of the way through. By the time I stopped myself, the storylines were starting to converge rather splendidly. So back I went to read everything else. Will I ever read this tome again? Nah. But I'll look for the sequel with keen anticipation. Characters that grow despite suffering, good quality world-building, and several nice touches such as lots of maps and artwork do get a bit mangled from one or two ham-fisted twisted at the end of a theological nature, but the work is still a quality read, and enjoyment comes quickly enough. Rating 28.2 Richmans.

On Bujold

With the gift of a kindle from the brother-in-law and sister-in-law (wow! Thanks, you two are the best!), I was able to read the near-complete e-book library that came on the DVD-ROM tucked in the back flap of "Cryo-burn," the latest in the Miles Vorkosigan adventures by Lois McMaster Bujold. Having dug in and re-read four of them in the past week, I am once again in awe at the woman's skills. What is it that makes her books so damn good? Is it the flashes of humor that are not only very human, but very funny? Is it how the bad guys are stopped in the nick of time, or the challenges that the heroes have to overcome? Is it the creative world-building she presents, or how she immerses the reader in those worlds without ever having us notice it? Could be the characters you can't help but root for. All that and more, of course, is what makes Bujold a master writer, both in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. No ratings here except to say "Damn."

Discord and Unincorporated

"Discord's Apple" had a great premise: what if you inherited- albeit against your will- a basement full of the artifacts discussed in a dozen different mythologies? What I didn't expect was graphic sexuality, and how author Carrie Vaughn moved the premise from the core of the story to the background. I wanted to explore more of what that basement contained and how it got that way, but the heroine soon faces a ruthless opponent and gains some mythological help, and before you know it the story comes to a chaotic conclusion that was well written, but not very satisfying for me. I want to rate this one higher, but despite some great ideas and creative presentations, I had a hard time really enjoying this one as much as I wanted to. Flawed? Yes, but original and showing promise. 25 /42 Richmans,

Now why did I have to try to read the Kollin brothers (Eytan and Dani) fine "the Unincorporated Man" three times? Because the copy I told the library was missing 40 pages was not repaired; it was just put right back into circulation. This happened three times. Finally, I got past page 92. It's great, but does it have new classic status? Let's run through the checklist.
*A detailed and bold vision of the future? Yah.
*A part of the book that will stay with you? Oh my, will the VR plague issues be with me.
*Will I want to read it again? Er... maybe.
*Moral and Philosphical messages? A great deal; in fact the comparisons to Heinline are very apt- no sci-fi work since "Starship Troopers" has had so much political theory disguised as sci-fi plot. And therefore, people might really hate this book.

But as great sci-fi does, it raises questions about the dangers of technology- both those that will affect the body and those that will affect the mind. It may not have the action that some readers want, and it has its slow spots. But one thing never happens when you read this- you never feel that the reality in which the characters live is anything less than real. So what score does this rank? Does it break into the fabled 40's? Not yet. For now, I'm giving the book a probationary 36/42. This book is many things- a warning about the dangers of technologies headed our way, about the nature of corporations and freedom, and a bit of adventure. It's rich sci-fi with a message, and worthy the late night ours . But will I read it again? Not for a long time, which along with some of the slow moving political theory is what keeps "Unincorporated" out of the 40's. But don't let that stop you from reading it.

A book like a decent steak.... rich and meaty!

Meaty? A book? Well, yes. “Empire in Black and Gold” has substance to it- you can sink your teeth into this one. Complex characters? Not too much backstory, but yet they are developed. Action? You got it. Betrayal? Yup. Combat? You Betcha! And the endless variety of insect-related groups keeps the unique aspect of the book fresh. Adrain Tchaikovsky’s first volume in the “Shadows of the Apt” series is a fun one, one you can tear into, like a large sized, simple steak served without fancy crap like blue cheese or chipotle reduction. Good, solid meaty stuff- creative settings but not a world that requires half a book to understand. Plot: one good man, grown old, and his students against an evil empire-- and those in danger will not listen to his warnings. Good premise, mixed into a world of insect-styled people and machinery of all sorts. No, it won’t haunt you after you read it; it won’t leave you changed, and you probably won’t need to re-read it down the road. But you’ll want to read the sequel, that’s for sure. 28.5/42 Richmans- tasty, rich, not too complex, but full of flavor. That extra half point is earned by great pacing and smooth reading.

Bujoldian fun

How to talk about a great book that might not match up to the knockout work of its predecessors? Eeeeeech. ? It's tricky. I mean "Cryoburn" is fun. The writing is smooth, Miles is manic as usual and the story keeps moving at a fine pace. Speaking of writing, in this volume of the Miles Vorkosigan saga, Louis McMaster Bujold flows from several points of view with ease- other authors try the same stuff and fall flat- not here. It's a bit annoying that with the stakes a bit lower than inter-planetary war, the story's level of tension doesn't ratchet up as high as some of Miles' earlier adventures. Miles seems comfortable in his Auditor role, so he's not struggling for the personal goals that drove him on for so long; this means the book has less emotional punch overall than earlier Vorkosigan books or the fantastic "Chalion" (rated at 41 Richmans). So this is not the best of the Vorkosigan books. I'm still going to re-read it down the road. I'll take something from Bujold that is less than perfect than the best efforts of a lot of other authors. And I'm ready for the next Miles Adventure- or anything else Lois writes next. "Cryoburn" gets 31.5/42 Richmans.

The motto on Vermont's liscense plates.

Where to start with "Live Free or Die" by John Ringo? It's been a long time since I read a book so chock full of creative sections and ideas, and yet at the same time lags and feels repetitive a few times. Like the end of Peter Jackson's film version of "Return of the King," there are many spots where one is sure things are going to wrap up, and then the story moves on again. The book is inventive, has a good sense of humor and a clear political message that keeps running through the narrative. There are plenty of surprises, including one far-fetched event that seems to have been dropped in from an old erotic stories posting on usenet (it has to do with blonds- don't worry, that won't spoil anything). Is it worth reading? Sure, if you are looking for a bit of creative adventure mixed humanity's first steps into the galaxy. I kept reading the thing to the end, if only to see how Ringo wrapped up the story. Tighter pacing would have made this far more difficult to put down. The uneven pacing threw me off, but the creativity drew me back.
24 out of 42 Richmans.

Well, that was depressing. Which is good.

When Orson Scott Card says ""This is the golden age of fantasy, with a dozen masters doing their best work. Then along comes Ken Scholes, with his amazing clarity, power, and invention, and shows us all how it's done.... I wish all five volumes of this series were already published so I could read them now", you expect something astounding. Well, Schole's "Lamentation" almost fully lives up to Card's high praise. The writing is excellent to the point where even when you know what may happen to characters down the road since they are archetypes, you don't care, since they are written so well. What keeps the book from "New Classic" status? Well, maybe because it is a book about the destruction of a city in a world where humanity is already recovering from a whole mess of apocalypsing. Or maybe its hard to love a book so filled with scheming characters and haunted heroes. And the book's style, which involved jumping from character to character was something I found kind of jarring. But it is a book you can dive into very easily- and a strong ending that leaves you knowing a sequel is coming. Solid. 28.5/42 Richmans.

So what is it? and ... Imager #3

There's no magic involved. Aristocrats and schisms, yes. And yes, there is a faith very close to Christianity and a setting very close to western Europe. Medieval facets of life, such as a Doge and a Jewish Ghetto are part of the landscape. But no wizards, no powers- aside from talents for violence and political disaster. So, not exactly historical fiction, nor fantasy, "The Left Hand of God" by Paul Hoffman manages to be a damn fine read regardless. Given gruesome surroundings at the start, young Thomas Cale is a hero with a skill for battle- and a few other things. I'm saying nothing else about the plot here, but the writing is descriptive, with bits of narration peppering a tight and descriptive flow. Worth reading? Yes, with a firm 29/42 Richmans standing behind it.

L. E. Modesitt's "Imager" series is also set in a world that echoes medieval Europe. With this third volume, "Imager's Intrigue," our hero is thrust ever deeper into a lethal world of politics and... hey, this book is a lot like the first two. There's suspense, threats to the nation and the life of the hero Rhenn, and of course, now he's married to his long-time love. In this volume, the stakes are raised as are Rhenn's responsibilities. While perhaps not as thunderous in it's conclusion, it still is a solid read, with 28/42 Richmans. If you were a fan of the first two of the "Imager" series, this one will still be quite satisfying. Probably.

Geinies and Heven: Two bits of summer reading

First, let's be honest: Mark L. Van Name's name has got to be one of those few that gets you to look at the book twice. Wait- his name is Van Name? Really? And then there is his third entry in "Jon & Lobo" series, where interplanetary trouble keeps finding the skilled mercenary Jon, a man from the forbidden planet pinkleponker (yes, that's right). He is of course teamed up with the Lobo, the obnoxious self-aware space-craft, and once again they are blowing up everything in sight to get to the really, really bad guy in "Overthrowing Heaven." For it's blend of unusual planets, real characters, and of course, good dashes of wit, it earns 26.5/42 Richmans.

Next up: " Master of None" by first time author Sonya Bateman. A thief who is bad at what he is and a djinn who wants nothing more than to have nothing to do with said thief are the duo at the hart of this book about stealing artifacts, honor among thieves, and of course, Genies. There are some seriously creative ideas here, and a tempo that moves the book along very quickly, but things do get a bit gory. Reading it made me wish the "here's what a djinn really can do" lasted a bit longer, but others may find the book dragged in other sections. I can't put a finger on it, but something was off in this book that kept it from really wowing me. A strong first showing and worth a read at 24/42 Richmans.

Out of Print. Out of this world? Why, yes.

So, as I mentioned on vacation, Piers Anthony wrote a sci-fi series in the early 1980's that was not only a grand solar system epic but also very... adult, enough to shock most Xanth saga fans. But that 's what Bio of a Space Tyrant, a five volume series now out of print, is: grand sci-fi with adult themes- lots of politics, lots of planets, lots of space sex. What's not to like?

Used copies are worth tracking down. I'm leaving this set unrated since I read it over 20 years ago, but I remember liking it a great deal- and not just for the naughty bits. You can read a nice wiki entry about it here.