Review - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this. While it was a solid read, I probably won't pick it up again, although I will read the sequel.

Part of my issue with the book was my expectations, as usual. When your main character is thrust into a scheming, ends-justifies-the-means ruling family, I was set up to read some vicious politicking and clever court intrigue. Instead, this novel is more a story about the enslaved gods' rise to freedom via Yeine's personal beliefs. Also a good story but I kept expecting a double cross or redemption somewhere that never happened.

But. The worldbuilding was excellent. I want to know more, more, more about what happens to this world. And the not-overdone commentary on slavery, lack of gender issues, and especially Jemisin's show-not-tell story on how others expectations shape us were all thought provoking. The secondary characters were a bit two dimensional but Yeine, Nahadoth, Sieh, and Enefa were all interesting.

Worth a read through for fantasy fans looking for something a little different, if you can tolerate the odd moment of extreme violence. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Review - Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder

Except the Queen by Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I read this for my book club and hoped that the discussion would let me decide if I liked it or not. Alas, this was not to be.

There's nothing really wrong with this book and I suspect I was simply not the intended audience (not a huge follower of fae/fairy tales, so many of the plot elements left me puzzled). I just never felt particularly connected to the characters. Or the plot. Or the world.

It was an easy enough read and I enjoyed the gentle humor inherent in two people finding their way in an unfamiliar culture.

I've read books by Yolen before and enjoyed them and have several of Snyder's on my "to read" list. This book didn't made me move Snyder's work ahead or behind where it is now.

Recommended to those interested in both fairy tales and urban fantasy.

Review - Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book shows tremendous promise from a new novelist. I am a little disappointed that I didn't like this better after hearing overwhelmingly good reviews from trusted sources. A Regency/Napoleonic historical fantasy novel, it is drawing the inevitable comparisons to Jane Austen's works. The author herself has stated that Austen was her chief literary inspiration.

This is unfortunate, as it tends to make the new story weaker in comparison than it would be alone. While not an Austen expert or fangirl by any means, I do enjoy the witty by-play and social commentary she used to such pointed effect. Kowal's novel seems simpler somehow for not having these subtleties. She does handle the stock characters well- Jane is the eldest daughter, not pretty but with other skills, past marriageable age; Melody is the beauty and hope of the family but naive and spoiled; Mrs. Ellsworth is the neurotic mother concerned only with her own health and marrying off her daughters; and Mr. Ellsworth is the responsible but doting father.

Even the secondary characters have personality, better than some experienced novelists write. There is real tension between Jane and Mr. Dunkirk, affection between Jane and Miss Dunkirk, and mystery about Mr. Vincent. I felt that the plot line kept me guessing about Jane and Melody's matches until most of the way through the book, rather than giving it away early as so many regency novels do. (view spoiler)[Livingston's character was apparent from the beginning but the others had their elements of uncertainty. I also think the "fall" of Mr. Dunkirk in Jane's estimation was nicely done. Jane resolves the question with her own judgement, rather than having a "marry him because he's the hero" type resolution. (hide spoiler)]

The novel has a solid structure and does show potential for growth. Kowal does a tremendous job using magic ("glamour") as a part of everyday existence. There are no bang-up magic duels here, just a new tool in the gentry's arsenal. Jane is a likeable protagonist and the conflict between the sisters is more apparent than is represented in other Regency works. The drama of this relationship adds to the plot as Jane wrestles with propriety and personal integrity. This is a little too much telling instead of showing for me but it is not overwhelming (and probably personal taste: I like subtlety).

My only other qualm is the ending. It's tied up with a glimpse of Jane's happy future, reminiscent of Austen. However, there are three sequels to this book. I feel like it will take the dramatic tension away in future installments. I look forward to seeing how Kowal handles this.

Overall, this is an easy, light, fun read. It's perfect for book clubs (quick with lots of good discussion about the purpose of period fiction, social commentary, and genre-crossing books), a beach read for those who want more than pure fluff, and for getting that friend that refuses to read "wizard books" into a different sub-genre of fantasy. Definitely interested in reading the sequels.

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Review - The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan

The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun, quick read, although I would have greatly benefited from re-reading the preceding trilogy and prequel. I had trouble remembering what the strengths/limits of the magic on this world are. Fortunately, Canavan's plot doesn't anchor on this point and it was easy to slip back into the Kyralian world regardless.

It felt like it took awhile for the story to get going but fortunately, I have the rest of the trilogy on hand to keep going. I'm especially impressed at Canavan's ability to differentiate individuals from their society; no character here is a stereotype. The plot itself does suffer a bit for the "telling instead of showing" problem but the characters are likeable enough to pull you through.

Recommended to Canavan's fans and those looking for a lighter fantasy read.

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Review - The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Lies of Locke Lamora is very different from other fantasy I've read in the past few years. Substitute a lot of morally questionable characters for the hero and his sidekicks and put them on a quest for money/power/revenge instead of to save the world, and you have some idea of what you're in for. Lynch is particularly skilled at making you root for the less-bad characters against the more-bad characters, an impressive feat; this could easily have been an unreadable story due to the repugnance of the characters involved.

Things I liked:
-The cussing/invective everywhere. Very atmospheric and helped with the world-building by reminding me of the unique religious elements of this society. I also enjoyed that the society/geography was loosely Italian, rather than English or French.
-A daring choice in narrative as there are no "good guys" here. No moral philosophers trying to better humanity, just people out to gain and keep their own little enclave of power.
-I have no idea if Lynch will develop it but the world-building was interesting. I would love to see more discovery of who created the Elderglass and why, as well as more concrete information about the bondsmage magic.
-While the book is typically about male protagonists, Lynch's female characters are well done. They have interests, hobbies, thoughts and inputs into the situation in Camorr. This makes me especially curious to see what he eventually does with Sabetha.

Things I disliked:
-Way too much description for my taste. Skimmed whole passages with no loss of storyline.
-Plotline isn't terribly clever. It's not stupid either and holds together well, it's just that the "big reveals" of the plot don't have much emotional impact (oh look, another character out for revenge/greed/maintaining-the-status-quo!). It's also less about foresighted planning and more about Locke Lamora barreling through and forcing events to conform to his design.
-Reminds me a bit too much of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series, in that there is lots of stomach-churning violence but the two buddy-leads of the story are strangely immune from lethal blows, despite heaps of corpses provided by secondary characters.
-It needed a better map (larger scale) and a list of the gods and their realms.

Overall, something a little different for the fantasy reading crowd. If you can stomach descriptive violence and lots of morally challenged characters, this one is worth a look. This does work well as a standalone novel but I'll probably go on to read the next one of a projected 7 book series eventually.

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