by Kay | Jul 23, 2011 | Reviews, Summer Shorts |
Artwork from the cover of the Lightspeed: Year One anthology.
Summer Shorts is weekly feature of short story/novella reviews, posted every Saturday of July and August, 2011. Every week has a different theme – be it featuring a specific anthology, a particular genre, or a great author.
Last week I reviewed two stories from the infamous anthology Zombies vs. Unicorns, but this week I’m reviewing stories from the fantastic on-line science fiction magazine Lightspeed.
One of the really cool things that Lightspeed offers is a podcast version of their stories. In other words, audio-stories! I am not an audiobook fan, but I loved being able to listen to these tales. They are very well read and really made the stories even more enjoyable.
Amaryllis by Carrie Vaughn
(Standalone science fiction tale that can be read or heard here.)
Thoughts: Amaryllis is simply stunning. It is everything you could possibly want from a science fiction tale. It deals with new governments, new ways of thinking, and in this case, new ways of considering the environment. Amaryllis is set in a world where moderation is key; one where the world had suffered enough from our desire to expand. And while the control mechanisms placed on people seem outrageous to 21st century eyes, they aren’t evil. In fact, they are purely meant to help.
In terms of characters, Vaughn more than delivers. The story is narrated by the captain of the Amaryllis ship, a woman who has suffered her whole life because of the thoughtlessness of her mother. She’s strong yet terrified of the establishment… I really grew to care for her, which is more than I can say for a lot of narrators! The rest of the Amaryllis crew were equally as endearing – especially the sweet, innocent Nina who starts off seeming rather childish but grew on me before the end.
Amaryllis is one of four finalists for Best Short Story in the 2011 Hugo Awards. Congrats to Vaughn – it is fantastic to see such a deserving story get some official recognition!
Bottom line? Amaryllis is a striking story set in a realistic, somewhat-heart-wrenching universe. Adoration will ensue.
Sweet Sixteen by Kat Howard
(Standalone science fiction tale that can be read or heard
here.)
Thoughts: I can’t say I was over-the-moon about Sweet Sixteen, but it was fairly enjoyable. The story is set in a world where girls are divided into Tiffanys and Rosalinds and Elizabeths, and given all the characteristics that go along with those names. Literally given those characteristics, injected with new DNA to make them the ideal Rosalind.
I liked the premise, but I wasn’t too keen on the main character. She was the type of teenager I loathe -whiny and self-centred. I couldn’t see past her to fully sympathise with her situation. Had Sweet Sixteen been narrated by a different girl, one not so easy to dislike, I might have loved this story. Alas, we’ll never know.
Bottom line? Kat Howard delivers an interesting universe narrated by a loathsome teenager. Good but not great.
Check out Lightspeed Magazine for more great science fiction stories – and don’t forget to subscribe!
by Kay | Jul 16, 2011 | Reviews, Summer Shorts |
Artwork from Zombies vs. Unicorns
Summer Shorts is weekly feature of short story/novella reviews, posted every weekend of July and August, 2011. Every week has a different theme – be it featuring a specific anthology, a particular genre, or a great author.
Last week I reviewed some great Kelley Armstrong stories, and this week I’m featuring two stories from the infamous anthology Zombies vs. Unicorns.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix
Thoughts: I feel as though I got the “wrong” thing out of The Highest Justice. Nix was probably aiming to impress upon the reader how unicorns represent a higher, well, justice. Their purity of form being the physical manifestation of righteousness – dispensing out justice even when it is rather gruesome. I have no idea where he was going with his zombie so, needless to say, I didn’t get it.
And while his unicorn idea is a great one, I can’t say it carried me through this particular tale. No matter how many invisible, violent unicorns appeared – nor how many flesh-eating members of the royal family tried to take a bite out of people – my overwhelming impression of the plot was one of “meh”.
So what did I “get” out of The Highest Justice? 2,000 words of pure, unadulterated fantasy – complete with kings guards, royal betrayals and quite a bit of horseback riding. Coming straight out of reading The Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, I’d been wondering what high fantasy YA novelists were out there… apparently I need to start reading some Nix!
Bottom line? A refreshing bit of high fantasy – Garth Nix may be worth further investigation.
Favourite quotes:
Jess drew her sword and kicked her palfrey into a lurching charge. She caught the surviving bandit just before he managed to slip between two thorny bushes, and landed a solid blow on his head with the back of the blade. She hadn’t meant to be merciful, but the sword had turned in her sweaty grasp.
Purity Test by Naomi Novik
Thoughts: Oh my goodness, this was brilliant! Naomi Novik really needs to set up shop and teach other YA writers how to deliver a short story, because Purity Test? It had everything I could possibly want from a tale!
First off, it was funny as hell. I was reminded of Shrek, only with unicorns instead of donkeys and, er, more awesomeness. If I had highlighted all the quotes I wanted to share, the entire story would have been life jacket-yellow. As such, I managed to restrain myself:
“Where did you come from, anyway? Like, Fairyland or something?” The unicorn turned its head and gave her a blue-eyed glare. “Yes. Fairyland,” it said, dripping sarcasm. “Fairyland, where the fairies and the unicorns play, and never is heard a discouraging—”
–
The unicorn brightened, which Alison had to admit was something to see. “Are you a lesbian? I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count toward virginity.”
Don’t you just want to read it right now? I sure would have after that!
Second reason for Purity Test‘s awesomeness? Pacing and editing. Introducing new characters, a new universe and describing the plot? It’s a hard thing to do in only a few thousand words. A lot of novelists, quite frankly, can’t do it. It doesn’t make them bad writers, just bad story short writers. Naomi Novik, it turns out, is both a fantastic novelist AND an amazing short story writer. She throws us straight into the plot, a provides 3D characters and a hysterical universe to enjoy. I was left wanting another story, but not a continuation of the one I’d just read. Per-fect.
Bottom line? Novik had be at the first sentence and kept me enthralled until the very last line. Zombies vs. Unicorns is worth buying just for this story!
by Kay | Jul 2, 2011 | Summer Shorts |
Welcome to the first Summer Shorts post for 2011! I decided to revive this little feature, reviewing two short stories every Saturday of July and August, 2011. I am going to try to feature different authors or anthologies every week, and this week I’m staring with… The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance
Pack by Jeaniene Frost
(Author of the Night Huntress Series – Goodreads)
Thoughts: I was not at all a fan of Jeaniene’s Night Huntress series – I know lots of people think it is the best thing since sliced bread, but all I could see when I open the pages was “Buffy Fanfiction” in bright, flashing letters. But I thought perhaps with different characters, I might might learn to enjoy her writing. And I am pleased to say that I did!
Pack isn’t exactly fantastic. It’s a short story written in as though it were a novel… rather like a mini-novella. That kind of style really does not work when you only have a couple thousand words to get through. And yet, in spite of the style, Jeannie still managed to create interesting 3D characters, a solid universe, and an almost believable were-romance.
Almost believable, you ask? Well, keep in mind this is a short story – a short story that takes place in “real time”. So the were-romance does descend into the pits of the “we are mates and you are mine, growl” trope. But when that comes from a rather-sexy werewolf? I don’t really mind.
Bottom line? Not bad at all. Worth the 20 minutes it will take you to read it.
How to Date a Superhero by Jean Johnson
(Author of the
Sons of Destiny Series –
Goodreads)
Thoughts: Wow, this story was terrible. The writing was depressingly amateur, the characters less-than-one dimensional and the plot non-existent. This is most certainly not a case of me disliking a story for its content – because there wasn’t really a story for me to dislike. And in a way, that is far far worse.
So, what exactly was the problem? Well, first off, the plot was rather stupid: spandex-wearing superheroes are “out” and are minor celebrities in their own right. There’s only so far a girl can suspend her disbelief… certainly not far enough to understand why people would wear spandex if they didn’t need to.
Then there was the pacing – or lack thereof. The story starts with a meeting that takes up about half the word count and is – in the end – utterly pointless. It felt like the first chapter of a tedious novel; I honestly would have stopped reading if it hadn’t been a short story. And finally, there was the “romance” angle – in which the two characters simply tell each other, “oh dear, I do rather fancy you”, and then live happily ever after. What. The. Hell.
Bottom line? Just… don’t.
Next week… Kelley Armstrong!
by Kay | Jun 4, 2011 | Reviews |
Night Shift (Jill Kismet #1) by Lilith Saintcrow
Librarything / Goodreads
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 416
Summary: Not everyone can take on the things that go bump in the night.
Not everyone tries.
But Jill Kismet is not just anyone.
She’s a Hunter, trained by the best – and in over her head.
Welcome to the night shift…
Thoughts: I picked up Night Shift on the strength of Lili’s YA series, Strange Angels. And while they are obviously written by the same author, I couldn’t quite get a grip on her Jill Kismet series.
This is dark urban fantasy, reminding me on the early Anita Blake books: complete with sexual violence, psychological violence, demonic violence, and, er, violent violence. Not at all cheery. As far as I remember, there are no laugh breaks and no light moments – and they would have felt forced if they’d been included. As for Jill, she’s just as dark and twisty as the verse. She’ll need about 100+ years of therapy before being allowed into regular society. But Jill’s also tough, kick-ass, and extremely independent; this is a woman who jumps straight into the fight.
Does any of this sound familiar? Well, it should. Night Shift is an a-typical Urban Fantasy book. Almost every trope you’ve ever read is included… but the way it’s been written makes it all seem rather new. Let’s be honest here, people. As much as we like “a fresh take on urban fantasy”, there’s something to be said for a decent take on the bog-standard. And, well, Night Shift is just that.
So, if I liked the tropes and the dark-twisty characters, why aren’t I giving this book more stars?
The short answer: emotion. The long answer: the lack of emotion. We spend the entire novel hearing about Jill’s painful loss of her mentor Mikhail (who I thought was a total creep) and her terrible fear of Perry-the-demon (who wasn’t all that scary) – all through her extremely snarky and self-deprecating inner-voice. And despite this – or maybe because of this – absolutely none of her emotions seemed real. I didn’t “get” her, nor was I particularly keen to.
Bottom line? Night Shift is a solid urban fantasy novel, but I’d only recommend it to die-hard fans. That said, I’ll probably continue the series as I think Jill just needs to grow on me!
by Kay | May 31, 2011 | Reviews |
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Series: Peter Grant #1
Published by Gollancz on 2012-07-01
Pages: 416
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased myself
Add to Goodreads
Rating: This is London as you've never seen it before.
A city of wonders and terrors.
London is a city full of ancient secrets, a city haunted by its past. A city where you are never far away from the magic.
And now meet the person who will show you the city you never suspected...
My name is Peter Grant, and I used to be a probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service, and to everyone else as the Filth.
My story starts when I tried to take a witness statement from a man who was already dead.
There is something dark at the heart of the city I love...
Thoughts: Rivers of London was very nearly great. The quote on the gorgeous cover says “What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz” and it is exactly that. Our adult-HP-hero, Peter, has the same not-a-genius-but-rather-savvy way about him. He also has a fantastically dry, English sense of humour which constantly made me chuckle. Add to that the wonderful, spot-on London setting, and we should have had the makings for a fantastic book. And while there were times when I loved it, it did drag. But before I move on to that, I’d like to share a few fantastic lines from the book:
“On the minus side, Covent Garden had nearly burned down, but on the positive side there weren’t any major bus routes or tube lines affected.” – p. 337
“I have an idea,” I said.
“This better not be a cunning plan” said Lesley.
Nightingale looked blank, but at least it got a chuckle from Dr Walid.
“It is, in fact,” I said, “a cunning plan.” – p.249
‘It’s a myth that Londoners are oblivious to one another on the tube: we’re hyper-aware of each other and are constantly revising our what-if scenarios and counter strategies. What if that suavely handsome yet ethnic young man asks me for money? Do I give or refuse? If he makes a joke do I respond, and if so will it be a shy smile or a guffaw? If he’s been hurt in a fight does he need help? If I help him will I find myself drawn into a threatening situation, or an adventure, or a wild interracial romance? Will I miss supper? If he opens his jacket and yells ‘God is great’, will I make it down the other end of the carriage in time?
All the time most of us were devising friction-free strategies to promote peace in our time, our carriage and please God at least until I get home. It’s called, by people over sixty, common courtesy, and its purpose is to stop us from killing each other.’ – p.244
So, as you can see, Aaronovitch knows how to deliver the funnies. Rivers of London is filled with snark, sarcasm and genuinely insightful humour. Aaronovitch also really understands London – the people, the streets, the transport, everything. His descriptions of the city kept me reading and really made me want to love the book.
But when it came to everything else – the plot, characters, the universe – the novel dragged. I mean it seriously dragged – picking it up every night required concerted effort on my part. I never grew attached to any of the characters, as I never actually got to know them. While I enjoyed Peter’s snarky remarks, I couldn’t quite work out what he was all about. Was he a damaged, traumatized kid-in-a-uniform? Or was he as confident as he snark made him seem? I never found out. And then there was the story, which had some 12 unrelated plot-strands floating through it without any obvious overlap. I never quite understood what was going on – and even when I did, nothing was work staying awake for.
Bottom line? Londoners should find Rivers of London amusing and rather touching – but non-Londoners won’t be able to see past the faults. But I think Aaronovitch will improve with his next book, and am willing to stick around to find out.
P.S. Although the English cover is gorgeous, the US cover should be avoided like the plague.
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