Hypatia\’s Hoard of Reviews
Books, Music, and Other Items
AnooX Traffic
-
2SearchBlogs Web DirectorySEO friendly business web directory.
Feed Directory - 88tem.com
A1 Web Links - Environment Resources
-
-
Shop at Holly Lisle’s Site
Flesh and Silver
Celtic legend brings us the enduring tale of the silver arm, a limb lost in battle and magically replaced with one of preternatural strength and beauty. That story also happens to include a rather pugnacious competition between healers of varying talents over who is best. Now Burns brings us a science fiction novel that incorporates many motifs from this classic legend, yet strung together in entirely new and different ways.
The Bergmann Surgeons have unique powers of healing, almost magical, yet drawn from the mysterious abilities of the human body itself. They can repair any damage down to a cellular level, with quite miraculous results. But in order to do this, they must give up their hands and replace them with biometal prosthetics, for the ability springs from a honing of the “phantom limb” effect often experienced by amputees. The side effects of their talent also make them horrifying to the patients whose lives they save, and their successes make their more traditional colleagues savagely jealous and hostile. So their extraordinary ability costs them the very things they cherish most, and few can withstand the price they must pay…
Dr. Georgory Marchey is one of the few, the proud, the royally screwed. In his pursuit of perfection, he has lost the love of his life, his connection to his patients, and the respect of his peers. Now he staggers through his rounds in a drunken fog, bounced from place to place in a little ship of his own, sent wherever MedArm deems his talents most needed. But he discovered that MedArm’s idea of “most needed” doesn’t jibe very well with his own; catastrophic events shake him out of his comfortably-numb rut and drive him to tear apart this system with his bare gleaming hands … and lack thereof. Nothing will be the same when he’s through.
Flesh and Silver captures all the terrible longing for perfection and the agonizing over whether or not a given achievement is worth the sacrifice required. It blends the hard science fiction of exotic medical advancements with the soft but not gentle brush of sociologic SF, slamming technology against culture until they both begin to shred under the stress. The result is a piercing story of loss and gain, with a very satisfying note of triumph at the end. Fans of James White’s “Sector General
This review originally appeared in Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
- Book Review: Walking to Mercury
Owlsight (Valdemar: Darian’s Tale, Book 2)
Owlsight 
Sequel to the recent Owlflight, this novel picks up the story four years later when Darian returns to k’Vala Vale. At the same time, the village of Errold’s Grove takes center stage again, having recovered from the barbarian invasion and grown prosperous again. Now Darian plans to establish a small Tayledras holding near Errold’s Grove, to facilitate trade between his adopted people and those of his homeland. Back in the village, a young Healer called Keisha struggles to master her Gift with not-quite-adequate teaching and support. Then, just to make life exciting, another group of barbarians appears to the north, moving towards Errold’s Grove and upsetting everyone — Valdemaren and Tayledras alike — who remembers the attack several years ago. But this time the circumstances are rather different…
This book continues the story of those characters we came to know and love in the last volume, while adding enough new faces to keep things interesting. In particular I enjoyed seeing the developments based on little touches from Owlflight — the way that the villagers treat Healer Keisha so much better than they did Wizard Justyn, the statue of Justyn that Darian demanded as a prerequisite for his return, and the evolution of relationships among the Tayledras as well. I also applaud the neat twist in reasoning behind the new wave of barbarians, which picks up on several loose threads from the past and also sidesteps the more obvious traps of repetition; there are a few good surprises in here. Likewise, the characterization of both individuals and cultures remains excellent and entertaining.
Owlsight holds the most appeal for Mercedes Lackey fans, and while it is a complete story in its own right, it will make more sense if you’ve read the prequel first. Anyone with an interest in birds of prey will find these books of interest. Recommended.
This review originally appeared in Eternity Online.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
- Book Review: Walking to Mercury
Walking to Mercury
A story of introspection should begin at a point within, and a story of people should begin with personal interaction; so this one does. The viewpoint character, Maya Greenwood, is a writer and the opening scene comes from her book From the Mountain. A young woman touches divinity directly, yet fears the burden that vision brings her. Likewise Maya finds herself struggling to follow her own vision up a rough and rugged track. A man once part of Maya’s past reappears in her present, and she must work through all the old issues. Her mother’s death leaves her shaken, so she packs up the old woman’s ashes and travels to Nepal in search of a suitable resting place for them. Through it all Maya strives to rediscover herself and her source of strength and inspiration.
Reading this book is like digging through a trunk in someone else’s attic. Starhawk brings us the story through a combination of plain narrative, letters, journal entries, and other tidbits strung together in approximate order. This provides a broader perspective than Maya’s alone, and I found the differences in style quite striking. The author certainly knows how to capture each character’s unique perspective and personal voice. It can produce some confusion too, but you can follow it if you read carefully, as you would listen to someone’s life story.
Walking to Mercury reads more like real life than fiction, which has both positive and negative effects. It is eminently believable and packed with gritty little details. It is also rather sordid in places. People make mistakes — small ones, large ones, stupid ones. Sometimes they manage to forgive each other and move on. Some of the plot twists actually managed to surprise me (not an easy task) and offer thoughtful options rather than the obvious, without quite breaking the contract with the reader. The worst problem stems directly from one of the greatest challenges in fiction, namely how to keep a story from wandering lost when the main character does just that. Between the piecemeal presentation and Maya’s chaotic if sometimes obsessive rambling, the story meanders quite a bit before reaching its conclusion.
From a Pagan perspective, it contains more hints and glimpses than heavy impact. While the main character experiences several powerful encounters with the divine, these stand out as little islands in a sea of insecurity. The author’s knowledge and beliefs provide a firm background so that the spiritual aspects make sense, and I thoroughly enjoyed the original portrayal of the Goddess in Her three phases, given here as the Seer, the Singer, and the Reaper. Yet I found somewhat less “going on” here than I expected. On my scale it falls in that broad borderland between “Pagan Fiction” and “Pagan Literature” because it touches on Maya’s relationship to both the spiritual realms and the modern “mainstream” society.
Not light reading by any stretch, Walking to Mercury does offer a contemplative look at middle-age shifts and surmounting the challenges of daily life. The Pagan themes are subtle but present, and you can have fun hunting for all of them. Give yourself time to savor this one slowly. It deserves your attention. Fans of Starhawk’s nonfiction will recognize many familiar elements, especially from Dreaming the Dark : Magic, Sex, and Politics
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
The First Immortal
The science of cryonics is relatively new, full of doubt and promise. This book explores not only the core of the science but its many ramifications, and as such comprises one of the best pieces of science fiction I’ve ever read. Reading it is like taking a trip through the future history of the universe next door. I love it because I believe in infinite possibilities, and that’s really what this book is all about — tearing down all the old boundaries that limit human potential.
What makes it work is the way Halperin filters all that through the perceptions of several very remarkable characters. Fortunately, most of them are related, and the author thoughtfully supplies a guide to “The Benjamin Smith Family Tree” in the front of the book. At center stage, Ben wends his way through historical events that shape the whole world and personal events that shape the lives of himself and his family. His experiences inspire him to invest in cryonic suspension for himself and his loved ones, and it pays off — nanotechnology allows them all to be revived in the future. Yet that future is in peril from the very ease of existence, and it falls to the ones who remember hardship to save humanity from its own indulgence…
This isn’t quite the world I’d want to want live in, a similar complaint to one I levied against Halperin’s first book, The Truth Machine
The First Immortal is a must-read for anyone interested in cryonics or immortality. It holds broad appeal for fans of science fiction in general. Most highly recommended.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Invasion America 2: On the Run: The Lost Years
One of the nicest things about books in comparison to movies is that special effects don’t cost extra — and in comparison to animated features, it isn’t necessary to draw a gazillion frames to tell two minutes’ worth of story. Thus, much to my delight, some modern storytellers have begun to take advantage of this, and tell their tales in more than one format. This makes it possible to get more of the backstory than would be practical within the scope of a movie or series or what-have-you.
On the Run tells one of the stories behind the story of Invasion America, the popular new series from DreamWorks Television Animation. Long ago, the Tyrusian people planned a peaceful first contact with Earth, but their plans went awry. Prince Cale fled for his life and wound up on Earth, which engendered a very different first contact than planned. He fell in love with a human woman, and together they fought in secret to save the Earth — and Cale — from his enemies. Along the way, they also conceived a son, David Carter, who would grow up to be a great hero…
Christie Golden brings to this tale her characteristic knack for portraying tragic stories in striking detail and eloquence. Who better to sketch out the haunting might-have-beens of human/Tyrusian history? She also handles the developing romance with sensitivity to the emotional tensions caused by all the running and hiding, plus the inevitable differences in culture. The activity on the Navaho reservation rings through with piercing clarity. I’m pleased to see the author’s deft use of non-English words and phrases, too — that really highlights the culture disparities that give the story its strength.
This book will of course make more sense if you have already seen the series it ties into, but I found it pretty intelligible on its own. Science fiction fans in general will like it; On the Run has extra appeal for fans of animation and military SF. There are even some artful touches of sociological SF if you know what to look for. Highly recommended.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Memory
Lois McMaster Bujold is back to her usual excellent best with this new Vorkosigan novel. After dying in Mirror Dance (Miles Vorkosigan Adventures)
.
At the same time, Gregor Vorbarra announces that he has met This Girl. Everyone is delighted by the news, except for Duv Galeni, who happens to be fond of that particular lady himself. Worse yet, Security Chief Simon Illyan starts to display certain disturbing hints of imperfection. Used to depending on Illyan’s legendary memory, Imperial Security winds up jumping at shadows. Enter Miles, Barrayar’s imperfect but impeccably-loyal paladin, to save the day.
.
Lois McMaster Bujold knows how to twist the knife better than almost any other author I know. The bribe scene is the second-best temptation I’ve ever read — and that only because taking a bribe is obviously wrong, whereas my number-one favorite scene involved two equally-unpalatable but arguably-legitimate options. Bujold’s characters possess a certain dogged determination that keeps them going when less-stalwart heroes would just give up and die. Their humanity, in tragedy as well as triumph, shines through the breathless prose and gritty descriptions. I love the clever dialogue, witty repartee, and courtly intrigue that make both characters and setting come alive. A complete chronology of Vorkosigan’s universe and Bujold’s writings therein appears at the end of the novel. You don’t want to miss this one.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Bitter Night: A Horngate Witches Book
This book is contemporary fantasy, with an urban fantasy flavor although much of the action happens in rural territory. More precisely, it belongs to the surge of novels about badass women who use weapons and magic to make their way through the world; I haven’t seen the subgenre given a name of its own, but it sure is distinctive. In this version of the world, there are powerful witches who protect their covens by creating magical warriors, the Shadowblades (drawing power from darkness) and the Sunspears (drawing power from light).
Max is a Shadowblade, bound to the Horngate coven run by a witch named Giselle. Despite the justified hostility between them, Max does her best to protect the people of Horngate. But now the world is changing – the old powers, the Guardians, are rousing to protest humanity’s mistreatment of the Earth. Their attention is frequently fatal. Horngate is being swept into a magical and spiritual conflict between terrible forces. Can Max still protect her people?
Bitter Night holds the most appeal for fans of urban fantasy. There is enough violence that fans of horror, thriller, or other edgy supernatural stuff may also want to take a look. Recommended.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow
Kelly is a college student, working her way towards veterinary school. Her parents have divorced, making her family situation difficult. Her father offers to pay her tuition, but wants her to side with him against her mother. And then Kelly’s life really gets complicated.
A talking cat, Fagan, leads her into a magical cave. Fagan turns out to be an Animelf – a sort of fey shapeshifter. He reveals that Kelly is actually the daughter of their Queen. Now he wants Kelly’s help. The Animelfs expect her to free her mother’s true love (who is not Kelly’s father) and restore the Queen to her rightful place.
Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow holds the most appeal for fantasy fans. People who enjoy shapeshifters or animal stories may also want to take a look. Recommended.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Today I’m pleased to present a guest reviewer, Z.S.Adani, and her review of the novel The Priestess and the Slave
The Priestess and the Slave by Jenny Blackford, published by Hadley Rille Books.
Set in fifth century BC, Greece, Jenny Blackford’s The Priestess and the Slave is a historical novella. It is told in alternating chapters describing the life of Thrasulla, one of Apollo’s Pythias at Delphi, and of Harmonia, a slave living in Athens sixty years later during the devastating plague.
Thrasulla is dismayed when the Spartan King Kleomenes succeeds in bribing Perialla, the senior Priestess at Delphi. For a Pythia avarice is disgrace, and Thrasulla the wise and strong, often reflects upon her past in an effort to save her fallen sister. While Thrasulla loses respect for Perialla, her faith in Apollo remains steadfast. Despite their stations as the Delphi Oracles, the Priestesses are all too human; they gossip like other people, they scheme, and some of them even triumph as they journey through life.
In Athens during the plague, we meet Harmonia, a young slave, who is regarded as a family member and whose love is reciprocated by those she cares for. The reader is immediately plunged into a scene in which Harmonia nurses young Aristogeiton. As the plague claims its victims from this one family, Harmonia’s kindness is revealed through superb characterization. She is an ordinary young woman, yet her capacity to cope with grief and tragedy makes her extraordinary. I found Harmonia’s tale moving and her plight easy to identify with.
While the two women’s lives are very different, their stories resonate and echo in their display of courage and wisdom. The nuances of political play, the power of prophesy, tragedy, and the daily lives of people are intricately woven together into a fascinating, historical piece. Readers that don’t care for textbook history would find this novella informative in a vivid fictional setting, and those that like history would cherish it for its accurate details. Highly recommended.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
The second book in this series is A Calculus of Angels (The Age of Unreason, Book 2)
Newton’s Cannon (The Age of Unreason, Book 1)
Back in college I signed up for an astronomy class that turned out to be more like a “history of science” class … and one of my all-time favorites. This book reminds me of that class, because it begins in 1681 and features Sir Isaac Newton as a main character. Other colorful characters include young Ben Franklin and the sparkling female scientist Adrienne de Mornay de Montchevreuil. The field of play ranges from America to England to France.
Plot tension comes from a war between England and France. However, everything in the plot really revolves around Newton’s discovery of Philosopher’s Mercury, a wondrous substance that does almost-magical things to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. This is the one “what if?” upon which all the rest stands, and the author does a splendid job of extrapolating all manner of weird science that might evolve from the mythical Mercury. Prime examples include the fervefactum (a weapon that boils the blood of enemy soldiers), the aetherschreiber (a communication device), and of course Newton’s mysterious yet brilliant weapon. Although some might argue that the addition of a provably-imaginary substance makes this science fantasy, the tone really feels more like science fiction because of all the careful details and the way the characters go through equations and proofs and such.
Newton’s Cannon provides a rollicking good read with a fine mix of drama and humor. Rarely does an author come up with a premise so original and handle it so well on the first round. Of especial interest to scientific historians, this book holds generous appeal for fans of science fiction; fantasy fans may also want to check it out. Highly recommended. Watch for the next book, A Calculus of Angels, to continue the tale.
This review was originally submitted to Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
You can read more about the “Sector General”
Final Diagnosis: A Sector General Novel
James White writes the best science-fiction medical-mystery stories on the shelves. This novel is the latest of the spectacular “Sector General” novels set in that vast multi-species hospital. Those of you who have not already discovered this excellent series may want to backtrack a bit to get more of the background, but the novel does stand well on its own.
Imagine a huge and complex station floating in space, full of representatives from hundreds of different species. Into this drop one moderately-xenophobic fellow with a very strange history. Patient Hewlett has throughout his life demonstrated a bizarre assortment of allergies, anomalous reactions, and other problems which have finally landed him in the most advanced medical establishment known, where he immediately becomes popular with the staff members who like to study biological oddities. But when he starts performing what they can only describe as miracles, quite by accident, he becomes something of an embarrassment. A fervent quest ensues to figure out exactly what is going on …
Final Diagnosis features several characters from previous “Sector General” stories, much to the delight of series fans. The style is mainly hard science fiction with a touch of sociological SF. Highly recommended.
This review was originally submitted to Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
The other two books in this trilogy are The Chronicles of Scar
Legacy of the Ancients (Chronicles of Scar, No 2)
A brilliant post-apocalyptic novel, Legacy of the Ancients introduces the rediscovery of gunpowder and muskets in the remnants of America, with the countries Kenesee, Arkan, Texan, and Virginia playing the lead roles. Although this is the second book in The Chronicles of Prince Scar I found it perfectly readable and engrossing in its own right. The title character, the troubled Arn or “Prince Scar” of Kenesee sets out to remove a dangerous dictator from power in Texan. Traveling in disguise with his companions, he crosses through Arkan and into Texan where he works to gain the support of the Landholders there. Along the way the party contends with suspicious villagers, internal squabbles, and a band of reconstructed dinosaurs:
I glanced at Murdock and Kren to see if they were ready with another bolt, and saw a flicker of movement to the left. East. Our rear. A deinonychus bounding out of the gully. And another. And another.
Seven. The professor’s book would need a revised edition. [page 94]
Ron Sarti blends gritty realism with wry humor. His experiences in the Vietnam war and understanding of military history lend weight to his writing. I didn’t spot any technical errors, though I was less amused by some of the sociological subtleties. I particularly liked the dinosaurs and the rendition of psychic “wizards” in the story, not to mention the often-satirical comments about the “ancients” responsible for the world’s current condition. Sarti’s skill at building a believable future impressed me, and I look forward to seeing the next book.
Wargamers, historians, and reenactment mavens will love Legacy of the Ancients. Although it takes place quite a while after the collapse, this book should also appeal to fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, as it takes a rare look at a society on the upswing trying to avoid repeating their ancestors’ mistakes. Widely recommended for speculative fiction fans in general.
This review was previously submitted to Age of Wonder and Eternity Online.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
King’s Man and Thief
Revenge may light Deveren Larath’s way, but it does not consume him. That sets him apart from other revenge-ridden tragic heroes, but he also stands between two worlds — by day a noble of some respect, by night a thief. When the leader of the thieves’ society goes too far and gets himself killed, Deveren steps up to take his place. However, not everyone accepts Deveren’s rule, and some of the thieves slink off to stir up trouble. Led by the malicious Marrika, they plot with evildoers in another country to bring about war through a hideous curse. As Deveren’s brother Damir works to rescue the beleaguered prince, Deveren strives to keep things from falling apart at home.
I most enjoyed the artful characterization and cultural details in this story. Personal greed and struggles for control fuel the plot. You see people faced with their worst fears; you see how they deal with loss and temptation. The hardest part of love lies in knowing when to let go. Seven deities watch over this world, and their presence lends a powerful continuity — the hours of the day and days of the week take their names from the deities, people swear by them, and their special priests and priestesses play important roles as the plot unfolds. The setting feels solid around the story.
Golden never pulls punches; she weaves a gripping tale of love and loss, which is not for the squeamish. Yet the stubborn triumph of good over evil, combined with eloquent portrayals of the human heart, should appeal to a wide range of fantasy lovers. Highly recommended.
This review was originally submitted to Horror News.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Fearful Symmetries: The Return of Nohar Rajasthan (Moreau, Book 4)
Return to the rather dystopic world of Franks and Moreys, genetic constructs with little in the way of rights and much in the way of grudges. Forests of the Night (Moreau, Book 1)
began the story of Nohar Rajasthan, a second-generation descendant of tiger stock. Nohar has withdrawn from society in general, living alone in a cabin way out in the woods. But as so often happens, his past tracks him down, and he finds himself facing a missing-person case that he cannot refuse – because it turns out to have a personal connection far deeper than he ever imagined.
If you liked Forests of the Night, then you’ll love Fearful Symmetries too. Science fiction fans will want to check out this series, which holds particular appeal for anyone interested in genetic engineering – it’s full of examples as to what not to do. Recommended.
This review was originally submitted to Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Endurance by S.L. Viehl. Roc, 2001. Paperback, 407 pages. ISBN: 0-451-45814-1. Three stars.
Come along for the further adventures of Dr. Cherijo Torin, last seen in the claws of violent Hsktskt slavers. It all starts with her clawing her way up the status ladder to get some leverage beyond just plain merchandise. (Educated, plucky merchandise is always worth so much more.) As usual, this includes taking over any medical institutions in reach. She also gets into some serious tangles with her friends, people she thought were friends but who wound up betraying her (again), and people she didn’t think of as friends who wound up that way anyhow. There’s the wild attack on the Aksellan mining institute, which doesn’t go at all the way the Hsktskt had intended, and the smuggling of slaves off the slave depot. Finally Cherijo meets yet another verrrry interesting alien, who proceeds to make life uncomfortably exciting for those dastardly slavers.
If you liked Stardoc
This review originally appeared in Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Hunter’s Oath 
War is horror, not honor; gory, not glory; but the Hunt can be all of those and more. Welcome to the land of Breodan, where the Hunter Lords and their huntbrothers venture out with their dogs to keep a dark covenant with their God. Through the year they hunt to keep their people fed, but in return they must call the Sacred Hunt during which the Hunter-God will hunt and kill one of them. (As for the women of the Hunter Lords, they pick up the pieces. Repeatedly.) This world also holds the god-born, sons and daughters of assorted deities; and demon-kin, powerful creatures of evil. Needless to say, they do not all get along flawlessly.
Meet Gilliam, heir of Elseth, and his huntbrother, Stephen. Together they grow into their roles, but the balance of power is about to shift. Enter the enigmatic sorceress Evayne a’Nolan, who wanders through time trying to keep the world on course, or at least off the rocks. Evayne brings another player onto the field, an even more mysterious girl who cannot speak and whose body language hints at a nonhuman parent. They struggle against Sor na Shannen and her minions, who serve a God darker even than the one the Breodanir serve. Drastic cultural differences, gender gaps, and good old prejudice heighten the tension.
Characterization, setting, and plot all find a rare balance in this novel. The underlying conflicts of the plot spring from the setting — the characters’ homelands, their Gods, and the opposing forces of evil — but the characters respond in ways that spring wholeheartedly from their own diverse natures. Some of the best action comes when the characters get in each other’s way because they don’t agree on how to deal with the situation. For instance, Gilliam treats the foundling girl like a dog because he has a Hunter Lord’s telepathic link to dogs and because she responds happily to that treatment; everyone else berates Gilliam for this and tries to make the girl act human.
“On the rushes of the kennel’s floors, the girl sat crouched over the twitching body of one of her assailants. Her eyes were narrowed, and her lips, where they could be seen, were flecked with blood. Her teeth were planted firmly in the throat of the man; her jaw muscles were tense, and the high rasp of a growl filled the silent air.” [page 341]
I don’t agree with all the premises — in particular I find the gender disturbing — yet I can’t ignore the story’s power. These women are strong; they have to be. They just make different choices than I would. I relate better to the men: their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the good of the land, their yearning towards the glory and the danger of the hunt. Their passion and dedication shine through, even in the face of tragedy. Even the Gods make sense according to their own codes, which do not always resemble human ones.
This novel’s tone reminds me of the deep woods at noon: dapples on the forest floor, sun and shadow playing hide-and-seek between the trees. Light and dark keep equal measure, intricately twined, inseparable. The demon-kin and other creatures of evil stalk among those who would guard their world from harm. The Hunter-God gives with an open hand, takes with a bloody claw. Responsibility and risk come together or not at all. This haunting, disturbing story will linger for days in the back of your mind, touching you again and again with its mystery. Let it. You never know what it might turn up…
This review was originally submitted to Sense of Wonder.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Sherri S. Tepper
The Family Tree
Every once in a while, a novel turns up in my speculative fiction stack that I believe will appeal to Pagan readers. This one is a bizarre, surreal blend of fantasy and science fiction. It spans two different timelines, a vast cast of characters, and a whole lot of ethical dilemmas. It also happens to include some characters from what could be termed family-tradition Paganism, though their trad bears only passing resemblance to anything in actual practice — which is fine since, as all great characters do, they promptly get themselves into all kinds of trouble. Add to this the fact that the contingent from the future happen to be anthropomorphic animals and the plot gets quite exciting. Basically, the action centers around how to save the world without destroying it.
The Family Tree will delight readers of speculative fiction, and its heavy mythical overtones make it appealing to many Pagans as well. Don’t expect it to reflect any part of real life perfectly — this is fiction, after all — but it’s a lot of fun to read when you’ve just put down a hefty academic tome. Highly recommended.
This review was originally submitted to PagaNet News.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Marion Zimmer Bradley was a famous speculative fiction writer and editor; you can find many more of her books
Lady of Avalon (Avalon, Book 3)
Return to the magical world you remember from The Mists of Avalon
Lady of Avalon makes a wonderful addition to the now-voluminous Arthurian saga, and is a must-read for fans of this literature. It also holds considerable interest for fans of mythic and/or historic fantasy; especially attractive to Celtic historians. Recommended.
This review was originally submitted to Eternity Online.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
The sequel to this book is Darwin’s Children
Darwin’s Radio
Some stories are about exceptional characters and the adventures they have by virtue of being exceptional. Others, to quote a common phrase, are about “ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.” Darwin’s Radio is an outstanding example of the latter type.
Begin with Mitch Rafelson, an archaeologist-cum-tombrobber, who in the company of questionable friends makes a stunning discovery. Add two pretty cool scientists, molecular biologist Kaye Lang and virus hunter Christopher Dicken. They don’t have superpowers; they’re just good at their jobs, good at figuring things out. The problem is that the things they figure out are liable to get them killed, because certain powerful people suffer from a delusion that it’s possible to block the forces of nature. It turns out that Lang and Dicken have picked up opposite ends of a very slippery strand of scientific spaghetti – their theories meet in the middle, where “Darwin’s Radio” has awakened within human DNA, its signals causing a sudden catastrophic surge in evolution. Where will it take us? Well, all three of them would just love to find out, but those politicians would rather not … and the powermongers do their lobbying from the butt end of a gun. Before long, Lang has decided to conduct an extremely personal sort of experiment with Rafelson’s assistance, and then they’re on the run from the government and most of the rest of society.
I just loved this book. It’s a beautiful blend of very solid sciences, from the biological to the anthropological to the sociological. I found the ramifications very plausible and the human interest just fabulous. The ending is engrossing. I doubt the author has anything more planned – stories of idea like this are almost always a stand-alone phenomenon – but I’d love to read more about these characters and what happens to them.
Darwin’s Radio is a great read, one that most science fiction fans will love. Those of you interested in prehistoric fiction might want to give it a peek because the flashback thread offers some haunting glimpses of the last time the “radio” activated. Most highly recommended.
This review originally appeared in Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
The first book in the Hel’s Crucible duology is Into the Forge
Into the Fire
Into the Fire completes the story begun in Into the Forge, which in total recounts the course of the Great War of the Ban and the events leading up to the final battle at Hel’s Crucible. For those of you already familiar with Mithgar and its history, this fills in the gaps magnificently; and for the rest of you, it makes a fine introduction. Our heroes are the two Warrows (or Wee Folk, a bit like hobbits but with special abilities of their own) Tipperton Thistledown and Beau Darby. They finally manage to deliver the mysterious token long ago given to Tip by a slain Kingsman, yet that marks only the beginning of their adventures in this book. Said adventures include a quest for the rare golden mint to stop a plague in Dendor, the company of magical silver wolves, an attack into Gron itself, an avalanche, the final march on Hel’s Crucible itself, and a debate with some Stone Giants.
If you like the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, then you will love Into the Fire and its companion book, and for that matter the rest of McKiernan’s brilliant epics of Mithgar. A must-read for fans of high fantasy, this tale features the requisite dragons, elves, dwarves, vile beasts from below, grand quests, true love, and other favorite motifs plus a generous smattering of original ones from the author’s own phantasmagoric imagination. Also a treasure for xenolinguists since McKiernan devotes almost as much attention to diverse indigenous languages as Tolkien did. Highly recommended.
This review was previously submitted to Eternity Online and Spicy Green Iguana.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Book Review: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying
- Book Review: The First Civilizations
- Book Review: Flesh and Silver
- Book Review: Owlsight
- Book Review: Message from the Sparrows
Friendfeed
Monty has blocked 466284 access attempts.