The Godborn: Sundering Part 2 Review

The Godborn

The Sundering, Book II

Paul S. Kemp

Wizards of the Coast

Oct 1. 2013

5/5 Stars

         A summary for people…”In the 2nd book of the multi-author Sundering series launched by New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, the shadow legacy of Erevis Cale lives on even as his old foe Mephistopheles seeks to stamp it out at any cost. Cale’s son Vasen—unmoored in time by the god Mask—has thus far been shielded from the archdevil’s dark schemes, alone among the servants of the Lord of Light who have raised him since birth.
Living in a remote abbey nestled among the Thunder Peaks of Sembia, Vasen is haunted by dreams of his father, trapped in the frozen hell of Cania. He knows the day will come when he must assume his role in the divine drama unfolding across Faerûn. But Vasen knows not what that role should be . . . or whether he is ready to take it on. He only knows what his father tells him in dreams—that he must not fail.
Enter Drasek Riven, a former compatriot of Erevis Cale, now near divine and haunted by dreams of his own—he too knows the time to act is near. Shar, the great goddess of darkness, looks to cast her shadow on the world forever. Riven has glimpsed the cycle of night she hopes to complete, and he knows she must be stopped.
At the crossroads of divine intrigue and mortal destiny, unlikely heroes unite to thwart the powers of shadow and hell, and the sundering of worlds is set on its course.” Amazon.com

 

        Most readers coming into The Godborn will probably be coming off reading the Companions, by R.A.Salvatore.  Which, from my perspective, is ideal.  Because you couldn’t have asked for two more different books to read in a series.  Paul S. Kemp does a masterful job of writing this second book in the series.  But he does it in an unexpected way.  I would say this book is dark fantasy bordering on Horror.  And I loved it.  This is not to say it is overly gory or against the tenets of the broader Forgotten Realms flavor.  Rather it is like a Halloween story for the Forgotten Realms which is great, especially as it is coming out in October.  The myriad of characters are richly drawn and while I did mostly see the ending coming I did really enjoy the journey to that ending.  Vasen made a compelling main character.  Which sometimes is a hard feat in the Forgotten Realms where characters like Drizzt and Elminister seem to overshadow everyone else.  But the author did an excellent job making Vasen relatable, cool, and capable.  I really appreciated this in a novel dealing mainly with gods, devils, and Shadovar. 

     I was also impressed at the reconstruction of events dealing with Mask.  Giving even the casual reader of the Forgotten Realms books a good place to start.  I would recommend for ANYONE who is a returning reader to the Forgotten Realms or even someone with no experience with them to start reading the Companions and then this book as a follow up to get you situated to what will be going on further down the line.  Basically, because I can see these masterful authors weaving a perfect foundation for MANY books to come.  I cannot wait for what the future has in store.

Incrementalists Book Review

Incrementalists

By Steven Brust, Skyler White

Macmillan-Tor/Forge

Sept 24,2013

3/5 Stars

 

          A Summary if you find you need one,”

"Secret societies, immortality, murder mysteries and Las Vegas all in one book? Shut up and take my money." —John Scalzi

The Incrementalists—a secret society of two hundred people with an unbroken lineage reaching back forty thousand years. They cheat death, share lives and memories, and communicate with one another across nations, races, and time. They have an epic history, an almost magical memory, and a very modest mission: to make the world better, just a little bit at a time. Their ongoing argument about how to do this is older than most of their individual memories.
Phil, whose personality has stayed stable through more incarnations than anyone else’s, has loved Celeste—and argued with her—for most of the last four hundred years. But now Celeste, recently dead, embittered, and very unstable, has changed the rules—not incrementally, and not for the better. Now the heart of the group must gather in Las Vegas to save the Incrementalists, and maybe the world.
"Watch Steven Brust. He's good. He moves fast. He surprises you. Watching him untangle the diverse threads of intrigue, honor, character and mayhem from amid the gears of a world as intricately constructed as a Swiss watch is a rare pleasure." —Roger Zelazny” Amazon.com

 

         I have to admit that this book is unlike anything I’ve read recently.  But that, is not entirely a good thing.  The concept in this book, sorry for the spoilers.  Is that a select group of people are able to live forever by transplanting their consciousness from one body to the next and in essence, live forever.  The other has to do with “meddling” which is kind of like mentalism.  Where a person can be persuaded to do something if you know what kinds of things will most affect them to do these things.  It’s kind of like very targeted, very aggressive advertising.  If you feel that this may be a little badly explained and vague.  Sorry I tried, the book DOES explain these concepts better.  But having both of them in the same book along with the idea that some secret society of 200 people has been pushing the world along for better or worse for 40,000 years(?) is a bit hard to swallow no matter how much suspension of disbelief I might manage.

         This is all explained with half explanations and a kind of short hand that may or may not be easily absorbed by the average reader.  Is this book fantasy or science fiction?  Well, if this kind of thing matters to you; I’d say it is trying to be fantasy even if it is more science fiction than fantasy.  But considering most of the concepts in the book are NEVER explained in any real terms other than, this is what happens when we do this.  I guess the jury is still out.  This is mostly my problem with the book.  Not my inability to put it into a genre, no, my problem was the book’s inability to explain to the reader in any kind of reasonable why things were happening and how they were being made to happen.  Even if at some point someone said, “Because magic!”  I would have been happier.  Most of this is just ignored and the reader is left to wonder if it will ever be explained.  It isn’t…

           The characters are descent, and the dialog engaging.  But without a descent believable set of rules to run this new fanciful world by, the reader is just going along wondering what will happen next.  It’s a relatively interesting if far too long story.  The resolution is good and intact, but I have to admit the fourth wall breaking at the end was pretty unnecessary and for a writer like Steven Burst seems a bit amateurish.  Overall, I was relatively happy with the story and interested mostly remotely by the characters.  But really, for all the running around and talking theoreticals, past lives, and such the characters do; they could have ACTUALLY explained things a little more.  They certainly had the time.

All is Fair Book Review

All is Fair

The Split Worlds - Book 3

Emma Newman

ANGRY ROBOT Ltd

Sept 24, 2013

5/5 Stars

 

 

  A summary for those who need them,

        “In love and war nothing is safe.

William Iris struggles to keep the throne of Londinium whilst hated by his own court and beset by outsiders, while Cathy discovers the legacy of her former governess. But those who dare to speak out about Society are always silenced. Sometimes for good.
While trying to avoid further torments from the mercurial fae, Sam finds himself getting tangled in the affairs of the Elemental Court. But an unexpected offer from the powerful and enigmatic Lord Iron turns out to be far more than Sam bargained for.
Max and the gargoyle are getting closer to uncovering who is behind the murder of the Bath Chapter and the corruption in London and Max finds the gargoyle's controversial ideas harder to ignore. Can he stay true to his sworn duty without being destroyed by his own master, whose insanity threatens to unravel them all?” Amazon.com

 

        At this point, it is probably no secret that I am a HUGE fan of the Split Worlds books.  I believe every single one may be better than the last one.  From the very first book, Emma Newman has put together some of the most interesting characters that could fill such an amazing world while keeping them all relatively believable.  This is incredibly difficult to do in such a fantastical setting as the Nether.  But she has handily achieved this and even made most of her more villainous characters interesting.  I was most impressed in All is Fair by the last half of the book where things truly change dramatically.  It is all most like it is the pay off for the entire series.  And she ends the book on a kind of cliff hanger that must be read to be appreciated.  As many of my peers have observed, the Split Worlds books MUST be read in order and it is not impossible but not recommended to miss one book in the series.  Considering there are only currently three books this shouldn’t be hard for anyone to achieve.  The depth of the characters and the reader’s love for them really depends on reading the entire series.  I have to say, that I truly feel 100% invested in this world and all it’s characters I would love for this series to go on indefinitely.  There is little more to say about this book other than it is another fabulous entry in a fabulous series that anyone who likes fantasy will truly love.  I certainly can’t wait for the next book.

Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl Book Review

Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl

By David Barnett

Macmillan-Tor/Forge

Sept 10, 2013

2/5 Stars

       A Summary, for those in need of one, “Nineteenth century London is the center of a vast British Empire. Airships ply the skies and Queen Victoria presides over three-quarters of the known world—including the East Coast of America, following the failed revolution of 1775.

London might as well be a world away from Sandsend, a tiny village on the Yorkshire coast. Gideon Smith dreams of the adventure promised him by the lurid tales of Captain Lucian Trigger, the Hero of the Empire, told in Gideon’s favorite “penny dreadful.” When Gideon’s father is lost at sea in highly mysterious circumstances Gideon is convinced that supernatural forces are at work.  Deciding only Captain Lucian Trigger himself can aid him, Gideon sets off for London. On the way he rescues the mysterious mechanical girl Maria from a tumbledown house of shadows and iniquities. Together they make for London, where Gideon finally meets Captain Trigger.

But Trigger is little more than an aging fraud, providing cover for the covert activities of his lover, Dr. John Reed, a privateer and sometime agent of the British Crown. Looking for heroes but finding only frauds and crooks, it falls to Gideon to step up to the plate and attempt to save the day...but can a humble fisherman really become the true Hero of the Empire?

David Barnett's Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl is a fantastical steampunk fable set against an alternate historical backdrop: the ultimate Victoriana/steampunk mash-up! “ Amazon.com

 

            Let me say first that there is very little positive I can say about this book.  I gave the book 2/5 stars instead of 1/5 based solely on the last fourth of the book; which I found better than the entirety of the work.  This book has an incredibly slow, boring, plodding start that is saved only by the addition of Bram Stoker and Elizabeth Bathory.  Which is by far the craziest part of this steampunk novel.  I would have put the book down before I hit the first 50 pages if not for this seeming side-story.  When the book reaches around 70-75% to its completion it seems to come into it’s own with a League of Extraordinary men style.  Except only the women in this book are extraordinary.  The male characters in this work are stereotypes so through and through that they become insufferably boring.  The innocent hero, the old resourceful codger, the incredibly cynical reporter, the well intended but lay about homosexual, the traitorous pirate with a heart of gold.  It’s terrible…  The book, while trying to buck being predictable from the very start seems to really clamp down and become extraordinarily predictable.  Add to this a VERY unsatisfying ending to ensure a sequel and you have the hardest 354 pages I’ve tried to get through this entire year.  I don’t usually regret reading books, but I can honestly say that there were plenty of times that I regretted reading this one.  I really cannot recommend this book to anyone.

Any Other Name Book Review

Any Other Name

Emma Newman

Angry Robot (May 28, 2013)

5/5 Stars

   A book summary for those in need,  

“Cat has been forced into an arranged marriage with William - a situation that comes with far more strings than even she could have anticipated, especially when she learns of his family's intentions for them both.
Meanwhile, Max and the gargoyle investigate The Agency - a mysterious organisation that appears to play by its own rules - and none of them favourable to Society.
Over in Mundanus, Sam has discovered something very peculiar about his wife's employer - something that could herald a change for everyone in both sides of the Split Worlds” Goodreads.com

       My expectations from the first book, Between Two Thorns; were completely blown away by Any Other Name.  I have rarely seen a better second book in a series or such improvement over the first.  Which was quite a good book in it’s own right.  Without the slow start of the first and some of the more general world building accomplished.  This book allowed the reader to enjoy the characters we were familiar with from the first book.  Really getting into some excellent scenes and story.  The pacing in this book was excellent.  I could predict when the author was going to change POV(Point of View, as in point of view character perspective) and approved of it every single time. I must admit I had some trepidation about the author matching her first book’s amazing sense of the world.  Especially moving everything to London.  But with so many returning characters and an excellent continuation to the plot of the first.  I was mesmerized for the entire read.  I was also a bit cross when the book ended.  Which is always a good sign of an excellent book.  As much as I’m STILL not a big fan of Regency.  Emma Newman can keep me reading well into the late night.  In fact, I was trying to finish the book so late last night, that I was all most too tired to get up for my early morning call to my job today.  So perhaps, you might want to clear yourself some time to read Any Other Name.  Just so you don’t lose your job, or miss an important event, if you do Lord Iris will be very cross with you.  Expecting of perfection in everything and all.  I’m sure he would be very impressed with Any Other Name, however, very impressed indeed.

 

The Woken Gods Book Review

The Woken Gods

By Gwenda Bond

ANGRY ROBOT Ltd

Strange Chemistry

Sept 3, 2013

3/5 Stars

         A Summary for people who need them but can’t find them,

      “Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke around the world.
This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school.
Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., home to the embassies of divine pantheons and the mysterious Society of the Sun. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way back from school, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, an intriguing Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous relic. The Society needs it, and they don't care that she knows nothing about her father's secrets.
Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she's going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it” Amazon.com

 

        The Woken Gods is definitely a different take on the traditional fantasy teen novel.  However, I really had a hard time with some of the world building in this book.  Let me run down some of my issues.  One of which is that in the beginning of the book the author states that magic has thrown technology so out of whack that there is no point in students even studying physics anymore.  However, there are electric lights and they use them when it’s convenient to the plot and not use them when it isn’t.  They watch television news broadcasts when it’s convenient to the plot but cars don’t work in Washington D.C. because, as near as I can tell it isn’t convenient to the plot.  At one point Kyra and one of her friends watch VHS movies.  Why can’t they watch DVDs?  How much different is that?  The whole problem with technology not working makes me believe that the author wanted a certain vision or theme of the world but she wasn’t creative enough to have situations where that technology NEVER worked.  In the end, this is a very small nitpick and I’m sure some people out there are rolling their eyes.  But it really took me out of the book every time one of these things would happen.

       The magic system in the book also seems a little strange.  In beginning of the story we are told that relics need to be used by people with training.  The first ones are even shown to need special verbal commands in another language for them to work.  By the middle of the book this concept is completely gone and the story then seems to imply that you just need to get a hold of one these relics for it to work.  So the average archaeologist would be pretty powerful in this world, apparently.  But they are all held by these families that are members of this once secret society that is now in power instead of the government.  All of this seemed a little odd to me and the broad strokes that are taken with all kinds of things in the world make this seem rather unlikely or at least far more complex than the book makes out.  What’s worse is that because we see most of the book from the main character’s perspective none of this is explained at all.  Which might have managed to ground the world a little more than it did.  It’s fine to have a secret group like in Percy Jackson or Harry Potter it’s quite another to make that group not secret and the ruling the country/world.

       The other problems I had were centered around the main characters in the book.  As in many teen books, there is the main character and her friends.  Usually one or two boys and one girl.  This book is no different.  Except there are far more boys.  Anyway, while Kyra, the main character is pretty complex and has a descent background.  Some of her reasons for doing things aren’t explained very well even though the story is from her perspective.  Which left me wondering, other than the tradition of most teen books being in first person; why didn’t the author just write the whole thing in third person.

       I also wasn’t too thrilled with the switching to other characters for a chapter for a third person point of view of the events.  While this might have added a little color to the story.  What it really achieved, was pulling me out of the story’s flow and letting me know that now one of the other characters needed to be in charge.  These changes usually felt unnecessary.  They were also a wasted opportunity, because we rarely got the supporting characters motives or feelings from them.  Which meant that the reader was still left only with Kyra’s point of view on the events.  The problem with this is that about half way through the story when things really start heating up; most the action is from Kyra’s perspective and when other characters tell her she is wrong; the reader is left in the same boat as Kyra, confused.

      The main story in the book is pretty good and while the end seemed a little forced to me and perhaps the whole thing trailed off much too quickly after the climax; I have to say that  I enjoyed most of my time with the book.  As the first book in what I assume will be a series it is pretty good.  I would definitely like to read a book two if there is one.  I would also like to see some further explanation of the way the world actually works.  Which considering the next book practically cannot be set in D.C. that could be very interesting.

Happy Hour in Hell Book Review

Happy Hour in Hell

Tad Williams

PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW

DAW Hardcover

Sept 3, 2013

5/5 Stars 

      

              A summary for people who need one and can’t find one on their own:

               “I’ve been told to go to Hell more times than I can count. But this time I’m actually going.
My name’s Bobby Dollar, sometimes known as Doloriel, and of course, Hell isn’t a great place for someone like me—I’m an angel. They don’t like my kind down there, not even the slightly fallen variety. But they have my girlfriend, who happens to be a beautiful demon named Casimira, Countess of Cold Hands. Why does an angel have a demon girlfriend? Well, certainly not because it helps my career.
She’s being held hostage by one of the nastiest, most powerful demons in all of the netherworld—Eligor, Grand Duke of Hell. He already hates me, and he’d like nothing better than to get his hands on me and rip my immortal soul right out of my borrowed but oh-so-mortal body.
But wait, it gets better! Not only do I have to sneak into Hell, make my way across thousands of miles of terror and suffering to reach Pan- demonium, capital of the fiery depths, but then I have to steal Caz right out from under Eligor’s burning eyes and smuggle her out again, past demon soldiers, hellhounds, and all the murderous creatures imprisoned there for eternity. And even if I somehow manage to escape Hell, I’m also being stalked by an undead psychopath named Smyler who’s been following me for weeks. Oh, and did I mention that he can’t be killed?
So if I somehow survive Hell, elude the Grand Duke and all his hideous minions and make it back to the real world, I’ll still be the most hunted soul in Creation. But at least I’ll have Caz. Gotta have something to look forward to, right?
So just pour me that damn drink, will you? I’ve got somewhere to go.” Amazon.com

 

      Ever since Tad Williams blew in to San Judas with old Bobby Dollar, things just haven’t been the same.  And that fellow readers is how we like it.  Happy Hour in Hell is the best book yet in what is becoming a fine little series for Tad Williams.  This time in Hell, which to my mind was handled absolutely perfectly by Mr. Williams.  In my experience Hell is done one of three ways: not at all(it’s just darkness), too seriously(Dante?), or too flippantly(Well it’s Hell, get over it!).  Tad Williams manages a fourth way, a kind of amalgamation of 2 and 3.  Which turns out to be just perfect.  The world building in Hell was SO GOOD in fact that I never wanted to leave.  It was so interesting, around every corner it seemed like Bobby met another interesting character.  The story is full of action, suspense, and mystery.  I have to hand it to Tad Williams that he made this episode of the Bobby Dollar series feel so good and so cohesive that the reader is never sitting around wondering what the threads of the mysteries lead to.  This I can’t say about Dirty Streets of Heaven, the first book in the series.  But I can say that Dirty Streets was a completely contained work.  I can’t say that about Happy Hour in Hell.  This book doesn’t assume you’ve read Dirty Streets of Heaven, but what it does assume is that your going to read the next book.  Which is fine, I just would have liked a little more intact of an ending.  This isn’t to say the end is a cliffhanger; the book just stops.  Which while I did mind this a bit, the rest of the book was so good.  That it completely made up for it.  I just hope the next book comes out soon.  Because I’m sure, like me, once you reach the end of Happy Hour in Hell you will be incredibly anxious to find out what happens next.