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Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

Jun 162023
 

New York Times: Reversing that trajectory, Martha Wells has followed up her best-selling series of Murderbot novellas with a return to full-length, epic fantasy. WITCH KING (Tordotcom, $28.99, 414 pp.), a deeply immersive throwback to a beloved (and for me, foundational) species of 1990s fantasy doorstop, is full of cataclysmic intrigues between mostly immortal families, complete with map and dramatis personae.

The titular Witch King, Kaiisteron, or Kai, wakes from an enchanted sleep to find that he and his best friend, Ziede, have been betrayed and imprisoned by someone close to them. Kai is a demon, able to wield magic and possess the bodies of the living; Ziede is a witch, able to converse with the elemental world. They use their powers to subdue and escape their would-be captor, but discover that Ziede’s wife, Tahren, is missing.

Together — gathering waifs and strays along the way — they embark on a quest to find her and root out the conspiracy that separated them. As they search for answers, Kai remembers his early life fighting necromantic wizards called Hierarchs and rebuilding the world they broke.

Kai is very good at protecting those he has chosen to care for, and part of the pleasure of “Witch King” comes from seeing his keen-edged competence at work, contrasted with moments of profound, bewildered vulnerability. Kai’s timelines play off each other wonderfully: Elements introduced in a dizzying rush of world building become welcome context for the flashbacks, which in turn escalate tension in the present. Wells is working at the height of her powers here, and it’s relaxing to be carried along for a ride in the company of such a phenomenal storyteller.

 June 16, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: Suborbital 7 by John Shirley

Jun 122023
 

Publishers Weekly: Shirley (Halo: Broken Circle) veers from gaming fiction to near-future military techno-thriller in this competent, straightforward novel of U.S. Army Rangers in space. Lt. Art Burkett’s marriage is failing due to his wife’s worries over his continuous insertion into dangerous missions, when he is yanked away yet again, this time into a hostage rescue that involves a drop from space. The mission runs into complications: an undercover agent is killed by friendly fire, the agent’s brother vows vengeance, and the Russians look to solidify their hold on near-Earth orbit by finishing off the spacecraft carrying Burkett and company back to safety. Shirley includes most of the archetypes common to military adventure fiction, including the officer torn between public and private duty, the spy whose suspicions are not mere paranoia, the gruff leader who stands up to the Big Brass, and the Big Brass themselves, whose pettiness is paid for by personal sacrifice. Sure-footed descriptions of spaceflight and the toils of working without gravity enhance the plot without the technobabble ever pulling focus from the soldiers as they fight for their lives and honor. Shirley’s fans will be pleased.

 June 12, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

Jun 022023
 

Wall Street Journal: Regular readers of sci-fi know Martha Wells from her Murderbot Diaries (if you don’t, go get them immediately). “Witch King” is a fantasy novel about as far from Murderbot as it’s possible to get, and the fact that the author does it so well is a testament to her range and abilities.

We start in the middle of the action, meeting the main character and his companion when they wake up after a mysterious betrayal and attack. Kai uses his supernatural powers to drain the life out of his enemies just in time to rescue Ziede, who has been locked away in a vault. But what starts off seeming to be the tale of two vampiric lovers who kill and consume anyone in their way turns into a story far more complicated and fascinating.

Kai, we soon learn, is a demon from the “underearth,” a creature whose formidable abilities are connected to the experience of pain. In the world of “Witch King” demons are decidedly non-spiritual creatures who have a complex relationship with the people of the Grasslands; they are invited into the bodies of the dead and then treated like family. Ziede is a witch, which here is more a race than a profession. She is close friends with Kai but married to a missing woman called Tahren—who has Fallen from another group, the Immortal Blessed.

“Witch King” across two different timelines: Years ago, when Kai, Ziede and Tahren first meet and help save the world from the crushing invasion of the Hierarchs, and in the story’s present, when the Rising World—an alliance of the surviving nations—is in jeopardy.

Ms. Wells creates uniquely fascinating cultures and abilities for the people who live in her universe, including magic systems that are fully developed and beautifully described. When Kai swallows a magical “intention” into his chest you can practically see it.

The heroes’ adventures together are exciting and their escapes clever; quibbles with the book are just that. There is supposed to be a grand conspiracy trying to topple the Rising World, and it would have been nice to see it in action outside the main group of characters. Also, there are a lot of names to keep track of. Fans of intricate fantasy may love that—but my aging brain needed a wiki.

A wonderfully original world, sympathetic characters and a solid quest make “Witch King” the satisfying fantasy you yearn for when named swords and cursed rings begin to grow stale.

 June 2, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Starred Review: Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun

Jun 012023
 

Publishers Weekly: Okosun’s stunning debut puts a Nigerian spin on epic fantasy tropes to create an addictive tale of political intrigue, love, loss, betrayal, and magic. Nine-year-old Dèmi was born during a time of transition, when the queen of Ifé was replaced by a king who fears and hates hereditary magic users, called Oluso, leading to an ongoing genocide. Dèmi, an Oluso herself, assists with her mother’s forbidden but necessary magical healing work—until she is forced to flee their village after they are betrayed by a former client, leading to her mother’s death. Nine years later, the politician Lord Ekwenski tasks Dèmi with kidnapping the crown prince as part of his scheme to rise in power and become a voice for the Oluso on the king’s council. This dangerous mission is complicated, however, when Dèmi discovers a surprising connection—and attraction—to the prince and uncovers secrets about her family’s past and her own powers. Okosun’s elaborate worldbuilding is lavishly detailed and meticulously constructed, but it never feels overwhelming. The result is an impressive and refreshingly original page-turner that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the second volume.

 June 1, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Starred Review: A Second Chance for Yesterday by R.A. Sinn

May 242023
 

Publishers Weekly: Sinn, the pseudonym for siblings Rachel Hope Cleves (Unspeakable) and Aram Sinnreich (The Essential Guide to Intellectual Property), spin an insightful and emotional story of quantum time travel in their fiction debut. It’s 11:33 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2045, when coder Nev Bourne finalizes SavePoint 2.0, an upgrade to the cutting-edge brain implant that allows users to skip back in time by five seconds. She hits run—and wakes up the morning of September 22, reliving the same day. Then, at 11:33 p.m., the same glitch resets her to the morning of September 21. So it goes: every 24 hours she travels back in time by one additional day. When she runs into notorious hacker Airin Myx, she accuses them of causing the glitch—but instead they reveal that they’ve been working with her to fix it for weeks. On a “collision course with her past,” Nev sets out to mend relationships with her needy boyfriend, domineering mother, and estranged best friend—all while falling for Airin, who’s traveling through time in the opposite direction. The authors infuse this plausible near future with clever science and heartwarming explorations of love and second chances. At the heart of this brilliant sci-fi conundrum is a deeply human story.

 

 May 24, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

May 122023
 

Publishers Weekly: Harrison delivers her signature blend of high stakes urban fantasy and soap operatic interpersonal drama in the 18th installment to her Hollows series (after 2022’s Trouble with the Cursed). Witch-born demon Rachel Morgan has successfully claimed the role of subrosa, or leader of Cincinnati, Ohio’s supernatural communities, but now must defend that title against challengers. Her latest enemy, a mysterious mage, sets out to undermine her power base by targeting her allies, including her friend David, who is harassed by renegade werewolves. Meanwhile, the coven of moral and ethical standards is breathing down Rachel’s neck regarding her use of an unsavory charm, and her boyfriend, elven businessman Trent Kalamack, faces punishment for his own illegal dealings. Rachel must protect her loved ones, prove her innocence to the coven, and defeat the enemies gunning for her before she loses everything. There are a lot of balls in the air, but Harrison juggles them gracefully. Longtime readers will be gratified to see both increased momentum in the overarching series plot and callbacks to much earlier installments. This series still has some surprises up its sleeve.

 May 12, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: Suborbital 7 by John Shirley

May 032023
 

Library Journal: Shirley’s (Stormland) exciting novel is an immersive near-future military adventure that proves that doing the job doesn’t count for much if you don’t make it home in one piece. The story follows a group of soldiers led by Lt. Art Burkett, U.S. Rangers Airborne, who is sent halfway around the world on an urgent rescue mission to save the life of a key scientist whose mind is filled with important information. Burkett and his team take off in an off-the-books rocket-turned-airplane, which is able to quickly bring the team into action. The mission goes smoothly until the team tries to get home and runs into trouble in space. The beauty of Shirley’s novel comes from its laser-focused attention to military tactics, which helps to sell its squad-level action. Its haunting near-future setting reads like a story that could be happening right now, giving the text a healthy dose of realism.

VERDICT This is a tight military procedural for fans looking for something like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan transported to space, with rockets flying, ruthless Russians scheming, and unvarnished trust in the American way.
 May 3, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

Apr 242023
 

Booklist: After fighting for her position in Trouble with the Cursed (2022), Cincinnati subrosa (demon leader) Rachel Morgan must deal with an old enemy. Walter returns with a horde of alpha weres from outside the city, hoping to steal power over the city’s werewolves from Rachel’s ally David. On top of that, Rachel is being investigated by the coven of moral and ethical standards, initially for using an illegal dark curse and then for murder she didn’t commit. Coincidentally, Rachel’s lover, Trent, is suddenly being investigated for illicit genetic endeavors and Brimstone trade, plunging both their lives into more chaos than usual. After a rescue that involves trading with sullen demon Dali while hiding in the ever after, Rachel and Trent learn that the coven is planning to block demons from returning to reality, led by none other than Walter’s ally the Mage, and launch themselves into action to prevent it. Harrison delivers another page turner in the Hollows series, leaving readers wondering how Rachel will emerge from this crisis and which of her allies will survive it with her.

 April 24, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Apr 212023
 

Booklist: In this viciously dark fantasy, a horrific siren who can’t speak, thanks to a cruel husband who captured her and cut out her tongue, and a plague doctor who has watched the kingdom succumb to a plague impossible for them to stop leave their now-desolate city in search of a new adventure. When the two creatures stumble on a sinister cult of children who believe gods can resurrect them, their interest is piqued. But then, in the snow-covered, frigid forest, they meet the children’s gods, the kind of monsters who enjoy taking apart a child and stitching it back together, and the siren and the doctor realize that it will take quick thinking, sharp teeth, and a lot of courage to get out alive. This novella is short but action-packed, unctuous, and deliciously creepy, a mash-up of Angela Carter’s dark fairytale retellings and the poetic love story core of This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (2019). The book is overflowing with eerie body horror, sensory details of cold snow and warm blood, and terrifying monsters (both protagonists and villains).

 April 21, 2023  Tagged with: ,

Review: Hybrid Heart by Iori Kusano

Apr 102023
 

Library Journal: Kusano, an Asian American living in Tokyo, makes their debut with this novella set in a near-future Japan, where people have software apps installed in their bodies that allow them to interact online in their minds, and human pop stars compete for fame against digital vocaloid singers. Rei is a human “idol,” an entertainer with a corporate manufactured image created for purely commercial purposes. She loves to sing and aspired to this life, but then her singing partner Ririko abandoned their idol life for love. Now Rei is even more strictly managed by Kosaka, who controls every aspect of her life from her songs and performances to what she eats and where she goes. Rei tries to navigate handling Kosaka and garnering more fame while still missing Ririko and obsessing over singer LYRICO, who hides behind an avatar. When Kosaka takes on a new, younger singer, Rei begins to see her life for what it is more clearly and has to decide what she wants for herself.

VERDICT Give this to fans of manga and anime for an insightful, speculative glimpse into Japanese pop culture.

 April 10, 2023  Tagged with: ,
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