Book Review: The Soprano Sorceress

Title: The Soprano Sorceress
Series: The Spellsong Cycle
Author: L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Publisher: TOR
ISPN: 0-812-54559-1

This was my second time reading this book. I recall my first time, about ten years ago, reading being a fast paced romp. I wish I could say the same on this read through. Instead I found myself growing agitated at the protagonist and putting off reading as it became a chore. But let's start at the beginning.

At its most basic the story is that a music professor from our world is yanked into a world where magic is music based and due to her immense training she is the most powerful sorceress there. So we have a fish-out-of-water, boy-meets-world scenario going. Okay, now we get complicated. The protagonist, Anna Marshall, is a heart-broken divorcee who also just recently buried her eldest daughter. Upon being transported to the new world she recoils at the politics and situations she has been thrust into, even more so at the medieval worldview at pertains to woman's role which is to say subservient and of less apparent worth. Anna is trapped in the new world and so begins plotting her survival and winds up saving a nation from invasion[1] on two fronts. In doing so she forces her worldview upon her new world; women are equal, central formalized education (at least for the elite), accounting, germ theory, et cetera.

One problem, the main one, I found on this reading was that it was more a vitriolic lecture on the chauvinism of men as a gender. At almost every turn Anna blames men for power games, politics, war and violence. She outright lectures supporting characters in exposition that seems more like the author lecturing the reader. She treats almost everyone as if they are intellectually inferior and morally. And yet in the end she was guilty of every crime she laid at the feet of men. I found her to be an overly judgmental female chauvinist and an “ugly American”.[2]

Oddly, I still like the story, however I don’t like the telling of it.  One person I discussed this book with offered some interesting opinions; one in particular was worth looking into: that the story was promoting feminism[3]. So I went to L. E. Modesitt’s website, via a quick web search, and he had a blog post on the subject. He seemed a little befuddled that his portrayal of a woman in a book “which depicts a woman in a fantasy world fighting against situations such as [the one Anna finds herself in], it’s called by some feminist propaganda or ultra-feminist[4].“[5] However, I don’t think it’s so much her actions that give the novel a ultra-feminist bent, I think it is more her thoughts that tip the scales towards ultra-feminism. 

Numerous times, it appeared to me that Anna thought that women were socially better than men. But in the end she was just as bad… So yes it is a feminist, quasi-ultra-feminist novel.[6]

It occurs to me that I’m harping on the subject, so I’ll draw to a close. It’s a good enough story, but it can be a trying read.

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[1] Okay technically she stops one invasion and one incursion or occupation.

[2] “an American in a foreign country whose behavior is offensive to the people of that country” – definition courtesy of Merriam-Webster.com

[3] “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities” – definition courtesy of Merriam-Webster.com

[4] “Ultra-feminism is like feminism but with the belief that women are better than men.” – definition courtesy of Urban Dictionary.com

[5] Modesitt, L.E., “Feminist Propaganda?”, http://www.lemodesittjr.com/2011/04/22/feminist-propaganda/, Paragraph 4, Retrieved: April 16, 2014

[6] I’d give examples to support my ideas. But I didn’t take notes while reading and finding specific examples for a review of a book and not an analysis just isn’t worth the extra effort.

Review: Street of Lost Gods

Title: Street of Lost Gods
Author: Gareth Lewis
Publisher: Smashwords
ISBN: N/A     

Rax Darkthorn is a knowhound - a detective – brought by the death of a friend to the Thief City, Nexi. Nexi sits between dimensions, siphoning off people, gods, and buildings for a purpose only the city knows. Those who are so trapped never escape, and visitors are few. Rax, however, escaped and returned upon learning of his friend’s death. He quickly sets about investigating and soon realizes that the Thief City is too full of mysteries to resist.

The story is a fast paced short story with a world that is entrancing and fascinating. The writing was such that I quickly forgave and overlooked the few typos my ebook edition had (but typos are a common problem with Smashword, the nature of the beast). As captivated as I was by the world and story, I couldn’t help but feel the story would have greatly benefited from one more edit: not for typos, but cohesion. Namely, the narrator starts out by saying there are two ways into Nexi (willingly and unwillingly), then a few pages later he names two more (a way specific to angels and gods, and with a pass), one the narrator doesn’t like and the other simply overlooked or considered to be part of the first. 

In the end, I considered the story too short, as I would have liked to extend my stay in Nexi.

Review: Abby the Witch

Title: Abby the Witch
Author: Odette C. Bell
Publisher: Smashwords
ISBN: N/A     BN ID: 2940033047406

Abigail Gail, Abby for short, fresh out of training is the newly appointed witch to a city/kingdom that has banned witches on pain of death. Years pass and slowly Abby is starving to death as she tries to do her duty in the background, until a storm of epic proportions comes blowing in. Abby goes out in the storm to save a drowning man, and they both get blown back in time. Once there they face the problem of getting back to their time and the moral conundrum of whether or not they should fix the problems that ruined the kingdom and brought the ban on witches.

The copy I read was beset by that which seems to plague all free or inexpensive ebooks: typos. That said, let's move on.

The story was well told and intended for a younger audience, perhaps early teens. It is a bit of a romance novel. This however does not hamper the tale, but does give it a bit of a foreseen ending. At points it is a bit shallow in that the characters seem to only have a few emotions and swing between them. And the thirty year old sea commander, almost captain, acts like a teenager, as does the witch. This is what leads me to think the target audience is teenagers. Further the characters don't really have to think much to resolve the situation, they are pointed in the right direction and everything conspires to help them on the way, all they have to do is make the right choice. There was one blatant lose thread left blowing at the end, in the beginning the sea commander was told "not to break my window this time", but at no point in the story was he ever faced with a situation where he might have had to. Also the author felt the need to use a faux cussword constantly, even by a character who is stated to never swear. And finally, at one point the main characters introduce themselves with assumed names, but later encounter those who only know them by the fake names and are addressed directly by their correct names with no explanation needed as to the change.

Overall, it is a youth friendly read and rather quick.  However it could do with some editing and possibly shortening. While I would tenderly suggest it as a read, I would not fervently urge anyone to read it.

Review: Delver Magic Book I: Sanctum's Breach

Title: Delver Magic Book I: Sanctum's Breach
Author: Jeff Inlo
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
ISBN: N/A ASIN: B0030ZRWW6

Welcome to a world without magic; that is until magic escapes. Ryson Acumen, a freelance scout descended from a race of scouts and living among humans, is sent to investigate an earthquake. Along the way he discovers that myths are real and all of life is about to change. He gathers a group to break into an ancient fortress designed to house the most dangerous magical artifact ever created; their mission: destroy the artifact before it kills everyone. 

The story suffers. 

First, the main character - and indeed most of them - are romantic in nature. This is something I can tolerate, but really don't want to. The romantic perfection of Ryson - superspeed that prevents anyone from touching him in combat, anyone from escaping him, and the need for time and distance relevance, and an unyielding moral compass - robs the story of so many possible avenues and opportunities that the story becomes predictable.

While the root and basic telling of the story is a compelling read, it suffers repetition. The narrator tells the reader what the characters motivations, thoughts, or actions will be and then has the character actually do or say it. Then the characters are afflicted with the compelling need to preach and then ask "do you understand?" Sadly it seemed more like the writer wanted to convince the reader of an idea rather than lead them there with the story.

It isn't a bad read, but it isn't stellar either. In short it was a four-hundred page (in my epub version) story that could easily have been edited to two-hundred or less.

P.S. - I can't help but wonder if the price (free) and my "auditioning" of new authors (when I've finished the known works of  my favorites, I start looking for authors I'm not familiar with and use one of their works as an audition piece) is the only reason I read this. And the next two in the series, too.

Review: Delver Magic Book II: Throne of Vengeance

Title: Delver Magic Book II: Throne of Vengeance
Author: Jeff Inlo
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
ISBN: N/A      ASIN: B0030ZRWY4

The epic of Ryson Acumen continues! The world is newly flush with magic and monsters and everyone is struggling to adapt. In the midst of this turmoil, the King of the dwarves abdicates, and the Queen Mother with the aid of anti-monarchy rebels usurps the throne. She then begins a war of retribution, seeking to avenge the death of her son, who died in the previous book helping to save the world. Ryson learns of her intentions and tries to warn her victims but is too late, but his actions cause the war to escalate bringing other nations. Soon it is the dwarves versus everyone, and it is up to Ryson and his friends to prevent genocide and war.

My opinion of this book is much the same as that of the last: the story suffers.

The characters are romantic by nature. Their perfection, especially that of Ryson, robs the story of much of its potential and even serves as a consistent deus ex machina. This is especially true of Ryson and his preternatural speed: no one can touch him in combat, or escape him, his sense keep people from hiding from or surprising him, and his unfailing moral compass accepts no challenge.

Then comes the tendency of  characters to lecture and preach only to follow it up in "do you understand?" If the author wishes to explore a moral problem or an idea, show the reader through the story, guide them. To preach and lecture only serves to detract from the story and rob the reader of interest.

There are some persistent edit errors: using "then" instead of "than" and vice versa, among others.

This story was a good time killer, not bad but not excellent either. If it hadn't been free, I most likely would never have ventured to try it. In a book store or library I would have put it back on the shelf, as I could have perused it first. (I obtained the first three books in the series at the same time and price, and read them all.)

Review: Delver Magic Book III: Balance of Fate

Title: Delver Magic Book III: Balance of Fate
Author: Jeff Inlo
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
ISBN: N/A      ASIN: B0030ZRWA8

Old enemies return to threaten a world just gaining its feet after the return of magic and monsters. And once again it is up to Ryson Acumen and his gang of friends to save the day. A dark general makes a deal with an evil sorceress gaining an army and the means to conquer mankind. Via a near omnipotent and semi-omniscient sorcerer, Ryson learns of the troubles and of an even greater threat on the distant horizon. Somehow, Ryson must end the scourges before they can grow beyond control.

Once again the story suffers.

The story is romantic in nature. This is normally not a problem, but with this story it is. Ryson, for example, moves with such speed that no opponent can harm him, neither can they escape him, and his unyielding moral compass preventing internal conflict. This positively robs the story of so many possibilities and avenues.

Nearly every chapter features a lecture on destiny and free will. The reader can often skip whole sections of dialogue without missing any of the story. The reader isn't led on the path of exploring the ideas, but is rather battered at every opportunity with it.

Then a number of scenes felt contrived and unnatural to the flow of the story. These scenes served as nothing more than a device to allow later scenes the author wanted to happen to occur. Although, the author did plan ahead and placed the clues and devices he needed in the last chapters in the early ones so that the idea was already in the reader's mind

Again there was rampant word confusion, the most prolific of which was using "then" as "than" and vice versa.

The underlying story, its bones if you will, is an excellent one. However, this telling while not bad, isn't great. It serves as a time killer and reads almost like a transcribed role playing game adventure. If I had encountered the book in a library or bookstore before obtaining it, I would have returned it to the shelf. But as it was free and I was between authors I gave the series a try. Read it if you will, but be forewarned.

P.S. - Strangely, I've become oddly fond of the characters. Perhaps it's an acquired taste. Scary thought.

Review: The Bakkian Chronicles II: Insurrection

Title: The Bakkian Chronicles II: Insurrection
Author: Jeffery M. Poole
Publisher: Create Space (paperback) or J. M. Poole (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1466388819 (paperback) or ASINL: B005QUVGTS (ebook)

Once again Poole takes through the looking glass on an Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure. The story picks up one year after the Bakkian Chronicles: The Prophecy. Steve and Sarah learn of trouble in magical realm, and rush off to help. They learn that people are have kidnapped the queen leading two nations towards war. Seeking to find out why, they learn more about their powers and why they are exceptional. In the end they learn that they are tools of prophecy to a degree even more so than they imagined. And clues to the true threat are revealed.

The story is fast-paced and frolicksome. Again, it is a fun, interesting story, that shows a lot of promise.There are fewer editing problems than the first, but some new ones cropped up. However, if the problems were resolved the story would move well past promise towards excellence. I do recommend this novel, but with the stipulation that the reader be warned that it is currently less than perfect.

That said, what follows are some of the problems (from most important to nit-picky) I noticed:

The primary problem is word overuse - using a "Visible" word numerous time in a relatively small space, "invisible" words ("said" for example) are exempt from this - namely where the author stated something happened "instantly" or someone did something "while simultaneously" doing something else. Most of the time the overused words can simply be omitted without sacrificing the feel of the sentence.

Late tags or no tags: as the story is written in Third Person Semi-Omnisceient Unlimited the point of view can change from sentence to sentence, but often the new character's point of view is not identified beyond a "he/she" until the point of view is ready to change. Also at times, when multiple characters are speaking, lines of dialogue are left untagged leaving the reader to guess who is speaking.

Deus Ex Machina: The feel of the quest to retrieve the diary towards the end feels contrived solely to answer questions that the author had to answer and used the characters to ask, and the reader wanted to know.

Once again, the professional guards and soldiers are at a loss as to how to behave in military and security matters, deferring those who merely have new magical powers and no military training.

And finally, every time there is to be a fight or danger Steve fights with Sarah about her getting away from danger. Every time. Even when the the guard is on the other side of the door jiggling the handle about to come in and discover them, they have this fight.

Review: The Bakkian Chronicles: The Prophecy

Title: The Bakkian Chronicles: The Prophecy
Author: Jeffery M. Poole
Publisher: Publish America (overpriced defunct paperback) , Create Space (paperback), or J. M. Poole (free ebook)
ISBN: 978-1456043049 (overpriced defunct paperback), 978-1477400630 (paperback), or ASIN: B004LB4TL0 (free ebook)

Special Note: The author had a falling out with Publish American who was overcharging and under-representing, regained his book and kicked Publish American to the curb and made the book available for free.

An Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure; the main characters, Steve and Sarah, find themselves thrust from our world into the midst of a world of wonder and magic. There they discover that not only do they have powers themselves but that they play a central role in a centuries old prophecy. To save the life of the young prince they must master their powers and seek out a master dwarf blacksmith in order to go home, taking the prince to safety with them.

The story is fast-paced and frolicsome. Overall, it is a fun, interesting story, that shows a lot of promise. I say promise because there are a number of editing problems. However, if the problems were resolved the story would move well past promise towards excellence. I do recommend this novel, but with the stipulation that the reader be warned that it is currently less than perfect.

That said, what follows are some of the problems (from most important to nit-picky) I noticed:

The primary problem is word overuse - using a "Visible" word numerous time in a relatively small space, "invisible" words ("said" for example) are exempt from this - namely where the author stated something happened "instantly" or someone did something "while simultaneously" doing something else. Most of the time the overused words can simply be omitted without sacrificing the feel of the sentence.

Late tags or no tags: as the story is written in Third Person Semi-Omnisceient Unlimited the point of view can change from sentence to sentence, but often the new character's point of view is not identified beyond a "he/she" until the point of view is ready to change. Also at times, when multiple characters are speaking, lines of dialogue are left untagged leaving the reader to guess who is speaking.

McGuffins galore!: The main characters are presented with magic items where time is taken to explain the item and its virtues, but the item is either not used or not pertinent to the story. A McGuffin is such an item. In series, this is more forgivable as the item can be used and play a central role in one of the future books. In stand-alones, however, it is faux pas.

Some knowledge confusion: at one point Sarah reminds Steve that he had wanted to move, however the narrative did not have Steve telling Sarah this only thinking it. Also at one point Sarah has to explain what a slingshot is to medieval troops, because they didn't know, however, the prince had a slingshot several chapters earlier and had notably used it on them. In one case a character stated that they hadn't thought of something, but only a few pages before they had, and they wanted to ask someone about it too. This is an easy trap for an author to fall into, as they know the whole story and all possible scenes what was or was not really written may get blurred.

Authority figures sans leadership skills: The Captain of the Guard defers to persons without military experience, and his men often act undisciplined.

Unchildlike child: The Prince is described as a small child, however his dialogue is often that of a teen. The saving grace is that no age is given. The dialogue goes against the child's behavior as he often acts as a five or seven year-old.

And lastly, things that should take a while don't. Steve is apprentice to a master blacksmith and naturally gets the hang of it enough to be trusted with the forging of a sword. Or the construction of an intensely powerful magic item takes days, but full suits of armor that fit perfectly without measuring and an almost magical armored gown take less than a day.

Review: Hogfather

Title: Hogfather
Author: Terry Pratchett
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 978- 0-06-105905-6

Yet again we venture into the Diskworld. In the dead of winter a nefarious plot is hatched to do away with a figure of some prominence.  Meanwhile, Susan - Death's granddaughter - is busily protecting her wards from boogiemen, when a sense of remembering the future hits her. Soon a struggling Tooth Fairy is kidnapped, imps and impossible anthropomorphic personifications are popping into existence, and Death himself is posing as the Hogfather (a version of Santa Claus). Susan must find out why? Where is the Hogfather? And who is behind his disappearance? Humor abounds in this tale. In the end, Susan learns the necessity of the magic and little lies of childhood and the Hogfather.

Terry Pratchett's Death is by and far my favorite character in his books and by association Susan is no slouch either. The story is well told with excellent "flawed" mirroring of our world - ie: the Hogfather in place of Santa Claus - adding a great element of humor. Terry uses sound theories and explanations - well as much as possible in a story including magic and fantasy elements - to prop up and give depth to the story.  By and far, the reading of a few pages quickly shows how this particular story gained in popularity to the point it was made into a movie by BBC. One which I take pleasure in watching every Christmas Season and have managed to use to gain converts to the works of Terry Prachett.

Additionally, Prachett uses footnotes to add humorous asides to the main story. They aren't necessary to the story, but reading them adds an extra depth that would be sorely lacking should he desist in the practice. I highly recommend reading this story, or at least slacking of for an evening of watching the BBC movie.

Review: The Wee Free Men

Title: The Wee Free Men
Author: Terry Pratchett
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 978- 0-06-001238-0

In the infamous, fun, and odd world of the Diskworld young Tiffany Aching is coming of age. She sees the world differently than most, some would say that she sees what is really there, and that makes her special.  She decides to be a witch. And shortly after receiving a warning from a visiting witch that trouble was coming, and that Tiffany should hide until it is all sorted, Tiffany’s brother is taken. Tiffany is bound and determined to get him back. Along the way she meets, befriends, and winds up leading the Wee Free Men – elfin creatures, six inches tall, who are ferocious fighters and thieves – and they assist her in her efforts to free her brother.

I will confess a bias for the works of Terry Pratchett that is certainly reflected here, but not overly so. The book is targeted for young adults, but nevertheless is fun for the older reader.  While Tiffany’s actions and thoughts don’t scream “child”, this is easily forgiven as from the start it is made clear that she is not normal in any sense. Her animosity for her younger sibling (sibling rivalry) and determination to protect what’s hers rings true. The Wee Free Men provide vital exposition and comic relief. – After all what do you expect from creatures, who after survive a tidal wave are only concerned with how many sharks they head butted or on whom they’ll pawn their fool’s gold? – The pace is suitably fast and the story clear and concise. In truth it was a pleasure to read. 

However, I feel that the story was made the more pleasurable from having first read the other novels about  Diskworld. This is not necessary as no references are made that are not explained. But an overall feel of the world contributes a certain something.

Review: A Taste For Rabbit

Title: A Taste For Rabbit
Author: Linda Suckerman
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN: 978- 0-439-86977-5

In a world without humans, animals have evolved to fill the sentient niche.  Not all animals are sentient, those that are are predators. The foxes face a sever famine and starvation as winter causes their food supply to dwindle. Meanwhile, and not too distant, but inaccessible, rabbits have achieved society unbeknownst to anyone and unknowing of any other society.

Harry Fox is employed by his brother a dirty politician to gain access to the rabbits rumored to live on the inaccessible plateau. Harboring dreams of showing his brother up or even better shaming him, Harry goes on his hunting trip. He encounters a con-artist and is out maneuvered into delays and misdirection.

Meanwhile Quentin, a rabbit, runs afoul of the military during a trying time in the rabbit colony. Rabbit families are vanishing and the politicians and military are creating a police state with the blessing of the populous in the name of safety. Quentin and his friends decide to escape the compound, dodging the draft, and join the rebels. Quentin gets separated from his friends after the escape and learns the terrible truth of the vanishing rabbits.

Harry and Quentin encounter each other and from each other’s influence learn the truth of their metal and that necessity breeds heroes, honor comes from within, and a wider worldview.

On the whole, the story was well told with the two intertwining storylines meshing well. However, the Harry Fox storyline was distracting as Harry was consistently beset with daydreams and flashbacks that did not separate from reality but blended so that the reader had to pay close attention or risk getting lost (The Quentin storyline has but one flashback.). The story was a fun, if disturbing romp – Spoiler: The rabbits are being kidnapped by some of the military, killed, and sold as food to a few of the well off foxes on the black market. And as the story is an exploration of humanity, this equates to cannibalism. – end too leaves the reader hopeful, nigh on demanding, for a sequel. This is because the story leaves one major thread flapping in the wind – though this can be called life – and the characters speaking of their future possibilities and desires in the final pages.

I would cautiously recommend this read. The reader should be aware that the story is more intellectual than a driving page-turner; in essence test the waters before buying.

Review: The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

Title: The Lost Gate
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher: TOR
ISBN: 978-0-7653-6538-5

Young Danny North was raised with a secret humanity doesn't know; magic exists. The offspring of two potent mages, great things were expected of Danny. Then he learns that his particular power is banned upon pain of death. So Danny runs. While having exploits and adventures, Danny finds a new family, grows, and learns his craft. Meanwhile a youth on a distant world, who is far older than he seems, awakes and gets enmeshed in political intrigue. His an Danny's fates are entwined, holding that of all magicians and the very worlds in their hands.

The story is reminiscent of the Dark Sword Trilogy by Margaret Weis: a boy of noble birth who is supposed to have great powers, is hunted, raised in secret, and is the key to his people's fate.

When the book starts Danny's voice is far more mature than a thirteen year-old should be even with the increased and remarkable intellect attributed to him (an intellect the reader is not allowed to forget as they are reminded time and again). His voice becomes more believable when he turns sixteen, but only just. The voices of all the characters merge to a monotone of sarcasm and smart-alec remarks. Though a few characters are embittered or angry, and fewer still are cheerful, these are more background characters not even worth more than a passing glance.

The adults, too, seem cookie-cutter characters in that all of them are manipulative of Danny, with the deciding characteristic of good and evil being how Danny views them. For example authority figures who treat him with respect receive grudging approval. Those who treat him as a child or inferior, are treated the same. But in all the main character knows best.

The magic system is an off-shoot of the four elements school of magic - earth, wind, water, fire - wherein each mage can only work within their type of magic. In this world mages may work one of eight elements, though the eight is debatable as it is considered a sin; air, water, wind, earth, animal, plant, gate (instantaneous transport), man. All mages are born with a different level of attainable skill, with the most powerful as the most respected. The most powerful is the gate magic - that of the hero - which can augment the ability of mages, heal any wound save death, and transverse space, all while conferring upon the gate mage increased intellect, language skill, and a sense of smart-alecness and urge to prank.

The pace is fairly fast and the story well written. The worlds and intrigues are convincing, as is the underlining problem faced by the hero: who holds me responsible for my actions, if none can punish me? I eagerly await the next story in the series as, the story, while enjoyable as a stand-alone, leaves too much begging to be told and a massive thread flapping loose.  I would recommend this book.