27 October 2015

Review: The Flux

The Flux The Flux by Ferrett Steinmetz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Closer to a 4.5.

So Flex is great, and if you've read it, you know that already. The Flux is absolutely in the same universe, but it's a very different book. That's not a bad thing, but it also means that there are parts that stumble and there's some attention to detail that needs to be done by the reader for things to truly pay off.

Overall, we're past the point of Flex and now Paul is inside the machine. But if the first book was about saving his daughter by any means necessary, The Flex, in a sense, is about Paul trying to save his daughter from herself. It's an interesting dynamic in the story in that there are things we can control and things we can't, and this story is largely about both of those things as a result, as Aliyah is torn between what's right and what's true. And she's eight. And there are good guys and bad guys, but a significant amount of grey to go along with it.

Yeah, it's that kind of book.

There's a lot of balls in the air here, and what Steinmetz does well is keep them in the air while not losing the sense of the overall. Sometimes there's an inbalance between the action and the story, sometimes things are a little longer than they need to be, but the key point is that the story works. The beginning is a crazy adventure, and the end is just an enjoyable boss battle in every way, including a part that both got me visibly excited and emotionally upset - I tend to be a stoic reader, so that's worth praise in and of itself.

Ferrett Steinmetz is a longtime internet friend/acquaintance, and so knowing some of the things that inform this book definitely has a director's cut feel as a result. I might have actually enjoyed this more if I didn't know some of what he's shared over the years, and that's a testament to how good this book is on a whole.

Overall? A worthy sequel, even if it doesn't reach those heights. Read Flex first, obviously, but give this series a shot. It's some of the more unique and enjoyable urban fantasy I've read as of late.

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Review: The Flux

The Flux The Flux by Ferrett Steinmetz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Closer to a 4.5.

So Flex is great, and if you've read it, you know that already. The Flux is absolutely in the same universe, but it's a very different book. That's not a bad thing, but it also means that there are parts that stumble and there's some attention to detail that needs to be done by the reader for things to truly pay off.

Overall, we're past the point of Flex and now Paul is inside the machine. But if the first book was about saving his daughter by any means necessary, The Flex, in a sense, is about Paul trying to save his daughter from herself. It's an interesting dynamic in the story in that there are things we can control and things we can't, and this story is largely about both of those things as a result, as Aliyah is torn between what's right and what's true. And she's eight. And there are good guys and bad guys, but a significant amount of grey to go along with it.

Yeah, it's that kind of book.

There's a lot of balls in the air here, and what Steinmetz does well is keep them in the air while not losing the sense of the overall. Sometimes there's an inbalance between the action and the story, sometimes things are a little longer than they need to be, but the key point is that the story works. The beginning is a crazy adventure, and the end is just an enjoyable boss battle in every way, including a part that both got me visibly excited and emotionally upset - I tend to be a stoic reader, so that's worth praise in and of itself.

Ferrett Steinmetz is a longtime internet friend/acquaintance, and so knowing some of the things that inform this book definitely has a director's cut feel as a result. I might have actually enjoyed this more if I didn't know some of what he's shared over the years, and that's a testament to how good this book is on a whole.

Overall? A worthy sequel, even if it doesn't reach those heights. Read Flex first, obviously, but give this series a shot. It's some of the more unique and enjoyable urban fantasy I've read as of late.

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20 October 2015

Review: Willful Machines

Willful Machines Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably closer to a 3.5.

It's like a lot of people are trying to be Cory Doctorow these days with limited success. Here is a new attempt, Willful Machines, which takes place at a boarding school sometime in the future following a robot-uprising-meets-terrorist-attack, where the president's son is at the school. Everyone's pretty attached to their devices, but we're not sure if they can be trusted anymore, and the robot running the uprising (as it were) is threatening another major attack.

This book tries to be a lot of things. It tries to be a surveillance tale and that's questionable. It tries to revive the tropes of not being able to trust machines and computers and such and largely falls flat. It tries to be a more inclusive tale by making the main character gay and, while it does work, it seems more like a way to twist a plot device than just being something that's happening. That's the main flaw with this book - plenty of good things happening that just flop before they become great, and what results is a readable but flawed narrative that I wanted more from and simply didn't get.

Certainly worth a look if things look interesting, but overall, reader beware.

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18 October 2015

Review: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So a few things:

1) Squirrel Girl is awesome, and she also happens to be super powerful, and someone like Ryan North is exactly the type of writer to get to the heart of the whole thing.

2) Squirrel Girl as a comic is kind of limited in its available scope, and probably gets a boost due to the fun novelty of it all combined with her notoriety as one of those c-level superheroes that got very short thrift in the Marvel canon but is one of those fun trivia answers.

This comic ultimately works because it tries to subvert a lot of comic tropes while still sitting firmly within the universe itself. It doesn't go too far in either direction (a welcome change from, say, the recent Thor debacle, and tries deliberately to keep things really light. That's welcome.

I suppose if you're looking for a more serious take, look elsewhere. As a "better than most of the recent Marvel Now" stuff, though, it's worth a good gander. Plus, you can't really argue with a "EAT NUTS KICK BUTTS" tagline, can you?

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Review: The Novice

The Novice The Novice by Taran Matharu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I still feel like there's an overall dearth of solid, more mature fantasy for young adults that isn't couched in romance tropes. The Novice, while a little overlong and with a pretty significant runup, does a good job of balancing existing tropes with a different concept altogether. Sort of like if Hogwarts was at West Point, this ends up being a fun read.

The story, once we get there, is pretty cool. Fletcher learns, somewhat accidentally, that he has the ability to summon demons. He is quickly brought into what is basically a summoning school to train for a great war.

This works in part because, once it gets rolling, it largely cuts the fat a bit. We get the relationships, but it's more a lot of action and training, and it's impressive that it works as well as it does in that regard. This isn't Harry Potter, and it's probably closer to The Iron Trial in overall tone, and that's good - we need more fantasy like this that's both appropriate for a wider age range and ushers in a good introduction to the genre.

I'm looking forward to what comes next. Absolutely worth your time.

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Review: The Keeper

The Keeper The Keeper by David Baldacci
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oof, this book.

So, a caveat first and foremost. I read this for a specific reason, and I was not familiar with the first book in the series outside of the basic plot. Also, this was my first real exposure to David Baldacci, being, again, familiar with his earlier work for adults from my old bookselling days.

I read one Brad Meltzer book back in the day. I know his comic stuff is good, but I found his prose lacking for a traditional novel. It's not to say I love a lot of flourish, but a more workmanlike, dialogue-heavy prose doesn't always work for me. Baldacci, at least in The Keeper, is very similar to that and to books like James Dashner (for this age set), where solid descriptions take a backseat to a more workmanlike prose.

This is unfortunate, because The Keeper has a lot going for it, including some solid worldbuilding and interesting magic structures. Even coming in during the middle of the story, there's a lot to be engaged with in terms of what it offers in a fantasy about a girl and her companion trying to escape from an evil town. The action is good, but at 400+ pages, the whole thing just feels tiring as opposed to epic. It can be a difficult line to walk, but on a whole, it just should be better.

Obviously, start on book one. If the writing in that is anything like this, you'll know very quickly whether it's a book you'll be into or not. For my money, there are a lot of better fantasy books for this age group out there worth your time.

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17 October 2015

Review: The Shadow Wars

The Shadow Wars The Shadow Wars by Rod Rees
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a huge fan of the first book in this series, so I dove into the second one about as fast as I could. Fortunately, the idea and concept behind this series remains sound. Unfortunately, some missteps combined with a shift in focus for book two means this wasn't nearly as good as it could have been.

Following the success of the bad guys in the first book, the new goal is to consolidate power within the Demi-Monde. Since Ella has effectively decided she's a messianic figure within the simulation now, it's up to someone else to work things out a bit, and whether this will actually result in success in anyone's guess.

I don't mind the choices made in the narrative at all. It's all building to something that I hope ends up being pretty cool. The problem, unfortunately, is that the different focus takes us away from what we've come to like from the story and toward something different instead, and it means I felt a little less engaged as a result. For a book that really benefited from the tight focus, the wider lens didn't quite work for me. And I'm not a prude, but there was some definite gratuitous stuff at the end that just didn't work within the confines of the story that were really irritating and grating.

I will go in on book three, and I'm looking forward to it. But my enthusiasm for the story has been reduced a bit, and that's a problem. Here's hoping book three picks up a bit.

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13 October 2015

Review: Ice Like Fire

Ice Like Fire Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Closer to a 3.5.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Snow Like Ashes. It was a good, complicated, mature fantasy that often feels lacking in the young adult genre. The sequel is largely a tonal shift, which hurts the narrative and what's been established even though it's still a pretty decent read.

The story takes place not long after Snow, where Meira is now Winter's queen and is responsible for everything that comes with the position. Without giving away a ton from the first book beyond that, there are some magical elements that go along with it, and Meira has uncovered something fairly significant that impacts how magic works in the lands. The story quickly becomes a hunt for more clues and more information to try and set everything straight.

I liked this a lot, but the fact that it stops being an action-packed fantasy and goes more into political intrigue and such was a problem for me. If this were a stand-alone piece with different characters, I would have liked it more, but instead it felt more like a shift into a different type of story altogether. To be fair, the last quarter of the book really ramps everything up and tosses a few game changers in there that might have also shifted my perception, but there's something to be said about tonal consistency in a sequel.

Overall, not recommending against this, and I definitely look forward to the finale, but certainly a step backwards.

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Review: Black Widow: Forever Red

Black Widow: Forever Red Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The cultural zeitgeist right now demands a Black Widow movie, but right now we might just be settling on a YA book, and that's okay. What's even more okay is how good this book is on a whole, and how it straddles YA without actually dumbing down the characters or the story in any significant way.

If you've seen Age of Ultron, you get an idea of Black Widow's origin as master assassin, and this book follows a couple kids on a similar trajectory, caught between the evil organization in charge and SHIELD itself. A lot of Marvel favorites make an appearance, and the story is basically set up like a Marvel movie. Long and short, you know what you're getting.

What works is that the pace is very similar to the Marvel structure, with some beginning exposition, the problem being established in the middle, and a very action-packed finale. Stohl in particular was really able to structure the narrative well in this regard, both in terms of keeping the action up while not sacrificing the story itself. If there's a downside, it's that the longer exposition at the start does feel somewhat draggy at times, and in a book that features a character that should give the promise of action, it is a bit of a mark against it.

Overall, though, we seem to be hitting a good stride (finally) on comic characters in prose stories. Here's hoping this is the first of many Marvel pieces in particular.

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06 October 2015

Review: Spinning Starlight

Spinning Starlight Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

RC Lewis's first book was a sci-fi retelling of Cinderella that was...okay. I can't find a ton to fault it, but I can't find a ton to love, either, especially since Marissa Meyer is sort of leading the charge. Spinning Starlight is a science fiction retelling of Swan Lake, and while the similarities are a little rough around the edges, the story is BRILLIANT once it gets rolling. A society girl of sorts gets transported via portal to a long-forgotten planet and loses her ability to speak, and then it essentially becomes an alien visitation story in reverse? Pretty great.

This story is bogged down a bit because it takes nearly a quarter of the book to get going. I very nearly tossed it aside, but the moment Liddi hits the new planet, the story becomes something a little special. It's great to see the problem solving, the cultural differences, the language barriers, and done from a perspective that most science fiction stories don't quite get to. Much like how the first book uses an old fairy tale as a framework, so too does this one, and it doesn't feel so weighted down by the concept.

The end is not as frustrating as the beginning, but still doesn't quite work the same way the rest of the book does. Flawed, for sure, but still worth a read and still glad I read it overall. Closer to a 3.5.

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Review: The Rig

The Rig The Rig by Joe Ducie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What would you call a prison break story that's also a super soldier story that's also sort of like The Hunger Games but really more like any other dystopia going? I think The Rig tries to be that. It's a solid story about a kid, jailed multiple times for multiple questionable offenses, who uncovers a pretty crazy secret at the oil rig-style prison he's stuck on in the Arctic Ocean. The secret is more than a little bit of a game changer and really changes the tone of the story completely, but is still pretty interesting on its own.

The book is pretty straightforward in its action and dialogue, making it ripe for reluctant readers of a certain age. The twist in the very end is a strange one, but one I didn't *not* enjoy. Without being able to fully root for anyone, it creates an odd space where you feel like you're more of an observer than fully immersed or engaged, but that might be more me than the book. Overall, there are a lot of readers who might be excited for this. As an adult reader, there might not be a ton here for you, though.

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04 October 2015

Review: Hexomancy

Hexomancy Hexomancy by Michael R. Underwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a way, the Ree Reyes books are somewhat critic-proof at this point. It's a geek's dream, an excuse to pile as much fandom into its pages as possible while still being a fun, compelling read, and what it does just works. It doesn't turn me off, it might turn off other readers, but that's fine.

Hexomancy feels like a good addition to the excellent novella from about a year ago, where it follows up what happened with the massive attack and then raises the stakes. The result is a book that's maybe a little darker, and perhaps less fun on a whole than Celebromancy, but that's more than okay - it's just evolving a bit and the meat of it still works.

Overall, if you've enjoyed the series up until now, this is not going to change your mind. It's a solid read with a light touch, and the spot-the-references fun is what keeps this series sustained in the long run.

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03 October 2015

Review: Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen

Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen by Philip Dray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Closer to a 4.5.

It's been a while since I've read some straight history, and Capitol Men definitely delivered. A post-reconstruction tale of mostly individual but obviously interconnected African-American individuals who made a mark on the government and in history in general following the Civil War, this is the sort of stuff I had ultimately wished I had gotten in history classes. Instead, it's overlooked for plenty of reasons (good and bad) and the result is that we lose out on some really interesting stories about people who really deserve more praise.

I can't think of a favorite at this time out, and that's both because there are so many fascinating individuals highlighted and because of the distance between reading and now. Overall, this is really a must read for anyone who has any interest in all in post-Civil War political history, or those who are looking for those little-known stories from the past. A really great read.

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02 October 2015

Review: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The new hotness in the YA set is this book, which I feel like I've been hearing about forever but only got to read now. Whether it was pre-pub hype or just how awesome this cover was, though, this book really fell flat.

The story follows Sage, who is maybe a little under the radar but sometimes reaches out to people and it sometimes works out. Then there's Shane, the bad boy guitarist who comes from a broken home and a bad situation and... well, you know where this is going.

And that's ultimately the problem. The book takes some weird chances that only feel like chances due to how out of step it is with the standard in YA right now. The result is a fairly strange, often negative, somewhat puzzling book that kept me guessing for a lot of the wrong reasons. And it's got a violent streak to it and it's just overall a strange read that left me unsettled in the not great way.

I think there's appeal here, to be sure. It's not a book I'd recommend except to very specific people with very specific situations, though - there are so many other YA books that handle tougher topics in a better way.

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