I was under the impression that I'd read something by de Lint before, but going back through my records I see that I was wrong--this is the first one. It is the story of Grace Quintero, a heavily-tattooed auto mechanic who loves old Fords and rockabilly music. Grace goes to the local grocery store one night to buy some cigarettes, and gets shot to death by a junkie who's trying to hold the place up.
And then she wakes up in her apartment, thinking it was all a bad dream, only to be informed that no, she really is dead. She, and everyone else who has died in the neighborhood over the last forty years, is stuck in a limbo that looks just like their neighborhood, except that they can't leave, and everything looks like it did in the 1960s--except in places where someone has died. Grace spends stupidly long refusing to believe in her new situation, and then sets about trying to find a way out of it. She befriends Conchita, who was stabbed to death at age 17, and Edna, a lady to lives downstairs from her, and Henry, who spends all his time in the library trying to figure out why they're there and what to do about it.
This is also, unfortunately, the story of John, who meets an attractive, heavily tattooed lady in a bar on Halloween night, and falls in love with her. She disappears from his apartment in the early hours of the morning, and, with the help of his Wiccan friends, he realizes that she's a ghost. Grace's ghost, to be precise, which can return to the world of the living two nights a year. They try to carry on a romance, because they're totally in love at first sight, and naturally it's mutual. Gag.
I found The Mystery of Grace to be a quick and mildly entertaining read, but no better than that. There were scenes which I'm fairly sure were supposed to be moving, but weren't. Parts of it read like a brochure extolling the wonders of Wicca, while at the end order can only be restored if Grace can regain her Catholic faith. I was bored by the star-crossed lovers destined to never be together, and frankly didn't really like Grace very much. I know people who would like this book--indeed, I used to have a friend whose favorite author was de Lint--but it really isn't for me. My tolerance for New Age mysticism, or really mysticism of any sort, has waned over the years. Not recommended.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Night of Knives by Ian C. Esslemont
Knight of Knives takes place in the Malazan Empire which is featured in the novels of Steven Erikson. Erikson and Esslemont created the universe together, and in this book Esslemont fills in a bit of the backstory.
The entire novel takes place in one very busy night in Malaz City. It is the night of the Shadow Moon, an event which only happens a few times each century, when the walls between the worlds are thin, supernatural creatures are afoot, and anyone with any sense hides indoors until morning. Our two main characters, of course, don't have any sense. One is Temper, a veteran with a past and enemies he is trying to hide from. He goes out into the night in search of his girlfriend, and because he's the sort of person who is in the middle of events when important things are happening. The other protagonist is Kiska, a teenage girl who yearns for adventure and power. She is desperate to attract the attention of one of the Imperial officials so that she can get hired on and get out off this quiet island. She goes out into the streets because she's too ambitious and stupid to realize how dangerous it is. As well as the usual danger of the Shadow Moon, some of the most important people in the empire are engaged in a power struggle. Control of the empire will shift hands that night, and they leave a path of corpses and destruction behind them.
I have read a couple of Erikson's Malazan novels, but never got around to reading the third one because the second was such an unpleasant, grim slog. I vaguely intend to get back to the series some day, and Night of Knives has provided me with some incentive. I am happy to report that Esslemont can write. The book was packed with action, the descriptions were vivid enough even for me, who doesn't visualize much as I read, and Temper was a good character to travel along with. Kiska was an annoying idiot, but that was rather the point. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I think it works all right even if you haven't read the other Malazan books. Recommended.
The entire novel takes place in one very busy night in Malaz City. It is the night of the Shadow Moon, an event which only happens a few times each century, when the walls between the worlds are thin, supernatural creatures are afoot, and anyone with any sense hides indoors until morning. Our two main characters, of course, don't have any sense. One is Temper, a veteran with a past and enemies he is trying to hide from. He goes out into the night in search of his girlfriend, and because he's the sort of person who is in the middle of events when important things are happening. The other protagonist is Kiska, a teenage girl who yearns for adventure and power. She is desperate to attract the attention of one of the Imperial officials so that she can get hired on and get out off this quiet island. She goes out into the streets because she's too ambitious and stupid to realize how dangerous it is. As well as the usual danger of the Shadow Moon, some of the most important people in the empire are engaged in a power struggle. Control of the empire will shift hands that night, and they leave a path of corpses and destruction behind them.
I have read a couple of Erikson's Malazan novels, but never got around to reading the third one because the second was such an unpleasant, grim slog. I vaguely intend to get back to the series some day, and Night of Knives has provided me with some incentive. I am happy to report that Esslemont can write. The book was packed with action, the descriptions were vivid enough even for me, who doesn't visualize much as I read, and Temper was a good character to travel along with. Kiska was an annoying idiot, but that was rather the point. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I think it works all right even if you haven't read the other Malazan books. Recommended.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Black Blood by John Meaney
Black Blood is a sequel to Bong Song, which I reviewed here. This review contains some spoilers for Bone Song.
Police detective Donal Riordan is still reeling from the events at the end of Bone Song. He and his commanding officer were killed while arresting a criminal. She is gone now, and he has been made into a zombie. He's finding it a somewhat uncomfortable adjustment. He is now stronger and faster and can see in the dark. He can smell magic now, and is immune to most security systems. But he also has to plug himself in regularly to recharge his heart, the city council is on the verge of stripping zombies of all citizenship rights, and hate crimes against his kind are on the rise, often committed by the police. So life isn't exactly easy. Meanwhile his coworkers are investigating a new telephone service that makes its users happy and friendly, which obviously isn't natural and must be stopped.
Black Blood takes place in a city that runs on necromancy. Power is provided by reactors that run on bones. The phone service works with human nerve tissues. Gargoyles provide security, and Deathwolves roam the streets. It's a really fun, moody atmosphere. Even though it feels like the sort of place where it's always dark, I hadn't initially realized that it actually is a place where it's always dark. Riordan travels to another city in this book, and is amazed that they have light coming from the sky. It's unnatural to him. Which makes me wonder how they grow food without photosynthesis, but the answer is probably gross and I suspect I'm happier not knowing.
As I mentioned in an earlier entry here, I hesitated about reading Black Blood. I loved Bone Song, and didn't want my enjoyment spoiled by a sequel that probably wouldn't live up to the first volume. However my fears were mostly unfounded. I didn't like Black Blood as well as Bone Song, but it is a worthy sequel. I didn't particularly like the parts about hate crimes against the undead, and stripping their rights and expelling them from the city and gathering them up to exterminate them all. It is all very familiar to anyone familiar with 20th century history, and not at all enjoyable. And I don't imagine with was supposed to be enjoyable. But since I read fantasy novels for cool things I'll enjoy, I have to say it made me like this book less than Bone Song, which was exactly what I suspected might happen. Nevertheless, it still had enough of the cool things to make me glad I read it, and I will read the third book when it comes out, too. Recommended, but read Bone Song first.
Police detective Donal Riordan is still reeling from the events at the end of Bone Song. He and his commanding officer were killed while arresting a criminal. She is gone now, and he has been made into a zombie. He's finding it a somewhat uncomfortable adjustment. He is now stronger and faster and can see in the dark. He can smell magic now, and is immune to most security systems. But he also has to plug himself in regularly to recharge his heart, the city council is on the verge of stripping zombies of all citizenship rights, and hate crimes against his kind are on the rise, often committed by the police. So life isn't exactly easy. Meanwhile his coworkers are investigating a new telephone service that makes its users happy and friendly, which obviously isn't natural and must be stopped.
Black Blood takes place in a city that runs on necromancy. Power is provided by reactors that run on bones. The phone service works with human nerve tissues. Gargoyles provide security, and Deathwolves roam the streets. It's a really fun, moody atmosphere. Even though it feels like the sort of place where it's always dark, I hadn't initially realized that it actually is a place where it's always dark. Riordan travels to another city in this book, and is amazed that they have light coming from the sky. It's unnatural to him. Which makes me wonder how they grow food without photosynthesis, but the answer is probably gross and I suspect I'm happier not knowing.
As I mentioned in an earlier entry here, I hesitated about reading Black Blood. I loved Bone Song, and didn't want my enjoyment spoiled by a sequel that probably wouldn't live up to the first volume. However my fears were mostly unfounded. I didn't like Black Blood as well as Bone Song, but it is a worthy sequel. I didn't particularly like the parts about hate crimes against the undead, and stripping their rights and expelling them from the city and gathering them up to exterminate them all. It is all very familiar to anyone familiar with 20th century history, and not at all enjoyable. And I don't imagine with was supposed to be enjoyable. But since I read fantasy novels for cool things I'll enjoy, I have to say it made me like this book less than Bone Song, which was exactly what I suspected might happen. Nevertheless, it still had enough of the cool things to make me glad I read it, and I will read the third book when it comes out, too. Recommended, but read Bone Song first.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Digital Plague by Jeff Somers
The Digital Plague is the sequel to The Electric Church, which I reviewed here. It again features Avery Cates, a criminal who lives in a grim future in which the rich have rights and the poor are beaten and killed by the police, who Cates refers to as the System Pigs. Cates, who used to eke out an existence as a paid killer, became fabulously wealthy following the events of The Electric Church. He's now a crime boss, and the police would really like him dead.
At the beginning of The Digital Plague, Cates is abducted by unknown assailants, injected with a mystery substance, and then left to be found by his people. For some reason he doesn't seem that interested in figuring out what he was injected with, which didn't make much sense to me. But he is consumed with burning rage that someone would attack him, and sets about trying to learn who they are so that he can kill them all. He goes downtown to do some investigating, and is arrested by the Department of Public Health. Cates, not believing them, assumes that they're really System Pigs and sets about trying to escape. When he does so, he discovers that all of his friends and associates have died of a horrible illness that killed them quickly. Now he's even more angry than before, and is going to make someone pay.
I said of the first book:
The Electric Church is the sort of novel in which the situation goes from bad to worse to ridiculously terrible, and just keeps sinking lower.
And this is an accurate description to The Digital Plague, too. The situation just gets worse and worse. A plague is wiping out the entire eastern US, and Cates is the one who is spreading it. He falls into the hands of the System Pigs, who beat the crap out of him and then beat him some more before deciding he might be useful. Then Cates, who has multiple broken bones, walks, runs, swims, and beats people up, even though he's the walking wounded. He also apparently does this while not eating or sleeping for several days. It's like the thrillers or spy novels from the 1970s, in which the hero survives a plane crash, staggers away with a broken shoulder, gets shot, swims the English Channel, and single-handedly takes out a base of heavily-armed, able-bodied thugs. In other words, just not believable.
Nevertheless, I am assuming that Cates exists in Thriller land, in which only the bad guys are seriously incapacitated by their injuries. Even so, this is a pretty over-the-top grim novel. As I said, most of the population of the Eastern US is killed off. But the plot is defeated, the plague is stopped, and no one lives happily ever after.
The Digital Plague was still a pretty entertaining novel, though. I certainly kept reading to find out what happened next. And then at the end there was a sample of the third Avery Cates book, which sucked me in enough that I'll probably have to read it when it comes out, too. These books aren't deep or brilliant, but they're a quick and entertaining read, so long as you have a high tolerance for violence and despair.
At the beginning of The Digital Plague, Cates is abducted by unknown assailants, injected with a mystery substance, and then left to be found by his people. For some reason he doesn't seem that interested in figuring out what he was injected with, which didn't make much sense to me. But he is consumed with burning rage that someone would attack him, and sets about trying to learn who they are so that he can kill them all. He goes downtown to do some investigating, and is arrested by the Department of Public Health. Cates, not believing them, assumes that they're really System Pigs and sets about trying to escape. When he does so, he discovers that all of his friends and associates have died of a horrible illness that killed them quickly. Now he's even more angry than before, and is going to make someone pay.
I said of the first book:
The Electric Church is the sort of novel in which the situation goes from bad to worse to ridiculously terrible, and just keeps sinking lower.
And this is an accurate description to The Digital Plague, too. The situation just gets worse and worse. A plague is wiping out the entire eastern US, and Cates is the one who is spreading it. He falls into the hands of the System Pigs, who beat the crap out of him and then beat him some more before deciding he might be useful. Then Cates, who has multiple broken bones, walks, runs, swims, and beats people up, even though he's the walking wounded. He also apparently does this while not eating or sleeping for several days. It's like the thrillers or spy novels from the 1970s, in which the hero survives a plane crash, staggers away with a broken shoulder, gets shot, swims the English Channel, and single-handedly takes out a base of heavily-armed, able-bodied thugs. In other words, just not believable.
Nevertheless, I am assuming that Cates exists in Thriller land, in which only the bad guys are seriously incapacitated by their injuries. Even so, this is a pretty over-the-top grim novel. As I said, most of the population of the Eastern US is killed off. But the plot is defeated, the plague is stopped, and no one lives happily ever after.
The Digital Plague was still a pretty entertaining novel, though. I certainly kept reading to find out what happened next. And then at the end there was a sample of the third Avery Cates book, which sucked me in enough that I'll probably have to read it when it comes out, too. These books aren't deep or brilliant, but they're a quick and entertaining read, so long as you have a high tolerance for violence and despair.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
Twilight Watch is the third in Lukyanenko's series about magical agents of good and evil in Moscow. In this volume, they are forced to join forces against a threat that could endanger everyone.
The protagonist is, once again, Anton Gorodetsky, agent of the Light. He is married to the lovely and powerful Svetlana, and they now have a daughter, Nadia, who has the potential to be even more powerful than her parents. Following an assignment in Moscow, Anton is sent to spend some vacation time with his family at his mother-in-law's dacha outside the city. But even when on vacation, Anton can't get away from work, as two children emerge from the forest with stories of wolves and the nice lady who rescued them and gave them tea. He goes in search of werewolves and witches, and finds them.
Anton is kind of an annoying character. He's an agent of the Light, and he just can't get over his revulsion of the agents of the Dark, especially the vampires. Even after years of working with them, he's just as raw and naive as a child about certain things, and it gets tiring. Instead of getting down to work, he keeps protesting, "They're vampires!" whenever he has to work with one, as if they don't all know this already. They know they're vampires. Everyone knows they're vampires. Stop whining and get to work, dude. It's racist and annoying after a while.
As usual, Anton is in the dark through most of the story, trying to fathom the motives of his superiors and of the Dark Agents. He's not a very complicated person, and as he learns more about how the balance of power works, he grows more and more disillusioned with everything. In the end they eventually manage to save the day again.
These books are like crack. I just finished Twilight Watch, and I'm already planning to order Last Watch. I want to know what happens next, even though the main character is a bit prissy and simple. I look forward to the machinations of Gesar and Zabulon. I look forward to learning more of the secrets of the Others. Really, go buy Night Watch and read it. You won't regret it.
The protagonist is, once again, Anton Gorodetsky, agent of the Light. He is married to the lovely and powerful Svetlana, and they now have a daughter, Nadia, who has the potential to be even more powerful than her parents. Following an assignment in Moscow, Anton is sent to spend some vacation time with his family at his mother-in-law's dacha outside the city. But even when on vacation, Anton can't get away from work, as two children emerge from the forest with stories of wolves and the nice lady who rescued them and gave them tea. He goes in search of werewolves and witches, and finds them.
Anton is kind of an annoying character. He's an agent of the Light, and he just can't get over his revulsion of the agents of the Dark, especially the vampires. Even after years of working with them, he's just as raw and naive as a child about certain things, and it gets tiring. Instead of getting down to work, he keeps protesting, "They're vampires!" whenever he has to work with one, as if they don't all know this already. They know they're vampires. Everyone knows they're vampires. Stop whining and get to work, dude. It's racist and annoying after a while.
As usual, Anton is in the dark through most of the story, trying to fathom the motives of his superiors and of the Dark Agents. He's not a very complicated person, and as he learns more about how the balance of power works, he grows more and more disillusioned with everything. In the end they eventually manage to save the day again.
These books are like crack. I just finished Twilight Watch, and I'm already planning to order Last Watch. I want to know what happens next, even though the main character is a bit prissy and simple. I look forward to the machinations of Gesar and Zabulon. I look forward to learning more of the secrets of the Others. Really, go buy Night Watch and read it. You won't regret it.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Since Everyone Else is Doing It...
The What Fantasy Writer are You? quiz.
I'm not sure I agree with the results, actually. I have a very high tolerance for violence in fiction, just not for violence in real life. On the other hand, I really am that cynical.
Your result for Which fantasy writer are you? ...
Philip Pullman (b.1946)
5 High-Brow, -1 Violent, 21 Experimental and 41 Cynical!
Congratulations! You are High-Brow, Peaceful, Experimental and Cynical! These concepts are defined below.
Philip Pullman was already a prominent author of children's books when he published his most praised work to date, the trilogy known as His Dark Materials (1995-2000). In this work, set both in parallel worlds and our own, Pullman made a courageous attempt to write a book for young readers which incorporated a whole vision of the universe, as well as a discussion of ethical issues. He managed to combine this with a burst of thought-provoking and entertaining imagination, bringing to life a Europe where the church is still in control, "souls" that have been externalised as animal presences, intelligent, sentient polar bears and much more. The series have been described as a sort of "anti-Narnia", as Pullman's attempt to write an updated variant of the kind of books C S Lewis, whom Pullman has criticized for having racist, misogynic and preaching tendencies, wanted to write. His Dark Materials has also spawned some controversy among Christians, who see the the work as an attack against Christianity, Pullman being one of Britain's most outspoken atheists. Other Christians have, however, claimed to have found spirituality in the books.
Either way, Pullman's combination of renewal and expansion of the genre, his profound messages on the value of life and his refusal to under-estimate his young readers' ability to see life as it is makes Pullman one of the most interesting and important writers of modern fantasy.
You are also a lot like Tove Jansson.
If you want something some action, try Gene Wolfe.
If you'd like a challenge, try your exact opposite, J R R Tolkien.
Your score
This is how to interpret your score: Your attitudes have been measured on four different scales, called 1) High-Brow vs. Low-Brow, 2) Violent vs. Peaceful, 3) Experimental vs. Traditional and 4) Cynical vs. Romantic. Imagine that when you were born, you were in a state of innocence, a tabula rasa who would have scored zero on each scale. Since then, a number of circumstances (including genetical, cultural and environmental factors) have pushed you towards either end of these scales. If you're at 45 or -45 you would be almost entirely cynical, low-brow or whatever. The closer to zero you are, the less extreme your attitude. However, you should always be more of either (eg more romantic than cynical). Please note that even though High-Brow, Violent, Experimental and Cynical have positive numbers (1 through 45) and their opposites negative numbers (-1 through -45), this doesn't mean that either quality is better. All attitudes have their positive and negative sides, as explained below.
High-Brow vs Low-Brow
You received 5 points, making you more High-Brow than Low-Brow. Being high-browed in this context refers to being more fascinated with the sort of art that critics and scholars tend to favour, rather than the best-selling kind. At their best, high-brows are cultured, able to appreciate the finer nuances of literature and not content with simplifications. At their worst they are, well, snobs.
Violent vs. Peaceful
You received -1 points, making you more Peaceful than Violent. This scale is a measurement of a) if you are tolerant to violence in fiction and b) whether you see violence as a means that can be used to achieve a good end. If you aren't, and you don't, then you are peaceful as defined here. At their best, peaceful people are the ones who encourage dialogue and understanding as a means of solving conflicts. At their worst, they are standing passively by as they or third parties are hurt by less scrupulous individuals.
Experimental vs. Traditional
You received 21 points, making you more Experimental than Traditional. Your position on this scale indicates if you're more likely to seek out the new and unexpected or if you are more comfortable with the familiar, especially in regards to culture. Note that traditional as defined here does not equal conservative, in the political sense. At their best, experimental people are the ones who show humanity the way forward. At their worst, they provoke for the sake of provocation only.
Cynical vs Romantic
You received 41 points, making you more Cynical than Romantic. Your position on this scale indicates if you are more likely to be wary, suspicious and skeptical to people around you and the world at large, or if you are more likely to believe in grand schemes, happy endings and the basic goodness of humankind. It is by far the most vaguely defined scale, which is why you'll find the sentence "you are also a lot like x" above. If you feel that your position on this scale is wrong, then you are probably more like author x. At their best, cynical people are able to see through lies and spot crucial flaws in plans and schemes. At their worst, they are overly negative, bringing everybody else down.
I'm not sure I agree with the results, actually. I have a very high tolerance for violence in fiction, just not for violence in real life. On the other hand, I really am that cynical.
Your result for Which fantasy writer are you? ...
Philip Pullman (b.1946)
5 High-Brow, -1 Violent, 21 Experimental and 41 Cynical!
Congratulations! You are High-Brow, Peaceful, Experimental and Cynical! These concepts are defined below.
Philip Pullman was already a prominent author of children's books when he published his most praised work to date, the trilogy known as His Dark Materials (1995-2000). In this work, set both in parallel worlds and our own, Pullman made a courageous attempt to write a book for young readers which incorporated a whole vision of the universe, as well as a discussion of ethical issues. He managed to combine this with a burst of thought-provoking and entertaining imagination, bringing to life a Europe where the church is still in control, "souls" that have been externalised as animal presences, intelligent, sentient polar bears and much more. The series have been described as a sort of "anti-Narnia", as Pullman's attempt to write an updated variant of the kind of books C S Lewis, whom Pullman has criticized for having racist, misogynic and preaching tendencies, wanted to write. His Dark Materials has also spawned some controversy among Christians, who see the the work as an attack against Christianity, Pullman being one of Britain's most outspoken atheists. Other Christians have, however, claimed to have found spirituality in the books.
Either way, Pullman's combination of renewal and expansion of the genre, his profound messages on the value of life and his refusal to under-estimate his young readers' ability to see life as it is makes Pullman one of the most interesting and important writers of modern fantasy.
You are also a lot like Tove Jansson.
If you want something some action, try Gene Wolfe.
If you'd like a challenge, try your exact opposite, J R R Tolkien.
Your score
This is how to interpret your score: Your attitudes have been measured on four different scales, called 1) High-Brow vs. Low-Brow, 2) Violent vs. Peaceful, 3) Experimental vs. Traditional and 4) Cynical vs. Romantic. Imagine that when you were born, you were in a state of innocence, a tabula rasa who would have scored zero on each scale. Since then, a number of circumstances (including genetical, cultural and environmental factors) have pushed you towards either end of these scales. If you're at 45 or -45 you would be almost entirely cynical, low-brow or whatever. The closer to zero you are, the less extreme your attitude. However, you should always be more of either (eg more romantic than cynical). Please note that even though High-Brow, Violent, Experimental and Cynical have positive numbers (1 through 45) and their opposites negative numbers (-1 through -45), this doesn't mean that either quality is better. All attitudes have their positive and negative sides, as explained below.
High-Brow vs Low-Brow
You received 5 points, making you more High-Brow than Low-Brow. Being high-browed in this context refers to being more fascinated with the sort of art that critics and scholars tend to favour, rather than the best-selling kind. At their best, high-brows are cultured, able to appreciate the finer nuances of literature and not content with simplifications. At their worst they are, well, snobs.
Violent vs. Peaceful
You received -1 points, making you more Peaceful than Violent. This scale is a measurement of a) if you are tolerant to violence in fiction and b) whether you see violence as a means that can be used to achieve a good end. If you aren't, and you don't, then you are peaceful as defined here. At their best, peaceful people are the ones who encourage dialogue and understanding as a means of solving conflicts. At their worst, they are standing passively by as they or third parties are hurt by less scrupulous individuals.
Experimental vs. Traditional
You received 21 points, making you more Experimental than Traditional. Your position on this scale indicates if you're more likely to seek out the new and unexpected or if you are more comfortable with the familiar, especially in regards to culture. Note that traditional as defined here does not equal conservative, in the political sense. At their best, experimental people are the ones who show humanity the way forward. At their worst, they provoke for the sake of provocation only.
Cynical vs Romantic
You received 41 points, making you more Cynical than Romantic. Your position on this scale indicates if you are more likely to be wary, suspicious and skeptical to people around you and the world at large, or if you are more likely to believe in grand schemes, happy endings and the basic goodness of humankind. It is by far the most vaguely defined scale, which is why you'll find the sentence "you are also a lot like x" above. If you feel that your position on this scale is wrong, then you are probably more like author x. At their best, cynical people are able to see through lies and spot crucial flaws in plans and schemes. At their worst, they are overly negative, bringing everybody else down.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Chinese Gold Murders by Robert Van Gulik
The Chinese Gold Murders is a mystery set in historical China, first published in 1959. The main protagonist, Judge Dee, is a young magistrate who takes a post outside the capitol in order to gain experience. He is sent to Peng-lai to fill a post vacated when his predecessor was poisoned two weeks previously. Accompanied by his loyal servant and two highwaymen he picked up along the way, Dee arrives at his new post and immediately begins investigating the death of Judge Wang.
In addition to the murder, he also finds himself searching for a missing woman, investigating rumors of smuggling weapons to Korea, tracking down a killer were-tiger, and attempts are made to kill him and his servants. All these matters are eventually resolved, and many of them turn out to be related. There are ghosts, disappearing bodies, late-night adventures in a Buddhist temple, and lots of action.
The Chinese Gold Murders was a very entertaining read, and I will track down more of them.
In addition to the murder, he also finds himself searching for a missing woman, investigating rumors of smuggling weapons to Korea, tracking down a killer were-tiger, and attempts are made to kill him and his servants. All these matters are eventually resolved, and many of them turn out to be related. There are ghosts, disappearing bodies, late-night adventures in a Buddhist temple, and lots of action.
The Chinese Gold Murders was a very entertaining read, and I will track down more of them.
Friday, June 5, 2009
The City & The City by China Mieville
The City and The City is an SFnal police procedural. I like SF, and I like police procedurals, so it was exactly the sort of thing I ought to like. It is set in the city of Beszal and its sister city, Ul Qoma. They occupy the same space, sort of woven together, one underneath the other. The citizens learn, from a very early age, to see selectively. They sometimes catch glimpses of the other city, but have the habit of ignoring it, of unseeing the things they shouldn't. Tourists have to go through training before their visit to learn what to see and what to ignore. There are places where the cities intersect, where it's easy to see into the other place. Occasionally someone crosses over from one city to the other--deliberately or accidentally--and then they bring in the Breach, the enigmatic forces that enforce the boundaries and punish those who violate them.
The protagonist of the novel is Tyador Borlu, a detective in Beszal, the scruffier and poorer of the two cities. He is called to investigate when a young woman is found dead, but things become complicated when they realize that she is from the other city. I don't want to spoil it, so I don't want to say more about the plot. There is some interesting stuff about how these cities would work, such as drivers avoiding collisions while at the same time pointedly not seeing each other. In cities like these, where it is important that everyone recognize the same mores, the governments are strict about enforcing them, and neither city would probably be a very comfortable place to live.
I almost abandoned The City & The City before it got interesting. The first eighty or hundred pages were a bit dull, and I nearly didn't pick it up again. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because after that it was a fun and absorbing read. In fact, I read it from the library, but I plan to buy myself a copy of the book, because it's worth owning and re-reading. It's chock full of cool stuff, not the least of which was the invention of the term Glasnostroika, which made me smile. Recommended for people who don't hate mysteries.
The protagonist of the novel is Tyador Borlu, a detective in Beszal, the scruffier and poorer of the two cities. He is called to investigate when a young woman is found dead, but things become complicated when they realize that she is from the other city. I don't want to spoil it, so I don't want to say more about the plot. There is some interesting stuff about how these cities would work, such as drivers avoiding collisions while at the same time pointedly not seeing each other. In cities like these, where it is important that everyone recognize the same mores, the governments are strict about enforcing them, and neither city would probably be a very comfortable place to live.
I almost abandoned The City & The City before it got interesting. The first eighty or hundred pages were a bit dull, and I nearly didn't pick it up again. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because after that it was a fun and absorbing read. In fact, I read it from the library, but I plan to buy myself a copy of the book, because it's worth owning and re-reading. It's chock full of cool stuff, not the least of which was the invention of the term Glasnostroika, which made me smile. Recommended for people who don't hate mysteries.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Polity Agent by Neal Asher
Polity Agent is the fourth in Asher's series about Ian Cormac, super-agent for the AI-controlled Polity. The Polity is a far-future portion of space where humans, AIs, and androids live. Government control has been handed over the AIs, who run things mostly for the benefit of all. Not everyone is happy with this situation--there are Separatist elements among the humans who would like to overthrow their computer masters and restore human-run governments. There are also AIs who would rather not be held back by having to help and serve humanity, who are not as intelligent or fast-thinking as the AIs are, or as fast, strong, or physically tough as the androids, known as Golems. They think it's time the humans evolved or adapted to try to catch up with them.
In Polity Agent, Cormac is recovering from an encounter with alien Jain technology that nearly killed him at the end of Brass Man, the previous volume. Meanwhile there has been a disastrous outbreak of more Jain nanotechnology in an arcology that houses a billion humans. It's spreading fast, and the military and the AI that runs the arcology have no choice but to seal off and destroy portions of it as they try to evacuate as many of the residents as possible before the whole place is destroyed. This incident brings to their attention a being called the Legate, who seems to be attempting to seed the destructive technology in the Polity in order to destabilize it. A few Polity warships decide to track the Legate, and find that they've gotten in over their heads. There are lots of explosions and many people die.
Polity Agent is a brick--it's 562 pages in the paperback edition, and it took me a week to read it. It's also great fun. There are space battles, an old war drone looking for action, and we learn more about the enigmatic alien called Dragon. While my preference is always for concise books, I thoroughly enjoyed Polity Agent, and didn't think it felt padded. Asher writes great space adventures, and has become one of my favorite writers. Recommended, but read the previous volumes first, or this one won't make much sense.
In Polity Agent, Cormac is recovering from an encounter with alien Jain technology that nearly killed him at the end of Brass Man, the previous volume. Meanwhile there has been a disastrous outbreak of more Jain nanotechnology in an arcology that houses a billion humans. It's spreading fast, and the military and the AI that runs the arcology have no choice but to seal off and destroy portions of it as they try to evacuate as many of the residents as possible before the whole place is destroyed. This incident brings to their attention a being called the Legate, who seems to be attempting to seed the destructive technology in the Polity in order to destabilize it. A few Polity warships decide to track the Legate, and find that they've gotten in over their heads. There are lots of explosions and many people die.
Polity Agent is a brick--it's 562 pages in the paperback edition, and it took me a week to read it. It's also great fun. There are space battles, an old war drone looking for action, and we learn more about the enigmatic alien called Dragon. While my preference is always for concise books, I thoroughly enjoyed Polity Agent, and didn't think it felt padded. Asher writes great space adventures, and has become one of my favorite writers. Recommended, but read the previous volumes first, or this one won't make much sense.
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