Category Archives: Book Review

Feb 12 2013

Book Review: Libriomancer

Before you get to the end of this review, you may wonder why I gave it four stars and why I will, ultimately, recommend this book, considering the fact that I will tell you I don’t like it. The thing is, I did enjoy reading Libriomancer, but the more I thought about it afterward, the creepier it got. While I don’t plan to continue the series, I don’t see why my hang-ups should keep you from enjoying it as well.

Okay, to the book, Batman.

Libriomancer’s premise is unique to me. I’m sure it has been done before, but I haven’t read anything like this. The idea is a type of magic that enables a gifted reader to physically reach into a book and pull out desired objects. This is libriomancy and it was discovered by Johannes Gutenberg himself (who, in real life, invented the first movable type printing press). Not only did he invent modern printing that changed the world, but in Libriomaner, he also invented a new kind of magic that allowed the very words we all read  to literally become real. Of course, once that magic has been released into the world, Gutenberg had to invent a whole organization of ‘porters’ to keep things in order.

The story begins with Isaac Vainio, a discharged field porter who bent the rules one too many times, while he is cataloguing books into the porters special database that keeps track of weapons, fantastical species, and other objects that might one day make their way into our world. Just as he is about to end his day, his pet fire-spider starts to smoke. A sure sign that danger is nearby. He only has moments to clear the library before he’s attacked by a group of sparkly vampires: Sanguinarius meyerii (yup, from the Twilight series of books).

Despite being able to literally pull a sci-fi gun out of a book, he’s rusty and no match for the vampires. He’s rescued by a beautiful, sexy dryad who just happens to show up. She’s the badass in this book and she summarily dispatches the vampires with wooden bokkens (cool use of those practice swords!).

From then on, the action pretty much does not let up. Isaac and Lena, the sexy dryad, go from one porter house to another only to realize that someone is threatening the very foundations of the organization and may have killed Gutenberg as well (he’s more or less immortal). To save Lena’s lover, they end up in a vampire’s nest, but only get more entangled in what could be an earth-shattering mess. Soon they are hunting down not only vampires, but a wronged porter that is more powerful that the two of them put together.

A bit before mid-way through the book, there is a brief, dull moment when the romance in the story takes center stage, but overall this is a face paced, fun read.

Written in the first person narrative, Mr. Hines writing is smart and spare. This is Mr. Hines 8th novel and it shows. The prose is smooth and overall the pacing is just right for this genre. He explains enough for the reader to understand what is happening at just the right moment and in just the right amount.

So, why don’t I like it? Warning: spoilers abound…

  • The romance. Are you kidding me? Okay, he made her chunky, but she oozes sex appeal and it is obvious Isaac is in lust with her from first sight (prior to the events of this book). The thing is if this was just a side issue, I could overlook it, but it is not. Lena the sexy nymph is a major character and her nature influences the book’s direction. I know that the author is trying to up-end stereotypes and make science-fiction and fantasy readers take a hard look at those stereotypes, but I am not the kind of genre-fan that needs that lesson taught to. I’d rather just see a normal woman (like Isaac is more or less normal) play a cool character in a science-fiction/fantasy novel (like Isaac gets to do some cool magic). Why do women always have to be the object of sex? No matter how much I might admire him for putting a spotlight on the genre’s failing, I believe Mr. Hines fails by allowing that light to dip into Lena’s cleavage.
  • The villain. A disgraced porter who had his memories wiped, he subsequently gets his powers back after a terrible accident. And then what does he do to wreak havoc on the world? Self-publish a book. I am sorry. If that is not a dig at all the self-published authors out there, I don’t know what is. Not cool.
  • Magic=Religion. Libriomancy relies of the collective belief in all readers of a particular text. And the very basis of this new type of magic comes from the Christian Bible. Since the story is set in our real world, and since the Holy Bible is one of the all time best sellers, it makes sense to Mr. Hines’ story to have it this way. But I really don’t need to see how strongly religion plays a role in our lives in the books I read for pleasure. I’ve got enough of reality to do that for me, thank you very much.

Like I said, though I enjoyed the read (a testament of Mr. Hines writing ability that I overlooked all the above while I read it because I just wanted to enjoy the ride), I feel like I’ve cheated on my husband or something.

Do I think you should read it? (shrugs)

You’ll just have to take a chance and try it for yourself. :)

Feb 2 2013

Book Review: Theft of Swords

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

I have to admit, I picked up Theft of Swords only because Mr. Sullivan was gracious enough to agree to submit a story to an anthology I worked on. Of course, before that, I had heard about his books throughout the interwebs touted as ‘traditional sword and sorcery’. I am into traditional fantasy, but after reading the first few books of the Wheel of Time series, I had my fill of traditional fantasy. While it is true that Theft of Swords is a traditional fantasy, I found the story of two endearing thieves refreshing and surprisingly realistic and haunting.

The thieves, Royce and Hadrian, call themselves Riyira. In this first book (consisting of two shorter works that had originally been self-published), we don’t find out why they call themselves that, but when we first meet them, their name and reputation precedes them: they are a duo capable of outstanding feats of thievery. But we soon find out that Hadrian has a sweet, kind heart and Royce is just…misunderstood.

The book starts with the two completing a job successfully. They meet-up with their compatriots at a brothel in the city of Medford, the capital of the Kingdom of Melengar. There they are met by a noble spinning a tale of woe and hefting a large bag of gold. The nobleman speaks with Hadrian and convinces him to take a job. All they have to do is steel a sword – from Essendon Castle, the royal seat of Melengar. Though risky, it seems an easy enough job as the noble will ensure the sword is in an empty chapel. He’ll even leave a remote window open for the two.

And so Hadrian agrees and mayhem ensues. Once in the chapel, the two discover a body, the dead body of the king. A dwarf sees them and calls the alarm. The two are apprehended for a crime they didn’t commit. The dynamic duo were quite easily framed.

At this point, I could have easily stopped reading this book. As every review I read said, this is standard fantasy fare. I knew there would be a princess (that they save). I knew there would be a conspiracy to take over the kingdom (that they thwart). And I knew a wizard would get pulled out of a hat (okay, out of the ground in this case). Yes, very predictable. And I knew all that at this point of the story. I knew I could have put the book down at that point and still write this review.

But I didn’t. Why?

I’m still not sure. I think this is a testament to Mr. Sullivan’s writing: he makes it funny. Not ‘laugh out loud’ funny, and the book is not a parody of the genre – at all. In fact, I would say is is more like a homage to the genre. The fact is, you’ll snort here and there at the dialogue used, in addition to becoming enamored of our plucky heroes and the characters they encounter.

And while yes, they save a princess, it is a spectacular, stone-crashing scene and she’s a witch, too.

And while there is a conspiracy to overthrow the kingdom, its scope is far greater than we can imagine and harbingers epic events in subsequent books.

And the wizard has no hands.

I am glad I continued reading the adventures these two get themselves in. After kidnapping the heir to the throne, they take a trip down a river, save the last monk at a burned-down monastery, break-out the no-hands wizard from a magical dungeon, take the heir back to sympathetic relatives, save the witch/princess, and manage to help place the world back in order. A very satisfying read and an excellent introduction to Royce and Hadrian’s world. After completing it, I knew I’d want to complete this series.

The second half of this book consists of another story, involving much of the same characters and requiring the duo to steal yet another sword. As in the first story, nothing is as it seems and the two face challenges that will have us all wondering about the origins of each character. The manipulations of the Novoron church is made more apparent and the reader gets a sense that the implications of their empire building will have consequences that will touch each race in this world and maybe even the gods.

Highly recommended.

Now – for the APOV (the Atheist Point of View):

While the fun writing of the first story drew me in, it was the world-building of the second that has me hooked to this series. Mr. Sullivan uses his gods as we would. They are insular,  capable of committing heinous acts (like incest), and demand their subjects carve out a place in the world for themselves. In short, they are human (or elf or dwarf) constructs that serve the purposes of our corporeal needs. The gods do not seem to represent some “great” evil or good. There is simply a number of kingdoms and races struggling for power and resources and putting faith in their particular god to help them along. I find this an incredibly honest reflection of our own world, and I really like the direction the author has taken with his world-building. We’ll see how it plays out.

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Jan 26 2013

Book Review: Second Shift

Review first appeared on SFFWorld.com.

The seventh installment in Hugh Howey’s WOOL series continues filling in the blanks. Why did Senator Thurman destroy the world? Why are the silos failing one after the other? Who’s really in control? And just when will we get back to Jules?

Lucky for all you dedicated Woolies out there, Mr. Howey does hint about Jules at the end of this book. But, overall, Second Shift is about Donald, our (deservedly so) depressed congressional representative that we were introduced to in First Shift, and a determined character named Mission who navigates through the doomed course of another silo. Through the telling of their stories, Mr. Howey weaves the sinister plot Senator Thurman and his colleagues have set in motion.

Second Shift begins with ‘Deathdays were birthdays.’ Through Mission, a young porter living in Silo 18, we learn how each life in the silos are linked to another. In the confines of the underground silos, one has to pass on, before another can take their place. Mission learned this the hard way. He lost his mother to a cleaning (the act of sending a silo occupant out into the hostile world to clean and subsequently die) the day he was born, because she hid her pregnancy. This fact haunts him throughout this day – his birthday – and leads him to wonder if he deserves the life he has.

And on this day, unbeknownst to Mission, he will play a small part in a ‘reset’ of a silo, a sort of re-birth.

The puppeteers over in Silo 1 have to decide whether to destroy Silo 18’s rebellious population outright – and lose yet another of the 50 silos – or ‘reset’ the silo by minimizing its population and administering memory-blocking drugs. Either decision means the death of more people.

In amongst the growing rebellion in Silo 18, Donald is woken up from his deep-freeze sleep. Unwillingly, he must find out why some folks in the silos are remembering and why they seem to be on a self-destructive path. Through it all, he struggles with the realization of the loss of his wife and a life he could have had with her, and the need to end his own life.

As with all the silo stories, Second Shift is permeated with the overall themes of what an individual life worth. Is there a ‘greater good’? And if so, who has the right to determine what that greater good is?

Hugh Howey does a great job of illuminating these themes through the good, and bad, choices his characters make, and, more importantly, the unknown consequences of those choices. Other than the great writing, and interesting characters, that’s what keeps me coming back to this series: those unintended consequences.

We all think Senator Thurman has a grand plan. Surely, this man who set the world afire is doing something for the survival of the people in those silos, and that in the end, all will be okay.

But what if we are wrong? What if he’s wrong? What happens when the events set in place don’t go as expected or humans do what we inevitably do – adapt?

This is where Mr. Howey’s imagination has lead us to the popular world of the silos, where nothing is as it seems, and this latest addition to the series will not disappoint his fans. With smooth, evocative prose, the author brings us closer to old characters (Donald) and continues to introduce new, relatable characters (Mission and the Crow). Plot threads become clearer, while new ones emerge to tease readers along.

Mr. Howey continues to impress me with his world-building. The relationships built and maintained between the various peoples of the silos (farmers, porters, IT, maintenance, etc.) feel unique and real. I get the sense that this future world can not only be this way, but given these circumstances, would be expected. The language details the author adds only enriches and deepens that sense of reality.

If you are new to the series, Second Shift is not the place to start. Though I think a new reader can enjoy this installment, much would be lost. Start with Wool. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll catch up with the rest of us. The next book, Third Shift, is expected to be released early in 2013.

Either way you come at this series, I highly recommended reading Second Shift.

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Nov 13 2012

Book Review: Requiem for a Phantom God

Requiem for a Phantom God by Stifyn Emrys

After a huge break from non-fiction, I get right into the thick of the theist debate with Stifyn Emrys’ Requiem for a Phantom God.

These collected short essays, presented in nineteen chapters, detail the authors exploration of the Christian faith, ultimately trying to answer why Christians have settled for a “little god”.

The author begins with a preface, detailing his upbringing in Christianity and laying down the basis for this book: If there’s an omniscient god, do we really have free will?

I won’t tackle the question of what truly is free will (see my review of Sam Harris’ Free Will earlier this year). That’s a topic for greater minds than my own. Let’s just say that we do have a say in our future, that we have a choice to do right or wrong, believe or not believe. But if that is the case, isn’t it all moot with an omniscient god? Would that god already know (thus it is already done) each and every tiny detail of each of our lives? We can’t have a choice and there be an omniscient god, too, right?

Well, according to Christian philosophy, yes, we can.

In Requiem for a Phantom God, Mr. Emrys explains to the reader in clear and entertaining prose how contradictory those two ideas are and why countless other Christian beliefs undermine the ideas that would move our society and species toward a better future.

In the first essay, the author tackles the very basis of belief, pitting science against blind faith, but ultimately realizing that the burden of proof is upon the believer – the person who claims in a being no one can hear, see, taste, or feel. However, that person’s claim can not be based on logic and modern argument, because it relies on – you guessed it – faith. Regardless, the author doesn’t let atheist off the hook either. As an agnostic (and presumably, a scientist), he recognizes that evidence is the key to any extraordinary claim.

In the remainder of the book’s essays, the author explores the evidence that exists today. By reviewing the very basis of the Christian religion, the Holy Bible, Mr. Emrys goes through points of theological and moral contradiction, illuminates blatant mis-representation and plagiarism, and explains the true nature of the very cruel notion of original sin.

Though a lifelong atheist, Requiem for a Phantom God gave me a light-bulb moment. It seems so obvious now after Mr. Emrys put it all together, but before reading this book, I truly thought Christianity, and its many forms, had its follower’s best interest at heart. But, now I see the religion’s true face: a dogmatic cult that has gotten far too out of hand. The evidence is indeed lacking.

I doubt hard-core believers would tolerate the direct language in this book, but I believe most with an open mind will appreciate Mr. Emrys’ gentle prose and logical arguments. The author doesn’t bog the reader down with a ton of academic references, but does explain key Bible verses and puts them into a historical context that reveals not only their true meaning, but gives us a glimpse into the lives of the intended audience.

This is a short read. And though the essays should be read in order, I think it would be best read at a leisurely pace. Allow the author’s words to settle, and explore the questions he raises at your own pace. After reading, if you’re an atheist like me, you might not question your beliefs, but you might look at your Christian neighbors with a more understanding eye.

Recommended.

Nov 13 2012

Book Review: The Dead of Winter

The Dead of Winter by Lee Collins

(ARC provided by Angry Robot Books. Review first published on SFFWorld.com here.)

The Dead of Winter by Lee Collins is the first volume in his vampire western series: the Cora Oglesby Series.The tagline for these is: True Grit meets True Blood. Fortuitously, I’ve seen True Grit, but not True Blood (the HBO TV series).

Now, you may be asking, “Why would she think that ‘fortuitously’?”

Because I do not have terribly popular notions about vampires skewing my sense of their rightful place in history, particularly American Western history (if I could wink at you now, I would).

Anyway, The Dead of Winter is about Cora Oglesby; spook hunter, devoted wife, drunk, and faithful minion of a Christian God. She’s also a damn good shot. She and her husband, Ben Oglesby, arrive in Leadville, Colorado in the dead of winter (imagine that) after the local sheriff and his deputy run across something that just don’t sit right in their minds.

In the forest around town, something took down two wolf hunters, making a bloody mess without leaving a trace of the bodies. After negotiating terms with Cora and Ben, the sheriff hands over responsibility to the spook hunters and off they go into the woods to catch their monster.

But Cora soon encounters a creature far more vile than any other she’s ever come across in her twenty years of chasing monsters. Her blessed weapons, steel blade and silver bullets, do nothing to thwart the creature, forcing her to seek advice from an old friend, a priest in Denver that may know more about this new monster than she or Ben.

After visiting the priest in Denver, Cora and Ben return, armed with knowledge and silver bullets blessed by an Indian (Native American) shaman. Because, remarkably, the spook she’s chasing isn’t an old world monster, but one unique to the Americas – a wendigo (look it up).

Just in time, they makes it back to town to save the miners and whores of Leadville from becoming the wendigo’s dinner, and she and Ben prepare to move on. Cora is thinking of retiring, but before she can take the next train out-of-town, she’s approached by James Townsend and he explains his employer’s problem with a dangerous nosferatu (look that up, too). The thing is, poor Cora doesn’t realize this nosferatu will shatter her view of the world.

Cora’s story is a story of faith. Faith in her god, her husband, and the good that she does for people by getting rid of their spooks. She is fighting for a Christian sense of good and evil, and when it comes to monsters eating folk’s souls, everyone can pretty much agree on what is good or evil. There’s no ambiguity about these spooks – they are monsters true to their historic origins.

Where things get a little muddled is with people, of course. Cora has her own cross to bear, so to speak, and she numbs her pain with whiskey, sleep deprivation, and fast shooting. She’s running, but we’re just not too sure who she’s running from or where to. One thing I know, she’s fun to read about.

The Dead of Winter is an interesting and entertaining story about a hard and flawed woman who must face her own sins to beat her arch-enemy. A well written story, with good pacing, the story is told in the third person. The novel is written primarily from Cora’s point of view, but the author takes occasional forays into other characters’ heads in a fashion that can be a bit disconcerting. Though Mr. Collins maintains the point of view shifts more steadily in the second half of the book, he does a bit of jumping during the first part. Just bear with it, Mr. Collins eventually settles the ride for you (sorry, it’s a western, I can’t seem to shake the vernacular).

This novel is also steeped in western tropes. None of the characters will surprise you. The Mexican deputy is inept. The miners do nothing but drink and whore when they are not mining. The sheriff is steely eyed and dedicated to the town. And the priest always knows best. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but by sticking so close to the genre’s roots, it doesn’t allow this book to stand out.

What I enjoyed most about The Dead of Winter is the nosferatu. He’s appropriately evil, powerful, and flawed – a fitting adversary for our cocky heroine.

If you’ve read a lot of westerns, this will probably bore you. There’s nothing new here. If you’ve read and seen a lot of the more recent vampire series and wished for something with a bit more grit, then this might be for you. I enjoyed it.

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Oct 15 2012

Book Review: Whispers Under Ground

Review originally published here on SFFWorld.com.

Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch is the third book in his urban fantasy series featuring our plucky, magical main character, Peter Grant. While barely continuing the main plot of the series,Whispers Under Ground tells the story of an unfortunate American murdered in London’s infamous Tube (subway system) and the discovery of The Quiet People.

The story begins with a ghost, of course. An offbeat, neighborhood kid named Abigail has found a ghost living in an old tunnel beneath her school. She decides to tell Peter, whom she knows deals with “weird magic stuff”. Together with his partner, Leslie May, whose face fell off in the first book, the three head on down to investigate. Mr. Aaronovitch sets the book’s mood with this opening scene, and while not the focus of the book, we learn a bit about the magic Peter can wield and the new, tenuous relationship he has forged with his new magic-constable partner, Leslie.

Then mayhem makes its customary appearance when Peter is called to check out a murder at the Baker Street Underground station. The crime scene has some ties to the magical, so Peter, Leslie and their boss, Nightingale, are on the case. Working in conjunction with the normal police units, Peter gets a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his superiors, but not for very long. As in the books preceding this one, Peter manages to get in over his head (pun intended) and learns more about sewers and pigs than he cares for. But that’s all in the line of duty, and by the end of the books, he manages to impress Leslie, and maybe even his bosses, too.

At the end of this book, The Faceless Man, Peter’s arch-nemesis, still has them on the run, but clues are coming together and I suspect a grand, explosive match-up between the two in the next book. Whispers Under Ground ends back with Abigail, who’s still causing trouble with her underground ghost. Peter takes her under his wing, so to speak, and inducts her into what will undoubtedly become the first of many recruits.

As is customary of this series, the reader is in for an educational treat on the history of one of London’s neighborhoods, and police procedurals. In this case, we get a peek into the BTP (British Transport Police) and the underground system that is vast and just might include secret tunnels and a race we’ve never seen before. Maybe.

While not as exciting as the first two books, Whispers Under Ground is a satisfying read. Written as a stand-alone novel, one could get away with reading it without having read the first two, but you’ll miss out a few inside jokes, and besides, the first two are really enjoyable and you should read them. I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, and while this is not as fast paced as the first two, the third feels like an old friend. The slower pace allowed me time to appreciate how Mr. Aaronovitch handles the race issue (Peter Grant is black and the author makes a point of using characters with a variety of ethnic backgrounds), political issues, and the very real way police officers are viewed by the public. He does it all with a humor that hits the right notes for this reader. Told in the first person point of view, the reader very much gets inside Peter’s head. I like the view from there. The character is personable, trustworthy, intelligent, and funny. Traits in a main character that will keep me coming back for more.

I expect the Peter Grant series will continue long into the future, and given Mr. Aaronovitch’s screen-writing skills, I foresee a fun, TV series emerging from these books. I highly recommend the series.

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Sep 29 2012

Book Review: The Map of Time

The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma

Yes, I bought this book for the cover alone. I know. That’s shallow of me. But, you have to admit, it is a wonderful cover, no?

Told in three parts, the story begins with a young, well-to-do man who falls in love with a whore. Towards the end of this part, H.G. Wells makes an appearance and saves the young man’s life. This is pretty much a love story and the ‘time’ aspect of the story is only touched on in this section.

We then get introduced to a new protagonist, Claire Haggerty, who seemingly has absolutely nothing to do with our previous young man, H.G. Wells, or time, until her good friend takes her to the future. To the year 2000 to be precise. Once there, she promptly falls in love with a man from the future and a lovely, chaotic love story ensues in which Mr. Wells plays a significant part as a writer.

The last section of the books focuses on H.G. Wells as a time traveler and is a bit of a mystery story, however, to be honest, I skipped most of this part so I can’t really tell what the mystery was or what the point of the last third of the novel was. What was cool is that the true map of time appeared in this section and it did not disappoint. It was pretty cool. However, it wasn’t cool enough to warrant the slog through the massive info-dump in this section.

Though The Map of Time is a well-written tome, it needed a much stronger editor. There were large passages where the same information was re-told, overly long letters that dumps the story on the reader (yes, I know, that’s a literary style), and moral and philosophical tangents that, while interesting, were entirely superfluous. The book could have been cut in half and made much better for it – in my opinion.

Given all that, I’m glad I read it and I do recommend it. Mr. Palma has an incredible talent for pulling at the heart-strings and coming to profound statements in a startling manner.

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Sep 22 2012

Book Review: Seven Wonders

My policy here at the APOV is to not post book reviews of books that do not earn at least three stars from me (meaning, that I, at the very least, liked the book on some level).

Sadly, for Seven Wonders, I did not like it. However, I downloaded the ARC from the publisher’s website and felt obligated to review it. You can read the review over on SFFWorld.com here. Please, go read, then come back.

What I didn’t mention over there is the woeful way god made his appearance in that book. Regardless of all the countless adhesion to the classic tropes of superhero stories (that, to be honest, felt campy and boring to me), what the author did next just blew me away. In a book about a cast of hundreds of superheroes, using both science or physically bestowed powers or magic or who-knows-what, the supervillain turns into a good guy because…wait for it…because of God? Because now that he can’t hide from Him, the supervillain realizes the error of his ways and does a complete about face and all the other superheroes embrace him?

Ummmmm, no. I’m sorry. That just didn’t work for me.

Guilt doesn’t work that way. At least, not the religious type of guilt, nor the religious type of forgiveness. Once there is a confession and accepting the sin, you are forgiven, but then there is atonement. Sure, Aurora kept saying the Cowl would end up going to some United Nation’s prison to accept his punishment for past crimes, but seriously, if you were a former supervillain killing wantonly for what you wanted, would you honestly change your ways so abruptly? Even after losing all your powers? I don’t think so.

If the Cowl’s religious beliefs didn’t keep him in line while he had superpowers, I just don’t see why it would be any different afterwards. And if it was, isn’t that more a testament of the Cowl’s cowardice? And wouldn’t it be a basis of resentment towards the other supers? Rather than some sort of weird benevolent cooperation to save the world?

Wrong.

Maybe things don’t have to make that much sense in superhero comic books, but in a novel…let’s just say pigs can fly, but only if you give ‘em wings.

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Sep 22 2012

Book Review: Relative Sanity

Relative Sanity by Martin Reaves

I enjoyed this mainstream crime thriller. Not my typical fair, but a good read from an indie author you probably do not want to miss. The author did a great job with characterization, he had a good plot, and the pacing was adequate (though the story would improve with a bit of cutting).

Told from several view points, Relative Sanity follows the unraveling of Nick Grimmer’s life, and consequently his friend and partner’s, after the death of a reclusive pedophile. Seemingly unrelated, Mr. Grimmer’s wife, Cass, goes into a mental breakdown, wreaking havoc on their lives. After an accident that puts Grimmer in the hospital, the story shifts to his partner’s attempt to figure out what is going on before he loses his sense of reality as well.

Though I thought this debut effort from Mr. Reaves was well done, I couldn’t help but think it could have been better. The author spends way too much time “getting to the point”. He savors the moment with a good scotch or cigar, which is fine once or twice, but got a bit old and seemed to weigh the story down. I would have liked less of the ‘savor the moment’ sort of passages, and more of the background on what would drive a woman to give up her only child. That part just didn’t jive with me, and since we learn it second-hand from her friend, it didn’t ring true either.

I also felt that the characters’ faith in a god was put on like an added window dressing. Each of the characters evoked god’s name in prayer or in their thoughts, but whether that god helped or guided any of them remained a mystery (as in life?) nor did their belief in that god drive the plot in any way that I could see (other than one instance near the end that ringed more of WTF? than guided-by-the-hand-of-god sort of thing). I’m not sure if the author had a message to include in this book about a god or lack of one, but the characters did seem to all believe in one, though instances of their god helping them weren’t highlighted in the story. Or, if they were, I missed it.

Other than that ambiguity, which may have been deliberate, and the slow pacing, I found Relative Sanity to be a very promising effort and I look forward to reading more from this author.

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Sep 8 2012

Book Review: The God Engines

 

The God Engines by John Scalzi

The God Engines is a personal story of faith gained and lost that is so visceral and so cool, you’ll be bummed that Scalzi chose to limit this story to a novella and not a full-blown novel.

What if you lived in a world where science has been lost and in its place unruly and deceitful gods ruled? What if your immovable faith could cause a god to move a spaceship between planets and stars?

Captain Ean Tephe is a man of faith. His faith in his Lord is strong, so strong he has been given a special task: to bring into the fold of his God heathens with no faith. These heathens gladly give their faith at the chance to gain the Talents He might bestow upon them, but Tephe’s God has other plans for them and when Tephe find out what that is – his faith is shaken and so is his world.

This is a powerful story that explores what faith means to creatures we might call gods, and what power the act of faith holds on us all. The allusions to reality are not lost in Mr. Scalzi’s science fiction thriller. He makes this atheist hanker for the chance to live in a world where gods fight for our faith and we can withhold it - at everyone’s peril or salvation.

Highly recommended.