Readers should probably have read The Alloy of Law before beginning this book. It sets up these characters and the world and time they inhabit really well. I shall try to refrain from spoiling said book too much, but if you haven’t read it, that’s where you want to start. Well, to be really accurate, you should probably start with Mistborn: the Final Empire, the first book in the trilogy that establishes the whole of this world, but that’s more for those who want a […]
Osteomancy: a magic system so good, you’ll eat it up!
In “California Bones”, Greg Van Eekhout has created an alternate version of our world where magic exists. New magic systems excite me, I love figuring out their rules and how they fit within society, and Greg Van Eekhout delivers in his first adult novel. California has seceded from the rest of the United States and Northern and Southern California are separate, hostile kingdoms. Southern California is ruled by The Heirarch. The Heirarch is the single most powerful osteomancer in Southern California, in part due to […]
I want to be a Lumberjane
…they sound better than Girl Scouts! After tearing threw Nimona, I was pleased to have another Noelle Stevenson graphic novel around to immediately devour. The design of the book is really nifty as the layout makes it seem as though you are reading this adventure inside of a Lumberjane’s Field Manual. As a fairly new Girl Scout troop leader I loved reading parts of the field guide, learning about their badges and the appropriate way to wear a uniform. Each chapter ends with “pictures” of […]
Unicorns and magic and tragedy oh my
This is a pretty typical mid-90s fantasy. It’s decent, but nothing particularly amazing. Still, there are worse books to spend a few hours with. And the thing that interests me most about the novel is not the actual book, but the publishing history. Reandn is a Wolf in the Kings Keep. As near as I can tell this means he’s a palace guard but more responsible for patrolling the outside of the keep as opposed to the inside (The Hounds) but not too far, because […]
Shapeshifting Graphic Novel Palate Cleanser
After slogging through “The Dinosaur Lords” I needed something lighter and fun and so started reading “Nimona” by Noelle Stevenson. Nimona has been recommended by multiple sources; The Mary Sue, friends, and currently has 4 1/2 stars on Amazon. A shapeshifting young woman named Nimona inserts herself as the loyal side kick to Ballister Blackheart, most evil of supervillains. Blackheart’s evil schemes up to now have been kept in check by Sir Goldenloin and the Agency, but this careful balance is thrown into chaos […]
The Asides Are the Best
I’m on a Pratchett kick right now, going through and reminding myself how much I adore the Discworld books. I did a close-read for my MFA on “Lords and Ladies”, and even though my paper was based on how Pratchett expertly weaves Celtic folklore in with his parody of a “Midsummer’s Night’s Dream”, I found the things I really enjoy about Pratchett’s writing are his glorious, humorous, and bountiful asides. “Lords and Ladies” follows Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg as they battle a mythical force […]
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