It has, in truth, been so long since I updated, that you could easily be forgiven for thinking that I had given up reading all together and you'd only be part wrong. I seem to have entered one of those stages in life where I never seem to have time to do anything and yet never actually get anything done either.
That said, my reading efforts have been slightly more fruitful since I last posted as, surprisingly, I am now reading my third novel hence (and am trying to make headway on the never ending 'to read' list). Of the two books I have completed, one is The Curse of the Gloamglozer, the (chronologically) first in my all-time favourite children's fantasy series, The Edge Chronicles. It's a re-read, as they are currently releasing new books in the series (after saying six-seven years ago that they had finished the series with The Immortals. I figured that, as I only owned the middle trilogy, it was high time I purchased the complete series and set myself up for being up to date with Doombringer.
That also links with the novel I'm currently reading; The Winter Knights, which, you won't be surprised to hear, is the (chronologically) second in the series. I do need to buy a new copy of the third book (Clash of the Sky Galleons) as, despite being described as 'in very good condition', even I don't love books enough to read or keep one teaming with mould.
As much as I love The Edge Chronicles and someday intend to write a post either as the series as a whole or on each trilogy, this post is actually about a different novel. About five years ago (or 1 BD; 'before degrees') I was in Waterstones and, as always, was tempted by the 'buy one get one half price'. I had gone in with the intention of picking up Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies, and figured, you know, books. So I ended up with a copy of a book I had never heard of, by an author I had never heard of (Patricia Briggs), with an attractive, if not inspiring, cover and the name Aralorn emblazoned across it. I was actually buying the two books version, containing Masques and Wolfsbane (so it felt a little like getting two books for one quarter price). Apparently, these are to two novels in the Aralorn series (would never have guessed from the title), although Wolfsbane is also the third novel in the Sianim series (I believe the Sianim series, while set in the same world, follows a different cast). Masques was actually the first novel Briggs ever wrote but, as seems to be common amongst authors, was not the first published, hence this sort of semi-broken series numbering. When Masques was eventually published, after the success of Wolfsbane, they were eventually published together.
So far I have only read Masques. My initial impression of the book is that it is glaringly obvious it is a first novel; that said, it is still significantly better written and more entertaining than a lot of 'bestselling' tripe that's pushed out on the shelves. I have read little more than the first page of Wolfsbane and already the superiority in tone and structure is apparent. On that front, I do look forward to reading the sequel.
Masques is the tale of spy and mercenary Aralorn who is mixed up in a sort of political intrigue. That is, the ae'Magi, the world's most powerful (both magically and socially) mage who, to the world, appears infallible and greater than good, deposes Myr, the King of a neighbouring country by framing him for murder. Of course, good-guy Mage, who reluctantly takes the throne from a man 'besotted by grief' (within the first few chapters Myr's parents meet an untimely end that is not at all suspicious) who, in his madness, has become dangerous, is, himself, the ultimate evil. Although we know he is the enemy from the beginning, the extent of his perverse nature and cruelty is unravelled throughout the narrative. Myr ends up on the run and is assisted by the oh so mysterious Wolf, who also happens to be Aralorn's travelling companion. Wolf is another super mage, although, like Myr, has been driven out of society, so lives on the edge, in the shadows. Wolf is also a shapeshifter and, as his namesake might give away, spends a lot of his time wandering around a wolf, which is most intriguing as 'human' mages cannot shapeshift. This is opposed to 'green' mages, whose primary magical ability is their shapeshifting. Aralorn also happens to be a green mage; this is what makes her such a good spy, as she often takes the form of a mouse when gathering information. So we have Myr, Wolf and Aralorn, who spend the book saving innocents, hiding from the ae'Magi and plotting a way in which to bring him down.
As I said, the amateur style to the novel does not make it unenjoyable. As a light, easy read set in a rather rich fantasy setting is actually refreshing. It's no Lord of the Rings, but it is not trying to be. I actually enjoyed having something that wasn't too taxing without being 'kiddy' or tacky and cheap (I'm looking at you, shelf of bit-rate thrillers!). If I had to describe Masques in one word, it would probably be 'fun'.
That is not to say that Masques is without its flaws. As I said, it is a first novel, so it lacks finesse and polish. One of my main gripes was that I did not feel that the prose was particularly fluid. Things just happened, they happened to progress the plot and there wasn't a huge amount linking them. Despite not being overly short, the whole novel was lacking somewhat in description. The plot itself was also a little wobbly and not, perhaps, as refined as it could have been. The intrigue and mystery that the back cover had promising was also about as surprising and shocking as The Beano; quite frankly, I saw plot points coming a mile off.
This brings me to the characters. Outside of Aralorn, Wolf, Myr and the ae'Magi, everyone else is just filler; even then, Myr gets very little page time (which makes me sad, as I am definitely a fan of Myr). Aralorn is actually rather well written; I say this with the air of surprise because, frankly, I find it rare to find well written female characters in fiction. She is neither the wet, damsel in distress stereotype nor the infuriating 'strong and wilful, needs no man (except the love interest)' character (the kind of character that authors mistake for good writing because they have a 'strong' female lead; in reality, a well written female character is one who just has a Goddamned character, even more so if that is regardless of her gender). Pfft. You have probably seen my rant about this before (I know I did when reviewed The Queen of the Tearling). Aralorn never takes anything too seriously and enjoys telling tales. Her strength (both physical and mental) comes from years of training to be a mercenary; that said, she is aware of her weaknesses. Her background is a little cliché and the novel could have done without it, but it is mentioned but a handful of times and plays no major role in the events of Masques.
Wolf is more disappointing. Wolf is every fantasy anti-hero. He hides his identity behind swathes of dark clothing, masks and a pseudonym, cold and menacing, strikes fear into all (except, of course, Aralorn), the mysterious loner; all this to ward off anyone who might ever be considered a friend, to protect his vulnerability caused by a tragic and violent past.
Sorry, Wolf, I know you have your fans, but you do not have one here.
Much of the book centres around the relationship between Aralorn and Wolf; although it's a fantasy, it's kind of a romance too. I'm not a huge fan of romance in my novels, but this was far from the worst; the novel is wonderfully absent of long descriptions of quickening heartbeats, longing gazes or tentative intimacy. Honestly, I have mixed feelings regarding the romance between Aralorn and Wolf. It works, it makes sense and as a couple, they just seem content rather than lovesick or infatuated. Their love is based of mutual companionship rather than lust. That said, some of the romantic interactions are just odd. Wolf grabbing Aralorn and kissing her while monsters try and break into the cave, before he stalks off; I'm not even sure they had made each other aware of their attraction by this point. Although the relationship was perfectly believable and quite tender, the interactions seemed rather forced and clunky; it was a peculiar mix and quite jarring to read.
I also rather enjoyed Briggs' description of how magic works in the world. The setting seems interesting, if not wholly original, from the few glimpses of background she gives, and there are some hints at intriguing history. I would like to know more about the world that Aralorn lives; this is something I found a little lacking in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed Masques and would recommend it to anyone who is already a fan of Briggs' work or wants to indulge in some light hearted, easy reading fantasy. It would be interesting to see how this book would have turned out have Briggs written it now, but, as I doubt we'll ever see that, I shall just have to look forward to the sequel. From this book alone, I can tell that Briggs had potential; clearly, she did, as evidenced by the novels she wrote hence. Masques is definitely worth checking out as it provides a certain amount of mindless enjoyment, even if Wolf does make me occasionally sigh in disappointment.
This book in facts and figures;
My rating: 6/10
Pages: -
My Format: Paperback
Published: 2012
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group Ltd.
ISBN: 0356501647
Tuesday 2 August 2016
Tuesday 21 June 2016
Invasion and Invective; or The Invasion of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, Book Two)
I feel a little like I've wandered into an abandoned library. Bit dusty here, this old blog, isn't it? As always, apologies for not updating more often but I've barely been reading. Somehow, although I finished The Queen of the Tearling in very little time, it has taken me literally months to finish the sequel. In my defence, after a brief glance at my previous post, since then I've become significantly less employed, quit that job and taken up another one.
Full time work will suck up any reading time, alas. I've also been mostly maintaining my tea blog, so feel free to head over and have a read if you haven't already.
So, as I said. The sequel to The Queen of the Tearling, the second in the trilogy, The Invasion of the Tearling. It is not a book that deserved to be read over several months and one where my enjoyment certainly suffered a little because of it. That's not to say that I did not find pleasure in reading the book, but it is true to say I did not find as much as I had with its predecessor.
The Invasion sought to answer some of the questions about the world and the history that were set out in The Queen but somehow created as many new questions as it answered. The way that Johansen chose to narrate the history was through a sort of time travel where our heroine Kelsea finds herself transported back in time and into the life of Lucy, a 'pre-Crossing' housewife-turned-rebel. This particular narrative style wasn't inherently problematic and, perhaps when Johansen has more writing experience she'll write it more fluidly, but ultimately is felt a little muddled and incoherent. I didn't like jumping from a pending invasion of the Red Queen into the Tearling, to a fairly slow paced tale set in futuristic America. It didn't help that I happened to find Lucy rather two-dimension, dull and with little discerning character outside of 'storyline fodder'. The world seemed to move around her and she could have been anyone. Lucy was not the heroine who I wanted to lead this novel. I felt her entire arc was confused (although this may have been, in part, due to me not sitting down and reading the book in one sitting) and somehow lacked the spark that I had loved so much with The Queen.
Spoiler warning ahead; skip the next paragraph and two sentences if you don't want to read it.
Another thing I particularly disliked about Lucy's arc is, despite how well written Kelsea was and how (as I have said in previous posts) her gender is not defining, I found Lucy's gender was. Lucy is abused by her husband from the minute she appears on the pages and right through to the end. It starts off as physical abuse and ends up with her being raped more than once. The scenes are, fortunately, not graphic, but somehow still came across as distasteful. For me it felt, rather than a poignant narrative on domestic abuse and surviving, like 'this female needs trauma to run from' and 'how best to show the world has gone to shit and how barbaric society has become'. I have no issue with reading about domestic abuse or rape within books (however distressing it may) but the overwhelming majority treat both of them so trivially and as a convenient plot point rather than the serious cultural and societal problem they are. To be fair, there is only one book that I can think of where the rape scene was pivotal and removing it would have lessened the story, and that is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Every other book, removing the domestic abuse or rape would not weaken the prose, or make the plot confusing and muddled. Furthermore, with the exception of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, every book I have read that deals with domestic abuse or rape, has it done towards wet and useless characters who need 'saving', as if strong women (and men) can't be victims, which is simply not true. Abuse is far more complex than simply targeting 'weak' people.
(Help, my Criminology degree is showing.)
Long story short, I feel that there are better ways that Johansen could have demonstrated the points she was trying to make about how her world's society had descended into barbarianism in the guise of civilisation.
Spoiler over.
One thing I did enjoy was getting to learn a bit more about some of the minor characters. We learn more about Lazarus, the Dark One (who is briefly introduced in The Queen) and the Red Queen is portrayed as far more human (however cruel and tyrannical) rather than just a powerful and inevitable enemy, than just 'the impending evil'. I found myself not so much sympathising with the Red Queen, but understanding how she came to be as callous, as broken, as she is. The sides still are fairly black and white (Kelsea and the Tearling are the good, while the Red Queen from Mortmense is the bad), but it has, perhaps, made the shades a little more grey.
The one character who did develop, who became an unlikely hero, who fought for justice and found their strength despite their weakness (in stark contrast to Lucy, who seemed lost) was Father Thomas. His actions took me by surprise; his refutation of everything he lived by, believed in, for what his guts told him, for what he felt was right. I never thought the ageing (and later crippled) man of God would become my favourite, but he has. His arc also leaves on a cliffhanger, and, without a doubt, it is his story I anticipate most eagerly. Father Thomas' actions will change the future of the Tearling.
While on the subject of characters who develop, Kelsea's character went through a significant change and not all of it welcome (although it made sense in the context of the novel).She becomes far more angsty in this novel, although it's not unwarranted; being a teenager is difficult at the best of times, let alone when you're fighting wars as well as hormones. Although Kelsea has been stubborn and belligerent from the start, she has always been just; however, this book sees her become brutal and sadistic. I think this dramatic change in personality is supposed to reflect the growing power of the sapphires she owns, to blur the line between just who is controlling what. Likewise, we see Kelsea transform from plain to stunning, which I have seen criticised in other reviews (being that women are worth nothing unless they are beautiful and Kelsea's change reinforces this idea). However, although I'd rather have a plain lead that one who makes all the men swoon for the sake of realism if nothing else, I see that this change is more of a visual narrative for corruption. Kelsea's sapphires are powerful and she thinks she controls them. Kelsea's sapphires can do anything, including making her wishes come true (and, let's face it, who hasn't at some point wished they were taller/shorter, thinner, that their eyes were wider, their nose narrower and so on?) Ultimately, Kelsea is a vulnerable young woman who is suffering the angsts and agonies of being that age on top of everything else. When she looks in the mirror (as with most teenagers) she's not happy with what she sees; the sapphires can change this, 'fix' it even. Rather than seeing it as a convenient way of making Kelsea attractive, I see it more as showing her weakness and that her allure is linked to her power and, more importantly it's corruption of her. The more attractive Kelsea becomes, so she becomes crueler. The sapphires grant Kelsea her hearts desires, but at a price. It'll be interesting to see if her beauty lasts or, assuming she gains better control of the sapphires and more confidence in herself, if it fades back to who she really is. Potentially, it is a clever allegory.
There's also the case of Kelsea's developing relationship with Pen; I normally find romance tedious in novels (especially when they're not the main focus) but this was a little different. Their relationship is complicated and one in which Kelsea holds all the cards, and not just because she is Queen. Kelsea has physical needs (again, she's a young woman, conflicted by her body and her desires as much as anything external) and she finds Pen to be the perfect partner; however, this isn't mutual. Pen needs more from Kelsea. It leads to some interesting dynamics throughout the novel; Kelsea at times feels guilt for how she is treating Pen and Pen's actions start to become motivated by feelings rather than duty. It's a refreshing change from 'forbidden, hidden romances' where everyone is so wonderfully love, despite the trauma it inevitable creates. I don't think this relationship is going to end 'happily ever after' either; I can't see Kelsea falling in love with Pen. Kelsea is still hung up on the mysterious Fetch (who has a much lesser role in this novel than the previous one); not that I think that that is where Kelsea's final love lies. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the Fetch, whose identity we are teased with but remains shrouded, turns out to be Kelsea's father (we still do not know who he is, just that many feel Kelsea would be better off knowing; I can't help but feel it's going to be someone she really wished it was not).
I have a few other quibbles with the story telling, particularly around the magic. Magic plays a much larger role in The Invasion, which is by no means a bad thing. However, the descriptions of the use of magic are confusing. Kelsea develops the power (which the Red Queen already possesses) to manipulate people's bodies against their will, usually in a violent way. However, it can get a bit murky sometimes as to what is being physically or magically manipulated. I feel that the use of magic could have been more eloquently and clearly written, but the magic itself is interesting. Kelsea's power also seems to grow at an exponential rate, rather conveniently for the plot. She goes from having a little magic in the first book, which culminates explosively and uncontrollably, to refined and forceful, with devastating potential. It is understandable that Kelsea's power will grow as the story progresses, but the time frame across the two books isn't very long at all; it's as if one minute she's struggling to control herself and the next she's the most powerful magic user in the world. It's odd, feels forced and, as previously mentioned, convenient.
Overall, this is not a bad sequel. Despite my criticisms, I still enjoyed the book and I do think Johansen has a wonderful way with words and is certainly spinning an interesting tale here. I feel I still have a lot of questions and that I am less satisfied with the conclusion to The Invasion than The Queen. Still, I am eager for the third book, assuming it final answers all my queries. I'm hoping the third book is in a more similar vein to the first than the second. Still, middle books in trilogies often seem the weakest to me, so I am not holding much against The Invasion. All in all, if you appreciated the first novel, you'll enjoy this one too. It's worth a read, if a little less polished than its predecessor.
Full time work will suck up any reading time, alas. I've also been mostly maintaining my tea blog, so feel free to head over and have a read if you haven't already.
So, as I said. The sequel to The Queen of the Tearling, the second in the trilogy, The Invasion of the Tearling. It is not a book that deserved to be read over several months and one where my enjoyment certainly suffered a little because of it. That's not to say that I did not find pleasure in reading the book, but it is true to say I did not find as much as I had with its predecessor.
The Invasion sought to answer some of the questions about the world and the history that were set out in The Queen but somehow created as many new questions as it answered. The way that Johansen chose to narrate the history was through a sort of time travel where our heroine Kelsea finds herself transported back in time and into the life of Lucy, a 'pre-Crossing' housewife-turned-rebel. This particular narrative style wasn't inherently problematic and, perhaps when Johansen has more writing experience she'll write it more fluidly, but ultimately is felt a little muddled and incoherent. I didn't like jumping from a pending invasion of the Red Queen into the Tearling, to a fairly slow paced tale set in futuristic America. It didn't help that I happened to find Lucy rather two-dimension, dull and with little discerning character outside of 'storyline fodder'. The world seemed to move around her and she could have been anyone. Lucy was not the heroine who I wanted to lead this novel. I felt her entire arc was confused (although this may have been, in part, due to me not sitting down and reading the book in one sitting) and somehow lacked the spark that I had loved so much with The Queen.
Spoiler warning ahead; skip the next paragraph and two sentences if you don't want to read it.
Another thing I particularly disliked about Lucy's arc is, despite how well written Kelsea was and how (as I have said in previous posts) her gender is not defining, I found Lucy's gender was. Lucy is abused by her husband from the minute she appears on the pages and right through to the end. It starts off as physical abuse and ends up with her being raped more than once. The scenes are, fortunately, not graphic, but somehow still came across as distasteful. For me it felt, rather than a poignant narrative on domestic abuse and surviving, like 'this female needs trauma to run from' and 'how best to show the world has gone to shit and how barbaric society has become'. I have no issue with reading about domestic abuse or rape within books (however distressing it may) but the overwhelming majority treat both of them so trivially and as a convenient plot point rather than the serious cultural and societal problem they are. To be fair, there is only one book that I can think of where the rape scene was pivotal and removing it would have lessened the story, and that is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Every other book, removing the domestic abuse or rape would not weaken the prose, or make the plot confusing and muddled. Furthermore, with the exception of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, every book I have read that deals with domestic abuse or rape, has it done towards wet and useless characters who need 'saving', as if strong women (and men) can't be victims, which is simply not true. Abuse is far more complex than simply targeting 'weak' people.
(Help, my Criminology degree is showing.)
Long story short, I feel that there are better ways that Johansen could have demonstrated the points she was trying to make about how her world's society had descended into barbarianism in the guise of civilisation.
Spoiler over.
One thing I did enjoy was getting to learn a bit more about some of the minor characters. We learn more about Lazarus, the Dark One (who is briefly introduced in The Queen) and the Red Queen is portrayed as far more human (however cruel and tyrannical) rather than just a powerful and inevitable enemy, than just 'the impending evil'. I found myself not so much sympathising with the Red Queen, but understanding how she came to be as callous, as broken, as she is. The sides still are fairly black and white (Kelsea and the Tearling are the good, while the Red Queen from Mortmense is the bad), but it has, perhaps, made the shades a little more grey.
The one character who did develop, who became an unlikely hero, who fought for justice and found their strength despite their weakness (in stark contrast to Lucy, who seemed lost) was Father Thomas. His actions took me by surprise; his refutation of everything he lived by, believed in, for what his guts told him, for what he felt was right. I never thought the ageing (and later crippled) man of God would become my favourite, but he has. His arc also leaves on a cliffhanger, and, without a doubt, it is his story I anticipate most eagerly. Father Thomas' actions will change the future of the Tearling.
While on the subject of characters who develop, Kelsea's character went through a significant change and not all of it welcome (although it made sense in the context of the novel).She becomes far more angsty in this novel, although it's not unwarranted; being a teenager is difficult at the best of times, let alone when you're fighting wars as well as hormones. Although Kelsea has been stubborn and belligerent from the start, she has always been just; however, this book sees her become brutal and sadistic. I think this dramatic change in personality is supposed to reflect the growing power of the sapphires she owns, to blur the line between just who is controlling what. Likewise, we see Kelsea transform from plain to stunning, which I have seen criticised in other reviews (being that women are worth nothing unless they are beautiful and Kelsea's change reinforces this idea). However, although I'd rather have a plain lead that one who makes all the men swoon for the sake of realism if nothing else, I see that this change is more of a visual narrative for corruption. Kelsea's sapphires are powerful and she thinks she controls them. Kelsea's sapphires can do anything, including making her wishes come true (and, let's face it, who hasn't at some point wished they were taller/shorter, thinner, that their eyes were wider, their nose narrower and so on?) Ultimately, Kelsea is a vulnerable young woman who is suffering the angsts and agonies of being that age on top of everything else. When she looks in the mirror (as with most teenagers) she's not happy with what she sees; the sapphires can change this, 'fix' it even. Rather than seeing it as a convenient way of making Kelsea attractive, I see it more as showing her weakness and that her allure is linked to her power and, more importantly it's corruption of her. The more attractive Kelsea becomes, so she becomes crueler. The sapphires grant Kelsea her hearts desires, but at a price. It'll be interesting to see if her beauty lasts or, assuming she gains better control of the sapphires and more confidence in herself, if it fades back to who she really is. Potentially, it is a clever allegory.
There's also the case of Kelsea's developing relationship with Pen; I normally find romance tedious in novels (especially when they're not the main focus) but this was a little different. Their relationship is complicated and one in which Kelsea holds all the cards, and not just because she is Queen. Kelsea has physical needs (again, she's a young woman, conflicted by her body and her desires as much as anything external) and she finds Pen to be the perfect partner; however, this isn't mutual. Pen needs more from Kelsea. It leads to some interesting dynamics throughout the novel; Kelsea at times feels guilt for how she is treating Pen and Pen's actions start to become motivated by feelings rather than duty. It's a refreshing change from 'forbidden, hidden romances' where everyone is so wonderfully love, despite the trauma it inevitable creates. I don't think this relationship is going to end 'happily ever after' either; I can't see Kelsea falling in love with Pen. Kelsea is still hung up on the mysterious Fetch (who has a much lesser role in this novel than the previous one); not that I think that that is where Kelsea's final love lies. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the Fetch, whose identity we are teased with but remains shrouded, turns out to be Kelsea's father (we still do not know who he is, just that many feel Kelsea would be better off knowing; I can't help but feel it's going to be someone she really wished it was not).
I have a few other quibbles with the story telling, particularly around the magic. Magic plays a much larger role in The Invasion, which is by no means a bad thing. However, the descriptions of the use of magic are confusing. Kelsea develops the power (which the Red Queen already possesses) to manipulate people's bodies against their will, usually in a violent way. However, it can get a bit murky sometimes as to what is being physically or magically manipulated. I feel that the use of magic could have been more eloquently and clearly written, but the magic itself is interesting. Kelsea's power also seems to grow at an exponential rate, rather conveniently for the plot. She goes from having a little magic in the first book, which culminates explosively and uncontrollably, to refined and forceful, with devastating potential. It is understandable that Kelsea's power will grow as the story progresses, but the time frame across the two books isn't very long at all; it's as if one minute she's struggling to control herself and the next she's the most powerful magic user in the world. It's odd, feels forced and, as previously mentioned, convenient.
Overall, this is not a bad sequel. Despite my criticisms, I still enjoyed the book and I do think Johansen has a wonderful way with words and is certainly spinning an interesting tale here. I feel I still have a lot of questions and that I am less satisfied with the conclusion to The Invasion than The Queen. Still, I am eager for the third book, assuming it final answers all my queries. I'm hoping the third book is in a more similar vein to the first than the second. Still, middle books in trilogies often seem the weakest to me, so I am not holding much against The Invasion. All in all, if you appreciated the first novel, you'll enjoy this one too. It's worth a read, if a little less polished than its predecessor.
This book in facts and figures;
My rating: 7/10
Pages: 528
My Format: Hardback
Published: 2015
Author: Erika Johansen
Publisher: Harper Collins
My rating: 7/10
Pages: 528
My Format: Hardback
Published: 2015
Author: Erika Johansen
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 9780062290397
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