September proved to be a proflific and varied reading month for me. A few books I read were review books for SFFWorld: Ruination (the first prose novel set in the world of League of Legends) and It Rides a Pale Horse. Also, I read Full Immersion by Gemma Amor in August (as hinted last month), but the review posted in September. As of this post, those reviews are up at SFFWorld, but the excerpts of each are below.
My SFFWorld colleague Mark Yon and I both received review copies of Ruination, we both enjoyed the book a great deal…and probably more than we expected:
Reynolds has a great deal of experience in writing these kinds of books and he’s quite adept at relaying a lore-heavy world while also maintaining a well-paced story with developed characters. The primary characters manage to breath uniquely beyond the tropes in which they fit and the plot is fairly straight-forward. The details of the world relayed in the novel are just enough to keep the plot going for a relatively un-experienced League of Legends person like myself.
On the other hand, I didn’t quite enjoy It Rides a Pale Horse:
Marino does some interesting things with his characters, at least Lark and his two companions, pens engaging dialogue, and has a knack for crafting some horrific, visceral scenes. Unfortunately, those elements – while strong – weren’t strong enough to carry through the portions of the novel that didn’t work for me. That dichotomy ultimately left me feeling frustrated with the novel.
Full Immersion by Gemma Amor was one of the most potent novels I've read this year:
Amor pours her soul into this novel, it is raw, full of emotion, and incredibly honest. That feeling comes through in every word of the novel, even outside of the forward. There’s a science fictional aspect to the novel with the Virtual Reality element, but a mounting dread both in the simulated environment and with the observers has the novel creeping and creeping towards horror. The bouncing between the observers and what Magpie was experiencing in VR made for a very gripping read, building tension on both sides that made it tough to set the book down.
As for the non-review books, I read Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, the first the Burning Kingdoms saga and thought a very good silk road, epic fantasy.
Potent themes, thrilling action, and fantastic character development. Set in Parijatdvipa, which is very much inspired by the legends and history of India, the novel focuses on the character of Priya, a servant in the household of the regent of the city state of Ahiranya. The other main character is Malini, a prisoner and sister of the emperor. The storyline of the two characters eventually intertwine making for a very satisfying novel. Great world-building, interesting magic, with enough closure for the novel itself, while also setting up a foundation for future novels.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King is a book I’ve been anticipating since I heard about it in January of this year (2022). I immediately thought of The Eyes of the Dragon and The Talisman when the title was announced and there are some parallels to those King classics, but this one is its own story. Charlie Reade lives with his father, a recovering alcoholic. Charlie’s mother was killed in a freak car accident when he was younger. Charlie managed to push through his challenges, becoming a star athlete. When he befriends a mysterious man who lives in the oldest house in the neighborhood, Charlie learns of another world filled with magic, strange creatures, and evil. He also befriends the neighbor’s dog, Radar.
There are little shout outs to past King works, it is a novel that blends so many things King is good at doing; youthful protagonist, monsters, character, friendship between an older and younger character, and dogs. I suspect Molly, AKA the Thing of Evil may have helped there, too. I wouldn't be surprised if some Constant Readers will end up naming their dogs “Radar” in the future.
In the end, I’d say that Fairy Tale is a top 5 or top 10 King novel for me, out of the near 50 or so books I’ve read by Sai King. This one is an instant classic.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow by Rachel Aaron is the first book in a new Weird-Western-Epic Fantasy series. Set in Medicine Rocks, Montana which is a hotbed for “Crystal” a mysterious substance discovered in 1866 which has since become the most valuable thing in the world. Crystal, unsurprisingly, is a magical substance that can speak to certain people. The Mary Good Crow of the title is a guide, helping would-be seekers of fortune find crystal in the mines. She is enlisted by Josephine Price, an heiress from Boston seeking to reinvigorate the company she inherited. Rounding out the trio of protagonists is Tyrel Reiner, who has connections to a lot of things happening in Medicine Rock.
Like I said, the Crystal is highly sought after so many people are vying for control of the mines, which presents one of the novel's primary conflicts. Two strong elements make this book as enjoyable as it was: Aaron’s amazing world-building skills and the characters she creates.
This was a fun one and a good start to a series. As with The Jasmine Throne, there is a decent amount of resolution in the novel, but The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow is definitely just the first of a series.
Children of Chicago by Cynthia Pelayo is a fascinating blend of urban fantasy, fairy tale, crime procedural, and mystery. These are all genres that can naturally meld together and Pelayo does an impressive job of placing the Pied Piper myth into modern day Chicago. The main character is detective Lauren Medina, whose father was also a police detective. Children are being brutally murdered and the only clue is a connection to the Pied Piper. Medina is an extremely well-constructed character, flawed, determined, and undeniably believable and real. The novel is also steeped in the dark history of Chicago.
Unsurprisingly, this one takes some chilling turns on the way to the stunning conclusion.
I just finished The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James a couple of days before this post went live so technically it could be either an "October" or "September" read. Either way The Book of Cold Cases is the second book I’ve read by St. James and it is just as good as the first one, The Sun Down Motel. In this book, Shea Collins, a young divorced woman has a hobby looking into open murder cases and runs the Website “The Book of Cold Cases.” Her latest obsession is the socialite Beth Greer, who was suspected killing two men in 1977, shortly after her parents died. Shea, in 2017, is able to convince Beth to tell her the full story of the murders and her life. It is fascinating story, that has hints of a ghost story, murder, and great character development. St. James excels at telling parallel stories as we learn about Beth’s from Beth as Shea listens intently.
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