Tuesday, June 21, 2016

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

Last week I finally finished reading The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood. To clarify, this series is young adult fantasy.

Maia, the protagonist, and her brother Darian are both coming of age and hoping to get their own dragons. Every year their family's aerie provides the Empire's Dragonry or armies with the best they have to offer. Unfortunately for Maia and Darian, due to a conflict that has devastated the majority of the aeries, the Dragonry requisitions their entire clutch and a pair won't be available to them. Everything changes when the mythical Summer Dragon, a harbinger of change, appears to Maia and Darian. They believe it is a sign that good things will come and that maybe each will get a dragon after all. Unfortunately, religious and political entities interfere and their interpretation of the sighting becomes a catalyst in Maia's and her family's lives and livelihood.

Maia becomes the center of the controversy, attracting the attention of the highest religious, political, and military powers. They decide to take her to the imperial capital for interrogation in order to verify the sighting of the Summer Dragon. Instead, Maia makes a decision and sets off into the wild to find her own wilding dragon. The adventure really begins.

There are different angles to this story, beginning with multiple questions about historical facts and the religious beliefs of the people in Maia's community vs. Empire's religious beliefs and historical records. These differences are addressed throughout the book and become the main conflict in this novel. Another angle is the deep bond between a girl and her dragon. This part of the story has a deeply emotional, touching beginning that makes quite an impact, which leads the reader to become invested on the close relationship that develops between them later on. And of course there is a matter of war and the effects it has on Maia, her village, the neighboring communities, and Empire as a whole.

This is a wonderful coming of age story with a strong young female as the central character, and the added bonus of having dragons as more than sidekicks. These dragons bond with their riders, love their mates, and well… you would have to read the story to find out what else they can do. They have distinctive personalities and become characters on their own right. There are battles with fantastic action scenes where both dragons and humans are key to the outcome. Additionally, although Maia is our central figure, her own dragon becomes indispensable in her life. She is also surrounded by family, friends, a community, and a cast of secondary characters who contribute to her adventures, provide balance to this story, and a solid base for the rest of the trilogy.

Lockwood's descriptive style is particularly notable, as he makes it easy to visualize the setting, the dragons in all their glory, as well as those fantastic aerial battle scenes which took my breath away! Truly, some of them were absolutely stunning. Main and key secondary characters show character growth, with some two dimensional characterization found within the vast tertiary cast. Pacing was slow in some sections, although when the action scenes came along the pace became quick and exciting. And, of course there are a few conflicts left unresolved as the story is set up to continue.

Todd Lockwood is an illustrator and artist, and The Summer Dragon is his debut novel. I am happy to report that I found this first book of The Evertide trilogy to be a highly enjoyable book all around. Besides the characters, world-building and plot, I also thoroughly loved the magnificent illustrations that Mr. Lockwood included throughout the book.

Evertide Trilogy, Book 1
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Category: Young Fantasy
Grade: B+ (4.5 Stars)

Monday, June 13, 2016

'Nathan Burgoine⎪Bonus: Triad Blood, Connected Shorts

BONUS POST: Click on Title to read Review: Triad Blood by 'Nathan Burgoine

Triad Blood is based on characters and world-building created by Burgoine for four short works previously published in gay erotica anthologies. Please note that it is not necessary to read these short stories in order to make sense of the book. Additionally, although the short stories are erotic, Triad Blood's focus is on urban fantasy with minimal erotic content. However, the short stories are useful to readers interested in further character interaction and world-building information.

In order of publication: (click on titles for BSB website) 
(1) "Three" - Released as a single short story. Originally in Blood Sacraments: Gay Vampire Erotica ed. Todd Gregory

The events that take place in "Three" are narrated from Luc's perspective. This is where Burgoine first introduces his characters when they initially meet at a bar on the night of the full moon while the coteries, the packs, and the covens are busy renewing their bonds.
"We few who walk alone are safe these three nights. Safe enough to hunt on our own. I'd been caught by another vampire once before, and did not relish the thought of repeating it. Made and abandoned. I am a slave to the will of nearly all other vampires -- if they told me to step into the sun, if only for their own amusement, their will would force me to act. These three nights were all I had to call my own, and I was loath to give up even one of them." -- Luc
The triad is formed between Luc, Anders, and Curtis during a steamy sexual encounter, in a ceremony involving the exchange of blood, soul through sex, and magic. This is a fabulous short story showcasing one erotic moment between three lonely men. It not only fits the Blood Sacraments anthology to perfection, but it serves as an excellent introduction to this world and characters.

(2) "Intercession" - Wings: Subversive Gay Angel Erotica ed. Todd Gregory

"Intercession" is narrated by the incubus demon, Anders, who gives an insight into a change that comes over him after meeting an angel, as the triad battle demons attempting to destroy them.

(3) "Possession" - Erotica Exotica: Tales of Sex & Magic ed. Richard Labonté

In "Possession," the narrative comes from Curtis' perspective and highlights his confrontation with the Families who rule the wizard covens.

(4) "Necessary Evil" - Raising Hell: Demonic Gay Erotica ed. Todd Gregory

And, in "Necessary Evil," we again experience the story from Anders' point of view, as Burgoine introduces a couple of characters whose 'special circumstances' are addressed in Triad Blood.

Conclusion: There is a certain continuity to these short stories if read in order. As I mention above, it is not necessary to read them before reading Triad Blood, however, they do give the reader insight into the characters, as well as into certain events. The other side effect of reading these short stories is that you want to know more about the characters… about the world… so I'm glad the book was written. Note that my focus above was on "Three," and that is because it was the introductory story. However, all the short stories are excellent, particularly (and this is a personal bias) the ones with Anders as the narrator. Enjoy!


Sunday, June 12, 2016

June 12th: Mourning Sunday


This is a heartbreaking Sunday. A day we mourn for the 50 who died, and pray for those injured, during the massacre that occurred at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, as a result of a horrific hate crime committed against the LGBTQ community.


Saturday, June 11, 2016

Review: Triad Blood by 'Nathan Burgoine

'Nathan Burgoine is a favorite writer. I read Triad Blood as soon as it released, and was not disappointed, but then, that was never an expectation.
The law of three is unbroken: three vampires form a coterie, three demons make a pack, and three wizards are a coven. That is how it has always been, and how it was always to be.

But Luc, Anders, and Curtis—vampire, demon, and wizard—have cheated tradition. Their bond is not coterie, pack, or coven, but something else. Thrust into the supernatural politics ruling Ottawa from behind the shadows, they face Renard, a powerful vampire who harbors deadly secrets of his own and wishes to end their threat. The enemy they know conjures fire and death at every turn. The enemies they don’t know are worse.

Blood, soul, and magic gave them freedom. Now they need to survive it.
Characterization and world-building make this urban fantasy a success. The characters, however, are the first to ensnare the reader, as Burgoine first establishes the all-important emotional connection and continually deepens characterization throughout the story. Additionally, the personalities are different and provide a balance between the characters.

Luc is an old-world, suave, sensual vampire with a cynicism and ruthless toughness built through centuries of living as a lone vampire not allowed to feed except during the full moon. He brings power and the experience of dealing with vampire coteries and their politics to the triad. Rejected and continually beaten by the demon packs because he is gay, Anders is a brash, crass, in-your-face sexual, incubus demon. He is a complex, contradictory character whose tattooed muscled-bound body hides a sensitive side, and whose sarcastic humor overshadows a wicked intelligence and caring personality. Curtis is a young, cute, lovable, powerful wizard, and the center of the triad. He is beloved by Luc and Anders for his pure soul, kindness and naiveté, but rejected by wizard covens for having been born to 'non-magical' parents. For that reason, Curtis is considered an 'Orphan' and banned from using magic. He is the catalyst to this story, and the character whose good decisions and/or mistakes drive the plot forward.

Burgoine's sets his urban fantasy world in Ottawa, Canada where he resides. I love the setting and that he utilizes the fact that Ottawa is a 'government town' in the world-building and plot. First, we have the ancient, powerful, cold-hearted vampires and their coteries. They are expert manipulators and merciless killers when seeking power among themselves or fighting against others. Then, we have the wizard covens living by strict guidelines set by mob-like "Families" who don't hesitate to murder in cold blood when their rules are broken. And last, there are the obviously homophobic demon packs whose main purpose is to procreate by stealing souls to gain power. Note: although demons (incubus and other) as individuals are drawn in an excellent fashion, in this world, the demons as packs were not as clearly defined.

I finished Triad Blood in two sittings only because I couldn't stay up all night reading, the plot was that good. Burgoine did an excellent job of pulling everything together: the characters, world-building, and plot. Luc, Anders, and Curtis just want to live in peace but someone or a few someones cannot let such a powerful triad stick around, particularly such an unorthodox one. The attacks and murder attempts begin small, but soon they gain momentum and get more violent in nature. All three investigate, and with help from a few friends and frenemies, they slowly begin to make sense of what is happening. There are unforgettable secondary characters, including a couple of villains, but mostly characters that I would love to see again. The book ends with an action-packed climactic scene, a few unanswered questions, and what I think of as a great beginning.

Do you know what I loved about this book, besides the characters, world-building and plot? The theme(s): Outsiders: three people who don't belong where they should. Diversity: three people who are so different it should be impossible for them to be anything more than careful enemies. Family: Having been rejected by their own, they forge a strong friendship and become a loyal family. Additionally, despite the use of the word "triad" on the title, this urban fantasy does not focus on erotica or traditional romance. This is UF and although there is loving, sexual scenes appear only when necessary -- no gratuitous sex.

'Nathan Burgoine is a talented writer. He has the right touch whether he chooses to write his exquisite short works or full-length novels, speculative fiction, romance, fiction, erotica or urban fantasy. Burgoine's first novel, Light, and most of his short works appear all over my favorite books lists. I can safely say that Triad Blood is highly recommended. And, hopefully, this is the first of an urban fantasy series.

Category: Urban Fantasy - LGBT
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Grade: B+
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Upcoming short, informative post: 'Nathan Burgoine⎪Bonus: Triad Blood Connected Shorts

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Want to Read in June: LGBT, Sci Fi, PNR, Fantasy

The following is a short list of June releases on my radar. I am trying to stay focused on reading books from my already bulging TBR, but will definitely be reading at least two of the books highlighted below: Best Gay Stories 2016 ed. Steve Berman (a yearly tradition), and Nalini Singh's Allegiance of Honor (my favorite PNR series). Additionally, note that previously highlighted is another June release that I will definitely read, the LGBT Gay Fiction novel Homo Superiors by L.A. Fields.

BEST GAY STORIES 2016 ed. Steve Berman
Publisher: Lethe Press
Release Date: June 2, 2016
Category: LGBT Gay Anthology

Editor Steve Berman delivers another fine volume in the Best Gay Stories series. As the rights and privileges of gay men expand with each passing year, the demand for stories grows--stories that rouse the reader to step out from the shadows, to abandon the role of outsider, and to take his place in the community of all men. And so here are tales of intimacy and longing, haunts and passion, coming out and coming together hand-in-hand. Featuring short fiction and essays by award-winning authors and exciting voices of the field.

SUPER EXTRA GRANDE by Yoss (Author), David Fry (Translator)
Publisher:Restless Books
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Category: Science Fiction


With playfulness and ingenuity in the tradition of Douglas Adams, the Cuban science fiction master Yoss delivers a space opera of intergalactic proportions with Super Extra Grande, the winner of the 20th annual UPC Science Fiction Award in 2011.

Set in a distant future, after the invention of faster-than-light space travel has propelled a still-immature mankind into the far corners of the Milky Way, the novel features creatures of immense variety—amoebas that cover entire worlds, sensual females that feed on substances from their males’ reproductive systems, talking reptiles, and other creations drawn from the classics of Cuban and international science fiction—all of which serve as colleagues, fellow adventurers, sex partners, teachers, or members of the military high command in the Galactic Community governing this part of the universe. Our protagonist, Jan Amos Sangan Dongo, has a special role in this otherworldly menagerie: He is a veterinarian who specializes in treating enormous animals across the galaxy. When a colonial conflict threatens the fragile peace between the Galaxy’s seven intelligent species, Dr. Sangan must embark on a daring mission to enter a gigantic creature and find two swallowed ambassadors—who also happen to be his competing love interests.

Coupling his own extensive studies in (earthly) biology with his vast curiosity and wild imagination, Yoss brings us a rare specimen in the richly parodic tradition of Cuban science fiction.

ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR by Nalini Singh
Psy/Changeling Series
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Category: Paranormal Romance
A staggering transformation has put the Psy, humans, and changelings at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies, new allies, wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten, and it threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost and protect the vulnerable—and to save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES by Patricia A. McKillip
Publisher: Tachyon
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Category: Fantasy

Featuring three brand-new stories and an original introduction by Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn.

Bestselling author Patricia A. McKillip (The Riddle-Master of Hed) is one of the most lyrical writers gracing the fantasy genre. With the debut of her newest work, Dreams of Distant Shores is a true ode to her many talents. Within these pages you will find a youthful artist possessed by both his painting and his muse and seductive travelers from the sea enrapturing distant lovers. The statue of a mermaid comes suddenly to life, and two friends are transfixed by a haunted estate.

Fans of McKillip’s ethereal fiction will find much to delight them; those lucky enough to be discovering her work will find much to enchant them.

UPDATE: From my Want to Read in May list, (5 books total) I read 3 books: Only Beloved by Mary Balogh, Triad Blood by 'Nathan Burgoine, and Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan. The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood is in my TBR and I intend to read it. However, I'm not sure that I will be purchasing / reading All Fixed Up by Linda Grimes as it is part of a series already in progress, and I haven't read the previous installments.

What are you looking forward to reading in June?

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Sunday Weekly Update June 5th

During this past week, I posted the last of my challenge reviews and a few book-related posts. Now, the real challenge begins -- maintaining the discipline of reading, reviewing, and posting. Don't get me wrong, I still want this experience to be fun. That's what I learned this past month, it is still fun to share.

Monday, May 30th
Photo: Pink Hydrangea Bush
  • This pink hydrangea bush is right outside of my brother Alex's place. It was blooming and bursting with color and breathtaking beauty. The bees agreed!
Book Recommendations: Military Content
  • May 30th was Memorial Day, and I celebrated the day by posting a favorite list of books, with military content, heroes and/or heroines, read and reviewed throughout that past few years.
  • Unfortunately, my favorite SF/Romance series, Dock-Five by Linnea Sinclair, was missing from my recommendation. BUT, I realized that I did review the last book of the series, Rebels and Lovers (Dock Five #4), as well as her fabulous stand-alone book Games of Command. I edited and added both books to my initial list. Now, I'm happy! 
Tuesday, May 31st
Review: Only Beloved (Survivor's Club #7) by Mary Balogh
  • This is the last book of Mary Balogh's Survivor's Club historical romance series. I missed two books in this series that I will go back and read now, but I found at least two books I seriously loved! 
  • Only Beloved capped off the series quite nicely, with a giving man and a joyful woman willing to reach out to each other to achieve happiness in their lives. Romantic and beautiful. 
Wednesday, June 1st
30 Day Blog Challenge: Done!
  • A wrap-up post for the 30 Day Blog Challenge, with a huge thanks to Ames who began it all! 
  • Here, a big thanks to every one of you who added your support. Believe me, that made the past month of daily posting worth it! 
Thursday, June 2nd
Highlighting: Homo Superiors by L.A. Fields
  • A new June release by Lethe Press, Homo Superiors by L.A. Fields, grabbed my attention as soon as I read the summary! It's a modern day retelling of the 1920's real-life case of Leopold and Loeb. Check out their picture (Leopold on the left, Loeb on the right). 

Friday, June 3rd
Saturday, June 4th
  • Family Day: Attended my niece's 1st Communion! Afterwards, there was a big friends and family party to celebrate. It was a joyful day, and a fun, late, exhausting evening! Loved it! 

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Highlighting: Homo Superiors by L.A. Fields

Two college seniors: Noah, frail like the hollow-boned birds he enjoys watching, caged by his intellect, and by his sense that the only boy as smart as himself is his best friend; Ray who has spent years aping leading men so that his every gesture is suave, but who has become bored with petty cheats and tricks, and now, during summer break in Chicago, needs something momentous to occupy himself.

Noah’s text says, I’ve found some candidates for murder. Ray chuckles and knows that Noah sent the message to cheer him. Both boys realize they stand apart from others their age. One lacks social graces, the other has perfected being charming. Both are too willing to embark on a true challenge of their superiority but neither realizes what such a crime will do because no matter how they see themselves, how they need one another, they still possess the same emotions of H. sapiens.
A modern day retelling of the Leopold and Loeb story from the author of Lambda Award Finalist My Dear Watson.

Publisher: Lethe Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2016
$15.00 Paperback; Electronic edition available
176 Pages, 6 x 9

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

30 Day Blog Challenge: Done!!


It's June 1st and I completed the 30 Day Blog Challenge. Ames idea for this challenge was to blog for 30 consecutive days during the month of May with the goal of getting herself back into the habit of blogging again. I needed some incentive to get back to blogging and decided to join her for the same reason. And what do you know? I was successful in completing the challenge. Yay!!!

Okay… I did miss a few days here and there, either due to migraines, the old-fried-brain syndrome from working late, and once because I was away from home and my scheduled blog post didn't post… but, I made up for them by double posting [grin]. I joined the challenge late, so with today's post it's 30!! It counts!

Seriously though, it's amazing how tough it was at the beginning to get going again, and how it all began to flow as the days went along.

Here is the breakdown of my posts:

Book Reviews/Mini-Reviews/Overview/Poetry Reviews: 11
Book Related Posts: 10
Weekly Updates: 3
Photos & Video: 3
Holidays: 3

Now that I know it's all about making the time, and I'm back in the groove, it will be easier to get back to my regular scheduled program.

Thank you Ames! This was a fantabulous idea!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Review: Only Beloved by Mary Balogh

Only Beloved is one of Mary Balogh's quiet romances.

In this last book of the Survivor's Club series, 48 year-old widower George Crabbe, The Duke of Stanbrook, decides he is ready to find a companion, a friend, a wife, a lover of his own. The only woman who comes to his mind is Dora Debbins, a 39 year-old spinster and music teacher he met over a year ago. George visits Dora at her little cottage and to her utter amazement, he proposes. She accepts.

During the rest of the novel, we discover the characters. There is Dora's capacity for hope and joy, her vitality and willingness to accept the opportunity to be happy with a man she respects, admires, finds attractive, and slowly comes to love. George will do anything to make Dora happy -- to keep this woman he fully admires at his side. He's almost perfect, but not quite. George gives, and has given so much of himself to others, but has never learned how to accept support from friends. So sad, so hardheaded, so darn huggable!

Most of Only Beloved is focused on relationship growth and characterization. The details about the marriage, how George and Dora get from companionship and attraction to love, are all fabulous. This couple develops a mature relationship with few, if any, misunderstandings. I love that about them. And, although this is not the most sizzling, sexual of couples, there is intimacy, love, and passion between them. Of course there are a couple of personal conflicts thrown in for good measure.

Dora's main problem is her estrangement with the mother who abandoned the family when she was a teenager, creating a scandal and robbing her of a future. Balogh does not rush the resolution to Dora's conflict, as it takes almost the whole book to conclude satisfactorily. George's conflicts, on the other hand, are more complicated. Having read the other books from the Survivor's Club series, we know that George's son was killed during the Napoleonic War, and that his first wife committed suicide afterward, but here we find out that there is more to both incidents. George has never revealed his secrets to anyone. A nemesis is revealed, and it all concludes in high drama.

There are two epilogues: one for the book and one for the series. I don't usually mind epilogues at all, however this time around, the epilogue to the series seem to be a bit much! So many children… I couldn't make out whose child belonged to which couple even when Balogh used the last names! Regardless, it was a sweet ending for them all.

Only Beloved was a lovely ending to this series. A quiet, joyful, happy, romantic ending. Recommended.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Book Recommendations: Military Content

It's Memorial Day, and I've been thinking about my preference for books with military content. I've reviewed enough military-based books within different categories to create a list of recommendations for readers who enjoy them the way I do.


SCIENCE FICTION:

SF Military Space Opera
  Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
  Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
  Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
  Fortune's Pawn #1
  Honor's Knight #2
  Heaven's Queen #3
Military Science Fiction / Romance

LGBT:
  Captain Harding's Six Day War #1
  Welcome Home Captain Harding #2
  Captain Harding and His Men by #3

ROMANCE
NON-FICTION:

Although there are more books I could recommend, this short list includes some of my favorite (note, the majority fall under the military sci-fi category). My list feels incomplete, however, without including a Linnea Sinclair book under the SF Romance category, but unfortunately, I read my favorite books by this author before I began blogging. Bummer!

How about you? Do you have any good military-based, or books with military heroes or heroines, to recommend? How about a few other historicals, and at least one or two in the contemporary romance category?

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*Edited to Add: Linnea Sinclair books with links to reviews under SF/Romance. I did review a couple!!

Photo: Pink Hydrangea Bush

Sunday Weekly Update May 29th

This is the last complete week of the 30 Day Blog Challenge and my last real update. I still have two days left, Monday and Tuesday, since I began the challenge on the 2nd of May.

Monday, May 23rd
…On Vander: The Magnificent Tool 

  • A sort of review I wrote last year right after I read Four Nights with the Duke by Eloisa James. I say sort of review, because my main focus was placed on the male protagonist as the reason behind my issues with the book. I decided to let the post percolate for a while before posting it to see if maybe there was more there for me to say. That never happened, and unfortunately the post lingered forgotten with my drafts until this past week. 

Tuesday - May 24th
@my brother's poetry reading

  • This is a short, personal, but bookish post I prepared for earlier posting. On Tuesday, a headache that later turned into a crushing migraine hit. This was the perfect backup post! 
  • The post is all about my brother Noel's poetry reading at NYU and the release of his poetry book this summer. 

Wednesday - May 25th

  • Could not post because of migraine, however, I posted my prepared post on Thursday. 

Thursday - May 26th
Highlighting: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood

  • This small poetry volume has a fantastic summary that hits the nail on the head. I wanted to include it with my short review, but the post would have been way too long since I also wanted to include an excerpt from a poem. So, I split the post in two. This was supposed to be my Wednesday post. 

Poetry: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood

  • This Native American poetry volume was part of the Spring Catalogue at the University of Arizona Press and I received an early ARC. I read it early and it immediately became one of my favorite books of the year! I decided not write a long review for this book, and instead to post short impressions and an excerpt from one of Wood's poems, and to highlight the summary. I believe that should be enough to give the interested reader a sufficient idea as to Weaving the Boundary's impressive content and true value. 

Friday - May 27th
SF Mini: The Telling (Hainish Cycle #8) by Ursula K. Le Guin

  • I've collected the whole Hainish Cycle series by Le Guin, and I'm in the process of reading it slowly. This is a mini-review of a book I highly enjoyed for Le Guin's humanistic (sociocultural) approach to science fiction, as well as the linguistic / language interplay she utilizes. I am loving Le Guin's work, and savoring each and every book as I move along her back list.

Saturday - May 28th
Break: Memorial Day Weekend

  • This is self-explanatory: Remembering the reasons we are off this three-day weekend before going away to enjoy a few days with family and friends. 
  • My plans for the weekend are fluid; pool party, barbecue with family and friends, getting away from my apartment, enjoying the weather.   

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Edited: I scheduled the above to post yesterday, Sunday. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, it did not. Soooo, you all get my Sunday post on Monday!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Break: Memorial Day Weekend

memorial day photo: Memorial Day image0054.jpg

I'm going to be away from home this weekend, and will post if I can. But, just in case posting becomes an impossibility, these images are reminders of the real meaning behind Memorial Day.

Friday, May 27, 2016

SF Mini: The Telling (Hainish Cycle #8) by Ursula K. Le Guin

Aka is a planet whose totalitarian government destroyed its culture and history in order to build a technologically-based society, with an eye on a future that would take them to the stars. Its citizens are closely monitored, books and ancient traditions are outlawed, as is their religion, the Telling.

The Telling is Book #8 in Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle series. In this story, Sutty, an alien observer from Earth, struggles to find and later understand Aka's long-lost history and culture - specifically, since Aka's culture stands as a complete opposite to her own experiences in Earth.

Sutty's dangerous journey takes her into the heart of the planet, where she finds that Aka's culture, customs, and traditions, are very much alive. More importantly, despite all attempts by the government to erase it from the collective memory, the Telling has not been lost to time. As Sutty studies and explores this ancient religion, her journey becomes personal, and slowly she loses the objectivity and distance of the observer.

Based on Taoism and revolutionary Chinese culture, Le Guin approaches this work of science fiction for the sociocultural perspective, as it examines human behavior in a closed, restricted, society. Sutty's own struggle to understand herself comes to represent the individual's attempt at self-examination while being part of that same repressed society. Additionally, Le Guin is unquestionably a mistress of language, and in The Telling, she plays with language and its nuances: in this case, language's true significance when placed in context with culture.

The Telling is not a quick or fast paced read, but it is definitely profound, and more than worth the time. I loved it. Highly recommended.

Science Fiction
Published by ACE
Trade paperback, 2000 Edition
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Related Reviews: Books by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) 
The Birthday of the World: and Other Stories
Spotlight: Ursula K. Le Guin and The Hainish Cycle Series


Thursday, May 26, 2016

Poetry: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood


Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of the year.

The very thorough summary for this poetry volume states that the collection "explores personal and collective memories and contemporary American Indian realities through lenses of human loss, desire, violence, and love." Yes it does, and, the success of that exploration originates with how Wood expresses those realities through poetry, and weaves history with contemporary issues. Her prose is gentle, lyrical or vigorous one moment, and deeply intimate the next. And haunting, always haunting! This powerful poetry collection shines with truth. Highly recommended.

All four parts of Weaving the Boundary: Keep Faith, Heights, Past Silence, and The Naming are meaningful and intense. Tough as it was to choose, I decided to highlight an excerpt from The Naming.

The Naming (excerpt)

******
Names have determined the world.
To use them, call language out whole,
immersing yourself in its sounds.
We are made from words, stories,
infinite chances through which
we imagine ourselves. Estranging
ourselves from the sensual world
in which language was born, we will die.

What if, as through history, a language
dies out, if its names cannot be uttered
or if they exist mapped
as place markers no one interprets:
Passapatanzy, Chattanooga, Saratoga?
They are part of the ground,
a language of vanishing symbols.

******

Is this what we are now?
fragmented,
a language of shattered dispersal?

Grief keeps watch
across a field darker than water.
We live in a wounded space,
voiceless cries breaking with all
utterance, even the idea of utterance.

Without a vocabulary, how
does the story continue? in words
that have murdered the people
before us, their voices airborne
like corn pollen, out into the desert?

----------
About the Author: Karenne Wood holds an MFA in poetry from George Mason University and a PhD in linguistic anthropology from the University of Virginia. She is an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation and has served on the Monacan Tribal Council for many years. She directs the Virginia Indian Programs at the Virginia Foundation for Humanities.

Highlighting: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood


Evocative, haunting, and ultimately hopeful, Karenne Wood’s Weaving the Boundary explores personal and collective memories and contemporary American Indian realities through lenses of human loss, desire, violence, and love.

This focused, accessible collection carries readers into a deep and intimate understanding of the natural world, the power of language, and the interconnectedness of life. Untold stories are revealed through documented events in various tribal histories, and indictments of destructive encounters between Western colonialism and Native peoples are juxtaposed with a lyric voice that gently insists on reweaving the past, honoring women and all life, creating a sovereign space for indigenous experience. Wood writes, “Nothing was discovered. Everything was already loved.”

Political yet universal, Weaving the Boundary tells of love and betrayal, loss and forgiveness. Wood intertwines important and otherwise untold stories and histories with a heightened sense of awareness of Native peoples’ issues and present realities.

Moving from elegy to evocations of hope and desire, the poems call for respect toward Mother Earth and feminine sensibility. One hears in this collection a longing to be carried deeper into the world, to return to tradition, to nature, to truth, to an innate belonging in the “weaving” of all life.

Publisher: The University of Arizona Press
Publication Date: March 24, 2016
$16.95 Paper; Electronic edition available
96 Pages, 6 x 9

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

@my brother's poetry reading

Long day at work with a headache to boot! I have a couple of reviews on the works, but unfortunately not for tonight. So, a personal note with a bookish theme.

I'm always mentioning my two older brothers, either in posts or comments, mainly because they have always influenced my reading and, hopefully, I have influenced theirs. We read, read, read. We debate, discuss, agree, disagree, and agree to disagree. It's great fun!

So here is some news. Back in March, my eldest brother Noel was invited to read his poetry at the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU. The first picture was taken during the reading, and the one with the three of us was taken during the reception that took place afterward-- that's my brother Alex on the right.

Noel's next poetry volume, in Spanish, will release this summer. Although I have never mentioned it here before, we are all very proud of his work -- past and present.






Monday, May 23, 2016

… On Vander: The Magnificent Tool

Four Nights with the Duke or is it Vander & His Magnificent Tool? (Vander: The Magnificent Tool?) I haven't made up my mind about him yet, but there is no question that this Duke is a tool.

This romance begins as fifteen year-old Mia eavesdrops on fifteen year old Vander and his best friend Thorn (from Three Weeks with Lady X) as they read a romantic poem she secretly wrote about her love for Vander. The two boys are joined by a school mate nicknamed Rotter and the three proceed to destroy the poem by finding sexual innuendos where she meant none, i.e., "moonbeam" = Vander's tool. The boys also act like fifteen year-old idiots and make personal comments about Mia's body parts -- focusing on the size of her breasts. Mia is brave enough to confront them, but as a result becomes totally self-conscious about her looks.

Years later, Mia, now a successful author writing under a pen name, finds herself in a terrible situation and blackmails Vander into marrying her. When confronted by blackmail, Vander reverts to being a tool by opening his breeches and exposing his magnificence to Mia in the hopes of scaring her off.

This man is a Duke? Supposedly. Vander is convinced that because Mia wrote that poem when they were 15, she is still a spinster and blackmailing him because she must be in love and hot to bed him. The arrogant idiot has no choice but to marry Mia, but doesn't even bother to read a letter she writes for him enumerating the conditions of marriage because: "a wife must do as the husband dictates." And, he comes up with the foolish idea that he will allot four times a year to bed her, but first Mia will have to beg him. Shenanigans, tool usage, and the eating of crow by both parties ensue.

The style used by Eloisa James to develop this story, as well as the type of male protagonist, reminded a lot of Three Weeks with Lady X. Yes, Vander is a Duke but he's very rough around the edges and no gentleman. That is proven by his on and off mean attitude, over-the-top lusty behavior (he's a walking erection for most the story) and appalling lack of manners in his dealings with Mia. Mia is a Lady. Never mind that her father was Vander's mother's lover. It is understandable that Vander gets upset over getting blackmailed, and that he resented Mia's father all those years on his father's behalf. But, really? How old is this man?

Mia. I did not understand how a woman who spent years becoming independent by writing her own books, and is spunky enough to take care of her disabled nephew against her uncle's wishes, spends so much time worrying about having big breasts or wishing she were tall and "willowy." Someone please tell if I am wrong, but if I remember correctly during those times shorter women with curves were considered beauties, not "tall, willowy women."  Maybe when Mia was a 15 year old she did not realize this, but as an adult she did not know this?

So what did I like about this book? I loved a couple of the secondary characters and the interactions between them and both Mia and Vander. I particularly loved Vander's drunken Uncle Chancy who stole every scene where he appeared.

This romance has some good sections with humor, but frankly, toward the end I was just tired. I usually love James' writing style, her over-the-top characters, romps and romances. Unfortunately for me, I never stopped seeing Vander as an egotistical fool. So, Four Nights with a Duke was definitely not a personal favorite. Grade C or 3 stars at Goodreads.
------------------

NOTE: I wrote this review a while back (last year after reading the book) and never posted it, I decided it was time. Oh, and I made up my mind about the alternate tile…

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Sunday: Weekly Update May 22nd

Happy Sunday everyone! It's time to post an update and short commentary for my 30 Day Blog Challenge for last week.

Monday- May 16th
Nebula Award Winners: Books & Magazines
  • From the Nebula Award Winners, Uprooted by Naomi Novik made it to my "2015 Favorite Books & Authors" list. And, I highly recommend Binti by Nnedi Okorafor for the excellent mixture of SF with African culture, the POC protagonist, and the unique world-building ideas incorporated by the author (i.e.: mathematical treeing). 
  • Don't miss the free online links provided for Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, as well as the free online link to the winning short story at Nightmare Magazine. 
Tuesday - May 17th
Review: Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2) by Grace Draven
  • I am loving Grace Davren's Wraith Kings' fantasy romance series, and highly recommended Eidolon. There a few unanswered questions which I'm sure will be addressed in the 3rd installment The Ippos King, due to be released in 2017.  
Wednesday - May 18th
TBR Review: The Brush of Black Wings (Master of Crows #2) by Grace Draven
  • For my first TBR review of the year, I chose another fantasy romance book by Grace Draven. The reason behind it? It is a bridge story between the Master of Crows and the Wraith Kings series containing spoilers (which I did not give away) for Eidolon
Thursday - May 19th
Poetry: Angel Park by Roberto F. Santiago
  • Sometimes when I find a book that touches me personally, I'm reluctant to (or can't) share it. Angel Park is one of those… 
  • Angel Park is Robert F. Santiago's debut poetry collection. After reading it, I'm left wondering, what comes next from this poet? His poetry is vivid, penetrating, and for those of you reluctant to read poetry, I would describe it as accessible with deceivingly simple language. The more you read the poems, the more substance you will find. 
Friday - May 20th
Music Video: Vivir Mi Vida (Live my Life) Ehh… Mi gente!
  • I shared this video because the song itself just makes me want to celebrate life, the moment. This past Friday, that's how I felt. :) 
Saturday - May 21st
Reading Break: A 'Nathan Burgoine Saturday
  • These days, reading one book tends to take a few days and blogging takes time. I decided to dedicate my Saturday to reading one book: Triad Blood a new Urban Fantasy release by favorite writer 'Nathan Burgoine. 
  • Although it is not necessary to follow the story on Triad Blood, I'm anal and decided to reread or read four short stories connected to the characters. Since I already owned three of the four anthologies, it was a matter of going back to them and purchasing the one I missed. 
  • All anthologies are available at Bold Strokes Books. In order: (1) "Three," in Blood Sacraments: Gay Vampire Erotica ed. Todd Gregory. Available on its own for .99 cents or free with any ebook purchase; (2) "Intercession" in Wings: Subversive Gay Angel Erotica ed. Todd Gregory $3.99 (3) "Possession" in Erotica Exotica: Tales of Sex & Magic ed. Richard Labonte, purchased for $2.99, and (4) "Necessary Evil" in Raising Hell: Demonic Gay Erotica ed. Todd Gregory $4.99
That was my weekly recap folks! I did not miss a day for the challenge and that makes me happy. And, hopefully, between the reviews and the links, you will find a few good reads!

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Reading Break: A 'Nathan Burgoine Saturday


I'm taking a break to finish reading 'Nathan Burgoine's latest release Triad Blood. Also, reading a few related short works.

Later!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Music Video: Vivir Mi Vida (Live My Life) ¡Ehh… Mi gente!





It's Friday! Time to chill, time to enjoy life.

Vivir Mi Vida is about the joy of life, living the moment. Not allowing sorrow and worries to rule the day by celebrating with laughter, song, and dance. This is Latin music, so the words are uplifting but the music is fantastic! Everytime I listen to Vivir Mi Vida, my body moves on its own, and next thing I know, I'm on my feet dancing! Celebrating the moment.

The video was shot on the streets of New York City. It has that "celebrity" quality since it was shot when Marc Anthony returned to the City for his 2016 concert. But, what I love about it is the neighborhood "block party" atmosphere it conveys. El barrio was smokin' hot that day.

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Poetry: Angel Park by Roberto F. Santiago




Angel Park, the debut poetry collection by Roberto F. Santiago, explores the intersections of identity (familial, gender, sexual, racial, ethnic, spiritual, class, and linguistic) vis-à-vis the vehicles of travel, or motion from the familiar to the new, the loss of innocence that occurs within the process of maturation.
Let's get this out of the way first. I love this powerful poetry collection, Roberto F. Santiago's strong voice, and recommend Angel Park to anyone who will listen.

Now, let's get down to the book. Those few lines above are an excellent summation of what I found in Angel Park. The collection flows smoothly as it progresses throughout its three sections: Home, Away, and Far Away. That exploration of identity mentioned in the summary -- familial, gender, sexual, ethnic, spiritual, class, and linguistic -- grows stronger with each poem, in each section, and it is fabulously integrated throughout the whole collection.

Although Home holds strong ethnic and familial poems -- "Café con Abuela," "¡Canta Conquí Canta!, "A Blessing," -- they are not exclusive to this section.  Home is where it all begins, however, with family and early personal experiences as the core. The section ends on a powerful note with a few poems such as "Some Birds are Exotic", "Self-portrait of a Boy Kicked Out of His House" and "The Lexington Avenue Line: III. Castle Hill Ave." "There is a boy with teardrops for eyelashes[…]" The end to Home, organically leads to Away.

In Away, the shortest section of the collection, Santiago's poems move away from early youth, gaining strength and momentum. There is a shift which, although personal in nature, sets out to discuss the very nature of racial, class and gender issues, as well as sexual identity. This momentum continues, leading to the last section, Far Away, where Santiago ends the collection by exploring queer life through bold, vibrant poems such as: "The Day He Became Queen," and "The Ways of Men."

Angel Park has been in my possession for a long time; since last year. I have read it many times since then and keep it at my bedside. I could not review it at the time. There is a good reason for that. A poem. The last poem. Was it written for me?

For Those Left Behind

When loss is all you have
left let me remind you
at cinnamon dusk
the dead can dance.

They percuss          the thrash of hearts
                            against their chests
                            with dribble bounce
                            and ball of foot

They timpani          pulse & rattle bone of ankle to knee
                             shimmy-crescendo their hips & neck

They raise              hands like flags
                            waive them like freedoms.

In the realm of the spirit
there is life, and then there is
consciousness. A stillness
of breath condensed

on top of another
like fermented prayer
I can hold in my hands
as the snow crashes down

take comfort in knowing
endings are never
as final as they sound.
This, too, shall pass.

--------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Roberto F. Santiago has an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University and is a Coordinator of Post-Secondary Education in San Francisco. He is a Lambda Literary Scholar and past recipient of the Alfred C. Carey Prize for Poetry. He lives in Oakland.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

TBR Review: The Brush of Black Wings (Master of Crows, #2) by Grace Draven

This is my first review for Wendy's TBR Challenge 2016 (hangs head in shame). But hello, here I am! Better late than never, right?

This eNovella has been in my TBR since 2015. This month's theme is Something Different -- whatever different may mean. I chose a fantasy romance novella with strong world-building, fantasy elements, and romance to please. I am loving most of Draven's fantasy romance books and thought I would share.

The Brush of Black Wings is the sequel to Master of Crows, one of Grace Draven's most popular fantasy romance books. It is not my favorite, though, that would be Radiance. Unfortunately, I did not review Master of Crows. I did leave the following short comment at Goodreads:
Dark fantasy romance. Slightly unbalanced in its execution with a few slow, and later sex filled sections; but overall, an above average fantasy romance with interesting main characters dwelling in a rich, dark, magical world.
Silhara of Neith, Master of Crows, and Martise of Asher are the protagonists of this series. The Brush of Black Wings begins with Martise going into the enchanted woods of Neith where she comes across the ruins of an ancient temple. She encounters and battles a dark entity, and escapes after regaining her magical powers. While Silhara wants to destroy the temple, Martise feels the need to identify the dark entity. The information she finds is horrifying -- filled with soul eating demon kings, necromancy, and dark magic. Unfortunately for Martise, the dark entity compels and takes her into another plane. As we already know, Silhara doesn't play nice. He will do whatever it takes to find Martise, including breaking the rules of magic, time, and world barriers.

A few comments here. First, the romance is good, it is there. Silhara and Martise are still as sexually compelling as they were in Master of Crows. The love and intimacy between the two are shown in spades. And that dark, rich, magical world is still at the center of the series. The plot itself, however, became problematic for me.

This novella is ultimately about Silhara and Martise, and their end of the story is well done. However, The Brush of Black Wings is not a stand alone. You see, this is a bridge story between the Master of Crows series and The Wraith Kings series. As a matter of fact, in my opinion, this novella is best understood and enjoyed if read after Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2). Why? The dark entity and the circumstances will actually make sense. But, warning, The Brush of Black Wings contains huge spoilers for Eidolon. Recommended to fans of both series.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Review: Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2) by Grace Draven

Kai Prince Brishen, the dead eel, and his human wife Ildiko, the pink mollusk, are back! Eidolon, Wraith Kings #2, by Grace Draven continues the story that began in Radiance, the first book of this fantasy series.

At the end of Radiance, the Queen of Haradis, in her bid for power, opened the gates and unleashed the galla. Demons from the underworld that devour all those in their path. Eidolon begins at this point, with the Royal palace at Haradis, the royal family, including the Queen, the King, Brishen's brother, and his heirs, succumbing to the galla. A lucky few escape, including a couple of palace guards with a baby, and make their way to the river where safety awaits as galla cannot cross running water.

Back at Saggara, Brishen and Ildiko are leading an extremely happy life as a couple in love. The daily routine and happy relationship comes to a sudden holt when news arrives that Brishen is the only survivor of the Kay royal house. The King is dead. Long live the King! The new Kai ruler finds himself in a tough position. First, to save his kingdom the galla must be defeated. Second, the neighboring kingdoms must be prevented from declaring war against him. The answer to both problems is to seek an alliance in order to defeat the darkness threatening to annihilate them all. Still, the galla are dead, and the dead may only be killed by the dead. Desperate measures through ancient magic will have to do. The change of circumstances, however, also affects the relationship between Brishen and Ildiko. Will the Kai accept a human queen?

In Radiance, although political/court intrigue and fantasy elements are well-integrated, romance is at the forefront of the story. In Eidolon, Draven focuses on the fantasy and political/court intrigue aspects of this world, while integrating the romantic elements. Romance is still key to decisions taken by the protagonists, however, conflict and angst are introduced to the blissfully happy relationship already established between Brishen and Ildiko.

This couple faces all conflicts with strength and vulnerability. Ildiko continues to be a strong character. However, Draven shows Ildiko's insecurities in this installment, and as a result, she emerges as an even stronger woman and partner at the end of the story. Brishen openly acknowledges his need for Ildiko. I admire his character for the sacrifices he is willing to make and the almost-unsurmountable dangers he faces for his people. But also, for the sacrifices Brishen is unwilling to make in his personal life. He is a real hero, and this is a great couple!

The world-building for the Wraith Kings series continues to evolve with this installment. I really enjoyed how the Kai's culture is further explored through political / court intrigue, and by strongly expanding the fantasy aspect of this series through magical elements and plotting. The Wraith Kings make their appearance in this book, but you'll have to read the story to find out the who, why and how. Additionally, personal relationships between main and secondary characters, as well as individual contributions made by secondary and tertiary characters, are key to the success to this story.

So, did I like one book more than the other? No. I loved Radiance for the fabulous romance. I love Eidolon for the fantasy, the world-building, the plotting, the way Draven portrays darkness and light, the resolutions, and yes, for the continuing romance between Brishen and Ildiko. Highly recommended.

Radiance (Wraith Kings, #1)
Eidolon (Wraith Kings, #2)
The Ippos King (Wraith Kings, #3) Releasing in 2017

Monday, May 16, 2016

Nebula Award Winners: Books & Magazines

Yesterday, Winners of the 2015 Nebula Awards, the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation were announced by Science Fiction Writers of America. A list that includes a complete list of all the nominees, as well as the winners, may be found at their website. Congratulations to all!

Following is the list of the winners. And, for those interested, I've included a summary of the books and a link to the magazines where both the Novelette and Short Story may be found (single issues are available for purchase):

NOVEL:
Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Del Rey)


Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
NOVELLA:
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)


Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself ― but first she has to make it there, alive.

NOVELETTE:
‘‘Our Lady of the Open Road’’ by Sarah Pinsker

This novelette is 105 pages long. Click on the title above and you may read "Our Lady of the Open Road," free, online, at Asimov's Magazine's website. The link should take you directly to the story.

Additionally, for your convenience, here is a link to Asimov's 2015 Reader's Awards Finalists List which provides links to each individual short story, novella, and novelette that has either won or has been nominated for an award. All are free online reads.

If, on the other hand, you would prefer to purchase the single June 2015 issue of Asimov's Magazine, where this novelette first appears, please follow this link.


SHORT STORY:
‘‘Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers’’ by Alyssa Wong (Nightmare Magazine 10/15)

This short story may be read online at the Nightmare Magazine. Just click on the title above to read "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers."

However, if you would prefer to purchase the single October 2015 issue of Nightmare Magazine, please follow this link. As an interesting aside: This was a special issue. Here is a description that explains it all:

NIGHTMARE is an online horror and dark fantasy magazine. In NIGHTMARE's pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. Funded as a stretch goal of our sister-magazine LIGHTSPEED’s Queers Destroy Science Fiction! Kickstarter campaign, this month we’re presenting a special issue of NIGHTMARE called Queers Destroy Horror!: an all-horror extravaganza entirely written—and edited!—by queer creators.

ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY:
Updraft by Fran Wilde (Tor)


Welcome to a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, betrayal and courage.

Kirit Densira cannot wait to pass her wingtest and begin flying as a trader by her mother's side, being in service to her beloved home tower and exploring the skies beyond. When Kirit inadvertently breaks Tower Law, the city's secretive governing body, the Singers, demand that she become one of them instead. In an attempt to save her family from greater censure, Kirit must give up her dreams to throw herself into the dangerous training at the Spire, the tallest, most forbidding tower, deep at the heart of the City.

As she grows in knowledge and power, she starts to uncover the depths of Spire secrets. Kirit begins to doubt her world and its unassailable Laws, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to a haunting choice, and may well change the city forever-if it isn't destroyed outright.
RAY BRADBURY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC PRESENTATION
Mad Max: Fury Road, Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris

What a movie!! Excellent special effects, but explosive is the best way to describe it.

Available on DVD.



Sunday, May 15, 2016

Sunday Weekly Update

It's Sunday and time to do an update for my 30 Day Blog Challenge, and some commentary about last week's posts. I missed posting an update last week, but then, it was Mother's Day. :)

Monday
Update & Impressions of a Reader Turns 7!
  • My 7th blogiversary and a commentary on the current status of my reading and blogging woes. 
Tuesday
…On the 2016 Locus Award Finalists List
  • I loved this list of Locus Award Finalists. I posted my list of books read, but most importantly, a list of books I already own and WANT to read.
  • Update: I have already read one book on that list, and began reading a second. See? It works! 
Wednesday
Tonight: Reading vs. Reviewing
  • Struggling to choose between writing a review and picking up a book I desperately wanted to read. Everyone agreed that I should read! I did!
Thursday
I missed posting on Thursday, so I'm behind one post for the 30 Day Blogging Challenge. Reason? Worked late, fried brain! I deemed it best not to even try posting a picture! :)

Friday
Want to Read: Romance, Fantasy, LGBT Spec Fic, UF
  • May releases I want to read. I already downloaded Only Beloved by Mary Balogh because I'm a huge fan of the author, and I've enjoyed a few books from this series. Also downloaded The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood. This fantasy was a random pick on part mainly because well… Dragons! I'm hoping it will be a good choice.
  • In the meantime, I'm really looking forward to Tuesday and the release of 'Nathan Burgoine's new novel, Triad Blood. I loved his first novel Light, plus, he is a favorite LGBT author whose works (short fiction definitely included) I try not to miss. 
  • Then there is All Fixed Up by Linda Grimes, another random pick on my part. I chose this book because it is urban fantasy with humor. I need humor in my life, so why not?
  • And last, but not least, Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan is part of her "From Manhattan with Love" contemporary romance series. Romance set in New York? Enough said! 
Saturday
Review: Ancillary Mercy (Trilogy #3) by Ann Leckie
  • And finally on Saturday, I wrote and posted a complete review (no mini). This is the science fiction book from the Locus list that I finished this week. Also the book that I was reading Wednesday night! So worth it!! 


Saturday, May 14, 2016

Review: Ancillary Mercy (Trilogy Book #3) by Ann Leckie

Well, the Imperial Radch trilogy by Ann Leckie is done, and what a glorious ride it has been! In Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie brings the story back to the beginning by wrapping up threads, answering questions, and finding resolutions to issues that began in Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword. And that, my friends, is one of the great aspects of this trilogy because, although different in plot and atmosphere, Books 1 & 2 are extremely relevant to the highly satisfying end.

The story picks up where it ended in Ancillary Sword, as Fleet Captain Breq Mianaai recovers in Mercy of Karl quarters, with Captain Seivarden Vendaai serving her, the always-needed, required, revered, solver-of-all-problems, tea. It doesn't take long, however, for things to change and speed up as, first, Breq is summoned down to station by the Governor to find an ancillary under custody. She is an ancillary fragment from the Notai ship Sphene, last seen over 3000 years ago. This new character, a vengeful and mistrusting Sphene, adds a whole new dimension to the story.

Closely following this news, Presger Translator Zeiat shows up looking for the previous Translator who was sort-of-accidentally-shot-dead in Ancillary Sword. This character not only adds humor through "cultural misunderstandings," but also provides that alien element in spades. Zeiat is deceivingly friendly and bumbling in her attempts to experience and navigate the human world. Yet, when she attempts to communicate thoughts or opinions about weighty subjects, it becomes clear that she/they (the Presger) do not really understand humans. And, humans don't seem to understand just how fragile and thin the treaty keeping them safe from this predatory alien species has become.

Soon after, a single segment of the many-bodied (self-cloned) Anaander Mianaai shows up at Anthoek Station, looking for Breq, and accompanied by two ships. The tyrant's presence sets up a confrontation between the adversaries, and it takes action in form of a battle, political maneuvering, as well as masterful manipulation, to bring it all to a satisfying end. One segment when the tyrant is many-bodied, you ask? Leckie does it! Read the book and find out… it's a noteworthy resolution.

And speaking of noteworthy, remember those fantastic relationships that Leckie builds in Ancillary Justice and continues to build along the way? Throughout her evolutionary journey, Breq has gained much self-awareness, yet in Ancillary Mercy she comes to some highly emotional conclusions, finding flaws and much needed clarity. Then there is my favorite secondary character, Seirvarden Vendaii, who makes a truly emotional impact in this last installment. Breq's journey would not have been the same without Seivarden, the same applies to Seivarden's journey. Here we see her battle addiction, character weaknesses, failures, and can't help but root for Seivarden as we witness her dependency, love, and affection for Breq. I love the resolution to their flawed, but warm, mutually satisfying relationship.

There are other significant relationships worth mentioning, as well as small details of daily life Leckie incorporates into this space opera. From the secondary and tertiary characters, I enjoyed getting to know Karl Five, Breq's personal attendant, with her priceless white porcelain tea set, her pride, and the stoic love/admiration she felt for Breq. I loved Mercy of Karl or Ship's and Station's strong voices and feelings, as well as, Breq's relationship with the always emotionally conflicted Lieutenant Tisarwat. However, those small details mentioned above complete relationships and fully realize this world: the makings of tea, the significance placed on different tea sets, the sharing of a favorite bowl. These are subtle details showing friendship or deeper feelings that are also used to emphasize an insult, manipulate a political situation, or as a show of strength. All perfectly executed!

I am not going to go into the end, except to say that it was perfect for the trilogy and that Leckie took it to its logical conclusion. I loved this book, this trilogy as a whole! I know this is the end, yet, I hope that Leckie will write more in this brilliantly constructed world. Whatever happens, I will be re-reading the whole trilogy soon. Highly recommended.

Trilogy:
Ancillary Justice
Ancillary Sword
Ancillary Mercy