Eschewed Obfuscation

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
by Ally Carter
236 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/YA/Romance

I started this book last night and finished it second period in class today--beautifully written with a strong voice, and gripping. This is the sequel to I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, but it also works as a standalone. It made the NYT-bestseller list recently, and the publicity is deserved 100%. A speedy read that left me yearning for more.

I would compare this novel to the Clique or Gossip Girls series, only less petty and snotty. Cammie Morgan is a sophomore at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, ostensibly a rich private school--but really a spy school for geniuses. The foursome of Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey are well-drawn, both collectively and individually. My favorite character was Liz, but I have a weakness for book-smarts. Anyway, in this second volume an exchange group of students from the Blackthorne Institute for Boys arrives--including a cute and mysterious boy named Josh. I won't ruin the story any further, but the ending was a beautiful twist.

Highly recommended.

Narcissus in Chains
by Laurell K. Hamilton
424 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Romance

Didn't live up to my expectations; I wanted more Nathaniel, less Micah. I'm still yearning to read The Vampire Queen's Servant. Chronologically, time in this volume moves too slowly--a perpetual LKH issue. It's rather strange reading the Anita Blake series backwards and out-of-order.

Other than that, I haven't much else to say. Pure fluff reading.

The Harlequin
by Laurell K. Hamilton
422 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Romance

Although I've read all of Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series, I've only tried the latest two of Anita Blake. I haven't read the debut novel yet, but The Harlequin is certainly a far cry better than Danse Macabre. About ten times more plot, for one. And her characterization, which is always satisfying, hooked me well. I love Nathaniel, Micah, Jean-Claude, Claudia, almost all the characters (though not Richard, who annoys me). The cast is quite large, but Hamilton makes everyone rounded and vivid.

I still dislike her signature summary chapter at the end, though.

ETA: I liked The Harlequin enough to stay up two hours past my usual bedtime to finish it. I really hope that Nathaniel gets his fair share of the next book, after all the Richard-and-his-issues in this one. Can anyone point me to the volume where Nathaniel makes his debut?

How to Seduce a Duke
by Kathryn Caskie
340 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Romance/Historical

Although romance by itself isn't a genre I read regularly, I do have a soft spot for historical romance. In fact, I'm in the middle of reading The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, which is pure pleasure. Perhaps because I can't avoid the comparison, but Caskie's novel was severely disappointing.

First and foremost, it's anachronistic--for instance, references to "afternoon" when during the Regency period, morning extended most of the day until evening. The dialogue seems like it consciously tries to be old-fashioned, while just coming off as contrived. I didn't like the style in general--too many short paragraphs for no apparent reason, really annoying dramatic irony, and overly sentimental lines (Mary: "...I never truly loved him. I only thought I did." [252]) This kind of prose can work if the reader is sufficiently invested in the story, but it was obvious from both the cover blurb and Mary's actions that she isn't in love with Quinn. It's equally obvious that she and Rogan are meant to be together and the conflict between them is unrealistic, reading more like authorial intrusion. There are also unexplained character shifts--on page 192, Mary recalls her (hot) dreams of Rogan and thinks that she's dreaming again, but before this point she's shown no indication of this kind of dreaming--a few mentions of her thinking about him, but that's it.

The romance develops far too quickly, so it feels more like pure lust/physical attraction rather than love. Caskie tries feebly to complicate the plot by introducing several side characters and an ongoing series plotline of being illegitimate "princesses" (never mind that bastard children couldn't be crowned anyway). Almost all the characters are cliches, or else flat. I liked Rogan despite him being the standard rake with a softened heart, but Mary was utterly boring. In fact, the most interesting character is the old-lady matchmaker.

If this novel wasn't so short and breezy--the font was also rather large to me, being used to fantasy typesetting--I probably wouldn't have finished. Next time I want fluff, I think I'll just reread Wen Spencer's A Brother's Price. Caskie is not recommended, nor will I be reading the next book in this series (How to Engage an Earl, presumably about the middle sister Anne).

The Quantum Rose
by Catherine Asaro
419 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi/Romance

After I discovered in the author bios of Irresistible Forces that this novel was actually a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I had to go back and finish reading. It is interesting and compelling (I seem to be using that word a lot lately) but not particularly urgent, given that I easily put it aside for three weeks after reading three-quarters of it. There aren't any obvious flaws though, so I suppose it deserves the Nebula.

I still can't believe it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

ETA: What does it say about Asaro, that I feel no pressing need to summarize this? Her Skolia books are a reliable romance pick-me-up, but they definitely repeat elements. If you've never tried her, don't start here. If you have--The Quantum Rose is good, but maybe not worth buying new if a cheaper option is available. Or maybe it is. Depends on personal taste, and I can only speak for mine.

Catch the Lightning
by Catherine Asaro
352 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

Nearing the end of my Asaro reading spree--I still have a novella of hers in Irresistible Forces and a personal copy of The Quantum Rose, but the light is approaching! Not that I don't love Asaro and her crazy physics, but this is the tenth volume that I've read in half of one month. Some authors, like George R.R. Martin and Guy Gavriel Kay, I can read over and over without getting bored--unfortunately, Asaro hasn't joined that list.

This didn't work for me. Doesn't mean that it's a bad book or Asaro's a bad writer--it just didn't click for me. I read it quickly and enjoyed it somewhat, but the romance stayed superficial. There's a lot of narrative infodump, and I do mean a lot. Easy to skim over, but still annoying. Chronology also screwed with my head--by publication date this is the second book, but in chronological order it's the latest. I'm assuming that it occurs after The Moon's Shadow, since Althor Selei doesn't exist then. As a side effect, this book (Catch the Lightning) is extremely inconsistent. For one, Dehya is still the Assembly Key when she should be co-ruling as the Ruby Pharaoh. I'm okay with small plot-holes from book to book--I didn't exactly read in order, after all--but Assembly Key /=/ Ruby Pharaoh. That's a huge difference in plot.

Asaro tries really hard to make each of her books self-contained, and I appreciate that. But after ten books, it's tedious to read the same (often near-verbatim) explanations. I'm on the fence about recommendation--decide for yourself.

Links
- calico_reaction's review

Schism: Part One of Triad
by Catherine Asaro
398 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

Plot: Sauscony Valdoria Skolia (Soz) leaves her home world of Lyshriol against her father's wishes and attends the Dieshan Military Academy (DMA, also coincidentally the acronym for the Delaware Military Academy). I'm running out of things to comment on; like I said in an earlier review, Asaro's strengths and weaknesses don't vary much from book to book. I read Part Two of Triad first out of the entire Saga, and I immediately fell in love with Soz. This volume necessarily suffers from lack of tension, but it's partially my fault for reading all over the place. The background exposition is also identical to previous books, making me wonder if Asaro just keeps the relevant explanations in a text file somewhere, ready to be copy-pasted in. But of course that can't be true. Still, Soz's story is fascinating. I only wish her classes were the focus instead of the "world" events; I think this would have succeeded better as more bildungsroman and less space opera.


Spherical Harmonic
by Catherine Asaro
428 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

An experimental style in the opening, which I think succeeded in truly showing Dehya's experience with coalescing. Which is basically what happens: Dehya (Dyhianna Selei, Ruby Pharaoh) returns to existence after spending some time as thought waves in Kyle space, then proceeds to overthrow the Imperial Assembly and partially reinstate it. I liked the use of grammar to show the Shay language. This volume has the most obvious hard science, perhaps due to Dehya being a genius at math and Asaro being in love with spherical harmonics (I have no idea what they are, except that the pictures of gradiant balls are pretty). For hard-core sciency folks, there's a lengthy author's note/essay at the end explaining lots of stuff. I skimmed over it because I'm trying to finish all my self-assigned reading homework before Alpha on Wednesday.


The Moon's Shadow
by Catherine Asaro
478 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

This story overlaps with Spherical Harmonic and to a lesser extent Ascendant Sun. Told in tight third from Jaibriol III (Jai)'s POV, it is a long and hard look into the inner machinations of the Eubian Concord aka Trader Empire. Jai, the daughter of Soz and Jaibriol from Primary Inversion and The Radiant Seas, trades himself in exchange for his uncle Eldrin to become, at age 17, the new Emperor Qox. Scheming and assassination attemps ensue; Jai must simultaneously protect himself from overwhelming Aristo minds and use his abilities as a psion to gain advantage in cutthroat, convulted Eubian politics. He ends up marrying Tarquine Iquar, Eube's Finance Minister and one of the few Aristos who have decided to perform surgery on themselves to stop transcending. I've been fascinated by the Trader society since Day One of reading this series; I started and finished this book in the same day. IMHO, Asaro's best yet.


Yay, I'm all caught up! Currently reading Peony In Love; expect (possibly brief) reviews of The Prodigal Troll and Catch the Lightning pre-Alpha, plus maybe Irresistible Forces. I have a new stack of library books! Also, this makes 30 books since I started keeping count on May 9th, my birthday.

The Last Hawk
by Catherine Asaro
463 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

Another volume of Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire. This one is the prequel to Ascendant Sun, concerning Kelric and the 20 years he spends trapped on the planet Coba. The planet is ruled by twelve Estates, each led by a female Manager, who are led in turn by the Minister. Severely injured, Kelric is rescued from his Jag's wreckage by Manager Deha Dahl. He learns of the dice game Quis (which is absolutely fascinating) while recuperating and also meets the young Ixpar, Successor to Minister Karn.

Kelric tries more than once to escape, but the inhabitants of Coba are protecting their culture from the Empire by hiding behnd a false Restricted status, and he cannot be allowed to risk leaving. Against his will, Deha inducts Kelric into her Calanya (a harem of sorts of male Quis players) and makes him her Akasi--husband. Thus begins his journey from Dahl to Haka to Bahvla to Miesa to Varz to, finally, Karn. Kelric has an extraordinary talent for Quis and makes history by becoming a Sixth Level Calani--Ixpar trades the Ministry to Varz in order to save him from Aztac's brutalities. He is ultimately the cause for the first Coban war in centuries.

As a speculative novel, The Last Hawk is an intriguing take on invented matriarchal culture, infused with Asaro's customary science. As a romance, the plot, characters, and setting all kept me up late reading. And for pure innovation, Asaro should certainly win a prize for the creation of Quis.

I don't totally understand the game of Quis; something to ask Ms. Asaro at Alpha, I guess. I don't even know if Quis could exist in the real world, because basically it ascribes all science to three-dimensional geometric patterns. I can't do it justice; just read the book already and see for youself (and keep Ascendant Sun handy, because I wish I'd read them in proper order).

Note to say that this novel is perfect; none are. Kelric's (attractive) appearance is described multiple times, and somehow five of the most powerful women on Coba all fall in love with him--and the feeling is mutual in at least three cases. That strains my suspended disbelief, though Asaro explains it by saying that empaths fall very easily in love.

Still, this book lives up to Asaro's standard. Recommended to the usual people--SF and romance readers, plus matriarchy-oriented fantasy writers.

The Charmed Sphere
by Catherine Asaro
471 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Romance

Sadly, Asaro's debut fantasy novel doesn't live up to her SF standards. The style is the same, with the same weaknesses--ample description of physical appearances, telling of emotions, almost-but-not-quite perfect characters. But in the Saga of the Skolian Empire, the issues are minimized by overall coherence and excellent science. In this fantasy, the same strengths are present--an intriguing magic system, ultimately imperfect characters, lovely romance--but Asaro never digs herself out of the cliche pit. Fantasy and science fiction are both speculative genres, but it isn't as easy to switch between the two, and in my opinion Asaro severely underestimated the challenge of writing original fantasy. Allow me to list the cliche elements: initial meeting with hidden identity, Chime's beauty, a flat and obviously evil antagonist, special (SPESHUL) and unique mage characters. Virginity makes Chime and Muller's love so much the sweeter--"Knowing they came together new and fresh, by their own choice, sweetened their passion." [p. 265] The couple is also married against all odds, yet readers are told that no one could be forced to marry without giving consent; so why worry about people opposing their union? In fact, many of Asaro's books could do with a final proofreading to detect tiny inconsistencies and typos. Jarid is indeed a fool for not killing Varquelle, and it's obvious setup for the sequel. The geometric magic system is very cool, but the price isn't high enough--a certain miraculous almost-death completely destroyed my respect for the magic. If all that isn't enough, we also have to deal with annoying dramatic irony AKA readers knowing things that the characters don't, which equals no tension. The last sentence of the book: "But whatever labors lay ahead, their intertwined lives and love would make it worthwhile." Okay, I get it, it's a romance and a Happily Ever After; must you scream it in my ear?

My many complaints notwithstanding, this is a bearable if mediocre read. Though I have serious reservations about reading The Misted Cliffs. Character growth is contrived, the narrative suffers from over-telling, and both the prologue and epilogue are unnecessary, but the romance is still compelling. It's a pity, because if I hadn't already tried and loved Asaro's SF, I would surely avoid her work. Recommended only to romance fans not looking for decent fantasy.

A Brother's Price
by Wen Spencer (wen_spencer)
310 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Romance

What an amazing book! I wouldn't have stumbled upon it at all if Wen Spencer had not been an Alpha guest author this year. I started reading the first page in the car coming home from the library, and I didn't put it down until the last page at 9PM.

The story is set in a plausibly matriarchal society, a world dominated by women where the rare boy is treasured--and also valued property, to be sold for a brother's price or swapped for his sisters' new husband. Polygamy is necessarily highlighted, and everything clicks together. And this novel is strikingly similar to my own WIP. I admit that I skimmed the descriptions in my hurry to continue reading the plot, but that's just a personal bad habit. The worldbuilding is beyond excellent, and although I caught the foreshadowing early on and guessed the two most important plot twists, I was still desperate to keep reading. When everything resolves, I cheer because Jerin has earned the ending.

I also love the Whistler family, though I wish their neighbors the Brindles were more developed. Just the world premise--matriarchal society, successful polygamy--would have led me to read this novel; compelling characters, intriguing plot, and realistic worldbuilding is like whipped cream on top of a mango tart. (Make that whipped cream and freshly picked peaches.)

A Brother's Price is going on my favorites and buy list--the latter is extremely selective. Needless to say, recommended to everyone and their brother (bad pun intended) with special emphasis for aspiring fantasy writers and anyone interested in feminism. When I meet Ms. Spencer next month, I'll (hopefully work up the courage to) ask her two things: one, her signature on my copy of the book; two, could she possibly consider writing a sequel about Eldie, or anything else set in the same world? Pretty please?

ETA: People seem to either love or hate this book. Or somewhere in between. For perspective:
- nonspoilery review on whileaway
- spoilery review by the same person as above
- inkylj's review
- lpsmith's review