Originally posted to I Should Read That

I’ve been wanting to read Ted Chiang’s short science fiction works ever since his much acclaimed Stories of Your Life and Others. His work gets loads of praise from literary types who don’t usually look twice at genre fiction, so I was definitely curious and picked up a copy. When two of the works in the book were nominated for Hugo awards, I finally picked up Exhalation and read it. I was absolutely blown away by his incredible writing and thought-provoking plots.

This will be a fairly short review, as I don’t want to dive into each individual work. I was very surprised by how much I absolutely loved this collection for a few reasons:

1) I don’t typically like short fiction or collections very often, however this is one of the few times I’ve read a collection from a single author rather than an anthology of various authors.

2) I’m always a little suspicious when literary fiction types praise genre fiction writing. I know it’s a little silly, but I often feel like that praise comes from people who know nothing (or almost nothing) about the genre they’re discussing.

With nine stories of varying lengths, Exhalation contains a variety of stories, varying from the fantastical to the realistic, that will capture any speculative fiction lover’s imagination. Although I had favourites, there wasn’t a single work that I didn’t like in the book -- something that really took me by surprise. Favourites of mine include:

- Omphalos: a story about a scientist in an alternate world in which the existence of God is not only widely accepted as fact, it is provable by science. However, she makes a discover that could change her world forever.

- The Lifecycle of Software Objects: the longest story in the book, which watches a software invention from initiation, through the fad-like popularity, and into obsoletion. That software happens to be an artificial intelligence that can learn and grow in the form of adorable digital pets.

-Exhalation: a scientist from an robotic alien species dissects his own brain in an attempt to discover how memory is stored. In the process, he makes a startling discover about the universe.

Chiang’s stories are wonderful and thought-provoking, perfect for any lover of science or literary fiction. He went from essentially an unknown author to me, to a new favourite. I absolutely cannot wait to read more from him and eagerly await a new collection of stories.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

Calling A Dead Djinn in Cairo a novella is a little misleading -- it’s more the length of a short story or novelette. Clocking in at about 46 pages, this short piece of fiction packs a punch with an amazing lead character, intriguing world building, and a fantasy mystery story. It’s a little too short to really get a good grasp on the world building behind Clarke’s Cairo, however he still gives the reader enough to paint a gorgeous picture and make them (desperately) want more. Fatma is a marvelous heroine with heaps of character and quirks -- I’d absolutely read a whole series of books about her.

Part historical fantasy, party mystery, A Dead Djinn in Cairo made me desperately want more. I think I’d have been seriously disappointed if I wasn’t aware of a second book set in this world. I hope we get many more books in this series!

I went into The Haunting of Tram Car 015 with some caution, as I knew that we weren’t going to be following the marvelous Fatma. However, I was delighted to find that I still adored this book and the grumbling veteran cop/overly eager rookie duo!

This book is much more of a classic novella length, and therefore we got to see much more of the world, especially the modern culture of Cairo versus the traditional beliefs and folklore. I loved the way that this book managed to blend the two, reminding me much of the enchanting opening pages of City of Brass, one of my absolute favourite books. The rich world that Clark continues to build on the pages is so mesmerising and his characters continue to be absolutely marvelous. I don’t want to say too much here, as this is also a mystery story, but I loved the plotting and outcome of this story.

A short story that's beautifully illustrated! This Sleeping Beauty retelling is gorgeous and has Gaiman's signature twist -- it's such a fabulously fresh take on an old classic. Add onto that Chris Riddel's amazing illustrations and you have a lovely little book. This is a perfect gift for any fan of fairytale retellings, and I can see myself cracking it open again and again.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I was initially very nervous about picking up Borne, despite the good reviews I had seen, because I had some trouble with VanderMeer’s best known work, Annihilation. However, I started the audiobook on a whim and ended up enjoying it!

Borne is much more accessible than Annihilation was, but still has the signature ‘weird’ factor that VanderMeer’s books seem to have. It is extremely well-written and not in the strange, lyrical style that I had so much trouble with. Although there isn’t much of a plot, Borne is a pretty easy science fiction/post apocalyptic read. I really loved the world that the book is set in — the imagery is so incredibly strong and he does a great job of setting up the desperation and devastation of the people living in the city. It is bizarre and wonderful and I could read many more books set in this world.

While the world building is the book’s strongest point, I just didn’t connect strongly with most of the characters. Rachael, our narrator, is a fine protagonist and I enjoyed her point of view, but she isn’t really someone who sticks in my mind. Wick, her partner, is similar — interesting enough while you’re reading the book, but doesn’t make a lasting impression. Borne himself, however, is absolutely marvelous. I think this is due in part to the audiobook narrator’s voicing of the character, she totally brought him to life. Sweet and innocent, but also kind of terrifying, Borne himself was a delight.

I really enjoyed this one and am planning to move onto the second book, Dead Astronauts soon!

A very fun and totally surprising read! I didn't fully know what to expect from this book, but it managed to totally take me by surprise and I can't wait to keep going with the series!

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

Everyone was talking about Raybearer in the lead-up to its release, and as with most hyped YA fantasy books I was a little cautious going in. I’m a reader that can really be let down by hype, however I’m here to say that Raybearer is absolutely worth your time and is one of the best books of the year!

I wont lie, I’ve been struggling with YA fantasy for a long time. After “discovering” the genre in 2017 and reading every YA fantasy book I could get my paws on, I eventually became much more picky with what I liked. Since that point, I’ve really struggled to find books that break the mould and, for me, are truly something special. Raybearer is one of those books.

The world that Ifueko creates is absolutely marvelous. From the gorgeous settings across cities and countryside and mountains, to the lush architecture and mixing pot of cultures and customs, to the magic that connects people, the world of Raybearer is easily one of the most beautiful I’ve read (and one of the few fantasy settings I’d love to explore in real life!). The magic system is particularly special. The power of a raybearer to mentally connect their council and communicate across the ray was fantastically done and wonderful to read. The consequences of this power, ‘council sickness’, was so impactful and works so well with the themes of found family, friendship, and trust within the novel.

Tarisai is a fantastic character and a new all-time favourite of mine. Ifueko does a wonderful job of developing her from a lonely young child to a cautious preteen and into a sharp and intelligent young woman. I totally understood her every action and decision, as well as how her loneliness and desire to belong to a family or a group impacts her. The romance, although definitely a side plot and not the main focus of the book, was particularly well written and one of the few pairings that felt truly authentic and real. Although Tarisai was mature, she still felt like the teenage character that is so pivotal to YA fantasy. I think she could easily be a case study into how to write a fantastic teenage heroine.

There is so much to say about Raybearer and I could go on and on to anyone who will listen to me ramble about this fantastic book. I read the physical book alongside the fantastic audiobook narration, and would highly recommend the audiobook for anyone interested in listening to a novel with a fabulous narrator.

Raybearer is easily one of the best books of the year and Ifueko is a debut author to watch!

Originally posted to I Should Read That

My spooky October reading continues with the tense sci-fi thriller, The Luminous Dead. I was so curious about this one because I wasn't sure what to expect -- was it going to be horror? A thriller? A space opera? I ended up having mixed thoughts on this book, but they were mostly positive -- if you're looking for a tense thriller with a character in intense isolation, you should give this book a try.

The Luminous Dead is a book that is super focused on the setting -- the caves themselves seem to nearly be a menacing character on their own, taunting Gyre and driving her mad. Starling does a great job of making the caves seem more and more alarming as the book progresses and as Gyre's mission gets more and more dangerous. I did, however, think that the hyper-focus on the setting did create some pacing issues in the book -- we got incredibly tense horror elements interspersed between fairly lengthy and quiet passages about caving techniques. While the descriptions of caving were interesting, there was quite a lot of them!

This book is also incredibly character-focused, as it is pretty much just Gyre on her own for the entire book in near-complete isolation. Her only contact with the world outside the caves is Em via voice and video links, and Em doesn't prove to be the most supportive person. What this book does best is charting Gyre's descent into paranoia, mistrust, and possible madness as her journey deeper and deeper into the caves progresses and she gets further away from the world outside. She's a character I both liked and was frustrated by in equal measure. I loved her pride, determination, and independence, but often found myself questioning her intense reactions and her extreme mistrust of Em -- although to be fair, Em doesn't do much to earn Gyre's trust. As the mission continues and secrets are ferreted out, I found Gyre's continuing stubbornness and attitude strange, so much so that I actually thought the book was going in a completely different direction and the ending left me feelin a little blindsided.

I think ultimately I liked this book, but I expected a little more from the set-up and execution. The ending left me feeling a bit dissatisfied, as I felt there could have been a number of more interesting conclusions to the plot of the book. However, it was still a good and compelling read!

3.5 out of 5 stars

Originally posted to I Should Read That

For the past few years, I find myself looking forward to the latest installment in Joanne M. Harris’ Child Ballad novellas. Lovely, atmospheric, and such a treat to read, Pocketful of Crows and The Blue Salt Road have complimented my autumn reading perfectly! The latest installment, Orfeia, is just as gorgeous as the others, but with a bit of a twist.

While these novellas are all retellings of various Child Ballads, they each stand independently on their own, so there is no need to worry about reading the previous two books before diving into Orfeia. In fact, Orfeia is quite different from its predecessors, as this book takes place at least in part in the real world. It was a little strange to adjust to reading about the very real city of London (as well as its counterpart in the dream world) because I simply wasn’t expecting to see a familiar location, however she did a wonderful job of blending reality with fantasy and creating a story as lush and gorgeous as you would expect from her.

As wonderful as the fantasy setting and the story were, what really stood out to me is the deep character study of a grieving mother. Fay is a lonely, yet seemingly ordinary woman who is dealt the most tragic of blows when her 21-year-old daughter dies unexpectedly. Determined that her child is actually in the land of the fae, she will do anything to rescue her daughter and bring her back into our world. Orfeia is a deeply moving portrait of parental grief and the sacrifices a woman will make for her child, and it’s so fantastic.

Orfeia is a gorgeous addition to this series and I cannot recommend it more highly, although I would urge anyone who thinks they may struggle with the subject matter to approach with caution. Beautifully written and illustrated, this is absolutely a book that should be on your TBR for fall and winter reading.

4.5 out of 5 stars

A really interesting short story that packs a powerful punch. I'd love to see more from this world in a full length novel or novella.