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I picked this book up after seeing it on a number of the ‘best books’ lists for 2016. I wasn’t really sure what to think at first, but I dove straight in.
All the Birds in the Sky is a weird and wonderful combination of fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism with a touch of romance. Patricia is a witch, discovering her ability to speak to animals as a child, while Laurence is a blooming mad scientist. The book opens when the pair are children in middle school. They are both are loners, ostracized from their school’s social circles for different reasons, but come together and a spark of friendship is ignited. They deal with standard middle school stuff while discovering that they truly are different from their peers. Patricia tries to unlock her magic after she speaks to a bird for the first time. Laurence invents the two-second time machine, allowing him to jump forward in time just enough to avoid a bully’s punch to the face. The situation is not helped by a madcap assassin/guidance councilor and some serious parental abuse.
The second half follows Patricia and Laurence as adults in San Francisco — they have drifted apart and haven’t spoken in years. As the world starts to literally crumble, science and magic have become each other’s enemies and Patricia and Lawrence are reunited and eventually pitted against each other. Mix in a little global warming, the apocalypse, and Facebook gone mental and you have All the Birds in the Sky.
This is a strange one for me. There were parts I really genuinely loved and other bits that I just wasn’t fond of.
Pros:
The characters aren’t perfect — they both mess up a whole lot. They’re so human; they like the wrong people and are sometimes shitty friends, they’re pig-headed and their egos often get in the way.
The first half of the book was definitely more compelling — I probably would have enjoyed it more if it just followed them as they discover what they’re capable of.
Cons:
It felt like two different books smashed together. The beginning was definitely more lighthearted despite the abuse the two suffer at the hands of family and schoolmates. I’m struggling to say more without spoilers!
I feel like it lost its way a little in the second half when the characters are adults. It goes from darkly funny and insightful to full-on apocalyptic novel. I just enjoyed it a lot less once Patricia and Laurence grew up.
I think the best way to approach this book is with an open mind. It is a great addition to your TBR pile if you like magical realism or SSF, but it doesn’t really slot into those genres easily. I think the best takeaway from my experience reading this book is that it has been several weeks since I finished it and still cannot stop thinking about it.
This review was originally posted to I Should Read That
All the Birds in the Sky is a weird and wonderful combination of fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism with a touch of romance. Patricia is a witch, discovering her ability to speak to animals as a child, while Laurence is a blooming mad scientist. The book opens when the pair are children in middle school. They are both are loners, ostracized from their school’s social circles for different reasons, but come together and a spark of friendship is ignited. They deal with standard middle school stuff while discovering that they truly are different from their peers. Patricia tries to unlock her magic after she speaks to a bird for the first time. Laurence invents the two-second time machine, allowing him to jump forward in time just enough to avoid a bully’s punch to the face. The situation is not helped by a madcap assassin/guidance councilor and some serious parental abuse.
The second half follows Patricia and Laurence as adults in San Francisco — they have drifted apart and haven’t spoken in years. As the world starts to literally crumble, science and magic have become each other’s enemies and Patricia and Lawrence are reunited and eventually pitted against each other. Mix in a little global warming, the apocalypse, and Facebook gone mental and you have All the Birds in the Sky.
This is a strange one for me. There were parts I really genuinely loved and other bits that I just wasn’t fond of.
Pros:
The characters aren’t perfect — they both mess up a whole lot. They’re so human; they like the wrong people and are sometimes shitty friends, they’re pig-headed and their egos often get in the way.
The first half of the book was definitely more compelling — I probably would have enjoyed it more if it just followed them as they discover what they’re capable of.
Cons:
It felt like two different books smashed together. The beginning was definitely more lighthearted despite the abuse the two suffer at the hands of family and schoolmates. I’m struggling to say more without spoilers!
I feel like it lost its way a little in the second half when the characters are adults. It goes from darkly funny and insightful to full-on apocalyptic novel. I just enjoyed it a lot less once Patricia and Laurence grew up.
I think the best way to approach this book is with an open mind. It is a great addition to your TBR pile if you like magical realism or SSF, but it doesn’t really slot into those genres easily. I think the best takeaway from my experience reading this book is that it has been several weeks since I finished it and still cannot stop thinking about it.
This review was originally posted to I Should Read That
Robert Galbraith’s debut novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, received moderate success, selling approximatley 1,500 copies (a respectable number for a debut) and boasting blurbs from the Queen of Crime Val McDermid among others. Of course, when the author’s true identity was leaked as none other than J. K. Rowling, sales skyrocketed and Robert Galbraith became a household name.
The Cuckoo’s Calling is an impressive debut; it has the feel of an old-school detective novel set in the modern world. Lula Landry has it all: stunning beauty, immense wealth, and lucrative modeling career. That is, until her apparent suicide. Lula’s brother John does not believe that she jumped from her balcony on that cold winter night — and he calls upon private detective Cormoron Strike to investigate. Strike is pulled into the dizzying world of wealth and celebrity while on the hunt for the killer — if there is a killer at all.
I felt like this book got significantly stronger as it progressed. At the beginning, it felt very run of the mill. You have your broody, down on his luck detective who is also naturally unlucky in love and a bit of a loner. There’s his sidekick in the form of Robin, the spunky temporary secretary who is physically and emotionally lovely, newly engaged, and has long dreamed of the exciting life of detective work. There’s villains, both obvious and less so, red herrings, and the classic ‘I’ve figured the whole thing out!’ conversation at the end. It’s all very Agatha Christie. Yet as I kept reading, the book felt more and more fresh despite these tropes. The dive into the celebrity lifestyle has been done before by books, TV, and film but was excellently done. Strike as a character grew on me exponentially, although my brain decided to cast him as Jeremy Clarkson, ruining some of the effect.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, although the first third or so was a bit tougher to get into. I plan to continue reading the series. Rowling is off to a pretty solid start with this book and I’m keen to see her grow as a crime writer. Of course, Cormoron and Robin are coming to TV sometime in 2017, and I believe that this book could be really well adapted.
Review originally posted to I Should Read That
The Cuckoo’s Calling is an impressive debut; it has the feel of an old-school detective novel set in the modern world. Lula Landry has it all: stunning beauty, immense wealth, and lucrative modeling career. That is, until her apparent suicide. Lula’s brother John does not believe that she jumped from her balcony on that cold winter night — and he calls upon private detective Cormoron Strike to investigate. Strike is pulled into the dizzying world of wealth and celebrity while on the hunt for the killer — if there is a killer at all.
I felt like this book got significantly stronger as it progressed. At the beginning, it felt very run of the mill. You have your broody, down on his luck detective who is also naturally unlucky in love and a bit of a loner. There’s his sidekick in the form of Robin, the spunky temporary secretary who is physically and emotionally lovely, newly engaged, and has long dreamed of the exciting life of detective work. There’s villains, both obvious and less so, red herrings, and the classic ‘I’ve figured the whole thing out!’ conversation at the end. It’s all very Agatha Christie. Yet as I kept reading, the book felt more and more fresh despite these tropes. The dive into the celebrity lifestyle has been done before by books, TV, and film but was excellently done. Strike as a character grew on me exponentially, although my brain decided to cast him as Jeremy Clarkson, ruining some of the effect.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, although the first third or so was a bit tougher to get into. I plan to continue reading the series. Rowling is off to a pretty solid start with this book and I’m keen to see her grow as a crime writer. Of course, Cormoron and Robin are coming to TV sometime in 2017, and I believe that this book could be really well adapted.
Review originally posted to I Should Read That
Originally posted to I Should Read That
This is a spoiler-free review
As some of you may know, I’ve been working on expanding my reading into more diverse authors and characters with a particular focus on female writers. This resolution led me to two of my favorite books last year, and this year has been just as fortunate so far because I discovered Binti by Nnedi Okorafor.
A woman of the desert, Binti is a brilliant mathematician and one of the Himba people who helps her father build astrolabs for the Khoush, members of the larger society that looks down on her people. The desert is her home, but when Binti is accepted to Oomza Uni, she defies her family and cultural tradition to leave her home — and the planet– to expand her mathematical skills. On the way through war-torn space, Binti learns more about herself, her limits, and her mathematical talents. It’s hard to go any further without spoiling any plot points!
I’ve not read a huge amount of science fiction yet, certainly not compared to the huge number of fantasy fiction I’ve consumed over the years, but I’ve never read anything quite like this before. The world that Okorafor creates is lush and vivid, yet so similar to our own potential future. The plot is simple, yet compelling and feels complete. It’s not just a space opera, it is a commentary on race and an insight into human behaviour and interaction. Despite her mathematical genius and otherworldly mind, Binti is someone that most of us can relate to in some way. She is young, she gets frightened and lonely, faces discrimination, doubts herself, and leaves her home and family behind in search of a better life for herself. She sticks to her roots, but is open to living in a world so different, and less accepting, from her own. Now, bearing all this in mind, consider that the paperback copy clocks in at only 90 pages.
It says a lot about Nnedi Okorafor’s talents as a writer to have been able to create such an incredibly fleshed out world and character in a single novella. I find most novellas and short stories not to my taste; they often feel lacking and incomplete and I’d rather read a full-length novel. Binti is a completely satisfying novella and doesn’t feel too short. I’m a pretty fast reader and I caught myself slowing down to savor the book so I didn’t finish too quickly.
I eagerly await sinking my teeth into the next installment.
This is a spoiler-free review
As some of you may know, I’ve been working on expanding my reading into more diverse authors and characters with a particular focus on female writers. This resolution led me to two of my favorite books last year, and this year has been just as fortunate so far because I discovered Binti by Nnedi Okorafor.
A woman of the desert, Binti is a brilliant mathematician and one of the Himba people who helps her father build astrolabs for the Khoush, members of the larger society that looks down on her people. The desert is her home, but when Binti is accepted to Oomza Uni, she defies her family and cultural tradition to leave her home — and the planet– to expand her mathematical skills. On the way through war-torn space, Binti learns more about herself, her limits, and her mathematical talents. It’s hard to go any further without spoiling any plot points!
I’ve not read a huge amount of science fiction yet, certainly not compared to the huge number of fantasy fiction I’ve consumed over the years, but I’ve never read anything quite like this before. The world that Okorafor creates is lush and vivid, yet so similar to our own potential future. The plot is simple, yet compelling and feels complete. It’s not just a space opera, it is a commentary on race and an insight into human behaviour and interaction. Despite her mathematical genius and otherworldly mind, Binti is someone that most of us can relate to in some way. She is young, she gets frightened and lonely, faces discrimination, doubts herself, and leaves her home and family behind in search of a better life for herself. She sticks to her roots, but is open to living in a world so different, and less accepting, from her own. Now, bearing all this in mind, consider that the paperback copy clocks in at only 90 pages.
It says a lot about Nnedi Okorafor’s talents as a writer to have been able to create such an incredibly fleshed out world and character in a single novella. I find most novellas and short stories not to my taste; they often feel lacking and incomplete and I’d rather read a full-length novel. Binti is a completely satisfying novella and doesn’t feel too short. I’m a pretty fast reader and I caught myself slowing down to savor the book so I didn’t finish too quickly.
I eagerly await sinking my teeth into the next installment.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review will contain some small spoilers.
I’ve only just begun reading YA, but I can tell you that nothing has had quite the impact of Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel of the Sands. I picked it up only recently and fell in love with the incredible world-building, plot, and characters. I do love my strong female characters and Rebel of the Sands certainly does not lacking in them. So you can imagine my joy when I discovered that Traitor to the Throne, the highly anticipated sequel, was due out only a few weeks after I finished the first book. And Traitor does not disappoint: it kicks the action and danger into high gear as Amani is trapped in enemy territory. With no Jin, Shazad, or rebel crew, Amani must survive alone outside the familiar deserts of Miraji.
Traitor to the Throne opens nearly a year after Rebel concludes. Amani is gravely wounded and is recovering while Jin is sent away to infiltrate the Xichian army. Although briefly reunited at the beginning of the book, Amani is torn away from Jin and the rebellion when she is betrayed and sold to her greatest enemy — the Sultan of Miraji. Trapped within the palace walls in Izman, Amani no longer has her gun, her demdji powers, or Jin — she must use her survival instincts to make alliances and stay alive — too bad she has always been terrible at watching her own back.
One of the things I liked best is that Hamilton strips away what makes Amani so interesting in the first book: her sharpshooting ability and her ability to control desert sands. Jin is out of the picture for most of the book and their love story isn’t there to keep up the reader’s interest. Regardless, Amani still shines through as an incredibly well-crafted and likeable character. She doesn’t need her skills for violence or magic to prop herself up. Jin isn’t a crutch to make her interesting or relatable. She is someone who we can easily admire. She’s still full of snark and sass and the dialogue is just as fun. Hamilton’s treatment of Amani in Traitor really shows off her growing skills as a writer and makes me love the character all the more.
I really enjoyed Rebel of the Sands; it’s a fun, quick read packed with action and romance. However, Traitor to the Throne is a whole new animal and, in my opinion, a far superior book. It is woven through with threads of folklore and stories that enhance the plot and the world rather than distract from it. It’s bursting with danger, color, and thrill. Like Rebel, this book is dominated by powerful women — both physically and socially — and is filled with new faces as well as old favorites.
The wait for book #3 will be a long one indeed.
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I’ve only just begun reading YA, but I can tell you that nothing has had quite the impact of Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel of the Sands. I picked it up only recently and fell in love with the incredible world-building, plot, and characters. I do love my strong female characters and Rebel of the Sands certainly does not lacking in them. So you can imagine my joy when I discovered that Traitor to the Throne, the highly anticipated sequel, was due out only a few weeks after I finished the first book. And Traitor does not disappoint: it kicks the action and danger into high gear as Amani is trapped in enemy territory. With no Jin, Shazad, or rebel crew, Amani must survive alone outside the familiar deserts of Miraji.
Traitor to the Throne opens nearly a year after Rebel concludes. Amani is gravely wounded and is recovering while Jin is sent away to infiltrate the Xichian army. Although briefly reunited at the beginning of the book, Amani is torn away from Jin and the rebellion when she is betrayed and sold to her greatest enemy — the Sultan of Miraji. Trapped within the palace walls in Izman, Amani no longer has her gun, her demdji powers, or Jin — she must use her survival instincts to make alliances and stay alive — too bad she has always been terrible at watching her own back.
One of the things I liked best is that Hamilton strips away what makes Amani so interesting in the first book: her sharpshooting ability and her ability to control desert sands. Jin is out of the picture for most of the book and their love story isn’t there to keep up the reader’s interest. Regardless, Amani still shines through as an incredibly well-crafted and likeable character. She doesn’t need her skills for violence or magic to prop herself up. Jin isn’t a crutch to make her interesting or relatable. She is someone who we can easily admire. She’s still full of snark and sass and the dialogue is just as fun. Hamilton’s treatment of Amani in Traitor really shows off her growing skills as a writer and makes me love the character all the more.
I really enjoyed Rebel of the Sands; it’s a fun, quick read packed with action and romance. However, Traitor to the Throne is a whole new animal and, in my opinion, a far superior book. It is woven through with threads of folklore and stories that enhance the plot and the world rather than distract from it. It’s bursting with danger, color, and thrill. Like Rebel, this book is dominated by powerful women — both physically and socially — and is filled with new faces as well as old favorites.
The wait for book #3 will be a long one indeed.
Originally posted to I Should Read That
This is a spoiler-free review.
Vasya has always been different. She is a creature of the old ways; the dark forest near her home in northernmost Russia is her playground and the creatures therein are her companions. No one else in Vasya’s village can see them, but they leave offerings and pay their respects to the old gods. Life is hard, but Vasya’s family and her people are happy. Then things begin to change. Vasya’s father remarries a fiercely devout woman, and one day a favored priest from Moscow comes to the church and preaches fear of the Christian God and eternal damnation. Caught up in the charismatic priest’s teachings, the people begin to abandon the old ways — all except Vasya — and the darkness within the surrounding woods begins to grow and evil begins to spread. Armed with only her wild nature and a mysterious gift from her childhood, Vasya must find a way to save her people.
First things first: the jacket copy on my edition of this book was pretty misleading. If you go into this book expecting to be immediately swept away into a battle of good versus evil with one girl who can save everyone, this isn’t really what you’re going to get. Instead this is the story of Vasya from her conception through to her teenage years as she struggles against the men and women in her life who would tame her for a role in a society in which she does not belong. While you get those exciting bits, it is a slow burn and builds up the Vasya’s world and the characters in it.
Here we have a book that is more than just a fairy tale, although it contains classic fairy tale elements. You have your wild girl child, a dark forest, otherworldly creatures, and an evil stepmother who replaces the kind and loving mother after her death. There’s something about Arden’s prose that evokes the tales of one’s childhood and the comfort they bring while mixing in the creeping horror from both human and magical beings. Despite the wealth of fairy tale tropes, Arden manages to keep the book fresh; it feels more like magical realism in a world many of us can recognise rather than a more straightforward fairy tale like Uprooted. Vasya and many of the characters around her are complicated, with most of them only doing what they genuinely believe is right. While Vasya grows from a wild girl into a stubborn young woman, she faces a society that would force her into the role of a wife and mother or hide her away and take her freedom. To me, this is the crux of the story and the fairy tale style is an aid for telling Vasya’s story.
I don’t want to say too much because part of the magic is sinking into the story and discovering it for yourself. Part fairy tale, part coming of age story, The Bear and the Nightingale is a brilliant read for a cold winter’s night.
This review was originally posted on I Should Read That
Vasya has always been different. She is a creature of the old ways; the dark forest near her home in northernmost Russia is her playground and the creatures therein are her companions. No one else in Vasya’s village can see them, but they leave offerings and pay their respects to the old gods. Life is hard, but Vasya’s family and her people are happy. Then things begin to change. Vasya’s father remarries a fiercely devout woman, and one day a favored priest from Moscow comes to the church and preaches fear of the Christian God and eternal damnation. Caught up in the charismatic priest’s teachings, the people begin to abandon the old ways — all except Vasya — and the darkness within the surrounding woods begins to grow and evil begins to spread. Armed with only her wild nature and a mysterious gift from her childhood, Vasya must find a way to save her people.
First things first: the jacket copy on my edition of this book was pretty misleading. If you go into this book expecting to be immediately swept away into a battle of good versus evil with one girl who can save everyone, this isn’t really what you’re going to get. Instead this is the story of Vasya from her conception through to her teenage years as she struggles against the men and women in her life who would tame her for a role in a society in which she does not belong. While you get those exciting bits, it is a slow burn and builds up the Vasya’s world and the characters in it.
Here we have a book that is more than just a fairy tale, although it contains classic fairy tale elements. You have your wild girl child, a dark forest, otherworldly creatures, and an evil stepmother who replaces the kind and loving mother after her death. There’s something about Arden’s prose that evokes the tales of one’s childhood and the comfort they bring while mixing in the creeping horror from both human and magical beings. Despite the wealth of fairy tale tropes, Arden manages to keep the book fresh; it feels more like magical realism in a world many of us can recognise rather than a more straightforward fairy tale like Uprooted. Vasya and many of the characters around her are complicated, with most of them only doing what they genuinely believe is right. While Vasya grows from a wild girl into a stubborn young woman, she faces a society that would force her into the role of a wife and mother or hide her away and take her freedom. To me, this is the crux of the story and the fairy tale style is an aid for telling Vasya’s story.
I don’t want to say too much because part of the magic is sinking into the story and discovering it for yourself. Part fairy tale, part coming of age story, The Bear and the Nightingale is a brilliant read for a cold winter’s night.
This review was originally posted on I Should Read That