Take a photo of a barcode or cover
I apparently got my spouse into [a:Martha Wells|87305|Martha Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] and so he went and ordered her other books. I chose...wisely.
Her Raksura books are, at least superficially, very different from the ersatz Europe of Ile-Rien. In many ways, these were much more like a traditional fantasy novel (and needed the same kind of introduction that those usually require - a character who conveniently knows less than the reader), but Wells is a solid wordsmith and spent way less time info dumping than I was worried, to the point that I occasionally found myself a bit confused.
My opinion of her writing hasn't changed - it's not that she transforms the genre in large ways by upending paradigms, but the smaller changes she makes to familiar narratives that subtly alter the stereotypes and cliches of the form (because all forms have those) make her work very fun to read.
The differences between the Raksura and Ile-Rien were unexpected enough that I think it took me a while to come to terms with this book as the book I was actually reading.
For example, most fantasy novels have a hard time with complex, well-rounded villains whose motives are transparent and even understandable (well, ish) from their perspective without going full tilt into redeeming them and finding some way to keep our heroes from having to kill people who feel like people or making everyone feel like the villain (Game of Thrones, I'm looking at you).
Wells manages that. She lets you encounter the villains, grow to understand them and then lets her heroes do what they need to do to survive. And I appreciate that.
----
I have a policy of not changing ratings on rereads, which is a bit of a shame, because once I like a book enough to reread it, it probably deserves a higher rating.
These books are quietly brilliant and, rereading them, I get a very good sense of why Wells can do such a good job with Murderbot.
Her Raksura books are, at least superficially, very different from the ersatz Europe of Ile-Rien. In many ways, these were much more like a traditional fantasy novel (and needed the same kind of introduction that those usually require - a character who conveniently knows less than the reader), but Wells is a solid wordsmith and spent way less time info dumping than I was worried, to the point that I occasionally found myself a bit confused.
My opinion of her writing hasn't changed - it's not that she transforms the genre in large ways by upending paradigms, but the smaller changes she makes to familiar narratives that subtly alter the stereotypes and cliches of the form (because all forms have those) make her work very fun to read.
The differences between the Raksura and Ile-Rien were unexpected enough that I think it took me a while to come to terms with this book as the book I was actually reading.
For example, most fantasy novels have a hard time with complex, well-rounded villains whose motives are transparent and even understandable (well, ish) from their perspective without going full tilt into redeeming them and finding some way to keep our heroes from having to kill people who feel like people or making everyone feel like the villain (Game of Thrones, I'm looking at you).
Wells manages that. She lets you encounter the villains, grow to understand them and then lets her heroes do what they need to do to survive. And I appreciate that.
----
I have a policy of not changing ratings on rereads, which is a bit of a shame, because once I like a book enough to reread it, it probably deserves a higher rating.
These books are quietly brilliant and, rereading them, I get a very good sense of why Wells can do such a good job with Murderbot.
I think that once I knew what I was getting myself into and had the world set up in the first book, I could appreciate this book far more. And the stories were not repetitive (which was so very nice).
Argh, I’ve been so bad about actually reviewing things. I enjoyed this, I felt about it basically the way I always feel about de bodard. Also BatB.
The practice of theory is basically always more interesting than the content of the theory. Nelson knows this and writes her book around it.
The question that it’s ACTUALLY interested in is the role of mother in theorizing and the denigrated emotional experiences of being an enbodied feminine presenting person and how they inform point of view.
So you also kinda have to write that as a theory memoir because to abstract away from it is to cede authority to the dominant cultural paradigm.
And we’re back to the main thrust of the theory is in its practice rather than in its content.
The question that it’s ACTUALLY interested in is the role of mother in theorizing and the denigrated emotional experiences of being an enbodied feminine presenting person and how they inform point of view.
So you also kinda have to write that as a theory memoir because to abstract away from it is to cede authority to the dominant cultural paradigm.
And we’re back to the main thrust of the theory is in its practice rather than in its content.
It's clear I'm still enjoying this series, right?
The problem with holidays is that, when I go on a slight reading rampage, I have no desire to review everything when I'm done.
On another note, this was probably the point in the series where I realized just how clever Wells was being when she wrote the Raksura as creatures distinct from human beings (a term she never uses, which makes perfect sense in the context of the book) and how she doesn't telegraph that certain Raksuran behaviors are replacing human ones, but just lets the narrative speak for itself and it's very well done.
The problem with holidays is that, when I go on a slight reading rampage, I have no desire to review everything when I'm done.
On another note, this was probably the point in the series where I realized just how clever Wells was being when she wrote the Raksura as creatures distinct from human beings (a term she never uses, which makes perfect sense in the context of the book) and how she doesn't telegraph that certain Raksuran behaviors are replacing human ones, but just lets the narrative speak for itself and it's very well done.
It's always a good sign when a book makes you want to go back and reread the entire series. Glad to get back to the Raksura and to Wells' amazingly creative fantasy setting. I'm still in awe of how well she writes characters that are both intensely relatable, yet completely other.
The sarcasm probably helps.
The sarcasm probably helps.
It's always a bit sad to hit the end of a series, especially one as engrossing as Wells' Raksura books. World building is a term that gets thrown around a lot--by me as much as by anyone else--but it's only after reading Wells that I remember how few writers truly build from the ground up. Wells does. Her books sometimes have an almost anthropological feel to them as the reader (through Moon) tries to figure out what is going on.
Also, madcap adventures, flying island, small children being adorable. It's fun. Honestly, if you liked the first six books, you'll like this one and, if you didn't, why the heck are you still reading?
Also, madcap adventures, flying island, small children being adorable. It's fun. Honestly, if you liked the first six books, you'll like this one and, if you didn't, why the heck are you still reading?
It was nice to revisit this world and, of course, the characters.
Glad to be back in this world - Wells does a wonderful job with writing actually weird fantasy (rather than humans in rubber masks) and puts an extraordinary amount of thought into what humanoids would be like. Also, these books are just pure fun.
Not sure whether reading the second story (in which one of the main characters is very close to giving birth and frustrated about being bored) while 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant was stressful or cathartic. Probably both.
Not sure whether reading the second story (in which one of the main characters is very close to giving birth and frustrated about being bored) while 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant was stressful or cathartic. Probably both.
You can tell I've been in a total reading slump because it took me three days to finish this book, starting the day it came out.
I'm pretty sure I could get away with calling that savoring the story, but seriously.
Anyway, Ursula is in top form and I see both the side that delights in this as a romance novel and the side that says "Only Ursula and her fans would think of this as romance!"
Yep.
I'm pretty sure I could get away with calling that savoring the story, but seriously.
Anyway, Ursula is in top form and I see both the side that delights in this as a romance novel and the side that says "Only Ursula and her fans would think of this as romance!"
Yep.