Don't Forget to Read a Book!

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Sherri S. Tepper's  Beauty. The Short of It Plot: After evading a certain sleep-related curse, Beauty ends up exploring far and wide to reconcile her human and fairy ancestry. Page Count: 412 Award: 1992 Locus Fantasy Worth a read : No. Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Minimal Review:  A remarkably ambitious book that takes a variety of clever turns, but ultimately unsatisfying. Dragged down by inconsistent pacing and passive characters. A lot of very convenient coincidences are needed for things to line up the way that they do, which grows tiresome. The result is an uneven patchwork of well-trodden tropes, though stitched together in a novel fashion.  The Medium of It Spoiler Free! Writing a spoiler free review of this is a challenge, as things go sideways pretty early on. The starting point is that this is indeed, in part, a take on Sleeping Beauty. Our protagonist is the eponymous Beauty her

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Lois McMaster Bujold's  Cetaganda. The Short of It Plot:  Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan end up in over their heads when the Empress dies unexpectedly during a diplomatic mission to Cetaganda. Page Count:  302 Award:  Part of Vorkosigan Saga Worth a read : Yes Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Moderate Review:  It goes without saying that characters are fun, writing is solid, and pacing is good. This volume brings much more depth to Cetaganda, one of the other civilizations in the Vorkosigan Universe. Mystery elements work well here, but require a lot of info dumps, as Miles is also ignorant of the finer workings of Cetaganda. Cetagandan society is also built upon some more thought provoking concepts, making it more conducive to further discussion than Barrayar.  The Medium of It Spoiler Free! In its form this is one of the less adventurous Vorkosigan books. It's a similar setup to m

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Ellen Kushner's Thomas the Rhymer. The Short of It Plot:  Thomas is a talented enough bard that even the Queen of the Fairies takes notice. Page Count: 256 Award:  1991 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot, World, or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail(?) Technobabble:  Doesn't apply. Review:  An unremarkable and inoffensive retelling of a fairy tale. Writing quality is the main draw here: lots of good passages that draw successfully upon the style and mood of myths. That said, there's nothing that novel here: standard fairy-related mischief, unrequited love, love transcending worlds... everything that one expects in such a fable. Story is divided into a few distinct blocks - and switches narrators - which does no favors for pacing. Of the four main characters, Thomas himself is the only one of the four main characters who sparks interest.  The Medium of It Spoiler Free! What is there to say about a book that is jus

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Robert R. McCammon's  Boy's Life. The Short of It Plot: Twelve year old Cory's quiet life in 1960s Alabama is shaken up when, by chance, he witnesses a murder. Page Count:  625 Award:  1992 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : Absolutely Primary Driver:  (Plot, World, or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble: N/A Review:  This objectively boring and meandering book is somehow completely and utterly engrossing. Truly exceptional writing captures both the whimsy of childhood and the slow maturation of its characters. Backdrop of 1960s in the South used well: both the idyllic aspects of life in days when the milkman still made his rounds, and the darker aspects of embedded racism. It's a snapshot of life with overlaid story elements - but it just works. Switches from casually humorous to introspective to devastating and back, without warning. A few scenes really punch you right in the gut. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! This shou

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Lois McMaster Bujold's  The Vor Game. The Short of It Plot: Miles Vorkosigan gets his first real assignment - a frozen outpost, where nothing happens. Somehow he still gets into trouble. Page Count:  364 Award: 1991 Hugo Worth a read : Yes Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Minimal. Review:  Highly enjoyable though somewhat disjointed, as the first part was originally a separate story. An engaging mix of different genres at play make this more mystery and thriller than anything else. Pacing is a bit odd, as each main plot has a standard three act structure... but this happens twice within the same book. Character work stays strong, including added depth to side characters introduced in the previous three volumes. Continues to expand the Vorkosigan universe. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! Even this early on in the Vorkosigan Saga it is probably clear that Bujold is comfortable with straddling th

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Dan Simmons's The Fall of Hyperion. The Short of It Plot:  The Shrike is not the only threat facing the pilgrims of Hyperion, and much needs to be resolved before the Time Tomb opens. Page Count:  517 Award:  1991 Locus SF Worth a read : Yes. Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail(?) Technobabble:  Yeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh Review:  A decent sequel, though a huge change in both tone and format from Hyperion.  Characters are solid, though heavily dependent upon their development in the first book. Plot is interesting enough to keep raising questions - but not every answer is satisfying. Pacing is all over the place - intermittent monologues pause everything for the sake of exposition. Read it because you've read the first book. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! Spoilers for Hyperion  though! This is a short review, because it boils down to this: You should read Hyperion , because it is a masterpiece. If you read Hy

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Lois McMaster Bujold's  The Warrior's Apprentice. The Short of It Plot:  Miles Vorkosigan, too weak and stunted for normal military service, figures out another route to make his family proud. Page Count:  315 Award:  Prequel to  The Vor Game , which won a Hugo. Worth a read : Yes Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass(?) Technobabble:  Moderate. Review:  A satisfying transition from Cordelia to Miles as the protagonist of the  Vorkosigan Saga. Plot is engaging and successfully balances active choices with reactionary beats - though it still relies on a number of convenient coincidences. Pacing starts slow but picks up appreciably. Characters remain the highlight of the series, though the larger cast here means some lack detail. Significantly expands the scope of the universe that we see and sets seeds for plenty of further storylines. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! The publication order for these books is fa

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Jack Vance's  Lyonesse Trilogy. The Short of It Plot:  Kingdoms vie for supremacy, wizards do the same, and the fairy folk mock them from the sidelines. Page Count:      Suldrun's Garden: 436     The Green Pearl: 406     Madouc: 544 Award:  Madouc - 1990 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or Character) Bechdel Test : Pass. Technobabble:  Some magic gibberish. Review:  A fantasy epic with a remarkable number of storylines, sometimes told out of chronological order. As a demonstration of how to effectively interweave a huge number of characters and plots this is a masterclass. This does not, however, make it an enjoyable read. Character work is underwhelming - a few standouts highlight how flat most of the others are. Pacing is choppy - sudden frenetic bursts followed by 100 page slumps. World feels pretty standard for medieval fantasy - tricky fae, conspiratorial wizards, arrogant monarchs. Ultimately th

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about James K. Morrow's Only Begotten Daughter. The Short of It Plot:  Julie Katz, God's daughter, tries her best to avoid ending up like her brother 2000 years before.  Page Count:  312 Award:  1991 World Fantasy Award  Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or Character)  Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  None. Review:  Alternate title - What if God Was a Woman? and Other Uninspired Theological Questions. This books serves as a theological thought experiment, and as such, is about 300 pages longer than it needs to be. It is neither shocking enough to be engagingly unorthodox nor compelling enough to be viewed as an actual novel. Characters are weak, pacing is all over the place, and the theological aspects of it are trite. Reads like an essay from someone who went to Catholic school and just discovered the rest of the world. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! The issues with Only Begotten Daughter do not exactly spring from its (potent

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Lois McMaster Bujold's  Barrayar. The Short of It Plot:  Cordelia and Aral end up entangled in a power struggle, fighting enemies to protect their own family as well as the young emperor. Page Count:  389 Award: 1992 Hugo, 1992 Locus SF Worth a read : Yes Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Moderate. Review:  A more engaging plot marks this as a significant step up from Shards of Honor. Excellent characters once again ground the story. While Cordelia and Aral are the most nuanced there are a few good side characters and a solid villain. Starts slow, but the second half - with the exception of some odd subplots - has breakneck pacing. Nice twists on "fish out of water" stories by making society adjust to Cordelia as much as she adjusts to it.  The Medium of It Spoiler Free! This is going to be a relatively brief review, methinks. Read this one after Shards of Honor -  it is a direct seq