The Rage of Dragons

Evan Winter

Book 1 of The Burning Series

Fantasy novel where an entire people (The Omehi) have traveled across the sea to escape what I can only guess is some sort of magic induced plague. In their new land, they are not welcome and are immediately thrust into a 200 year war, where we pick up. The Omehi are a highly caste structured society, and our protagonist is Tau, a Lesser. Tau has noble friends, but has no real tolerance for caste castigation, which of course gets him into trouble. He joins the military and becomes a phenomenal fighter, taking advantage of the "magic source" in ways that others can't or won't.  In the end, Tau learns that he is not the only one who has concerns about caste, not the only one who questions the magic source, and not the only one fully gutted by the cost of war and violence. 

I'll definetly keep up with the series, but since Books 3 and 4 are not yet published, no hurry...

3 stars (out of 4)

Lexicon

Max Barry

This is a sci-fi-ish book, if linguistics is considered science. Maybe just magical realism. The setting is a world where someone has figured out that the way sounds are processed in the brain (which neural pathways fire, which hormones are produced, etc.) can actually be weaponized and used to lower a persons defenses and become "extremely persuasive". This very much has Babel vibes in terms of how language is used. While Babel was primarily bringing a subtext of colonization, Lexicon is talking about personal power and corruption. It is into this world Emily is recruited off the Venice Beach hustle circuit and finds herself learning to be quite powerful, as well as to be wary of others in the organization. Ultimately, power and corruption are the guiding forces that drive this plot and Emily and her beau become pawns/catalysts at various points in the story. I actually appreciated the time jumps in the story telling, alternating between present and past to provide a backstory snippet just in time to understand what is next, without revealing the entire history. Engaging, with a fascinating interpretation of language processing. 

4 stars (out of 4) 

Gideon the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir

Book 1 of the Locked Tomb series

This is really a strange genre bender. In most ways, it is pure, high fantasy. Necromancers doing magic, nine houses under the rule of the emperor, adepts and cavaliers doing battle. But it also hints at a far future, sci-fi. The houses are each from different planets. Life and technology seems to be in a post-apocalyptic phase. Cool. 

Gideon Nav is a member of the Ninth house, has a brutal history of abuse at the hand of the house princess Harrow. She is constantly trying to escape, but never successful. When the emperor calls for representatives from each house, Gideon is drafted to be the cavalier (personal bodyguard) for Harrow and they skooch off to the first planet. The goal is to learn how to transcend into a Lyctor, the immortal servant of the emperor. The payoff being new wealth and security for the diminishing Ninth house. Duels, bone constructs,  ghosts, murder, and political intrigue. Quite fun. And while the plot pretty much unfolded as you expect while you read, this is OK and largely satisfying. The twists and surprises were surprising to the characters, not to the reader. Looking forward to the next installment. 

4 stars (out of 4)

Spinning Silver

Naomi Novik

In the same vein as Uprooted, Novik has created a magical fantasy world with flavors of Polish culture. Miryam is a Jewish moneylender. She picked up the trade from her father, who was not good at it, and from her Grandfather, who was. She lives in the rural villages an is finally making enough to feel comfortable. That is when the Staryk notice her, and make a deal with her to turn silver into gold. Miryam doesn't know the rules of the Staryk world and what it means to make a deal. She is pulled into a conflict that will either destroy all humanity in her country, or save it from endless winter. Enthralling. 

3 stars (out of 4)

The Witness for the Dead

Katherine Addison

Set in the same world as The Goblin Emperor, but really only the protagonist Tharu carries over. Tharu is a Witness for the Dead, meaning if he touches a dead body soon after death he can get a sense of the last thoughts. Comes in very helpful for solving murders and settling contested wills, etc. In many ways, aside from this fact, Addison has written a very traditional police procedural, with a few cases chased down and the reader wondering how (or if) they will tie together. At the same time he has to deal with the politics of his office and the ongoing evaluation of his call as a Witness. My only complaint is the bombardment of names and vocab in the first two chapters. I understand the fun of creating names when creating a world, but even after wading through, I still couldn't tell who was whom. The good thing is it didn't really spoil or inhibit the novel. 

4 stars (out of 4)

Uprooted

Naomi Novik

Magical Fantasy at its best with a distinct Polish perspective. Agnieszka is a young woman from the local village near The Wood. The Dragon is the most powerful sorcerer in the land and he lives in the tower at the edge of the valley, protecting everyone from the corruption and evil of The Wood. And once every decade he comes into the village to conscript a young girl to serve as his maid and servant. In Agnieszka's year, it is clear who will be chosen...her best friend Kasia. Until she isn't, and Agnieszka is picked. So begins the journey to discovering her own magical abilities and finding what actually is going on in the Wood.

4 stars (out of 4)

The Traitor Baru Cormorant

Seth Dickinson

The Masquerade Book 1

Baru Cormorant is a mathematical savant who happens to be discovering her talents as one of the conquered teens of the reigning empire known as The Masquerade. With her island country crushed by war and disease, with one of her fathers disappeared for "unhygenic practice", with a boundless drive for justice and revenge, Baru goes all in with the Empire -- to break it from the inside. The only question is whether she will lose herself in the process. Can you actually defeat empire? This is the question that keeps surfacing is a variety of contexts. The world that Dickinson creates is astounding. The character Baru is such a dominant force in this world that all the other characters simultaneously pale in comparison and do their job filling in the colors around her to make a vibrant full story. In the end, this is a straight up political thriller that happens to be set in a non-magical, fantasy world. Love it. 

4 stars (out of 4)

A Master of Djinn

P. Djèlí Clark

Set in early 1900's Egypt in a world where the Djinn are a normal part of life and contributors to human society. So much so that Egypt is now a world power and part of the negotiating team trying to prevent a war in Europe. Along with Djinn come evil Djinn, and therefore a government agency to track and manage the spiritual realm. Agent Fatma is one the few women agents and she leads the charge to save the world from some Djinn changing the balance of power with the intent of destroying humanity. I really do love the Sherlock Holmes vibe from an eastern perspective. Love it. 

4 stars (out of 4)

Midnight Bargain

C.L. Polk

A magical fantasy world set around the Bargaining Season, the six weeks of the year where all the wealthy and important men spend time courting the wealthy and important women in order to secure a spousal match that benefits the family. Often these matches are arranges to that women who have the ability to do magic are paired with men who are mages in order to further strengthen the magical genetics. The problem is that since pregnant women are in danger of having their fetus taken over by a spirit, they are warded from all magic during their childbearing years. And for Beatrice, who's only purpose in life is to wield magic, to become a mage who partners with a greater spirit, this arrangement is unacceptable. Using magic wielding as the mechanism by which we can explore women's autonomy makes this less about the mechanics of the magic and more about the social structures that Beatrice (and we) are subject to and perpetuate. Polk offers all the right perspectives and sadly ends up exactly where you would expect, with the masses of men unable to comprehend a different way of life. But the journey is fun and exploring the spirit / corporeal mixing reveals the extent to which Polk is a great storyteller.

3 stars (out of 4)

Battle Dragons: City of Secrets

Alexander London

Book 3 of the Battle Dragons series

Abel and his family have been exiled to Glassblowers Gulch, a backwater mining town a few hours out in the desert. G2 is decidedly *not* the big city. Only a couple dragons are around, owned by the sheriff. Brother Silas is working as a deputy sheriff and Abel is almost immediately thrust into the hot seat when a local girl begs him to care for a baby Wyvern she hatched (so illegal). So he does, and finds that the local attitude is corrupt and abusive. Can't have that. So Abel and his new dragon take on the world. I love how each dragon has really had a distinct personality, and that a big part of the relationship building has been Abel learning how to work with his new friend. A playful romp through gangster-corrupt-politics and breaking the chains of colonial imperialism. 

4 stars (out of 4)

Battle Dragons: City of Speed

Alexander London

Book 2 of the Battle Dragons series

Having set free a few battle dragons, showing up and angering each of the three criminal gangs in the city and the city secret police, Abel and Roa are now returning to school for their 8th grade year. Part of the deal to keep them out of jail in the last installment was that they now snitch to the cops. And Abel's first undercover assignment is to find out who is doing illegal bio-engineering experiments on dragons. And the way to do that is to get challenged to participate in an illegal dragon street-race. All the same characters, but alliances are shifting, new dragon relationships are forming and Abel and his friends and family are all solidifying their understanding of imperialism, slavery and corruption. They just do it while Abel is racing through the city at 100's of mph on a dragon. How could it get any better. 

4 stars (out of 4)

Battle Dragons: City of Thieves

Alexander London

Book 1 of the Battle Dragons series

This is a modern world. Our protagonist Abel is a 7th grade student who lives on the 90th floor of his building. Most buildings are 200+ stories, and the city has tens of millions living there. It is a pretty high tech place (holographic billboards, cell phones, etc. But all transportation and heavy labor is accomplished via dragon. Need a school bus? Strap some seats on to a long wing dragon. Abel is a middling student (failed his dragon academy entrance exam), but his friend Roa is a prodigy, taking college classes at night in dragon veterinarianism. Abel and Roa quickly get pulled into the city underbelly as Abel finds he has bonded with Karak - a Sunrise Reaper battle dragon. And he is expected to battle on behalf of one of the 3 local gangs. London has created an effective mixture of tech and fantasy. He is illuminating coming of age issues for middle school kids at the same time as the social inequity that comes from the struggle for power at all costs. And Abel as the clear eyed, idealist who can push for a better world is the perfect protagonist. 

4 stars (out of 4)

Thornhedge

T. Kingfisher

A tower in a wasteland surrounded by an impenetrable hedge (yes...) of thorns. The narrator is a beautiful woman who is a changeling (her name is Toadling) and throughout the story, we get her point of view and through flashback her origin story. Upon this scene comes a knight of ill fortune who has read old stories of a princess in this tower. He has come to investigate/rescue/explore. Basically, he is bored (he doesn't like the "normal" knight stuff) and curious. An interesting variation on the Sleeping Beauty theme which is fun, but not enthralling. 

3 stars (out of 4)

The Goblin Emperor

Katherine Addison

A nice fantasy world full of hints of magic, a cyberpunk feel (castles, moats, hydrogen airships), and basically two races (elves and goblins). Maia is the 4th son of the current elven emperor. Since his mother was a goblin, he has been banished to exile, his father not wanting any memory of his "poor decision". But when the emperor's airship blows up killing all aboard (including son's 1-3) Maia is suddenly the Emperor. In this world, we follow Maia as he navigates treacherous politics of court, religious and racial discrimination, royal expectations and a murder mystery. It is a fun evolution of a young man (goblin/elf) and maybe one of the most satisfying royal court intrigue stories I've read. 

4 stars (out of 4)

The Harbors of the Sun

Martha Wells

Raksura Series - Book 5

In the series finale, the weapon was discovered, and then stolen. Moon and Stone pursue, half-breeds support, and Jade follows. More interactions with the groundlings, which Moon excels at. Stone and Jade have serious PTS after the end of the last episode, and Moon can't figure out what is going on (he was on the other side of the rock.  Not really a spoiler, but in the end everything works out. The journey is amazing. Kudos to Wells for an outstanding world and series. 

4 stars (out of 4)

The Edge of Worlds

Martha Wells

Raksura Series - Book 4

Having successfully sealed the Siren in its prison, and come to a working arrangement with his birth court, Moon is expecting to live a normal, uneventful life. But then everyone has the same nightmare at the same time, the Fell invade the Reaches. Then some groundlings come with a story about a powerful weapon. Moon et. al. travel with the groundlings to *again* save the world. My only complaint here is that this is part 1 of a 2 part series (completed in Book 5), which was a departure for Wells. Small complaint :)

4 stars (out of 4)

The Siren Depths

Martha Wells

Raksura Series - Book 3

Moon's birth family shows up and it turns out they are from on of the oldest and most powerful courts of the Reaches. Moon goes "home" to try to get everything settled, with Jade to follow. Turns out this court has also had traumatic experiences with the Fell trying to cross breed and in this installment we find out why. Now Moon, Jade, Stone and some of his new family need to travel to a mysterious ancient formation to prevent humans and the Fell from gaining a great weapon. 

4 stars (out of 4)

The Serpent Sea

Martha Wells

Raksura Series - Book 2

With the Indigo Cloud court having defeated the Fell, and moved back to their mountain tree in the forest, everything seems to be good. Until they find the tree is dying, having had its seed stolen. So Moon and Jade and a few warriors follow the trail of the thieves to the Serpent Sea. Here they encounter a minor mage who is using the seed to keep his solitary power over his floating city. A nice continuation of the saga, expanding the characterization and relationships of both individuals an the community. 

4 stars (out of 4)

The Cloud Roads

Martha Wells

Raksura Series - Book 1

The first in a five volume series referred to as the Raksura Series. The Raksura are a race of shapeshifters, including the Arbora (who shift between human and bird-like, but without wings) and the Aeriat (human and full birds). The Aeriat are warriors and sterile, except for the queen and her consort. Moon is one of these Aeriat, and a constort. The odd piece is that Moon has lived on his own his entire life, mostly in human form trying to fit in. He doesn't know what he his, or if he is the only one. Until he is found by another consort and brought into a tribe (flock?) of his own kind. Only to find that he might be the catalyst for change that could save the tribe from The Fell (a related, but evil species of shape shifters). 

This is a fabulous world. I love the characters and culture, Wells continues to dominate this fantasy genre.

4 stars (out of 4)

City of Bones

Martha Wells

I need to pay attention more. I thought I was reading book one of a series, but instead this is a standalone novel. And a really good one. As I was reading, I really enjoyed the world that Wells creates. A post magical disaster world where cities rise up out of a wasteland that is inhabitable only by monsters and creatures. The central city of the story is an 8-tiered structure with tiers explicitly defining class and wealth. In this world, Khat is a relics dealer, and a krisman - some sort of non-human species created to survive in the waste. He gets mixed up with Elen, a warder - the last remaining wielders of power - in a quest for some relics that may save the world -- or destroy it. In the end, Wells wraps up the story and the world so tightly that I am glad not to be pulled into another volume. Well done Martha.

4 stars (out of 4)