Fantasy

Red Seas Under Red Skies Read Along – Week 4

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I wasn’t able to participate last week because of work but this week I’m back. Next week may be a gamble depending on whether I can find a wifi signal in San Diego, CA so I wanted to make sure I got in as much as possible this time around. Kinda sad I might miss the last go around because this has been a great read along. Anyway, on with it!

Thanks to Ashley at SF Signal for last week’s questions and nrlymrtl from Dark Cargo for this week’s questions.

Week 3

1. Locke and Jean’s ability to find themselves at the center of a serious mess seems unparalleled. At this point, do you think that Stragos will get the return he expects on his investment in them?

He might but Locke and Jean will be extracting a price of their own as well, that’s my guess at least. Then again, they might end up at the bottom of the sea. These two seem to find attract every single bit of trouble any place has to offer. But if they didn’t, it wouldn’t be so much fun to read would it?
2. Merrain’s activities after our boys leave Windward Rock are interesting. What do you think her plans are?

I’m beginning to wonder who she’s really working for.
3. Does anyone know why having cats aboard the ship is so important?

Eat mice, scare rats?
4. The word “mutiny” creates a lot of mental pictures. Were you surprised? Why or why not?

No. I didn’t see this little boat ride going well for Locke, Jean maybe, but not Locke. He’s a good actor but he’s an actor. Someone was going to notice the man didn’t know what end of the boat he was on at some point. I’m surprised it took as long as it did.
5. Ah, the Poison Orchid. So many surprises there, not the least of which were the captain’s children. Did you find the young children a natural part of the story?

I was really surprised by the kids, mostly because there haven’t been any in the story except in flashbacks to mini Locke and Jean. It definitely humanizes Zamira and why she’s so cautious.

In a way, it is a natural part of the story though. Why wouldn’t someone have kids even a pirate?
6. Jean is developing more and more as a character as we get further in to the book. Ezri makes the comment to him that “Out here, the past is a currency, Jerome. Sometimes it’s the only one we have.” I think several interesting possibilities are coming into play regarding Jean and Ezri. What about you?

Oh yes.
7. As we close down this week’s reading, the Thorn of Camorr is back! I love it, even with all the conflict.  Several things from their Camorri background have come back up. Do you think we will see more Camorri characters?

Again, oh yes.

 

 

Week 4

1. I was much relieved when Jean and Locke made up, which started with Locke’s gesture of a cup full of honesty with Cpt. Drakasha. Do you think that was hard for Locke? Or was he using this bit of honesty like any other weapon in his arsenal to get what he wants in the end?

Double edged question. I think he needed to be honest for Jean because he respects and loves him. And I think there may have been a slight (oh so slight) amount of guilt mixed in with that respect and love that made Locke understand that he needed to lay the cards of the table. But, yes, he always thinks of himself first and what he can get out of it so even by telling the truth he was still using the situation to his advantage.

That makes Locke sound awful but I don’t see him that way, it’s just who he is and what he does, even when he isn’t lying.
2. The Parlor Passage: We still don’t know Locke’s true name, but whatever was in that mist does. What do you think it is?

It’s driving me nuts that I don’t know his name! Not that there’s anything wrong with Locke which I think is a fabulous name but I want the real one.

I’m not too sure I want to think of what’s in that mist but whatever it is, is what creepy is made of. Then again, maybe it’s nothing and the fog is really just a chemical or a drug that causes hallucinations.
3. There was an interesting section of the book that started about where Locke assisted Drakasha in selling the Red Messenger; he put on the persona of Leocanto Kosta and used the alias Tavras Callas and then Drakasha was still thinking of him as Ravelle….. Did using all those various aliases in such a short amount of time have your mind spinning a little? Do you think Lynch did this on purpose to give the reader a sense of Locke’s mind?

I was surprised to see Tavras Callas back. First, because I sort of think of him as a scheme from the first book, and two, it seems risky to bring someone like that back even in a part of the world he isn’t know. I keep thinking that’s going to come back and bite him. It does make you wonder about Locke’s head though and how full it is of disguises and personalities that I questioned if Locke even knows who he was. I don’t think of Locke in anyway negative but the fact that he can switch his personality on and off made me wonder about his mental health.
4. That was a sweet little kiss between Cpt. Zamira and Cpt. Jaffrim at the end of the Captains’ Council. Do you think they have some history, or is it just innocent flirting that’s been going on for some time?

Can you say baby daddy?
5. Jean and Ezri. Cue dove-cooing and little winged hearts with sparkles. Do you think Jean will stay with the Poison Orchid or that Ezri will leave her ship to pal around with Jean and Locke?

She’s the newest member of the Gentleman Bastards! She is. I know it.

And if she doesn’t leave to stay with Jean I’m going to be so upset. Finally, something nice for Jean. Don’t ruin it!
6. What is Utgar up to? What are his motivations?

It took me a second to realize what was going on here and I don’t like it. I have no idea what he’s up to but it’s all bad. That I know.
7. So last week we hashed over that Merrain killed some of Stragos’s guards on Windward Rock. But when Jean and Locke visit him, he doesn’t mention it. What is up with that?

I don’t get what’s up with her although I’m sorta digging her style. She’s like freelance killer, freelance spy, freelance I will tell you all nothing and play you all against each other.

Or, Lady Gentleman Bastard number two.
8. This week’s section left us where the book began – Jean pointing a crossbow at Locke’s throat. Do you think Jean knows who sent these crossbowers? Is he on their side? Is it a clever ploy to get him and Locke out of this predicament? Did you find it excruciatingly hard to stop here?

It’s a way to get them out of the mess because I can’t believe that Jean would turn on Locke, even though he is a huge pain in the ass.

And this was the worst place ever to stop this week’s reading! Worst. Place. Ever!

Now that my answers are posted, I’m going to start reading again.

Review – A Wrinkle in Time

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A Wrinkle in Time is a book I wish I would’ve read as a child, although as an adult I was still pretty impressed with it. I just kept wonder what my small self would’ve thought of it.

Meg Murry has trouble in school. She’s a smart kid, especially when it comes to math, but she has a temper and lands her in trouble more often than not. She has a lot to worry about too — her father, a government scientist, has been missing for months and it’s taking a toll on the Murry family. During a late night thunderstorm, Meg sneaks down to the kitchen for a snack and finds her little brother, Charles Wallace, already there. Soon their mother joins them and then the eccentric new neighbor, Mrs. Whatsit, shows up unexpectedly. After an eventful night, Meg’s next day is shot and she can’t wait to get home from school. Later, Meg and Charles Wallace head off to visit Mrs. Whatsit when they run into her classmate, Calvin O’Keefe. After some questions, Charles Wallace decides Calvin can come with them and the three set off. They meet the neighbors, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and a third Mrs. W who announces that they can help the kids get Mr. Murry back. The three children are then transported to another planet to help their father escape.

When I was reading, I got semi-wrapped up in the story and didn’t really think about the heavier aspects of it until I’d finished. One, the science fiction aspect is huge and I would have loved to have heard about wormholes before I discovered Star Trek. Another time… There is a strong religious element although, again, this one didn’t hit me until I realized that some of the quotes Mrs. Who was rattling off were bible passages. The Whatits are also, and maybe I’m remembering this wrong, at one point referred to as angel-like. Not being a religious person, these things usually pass over my head in most books.

Character wise, I loved Meg. She’s feisty, doesn’t like to hear she’s wrong, and happy to be a little different than most. She fights back when IT on the planet of Camazotz tells her he can make her happy just like everyone else. She tells him she doesn’t want to be like everyone else. Yep, an “Ahh,” moment for me. Meg has her quirks, but overall, she’s such a sweet character that I could see my small self really liking her. Although, Charles Wallace gave me the creeps. He’s a child of about five but he’s more like 30 and I found him to be a tad much at times. I wanted to like him, but his speaking like an adult one minute and being on the verge of a temper tantrum the next was weird.

The adult version of me was happy to see that L’Engle didn’t back off when it came to tough issues for what are essentially children — a missing father, school problems, family issues, etc. As child me, I probably never would have noticed that and simply thought this was just their life. Interesting how that happens. Oh, the years, they bring perspective.

Has anyone out there read the entire series? Is it worth it? I’m thinking of continuing but worried the rest might not live up to this one.

This was a BHA Book Club read and you can find more comments here. It was an April 2012 pick but I’m behind on reviews so this is a May review instead.

A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L’Engle

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 1429915641

4 stars

Red Seas Under Red Skies Read Along Part 2

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Back this week with an interruption in the #Reviewathon to play in the Red Seas Under Red Skies Read Along. Part 1 is here if you’re curious. This week’s questions are from Andrea at the Little Red Reviewer and she also has more info here.

I decided I had some fun last week writing pretty much stream of conscience and decided to go with it again so ignore dangling participles, fragments, and if I used the wrong conscience (conscientious), ignore that too. I, seriously, never use that word correctly. It’s my nemesis.

1 – Now that we know a little more about Selendri and Requin, what do you think of them? I worry Locke is suddenly realizing this con might be a bit tougher than he expected.

I don’t trust these two at all. Requin doesn’t give hints about anything, although once Locke did seem to surprise him with what he had to say, but I think he already knows what Locke is up to before he does so there’s the possibility of all this going so very wrong. Then again, why should I underestimate a character that seems to be able to get out of almost everything, with the exception of being poisoned? Ugh, he should have know better.

As for Selendri, I now think of her as the new Nazca. This will persist until Sabetha shows up because I appreciate a strong female character. Which, by the way, I do think Lynch does very well. The problem is that he kills them off, gives them horrible back stories, and has them only show up when someone else mentions her as in the case of Sabetha. What’s up with that?
2 – Isn’t the Artificers’ Crescent just amazing?  If you could purchase anything there, what would it be?

I would buy a mini elephant, around the 20 pound mark. Like a decent size dog, not too big but not too small either. Just think how much fun it would be to play fetch with that! Was that a weird answer? I sorta think it is but I’m leaving it because it said anything in the question.

3 – What did you think of Salon Corbeau and the goings on that occur there? A bit crueler than a Camorri crime boss, no?

Esh. I couldn’t wait for Locke to leave. The games are horrid and while it sounds like a ‘nice’ ‘safe’ place, I’d run as far away from it as I could.

One of the reasons I like Locke so much is that he isn’t cruel. He might scheme money away from the rich, play tricks on them, but he’s never outright cruel. And really, where does a child learn that entertainment comes in the form of beating an elderly person with clubs come from! Crap that place was a rat hole.
4 – The Archon might be a megalomaniacal military dictator, but he thinks he’s doing right by Tal Verrar: his ultimate goal seems to be to protect them.  What do you think he’s so afraid of?

This has me confused, not the question, this character. I can’t figure out what he’s up to and why he feels he needs to protect the place. Also, why does he feel so safe that his spies aren’t known by Requin! He should know that if he’s willing to pay, someone else is willing to pay more for the information he wants. Spying 101 — cuz I know so much about that. I should stop talking now but hole already dug, going in for me.

I don’t think he’s afraid of Requin, he understands him as a nemesis (I’m trying to work this word into everyday conversation. Used it twice in this post even!) and maybe a slight threat to his plans, but I don’t think there’s fear there. However, maybe there should be. Is it all a misplaced fear and he doesn’t get it at all? I don’t know.

5 – And who the heck is trying to kill Locke and Jean every few days?  They just almost got poisoned (again!)!

Head, e-reader. I’m pretty sure there’s an N on my forehead from my nook. Can these two just stop drinking everything put in front of them!? I was glad to see they passed on the ale because, really, you had to see that one coming.
6 – Do you really think it’s possibly for a city rat like Locke to fake his way onto a Pirate ship?

I want him to play the part, and I think it will be amusing to see him do it, but no, I don’t think he can be a pirate. In my head, now and forever, that’s Johnny Depp.

Look at this book!

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A co-worker lent me this book. It’s fabulous. In all honesty, I’ve never heard of this book but it has three things going for it that made me love it and I haven’t even opened it yet.

1.) Look at that cover. No, really look at it and focus some energy on the bottom right corner. Yes, those knights are pretty much dismembering each other. Awesome.

2.) It says it’s epic! Epic people. And right on the cover. The little blurb claims it compares with the Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings! Yep. I might be a sucker but I’m a sucker that loves the Lord of the Rings so I’m reading this book.

3.) Pictures. It has pictures. Those are soldiers of demonland if you can’t read the caption due to my crap photography skills.

This is going to be so much fun. Or not. We’ll see.

Red Seas Under Red Skies Read Along – Part 1

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I had so much fun with The Lies of Locke Lamora Read Along I joined up for the Red Seas Under Red Skies Read Along.  What can I say; I’m a sucker for a series and for read alongs this year. It seems I can’t help myself when it comes to either. Yep, sucker.

Book two – Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. I love a good series and so far, a mere 100 pages in, this one is living up to the first for me. Honestly, I think it’s the fact that two of my favorite characters are back and up to their good old schemey ways. No spoilers this week so you’re all safe.

Thanks to My Awful Reviews for this week’s questions. You can find more information at the Little Red Reviewer if you want it.

1. The Sinspire. It looks like our heroes (can they really be called that?) find themselves in search of a way into an unbeatable vault. Do you think they have what it takes to make it happen?

I will call them heroes. Bad examples, but heroes none the same! OK, I have to admit that as soon as I read the scene where Locke starts talking about ripping off the vault, all I could think about was Ocean’s Eleven. Locke and Jean because Clooney and Pitt in my head. I have no issue with this, but that’s all I can think about now. When does the rest of gang arrive?

Do they have what it takes to pull it off? I want them to do it, I do, but right now their prospects are pretty dim. I have faith though, I have faith.

2.  Anyone want to guess how they’re going to make it happen?

Ah, no. I’m notoriously bad a guessing games and don’t feel the need to embarrass myself needlessly. Moving onto question 3…

3. It’s a little different this time around, with us just being focused on Locke and Jean. Is anyone else missing the rest of the Bastards as much as I am?

YES! Oh, I so wish they had their brothers back but I’m also thinking they may need to find some new ones which makes me a little unhappy because they can’t be replaced. I don’t know how they can pull off the heist without more of them though.

4. I love the section where Jean starts to build a new guild of thieves. It really shows just how well trained and tough he is. Do you think the Bastards will end up training others along the way again like Bug?

I loved that part. Or maybe I have a crush on Jean, not sure. Yes, I do think eventually a new gang will form with training all around but I think Locke’s going to resist and Jean will see it as necessary and go out and do it. I do hope the personalities are different in the new Bastards though, not because I didn’t like those characters, but new gang, new personalities just seems to be in order. Also, I don’t want to think of the new Bastards as stand-in zombie replacements because I’m not above thinking that in my head. See question one — I’m already playing the Ocean’s Eleven soundtrack in my head. I don’t need extra reason to mash things up.

5. For those of you looking for Sabetha, we still haven’t spotted her yet. Anyone else chomping at the bit to see the love of Locke’s life?

It’s funny, I see Locke as a softhearted guy, even with all the robbing and scheming to rip others off (he did save people in the end of the last book don’t forget) and I really want to meet the woman who ruined him. Let’s face it; she’s got to be some woman to do what she did to Locke. I want her to be a badass like Nazca. Steel-heeled boots and all. And now bondage is in my head. See, this is what happens when I write without editing. You think I kid but I don’t. Usually I’m much more reserved and professional, or I try to be, but for whatever reason, I’ve lost that battle with myself this morning. (Self, drink some coffee before attempting to write.)

I say he’s softhearted not only because of Sabetha but the way he misses the fallen Bastards. I think of Jean much the same. Yeah, I know they’re criminals but they happen to be fictional ones so I can like them all I want.

6. It’s early on, but the Bastards are already caught up in plots that they didn’t expect. How do you think their new “employer” is going to make use of them (The Archon, that is)?

Again, not good at the guessing game but I surmise it will be interesting and I hope Locke and Jean manage to turn to the game on The Archon in the end.

Thoughts on Re-Reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

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Last year I decided I wanted to re-read this behemoth of a book. I refer to this book as a behemoth because I have the combined paperback of all three books. It’s a sucker to hold up, if like me, you’re reading it in bed which may have contributed to part of my slow reading. My arms would give out and due to the number of pillows holding me and my arms aloft, I would get comfy and drift off — the drifting off had nothing to do with the story though. That, I can assure you, is still good to go.

Did I enjoy this re-read? I did and here’s why:

Mr Norrell is still arrogant and naive. His hoarding of books is something I can totally understand although I obviously like to share more than he does. I found him to be much more annoying this time around though. I’m not sure if I noticed it the first time I read the book or not but he’s much more insecure than I remember his character to be.

Childermas, butler to Mr Norrell, is a character I liked much more this time around. His sarcastic, biting remarks are such a contrast to Mr Norrell and he does it sometimes knowing that Norrell won’t understand either because he hasn’t told him or he doesn’t get society in general. He also played a larger part in the plot than I originally remembered.

Mr Drawlight and Mr Lascelles are a riot of absurdity. These two are the main reason for describing this book as Austen-esque. They are society at its best.

Jonathan Strange is much more interesting on the magical front but has a few of the same eccentric habits about him which even he admits may have come from Norrell. He also doesn’t show up until much later in the story than I thought he did. The things you happen upon while re-reading.

The setting is lovely, lovely, lovely.

The man with the thistle down hair! Yes, yes, yes. He’s mean and self-centered but I adore his magical style.

Jonathan Strange’s fall into the magical underworld — it’s interesting to see what his obsession with outdoing Mr Norrell does to him and to those he loves.

What I didn’t enjoy so much:

The length. I knew this was a long book. I’d read it before and thought I was prepared for it but it was still long. Knowing what happened, even if I was a tad foggy on some of the specifics, stopped me from reading ahead but I also didn’t feel like there was a pressing need for me to rush through either. I read very slowly, and probably enjoyed the story all the more for it, but when I got down to the end, I wanted it to just end. Those last 150 pages were the longest 150 pages I’ve spent with a book in a very long time.

It was a successful re-read though. I’m glad I decided to read it again and that I did it early in the year. I think if I had waited, I might not have gotten to it, mostly because of the size. I like long books, but this one felt extra long though.

When someone asks about a great fantasy read, I’ll still recommend this book but I’ll warn people to scope out time for it and don’t tread into it lightly.

Review – American Gods

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Shadow is doing his time in prison but the end is in sight. A few days before his release, he finds out his wife has died in a car accident, and due to her death, he’s being released early. In shock, he heads home to the funeral only to find out his wife died in a precarious situation involving another man. He feels little remorse and decides it’s time for change. He takes a job offer from a man named Mr. Wednesday who needs someone to drive him around and protect him every once in a while. Shadow is a man trying to find himself or just forget everything around him depending on how you want to see it. His employment with Wednesday sets him up to meet a lineup of interesting people challenging Shadow’s beliefs in who and what he is.

The idea that gods were brought to the US, essentially immigrated here with the people that worshiped them, is an interesting one. Once those beliefs, prayers, adoration, whatever you want to call it, are replaced by other things in society — think celebrity — the gods begin to diminish. This imagines what would happen to those gods if everyone stopped believing in them. And, yes, it comes to war, but not the kind of war you’re probably thinking.

Shadow is an interesting character. He’s quiet, thoughtful (at times), and even though he’s done things in his life to land him jail, he’s not a bad person and really does his best to do what he thinks is right. He’s slow on the uptake when it comes to understanding the gods but gets it when necessary. He sort of lumbers through the story but that’s what I liked about him. There was no pressure with him. Everything took place around him and he just accepted and moved on — think blind faith if you will. He never professes to any belief system but he’s able to take them all on individually when he has to. I can see how for some people he’s not a captivating character but that’s what I liked about him. He was the grounding force for all the gods around him.

Now the gods, and they weren’t the only ones to make appearances here, several folk heroes get a bit of honor as well. Gaiman’s portrayal of the gods is interesting and I liked that they had human qualities even if those qualities, and vices, wouldn’t hurt them in the end. I wasn’t able to place every god, some were obscure, but each added something to the story and I didn’t feel any were dropped in for entertainment purposes. That’s something I always appreciate about an author; not everything has to be wrapped up nice and tidy but I want characters to have a purpose.

I read American Gods while taking a writing class and it was the perfect time to read it for me. The elements of storytelling were on full display here and I felt each time I turned a page I learned something new, in addition to being fully entertained. It’s a great piece of storytelling.

American Gods

By Neil Gaiman

HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN: 9780062059888

4.5 stars