Book Wyrm

The Winter of the Witch: A Fitting Conclusion to a Beautiful Series (A Spoiler-Free Review)

written by Byron

Magic is forgetting the world was ever other than as you willed it.

A couple of years ago, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katharine Arden was featured by Amazon as a “Best Book of the Month” or “Best Debut” or some such thing. It was advertised as a kind of literary Russian fairy tale, set in the actual historical medieval Russia. I love fairy tales. I like Russia; I took a few semesters of Russian language in college (don’t remember a thing). It sounded neat, so I gave it a shot.

I’m so glad that I did. I adored that book. It was billed as the first part of a trilogy (The Winternight Trilogy), so I waited not-so-patiently for my next fix of goodness. The sequel, The Girl in the Tower, came out last year, and I loved it too.

The third and final book of the trilogy, The Winter of the Witch, was recently released. I bought it quickly and finished it in a weekend. It’s wonderful.

March 2, 2019 0 comment

2019 Ardis Books Science Fiction Young Adult

Hank Green succeeds with An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

written by Ardis

Several people who weren’t Andy walked by as I waited for him. Manhattan is less legit than it once was, for sure, but this is still the city that never sleeps. It is also the city of ‘Behold the field in which I grow my fucks. Lay thine eyes upon it and see that it is barren.’ People gave the sculpture a quick glance and kept on walking, just as I had very nearly done. I tried to look busy. Manhattan’s a safe place, but that doesn’t mean a twenty-three-year-old woman by herself on the street at 3 A.M. isn’t going to get randomly harassed.

I first heard of Hank Green’s debut story An Absolutely Remarkable Thing in November 2018’s Book of the Month (not sponsored), and I was skeptical even then. I was instantly minded of 2016’s Sleeping Giants, but other than that it was hard for me to get an impression of what I was supposed to expect from this book.

Now that I’ve read Green’s book, I’m still not entirely sure whether what I got from it is what they’d intended (or what they’d advertised). It’s been a really interesting reading experience. I hope these insights prove helpful for prospective readers!

February 26, 2019 0 comment

2019 Ardis Books Reviews Science Fiction

An Unkindness of Ghosts is an Inspired Debut

written by Ardis

“She had happened upon an erased chalkboard, and though she could see the unsettled dust of calcium carbonate, there was no putting together what had been written there before. Everything left a trace, but sometimes a trace was not enough.”

Rivers Solomon’s debut novel An Unkindness of Ghosts has received critical acclaim and attention from all corners since its publication in late 2017, and I finally know why.

It’s so unique!

February 22, 2019 0 comment

Ardis Ardis's Favorite Books Books Reviews Science Fiction

The Calculating Stars is Just What My 2019 Needed

written by Ardis

This story is nominated for both a Nebula and a Hugo award, to be announced on May 18th and August 18th, respectively. Click the links above to view the other nominees, and to keep track of the awards themselves.

There is something magic about takeoffs. I know people who are afraid of flying who say that the takeoffs and landings are the only hard parts, perhaps that’s when the act of flying is most apparent. I love the way you get pushed back into your seat. The weight and the sense of momentum press against you and the vibrations from the tarmac hum through the yoke and into your palms and legs. Then, suddenly, everything stops and the ground drops away. It never feels like I’m rising, but that the ground is falling away from me …
Most kids? Their dad teaches them to drive. Mine taught me to fly.

Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Calculating Stars is often referred to as a kind of scifi Hidden Figures (most notably by astronaut Cady Coleman, who called it “An alternate history of spaceflight that reminds me of everything I loved about Hidden Figures” on the book’s front cover).

How do you resist a book like that?

February 5, 2019 1 comment

Byron Fantasy Reviews

Sabriel: It’s different. In a good way. (A review)

written by Byron

You may call me Mogget. As to what I am, I was once many things, but now I am only several.

In 2016, George RR Martin’s blog linked to this speculative cage match fight between a couple of characters from his Song of Ice and Fire series (Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth) vs. a couple of characters from Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series (Sabriel and Mogget).

“Who in the world is Sabriel?” I thought, stupidly. Apparently, she is a character in a major fantasy series that I somehow had never heard of before. Intrigued, I bought the first book in the series, Sabriel, and then promptly let it sit unread in my iBooks app for two years.

I finally got around to reading it last year. I really should have done that sooner. Sabriel is one of the most surprising, interesting, unusual fantasy books I’ve ever read.

January 20, 2019 0 comment

2018 Ardis Discussion Questions Fantasy Young Adult

Book Club Discussion Questions: Six of Crows

written by Ardis

In 2018, Leigh Bardugo released her novel Six of Crows. It’s the first story in a new series, taking place in her previously-established universe known as the Grishaverse. Six of Crows has been very well-received, and I know first-hand that there’s a lot for a discerning book club to discuss in this book. Whether your book club is preparing to discuss it, or you’ve read it on your own and are looking for more, I hope the questions below will help guide you.

Note: If you haven’t read Six of Crows, you can read my review of it here.

Please let me know if you use these questions, find them helpful, or think I missed something. And of course I would love to see your answers to any (or all) of these questions in the comments. Happy discussing!

Of course, MAJOR SPOILER WARNINGS below:

January 15, 2019 0 comment

2018 Ardis Books Fantasy Short Story Collection

The Book of Magic is a Wonderful Short Story Collection

written by Ardis

The collection The Book of Magic, edited by Gardner Dozois, is a very nicely-curated collection of short stories all having to do with (you guessed it) Magic.

Of the 17 of short stories included in this collection, I gave five of them four or five stars, three of them three or fewer stars, and DNFed the remaining five. Clearly, much of this collection simply wasn’t for me. However, I cannot deny that most (if not all) of the included works are superb examples of their genre.

January 10, 2019 1 comment

2018 Ardis Fantasy Young Adult

Six of Crows is an Energetic and Entertaining Adventure

written by Ardis

Inej would find her own way in. The rules of fair play along the gangs were from Per Haskell’s time. Besides, she was the Wraith – the only law that applied to her was gravity, and some days she defied that, too.

Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows is a new story in her well-established fantasy universe known as the Grishaverse. Having not read any of her previous works in this universe, I was surprised and pleased to find that this book did an excellent job of introducing the unique magic system her universe hinges on (and is named for) without dipping into any textbook or encyclopedia-style descriptions. Readers new to Bardugo need not fear – Six of Crows is an excellent place to begin.

As a typical heist story, Six of Crows hits every mark. It has the large cast of rich characters each with their job to do and each with their private motivations – which Bardugo links together artfully and entertainingly as the story unfolds. It has the high stakes, the bad guys, the complicated plots and machinations. It has the breath-baitingly, nerve-wrackingly difficult tasks. And it has plenty of well-timed comedic and touching moments to wrap it all into one lovely narrative.

January 8, 2019 1 comment

2019 Ardis Reflection

Reading in 2019

written by Ardis

I’ve done it, folks. I’ve taken a big swing this time and I really hope it connects. I’ve just set my 2019 Goodreads Challenge for 100 books!

One hundred books in one year!

The Goodreads Challenge has been a core part of my year since this day in 2017, and their “52 books a year” baseline has proved a real inspiration to me. It’s why, in part, I was so pleased to join Byron in this book review blog in the first place.

January 1, 2019 0 comment

Uncategorized

Looking Back: Year Two

written by Official Decree

Looking at your overall 2018 aspirations from last year’s post, did you accomplish everything you set out to? What do you regret not accomplishing?

Ardis: My main goals going into 2018 were regularity and diversity. While it’s clear I didn’t do well when it comes to reading and posting reviews regularly, I did enjoy introducing more varied fare into my reading docket. Overall, I feel happy with my accomplishments but not like I knocked it out of any parks.

Byron: I had to pull up last year’s post to even remember what my aspirations were! It looks like I was interested in reading more nonfiction, more classics, more NetGalley ARCs and more of my backlog of TBR books. I did read more nonfiction and put a small dent into my TBR backlog. I decided that ARCs are just not-for-me, so that aspiration was unmet. I didn’t read as many classics as I would have liked.

Looking at those same aspirations, how well did your aspirations for 2018 match your reading experience this year? Where were they off the mark?

Ardis: Part of the plan I took into 2018 was to improve my overall reading/reviewing process through repetition and by testing different techniques (particularly in note-taking). I didn’t post with the regularity I intended, but I was able to test out the changes I wanted to make. Over the course of my reading year, I’ve developed an overall process I’m really quite pleased by.

Of course, I’m still disappointed I didn’t hit my posting stride like I wanted; but that’s a goal for 2019 now!

Byron: I was pretty “off” this year. I didn’t post with the regularity that I had in the past, going from one-review-a-week to one-every-two-weeks. I am also behind on my goodreads goal, and it will take a significant final push for me to make it.

Did you have a stand-out favorite of the books you read in 2018?

Ardis: I don’t think I do, actually. 2017 was such an epic year for reading, 2018 kind of paled in comparison. There were some excellent books, and Madeline Miller’s “Circe” and Becky Chambers’ “Record of a Spaceborn Few” belong on that list, as well as “Revenger” by Alastair Reynolds, “The Wrong Stars” by Tim Pratt, and “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean.

Byron: “We Have Always Lived in the Castle,” “A Man Called Ove,” “Circe,” and “Pachinko” were my favorites of the books I’ve read this year. So far. Oh, and everything I read by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon).

What authors (discovered this year) will you be keeping a close eye on in the future?

Ardis: V. E. Schwab, Tim Pratt, Naomi Novik, Madeline Miller, Fonda Lee, … The truth is that the list of authors I’m now keeping an eye on is has grown by leaps and bounds this year.

Byron: Madeline Miller (I read all her existing stuff and I want more) and Tom Wolfe (I only read one of his books and now I want to read the rest).

Did any books you read this year surprise you (for good or for ill)?

Ardis: I encountered a number of books throughout 2018 that had a certain surreal sense that really didn’t sit well with me. “The Stars are Legion” is an obvious one, as are Jeff VanderMeer’s works. But “Bannerless” and “Spoonbenders” surprised me with it, too. For me, that repeating surprise is one of the themes of my reading year.

Byron: I expected to like some books more than I did, but my guess is that my expectations — based upon previous books by the author or by critical acclaim — were too high. “Manhattan Beach,” “River of Teeth,” and “The Black Tides of Heaven” are some examples of that.

How did you select books to read this year? How are you planning to change that for the coming year?

Ardis: Byron and I still keep an eye on the new releases each month, though we prefer different sources. I still check Amazon’s Best Books of the Month list, but have added both UnboundWorlds.com and the Barnes and Noble SFF blog. Between that and a few book clubs, I’m happy with my plan.

At the end of this year I did add a subscription to the Best Books of the Month club, and I think that’ll close any gaps I may still have for 2019.

Byron: I have four bookcases of unread books, an unread kindle collection, and an unread iBook collection. I randomly pull stuff from those to see if anything fits my mood. I also check Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, and a few other sources to see if anything coming out is blowing up the literary world. I also look at past award winners/current nominees for suggestions to add to the TBR. I’m not really planning on changing anything with regards to those sources, but I am going to focus a bit differently.

How did you incorporate reading and reviewing (and this blog) into the rest of your life in 2018? Are there any things about that balance that you plan to change for the future?

Ardis: I really struggled to prioritize reading and reviewing this year, which I’m committed to changing in 2019. I have a few other hobbies, and I spent the year flitting between them without making headway in any direction.

Byron: I had a real struggle with balancing this hobby with some newer, shinier ones. I tried tackling some longer, epic books that have been sitting on my shelf for forever, but then I’d get anxious because I didn’t want to go more than a couple of weeks without posting SOMETHING. This coming year, I’m going to try again to tackle those longer reads, and instead of posting reviews, I’ll post other kinds of articles.

Did any of the books you read this year have a profound emotional impact on you?

Ardis: If I leave aside the recurring surrealist surprises that kept finding me all year, I read a number of space ship/pirate sff fiction this year that really grabbed my lasting attention, but unlike last year none of it struck my emotions that notably.

“The Unseen World” by Liz Moore is, however, the most beautiful, evocative, and emotional book I encountered this year. For that reason, it deserves special mention.

Byron: Not really? “A Man Called Ove” and “Pachinko” probably had the most profound emotional impact. And I guess you could throw “Feed” on that list, as it did have me crying in my bathroom.

Do you have any specific reading goals for 2019?

Ardis: Regularity and diversity are still the headlines for my reading year. I’m hoping I can actually keep to a posting schedule throughout the year (for more than 3 weeks at a time), and I’d like to read more historical nonfiction.

Byron: Instead of a Goodreads goal of 52 books (a book a week!) that I’ve attempted for three years straight, I’m going to scale back to 12 books (a book a month) and try to tackle some much larger and/or more difficult works.

Did you meet your Goodreads Challenge for 2018? Will you be setting one for 2019?

Ardis: I went for the standard 52 for this year’s Goodreads Challenge, and I did much better than last year. I’m absolutely doing the challenge again in 2019, but I haven’t yet decided whether I want to increase my goal. I’ll probably leave that decision down to the wire.

Byron: I don’t know if I’m going to meet the challenge this year. I hope so, but it’s going to come down to the wire.

What did you learn by writing for this blog?

Ardis: Like – about myself? I think I learned I actually have to back up my goals with hard work and real action (instead of just well-wishing) if I want to achieve them. It’s a harsh truth, but I think I’m ready to learn it.

Byron: That when I sit down to write, it always takes me a lot longer than I expect it to take. I should plan accordingly.

What goals do you want to set for reading, reviewing, and this blog for 2019?

Ardis: If I have to set one goal, it’s the oft-mentioned regular posting schedule. However, I’m low-key all about writing more non-review posts: lists, reflections, and posts about my process.

(Careful readers may recognize a lot of these goals from last year’s post. I acknowledge their point, and thank them for their time.)

Byron: A few more different kinds of articles and more consistent posting are my goals for 2019.

December 30, 2018 0 comment

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