A Wild Light by Marjorie M Liu

A Wild Light is the third novel in the Hunter’s Kiss trilogy by Marjorie M. Liu, and concludes the ongoing story ARC concerning the veil being torn between the world of humans and the demon prison. Maxine Kiss wakes from a world of nightmares to discover the body of her grandfather next to her, covered in blood, and a man she doesn’t recognise who tells her they are lovers. What follows takes Maxine to the very limits of her emotional resources as she discovers the secrets of her ancestors and tries to close the veil for good.

Strangely, this was my favourite of the trilogy. After reading the first two books and feeling generally underwhelmed and confused, I was not really looking forward to the third but wished to read it for the sake of completism. I’m glad I did. Although it wasn’t great, it tackled some of my issues from the first two novels and presented a much more linear plotline.

My favourite part, by far (and has been my favourite all the way through), are the demons that inhabit Maxine’s skin as tattoos during the hours of sunlight and become corporeal when the sun sets. Dek, Mal, Aaz, Raw and Zee are terrifying and cute in the very same moment – fabulously characterful as they hum Bon Jovi hits in Maxine’s ears and eat cuddly teddy bears. Maxine’s curious relationship with her ‘boys’ is the true highlight of the trilogy, and I was pleased to see more secrets concerning this being revealed in the course of ‘A Wild Light’.

Marjorie M. Liu also deigned to explain more of the ongoing situation – dealing with Avatars, Wardens, demons and zombies. In The Iron Hunt and Darkness Calls, I found myself struggling to follow the events of the books – I understood that the veil was failing, but much of the detail was lost on me. In A Wild Light Liu recaps in a manner that illuminates many of the characters and situations so that my enjoyment was maintained through the whole novel.

My general impression of this book, and of the trilogy as a whole, is that it is written in stunning fashion but lacks a driving plot or any real tension. The concepts are wonderful – demons that live on the skin, zombie parasites feeding on pain – but they nestle in a trio of books that don’t truly go anywhere. It is all style and no substance. Marjorie M. Liu’s trilogy is beautiful but ultimately forgettable.

This review appeared originally on www.fantasyliterature.com and parts of it were used in a trilogy review for Vector.

A Different Sort of Review - Deadhouse Gates

We have reached the final stage of the Deadhouse Gates read in the Tor.com Malazan Re-read, and here are my thoughts about the novel in its entirety:

Oh. Em. Gee. What a bloody ride! I feel absolutely wrung out by this reading experience, completely exhausted, rundown, joyful, hopeful and a myriad other emotions that I have hopefully articulated well enough over the course of this novel.

I did feel worried broaching Deadhouse Gates at the idea that I wouldn’t be spending time with many of those I’d come to love within the pages of Gardens of the Moon - and yet I’ve found even more characters to love. Dear Lord, I think with pity on all those people who put down Gardens of the Moon and never continued through the Malazan series - they would have missed out on Icarium and Mappo, on Duiker, on Pust (whether loving him or loathing him)! What a truly horrible thought.

You know what I appreciate most having now read two of Erikson’s books? The way he has absolute confidence in his readers. DG is a much smoother ride to GotM, in terms of immersing in the world, in terms of the degree of explanation required to help the reader along a little, in terms of the prose. It is a far superior book in every way - and yet still doesn’t try and baby the reader along. We are forced to engage our brain, to remember occurrences from hundreds of pages previously, to note seemingly throwaway lines. We are treated like scholars, and our patience and energetic reasoning is paid back one-thousandfold.

Deadhouse Gates is probably the most fun you can have over the course of a thousand pages, although I do use the word “fun” loosely. Mostly I was cringing, crying like a babe and carolling my fervent joy about events from the novel. Deadhouse Gates is not a “fun” read, rather an intense and utter submersion into another world.

Erikson’s background as an archaeologist certainly comes to the fore in this novel - he explores themes to a lesser and deeper level through the pages, like death and redemption, courage and the reason for being. And his research gives it all a ring of authenticity that allows the reader to trust in what Erikson is saying.

There was a heavy hint of the philosophising that, I am led to believe, becomes rife in later novels of the series but here it merely helped to lend weight to some of the events, such as that final battle between Coltaine and Korbolo Dom and Duiker’s thoughts leading up to it.

My favourite characters? Will it come as any surprise right now that I say Icarium and Mappo - the deeply tragic nature of their friendship provides subtle nuances to every series of dialogue they conduct. The loyalty, the appreciation for each other - all is written perfectly.

My favourite part of the novel? I think the sappers of the Seventh *grins* If not for them, the last few battles would have been unrelentingly bleak and they helped give some hope and humour to proceedings.

All in all, Deadhouse Gates was a tour de force. I honestly don’t see how Erikson can improve on this in later volumes, but I’m chafing at the bit now to go and find out! Simply tremendous!

Darkness Calls by Marjorie M Liu

Darkness Calls is the second book in the Hunter’s Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu, and I would like to tell you about the plot, but I honestly can’t! I don’t mean that to sound mean, and I’m conscious that it comes across as extremely negative – but I found Darkness Calls a tough read in terms of comprehending what went on. From what I can tell, a new Avatar is on the scene and wants to take control of the power wielded by Grant, Maxine’s partner – who happens to be some kind of immortal Lightbringer (something that is never quite explained). It ties into the story started in the first book as the veil between Earth and the demon prison begins to fail, but this novel takes you through time and space, and introduces many supernatural elements.

I didn’t like it. And yet I did. Marjorie M. Liu writes a sharp story, with absolutely beautiful prose, but I’m not quite comfortable on the journey. I don’t know where she’s going. I don’t know what she’s doing. I’m not even sure about the characters!

As an example of my confusion, take the relationship between Maxine and Grant. When we first met them in The Iron Hunt, they had already been together for a number of months, but we never actually saw the start of their relationship (I believe it is detailed in a novella by Liu). On one hand, I enjoy that, because it is fairly unique in paranormal fantasy. On the other hand, I seriously dislike it because I have no investment in their love – I didn’t see why Maxine chose Grant. I didn’t see why she decided to reveal her big secret. For me, this makes the relationship feel empty and therefore I don’t understand why Maxine is willing to risk life and soul for this man.

Another aspect of the characterisation I find tough is that everyone seems to have some kind of secret power. We haven’t met anyone who is normal – for me, this makes it hard to care about them. We see Avatars, Wardens, zombies, demons, Lightbringers – where are the everyday people who usually inhabit a tale such as this. It just adds to the clinical feel of the novel.

The emotional heart to the book was Maxine, and I genuinely enjoyed her confusion about her role and her conflicting desires to follow her mother’s path and to stay in Seattle with Grant. I mean, I didn’t enjoy the fact she was so torn, but Liu wrote it wonderfully and I would have liked to see much more of this, rather than the supernatural elements that imbued Darkness Calls.

In The Iron Hunt we veered a number of occasions into odd, dreamlike segments that seemed to come out of nowhere – in Darkness Calls this happens more often and hence my enjoyment in reading Liu’s wonderful prose lessened.

So, overall, I firmly did not like Darkness Calls, but I am desperate to see what Marjorie M. Liu could do with a decent story.

This review appeared originally on www.fantasyliterature.com and parts of it were used in a trilogy review in Vector magazine.

French Relations by Fiona Walker

Tash's mother, Alexandra, divorced her rather stuff father eight years ago and has gone onto marry the far more exotic Pascal d'Eblouir, and take up residence in a very beautiful part of the Loire Valley. Feeling as though she is losing touch with the various members of her extended family, and wanting to welcome back her long-lost miscreant of a brother, Alexandra invites numerous Frenches and assorted hangers-on to a long, lazy summer holiday in Pascal's chateau. Tash is all set to refuse, but when her relationship with boyfriend Max reaches a cold spell of arctic proportions and the possibility of old crush Hugo Beauchamp being present, she heads to France. Over the course of the summer, there is bed-hopping, swearing (in French, natch), parties galore - and, in the midst of the French bedlam, at least two people fall in love...

I love French Relations. It is far from perfect, sprawling on at times for way too many pages, introducing subplots for no good reason, changing the very nature of some characters - and yet I devour it hungrily every single time I read it. Yep, this is one of my go-to re-read gems. Any time I need a palate refresh from some difficult books, or just need a boost reading wise, I will pick up French Relations without hesitation. This is what my own copy of the novel looks like:

It is absolutely dog-eared and broken-spined and, I think, shows how much I love it.

In some ways it is hard to say why I love French Relations so much - it does have plenty of faults. And yet the characters are all so charmingly-written. The prose is so compulsively readable. The pages practically turn themselves.

Tash herself is a big draw - she's a dreamy and self-conscious individual who you want to shake at times, but also can't help wanting to protect and look after. Each of the characters are realistically written, in as much as they have high points to their personalities and low points. Indeed, if a character is generous with money, they can often be a little spiteful with gossip, for instance. Hugo Beauchamp is a real Rupert Campbell-Black sort of chap - frightfully snobby, arrogant to all hell, and yet impossibly warm-hearted at times. He is the model male lead, in my view, and I wish I had my own Hugo!

By far my favourite character in French Relations is the horse that Tash is gifted by her mother and stepfather in a rash moment - the Foxy Snob. He is deliciously French in attitude, snooty and disdainful about Tash and her efforts to ride him. He is a wonderfully brave and courageous horse across country, he comes to adore his scatty owner, and is just so brilliantly written. I am a massive fan of horses - was a reader of many pony books during my childhood - and Snob is one of my very favourite literary equine heroes. Here's a snippet:

Tash had read the books Niall had given her from cover to cover and was sticking to their advice diligently. One said to build a relationship with one's horse out of as well as in, the saddle. Treat him like your best friends, it read between large glossy pics of children clearing three-feet fences on ponies with long eyelashes, confide in him and never allow him to feel neglected and lonely.

So Tash had been dropping in to see Snob every ten minutes like an unwelcome neighbour shouting 'Coo-ee!' and holding out an empty sugar-bowl as a feeble excuse while the occupants of the house tried unsuccessfully to hide. Not that Snob could exactly hide. He just sighed mournfully and ignored her.

The book also told you to take your horse out for walks like a dog, showing him that you weren't frightened of the things he spooked at. Be Mum to him.

Snob was having none of that. He knew better than Tash that a plastic bag caught in a hedge was actually an axe-wielding equine murderer cleverly disguised. Similarly, he was far too sensible to allow Tash to persuade him that a passing high-bodied tractor from the vines with a flashing orange light on top wasn't several thousand horse-eating Martians kerb-crawling in their flying saucer in the hope of spotting their din-dins.

Apologies for the extensive quote, but I was hoping to also use it to point out the good-humoured nature of Walker's prose. You end up reading French Relations with a massive smile, thanks to snappy dialogue, wise internal monologues from characters and some rather slapstick situations with a swimming pool. Walker writes with no pretensions - she is having fun with the story, and wants you to as well.

I am an unashamed fan of Fiona Walker's stunning examples of summer bonkbusters. They are witty, deeply clever at times, and always, but always, contain a wonderfully satisfactory love story. Novels best accompanied by a massive bar of chocolate for complete bodily satisfaction! You will not regret picking up French Relations: go to it! Buy!

The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M Liu

Maxine Kiss is the last of her kind, a tattooed Warden protecting the world from demons who pass through the Veil from their prison and take over human hosts to become zombies. Her tattoos are her protection – during the day they form her armour against all threats, while at night they slip away from her and become ‘the boys’, small demons who are inextricably linked with the female line of Wardens.

In The Iron Hunt, Maxine discovers that the Veil is falling as she investigates the death of someone trying to trace her – someone who knew her real name, and not the many pseudonyms that she gives. The threat of demons and worse coming through the Veil forces Maxine to use awesome powers that she has little understanding of or control over, and the whole world is at stake.

Marjorie M. Liu has created a disturbing, compelling and unique vision of a world spiralling into darkness. The tattooed Wardens are mysterious, and the manner in which their demonic protection hides in the form of tattoos during the day was genuinely fascinating to me. I adored the five demons who protect Maxine – they are terrifying effective as they eat the souls of demons, all spikes and attitude, but are also enormously cute as they purr like dangerous cats when Maxine offers them Snickers bars!

Liu’s prose is also hypnotic and lyrical, with poetically beautiful passages such as the following: “The demon tilted his head, just so, and his body twisted, flowing like the skim of a shark through water. He danced when he moved; on the city street, wrapped in shadows: a kiss on the eyes, a devil’s ballet, and only his feet moved, only his cloak had arms; and his hair, rising and flowing as though lost in a storm.”

Unfortunately, for me, the excellent premise of the novel and the delicious prose were ill-matched by a plot that stumbled and lurched from one incident to another. Half the characters were introduced with absolutely no discernable reason – those that did have a reason for joining the party were sketched so briefly that I didn’t care about them.

The plot was confusing – I know some writers who effectively carry their readers through moments of confusion, but Liu was not able to achieve this. I found myself more frustrated than thrilled, which is a great shame to me since I did feel that there was the bones of an excellent urban fantasy tale here. Perhaps now the scene is set, Liu will push on in the second novel of the trilogy (Darkness Calls) and ensure the plot moves more smoothly. I am tentatively willing to pick it up and give it a go, but it is most certainly not going to be at the top of my reading list.

This review has previously been published on http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ and parts of it provided a review of the complete trilogy for Vector magazine.

Old or New?

With absolute credit to Jackie over at Literary Escapism - who also asked this question on her blog - I want to know whether you like old or new reviews? Do you prefer seeing the latest shiny reviewed here on Floor to Ceiling Books? Or do you like it when I stretch back to *gasp* books from earlier than this year or last?

I would be *incredibly* interested in hearing from y'all!

World Book Night - Dissolution

I was desperately excited when I found out that I would be one of the book givers for World Book Night. The book I picked was Dissolution, the first in the series about Matthew Shardlake by C J Sansom. I adored it when I read it, and I wanted to share it with as many people as possible. It's a historical murder mystery with a fabulously grumpy protagonist.

I know a lot of people have raised issues with the idea of World Book Night, such as the fact that it reduces earnings for bookstores and puts a ton of books into circulation that will probably end up just being put into charity shops and not actually read. I can sort of see the point.

And yet... the idea of these free books being given out fills me with a complete thrill. The idea that people might try something they wouldn't normally read. The fact that the profile of reading and these 25 worthy authors are being raised.

I've also loved the fact that books and reading have taken over radio and TV. BBC 2 are running a series of TV programmes tonight, and on the Graham Norton radio show this morning he read out a great deal of messages from people saying where they'd be giving out their books today for World Book Night. He also conducted an interview with Michael Morpurgo who talked with great passion about reading and getting children involved as early as possible.

I picked up my books from Waterlooville library yesterday. When the librarian invited me to collect my two big boxes I saw masses of other boxes which were still to be collected by book givers and that gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Suddenly I had a real sense of community and as though I was doing the same as thousands of other people across the country.

I got my books home and piled them up for this picture:

The other thing I did while I was out to collect my books was mitigate the effect of handing out free books by heading to my local bookshop and buying the below:

Since C J Sansom kindly waived the royalties for the copies of Dissolution being handed out, I decided to buy Heartstone, the fifth in the Matthew Shardlake series. I finally got my hands on The Wise Man's Fear, and also picked up Declare by Tim Powers, since it has now been shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke. The book at the bottom - Rachel's Holiday - is another of the World Book Night editions, which I swapped with someone at the library who was picking up their books.

So far I have handed out around 25 of the books received - some to friends, including writerly pals:

(excuse the rubbishy photo - this is the very beautiful and glamorous trio of Alex Bell, Jaine Fenn and Suzanne McLeod, enjoying Dissolution with some lime margaritas!)

I also hit my hockey gal pals with Dissolution, some of whom were bemused by the whole idea but gratefully accepted a free book:

(Again, my terrible photography skills are shown to great effect here *sighs*)

One thing that struck me, though, is that this is supposed to be WORLD book night and yet is confined entirely to the UK right now.

So I have embraced the WORLD aspect of the day and 20 of my copies of Dissolution are winging their way around the world as we speak. Friends of mine in other countries should look out for Dissolution appearing in their letter boxes in the next few weeks. I have managed to send copies of Dissolution to: North America, South America, Europe (several locations), Asia, Australasia, and Africa. Shame I don't know anyone currently based in Antarctica! I am hoping they will read and enjoy the book and then maybe pass on the copies across the country in which they live. All I would ask is that they send me a picture of themselves holding the book in front of some identifying landmark, or shop, or building that will show how far Dissolution has travelled!

I've really enjoyed my little part of World Book Night, and I wouldn't hesitate in signing up again next year if it takes place.

How has your World Book Night gone? What are your thoughts on the initiative? Positive or negative?

Arthur C Clarke shortlist announced + my thoughts

So... the Arthur C Clarke shortlist has been announced today. I actually got a look at this list a couple of days back - which is why I didn't join in with the competition/speculation about who would figure on the shortlist.

This year we have the following six novels:

• Zoo City – Lauren Beukes (Angry Robot)
• The Dervish House – Ian McDonald (Gollancz)
• Monsters of Men – Patrick Ness (Walker Books)
• Generosity – Richard Powers (Atlantic Books)
• Declare – Tim Powers (Corvus)
• Lightborn – Tricia Sullivan (Orbit)

My response to Tom went as follows:

Wow, what a very interesting shortlist!! After last year's Gollancz dominance, I am loving the fact that the six shortlisted books are across six publishers. That is very refreshing to see, and shows the breadth of excellent science fiction being produced.

Hah, I called three of those correctly not too long back ;-) Wouldn't have even got close to the other three - which shows, I think, some real out-of-leftfield curveballs. It's no wonder everyone is failing to guess.

Happy because I only have to buy two of these books (Generosity and Declare) to make sure I can read them all. Nice to see two women this time round.

Finally, intrigued by the fact that Monsters of Men is the THIRD in a series - will this put some people off reading it? Or will Patrick get more interest for the trilogy as a whole.

Good job though, will enjoy reading these :-)

I do think it's a good list. It's very different from the feel of last year's - for some reason to me it feels so much more diverse.

Anyway, expect to see reviews of these six novels over the next month or so appear on my blog, with accompanying dissection as to why I believe they earned their place (or not!) on the shortlist, and then a final decision from me about which one should win in my very humble opinion.

I am very much looking forward to this!

An Important Book Has A Release Date!!!

Exclamation marks galore!

That's right - after long long long years of waiting I can finally reveal that....

Yep! Kiss and Tell by Fiona Walker will be hitting the shops in March. Tash and Hugo are BACK. Time for the re-reads to begin *grin*

February Wrap Up!

Eep, bit late with both of my posts this month thanks to some real life issues, but here we go with a wrap up of February.

Man, you guys are prolific - I'm so honoured to be hosting your reviews. Passion, objectivity, humour, recommendations: all these qualities and more I'm seeing around our little gang.

Collectively (and in a short month!) we published 59 reviews, which is a sterling effort *grin* I'm currently in the process of reading my way around them and leaving comments. I would invite you to either do the same, or add these blogs to your particular Reader, if you haven't already. Although be warned, your TBR list will grow.

Anyway, I am giving out this month a copy of both The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - should keep a particular person busy.

And that particular person is:

Noel R with the review of Edge by Thomas Blackthorne!

Congratulations Noel, please send me your address to magemanda AT gmail DOT com.

I've already put up the link through post for March reviews - see you on the other side!