One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire

I’ve reviewed the October Daye Series, confessing that it is a guilty pleasure of mine to follow the series.  This most recent book, the fifth in the series, was very enjoyable.  In One Salt Sea Toby Daye has to solve the kidnapping of the princes of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist.  There has been bad blood between the land and the sea kingdoms, including death threats, so the Land Duchy of Saltmist is the first suspect.  Which will mean war between the Land and Sea, and frankly, the Land armies are not up to challenge.   

I can’t really talk about this book without giving away the ending.  So, if you haven’t read it yet and want it to be a surprise, here’s a quick review: if you’ve enjoyed the other books in the series, you’ll love One Salt Sea.  You get more details about the world, the rules of faerie, the special abilities and complex histories of the different races.  Toby’s family also makes another appearance.  There are things about the “changeling’s choice” that I find a little odd, but they are dealt with well in this book.  I have yet to understood why a faery would choose to be in a relationship with a human in this world, since half-blooded children are scorned by seemingly all purebloods, including their parents, and if the children choose to be human then they are killed.  It’s like a lose-lose situation for everyone.  But for Toby’s family, it comes to an acceptable resolution. 

Spoiler Alert --  

I’ve wondered for a while how the love triangle between Toby, Tybalt, and Connor was going to be resolved.  Toby seems by turns amused and irritated by Tybalt and Connor being jealous of one another, posturing, and then teaming up to save her.  Connor’s death was really unsettling, but isn’t death supposed to be that way?  At first I wished that there had been more to it, that he hadn’t simply died because of negligence.  If only Toby or anyone had been more aware of the situation, then he could have lived.  He would have been asleep for the next hundred years, still effectively separating him and Toby (unless she changed the balance of her blood again).  But as the story continued and we are finally given the history behind the Selkies, and why the Sea Witch despises them so, I could see a certain elegance in Connor’s death.  It was integral to setting up future works.  A point that I brought up in my earlier review of the series was that Seanan McGuire seemed to hold the lives of her characters very cheap.  People died at an alarming rate, often without really providing more beyond a higher body count and a couple of people to irrationally blame October for their troubles.  I think that her view on death has changed a little, or she has at least learned to handle it better.  Even one of the villains of the piece gets a shot at redemption. 

This was a satisfying read, finally, and I look forward to the next book.

Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother...

Wicked Plants:  The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other
Botanical Atrocities, by Amy Stewart.
Guest Review by Jennifer Cuddeback

My reading passions run more towards nonfiction, and so I was invited
to give a review of a recent nonfiction read for this blog to help add
variety.

Wicked Plants, written by Amy Stewart, is a layman's foray into
botanical warfare, and is handled with aplomb.  If you're looking for
a narrative book, this is not it - I wanted to get that out of the way
in the beginning.  It's written rather like an encyclopedia, except
instead of being arranged alphabetically, it is arranged thematically.
Steward often gives historical uses or perspectives on the plants she
discusses, such as how certain plants got their names.  For example,
the plant we call Jimson Weed owes it's name to the colony at
Jamestown and to it's use during the Revolutionary War.  Steward's
auto-didactic style ranges from literature and ancient history to
little known facts, and the connections she makes are quite
interesting to the lay reader.  There is again no central narrative or
plot to tie the information together, but the book holds a wicked
fascination all its own even without that.  The reader might wish for
more details about some plants - more anecdotes or references - and
occasionally the layout is confusing.  For instance, one plant may
appear in one area while a very similar and related plant appears in a
completely different place.  However, the overall feel of the book
holds together well.  The book is illustrated with etchings of the
plants by Briony Morrow-Cribbs and clever, descriptive drawings by
Jonathon Rosen (which do occasionally detract from the overall flow of
the text).  For a pocket guide to backyard menaces, Wicked Plants is
certainly worth a place on any bookshelf.

Switched, a Trylle novel, by Amanda Hocking

First, a little background:
          This book is, and has been, available in ebook.  Switched, the first in a trilogy, will be released in print for the first time January 24, 2012.  Each book in the series will contain a bonus, never-before-released short story to entice current fans to buy the new media. 

As I started reading this teen book, I couldn’t help but compare it to Twilight.  Which is a shame.  What did we compare teen books to before Twilight? 

Switched has an archetypal set up: a girl moves to a new school, where she feels isolated and misunderstood.  Fortunately she is beautiful.  There is a boy, Finn, dark haired and pale, who stares at her.  She is intrigued but slightly creeped-out by this.

And while I’m sure other books have used this before Twilight, that book is all I could think about.  How does Finn stand out from Edward?  Will everyone fall in love with Wendy like they did Bella?

Finn reveals that Wendy is not who or what she thinks she is.  She is a Trylle.  (And, of course, a princess.)  He is her tracker, and her guide as she enters the world of her people.

Once the novel moved away from the school and into the world of the Trylle, I enjoyed the book.  The Trylle are trolls with inborn magical abilities.  Most have some control over the elements.  Some have more power, such as persuasion or telekinesis.  Their entire hierarchy is based on the power of a bloodline and their inherited wealth.  That wealth is gathered through their changelings, Trylle babies exchanged with human ones, left to be raised by the human world’s elite. 

It seems that their desire for money and a life of leisure has stunted their powers.  With bloodlines getting weaker, there are strict guidelines as to who can marry, and procreate, with who.  Which reminds me of something pointed out in the Wheel of Time series: if the most powerful do not have children (or in this case, have very few children) then the bloodlines will naturally diminish.  I have the feeling that once this new princess, who is uncommonly attached to her human pseudo-family, is in power these rules will be overthrown, leading to resurgence in Trylle power. 

And most importantly of all, she can be with the one she loves.

But will she choose Edward or Jacob?  I mean…Finn or Rhys, or her arranged match, Tove?

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  It was a light read typical of teen paranormal romance.  Parts of it were very predictable, like everyone chastising Wendy for breaking social rules while refusing to explain key information.  Wendy is a likeable character who offers just enough surprises to keep me reading.  The Trylle world was interesting enough for me to keep reading, and I'll probably continue the series once it is in print. 

Death in the Stocks, a historical mystery by Georgette Heyer

One of my favorite authors is Georgette Heyer.  I just wanted to get that out there. 

There are books of Heyer's that I haven't enjoyed as much as others or characters that I've found annoying, but even those books have amazing historical detail, quirky characters, and an imaginative plot.  I've read nearly all of her historical romances and a couple of her historical fiction.  I had never before read one of her mysteries, typically set around the '20s, before reading Death in the Stocks. 

I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The main character, Toni, is a great leading lady.  She's outspoken, from a family of quirky and outspoken people, and young enough to seek help.  Toni and her brother are the main suspects in the murder of their half-brother Arnold, who was found dead in a set of stocks at the center of a sleepy weekend town.  Everyone seems to have a great motive for killing him.  Jilted lovers.  Angry servants.  A relative itching for money, who would inherit upon Arnold's death.  A black-mailer, and an embezzler.  In true Heyer fashion, there are a few twists and surprises, but they all make sense considering the characters, the time period, and their situation.  The secondary characters are interesting and necessary, as murders pile up and alibis must be maintained.   There are a couple of love interests as well to keep situations lively. 

If you are looking for a quick, light read, I would definitely recommend Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer. 

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I highly recommend this book.  If you like history and you like SciFi/Fantasy, you'll love it.

The book opens with you getting to meet the author of this book and a vampire by the name of Henry.  Henry happens to be in possession of secret diaries Lincoln kept, as well as various letters, all dealing with vampire hunting.   He has just found the right person to use these materials to compile a complete and accurate biography of Lincoln. 

I admit that I didn't know much about Lincoln's life beyond that fact that it was very tragic.  He lost so many people; his mother and his first love, his sister and his sons.  Within the story you see how many of his losses were brought about by vampires.  Grahame-Smith crafts a believable reason for this gentle giant to become the most prolific vampire hunter in America.  His letters, speeches, and diary entries are interspersed with the narration.  His known life is seamlessly integrated with his life as a hunter.

The vampire myth he creates uses traditional limitations of sunlight, for the younger vampires.  The vampire Henry also talks about the reality of being an eternal creature.  Once there are no limitations on how much wealth you can amass, the places you can visit, or the experiences you can have, then what do you have to live for?  What would drive you? 

Henry is also the first to plant the idea in Lincoln's head that not all vampires deserve death.  Or, at least, that some deserve it sooner.  "Judge us not equally." 

A very enjoyable read.

The October Daye Series

I've read (or am currently reading) all of the books in this series to date.  And I honestly don't know why.

They are like a guilty pleasure, or an inexplicable addiction.  There are many reasons why not to read the series, including a character that I usually don't care about, or am actively annoyed with.  October Daye, a changeling private detective who works for humans, which you never actually see, and fae alike.  She has a very high success rate, although how I wouldn't know because she is a little slow on the uptake.  I understand it is difficult to create an investigator who is the right balance of smart, intuitive, and lucky without them becoming all-knowing.  That is why I don't write mysteries.  And any good character must have some flaws.  October's flaw seems to be not solving the puzzle until at least several, on in the case of the second book, nearly every person immediately involved has died or is nearly dead.  Women, children, innocents, barely introduced characters and well developed secondary characters are all fair game here.  (Yet, because fairies are immortal, until killed, they are unaccustomed to death.  You would think that they would be getting used to the idea, since at least four people die per book.)  No book is complete without Toby's own death/near death experience as well. 

And yet I keep reading them. 

All of these (mostly unnecessary) deaths lead to a lot of enemies for October in the form of loved ones seeking revenge for those she has "let down."  This theme runs in every book, earning three frequently reoccurring characters free to pop up to say, "I hate you.  You let me down/ruined my life/killed my (insert loved one here."  You see two of these instances happen in the first book, while the third enemy blames October for a long-standing failure from 14 years ago.

After offering bland platitudes, such as "I didn't kill them, (actual bad guy) did.  It's not my fault," the revenge seekers are understandably unmoved.  In the fourth book, Late Eclipses, this kind of drivel actually persuades two of Toby's sworn enemies that she isn't actually at fault.  Completely unbelievable.    No slow understanding, releasing of blame and their own feelings of guilt. 

And yet, I'm reading the fifth book, One Salt Sea.  I think the reason I keep reading them is the hope that the books will get better.  October will get less annoying or more perceptive.  People won't be killed off without an actual reason.  But I have to admit to myself that I also enjoy the minor characters, which are well developed, and I enjoy the world she has created.  Within this world there are many different races with their own special talents.  There is a certain level of soap-opera like fascination with their politics and inter-racial relationships. 

I realize that after this book, I'll probably read the next one too.  So...read the series, or don't, but you can't say you were not forewarned. 

Clan of the Cave Bear

I know this is hardly a new book, but with the last installment being released earlier this year, I became curious.  Now that I've read  Clan of the Cave Bear, I understand why it is a name in literature.

Jean Auel creates a fascinating world among the Neanderthal people, with a complex society based on sexual divergence.  They use their racial memory to build on tradition.  I liked the idea that they died out, not because they weren't as "advanced" as the Cro-Magnon people, but that their evolutionary path made them unable to adapt.  If their racial memory did not contain information for them to deal with a situation, they were thrown into uncertainty.

The main character in this series, Ayla, is a highly likable character.  You understand her uncertainty and frustrations in dealing with a culture that limits women.  She must learn to submit to any man about anything, act meekly, and curb her exuberant spirit.  As Ayla becomes accepted by the clan, she gradually wins enough support to break with some of the Clan's long standing traditions.  With each victory you cheer and look for the next, and while a little voice may say that this should not be so easy for her, you don't want her to suffer.  As the book goes on Ayla's struggles become more realistic.

From the outside Clan life seems strange and unnecessarily restrictive, but through Clan leader Brun's eyes you can see how their society came to be this way.  He is the first among leaders, wise and thoughtful, drawing on the racial memories and wisdom of his line to help him deal with new problems.  He tries to teach a sort of fairness to his son Broud, Ayla's nemesis.  (As you can imagine, this does not go well, or else he would not be the major hurdle in her life.)

Every aspect of the book is well detailed.  Ayla is trained as a medicine woman, in selecting the proper plants or treatment for ailments as well as the spiritual rites associated with healing.  The constant descriptions of "primitive" healing are amazing.

Considering the end of the book, I had a good idea as to where the series was going regarding the beginning of the human race.  I searched at work for the rest of the series and hungrily read the synopsizes hoping for confirmation of my theory.  According to the other reviewers, the rest of the series focuses on Ayla, her sexual escapades, and her run-ins with other Cro Magnon people.  The Neanderthals that made the first books so interesting are hardly seen again, only cropping up briefly in a couple of books.  None of the other books have the acclaim of the first.  And while Ayla is likeable, she is not necessarily interesting.  She is "every woman."  Through her struggles with the male dominated Neanderthal society she becomes the first female in most of their racial memory to take on certain tasks.  She grows to the their wise woman and healer, and a true example of servitude to other women, while becoming the working woman.  As the series continues she personally thinks of nearly every human advancement, from domesticating and breeding animals to the more equal and democratic running of their clans to the concept of art.  While I appreciate following Ayla's life as the story for how humans as a whole have adapted, I would have been happier if she encountered some of these ideas instead of coming up with all of them herself.

But I cannot be too damning, as I haven't read the rest of the series myself.  I may someday, but the idea of reading five other hefty books that have barely a mention of what I found so interesting in the first, just to see how Ayla and her line continues has little appeal at the moment.

Overall I would definitely recommend The Clan of the Cave Bear.

An Indroduction

Hello!  Welcome to the Curious Handbook for Educated Readers! 

I am Cori, and avid reader of pretty much anything.  I'm drawn to books by cover, title, recommendation, and, rarely, by the write up on the back.  (I often wonder if the people who provide the cover blerbs have actually read the books; my experience points to "no.")  I've read good books, and not-so-good books.  And, frankly, I've read some tasteless books.  I feel duty bound to review them so that others may be better informed.