And 2022's halfway gone... The month's fifteen reviews have been archived and cross-linked on the main Brightdreamer Books site.
Enjoy!
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Friday, June 24, 2022
The Machine Stops (E. M. Forster)
The Machine Stops
E. M. Forster
Oregan Publishing
Fiction, Sci-FI
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: It has been many generations since humanity retreated from an uninhabitable surface to live in the depths of the Earth. Here, in their personal podlike rooms, the great Machine provides them with everything they could need or want: food, music, video entertainment, lectures to exchange ideas, contact with friends and family. It's rare that any leave, save when assigned to procreate or relocate to a new room. Vashti is content with this life, surely the pinnacle of human achievement, but her son Kuno grows restless. He wants to see his mother face to face - a needless frivolity. He wants to see the surface, even though there's nothing up there but simple plant life anymore. He even longs to look at the stars... with his own living eyes! Worst of all, he questions the Machine, insisting people are starting to worship it like a god, a line of thinking that could see him rendered "homeless" (sent to the poisoned air of the surface without a respirator to die). Vashti wants nothing to do with his heresies. She just wants to enjoy the luxuries of life as provided by the Machine - but every machine, even the greatest in human history, might skew from its original purpose... and might even someday break down.
REVIEW: This classic short story, a look at a dystopian future where humanity has lost sight of itself and become too enamored with its own creations to remember its place in the world and its true worth, was first published in 1909, and holds up reasonably well today, a clear inspiration to later writers. Vashti, like most "modern" people, has grown weak in will and body, impatient, intolerant, and even childish, every whim perpetually indulged at the press of a button, every idea regurgitated through numerous mouths and generations until original notions are ultimately abhorrent. Only for the sake of her son does she brave the airship trip to his room, where he unravels a tale of rebellion so scandalous she recoils in horror from his actions. Later, as the Machine ascends from mere creation to quasi-deity, she loses herself in worship to try to forget his heretical actions - until the mechanical god (as implied in the title, so not really a spoiler) begins breaking down. Forster projects a certain romanticism on the wilderness and "wild" men and women as the only true expression of humanity (and the only true way to know divinity, measuring the world against oneself and oneself against the world), eschewing the softening, sensory- and mind-dulling conveniences of civilization and industry (and conveniently glossing over questions of how people can ever survive a world as ecologically degraded as the one in the story). The message may be a bit heavy-handed, but the tragedy of Kuno's doomed rebellion against conformity, Vashti's embracing of society and willingness to be subsumed, and the ultimate reckoning of a failed civilization that has completely lost its way come through.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Foundation (Isaac Asimov) - My Review
Childhood's End (Arthur C. Clarke) - My Review
City (Clifford D. Simak) - My Review
E. M. Forster
Oregan Publishing
Fiction, Sci-FI
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: It has been many generations since humanity retreated from an uninhabitable surface to live in the depths of the Earth. Here, in their personal podlike rooms, the great Machine provides them with everything they could need or want: food, music, video entertainment, lectures to exchange ideas, contact with friends and family. It's rare that any leave, save when assigned to procreate or relocate to a new room. Vashti is content with this life, surely the pinnacle of human achievement, but her son Kuno grows restless. He wants to see his mother face to face - a needless frivolity. He wants to see the surface, even though there's nothing up there but simple plant life anymore. He even longs to look at the stars... with his own living eyes! Worst of all, he questions the Machine, insisting people are starting to worship it like a god, a line of thinking that could see him rendered "homeless" (sent to the poisoned air of the surface without a respirator to die). Vashti wants nothing to do with his heresies. She just wants to enjoy the luxuries of life as provided by the Machine - but every machine, even the greatest in human history, might skew from its original purpose... and might even someday break down.
REVIEW: This classic short story, a look at a dystopian future where humanity has lost sight of itself and become too enamored with its own creations to remember its place in the world and its true worth, was first published in 1909, and holds up reasonably well today, a clear inspiration to later writers. Vashti, like most "modern" people, has grown weak in will and body, impatient, intolerant, and even childish, every whim perpetually indulged at the press of a button, every idea regurgitated through numerous mouths and generations until original notions are ultimately abhorrent. Only for the sake of her son does she brave the airship trip to his room, where he unravels a tale of rebellion so scandalous she recoils in horror from his actions. Later, as the Machine ascends from mere creation to quasi-deity, she loses herself in worship to try to forget his heretical actions - until the mechanical god (as implied in the title, so not really a spoiler) begins breaking down. Forster projects a certain romanticism on the wilderness and "wild" men and women as the only true expression of humanity (and the only true way to know divinity, measuring the world against oneself and oneself against the world), eschewing the softening, sensory- and mind-dulling conveniences of civilization and industry (and conveniently glossing over questions of how people can ever survive a world as ecologically degraded as the one in the story). The message may be a bit heavy-handed, but the tragedy of Kuno's doomed rebellion against conformity, Vashti's embracing of society and willingness to be subsumed, and the ultimate reckoning of a failed civilization that has completely lost its way come through.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Foundation (Isaac Asimov) - My Review
Childhood's End (Arthur C. Clarke) - My Review
City (Clifford D. Simak) - My Review
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Rebel in the Library of Ever (Zeno Alexander)
Rebel in the Library of Ever
The Library of Ever series, Book 2
Zeno Alexander
Imprint
Fiction, MG Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: About a year ago, Lenora discovered a great secret in the city library: a hidden gateway to the vast, magical Library of Ever, repository of all knowledge and stories. She also discovered that the Forces of Darkness were actively attacking the Library. If knowledge is going to survive, it needs brave, bold Librarians like Lenora to protect it... but she can't even protect herself in her kendo classes, which she took up after narrowly escaping the Forces last time. She hasn't even been able to find her way back to the archway leading to the Library of Ever. Then she finds one of her favorite librarians in tears because she was just fired by the new Board - the Board that she overheard taking over last year, planning "big changes" and "increased profit margins" (since when was a library about making money?)... clearly the Forces of Darkness at work. Lenora once more finds her way into the magical otherworldly library - and things are not all well. A new Director has taken over. Books are disappearing, as are whole sections of the library. And the Forces of Darkness walk freely among the shelves. Worse, her mentor, the great woman Malachi, has been demoted. Someone is going to have to find the first Librarian and save the Library of Ever, and soon, or the Forces of Darkness will triumph, strangling knowledge and curiosity and ushering in an era of ignorance, fear, and hatred. That someone, apparently, is Lenora. She only wishes she knew how...
REVIEW: The second in a (probable) duology, Rebel in the Library of Ever may take place a year after the first book, but melds seamlessly. Lenora's not the inexperienced assistant apprentice she was in the first volume, coming into the adventure with a greater understanding of the place, the job, and the enemy... but, amazingly, not everyone seems to recognize the evil walking in plain sight in the Library of Ever. Patrons seem to be coming around to the new Director's profit-driven schemes, despite the dwindling stock of books and shrinking staff, even if they're often unsatisfied when they can't find answers or help; nobody apparently notices or cares enough to stand up to the Forces of Darkness so long as there's a smiling face and a veneer of legitimacy and "progress" plastered over them. With the Forces emboldened and deeply entrenched, she faces a steeper battle than before, though she has more friends than before - including, unexpectedly, the Director's own daughter, who has an eye-openeing experience following Lenora through the labyrinthine Library. More interesting ideas and facts are explored, including the ongoing search for the largest number (which is not infinity, which is not technically a number) and the question of the Library of Alexandria's fate (among other mysteries), as Lenora heads toward the ultimate confrontation with the monstrous Forces of Darkness and their plot to hijack the Library of Ever to spread their lies (a plot that's all too easy to see in effect in today's world of "alternative facts"). It's a satisfying conclusion that seems to wrap the series, though there are a few tantalizing hints from the first volume that hint at more adventures to come for Lenora.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Storybound (Marissa Burt) - My Review
Libriomancer (Jim C. Hines) - My Review
The Librarian: Little Boy Lost (Eric Hobbs) - My Review
The Library of Ever series, Book 2
Zeno Alexander
Imprint
Fiction, MG Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: About a year ago, Lenora discovered a great secret in the city library: a hidden gateway to the vast, magical Library of Ever, repository of all knowledge and stories. She also discovered that the Forces of Darkness were actively attacking the Library. If knowledge is going to survive, it needs brave, bold Librarians like Lenora to protect it... but she can't even protect herself in her kendo classes, which she took up after narrowly escaping the Forces last time. She hasn't even been able to find her way back to the archway leading to the Library of Ever. Then she finds one of her favorite librarians in tears because she was just fired by the new Board - the Board that she overheard taking over last year, planning "big changes" and "increased profit margins" (since when was a library about making money?)... clearly the Forces of Darkness at work. Lenora once more finds her way into the magical otherworldly library - and things are not all well. A new Director has taken over. Books are disappearing, as are whole sections of the library. And the Forces of Darkness walk freely among the shelves. Worse, her mentor, the great woman Malachi, has been demoted. Someone is going to have to find the first Librarian and save the Library of Ever, and soon, or the Forces of Darkness will triumph, strangling knowledge and curiosity and ushering in an era of ignorance, fear, and hatred. That someone, apparently, is Lenora. She only wishes she knew how...
REVIEW: The second in a (probable) duology, Rebel in the Library of Ever may take place a year after the first book, but melds seamlessly. Lenora's not the inexperienced assistant apprentice she was in the first volume, coming into the adventure with a greater understanding of the place, the job, and the enemy... but, amazingly, not everyone seems to recognize the evil walking in plain sight in the Library of Ever. Patrons seem to be coming around to the new Director's profit-driven schemes, despite the dwindling stock of books and shrinking staff, even if they're often unsatisfied when they can't find answers or help; nobody apparently notices or cares enough to stand up to the Forces of Darkness so long as there's a smiling face and a veneer of legitimacy and "progress" plastered over them. With the Forces emboldened and deeply entrenched, she faces a steeper battle than before, though she has more friends than before - including, unexpectedly, the Director's own daughter, who has an eye-openeing experience following Lenora through the labyrinthine Library. More interesting ideas and facts are explored, including the ongoing search for the largest number (which is not infinity, which is not technically a number) and the question of the Library of Alexandria's fate (among other mysteries), as Lenora heads toward the ultimate confrontation with the monstrous Forces of Darkness and their plot to hijack the Library of Ever to spread their lies (a plot that's all too easy to see in effect in today's world of "alternative facts"). It's a satisfying conclusion that seems to wrap the series, though there are a few tantalizing hints from the first volume that hint at more adventures to come for Lenora.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Storybound (Marissa Burt) - My Review
Libriomancer (Jim C. Hines) - My Review
The Librarian: Little Boy Lost (Eric Hobbs) - My Review
The Library of Ever (Zeno Alexander)
The Library of Ever
The Library of Ever series, Book 1
Zeno Alexander
Imprint
Fiction, MG Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: When Lenora's parents went on an extended vacation, any thoughts of having a fun time on her own are quickly dashed when she's saddled with the world's worst babysitter; the young woman drags the girl all over the city, buying herself dresses and planning parties to impress her friends, and only seems to care about Lenora insomuch as she's determined to keep the girl from doing anything fun. While visiting the library, Lenora determines to slip away, even just for a little while... only to find herself facing a strange stone archway, beyond which lies an impossibly vast world of shelves and books and other wonders. A giant of a woman whose badge identifies her as an Answerer takes Lenora on as an assistant in the great Library of Ever, where all manner of people (human and otherwise) seek all manner of knowledge. As a Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian, the girl finds herself plunged into all manner of challenges, seeking answers for patrons... and facing an insidious enemy that wants to stamp out knowledge.
REVIEW: Another audiobook chosen primarily to pass the time at work, The Library of Ever promises an adventurous romp in an imaginary library that spans time and space and reality itself, with a side order of fighting the embodied forces of ignorance and misinformation - an enemy still all too alive and well in the real world, as recent spikes in book banning sadly indicate. This is what it delivers. It skirts a line that many similar titles toy with: turning reading and books into a bold, in-your-face Grand Adventure, presumably to convince readers (who likely already know, as they're reading the book in the first place) how enjoyable and necessary books and the information they contain are. Fortunately, it doesn't browbeat too much on this. (Few things kill the fun of a story like an overly-blatant Theme or Lesson bludgeoning the reader; whisper it, speak it, but don't shout and pummel with it...) Lenora's a decently plucky heroine who gets in over her head more than once, but manages to find her way through tricky problems and learn something along the way - especially the idea that factoids "everyone knows" aren't always true, so every assumption deserves scrutiny. The Library of Ever itself is a vast, surreal world for her to explore. Along the way, the Forces of Darkness scheme and skulk through the shelves, taking a personal interest in the up-and-coming young librarian. The ending has a decently perilous climax with a hook for the second book in the series... which I downloaded after finishing this one.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Inkheart (Cornelia Funke) - My Review
Behind the Canvas (Alexander Vance) - My Review
The Forbidden Library (Django Wexler) - My Review
The Library of Ever series, Book 1
Zeno Alexander
Imprint
Fiction, MG Fantasy
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: When Lenora's parents went on an extended vacation, any thoughts of having a fun time on her own are quickly dashed when she's saddled with the world's worst babysitter; the young woman drags the girl all over the city, buying herself dresses and planning parties to impress her friends, and only seems to care about Lenora insomuch as she's determined to keep the girl from doing anything fun. While visiting the library, Lenora determines to slip away, even just for a little while... only to find herself facing a strange stone archway, beyond which lies an impossibly vast world of shelves and books and other wonders. A giant of a woman whose badge identifies her as an Answerer takes Lenora on as an assistant in the great Library of Ever, where all manner of people (human and otherwise) seek all manner of knowledge. As a Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian, the girl finds herself plunged into all manner of challenges, seeking answers for patrons... and facing an insidious enemy that wants to stamp out knowledge.
REVIEW: Another audiobook chosen primarily to pass the time at work, The Library of Ever promises an adventurous romp in an imaginary library that spans time and space and reality itself, with a side order of fighting the embodied forces of ignorance and misinformation - an enemy still all too alive and well in the real world, as recent spikes in book banning sadly indicate. This is what it delivers. It skirts a line that many similar titles toy with: turning reading and books into a bold, in-your-face Grand Adventure, presumably to convince readers (who likely already know, as they're reading the book in the first place) how enjoyable and necessary books and the information they contain are. Fortunately, it doesn't browbeat too much on this. (Few things kill the fun of a story like an overly-blatant Theme or Lesson bludgeoning the reader; whisper it, speak it, but don't shout and pummel with it...) Lenora's a decently plucky heroine who gets in over her head more than once, but manages to find her way through tricky problems and learn something along the way - especially the idea that factoids "everyone knows" aren't always true, so every assumption deserves scrutiny. The Library of Ever itself is a vast, surreal world for her to explore. Along the way, the Forces of Darkness scheme and skulk through the shelves, taking a personal interest in the up-and-coming young librarian. The ending has a decently perilous climax with a hook for the second book in the series... which I downloaded after finishing this one.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Inkheart (Cornelia Funke) - My Review
Behind the Canvas (Alexander Vance) - My Review
The Forbidden Library (Django Wexler) - My Review
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
The Night Raven (Sarah Painter)
The Night Raven
The Crow Investigations series, Book 1
Sarah Painter
Siskin Press
Fiction, Fantasy/Mystery/Romance
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: Like the rest of her family, Lydia Crow was born with magic... but hardly anything worth the name, save a sensitivity to spirits and auras. It's just as well her magicborn father and mundane mother raised her away from London and the four magical Families who, despite diminished powers, still hold sway over the city's shadier sides. Lydia never meant to return, until her job with a Scottish private investigation firm took a bad turn and she needed somewhere to get away to that wasn't her parents' house. Fortunately, Uncle Charlie has a vacant property, an apartment above a defunct cafe, that could use a tenant. She knows full well that there's no such thing as a free favor, not even for family (and especially not for Family), but the "rent free" part of the deal is enough to convince her to trust him just this once.
Within half an hour, she's met the resident ghost and survived an assassination attempt, and finds herself seriously rethinking her life choices.
Apparently, even though she and her father turned their backs on the Crows, the Crows never turned their backs on her... and anyone with ties to that Family in London is going to be a target. When Lydia learns that her young cousin has disappeared, the attempted murder takes on a sinister new light. She may only have a year of formal training, but she is still an investigator, and the cops clearly can't be trusted with Crow business, not when magic's likely involved. Despite her misgivings about delving deeper into Family affairs, Lydia takes on the case. But there's a lot she doesn't know about the state of the magical Families of London and the particulars of Uncle Charlie's management of the Crows, and what she doesn't know might very well be the death of her.
REVIEW: There is nothing inherently wrong with this book. It's your typical urban fantasy set in London, with a brash and conveniently single heroine dealing with magical secrets and crime while juggling a forbidden attraction, in this case a local police detective, and various colorful friends and acquaintances/rivals. In fact, it's so typical that basically nothing stands out in my memory about it at all. Lydia checks every box in the generic urban fantasy investigator heroine list, down to near-perpetual horniness and regularly getting drunk with her best friend (a suburban mother who really doesn't do anything for the plot except show Lydia the kind of normal life she could've had if she hadn't been born a Crow, the kind of life heroines apparently must want for themselves simply because they will never have it) and gifts that are actually quite powerful despite her repeated denials, though never powerful enough for her not to need rescuing by males. The case seems to mostly be an excuse for this "pilot episode" book to introduce the series concept and presumed regulars; she sort of wanders in circles a lot, doing some rather boneheaded things, before eventually finding her way to a vaguely bait-and-switch conclusion. I suppose I was simply supposed to be intrigued enough for the next episode/book in the series (I was not). While there's nothing inherently wrong with the formula this book was written to, it's just a formula I don't find interesting, that I've seen too many times, and just plain didn't care about Lydia enough to see what she investigates next.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Midnight Riot (Ben Aaronovitch) - My Review
Brimstone Bound (Helen Harper) - My Review
Three Mages and a Margarita (Annette Marie) - My Review
The Crow Investigations series, Book 1
Sarah Painter
Siskin Press
Fiction, Fantasy/Mystery/Romance
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: Like the rest of her family, Lydia Crow was born with magic... but hardly anything worth the name, save a sensitivity to spirits and auras. It's just as well her magicborn father and mundane mother raised her away from London and the four magical Families who, despite diminished powers, still hold sway over the city's shadier sides. Lydia never meant to return, until her job with a Scottish private investigation firm took a bad turn and she needed somewhere to get away to that wasn't her parents' house. Fortunately, Uncle Charlie has a vacant property, an apartment above a defunct cafe, that could use a tenant. She knows full well that there's no such thing as a free favor, not even for family (and especially not for Family), but the "rent free" part of the deal is enough to convince her to trust him just this once.
Within half an hour, she's met the resident ghost and survived an assassination attempt, and finds herself seriously rethinking her life choices.
Apparently, even though she and her father turned their backs on the Crows, the Crows never turned their backs on her... and anyone with ties to that Family in London is going to be a target. When Lydia learns that her young cousin has disappeared, the attempted murder takes on a sinister new light. She may only have a year of formal training, but she is still an investigator, and the cops clearly can't be trusted with Crow business, not when magic's likely involved. Despite her misgivings about delving deeper into Family affairs, Lydia takes on the case. But there's a lot she doesn't know about the state of the magical Families of London and the particulars of Uncle Charlie's management of the Crows, and what she doesn't know might very well be the death of her.
REVIEW: There is nothing inherently wrong with this book. It's your typical urban fantasy set in London, with a brash and conveniently single heroine dealing with magical secrets and crime while juggling a forbidden attraction, in this case a local police detective, and various colorful friends and acquaintances/rivals. In fact, it's so typical that basically nothing stands out in my memory about it at all. Lydia checks every box in the generic urban fantasy investigator heroine list, down to near-perpetual horniness and regularly getting drunk with her best friend (a suburban mother who really doesn't do anything for the plot except show Lydia the kind of normal life she could've had if she hadn't been born a Crow, the kind of life heroines apparently must want for themselves simply because they will never have it) and gifts that are actually quite powerful despite her repeated denials, though never powerful enough for her not to need rescuing by males. The case seems to mostly be an excuse for this "pilot episode" book to introduce the series concept and presumed regulars; she sort of wanders in circles a lot, doing some rather boneheaded things, before eventually finding her way to a vaguely bait-and-switch conclusion. I suppose I was simply supposed to be intrigued enough for the next episode/book in the series (I was not). While there's nothing inherently wrong with the formula this book was written to, it's just a formula I don't find interesting, that I've seen too many times, and just plain didn't care about Lydia enough to see what she investigates next.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Midnight Riot (Ben Aaronovitch) - My Review
Brimstone Bound (Helen Harper) - My Review
Three Mages and a Margarita (Annette Marie) - My Review
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