Bought new books! I left the bookshop with a brilliant mood!
I don’t know which one to read once I’m done with The Book of Human Skin (Lovric).
The setting of the book is in the now independent city of Blightcross, a newly-industrial city-state swimming with oil sitting in the arid desserts of Tamarck. Magic and Steampunk is being replaced by the dirty and metallic world of Dieselpunk. Capra Jorassian, the protagonists, deserted her militaristic gender-egalitarian Valoii society and has to make do with Blightcross who treated women quite differently.
For me, the book seems fast-pace and very focused. Hints and titbits of information regarding the ethnic groups e.g. the Valoii, and countries like the Kingdom of Tamarck were there. The full information wasn’t really given but only just enough to keep the plot flow forward. So you are aware that there is a wide world out there but the focus is in Blightcross, and the main agenda of the story. Which makes me very unsatisfied at the end because of the thirst for details.
The ethnicities were very interesting and distinct. The power struggles between states were believable. In fact, the conflict between the Valoii and the Ehzeri reminds me of Israel/Palestine.
In regards to the plot itself, it is a well-crafted storyline with numerous foreshadowing and bends in the plot that prevents it from being bland. The ending wasn’t predictable, but like I said above, I’m left on the edge of the cliff. The storyline is over yet there’s so much more I wanted to know.
I have mixed feelings on the characters. Usually, I don’t really care about the sex of the protagonist, but I can’t help but notice that it is a breath of fresh air to read a book with a female protagonist who is “an independent Valoii woman who don’t need no man”. Only Alim seems to be the only character aside from the protagonist that I find excellent. The Till Sevari backstory could have been better and more intertwine with the main story.
Blightcross is a fun action book that keeps on going from start to finish, and I would like you to gives this a try if you are interested the genre and the setting.
The “Reading List” tag is where all my past reading list are placed. It can be access via “/tagged/reading%20list/”, and a link can also be found on my profile page.
Johannes Cabal sold his soul to Satan in exchange for the powers of necromancy, now he wants it back. He went down to Hell and bargain with the Devil. A wager was made: he can have his soul back, IF he can convince 100 people to throw theirs into damnation. Considering that the wager is with the Beast, things aren’t that as simple as it seems.
I really really love this book. I adore it. The characters are good, even the minor ones like Trubshaw are likeable. The book was surprisingly easy to read and entertaining. I digest the chapters without difficulty. There are also some references on other novels such as H.P. Lovecraft and such.
The side stories were kinda hit-or-miss though, with more of them a hit than a miss. A part of the ending was predictable since I figured out his motives half-way through, but still the ending and the overall story is very satisfying, with nice twists that pulls a smile on my face.
I really recommend this book. A comic fantasy that is amusing and witty.
The “Reading List” tag is where all my past reading list are placed. It can be access via “/tagged/reading%20list/”, and a link can also be found on my profile page.
Finished books:
The Explosionist - Jenny Davidson
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Fatherland - Robert Harris (Thankfully, the version I got doesn’t have a swastika on the cover.)
Blightcross - C. A. Lang
The Company Man - Robert Jackson Bennett
Currently reading:
Angelmaker - Nick Harkaway
Europe: A History - Norman Davies
New books:
The Necromancer - Jonathan Howard
The Book of Human Skin - Michelle Lovric
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell (No. Not that David Mitchell)
Wicked Gentlemen - Ginn Hale
Boneshaker - Cherie Priest
The Iron Dream - Norman Spinrad
Wild Cards - George R. R. Martin
The “Reading List” tag is where all my past reading list are placed. It can be access via “/tagged/reading%20list/”, and a link can also be found on my profile page.
(via sio-pao-pao)
The setting is in 1964 world where Germany won the war. After a Cold War with the United States, the two camps decided to end the divide and make up, with President Kennedy finally visiting the Third Reich on Adolf Hitler’s 75th birthday. The story starts out in Berlin, Germany; from the eyes of SS Sturmbannfuhrer Xavier March of the Kripo (aka Criminal Police), investigating the death of a high ranking Nazi in the outskirts of the city. As the days go by, closing in to the Fuhrer’s birthday, March is getting closer on discovering the evil regime’s dirtiest well-kept secret.
I had fun reading this. The novel totally belongs on the ‘alternate history’ and ‘detective story’ genres. The book was very lavish and very realistic on painting this Fascist society. The timeline doesn’t go into the realm of ridiculous (*cough*Nazis invading America*cough*).
If the genres I mentioned above ticks your boxes, then I really think you should get this. Otherwise, it’s depends on you whether this interests you or not.
The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Done)
The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
Clade by Mark Budz (Cancelled. It didn’t fucking arrived!)
Europe: A History by Norman Davies (long-ass book)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Cancelled. I’ll go back to this someday.)
UPDATE: Bought new ones.
Fatherland by Robert Harris (Hopefully, I get the one that doesn’t have a swastika on the cover.)
Blightcross by C. A. Lang
The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett
Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway
(via sio-pao-pao)
I love it. The setting is a Biopunk world in the “somewhere in the distant future” of Thailand. Climate change has already went with full speed, sinking cities and such. But Krung Thep (Bangkok) is still alive thanks to its massive sea wall. Oil has run out so international transport is back to the means of sails and Zeppelins.
I did say Biopunk right? Yep. Artificially created animals, crops, and diseases! Fun! These “calorie companies” now hold copyrights on their crops, and made them sterile. Forcing countries under the mercy of these megacorps (think of those bastards from Monsanto but 10 times worse.)
That’s the setting. I love the style of writing. The story rolls out from the perspective of several characters, not just one or two. The characters aren’t the typical white knights and evil villains. It’s very grey and grey. If you’re into political intrigue, you’ll like it. Every character has its own agenda.
Overall, the book has a brilliant setting, plot, intrigue, and set of characters. I’d recommend it to you, my dear followers.
Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden (Done)
Europe: A History by Norman Davies (long-ass book)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
UPDATE: Added new ones.
The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson (Haven’t arrived yet)
Clade by Mark Budz (still stuck in Royal Mail Edmonton)
Whoops! Forgot to update my reading list. Summer is (kinda) over so time to refresh the list, removed the ones I’ve ticked, and added new ones.
(via sio-pao-pao)
Me basket:
I know. I know. I have a Summer reading list that I have yet to finished. BUT BOOKS!!
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (Done)
Wolf of the Plains (The Conqueror series) by Conn Iggulden
Europe: A History by Norman Davies (long-ass book)
Leviathan/Behemoth/Goliath trilogy by Scott Westerfield (Done)
I’ll add in A Tale of Two Cities there. I never finished that. Could you believe that?
That’s it so far.
Finished Goliath. Brilliant trilogy.
