Let's just label this satirical dystopian speculative fiction, because to define it more narrowly will be to give away spoilers.
'Welcome to ChromataciLet's just label this satirical dystopian speculative fiction, because to define it more narrowly will be to give away spoilers.
'Welcome to Chromatacia, where life is strictly regulated by one’s limited color perception. Civilization has been rebuilt after an unspoken “Something that Happened” five hundred years before. Society is now color vision–segregated, everything dictated by an individual’s visual ability, and governed by the shadowy National Color in far-off Emerald City.'
'Shades of Grey', the first book in the series, came out in 2009, and quickly became my favorite novel by this author. It's been a long wait for the sequel, so much so that I'd pretty much forgotten everything. A quick look at the Wikipedia page refreshed my memory enough for me to dive into this one. The world-building continues to be clever and unique. The humor ranges from witty to subtle. Lots more information is given (or worked out), and we get shown clues to the bigger picture (which we, as outsiders, initially understand better than the characters in the story).
It all comes together for a denouement that's sublime. It's clear that Fforde could leave it at that, but there's enough wiggle room for there to be a third book if he wanted and assuming his creative juices are flowing, we won't have to wait another fifteen years.
This will be one of my top reads this year.
(Reddit Fantasy 2024 Bingo squares that this would fit: Alliterative Title; Published in 2024; Character with a Disability (HM); Survival (HM); Set in a Small Town (HM)). ...more
Another slice-of-life low key fantasy. When a new Pen and Des novella comes out, I'll put down anything else I'm reading and jump right in.Another slice-of-life low key fantasy. When a new Pen and Des novella comes out, I'll put down anything else I'm reading and jump right in....more
"Low stakes" fantasy. This is an author (who is a master of his craft and at the top of his game) just having fun. It follows on for the events in 'Ha"Low stakes" fantasy. This is an author (who is a master of his craft and at the top of his game) just having fun. It follows on for the events in 'Hawk' (book #14 in the series). The Left Hand want Vlad dead, so he's hiding out in a theater, where rehearsals are underway for a musical production about an infamous play from history. He relies upon help from his friends, to try to get him out of this mess and to solve multiple problems (some of which are large and others almost trivial). Clever use of Vlad reading a history book (during the slow parts of his hiding) to fill in all the back story.
The Prologue, all sixteen chapters and the epilogue all start with the lyrics to a song from the musical. You quickly realize that the words match up to songs from various musicals that you might be familiar with. If you don't get them all, then there are links on Brust's website to Youtube videos that will help you out. I'm embarrassed to admit there were several that I didn't work out.
Although this is a complete (and very satisfying story) in its own right, you are given several more pieces for the overall Big Picture. Unless things change, there should be two more books left in the series ('Chreotha' and 'The Last Contract') and we should be working towards a truly Epic finish (with Vlad up front and center). I started reading this series 32 years ago, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how it will all turn out.
(Reddit Fantasy 2024 Bingo squares that this would fit: Entitled Animals (HM); Prologues and Epilogues (HM); Multi-POV; Published in 2024; Survival (HM); Reference Materials)....more
I read the previous one in the series in October 2022, and it's frightening how much I'd forgotten. Luckily one of the three author's notes (yes, threI read the previous one in the series in October 2022, and it's frightening how much I'd forgotten. Luckily one of the three author's notes (yes, three) gave a recap that helped with the main points. Other details started coming back as I got into the new story. This one features the apocryphal tale of the Zanetti Train that vanished in a tunnel from Rome in Italy in 1911 and came back in Mexico in 1840. Two of Team Weird (Luke and Jane) end up on this "ghost train" and their rescue begins. If'you've read the other four books in the series, then this one is similar (in so many ways). I particularily liked the Commander Hay / Captain Farenden debriefings and the string subplot with Mikey, but the whole relationship between Lt. Grint and Jane is starting to get tedious. One star off for that. Will I read another Jodi Taylor book? Of course.
(Bingo squares that this would fit: Self-Published or Indie Publisher; Multi-POV(HM); Published in 2024; Survival; Reference Materials)....more
My selection for the Reddit Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Bards' square (hard mode). Low-key fantasy. 'Thrice-cursed bard and warrior-elf Tamsin wakes up in ElfMy selection for the Reddit Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Bards' square (hard mode). Low-key fantasy. 'Thrice-cursed bard and warrior-elf Tamsin wakes up in Elfland after what might or might not have been his death, healed and hale for the first time in millennia. Somewhat confused but not entirely unhappy with this turn of events, he sets off in the hopes of finding a way home.'
This is a standalone book and isn't related in any way to books in her other series. I've seen it compared to 'The Silmarillion' which I have not read. Parts of it did feel Tolkienesque to me. It took a while to get into (i.e. I put it down and picked it up again several times over the last month), because there's no real plot to ground you. Parts felt a little long-winded and I wonder if an editor could have helped here. I've got 'The Hands of the Emperor' on my TBR list, but at 969 pages, I think it's going to be a while before I get around to it.
(Other 2024 Bingo squares that this would fit: Dreams; Self-Published or Indie Publisher; Multi-POV (HM); Published in 2024.)...more
My selection for the Reddit Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Reference Materials' square (hard mode). Another multi-genre (fantasy, murder mystery, thriller, cominMy selection for the Reddit Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Reference Materials' square (hard mode). Another multi-genre (fantasy, murder mystery, thriller, coming-of-age) book from Bennett. We start off with investigator Ana Dolabra and her new assistant, Dinios Kol investigating the bizarre murder of a high imperial officer in a grand mansion, but quickly grows to a much bigger story. It's set in an Empire, where humans are augmented with special skills and abilities, where contagions abound and leviathans roam off the shores threatening catastrophic disaster during the yearly wet season.
You will get Holmes and Watson vibes from the two main characters, but according to the author in the acknowledgments section, Ana is based more on Nero Wolfe and Hannibal Lecter. There was the usual brilliant inventiveness, unique plot situations and quirky humor I've come to expect from Bennett. It's one of the best books I've read this year, and if there were more like it, I would have gone straight on to them. If it doesn't win one or more awards next year, I will be very much surprised. Highly recommended.
(Other 2024 Bingo squares that this would fit: Published in 2024; Character with a Disability (HM)). ...more
My selection for the Reddit r/Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Published in 2024' square (hard mode). Time travel, set in the very near future. A British governmenMy selection for the Reddit r/Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Published in 2024' square (hard mode). Time travel, set in the very near future. A British government ministry is retrieving “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible. The MC is a civil servant who is a "bridge" to guide her "expat" (Commander Graham Gore of the fated 1845 Arctic expedition to try to find the Northwest passage) to living in the 21st century. After a while, she realizes that there is something more sinister going on. It's a blend of romance, workplace humor, spies, government bureaucracy and colonialism (shown from both sides).
Time travel is one of my favorite sub-genres, so it was good to read a variant of it that isn't so common (what it would be like for people from other periods of history to live in the present time). For a debut novel, it's very well done. There are several excellent twists, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, so one star off for that.
(Other 2024 Bingo squares that this would fit: Alliterative Title (if 'the' is allowed); Author of Color (maybe; one of the authors parents was Cambodian); Survival; Reference Materials)....more
My selection for the Reddit r/Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Author of Color' square (hard mode). 3-1/2 stars rounded up to 4. Science fiction / space opera. SetMy selection for the Reddit r/Fantasy 2024 Bingo 'Author of Color' square (hard mode). 3-1/2 stars rounded up to 4. Science fiction / space opera. Set in our solar system, in the 23rd century, in an alternate universe where a unified Korea has become the predominant space-faring race. Because there is a ragtag crew of misfits on a spaceship, I've seen comparisons with Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series and Firefly. Maybe, but it's more than that. The author does immerse you in Korean culture (there's even a glossary at the back of the book to help you). If you can get past that, then there's hopefully enough action and adventure to keep you interested, and the world-building leaves a lot of potential for future books in the series. Not bad at all for a debut novel.
(Other 2024 Bingo squares that this would fit: Self-Published or Indie Publisher; Multi-POV; Published in 2024 (HM); Space Opera; Judge A Book By Its Cover (at least for me); Reference Materials)....more
The latest Pen & Des installment and one of her best. It's slice-of-life low key fantasy and something I need every now and then as a thankful break fThe latest Pen & Des installment and one of her best. It's slice-of-life low key fantasy and something I need every now and then as a thankful break from many other types of fantasy. This one is more family oriented, with big chunks of Nikys and Rina. Also good to visit with Iroki again. It introduces a new character who I'm looking forward to reading about again in the future. It was also nice to see Pen and Des having an internal kerfuffle for a change. I also appreciate the pricing of this novella by a master story writer, over the ridiculous price that publishers like Tor demand for the novellas that they put out....more
After a couple of not-so-great reads, I was looking for something that would be a quick easy standalone page-turner. This qualified. It's a science fiAfter a couple of not-so-great reads, I was looking for something that would be a quick easy standalone page-turner. This qualified. It's a science fiction thriller. The MC is the thirteenth clone of a movie star who is tasked (by said movie star) with eliminating the previous twelve clones. Narration is clear and precise with well written dialogue. Parts are predictable and have been done before. There were a couple nice twists and a couple of what felt like extraneous recurring characters that oddly turned up every now and then, but I felt let down by the ending and didn't get the sense of closure or completion that I was hoping for. ...more
