TEMPEST by Cari Z.

4 STARS

Manticores, selkies, and mer... Oh my!

This is a journey story. Colm Weathercliff is a fisherman with a knack for finding a good catch. Colm, alone for all intense purposes after the death of his father, Ger, wanders to find a life more suited to him. In a small town of farmers he doesn't fit, a landlubber he's not. Actually, it's more than that. 

"This is your opportunity to live the life you want to, instead of the life you would be resigned to.” 

This was not what I was expecting. I guess I imagined something more martial, but having read the Z's stories I have, I should have known better. Once I readjusted my preconception, or threw them out, I really enjoyed the story. It revolves around Colm's discovery of himself. Who he is as a man, a friend, his father's son, and a lover. And, much of it comes as a surprise.

After leaving the safety of his farming village, Anneslea, Colm begins to confront life and make choices. Who should he trust? How will he survive? In an intolerant society sometimes the choices we make, what we want are overshadowed by other needs. In the seaside town of Caithmore, Colm makes decisions that alter his path in life.

Having been welcomed by distant relations in Caithmore he soon realizes that he is not as alone as he believed, even in his darkest moments, even after transformative events. His heart is bound by love and friendship, each giving him strength and opportunity that he needs. And with the challenges Colm faces, they are crucial.

I found the secondary characters almost stole the show. When they appear, bigger than life, they suck all the attention away. It seemed as if times Colm and Nichol were the backdrop for fantastical characters and their stories. Like Frodo and Sam wandering to destroy the ring while everyone around them has these epic tales to tell, and they carry on. Except, here Frodo and Sam, or Colm and Nichol fall in love. And all we want as the readers is for them to find their way to home.

Overall, a transformative fantasy adventure where the hero learns that things will never be the same again. 

Favorite quote: 

“I never thought I would get the chance to both ruin and save the same person…" 

WHY HAPPINESS MAKES ME NERVOUS by Liza Charlesworth

4 STARS

The future holds a wall of needles
& this is the rule: We have to walk through it,
we have to

--"Why Happiness Makes me Nervous" excerpt

The images themselves are thoughtful and provocative. They explore color and punctuate as the theme of the poem tells a story about life. From youth to the golden years, there is an observance, often tinged with disappointment. They speak from a woman's point of view as she unravels life's conflicts and epiphanies.

Strong intersection of image and word conceptually. Vibrant and romantic, often urban, but juxtaposed by nature and always color. Bright bold hues that strike out the image of a gray cityscape.



If you want to see more then visit Charlesworth's tumblr page for what to expect from the imagery. I really enjoyed this collection and have a friend I would like to buy it for, dearly. 

All the cruelties we made
& exchanged--
skillfully licked to sharper then sharper
icicles,
are just water in that pitcher,
tonight

--"Bliss At the Beach House" excerpt

She had always expected life's center
to be the best, the tenderest part

like an artichoke's heart

& having just arrived,
she was sorry to learn that hers
was not

--"Birthday Drinks With Maria" excerpt

DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch

3 STARS

How much have choices determined your life and would you change it?

Due to the nature of the story, I can't review it directly because that would spoil the pleasure in reading it, so stick with me as I attempt to explain. It features one of the most compelling uses of first person point of view I've read in a while. It works wonderfully to help the reader question what is happening and whether or not the narrator is reliable. Being in the dark, and forced to see the world through a narrow focus kept the tension cranked up. Big win.

Kicking the science under the rug and accepting the premise of the story is necessary. Similar to Galt's static electricity generator in Atlas Shrugged. You can't question, you just acknowledge it as a construct of the story. Whether or not that's possible depends on how easily one can divorce themselves from quantum physics. Reads like sexy science, but if you understand the difference between fermions and bosons there's a huge hole. That said, if you can accept it then it becomes a fun, fast-paced thriller. Science fiction is fundamentally based on highlighting the human element within it. And to that end, Jason's struggle is real. 

At some point, I was frustrated by Jason's illogical attachments, too emotional, irrational for a theoretical scientist. I found it off-putting, and I had a difficult time believing his reactions to situations. Not analytical enough. That said, Jason was experiencing tremendous disruptions. 

It was a entertaining read. Quick and just enough twists and turns to keep one on their toes. And if you've lived enough to look back and see the steps leading you to where you are and wondering what if they were different, then this is a diverting exercise. 

After Read Recommended Song: Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime"

Overall, a metaphysical thriller.

KING JOHN by Edmond Manning

4 STARS

"I don’t know what the fuck is happening anymore. But I am catching on.”

That is a King Weekend in a nutshell. Can't be explained, must be experienced. But don't be fooled, this isn't some half-assed adventure. To paraphrase Ingmar Bergman, only someone who is well prepared is able to improvise.

Vin has kinging down, but he's got a tough nut to crack this time. Manning lets you laugh freely and then steals your breath away. Like goofing around when you careen into a table and all you see in that split second is that you can't fix it... and the CRASH!

Alistair's secret, what can I say, we all have fears and this taps into the unfixable and rings my major interpersonal bell--shit. 

Manning knows the beauty and importance in touch. The reverence and care, the love that whispers across another's skin--that acknowledges another wordlessly. An acceptance which we all crave and Vin gives so freely. Not that there aren't challenges with every kinging, but Vin is scrambling harder than ever.

Alistair and Vin are a bit



And shit goes all kinds of sideways. 

Talk about utterly frustrating, at least The Dread Pirate Roberts knocked people unconscious and moved on, unfortunately, that's not an option here. Of all the king stories, this one actually took me beyond being displeased and bordering incensed. Vin, I'm on my fucking knees.

“I love you like fire”

When you allow someone else to own your song nothing else matters. Inside, like a seashell to the ear we all have the harmony, a rhythm coursing through our cells and blood--you can't let someone else conduct that. You can't.

And even here, my love of Moby Dick finds a way, or maybe I find a way of seeking it out:

With La Contessa chasing the white whale bus around the desert all week, an accident seems not only possible but probable.

The setting is so omnipresent, a character itself. Stark and unforgiving, but awe-inspiring and the night sky absent civilization is tremendous. We dampen it with our creations to make ourselves larger, and the desert is much like the middle of ocean at night--it's like space. You have no way to register yourself, so you float in nothingness. 

Words to live by: 

To stop filtering through someone else’s reality and find our own.

I hate these stories because they hit too close, like a bone bruise no one can see. But, BUT... I love these stories for Vin's reckless abandon and sacrifice. There's an exquisite life affirming intimacy in these pages that make me hope. Even though the ending devastated me, utterly and completely. And that's why it's four stars and not five.

Overall, a king rises during the Dionysian fervency of Burning Man.

THE PIRATE OF FATHOM'S DEEP by Megan Derr

4 STARS

Pirates!

Okay, the title kind of gives it away, but nonetheless few things make me as happy as reading about pirates. It all starts with a rather ominous and bloodthirsty scene, which might be a deterrent for some, but made me happy.

Death and a mystery!

High Commander Lesto's investigation of the gruesome scene leads to some intriguing developments, amusing actually, and a reunion of sorts.You know, the one person you wish you'd had more time with in your past with it ending too soon. Yeah.

Shermal, the Farlander. From the isles at the ends to the world. My kind of place. Poor guy's minding his business when all of sudden trouble comes knocking on his door. Next thing you know the goats are on their own.

"I will teach you exactly what it means when we say that the only way to stop an Arseni is to bury us fathoms deep." 

Humor and intrigue as the impressively named Blood of the Fallen and Hands of Death factor into events. Then the High King and Consort are brought into things, if you read the first story you know exactly how well Lesto and Sarrica get on. Diplomatic intrigue with idiocy thrown in for amusement keeps the story going nonstop. I actually finished this in one sitting, but sometimes articulating why I enjoyed a story isn't easy, especially when it speaks to my inner self.

Best part, Jader is the next story and he has all the markings of me. Looking forward to it. So, if you like quasi historical fantasy reads then this is a win for entertainment. I like Derr's writing and this is true to form. 3.5-4 stars, rounding up because I was thoroughly entertained.

Overall, frolicking action adventure with heading butting alphas' romance.

THE CHIMERA by Adrienne Wilder

3 STARS

Society sways 
Fallen days, an unpaid debt
Sweetly pain whispers 

Managed to inspire a haiku review if not a lot of other excitement. 

So, this is a dystopian debt slave fic. I suppose if it is one of the first you've read about training and breaking then it's more powerful. It's got the usual psychological and physiological barrier breaking scenes and they're interesting. The mythological/technological tie in has potential, but not sure if it will be realized. I'm not a fan of serials so less enamored with that, but I did know it going in so no demerits for that.

My favorite part is the man versus self conflict of Leo. Probably one of the things I enjoy most about various Wilder stories that I've read. Especially, when man loses to the beast inside. I didn't really connect with this for whatever reason, but the pain was nicely done. Again, a strong suit of Wilder's that I appreciate. 

Not sure I'll follow on, aside from an arc plot surprise I think I've got a handle on where it's going, and the sectioned nature of serials makes it very hard for me to invest in the story. Mayhap I'll try it when it's completed. 

Overall, a sweetly possessive slave trainer story.

THE BUTTERFLY KING by Edmond Manning

3 STARS

Devastating. 

What would you risk to find a Lost King? And what if he doesn’t remember you?

This is the most _______ Lost and Founds book. Excessive in nearly everything: violence, passion, emotional reactions; it's all on the brink of too much. The first time a King Weekend is out of control, Vin stumbles and things are precarious to say the least.

The origin story of the Butterfly tree is told, and it is bittersweet. 

The most politically synchronized story to current events. It pushes the reader to the edge, to look and see. Issues of race, bias, internalized prejudice. This is not a man against himself story, though that is clearly the main focus, and while there were issues of racism in King Mai it wasn't vitriolic. 

Pain. I cried the most during this story. I've got to say, Malcolm is right. And wow, talk about the secrets being told about Vin and the entirety of Kinging--it's here. The guidebook of sorts. It also brings up the question of Vin as a Lost King.

At the end of the story, I was vaguely dissatisfied. Terrence's behavior to Vin, what he said. I understand the ultimatum. Completely, I have felt Vin drifting further, so that wasn't the issue, but Terrence's decree as king to Vin was unsettling. (view spoiler)

At the end of this series, I will need to go back and reread this because I feel like I'm missing some symbolism. I'll probably read the next book, King John much quicker because I need Vin to be in a better place than he was left here. I want to feel what this quote promises: 

A feeling, a foreign one, flits through me, a fiery red cardinal dashing from twig to twig in my brambled heart.
Hope.