intertext

( Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog )
( Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver )
( (counts as one, as all are re-reads) Megan Whelan Turner, The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia )
( Melina Marchetta, Finnikin of the Rock )

A trio of fantasy/sf

#8 Anne Osterlund, Academy 7

In a universe far, far away, but obviously a distant colony of ours (they celebrate Christmas!), Dane and Aerin are two misfits - one, the son of privilege, the other a refugee with a mysterious past - who find themselves against the odds at an exclusive Academy. Not unpredictably, they become friends and discover secrets about themselves and each other.

The world is intriguing (though I have to confess thinking it unlikely and rather unimaginative that they DID in fact still celebrate Christmas), the characters likeable and believable, and the revelations interesting and not unbelievable. I liked the school, and would have liked to see more of it.

Overall, an enjoyable read, marred by some extremely clunky writing. Overwritten descriptions and things like an emotion that "blared" into a face, redundancy with "both," and an agreement error with "everyone" (where was her editor???).

#9 Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

Normally, I'm a sucker for urban fantasy, but this one, though much more accomplished than the previous entry, left me cold. I had trouble finishing it, and definitely won't bother with the rest of the trilogy.

#10 Galen Beckett, The Magicians and Mrs Quent

This is regency romance in a quite intriguing alternate world, though one whose laws of physics defy ... um, laws of physics ... but still. Although very well written (the most accomplished stylistically of the three), rather too much of too many different things. Very derivative - Jane Austen meets Charlotte Bronte meets Suzanna Clarke. My other complaint is that for a romance, the romance was EXTREMELY dull, almost off-stage. I mean, I don't necessarily want a bodice ripper, but I'd like a bit more emotion. Good enough, however, that I will probably read the next book in the series (and, sigh, yes, this does appear to be the first of a series).

Connie Willis, Blackout

Connie Willis is one of my absolute favourite sf authors, always reliable, but sadly not prolific - I can't remember exactly how long it's been since the last novel, but I do remember that my mother was still alive when I was reading Passage. This long-awaited new novel did not disappoint, except to the extent that we are left with our characters in dire straits at the end of it. But we know that the next one will be out in the Fall, so there's not too long to wait. It is set in the future of The Domesday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog; time travel is real, and Oxford historians are queuing up to make trips into the past to do research. This time, our main characters are visiting different events in WWII, except that somehow things don't go quite as planned. There are as always very likeable characters and a zippy, almost too breathless plot, with wrong turns and mistakes and suspense. It is as always meticulously researched, which made a few details that I think are probably errors stand out rather: I don't think a WWII nurse would have used a centigrade scale to describe a person's temperature, or that a British person would use the term "blocks" in London (as in "just a few more blocks, and we'll be there"), or that someone would have bought grapes for someone in hospital without having to do some black-market dealing, or at least mentioning queues or coupons... But these are forgivable in the overall context of a very enjoyable and un-put-downable book. I can't wait for October!

Kristin Cashore, Graceling

WHOOSH! (That's the book galloping by).

I don't know why it took me over a week to finish: possibly because much of last week I spent in a bit of a funk being tired and depressed and preoccupied and consequently was falling asleep over my book at night and not getting much reading done. But that's by the by.

It was thoroughly enjoyable. Likeable (why is LJ spellcheck balking on that word?) characters, a very intriguing system of magic/special powers, a believable romance. I was mildly underimpressed, based on the advance buzz on it. Much of the YA sf community seemed to be gushing about it, but it left me with a feeling that I wanted more, which is what I mean when I say it galloped by. The action felt rushed. The main climax (overcoming the Big Bad) was just "zap" and it was done. I'm usually grateful when a fantasy is a stand-alone and the first book in a series isn't all about establishing the characters and setting and creating a lot of suspense for the next two, but with this book I would have maybe liked a little more of that and less breathless action that once or twice left me flipping back through going "what just happened?" I liked it enough that I think I'll read the next one, except that I think I've read people saying that the next one isn't as good... Anyway. It was fun. I definitely liked it a lot; I just didn't love it.

Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall

MMMMmmmm. So good.

I am sorry to finish it, because I have been immersed in the period and in the characters, especially the character of Thomas Cromwell. It's one of those books where it's so great knowing that you have it sitting on your bedside table to read every night. I loved the very tight point of view - you quickly notice that any time there's a dangling "he" it refers to Cromwell. Most of it is very much inside his head. And it's a fascinating head to be inside, intelligent and cunning and observant. I am aware that some people read this as a white-wash of Cromwell, as a counter to the popular image of Thomas More. It's a long time since I saw A Man For All Seasons, or Anne of a Thousand Days, for that matter, and I've never bothered with The Tudors, and don't know enough about the period to be able to argue for one side or the other. I liked this Thomas Cromwell a lot. I'm glad there's to be a sequel, as I want to read more (though in another way, I'm not sure I do...)
I have to thank my friend lidocafe for giving Wolf Hall to me for Christmas, because I loved it, and could never have finished it in a week from the library, and have enjoyed the luxury of savouring it.

I don't know what I'm going to read next.