Science Fiction

Review of The High King of Montival by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
Rudi Mackenzie traveled to Nantucket, where he found and took up the Sword of the Lady and, with it, his destiny. His return journey to the area known as Montival, in the Pacific Northwest, is a treacherous one since he and his companions must cross three thousand miles, making both allies and adversaries along the way.
           
When he reaches his destination, he will face the legions of the Prophet. To achieve victory, Rudi must assemble a coalition of those who were his enemies just months before, then forge them into an army that will rescue his homeland and tear the heart out of the Church Universal and Triumphant once and for all.
           
Only then will Rudi be able to come to terms with how the Sword has changed him—as well as the world—and assume his place as Artos, High King of Montival…

Review:
Epic adventure? Check.
Amazing new characters? Check.
Danger? Check. Check.
An absolutely amazing continuation of a story I’ve fallen completely in love with? Check.

It certainly didn’t feel like I’d finished the book previous to this in October- but then, you’re always in the Emberverse once you’re sucked in.

There were so many different people and places we were allowed to follow and experience and read about. While I loved the direction this one went, I have questions. Firstly, why go into Canada and up to Toronto if you’re trying to get to Oregon? Regardless, I quite enjoyed all of our new characters and seeing their relationships with the characters we already knew develop. I love seeing how the characters come to terms with the fact they have been aging and changing, which I think after the Covid 19 life restrictions everyone has a bit more understanding of how unsettling it can be to see someone/something change so much in your absence.

I quite enjoy that there seem to be stakes for Rudi. I had previously mentioned to a good friend, my anamchara, who got me started on this book series that it always seemed like Juniper was a Mary Sue–this book finally showed that while luck and the Gods may be on the side of our fair Montival leader/his mother, there is still a risk and a price to be paid; that all magic has a price. Speaking of magic, while before it seemed that it could have been magic having all of technology fall, we are suddenly getting to experience what I, as a reader, (Father Ignatius would surely have a better explanation) would call magic. There is definitely danger and risks, but I absolutely adored this book; it may even be my favourite in the entire series so far. The ending, of course, was pure perfection, and again… magic.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Sword of the Lady by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
Rudi Mackenzie has journeyed long and far across the land that was once the United States of America, seeking the shore where the sun rises, hoping to find the source of the world-altering event that has come to be known as the Change.
           
His quest ends in Nantucket, an island overrun with forest, inhabited by a mere two hundred people, who claim to have been transported there from out of time. Only one odd stone house remains standing. Within it, Rudi finds a beautifully made sword seemingly waiting for him.
           
And once he takes it up, nothing for Rudi—or for the world that he knows—will ever be the same…

Review:
This book was such a journey! I quite enjoyed all of the different paths of life Rudi and his retinue came across, and how they took to each other. Rudi is an exceptional person in that he truly considers thoughts and opinions and recognizes while he might not believe the same things, that could be a big factor in how people live and work and believe the world to be. I like how as the story has progressed, everyone uses their talents and shows how they would best work. It’s good that Rudi recognizes that everyone has a purpose, and he does try to see the good in people. As per always, Stirling had to throw in some gut punches that leave one quite emotional, especially when you thought that the tide was turning and redemption was potentially on the horizon! I found the ending quite brilliant and peculiar, how the deities and powers present themselves. I am not surprised at the connection we are given with Juniper, and it honestly made her “Mary Sue-ness” make more sense to me.

One of my absolute favourite quotes (skip if you do not want to read before reading said book):
“Fact becomes history; history becomes legend; legend becomes myth. Myth turns again to the beginning and creates itself. The figure for time isn’t an arrow; that is illusion, just as the straight line is. Time is a serpent.”

I am very interested to see what happens next, though I’m torn on the when to read this one, as my anamchara is the one who recommended this series, and I would end up ahead of him. I’d say damn him for getting me so invested in a series, but since getting to Rudi’s arc I love it so much that I can’t really mind too much, so, thanks B.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Scourge of God by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
 Rudi Mackenzie—son and heir of the High Priestess Juniper Mackenzie and the Bear Lord Michael Havel—continues his trek across the land that was once the United States of America. His destination: Nantucket, where he hopes to learn the truth behind the Change, which rendered technology across the globe inoperable.
           
During his travels, Rudi forges ties with new allies in the continuing war against the Prophet. Presiding over his flock, the Prophet teaches his followers that God has punished humanity by destroying technological civilization, and that they must continue to destroy any technology they come across—along with those who dare use it.
           
But one fanatical officer in the Sword of the Prophet has an even greater mission: to stop Rudi from reaching Nantucket by any means necessary.

Review:
This has honestly been my favourite of all the Emberverse books thus far and I am greatly looking forward to reading more, and not just because of Stirling’s inability to end in anything but a cliffhanger. I quite enjoyed the way this story in particular turned into an epic fantasy/adventure. It was interesting to see how so many different groups of people and “lands” got on after the change and how gracious and understanding Rudi tried to be towards each different faction he came into contact with. I could understand some being upset that Rudi does always seem to defy the odds in every situation but part of what I really enjoyed in this book was that there were real stakes; things weren’t always fine and there were many very serious moments. I did feel that Juniper was very much untouchable and nothing bad ever happened to her, but there were so many mentions in previous books of Juniper and Havel both having the gift of finding the right things and inspiring leadership, that I actually quite enjoy seeing Rudi work to keep himself level and balanced like Juniper always appears, while still facing a harsh world.

I quite enjoyed how every character had a special part to play in this particular novel and that we got a bit more understanding of people’s motives and motivations. While sometimes it’s hard to take Rudi’s group seriously due to how they perceive the change (and the things we use in a modern world and fully take for granted) it is amusing how easy it is to get away from all that we’ve built modern lives and societies around by just… not having it. In some ways I think that would be quite interesting to be in this world; in others, I think many of us have spent a very long time, as Red Leaf mentions, in school, and what a pity it would be to just have that go to waste!

I definitely look forward to continuing our trek!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
Young Rudi Mackenzie has grown up knowing that he will one day assume leadership over the Western Oregon survivors of the technological disaster called the Change. But a prophecy made at his birth spoke of an even greater destiny—a destiny that is about to be fulfilled.
           
A mysterious traveler has arrived in the Willamette Valley. He brings news from the East, from Nantucket Island, long rumored to be the source of the Change. He has been sent on a mission to bring back with him the Sword of the Lady from the sunset oceans.
           
As son of the High Priestess, Rudi is the Sword of the Lady. Now, guided by the traveler, he sets out on a quest across the Changed land that was once America. But between Rudi and his destiny lies the Valley of Paradise…and the cult of a madman determined to stop him.

Review:
Honestly, I felt much more at home and enjoyment with this book than the rest of them. I do quite like Rudi, and even Matti! That being said, I really DID NOT enjoy having no idea what a shete was all this time until near the end of the 4th book in the series, when it was finally mentioned to be taken from machete!

It is quite interesting seeing Rudi from so many different angles, and seeing what people think of him. He is very self aware and tries to always think of more than the now, but is still young and learning. He has such high expectations on him given his parentage, that he finds it easy to relate to most people’s struggle to be as much as their parents have been and to overstep the shadows that cling to them from their parentage. Watching him grow and develop into a great leader has been awesome to see so far.

I also think this book has far better pacing than the previous books, in that nothing felt overly long or drawn out. Although there was quite a lot of fighting, there was a lot of plot involved and it wasn’t just a slog of reading about battle after battle in detail. I also quite loved the interplay of religion and how one acts, feels, and what one does when they believe themselves guilty. Matti’s confession with the father had me legitimately laughing.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Meeting at Corvallis by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
In the tenth year of the Change, the survivors in western Oregon live in a world without technology. Michael Havel’s Bearkillers hold the lands west of Salem in peace and order. To the east, the Clan Mackenzie flourishes under the leadership of Juniper Mackenzie, bard and High Priestess.
           
Together, they have held Norman Arminger—the warlord of Portland—at bay. With his dark fantasies of a neofeudal empire, Arminger rules much of the Pacific Northwest, spreading fear with his knights, castles, and holy inquisition. Even more dangerous, and perhaps Arminger’s most powerful weapon of all, is his ruthlessly cunning consort, Lady Sandra.
           
These factions haven’t met in battle because Arminger’s daughter has fallen into Clan Mackenzie’s hands. But Lady Sandra has a plan to retrieve her—even if it means plunging the entire region into open warfare…

Review:
Long. Long. Long. I felt like it took forever to read this one. The war… was coming, and there was really no way around it. I did enjoy the way the war ramped up and how each side worked together to fight against Arminger. I definitely found myself enjoying this book more than the second, perhaps because I really did like Tiphane once we got to know her a bit better. It was actually really neat getting a glimpse of things from Rudi’s perspective as well. The switch in perspective of getting to see how things were for the people under Arminger’s banner, especially those that weren’t noble showed a lot about the integrity of various characters and how they consider themselves versus others. While I quite agree with the Meeting and stipulations for the truce, I am still heartbroken over a very serious casualty of the war– so for now, I will leave the Emberverse, to return later.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of The Stowaway Debutante by Rebecca Diem

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The Stowaway Debutante
Tales of the Captain Duke Book 1
By Rebecca Diem

Star Rating: 
Genre: Steampunk (Science Fiction/Fantasy)
Number of Pages: 103

Date Started: March 28, 2017
Date Finished: March 28, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Airships, pirates, and hidden identities…

When Clara dreamed of running away to seek her own adventures, she never imagined that a chance encounter with the legendary Captain Duke might set her life on an entirely different course.

Armed with her wit and charm, Clara can usually talk her way out of any troubles. But first, she has to get back to solid ground…

—
Clara stole a quiet breath of relief when the loud man’s boots retreated toward the stairwell. She could hear the other two moving about the cargo hold, and hoped that her own thudding heartbeat would not betray her position.

She quickly thought through her options: Could she bribe them? Should she fight? Could she run? She made herself as small as possible and waited, every instinct on high alert. The lighter pair of footsteps was getting closer.

A shuffle. A step. He must be less than four feet from her, only the crate she huddled against blocking her from his view. When his voice called out, the blood froze in Clara’s veins.

“Hey, look over here!”

Review:
Lately I’ve been quite into steampunk and gaslamp fantasy. This did hit that niche, but, there was very little plot involved in this novella. There wasn’t a moment when one was truly worried for the characters. Though entertaining, Clara is very much a Mary Sue, naturally taking to every new task assigned to her. The relationships are quite unrealistic, with everyone taking to Clara, despite her reluctance to explain why she’s run away.

The Tales of Captain Duke could likely be condensed to “The Tale of Captain Duke”, with subsections of the three different stories in the trilogy. Given how short the novella is, and how bare the plot appears, it would have been much nicer, and more cost efficient to the reader, to have all three in one, especially for the print book price.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Rebecca Diem is the author of the steampunk adventure series Tales of the Captain Duke.

She grew up in a far-off land known as Chatsworth, ON. It was surrounded by hills and forests and streams and strange metal beasts that tore through the landscape leaving iron in their wake.

Then one day she started to write it all down…

Where I’ve Been and a BOOK BLAST!

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Lately, I’ve been spending far more time dancing than I have writing.  It might appear that I’ve also shoved reading to the side, but this is not true.  Since finishing From the Ashes by C. J. Archer, book six in The Ministry of Curiosities book series I’ve had the pleasure of beta reading a wonderful alternative history novel which I absolutely adore.  While I can’t divulge anything about my favourite alternative history book, I can share a book that my author friend has a short story in!

This book features classic Fairy Tales with a Science Fiction twist.  Sound like it’s the type of book I’d read?  You bet!  I’m hoping it’s one you would be interested in too.

Check out Circuits and Slippers for a new perspective on well known and loved stories.  If you like Fairy Tale retellings, this will likely be perfect for you.  Get it, love it, and want to chat?  You’re free to contact me, and hey, maybe one of the authors would be willing to drop you a line too.