Debris - Jo Anderton

For my twelfth and final read for the Women of Genre Fiction reading challenge I selected Debris (2011) by Jo Anderton. It is a first part in the Veiled World trilogy. The second part, Suited, has been published last year while the third part Unbound is scheduled for sometime next year. I got a whole bunch of Angry Robot title last year for a bargain price and this was one of them. It has been lingering on the electronic to read stack for quite a while now. I even meant to read it earlier in the year for the reading challenge by every time some other book managed to sneak in first. Fortunately for Anderton I ran out of books by women I haven't read anything of before last month so the last slot is hers. As usual with Angry Robot publications, Debris is a book that is hard to put into a specific genre. Their strategy to look for books that are different has given us a number of very good novels but also some that don't work that well. Debris works for the most part but it is not the most challenging read I've come across this year.

Tanyana is one of Varsnia's most important architects. Her supreme tallen in handing the pions, the force that drives most of Varsnia's society, has placed her at the very pinnacle of her filed, in control of one of the most talented circle of pion manipulators. When working on another magnificent construction, two inspectors show up to monitor the work. Promptly, something goes awfully wrong. Tanyana and her circle are attract by a type of pions she has never encountered before and the whole collapses around her. She is seriously wounded in the accident and when she regains consciousness she is discredited, in debt and has lost her talent to see pions. Tanyana has lost everything that defined her life.

Debris is a very fast paced novel. Anderton tries to hit the ground running and in terms of pacing she certainly have. I have wondered if a more measured approach would have worked better in this case. We don't get to see any of Tanyana's life before the accident. What we do learn of it, makes her come across as spoiled and unaware of how privileged she is. Her accident is horrible and obviously not as accidental as the authorities would have us believe but I couldn't quite suppress that feeling that a bit moe humility would have suited her. Because we really can't connect the way she reacts to the trauma of her accident, her response to it doesn't add as much to her character development as it might have.

What is clear is that she has lost a lot. Her talent for manipulating poins has been replaced for seeing debris, a waste product associated with pion manipulation. To prevent the debris to interfere with the working of all kinds of pion machinery and the prevent structural damage to the city, debris has to be collected and disposed of. Like waste collection in our world, it is not the most respected or well paid job, to put it mildly. It is however, the way in which Tanyana is supposed to repay her debt to society. Before she has a chance to recover form her wounds, she is outfitted with a suit. A piece of technology fully integrated with her body, adding to the trauma and giving yet another set of scars on top of the ones she already has. Most of the novel, Tanyana is busy adjusting to her new life and, in a series of heartbreaking scenes, finding out, how much her status mattered in her social circles.

Tanyana's response to her change in status is at times a bit problematic. She is ready for a fight at some points but also easily convinced it is futile. She is livid at the injustice that is being done to her but also stunned to inaction at times. The way she hangs on to her old apartment, a place she knows she cannot afford anymore, symptomatic in that respect. When the inevitable eviction comes, it still takes her by surprise. The crisis forces her to examine the extent of her newfound talents but a more active approach in adjusting to her new life would have been more interesting. It is not the only situation in which she only reacts to the challenges she faces instead of trying to think ahead.

The way the novel takes off doesn't leave much room for explaining things. Anderton lets the reader find out how her system of poins and debris works along the way. Earlier in the novel I was wondering if there was some parallel with particle physics but the level of anthropomorphizing of the poins seemed to point in another direction. Gradually a link to the belief system of Varsnia appears. Although the lack of information can be a bit frustrating at times, Anderton manages to dose what information the reader needs very well. If the aim was to keep the pace as high as possible she certainly succeeded. What I did think unlikely about the pion/debris system is the sheer ignorance Tanyana displays about the debris side of things. Pion manipulators may not be able to see it, they certainly feel it's impact. To so completely ignore the subject and leave it to the lowly caste of debris collectors strikes me as more than a little arrogant for someone approaching their field in an almost scientific manner.

While Anderton slips in some information about the wider world, most of the novel is dedicated to Tanyana's search for the truth. The whole accident reeks of a setup of course and when the entire system that has raised her to the highest level of society turns on her, she goes in search of other ways to find out what is going on. A whole new world opens up during this investigation and at the end of the novel a motive for the actions taken against Tanyana is starting to appear. There are more than a few questions left for the sequels however.

Debris has more than a few things going for it. If you like your Fantasy with a twist, or are looking for a book that does things just a bit differently this is probably as good a read as you'll be able to find. It's not a novel of huge complexity or unfathomable depth but it will hold your attention from the first page an not let go until the final chapter has been read. I have some issues with the novel, especially the development of the main character, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I found Debris to be a entertaining read. Not a bad way at all to conclude this year's reading challenge.

Book Details
Title: Debris
Author: Jo Anderton
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 464
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: E-book
ISBN: 978-0-85766-155-5
First published: 2010

Moxyland - Lauren Beukes

Lauren Beukes’ second novel Zoo City drew a lot of attention last year. It was nominated for a bunch of awards and raked in rave reviews by the dozen. I wasn't quite as lyrical about is as some bookbloggers but is was certainly an interesting work. Moxyland is Beukes’ first novel. It has received its share of attention in the wake of all the attention for Zoo City but I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. It was originally published in 2008 by a South African publisher but I read the Angry Robot e-book edition. If you are considering buying a copy I suggest you go for the paper version. The epub I read had too many formatting issues for a professional publication. The text itself however, is very much worth reading.

In near future South Africa, you’re a nobody if you’re not connected. Without a connection, you can’t pay, don’t have access to public transport or numerous public places. Your cell is a wallet, passport and access to the all important virtual life all rolled into one. The providers of all this technology and entertainment are fiercely protective of their business and have seen to it that there is a huge amount of legislation backing them up. Violations of their copyrights and terms of service carry heavy penalties, including jail terms and, perhaps worse, being disconnected. Not everybody is pleased with the level of control corporations have over everyday life. Despite the repression, resistance is growing.

I must admit I had a hard time getting into this novel. Beukes employs four points of view, with chapters named after the point of view characters. They are all written in the first person and Beukes uses language to show us the circles and subcultures these characters move around it. It’s a fine piece of writing but it took me a while to get a handle on all four. Especially Toby, who uses a lot of slang, took some getting used to. I guess it didn't help he is a real prick (as more than one character points out to him over the course of the novel). Beukes is not so liberal with her use of Afrikaans and various African languages as in Zoo City though.

The four main characters are all drawn to a nasty game of deception, resistance and illegal activities. One area where Beukes succeeds gloriously is creating a sense of suspicion bordering on paranoia. The corporations may have to means and legal right to monitor just about everything, there are always ways around such security screens. Hackers are still a step ahead of the people trying to close holes in security, the arms race between corporations and hackers is still in full swing. In fact, with the fierce competition between various corporations and despite severe penalties in contracts with employees, the lines between who belongs to what faction have blurred considerably.The whole novel is saturated with a sense of Big Brother paranoia. Online it impossible to tell who is looking over you shoulder or who is hiding behind a screen name until it is too late.

Beukes' views on the development of cyberspace and information technology is one that is at the same time disturbing and in serious danger of becoming reality. As commercial interests on the Internet become more important to the economy and absolutely vital to the entertainment industry in particular, the war between those who want more control and enforcement in cyberspace, and those who would keep the Internet 'free'. The penalty of disconnection for very severe violations has been discussed in various nations. Although I don't think disconnection would be anywhere near as severe a penalty as depicted in Beukes' story, the novel does raise the question if the net is becoming a necessity.

One of the things I found very interesting about the novel is that in between all the cyberpunk themes, Beukes' also includes the story of photographer Kendra. She is one of the people who have embraced the imperfections of analogue technology. Working with traditional film and chemicals, she incorporates them in her work. The element of chance, the random imperfections that can occur at any step of the process, even at the point of reproduction, are vital to her art. It's a bit reminiscent of the situation vinyl is still around in an age where CDs are on the way out. To reinforce this contrast, Kendra shows her work at an exposition that includes a work of art created by biotechnology. It's a prime example of the ideas and twists Moxyland has to offer.

I've just scratched the surface of the many ideas Beukes has poured into this novel. There are strange, and very unethical, forms of advertising, comments on narcotics, elaborate new forms of entertainment and dubious techniques of law enforcement and crowd control. Most of it seems disturbingly plausible, and all of it technically possible. Where the cross genre novel Zoo City contains a dominant fantastical element, Moxyland is a chillingly realistic view of the possible future. One that, despite the obvious problems with it, seems to be in the direction we're taking. Moxyland is a novel that takes a lot of time for all pieces to fall into place. I was doubtful I would end up liking this novel, but as the story progressed, I grew steadily more impressed with what Beukes has created. The novel requires a bit of patience but it rewards the reader with a very strong finale as well as lots and lots of food for thought.

Book Details
Title: Moxyland
Author: Lauren Beukes
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 242
Year: 2009
Language: English
Format: E-book
ISBN: 978-0-85766-005-3
First published: 2008

City of Light & Shadow - Ian Whates

City of Light & Shadow is the third volume in The City of a Hundred Rows. As with the second volume, City of Hope & Despair, I got an ARC though publisher Angry Robot's fabulous Robot Army. I'm not entirely sure how many volumes Whates means to write in this series but it may be more than three. This one certainly provides a measure of closure for some of the story lines started in the previous two volumes but it also leaves plenty of opportunities and unanswered questions to write more. The series is one that suits publisher Angry Robot perfectly, refusing to stay within the confines of one genre, it contains elements of urban fantasy, steampunk and increasingly, the more classic epic fantasy. It's a very interesting mix but as with the previous two books, I am left with the feeling that perhaps Whates didn't get the most out of the unusual setting he created. It is highly readable, fast paced and entertaining novel nonetheless.

Tom has managed to reach the goddess worshipped by the people of Thaiburley, only to find out she expected to be awoken much earlier. Time is desperately short and soon, Tom's mind is crammed with every bit of knowledge he needs to possess to save the city from doom. The goddess is using him hard and Tom begins to wonder if perhaps he spends a bit too much time listening to others. Kat in the mean time, realizing their extinction is only a matter of time if they keep on going as they have, is preparing to settle her Tattooed Man in one of the vacated street-nick territories. First there is a bit of unfinished business with the Soul Thief to attend to however. Business that will take her in some of the most dangerous territory in the under-City. A region known as the Stain.

One of my remarks on the previous two volumes is that Tom is a bit of a passive main character. He needs others to tell him what to do and then he does them, usually without argument. In this book that is slowly beginning to change when Tom starts to wonder what he wants with his life and how he should employ is powers. Of course he is in way too deep now to back out but it is still a sign he is growing up. One of the things he questions most, if the origin of the goddess (and her brother). This is one area where Whates leave a lot of room to expand his world. He hints at a whole universe besides the world Thaiburley is located in. I guess Whates might well be thinking of adding some more science fiction elements in later volumes.

Where Tom is struggling to understand and harness his powers, Kat is facing up to the burden of leadership. Something she doesn't do with good grace to be honest. It is one thing to be a kick-ass pit fighter, leading a group of people into battle is quite something else. Whates shows us the inner turmoil and how it contrasts with the tough face she puts on in dealing with her own people as well as members from the Kite Guards. Kat can be a bit overbearing at times, especially when she's wrong and doesn't want to admit it, if she wasn't too handy by half with a sword someone would probably have spanked her by now. It is a great way of showing how young these characters are though.

Dewar, the man who Tom has had to leave behind on his way to the goddess, also makes an appearance in this novel. After Tom cuts him loose he decides it is time to settle a few old scores. We come to know a bit more of the neighbouring nation of the Misted Isles. Unfortunately his visit is very brief. Politics appear to be particularly vicious in this part of the world and Dewar's history entirely isn't cleared up yet. I did think a bit more of a link between the activities of Dewar and events in Thaiburley would have been nice though. Dewar's actions do have an impact on Thaiburley, or at least when the novel ends it looks like they will, but nobody in that city appears to be aware of what is going on there. It's the story line which contains the most obvious unresolved bit of business I guess. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy Dewar's ruthlessness but his story is so disconnected from the rest of the tale at this point, that is felt like reading two separate stories at times.

In the previous two volumes, Whates has already shown that he likes to keep the story moving. City of Light & Shadow is a fast paced, fairly straightforward novel, one that does not sacrifice pace to add a bit more detail. Personally I think that is a bit of a missed opportunity, given the interesting setting Whates has created. The nature of the city of Thaiburley becomes a bit clearer, but its history remains as confused as Tom's memory of them for the most part. There is not denying that the fast pace and plentiful action scenes make for a very entertaining story though. It's one of those books you blaze though in a day or two. It is not the most challenging series of books I've ever read but the series is definitely beginning to grow on me. No idea if there will be one but I think I'd like to see a fourth book.

Book Details
Title: City of Light & Shadow
Author: Ian Whates
Publisher: Angry Robot
Year: 2011
Language: English
Format: E-book
ISBN: 978-0-85766-191-3
First published: 2011

Master of the House of Darts - Aliette de Bodard

Master of the House of Darts is the third novel in Aliette de Bodard's Obsidian and Blood series. The first novel, Servant of the Underword, was one of my favourite reads of 2010 and it's sequel Harbinger of the Storm, was, if possible, even better.  In between writing these novels, de Bodard has also made an impression with her short fiction. Her novelette The Jaguar House, In Shadow, set in her Xuya alternative history, was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula award last year, while The Shipmaker, set later in the same time line, won BSFA award. Neither the Hugo nor the Nebula went her way last year, but I would be very surprised if she didn't win one of those in the future. In other words, I was looking forward to reading this novel a lot.

Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, has been deeply involved in the recent struggle for succession. With more than just the position of Revered Speaker at stake, not interfering would have meant the end of the fifth world and so Acatl and a number of other priest performed a feat of magic that helped Tizoc to power. His hold on power is far from solid though, especially since the coronation war is less than a success. Various parties doubt the ability of the new Revered Speaker to protect the empire and bring them glory. When a mysterious disease breaks out in the palace as well, Acatl has a new mystery on his hands. Gradually it becomes clear that the way Tizoc came to power, offers enemies of the real the opportunity to destabilize the empire. Acatl will have to deal with the unintended consequences of his actions if he is to save the empire again.

The Obsidian and Blood novels are often characterized as Aztec murder mysteries but like the previous book, this one leans a lot more to political intrigue. We do start with a corpse of course, and a murder that needs to be solved, but it is the first clue in a conspiracy that runs much deeper than the fate of one (rather unpleasant) man. The novel presents a complete story and can be read separately. It would be a challenging read as the power structure and pantheon of the Aztec Empire are very important to the story and will most likely be unfamiliar to the reader. It helps to have that background from previous books. They also provide insight in Acatl's motivation.

Like the other two books, Master of the House of Darts is entirely written in the first person. We see the story though Acatl's eyes and experience his thorough disgust of power politics, selfishness and injustice. He has lost some of his impatience with it though. I wouldn't say he's become a diplomat but he has developed more of a feeling for when pushing will get him the desired result and when letting go is the least frustrating course of action. He's also a bit more self assured when acting as high priest for the dead. Where in previous novels the disapproval of his parents weighed on him significantly, it has faded into the background a bit in Master of the House of Darts, although it does come up in the conversations with his disgraced brother Neutemoc.

One area where Acatl certainly does not lack confidence is his duties as High Priest of the Dead. One of the more interesting scenes in this novel is the conversation in which he berates his priests for sacrificing the life of a slave to save a high official. Acatl feels lives cannot be ranked like that and one life is not more valuable than another. It is an interesting example of his sense of justice, but also stresses that a culture that practices, in our eyes, barbaric human sacrifice, does have a clear moral code. One that can be very unforgiving on people who don't live up to the status and privileges society accords them in fact. It is hard to warp you mind around some of the practices Acatl accepts as a matter of course but in this novel at least, they do fit the larger framework.

Unlike the previous two volumes, this novel relies a bit less on action and leans heavier on unravelling the mystery, figuring out who had a motive and how certain crimes were perpetrated. The real action in the novel is saved for the explosive finale. Acatl needs a little more time to sort through the tangle of hatred, greed and lust for power that surrounds the Revered Speaker, it is most certainly is most challenging and complex investigation yet. As with the previous novel I felt that the first person point of view limited de Bodard a bit in exploring the intricacies of the intrigue Acatl is unravelling. Events follow each other quickly and some do not make sense to the reader until Acatl figures them out, or thinks he does. Some of it relies pretty heavily on the properties of various deities in the Aztec pantheon, which makes his trains of thought challenging to follow sometimes.

I enjoyed reading Master of the House of Darts as much as the previous two novels. We see a bit more confident Acatl in this novel, despite the fact that he is dealing with unintended consequences of his own actions. He is not a particularly optimistic character but his dark moods fits the dire situation the Mexica Empire is in. It was a nice touch to see that even the gods fear what might happen if the fifth world (the current one according to Aztec mythology) were to come to an end. Readers of de Bodard's other works will appreciate the intrigue and vividly realized Mesoamerican setting. As usual, the author leaves me hungry for more. I understand her next project will be the first full lenght novel in the Xuya alternative history. If possible, I look forward to that novel even more than I did to Master of the House of Darts.

Book Details
Title: Master of the House of Darts
Author: Aliette de Bodard
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 416
Year: 2011
Language: English
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-85766-159-3
First published: 2011

Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

Zoo City by South-African author Lauren Beukes is one of those books that is doing well this awards season. It's nominated for the BSFA and Arthur C. Clarke. Not surprisingly, I have missed it completely when it was first published by Angry Robot. When they offered the e-book for £1 to celebrate the BSFA nomination, I decided to have a look at it. It is surely one of the more interesting books of the year. Angry Robot publishes a lot of material that defies easy classification and Zoo City is one of those works. It is somewhere between science fiction, mystery and urban fantasy. That being said, interesting is not enough to win an award. In the end I feel it is a good book, but not quite award winning material.

The story is set in an alternate Johannesburg. In the 1990s a world wide plague caused people who committed a crime to be given an animal companion and a magical talent. This highly visible sign of a criminal past stigmatizes people to such a degree that in Johannesburg at least, most of them are found in the ghetto of Zoo City. Zinzi December is one of the animalled. Her companion is a sloth and her talent consists of a knack for fining lost things. Although raised in a privileged household, Zinzi developed a bad drug habit that eventually caused her to commit a murder. After serving her time in prison she is now making a modest living finding lost objects for people. She also has a large debt with the wrong kind of people she is trying to pay off by writing scam e-mails to fleece rich people out of large sums of money. She has a real talent for it. In fact, she makes the Nigerians look like amateurs.

One line of business Zinzi usually avoids is finding missing people. Her talent isn't limited to objects but she finds the mess and risks involved in missing people cases much more trouble than it is worth. One day she is approached by a couple of animalled working for the somewhat notorious music producer Odi Huron. He wants her to find the missing half of a brother-sister pop act he is currently promoting. The girl has gone missing several days ago. Against her better judgement, Zinzi accepts the case.

I guess the greatest attraction of this book is the concept of the animalled. Apparently it is (partly) inspired by Philip Pullman's dæmons in the His Dark Materials books. I haven't read those so I must admit I missed it completely. The idea of an animal companion shows up in fantastic literature a lot after all. I thought Beukes' way of going about is was a bit ... impractical. We see all manner of companions, from relatively small and harmless creatures like a butterfly or a hedgehog to big cats and even six meter Nile crocodile. Keeping one of those in an urban environment must be a bit of a pain. Not to mention the trouble of keeping some of the creatures with more delicate dietary requirements alive. And keeping them alive they must, having your animal die on you, or even just being separated, can cause intense pain and often death. It's an intriguing idea but there is something of a contrast between the concept of animalled and the setting that requires a large dose of suspension of disbelief. Despite the near future setting, this might put off the hard science fiction fans.

The novel is written in first person and the present tense, a technique that appears to be popular at the moment. In this case it gives the reader a vivid view into Zinzi's mind. Her past weighs on her and there is an ever present sense of guilt for her crimes, as well as a certain discomfort about the necessity of participating in an e-mail scam. She's intelligent, resourceful and very capable of taking care of herself in the harsh environment of Zoo City. Although she is no angel, Zinzi is clearly a character you can sympathize with.

Beukes' use of language is another area where opinions are going to be divided on. One of the things that struck me about the writing is the use of Afrikaans and various African languages in the novel. For someone who's native language is Dutch, Afrikaans always has a certain attraction to it. I thought the phrases themselves and the way Beukes works them into an English text very interesting. It might be a bit confusion for someone who does not have the benefit of speaking Dutch though.

A second thing that drew the attention is the way Beukes describes Zinzi's environment. Especially early on in the novel, witty descriptions of what Zinzi sees around here tend to be overwhelmingly present in the text. To give an example from the first chapter of the novel:

The apartment had been Art Deco in a former lifetime, but it had been subjected to one ill-conceived refurbishment too many. But then, so had Mrs Luditsky. Her skin had the transparent shine of glycerine soap, and her eyes bulged ever so slightly, possibly from the effort of trying to emote when every associated muscle had been pumped full of botulinum or lasered into submission. Her thinning orange hair was gelled into a hard pompadour, like the crust on crème brûlée.
The tea tasted like stale horse piss drained through a homeless guy's sock, but I drank it anyway, if only because Sloth hissed at me when I tried to turf it surreptitiously into the exotic plastic orchid next to the couch.
Zinzi meeting with a client - Chapter 1

It is entertaining is a way but the clever descriptions and witty metaphors are not going to be universally loved. Personally, I think she overuses it a bit in some sections of the novel.

Rereading Angry Robot's mission statement I think this book is the embodiment of what they are looking for:

Traditional SF and fantasy has been ploughing an entertaining furrow for many decades, but to our way of thinking much of it is missing a trick. To the new generations of readers reared on Dr Who and Battlestar Galactica, graphic novels and Gears of War 2, old school can mean staid, stuck in a rut. “Crossover” is increasingly the way forward and you’ll find plenty of it here, without batting an eyelid. New heroes and new settings, or maybe just reinventing the wheel, we’re not fussed – if there’s an energy in a book that gets us jumping up and down, we’re all over it.

Zoo City is certainly not traditional, it contains elements of many genres. It's unusual in many ways. The writing, the setting, the themes are all elements that will generate debate. The novel challenges preconceptions of the genre, it made me think about fantasy, science fiction and its many sub-genres in a much wider sense than just this story. It's a novel that is sure to gather a wide range of opinions about it. I don't always like the choices the author has made, I think there are people who are going to thoroughly dislike this novel for all the genre fusion Beukes put into it, but I've seen a number of rave reviews as well. Personally, I think it is worth reading just for the discussion this book could generate alone. An intriguing novel. If you are looking for something out of the rut, as Angry Robot puts it, you could do worse than Zoo City.

Book Details
Title: Zoo City
Author: Lauren Beukes
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 296
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: E-book
ISBN: 978-0-85766-056-5
First published: 2010

City of Hope & Despair - Ian Whates

Publisher Angry Robot was kind enough to send me a review copy of Ian Whates' novel City of Hope & Despair a few weeks back. When I requested it, I somehow failed to notice this is in fact the second volume in The City of a Hundred Rows. Fortunately there are such marvellous things as online book stores so I hurriedly ordered a copy of City of Dreams & Nightmare and managed to read it in time to at least do a somewhat timely review of the second volume. I thought The City of Hope and Despair an entertaining if not particularly challenging novel. Although the story in the second volume branches out a bit, my feelings about the series are more or less unchanged.

Events in the first novel have left The Prime Master of Thaiburly with the uncomfortable feeling that he has failed to uproot the most dangerous player in the recent attempt to take over the City Below. He feels the city is still in danger. The Prime Master is not a man who became the leader of the city of Thaiburley by closing his eyes for signs like these. At some basic level the city is still in mortal peril. He sends the street thief Tom on the road with a number of unlikely companions to find the source of the city's power, the goddess Thaiss. The trip will open Tom's eyes to the wider world.

While Tom is exploring the countryside, Kat faces an entirely different set of challenges. A creature preying on the people sensitive to the goddess Thaiss' power roams the city, killing and feeding at will. Kat and the Tattooed Men mean to stop this creature but it is hard to track down, even for a team as confident, dedicated and talented as the Tattooed Men. To make matter worse, some parties in the city would rather not have Kat and her companions succeed. And then there is the troubled relationship between Kat and her sister, which seems to be heading for an inevitable showdown. The City Below is still far from safe for Kat.

Where City of Dreams & Nightmare was more or less self-contained, with all important story lines converging at the end of the novel, this second volume is a different creature. Tom and Kat's path diverges in this story, with Tom being cast into the wider world, exploring the area upriver from the city of Thaiburly. It's a strange experience for the boy who has never left the city, he definitely gains a deeper understanding of the world around him. What I found more interesting is Tom's confrontation with various aspects of religion. Tom is not religious, disillusioned as he is by his hard youth being forced to make a living through petty theft. Being in the presence of a young, devoutly religious priestess who regularly demonstrates her talent for healing using the goddess' power, tests Tom's conviction. On the other hand, he is not spared the greed and lust for power that corrupts some religious institutions either.

As a whole I thought Tom was a bit of a passive character though. He's a gentle soul, not someone likely to take centre stage without a good shove in the right direction and a good shove is not something Whates provide very often. Quite a contrast to Kat, who is much more confident in her abilities to survive in the City Below. Although both story lines include a number of action scenes, Kat is often in the thick of it, while Tom depends on his trusted talent to hide him. Like in the last novel Tom needs to be put under severe pressure to uses his talent in different forms where Kat might be considered impulsive. I hope Tom's character will develop a bit more towards confidence. He strikes me as a terribly passive main character for a fantasy novel with a young protagonist struggling to explore his magical abilities.

The previous book was a little light on worldbuilding, which surprised me a little for a book that clearly aims to present a fantastical setting to the reader. Historical background information on the city was very scarce in the first book. A few of the pieces are beginning to fall into place in this book, something I expect will continue into the next volume as the impact of Tom's quest becomes clear. It's more a matter of adding to what we already know however, Whates is not spending more words on in than he did in the previous volume. Personally I still feel the world is a bit underdeveloped, he doesn't make the most of his steampunkish, more scientifically advanced society than one would find in most novels. If you prefer a fast paced story without too many embellishments this may be your book.

I wasn't terribly impressed with the first volume and I'm not blown away but this second book either. As I mentioned in the introduction, they are entertaining, tightly plotted novels but fairly light reading. The major difference between the two is that City of Hope & Despair is much more clearly part of a series. The end offer no clear resolution. One of the story lines ends a major cliffhanger and elsewhere in the novel lots of threads in the story are obviously going to continue into the next book. With the expanded scope of the story and hints of a far larger conflict than what we've seen thus far spread throughout the novel, there is something to look forward to in the third volume of The City of a Hundred Rows.

Book Details
Title: City of Hope & Despair
Author: Ian Whates
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 416
Year: 2011
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-85766-088-6
First published: 2011

City of Dreams & Nightmare - Ian Whates

I did something incredibly stupid a couple of weeks back. I requested a review copy of Ian Whates' City of Hope & Despair, without realizing that is was the second book in a series. I hadn't read the first part, City of Dreams & Nightmare yet. So I ordered a copy of book one and I'm going to do something I generally avoid on Random Comments: review two books by one author in a row. City of Dreams & Nightmare is Whates' debut novel, he has quite a bit of short fiction to his name though. I haven't read any of his work before so I didn't know what to expect. As it turns out, Whates likes his fantasy with a bit of steampunk on the side and most important, he spares me the ordeal of reading a second book when I didn't like the first. City of Dreams & Nightmare is quite a fun read.

The story is set in Thaibulrey, the city of a hundred rows. It is a vertical city with dozens of levels. Once a wonder of technology, it has been hit hard by a war in its recent past. The city now emanates an atmosphere of decline. Not surprisingly, the higher up in the city you live, the higher your status. At the very bottom reside the poor in what is called the City Below. On the heights, the ruling class of Arkademics reside, in the company it is said, of the demons themselves.

The opening of the story finds young thief Tom on his way up in the city. His gang controls a section of the City Below but tonight Tom is out for bigger game. On his way up he witnesses the murder of one of the city's Arkademics by one of his colleagues. Despite Tom's trick to make people overlook him if he doesn't want to be seen, he is spotted by the murderer. Obviously not pleased with this witness he pursues Tom. The young thief calls of his mission for the night and starts a desperate run for the relative safety of the City Below. What follows will turn Tom's life upside down and change the city forever.

City of Dreams & Nightmare is a book that reads very quickly. Whates' style is to the point, he keeps his plot moving at a good pace. The setting is obviously meant to create a fantastical atmosphere in the novel but Whates doesn't indulge in long descriptions. He keeps the focus on the story and his characters without digressing too much. The city would not be possible without magic and a whole bunch of mysterious machinery and Whates leaves all manner of hints throughout the novel. There's a police force that uses cloaks to do things that defy gravity for instance, a necessity to move quickly between the many levels of the city. Waste management, transport and supplying the huge city all have to take vertical dimension of the city into account. Despite that, the history and inner workings of the city remain something of a mystery. We don't learn all that much about the past of the city either. For people who like their fantasy to include a generous measure of worldbuilding it might be a bit disappointing. It looks like Whates intends to explore some of these issues further in future volumes.

We see most of the story though the eyes of people what are pawns in a very large and dangerous game. Tom clearly has some magical talent. He doesn't seem to understand what he is doing but others have clearly noticed. His presence at the murder scene may seem accidental early on in the book, later on we find out it is anything but. This lack of understanding of what is going on around them also goes for two of the three other important characters, independent street fighter Kat and Kite Guard Tylus are also clearly unaware of the stakes of the game they are involved in. Only assassin and right hand man of the murdering Arkademic, Dewar seems to be a bit wiser in the ways of this fantasy world. The way the author manages to convey the general idea of what is going on over the heads of our heroes is quite well done. I didn't get the idea I was missing thing although it would have been nice to have some of the machinations in the higher rows of the city a little more visible.

Despite there being several characters that get a point of view, Tom is the one the story revolves around. He's very young, his exact age isn't mentioned but apparently he has only recently discarded to opinion that girls are stupid. If I had to guess I'd say about fourteen. He's pretty naive about a lot of things and that is one of his endearing qualities. It does clash a bit with the way he's spent his youth. Tom is apparently an orphan and he is part of a gang that survives by extorting local traders, robbery and theft. Violence, prostitution and crime are part of Tom's direct environment. He's simply too soft to really fit in that world. The author uses this to point out Tom is destined for a different life and to a point this works. I still feel his youth should have scarred him a little more than we get to see in this novel. He strikes me as a bit too pure.

City of Dreams & Nightmare is mostly a quick, fun read. It is not particularly a challenging read and in terms of worldbuilding, I feel Whates leaves a lot of aspects of the city and the world surrounding it a bit underdeveloped. He doesn't quite fulfil the potential his creation offers. That being said, there will be more books in this series and obviously there has to be something left to explore. Tom and Kat's flight through the City Below, trying to keep a step ahead of the nameless players that would see them killed is a thrilling experience. One that has convinced me to see if Whates can put a bit more meat on the bones of his story in the next volume.

Book Details
Title: City of Dreams & Nightmare
Author: Ian Whates
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 427
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-85766-049-7
First published: 2010

Harbinger of the Storm - Aliette de Bodard

I read Servant of the Underworld, Aliette de Bodard's début novel and the first book in the Obsidian and Blood series, in January and it was one of the most interesting books I'd read in a while. Not that many people write a novel in a second language and manage to get it published. I'm always mildly envious of people with that kind of language skills. De Bodard's work (this is her second novel but there is lots of short fiction) usually features non-western cultures, something not that many writers take on, making Servant of the Underworld an unusual novel. I enjoyed her depiction of the pre-Columbian Mexica (Aztec) empire a lot. Harbinger of the Storm is the second book in the trilogy and thankfully publisher Angry Robot was kind enough to send me an advance copy. This book was high on the to read list for 2011.

Harbinger of the Storm is set about a year and a half after events in Servant of the Underworld. Worrisome events have taken place in the Mexica empire. The Revered Speaker, the link between the world of the living and the god Huitzilpochtli, their shield against the deities who are aiming to end the fifth world and make it anew, has passed away and left the people unprotected. Selecting a successor is no easy matter. The council from which a new Revered Speaker is to be elected is hopelessly divided. Time is pressing though, with each day that passes the pressure on the spiritual defences of the empire grows. The terrible star-demons are waiting for their chance to rip the empire apart.

Acatl, High-Priest for the Dead, once again finds himself caught up in the court intrigues he so much despises. Although most of the council members are aware of the treat to the empire and the need to restore their link with Huitzilpochtli, all of them are too busy expanding their personal influence to really care. To make the situation even more volatile a council member is murdered shortly after the Revered Speaker's death. Acatl is called in to investigate the death and finds out that someone is not ready to wait for the star demons to arrive. They summoned one to do their dirty work for them. The empire is in even more danger than Acatl assumed.

In the previous volume Acatl tries to stay clear of politics, something he does not entirely succeeds at. This time there is no escaping it. Serving Mictlantecuhtli, the Lord of Death, he has a part in the funeral ceremonies for the departed Revered Speaker. This makes Harbinger of the Storm a lot more political than Servant of the Underworld. De Bodard goes into quite a lot of detail on the downright Machiavellian politics some of the priests and military leaders of the empire practice. Some of the shameless manoeuvring by the priests who ought to be busy preventing a very real supernatural disaster is worthy of the Borgias. It thoroughly disgusts Acatl, who is... perhaps not entirely naive but a bit too unwilling to accept that not everybody will put the common good before their own interests.

The succession de Bodard describes is a very curious one. It often wasn't a father-to-son affair like one would expect. Often brothers and even cousins had a good shot at the position as well, making the succession uncertain. The author uses this to great effect in the novel, creating a struggle for the throne put under an immense pressure by the need to provide the empire with a link to their patron god. The peril the empire is in, is made very clear by the appearance of a number of supernatural beings, Aztec mythology does not seem to have a shortage of scary figures. Not everybody may like their historical fiction (or is it historical fantasy?) with this much supernatural influence but I think the author does use it cleverly to build the tension.

Servant of the Underworld was a bit more contained to the city of Tenochtitlan, with the city itself as historical background, not so much the characters and events. In this volume we get to see a bit more of the way what we think of as the Aztec Empire was organized. It mentions the alliance with the cities of Texcoco and Tlacopan and a lot more of the lay out of the city than the previous book. The departed Revered Speaker Axayacatl is a historical figure, as are a number of other characters in the novel. From what I can tell the historical details on the succession, or even the events in that particular year are not that well documented, giving de Bodard some leeway to tell her story. The book does not pretend to be fully historically accurate but it thought it was nice to see a bit more of the historical context.

The book is written from the first person and I think it restricted de Bodard a bit. The novel involves a lot of political intrigue, all of which we get to see from the point of view of a character neither particularly skilled nor very interested in the process. Acatl's pretty good at telling when he's being lied to but motivations often elude him. Some of the finer point of what is going on in Tenochtitlan's ruling council might have benefited from another point of view. That's a personal preference though, one could just as easily argue that since de Bodard started the story in the first person, she should stick with it.

I found Harbinger of the Storm to be a worthy successor to what I consider to be a very successful début. The emphasis in this book has shifted a bit from a murder mystery to political intrigue but the setting hasn't lost any of its appeal in the process. The novel zooms out a bit to allow room for more religious and political aspects of Aztec society to slip into the story. Despite my preoccupation with the historical aspects of the novel, Harbinger of the Storm is mostly a race against the clock to deflect a supernatural attempt to end the empire and the world. De Bodard manages to work a great sense of urgency into the story, making it a very fast read. She has once again managed to deliver a very interesting book. I'm looking forward to reading the third, as of yet unnamed, book in this series.

Book Details
Title: Harbinger of the Storm
Author: Aliette de Bodard
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 384
Year: 2011
Language: English
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-85766-075-6
First published: 2011

Walking the Tree - Kaaron Warren

Walking the Tree is the second novel by Kaaron Warren. I have only read one short story by her in The Apex Book of World SF, which I thought one of the weaker pieces of the collection. The concept of this novel appealed to me a lot though, so I decided to give this novel a try. It is an interesting book in many ways but structurally not without a few problems. As a bonus publisher Angry Robot has made a novella available on their website which tells the story from the point of view from one of the secondary characters. I have yet to read it but I thought it was a nice touch.

The novel is set on the island Botanica. The island is huge but almost all available space is taken up by one gigantic tree. Around the base of the tree small scattered communities of people known as Orders live on whatever the tree and the ocean provide. To prevent inbreeding and provide an understanding of the wider world for their children, a five year journey around the tree (did I mention it was really big tree?) is part of their upbringing. They are accompanied by a select group of healthy, intelligent women who are supposed to find a place in the world right for them (and mate as far away from home as possible). The entire group is referred to as a school and the process is known as Walking the Tree.

The main character Lillah is one of the teachers to leave her Order of Ombu. It has been her dream to undertake the journey as a teacher and after a nerve-wracking selection procedure she is selected. On the eve of her departure however a nasty surprise is sprung on her. One of the children she will be accompanying is suspected to carry a disease known as Spikes. An affliction that almost drove humanity to extinction in generations past. The mere suspicion on having the disease is reason enough for the unlucky person to have to undergo "the treatment". How exactly a person is treated varies from Order to Order but the result is always the same. Death. Lillah is asked to care for the boy but if she if found hiding a diseased child she too will be killed.

Warren has created a very interesting setting for this book. She goes into detail about the various communities on the island and shows us their individual mix of beliefs and superstition. Some of them appear close to utopia while others are dark indeed. What the teachers need to do is look beyond the surface to find out if they fit in this place. Their society is also interesting in the sense that it is the women that move away from the community to find a place elsewhere. We're more used to thinking the other way around. Personally I think this way of organizing things would result in some pretty intense testosterone fuelled violence, except for the taboo on breeding too close to your own Order, the temptation to not allow teachers to go on must be pretty bad in some places. With one notable exception this does not seem to be happening. It would of course mean the collapse of the entire system and an the return to a situation where fertile women are protected rather than encouraged to travel, it seems like a fragile system to me.

Violence is one of the more interesting parts of this novel. There does not seem to be much competition over resources. With communities separated by weeks of travel, in some cases even months, war is unnecessary and impractical. That is not to say there isn't any violence though. In several instances we witness swift and brutal action being taken against individuals, often from their own community and with very little provocation. Most of the communities have a district dark side. The way they deal with disease and malformed children is the most apparent outlet but sometimes it is more subtle too. The vivid and peaceful images of open sky, the huge tree, the beach and the ocean can turn on the reader quickly and some scenes are downright unsettling. The way Warren casts a shadow of what appears to be a peaceful community is very well done indeed.

I was less impressed by the progress of the plot itself. The novel takes a bit to get going, which in itself is not a problem. However, once the threat to Lillah's happiness has been made clear, her charge disappears into the background for something like 200 pages. He is mentioned once in a while, we get a few hints that he may or may not carry the disease but other than that, it is business as usual for the school. It is presented as something that is always in the back of Lillah's mind but rarely forces her to confront the situation. When it does come to head the problem is dealt with quite quickly and even more attention is drawn away from the characters by revealing a whole new layer of life on Botanica. It left me with the impression that perhaps the author has been carried away by her own world just a little bit.

On the whole I found Walking the Tree to be a very interesting read. Themes such as the way the Orders rely on oral traditions for passing on knowledge and how travelling changes the main character and makes her grow are skilfully depicted by the author. The different communities with their different outlook on life make the reader constantly reassess the culture on Botanica. I think this goes at the expense of what is presented as the main story line to an extend and some readers may be bothered by this. It is easy to be carried away to Botanica however, and if you let yourself be, Walking the Tree is a great journey full of strange, fantastical places and unfamiliar cultures. I think there is room for improvement but all things considered it is a very good effort by Kaaron Warren.

Book Details
Title: Walking the Tree
Author: Kaaron Warren
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 525
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-00-732244-2
First published: 2010

Servant of the Underworld - Aliette de Bodard

I recently read de Bodard's story The Lost Xuyan Bride in The Apex Book of World SF and found it one of the highlights of the collection (if you are interested, it can be read on the author's website). One of the things I liked about it was the use of two non-Western cultures in this alternative history/detective story. Normally I am a bit more cautious but based on that story I decided to give her début novel Servant of the Underworld, the first novel in the Obsidian and Blood series a go. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It turned out to be a fast-paced and exciting, historical fantasy/mystery.

Servant of the Underworld is set in Tenochtitlan in 1480. At that time the centre of the Aztec empire and close to reaching it's largest territorial expansion. In the vibrant capital politicians, priests and warriors vie for influence at the court of the Revered Speaker and sacrifices in blood are part of everyday life to appease the gods. Even human sacrifices are deemed necessary at times to make sure the fifth world does not end. Our main character Acatl is a small player in the political minefield of Tenochtitlan. As high-priest of the dead, he worships Mictlantecuhtli, a relatively unimportant deity.

Acatl prefers to stay out of politics, immersing himself in guiding the recently deceased to his god's domain with the proper rituals and sacrifices as well as comforting those left behind. His appointment as high-priest could not have come to a person who wanted it less. When he is called away from his temple to investigate what appears to be a murder he soon finds out that there is no escaping politics. Arriving at the scene of the crime the case looks straightforward. His brother Neutemoc is found covered in blood. Enough blood that the victim cannot have survived even though no body is present. Acatl is forced to undertake the investigation and come to his brother's defence. What appears to be straightforward soon leads him to the highest circles of Aztec society and beyond.

De Bodard sets her story in a culture that has, shall we say, a reputation for being bloodthirsty. It would have been pretty easy for the author to exploit that for shock value. Something that whoever wrote the cover text was quite aware of. The author does not need to emphasize that element of the story to make it a good book. She does not spare us the Aztec's rather frightening pantheon, nor a ritually sacrificed animal or two but all as everyday part of life. The main character and narrator (the book is written in the first person) is so used to these practices that he doesn't seem to deem them worthy of elaborate description and that, I think, makes the character of Acatl a whole lot more convincing that he would otherwise have been.

To further flesh out this character the author adds a quite complicated relationship with his brother. The man who fulfilled his parents' wishes for their children and gained honour on the field of battle. His parents' rejection of his modest ambitions of being a priest still stings. Perfect he may seem, Neutemoc is human enough. Accused of murder, a pawn in the power struggles his warrior society is involved in, a marriage that is about to collapse, his parents should have seen him now. As one of the gods Acatl encounters puts is, he is full of regrets and bitterness. He's also a well rounded character.

Although de Bodard admits to taking a few liberties with history in the author's note, she certainly could have fooled me. It is not a period I am very well acquainted with but I thought the historical setting was well realized. If this book is ever made into an audio book I do pity the person doing the reading. Aztec names are often long and seemingly impossible to pronounce. To prevent them from blurring into random syllables instead of characters I did have to check to character list thoughtfully provided by the author early on in the tale. She also added a list of the most important Aztec terms and concepts to help us along. I would not mind seeing that expanded a bit in book two. It makes for interesting reading.

An interesting and unusual setting, a well rounded main character (did you ever meet a priest of the dead being the good guy in a fantasy novel?) and a brisk pace. This novel has a lot going for it. What makes this début even more impressive is the fact that the author has written it in her second language. Since it is my second language as well I am probably not the one to tell you if this in noticeable in the novel. De Bodard doesn't go for elaborate sentences or complicated vocabulary (save the Aztec terms) but then, you don't have to be a second language speaker to avoid that. She certainly manages a whole lot better than I do in this review. I'd say Servants of the Underworld is one of the better débuts I have read recently. Definitely worth checking out. I am certainly going to keep an eye out for the second book.

If you want to make Acatl's acquaintance without committing to a novel you can try this story on the author's website. It clearly served as a starting point for the novel.

Book Details
Title: Servant of the Underworld
Author: Aliette de Bodard
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 431
Year: 2010
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-00-734654-7
First published: 2010