I'm Not A Buddhist, I'm Just Another Asshole

Scott Hawkins “The Library at Mount Char” (Crown, 2015)

Well this was nothing like I expected.  For some reason I thought it would be more than a bit more Harry Potter/The Magicians.  Kids in a magical library, some conflict, etc. (but it’s really all about the world building).  Imagine my surprise when the books opens with brutal unflinching violence and an amoral protagonist.  I almost quit.  I didn’t, and I am SO GLAD.

So yes, this is a brutal book.  Graphic descriptions of violent actions.  Our protagonist, Carolyn, is not a nice person.

But if you stick with it, it does make sense.  There’s a reason why she’s so immoral.  None of this is gratuitous.

What you end up with is an amazing piece of contemporary fantasy.  Hawkins creates a singular story and world that are absolutely worth experiencing.  

I’ve read lots of comparisons – Gaiman, Hill, etc.  My favorite comparison is Robert Bennett.  It’s a dark fantasy that builds upon modern America.  Highly recommended.

So. Freaking. Good.

Robin Hobb “Fool’s Quest” (Del Rey, 2015)

So I was reading this book on breaks at work, and very quickly I realized that I had a couple of problems.  First, I didn’t want to stop reading.  That’s a problem, since my boss doesn’t want to pay me for reading novels all day.  Second, I seemed to have developed some problems with my eyes.  I don’t know why they kept watering like that.  And why I had to blow my nose.  No I wasn’t crying.  You’re crying!

This book picks up right at the end of the last.  Fitz has accidentally stabbed the Fool & they have gone to the Capitol.  Meanwhile, all hell has broken loose at his house & his daughter has been kidnapped.

And that’s the setup for providing us with SO MANY FEELINGS.

I don’t want to spoil events from the book, but it’s so good.  If you like fantasy, you need to read these books.

Speaking of Big Ideas

China Mieville “Three Moments of an Explosion” (Del Rey, 2015)

Let’s be honest.  In the world of SFF, any new release from China Mieville is a big deal.  He’s the hipster’s Neil Gaiman.  A huge figure bestriding the field doing whatever he wants.  

Mieville hasn’t released a book since 2012.  He’s been busy (check out his run on Dial H, it’s really good), at least in part writing these stories. 

Three Moments gives us a lot of stories.  I should be honest here—I don’t know if they are all really stories.  Some are so experimental that they don’t really have plot or characters or even something structured like a story.

Mieville is a master of the Weird, so I was expecting that.  I was surprised, however, by how experimental this collection felt.  His modius operandi seemed to be generating an idea & then building something around that big idea.  The result may be fantastic, or the structure may just collapse.  You can’t really tell until you are reading the story.

Like his best work, Three Moments is provocative and challenging.  Unfortunately I can’t say that it has the consistency of his best work.  At times it feels like he’s throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks.