REVIEW: WOLF MOON

Cover art by Cliff Nielsen

WOLF MOON

BY

CHARLES DE LINT

ISBN: 0-13-240077-7

Pages: 245

Publisher: Firebird (Penguin US)

First published: 2 August 1988

This edition published: 19 January 2004

On the cover:

His name when he was human was Kern, and it seemed he had been running forever, for he had become the most feared of beings; a werewolf. When the change had first come upon him, his parents had driven him away with silver daggers. Later, Kern sought human companionship. But he could not hide the truth for long, and so he kept running until he ran headlong into the deadliest pursuer of all - a harper bent on stealing his life away.

   By chance Kern was able to take refuge at the Inn of the Yellow Tinker, a warm and welcoming place where he might find a home if he guarded his secret well. And at the inn, Kern found the woman he was destined to love. But could he risk both human and harper vengeance to keep her?

   I should start by categorising this book. To begin with it was marketed as "12 - AND UP years" in 2004, but I'm in no doubt this is Young Adult by today's standards even if the characters are sligthly older than what is usual in YA. It also has a quite strong Romance plot to it, and it is clearly Fantasy. So to sum up, this is Young Adult Fantasy with Romance (,which if it isn't a sub-category clearly should be.)

   De Lint is a great technical writer, his prose is excellent while still staying simple. He doesn't overcomplicate anything, but writes in a pared down and uncomplicated style that is a joy to read. However he doesn't oversimplify, or "dumb down" if you will, he's just precise in what he writes. Of course being technically accomplished doesn't matter much if the story isn't up to scratch. There's no worries on that front, de Lint is a master storyteller.

   The story starts out in a very familiar Fantasy/Fairy Tale way and it continues to be that way for a while. That is not a criticism, the way de Lint writes makes it a very good read despite being familiar in many ways. However, once you get further into the story you realise that de Lint has been deceiving you, and the story becomes so much more than a well written take on a rather standard story.

    While the story may continue to follow familiar patterns de Lint manages to put his own twist on a lot of the elements, and you don't feel like you are reading something written to a formula. This really feels like a fresh story, and you will be left guessing where it will take you.

   I mentioned earlier that this story has quite a strong romantic sub-plot, or more correctly I suppose a romantic co-plot, this is something that I am rarely a fan of, but de Lint manages to pull it off. The romance plot flows naturally along with the rest of the story, it never feels forced. Although it has some Fairy Tale aspects to it, it doesn't in any way feel unrealistic, neither is it toned down too much. It is just a natural part of the story being told, something that made me actually like this part of the plot quite a lot.

   That de Lint really is a great writer can also be seen in the way the characters flows off the page. You'll very early get a feeling for what type the characters are, but they are not restricted by type. And especially one of them manages to have a development that is much more than her stereotype would suggests. (In an early "meta" scene it is even remarked on how stereotypical she is, a great moment that is quite funny.)

   The small cast of characters are very well developed for such a short novel. They really come alive at de Lint's hand, they feel like friends, people you have gotten close to despite meeting them a short time ago.

   This is really a splendid Fantasy book for all ages and genders. De Lint shows that he's a great storyteller, and this book shows that he deserves to be wider read by Fantasy fans. This would make a perfect book for the younger generation, while also being satisfying to older readers. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Fantasy.

REVIEW: Jack of Kinrowan

LINKS: Charles de Lint  Firebird

REVIEW: THE WILFUL PRINCESS AND THE PIEBALD PRINCE

Cover art by Jon Foster

THE WILFUL PRINCESS AND THE PIEBALD PRINCE

BY

ROBIN HOBB

ISBN: 978-1-59606-544-4

Pages: 184

Publisher: Subterranean Press

Published: 28 February 2013

On the cover:

One of the darkest legends in the Realm of the Elderlings recounts the tale of the so-called Piebald Prince, a Witted pretender to the throne unseated by the actions of brave nobles so that the Farseer line could continue untainted. Now the truth behind the story is revealed through the account of Felicity, a low-born companion of the Princess Caution at Buckkeep.
    With Felicity by her side, Caution grows into a headstrong Queen-in-Waiting. But when Caution gives birth to a bastard son who shares the piebald markings of his father’s horse, Felicity is the one who raises him. And as the prince comes to power, political intrigue sparks dangerous whispers about the Wit that will change the kingdom forever…

    This is a short book consisting of a story in two parts. As the flap copy says, it's the story of one of the monumental events in the history (,as seen from the time of Hobb's other stories set in The Realm of the Elderlings,) of the Six Duchies. It's about a short period that has major repercussions for later events, especially FitzChivalry's experiences in The Farseer Trilogy is very much effected by what is told here. So, as such this isn't truly a standalone. It is certainly possible to read this without any knowledge of what has been previously published, but this is first and foremost a complimentary story for those who want to know more about the world Hobb has created.
   Felicity's story is both her very personal story and a much larger story about the kings and queens of Buckkeep and the politics of ruling. These two story strands are intertwined, and it is Felicity's closeness to events that makes her their chronicler.

   The personal story is in essence about how someone of low birth can find a place in the upper reaches of the court, and that in itself is interesting enough to warrant a telling. There's some chilling lengths that are gone to to keep that place, and it does sometimes come across as extremely cynical actions. But that is really what gives it power, Hobb shows how desperate someone can get to stay close to the powerful. And also how extreme your actions can become when you are trying to safeguard yourself and your family.
   There's also another aspect to the personal story, one that has more to do with feelings and even love. Especially in the first part of the book we see how the closeness of two people of different stations is a fragile thing that can be destroyed by the small events that are a part of so many people's life.

   On the big scale side of the story we finally get to see the historical events we have previously only heard about in Hobb's previous work, the story of the Piebald Prince and how he came to be.
   This is largely a story of courtly politics, something that on the surface may not sound very interesting or engaging, but it is a really fascinating tale. There's not only politics involved, love is a major part of what is going on in both parts of the book. This humanises the dry politics to a great degree, making the actions of the participants much more relatable and understandable. It shortens the distance from the reader to the greater geopolitical events that are more of a result of what happens than their cause.
   Hobb offers up some surprising twists and turns, and although you may be familiar with what the ultimate results of this came to be in later years (, in The Farseer Trilogy,) seeing where this story goes is still very much a guessing game.

   I mentioned above that the personal and the political are intertwined in this book, and that is something Hobb does very well. There's never a feeling that one suffers because of the other, and the two strands compliments each other very well. It becomes a personal chronicle of momentous events that puts you right in the middle of what is happening, and Hobb manages to make you feel like you are experiencing it as much as Felicity did. It's really a great way to tell of historical events, and Hobb does it expertly here.
   The main characters are also very well drawn. Apart from Felicity we get little insight into their thought processes, but we still understand them and can empathise with them. (At least to the degree that Felicity can.) We don't get close to all the players in the story, but that isn't something I felt was missing from the story, it's more the nature of it. And that is something I really liked, this is an intimate telling of a large story and that is its great strength.

   I can only conclude that this is another great story from Hobb. It carries her trademark style, and as a fan of that style it was a great read for me, and I'm sure other Hobb fans will feel the same way. This is really an essential complementary tale for those who want to know and understand more about Hobb's world, and it should be in every Hobb fan's collection

More Robin Hobb reviews can be found here.

LINKS: Robin Hobb  Subterranean Press

REVIEW: THE GREEN MILE

Cover illustration by Lisa Litwack

THE GREEN MILE

BY

STEPHEN KING

ISBN: 978-0-671-04178-6

Pages: 536

Publisher: Pocket Books

First published: 1996*

This edition published: March 1999

On the cover:

   Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E-block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with "Old Sparky," Cold Mountain's Electric Chair.

   Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen is share of oddities in his years working the Mile. But he's never seen anything like John Coffey, a man with the body of giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. In this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey, a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs...and yours.

   The Green Mile isn't the usual King Horror story, but it does contain some supernatural elements. Elements that are central to the story, but still take a back seat to the atmosphere of this story. King masterfully creates this atmosphere by transporting the reader back to 1932, and the Death Row of Cold Mountain Penitentiary -the Green Mile of the title.
   The story is told in the first person by the head prison guard Paul Edgecombe. It is told in a way that makes it seem more like a recollection than a novel, and this is the true strength of the book. We really do get inside what happened on the Green Mile back then. The story is told with such strength, and depth, that even the supernatural elements comes to life and seem real.
   I mentioned that this is not a Horror story, but there are events here that are horrific, King doesn't pull any punches but tells everything in gruesome detail. That King has pulled the reader into events in such a good way makes what happens hit much closer to home than it would have if it were a traditional Horror story.

   The characters are also brought vividly to life, especially Edgecombe. We live with him as the story unfolds, almost inside his head as he tells what happens. Edgecombe isn't the only character who we get a good acquaintance with, the other characters stand out as well. But we don't get inside their heads in the same way, and this actually makes the story work better.
   Arguably the main character can be said to be John Coffey, and inmate. But he's really the significant layer in the story we learn the least about. However that doesn't really matter, he has a great presence in the novel, one that is central to it. And what we don't know about him doesn't hurt the story.

   There are some weaknesses in the story, one of them being that it's relatively easy to see were events are going. Normally I'd say that this would be a problem, but King got me so involved in the people, and the setting, that it didn't detract much from the book. In some ways I felt that it shouldn't work being so aware of what was going to happen, but I have to admit it did. Although I did find it detracts a little bit from my overall impression of this story.
   Another thing that pulls the book down a little bit is that it is very much structured as a serial novel. There's some recap at the start of every part, and I think it would be best to take a couple of days break between reading each part. But I'm not sure that is possible with a book that drags you in to such degree that this does.

   Despite the flaws I mention above, this is definitely one of King's strongest novels. The setting and characters come so vividly to life that you really can't help but feel you are there watching events at times. It's a book all King fans should read, and one that should suit those that are not normally fans of King's stories. This is really essential Stephen King.

*Originally published in six parts, on the following dates in 1996: 1- 28 March, 2- 25 April, 3- 30 May, 4- 27 June, 5- 25 July, 6- 29 August.

Stephen King Review Index

LINKS: Stephen King  Pocket Books

COVER ART AND COVER COPY FOR UPCOMING JO NESBØ NOVEL

   The cover for the next Harry Hole book by Jo Nesbø has been revealed. It is published in Norwegian 6 June. (Not sure about a release date for an English translation, but later this year has been mentioned.) The title simply means "Police". -Which may or may not be the English title.The publisher (Aschehoug) has also put their cover copy online. Here's my translation of it:

In the hospital a critically injured man lies in a coma. The room is guarded by police, and no one is told what the name of the mysterious patient is. Meanwhile policemen are found murdered at the scene of old, unsolved murders. The police stand without any evidence and on top of that are missing their best investigator. In the hospital the patient is showing signs of regaining consciousness.

And the Norwegian original:

På et sykehus ligger en hardt skadet mann i koma. Rommet bevoktes av politiet, og ingen får vite hva den mystiske pasienten heter. Samtidig blir politimenn funnet drept på åsteder for gamle, uoppklarte drap. Politiet står uten spor og mangler i tillegg sin beste etterforsker. På sykehuset viser pasienten tegn til å komme til bevissthet.

   I'm a big fan of Nesbø's Harry Hole books, and this is one I'm really looking forward to. As I did with the last one, I'll get it on release day.

NOTE: For those who want to know how Harry Hole is actually pronounced, Nesbø says it at the start of this video. (It's in the first two seconds of the video.)

SKYHORSE/START PUBLISHING BUYS UNDERLAND PRESS

   Just a quick update. Yesterday it was announced that Skyhorse Publishing/Start Publishing, the same entity buying Night Shade Books, is buying small publisher Underland Press.
   There's nothing else on this yet, but it does look like this is an outright buy, unlike the situation with NSB, and that Skyhorse/Start is taking over all commitments of Underland Press.
   I've also heard rumours that Skyhorse/Start is looking to buy other publishers, but I don't have any solid information that.

   It's too early for me to have any sort of opinion on this specifically, but I must say I am a bit skeptical of an entity that we know so little about buying its way into SFF publishing. I'd like it if they had some SFF publishing experience of their own, and not just the money to buy their way in.
   I'll write more about this, and the NSB situation, when I can get hold of more information.

Previous articles: Who Are The People Night Shade Books s Selling To?
                             The Night Shade Books Sale: It's Not Just The Authors Who Are Owed Money

THE NIGHT SHADE BOOKS SALE: IT'S NOT JUST THE AUTHORS WHO ARE OWED MONEY

   If you have been following what is happening with Night Shade Books (NSB), you probably caught this article by Rose Fox on Publishers Weekly's blog. In it she mentions an e-mail from Marty Halpern, an e-mail I got too. Here it is in full:

Hello,

Since you published a blog post on the Night Shade sale/fiasco, I thought you might want to consider the other side of the equation as well:

What you may not know is that I worked for Night Shade on a freelance basis as an editor/line editor/copy editor for **ten** years -- probably the only freelancer who stayed with NS throughout all that time. And for the past half-dozen or so years, it was like pulling teeth every month to get payment from them toward my growing unpaid invoices. But I had faith in Jason Williams and Jeremy Lassen that they would work this out, that they would do the right thing (eventually), and books would get sold, authors and freelancers would get paid.

But all the focus online this past week has been the deal that Skyhorse and Start are offering the Night Shade authors. Authors. Authors.

There has been absolutely no mention, nor commitment made, to all the artists, designers, editors (including myself), and others who are owed tens of thousands of dollars -- and seem to have been forgotten in all this "discussion" over the authors' deal.

And now that NS is essentially closed and in "escrow" for this potential sale, the money that is owed to me (for invoices dating back to October of last year) -- and all the other production people -- may never get paid.

There would be no books to speak of if there weren't editors, artists, and designers willing to work continuously for Night Shade for just the promise of pay. We are a dedicated lot and deserve to have our story told -- and responded to -- as well.

I'm afraid that when all is said and done, and the authors make their decisions -- some will join S/S, others will not -- those of us production people who helped put Night Shade books on the shelves and in ereaders, may be left holding a lot of empty invoices and bills.

Best,

Marty Halpern

 

   Marty offers up a very important point, there's quite a few other people involved in producing the books from NSB than just the authors. And they have been neglected in the coverage of the NSB deal, by myself included.

   Personally I'm very much for well produced books, and that of course includes editing, design and any art associated with them. And I very much want the people who do those jobs to make a decent living too, as well as the authors. 

   I hadn't really thought of the situation for the production staff, like everyone else I was caught up in the author's side of the deal, so I'm very thankful that Marty Halpern offered a gentle nudge to get me thinking about that side of what was happening. And I'm sad, but not surprised, to see that the freelancers who have worked on producing the best books possible for NSB are coming off as bad as they are in this deal.

 

   In the Publishers Weekly article, Rose Fox quotes Jarred Weisfeld at Start Publishing saying: "Nobody’s going to be left high and dry. The deal is contingent on those individuals getting paid." Something he later clarifies as: "...if the deal goes through, settlements for creditors will likely be in the 30%–50% range." Something that to my mind is a bit of backing down from the original statement.

   Personally I had gotten the impression that everybody would be paid what is owed them in this deal, but then again only authors were previously mentioned. As Halpern says on his comment on Publishers Weekly, 30-50% "better than zero". But it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth that the deal isn't really about making sure everyone is paid what they are owed by NSB. 

   I can't help but wonder, like Halpern does, if there is really a legal commitment to pay people. And again I have to state my wonder at  if there is such a deal, why it doesn't include paying everyone in full? Is there really such a high amount of money owed that it was impossible for Start/Skyhorse to offer enough to cover payment for everyone who have payments outstanding?

 

   I'll continue to follow developments on this deal, and will be posting more about it later. I'm already looking at one angle that could be worth a blog post.

 

NOTE: My previous post on NSB can be found here.  

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE NIGHT SHADE BOOKS IS SELLING TO?

 So the news about Night Shade Books is all over the internet now, and a lot of details have started "leaking" out today. Some of the posts can be found here, here, and here. I didn't write anything here about this yesterday (since I had a headache and wasn't up to it), but I did post on the AW forum, and that was linked to by Publishers Weekly.

   Today this was posted by a literary agent at the JABberwocky Literary Agency. The post gives a detailed rundown of the contract offered to the Night Shade Books authors, a contract that has now been put on Scribd. (And I have confirmation that is the real contract).

   But what is more interesting is a couple of names mentioned in the brillblogger post (and elsewhere). Here's a quote from the brillblogger post:

"Is SFWA aware that Jarred Weisfeld is also a principal in a literary agency, Objective Entertainment, and is this information that SFWA might wish to provide?"

   Objective Entertainment has been a subject of a post on Writer Beware in the past.
   Jarred Weisfeld has also been the subject of his own post on the site Lipstick Alley, in relation to a lawsuit, and an article in The New York Observer, having to do with the same lawsuit.
   All three of the above links are four years old, so things may have changed since they were written. But there is more recent information on Skyhorse Publishing over on the Absolute Write Forums, where the newest information is from March this year. (Starts at post #19.)

   As a humble blogger, I find the information I have gotten a bit disturbing. This doesn't actually look like someone that would be desirable to work with, and I'm a bit amazed if this is the best Night Shade Books could do for its authors.

   I'll be following developments, and if I get any more information that has not come up in the discussion about Night Shade Books, I will blog about it here

EDIT 11 April: I've posted more about this here.

REVIEW: BATTLE ROYALE

BATTLE ROYALE

BY

KOUSHUN TAKAMI

ORIGINAL TITLE:

BATORU ROWAIARU

TRANSLATED

BY

YUJI ONIKI

ISBN: 978-1-4215-2772-7

Pages: 576 (+extras)

Publisher Haikasoru

First published: 1999

First English publication: 26 February 2003

This edition published: 17 November 2009

   Aided by the 2000 movie based on it, this is a novel that became an almost instant Cult Classic. Or rather the movie did, I don't actually think that many people have read the novel. Which I find a bit sad, since the novel is in many ways very different to the movie. (As are most novels with a movie based on them.)

   The novel doesn't waste time, it isn't long before the setting is established and the action starts. Interestingly, and often ignored, the setting is Alternate History (,the novel is set in 1997), and it is a world that is much more brutal than the one we live in. Takami doesn't shy away from the brutality of the "program" depicted in the book, descriptions of deaths are on level with what you usually find in Horror books.

   Adding to the visual descriptions of the deaths are the glimpses we get into the thoughts of both victims and killers. We get really close up to what is going on in a way that makes the impact greater, and that can get uncomfortable at times. You will be thinking about what is happening, these are not Hollywood deaths, but "real" deaths. They get even more real in a way because you get an insight into why a group of schoolchildren do these things, there are some fairly philosophical thoughts on this in the novel.

   Paranoia, fear, and distrust pervade the novel. The characters are put in a really extreme situation, one they cannot escape and which effects each one in different ways. There are three characters that are the main focus of the story, but there are lots of short chapters that see things from other individuals point of view. This means that even smaller players gets their thoughts across and leave their mark on the reader.

   Takami writes very good characters, and they will get under your skin. Even though the situation they are put in is so extreme as to be almost absurd, the characters remain relatable. I became very invested in the main characters and what they went through, halfway through the book they felt like old friends.

   One of the strengths of the book is showing how desperation can lead ordinary people to do extreme acts, there's plenty of that here, and there is no cushioning of that. But the structure of the book explains many of the motives the characters have for their actions. Even the "villains" of the story are explored in quite a bit of detail.

   At the surface this story can be simply described as "students are forced to kill each other", but that doesn't even begin to describe this novel. I've already mentioned above how it is a story about ordinary people in an extreme situation, and that gets closer to the essence of it. But there's even more to it. There are lots of themes touched upon in amongst all the carnage, and despite being action-filled in some ways it reads much more like a  philosophical novel. Especially representative of this are the glimpses we get of  the alternate world the story is set in.

   The story has a lot of tension to it. Structurally there are lots of shorter chapters, with many of the cast getting their own viewpoint. This structure makes you get closer to the overall story, while at the same time never being sure who is really a relevant player.

   Towards the end there are several twists and turns. It's hard to know what is really going to happen, and at least some of the developments will not be expected.

(Note: Seeing the movie will ruin some of this. If you haven't seen it yet, I can't urge you strongly enough to wait until after you have read the novel. -If you have seen the movie, as I had, it's best if you read the novel when it has been a while since you saw the film. Going directly from the movie to the novel is a really bad idea.)

   All in all this is a very powerful novel. It is brutal in many ways, for some perhaps too brutal, but it never feels gratuitous. It will however get under your skin in some way. And the story will stay with you for a while, there are underpinnings that demand that you think about them.

   In many ways this is a novel that defies traditional genre classification. It's Alternate History, Near Future Science Fiction, Dystopic Science Fiction, and definitely a comment on society and human nature.

   This is a novel that in my opinion deserves to be read by many more people, and I urge everyone who reads this review to give it a try. It should be required reading for anyone who likes any of the subgenres, or themes, that I have mentioned above.

LINK: Haikasoru

COVER REVEAL ROUND-UP (VII)

   It's been a long time since I did one of these posts so these aren't necessarily newly revealed, but they are covers I want to spread around. And I could easily have done at least twenty more, so there is some selection process going on here...but anyway...let's just get on with the book cover porn.

   This one was actually published on Monday (25 March), by Anachron Press. The cover art is by Sarah Ann Langton. I think it's a good cover that suits the title very well. It certainly made me curious. -And let's face it, who doesn't like a skull.

   From Atom we have the cover to the Second book in the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, with a release date of 5 November. I reviewed the first book yesterday, and I think this cover suits the series very well. It also fits in nicely with the first book's cover.

   The Hodder (UK) cover for King's follow up to The Shining, coming 24 September. It's a new Stephen King novel, so they could basically have put anything they wanted to on it, but I think this one is very good. (I like cats.)

 

   These are the covers to the first two books from Angry Robot's Crime imprint Exhibit A, they'll be out 2 May. I really like them both, especially the one for Penance. And I'm also looking forward to reading these, I read too little Crime these days.

   From PS publishing, this cover is by Pedro Marques, the book is at the printer right now and should be out shortly. It's got a "Comic Book feel" to it (, and reminds me of The Preacher). I don't know anything about the book, but this cover makes me want to find out more about it.

   From Tor UK we have the cover to the first book in a new series that will be out 10 October. I like it a lot (, which may have a bit to do with my interest in heraldry), it evokes an imperial feel -and I want to see where Newton has gone with that.

   The cover for the fifth book in the Clockwork Century, coming from Tor in November. I really like this series, and I love this cover. Really can't wait to see what this one's all about.

   Cover by Martin Bland for the sequel to vN, it should be out 25 June  It's in the same style as the cover to the first book, and it's a great one. Really liked the first book, and has been looking forward to more from Ashby, this cover makes me want to read the book now!

   From Strange Chemistry and ARGH!, Oxford comes this cover, the book is out 7 May. I love Astronomy photos, so  this cover is a big hit with me.

   This cover, by Sarah J. Coleman,  is for the sequel to The Assassin's Curse. The book will be out 4 June from Strange Chemistry. Same style as the first book, and since I have read that I think it's a style that fits very well with the story. And I for one look forward to reading about the creature depicted.

   Cover by Michael Karcz for Orbit, release date 3 September. I'm pretty much a fan of landscapes on SFF books. But I'm not sure this really is an SFF book since it says "A Novel of the Ice Age" and I have no further info on it. It doesn't really matter though, the book will find it's way into my home and a part of  the reason for that is because of the cover.

   Out from Little Brown 22 October. I really like this cover. Again it's landscape, and the red at the bottom of it seems to suggest this will be a Horror novel. Based on the cover alone I would be getting this. And since I have read the cover copy, I will definitely be getting it.

  Lastly for this time, there's the cover to the follow up to The Long Earth, coming from Doubleday 20 June. I felt the first book had a lot of potential it didn't quite live up to, but judging by this cover I think this one is going to be really good.

   As usual I welcome any comments you may have. Is there any covers that really caught your eye?

REVIEW: ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE

ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE

FINISHING SCHOOL BOOK THE FIRST

BY

GAIL CARRIGER

ISBN: 978-1-907411-58-8

Pages: 312

Publisher: Atom

Published: 5 February 2013

On the cover:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly.

It's quite another to learn to curtsy and

throw a knife at the same time. 

Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners, and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's young ladies learn to finish . . . everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage - in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education...

   Etiquette & Espionage is set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate series. However it is not necessary to read any of those books before you read this, it is set before them but is not a prequel. But if you have read the Parasol Protectorate series, you will welcome seeing characters from that series making an appearance.

   The novel contains a lot of the same combination of humour and action, in a Victorian Steampunk setting, that has made Miss Carriger a name in SFF circles. If you are unfamiliar with that, a short description would be Humorous Alternate History Victorian Steampunk Fantasy. (That is not really an established SFF subgenre by the way.)

   The tone of this novel is set early on. By the end of the first chapter we have gotten a good glimpse into the feel of the novel. We have also learned quite a bit about where Sophronia comes from and what kind of person she is. But that is just the beginning of the story, as the book progresses, we follow Sophronia on what is essentially a discovery of one of the hidden sides of the world she lives in.

   Miss Carriger has a knack for creating characters that it is pleasant to spend time with. I found Sophronia to be a very enjoyable character to follow. She's smart, tough, resourceful, and not afraid to go her own ways when she feels it is called for. That doesn't mean she's perfect, but the flaws she has make her all the more realistic and relatable.

   Sophronia is joined by quite a diverse group of supporting characters, most of which are more than interesting enough to follow in their own right. Although some of them exist to fulfil certain task in the narrative, they still come across as believable characters. And the whole cast of this novel put together makes for great company in your reading.

   From early one it's clear that the story contains both action and mystery. Mostly we follow Sophronia's unravelling of what is actually going on, something that is handled very well,. The revelations come naturally, and that Sophronia is ignorant of what the school really is allows us discover it along with her instead of in infodumps. This makes the narrative flow more organically.

   I have to make a brief mention of the setting, or more precisely, the school. I won't tell you what form it physically takes, because I thought that was a very nicely done revelation in the book. But I will tell you that I really liked the way the school functioned. It seems natural when you get it described in the way it is, despite of course being wholly fantastical in nature. Miss Carriger has really managed to create something that feels realistic while still being a wonderful Fantasy creation. In some ways the school itself becomes a character itself, and it has several layers to it.

   So to sum up, another brilliant novel by Miss Carriger. A seamless blend of Steampunk, humour, and Victorian boarding school drama -with a good dollop of action, mystery, and adventure. Definitely a recommended read for those who like their Steampunk to have a sense of humour, and anyone who likes a good rollicking story. It is a great starting point for anyone not familiar with Miss Carriger's work.

   Fans of Miss Carriger who have put off getting this because of the Young Adult label should head for the nearest bookstore at once (, or maybe wait until tomorrow if it's not open). This doesn't fall short in comparison to the Parasol Protectorate books in terms of depth (, although to be fair...there's a lack of werewolf sexing in it.)

   After reading this book, I must say that the knowledge that there's three more books to come in this series is very welcome, this is the beginning of what looks to be another greatly enjoyable series from Miss Carriger.

REVIEWS: The Parasol Protectorate books

LINKS: Gail Carriger  Atom