REVIEW: PIRACY

Cover art by Sarah Anne Langton

PIRACY

FOX POCKETS VOLUME ONE

EDITED

BY

ADELE WEARING

Pages: 104

Publisher: Fox Spirit

Published: 25 June 2013

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

They say worse things happen at sea and here is the proof. From the perils of stealing dreams to the danger of your own imagination welcome to Piracy. Here are tales of the high seas, the skies and even space, filled with fierce women, strange beasts and adventure.

   This is an anthology of short stories and flash fiction. I'll do a quick, spoiler free, rundown of the individual stories before giving my overall impression.

BECALMED by Den Patrick

   A story about the dangers of handling one type of stolen goods. This is a good story. It evokes a great sense of empathy, and I think on some level everyone can relate to it.

THE TROUBLE WITH DAYDREAMS by Catherine Hill

   High sea piracy may not be for everyone we learn in this very short story. I really liked this. It's short, to the point, and it has a very nice ending.

BLACK ETHEL'S BEAST by Kit Marlowe

   In this story a captain duels a stowaway. This is a good story, but one that felt too much of an episode of something bigger to me. Something bigger that I would very much like to read, I hasten to add.

NO QUARTER by Rahne Sinclair

   A raging sea battle is the setting for this story, where magic plays a part. This is full of action. Despite its short length it doesn't stand behind many longer pirate adventures in its invocation of the smell of gunpowder and the sound of breaking timber. An excellent little tale with an epic feel.

LEAVE THE PISTOL BEHIND by Chloë Yates

   A visit from an old acquaintance comes as a surprise in this tale. Very good story whose last sentence brought a grin to this readers face.

PAST LIVES by Jenny Barber

   The catch fights back in this story. A story that gives a very nice twist to an archetypal story type. Very well executed.

NORA by Margrét Helgadottir.

   A woman is attacked by pirates, and shows her true mettle. This story is subdued and effectful. It doesn't shout where it can whisper, but you will want to listen. A really good one.

PLUNDER by Fransesca Terminiello

   A tense tale of a teenager at sea. This has great tension, and though you can sense what the outcome will be, it doesn't stop you from being dragged in by the excellent atmosphere created.

INSURGENT by Christian D'Amico

   Space pirates find a ship with cargo that for them is a jackpot. Apart from the ending feeling a bit like the end of a novel's first chapter, this is an excellent tale.

GERONIMO by T.F. Grant

   Modern piracy has consequences in this story of the future. This has an interesting premise, and it is certainly topical. I found this very interesting, and in some ways chilling.

PIECES OF 2³ by Rob Haines

   A tale of swashbuckling on the datasea. This is a fast-paced story set in a very different environment to those stories that precede it in this anthology. It's a very nice and original tale. Quite refreshing.

THE REAL DEAL by R.J. Booth

   An author is kidnapped by a gang of ruthless pirates in this story. This is a good story, one that doesn't signpost where it is going, but it leads you to a satisfying end.

TRUE TO THE SONG by Asher Wismer

   A pirate hijacking that is something out of the ordinary. This is a story with a surprising element in it. An element that very much sets it apart from most other pirate stories you will encounter. A great read.

SILVERMELT by Emma Teichmann

   A musician gets caught up in events he doesn't quite see the scope of. Good story with a bit of mystery to it. It does however end very abruptly, and leaves you wondering if something is missing.

SKYWAY by K.C. Shaw

   A woman grabs an unexpected opportunity in this Steampunk story. This is a brilliant little story. It has plenty of action and adventure, and a very enjoyable plot. 

X MARKS THE SPOT by S.J. Caunt

   A girl catches the "pirate-bug" at a very early age. This is a very enjoyable story. One that will most likely bring a smile to your face. A very nice ending to the anthology.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

   I am not sure I can really pinpoint what the fascination with pirates is. I've read enough about the real history behind what Hollywood serves up to know that their life was mostly very far from glamorous. And yet they still hold a fascination to me, as they obviously do to a lot of other people around the globe. If you are reading this, I will assume that you have been caught by some of the allure surrounding pirates, and is interested in reading stories about them. In which case this anthology will be something for you.

   The quality of the stories is high throughout this anthology. Not every story hit me in exactly the right spot, but there were no real duds either. It is noticeable though that the word "piracy" does evoke a very particular image in many people's minds, and that this does lead to similarities between some of the stories. This wasn't a big problem though, and it can easily be avoided by not reading all the stories in one setting. It does mean that the anthology feels stronger when authors move away from the traditional image of piracy and in a different direction.

   Nitpicking about stories being similar when the anthology is read in one sitting aside, I really liked this anthology. It is short, as are the stories in it, and it is all the stronger for it. This is excellent for those that want some short fiction that will fill a few minutes now and then. For those that like their fiction to come with a piratical leaning, this is an absolute must.

NOTE: I got an e-ARC of this from the publisher.

LINK: Fox Spirit

REVIEW: STAR WARS: RAZOR'S EDGE

STAR WARS:

RAZOR'S EDGE

EMPIRE AND REBELLION BOOK 1

BY

MARTHA WELLS

ISBN: 978-0-345-54524-4

Pages: 288

Publisher: LucasBooks/Random House Del Rey

Published: 24 September 2013

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website)

Times are desperate for the Rebel Alliance. Harassment by the Empire and a shortage of vital supplies are hindering completion of a new secret base on the ice planet Hoth. So when Mid Rim merchants offer much-needed materials for sale, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo lead an Alliance delegation to negotiate a deal.

But when treachery forces the rebel ship to flee into territory controlled by pirates, Leia makes a shocking discovery: the fierce marauders come from Leia’s homeworld of Alderaan, recently destroyed by the Death Star. These refugees have turned to pillaging and plundering to survive—and they are in debt to a pirate armada, which will gladly ransom the princess to the vengeful Empire . . . if they find out her true identity.

Struggling with intense feelings of guilt, loyalty, and betrayal, Leia is determined to help her wayward kinspeople, even as Imperial forces are closing in on her own crippled ship. Trapped between lethal cutthroats and brutal oppressors, Leia and Han, along with Luke, Chewbacca, and a battle-ready crew, must defy death—or embrace it—to keep the rebellion alive.

  This novel brought back a lot of memories to me. It's set two years after the Battle of Yavin (, the destruction of the first Death Star). And it has Leia, Han, Luke, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 in it - this is in the middle of Original Trilogy territory.
   On one hand the nostalgia is a good thing. Star Wars set in that period is the most important thing when it comes to getting me interested in Science Fiction in the first place. On the other hand it means this novel has to compete with the memory of a lot of the comics that Marvel published in the 1980s (and that I read in Norwegian translations). Honestly, I think the two cancel eachother out. The nostalgia is balanced with me having read many stories with these characters. I have already seen these characters outside the movies, so while I want to reminisce, I don't want repetition of what I've seen before.

   Wells has written a story that definitely fits in with the feel of 1980s Star Wars. It captures the action-filled Space Adventure vibe that drew me, and many of my friends, into the world of George Lucas & co perfectly.
   When this story starts out, it concern the practical realities around establishing something that will be familiar to fans of the movies. It's a nice hook, and an interesting look behind the scenes - so to speak - of the rebellion against the Empire. In itself that would be something that is interesting, although to many it could become a bit mundane. But this doesn't go that straight path, it very quickly veers off to become a much more action filled and exciting story.

   There's lots to instantly like here. Pirates, battles, betrayals, peril, action, eh...you get the picture (- don't think there's a need for me to sound like an '80s movie trailer). This is fast paced, action filled, with a lot of tension and suspense. Of course there's little suspense as to what will happen with the main characters, most of us have already seen them in two movies set after this. But Wells introduces us to some very interesting new characters that you are never certain where will end up.
   And that isn't the only tension you get in this story. Wells is excellent at getting you close to the action, and feeling the peril the characters are in. Even with the characters from the film you sometimes forget that you know where they are at a later time. Wells pulls you in with writing that makes you live in the moment of the story, and that is a great strength of this novel.

   The characters are important in this story, and of the familiar ones it's Leia Organa that shines the most here. It's good to see her at the forefront of events, and being the one who initiates much of what happens. We get to see Leia in some depth here, and she handles herself very well. Wells manages to show off Her Holiness to great effect and really make her come alive.
   There's also some very interesting new players here, one of them is very much connected to Leia. And that works very well, it means she has someone to play - and show herself off - against. It is also handled well. For me it was in some ways the deciding point of what I felt about the novel. This is something that could have broken this novel for me if it felt artificial, like something put there for the sole purpose of showing off Leia. Fortunately it doesn't. It adds a lot of depth to the story, and raises the stakes. It's the element that lifts this above the average Star Wars Extended Universe story for me.

   All in all this is a great Star Wars story for those that want to reminisce about the days between the end of Star Wars and the beginning of Return of the Jedi. And it is a great place to start for those that wants to know more about the days of the Original Trilogy. It is also a good Space Opera tale in its own right.
   Wells writes great action and adventure set in space, and you don't have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this novel. I can recommend this to anyone who wants a "fun romp" between the stars.

NOTE: I got an e-ARC of this book from the publisher/NetGalley.

REVIEW: Emilie & the Hollow World

STAR WARS REVIEW: Kenobi

LINKS: Martha Wells  Star Wars at Suvudu (Del Rey)

REVIEW: KATYA'S WORLD

 Cover art by Lee Gibbons

KATYA'S WORLD

THE FIRST BOOK OF THE RUSSALKA CHRONICLES

BY

JONATHAN L. HOWARD

ISBN: 978-1-90884-412-5

Pages: 352

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

First published: 6 November 2012

This edition published: 8 November 2012

On the cover:

The distant and unloved colony world of Russalka has no land, only the raging sea. No clear skies, only the endless storm clouds. Beneath the waves, the people live in pressurised environments and take what they need from the boundless ocean. It is a hard life, but it is theirs and they fought a war against Earth to protect it. But wars leave wounds that never quite heal, and secrets that never quite lie silent.

Katya Kuriakova doesn’t care much about ancient history like that, though. She is making her first submarine voyage as crew; the first nice, simple journey of what she expects to be a nice, simple career.

There is nothing nice and simple about the deep black waters of Russalka, however; soon she will encounter pirates and war criminals, see death and tragedy at first hand, and realise that her world’s future lies on the narrowest of knife edges. For in the crushing depths lies a sleeping monster, an abomination of unknown origin, and when it wakes, it will seek out and kill every single person on the planet.

   Howard's world is an interesting one, not because it is a water planet, but because of how society works there. Much of the worldbuilding is done in the prologue, which is essentially a brief history of the planet of Russalka. I really like that approach to avoiding infodumps. It sets up the scene without slowing down the story, and it cuts down on the need for clunky conversations that exist only to impart information in the story. (I wish more writers of SFF would use this approach.)
   Science Fiction worlds that have been colonised but are not fully developed will unavoidably have at least a shade of the American "Old West" feel to them, but here that is absolutely minuscule. Society here is built not on the usual US/Western, or world government that we so often see in Science Fiction, but instead on Russia. This, along with a non-uniform range of settlements and sub-societies, makes the world Howard has created feel far fresher and more original than a quick glance will make it seem.

   This being a Young Adult novel, the heroine is of course a teenager. And Katya being a teenager is in some ways essential to the plot here, the novel would read very differently if she was an adult, and I don't think it would work as well as it does. Katya's portrayal is not in any way unrealistic, considering how she is described as growing up she acts in a way that feels very natural. She doesn't suffer from the "stupid when it serves the story, but super-intelligent when it's called for" disease that many teenage (, and adult for that matter,) characters suffer from. Instead she comes of as a well rounded person that in many ways is not very different from the people you meet in real life.
   The supporting characters in the novel are also well portrayed. They are fully formed human beings, all of them with their own agendas and histories, there's no cardboard cut-outs whose sole purpose is to fill out the scenery.

   The story doesn't waste time, already in the first chapter there's things happening that are not part of the daily routine for the characters involved, and soon after that it becomes very clear that we are in for quite an adventure.
    Once things start to happen they don't take much of a break before you reach the end of the story. There's plenty of action and a lot of suspense throughout, and Howard handles both of those elements very well. Plenty of tension is created by not really having a clue of where the story is headed, although I must admit there were a couple of minor incidents that were a bit predictable. But overall this isn't the sort of novel where all the tension comes from how things are going to happen, the story gives little away and it's not really clear where the story is headed. There's plenty of twists and turns making for a really good read.

   To sum up, this is a great Science Fiction story. It belongs to the Space Opera side of the Science Fiction genre but it doesn't have many implausible elements, making it a good read for anyone who enjoys Science Fiction -whatever their age is.
   Anyone who's come into SFF from Harry Potter and/or The Lord of the Rings shouldn't hesitate to pick this up to discover more of what the Science Fiction side of SFF has to offer.
   For me this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to getting my hands on future installments of Katya's story.

LINKS: Jonathan L. Howard  Strange Chemistry

REVIEW: THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE

Cover by Sarah Coleman

THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE

BY

CASSANDRA ROSE CLARKE

ISBN: 978-1-908844-00-2

Pages: 320

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Published: US/Can/E-book 2 October 2012, UK 4 October 2012

On the cover:

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to another pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. And when Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn’t really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together

To break the curse, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks—all while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic...and the growing romantic tension between them.

   This is a novel that have much in common with Fairy Tales, and its setting is very much reminiscent of A Thousand and One Nights. There's also elements here that are reminiscent of traditional Epic Fantasy. After a beginning that is bound to a single city we are taken on a quest, and this quest blends Epic Fantasy with Fairy Tale in a seamless manner.

   Clarke is very good at getting the Fairy Tale feel of the novel across. It's established early and never lets go as the novel progresses. But these elements don't constrain the novel, and it becomes apparent as the story progresses that it is not a simple Fairy tale re-telling. Instead it is a Fantasy novel that soon takes you on a journey through an interesting landscape.
   I'm always a bit skeptical of the "quest format" of Fantasy, but I needn't have had any worries here. Clarke makes the journey a very interesting one, and the change in scenery as the story progresses makes it a very interesting journey of discovery. From the desert setting of the beginning we are taken to different landscapes that become a great backdrop to this tale.

   Although the story does follow a similar path to other Fantasy novels out there, there is more than enough here that sets it apart, it never feels like it's just following a formula. Clarke's main strength when it comes to the story is making the events that happen along the way unpredictable. Even when you get a sense of where the story is going she manages to get there in ways that were unexpected.
   While the larger through line of the story is interesting enough, there are also many small events here that are really interesting and add to the story a great deal. Clarke is very good at adding great deal of exposition and worldbuilding without bogging the story down. There's lots of little details here that makes the atmosphere of the world in the novel come alive, and that is a world where it is well worth spending some time.

   There's a great deal of magic in the world Clarke has created. And that element of the book is done in a great way. It's certainly not wholly original, but what we are presented with here feels very fresh.
   We do get a good idea of magic's place in this world, and it feels like an integral part of it and not as an afterthought on the author's part. The way magic is done also feels very realistic, which in my opinion is a great strength in a novel like this.

   We also get some very interesting characters here, especially in Ananna - who is also the one telling us this story. Clarke manages to get across early on what type of character Ananna is, and as the novel progresses we get to see her show herself as a well rounded and realistic person. She never become just a vehicle for the story, but stays believable in all she does throughout the story. Ananna does have her flaws, but those only make her become more alive, and they don't make her come off as annoying in any way.

   The other main character, Naji, the assassin, is also very well realised. At first he seems a pretty standard mysterious figure, but as we get to know him better we see that he is much more than that. And despite him not always being the most forthcoming type, he does reveal that he has sides to him that make him feel like he's very much an individual formed by his past.
   We also meet quite a few other supporting characters along the way. Not all of them are as well developed as the main characters, but we do get to know them as more than just extras needed to get the story moving. There's especially one of them that stands out, and I think we may see more to her later. Clarke is very good at getting her characters come alive to the reader. They are interesting, and realistic, and are well worth spending a day with.

   All in all this is a very good Fantasy story. Clarke takes us on a great journey, in very good company. The style the book is told in fits in perfectly with the story and adds to the novel as a whole. The Fairy Tale elements make it a great books for fans of Fantasy based around that, and the quest format makes it worth reading for fans of Epic Fantasy. And it's a novel I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to Fantasy fans of all ages.
   Clarke has managed to create a set of very compelling characters that inhabit a well realised and interesting world. A world it is well worth travelling to.
   I really enjoyed this story, and I can't wait to follow it further in later volumes.

NOTE: An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher.

Links: Cassandra Rose Clarke  Strange Chemistry