Review | Death Most Definite - Trent Jamieson

Things were rather quiet on the blog front last week, but never fear - posting schedule should be back to normal now (for anyone missing their dose of raving)! Due to the busyness of the last week, reviews for Court of Dreams and The Darkening Dream are going to be pushed forwards a little, and today will be a slightly older read: as you've almost certainly guessed from the whopping great picture (and the title), Death Most Definite.

An Urban Fantasy set in Australia, Death Most Definite takes as its hero one Steven de Selby, a psychopomp in the family industry: death. Under the Regional Manager of Mortmax Industries, Mr D, Steven pomps the dead into their afterlife: but now someone is murdering his family and fellow pomps, Mr D is missing, and Steven is next. In fact, he would have been out of the game already if not for one Lissa, a dead girl who's just saved his life. And now both are on the run...

I likely expected too much from Death Most Definite, to be honest: it's been compared to The Dresden Files in the past, so I anticipated a sort of cross between Harry Dresden and Johannes Cabal, two of my favourite UF protagonists. Unfortunately, the resulting novel subverted said expectations - immensely.

Steven de Selby is a likeable protagonist, but the problem is that he's passive. He spends almost the entire novel responding to the actions of the antagonists - and by 'responding', you've probably guessed that I mean 'dashing for his life'. I'm not a fan of that: yes, Harry Dresden is fun when he's fleeing, but would you want an entire book of it? I think not. What's fun is when heroes stop responding, when they begin to act on their own; do something surprising and surprisingly awesome. Steven's relationship with Lissa was - to me - similarly unconvincing. She's a much more interesting character, but I honestly couldn't see the depth of the connection that the author was pushing us to accept. Perhaps I'm just inept at detecting these hints. But honestly, I think this felt like a superfluous element, or one that should have been developed more subtly than continuous mentions of Steven's attraction to her. We got it the first time...

And besides, she's dead. Which makes it just a tad disturbing in context.

I was also a tad underwhelmed by the psychopomps' abilities. In urban fantasy, the expectation is that the supernatural will be toned down from - say - epic fantasy, and there will be more combination of magic and technology. It's part of what I enjoy about a subgenre I rarely used to read. In Death Most Definite, on the other hand, the abilities weren't so much subtle as disappointing: psychopomps can touch souls to send them into the afterlife, and can stop reanimated bodies by touching them with a pomp's blood - along with a couple of peripheral abilities. And to me, because they're always used in the same way, that got tedious fast.

See Stirrer ---> Make small cut ---> Wrestle ---> Slap with blood

As the only component of the supernatural, it's underwhelming: although the environment of the afterlife I did like, as an impressively neutral, bleak end.

This isn't to say that Death Most Definite was all bad - the worst that can be said is that it is bland. It's still a relatively enjoyable read. It's fast-paced, occasionally dramatic, and does have some rather nice twists. If you're into urban fantasy, this might well be worth a read, but not as a first choice. As a rainy afternoon novel, though, it's fine.

Worldbuilding | Video from Open Road Media and Some Thoughts

Open Road Media, who are rereleasing some classic fantasy titles as ebooks (one of which I reviewed here - Patricia C. Wrede's Caught in Crystal), have released this video on worldbuilding: featuring Barbara Hambly, Alan Dean Foster, and of course Wrede's own take on the subject. It's relatively short - so naturally, there's no excuse for not watching it below!

Surpassing Conventions | ... Back From The Grave

The article, not the trope - because I'll once more be running a couple of surpassed conventions on the blog. Those who missed this series of articles last time might be wondering exactly what I'm on about - so for you, an explanation! There are certain features of novels which are considered overused: cliche, stereotype, or simply too typical - and this feature is to name those which we enjoy despite it. Whether it's because the feature in question is justified (for example, magic glows in The Stormlight Archive because it's stormlight - captured and rereleased), subverted (as with Aliette de Bodard's Obsidian and Blood series), or simply driven up to such a scale that it's fun despite its previous use. Whatever the reasons, Surpassing Expectations is dedicated to finding the novels which do this with specific tropes - so if you have one, don't hesitate to recommend in the comments.

So, without further ado: the overused.

Token Human Sacrifice Civilisation

Maybe the term I'm using is a little vague, but we've all seen them: a slight detour to a location, generally tropical, where the native people, generally Aztec-based, sacrifice visitors by the boatload. And it's boring. Not only is it overused, it's trite and simplistic: in only one or two cases has the civilisation in question turned out to have anything else to it than the flowchart of:      Find visitor -> Rip out beating heart -> Repeat

 And this stereotyped version of the Aztecs has coloured our own perceptions, which means the series in question - Aliette de Bodard's Obsidian and Blood - is even more welcome. As its civilisation, it takes a historical fantasy version of the actual Aztecs - not their Fantasyland counterparts. Which is rather wonderful! The sacrifices are justified, at least to them: in this historical fantasy, their gods do exist, and both appeasement and magic requires blood. Becoming a sacifice is even honourable for captured warriors, and human sacrifices are far rarer than their flanderised counterparts. Furthermore, this is the least part of their civilisation - which comes with (shock! Horror!) customs and traditions which don't involve casual homicide. 

Talking of homicide, the stories involve an Aztec priest of death solving mysteries. What's not to love?

Amnesia

Not so much a cliche as an overused plot device, amnesia is nonetheless a staple of fantasy. Thankfully, it's become less so, but it can be done well. Do I have an example for that? Why, coincidentially, I do... Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber, and specifically the first novel of that series. Corwin wakes up amnesiac in a hospital in New York. So far, so typical. What surpasses reader expectations is what he does with it: far from playing the typical amnesiac and attempting to regain his memories, Corwin bluffs that he possesses them, among people whose loyalties and histories are uncertain. And somehow, it works... And turns out a great deal of fun. If you haven't read Zelazny, he's a classic fantasy writer, and is well worth the investment.

And what of your own? (Be sure to check out the previous posts in this series if you're interested- which you can find by clicking the 'Surpassing Conventions' tag below)

Links and Opinion | Hugo Awards and Scrutinising SFF Sexism

...Yes, I am fond of alliterating. Why do you ask?

It's been a busy week on the internet - and by this, I mean the SFF-related portions of it. Yesterday Stefan Raets, blogger at Far Beyond Reality, wrote an excellent article on the Hugo Awards -and the proposed rule changes which could make blogs ineligible for the 'Best Fanzine' award. And like him, I'd thoroughly encourage you all both to read the article (which is worthwhile in itself, and raises some excellent point - as does Cheryl's response in the comments) and to nominate bloggers for the award itself. No, that isn't personal interest you see! (Drying Ink is nowhere near that kind of standard) Rather, it's a desire to see great bloggers, as well as print media, continue to get the acclaim they deserve - and believe me, there are blogs out there that well deserve this sort of award. No doubt you can name a few yourself, so if you have registered for Chicon: why not nominate a few?

[Regarding the sexism argument: my article came off badly - though it was not intended so, and I detest internet arguments. I do read widely, as readers of my blog will likely know, and writing a post while half asleep is never (well, rarely) a good idea. I hope people will understand that I merely wished to remind people that reviewers look at content, not gender, and many can only reflect the publication proportions of the stories they read. That's all, and I hope my readers will forgive a previously stupid sounding post.]

Hunger Games Readalong | Chapter 20

In recent years, The Hunger Games and its sequels have received more than their fair share of hype - and naturally, as a reviewer, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I first read The Hunger Games back in January, and enjoyed it: so signed up for the readalong, for which (as have been noticeable hints!) this is my post. The readalong is hosted by Larissa over at The Howling Turtle, so you can find the rest of the post links there. For those of you who haven't yet read the novel - beware of spoilers. Big, big spoilers of enormous magnitude.

So, without further ado, the post.

Chapter 20 was a mixed read on my initial venture into the world of the Hunger Games trilogy: on the one hand, one of my favouite moments (for reasons which will soon become apparent), but on the other - the fake romance.

Chapter 20 essentially consists of Katniss nursing Peeta, whose wounds at this point are preety terrible - and as she discovers, due to blood poisoning, lethal. The lethality of the Games themselves are emphasised: as is the impossibility of getting the necessary medication from the sponsors. The scene continues with a side order of romance - and while I enjoy Peeta and Katniss' banter, much is obviously put on for the cameras as the popular star crossed lovers routine. Which, of course, comes off a little cloying (and at times, intentionally so). But that's just a pet peeve...

However, my opinion of the chapter then shot up - along with the newfound impossible situation, an impossible solution. An announcement is made that the organisers have set up a feast, the Cornucopia containing objects which each player needs... Inevitably, medication for Peeta. Peeta, however, refuses to let Katniss go. And so, of course, comes one of my favourite moments. Haymitch sends another package. This time, sleep syrup - which Katniss uses to drug Peeta and depart. While some readers might not enjoy that moment, I like it: the Hunger Games are about ruthless necessity, it's what we expected - and of course, it's nicely devious.

A fun chapter - if a little overly romantic for us non-fans of that element - Chapter 20 begins the uphill struggle to the finish line: and while I did not by any means find The Hunger Games perfect, it is by all means a great YA read.

Review | Roil - Trent Jamieson

Not just touching on the steampunk aesthetic, but diving into the subgenre itself, Roil is an interesting tale of a world on the edge. Like Mark C. Newton's Legends of the Red Sun sequence, Roil could convincingly be described as transformative fantasy: although there are tantalising hints otherwise, the titular Roil may well be a natural phenomenon, which humanity is struggling against.

Roil is set on the land, or world, of Shale - one threatened by the aforementioned region. The Roil is an uncontrollably spreading environment: hosting its own temperature (hotter), spores, creatures, and even mind - or minds. As I mentioned, it's more than a little mysterious. And as the first novel of a series, Roil raises more questions than it answers - what else do you expect? The Roil has consumed many of the human cities, but at last, there seems to be a hint at a solution: the I-bombs. Developed by the Penn family, these seem capable of reclaiming entire regions of the Roil - but just as they are successfully tested, the Roil claims the city, leaving only the Penns' daughter, Margaret. And with no blueprints... David, meanwhile, is an addict to a fantastical drug: Carnival. When his father is murdered by his political opponents, David is rescued by Cadell, a man who is older than he seems. If we trust his word, 4000 years older... And both, driven by both the encroaching Roil and the manipulative Stade, find themselves embroiled in humanity's truggle against the titular advance, and Cadell's hints at a solution.

Shale gets a great deal of credit, here, for an imaginative design. And some very superior worldbuilding. The Roil is a convincingly overpowering threat - how do you stop an environment which spreads itself with heat and spores? As it turns out, cold. Humanity has turned to endothermic weapons to harm the Roil's creations: ice walls, guns firing cold, and even temperature-reducing pills. The rest of the technology is similarly fun: Aerokin, semi-biological (and living) airships, for one! As my mantra goes, who doesn't love airships? This is a thoroughly alien world - imaginatively built, and a joy to explore.

While I enjoyed Cadell's point that David was not a 'chosen one' - because the world simply doesn't work that way - I can't help feeling that as a protagonist, he had similar problems to those chosen by destiny in some way. in a word? Passivity. As a character, Devid is not proactive. His behaviour is largely responsive through the novel, and though he does experience development - growing from a fixated addict to someone genuinely capable of some rather awesome achievements (which I'll keep quiet about) - he is always driven by the plot, not the other way around. Cadell might be a mentor character, but he's by far the more interesting of the pair. By contrast, Margaret Penn is a more proactive character - but gets a far lesser role.

Roil is, however, an interesting read. As the first book of a series, it hints at some tantalising future revelations: sentient weapons, the plans of the Roil, and secret histories - and its sequel would be worth reading just for that. Nevertheless, there's more to this novel than simply worldbuilding: some of the later action scenes are spectacular (and the second half of the novel is superior as a whole), David develops considerably and should be of far more merit as protagonist in the following book, and the Roil is a genuinely interesting opponent: an environment. I would recommend Roil, despite a passive main protagonist, but with caveats: if you want resolution rather than hints, wait for a sequel - and be prepared to read through a slow start before the action gets going.


Find it here: UK US


And my new article's up on Fantasy Faction, where I'm a staff member: this time, on novellas, and why they're coming back.

Just for Fun | Blogger Tag

...But before I explain just what that esoteric game is, I'd just like to point readers in the direction of a great new blog that you really should be reading: Far Beyond Reality. Despite Stefan's quasi-heretical apathy towards steampunk (I mean, who doesn't like airships? - to quote my most frequent mantra in any steampunkish review), he's got some great articles up there, including the 50 Page Fridays. I thoroughly recommend any fans of Drying Ink check it out.

And now, onto the blogger tag. Naturally, this post is just for fun - so don't expect a review at the end of the rainbow rant. Anyway, I've kindly been tagged by the Little Red Reviewer (who you should also check out - but since she's been on my blogroll for an eternity, you probably have already!) which means that not only do I get removed from the hit-list, but I have to answer some slightly nifty questions below. And then, of course, tag some others... So, here goes!