WITCH

Review of WITCH by MARIE BRENNAN

(second in the DOPPELGANGER duology)

Disclaimer: If you haven't read WARRIOR, don't read this review. Major spoilers about the first book in the duology.

I've actually read both WARRIOR and WITCH before. I usually never re-read books, but I make exceptions for some of my favorite books read pre-blogging days. (It seems a shame for a fantastic book to miss out on a glowing review, because I read it before 2011.) Most of the time when I re-read books for my blog, it reminds me why I don't usually re-read: everything's too predictable (well, I know what happens!) and I rarely feel a book as much the second time around. WITCH turned out to be a delightful exception. I forgot most of the major plot twists and said twists both surprised and affected me like I was reading them for the first time. (Granted, this could just as easily be a negative comment on my memory as a positive comment about the book.)

Here comes the spoiler part. As those of you who read WARRIOR know, the first book in the duology concluded with the revelation that a witch and her doppelganger can be joined into one person, information that challenges much of what witches have believed and, following on the heels of those beliefs, done for decades. WITCH opens on a character both new and old: Mirei, who was once two people - the hunter Mirage and the witch Miryo - before the ritual reunited them into one body. Brennan has set herself quite the writerly task here! How can two people now be one person? Read the book and Brennan will show you! Mirei is masterfully characterized with evident traits and habits stemming from both her Mirage and Miryo halves as well as an underlying, understandable tension when two very different parts of their separate personalities clash in their now combined psyche. (One example: Mirage would never hesitate to kill someone who stands between her and her goal while Miryo values human life even if letting a certain someone live could be her own downfall. What, then, will Mirei do?) Not only is Mirei an interesting character on her own, but her unusual circumstance creates fun, complex dynamics with friends of both Mirage and Miryo, who often notice something off about Mirei before learning exactly what.

As WARRIOR established, when a woman gives birth to a witch she has a doppelganger as well. Usually these doppelgangers are killed at birth so magic will flow into the witch without any confusion. If the doppelganger lives (which happens occasionally, most likely when someone balks at killing an infant and secrets her away), the witch will eventually need to kill the other half herself or else her magic will grow confused between the two bodies and lead to devastating magical damage. All that was before Miryo and Mirage. Though very different young women, they certainly shared at least one common trait: a reluctance to simply accept the norm. Through conviction and determination, they discovered that the doppelganger is not a harmful interloper standing between a witch and her magic. She's part of the witch. Following their instincts, they managed to reunite themselves in one body. Of course, this sends emotional and, by extension, political waves through the witch community. Mirei upturns everything witches have ever believed and, if her interpretations of magic prove correct, that means witches have been making many grave errors for a very, very long time. Some witches want to accept their mistakes, study these new revelations, and embrace the changes that will undoubtedly follow. Others resist, violently. In essence, a civil war breaks out among the witch community, all over Mirei: what she is, what she represents, what she means, what to do with her. 

Brennan doesn't go easy on her characters. She throws not one but many hard choices at every character. That's part of the appeal. When decisions feel too easy, when I know exactly what I would do without a doubt, I struggle to invest in the character: either she makes the obvious decision or she risks seeming stupid. However, when I can't begin to imagine how I would handle the character's troubles - oh, that's the real fun! Though Brennan never overloads her reader with more information than necessary, she does plop us down in a fleshed out world with a realistic mess of tangled politics and no easy solutions.

I also adore that, in this world, magic is innovative, like science. Witches think they know how magic works, until new evidence emerges and proves how little they really know. Innovative magic is a common theme in my own writing and I love seeing it in the books I read. It always seems a little too easy, by my logic, to give humans a rule book about how magic works. We're constantly amending every human rule book in existence: why should magic be a static exception? All these rules books (whether we're talking real or fictional) gradually change over time, but when they change closer to overnight the resulting confusion and disorientation can wreck havoc (again, in both reality and fiction!) I'm glad I read this one again, because I forgot how much I really do love this duology!

LABYRINTH

Review of LABYRINTH by KATE MOSSE

This thick book requires a commitment, but rewards with a brilliant end. I read LABYRINTH for the first time back in my freshman year of college. It took me months and over three quarters of the novel before I felt ensnared by the story, but it became a favorite by the time I finished and earned a spot on my "re-read to review" list. Needless to say, there's an extremely slow build. This story could easily be much shorter, though the length adds its own atmospheric benefits. The characters and historical detail held my attention enough that I kept plugging along, but the pace only breaks into a sprint around the last quarter or so, building towards a fantastic, well-plotted conclusion.

LABYRINTH follows two alternating story lines: in the summer of 2005, Alice makes a strange discovery on an archaeological dig while back in the 13th century, Alais inherits a monumental responsibility. I enjoyed the historical storyline far more than the modern one and found my attention waned easier during Alice's chunks. Mosse's obviously extensive research impressed me, though thankfully she demonstrates restraint and doesn't bog the reader down in unnecessary historical detail. While the book switches between the past and present storylines, these aren't frequent switches by any means. There's a large chunk of each story before returning to the other, a trend that makes investing in the characters much easier but proves annoying if either chunk ends on any species of question mark or cliffhanger. Near the end, these switches also increase in frequency, adding to that building pace.

Two stylistic writing elements distracted me at times: an abundance of passive voice and the switching between present and past tense. (If you're not much of a grammar nerd and don't write yourself, most likely you won't even notice these things.) Near the beginning in particular, before the story had my full attention, I noticed passive voice in nearly every single sentence. As for the present tense, the switching between past and present didn’t throw me as much as the use of present at all. Mosse uses present tense for the present storyline and past for the past. While there's a certain logic to that approach, somehow present tense struck me as awkward for this particular book, enough so that it kept throwing me out of the story. It should be said, though, that I only noticed these aspects on my second reading. In between readings, I only remembered a haunting, spectacular ending and not a thing about passive voice or present tense.

Really, this whole hefty book is worth the investment because the story rounds a corner to a marvelous, memorable ending. Forgive the worn metaphor, but the denouement calls to mind the satisfying snick of a final puzzle piece finding its place.

SCENT OF MAGIC

Review of SCENT OF MAGIC by MARIA V. SNYDER

(second in the HEALER trilogy)

I loooved the first book in this series. While I did have some nitpicky complaints, I found TOUCH OF POWER addictive and compelling. Unfortunately, SCENT OF MAGIC feels far too much a middle book in a trilogy than a book in its own right. I still have high hopes for the final book in the HEALER trilogy, but I found many annoyances with this middle installment.

The book does pick up pace in the last third, but the first two thirds involve excessive downtime and much musing on the inevitable, impending battle with Tohon. Confrontations don't start occurring until that last third, though everything happens faster then. In addition, new characters never really distinguish themselves and the politics and military strategy often seem lacking in logic and rather arbitrary. Avry also feels more unfocused to me now; TOUCH OF POWER made me feel I had a good sense of her character - her priorities, morals, values, etc. - but sometimes her thoughts or actions in SCENT OF MAGIC made me feel like I don't know her at all. Last, Avry's victory at the end struck me as far too easy: it's won more by stupidity on the part of a villain than through her own strengths.

When I looked at my list of criticisms versus praise I hesitated to review this book, but the truth is that I did enjoy SCENT OF MAGIC. After some thought, I realized I keep trying to review it like it's great literature and by that measure it falls short of my expectations. However, it's fantastic fluff/entertainment reading that held my attention, even at slower parts, and I intend to finish the series. I believe Snyder's building towards a much better third and final book and the end of SCENT OF MAGIC certainly sets up a unique final conflict.

Random Acts of Reading - Mother's Day Suggestions

I'm a guest blogger for Random House's blog - Random Acts of Reading. Click here to check out this month's post about books we recommend for Mother's Day.

THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD

Review of THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD by JEANNE DUPRAU

(fourth BOOK OF EMBER)

The first two BOOKS OF EMBER followed Lina and Doon and then the third backtracked, serving as a prequel with a new cast. For the fourth book, we return to familiar characters. The two towns decided to work together at the end of THE PEOPLE OF SPARKS. Now, in THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD, Doon has reason to believe they missed an essential mystery on their way out of Ember, so he and Lina head back towards their abandoned cave city.

I've enjoyed all the books in this series, but none held my attention like the first. There's that "putdownable" quality. (A word that only exists among avid readers.) I found myself happily returning to the latter three books, but only THE CITY OF EMBER kept calling me back from other tasks.

Some characters in DIAMOND feel a little caricature, but Lina and Doon (among others) always stand out as believable people and keep me invested. Mostly, I'm thinking of the Troggs right now. An imaginative reader can fill in convincing backstories, mindsets, motivations, etc., but from what appears in the book they didn't satisfy me.

While the whole story's entertaining, I particularly loved the ending. DuPrau not only resolves the mystery of the diamond, but concludes this series with the perfect note and tone.

THE DIVINERS

Review of THE DIVINERS by LIBBA BRAY
(first in THE DIVINERS quartet, review based on an advance reading copy)

This one hid on my maybe-read list for a long time. I loved Bray's GEMMA DOYLE trilogy, but the premise of THE DIVINERS didn't appeal to me. I worried the book simply wouldn't be to my taste. I've never been "into" the flapper era, serial killer plots, or this type of magic (a good adjective alludes me, but “diviners” gives an idea). However, I've always believed that when a book's really well-written it doesn't matter if it's what you usually read or like. The catch, of course, is deciding what's worth your time with so many great books out there - how often do you go with ones you know you'll love versus take a chance on something you might not like? While that's a question for another day, I took a chance on THE DIVINERS and the book rewarded me with a captivating story.

Mind you, the story didn't hook me immediately. As I expected, the plot's draped in trappings that don't overlap with my usual interests. I enjoyed the book from page one, but it wasn't until the core of the story emerged and the characters won me over that my skepticism flipped into adoration - I'm talking a good chunk of pages and chapters.

The pace feels both slow and not at the same time. Most of the book builds towards the inevitable climax, but every moment's still enjoyable. Both the short chapters and dynamic, varied characters also counteract any sluggish feeling to the plot. Though thick, the fantastic writing makes THE DIVINERS an easy, natural read.

Bray clearly did some intensive research for this one! There's a lot of slang, among many other details, frequently reminding us we're in a different time period. In general, the writing's very atmospheric. Overall I cherished that fact, but sometimes the description grew a bit long-winded. A perfect example would be near the end of the very first chapter when two pages describe the wind.

THE DIVINERS has that recent YA staple, the love triangle. In fact, it might be more a love square. Regardless, the romance doesn't hijack the story and each individual relationship develops satisfyingly slow so I understood and felt the emotional shift.

I confess the moment of victory near the end struck me as too easy not to mention somewhat forced. That aside, what an adrenaline-pumping showdown! With so many lead characters, I feared some of them might be expendable in the writer's mind, making the danger all the more pronounced. There's not one character here whose death I wouldn't mourn.

Add THE DIVINERS to my growing list of "first-book-in-a-series-disguised-as-a-standalone." I know now, thanks to Locus magazine, that THE DIVINERS is the first in a quartet, but I didn't realize that until after finishing this book. Bray found a more satisfying conclusion than I expected, but it's still very obviously a series with much left unresolved. However, it's not at all obvious where the next book will go from this point, so I look forward to some surprises there.

THE ARCHIVED

Review of THE ARCHIVED by VICTORIA SCHWAB
(first in THE ARCHIVED series, review based on advance reading copy)

I bet it won't surprise you to say I have a thing for books, libraries, reading, etc. So I also have a thing for book-focused fiction, whether there's a bibliophile character, lots of people reading, a bookstore or library tied into the plot, or - my favorite - a book-related magic system. THE ARCHIVED falls into the latter category, using books as metaphors for death and afterlife. When someone dies, they become a History shelved in The Archive while people like sixteen-year-old Mac work capturing and returning Histories that awaken.

There's a slow build, though Schwab makes every moment enjoyable. As much as the first third feels far more world-building than plot focused with only a subtle tingling sense of something unusual. In fact, most of the story avoids a clear front and center conflict. Rather a handful of odd, suspicious, and problematic developments pop up in such a manner that you don't know where to watch for the explosion.

While slow, that first third's also very character-centric, always a big plus in my mind. I love Mac's character: self-destructive but understandable. As if the "library of the dead" premise isn't intriguing enough, Mac has lost not one but two of the most important people in her life: her grandfather (who handed this responsibility down to her) and her little brother. Obviously, those deaths make her Archive work much more personal. Through much of the book, Mac battles torn loyalties between her work and her brother, often asking senior staff members to let her sit by his History.

I found the writing superb, the kind that fades back rather than steals focus from the story. Only one minor element threw me out. At one point, Mac refers to her father as a ghost. I reeled from this twist only to realize a few paragraphs later that she meant a metaphorical ghost, someone figuratively drained of life and passion. Probably a metaphor that would do better in a book that didn't have real ghosts! Of course, I'm mostly mentioning this because that's the one word choice that distracted me.

As much as it fascinated me, the magic system wasn't quite as clear and defined as I wanted. Schwab takes the immersion approach of plopping the reader down into Mac's world and letting them pick up how things seem to work without any info dumps. However, I'm often willing to forgive the odd info dump if it tells me something I really want to know, especially if it's well-handled. (Dump has a negative connotation, but I do think info dumps can be well-written.) Even after finishing the book, I don't feel like I 100% grasp how The Archive and Histories, etc. work.

As I've said, Schwab layers and intertwines so many smaller conflicts that you don't know where to watch for the explosion...and there is indeed an explosive end when everything crashes together in an abruptly breathtaking pace and high stakes climax. I loved those dramatic chapters, but the story doesn't wrap up that well afterwards. It builds to a chaotic, crazy ending and then winds down far too fast from so much commotion. Also this is another first in a series that makes no mention of such fact. The end definitely reads as one piece in a greater story without much significant resolution. Nevertheless, I have high hopes for the rest of the series and can't read to read the next one!