Review: Emberclaw

Emberclaw by L.R. Lam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

L.R. Lam returns to the world of Dragonfall for the concluding entry of their duology. I think they were planning to make a trilogy at first, but for many personal reasons, they decided to conclude the series in this book instead. I don’t blame them - they took it very hard when the first book struggled at first in the face of poor online ratings, especially from people who couldn’t accept that book in its unorthodox, multi-POV, queer-normative glory. Luckily B&N picked the book last year as a monthly fantasy selection, and I’m hoping that helped not only Dragonfall find its audience more than ever, but Emberclaw here as well.

Review: Dear Manny

Dear Manny by Nic Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s been quite a while since I read any Nic Stone books, and you can imagine my surprise when I learned that not only was she following up on Dear Martin and Dear Justyce with the promised final novel in the trilogy, but that it would be centered on, of all characters, Jared. Yes, the same entitled white boy who, in the first two books, seemingly could never understand how privileged he was, and how ignorant he was.

Review: The Ragpicker King

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lately, I've seen a number of Jewish readers criticizing this book's publisher, Del Rey, for having also published another fantasy novel whose storyline is heavily reliant on antisemitic tropes and stereotypes: Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos. It's heavily ironic because Podos is herself Jewish, but also staunchly anti-Zionist, and has accused her critics of only coming after her personally because of her stance on Israel and Palestine - which isn't really off base, as I've seen several Jewish readers criticize her for precisely this reason, but also because they perceive her as being ashamed of her Jewish identity and trafficking in "Jews control the money and the world" canards in an effort to appeal to fellow leftists who play up their own brand of antisemitism.

Not being Jewish, I can only be an observer of this debate. But having read Cassandra Clare's latest novel, I feel that she has captured the nature of this kind of internecine conflict best. Of course it's far from a perfect match to the debate over Homegrown Magic, but that sort of debate might very well exist among the Ashkari people in these Chronicles of Castellane.

Review: Platirius: The Rise of Reve

Platirius: The Rise of Reve by D.L. Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

D.L. Hannah’s second novella of Platirius (though far from the last book in this universe; she’s planning at least three distinct story arcs that I know of) sheds a lot of light on Revari’s past to further flesh out her complex character. In her time on Earth, using psychic powers eerily reminiscent of Marissa Meyer’s Lunars, she’s got a pedophile businessman to tear down in a way we all wish could happen to a few other sick, twisted corporate demons in real life - and Hannah, today, brought this up as an example of why she wouldn’t abide any defense of the Australian romance novelist who’s now under arrest for distributing CSA material in a now canceled novel. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as this book dives more deeply into the fraught (to put it mildly) sexual divide between MaleForms who resent no longer having power on this planet, and WomenForms who have long tired of the ways of the patriarchy. Hannah says this book was her favorite to write in the original trilogy, and I can see why. But still my expectations stay high for the third book, which is looking ready to ship sometime next month…

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Review: Sunrise on the Reaping

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Haymitch novel the fans have been clamoring for for years? Or does Collins have a few curveballs up her sleeve?

As it happens, ¿porqué no los dos?

OLD PINECONE GENERAL'S WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK FIRST. GO INTO THE BOOK WITH AS LITTLE KNOWLEDGE AS POSSIBLE.

Review: A Dragon of Black Glass

A Dragon of Black Glass by James Rollins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“‘Such are our roles,’ Rami stated with a tired sigh. ‘To be a shining promise during bleak times.’”

Rollins returns to the world of MoonFall after a two year hiatus, during which time the real world has started riding the express elevator to hell in a handbasket once again, and we absolutely need heroes like Nyx and Kanthe and Rami to steer our course right again.

As with the previous book, Nyx continues her explorations of the farthest reaches of the Urth, searching with a loyal crew for artifacts that could resume the world's lost rotation - and along the way, meeting even more creatures worthy of the Sanderson-esque bestiary, as well as moving cities that feel like a cross between Sanderson's own Sunlit Man and The Mortal Engines. Meanwhile, Kanthe continues to play the Game of Thrones in the Southern Klashe, where Rami is really the only friend he's got, that princely bromance for the ages. (If my buddy Koda ever reads this series, he'll love how much Kanthe and Rami could be friends with some of his own characters.)

Review: Autopsy of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob

Autopsy of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob by Avan Jogia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a teenager, I always wished I could be half as cool as Beck Oliver. His rockstar aesthetic, down to his majority black wardrobe (especially the boots) and dear God did he have perfect hair. I tried to grow my hair long then too, but unfortunately it ended up resembling the wrong Canadian, being more Bieber-style. All that would’ve needed to complete the image of perfection was Beck to finally wise up to how shitty a girlfriend Jade was, and that Tori was a better match. (But then again, I shipped them more on the basis of how attractive they both were, than anything else.)

As an adult, though?

I can empathize more with Jogia’s account of his years of trauma and associated coping mechanisms.