Winter Rose - Patricia A McKillip

"Sorrow and trouble and bitterness will bound you and yours and the
children of yours...

Some said the dying words of Nial Lynn, murdered by his own son, were a wicked curse. To others, it was a winter's tale spun by firelight on cold, dark nights. But when Corbet Lynn came to rebuild his family estate, memories of his grandfather's curse were rekindled by young and old - and rumours filled the heavy air of summer.

In the woods that border Lynn Hall, free-spirited Rois Melior roams wild and barefooted in search of healing herbs. She is as hopelessly unbridled - and unsuited for marriage - as her betrothed sister Laurel is domestic. In Corbet's pale green eyes, Rois senses a desperate longing. In her restless dreams, mixed with the heady warmth of harvest wine, she hears him beckon. And as autumn gold fades, Rois is consumed with Corbet Lynn, obsessed with his secret past - until, across the frozen countryside and in flight from her own imagination, truth and dreams become inseparable..."

This was my first McKillip book, and I'm just a little disappointed actually. From the first pages, I thought it was going to be a combination of beautiful writing, fantasy with a solid plot and well developed characters. I'm afraid it only delivered the beautiful writing, and couldn't just hook me to the rest of the story.
It's a very slow going book, with lots of descriptions, and atmosphere. Which is absolutely fine if well executed, but there should have been a bit more balance for a more plot or better set up for fantastical elements.

However it could be argued that is sparseness in characterisation and plot was a literary choice on McKillip's part. The book does feel exactly like an old fairy-tale your mother would tell you. Simple, beautiful and slightly incomprehensible. If you just relax into the book and don't try to understand it, I think it would improve your reading experience. 

There is much to admire in this book: some beautifully lyrical, poetic writing, especially of dreams and visions and mysterious moments of two worlds intermingling. But ultimately it is undermined by a climax that remains too elusive, abstract and muddy (featuring dialogue that suddenly becomes jarringly melodramatic) and a general feeling that the poetic prose is keeping the emotional heart of the story at arms’ length.

I am still interested in reading more of Patrica A. McKillip’s work, since she is clearly gifted, has a rich imagination and the ability to paint beautiful pictures with her words. Her focus on fairy-tale and folklore, while keeping much of the traditional style of the old stories, is also right up my street. 

Age Rating 13+. Nothing untoward. An illusion to child abuse. Might struggle with comprehension but hey so did I. 

Native Tongue (#1) - Suzette Haden Elgin

"Set in the twenty-second century, the novel tells of a world where

women are once again property, denied civil rights and banned from public life. Earth's wealth depends on interplanetary commerce with alien races, and linguists--a small, clannish group of families--have become the ruling elite by controlling all interplanetary communication. Their women are used to breed perfect translators for all the galaxies' languages.

Nazareth Chornyak, the most talented linguist of the family, is exhausted by her constant work translating for trade organizations, supervising the children's language education, running the compound, and caring for the elderly men. She longs to retire to the Barren House, where women past childbearing age knit, chat, and wait to die. What Nazareth comes to discover is that a slow revolution is going on in the Barren Houses: there, word by word, women are creating a language of their own to free them from men's control."

An amazing, amazing concept that I was so excited to see explored in this speculative fiction. As someone that loves learning, and learning about languages, this book sounded right up my alley. It was full of amazing ideas (the creation of a secret language for women who have been oppressed).The standpoint on language reminds me a lot of 1984 and the Newspeak dictionary, the idea that taking away words for certain concepts or creating/encoding words for others can change the way people think and behave and affect whether they have the capacity to rebel against an authoritarian regime. But, it lacked several things, in my opinion, that prevented it from living up to the proclamation: "feminist science fiction classic."

One of those things was characterization. The first one hundred or so pages in the book had no distinct character for the reader to engage with. There are several plot points expounded in male points of view that readers are supposed to be disgusted by (and are disgusted by!. There is one storyline involving a woman, lacking any real depth, killing out of revenge; and then, there is the mention of some other characters who may be important later. That's it.

In my opinion, having no characters with any emotional depth for the reader to latch onto was a serious flaw. It made the pace slow, and frustrated my sense of who or what to believe in in this story.

Another problem I had with this book was the "good guys/bad guys" dichotomy applied by the author. It's simple: All women are good (even the one lady who systematically kills people), all men are bad (even the one guy who appeared to treat a female character like she was equal in intellect and status). I, personally, don't like my contemporary fiction to be so black/white. It is boring, and it is not believable. It narrows the reader's frame of mind and ability to objectively engage with the work. 

Another serious issue I had with this book is the underutilisation of the Aliens. For a book prominently featuring the idea of communication with aliens, it's quite disappointing that there is not one single alien character developed. We don't know how a single alien thinks; what their cultures want, or how or why they are sending representatives to Earth to teach babies their languages. None do any interacting with any of the characters. I thought that the women could learn for the aliens, realise how strange and awful their society was through contact with others. Big missed opportunity....

The final problem that I had with the book was this - the notion that women should have their own language in the first place. Don't get me wrong! I love imagining the subversive power that a secret language has for the oppressed secondary citizen! It was wonderfully done, and very inspiring! But...Elgin, and by extension, her characters, believe that one's native language creates one's reality - how one perceives the world (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis), and allowing the women in this story to create and use their OWN language will change their reality. I am all for the exploration of that notion. 

The problem with all this is that Elgin really believes - IN REAL LIFE - that women should have a language separate from men. And - in doing so - that we would be essentially better off as separate from them altogether? She believes there are things one can experience as a woman that men could not possibly conceive of. We-ellllllll....I have to disagree. I thought that the language would allow the women to communicate freely, feel autonomy and potentially start a rebellion. Kind of like a women strike. But for the concept that men and women should be permanently separated feels like a terribly cynical view. Misogyny is taught, not inherent. Men can be taught differently. 

Age Rating 16+ Lot of sex references, murder, and infant mortality. 

The Sisters Grimm - Menna Van Praag

"Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an
army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths.

To realize their full potential, the sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. 

They have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love."

The concept for this story is fantastic, fallen star soldiers, elemental sisters, dreamscapes and misty Cambridge nights.  Unfortunately we are never given enough explanation to make the story understood. As a matter of fact, a lot of things are not explained at all. This leaves the world feeling flat. 

I also found myself disappointed. When I pick up a book with Grimm in the title, I have fairy tales, red hoods and thick German forests come to mind. However we get nothing that even closely resembles anything thing to do with Grimm other than Liyana occasionally likening her sisters to fairy-tale characters. 

Sisters Hecate would have made more sense. 

And as for Wilhelm Grimm... I am still confused as to his character. Is this one of the Grimm brothers turned demon (somehow?), or is this a demon/devil who happens to be named Grimm and commands all of these girls who have something to do with fairy tales? His existence, as is the brief and repetitive view that we get of Everwhere, are not expanded enough for me to feel any impact from this character or setting.

Unfortunately this disassociation from the characters was also true for the girls. I felt very little for them. I think it was due to the constant POV change, as soon as I was really getting to know them I was whisked away. I also have a small gripe that kept on dragging me out of the story. All of this girls are supposedly 17, about to turn 18. That's a large plot point. But they all act well into their 20s? Bea is studying at Cambridge and is having an affair with her Teacher?? I mean... really ...at 17?? Goldie as well is still a minor, yet is the sole guardian to her brother yet they never comment on having to hide that fact to avoid child services. All the girls have sex like bunnies with seemingly grown ass adult men, I mean. It was just really odd to me.

The plot style is definitely up to preference. It moved and unfurled achingly slowly. All of the action is crammed into the last chapter, with the sisters only meeting right at the end. Throughout this novel, I felt that I was ambivalently moving along while waiting for action to jump into the moment, any moment, and save the day. It never really does. The constant jumping back and forth from past to present without any Then vs Now made for an uneven, bumpy switch in narrative.

When we eventually get some action, the sisters defeat of their father is lacklustre and unbelievable. These girls have a spark of magic that grows and forms mostly in dreams, and suddenly it is all re-awoken, embraced and used so very knowledgeably.

I would have really enjoyed this novel if it had been longer, the girls meet in the middle of the book and started training then, and there was way more world building. 

The writing itself is very good, and I am thankful for it.  I would be interested to pick something else up by this author, purely from the writing and unique concepts. But I was far too confused in things that I wanted more understanding of, as well as lacking any real investment in the characters and the pace at which they moved, to be fully immersed and enjoy the tale.

Age Rating 16+. Sex, sexual abuse of minors, murder. 

The Queen of Nothing (#3)- Holly Black

"Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude
learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…"

Was this series the most perfectly-plotted? The most unique? Did it break any new ground? No to all of the above. But I read every page of this with my heart pounding and a lump in my throat-- how many perfectly-plotted, unique and ground-breaking books can I say that about? These series really has been a wonderfully guilty pleasure. 

I was waiting with baited breath to see how Holly Black finished this series, especially with Wicked King being on top form. The Queen of Nothing was...not that. Don't get me wrong, I ate it up. It was fantastic. But it did not quite compare to what came before. 

I think I can tell you exactly why: the book was too short. All three books were very fast-paced. That's part of their magic. They don't give you time to breathe. But with this one I often wished Holly would slow down, focus more on the details, set the scene, make me feel the atmosphere and tension. I fear that that's why a certain character literally fell victim to negligence. I did not wait two books for Locke to die a very painful death for him to just die between two books without me being able to witness it. I deserved that. Taryn, too, never actually receives the absolution or punishment she needed. She was this complex, unpredictable character. Until she wasn't. She became nice, docile even. Her character arc was thrown out of the window.

I felt that Jude, someone who's entire character and character arch has been about revenge becomes far too forgiving. Madoc may have been punished but in a very unpunished way. I wanted someone to suffer! I wanted Jude to her usual brutal self. 

I also needed more of Jude and Cardan's relationship; they went from supposed enemies to sleeping together seemingly out of the blue, then the main event happened and then the super cheesy ending. Not much was shown in  how their relationship is actually going to work. These two characters that have been supressing their love and struggling with extreme guilt about their attraction to each other now are going to be a cutesy normal couple. Jude, a brutal vengeful solider and Carden, the most debauched and cruel Fae?? Really?

These books have been a guilty pleasure for me and I have been imagining so many wonderful and awful ways it could end. I wasn't disappointed. It was thrilling, and mostly satisfying. There where areas that I had issues with and I do feel that it lacked the emotional impact or nuance that the other books did. However, saying that I did thoroughly enjoy it. 

Age Rating 16+. Sex, death and torture. 

The War for the Oaks - Emma Bull

"Eddi McCandry sings rock and roll. But she's breaking up with her boyfriend, her band just broke up, and life could hardly be worse. Then, walking home through downtown Minneapolis on a dark night, she finds herself drafted into an invisible war between the faerie folk. Now, more than her own survival is at risk—and her own preferences, musical and personal, are very much beside the point.

By turns tough and lyrical, fabulous and down-to-earth, War for the Oaks is a fantasy novel that's as much about this world as about the other one."

I had high hopes for this book. It sounds like it should be just up my street...however...it was OK, just OK. The narration is somewhat annoying occasionally, which makes the characters somewhat annoying, but the action sequences make up for that. I can't fault this book too much, since it's the first of its kind and therefore, like most pioneering writing pieces, reads more like a lengthy writing exercise. 

The book certainly does have it's good points. The music scene backdrop was fun and at times refreshing; The 80s fashion is hysterical; the Fae had an amazing otherworldly feel to them which was wonderful to read about; the aesthetic is fabulous; side characters where lovable; and the prose itself was skilfully written. 

But for me, it always comes down to the characters. I couldn’t feel any attachment to them… and therefore I had no emotional engagement whatsoever with this book. Phouka was my favourite character as I felt that he had that great mixture of bravado and confidence, with insecurity and doubt. It is unfortunately Eddi I  had a problem with. She has little to no personality other than snark. I mean, personally, if I have just found out powerful ancient Fae exist and one is sitting in my lounge, I would wait a bit to figure out the world before straight up insulting and backtalking him. But that's just me. She isn't a terrible protagonist, but she needed to be fleshed out more to get me to relate to her. Show me that her snark is her way of dealing with stress, a coping mechanism. That kind of thing. 

I also felt the novel was slowly-paced. This isn’t always a bad thing depending on the story, but in this case it often seemed like a chore just to push through to the next chapter. There was little exploration into the Fae or their world and instead chapters of well not much happening. The reason for Eddi to be involved is also tenuous and not fully explained or developed. I liked the idea for the reason she had to be there, it felt very unique but lack explanation.

Age Rating 15+. Murder, threat, sexy times.