Empire State by Adam Christopher

3

Empire State

(Read 2013)

This book was semi-steampunk, somewhat of a hero novel, a little bit of mystery and whole lot of crazy. I felt like I was reading in a stupor the entire time and I don’t think the entirety of the novel was even consistently interesting...but it was a unique read.

The beginning threw me through a loop because it is highly disjointed and where as multiple viewpoints can work when they exist in the same literary universe, here I felt like I was little lost because things didn’t seem to fit with what was said and I only really started to get used to it when I semi-convinced myself I was reading two books instead of one. It was definitely weird.

Moving onto the book itself...it wasn’t bad really. It isn’t the most amazing book I’ve read in my entire life or even in that year, but it was little astonishing. The story came together towards the end, and it reminds of those films that you just sort of suspend disbelief of and keep watching in hope that the end explains it all. In fairness, it did, but I guess I wasn’t wholly satisfied with the ending I got.

It is also fair to comment that this is the first book I’ve read which could be aptly described as being a mystery novel because it quite successfully left me lost and confused without being completely out of the loop. But I think the combination of everything made me a little bit overwhelmed at a time when I didn’t have the liberty of frequent or even intense reading so I’d often forget bits here and there.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book. I bought it on a whim in waterstones, and I don’t regret that purchase because it was definitely different to anything I’ve read before...for better and for worse. I think I ever try another mystery novel I’ll try something more mystery based. I’d say this book was sold as a modern-day hero book (in NYC) but that wasn’t really what I got.

In a word, my sentiment is "confused". Even now, a good few months on, I’m not 100% sure what I think of it.

Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

5

(Read September)

(Avoiding my usual pre-empt to these books…)this is the continuation of much loved (by me) series that follows aliens-that-look-like-humans-but-with-superpowers as they start on the next stage in their journey and find the next teenager in their entourage. These are never going to be the most well-written or deep of books, but it grabs that 5 rating through sheer thrill factor.

The story, as a quick reminder, follows John Smith who set out from Paradise, Ohio, to save earth and his own planet, Lorien. It turns out that he’s an alien, and to boot he has supernatural abilities. And the antagonist- Mogadorians! Aliens hell-bent on destruction and razing planets. Though I could bore you with details of their exploits up to now, the most important thing to know is that it’s basically like a Sci-Fi action movie. The main characters move from spot to spot and in between the kind of battles that makes an nerd (or person who’s ever dreamed of having special powers) drool in contentment, they manage to squeeze on romance, vulnerability and deep-set personal issues.

Don’t take my sarcasm to heart, because I genuinely like these books. I can’t really equate them to anything else (except perhaps the original animated Avatar with Aang), but they manage to tell what is an Sci-Fi action driven story without it becoming too much. Yeah, the romance is a bit rushed and silly, and okay, the personal issues tend to be your run-of-the-mill teenage angst, but if you like these books and you read them, you’re doing it because it lets you inhabit this world where such things are possible.

In terms of the story itself, without giving anything away, I’d say this does better in that regard than the other books. There’s a clearer goal (SPOILER FOR BOOK 2 ALERT!) in how they want to rescue Sam, they want to find the others, and want to figure out a way to actually prevail over the Mogadorians. There’s also some foreshadowing which, though overplayed, made me squirm with pleasure with the thought of what it meant in a future instalment.

The only part I had somewhat of a problem with was the ending. It seemed a bit overly rushed and unexplained. You might say to me “It’s a cliff-hanger, Alex!” but there’s a difference between leaving some things unsaid and telling me absolutely nothing about what has just happened. I'm being a bit judgemental, but given how much I enjoyed the rest of the book, I think that balances it out.

I’ll say thank you to Karen of For What It’s Worth here too! This was the final instalment of a prize I won almost a year ago! She knows how much I appreciated it, but thank you again!

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

3
A Classic dystopian that follows an unnamed man, a man who is but a number. In a world ruled by OneState under the Benefactor, humanity is seen as more of a huge machine of which every number (person) is cog in the whole system. Being a novel written by a Russian author in the 1920s (just before communism spread through it). As such, this is a predominant influence in the book; one which the author disagrees with quite clearly.

I think the main issue I had with the book was something I don't blame the author for. The way book is written is from the perspective of D-503, our protagonist, from the early days of his true belief in OneState and the benefits of its ideology to one who is challenged and overcomes that challenge as he sees fit. The problem was that I was very often confused as to what was occurring. It being a Russian novel, the way it is written is bound to be different and often confusing. I've never managed to finish one of the longer Russian novels and- when I see the plays- I always have sections where I completely zone out. So much is going on and physically can't deal with so my brain goes into lockdown. The bits I am conscious of (and able to understand) are great, but the ones which aren't cause me a great deal of confusion.

So in some ways, this book might be a good way to see how you would react to a Russian novel since it is a fraction of the length, but still what I have come to expect from Russian writing. And I know I am somewhat prejudiced since I've only tried...what, 3? But that is how I feel, and in knowing that you know my opinion and the (perhaps) flimsy evidence I base it on.

There was also a maths element in the book that I really rather loved. Not everyone is as geeky about Maths as I am, so I wonder if others would perhaps be more confused than I. Statements about irrational or imaginary numbers that make sense to me might make many other people scratch their heads, bewildered. One of my favourite quotes was about how one avoids and irrational (it might have said imaginary) number creeping into an equation as an analogy for unforeseen circumstances arising in life. I understand that effort to avoid the irrational (imaginary) number and just this extra element made the book interesting in that sense.

The overall plot was predictable, in my opinion, but I shan't share it all the same. It acceptable, but it acted as a way to demonstrate an idea or situation. It felt less like a story more like a device...a tool. As though the author wanted to make a point about something and manipulated the plot to allow for that. Some people might say that is the core of a book, but the lack of distinctive plot irked me somewhat. There is the other side of it though in that it was one of the earliest dystopias so perhaps it is THE original. I don't know.

Character-wise...again acceptable, but somewhat irksome. I felt as each character was meant to represent an ideology or a reaction to an ideology, a way of living with it. Now, there's nothing really wrong with this, but it makes characters too clear-cut and predictable in my eyes. In a strange way the entire book was like a grand equation where each element- setting, character, plot- where merely the variables that were altered to show what the equation equals; what the result of the chosen variables is.

So, as an overall idea, I appreciate the book for what it portrays intellectually and ideologically, but as a story or a novel I think it is somewhat poor. I don't mind a book with a message, but it needs to be that. A book WITH a message, not just a message.

***

Also, my favourite quote (underlined is my favourite bit):

The highest thing in Man is his reason, and what the work of reason comes down to is the continual limitation of infinity, dividing infinity up into convenient, easily digestible proportions: differentiation.

Spire by Aaron Safronoff

3.5
This Science-Fiction/Dystopian novel is set in a place ruled by the Collective- an omnipotent, authoritarian but mostly invisible force. In a world consumed with improving humanity via Genetic Enhancement, a drug- an extreme performance enhancer- is introduced whose effect is impossible to predict, but whose potential seems limitless. The story centres on Joshua, an unsuspecting test subject, but also moves between stories involving the drug's creator; a Collective Defector and a Collective Leader Himself.

For me, I think the first thing to point out is that the parallel stories didn't always seem to work. As I sometimes find with this way of writing, I only like one particular storyline and the others should all be supplementary to that storyline and take mostly a back-seat. I never actually lost interest in the other stories, but I often felt detached from them; reading them mostly because I would return to the story I liked (Joshua's). So I tip my hat at Safronoff for not losing my attention, but I want to say that it worked in way that could have easily failed.

The plot of the story isn't a bad one, though it was occasionally clichéd. The start was kind of difficult for me because I really hate being thrown head first into a story and having absolutely no idea what was going on. It starts with Joshua- a drug user- talking about coming down from a high and how he felt about it. I get that, at least theoretically. It makes sense as a way to say how he thinks, a bit about his life and it's mildly interesting. But then I started to get lost about what was going on. I think he bought drugs, and I think he is somewhat of an expert in the field in terms of identifying them, but that is the bare minimum of what I should know. Nothing else sticks out from the start except those plot points.

It wasn't until the intrigue was introduced that I was, for lack of better word, intrigued by the story. The enhancements people had (particularly Eve) were incredible to see and weren't so far-fetched that you couldn't accept them. I'm not a huge Sci-Fi reader, but this felt more like Urban Fantasy to me which I really enjoyed considering it was still in the realms of believability. The chemical enhancement was much more fantastical, but I loved it for that. It was the kind of thing that a film would get wrong every time because your imagination plays such a huge and incredibly powerful part in making the moment as powerful and awe-inspiring as it was. In some ways I would say the book was worth reading for the times when the enhancer was used and when the higher end GEaRs (the genetic enhancers...sorry, I can't remember and I didn't mark the actual phrase!) was put on show. Technology and the advances we have made, are making and could make astound me and interest me to equal degrees.

There were things that weren't great in the book: two of which I've mentioned. Other things are just niggles i.e. things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but annoyed me anyway. Sometimes it seemed the tone was off for what was happening, or that the writing was making me more confused and the story less understandable. There was also that cliché issue, and the feeling that not everything felt entirely new. I don't want to say he's a plagiarist: he isn't! I've been emotionally up and down this and it probably made me more temperamental whilst reading.

So it was good book, and I definitely wouldn't overlook it. But, in my mind, it's a Science Fiction more than a dystopia and one should approach with that in mind; as well as with the expectation to feel a bit lost on a number of occasions. And if you're the kind of reader who hates that, you have been warned.

Slaughterhouse 5 (Or, the Children's Crusade) by Kurt Vonnegut

4
This is well-known modern classic that follows Billy as he jumps through his timeline in what is an utterly bizarre story that somehow didn't lose my attention, though I expected otherwise.

It's an incredibly short book, which is nice. I think that had this book been maybe another 50 pages longer then I would have been annoyed; what featured in the book was that which was applicable and relevant. And there isn't actually anything bloody (despite what it's name suggests). There is some death but of a gory description. Billy actually repeatedly say "So it goes." as a simple to just accept death and move in. This kind of sums up the tone of book in general- it's emotionless without being bland or boring. Billy is stolid about most events in his life (either because he is or he has to be) so even the death of loved ones does not bother him in any discernable way.

The time jumping theme is also very well done. In some ways, it's like reading 3 or 4 different stories at different points in a linear timeline. The two goods things of this are, one, that when the other stories are perhaps less exciting, one stories will remain more interesting as it builds to a small conclusion of something that has been built up to. The other is when all the stories come to pinnacles at the end. In way we know what they'll be (what with time jumping and all) but watching everything come to a conclusion in tandem really pushes an idea of time to the forefront.

The idea, courtesy of the Extra Terrestrial Trafalmadore species, is that time isn't expressly linear and that everything you do in life is merely a path we can't see. This annoyed me in some ways since I don't believe in fate or destiny (and I get the impression that Vonnegut doesn't really either) but I appreciated the effect it had in terms of telling a story. It was one of the reasons that Billy was so stolid; because he knew what woul happen in the future and so he wasn't worried about it happening. There was a wonderful idea that since those moments in our life surround us, we are constantly living in the past or future in the best moments of our lives. So the point I took from the ending of stories all being reached similtaneously is that your life comes down to crucial moments that you are constantly working towards. The notion of legacy is always one I find interesting, and is a message I always take from a Chekhov production. Mortality scares me as much as anyone, but I like to think I live in other ways that aren't so tangeable. I'm not talking afterlife: I mean the influence you have on people, the things you do and the impression you make.

Quite famously, this is meant to be an anti-war novel. I can see it now I look back, but it wasn't something that leapt out at me, but I did notice some things. The major one was the nonchalant way in which the Trafalmadore know they will destroy the Universe when testing spaceship fuel. But knowing this, they assume it cannot be stopped; that time always has ended, always is ending and always will end at that time for that reason. Again my anti-fate idea is showing since my argument would be that that is no just excuse to destroy all life. Part of me wonders that Vonnegut didn't make war considered inevitable in the book only because, as humans, we are so adamantly against those ideas. True, some believe a higher being has a plan for them, but no one thinks their entire life is etched in marble; we like to believe we influence our owns lives and make our own consequences, for good or for ill.

Truly, this is a great book. It's the kind of one I'd pass to someone who wants to read more fiction and is perhaps leaning towards trying classics at some point. It's not at all difficult to read, and my only problem with it was that the Science Fiction element of the Trafalmadore felt wrong. It was well written and worked for the story, but it felt off. The book wouldn't have been the same without either though, so I am of two minds about this.

Anyway; this was excellent so I urge you to buy it somewhere and read it. Did I mention it's only 150 pages too? Beats a 700+ page Dickens novel.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

4
The sequel to Across the Universe, this is a dystopian novel set in space. Once again, it follows Amy and Elder in their separate lives aboard Godspeed, and delves into their growing infatuation for one another as it continues to grow in a realistic, albeit quick manner.

As a general overview of what I thought, I would say this book is much better than the first (though this review is harder to write without spoilers or abandoning good English). I didn't know what to expect from book two because, in many ways, the ending of book one was very final and suggested a very linear series with the same kind of goal each time. But Beth completely blew me away by turning the book on its head- turning it into a mystery novel, without losing its strong YA elements. I really mean that, since I could never predicted that this or that would happen. About half way through, I felt some of the foreshadowing was a bit too obvious and that the protagonists were being a bit unobservant, but it quickly passed and the book became enjoyable and wonderful once more.

The romance is better here than book one, but I was startled by the fact that Amy seemed to completely forget Jason though, in book one, I remember him being mentioned often. Amy and Elder do seem to have chemistry, and you can tell that it was  one of those "I want to love him, but can I or should I?" romances which can get tiresome as our protagonist goes home and spends a few pages agonising over little details and their numerous loyalties. Not so here, I felt. Instead it's more of a thought that passes through Amy's head (Amy's the reluctant one and Elder the hopeful, but never pushy other) when they flirt with something more romantic. One thing I that I really liked was how Beth portrayed how they were flitting about the subject of their relationship, without having to mention it every time. It was lingering there and I loved that it didn't need to be perpetually repeated.

The plot of the story isn't actually all that different to book one: an unknown someone is causing trouble and they have to find out who. That sounds worse than it is, since the ship is full of discord and their are other issues to contend with i.e. Amy's peculiar appearance (to the ship's residents) and Elder's duties as a leader. I can't say too much about that without giving away spoilers for book one or two, but I assure they are interesting and perfectly apt for the tone and setting of the book. The conclusion of the mystery side of the story was really well done because I kept doubting myself and I was of the opinion that it could have feasibly been any of three people. The other side of the story concerned Godspeed's mission- that is, it's mission to find a new planet to inhabit. This starts with a bang in the book, so to speak. The point reached in book one is rendered unimportant in comparison to what we learn in the first few chapters of the book, but once again it is faultlessly blended with the story and doesn't seem like a straight-forward plot device.

Things I didn't like about the book are almost so minor that they aren't worth mentioning, but they are the reason A Million Suns gets a 4 and not a 5. There are frequently scenes were Amy goes to see her frozen parents, and though I could accept her reasons and couldn't defend a complaint, they annoyed me. I kind of felt that she was going there so that some point about her adjusting to life on board Godspeed could be made, and not that it achieved a great deal. Another thing was that Victria seemed bent on hating Amy, despite all the selfless, supportive things she did. I couldn't understand why would she hate Amy that much, even if she did blame her for... well, something bad in Victria's eyes.

A Millions Suns succeeds in being something I could never do. It is a riveting story wrapped in messages of loyalty, trust and change. Elder and Amy seem to realise that after everything is done, the only person they know they can trust is one another- and even when it seems a shaky idea, it's rooted firmly and will not change. The use of Orion is also amazing; constantly leading us to the grey area of whether we can trust him or not. This is a YA book that I can actually feel safe in calling mature for not dodging around issues. In some ways, you could say there is too much being confronted in the book: ostracization and sexual exploitation being the two worst and most prominent. But I would fire back that our society has this and more: just because a protagonist is younger doesn't mean they won't face these issues.

Seriously, just don't miss this book. It's (to use a word I notice Beth using on her blog frequently) awesome.

Magical March Challenge

A reading challenge, hosted by Adam from RoofBeamReader.net, is one that seems perfect for me. The aim is to read books that fall under any kind of fantasy label, be they Urban, Young Adult or Epic Fantasy; Science Fiction, so Dystopians or Steampunk are also good; as well as Magical Realism... which I'm not sure as to the meaning. These must be read throughout March. The rules, direct from the source, are:

1. You must register with the Mister Linky below prior to March 5^th in order to be eligible to participate.
2. You must read only “new” books – meaning, no re-reads are allowed.  Books for other challenges can be cross-used for this one, but you must read the book and review it in the month of March (previously completed books for other challenges do not qualify).
3. You must link up each book review to a separate Mister Linky, which will be available on March 5^th (once registrations close).
4. Challengers must post on their blog an “Announcement” post, indicating they are participating in this challenge and which level they hope to attain. One completer from each “Class” will be randomly selected to win the corresponding prize for that level. 
   1. You do not need to meet your level in order to win a prize.  If you aim for “Grand Merlin Class” but only achieve “Magician’s Class,” you will still be entered into the Magician’s Prize Pool!
   2. You do not need to list your books in advance, but I plan on doing so (to keep me motivated and to help me stay organized). 
5. Any Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Magical Realism books will qualify.  This means you can read Young Adult, Dystopian, Steampunk, or Alternative Histories.

There are levels of participation, based upon how much you think you'll read for the hop. They are:

Magician’s Class:               1-2 Books Read & Reviewed        1 Book $10 or Less

Sorcerer’s Class:                3-5 Books Read & Reviewed        1 Book $12 or Less

Wizard’s Class:                  6-7 Books Read & Reviewed         1 Book $15 or Less

Grand Merlin Class:            8+ Books Read & Reviewed          1+  Book(s) $20 or Less

I'd like love to go for the Grand Merlin class because I have more than 8 books that fall into those categories. Besides my classics, I think most of my to-read novels fall into that category. This is fantastic for me so I'm really going to try. But, I'm only going to aim for the Sorcerer's Class since it is the one I know I can achieve notwithstanding a sudden death. 

However, I'm going to try for Grand Merlin as much as possible!

I won't plan my books, since I won't enjoy them as much, but I'm hoping to read a few of my series (i.e. Lord of the Rings, Song of Ice and Fire and Chronicles of the Necromancer) and possibly get the Eleventh Plague (by Jeff Hirsch), Runemarks (by Joanne Harris) and The Girl of Fire and Thorns (by Rae Carson) in there between the others. 

Upsetting the Tides by David Englund

*E-book provided. by author*


3.5
This is a science-fiction e-book by writer David Englund written in a weird way, but sprinkled with humour and all the usual (acceptable) sci-fi cliché.

First off, I have to say I didn't love the start. I had to force myself to read it because (fact alert) I'll only stop reading a book if I'm getting to the point where it's is practically impossible for me to continue. But it gets better. If you decide to read this, about a third of the way through you'll be drawn in as the plot starts to improve and the actually fantasy element becomes more prevalent.

I can imagine some people would read this as being melodramatic and not enjoying it, but I think it requires a different sense of humour. It wasn't uproariously hilarious, but it made me smile fairly frequently. It's third person, so the humour tends to appear when we jump into Clark's head. On that note, I think I should say I didn't have a problem with Clark, but I didn't like him either. He seemed a bit tactless occasionally and even a bit slow on the uptake. But I could enjoy the story anyway. As I say, he wasn't bad.

I think the thing I liked the most had to be the Gadgets and Alien race. As always with Sci-Fi or fantasy, I find these elements particularly interesting. I liked the idea that races would change a develop in different ways and how their lives, intelligences and outlooks changes dependent on how they evolve. And it's all believable here. Whether its the idea of hive mind and mutual advancement, or living simply and merely as required.

I had some problems with the book I admit. I think it felt rushed, sometimes, and that some points of the story were told (not shown). It just took away from the book. But again, I think the tone and way of the book makes it that you get used to it to read.

There's nothing else to say. It wasn't a horrible book, but I wouldn't charge out to buy it. But its short and cheap ($0.99 I think) so it's up to your discretion. I think I should say this is an honest review, but my slight derision and my slightly disinterested tone makes that clear. And, if it interests you, I probably will get the sequel too. I need to see where it might go, and it should be engaging!

Thinking back on the book now, I'd say it was written as a train of thought, despite it not being in third person. It's hard to explain, because it's only a feeling, but I'm confident that (for me) that's the best way to think of it.

You can find the writer here:
Website (Its the protagonist from the book posting as diary entries, perhaps just simply as though he were a blogger! Yet the site says they are chronicles, so perhaps that is more apt, and I should in fairness call him a chronicler.)