I admit that I thought T. Kingfisher (U. Vernon)'s other works were anywhere between pretty good and pretty okay. Before I began this one, I only realI admit that I thought T. Kingfisher (U. Vernon)'s other works were anywhere between pretty good and pretty okay. Before I began this one, I only really knew the title and liked the idea of it, but I didn't know what to really expect.
Fortunately, the proof is in the baking, and the baking, indeed, was really good. YA, light magical effects (at first), and a real love of baking and making her gingerbread men. So far, so good, but with the evil wizard hunting down ALL the mages, no matter how quirky, it becomes a matter of survival.
And that's where it gets really good. Food can, after all, defeat an army. Muahahahaha
Conan is continuing to make its rounds around my grey matter and settling in as one of the core, foundational fantasies of the last hundred years. TheConan is continuing to make its rounds around my grey matter and settling in as one of the core, foundational fantasies of the last hundred years. The fact that the barbarian remains the most recognizable alpha male in fantastic fiction should say everything I need to say.
But it also deserves mention that these stories are not lightweight fluff pieces of fantasy. Conan himself is the ultimate rugged self-made man, preferring to take what he wants by his own efforts despite multiple offers being dropped in his lap.
This is a man who knows that the journey is always more important than the destination. And he has major scruples, too. Anyone who pricks his pride will be hoisted by their own. Magicians and crafty women never get what they expect out of him, and he, himself, is always driven by what he believes is right. Even if, at any particular moment, the massive subtle changes on the wind make him turn his back on what once might have been best, then.
He is complex and subtly shaded despite being an outward brute. The fact that he can win over many men (and women) purely by his uncompromising understanding of himself and his strength is NOT the same thing as wielding a sword to cut down all his enemies and thereby securing a kingdom. Or two.
The fact is, he loves being the underdog. He may be one brute of a man that may give any woman a look and they lose their clothes as if by magic, and he wins over converts by an overpowering charisma, but none of that would mean anything if he wasn't a man of action.
Add to this the extremely deep worldbuilding that throws so many lines of real history into a huge pot, giving us all an amazingly rich setting both familiar and not, but always big, and it's enough to spark my imagination in the same way as those from nearly a century ago must have enjoyed.
We are kinda sick of being peaceful among enemies, after all. The Conan stories are so damn close to what we already live in and the pain and the disgust are just as vital here and now as they would have been in these so-called primitive societies. To me, the stories are very much a raging against the dying of the light.
Lite humor is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered. In this case, there are very few of the MCs to be seen but that's perfectly okay.
A little mobLite humor is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered. In this case, there are very few of the MCs to be seen but that's perfectly okay.
A little mob action is just fine. Indeed, it's more like Catch-22 mob-in-the-military action and it's just as absurd as you might think. And it's just as fun.
I did say this was lite, no? It's feather-lite. Even forgettable, but while I'm reading it, I'm chortling, so it does its job well.
Seen as a novel of self-transcendence as only a fantasy RPG game could do it, there are few that go the full path in quite the way this one does.
I meaSeen as a novel of self-transcendence as only a fantasy RPG game could do it, there are few that go the full path in quite the way this one does.
I mean, we're dealing with an intelligent dungeon that is going full-bore toward being the most powerful ENTITY anywhere, and he just happens to be snarking it up and dragging along all his favorite dungeon-crawlers (and demigods) along with him.
Not that he doesn't have a good reason to get super powerful super quickly, of course. A big moon coming to smash the world kinda sucks. And Cal, being the nice guy (floating mountain) that he is, actually WANTS to save all those people (that he may have had a small part in endangering).
:) Fun stuff! And a great conclusion to the series! It has SOUL!...more
While I KNOW there are lots of people out there who feel like I do, that they can't get enough of this kind of readSuper niche reading at its finest.
While I KNOW there are lots of people out there who feel like I do, that they can't get enough of this kind of read, it almost seems impossible that it exists and that I get so much ENJOYMENT out of it.
That being said, if one of YOU know and like LitRPG at all, or are fans of SF's Bobiverse (Dennis Taylor), then you'll probably get a HUGE kick out of this.
You know -- an intelligent, ever-growing dungeon makes friends and enemies and does everything it can to level up like any other player character. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
Well, plenty, as this book shows. This isn't a slow-moving series. We're already in total apocalypse times with a Sephiroth-level calamity on the way and all the S-ranked mages and crapping their diapers. Even Cal, who isn't even an A-ranked dungeon at the beginning of this book is practically helpless despite having thrown an ENTIRE MOUNTAIN at the problem.
Oh, and this is still funny as hell. Those freaky barbarian marriage ceremonies are SPREADING. All I can say is... OUCH....more
This is absolutely niche fantasy but DAMN it is FINE. I've got a mind that LOVES setting up rules and knocking them over, exploiting them, finding looThis is absolutely niche fantasy but DAMN it is FINE. I've got a mind that LOVES setting up rules and knocking them over, exploiting them, finding loopholes, and generally playing mayhem.
This book, and the two before it, are FINE examples of this kind of thinking. I've not seen a finer example of a leveling-up progression in or out of a LitRPG (or game) setting. Breaking into Mage ranks is FUN.
Lots of action, lots of destruction, and even more worldbuilding. Literally. This is, after all, an intelligent dungeon that is creating its own world and providing a service as well as a challenge for all the people come to loot it. Win/win. All that death and destruction is symbiosis. (What an odd idea, no?)
I'm loving it. I'm especially loving how BIG it's getting. This, to me, is great popcorn fiction. :)...more
This is pretty much a straight-line exponential growth algorithm of the first book in the series. :)
The enjoyment lay in the dual-leveling-up between This is pretty much a straight-line exponential growth algorithm of the first book in the series. :)
The enjoyment lay in the dual-leveling-up between Dale (the player character) and Cal (the dungeon). Both being fun-ass characters in their own right building a city and a labyrinth is pretty much a Game Master's wet dream. And it's light and funny, too, especially with the statues and mob creation. :)
Let me be clear: this isn't for everyone, but it IS completely binge-worthy and I'm chortling up a storm as I fly through these with immense enjoyment.
If you've ever storytold RPG games or just PLAYED RPG games, I'm certain you'll get a HUGE amount of enjoyment out of these. Having made my own dungeons, this is pure cookies and cream. :)...more
I think someone has been saying that a bit too much, a bit too loudly, and with a scattershot aim and a reach that cMay you live in interesting times.
I think someone has been saying that a bit too much, a bit too loudly, and with a scattershot aim and a reach that can circle the globe.
Maybe we should all just get together, tie up 2020, and throw it, alive, in an unmarked grave filled with live spiders and a dedicated and heavily firewalled Facebook account devoted to people complaining about how bad 2020 is.
Who might be game?
FORTUNATELY, introverts like me got off relatively lightly. I'm in my natural element, but that isn't to say I wasn't touched. Worrying for others is pretty stressful. But then, there ARE books to make things a little brighter. Or in the case of 2020, more aware, angry for the sake of others, and wishing that people would calm the f**k down and start listening to each other instead of trying to pull another power play. Of course, it also means that truth needs to come back in a huge way. People have to be utterly honest about what they want again. Or maybe for the first time in a lot of cases. I'm not seeing a lot of that except at the rawest of moments, and a lot of the hope I should be feeling drains away in the reactionary moments.
I miss consideration. And respect for human rights. I want people to stop trying to tear everything down and try to actively start building bridges. Is hate easier? Really? Or is it just a way to suicide in a way that pricks your pride?
I miss cooperation. I miss working together with people on something big and wonderful.
And yet, with a year of twitter, politics, mass riots, Covid, and a slew of other tragedies that could have been prevented without eventually resorting to stupid blame games or conspiracy theories, I still feel hope.
Balance is here. It's in those of us who search for it. I want to believe that humanity is a bunch of freaking morons, but something deeper inside of me knows that we really aren't. It just SEEMS that way. Like some big illusion or a class clown making a show of it to get the attention of the teacher because no one else is paying attention to him. Or her. Or them.
Seriously, I think we're all better than this and MOST of us know it. We really shouldn't let the outliers and the loudest speak for us all. That's a different kind of idiocy.
So let me just say that I love you all. Be strong. Be wise.
If you really want to talk about books, I will, but I'll just mention the ones that sparked something wonderful within me. The ones that stay strongest in my memory out of 527 read this year.
David Zindell reaches the top of the list with his Requiem for Homo Sapiens. From Neverness to War in Heaven, this was the biggest, broadest, most gorgeous set of books I've read in years, not just THIS year. I have to kick out a number of my top 20 books of all time to make room for these.
Loved the huge tome of Sanderson that just came out. Rhythm of War.
Mind you, I've read a lot of books this year and if I don't mention most of the very, very good, it's not because I didn't think they deserved it. I'm merely mentioning the ones that hit me in the feels across the board.
There ARE a number of really great race-issue books, economics books, psychology books, history books, and even AI science books that I loved this year, too, but getting into those might take a book to write about those books. :) Suffice to say, they were a necessary and always edifying addition to the year.
And with that - I wish you a good night. Not a good year - because the year was shite.
To be very, very clear, this is a precision niche reading experience. Within that realm, it is EXTREMELY fun.
So what is it? RPG in literature format.To be very, very clear, this is a precision niche reading experience. Within that realm, it is EXTREMELY fun.
So what is it? RPG in literature format. LitRPG, in short. And for all of us out there who DIE for pencil-and-paper adventures, immersive Skyrim-like game-playing, or just tongue-in-cheek min-max Dungeon Master setups, then this is ALL kinds of perfect. :)
Character development is lighthearted and secondary to the GOOD STUFF. What good stuff?
LEVELING UP, BABY! What goodies will we get, what skills will we develop!?
But wait... this particular book is special. One of the two main PCs is a DUNGEON.
So I'm having flashbacks on Dennis Taylor's Bobbiverse but in a perfectly fantasy setting and I feel like it's Christmas.
Oh, wait, it IS CHRISTMAS TODAY.
I guess I got exactly what I wanted for Xmas!!! :) *settling down for a new level-grind*...more
I remember the first book fondly for being like a novelization of the old Castlevania game, fresh with gore, action, and pathos. The second went deepeI remember the first book fondly for being like a novelization of the old Castlevania game, fresh with gore, action, and pathos. The second went deeper into the worldbuilding of vampires, blood, and family, with almost a feeling of the eternal about it. (As well as hunting the hunters.)
The third and final book in the trilogy, however, was all about pathos. Wolfgang's quest to find and cure his turned son was everything an old school video game adventure that is part Victorian and Hellsing could ever hope to aspire.
This is very much a novel for those of us with a vampire quest on the mind. Quite enjoyable and satisfying. ...more
By any standard, this is VERY light fantasy/humor entertainment. It rides the wave of everything that had built up before it, including becoming a verBy any standard, this is VERY light fantasy/humor entertainment. It rides the wave of everything that had built up before it, including becoming a very large person of importance with a casino and huge ties to the mob in several dimensions, but focuses more on a voyage of self-discovery for Skeeve as he searches for his old partner on the world of Pervs. (Not to be mistaken with perverts. They prefer to be called Pervects.)
So, what's included? Light misadventures in a foreign world of lizards, getting into trouble with the law, and making new friends.
Very light entertainment, but not unpleasant. :) ...more
This was a very pleasant surprise. Not only had I not known that Kim Stanley Robinson had written three rather good novellas that pretty much outline This was a very pleasant surprise. Not only had I not known that Kim Stanley Robinson had written three rather good novellas that pretty much outline the immense worldbuilding of Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars, it also spans four hundred years, most of the major issues including the revolution on Mars, the memory issues, and the greater terraforming of the Solar System, but it did it 6 years before Red Mars even came out.
Totally fascinating.
Granted it's not an action novel. Indeed, it reads more like science mystery and archeology, a true Future History that deals with some really fascinating structures found on Pluto, other "lost history" issues on Mars, itself. And then there is the humanist angle that pretty much dominates the entire text from all three time periods.
I DO recommend this for anyone who is a fan of the big trilogy and who would love to get a side-take on the vast worldbuilding. I wouldn't particularly recommend starting here, but as a freakishly good, idea-packed philosophical, scientific, and archeological take on our future that neatly dovetails into most, if not all of his other future histories, it should definitely not be ignored.
AI research over the years has been a mish-mash of pet theories, conflicting assumptions, a focus on instrumentality, expert systems, evolutionary proAI research over the years has been a mish-mash of pet theories, conflicting assumptions, a focus on instrumentality, expert systems, evolutionary programming, and Deep Learning. All different ways that often must be used in conjunction to push us over that edge into true Artificial Intelligence.
I mean, we're not there yet, or to be precise, we aren't at the point of AI super-intelligence.
But that doesn't speak to the issue that has gotten a lot of traction in popular media, from movies to science fiction, to some really great modern philosophy. The main focus of research has been on CREATING AI. For everyone else, we've all be concerned about WHAT TO DO WITH IT ONCE IT'S HERE.
This OUGHT to be a high-priority topic given a massive amount of thought among the actual designers, funders, and end-users. (Big corporations, governments, OR everyday folk.)
And this is what this book really focuses on. How to retain control, or, to put it simply, how do we ensure that AIs are PARTNERS, with everyone's self-interest enmeshed with the computers.
Me, personally, I think it's simply a matter of socialization. If their well being is tied to our well being and our well being is tied to their well being, then we've got a standard cooperative model in Game Theory. There's also the whole thing of treating them like and expecting AI to behave like responsible adults. With so many variables and conflicting psychologies in the HUMAN population, it then becomes a problem of deep AI partnership. My description is simplistic, of course, and this book goes into dozens of lucid scenarios and outlines not only the problems, the history, and possible solutions, but it also serves as a call-to-arms to have EVERYONE look at the issue realistically.
We are ALREADY being manipulated on a huge scale by algorithms, be it in social media, targeted advertising, and misinformation on a grand scale. That is linked, hand-in-hand, with AI, even if it isn't the SF kind we have so many apocalyptic nightmares about.
We need to change our own social structure to enhance facts over misinformation and figure out a way to live TOWARD happiness without living in a zero-sum game (it is possible and can be VERY possible, with theoretical AI help). The problem is, we keep falling back on certain assumptions about what WE think success really is. If AIs take over all the tasks we do not want to do, then this is not a BAD thing. But it DOES mean we need to redefine our ideas of prosperity. UBI comes into play here. (Universal Basic Income). It's a standard of living.
Even now, we cannot sustain stupid make-work jobs. The poor are getting poorer, the rich are getting richer, and the middle class is disappearing. Why? Because most things are becoming automated and it's increasingly easier to have our lives provide for us without effort. But when our model of living is so out of whack, insisting that we must somehow work like slaves to make the rich ever richer while working-class humanity becomes less and less relevant, then humanity itself becomes irrelevant.
And this is the main point. We don't have to live in poverty at all, but more than that, we can become very relevant as PARTNERS. Of course, that means we need to redefine what we mean by living a good life. It's not going to be about "providing for the family". It's going to be closer to "finding your bliss", in the Campbellian sense.
Does this sound outrageous? Even now, a LOT of people insist upon UBIs. It doesn't prevent people from working and there will always be social pressure to be better than our neighbors, but the definition of "better" can change wildly and has with every generation. The point is to find that lead and follow it. We do not live in a sustainable model and any attempt to turn back the clock is doomed.
In this, I agree with the author. Everyone is pretty confident that the world is pretty f**ked. Fortunately, there is hope. It'll take work on ALL our parts, but there is hope....more
I suppose there are a good handful of ways of looking at this book, all told, but the one idea that really sticks to me is the idea of a B-level surviI suppose there are a good handful of ways of looking at this book, all told, but the one idea that really sticks to me is the idea of a B-level survival horror flick. It has all the most delicious elements of the genre -- such as hapless idiots getting in way over their heads followed by various successess and setbacks before things get really nasty.
Standard stuff, no? For that type of book. And we get the requisite battle, to boot. Or should I say, to foot. Big foot.
But then, there's the total tongue-in-cheek in-depth commentary on Smart-home, Smart-community enclaves that are so crunchy as to make granola blush.
It's light, snarky, full to the brim with ACTUALLY interesting self-sustainabilty stuff, while lampooning it in vivid style when certain unexpected events come to pass. And oddly enough, this isn't a tale about Sasquatch rising up to give us a bad day. This is more about oppotunity and opportunism and a pretty cool theory. :)
So, all told? This ain't a zombie survival guide, but it IS fascinating in terms of survival. :) Well worth the read....more
This was something of a surprise to me because I'm kind of a connoisseur of covers and with a title like that, I HAD to assume the novel was an epic fThis was something of a surprise to me because I'm kind of a connoisseur of covers and with a title like that, I HAD to assume the novel was an epic fantasy with standard worldbuilding for such.
What it IS, however, is something more like a hybrid Jack-the-Ripper London in a unique fantasy with a Bujold-like 5 Gods setting mixed with a VERY cool external emotions-based magic system (at least early on). In other words, we have a heavy-population fantasy with lots of disparity between the rich and the poor, monsters in the streets, and heist-like action that goes a bit deeper. I'm also reminded of Foundryside as I read it.
It is, after all, a novel about rather unique ghosts that remind me of cyberpunk fare, magic masks, medical expertise, and a convoluted con game that only touches on a steampunk theme while doubling down on its own thing.
In other words, it's quite good. The characters are also pretty memorable, too, although there might have been a little too much meandering. The core fears and hopes were pretty standard and convincing and definitely swum around the main plot in a cool way.
I'm looking forward to continuing this pretty vast tapestry of a world. :) ...more
Just when you think it's safe to hit the slopes...
Well, this has everything you Spotify lovers love. The popularity game, the spunk and the glam, and Just when you think it's safe to hit the slopes...
Well, this has everything you Spotify lovers love. The popularity game, the spunk and the glam, and the movers and shakers behind the newest, biggest app in the game.
Of course, if we mix the two, turn that corporate trip to the mountain, one is liable to trip and fall down that same mountain.
The question is, with all these kinds of whodunnit novels, Who, Who's next, and Why. This one fits that bill nicely, with all the requisite mayhem.
Popcorn fun. Not quite sure I buy the premise, but it's splashy....more
Nothing, to me, says Xmas more than this poem. Showered with it throughout my childhood, I decided to pass on the torture.. I mean the joy of the simpNothing, to me, says Xmas more than this poem. Showered with it throughout my childhood, I decided to pass on the torture.. I mean the joy of the simple little poem with my daughter.
It's strange how little it resembles the satanism and the consumerism of the (TM) Santa we've all grown to love and enjoy with our Coke, no?
And best of all, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!...more
If I wasn't already a big fan of Russian literature, I'd have found this short story to be a real odd duck. Or a devil, as the case may be.
Seeing it If I wasn't already a big fan of Russian literature, I'd have found this short story to be a real odd duck. Or a devil, as the case may be.
Seeing it through modern standards, it's easy to see the carollers and the devil shoving himself down chimneys as both usual and unique at the same time, but it's the poor drunks, the adultery, the vanity, and the eventual romance that is had at the knife of a suicide attempt that makes this a TRUE Christmas story.
Do you think I'm joking? We've gotta have a roll call of ALL the sins before they can all be signed off. This is a GLORIOUS tribute to a truly Russian Xmas. It's not hard to find the devil if he rides on your shoulder!
(BTW I hated all the characters. And yet, it was fun.) :) ...more
When we get right down to it, this short YA novel from the late '60s has everything a bookworm needs while growing up. A little rebellion, a little ruWhen we get right down to it, this short YA novel from the late '60s has everything a bookworm needs while growing up. A little rebellion, a little running away, and a lot of time spent in a museum. You know, the kind of thing that absolutely leads to heroin and smack.
These troubled kids.
Seriously though, I liked the mystery and adventure and liked it even more because it was referenced directly in Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. A spiritual successor? Maybe!
Just what I needed! Fun and funny Xmas (TM) story that doesn't blow!
Well, I mean, there is some blowing and flautists being involved, but it's just oJust what I needed! Fun and funny Xmas (TM) story that doesn't blow!
Well, I mean, there is some blowing and flautists being involved, but it's just one of those weird adventure-thingies that definitely has nothing to do with the holiday season.
Promise.
Oh! And the proceeds for this story (purchasable from his website) are going to go for JUSTICE. Or, you know, a think tank designed to make justice more doable.
Since, you know, there really isn't much of that going on these days. ...more
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