Review: The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas

Book info:

Form: pdf format, e-book

Genre: contemporary fantasy with psychological elements

Target audience: adults

Synopsis:

Dr. Edward Weyland is an anthropology professor in the Cayslin Center for the Study of Man. Some people think he is an introverted, lonely scholar absorbed in great work; some say he has a secret sorrow too painful to share; others claim he is a charlatan or a genius working himself to death just to prove he can. Almost nobody guesses that he is a vampire.

One day Weylands attacks Katje de Groot, a maintenance worker who has suspected for some time he is not just a work-driven social scientist; as a result of their struggle he is almost mortally wounded. His life goes downwards from that point and reaches a low when he is found and abducted by a band of unscrupulous humans, led by a man called Roger. They feed him, helping to survive and heal, and they provide a shelter but only because they want to exploit him in the most profitable way they can think of. After a while Roger invites along a Satanist, Alan Reese, who wants Weyland to become his most prized MayDay sacrifice – the event which he intends to be recorded and broadcast, in other words sold. Weyland escapes in the last possible moment only because Mark, a 15-year-old nephew of Roger, employed by his uncle as a kind of caretaker, cannot bear the burden of observing anybody, even a vampire, being humiliated, condemned to death, and denied food for a longer period of time.

After that accident Weyland tries hard to rebuild his academic persona with the help of Floria Landauer, a middle-aged psychotherapist. Once again he is on the brink of revealing too much of himself to an intelligent, incisive and curious woman and he must flee. Will he be able to return to his old role or will he be killed? Or maybe he will go into the Sleep to wake up in new, different times?

My impressions:

This is a selection of episodes from a long life of an ultimate predator, a story mainly about the precarious survival – not about love, hate, fighting or caring about the others. It is divided into 5 parts novella-like which could be taken individually and read as short stories (in fact chapter 3 was originally published separately as The Unicorn Tapestry). The novel was very well-written and the author managed to capture that ‘otherness’ of a mind of an untamed beast who has to mimic his prey in order to succeed. I suppose the biggest asset of this story is the fact that Weyland as a character is nothing you expect. Forget about super-handsome, super-horny vampire hotties who sparkle and are as emotional as your average teenager when they aren’t busy stalking all the pretty girls in their area. Forget about haughty and proud vampire overlords who rule their covens swinging swords and other weapons of choice with deadly precision but deep down are like those white fluffy bunnies - in dire need for a company of a worthy female or two. Compared to Weyland these are not vampires, these are normal guys dressing up like children in a kindergarten. The Vampire Tapestry is, contrary to many paranormal romance books, an adult novel of impressive psychological insight and chilling horror.

In many reviews I’ve read that people didn’t like the main lead, found him boring or disgusting. I admit Weyland is easy to despise, even hate, especially if you, starting this novel, expected just a tortured human with fangs. Well, I would compare him to a great predator, a mountain lion, leopard or cheetah – plenty of people find these animals mesmerizingly pretty but what would they say if one of those big cats attacked their pet or even worse, somebody from their family? Weyland is presented and acts like a highly specialized predator. He can be pleasant and charming, he is nice to look at despite his age (he looks like a fit man is in his fifties). Yes, he exploits the softer aspects of human nature, like the need to congregate and communicate, the need of tenderness, understanding and love but he never empathizes – he can’t and he doesn’t want to.

 In the first part it becomes obvious that he is not beneath killing just to satisfy his selfish hunger. Of course he prefers not to leave a trail of bodies in his wake but if a push comes to shove, no problem. He even pretends to rape women in order to divert any unwanted attention from himself. On the other hand I found his behaviour, as repulsive as it was, completely logic and understandable – any successful predator needs to be ruthless in order to survive and Weyland’s prey is cunning and might be dangerous to him because in this story the vampires are hardly immortal or/and indestructible. What made it work for me was the fact that Ms.McKee managed to present a psychologically viable ‘alien’, down to his scorn for ‘cattle’ he must pamper and endure in his own best interest.

The best parts of the book? I loved the lecture Weyland presented in the first part, speaking about hypothetical vampires, enjoying the game he was playing with his ignorant audience, growing more at ease on the podium as he warmed to his subject because who doesn’t like speaking about themselves? Then, later, the description of Weyland attending an operatic performance of Tosca and being affected by the human art form he’d been scorning I found simply brilliant. It was really nicely done, showing that sometimes your environment can change you despite yourself – yes, if you gaze at the abyss the abyss will, at some point, gaze back.

One more thing – I truly enjoyed the diversity of secondary characters. They were normal, three-dimensional people, most of them middle-aged or older, some of them handsome, some of them ugly but none of them judged just because of their appearance and muscles. As real-life as they come.

Final verdict:

This was the first novel I’d read that presented vampires from an evolutionary position, and it didn’t disappoint. If you want to read a gritty story about an ultimate predator with human-like intelligence and completely inhuman set of mind, this is your book. Don’t expect any romance or hormone-induced drama. Don’t expect mighty warriors fighting against other warriors for the favours of stunning females. No bats or fangs. No swooning beauties or sparkles. Expect modern settings with a dash of supernatural. I admit the book left me rather pleasantly impressed. In fact if vampires existed at all, I bet they would be similar to Weyland.

Quotes and Notes Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

 Perseus, Piazza della Signoria, Florence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am trying officially a new reviewing format. It is not the first time I've done such a review but finally I found a proper name for it: I called it "quotes and notes" because it roughly consists of quotes taken from a book and my comments, nothing else. I feel some books cannot be reviewed in another way.

Inferno. 

I admit shamelessly it was a horrible novel but also I was enjoying myself immensely while reading and writing about it . You see, it was so bad that it was actually funny. :) I decided to illustrate my review with some good art to provide a nice balance. After all Florence is indeed one of the most beautiful cities of the world, with the most stunning art pieces scattered around it.

Our sweetest hero, Robert Langdon, is lying in a Florence hospital bed. Florence in Italy, Europe, the Earth, the Solar system, third planet from the Sun. He is dreaming of an elderly but beautiful, silver-haired woman; she standing near a bloody river, full of bodies. All of a sudden…

“She pointed now to a writhing pair of legs, which protruded upside down from the earth, apparently belonging to some poor soul who had been buried headfirst to his waist. The man’s pale thigh bore a single letter—written in mud—R.R? Langdon thought, uncertain. As in … Robert? “Is that … me?””


No, Mr. Langdon. I am glad to inform you this is your creator. ‘R’ means 'rich and rotten writer', perhaps also ‘rabid’. Like in ‘rabid theories’ or ‘rabid fiction’. As you maybe remember symbology is a tricky subject – one sign or letter might have more than meaning. You see? Who can say Dan Brown’s books can’t teach you a thing or two?

Ok, enough of waffling, here comes the bride our new female lead:

“She appeared to be in her early thirties. She wore blue scrubs and had tied her blond hair back in a thick ponytail that swung behind her as she walked.“I’m Dr. Sienna Brooks,” she said, giving Langdon a smile as she entered. (…)Tall and lissome, Dr. Brooks moved with the assertive gait of an athlete. Even in shapeless scrubs, she had a willowy elegance about her. Despite the absence of any makeup that Langdon could see, her complexion appeared unusually smooth, the only blemish a tiny beauty mark just above her lips. Her eyes, though a gentle brown, seemed unusually penetrating, as if they had witnessed a profundity of experience rarely encountered by a person her age. ”

Mmm… appetizing indeed! A lissome blonde with chocolate eyes? And a British doctor to boot, with a good, practical knowledge of…er…human anatomy? A tiny beauty mark you say? Oh, Langdon, you old lecher! I suppose your bachelorhood years will finally come to an end. *insert here a powerful, desperate sigh of all those ladies, matrons and teen girls secretly in love with our hero. Half of them will dye their hair if they get a moment or two to spare. Next time you see a sea of peroxide blondes swishing their ponytails, natural or artificial, in public you will know why – call it the Langdon effect. The hottest fashion around at the moment.*

“(…) a powerfully built woman effortlessly unstraddled her BMW motorcycle and advanced with the intensity of a panther stalking its prey. Her gaze was sharp. Her close-cropped hair—styled into spikes —stood out against the upturned collar of her black leather riding suit. She checked her silenced weapon, and stared up at the window where Robert Langdon’s light had just gone out.”

Woo-hoo, it seems it will be a very feminist installment! Women everywhere, even among the baddies! You go, Hell’s Angels Mama! (pst, pst, her name is Vayentha. Cool, isn’t it? *giggle*).

Now comes the first awww moment. Could I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen (ok, mostly ladies)? Handkerchiefs and Kleenexes ready?

“Sienna Brooks gazed absently out the kitchen window and wondered where the day would lead her. (…) She knew it was probably just the adrenaline, but she found herself strangely attracted to the American professor. In addition to his being handsome, he seemed to possess a sincerely good heart. In some distant, alternate life, Robert Langdon might even be someone she could be with. He would never want me, she thought. I’m damaged.”

 A vertical panorama of a copy of the statue of David by Michelangelo on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now repeat after me: AWWWWWWWWWWWW…wasn’t it sweet?

But wait a moment… they’ve just met; I grant you, she saw him almost naked in hospital but then she took him barely conscious home so they hardly talked at all and all of a sudden she knows he has a very good…heart!? Neither nose, nor face, nor biceps, nor buttocks nor tights nor abs but heart? Hey, Sienna, what made her think so? How could you possibly see his heart/or what did he do to make you assume that much? Fainted?

Oh, never mind, who would care about such trifles when right afterwards the adrenaline junkies are going to get their fix. Are you prepared, gentlemen and ladies (but now mostly gentlemen)? Grip your armrests and here it goes:

“The spike-haired woman had just entered, but Langdon could not fathom how she had gotten the address. Adrenaline coursed through his system, disjointing his thought process once again. “My own government sent someone to kill me?” Sienna looked equally astounded. “Robert, that means the original attempt on your life at the hospital also was sanctioned by your government.” She got up and double-checked the lock on the apartment door. “If the U.S. Consulate has permission to kill you …” She didn’t finish the thought, but she didn’t have to. The implications were terrifying.”

Go Vayentha, go! By the way you know your government sucks if even Robert Langdon jumps to conclusions and immediately starts accusing them of the worst. I hope Mr. Obama and all the Americans will read this book and take the necessary steps - PR, stupid!

“As his men disappeared into the apartment building, Brüder stood watch at the front door, pulling out his comm device and contacting the person in charge.
“It’s Brüder,” he said. “We’ve successfully tracked Langdon through his computer IP address. My team is moving in. I’ll alert you when we have him.””

I love German baddies who have to announce the obvious time and again, sounding like the dumbest character ever or like a machine. If you are stupid and you are German, you had it coming. If you are stupid and you are American you simply teach symbology at Harvard.

“Sienna had never imagined, when she and Robert Langdon first met, that it would lead to this. This is more than I bargained for. When Sienna had left the hospital with Langdon, she thought they were fleeing a woman with spiked hair and a gun. ”

This is actually less than I bargained for. It seems the editor took a long nap at some point and the whole section (which I didn't want to quote because it was too long) remained delightfully muddled and written in a disarmingly bad style. Pure, undilluted Dan Brown special! Whan can be said? Go Vayentha, go!

“Sienna reached up and gently smoothed out Langdon’s Brioni suit jacket and adjusted his collar. “You look very presentable, Robert.” She gave him a demure smile, adjusted her own sweater, and set out.”

Awww…but so very typical. The lady is clearly smitten, ready to drag Langdon to bed, to altar, chain him to the wall of her bedroom or kitchen (choose the most exciting option). In short she is salivating over him. Robert says…nothing. Ah, those strong and silent types *false swoon*.

The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“VAYENTHA HAD ABANDONED her motorcycle just north of the Palazzo Vecchio and was approaching on foot along the perimeter of the Piazza della Signoria. As she wound her way through the Loggia dei Lanzi’s outdoor statuary, she could not help but notice that all the figures seemed to be enacting a variation on a single theme: violent displays of male dominance over women.
The Rape of the Sabines.
The Rape of Polyxena.”


Now I am officially setting up Vayentha’s fan club. She comes, she looks, she notices the most important things…she’s got brains, a head of spiked hair and that BMW bike! If you want to join contact me and we’ll discuss it further, maybe create a pin and so on. So what she is going to be killed soon? KILLED yes, you read it right but it's hardly a spoiler. If you are an independent female character who doesn’t fawn on Langdon your fictional life in a Dan Brown novel will be short.My heart is bleeding but it must go on.

“Sienna Brooks was in fact totally bald, her bare scalp smooth and pale, like a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.”

Oh goody, another sinister fashion pointer. Next time you see a bald head you’ll never know whether it is a skinhead or a Robert Langdon fan. Let me tell you just this: never trust a bald head in Dan Brown’s books, be it a man or a woman. NEVER. If even your own hair decides to part with you something MUST be wrong. Look at professor Langdon. He has a good heart and is as fit as a fiddle. Not even 

one little bald patch or a pimple.

“I’ve heard of denial,” Langdon quipped blithely, “but I don’t think it exists.”

Duh. Of course it exists. Denial is a river, professor. In Egypt. You know, a country with pyramids and mummies, inhabited by Sphinxes, Pharaohs and such. Plenty of interesting symbols to explore too.

“Lira for your thoughts,” Sienna whispered beside him.Langdon glanced up, smiling wearily. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up at home and discover this was all a bad dream.”
Sienna cocked her head, looking demure. “You wouldn’t miss me if you woke up and found out I wasn’t real?”Langdon had to grin. “Yes, actually, I would miss you a little.”


Awwwww…she flirts with him again…they will marry, mark my words. Unless…after all lira doesn’t exist anymore and is worthless…oh dear, she will try to kill him or betray him, she will!!!She is bald and cannot be trusted!

Now one big fat spoiler:

“According to the provost, Sienna Brooks and Bertrand Zobrist had been longtime lovers. They were active together in some kind of underground Transhumanist movement.“

Ha! Didn’t I told ya? A bald girl = bad news! * thousands of matrons,ladies and girls, infatuated with Langdon imagine him being hugged to their more or less ample bosoms while reciting seven wonders of Florence architecture.*

And now the finale grande: Sienna is hiding in Istanbul, Turkey, everybody is chasing her, mayhem and mayhap and maypole around (just for alliteration's sake, it doesn't have to make sense, it is not that kind of book) and Langdon wants damn answers! A kingdom for an answer! Can you run away from him? No way, especially if you are a blonde female in dire need of a white knight because your previous one proved to be…rather dark.

“She began trembling, her shoulders hunched and shuddering. When she finally looked at Langdon, her eyes were overflowing with tears. “Robert,” she sobbed. “I can’t run away anymore. I have nowhere left to go.”

Awwww…still I preferred Vayentha. She had a bike and plenty of destinations to go.

“Brüder had an uneasy sense that he was missing something.”

Vayentha of course.

“Sienna, I know you want to run, but I’m not going to let you. Sooner or later you need to start trusting someone.”“I can’t …” She was sobbing. “I’m not sure I know how.”
Langdon held her tighter. “You start small. You take that first tiny step. You trust me.”"


Start creating wedding widgets - a bald bride and all that SYMBOLOGY. Or maybe not. Remember, she is bald.

“As Sienna stared up at the American professor, she felt a surge of emotion she wasn’t accustomed to feeling. Without warning, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips. When she pulled away, her eyes were moist with tears. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered. Langdon smiled affectionately and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll miss you, too.””

Translation: ‘Sienna, you are a babe, you truly are, even without hair; still I’ve got several babes waiting in the wings, all as hot as you and one even distantly related to Jesus Christ, so be a good girl and wait for your turn in a corner. If I feel lonely and in dire need of some bunga-bunga action I might, remember MIGHT, call you. Or not. Ciao bambina, arrivederci, grazie mille, I guess I don’t have to show the door to a woman with the IQ of 207, right?

Are you feeling the increase of the humility level? It’s caused by thousands of ladies, girls and matrons crying and blubbering over that delightful book. It ended well, it kept you entertained, it taught you about art of Florence, it broke your heard but in a positive way and in a completely controlled environment, with plenty of doctors and WHO officials around. Robert Langdon remains still single, ready to be leashed, chained, enslaved married. You can start counting your days till the next installment. Ah, Dan Brown, you charmer, you.

Final verdict:

I am speechless.

Yes, he did it again. Wrote a book worse than all the rest. The worst Dan Brown so far. The worst of the worst. A kind of achievement, don't you think? And you killed an innocent female character in a very rude fashion, Dan Brown you monster! Avenging Vayentha I pronounce your newest book...

ETA: check out Heidenkind's blog - there is a discussion about the same book we two had not so long ago!

Rameau's Review Archive: The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

Originally posted on Goodreads January 31st 2013.

Synopsis:
A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations. 

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Unpopular opinion reporting to duty.

The writing is not as polished as some I’ve read, the editor could have exercised a sharper scalpel at times, and the ending felt like a bit too tidy a bow: A single would have sufficed instead of a double.

But. It’s funny I use that word to justify a five star rating, but here it is:

Rowling is unmatched in her storytelling abilities. I’m sure there are others who can spin a yarn from as many—or more—threads as she does, but none come to mind right now. I positively despised all the characters, but I adored the complexity of them and the story that tied them together.

This isn’t only an unpopular opinion, it’s an unhelpful one. There are others who’ll gladly dissect the lives and events of unhappy Pagfordians for you, and there are others who’ll speculate on how this book fits in with others Rowling has written. I’m not one of them. All I can say is, that if you keep an open mind, if you void your expectations and whatever associations the name Rowling conjures, this book has the potential to amaze you.

Or not. It’s definitely not for everyone.

I, however, loved the last line.

Review: Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney #4) by Julie James

Synopsis:
HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS…

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that. 

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love…

I liked this book. It wasn’t anything special but I liked it. So why the fourth star? Why not a three star meh rating?

Wilkins? Sadly no.

This is about Cade Morgan who was introduced in the Twitter Terrorist book and Brooke Parker who is just as wrapped in her career as he is. They meet because of a case he’s prosecuting and they meet again because of a return favour she asks.

And they kiss.

And they date.

They have sex and they have internal meltdowns about things getting too serious when they’re not ready to admit that’s exactly what they want. He has family trouble and she has career plans. Life is complicated.

It’s boring. And it’s all so deliciously normal.

These characters are adults. They’re capable at the jobs, they have friends they talk to, and they worry about spending or not spending the rest of their lives alone. There are miscommunications but those don’t last and they’re not manufactured. They’re just little complications of life.

After reading too many paranormals with insta-mates it’s a wonderful relief to read about an ordinary romance between two people who suck at relationships but manage to find and fall in love with someone who just fits in their lives.

I expect that the next romance in the series will swing back to the FBI side—no, sadly I don’t expect it to be about Wilkins—and that I’ll have to suspend my disbelief a bit more due to hazard pay. I’ll enjoy reading it nonetheless.

Review: Empress (Godspeaker trilogy 01) by Karen Miller

Book info:
Form: pdf format, e-book
Genre: dark fantasy
Target audience: adulst

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Empress of Mijak (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Her name is Hekat--and she will be slave to no man.

In a family torn apart by poverty and violence, Hekat is no more than an unwanted mouth to feed, worth only a few coins from a passing slave trader.

But Hekat was not born to be a slave. For her, a different path has been chosen. It is a path that will take her from stinking back alleys to the house of her god, from blood-drenched battlefields to the glittering palaces of Mijak. For a cost, of course, because nothing comes for free.

What I liked: 

'Empress' is featuring a very original, recourceful and strong heroine although her character borders psychopatology in the first part, crossing that border frequently in the second. I admit it would be extremely difflicult to like her but, on the other hand, I fully appreciated the fact that Hekat was something fresh, not a clone of your common-and-garden fantasy good girl.

The story is very well-written, there is not one dull passage, the plot never diappoints you. The world building was presented in such a way that you feel fully immersed into the country of Mijak. The novel read like something ripped out of an ancient Sumerian myth of chariots and kings. Slavery! Blood and Entrails! Scorpions! Torture! Death! More scorpions! More death! You almost want to add 'Heavy Metal' to that bunch! The magic is there but it is subtle - reserved just for several scenes.

What I didn't like:

I admit the book would read far better if not for the dialect, which quickly grows tiresome. The religious system of Mijak, based on a primitive, blood-thirsty and rather shifty scorpion deity, could do with some variety. After a while I was rather tired with the whole number of things named after the god: godstone, godpost, godbraids, godpool, godbells, godsmite...godyawn?

And here it comes, my most serious complaint: the main character. Oh Hekat, you stupid fool.

Mount Everest (topgold) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I need something beautiful here.

I know Hekat had one hell of a childhood, being tortured, underfed, humiliated and hardly ever loved at all. Yes, she has grown up in a life of pain, blood, and the secret whispers of her god, a very primitive and very cruel demonic entity to begin with.The sympathy her childhood suffering had evoked in me was quickly burned away. In its place was left contempt, horror and distaste for her complete lack of altruism. I know she was supposed to be as though as a piece of concertina. Still I believe if it is 100% impossible for any person except for a hardened sociopath to relate to the main character, you end up disliking her story,  no matter how well it is told.

Believe me, I've read about and even liked many Dark Fantasy monsters but adult Hekat in my opinion is the most deeply crazy, primitive and disgustingly arrogant female ever written about. Her ambitions would fit Mount Everest and her ego is so inflated that you wonder how come she doesn't float while walking. Still you know what was the worst? No, not the killings and blood baths and the ruthless plotting against her own family. For me it was the fact that Hekat wasn't honest with herself. She simply lacked the necessary intelligence and lucidity to take a long, hard look at her inner soul and say it loud and clear: yes, I am a monster, THIS is what I've become.

What's worse, there is no counterpoint for her - no other character able to balance all these negative vibes. All Hekat's lovers (because she has no love interest) are definitely too weak to oppose her wickedness and correct her flaws, too primitive to even understand who and what they are dealing with. Neither sweet, naive Vortka nor Raklion the warlord bother to get to know the real Hekat. One of her enemies, Nagarak, comes the closest to the truth but then he dies (not telling you how, it would be a spoiler). It leaves a strange emotional void around Hekat the Monster so she has to stew in her own nauseatic juice. It is nothing pleasant to read - or to imagine.

Final verdict:

A strong beginning of a Dark Fantasy series; still it is not a book for everyone. You will deal here with a thoroughly unlikeable character, surrounded by a bland supporting cast, committing horrible deeds in the name of a sadistic god - consider yourself warned. Will I continue? Yes I will - but mainly because I've been told the rest of the series is different - it features less Hekat and more of her handsome and definitely less evil son Zandakar.

Review: Bitter Orange by Marshall Moore

Book info:

Form: pdf, e-book
Genre: urban fantasy, contemporary fiction
Target audience: adults

I got a copy of this novel from the publisher free of charge in return for an unbiased review (thanks, Ellie Wong!). That fact didn't influence my opinion in any way.

Synopsis:

Seth Harrington, a thirty something guy, lives in San Francisco and studies psychology. His life has gone nowhere since 9/11, it seems he’s been simply drowning in his own ennui because he lost his partner. Now he tries to carry on as well as he can: he sometimes goes out with Elizabeth, a friendly tattoo artist he met while vacationing in Spain, he shares his flat with Sang-hee, a Korean-born linguistics student. An ordinary, middle class existence if not for one thing: one day Seth finds out he suffers from an oblique form of invisibility or rather the  terror of invisibility he can't control and doesn't know what to do with.

His super power is unwanted, unexpected and unpredictable. He can turn imperfectly invis­ible in morally grey moments and he doesn’t know why.  It’s worse than you think – it’s isolating and there are no rules. Is he a one-time aberration? A freak of nature? Something more?  What if he were to turn invisible—really and truly invisible—and get stuck that way? He didn’t ask for it. He doesn’t want it and he doesn’t like it. What to do?

Soon enough Seth starts experimenting with the help of his Korean flatmate: what can he get away with? Theft of several bottles of wine? No problem. A fake movie ticket? Nobody notices anything strange. Underpayment for overpriced bever­ages in a few coffee shops? A piece of cake. Paying for Sang-hee’s new iPod with just a few small bills? Done once again. After those local tests he sets out for Portlant and then for Las Vegas to find his limits and his true goal in life because slot machines and roulette tables cannot be duped. Will his charm or gift still work? Will he fall apart again? How long will he need to go on testing it? Hasn’t the time come to stop, and just accept it for what it was?

My impressions

I admit it was difficult to get into this one at first - I was reading and thinking that everything in the story was being weirdly normal, almost painfully so – Seth, his ordinary life, his friends and studies. Fortunately the narrative style was good enough to keep me going – it was even, sometimes very funny, with hardly a whiff of that annoying emotional drama ups and downs some fantasy authors are so fond of, confusing them, I suppose, with enthralling romantic story arcs.

After a while I found out I actually liked the main protagonist and I was curious what he would do with his unusual gift and where it came from. Moore kept me and his main lead guessing about just how and why a man becomes accustomed to supernatural powers and whether the problem Harrington thinks he has is literal or figurative. On the one hand Seth's conscience told him that something was wrong. On the other hand he was intrigued to say the least of it. Let’s face it: who wouldn’t like to be invisible from time to time or pay for your merchandize with just a few one-dollar bills, no matter what their actual price tag is? Then the whole plot was given several twists and suddenly I landed straight in an urban-fantasy-land. 

Then I understood why the author started the book in such an inconspicuous way – the contrast really was interesting. I liked Seth even more when he wasn’t lured by the easy crimes he could have committed using his gift. The ending was a kind of cliffhanger – now I would like to read the continuation of the story.

I  also had some regrets: I did hope for a better development of the Elizabeth’s character and I wish there were more females included and not all of them were evil. I also think that the pacing of the novel could have been improved, especially the slow beginning. Still I have to tell that the digital copy I got was flawless – no mistakes, a perfect editing job. It is such a treat to read a digital book which is so polished and refined.

Final verdict:

An original story told in a very good way and properly edited. I do hope the author will continue it any time soon.

Rameau's Review Archive: Dark Space by Lisa Henry

Originally posted on Goodreads February 1st 2013.

Synopsis:
Brady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless — the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.


Dark Space by Lisa Henry

This review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.


Are you interested in reading an M/M, scifi, military, mind connection, mostly character study book with creepy angels aliens?

That’s how I recommended this book in a tweet the day after I finished reading it. I threw after a warning about sibilant hisses galore but forgot to mention the rape triggers. I also might have persuaded someone by saying “you’ll like the ending” vaguely implying I was less than satisfied. And I was, but it didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying everything else.

Dark Space is set in an unknown future where humans fight a terrifying alien race called the Faceless. There are space stations that orbit the Sun (presumably) at the edges of our solar system and keep watch. These stations are manned—quite literally—only by human men because women are too precious to be put in danger like that. This was the world building detail that most annoyed me, but if the alternative was reading about poorly constructed female characters I’d suspend my disbelief for a short book any day.

Some of the world building details I liked were every single thing that made Brady Garrett the nineteen-year-old conscripted recruit three years into his ten year military service—fifteen should he choose to become an officer—trying to keep his head down, and out of trouble while helping out at the medical bay. I loved the idea of stark class differences, refugee camps, factories, and all the problems that were only implied instead of infodumped on the reader. That includes the alien race, which—as creepy as they were—was nothing compared to the Weeping Angels.

Cameron Rushton is an officer—three or seven years older than Brady depending on how you look at it—and a prisoner of war who has just been returned to home. Or as close to it as Defender Three, Brady’s space station, is. The doctors make a mistake and Brady becomes a temporary human pacemaker to the man who no one trusts. They’re locked together in a room and have to spend prolonged periods of time together adapting to this new situation. Their connection forces them to learn much about themselves and about each other.

Because it’s an M/M novel, sex is a big part of that learning process. And because I liked it, you can expect to read about dark themes, and horrible things being done to the characters.

The pacing is pretty much perfect. Whenever I started to think “that’s a bit much” the author would make shift that not only made sense within the story but also advanced the overall storyline. There weren’t any unnecessary scenes or exposition for the sake of exposition. The repetition that was there—like Brady thinking of his home and family—felt natural to the cycle of human psyche and the way humans think. We get stuck on something, move on, and come back to it when the time is right again. Brady also didn’t accept the mind melt connection unreservedly. He had doubts and he fought it, but he also learned to trust his own judgement about the connection.

And the heartrending goodbye… Well, I’ll let you read about that on your own.