Wulf's Book Reviews

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire My rating: 3 of 5 stars Not the heartbreak of coming back, but the origin story I did not really need I opened my review of the first instalment, “ Every Heart a Doorway ”, with the line “Not the fantasy of going through the door, but the heartbreak of coming back.” “Down Among the Sticks and Bones” turns that idea inside out. This time, Seanan McGuire gives us the fantasy of going through the door, tracing the origins of Jack and Jill in a story that reaches for the shape, logic, and menace of a fairy tale. For me, though, that shift is precisely where the novella loses some of what made its predecessor so affecting. » On the day our story truly starts « That line captures one of my main frustrations with the book. By the time the story “truly” starts, more than a fifth of the novella has already passed, and I felt that delay. I understood what McGuire was trying to do by showing the damage inflicted on the sisters before they ever ...

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire My rating: 5 of 5 stars Not the fantasy of going through the door, but the heartbreak of coming back. Every portal fantasy asks what lies beyond the door. What Seanan McGuire asks instead is what happens after the door shuts behind you, and that shift gives “Every Heart a Doorway” its bruised, peculiar power. » Children have always disappeared under the right conditions. « I went in expecting something wistful and whimsical. What I found was weirder, sadder, and much sharper about loneliness, belonging, and the violence of being told that your deepest truth is nonsense. » Narrate the impossible things. « That line feels like the novella’s method in miniature. McGuire writes with the economy of a fable, but not the emotional simplicity of one. The prose is lean, clean, and surprisingly cutting. Eleanor West’s school is not a cosy sanctuary for charming misfits so much as a halfway house for children who have already found the worlds that suite...

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s a dragon in the land, and the prince needs to vanquish it in order to free the fair maiden. They triumphantly return, marry, and live happily ever after. I’ve never really questioned the scenario or really thought about it. With “ Damsel ” by Elana K. Arnold , this changed: The dragon’s lair is actually beautiful. Our damsel, Ama, isn’t all that much in distress - at least until the arrogant, self-serving prick of a prince, Emory, picks her up. As the story proceeded, I grew increasingly uncomfortable about how Ama is treated not only by the prince, but by everyone around her. All of her needs and wishes are dismissed at best, punished at worst. Ama is treated like a vessel; she has no “value” as a person but as a means to an end. (If you’re living in the US right now, Emory, under another name, is your king.) Ama is literally and metaphorically hurt by this, but never broken. In a furious, angry finale, she transcends the conf...

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett My rating: 2 of 5 stars “ City of Stairs ” came highly recommended by many friends and I was so looking forward to a murder mystery, an espionage story, a post-war drama, a piece of fantasy, and alternative history. Yes, maybe the sheer breadth of this should have forewarned me but what can I say… The story was… mediocre: A lot of divinity-this, divinity-that, people who want to bring back the “golden days”, profiteers, evil brothers, evil aunts, and other relatives. In short: lots of bullshit. Also, the characters: Shara, the granddaughter of the Kaj, the saviour of his people, and the killer of gods, faultless master spy, genius, is our heroine and she’s… boring. Absolutely, breathtakingly boring. She keeps being lucky and only in the end do we see her dealing with her evil scheming aunty. In between, she mostly lurches from one disaster to the next. Part of her luck is called Sigrud. An almost excessively inventive name for what...

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow My rating: 2 of 5 stars From a story point of view Harrow's second “ Fractured Fable “, “ A Mirror Mended ”, starts right after “ A Spindle Splintered ” with Zinnia Gray, our protagonist, still trying to fix happily-ever-afters for a lot of Sleeping Beauties. That’s where my issues start: Why Zinnia again? Why not create a new character? Zinnia’s story arc was complete after “Spindle” and in my opinion, it would have made a lot more sense to create a fresh new character for this book. In fact, there’s a lot that gets repeated here: Zinnia still “falls” through the multiverse with the evil queen from Snow White, Eva, she intends to help. Sadly, while “Spindle” was a modern retelling of the old fairy tale, “Mirror” features some of Snow White’s characters and ideas but at no point is it any kind of retelling. It’s much more of a complicated series of events that somehow occur - sometimes all too conveniently - without much influence fro...

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner My rating: 1 of 5 stars Oh, wow. This was… bad, really bad. I expected this to be fantasy while in fact this is a young-adult novel that feels like it was written by a teenager. Kissen (I’m sorry but as a German, I’m having a hard time with this name…), our queer, one-legged hero, goes on an adventure with a former knight, childhood friend of the king, a spoilt brat, Inara, from a noble house - a house that was literally burned down, including Inara’s beloved servants, and mother. Inara also has a pest problem, manifesting as a god (of white lies). Among that lies naive romance, attempted-coming-of-age, fantasy-lite and a looooong journey that drags and drags and… You get the gist. The writing is also mediocre at best and, even worse, errors abound: » Kissen wasn’t going to let him stupid that easily. « Thankfully, that was the most aggravating mistake but, still, a disgrace. I’m abandoning this at 70% to later slumber on my Kissen . One star ...

Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan I tried really hard to like this but couldn’t. In fact, I’m giving up at 62%… I liked “ Legends of the First Empire ” and that series’ protagonists. I love Michael’s Hadrian and Royce . “Nolyn”, though, is a different matter: We’re 800 years after the events of “Legends” and some of the old heroes are still around which is one of the issues: All the human protagonists are, of course, long gone; but the elves are still around. Unreasonable lifespans of several thousand (!) years are poor, unconvincing and annoying storytelling devices. Yes, that was made clear in “Legends” and I was worried that might create a problem but it never mattered in that series. Now, Nyphron is still around but - before I DNF’ed - he doesn’t appear. He’s talked about but we don’t get to “see” him. Also, an old nemesis from “Legends” is still around, still conspiring and plotting which is very annoying: Don’t reuse old enemies; they had their time and place and 800 ye...

Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch My rating: 2 of 5 stars Finally! I’m free of this book! I used to really like this world and its rather unique inhabitants as well as the stories Ben Aaronovitch so expertly told us. This time around, though, I was bored by the lacklustre story at the centre of “ Amongst Our Weapons ”: An “Angel of Death” is killing the owners of some obscure rings with Lesley being on the hunt for said rings. Peter does his best to prevent further deaths. Through 80% of this instalment in the series, I only read it in bed because it served as a perfect sleeping drug. The abysmal pacing, being told about Beverly’s pregnancy (mostly referred to as “the bulge” which felt derogatory even though it most certainly wasn’t meant like that), quite a few encounters with the culprit but hardly any progress until the very end - it all made for a veritable snoozefest. Nightingale is mostly around and yet feels strangely absent - he doesn’t have much of a role at...

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree My rating: 5 of 5 stars » After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and violence and a sudden, sharp end—but she’d be damned if she’d let hers finish that way. It was time for something new. « Thus begins the story of Viv, a former orc swordswoman who retires from adventuring and opens a coffee shop, the eponymous “Legends & Lattes”, in the town of Thune. She makes friends with various fantasy creatures and faces challenges from a local crime boss and a former colleague who wants to steal her magical treasure. Rarely was a moniker, “High fantasy, low stakes” in this case, more apt because we’re not off on a conventional fantasy adventure. Much more important in this entertaining and heartwarming novel are the relationships Viv and her friends build: In Thune, Viv is part of a small minority and doesn’t care about outward appearances and societal expec...

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve actually read this novel quite a few years ago but never published this review at my usual haunts. This is especially sad since “ The Invisible Library ” went on to become one of my favourite fantasy series despite the steampunk elements which I don't really like. Thus, I was a wee bit sceptical: The premise of a secret society of librarians traversing alternate realities to collect rare books seemed almost too fantastical: With Dragons on the order-extremist side of the order/chaos spectrum and the Fae, fantastical creatures of all kinds, on the chaos-extremist side and the afore-mentioned Library somewhere in-between, shady and obsessive humans, this sounded rather… wild! And yet, only shortly after our protagonist, Irene, a resourceful and quick-witted Librarian, embarks on her mission, I was smitten. Assigned to retrieve a unique version of Grimm's Fairy Tales from an alternate London riddle...

Traditions by Michael J. Sullivan My rating: 3 of 5 stars What a curious coincidence! Immediately after finishing “ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas ” I picked up “ Traditions ”. Written in Michael’s world of Elan, it features Annie, a girl who’s about to be sacrificed to a monster for the continued well-being of her village. Presented by her boyfriend with an opportunity to flee together, she rejects his plan but decides not to play by the age-old rules but to try and determine her own fate. Thus, she walks up to the lair of the monster and confronts it. The monster, an old, basically invalid dragon tries to talk her out of killing him by presenting the possible catastrophic consequences if it becomes known that the dragon “protecting” the village is gone. That all the sacrifices for a very long time have been for nought. In contrast to the people of Omelas, Annie decides not to play by the rules: She does not accept the potential consequences as a given. She does not...

Stardust by Neil Gaiman My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think the first of Neil Gaiman's novels I ever read was "Stardust" which I absolutely loved (whereas newer novels are more hit-and-miss for me, sadly). I was surprised to like it so much because it strongly felt like a fairy tale and I’m not exactly a fan of those. At its core, "Stardust" is a classic adventure tale, full of magic and wonder. The story follows the protagonist, Tristran Thorn, as he embarks on a journey to find a fallen star in order to win the heart of his beloved. Along the way, he encounters a host of fantastical characters, from witches and pirates to talking animals and ghosts. Each encounter brings new challenges and surprises, and I found myself fully immersed in Tristran's world, eagerly anticipating what lay around each new corner. What truly sets "Stardust" apart from other adventure stories, though, is Gaiman's masterful storytelling. His writing is both enchanting an...

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss My rating: 5 of 5 stars First things first: I’d like to discourage you from reading this novel because the trilogy as planned by Rothfuss is still unfinished and Kvothe’s amazing story remains untold in large parts. I got this book as a gift from a colleague and despite having been similarly warned by him, I devoured it! Rothfuss has masterfully crafted a world that is both rich in detail and vivid in imagination, making it impossible for me to put down. The story centres around the life of Kvothe, an almost legendary wizard, musician and Kingkiller who is now living in obscurity as an innkeeper. The plot weaves together Kvothe's past and present, with each chapter revealing more about his past and how it has shaped the person he has become. The characters in the book are beautifully crafted, with each one having their own unique personality that adds depth and colour to the story. One of the things I loved most about "The Name of the ...

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve recently reread Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere" and it exceeded my expectations from when I read it first years ago. It took me on a thrilling and rather surreal journey through the fictitious underworld of London. From the very beginning, Gaiman drew me in with his vivid descriptions of the bustling city and the mundane world of Richard Mayhew, the protagonist. The storyline takes an unexpected turn when Richard helps an injured young woman and becomes immersed in a dangerous and supernatural world. The plot is full of twists and turns, making it impossible to predict what will happen next. The world-building in "Neverwhere" is nothing short of remarkable. Gaiman's imagination brings to life the vivid and fantastical setting of “London Below”, a parallel universe that exists beneath the streets of London. He creates a fascinating and complex society of outcasts who are living in the shadows and forgotten co...

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve recently reread Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere" and it exceeded my expectations from when I read it first years ago. It took me on a thrilling and rather surreal journey through the fictitious underworld of London. From the very beginning, Gaiman drew me in with his vivid descriptions of the bustling city and the mundane world of Richard Mayhew, the protagonist. The storyline takes an unexpected turn when Richard helps an injured young woman and becomes immersed in a dangerous and supernatural world. The plot is full of twists and turns, making it impossible to predict what will happen next. The world-building in "Neverwhere" is nothing short of remarkable. Gaiman's imagination brings to life the vivid and fantastical setting of “London Below”, a parallel universe that exists beneath the streets of London. He creates a fascinating and complex society of outcasts who are living in the shadows and forgotten co...

Gardens by Benedict Jacka My rating: 3 of 5 stars Hm… This was the grimdark version of an Alex Verus novella, I’d say. There were some rather brutal scenes and the protagonists became ever more unlikeable with the lacklustre story progressing. Worst of all, though, one major character from the series becomes less likeable due to their actions in this novella. That actually made me slightly sad and I will pretend this novella doesn’t exist and this series really ended with “ Risen ”. Still, my Stockholm syndrome says I have to award three stars out of five. ;) Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam View all my reviews https://turing.mailstation.de/gardens-alex-verus-12-1-by-benedict-jacka/?feed_id=1682&_unique_id=63dfd17c19d09

Favours by Benedict Jacka My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a short story told from Sonder’s perspective, primarily featuring him and Caldera. Alex is only mentioned in passing. Nevertheless, this short story definitely makes you feel right at home back in the Verus universe. I never really liked either Sonder or Caldera and both their behaviours here just firmly cement this antipathy. Sonder is opportunistic and primarily worries about his future, whereas Caldera takes out her frustration on both Sonder and Anne whom the former pressures into service. Knowing the events in ” Risen ” I was able to mentally lean back and enjoy the show. Four out of five stars for a surprisingly good story. View all my reviews https://turing.mailstation.de/favours-alex-verus-6-1-by-benedict-jacka/?feed_id=1653&_unique_id=63d949bfe9e13

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones My rating: 3 of 5 stars I set out to read - and hopefully love - this because it came with high praise by most of my GoodReads friends and my daughter (who loves the film , though). Thus prepared, I set out on this literary journey and quickly got confused: Sophie gets cursed by the Witch from the Waste? Whatever for? And she just gets up, moves out without thinking and stumbles upon the eponymous Howl’s Moving Castle ? Huh? She accepts any crap coming her way because » Sophie was a failure anyway. It came of being the eldest. «? Sorry, what? Every ridiculous and absurd situation that goes on to arise can be summarised as Howl does near the very end of this book: » “I’m the eldest!” Sophie shrieked. “I’m a failure!” “Garbage!” Howl shouted. “You just never stop to think!” « Some of you might think me too old for this - but for one thing, I still love the Moomins for example. Plus: I can tell you right here and now that as a child I would...

Heroic Hearts by Jim Butcher My rating: 5 of 5 stars » “You came for me first,” she said. “Not the pizza.” « I’m exclusively referring to Jim Butcher’s short story “Little Things” from the “ Heroic Hearts ” anthology. This is simply because I only got it to read that one story - and it was worth it. Told from the viewpoint of “ Major General Toot-Toot Minimus, sprite in service to Sir Harry Dresden […] and captain of his personal guard ”, this is set pretty much immediately after the events of “ Battle Ground ”… An attempt on Harry’s life is made and Toot-Toot valiantly takes charge! I’ve like the little folk from the very beginning and now they finally and very much deservedly get their very own story. Five out of five stars for a highly amusing short story from the Dresden universe . Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam View all my reviews https://turing.mailstation.de/little-things-by-jim-butcher-from-heroic-hearts-by-jim-butcher/?feed_id=1076&_unique_id=636295edcd1aa

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin My rating: 2 of 5 stars The premise of this short story is simple: Omelas, a radiant city of happiness, has built its riches upon the suffering of a single child. Every citizen knows of the child and many visit it to witness its suffering. There are basically three options according to Le Guin: - Walk away and live your life, knowing your happiness depends on the misery of an innocent child. - Walk away from Omelas; leave, never to come back. - Rescue the child - but that doesn’t happen. According to Le Guin’s afterword those are the only options because those are the rules: » You can only play a game -- chess, soccer, parable -- if you follow the rules. « And that’s where I say she’s wrong: We abide by the “rules” because we want to. We allow the rules to restrict what we do. We choose to follow the rules - but we don’t have to! In the face of developing countries being ravaged by COVID-19 like we’d never tolerate it here, ...