Book round-up: July 2020

[sixthlight]

July was going pretty well book-wise and then I watched The Old Guard and fell violently in fannish love in a way I haven’t for years and years - the length is not a surprise, my fannish interests tend to be long-lasting, but the visual medium was; my fannish history shows I’m a book girl by and large. Anyway, if you follow me on Tumblr you will have heard me waxing poetic about that; we’re here to talk about books. No re-reads this month, for the first time in a while! Sadly I expect August will not be as productive, for reasons of renewed lockdown. (I know that "country freaking out over eight cases connected to one household" is on a 2020 scale a very New Zealand problem, but...I was enjoying the sleeping soundly at night thing, you know?)

The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Alix E Harrow)
Another Hugo nominee read. I really enjoyed it and I was surprised it didn’t end up higher on the ballot; it’s a lyrical book about home and words and belonging, a portal fantasy set in the early 20th century that echoes the great old portal fantasies but is firmly modern in its eye. A bit like an onion, it reveals things as it goes that you wouldn’t guess from the opening; I think it would reward a re-read.

Viscount Vagabond (Loretta Chase)
Yet another attempt at a romance author who isn’t K J Charles, yet another failure, this time because ludicrously incorrect currency amounts were thrown around within the first five pages (200 pounds was a VERY GOOD YEARLY SALARY in the Regency, not a week’s bed and board, FFS.) With this hit rate I probably need to stop trying so hard.

Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murder (Aliette de Bodard)
Novella set after (but that does not rely on knowledge of) her Dominion of the Fallen trilogy. Well-meaning dragon prince takes his pet sociopath fallen angel husband home for New Year’s, and then a murder investigation ensues - much to his horror and his husband’s delight. I adore Thuan and Asmodeus; I’m not sure how it would play if you hadn’t read the preceding series, but I think it would still be a fun read.

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water (Zen Cho)
Described by the author both as Baze/Chirrut genderswap fantasy AU fanfic and fanfic of a non-existent wuxia show focusing on a female character who showed up for five minutes and a trans headcanon, which would get five kudos and no comments on AO3. These descriptions are extremely accurate and if this is what fanfic bleeding into profic gets us, I am HERE for it. It also has a very vivid sense of place and time (colonial Malaysia, but fantasy), which I always love.

Bonds of Brass (Emily Skrutskie)
Marketed as “if Finn/Poe was canon”, but I suggest you put that description aside; the characters aren’t much like them at all (although there is a VERY obvious Rey analogue). What it IS, is a space opera romp with lost princes, oh-my-god-they-were-roommates gay romance, daring dogfights, an evil empire, a rebellion...look ok the mood is very Star Wars plus all the best slash fanfic tropes, that bit’s true. It is not very smart but it is a lot of fun. I need a marriage-of-convenience sequel like BURNING.

Angel Mage (Garth Nix)
Man, fanfic in profic is a theme this month. Garth Nix is not shy about stating upfront that this is Three Musketeers fic, I guess as a follow-up to his Georgette Heyer pastiche, and...look if he wants to spend his late career fanfic-ing and getting paid for it I’m fine with that. His version of the Musketeers features magic, angels, bisexual wlw pining, everybody being a girl because WHY NOT, found family, swordfights, and honestly not a LOT of plot let alone ANY explanation for why all the Cardinals in Fantasy France are women but then again explaining that would have taken valuable page space that was dedicated to bisexual pining and swordfights. I respect that as a choice.

Vicious (V E Schwab)

I’d heard this described as sort of Charles/Erik-esque (I told you fanfic in profic was the theme this month) but...not really? It’s a moody Greek tragedy in a vaguely American city, where two university students figure out how to give themselves superpowers by dying. The thesis of the book is basically that superpowers make you a horrible person, but some people are more horrible than others. It’s the kind of book where there are three adult women with speaking parts and they’ve all been murdered by men by the end, and....I don’t regret reading it, it is very well-written and executes its aims, but it has solidified my impression that Schwab as an author may not be for me.

#NoFly (Shaun Hendy)
A researcher at the University of Auckland decided to put his money where his mouth is (vis a vis climate change) by not flying for a year - this chronicles how that went, and the ramifications. The author is a well-known science communicator in Aotearoa New Zealand (and, full disclosure, someone I know personally and like) and he’s written a very readable book. I’m not sure how relevant it is to people outside NZ, but it’s definitely interesting if you’re here and thinking about how to cut down your carbon emissions.

Comments

[sixthlight]

It wasn't an intentional theme but it worked out very well! The Old Guard kinda fitted right into it too, heh.