Book Releases I'm Excited For 2020

Even though I was trying not to buy any books across 2020 (and I did an okay job, haven't bought as many as I normally would) I am still of course going to be buying some of the new releases coming soon in the last half of this year! So by order of appearance let me celebrate some upcoming new books I'll be buying!

First off we return to an author I've been having something of a reading fling with these last few years, Joe Abercrombie. Having been powering through his First Law trilogy, and having read the first in his new trilogy I'm extremely excited to get my hands on the second book The Trouble With Peace which is set to drop September 2020. We'll be picking up with the new cast of characters, and hopefully having more fun with the old ones too! If you want my thoughts on the first book, here's a spoiler free review of A Little Hatred!

From amazon.com

The following month we will have something by a new favorite author of mine, Kim Stanley Robinson. In the last two years I've reviewed a few of his works, and I'm eager to see what he offers us now. He brings us another tantalizing tale of a future that could be, and this one seems to make for some very, initially, depressing reading. The Ministry For the Future is set in a world where climate change has ravaged the globe, and mankind is finding increasingly difficult to survive, let alone thrive! To survive daily temperatures you have to be in a well air conditioned area. With all that is going on, can we save ourselves from the problems we've created? Can this new ministry advocate for all the generations yet unborn? I suppose we will find out October 6th 2020!

From amazon.com

In November, we have probably one of the most anticipated works in the fantasy sphere as Brandon Sanderson brings us book four of the Stormlight Archive, Rhythm of War. In the much anticipated fourth installment we return to Roshar where the war between the Knights Radiant and the Voidbringers rages as men and gods do battle over the fate of the planet. This volume will fill in more background on the character Venli, and meanwhile, the war continues. Will the Knights Radiant prevail, or will the world fall into chaos? We will find out November 14th!

Finally, we come to another author I have been reading ever more eagerly. Marko Kloos already had one novel out this year, which I cheerfully reviewed, but we now come to the next novel in his much celebrated Frontlines series. In Orders of Battle we pick up years after the climactic battles between Earth and the Lankies both in and out of the Sol system as humanity picks up the pieces from its near destruction. Our protagonist Andrew Grayson has grown up in years, advanced in rank, and watched the now peacetime military shrink to accommodate the needs of rebuilding Earth and her colonies. But the Lankies are still out there, and the war isn't over yet. We will see more of the Human-Lankie war, come December 8th!

From amazon.com

There are of course, many fabulous new stories in the pipeline for new and emerging authors, but here I'm just highlighting the books and series I've been following. I hope this generates some interest for them as these authors deserve all the love they get! Until next time!

Before They Are Hanged

Having just re-read a fantastic story of The Blade Itself, I shortly jumped right back in to the First Law trilogy and attended an excellent meeting of characters Before They Are Hanged.

From the First Law wiki

This book is, in my humble opinion, a great companion piece to the second novel in the Song of Ice and Fire trilogy A Clash of Kings. There's sieges, intrigue, questing and politics, and it all comes together in a fantastic climax both disheartening and mysterious! Mild spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't read The Blade Itself but I will attempt to keep it as spoiler free as possible.

Our story here picks up only shortly after the events of the first book. Led by Bayaz our heroes Logen, Ferro and Jezal all head for the edge of the Circle of the World to find a mysterious item to defeat the Prophet Khalul and his army of Eaters. Collem West marches with the Union Army to Angland to fight the invading armies of Bethod King of the Northmen, while the Dogman and his companions march south to link up with the Union, as the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Further south, Glokta travels to the city of Dagoska where the Gurkish Emperor, a servant of the Prophet, has set his sites on the southern most outpost of the Union, here he must hold the city or die trying, all while uncovering a conspiracy which very well may cost him his life!

The meat of this story is both the war in the North and Dagoska, and the quest undertaken at Bayaz's insistence in the west. It takes some of the standard tropes of fantasy and turns them well on their head. The most satisfactory story to me was that of Glokta in Dagoska, as his character remains my favorite in the series. The intrigues inside the besieged city and all the desperation of siege warfare with the need for provisions, repairing the defences and keeping the enemy out are well done. I thought the conclusion was a great surprise as well, and even on my second read through I was thrilled to discover that while I had missed some things on the first read through, I managed to find some great surprises in round two!

Meanwhile West and Dogman in the North follow the usual war story. There's great battles, running from the enemy, and even a bit of special forces style attacks on enemy scouts. The interaction with West, a Northerner turned Union man, and Dogman, a Northerner through and through, are always good for a laugh as you see their worldviews clashing so well. The action is just as visceral and intense as Abercrombie can deliver, and he manages the flow of large battles and small man on man action well. I never found myself confused as to what was going on nor did I feel like I had missed something in the text. It remains that Abercrombie writes some of the best action scenes in fiction.

The quest which transports our other three characters across the Old Empire to the edge of the world fills in the time between these two stories. It's a masterful example of a well done travelogue across a diverse landscape richly filled with danger and history, and studies in hardship and friendship between characters. Logen tries his best to befriend his companions and Luthar goes from a sniveling, self-centered coward to a fighter and someone who keeps trying to be a better person, though he backslides from time to time. Ferro tries to learn trust, and she tries really hard.

What I enjoyed on this read-through was that much of the greater lore of the world was expounded upon in great detail. The creation of magic, where all the fighting between Khalul and Bayaz originated, and the greater history of the world. On this re-read I was impressed on how much I had missed in the first read through which showed off Bayaz's long term plans and foreshadowed the events of the third book! Abercrombie really knows how to plot in advance.

Like I said above, this one pairs really nicely with A Clash of Kings and it has similar themes in politics and sieges which I just love to read about. The story is a wonderful sequel to the first and sets up the intrigues and epics of the conclusion of this trilogy! Join me next time when we dive into The Last Argument of Kings in a few months!

Knife of Dreams

Yet another part of my Great 2020 re-read includes finishing as much of the Wheel of Time series as I can. In that vein, I recently polished off Knife of Dreams as part of a general re-read of that series I have been pursuing for the last few years as well.

I began the Wheel of Time series almost two decades ago. My brother and I were, by chance, introduced to it by a family friend. She lent us her copy of The Eye of the World and my brother and I devoured that book, and eagerly began casting about for more. Fortunately for us, ten further books existed and we gleefully racked up late fees from our local library reading them. Eagerly flipping through large hardcover copies. Many people who saw us reading them expressed astonishment that we were. It was very uncommon for preteens to read, much less finish, 800+ page works of fantasy. It was fortunate for us though that someone did comment on that though. When I finished reading the 10th book in the series Crossroads of Twilight, it came as a shock to me that there was nothing further to read.

In an age well before limitless internet access, it was difficult to find out for someone not connected to a greater network of fantasy fans when it could be expected a new book would come out. As I mentioned before though, we were fortunate that an older fan recognized that we liked those books and she helpfully directed us to the latest book in the series, book 11, Knife of Dreams which came out in 2005.

From the Wheel of Time wiki

This book holds a special place in my heart as it was when my brother and I 'caught up' to the greater fandom of the series, it is the eleventh book, and it was the last book Robert Jordan completed. He would die in 2007 from cardiac amyloidosis, his magnum opus left unfinished.

That was of course, until the modern fantasy juggernaut Brandon Sanderson (of Mistborn fame) was selected to finish the series by Jordan's widow. Though this is a story in and of itself which is separate from my love of this book.

Knife of Dreams actually came at a pivotal time for this series as a whole. The 10th book had been reviewed, largely negatively, by even hardcore fans who found it plodding, and somewhat unenjoyable as a rehash of the events from the last book through other characters eyes that added little to the overall narrative. Jordan himself even admitted it was something of a mistake. There was very real fears the series would begin to suffer variously from Kudzu Plot or Four Lines All Waiting, which would drag the series out and onwards to its detriment. 

In that sense, Knife of Dreams was a breath of fresh air. It tied up longstanding story arcs, moved the plot in dramatic ways, and pushed character arcs in a way it felt to many readers hadn't been pushed since the 8th installment of the series. It genuinely breathed new energy into the series and opened up new avenues that could be explored while pushing the plot and characters closer to their inevitable gathering at Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle.

As this is the 11th book in the series, I'll be going into some MAJOR SPOILERS below the cut so if you haven't read the series do not start here, and instead pick up the first book at your local bookseller, library, or online. Before that though, definitely check out other reviews or watch this primer by fantasy and booktuber Daniel Green who does an excellent job at dissecting the series.

Before that though, as a semi-ending before I do some more plot analysis, I'd just like to reiterate why this series is important to me. I came to it late, all things considered, but it really did develop my love of epic fantasy. This book too was important because it set me on the course to keep reading, and eventually come to the satisfying conclusion of the series. I genuinely do love it and the characters it contains, and though it's some heavy reading, if you love fantasy, it's work taking a chance on. It really did help develop my love of reading in the genre.

Knife of Dreams was an excellent book to keep the series going, and proved that, to the end, Robert Jordan was an amazing writer.

Retro Review: Gone With the Wind

In 1936 Margaret Mitchell wrote a classic book Gone With the Wind which almost overnight became a bestseller, and to this day has seen more than 30 million copies printed worldwide. Lest anyone think that successful novels becoming movies shortly after their release, the film Gone With the Wind was released in December 1939 with an all-star cast and has gone on to be widely considered one of the best films ever made. It is so ubiquitous you've probably been influenced by it even without ever watching the film or reading the novel!

So, almost one hundred years on and many cultural shifts later, does this film stand up to scrutiny? Is it a classic romance, or a piece of Lost Cause propaganda depicting an idealistic Antebellum South? Read on and find out! A good plot synopsis follows, so spoilers are ahead below the cut!

The film is wonderfully cast. Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes, Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Wilkes, Hattie McDaniel as Mammy, Barbara O'Neill as Ellen O'Hara and many, many more. Quite frankly I don't think you could get better actors for this film, and I'm amazed at the quality of it even nearly a century on. Credit really does go to Gable and Leigh however, with Leigh especially notable for carrying the film almost on her shoulders. The dialogue and rapport she has with Gable really does carry these two flawed characters well, and their tragic romance is beautiful! Leigh as the leading lady is very impressive and the energy she puts into the role is just stunning. 

From wikimedia commons

It went on to win eight Oscars, including best actress for Leigh and best supporting actress for McDaniel who became the first African American to win an Oscar. 

The wonderful score leads us through the whole movie, and I really think you can't get much better than it.The film, in the tradition of the time, has a long beautifully scored opening introducing our principle cast and characters and a bit on the setting. Perhaps an (in)famous tagline 'a civilization gone with the wind' which leads into the story itself.

We begin at the fictional plantation of Tara, based somewhat on the old ballad The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls (beautiful song) and is the home of an Irish descended planter family, the O'Hara's. 

We're quickly introduced to our main character, the spritely and quick witted southern belle Scarlett O'Hara. She is the beau of all Southern gentlemen, and is fawned over by the Southern gentlemen. They wish to talk of nothing but war and she finds this dreadfully boring, wishing she were being invited to more lively parties. This goes on as she prepares for one hosted by her father at the hall where the men discuss politics and the upcoming war. Therein, they see the objections of one Rhett Butler, who firmly believes the South has no chance. It is, frankly, a fantastic scene and was my first introduction to the film in university beyond cultural osmosis. 

It Can't Happen Here

In 1935 Sinclair Lewis published the novel It Can't Happen Here as a deadly, if semi satirical, rebuttal to the very American execptionalist attitudes of the 1930s which believed, very firmly, that fascism was impossible in their country. And is a little disturbing when one considers that the real life Business Plot was happening around the same time. In that story, Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip wins the 1936 United States election in a landslide on a populist platform. He does so against all odds, and defying expectations. Into this unexpected breach of political norms he runs on a populist platform, promising to restore the country to greatness and brining back prosperity and power and giving every American a 5,000$ check per year.

To help do so he rapidly outlaws dissent, jails his enemies and trains "Minute Men" paramilitary corps who crack down violently on any who oppose Windrip's policies, like eliminating the power of Congress. Over time he sends enemies to concentration camps and consolidates his power through violence and fear. Despite this, a majority of Americans approve and see it as necessary to returning their country to glory.

This has negative consequences, to say the least. Depressingly, parts of it might sound a little familiar to modern readers.

From wikimediacommons

I'm writing this because I have worryingly seen far too many Americans engage in American exceptionalism regarding this very issue. "It can't happen here" I have seen said "We're a First World country, and that kind of thing doesn't happen in First World countries" even when saying in the same breath that Donald Trump is anomalous in American history. 

Yes, this is an article talking about Donald Trump. 

I admit, I have commented sparingly on him since 2017. It was more than I could bear as he progressively chewed his way through the norms of American democracy and engaged in further divisive and violent rhetoric while causing problem after problem in the world. Frankly, I had problems of my own, and then democracy in Canada seemed to be trundling on just fine without calling out the authoritarian to our south. I would get by, and Canada would survive.

Then came Covid-19. 

To date, at the time of writing (June 7th 2020) Covid-19 has killed 112,000 Americans, and that number rises by roughly 1,000 dead per day, with no sign of stopping. Added to that the recent protests and riots around the death of George Floyd, which have gone international, and we see that Trump himself is part and parcel of a greater problem afflicting American politics. He used his own militarized police to get a shamefully awful photo op in Washington. And you see the police reacting with violence to being held accountable. They attack citizens they are supposed to protect, the media, and nurses and volunteers while applauding and supporting men who strike the elderly.

Why? The media is the enemy of the people. There are good people on both sides. And in this case, the police are the other side.

Frankly, Trump has been for years now normalizing violence against his enemies, the media and citizens who don't do what he tells them. The police, perhaps frustrated that a militant culture cultivated in their midst has been viewed more with horror than support by the populace, have latched on to the populist Trumpian message applauding them for violence while lashing out against the perceived disloyalty of the public to the police as an institution. It hasn't been pretty, and Trump has encouraged it, and will continue to encourage it for as long as he can. He wants to see his enemies get hurt, which is why he inflicted that on them to get his disturbing photo op.

source

I've watched the narrative unfold from the relative calm of my home in Ottawa. However, I saw portions of one of the biggest protests the capital of Canada has ever seen when over 14,000 turned out in solidarity with protesters in the US. It was a big, bold moment, and our own Prime Minister made a direct repudiation of Trumprian tactics by joining the protesters and kneeling in solidarity with them on Parliament Hill. It was, in imagery at least, a powerful moment. One marked by the terrible contrast of Trump having to gas and beat his own citizens to get a photo.

From cbc.ca

Where does that leave the American situation though? In my opinion, the protests and the global support of them, are not just about the death of George Floyd, they're of course about the horrible racist violence we see in the US (and Canada), but they're also, at least at a secondary level, a damning indictment of Donald Trump. The man who is the face of all that is wrong with America, even if he isn't the root problem. It shows that thousands, millions, are mad, pissed off, and willing to take to the streets to make that fact known. When over 100,000 Americans have died and millions are unemployed because of Trump's shoddy response to the Covid-19 epidemic, this is perhaps the straw that broke the camels back and people need to vent. And perhaps this is a precursor to a wave of anger which will sweep Trump from office in November.

If I think that though, why do I talk about a 1935 book proclaiming a warning that fascism can happen in America?

Well, it can, and it very well might if Americans don't take that lesson to heart. Trump has every reason to try and rig the election in his favor, whether by simply cooperating with a corrupt Republican Party which cares more about power than governance, or by inviting yet more foreign interference to win the election for him. If he can win the judiciary and even a fraction of the military and national security forces to his side, he can crush dissent to an illegitimate win and extend his tenure in office by another four years, protecting himself from the ongoing investigations into his corrupt actions while in office.

Some might comfort themselves that "this can't happen here" but I think this is our generations warning that it can. Whether in the United States or Canada, it can happen here, and we had best be on our toes to prevent it, rather than imagining ourselves immune to what we consider other countries' problems.

Son of Grendel

Just last summer I had the delight to pick up Matthew Quinn's full length novel, Battle for the Wastelands, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here now we're getting another little look into the world of Battle before the next book. Here comes the short story Son of Grendel!

From amazon.com

This story is definitely a villain story, and very strong for that fact I think. It follows both a resistance fighter, Robert Dalton and Falki Grendelsson, son of the Lord of the Northlands, Grendel and a member of the Obsidian Guard. 

We begin seeing the death of a favorite of Grendel's, and so he has to respond by sending his son as a sign of the seriousness of the matter. Falki goes with his own company of Obsidian Guard to reinforce those already present. There they must bring the rebels to heel.

From here we get a good look at little skirmishes which tend to make up insurgencies like this, another look at the brutality it requires to make an empire, and the very crude yet effective use of both carrot and stick. In one case Falki helps feed a community, and in another he hangs those who would help the insurgents.

This story never shies away from the fact it is a villain story, and Falki, while not seeing himself as a villain, manages to have some depth for a character who is, well, pretty clearly the bad guy. I do sympathize with him and his past (if not his actions) and I found him to be a very interesting viewpoint for this story. It's a well done villain, but not one we might see on a redemption arc.

Robert Dalton bears the unfortunate mantle of being one of the men who got this whole mess started. He was a freeholder who was, with others, forced from his home to make way for Grendel's veterans, and he wants revenge. Having once lived in the Camrose Confederation, he found his home absorbed into this new empire. Mistreated and marginalized, he fought back. It's a tale as old as civilization, and it resonated with me. 

With tyrant lizards, gunfights and villains galore, this is a fun short story which I recommend checking out!