Red Rising - Pierce Brown

    2014; 383 pages.  Book 1 (out of 6) in the “Red Rising” series.  New Author? : Yes.  Genres: Dystopian Fiction; Military Action; Adventure Fantasy.  Overall Rating: 9½*/10.

 

    It’s a dirty job, but Darrow’s got to do it.  After all, he is one of the best Helldivers in underground Mars, tunneling deeply, and dangerously, into the rock to gather precious Helium-3.

 

    He may die doing his job, but Darrow is prepared to make that sacrifice.  Helium-3 is the key to eventually terraforming the Martian surface, something he would love to see someday.

 

    That’s years away, though.  And something a lowly “Red” like Darrow can only dream about.  But now, he’s learned that there’s a secret shaft that you can climb up and maybe glimpse the lifeless Martian surface.  What an opportunity!  That’ll be spectacular!

 

    You don’t know the half of it, Darrow.

 

What’s To Like...

    Although it is set on the planet Mars, Red Rising is first and foremost a Dystopian tale.  The story is told in the First Person POV, Darrow’s; and the book is divided into four Parts, namely:

    Part 1: “Slave”  (@ 1%)

    Part 2: “Reborn”  (@ 13%)

    Part 3: “Gold”  (@ 34%)

    Part 4: “Reaper”  (@ 65%)

 

    The central theme of the book is watching Darrow gradually learn to be a leader.  The culture on Mars is a strict caste society.  Gold is the highest, and Red is the lowest,  As the book’s title implies, Darrow is a lowly Red.  Becoming a leader will be an uphill challenge, and Darrow is going to make his share of mistakes along the way.

 

    The worldbuilding is fantastic.  The story is set in the considerable future since we learn that there are multiple underground Martian colonies and they’ve been there for generations.  Weaponry has advanced accordingly; arms such as scorchers, stunners, thumpers, slingBlades, ionSwords, and ionArrows are now standard issue.  I recall only one strange creature in the story—pitvipers, the bane of Helldivers.  But there are probably more.

 

    I enjoyed the details that Pierce Brown blends into the story.  Darrow learns to play a game called “BloodChess”, and since I’ve been a chessplayer all my life, I’m dying to learn this variant.  Darrow is taught a Kung-Fu-like martial art called “Kravat” and the correct spelling of a governmental system is now “Demokracy”.  On the other hand, youngsters still love to play a game called “Red Knuckles”, which was around when I was growing up.

 

    The book ends at a logical place, with a plot twist that I never saw coming.  Red Rising is part of a 6-book series, and I’m sure the sequel, Golden Son, will continue the timeline of Darrow’s adventure without interruption.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.6/5 based on 94,997 ratings and 6,826 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.27/5 based on 845,123 ratings and 93,395 reviews

 

Excerpts...

    “I’ve hidden from everyone but you,” Mustang says.  “It keeps me alive and ticking.”

    “What’s your plan,” I ask.

    She laughs at herself.  “To be alive and ticking.”

    “You’re better at it than I am.”

    “How do you mean?”

    “No one in your House would have betrayed you.”

    “Because I didn’t rule like you,” she says.  “You have to remember, people don’t like being told what to do.  You can treat your friends like servants and they’ll love you, but you tell them they’re servants and they’ll kill you.”  (pg. 267)

 

    “Do you really eat your own Housemembers?”

    “After months in darkness, you eat whatever your mouth finds.  Even if it’s still moving.  It isn’t very impressive, really.  Less human than I would have liked, very much like animals.  And anyone would have done it.  But dredging up my foul memories no way to negotiate.”

    “We aren’t negotiating.”

    “Humans are always negotiating.  That’s what conversation is.”  (pg. 347)

 

Kindle Details…

    Red Rising currently is priced at $5.99 at Amazon.  The rest of the books in the series cost either $9.99 or $12.99.  You can save a couple of bucks by buying the first three books in this series as a bundle for $26.99.

 

“You’re about as pretty as a gargoyle’s wart.”  (pg. 292)

    There's a moderate amount of profanity in Red Rising; I counted 15 instances in the first 10% of the book.  Pierce Brown lessens the cussword-count by utilizing a couple of euphemistic words: “slag” and “gory”.  They are multifunctional; two examples are “slag that” and “bugger my goryballs”.  I’ll let you deduce their meanings.

 

    This is a work of Dystopian Fiction, so things like rape, dismemberment, and slavery are to be expected.  I also recall at least one “adult situation”.

 

    I can’t think of anything to grouse about in Red Rising.  True, the ending doesn’t really tie up any of the main plotlines, but, as mentioned above, it does pause things at an important moment, yet without degenerating into a cliffhanger.

 

    I find the high value of the Amazon and Goodreads ratings fully justified, and the incredible number of people who took the time to rate and/or review tells me this series is immensely popular right now.  Book Two resides on my Kindle, awaiting my attention.

 

    9½ Stars.  One last thing.  Is Red Rising a goryfine read?  You better slagging believe it!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

2000; 734 pages.  Book 4 (out of 7) in the “Harry Potter” series.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Fantasy; YA; Adventure.  Laurels: 2001 Hugo Award for Best Novel (winner).  Overall Rating : 9*/10.

    It’s going to be a great year at Hogwarts this year; Harry just knows it.  Even the summer break at the Dursleys hasn't been as bad as in previous years, now that they’re scared of what Sirius, Harry’s wizard godfather, might do to them if they torment Harry.

    First up will be to attend the Quidditch World Cup, and that’s something that Harry’s done before.  This year it’s Ireland versus Bulgaria in the final, and that’s a great match-up.  Overall, Ireland’s the better team, but Bulgaria has the best player around – a young superstar named Krum.  It’s hard to predict which team is the favorite.

    Then later in the school year, there’s some sort of top-secret competition that hasn’t happened for several hundred years.  Whatever it is, it involves Hogwarts and two other European schools of magic.  How awesome is that?!  Maybe Harry can swap spells with "foreign" students.

    But beyond all this excitement, there's still one thing that troubles Harry.

    Why is the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead burning like someone is pressing a hot wire into his skin?

What’s To Like...

    With Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the series hits new levels of intensity   There’s a cold-blooded murder at the beginning, another one near the end, and the overall tone is markedly darker than the previous three books.  The forces of evil are focused and gaining power, and the forces of good seem to be doing the exact opposite.

    But that just means the storyline is packed with action, with mysteries galore for Harry and his friends to try to solve, two tournaments to provide lots of excitement, and no slow spots to bog down the pacing.  There are a slew of characters to keep track of, more-or-less evenly split between new and recurring ones.  I liked the introduction of other schools of magic.  It stands to reason that Hogwarts can’t be the only academy for wizards in the world, and it was interesting to see both the cooperation and the rivalry between the different institutions.

    There are some neat new gadgets, such as portkeys and omnioculars to try out; and some dangerous new spells, such as the trio of unforgiveable ones: Imperius, Cruciatus, and Avada Kedavra.  That last one should be used with extreme caution, but the Apparating/Disapparating spell is worth learning.  Critters abound: gnomes, witches, house elves, veela (huh?), leprechauns, goblins, blast-ended skrewts (what?), dragons (four different types), unicorns, grindylows, nifflers, and even a sphinx with her very own riddle for Harry to solve.

    There's lots of witty dialogue to lighten things up, and a couple of J.K. Rowling’s hilarious puns, such as the "Pensieve" in chapter 30.  The mangled French made me chuckle (“bong-sewer!), and I could relate to Harry’s dread of having to learn to dance.  J.K. Rowling subtly sprinkles some serious themes throughout all the fun and mayhem, such as equal rights (for elves), bigotry (against giants and “half-breeds”), and trust.  I liked the fact that throughout all the mayhem, Dumbledore still has complete trust in Snape.

    The ending is fantastic, including several twists plus the obligatory Harry-vs.-Voldemort showdown, which will keep even adult readers on the edge of their seats.  Evil emerges more powerful than ever before, and good will need to overcome their differences and prejudices and draw upon all their resources to even have a chance of thwarting Voldemort.

Kewlest New Word ...

Having him on (v., phrase) : persuading someone that something is true when it is not, usually as a joke.

Excerpts...

    A thousand years or more ago,

    When I was newly sewn,

    There lived four wizards of renown,

    Whose names are still well known:

    Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

    Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

    Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

    Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.  (pg. 176)

    “Excuse me?”

    “Well – you know,” said Ron shrugging.  “I’d rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say.”

    “Her acne’s loads better lately – and she’s really nice!”

    “Her nose is off-center,” said Ron.

    “Oh I see,” Hermione said, bristling.  “So basically, you’re going to take the best-looking girl who’ll have you, even if she’s completely horrible?”

    “Er – yeah, that sounds about right,” said Ron.  (pg. 394)

“A troll, a hag, and a leprechaun … all go into a bar.”  (pg. 186 )

    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire won a Hugo Award, so it isn't surprising that there's not much to quibble about.  Cussing-wise, I counted two “damns” and one “hell”, which seems acceptably tame for a YA novel.

    The book is written in what I’ll call “Americanized British”.  The spelling and punctuation have been tweaked for us Yanks, but we still have to figure out words like swotty, manky, nutter, and kip, which I always enjoy.

    Finally, one might call the storyline formulaic.  We start with the usual drudgery at the Dursleys, tag along with Harry as he commutes to Hogwarts, attend his new classes, sit through a quidditch game, and cringe as he locks horns with Voldemort.  Is this how things went in the previous book? Yes.  Does it work just as well here?  Yes!

    I’m impressed with any YA series that can keep the interest of both teens and adults, and all the Harry Potter books thus far have done just that.  This one is fully deserving of winning the Hugo Award.  The only caveat is that you really should read these books in order.

    9 Stars.  I did have one question after finishing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and I’ll try to make this spoiler-free.  In Chapter 33, a number of characters are revealed to be Death Eaters, including several Hogwarts residents.  Their names are later revealed to Dumbledore, yet no measures are taken to remove these minions of Voldemort.  Some of them even show up later to hassle Harry.  Is this a plot hole, or did I miss something?

The Book of Dust, Vol. 1 (La Belle Sauvage) - Philip Pullman

    2017; 455 pages.  Full Title: The Book of Dust, Volume 1: La Belle Sauvage.  Book # 1 (out of 2 so far) in the “Book of Dust” series. New Author? : No.  Genre : “Friendship Fiction” (that’s what Amazon labels it); YA; Coming of Age; Fantasy.  Overall Rating : 5½*/10.

    How in the world can a 6-month-old baby attract so much attention?

    Some shady characters have brought her to the Priory of Saint Rosamund, located just across the Thames river from an inn called “The Trout”.  Now all sorts of people at the inn are asking about her.  Two of them claim to be her father.  No one claims to be her mother.

    The nuns at the priory are taking good care of the baby, whose name is Lyra.  11-year-old Malcolm, who has a regular job at the Trout and at times helps out at the priory, is well-acquainted with the goings-on at both places.  Something has the nuns spooked a bit; they’re having their handyman, Mr. Taphouse, put shutters on all the priory's windows, to deter anyone from breaking in.

   But if someone is really determined to break into the priory in order to get to Lyra, shutters alone seem like an inadequate defense.  There are other means to entering that don't involve a window.

    And of course, shutters won't be any use at all if the mother of all floods comes roaring down the Thames.

What’s To Like...

    The Book of Dust (which is what we’ll call this, at least until we read/review Book 2) is a prequel to Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy, which was published in 1995-2000.  That series is fantastic, featuring a 12-year-old Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon, as they brave the Arctic region to rescue lost children.  Now, 20-25 years later, we learn about Lyra’s beginnings, and become a lot more familiar with the parallel-world London into which she was born.

    The book is divided into two parts of about equal length.  Part One is called “The Trout” and is mostly concerned with character introductions, world-building, and ramping up the intrigue surrounding baby Lyra.  Part Two is titled “The Flood”, and focuses on Malcolm, Lyra, and a girl named Alice as they flee down the raging Thames in a tricked-up canoe christened “La Belle Sauvage”, in search of safety.

    The parallel world is similar to ours, with a few subtle changes.   Some are just different spellings: Britain becomes “Brytain” and chocolate is now “chocolatl”.  A few historical divergences are hinted at: with the terms “Swiss War”, and “German Ocean”.  The main difference is that everyone is born with his own personal daemon, a sort of spirit animal that houses one’s soul.

    I liked the various steampunk gadgets: truth measurers, naphtha and anbaric lamps, gyropters, and most importantly, the rare and highly-treasured alethiometers.  The cutting-edge science is focused on Rusakov fields and the titular “dust”.  Although humans and their daemons predominate, Malcolm and company also run into witches, fairies, a water-loving giant, and the enigmatic “Old Father Thames”.

    I thought the character development was excellent.  There’s not much you can do with a six-month-old infant protagonist (feed her and change her nappy), but everyone else has their own personalities, and the jury’s still out on a couple of them as to whether they’re good guys or baddies.  I also liked the optical “spangled rings” that occasionally plague Malcolm.  I occasionally have those too, although, unlike Malcolm's, mine don’t seem to serve any magical purpose.

Kewlest New Word...

Stone the Crows (phrase) : an exclamation of surprise or shock. (a Britishism)

Others :  grizzling (v.); knurling (n.); marquetry (n.); espalier (n.).

Excerpts...

    “I wonder if you’ve met a man called Lord Asriel.  He’s a friend of my people, a notable explorer in that part of the world.”

    “He has been here, but not recently.  I did hear…” The professor looked awkward for a second, and then his eagerness overcame his reluctance.  “I don’t listen to gossip, you understand.”

    “Oh, neither do I,” said Coram.  “Sometimes I overhear it, though.”

    “Overhear?” said Lofgren.  “That is very good.”  (pg. 54)

    “Hey, you know the man who was murdered?  The one who was strangled and thrown in the pond?”

    “You’re not supposed to talk about him.”

    “Yeah, but you know what my dad heard?”

    “What?”

    “He was a spy.”

    “How do they know?”

    “My dad couldn’t tell me that, ‘cause of the Official Secrets Act.”

    “Then how could he tell you the man was a spy in the first place?  En’t that an official secret?”

    “No, ‘cause if it was, he wouldn’t be able to tell me, would he?”  (pg. 108)

 “We can only defend democracy by being undemocratic.  Every secret service knows this paradox.”  (pg. 204)

    Alas, for me The Book of Dust was a bit of a disappointment in a number of respects.  The pacing in the first half of the book is incredibly slow, and while there's a goodly amount of intrigue, there’s not much action and/or fantasy.  The second half at least has more action, but it’s really just a 200-page chase.  Maybe Philip Pullman intended to write this as a “YA friendship” type of book, but it is in stark contrast to his preceding trilogy, which had oodles of excitement.

    The ending was a letdown for me.  Our heroes make it to London (that's not a spoiler), but Lyra’s haven seemed anything but secure to me, given the resources the bad guys have at their disposal.  Even worse, a slew of plot threads are simply left dangling.  To wit:

    How did the main baddie follow our heroes so easily?

    When the mega-flood hit, what happened to everyone in Malcolm’s village, including his parents?

    Exactly why are the baddies so fixated on Lyra?

    Was there a cosmic reason for that oh-so-timely flood?

    Is there any purpose for all the attention paid to "one-way screws"?

    I recognize that leaving some plot threads unresolved is a catchy literary device when penning a series, but good grief, couldn’t a couple of these have been tied up here?

    5½ Stars.      Philip Pullman is a sufficiently talented writer to where he keeps things  in this book reasonably interesting, but frankly, the storytelling leaves a lot to be desired.  I don’t see that it contributes anything to Lyra’s saga, and now that we know its sequel, The Secret Commonwealth, takes place after the original trilogy, this prequel seems even more pointless.

    Still, if you can’t get enough of the world of His Dark Materials, and you love the concept of a personal daemon, you’ll be quite content with The Book of Dust.