Kagen The Damned by Jonathan Maberry

⭐⭐⭐⭐

File under: Cosmic Horror meets Epic Fantasy, with a side of a lot of other stuff

Wizard-level reading challenge: A book written by a new-to-you author

This book was bonkers in many ways, lacking in subtlety and slipping some sneaky/interesting ideas between blood, gore, and horror. The tone falls between a hacker flick and an epic fantasy novel, which I didn't expect and liked more than I would have guessed. Most of the over-the-top violence here serves a purpose, but sometimes I felt it was a bit much.

Jonathan Maberry is a “new-to-me” author (which marks one off my list), and—I didn’t know this going in—he’s most well-known for horror, which explains a lot.

Overall, though, I liked it. But I also like grimdark, cosmic horror, and bonkers-kitchen-sink-type novels, so this was right in my wheelhouse. YMMV, for sure, and I expect some people to hate this one.

Oh, an aside: I would have loved a better map. :)

When The Tiger Came Down The Mountain by Nghi Vo

⭐⭐⭐⭐

File under: Fantasy

Wizard-level reading challenge: A book with dual timelines

“When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and see that it is lacking.” Here is one of many beautiful lines of prose found within this short, entertaining tale. In the follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune, we find the intrepid cleric Chih telling stories again. Or, rather, swapping tales. This time with a band of ferocious tigers.

I don’t want to say much more other than to share that I liked this quite a bit, and I’m excited to read the next one.

Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock

⭐⭐⭐⭐

File under: Sword and Sorcery

Wizard-level reading challenge: A book with the same title as a song

I just finished Stormbringer, which works as one of my reading challenge books. This time it’s “a book with the same title as a song.” The song, in this case, is by Deep Purple, and it’s…something else. I’m not sure if the song is named after Elric’s fabled black blade, but the lyrics don’t seem to have much to do with it.

When I was a kid, one of the first series of books I read was Michael Moorcock’s Elric books. Yeah, I quickly made the leap from The Chronicles of Narnia to more adult books. I remember getting kicked out of my fifth-grade classroom for reading James Clavel’s Shogun. I highly doubt I knew what was going on and probably missed a lot of the themes, but I have fond, fond memories of being able to lose myself in big, juicy books. The Elric books were not big, but they lit my imagination up like nothing else. Something about an albino elf-type with a huge, rune-inscribed sword that drinks souls, maybe? I guess it’s not a surprise that a twelve-year-old would be into that.

I’ve recently taken to re-reading a lot of the books I loved as a teen, and frankly, when I picked up Vol. 1 during the pandemic, I was a little wary that I’d enjoy it as an adult.

So, I was surprised when I did. Sure, they’re dated in a lot of ways and occasionally a bit awkward, but for fantasy adventures, they work well on a few levels.

Stormbringer, which covers Elric tales written fairly far apart from each other (though presented in “chronological order”), is more of the same. It’s a fun and entertaining read that dips into some complex themes and situations that are both odd and universal. Elric and company looking to rent an apartment in a moving limbo-city? Surprisingly interesting.

I do not think the stories of Elric are for everyone. Though, the popularity of the Witcher makes me think there might be a good-sized audience for Elric. Elric of Melniboné, the original White Wolf, for sure inspired the creation of Geralt of Rivia. Another fun fact: Moorcock’s ideas around the multiverse and the Eternal Champion predate Marvel by quite a bit. I think there is a lot in popular culture that can tip a hat to Moorcock and his work.

Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles

⭐⭐⭐⭐

File under: Better Living

As a resolution for the new year, I plan to spend some time each day reading non-fiction. Primary of the type I feel like I can glean practical learnings from to bring into my day-to-day life. The first is a book I started over the holiday break: Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles.

Ikigai is about finding your purpose and putting that purpose into practice for a long, healthy, and happy life. It’s small—an easy read—filled with lots of practical nuggets and insight.

The word “Ikigai” is Japanese and translates roughly to “a reason for living.”

The authors argue that everyone has an ikigai or a sense of purpose in life and that finding and living following one's ikigai can bring a sense of fulfillment and happiness well into advanced age.

For me, this was a bit of a challenging read. Not due to the writing style, length, or anything like that. I identify with much of what the authors talk about, but I have always felt lacking in an easily identifiable purpose. It’s one of the reasons I picked this one up. I have reasons to live but feel a bit lost when I think about things like my “life’s work” or an underlying reason for living. I imagine that feeling is pretty familiar to many.

The book draws on the authors' experiences and research, as well as on the stories and practices of people from Japan and other countries, to present a comprehensive guide to finding and living one's ikigai. In particular, I enjoyed all the interviews and anecdotes from the centenarians in Okinawa. The latter chapters cover foods, exercise, and lifestyle. I’ve noted to dig deeper into those, especially the exercise. The practice of Radio Taiso, especially, seems interesting to me. I like to get moving early in the day, and I almost always wake up sore, so I think I could benefit from something like that.

To sum it up, Ikigai is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that encourages us to think deeply about our sense of purpose and to take steps to align our lives with it. It offers practical advice and guidance on how to find and pursue one's ikigai.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

⭐⭐⭐⭐

File under: Fantasy

Wizard-level reading challenge: Book under 200 words

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo tells the tale of its namesake, a young queen from the northern kingdom who is sent south for a political marriage after the country lost its war with the south. It’s a short story, told with exquisite and ephemeral prose woven from multiple viewpoints and across timelines, an engaging take on the frame narrative.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It’s set in a compelling, magical world, based on imperial China, with just enough there to tickle the imagination, allowing the reader to dream a little. Here you’ll find talking birds, ghosts, magic, and some pointed commentary on feudalism and colonization, all wrapped up in a fairy tale of the kind you tell around a campfire at night.

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

File under: Fantasy Space Opera

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Empire of Silence is a brilliant debut, the first in the forebodingly named Sun Eater series. It has been described as The Name of The Wind meets Dune and that’s…a pretty good description actually. Maybe throw in a little Star Wars and some Red Rising and you’d get a pretty good picture of what you’re in for.

Empire of Silence works as both a traditional coming of age fantasy and an epic space opera. To be sure, it wears its influences on its sleeves, especially Dune, but also feels unique and, as the first outing for a young author especially, it’s fairly remarkable, but maybe not for everyone. If you’re looking for a top-down view of an epic universe, this isn’t it, but the story might go there in later volumes.

The backdrop is grand, but we only see the smallest corner of the universe and only through the eyes of Hadrian, the protagonist. Most of the scenes and the story itself are fairly intimate. If you’ve read The Name of The Wind you’ll get that comparison right away, the viewpoint is similarly structured as is the purple prose, which I grew to enjoy once I got used to it. I felt like it worked, both for me as a reader, and as a voice for a character representing an entire universe. It didn’t work all the time, and it might be fun to see these worlds from another’s point of view, but in the main, I thought it felt right.

I think what I liked most, though, was a bit surprising to me. I had gone in expecting to immerse myself in a universe sweeping drama but found myself more and more invested in Hadrian and his day-to-day. As the tale moved on I realized I could relate to him quite a bit. Not so much the epic struggles, but the more mundane elements within them and within him. He struggles with privilege, fitting in, simple things like creativity and feeling trapped by circumstance. He’s unable, for a variety of reasons, to unlock himself and find his best future and his purpose, which is hinted at throughout and I’m sure I’ll be revealed in later volumes as beyond epic. He’s not always likable, but he grew on me and by the end, I felt like I was pretty invested in what was going on with him and his friends.

If you pick this up and are at first put off by the structure, prose and awkwardness of its main character, I’d press you to stick with it. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but I’m very glad I kept going and I’m very excited to read future volumes.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

A magical, ephemeral mystery set in a house that contains an ocean.

File under: Magic and Mystery

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was one of the few people I know who read Susanna Clarke’s first novel, "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell," and didn't absolutely love it. I'm not actually sure why, I just found it slow, almost tedious, despite the objectively brilliant prose and compelling setting. I think I need to try it again sometime.

This short novel, "Piranesi", however, I thoroughly enjoyed.

I don't want to speculate too much about the Meaning or Theme behind "Piranesi" or give away any details. I think going in, as I did, with very little idea of what to expect is probably best. It's a short but dense book, a magical mystery that unfolds slowly; it's sort of like piecing together a puzzle, but there is so much symbolism, allusion and allegory in there, that you might feel like you're constructing the pieces yourself. At the same time, it works well as a straight-forward portal fantasy/mystery, guiding the reader just enough so that the pieces, ephemeral as they feel at times, fit together in a perfectly imperfect way.

When you've finished, look up Giovanni Battista Piranesi and his imaginary prison engravings. Very cool stuff.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A sweet, thought-provoking tale about finding family in unlikely places.

File under: Cozy Magical Realism?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This fucking book. :) It lives up to the hype. It truly is the sweetest damned book. You could stop here and read it if you want. You'll love it unless you're a monster. If you continue, I'll try and give some more impressions and reflections, but beware of small spoilers.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is a little hard to review. It's a beautiful, well-written, and immensely thought-provoking book. And that's the problem. There are too many reasons to like this book, far too many to really capture in any meaningful way.

And what's it's about? Well, Amazon's blurb has the plot down as "Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light." That's accurate, but it's not really about all that. That's the plot, but what about the story? That's where Cerulean Sea really shines. It's the story of how Lunus finds his place and helps to bring a lot of light and love into world in the process.

While entertaining me and warming my heart with its easy, yet compelling story and charming characters, it's a book that made me think about a whole slew of different things.

It's about love, care, and intention. It's about lifelong learning, feeling like you don't fit in (more Linus than the kids, as he's ostensibly "normal"), positive reinforcement in teaching, diversity and acceptance. Recovery (from trauma and abuse but also more in general). It's about accepting responsibility for things that need work and creative problem-solving. About learning to love yourself and seeing the value within you that others see.

It's also got some sharp social commentary delivered with sweetness and wit. And some astute observations about systemic prejudice and bureaucracy, how it serves the status quo and the lengths people will do to maintain it, and the absurdity and pointlessness of it all.

Reading about the children's situation, the nearby villagers' attitudes, and the role of DICOMY, I thought a lot about parallels with real-world divisiveness (which probably wasn't intended by Klune) left me wondering why people NEED to have an "other" they can beat at life. Is that just part of our nature? And, if so, how can we evolve past it, as it clearly doesn't serve us anymore, doing much harm and no good as far as I can tell. Tribalism without accepting (or worse, actively working against) those that are different feels like a weakness to me.

The theme that hit me the hardest was parenthood and what it's like to be a parent to children who aren't yours. As someone learning to be a step-father to a group of kids who are all vastly different, as different as they are the same, it's...fascinating to reflect on the ways Linus changes from bureaucratic worker to father.

But these musings took a backseat to the hopeful, sweet messages about tolerance, acceptance, and family littered throughout. "In order to change the minds of the many, you have to first start with the minds of the few."

So, yeah, a lot is going on here, but don't let that stop you; it's an easy, delightful read and highly recommended.

Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny

I love this cover, but I’m not sure who the artist is. A googling for covers of this book is fun, as they’re all weird and awesome.

A classic blending of sci-fi and fantasy from a master of both.

File under: Classic sword and lazer

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Roger Zelazny, one of the masters of early sci-fi and fantasy, is one of the absolute best at cramming a ton of interesting world-building and compelling story into small packages. Jack of Shadows, which tackles both of those genres, is a fantastic example. It's a small, odd, jewel. Not Amber, but similar enough, both in the flaws and smooth edges. The writing is terrific if dated-feeling (it was first published in 1971 and it shows) with a brash style that I very much enjoy, despite the quirks and passages that are a bit hard to follow.

The story here is a bit strange, both epic and prosaic as shifts back and forth between Shadowjack's internal struggle and the saga of the world. It's about literal polar opposites, day and night, science and magic, winter and summer, but also an examination of the shadows that lay along the edges and in-between. Within Jack's world, they're all split, yet intertwined and evolving, much Jack himself changes as he struggles to understand the world, and himself.

Sounds like a lot, yeah? It is, and while Zelazny doesn't give you all the answers to the questions that arise along the way, he does a killer job of exploring complicated themes, while also packing in plenty of action and adventure. The result is a lot of fun.