#Raksura’s is after siren depths

[chimaerakitten]

I’ve been thinking today about off ramps in long running stories, especially book series.

By that I mean like, places where a person could stop reading and have a satisfying ending even if they’re not yet at the actual ending. (Someone tell me if there’s an established Tvtropes name for this I’m missing.)

Now, a lot of book series will have an off ramp at the end of book 1, because many first books are written without promise of a sequel. Like sure, there might be a sequel hook, but the actual second book is still up to publisher whims in most cases. So you can read All Systems Red or The Thief or A Madness of Angels and have a perfectly satisfying ambiguous-end sci-fi story or middle grade fantasy romp or inverted murder mystery revenge quest without ever picking up book 2. This is definitely an off ramp but it’s not necessarily the interesting or revealing kind because again. Whims of the publisher.

There’s also stories that have an off ramp after every installment. Leverage is famous for this—they had a philosophy of having every season be a satisfying ending, which says a lot both about the writers and about the story they were trying to tell.

But I think the most interesting ramps are the ones where by design or by circumstance, there’s a single off-ramp somewhere in the middle. One spot where unless someone tells you there’s more, you’d never be unsatisfied with leaving halfway through.

Sometimes these will be signaled in some way, where there’s a big timeskip after the off-ramp, or the series changes names or has a spin-off, or the POV changes, or after book 3 the author publishes a short story collection before hopping back in to novels, or the series suddenly jumps from being only novellas to a chunky 120k novel. (The Raksura books, Percy Jackson/HoE, Matthew Swift/Magicals Anonymous, and Murderbot all do one or more of these)

But sometimes off ramps aren’t visible in series order or marketing. Sometimes they’re organic to where a story happens to leave off at the end of an installment.

The queen’s thief has one of these after King Of Attolia. I know this was a satisfying ending because for seven years I thought it was the end. My local library didn’t have A Conspiracy of Kings, so I thought it was a trilogy. And you really can leave it there! KoA ends with Gen back in his element and recognized as king, the main internal threat to Irene neutralized, and peace on the peninsula. The Mede aren’t yet the immediate threat they are in the back half of the series, since up through KoA they’re mainly represented by the magus’s vague warnings and Nahuseresh, whom Irene thinks circles around. There’s no real reason to assume the Mede are a threat within the scope of the series. Now I absolutely prefer getting the whole story, but KoA is a damn solid off-ramp for anyone who feels like exiting there.

And that’s one kind of off ramp where the end you get is pretty similar in tone (mostly happy) to the one you get if you go on to the rest of the series. I’ve also read books where you can off ramp successfully right at the lowest point in the series and get a tragedy out of a series that ultimately ends happy, or leave at a high point and get a happier end than the main one, or exit at an ambiguous point and continue on with ambiguity. The Giver sequels make it pretty clear what happened to Jonas and Gabe at the end of the book. but you don’t have to read them or have that question answered if you want to.

I don’t have a really solid conclusion to draw here except that I think the positioning of off ramps says a lot about authors and stories, and choosing whether or not to take an off ramp says a lot about readers.

#I know multiple people who refuse to recognize the giver sequels #which has always been odd to me because I quite liked them and never thought Jonas died in the first place #meta #the queen’s thief #tqt #Murderbot #the kitten rambles #murderbot’s off ramp is after exit strategy if that wasn’t clear #Raksura’s is after siren depths #this post partially brought to you by #the realization that one can stop reading Temeraire at the end of book four #and get a tragedy where the horrors of empire cannot be stopped #and will crush anyone trying to change things

[rhetoricandlogic]

Books of the Raksura Books In Order

Publication Order of Books Of The Raksura Books

The Cloud Roads (2011)Amazon.de | Amazon.comThe Serpent Sea (2012)Amazon.de | Amazon.comThe Siren Depths (2012)Amazon.de | Amazon.comThe Edge of Worlds (2016)Amazon.de | Amazon.comThe Harbors of the Sun (2017)Amazon.de | Amazon.com

Books of the Raksura is a series of fantasy novels written by Martha Wells. The books take all the old fantasy tropes and upend them.

+The Story

The Books of the Raksura series is high fantasy. Rather than taking fantastical elements and integrating them into the real world, the series creates a whole new world filled with wholly alien species and cultures.

One wouldn’t be faulted for initially dismissing the Books of the Raksura series. After all, the synopsis is very reminiscent of the fantasy novels of old. You have an orphan that has lived all his life in isolation.

Then he learns that not only is he not alone but he is actually special, the host of a great gift with which the world can be saved. If that description sounds familiar, it’s because the concept has been utilized in various fantasy series in the recent and distant history.

Of course, if you give the Books of the Raksura series a real chance, you might be surprised to find that, while the books definitely replicate a couple of tropes, the world Martha Wells creates and the stories she tells in the series are unique and competently crafted.

The Books of Raskura series revolves around the character of Moon. When he is first introduced to readers, Moon doesn’t know who he is. More to the point, he has no idea where he came from.

Moon knows that he isn’t like other people. He is a shape shifter, a being that has the power to change his form. Moon spends the first portion of his life living in isolation. Because he thinks that he is the only one of his kind, Moon is afraid of the reactions other people will have to him, not only because of his strange power but the fact that one of the forms he can take looks eerily similar to the ‘Fell’, the most savage of creatures in the land, an enemy that strikes fear in the hearts of every man, woman, and child.

It initially looks like Moon is destined to spend the rest of his life in self-imposed exile. But eventually, the loneliness gets to him. And in an attempt to find companionship, Moon hides any physical indicators of his race and finds a village where he can pursue a real life.

Moon’s ruse doesn’t last long. When the villagers discover his feared flying form, they not only cast him out of the village but they confine him in the open where the local beasts will find and consume him.

When rescue finally arrives, it takes a form that Moon would never have imagined. Moon learns that he isn’t the only one of his kind. He proceeds to meet the remnants of his species.

He also learns of the Raksura, a subsection of his species of considerable importance. Moon’s life changes forever. He meets new characters, makes new connections and finds that there is a destiny awaiting him.

Moon goes on many adventures. He also engages in many fights against the Fell, the biggest enemy his people have; a species that seems hell bent on annihilating them all.

The Books of the Raksura series succeeds primarily because of Martha Wells. She uses very simple and straightforward language that makes her books very easy to read. Additionally, she knows how to create highly compelling characters, not to mention crafting unique relationships between them.

The Books of the Raksura series has all the hallmarks of a clichéd high fantasy collection of novels. But Martha Wells somehow succeeds in injecting a breath of fresh air into concepts and ideas many people thought were long dead.

+The Author

Martha Wells was born in 1964 in Fort Worth, Texas. The author attended Texas A&M University. It was there that she got her Anthropology degree. Martha’s hold to fame are the many fantasy and young adult novels she has written over the years, not mention short stories and essays on fantasy and science fiction.

Besides producing her own original work, the author has also made contributions to notable media franchises like Stargate Atlantis and Star Wars.

The author has been commended for her ability to create complex but realistic societies. The species and cultures and communities in the author’s books feel like they could exist, mostly because Martha Wells injects so much detail into her stories that you cannot help but get the sense that you have lived and walked in her fictional worlds.

+The Cloud Roads

Moon is a shape shifter. He has the ability to take on the form of a winged creature. Moon doesn’t know why he can do the things he does. He doesn’t even know where he comes from.

As an orphan, Moon has spent his life in hiding, trying to keep his powers a secret. Moon’s life changes when he gives into his loneliness and decides to try and fit into the local tribe.

While Moon initially succeeds, especially after he works hard to suppress his special powers, his secret is discovered and the new family he had begun to bond with abandons him. The outcome, while seemingly tragic, turns out to be a blessing in disguise because it brings Moon into contact with another shape shifter like him.

Moon is shocked to learn that he actually isn’t the last of his kind. The new shape shifter takes Moon to a place where he can be himself, a community brimming with people like him.

Moon begins to believe that his life might have changed for the better and that fate is finally throwing him a bone. He doesn’t know that he is something special and that his presence has the capacity to tip the balance of power.

Moon will discover his extraordinary lineage even as he begins to undertake a journey that will see him fight to keep the extinction of his people at bay.

+The Serpent Sea

Moon has come far. As consort to the sister queen of the Indigo Cloud Court, Moon is no longer the solitary wanderer of old. He works alongside Jade to find their people a new home.

Moon thought that the colony would be safe once they reached their ancestral home of Indigo Cloud. But then they arrived to find that the trunk of the tree had been blighted. To save his people and their home, Moon undertakes a journey to find the heartstone of the tree.

#Martha Wells #The Books of the Raksura #mahreviews #long post

[ruusverd-fandom-blog]

Ok I have a problem. I need a Books of the Raksura fanfic where Moon writes his mother a letter at the beginning of The Siren Depths and tells her to fuck all the way off. I need it like I need air to breathe. I need it so much I am willing to write it myself.

Problem: Moon canonically cannot write or read in Raksuran, and while Malachite probably can read one of the multiple other languages Moon can read/write in, we only see him dictating letters to Jade so she can write them in Raksuran for him, so apparently writing in another language is a no-no between Raksura for whatever snobby reason.

But Jade can’t write this letter, because when Malachite demands the return of her adult son like he’s a misplaced keepsake of her dead consort instead of an actual adult person she had no hand in raising, Jade tells Moon basically to shut up and cooperate and let her fight it out with Malachite for him. Therefore this angle would devolve my one-shot into Moon having to tell Jade “you fighting with my mother over whether I am her property or your property doesn’t solve the problem of me not being property.” While I do want them to have that conversation, I don’t think they would ever get around to writing Moon’s letter telling his mom to fuck off, which would defeat the purpose.

Therefore, I am left with two equally entertaining but unsatisfactory options:

a) Chime writes the letter for Moon. He would be totally on board with telling Malachite to fuck off in principle, he wants Moon to stay, but in practice he’d be sweating bullets the whole time thinking “omg the most terrifying reigning queen in all the Reaches is going to see this and she’s going to recognize my handwriting telling her to fuck off and she’s going to skin me alive and hang the pelt on her wall, omg I’m gonna die,” or

b) Moon forgoes writing entirely and just sketches out a crude but clear picture of whatever the most obscene hand gesture is for Raksura, carefully rolls it up, seals it, and sends it to Malachite. He tells Jade it is a very polite letter one of the Arbora teachers helped him write, diplomatically requesting that he please be permitted to stay where he is. (He forever after claims that he didn’t know that hand sign was rude. After all, he wasn’t raised in a court. He’s an uncivilized half-feral solitary, as people keep reminding him, how can you expect him to know these things? Anyway Stone totally told him it was a sign of great respect, it’s all Stone’s fault go blame him. Stone once again regrets ever reproducing.)

#books of the Raksura #I am very sympathetic to Malachite's trauma don't get me wrong #I love her as a character #but I really truly deeply need Moon to just. Flatly refuse to go to Opal Night #Malachite's obvious PTSD doesn't give her the right to stomp all over Moon's PTSD #and i also get maybe she didn't know how traumatized Moon was #but she didn't even bother to ASK or send a letter to him or anything #just demanded that Jade and Pearl return him #and I would have preferred Moon to have more agency in the resolution of that clusterfuck #tossing this idea gently to the estimated six people who know what I'm talking about

[inthelightofthemorningfrog]

2021 Books Read

Ancillary Mercy, Provenance- Ann Leckie

i spent the last part of 2020 and the first part of 2021 rereading all of the Imperial Radch books, very worthwhile. this reminds me that there are some other Leckie books i could stand to reread soon

Bridget Jones’s Diary- Fielding

terrible body image treatment in this book. read this out of my absurd need to understand the pop culture references of the early 2000s, found it unrewarding. reading Eat Pray Love the year before punished me less.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Chbosky

motives for reading this essentially the same as above. this book was actually fine, just not really my type of book.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Rebecca Skloot

i read this for the just for fun english class i took in the spring. this was the only book i read from feb-june.

The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea, The Siren Depths, Stories of the Raksura Vol I, Stories of the Raksura Vol II, The Edge of Worlds, The Harbors of the Sun- Martha Wells

these books are fun! a good series to dive through, colorful world building and lots of trees. plot is a little thin but almost all of the characters are bisexual.

His Majesty’s Dragon, Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory, Victory of Eagles, Tongues of Serpents, Crucible of Gold, Blood of Tryants, League of Dragons, Golden Age and Other Stories- Naomi Novik

this series was delightful. some of the changes dragons brought to colonialism felt a little overly optimistic but were also gratifying to read about. at the time i thought i was learning a lot about the Napoleonic wars, since i continuously read up on the real events while i was reading the series. sadly because Novik’s writing is so much better than Wikipedia, i now only remember the version of events with dragons.

The City We Became- N. K. Jemisin

this book is slightly annoying if you are from the west coast. i’m looking forward to moving on to Jemisin’s other works.

The Lady Astronaut of Mars, The Calculating Stars, The Fated Sky, The Relentless Moon- Mary Robinette Kowal

these are pretty fun!

A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, The Other Wind, The Left Hand of Darkness- Ursula Le Guin

i finally read the earthsea books! i’m very pleased i did, and The Left Hand of Darkness was a work apart. Really moving, interesting story.

Mexican Gothic- Silvia Moreno-Garcia

not a bad story, although it had the feel of a new author. horror remains not my genre.

This is How You Lose the Time War- Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

this book was not for me. maybe i didn’t understand it? i only made it through because it was so short, and i’m not sure what made it award-winning.

Riot Baby- Tochi Onyebuchi

i’m looking forward to this author’s development- i thought this was a decent work and i think the author’s writing has plenty of potential to get stronger.

Are Prisons Obsolete?- Angela Davis

really, really worth reading.

Finna- Nino Cipri

not the strongest story but i do think about it every time i drive by the local ikea.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain- Nghi Vo

these were very enjoyable and refreshing. they are books i will reread.

Ring Shout- P. Djeli Clark

this was alright, again another work from a newer author.

The Goblin Emperor- Katherine Addison

excellent and very memorable!

Divergent- Roth

this book was way too christian for me. i don’t have it in me to read more of the series.

Old Man’s War, Redshirts- John Scalzi

scalzi is alright, seems to be good for some light reads, not so good for nuance. i’ll probably read the rest of the old man’s war series.

Upright Women Wanted- Sarah Gailey

Black Sun- Rebecca Roanhorse

not bad, but i’m not sure if i’ll read the next book in the series.

Piranesi- Clarke

very very good!

The Poet X- Acevedo

i picked this book up from my local library after finally regaining access to in person libraries. not a bad read.

[terramythos]

TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 34 of 26

Title: The Harbors of the Sun (2017) (The Books of the Raksura #5)

Author: Martha Wells

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adventure, LGBT Protagonist, Female Protagonist (Kind Of), Third-Person

Rating: 9/10

Date Began: 12/11/2020

Date Finished: 12/25/2020

Moon and his friends are reeling from the betrayal of a former ally. With several members of their party kidnapped, and a mysterious weapon stolen by their new enemy, the chase is on. He and the others must infiltrate unknown territory to rescue their missing family and avert a deadly calamity. At the same time, a massive army of Fell are gathering to attack the Reaches. The Raksuran colonies of Indigo Cloud and Opal Night must join forces to defend their home before they are overrun and destroyed. 

“But you don’t want to be near Fell,” Moon guessed. Considering what had happened to Shade when they had been captured by the Fell flight northwest of the Reaches, it was only rational. 

“No, I don’t.” He looked at Moon hopelessly. “Is that weak?” 

Consorts were supposed to be weak and delicate and need everything done for them, but Moon and Shade were different, and nothing was going to change that. And “weak” wasn’t really the right word for what Shade meant. What he was trying to say was harder to express. It was giving into feelings other people thought you were supposed to have about things that shouldn’t have happened to you in the first place, but were not like the actual feelings you did have. There wasn’t a word for that in Raksuran or Altanic or Kedaic or any other language Moon knew. Moon said, “It’s not weak.” 

Full review, some spoilers, and content warning(s) under the cut. 

Content warnings for the book:  Graphic violence and action. Implied past r*pe (it’s the same plot point as previous books). Genocide is a big plot point of this one. 

The Harbors of the Sun is the fifth, and presumably final, book in the Raksura series. And boy what a ride it's been. I've enjoyed settling in with a longer fantasy series. While I'm excited to read something new, I'll miss these characters and the captivating world they inhabit. Since this is probably the last installment, I'll look into book-specific details, but also provide some series retrospective commentary. I won't touch on everything, just things that stick out to me.

From what I can tell, The Harbors of the Sun is a little controversial with long time fans. I can see why, and it's the same reason I added "Epic Fantasy" to the tag list. Most of the series has focused on small-scale conflicts centering on the Raksuran characters. There's hints of large-scale stuff in The Siren Depths, but that crisis is averted, so thus not fully realized. However, these last two books contain a much longer storyline, and the stakes in The Harbors of the Sun are potentially catastrophic not just for the Raksura, but thousands if not millions of people. Think The Lord of the Rings trilogy vs The Hobbit in terms of ramp up.

Due to the larger scale, this book also embraces a rotating point of view. The original trilogy is entirely from Moon's perspective, and The Edge of Worlds only dips its toes into alternate POVs. The Harbors of the Sun features multiple character groups all doing important things to the story, so there's lots of perspective shifts. While I still consider Moon the main character, he shares the stage with many others.

Personally, I like the scaled up conflict. It seems like a natural progression of the series. While not every point of view wows me, finally seeing some stuff from Jade and Chime's perspective (for example) is really cool. While Moon is an enjoyable protagonist, he often interprets characters and motivations wrong. Getting someone else’s take on a given situation or character is refreshing. 

One of my favorite alt-perspectives is Frost. She's a young child and minor character, but serves as the perspective for a tense political discussion between Raksuran queens about impending war with the Fell. This whole section serves to convey important information, but also as great worldbuilding to see how Raksura interact with, indulge, and care for their young. While we have seen adult perspectives such as Moon happily playing with his children, it's interesting to see a child's view of life in the colony. This is emblematic of Wells' approach to the series and her technique when crafting this world. It would be easy to pick a major character like Malachite and tell this section from her perspective, but we would miss many interesting details. Using Frost isn't something I would necessarily consider, and is just a cool writing choice.

By the end, The Harbors of the Sun feels like it's been a long, epic journey-- more so than the shorter adventures of previous books. A LOT of stuff happens in this book, and there's so many different interesting places the characters visit. Even events at the beginning feel distant compared to where everything ends. There is a unique appeal in this kind of story. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I personally like the change of pace and tone, especially as a finale. 

For a series retrospective, the Fell are an interesting subject to discuss. I'm impressed with what Wells pulls off with them. One of my criticisms of The Cloud Roads is the Fell aren't especially compelling villains. They're an evil race of shapeshifters, distantly related to Raksura, who infiltrate cities and eat the population. The Fell are parasites-- they have no real culture or ability to survive except through the destruction of others. They’ve recently taken to destroying Raksuran colonies, kidnapping survivors, and forcing them to produce crossbreeds. Obviously, this introduces two narrative problems. One, "evil races" in fantasy are boring and already done ad nauseam. Two, how can one make the Fell interesting when they're literally irredeemable monsters? 

The answer, it turns out, is a nature vs nurture debate, and it's mostly approached through the Fell/Raksura crossbreed characters. While these ideas have been explored throughout the series, The Harbors of the Sun brings it full circle. The Cloud Roads' main antagonist is Ranea, a crossbreed queen raised by the Fell. She sees the crossbreeds as a natural way to strengthen the Fell and make them an even deadlier force than they are by default, since Raksura have their own set of powers and traits. She’s soundly defeated, supposedly concluding the subplot. Until, of course, it comes back. 

In The Siren Depths, we meet several crossbreed characters who are, for all intents and purposes, Raksura. Malachite rescued them as children and chose to raise them as Raksura of Opal Night. The result is that, while Shade and Lithe are aware of their heritage, they've experienced love and acceptance throughout their lives. Sure, they may have some physical traits and abilities that differ from the others, but often these have practical uses in the story. Their families don’t treat them differently because of this. As characters, they're just as Raksuran as everyone else.

In The Edge of Worlds, we're introduced to another crossbreed queen, a foil to Ranea. While she makes some early mistakes, unlike Ranea she seems capable of reason and compassion. We learn her name and backstory in The Harbors of the Sun. Consolation was born in a Fell flight, but most of her childcare came from her father, a captive Raksuran consort. Hence her name, which is painful with context and distinctly Raksuran. Apparently, the consort's influence didn't just extend to Consolation, but to other outcasts in the flight. After his death, Consolation and her allies slaughtered the leadership and took over the flight, and seek a place to live in peace independent of traditional Fell corruption and influence. 

One of the interesting things about this are the kethel and dakti in Consolation's flight. Throughout the series, these two Fell castes are basically treated as cannon fodder. If you need a big intimidating enemy, throw in a kethel. For annoying imp swarms, dakti. The Raksura tend to think of these creatures as intelligent animals, not people. They only talk when a Fell ruler takes over their mind. They're treated badly among the Fell; cannibalized them when food stores get low, thrown into suicidal situations, etc. 

In The Harbors of the Sun, the kethel and dakti can speak, much to the surprise of the main cast. Consolation's main advisor is a crossbreed dakti named First. There's also a kethel (presumably pureblooded Fell) that follows and assists Moon and Stone throughout the book and engages them in conversation. They clearly distrust it, but over the course of the story go from calling it "the kethel" to "Kethel", like an actual name. It has ulterior motives-- to convince the Raksura to help Consolation-- but is certainly not "inherently evil", nor just an intelligent animal. This is counter to everything we've been led to believe through the series, and it shocks multiple characters and challenges their way of thinking. 

The argument at the end is that the Fell are evil because of a poisonous ideology and the total control of the progenitors (female rulers). Raised with compassion and better treatment, they're very similar to the Raksura. I'm honestly impressed with where the Fell end up vs where they start in The Cloud Roads. I don't know if Wells planned this arc for them from the beginning, but I like the amount of nuance she introduced without it feeling gross or trite. Does it work 100 percent? I'm not sure; I'd have to reread the series in more depth. But based on my current thoughts, it’s a good development; it doesn’t “redeem” or justify the Fell, but demonstrates the ways in which future generations can change and break the cycle. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and many characters clearly distrust these “new” Fell (understandable considering the sheer trauma most of the cast has), but it’s an interesting take nevertheless. 

On another subject, we never really learn what was up with the forerunners! Except they really liked flower motifs, I guess. I kind of like this; there's an impression that the long forgotten civilizations of the past were technologically advanced, but no one knows what happened to them. It's just an enduring mystery of the series. Ultimately it doesn't matter to the characters, and that's fine.

Also, we now have confirmation that The Serpent Sea is basically filler. It felt like a side story when I read it, but part of me hoped it would have some relevance to these last two books. Nope. I’m a little disappointed in this, but it’s not the end of the world, just something to keep in mind when reading the series. I think the book is entertaining on its own merits, but there’s little to connect it to the main story besides the characters. 

Overall I recommend these books to people looking for a non-traditional fantasy series. There's no humans or typical Tolkein-esque fantasy races. Instead there are dozens of sapient humanoid species invented whole cloth, with some obvious real world inspirations. The shapeshifting Raksura are lovingly crafted, with lots of interesting detail about their culture, customs, and daily life. I love how they feel like believable people but are distinctly nonhuman. As a setting, The Three Worlds is deadly and fascinating, with lots of interesting places and people. There's always a sense of a big, vibrant world, even when the books choose not to explore it in depth. While The Harbors of the Sun feels like a finale to the current Raksuran story, I wouldn't be surprised if Wells visits this setting in the future.

There are some short story collections in this series which I do plan to read sometime in 2021. However, I'm going to take a break from the Raksura series and dive into something else for now. Thanks for reading! 

#2020 reading challenge #taylor reads #9/10

[ladyherenya]

Books read in February

I continued on with three series I started in January, and read a few sequels to books/series I started last year. One book was co-written by an author I discovered in January, and the remaining three were by new-to-me authors. Yet again, nearly everything was fantasy and science-fiction. Clearly I was not being very adventurous...

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also my Dreamwidth blog.)

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso:  Lady Amalia Cornaro is walking around incognito when she’s enlisted to tether a rogue fire-mage threatening to burn the city. I kept expecting this to be more consistently gripping. Amalia’s under a lot of pressure, trying to juggle conflicting loyalties, her choices constrained and scrutinised, yet she approaches things with an amount of calm confidence. It’s quite believable, given her strong sense of identity and relationship with her mother, but undercuts the urgency somewhat. Otherwise, this has memorable characters, satisfyingly-complex political intrigue and rich worldbuilding. I’m interested in seeing what happens next.

Discworld - City Watch books by Terry Pratchett:

Feet of Clay (narrated by Nigel Planer): The Watch investigate a couple of murders and the attempted-poisoning of Lord Vetinari.  Meanwhile, something’s going on with the golems. I’m impressed that people plotting to replace Vetinari with a king has been a recurring theme without becoming repetitive. But I really like how Pratchett writes detective/mystery stories - that’s partly why I’m finding these books so engaging. I also liked how the characters’ respective prejudices were challenged. A downside I often experience with audiobooks is that I can’t remember, or else easily look up, my favourite passages afterwards. This time I’ve had no trouble remembering.

Jingo (narrated by Nigel Planer): The first book to actually take the Watch beyond the city of Ankh-Morpork. An island rises from the sea and Ankh-Morpork prepares to go to war over it… with some difficulty, given a lack of army. I was somewhat less entertained by the middle section, which is not so much an investigation as a sea adventure -- I don’t think I laughed quite so often nor was as gripped by the story. However, all the bits with Vimes were great, and I was satisfied and delighted by the way the everything eventually twisted together.

Penric’s Fox, a novella in the World of the Five Gods by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Grover Gardner): Set soon after Penric and the Shaman. It’s a self-contained story, so jumping from the later books back to this one works. Penric and his friends investigate the murder of a temple sorceress; Pen and Des are most concerned with finding the sorceress’ demon. I enjoyed this a lot, especially seeing Pen interact with another sorcerer and with the princess-archdivine. Some of their conversations hit unexpectedly serious and emotional notes.  I was hoping that further instalments would be set after the later books, but now I’m confident that whatever stories Bujold chooses to tell next will be interesting.

Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones: The sequel to Wintersong is about things starting with the letter M: “Madness, mania, melancholy. Music, magic, memories.” I like the prose, setting and characters, and he way Liesl’s siblings and music are so important to her. I like that the story takes her struggles seriously and affirms that, even though she can be difficult and moody, she’s still loved. But I was not a fan of the way the plot unfolded. Some stories meander satisfyingly, but I just found it frustrating here. I’m disappointed... yet at the same time glad I made an effort to finish it?

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples:

Volume Three: I enjoyed this volume, with its themes about families. I liked the moments of rich characterisation, and the picture-book quality of the narration. There were dramatic twists too, and funny moments, and lovely moments, and heartbreaking ones (AHHH, STOP HURTING CHARACTERS I LIKE), and the sort of weirdness I know to expect. I’m still super invested in the characters - and still super worried something really awful will happen that will just ruin everything. I know I’ve come to the wrong story if I want everyone to be okay, but I just want everyone to be okay, okay?

Volume Four: This feels like the start of a second season. Alana, Marko and their daughter, now a toddler, are still in hiding but otherwise things are comparatively calm. Hazel’s narration ominously makes it clear that this stability is about to unravel. I don’t think what happens is objectively worse than anything in the previous volumes, but I found this volume more disquieting and less enjoyable. Were there fewer heart-warming and fewer funny moments, to balance out the everything else? Or is it just that my sense of dread, as I waited for everything to go wrong, colouring things?

The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells:

Stories of the Raksura, volume one: This contains a couple of novellas and a couple of short stories. The longest, The Fallen World, is about Moon after The Siren Depths, and is exactly what I expect from Raksura stories: Moon is (understandably) emotional, Stone is supportive; they explore a place which is mysterious and vividly imaginative, and solve problems with teamwork. I love it. The other three stories are all prequels. I wasn’t expecting to like The Tale of Indigo and Cloud story so much. Cerise is level-headed and understanding, and it’s fascinating to get an insider’s view of a normal reigning queen and her court.

Stories of the Raksura, volume two:  This collection of stories veers more towards mysteries of a strange world than courtly intrigue. The Dead City is a prequel. Moon is not in a great place. From the subsequent books, I know that things do get better for him -- but not just yet -- which gives this story a rather melancholy vibe. The Dark Earth Below is set after The Siren Depths. Moon is anxiously anticipating a momentous - positive - development and investigates an issue concerning their neighbours.. I enjoyed the glimpses into life for the court. Also notable: one of the short stories, “Mimesis”, is from Jade’s perspective!

Weave a Circle Round by Kari Maaren: Freddy wants to fly under the radar but one of her weird neighbours is in all her classes. This reminded me of Diana Wynne Jones -- a similar blend of eccentric characters, magical shenanigans, mythology, commentary on storytelling, with a relatable portrayal of growing up and of difficult family dynamics. Yet it has its own style and its own narrative priorities, like thoughtful, matter-of-fact inclusion of disabilities, and exploring what it means to be “chosen” in this sort of fantasy. I was impressed with the way it has an epic scope yet remains tightly focused. Every detail counts. I loved it.

The Snow Sister by Emma Carroll (narrated by Victoria Fox): A short historical children’s novel. Pearl’s father receives news that he is a beneficiary of his brother’s will, and her mother sends her out to buy the ingredients for Christmas puddings. This shopping trip doesn’t go as expected.I borrowed this because I needed another audiobook and I like the narrator. It’s a sweet story, a touch heavier-handed in its message than I’d prefer, but it took off in directions I hadn’t predicted and kept my interest.

Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor: Sequel to Binti and Binti: Home. This took me by surprise in terms of what happened and how strongly I felt about it. Binti tries to save her family and avert a war. She also reaches an understanding of her identity. She hasn’t followed the path expected of a Himba girl; she’s left home and changed physically as well as personally; she has a bond to a Meduse and has learnt about her heritage from her father’s family. I liked how it pulled together the threads running through the trilogy and that, although it’s a story involving conflict and loss, there’s acceptance and joy.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: An intense young-adult science-fiction thriller, told through messages, memos, interview transcriptions, reports describing surveillance footage, diagrams and other documents. It’s the most surprising and creative epistolary novel I’ve read. A remote mining outpost is attacked by a rival cooperation, and the spaceships of evacuees are pursued -- and they have other problems onboard. Two recently-broken-up teenagers work together to uncover secrets the ships’ captains are hiding. Their story is tense, occasionally funny, sometimes sad, with unexpected twists. I wondered if it would become too dark, but it didn’t. I was really impressed with the way everything fitted together.

A Little Taste of Poison by R.J. Anderson: Sequel to A Pocket Full of Murder. Isaveth is offered a scholarship to attend Tarreton College. She’s excited about studying magic but worried about fitting in, especially if her  classmates discover she’s a poor Moshite whose father was recently and infamously accused of murder. I enjoyed this, at first in a gentle sort of way and then -- as the stakes are raised -- with a greater sense of urgency. It continues the story from the first book while allowing Isaveth to explore new territory: magic school, and new friendships. I particularly liked how the story handled relationships between female characters.

#Herenya reviews books #Herenya recommends things #Discworld #Melissa Caruso #Lois McMaster Bujold #the World of the Five Gods #The Illuminae Files #Amie Kaufman #R.J. Anderson #Raksura #Martha Wells #Kari Maaren #Emma Carroll #Saga comic

[terramythos]

TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 33 of 26

Title: The Edge of Worlds (2016) (The Books of the Raksura #4)

Author: Martha Wells

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, LGBT Protagonist, Third-Person

Rating: 9/10

Date Began: 11/28/2020

Date Finished: 12/09/2020

Two turns after The Siren Depths, Moon has settled into life in the Indigo Cloud colony with young children of his own. But when all the adult Raksura experience a disturbing, shared nightmare that foretells the destruction of their home at the hands of the Fell, things are about to change. Soon an expedition of strange groundlings visit The Reaches, claiming they need the Raksura to help investigate a mysterious abandoned city far to the west. Believing the two events are linked, Moon and the others embark on a journey to avert disaster. However, they soon find more than they bargained for when a Fell attack traps them in the deadly, labyrinthine city ruins.  

If eyes fall on this, and no one is here to greet you, then we have failed. Yet you exist, so our failure is not complete. 

Full review, some spoilers, and content warning(s) under the cut.

Content warnings for the book:  Graphic violence and action. Some mind control stuff (par for the course at this point). 

This is a difficult book to review because it is, for all intents and purposes, part one of a longer two-part story. While the three previous books were all self-contained, The Edge of Worlds isn't, even ending on a cliffhanger. I feel like this duology might have been written as a single book but got split for publishing reasons. As of this writing I have not read the next book, The Harbors of the Sun. So take what I say with a grain of salt, because my commentary assumes the next book will address certain things.

The Edge of Worlds’ core plot builds on threads from the previous book-- mysterious ancestors, bizarre dead cities, the Fell/Raksura crossbreeds, and so on. This book doesn't include any new details about the ancestors, which are just called "the forerunners", but I expect the next book to touch on this more, as it’s been a consistent Thing in the series. There's also another mysterious, ancient ruin critical to the plot. However, it’s pretty different than the underwater city in The Siren Depths, so doesn't seem repetitive. Oddly, it reminds me of House Of Leaves with its vast size, impenetrable darkness, and sentient (?) traps.

The book also explores Fell/Raksura crossbreeds in yet another way. Previous books depicted them as terrifying weapons (The Cloud Roads) or just weird looking Raksura (The Siren Depths). The Edge of Worlds splits the difference, introducing a Fell flight that seems much more sympathetic and reasonable than any encountered thus far-- led by a crossbreed queen. My criticism of the Fell way back in The Cloud Roads is they're basically an Always Chaotic Evil horde of predators, but this new idea adds a lot of nuance. Though I am assuming the next book goes into this more, as they’re just introduced here. It's important to remember the Fell and Raksura are descended from the same ancestor, and even though Raksura are the heroes of the story, there are a lot of similarities between the two species. Overall this is one of the most intriguing threads in the series, and I'm glad we keep coming back to it in new ways.

Another thing this book does differently is perspective. Moon is the POV character in the other main entries. While that's still true, there are several interludes from the perspectives of others. For practical purposes this is to show what's going on outside of the main party, particularly so Malachite showing up at the end doesn't feel like an asspull. Also, certain events really do need to be explained when Moon isn't present. I can respect that.

From a reading standpoint I really like these alternate points of view. They're all minor characters-- Lithe, Ember, Merit, River, and Niran-- which is an interesting choice. Ember's interlude is actually my favorite part of the book. It's fun to see a more "traditional" consort approach an awkward situation, and I like his initial struggle to accept and treat Shade (one of the crossbreeds and a personal fave of mine from the last book) as a regular consort. Ember comes off as very submissive in the rest of the series so it's fun to see him take charge. Also this part features a scene in which two intimidating Raksuran queens, Pearl and Malachite, have the most tense tea service of all time. It's just hilarious. 

This book actually has a trans analogue with the Janderan, the primary groundling species, who apparently choose their gender when they reach adulthood. Specifically there’s a focus on a young man named Kalam, who just took that step. This doesn't feel like the standard fantasy/scifi copout because humans literally do not exist in the series. Wells handles trans/nonbinary/agender characters (human and otherwise) extremely well in The Murderbot Diaries so I feel it’s in good faith. LGBT rep in the Raksura series has been great so far, honestly. Moon/Jade/Chime is like... canon, man.

Another general observation I haven't previously noted... I love how many interesting and varied flying ships there are in this world. They're all boat-like (nothing like airplanes) but there has been a different kind in each book. Considering that most of the main cast can fly it's interesting that flying ships are consistently integral to the plot. It would be so easy to cop out and design one ship that every society uses, but Wells really makes them all unique despite serving similar functions to the story. The ship in this one is organic, powered by living, cultivated moss. I dunno! I just think it’s neat. 

I do have one criticism for The Edge of Worlds, keeping in mind it's part one of a longer story. The pacing. This book is pretty slow; it takes a while to get going and then there are lots of lengthy travel sequences. As long as there’s interesting flavor to it, I generally don't mind this approach. It allows for breathing room and character interaction. But even I started feeling bored at points and had to power through. It feels like a lot of the travel could have been cut from the book without losing much. For example, the journey to the colony tree in The Serpent Sea took up maybe a few chapters. I appreciate travel in this series from a worldbuilding perspective, but in this case I think some time gaps would have been fine. The action doesn't pick up until the party arrives at the ruin, in the latter half of the book.

Also, this isn't really a criticism, but there are several references to the Raksura novellas and short stories. I haven't read them (yet) so they’re totally lost on me. I can't blame Wells for including references, both as a wink/nudge to people who have read them and because ignoring relevant ideas makes no sense. But as someone lacking context it comes off as awkward to have a character think “WOW, this is just like that one time Jade had to do this one thing!” and I’m just like “...it is???” 

Despite this I like just about everything else in the story, especially the second half. It really does feel like a proper finale, bringing back notable characters from throughout the series (not anyone from The Serpent Sea yet... I do have my suspicions here, though). River seems to be getting a mini redemption? The labyrinthine, dark city is creepy, and the artifact they find inside it is super unsettling. All the climactic action is intriguing, particularly regarding the new Fell crossbreeds. The novel ends abruptly, but that’s understandable since the next book leads right off from it. I'm really excited to see how the Raksura story concludes.

#taylor reads #2020 reading challenge #BONUS ROUND #9/10 #me: well that line is foreboding and probably foreshadowing let's use it with no context

[terramythos]

TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 31 of 26

Title: The Serpent Sea (2012) (The Books of the Raksura #2)

Author: Martha Wells

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, LGBT Protagonist, Third-Person

Rating: 8/10

Date Began: 10/30/2020

Date Finished: 11/08/2020

Moon, once a solitary wanderer, has found a place among his kind-- consort to the sister-queen Jade in the Raksuran court of Indigo Cloud. After fighting off the insidious Fell, the dwindling colony returns to their ancestral home among the mountain trees of the Reaches to replenish their population. However, they discover someone has stolen an artifact essential for the giant tree's survival; the seed at its heart.  Now Moon and a group of Raksura must find the missing seed. Their journey takes them to The Serpent Sea and a strange, moving landmass; a city built on the back of a living leviathan. Moon must infiltrate the city and unravel the mystery behind the seed’s disappearance before it’s too late. 

Jade had said Indigo Cloud had had consorts fight to defend the colony, but Emerald Twilight was too secure to need defending. Moon had proved he was different from them. Too different. You are your own worst enemy, he told himself. Not that it was a new revelation; it was just that he was starting to notice it more. 

Minor spoilers and content warning(s) under the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Graphic action and violence. There's some minor sexual harassment that gets challenged and resolved. The Serpent Sea is the second book in the Raksura series, and takes place directly after the events of The Cloud Roads. The Raksura of Indigo Cloud make it to their ancestral home, but discover a seed has been stolen from the giant tree that keeps it alive. So, Moon and a small contingent have to find it, or their new home is lost. Like before, it's a pretty standard story--seek the MacGuffin by X time or else Y will happen-- but it generally serves the purpose of the novel. Other than its cast, The Serpent Sea has little connection to the conflict of The Cloud Roads and feels self-contained, outside one or two details that may be relevant in future volumes.  Worldbuilding comes out the gate swinging, and continues to be the strongest aspect of the series. Wells has great talent when it comes to describing vivid settings and social customs; her background in anthropology does not surprise me at all. In particular, I think the "mountain tree" that Indigo Cloud moves into sounds like a beautiful place to live, and enjoyed hearing all the little details about what daily life there would be like. The visit to a neighboring colony, Emerald Twilight, was also super interesting. I liked seeing what a large, prosperous court of Raksura looks like in comparison to the struggling Indigo Cloud group, as well as their more traditional customs and behaviors. It was another captivating insight into the Raksura, who feel like a vibrant and realistic fantasy culture after only two books. Finally, the city on the back of the leviathan was another interesting place; the whole "giant landmass is actually a living creature" trope is fun, and Wells manages to make it both fascinating and honestly disgusting. It’s no easy task to make a fantasy world feel real and believable, so this series does a great job on that front.  One of my big wishes at the end of The Cloud Roads was for more character interaction and development, and The Serpent Sea certainly delivers. We get to see a lot more of Chime, Stone, and Jade, as well as their interactions with Moon. Character isn't a huge focus in this series; while Moon has personal arcs in both books, he is the protagonist. But there are some interesting developments, especially regarding Chime and his abilities. It's still a mystery what's up with him-- how he spontaneously changed from mentor caste to warrior caste-- and there's some odd stuff in this book that implies something else is going on. Also, am I insane or is he supposed to be like a side love interest for Moon? I mean, the Raksura are Very Poly and that's absolutely the vibe I’m getting.  Moon still has the best development; in this book, his personal struggle is coming to terms with who he is versus who he is expected to be. With the insight from Emerald Twilight, we learn consorts are generally pampered pretty boys who sit back as their queens call the shots. Moon is much more proactive; the first to take command or leap into action in any given situation. So everyone sees him as an oddball because of that, on top of him being an adopted solitary. While this isn't a rare trope by any means, it is rare to see it done with a male character, so it’s a refreshing take. Wells plays a lot with gender roles in this series and I find it fascinating to read about. Moon also gets a foil in this novel from the character Rift, a solitary Raksura he meets during the story. Without spoiling anything, this emphasizes what really makes Moon unique, and why others generally like/tolerate him.  

One criticism I have here is the sheer number of characters. I had a hard time keeping track of everyone. This was less noticeable in The Cloud Roads since everyone was brand new. But for the journey in this book, there's a shit load of characters, especially Raksura, that don't seem to serve much purpose. If you held a gun to my head and asked me to differentiate between Floret and Vine, I'd maybe be able to remember their genders and that's it. I'm generally pretty good at tracking characters but even I found it difficult. I feel like the cast could have been pared down considerably without it affecting the story. This isn’t a huge issue since the major players are all distinct, but the minor characters do tend to blend together.  The biggest potential challenge I can see people having with this book is the pacing. It takes a while for the conflict to get going. Compared to The Cloud Roads, there's fewer action sequences; basically none until the halfway point. I didn't mind this as I really like the worldbuilding in this series and had fun reading about it. The heavier focus on character interaction was also welcome. Furthermore, the emphasis on investigation and subterfuge in the first half is something different, and I enjoyed slowly learning the mysteries of the leviathan city. That being said, I can easily see other people having trouble with it. I think it depends on personal taste and what you like about the series. Another big difference between this and The Cloud Roads is the tone. The Serpent Sea feels much more humorous and sarcastic. There were traces of this in The Cloud Roads, but that book was much more serious overall. I'm not sure if this is meant to symbolize Moon's growth and increasing comfort with the other characters, but I like the change. It also feels more in line with Wells' Murderbot series, and I can see more of a resemblance between the two. Compared to The Cloud Roads this feels like a much lighter story, but it's a fun romp with the characters from the last book. Most of my praise about the previous volume, especially the worldbuilding and Raksura in general, still applies. So my rating has not changed much. Obviously I would recommend reading The Cloud Roads first, and then this one if you're interested in going for the whole series. There are five main books, and at this point I'm planning to read book three, The Siren Depths, next.  

#taylor reads #2020 reading challenge #8/10