TRANS-SCRIBE

Monday, 27 January 2020

The X-Men and The Avengers: Gamma Quest by Greg Cox - Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

'TWO MISSING TEAMMATES. ONE DEADLY ENEMY...

'The X-Men - mutant protectors of a world that fears and hates them. The Avengers - Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the greatest super-team ever assembled.

'When the Scarlet Witch of the Avengers and Rogue of the X-Men both disappear under mysterious circumstances, each team's search leads them to more questions than answers. Desperate to recover their missing teammates, they must join forces to uncover the truth. But their efforts will bring them up against a foe with the deadliest power of all: to make them turn on each other!'

Team-up stories are often one of the best parts in comics. It’s an exciting moment when characters that don’t normally get to share the page team up, especially when two teams of heroes have to work together. The X-Men and The Avengers: Gamma Quest brings together the two biggest Marvel teams as the groups have to work together to track down missing teammates Scarlet Witch and Rogue.

Originally printed as three separate volumes, Lost and Found, Search and Rescue, and Friend or Foe?, across 1999 and 2000, this new release brings the entire story together into one collected edition. Much like previous omnibus editions that Titan have produced, this is a chunky book, totaling nearly 600 pages of small text. I know 600 pages isn’t huge but the individual books clocked in at 800 pages, so that should indicate how small the text in this edition is.

Despite the almost imposing size of the book the story reads a lot better in this format, as the trilogy feels like one story broken into three pieces. However, it does at times feel as if it has been padded out slightly to make up three individual books, rather than being one well thought out story.

Sometimes this is because of the large number of fights in the book, with the heroes having to not only fight villains and their minions, but each other too. These fights are something that’s to be expected from superhero stories, but these scenes often go on for so long that they end up feeling boring more than entertaining. Added to this, there are points where it feels that sentences are being padded out, adding descriptors that feel unnecessary; some parts of the book come across as though every other word has been replaced using a thesaurus, just to include bigger words and lengthen the narrative.

Greg Cox has written dozens of great books over the years, with novels that tie into popular franchises such as Star Trek and Alias, as well as writing adaptations of films and other comic book stories. His recent Batman novel, Batman: Court of Owls, was a great read and one of my favourites of 2019. Cox is a good writer, so the general lack of interest I felt whilst reading this new collection took me by surprise. Perhaps this is due to this it being some of his earlier work. Then again, it might just be my own experience of the book and others will enjoy it.

There is some good stuff here, despite my previous complaints. The book has a good selection of characters from both teams involved, and contains enough references to previous stories and other characters being off doing other things that it feels like it fits into the Marvel Universe well. Cox clearly knows these characters and this universe well, and it comes across like he’s a big fan. This helps make parts of the book a lot of fun, and recreates some of what makes the source material great.

The X-Men and The Avengers: Gamma Quest is a good book, but it didn’t set my world on fire. If the story was a two volume collection rather than three perhaps it would have flowed better for me, and felt better paced. As it is, it’s a decent story that perhaps overstays its welcome due to its length.

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Saturday, 25 January 2020

The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes by James Lovegrove - Book Review

'Tales of treachery, intrigue and evil… Maverick detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful chronicler Dr John Watson return in twelve thrilling short stories.

'The iconic duo find themselves swiftly drawn into a series of puzzling and sinister events: an otherworldly stone whose touch inflicts fatal bleeding; a hellish potion unlocks a person’s devilish psyche; Holmes’s most hated rival detective tells his story; a fiendishly clever, almost undetectable method of revenge; Watson finally has his chance to shine; and many more – including a brand-new Cthulhu Casebooks story.'

The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes is the latest Sherlock Holmes release from Titan Books, bringing together a dozen short stories by the acclaimed James Lovegrove. Having written many full length novels, and short stories about the world's greatest detective and his faithful partner, John Watson, Lovegrove is one of those rare writers that can not only tell a great mystery story, but captures the essence of the characters wonderfully.

This collection seems to aim to offer a little of everything, with some stories that could have very easily fit into the original tales as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whilst others show the characters in some very different, and far removed scenarios.

The Adventure of the Marchindale Stiletto, the first story in this collection, feels like a very early adventure in the Sherlock Holmes canon, one where Holmes is presented with a relatively simple puzzle (for him at least), and there's no real criminal element at work. The story revolves around a missing family heirloom that Holmes is asked to find. The story doesn't go out of its way to give you the solution to the puzzle, but gives enough clues that even if you don't work out every single detail you end up figuring out the broader strokes.

This is also true for The Problem of the Emperor's Netsuke, which sees Holmes called in to investigate the theft of dozens of priceless artifacts on loan from the Emperor of Japan, thefts that have been cunningly hidden by well crafted duplicates. As with the first story, it's a fairly harmless case where no one is hurt and the 'criminal' is actually a really nice person, and you'll find yourself figuring out who's responsible before Holmes reveals it.

These are nice little stories that show the almost fiendish simplicity that often accompanied some of Sherlock Holmes' stories, where just enough information is given to the reader to allow you to feel like you're there working it out alongside Holmes. Some of these stories, however, are decidedly different.

The Affair of the Yithian Stone is set within the world of Lovegrove's Cthulhu Casebook trilogy, where Holmes and Watson battle against the otherworldly forces of Cthulhu and other denizens from Lovecraft's world. Here the two detectives are having to deal with a deadly ancient artifact imbued with technology and magic far beyond our understanding. Whilst it's not the usual kind of Sherlock Holmes story it still feels like the same characters, and getting to see them interacting with the world of the Cthulhu mythos is brilliant.

Another story that takes inspiration from other literary works is The Strange Case of Dr Sacker and Mr Hope. Taking a cue from Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this story sees Holmes being transformed into a terrifying murderer by a potion made up by Dr Jekyll. Targeting those criminals he was investigating this new Mr Sherringford Hope begins a murder spree before transforming his old partner Dr Watson into Dr Ormond Sacker. A chilling and horrific tale that shows how deadly a person Holmes would be if he ever turned to evil, the story is also a good bit of fun Sherlock Holmes history, as the two names Lovegrove gives these new personalities are the original names given to them when Conan Doyle firs started developing the characters.

Whether you're interested in these new and strange versions of the characters, or want stories that feel true to the original works, The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes can provide readers with brilliant stories that are sure to entertain. Not only is Lovegrove able to tell interesting and engaging mysteries, but he's able to write versions of Holmes and Watson that feel right, that capture that magic that made them such a success when written by Arthur Conan Doyle.

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Wednesday, 22 January 2020

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Book Review

'The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.'

I have to be honest, I'd not read the blurb for Gods of Jade and Shadow before I started to read it. I'd been given a copy to read and thought the cover looked great so just picked it at random from my to be read pile. At first I thought that it might end up being the kind of book that I wouldn't usually enjoy, as the first few chapters were centred on Casiopea and her life in her grandfather's home. She is presented as a young woman that has become stuck into a poor situation thanks to events outside of her control. She's barely better than a servant to her family, just because of decisions her mother made in her youth.

These first few chapters play out like many 'normal' novels, where there's nothing that happens in the book that's outside the realms of everyday life. I thought this was going to be a story about a young woman breaking free of her family and finding her own place in the world. And it was, to be fair; except for she's doing it whilst on a road trip with an ancient god. The sudden introduction of Hun-Kame, the deposed lord of the underworld was a surprise twist that I honestly didn't see coming. But it was something that the book desperately needed.

The road trip that Casiopea and Hun-Kame go on, crossing Mexico and meeting various magic users, gods, and demons, plays out well, and doesn't rush in its pacing. The two lead characters get to spend a great deal of time together, and their relationship feels pretty real. It's nice to see Casiopea get to break free of the negative thoughts and feelings that her family have worked into her and become her own person, whilst seeing Hun-Kame gradually begin to become more human is fascinating and engaging.

The story of Casiopea itself, and her issues with her family are the weakest parts of the book, and the story only really seems to come to life when she's journeying with Hun-Kame in order to find the missing pieces of his body so that he can return to his former godhood. Whenever Casiopea's familial struggles took centre stage the book would lag, and because of this I found that I'd occasionally get bored with the narrative.

In contrast, the more that the author delved into this world of Mayan mythology and magic the more I was drawn in. The setting and the mythology of the book is one that I've not read before. I've seen stories use christian mythology a lot, and things like Norse and Egyptian mythology are pretty well known and well used in sci-fi and fantasy. Mayan mythology, on the other hand, felt new and exciting because it was something that I'd not seen used before. In some ways the book made me think of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, which drew on other underutilised mythology and cultures as inspiration.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a fun road-trip coming-of-age style story where a young woman gets to forge her own future. The mystical elements are definitely the draw though, and actually make her personal story feel all the more real. It's a shame the book ended the way it did, as I'd want to see more from these characters and this world, but don't get the impression that Silvia Moreno-Garcia will return to it. If she does, I'm definitely interested to see what would come next.

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Monday, 20 January 2020

Marvel Action: Avengers #9 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Slug-like aliens and sad Avengers abound, as Marvel Action: Avengers #9 brings the story of the Fear Eaters to a conclusion, as the alien invaders sweep through New York City.

An invasion of alien parasites that feed off the fear of the populace should be a big threat, and should feel like an epic fight for the Avengers. It’s been building for the better part of a year (especially with some of the long gaps between issues), and this should be the big pay off. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really feel like there are any stakes in this issue.

The Fear Eaters, which always seemed quite large and looming in their previous appearances, are suddenly very small. They’re slugs the size of a cat with a weird goat/dog face and antennas. They float around ‘menacingly’ and make the Avengers see their worst fears. There’s very little about them that seems frightening or deadly at all; I’m a little surprised that average New Yorkers aren’t beating them back with sticks or something.

This sudden disappointing drop in threat level from the villains makes the majority of the issue more boring than anything else. Other than a few of the Avengers having to stand around looking at things that they’re scared of nothing really happens. Even the defeat of the aliens feels uneventful.

It turns out that the armour Black Panther has been working on is an adaptation of Iron Man’s stealth armour, one that’s been reinforced with vibranium, and now transmits a person’s thoughts rather than shields them. This means that T’Challa is able to don the armour and use it to attract the Fear Eaters to him. Once the aliens have been summoned to him T’Challa ends the invasion by confronting his own fear of his father’s disappointment, which for some reason causes the Fear Eaters to run away.

I know that the Marvel Action line is aimed at younger readers, and that they might not want to overly complicate their stories so as not to confuse kids, but there’s pretty much no reasoning for the events in this issue. How were the Fear Eaters going to destroy Earth when they just float around making people sad and sacred? Why were they drawn to Black Panther by reversing its ‘brainwave systems’? And why is one person getting over their fear enough to end an entire planet-threatening invasion?

I don’t want to make it sound like one huge rant about the issue, but this simply feels like one of the weakest conclusions to a story I’ve read. The good guys win because they’re the good guys, and that’s about it. Sadly, I find it hard to believe that even their target child audience would feel satisfied with this conclusion. Hopefully the next story arc will prove to be be better.

Thursday, 16 January 2020

The Hunger by Alma Katsu - Book Review

'Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere. Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone--or something--is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck--the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions--searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand--evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves 'What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased...and very hungry?'.'

The Donner Party is a name that brings some very clear images to mind, a group of people travelling across the vast wilderness of America, falling victim to bad weather and poor directions until their only course of action was to resort to cannibalism to survive. Just on its own it's a disturbing and somewhat horrific story, one about the desperate need to survive. Alma Katsu adds a whole new layer of horror to the story with her novel The Hunger when she makes the group the victims of something much more evil.

Katsu mixes together historical fact with fiction, and real life people with her own creations incredibly well. I was familiar with the story of the Donner Party before reading this book, and was able to pick out certain places and people that I remembered, but those that were fabricated were done so with a huge amount of skill. There's no obvious moment where you can tell a person if completely new to this story. Katsu is able to bring a great deal of life to all of the characters in her book, making the factual and fictional feel alive.

The story of The Hunger begins with the wagon train already on their journey west, trying to find a better life, when tragedy hits in the form of a missing child. The mutilated body that they find is only the beginning of their woes, and almost becomes something you forget about as things worsen for the group, not realising that this dead boy hints at so much more to come.

Along their journey the group begins to fracture, falling to infighting and various mishaps, such as broken equipment and lack of supplies. People turn against each other, protecting their own and suspecting all those around them of wanting to harm them. It's a very real and believable set of events, one that highlights humanities ability to quickly turn on itself when it feels threatened. This fractured and disheartened group discover that their own squabbles are far from the worst thing that can befall them on the journey, however, when strange creatures begin to stalk them, picking them off one by one.

The reveal of the supernatural elements in the book is slow, choosing to let readers get to know the characters first, to understand their motivations and personal conflicts before it turns more towards horror. The horror elements are quite subtle too, with often only one or two people seeing what's happened and the rest of the group finding it hard to believe. The fact that there aren't monsters terrorising the entire wagon train or big set pieces helps to make things feel more believable, perhaps even part of the real events. The fact that some of the people who see these outside forces are considered to be unreliable by other members of the group, for various reasons, and that people are beginning to fall into depression and desperate hunger makes you begin to question if certain things are even happening. Maybe it's psychosis brought on from hunger and fever that's really tormenting these people?

The Hunger is not a fun book to read, it's depressing, grim, and creepy. This isn't just because that's what the author set out to do, but because you know whatever happens isn't going to end well before you even open the book. The story is based upon a tragedy, so when characters suffer and die awful deaths you don't feel shocked or outraged, but a sad resignation. There were characters that I liked, that I wanted to see live because they seemed like good, decent people, and seeing them slowly suffer and die felt like it was eroding me away too. You can enjoy the book, take pleasure in the well told story and great characters, but you're not going to finish it with a sense of happiness; unless perhaps at being happy the awful events are finally over.

Alma Katsu merges together historic fiction and horror in a great way with The Hunger, taking one of the best known tragedies in US history and putting a new spin on events. Whether you're familiar with the story of the Donner Party or not, this story is sure to chill you.

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Tuesday, 14 January 2020

Hot Splices by Mike Watt - Book Tour

'Hot Splices features eight interwoven tales about the Film Addicts, the flicker freaks, the Cinephages - they devour film for the high, to connect to the art on the granular level...the bleeding perforations in their skin is just part of the game. There are five forbidden films, when run together, can induce madness, or release the Dark Gods that created them, speaking through the psychopathic director.

'There is a man on the run, with a lost movie that others would kill to obtain. He barely escaped with his life. There is a tower, once housing for students, now a crumbling, rotting monument to film history, and the men and women who returned to the tower, to die watching their favourite films. Beneath the tower, there lies something made of light and shadow. It does not love its worshippers...'

I used to struggle with reading when I was in my early teens, and had to have a lot of help at school to catch me up with my peers. It's kind of ironic that one of the things I struggled with most and didn't enjoy is now one of the things I love most in the world. Because I struggled to pick up a book and enjoy it I found much of my entertainment through films, and devoured as many as I could. Over the years I drifted away from cinema until it became an occasional indulgence, but I can still remember what it was like in my teens, watching three or four films a night, comparing notes with friends, and seeking out new and interesting things to watch. As such, I was able to understand to a certain degree the love and obsession with film that fills the pages of Hot Splices.

Hot Splices is a strange mixture of horror and the surreal, almost bordering on science fiction. The main narrative focuses on the search for five secret films from early cinema, hidden away for decades. Said to contain actual murder footage, and with the power to drive those who watch it insane, the films are a holy grail for fanatics. It's one of these fanatics, and his group of equally film obsessed friends, who sets out to bring these films together and screen the ultimate banned movie.

The 'haunted' films that can send you mad, and the spirit of their evil creator who is trying to break through into the real world, is trippy enough, but then the narrative adds Flixing to the mix. Flixing can only really be described a film fuelled drug trip, where you allow a single frame of film negative to dissolve on your tongue until the chemical mix sends you into an altered state. Flixing can enhance the experience of the films you're watching, can alter your moods and emotions based on what film they're from, and can even help you to enter the film itself. The true power, and nature, of the phenomena isn't explained in the book, and adds to the disturbing nature of the narrative.

It's never clear exactly what Flixing does, whether the characters are in some kind of drug addled stupor, or if reality is actually changing around them. This plays into the powers of the forbidden films, as it's not clear if the affects they seem to have are actually supernatural, or perhaps the results of the characters being in an altered state. Thanks to this strange mixture of supernatural, drug use, and a complex, jumping narrative, the book keeps the reader on edge throughout, always questioning what's real, and what might happen next.

To compare the book to the films that it clearly loves and wants to celebrate, reading Hot Splices reminds me of how it felt watching films like Videodrome and Jacobs Ladder. The book feels like a warping of reality, a descent into madness.

The book isn't just a great horror story, but a goldmine of references and shout outs for film fans, filled with insight into films from across multiple genre's and decades. Even without looking into Mike Watt's background it's clear that he's someone who not just loves cinema, but knows it incredibly well. Here's an author who's writing about something that he's deeply passionate about, and this translates onto the page. Even if you're not a huge film buff you'll find yourself drawn into the conversations the characters have bout the subject, fascinated by how deep their knowledge on the subject is, and how much you're learning about the subject.

One of my favourite parts of the book is the three short stories that are included after the conclusion of the main narrative. Connected with the main narrative through side characters or small events that are referenced, these stories can easily stand on their own, yet also manage to flesh out the universe in new and interesting ways.

Hot Splices is one of the more interesting horror stories I've ever read. It doesn't rely on monsters lurking in the shadows, or ghosts creeping around the periphery. Instead it creates a pervading sense of unease that keeps you unsettled. The book drips with atmosphere and manages to really mess with your head because of it. There's very few moments where you're not waiting for something awful or twisted to happen. Because of this near constant tension I found myself struggling to put the book down, and wanted to devour it as quickly as I could.

I'm still not sure what to make of the book, other than I really enjoyed it. I feel like this is a novel that I will find myself coming back to more than once, just to try and see if I can learn more about what's really going on. It messed with my head in the best way, and I think it's going to stay with me for a long while because of that. A stunning love letter to cinema and the art of film.

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Friday, 10 January 2020

Dracula by Bram Stoker - Book Review

I first tried to read Dracula during my teen years. I think like many moody teens, I was drawn to what some would call consider Goth elements, despite never actually being a goth myself. However, there's something that teens seem to find appealing about dark and depressing media that meant I picked up Dracula expecting to be wowed by what I read. Unfortunately, I was unable to get to grips with the prose style and never finished the book.

Now, years later, I decided to pick it up again and give it another try. I've come to enjoy Victorian fiction over the years, and have read a number of books that are written from different perspectives, such as this book is, that I wasn't put off by the style of the writing and was finally able to read the father of modern vampire mythology.

I'm not really sure what I was expecting from Dracula, I knew a little about the story before going into it, how he captures Jonathan Harker in his castle before travelling to England aboard the Demeter, that Abraham Van Helsing eventually battles the monster. However, much of the smaller details of the story were unknown to me and I was excited to discover what else the story held.

What I wasn't expecting, however, was the length of the story. I don't mean the physical size of the book, but rather the amount of time that passes during the course of the narrative. I expected that once Dracula had arrived in England and began feeding on Lucy things would unfold at a fairly fast pace. I was shocked that the process of the count feeding on the young woman, and her eventual demise, took place over several weeks.

Unfortunately, I found that this longer pace meant that once the villain had arrived in England much of the tension seemed to disappear for me. I thought the chapters where Jonathan was trapped in Darcula's castle were some of the best in the book, and had a lot of creepy tension that built up the more things went on. After that, however, it didn't strike me as a horror story anymore, but rather a group of people trying to get to the bottom of a mystery, albeit one that's based in the supernatural.

I'm not sure if perhaps it's a product of the time the book was written, or just Bram Stoker's style, but the characters always seemed a little too over the top for my liking too. They turned a lot of their conversations into grand gestures and hyper emotional monologues. Van Helsing didn't just promise to protect Lucy or Mina, but had to declare how much he loved them and would protect them because they're such amazing lights in the darkness. It felt a little bit much when everyone acted to arch and more like caricatures than real people.

Despite this, I found that the story was fairly good, and unfolded in interesting ways. It was also clear how much this book has gone on to influence so many other stories, and not just other vampire fiction either. Dracula is a classic, a book that paved the way for a lot of others, and left a lasting influence on the world of fiction. Unfortunately, I felt that the actual book was unable to live up to such a legacy, and was not the world changing novel that I was expecting. A decent read that will keep fans of vampire fiction entertained, and will be interesting for those who want to experience the original vampire novel for themselves; but one that might not be as engaging or exciting as some other works available.

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Tuesday, 7 January 2020

The Elemental Masters: The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey - Book Review

'The fourteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series continues the reimagined adventures of Sherlock Holmes in a richly-detailed alternate 20th-century England.

'While Sherlock is still officially dead, John and Mary Watson and Nan Killian and Sarah Lyon-White are taking up some of his case-load--and some for Lord Alderscroft, the Wizard of London.

'Lord Alderscroft asks them to go to Dartmoor to track down a rumor of evil magic brewing there. Not more than four hours later, a poor cottager, also from Dartmoor, arrives seeking their help. His wife, in a fit of rage over the children spilling and spoiling their only food for dinner that night, sent them out on the moors to forage for something to eat. This is not the first time she has done this, and the children are moor-wise and unlikely to get into difficulties. But this time they did not come back, and in fact, their tracks abruptly stopped "as if them Pharisees took'd 'em." The man begs them to come help.

'They would have said no, but there's the assignment for Alderscroft. Why not kill two birds with one stone? But the deadly bogs are not the only mires on Dartmoor. '

I've not read any of The Elemental Masters series before picking up this book. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, especially as the fourteenth book in a series is probably not the best place for most people to start reading. However, I found the concept of the world that Mercedes Lackey has created to be very interesting, and knew that I wanted to read the book. I'm a bot of a sucker for Sherlock Holmes stories, and one that mixes in the paranormal is always going to tickle my fancy even more.

Luckily for me Lackey has written the book to be incredibly accessible to new readers, something that she didn't have to do. The book begins with a man being killed in London, and discovering that he's now a ghost. Over the course of this little story the reader gets introduced to some of the rules of the universe as this new ghost discovers them. It might only be a taste of things to come within the book, and doesn't cover any of the elemental magics that appear later, but it eases the reader into how The Elemental Masters actually works. By the time more magical elements were introduced I'd already discovered enough about the world that it wasn't a huge shock when characters like John Watson were performing magic.

The characters are also introduced slowly, with each one given a brief explanation as to who they are, and how they fit into this world. I only learnt a small amount of their back stories, such as Nan and Sarah working with Lord Alderscroft, or Sherlock Holmes pretending to be dead and Mary Watson having to masquerade as a man because of a previous adventure that involved Professor Moriarty. I didn't know everything about the series, but I knew enough to be able to enjoy this adventure without being weighed down by a ton of history. It felt like the perfect amount of backstory to introduce new readers without alienating people that have been reading the series from the beginning.

The history of The Elemental Masters aside, and how well the book introduces new readers; this story is actually quite a slow burning mystery. A good portion of the book goes by before the heroes even become aware of the missing children on the moors, and we follow them through a few smaller investigations before they even get involved in the central plot. I can see how this could upset a few people, and possibly feel like the book is slow paced, however, I really liked this approach. It showed that the heroes of the series aren't always involved in big adventures that involve saving the world, and that sometimes their lives can even be quite dull. The fact that one of the cases they investigate turns out to not have anything supernatural about it was, I thought, a great choice. It demonstrated a bigger world outside of the main plot.

The central plot itself was interesting, with the story of the missing children unfolding at a steady pace. At first you think that it's just these two missing children, then you discover that there's more, then you find out that they're being used to supply 'the Dark One' with magic, then you learn more about their captor. The book doesn't give you all of the answers up front, and lets you get your head around what you've already discovered before adding more layers to the mystery.

Whilst this central story is engaging, and at times very creepy, it does feel like it gets resolved a little too quickly. The heroes have travelled to the moors and are slowly investigating potential suspects and eliminating areas where the children could be held, which is all great, but then Sherlock Holmes suddenly turns up and provides them with the location of the missing children. It had been established earlier in the book that he was in the area conducting his own investigation, but it does feel a little like he swoops in at the last moment with the solution when the others are already working on it.

I love that Sherlock has a presence in the story, and gets to be with his friends to wrap up the mystery and catch the villain, but it does feel like he was brought in to wrap up the book a bit quicker. Perhaps if the book was a bit longer, and has more of the main group investigating and getting closer to the villain it would have felt a little more natural. As it is, they could have sat around and waited for Holmes to provide them with the solution and they'd have been fine.

This isn't a huge criticism, however, as I still enjoyed seeing how these characters worked together, and how they went about an investigation without the worlds greatest detective. The end where they all have to work together on a sneaky plan that involves disguises, misdirection, and perfect timing, is thoroughly enjoyable, and feels like a Sherlockian heist in the best way.

The Elemental Masters: The Case of the Spellbound Child is my first foray into this series, but it certainly won't be my last. I enjoyed the book so much that I'm definitely going back to check out the previous entries in the series, as will be reading the new releases as they come. A great combination of Victorian era mystery and magic that shows how well Sherlock Holmes can work with the supernatural.

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Monday, 6 January 2020

Slender Man by Anonymous - Book Review

'One man’s search for the truth about one of the most intriguing urban legends ever—the modern bogeyman, Slender Man—leads him down a dark, dangerous path in this creepy supernatural fantasy reminiscent of Night Film, House of Leaves, and Illuminae, that will make you question where the line between legend and fact begins

'A young man is desperate to find his missing friend . . . desperate enough to resort to the darkest means. But just how much is he willing to pay the Slender Man in order to save her?'

Chances are pretty good that if you've been on social media during the last decade you'll have heard about Slender Man. Beginning life as an online spooky story, the modern day myth has gone on to be the subject of games, movies, and books. Slender Man from Harper Voyager and it's unnamed author, uses the mythology of Slender Man to tell a slow building and chilling story.

Set within the bustling heart of New York City, a place one would not expect a story about Slender Man to be set, the book follows Matt Barker, a teen whose friend, Lauren, suddenly goes missing one night. Plagued by strange nightmares, Matt begins to try and figure out what happened to Lauren, stumbling across something that he never expected.

Slender Man chooses to ignore the standard novel narrative structure, and is instead presented as a collection of journal entries, social media conversations, and transcripts of audio recordings and interviews. This format made the book stand out straight away as something slightly different, and it must have presented a number of challenges for the unknown author.

Despite the limitations placed upon them by this format, the book managed to tell a well crafted narrative, including more details and characterisation than you'd first expect, and managing to be incredibly creepy in places too. It also used this format to make the reader think one thing, whilst doing something else entirely, something that you only realise come the end of the book. I won't say too much about this so as to not spoil any plot points, but the way the book has been structured means that the author is able to play a nice little trick upon the reader, and means that the book will read differently a second time around.

The use of emails and journal entries reminded me of older horror books such as Dracula and Frankenstein, with their narratives being relayed to the reader through personal correspondence. Whilst harking back to these literary classics, it also made me think of modern horror films, particularly found footage films. Slender Man felt like the written version of a found footage movie, where we're guided through the story by the central character and their point of view (camera being swapped out by written documentation). As such, it puts you into their shoes more than a standard novel does, even a first person book, and really makes you feel the disturbing nature of the events Matt is going through.

The book is also quite subtle in how it plays its horror, and the first third of the book doesn't really have anything supernatural going on at all. I thought that perhaps there would be no 'real' Slender Man in the book, but would rather be an exploration of modern internet mythology and how it can affect people; much like documentary film Beware the Slenderman did with the real world stabbing of Payton Leutner. However, this is not the case, and the book chooses to spend time setting up the characters and the story before introducing the horror elements.

Slender Man itself is done well within the book, and it's never 100% clear if the events we're being witness to are completely real or not. It plays into the psychological aspect of the entity, and you begin to question whether or not it might all be delusions inside Matt's head. The book leaves enough real evidenced that it might actual be happening that by the time you're finished reading it you'll have to make up your own mind.

Slender Man was not what I was expecting going into the book, but I was impressed with the story it managed to tell. Not only was it engaging and interesting, with some great creepy moments, but it managed to tell its story in a different way that made it stand out. We don't know who wrote the book, which helps add to it's found footage style feel, but whoever they are, they did a damn good job.

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Thursday, 2 January 2020

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - Book Review

'Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

'Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.'

It took me longer than I wanted to finally get around to reading Children of Blood and Bone. I'd seen it on so many lists of great books, and has been drawn in by the wonderful cover since I first saw it, yet always had something come up to prevent me from actually getting around to reading it. When I finally did sit down to read the book I found that I couldn't put it down, and read through it so quickly. Luckily for me the sequel is already out and currently on it's way to me through the post. However, before I get around to reading more about this amazing universe I get to review the book and really delve into why I loved it so much.

The first thing to be noted about the book, and something that I absolutely loved, is the setting. Rather than the somewhat traditional and expected fantasy setting, where the world is rooted in very European myths and cultures, the world that Adeyemi created here is very, very much grounded in West African mythology, and draws upon the Yoruba culture and language. Not only is this such a refreshing change, to actually have something that feels new and original in what can sometimes be a fairly bland genre, but it's wonderful to see a black writer and black culture given a spotlight in which to shine.

Children of Blood and Bone is set in the land of Orïsha, a kingdom ruled by the tyrannical king Saran. A decade ago Saran led a campaign against the maji, those blessed by the gods and granted magical abilities. Stripping magic from the land, Saran had thousands of maji killed, leaving only their children alive, those who never knew the taste of magic. Now the maji, marked by their white hair, are second class citizens and slaves, living under the harsh rule of the non-magical kosidan.

Zélie is a maji who witnessed the brutal murder of her mother when just a child and has been nursing a hatred for the King ever since. Wanting to fight back against the kosidan rule, but knowing that she doesn't have the power to do anything she's a character with a huge amount of pent up anger and aggression; as well as fear. She knows that she could be taken away from her family and forced into slave labour without warning, that the royal guards could rape her, that she could be killed, just because she's a maji. This fear and anger is what drives her throughout the book, and pushes her on her mission to change the world into a better place for the maji.

She's joined on her journey by her older brother Tzain, born without a connection to magic like her, who has made protecting her a big part of his life ever since the loss of their mother; and Amari, the princess of Orïsha and daughter of the man who ordered the murder of Zelie's mother.

Tzain fills in a fairly traditional role of an older guardian figure, more mature and wiser than Zélie in a lot of ways. At first he seems to be more level headed than his sister, and sometimes harsh because of it. However, over the course of the story we learn that there's a lot more to him than this, and his harder exterior is hiding a very emotional, and even damaged, young man. He lived through the murder of his mother, just like Zélie, saw his father beaten and brutalised, had to grow up fast to help and protect his family, and has to live with the fear of losing his sister every day. He's not a maji, he's not a target of the oppressive regime of Orïsha, but he's a victim of the brutality and racism of his world too.

Amari is more complex than initially shown too. Presented as something of a sheltered and spoilt young princess, she sets out to help the maji and bring back magic to honour her friend, who she saw murdered simply for being born different. Whilst not used to the world outside the palace the reader gets to see her grow and mature over the course of the narrative, going from a frightened girl to a warrior queen, one who is prepared to fight for all of the people in her kingdom and challenge the rule of her father.

The amount of care and attention given to these central heroes is great, and the changes that they go through throughout the book are believable and inspiring. One of the most complex stories in the book, however, is Amari's older brother, Inan. Initially presented as something of an antagonist before joining the heroes, he changes his mind about what's right and wrong, about what is the best thing for the kingdom more than once, and his journey is one of the most tragic. He doesn't have the strength of conviction that the others do, and constantly second guesses what's right. Sadly, this means that his story is incredibly sad, as it's his own fears and second guessing that leads him down a painful and destructive path.

The sense of injustice presented in Children of Blood and Bone, of feeling like a second class citizen whose life could be ended at any moment isn't something that Adeyemi included lightly, but one of her main drives for telling this story. She says in the afterword of the book that she was driven to write the book because of the injustices that black people have had to face in America, not just historically, but in recent years too. She cites the murder of innocent black children by police officers, such as Jordan Edwards, Tamir Rice, and Aiyana Stanley-Jones, as important inspiration for the book, and urges the reader to realise that the anger and emotion that they feel for these fictional characters should be felt for the victims of such hate in the real world.

These strong emotions and strong sense of right and wrong help towards the fantastic world building that Adeyemi does, giving not just a rich and interesting world, but one that feels alive. Often Young Adult books have heroes rising up against an oppressive regime because they're swept up in events beyond their control, or because they're told it's the right thing to do; but here it feels like it was always going to happen, that people were waiting for the moment to fight. It feels like a more genuine and real world than many others.

Children of Blood and Bone is a great book for anyone who likes the fantasy genre, or who enjoys YA fiction. However, it's also a story that stands out from others in the genre's. It feels fresh and new, with a mythology that's rich in history and has stunning visuals. It highlights real world injustices and racism in a way that isn't preachy, so that those who might normally be turned off by social commentary will find themselves drawn in. Above all though, it tells an engrossing and engaging story that's full of character development, action packed spectacle, and amazing world building. It's not hard to see why this has been one of the most celebrated and successful Young Adult books in years.

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