Grrr - Posting Weirdness

Skip down a couple of posts to find today's winner - it posted out of order for some stupid reason.

Ohhh, Stacy, You SHOULDN'T Have.... Really.

You know, I was just sitting here, browsing my favorite blogs and forums, avoiding my children, and dreaming up inventive new ways to give away books, and I got the weirdest, stabbing pain in my right forearm. OW. Seriously, I thought I was going to have to get offline for the evening, and we can't have that, now can we?

Fortunately, my next click (painful though it was) led me to Stacy's latest update, where certain things became clear to me. I was moved to tears by her consideration. *sniff*

OW! god, LCJ, give it a rest, will you? I'm ON it already... sheesh.

Truly, love makes the blogosphere go round, does it not? Well, either that or fear of creepy painting-inhabiting alter-egos. In the spirit in which it was created and passed on to me, HERE!! YOU TAKE IT!! TAKE IT NOW!! I Heart Book Gossip! you need an award, don't you? sure you do. Here you go. And Barbara. You too. Get on it, OK? And don't dawdle, that's my advice.

*rummages for icepack*

*sheeze. I even SAID she wasn't creepy. You'd think that would count for something. Though clearly I was WRONG. OWWW!! Quit it already!!*

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PS, I wish to be perfectly clear that in the event that you do not pass on this award AND you experience sudden onset, crippling stabbing pain, it has nothing to do with ME. I do not now nor have I ever been party to any individual or organization which advocates the use of voodoo dolls and/or pins stuck therein for motivational purposes.

SHE started it.

Shameless Self-Promotion

For two more entries in the Santa Olivia giveaway, spend a few minutes poking around in my archive here and tell me if you have a favorite post, or if there is one that stands out for you, and why.

PS, the word is in: one of the 5 books will go to an international entrant... assuming I have any, that is.

PPS, the first winner will be announced around noon PST tomorrow.

First Winner!

The WINNER of Santa Olivia copy Number One is:

MISHEL!!!!

email me your mailing address at nicola327 AT hotmail DOT com!

**********BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE**********

Last September I hosted a blog hopping challenge. Give it a go, write your post with a link to Alpha Heroes, and link here in comments.

Note: the post suggests using the BBAW directory as a starting place - for this challenge, why not start with the blog of an Alpha Heroes Follower or recent commenter? Any starting place will do, as long as you find new-to-you blogs and leave comments!

10 hop-stops can be a bit much so -- 5 stops for one extra entry, 10 stops gets you two. Have fun hopping!

**********BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE**********

Next giveaway will be on Monday - have a great weekend!


*****NOW HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY??!?*****

Wait, would you actually pay *anything*??

OK, I didn't think so. LOL. Never mind.

Atlantis Unleashed by Alyssa Day - Review

The Facts
Title: Atlantis Unleashed
Publication Date: June 2, 2009
Author: Alyssa Day

The Gush
I really liked the first two books of this series.

But I loved this one. Luh-huh-huuhved it. Day totally hits her stride in this third full-length book of the series-- Unleashed is tight from beginning to end, from character to conflict, from the series arc to the scene-by-scene pacing.

Prior books spent a little more time on developing secondary characters and side arcs, and that didn't bother me, but there was less of it in this book, and I think it helped a lot with the focus.

Although the Warriors definitely take center stage in these books, I'm a big fan of Day's heroines. They have their own fabulous, valuable talents that make them not only a match for their Atlanteans (because what ordinary Earth girl wouldn't be a little bit intimidated by thousand-year-old warriors of Poseidon from a mythical kingdom?) but also makes them critical partners in the Quest to Save The World As We Know It. (Don't you love those plots??)

The Characters
Honestly, I like Riley, I really do. Erin too. But Keely struck a deeper chord. She seemed more real. Perhaps it's because her talent, "object reading" in Day's vernacular (or more commonly called psychometry), is a bit more familiar of a concept than say, gem singing. Or because her permanent outsider status rings bells for everyone who was ever picked last in gym class (maybe that's just me... it's not just me, is it??). But Keely is steady and lonely in a way that is very appealing.

Justice too --whoo boy. He's got a secret, one he's kept all his life upon pain of a terrible curse if he ever reveals it. Day plots this in circles -- it's totally airtight and very clever how she creates curses and ingenious loopholes that are reminiscent of my favorite mythological stories-- the Minotaur comes to mind. Man. Poor Justice. This guy has really been through the wringer. He makes an incredible cliff-hangerish sacrifice at the end of the previous book, and Day fully delivers on how awful it was (makes VC war crimes seem like a playdate) and the ripple effects on Justice's fellow warriors. Finding Keely gives him the strength to free himself, but also breaks down some protective walls he's built over the centuries - I found his dual nature absolutely fascinating, not only for this book but for the potential directions it adds to the world-- see, it's another layer. And I liked what the title implies about his other side. His character arc is just--augh, words fail. It's fab. Only better than fab.

The World
One subtlety of fantasy series - whatever subgenre they might be in - that I'm coming to appreciate is the layering of the complexity in the world building. You can firehose it all into the first book and then stay consistent, or you can gradually build up nuances with each book. Meljean Brook is a particular master at this, IMO, and Day is doing a great job too. The world of the Atlanteans is a natural fit for this method, since the talents are not particularly well-known or predictable -- they just show up, and the Atlanteans and their allies make the best use of them they can.

But Day doesn't take the easy way out with this kind of thing. It would be easy to set up obvious yin/yang match-ups where, I dunno, one person sets fires uncontrollably and the other controls water or something, making for perfect and facile pairings. Rather, Day has two unique people with unique gifts and unique wounds that are able to help each other. It's not that the gifts are a perfect puzzle-fit for the other's damage, it's that they find common ground in having been wounded, and are able to accept each other flaws and all. Not just despite the flaws, but at least in part, because of them. Because of the person that has resulted. Does that make sense?

I have one small worry that the Big Bad here is shaping up to be invincible - and I'm sorry, but I'm gonna need her to be vinced. Or minced. Vanquished. Defeated. Finished. Right? Right. I'm trusting you, Ms. Day. Don't let me down here.

I think this book perhaps more so than the last could stand on its own, but you'd have to let the bits about Riley, Erin, and Quinn sail over your head. You're really better off reading them as a whole. Don't forget the less-necessary but still fun shorts in the anthologies, either. You can find Day's reading order in my previous post.

This and That
Although the secondary characters are less involved in this book, they are not completely ignored. I quite like the new girl, Tiernan, who can detect truth from lies. Nice, eh? Although I can see how that might be hard on a relationship.... We get a just a peek at Quinn - don't want to forget what's up with her and the larger war outside of the caverns of Atlantis, and Day is clearly not going to be satisfied until we're all panting for her and Alaric's star-crossed story. The interplay between Grace and Michelle was a very nice touch -- we might see more of them, but if not, the scene was complete of itself. And I also liked the wholly unnecessary but sweet addition of Eleni.

A small item of note - Keely's talisman. I really loved the role it played here. The fish is an obvious connection to the Atlanteans, but I wondered if it might also be a reference to Justice's duality. Yes, I *am* a Pisces, why do you ask?

Oooooo, Sparkly!
Who doesn't love a story about fabulous jewels? I am totally girly enough to appreciate a fantasy world where at least part of the magic hinges on fabled stones, and I have loved the questing story since my first book of fairy tales. A few series featuring magical sparklies that come to mind are Melanie Rawn's Sunrunners series, Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series (of course) and even Gabaldon's Outlander series is shaping up to take certain powers from precious stones (note, links will take you to the first book in the respective series.) I know there are others -- help me out in comments!

The Scoop on the Santa Olivia Giveaway

I was wanting to confirm a few details with my contact before posting this, but oh well. Forgiveness and permission and all that.

The giveaway is open only to US and Canada.*
Books cannot be shipped to PO Boxes, an actual address is required.

To enter, comment here or on the review post.

For additional entries:

• post a link to Alpha Heroes on your blog, Facebook, a relevant forum thread (where it would not be against forum community standards), etc. Leave me a link in comments so I can keep track. One extra entry per link!
• Become a Follower of Alpha Heroes for an additional entry. If you already are, I'll count it automatically as long as you are using the same name. (You need to *still* be a follower on the day of the giveaway)
• Stop back over the course of the week and you may find some additional ways.

I have 5 copies and will give away one per weekday starting Friday 5/29 (Publication date for Santa Olivia).

Many thanks to The Hachette Book Group for providing the books!

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*I'm going to see if I can swing a deal where one of the giveaways will be international, but no guarantees. If you are a non-North American entry, please specify!

Santa Olivia, by Jacqueline Carey - Review

Just about a year ago, I went to a book signing for Kushiel's Mercy and listened to Ms. Carey speak about the two Kushiel trilogies, the upcoming Naamah's Kiss, and a mysterious side project that, with a self-deprecating hand-wave and maybe a little embarrassment, she referred to as "this, kind of... urban fantasy... post-apocalyptic... border-town... story. With, like.... werewolves. Sort of."

This is about as different from her alternate-history epic fantasy trilogies as you can get. So different, in fact, the book initially was to be published under a different pen name. I'm not sure whether that was Carey's idea or her publisher's, or what changed, but Santa Olivia is the result.

Frankly, I didn't know what to expect. I love, love, love the Kushiel books, especially the earlier ones, but I didn't like her Banewreaker/ Godslayer duology at all. So I was primed to like Santa Olivia, but I didn't figure it was a sure thing by any means.

When I get a new Kushiel book, I tend to hold on to it for a little while before I dive in. They're big books; high fantasy with a lot of dense world building and intricate characterization, and I like to be able to dive in and immerse myself in the world, rather than stealing bits of time out of my daily bus ride and lunch hour.

Not so with Santa Olivia. It's less hefty, more accessible, and instantly drew me in -- even on a bumpy bus ride. In Carey's own words, the prose is "far more spare than my usual ornate style, [written] with a more muscular lyricism."

The Premise
I don't read very much in the way of dystopian speculative fiction, but I believe that is the correct literary pigeon-hole for Santa Olivia. In the wake of a devastating pandemic, the US borders close and Santa Olivia is declared a DMZ, or De-Militarized Zone. Residents who stayed when the soldiers came lost their US citizenship and became sort of post-modern camp followers. Technology has decayed, at least in Santa Olivia - electricity is hoarded for refrigeration; there is nothing in the way of broadcast information - no TV, no radio, no internet. The town is completely isolated - there is no Fed Ex, no USPS, no Greyhound routes.

As a result of military genetic experimentation, Loup is born with wolf DNA, which gives her several super-human capabilities like speed and strength, and some emotional anomalies. Carey eschews the shapeshifting and biting/turning bits of werewolf lore, relying instead on reasonably plausible scientific possibilities with a large dose of non-specificity. The world-building here concentrates on the political and social aspects rather than the paranormal.

Be warned, this is in no way a romance. There is a non-traditional romantic element to it that was nice sidenote, but it was very minor in the overall story arc. Folks who are put off by books that blur the line between urban fantasy and romance will find little ambiguity here. I wouldn't be surprised to find, in 20 years, this title to be named in the same breath as 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale.

Good Stuff
I'm pretty sure Carey could write a tax-preparation manual and it would still be beautifully written. That is, her language is lyrical and an almost physical pleasure to read, even if the story itself isn't to your taste. In the deathbed scene of Carmen, Loup's mother, the ten-year-old Loup is described:

Tears gathered in Loup's eyes and shone there without falling. Even when she'd cried as a baby, there were never tears. There was something strange and pure about the quality of her unleavened sorrow; strange and pure and oddly comforting, as though a child-saint or a fearless, untamed creature had come to keep a vigil over Carmen's death. Carmen lifted one hand and traced the curve of her daugher's cheek.

One thing I like about the way this book is written is that, even though the paranormal aspects are understated, they are not tentative in any way. You can see it in the passage above -- whatever it is that is different about Loup, Carey's vision of all aspects of that differentness is rock solid.

The story builds inexorably toward a major conflict which worked well for me - hard to say more without spoilering, but I'd say the final leg of the build-up and the conflict itself were among the Good Stuff for the book.

Things That Make Me Say Hmmmmm
In one of the cover blurbs, Eric Van Lustbader calls Santa Olivia "... a love song to the beauty and power of being different." I'm not so sure I agree. I felt like Loup's "differentness" was only a vehicle to examine the notion of hope for the town of Santa Olivia. What happens without it. What happens when it appears, when it fades. The rise and fall of hope in the town of Santa Olivia is the story of Santa Olivia. Why this section, rather than the "good stuff"? I'm ambivalent about whether the resolution was completely satisfying, and I can't seem to separate that from the theme.

The story takes place over a number of years, starting with the day the soldiers came, when Loup's mother Carmen was a young woman, and lingering a bit over the brief time that she has with Loup's father. There's an extended bit while Loup's older brother Tommy trains as a boxer, and then the meat of the story is Loup's coming of age in the orphanage. It sometimes feels a little spotty, as though there is too much being skimmed over, and a number of interesting threads seemed to just drop. I suppose these "drops" were the believable outcomes within the rules of the world, but it was still a bit disappointing.

Similarly, the bit that follows the climax, leading out to the end, wasn't that great for me; it just seemed to fall a little flat. I couldn't tell if it was too rushed or too drawn-out. It felt like it should've sped up a lot, OR maybe that there could have been more of a subplot arc in between. I dunno.

The Very Best Part
Even more so than the Kushiel books, this is a very character-driven story. The relationships among the Santa Olivians are drawn like brilliant charcoal sketches - some just in broad strokes, some with intricate detail - and it is with these interactions that Carey paints in the subtle colors of mood and atmosphere. Most particularly, I love the dialog between Loup and Miguel, her sparring partner and unlikely friend:

"Is that why you started boxing?" Loup asked him. "To get out?"

"Yeah, that and I hit hard." Miguel regarded his cigar. "Might of been better off if I wasn't a Garza. Maybe I would of wanted it more, worked harder."

"Like Tommy," Loup said softly.

"Like Tommy," he agreed. "But then..."

"Yeah."

They sat in companionable silence for awhile. A memory struck Loup.

"You said you saw my father once," she said. "Punched him."

"You remember that, huh? Yeah.

Her voice turned wistful. "What was he like?"

Miguel didn't answer right away. He sat and smoked. "Steady," he said at length. "Same way you are. He didn't even flinch when I hit him, like it wasn't worth his while to notice. I know I was just a kid, but I hit hard. Same eyes as you, same weird way of looking at people without blinking."

Miguel's character development throughout the book in fact is a bit of a microcosm of the town. He transforms, but only a little. Potential is recognized, crushed. Will it re-emerge? Flourish? Not without something changing. Which leads me to wonder--

What's Next?
Opinion around the 'net is divided as to whether there is good sequel fodder here. I think it's fair to say that the end of Santa Olivia leaves us with more questions than answers, and the larger conspiracy theory arc leaves plenty of room for more... but a return to this particular scene might be anticlimactic. There is by no means an unqualified happy ending, but consistent with the rest of the book, there is a thread of optimism running through the bleakness. The romance lover in me wants *everyone* to live happily ever after and to see that optimism realized. I'm not sure that would be such an interesting story, though, so I could definitely see the rationale in leaving it as a stand-alone.

Synchronicity
It wouldn't make sense to review this book, right now, without some mention of the swine flu situation. The trigger event for Santa Olivia is a catastrophic outbreak of influenza, inroading to the US from Mexico. "It's a bit disconcerting," says Carey on her webpage. "This is not an instance where one hopes life imitates art." I don't know about you out there in Bloglandia, but it freaks me out a little bit.

Around the Blogosphere (Beware, most have spoilers to some degree)
Drey's Library
Sci Fi Guy (hah, we chose the same clip)
Pop Culture Zoo
Blog, Jvstin Style
A Reading Odyssey

Kind of a neat side effect of breaking out of the romance genre every now and then -- a whole 'nother world of blogs out there to discover!

*******GIVEAWAY**********

Check back tomorrow for all the details. I'll have 5 copies to give away, courtesy of the Hachette Book Group.

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