“Red-Robed Priestess” by Elizabeth Cunningham

Red-Robed Priestess

“Red-Robed Priestess” by Elizabeth Cunningham was one of last year’s BEA finds.  Even though it’s the fourth book in a series, I decided to give it a try, because I found the premise intriguing.

Basically, The Maeve Chronicles are a lot like Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Avalon stories, except the main character is Mary Magdalene, and she’s a sex priestess who has a kid with Jesus.  Doesn’t it sound delightfully sacrilegious?

In this volume, Mary Magdalene (Maeve) is an old woman, and Jesus is already dead, but still talks to her sometimes.  Maeve has had an interesting life and is ready to settle down, but one thing still haunts her.  When she was young, her father raped her, and she had a daughter.  The daughter was stolen from her and sent away to be fostered by a neighboring tribe, and she never saw her again.  With the aid of her other daughter Sarah and her lady pirate friends, Maeve embarks on a quest to find her long-lost child and set things right.  Of course, it gets a bit more complicated.  That long-lost daughter is totally the rebel queen Boudica, which can’t end well.  Meanwhile, Maeve becomes romantically entangled with a Roman governor, as she’s having visions about having to warn him that something terrible is about to happen.

If you’re at all familiar with the story of Boudica, you already know that the book is going to have a lot of violent and depressing scenes where innocent people (including children) have terrible things done to them.  Not having heard of Boudica’s story before, I was completely blindsided by this.  I expected the story to be a lot lighter and happier.  At the same time, I was satisfied with the way that Cunningham managed to pull off the ending–even though history comes to pass, she manages to end with a message of hope and resurrection, and a continuation of the cycle of life.

I like the idea of using an older protagonist to tell the story.  Stereotypically, you don’t expect a woman in her sixties to be riding into battles, shapeshifting into birds, or fucking Roman generals.  Maeve is a badass, and even though her years have made her wise, she’s still very much an active player in the story.  At the same time, she feels a great burden after having seen so many people that she loved die.

One of Maeve’s central struggles in this novel is spiritual in nature.  She was raised a druid, but betrayed them when she stole a human sacrifice (Jesus, btw) as a young initiate.  While she still is a priestess and shape-shifter who worships nature goddesses, she also finds herself enthralled by the philosophy of Jesus’ central message of peace and of loving one’s enemies.  She loves both her general and her family, and is torn by her role in the war.  She’s confused by her relationship, because she’s been a slave to the Romans, and she watched them crucify Jesus–rightfully, she should hate them.  Meanwhile, we see Boudica as a foil as she throws her entire being into a war of revenge over violence committed against her family.

This book is an interesting choice for fans of both fantasy and historical fiction.  Even though it’s the fourth book in a series, you can understand it without having read the previous books.  I’m planning on eventually going back and reading the earlier novels at some point, because Maeve’s story was compelling, and I’d like to see the author’s take on Jesus’ life and death.

Review and Giveaway: “Glow” by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

Jessica Maria Tuccelli’s debut novel “Glow” is a joy to read.  I’d highly recommend it, and invite you all to participate in a giveaway sponsored by the publisher.  Just leave a comment to enter.  I’ll draw the winner out of a hat on May 31.  Please include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.

And now, for my review…

“Glow” is a historical novel set in the American South.  The story centers around a little girl named Ella McGee.  Her father is black and her mother, a civil rights activist, is Cherokee.  When Ella’s mother is threatened before a protest, she puts Ella on a bus back to her own hometown in Georgia, hoping to keep her safe.

While Ella’s story forms the basic framework of the novel, Ella herself doesn’t appear very much.  Instead, Tuccelli tells the story of several generations of Ella’s family, ranging in setting from mountain cabins to plantations.  Through each story, Tuccelli weaves a compelling commentary on race relations and sacrifices made to protect one’s family.

Having so many protagonists in a book of this length should have turned out very badly, but Tuccelli pulled it off masterfully.  Each character’s story is well developed, and watching the relationships between them intertwine gave this book a layer of depth and complexity that I hadn’t expected.  Each character is memorable and unique.  There is the story of Riddle Young, a Cherokee man who had a son, Alger, with a neighbor’s slave, whom he loved, only to realize that the child would be born into slavery.  Riddle spends years indentured as an overseer in order to convince the plantation owner to let him buy his son’s freedom.  Meanwhile Alger falls in love with Willie Mae, who can see ghosts and spirits.  Then there’s Mia, Ella’s mother, as she realizes for the first time as a child that people hate her because of her race.  Mia is such a strong character, and yet we see her desperate worry as she realizes that fighting for her rights places both her own life and that of her daughter in danger.

Each generation in Tuccelli’s story struggles with its own crises, and her characters do everything they can to overcome the obstacles that they face in life.  There is violence, and bad things happen to good people, but at the same time the overall tone is one of hope.

Oh, and did I mention that there’s a ghost story?

The spiritual and paranormal elements in “Glow” enhance the story, but don’t take anything away from the central message.  Tuccelli’s style reminds me of Isabelle Allende’s magical realism.  There are ghosts, but their presence in the story is subtle, and the overall focus is on creating snapshots of race relations throughout a family’s history over the course of several generations.

If you enjoyed “The Secret Life of Bees,” “The Help,” or anything by Isabel Allende, then you’ll probably love “Glow” as well.  I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to share it with you.

“Blood Eye” by Giles Kristian (giveaway included)

“Blood Eye” is the first novel in the Raven series by Giles Kristian.  When I was approached by TLC Book Tours to review a historical fiction novel about Vikings, I immediately got excited, because I had reviewed A. S. Byatt’s Ragnarok: The End of the Gods earlier this year and had been wanting to learn more about Norse culture ever since.

A brief word of forewarning… there are scenes of blood, gore, and torture in this book.  For the love of God (or Odin), don’t read it during lunchtime!  You will lose your appetite.

“Blood Eye” opens in Valhalla as Osric begins to tell the story of his life to the gods.  He doesn’t know his family.  He had been abandoned and left for dead, but Ealhstan, the kind mute village carpenter, took him in as his assistant.  The superstitious villagers alienated Osric because he has a red eye, but still his life is relatively peaceful.  One day, Norse raiders come and attack the village.  Osric realizes that he understands their language, and the raiders decide to take him with them as they continue their journey because of his value as an interpreter.  Sigurd, their leader, believes that Osric’s blood eye is a sign of Odin’s favor, and gives him a new name worthy of a warrior:  Raven.

“Blood Eye” is at its very heart a historical adventure novel.  The book follows the typical fantasy plotline of a hero embarking on a quest (in this case, stealing a valuable manuscript) and saving the damsel in distress, the princess Cynethryth (try saying that three times quickly).  Cynethryth is a relatively strong character in her own right, taking initiative and defying her father’s wishes when she feels that the Norse Fellowship is being treated unfairly.  Although it’s part of a series, the story arc is self-contained.  I approve of the ending; it leaves the promise of more action, but there isn’t a major cliffhanger.

One of the things that I loved about this book is the way that Giles Kristian weaves Norse mythology into the plot.  The Norse gods are gods of war, and so they are seen as ever-present forces any time that the Fellowship engages in battle.  This is a Viking novel, so there’s battle pretty much all the time.

While I love the depiction of the Norse religion, I felt that the author’s criticism of Christianity was unnecessarily harsh.  Not all of the priests have to be villainous, and it would have created a far more complex picture of society.  I’d have liked to see one or two Christians in the book who actually believed in the religion that they preached and were a bit more tolerant of others.  One of the central themes here seems to be how the priests can sanction atrocities of war when they claim to worship a god of peace, whereas at least the Norse are honest about what they’re doing.

I’d recommend this one to anyone interested in learning more about Norse life.  “Blood Eye” is well-written and fast-paced, packed with historical detail and bloody battles.

The publishers agreed to let me host a giveaway of the novel, which is open to readers in the US and Canada.  To enter, just leave a comment.  The giveaway will be open for a week, and I’ll pull names out of a hat on Tuesday, October 2.  Good luck!

Interview with Debra Dean, author of “The Mirrored World”

Today is the release date of The Mirrored World, a novel which tells the story of Xenia, a Russian Orthodox saint who became a holy fool and is revered for her charity to the poor.  I had the opportunity to meet Debra Dean at a book signing while at BEA, and I am delighted to be able to host an author interview with her today.

What inspired you to write “The Mirrored World”?

I was researching my first novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad, and I stumbled on the story of Xenia, this 18^th century woman who gave up a life of relative ease to become a holy fool. I wondered, what kind of person becomes a saint? And just as importantly, what would it be like if you cared deeply for this person and you saw her turning onto such an extreme path?

What made you choose to write about Russia?

I can find no logical explanation for it, beyond the fact that Russia has amazing stories. I’m not Russian, I don’t speak or read Russian, and prior to completing The Madonnas of Leningrad, I had never even set foot in the country. My husband says I was Russian in a former life, and I suppose that’s as good an explanation as any.

Have your personal experiences impacted your writing in any way?

One of the things I love about writing fiction is that nothing in your life is wasted. Everything that happens to you – all of it, even the miserable stuff – can be put to use.

It’s hard to imagine a world more foreign to my life than the 18^th century Russian setting of The Mirrored World, but there’s at least a little bit of me in all those characters. For instance, like Xenia and Dasha, I am a compulsive collector of feathers and pretty rocks and shells. We have feral peacocks in our neighborhood, and every time I find a feather, I feel like I’ve won a little prize.

What is the most challenging part of being a writer?

For me? Making the time, and then having the courage to show up when I do have the time.

What are some of your other interests?  What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I have a lot of interests, but I’m afraid most of them get thrown under the bus in favor of whatever book I’m working on. That said, I still squirrel away a little time to practice yoga and to see friends and cook them the occasional dinner.

What are some of your favorite books?

The answer will change depending on what day you ask. Today, what comes to mind are Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson; James Salter’s Light Years; So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell. Those are a little older. More recent books: I love Luis Urrea’s Hummingbird’s Daughter and Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. Oh, and Ian McEwan’s Atonement. I like reading slowly, so I gravitate to books that are image-rich and masterful in their use of language.

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Debra Dean is the New York Times Bestselling author of “The Madonnas of Leningrad” and the award-winning short story collection “Confessions of a Falling Woman.”

“Wild Seed” by Octavia Butler

I received a review copy of Octavia Butler’s “Wild Seed” from the publishers via Netgalley.  The book was originally written in 1980, and is being re-released as an e-book by Open Road Integrated Media.

Before I get into my review in which I gush about how awesome Octavia Butler is, I’d like to share this video which is a mini-documentary (it’s only about two minutes long) about her life and writing.  It features Samuel Delaney and N.K. Jemisin talking about her books, and it makes me very happy.

“Wild Seed” is the first book in the Patternist series, but it was the last one published.  It’s one of the C. S. Lewis type deals where the books don’t go in the order that they were written, and I’m okay with that.  Apparently Butler didn’t like “Survivor,” so it hasn’t been reprinted since the 70s.

If you’d like to read the series chronologically, it goes:

1. Wild Seed
2. Mind of My Mind
3. Clay’s Ark
4. Survivor
5. Patternmaster

“Wild Seed” describes a power struggle between two immortal mutants, Doro and Anyanwu.  Doro was born in ancient Egypt, but he is able to switch from one body to another at a whim, killing the person whose form he takes.  He is obsessed with trying to find others who could share his longevity, and so he begins a breeding program, gathering up psychically talented individuals in the hopes of creating a race of gifted mutants.  This quest takes him to a small village in Africa, where he discovers Anyanwu, a shape-shifting medicine woman who has been alive for three hundred years.  Anyanwu is lured by Doro’s vision and the hope that she could have children who would not die, and agrees to come with him to the New World, where she begins to realize that she has become his slave.

So, there’s the obvious slavery theme.  Octavia Butler whacks you over the head with the realization of the emotional and psychological impact of slavery, not just in the moment that it happens, but also the way that it shapes future generations.  She’s not gentle about it, and it comes with a bit of a shock.  She makes sure her readers get it.  She’s a very special writer because she is able to explore topics like slavery, race, and gender in her stories in such a way that she perfectly captures the dynamics of different relationships, but at the same time she’s not preachy about it.  Her messages are organically woven into the story, and it’s brilliant.

“Wild Seed” is a mix of alternate-history/historical fiction/sci-fi.  One of the things that I enjoyed was the way that Anyanwu’s powers were described; she has the ability to rearrange the molecules of her body to cure sicknesses or take different forms.

“There were things in your hand that should not have been there,” she told him.  “Living things too small to see.  I have no name for them, but I can feel them and know them when I take them into my body.  As soon as I know them, I can kill them within myself.  I gave you a little of my body’s weapon against them.”

And just like that, she gives Anwanyu knowledge of germ theory as she heals an infection in Doro’s hand.  She can make antibodies.  I can’t stress enough how cool that is.  (Not that we can’t make antibodies, but she can do it better.)  And with the ability to rearrange herself to take any form, Anyanwu isn’t helpless.  Yes, she’s being psychologically manipulated by Doro, and yes, he could kill her and take her body quite easily, but at the same time she could rearrange her molecules to give herself incredible strength and then crush him.  Doro and Anyanwu’s relationship is complicated.  There’s the slavery dynamic, but there’s also the fact that both of them have psychic powers and are relatively evenly matched.  You know that the two of them have to come to terms with each other because they’re the only immortals, even if that takes a couple hundred years for them to work out their differences and make peace with each other.

My favorite scene in the book was on the voyage to America when Anyanwu shape-shifted and swam with dolphins.  Despite the serious tone of the book, it has its share of lighthearted and whimsical moments.

Octavia Butler is a powerful writer, and I am planning on reading the rest of the books in this series.  I would highly recommend “Wild Seed” to anyone who’s interested in sci-fi that explores race and gender themes.

“Shadow of Night” by Deborah Harkness

“Shadow of Night” is the sequel to Deborah Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches and forms the second book of the All Souls Trilogy.  I had mixed feelings on the first book, but I’m pleased to report that this one was much better.

I received a signed copy of “Shadow of Night” while I was at Book Expo America earlier this summer.  It was one of the longest lines that I stood in during the entire conference.

The book begins when Diana and Matthew travel back in time to Elizabethan England in order to find a witch who can help Diana understand her rather unique magical abilities which seem to defy all known rules.  They also seek the Ashmole 782, a manuscript which promises to explain the origins of witches, vampires, and demons.  Of course, living in the 1500s is easier said than done, and Diana must face many challenges in order to adapt.  This encompasses everything from dressing and speaking to dealing with Matthew’s friends from the time, most of whom are famous intellectuals.

It’s the little things that make this book endearing, such as the author’s decision to portray Christopher Marlowe as a total asshole, or the fact that my favorite old manuscript of all time makes an appearance (the Voynich manuscript, which is to this day indecipherable.  I like xkcd’s assessment).  Even though I still  had a lot of problems with the book, it was a fun read.  I love the idea of a book about an old manuscript, and the literary/historical references made me smile.

During the first book, one of the biggest problems that I saw was the repetitive description of every detail of Diana’s life.  While “Shadow of Night” still has a high level of detail, it is relevant and helps to build the atmosphere of Elizabethan England.  What was unnecessary while reading about modern Oxford works well here, and it helps to create a complex picture of the past.  I’ve always enjoyed reading about Elizabethan England, and this book was no exception.  It was neat to see it from Diana’s perspective because she is a historian whose preconceived notions about the time period clashed with the reality.

I wish that Harkness would have given a bit more explanation/thought to the topic of time travel.  You can travel back in time and even change things to a small extent, but nothing major happens as a result.  It is possible to discover the presence of time travelers based on historical anomalies, such as when a locket that Diana possessed in the past turned up in the future, or when Matthew’s father left a note in a book so that his wife would find it after he was already dead in the present.  The time travel paradox aspect of the book could have been explored in a bit more depth, as Diana and Matthew did spend a great deal of time in the past and should probably have made more of an impact than they did.  Then again, we didn’t see much of the present in this book, so maybe they did and it just hasn’t been explained yet.

If you liked the first book, then by all means continue with the second.  I think that it’s the better of the two, and I’m looking forward to reading the third whenever it’s released.  Again, this isn’t high literature, but it’s an enjoyable read if you like the idea of a story that revolves around an old book and don’t mind some cheesy vampire romance.

“Deathless” by Catherynne M. Valente

In a city by the sea which was once called St. Petersburg, then Petrograd, then Leningrad, then, much later, St. Petersburg again, there stood a long, thin house on a long, thin street.  By a long, thin window, a child in a pale blue dress and pale green slippers waited for a bird to marry her.

“Deathless” is an adaptation of the Russian legend of Koshei Bessmertny, the Tsar of Life, who keeps his soul outside of his body (inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a rabbit, which is in an iron chest, which is buried under a tree) to preserve his immortality.  It is told from the perspective of Marya Morevna, the woman who marries Koshei and eventually brings about his demise.

The relationship between Koshei and Marya turbulent and passionate, filled with themes of dominance and submission, of trust and betrayal, but above all their relationship is vibrant and filled with life.

The story of Marya and Koshei is juxtaposed with Russian history during the early half of the 20th century.  We see the changes brought about by the Revolution and how they affect young Marya’s family.  Valente uses satirical humor in the vein of Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita,” and so the Domoviye (house elves) collectivize and adapt with the changing philosophy of the times.

The story highlights the turmoil and grief of World War II.  I was particularly impressed by Valente’s poignant descriptions of the Siege of Leningrad, during which around 1.5 million civilians starved to death.  While I studied in Russia, I went on a trip to the Leningrad Blockade Museum, and it was one of those experiences that one can never forget.  When our group entered the museum, we were all cheerful and talkative, much as one would imagine American college students to be.  By the time we left, we were all silent, which is the only real response that one can have after learning about such a tragic period of history.  While “Deathless” deals with some harsh subjects, it is able to convey the same emotionality that I experienced when visiting the Blockade Museum without being overly depressing.  You feel deeply for the characters and for the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, but at the same time the Siege does not overshadow the folklore, but rather enhances it, and the book ends exactly as it should.

Valente is the type of author who understands the elusive nature of Firebirds, and that Russian dogs say “Guff Guff” instead of “Bark Bark.”  She knows that domoviye must be placated with offerings of shoes and honey, and that heroines must be named Masha, otherwise all is not well with the world.  She has a deep understanding of Russian history and culture and is a captivating storyteller.

This book is now officially my favorite of all time.  (Yes, it even topped Dostoevsky for me, which is saying a lot.)

“Deathless” is the kind of book that ruins all other books by creating a standard that’s impossible to live up to.  Everything else just seems pale and watery by comparison.  If you have even the slightest interest in Russia, folklore, or fairy tales, then you should read this one immediately.

“Dust Girl” by Sarah Zettel

He thought it was so exciting.  He didn’t get it.  It was bad enough when I had to hide being half black.  Now I might not even be human at all.  How was I supposed to hide that?

I received a copy of “Dust Girl” by Sarah Zettel from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I first heard about Sarah Zettel when I read Andrea’s review of Fool’s War, a sci-fi novel which featured a Muslim woman as a protagonist, and I’ve been meaning to read one of her books ever since.

“Dust Girl” is the first book in the American Fairies trilogy.  It’s set during the Great Depression, and tells the story of Callie LeRoux, a girl growing up in the Kansas Dust Bowl.  Most of the neighbors have fled town because of the dust storms, but Callie’s mother won’t leave because she’s waiting for Callie’s father to return home.  Everyone in town believes that Callie’s father was an Irishman, but he was actually a traveling jazz musician, and, coincidentally, the prince of the fairies.  When Callie’s mother disappears into a dust storm, she is forced to come face to face with her heritage.  With the help of her friend Jack, she begins an adventure that includes giant bugs, hobos, and an undead railroad bull who is the type of villain that one can truly despise.

I have a problem with the book’s cover because Callie’s mixed race is a central plot point and is one of the things that she must come to terms with as the book progresses.  The girl on the cover is way too white to match Callie’s description in the book, which could mean one of two things–either the publisher was sloppy and the artist didn’t actually read it, or the publisher is scared that showing a more realistic picture of Callie would hurt sales.  I find either of these options incredibly stupid and short-sighted, as well as insulting.  C’mon, Random House.  You should be better than this.

I liked that Zettel chose to make the fairies black.  A lot of SF/F tends to feature a rather homogeneous cast of characters, and I always appreciate stories that don’t fall into that category.

The magic system in “Dust Girl” is dependent on music.  Since Callie is part fairy, any time she sings, hums, or plays the piano she is able to generate magic.  Zettel uses music to make the setting even more vivid; songs ranging from Woody Guthrie to “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” helps to create a strong sensory background for the story.

Sarah Zettel is able to blend together the genres of fantasy and historical fiction to create a story that brings to life what it was like to grow up in the Dust Bowl and to experience racial tensions during that time.  Her story is filled with magic and music, and is another perfect example of what YA literature should be.  The way that the mythology blends into 1930s culture reminds me a bit of the Charles de Lint/Terri Windling brand of mythic fiction, and I loved every minute of it.

One forewarning about the book is that the story doesn’t end.  I wish that there had been a bit more resolution, and I can’t wait to see how the next two books in the trilogy develop!

I’d highly recommend this one to fans of both historical fiction and fantasy.  The Great Depression setting paired with magic and fairies makes for a book that’s unlike anything else out there.