Christian Cameron

This book was good, but not incredible. Some of its flaws: (i) the characters, while interesting and likable, were not as deep as I think the author was hoping for (ii) the subplots didn't often progress in an interesting manner, even if the progressed in the sense that they followed the main storyline (i.e. things like the romance angle, the relationship between the queen and the magus, the reason for the sossag being in the book were introduced and then not developed, which was a bit awkward) (iii) the perspective switching was fine, but inconsistent. Sometimes the author would tell you when he was switching to someone new, sometimes not.

Overall, I'll read the next one, and hope it's as good or better!… (mere)

This book took me FOREVER to finish. I read the first two installments in this series-A Day of Fire and A Year of Ravens. Those feature a myriad of complex and sympathetic characters that made me feel for them all the more because their lives centered around such a tragic moment in history. Maybe it was because Song of War was all about fictional characters and a fictional war that it lacked the same emotional impact as its predecessors. There was a story or two that shone above the rest, but overall, I just didn't care and couldn't wait for it to be over. I would've given up if I wasn't so stubborn.

Kate Quinn opened this anthology, and she is flawless as always. Everything she writes is amazing and layered and transports me to another era. Even in short story format, her story The Apple is no exception.

I also liked Shecter's The Horse, but that was because it was succinct.

Thornton's story of The Prophecy was middling for me. Cassandra was a compelling character, but the story felt repetitive and unremarkable.

Everything else I couldn't stand, particularly Whitfield's piece about Agamnemnon. Gosh, was that a slog. I couldn't care less about a character than I did about him. He was either drunk or in heat the whole time. There was no evidence of the great king he was supposed to be. A major letdown of one of mythologies more well-known characters.

As for everything else, all you need to know is that everyone was either screwing each other or wanted to. That's pretty much it. Now, I like some good Harlequin every now and then, but this was all just angsty and "I'm drawn to him but I don't love him. He's too powerful for an emotion as human as love." Blah blah blah. Please. Spare me.

So, I'll spare you, reader of my review. Read maybe the first couple stories, and then just go read the Iliad. You're not missing any nuance by skipping this.
… (mere)

A free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having escaped the destruction of the Thera/Delos analogue (which was the seat of the previous pantheon deposed by the current bunch), our heroes split into 2 bands. One band heads to the Egypt analogue meeting up with the Tiamat analogue (released by the eruption) on the way, and then end up raiding the seat of the current pantheon. They liberate an insectoid hive enslaved by the pantheon to produce resin - which is used to create ambrosia to power themselves.

The second band travels to the North to find more sky metal - which is poisonous to the gods. Here we find an Aztec culture and possibly a Norse culture (maybe a sub-Arctic shamistic culture?)

I'm actually enjoying this a lot, although I think adding the New World cultures into the mix may be a bit too much of a stretch. The fight scenes are believable (not surprising as Cameron is a re-enactor), and despite the cinematic plot, it does not read like a script (as many novels do seem to now). Hesiod is coming through more strongly - I'm ashamed to say I didn't quite pick up on that for a while; at least 3 of the characters may be proto-Olympians.

Recommended, and I'm eagerly waiting for book 3.… (mere)

I enjoyed this. A fun mash-up of Bronze Age mythologies set in a world which appears to be the Eastern Mediterranean writ small. The gods are fighting amongst themselves and the disparate characters are being manipulated by some rebels against the ruling pantheon.

What I am seeing is the current pantheon is based on Sumerian or Babylonean deities and are literally monstrous. They may well be aliens and the world an alien planet. I'm also picking up on Hesiod's Theogeny as well as Zelazny's Lord of Light, and other creation myths. It's interesting to see the Hittite elements too.

Recommended.… (mere)