Review: Circe

5 stars. I think for someone obsessed with stories, the oldest hold a certain appeal. There is something fascinating about the idea that many of the challenges and questions we face today - what does it mean to be human? what does it mean to be good? what does it mean to love? what is glory, honor, power? what does it mean to be a woman? - are the same challenges and questions faced hundreds of thousands of years ago. Maybe those questions will always go unanswered - maybe it is our fate to toil with them for eternity.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Madeline Miller has painted another exquisite portrait of a mythological character in a new and innovative way. Circe, daughter of the sun god and exiled on an island for eternity, gains a fresh voice in this poetic and luxurious tale. It's wonderful. It's well-written, well-plotted, and feminist as fuck. 

"Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep."

I am having a difficult time collecting my thoughts here.

First: women, throughout depicted history, are dichotomized. We are either the jezebel or the madonna; the whore or the frigid bitch; the damsel or the aggressive tomboy. I've written about this in my reviews before, and it is a well-known concept, but I wanted to mention it as Circe especially defies this dichotomy in ways I've never encountered before. 

Circe is a badass part-goddess who can turn men into beasts. She is also capable of great love, sympathy, and self-awareness. She is also filled with self-loathing and guilt and regret. She struggles with her identity surrounded by a family she hates. She is unashamed of her sexuality. She is a mother, but motherhood does not come easily to her. She does not hate being alone, but she is lonely. She is capable of great good and absolute evil. There are layers and layers here that, within Miller's carefully-chosen words, are an absolute joy to witness and unpack. 

We get to see all of her. The thought practically brings me to tears.

Second: men, throughout depicted history, are glorified. Women exist to support, advance and lend to their glory. This is going to be difficult to explain, but I really appreciated that Miller tried to lightly approach the complicated idea that we are required to serve the glory of men and somehow still love them. I'll stop there, at the risk of writing myself in circles.

This is a book to savor. As you can tell, I had an emotional reaction to this and my clumsy rambling doesn't do it justice. 

Ultimately: recognizing that traditionalists will harp on the sort of sentimental elements of Miller's portrait, I was moved by the new take. We turn to stories for answers, often, answers to the Big Questions I mentioned above, and why shouldn't we turn over every rock, examine every possibility, breathe new life into a perhaps (probably) misrepresented character? Miller is intriguing and impressive and I can't wait to see what she does next.

Circe on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Uprooted

3 stars. Oh man, I had such high hopes for this. A true feminist fairy tail? So much hype! So much excitement! Unfortunately my feelings are mixed. Let's break it down:

First a summary: Every ten years, a wizard pulls a girl from a nearby village to serve him. This year, he picks Agnieszka, a generally untidy young woman who loves her valley home. The choice is a shock to her and the entire village, but she soon realizes she was chosen for a reason - she can conduct powerful, unimaginable magic. Together she and the Dragon face a terrible evil threatening to take over the world.

Now, what I loved: the setting (it's so rare to encounter deep, creative world building that isn't overly complex), the protagonist (fierce, intelligent, resourceful - and not a single mention of her curves), and the villain. I LOVED the villain. What an interesting concept for an enemy. A twist on an old trope.

What I didn't love: the romance. Don't get me wrong - I love a little (a lot) of sexual tension in books. But the Dragon, despite having a badass nickname, is ... an empty character. He has long fingers. He got dumped once. And that's about it. Oh, and he's also a bit of an asshole? He was a bit strange to read about. I think the author was trying to keep the depth, the agency and the emphasis on her very strong female protagonist, but it was at the expense of his character, and the chemistry that could have been. 

The story also dragged a bit in the middle. and the end. There appeared to be some really useless subplots. And the climax went on for about a quarter of the book. I'm disappointed to say I ended up skimming many of the final pages.

Like I said, mixed feelings. But I truly, truly enjoyed this book, I admire the author, I was completely captivated and it gave me the very specific feeling only brought on by a true fairy tale - a strange feeling of nostalgia; youth; the sensation of returning to my roots; the scent of a good story and the hope that everything will be okay and everyone will live happily ever after.

Uprooted on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2)

4 stars. I was pretty excited about Every Heart a Doorway - I loved the world, the writing and the essence of sheer possibility emanating from the pages - and hoped for the same in its sequel. And it definitely delivered - thought not how I expected.

Instead of returning to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, we get a backstory: Jack and Jill's, to be specific, and their journey to and from the Moors. We meet the Master (Jill's creepy vampire) and Dr. Bleak (Jack's steadfast scientific guardian) and we learn how the twins were shaped leading up to the events of the first book. 

It's a quick read and McGuire's atmospheric, playful writing shines once again. But I have to admit I was disappointed, only because I wanted more out of the story - I wanted to visit more worlds and encounter more backstories and linger with the idea of doorways. There's a lot to enjoy, though, here. 

I truly admire McGuire's ability to put some sorely-needed emphasis on identity acceptance in her writing. I have to admit I thought she got a little heavy-handed in the first half of this book - it's like she prioritized her need to send a message over her need to incorporate it into the story successfully or smoothly. But what a message! As soon as any complaint crossed my mind I was hit with a strong premonition that I would refer to the preachy parts one day when I'm raising children of my own.

So, not what was I expecting, but magical nonetheless.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1)

4 stars. A young Egyptian thief with emerging special powers accidentally calls a warrior to her side - a warrior who belongs to a species only remembered in ancient myths and stories. As she tries to wrap her head around why / how / who she really is, and embarks on a journey to her homeland, a young and well-intentioned prince in a brass city learns how cruel and complicated the world - all worlds - can be. Both become wrapped up in a dangerous political game full of mayhem, magic and monsters.

This was wonderful, full of colors and impressive creative elements. Bear in mind - the world is complicated and the terminology takes some getting used to. But the twists and turns are totally worth it. It's WAY too great to be a debut and I'm happy to say that I learned from it.

Along those lines - this book's exploration of big themes (themes like racism, sexism, tradition, religious conflict, power, loyalty, etc.) is not subtle. It doesn't come across as preachy, thank goodness, but a lot of things happen - a lot of characters interact a certain way, or behave a certain way - simply because of social tradition or because it's expected and what people are used to. Two species hate each other because they are "ancestral enemies;" protocol is followed because "that's the way we do things;" references to ignorant prejudice, racial slurs and social injustice abound. 

It's not subtle, as I said, but it is done carefully so that - essentially - everyone has a point, or a motivation, or a reason. That doesn't make it okay, but it makes a powerful statement about the complexities of a connected world.

If I had one complaint, it would be that the author takes us deep into Trope Town almost immediately. I was delighted by the complexity of the protagonist, the deeply detailed setting, and yes, I was delighted by the zombies and flaming swords, but I rolled my eyes at the instant undercurrent of romance. Can we not, for once? In a book full of such sophisticated writing / world-building, it stood out like an extra amateur sore thumb.

But people should read this, because it represents the unrepresented. It illustrates places and ideas rarely illustrated in mainstream literature. It depicts these places and ideas and people with a deft and reverent touch. It cinematically illuminates a rich and colorful and exotic world. I couldn't put it down and I can't wait to sink into the second one.

The City of Brass on: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Review: Vicious

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

4 stars. I’m officially a Schwab superfan. This book is fun, carefully crafted and surprisingly deep - three features I’ve come to expect from such a talented author. I was completely absorbed by the simple plot and delicious characters and wanted to revel in how … unsloppy it was. Is that weird? The writing is thorough, graceful and tidy. It sparkles and shines.

For a book that examines such huge moral quandaries, it’s also extremely entertaining. And unpredictable. Somehow Schwab incorporates elements that would normally get a “well, that’s convenient” reaction and makes them feel fresh and somehow perfect. Sharp twists keep things interesting and it’s just full of fantastic characters that are too smart for their own good. I’m in awe. Highly recommend. I want more!

Vicious on: Amazon | Goodreads