The One in Which I Attempted to Write Mini Reviews (but still used too many words)

One More Year: Stories by Sana Krasikov

Spiegel & Grau, 2008 (ARE)
Fiction; 240 pgs
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
Rating: (Very Good)


I read this collection of stories earlier in the year and featured several of the short stories from it. I enjoyed the book so much that I thought it was worth a mentioning as a whole.

I do not know if it was because I was reading the wrong kinds of short stories, whether they were truly bad or I just had not learned yet how to appreciate them. Short stories come in all different styles. Some are character studies; others have more of a vignette feel to them, that slice of life view; and then there are short stories that are more plot driven, with a clear beginning, middle and end. Sana Krasikov manages to capture all three in her collection, One More Year. Her characters are richly drawn and fully developed. Their stories are complex, their experiences real. She writes about immigrants from the former Soviet Union, each story a slice of their lives.

You can find my reviews of four of the individual stories here:
"Companion" & "Maia in Yonkers"
"Asal" & "Better Half"

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Lion of Senet by Jennifer Fallon
Bantam Fantasy, 2002
Fantasy; 558 pgs
Source: Bought at Barnes and Noble in October of 2004
Rating: (Good +)

Someone recently mentioned that they were surprised I read fantasy. I was a bit surprised they thought that being that it is one of my favorite genres. The problem is it isn't my only favorite and so I read a lot of other types of books too; and lately those seem to have taken over my blog.

I read Lion of Senet as part of this year's Chunkster Challenge, finishing it back in November, just in time. It is the first novel in the Second Sons Trilogy.

From the author's website:

On the world of Ranadon there is no night. Thanks to the intervention of Belagren, High Priestess of the Shadowdancers, and the sacrifice of a child of royal blood, the Age of Shadows has been banished and once again both suns shine brightly in Ranadon's skies.

When a volcanic eruption rocks the sea between the Kingdom of Dhevyn and the powerful mainland kingdom of Senet, a mysterious sailor is shipwrecked on the small island of Elcast.

His rescue brings together Dirk Provin, second son of the Duke of Elcast, Kirshov Latanya, second son of the Lion of Senet, Alenor D'Orlon - heir to the throne of Dhevyn, an angry and rebellious young woman named Tia Veran... and an orphaned acrobat known as Marqel the Magnificent.

But the badly wounded sailor is not what he seems. His arrival on Elcast stirs up old hatreds, exposes old lies, unravels old secrets and sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually change the world...

Fantasy novels of this type often get off to a slow start as the foundation is built, the world established and the characters introduced. The world Jennifer Fallon has created in this novel is dark and oppressive. Religion is being used to exert power over the people and those who wield it are desperate to hold onto it.

I liked Dirk, our young hero, instantly. He is a smart and kindhearted boy forced to grow up fast. He is put in very difficult situations, his will and moral character tested. Tia was another character I took to right away. She is stubborn and independent, not afraid to take a risk for what she believes is right. Alenor is also a strong female character. She has lived as a prisoner in the Senet's house for many years and yet she has kept her eyes and ears open. I never did warm up to Kirshov, the younger son of the Lion of Senet, completely. He seemed harmless but his ignorance about what was going on around him and his attitude were a bit off putting to me. And Marquel, I am not sure what to say about her without spoiling her story line. Her life has been anything but easy. She's the kind of girl who will go after whatever it is she wants, using whatever skills she possesses, and won't stop until she gets it.

Of all the characters, I least liked Belegren the High Priestess whose heart is full of greed for power. She uses religion as a weapon and does not care who gets hurt in the process. The Lion of Senet is hardly any better. They are frightening foes to be sure. I would definitely not want to live under their rule.

The novel really took off for me when Dirk left home and traveled with Kirshov and Alenor to Senet. That is when things began to come together fast and furious. The author did not make things easy for young Dirk and took the story to a darker place than I expected. I have to give her a lot of credit for that. I look forward to continuing with the trilogy and seeing what direction the characters go in next.

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Noir: A Collection of Crime Comics
Dark House Books, 2009
Crime Fiction (Graphic Novel); 104 pgs
Source: Bought by my husband at the Golden Apple in Los Angeles.
Rating: (Very Good)

As my husband was browsing through the recent releases of comic books, I wandered off to look at the shelves of graphic novels. I immediately honed in on this one and knew I had to read it--except I made my husband think he was buying it for himself (he claims he always knew better).

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first began reading this collection of graphic short stories. There are thirteen stories in all, each of them dark and gritty. And I loved just about every one. The first story left me stunned. The second, about a man with an ill wife who is about to lose his farm, is probably my favorite. It was called "The Silo" and was written and drawn by Jeff Lemire. Another one of my favorites was called "The Albanian" by M.K. Perker about an immigrant janitor who stumbles upon a murder-suicide in the office building where he works. I had to read the story called "Fracture" by Alex de Campi, Hugo Petras, and Clem Robbins twice because I hadn't realized the first time there was a special way to read it. The author and artist were quite creative with the set up of the story. I think it is pretty ingenious now that I better understand what they were aiming to do.

My experience with crime fiction short stories is hit and miss. Too often I find that characterization is sacrificed in the name of plot. Although I have read crime fiction graphic novels before, this was my first experience reading crime fiction shorts in graphic form. I was really impressed with how well done each of the stories were. So much is said within each pane and so few words are needed to get the entire story across (except in one case which was a short story, "Trustworthy" by Ken Lizzi and Joëlle Jones, written in words with a few art drawings to go along with it). I think readers of noir and who don't mind a lot of grit in their crime fiction should give Noir: A Collection of Crime Comics a try.

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© Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty 2006-2009
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