Schrödinger's Bookshelf

Schrödinger's Bookshelf

Posts Tagged Science Fiction Chronicle

Chronicle – The Lost YA Reviews (2002)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Young Adult | No Comments

This post is just here for the sake of completion. The following reviews ran in Chronicle issue 232, dated January 2003, and unfortunately, I no longer have any records of them beyond the actual magazine they appeared in. Someday, I’ll get around to either transcribing or summarizing them.

Tithe, by Holly Black (Simon and Schuster, 2002)
Growing Wings, by Laurel Winters (Firebird, 2002)
Echo, by Francesca Lia Block (Harper Collins, 2002)
Companions of the Night, by Vivian Vande Velde (Magic Carpet Books, 2002)
The Green Man, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (Viking, 2002)
Falling Sideways, by Tom Holt (Orbit, 2002)
Nothing but Blue Skies, by Tom Holt (Orbit, 2002)
Little People, by Tom Holt (Orbit, 2002)
Valhalla, by Tom Holt (Orbit, 2002)
Hexwood, by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow, 2002)
Witches Business, by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow, 2002)
The Time of the Ghost, by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow, 2002)


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The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens, edited by Jane Yolen and Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor, 2005)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Young Adult | No Comments

When I first stumbled across this particular anthology, I couldn’t resist it. After all, I love YA science fiction and fantasy, and I love short fiction. So finding a collection which combined both those loves seemed tailor-made for me. I was definitely interested to see what stories passed the editors’ high standards, and how they stacked up against what I read – or didn’t read –
in the past year. I was happy to see that while some of the stories gathered within were familiar, just as many came from sources I missed. The end result: an interesting mix of young adult short fiction.

First up is Kelly Link’s “The Faery Handbag,” which is an offbeat tale of a magical handbag which contains an entire world within its depths. Open it, and discover great wonders, or perhaps surprising horrors; it’s all in how you look at the situation. S.M. Stirling’s “Blood Wolf” is a welcome return to Stirling’s Nantucket series, in which the island of Nantucket, as well as a Coast Guard training vessel, were transported back in time to the Bronze Age. A generation after that initial transition, the world is a vastly different place, with 20th Century philosophies, ideals and techniques mixing with Bronze Age civilizations. Now a young man has ventured forth from his tribe to experience the fabled magic of Nantucket, where he promptly runs afoul of strange people and stranger customs. Is there a place for him here, or will he fare poorly in the new world?

Lynette Abbey’s “Sleeping Dragons” is an interestingly multilayered tale about family, mythology, and of course, dragons. Very little is as it appears on the surface, and it’s up to a girl to protect her little brother from the destiny that awaits him. Garth Nix gives us “Endings,” a quick story about a man with two daughters, two swords, and two endings to his tale. Everything is interconnected, in the end.

David Gerrold’s “Dancer in the Dark” is, on the surface, about a boy sent away from everything he’s known to live in a strange new place. Underneath, there’s a lot more going on involving light, dark, truth, and beauty. Adam Stemple’s story, “A Piece of Flesh” is a traditional changeling story, a fairy tale in which a boy recognizes the unnatural being which has replaced his infant sibling and has to do something about it. His success, however, is not going to be an easily-gained thing.
Also in the changeling mold is Delia Sherman’s “CATNYP,” about a young woman who’s grown up in the New York -between the real world and Faery. Trapped between worlds and as restless as any teenager, she embarks upon something of a quest to find her true place, and discovers a whole lot more, including the enchanted lion of the New York Public Library. For a true blast from the past, the editors have included a classic: Rudyard Kipling’s “They.”

Other stories include Theodora Goss’ “The Wings of Meister Wilhelm,” Leah Bobet’s “Displaced Persons,” and one of the best stories of the year in any age group, “Sergeant Chip,” by Bradley Denton. The last is about an overly-intelligent, highly-trained military canine and the lengths to which he has to go in order to fulfill his orders and protect his companions.

Helpfully, the editors also include plenty of “If you like this tale, then try…” in their introductions to each story, thus giving the unfulfilled reader plenty of directions in which to turn their attentions. What can I say? This is bound to be the first in a yearly series, and that makes me very happy. The selection of stories here is excellent, providing a wonderful sampling of the wide range of fiction aimed (directly or indirectly) at the young adult audience, and there’s plenty to please in here. Previously, I’d praised Patrick Nielson Hayden’s other YA anthologies for filling a valuable, much-needed niche; The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens is another fine addition to that particular bookshelf, and a logical extension of the “Year’s Best…” trend in general. I’m already looking forward to next year.

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Wizard’s Holiday, by Diane Duane (Harcourt Press, 2003)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Urban Fantasy, Wizards, Mages and Spellcasters, Young Adult | No Comments

The seventh book in Diane Duane’s long-running Young Wizards series picks up shortly after the previous one, A Wizard Alone, left off. For teen wizards Kit Rodriguez and Nita Callahan, it’s one of their favorite times of the year: spring break. They’re both looking forward to some time away from school, though pressures at home are putting a strain on them both. Nita’s starting to crack under the pressure of adjusting to life without her mother, while at Kit’s house, things are getting -weird- thanks to magical leakage. When his sister starts hanging out in alien chatrooms, he knows things have gone way past normal. Luckily, our heroes are about to get the chance of a lifetime. Thanks to Nita’s younger sister Dairine, also a wizard, Kit and Nita travel across the galaxy in a wizard exchange program, to the idyllic world of Alaalu. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Dairine gets to play host to a trio of otherworldly wizards from decidedly different backgrounds: the centipede-like Sker’ret, the ambulatory tree Filif, and the arrogant elflike Roshaun. And naturally, things don’t go smoothly.

On Alaalu, Kit, Nita, and Kit’s faithful dimension-hopping dog Ponch begin to suspect things aren’t what they seem. Their investigations into the history and culture of Alaalu unearth a deadly secret, and bring them into direct confrontation with their old enemy, the Lone Power. But this aspect of the Lone Power is unlike any they’ve ever battled before. As it says, “I was getting bored with absolute evil.” Can they trust it? Dare they, when a planet’s future is at stake? Back home, a sudden crisis could end all life on Earth, unless Dairine and her three visitors can stop arguing and work together.

Unlike the other books in the series, Wizard’s Holiday sets direct seeds for a sequel by laying several minor subplots that aren’t resolved by the end of the book. Luckily, Duane has constructed this story well enough that familiarity with the previous books isn’t required, just suggested. As always, her heroes struggle with a certain grey area of morality, with an unusual level of sophistication mixed with splendid characterization. This is one series I can’t recommend enough, and Wizard’s Holiday is one of the strongest offerings to date; I couldn’t stop reading.

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Wizards at War, by Diane Duane (Harcourt, 2005)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Urban Fantasy, Wizards, Mages and Spellcasters, Young Adult | No Comments

For teenage wizards Nita, Kit, and Dairine, life is never dull or ordinary. As part of a select group of magical champions, they might be called upon at any time to travel across the universe, negotiate a peace treaty between cats and dogs, journey through time, or fight the Lone Power as it attempts to bring death and destruction to all that lives. But now things are getting out of hand. As dark matter floods the universe, wizards begin to lose their powers, rapidly incapacitating the senior wizards who normally take care of the truly major problems. In a short time, the only ones left to stand against the encroaching end of everything are the young wizards, who balance raw power with inexperience. Now Nita, Kit, Dairine, and their allies (including several visiting alien exchange students) must find a way to stop the dark matter from engulfing the entire universe. But the Lone Power’s out there also, ready to take advantage of the opportunities provided in the chaos, and it may be seeking an ancient magical weapon forged at the dawn of time. Our heroes will have to work together, even though they’ll be spread out across an entire universe, if they want to survive. And because this is, in many respects, a war, not everyone will come home. But what price will success exact upon the young wizards and their friends, and does it have anything to do with Kit’s dog, Ponch, acting stranger than usual?

Diane Duane really believes in upping the stakes with each successive Young Wizards book, and she always manages to make the struggle feel fresh and new, no matter how many times we’ve seen the protagonists face off against the Lone Power. However, it’ll be interesting to see if she can top the sense of urgency and accomplishment that Wizards At War invokes. Of course, the real joy comes in watching our heroes interact, from the deep-rooted bonds of friendship (turning into something more, perhaps?) between Kit and Nita, to the feisty, playful interactions between independent-minded Dairine and arrogant alien prince Roshaun, to the always entertaining attitude of Ponch. These are characters we grow to care about, so it’s all the more powerful when someone actually falls in battle.

I’ve been reading this series for a long time now, and it just keeps getting better. Blending science fiction and fantasy, it delivers the perfect mix of adventure and characterization, making for books with staying power. There’s a reason Nita and Kit have been around this long, and why they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Need something to read while Rowling finishes off Harry Potter? Try Wizards At War and the rest of this series.

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Wildside, by Steven Gould, (Tor, 2003)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Science Fiction, Young Adult | No Comments

Some kids get a car when they graduate high school. Charlie Newell, however, got an entire parallel world, an Earth where humanity never evolved and extinct species still roam free. The legacy of his missing-and-presumed-dead uncle, the portal hidden in the barn of a private ranch has remained a closely-guarded secret until now, when Charlie decides to share it with his four closest friends. Together, they can embark upon a scheme that will make them all millionaires. A world full of untapped, unplundered resources lies ripe for the taking. All they need to do is raise some capital to fund their expedition out West, and they’re all set. Charlie has that angle covered also. It’s a pity that his plans will attract the attention of an unsavory faction of the government, one willing to use any means necessary to gain control of the portal to the Wildside. The resulting ordeal will push Charlie and his friends to the breaking point, force them to rely upon one another like never before, and exercise every ounce of cunning. Even then, a sacrifice may be required to prevent humanity from despoiling a second world.

I still prefer Gould’s previous book, Jumper, but Wildside is a strong, fast-paced story that manages to surprise more than once, mixing action and intrigue with rich descriptions. Some of the characterization seems a little one-dimensional, especially on the part of the antagonists, and I’ve always been a little dubious about the progression of events leading up to the first real confrontation. I’m not sure if it’s Charlie being overly paranoid, or the government justifying said paranoia, but I was disappointed when that part of the story came to pass, given how much I was enjoying the other subplots. There’s Charlie’s growing self-confidence, the romantic entanglements between the three males and two females, the personal conflicts several people have to deal with, and more. There’s a fine line between “A very special episode…” and believable plotting, and Gould manages to balance it out quite nicely. Aviation enthusiasts take note: there are enough lovingly-detailed scenes of flying to make even me want to learn how to pilot a small aircraft. I’m glad Tor reprinted Wildside; it’s a worthy addition to the Tor Teen imprint, and a fun coming-of-age story

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White Midnight, by Dia Calhoun (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Fantasy, Young Adult | No Comments

Rose Chandler isn’t your typical heroine: she’s skinny, ugly, and prone to panic attacks that often lead to fainting. At fifteen, she’s old enough to marry but knows all too well how undesirable she is. Frankly, she doesn’t care; her true love is Greengarden Orchard, and her specialty is growing apple trees, and splicing together various trees to create hardy hybrids. Then she discovers her family has made a devil’s bargain with the lord and master of Greengarden, the cold Mr. Brae. If she marries his grandson, a misshapen creature known as the Thing and kept locked in the attic of the Bighouse, her family will have everything it’s ever wanted. Can she make that sacrifice for her family and for Greengarden? She doesn’t have much of a choice, all told. But when she goes through with the marriage, she’s made privy to a series of truths that shock her world to the core. Among them: Mr. Brae needs an heir, and he doesn’t care if he fathers it… or the Thing does. And so Rose will discover just what terrors are locked in the attic, and how they relate to a race of people known as the Dalriadas, with whom Rose’s people are at war. She’ll be forced to deal with her darkest fears, and face the Thing head-on, and make some terrible sacrifices, but will they be the right ones?

White Midnight is an interesting book, possessing an almost Gothic quality and evoking elements of The Secret Garden, Jane Eyre, and Beauty and the Beast. In some ways, it’s an uncomfortable book, with a heroine it’s hard to really emphasize with, and a plot that takes some strange turns. The pacing is almost surprisingly choppy in places, and the ending abrupt. Billed as a prequel to Calhoun’s first book, Firegold, it works well as a standalone; not having read Firegold, I can’t say how well they relate overall. This book isn’t for everyone, and the issue of teen pregnancy may be a warning flag for some readers or parents. Nevertheless, it’s still worth checking out.

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Valiant, by Holly Black (Simon and Schuster, 2005)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Elves & Fairies, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult | No Comments

When Valerie Russell’s life turns upside-down, and she’s simultaneously betrayed by both her mother and her boyfriend, she runs away from home, leaving behind everything she knows to eke out a new existence for herself on the streets, and in the abandoned sewers, of New York City. There, she can reinvent herself, scrounging on the streets with her new friends, and gradually falling into a world where magic is real and things aren’t what they seem. The strangest thing of all comes when she accompanies her friends to visit the lair of a being called Ravus, who turns out to be a not-entirely unpleasant troll in exile from the Courts of Faerie. Bound to serve Ravus after he catches her in his home, Valerie soon learns much about the hidden magical world that exists alongside our own, and she’s quickly caught up in schemes both mortal and Fae, doing favors and running errands to expunge her debt. But then she discovers she’s also bound by ties of friendship and honor, ties which will cost her dearly once she starts to use a magical drug that makes its users whims into reality for a time. Even if Val can kick her new habit, she won’t be free of a danger that stalks the Fae of New York. The question isn’t “can Val escape the hold of Faerie once it’s in her soul,” it’s “what changes will it wreak in her life before it’s through?”

Valiant, like Tithe before it, is Holly Black’s take on what happens when the worlds of the mundane and the magical overlap. Her New York is as gritty, vibrant, dangerous, and alluring as any fantasy world, and the Fae who inhabit it are as capricious and slippery as their forebears in the old fairy tales. While almost no urban fantasy can live up to the love I hold for Emma Bull’s War For The Oaks, Black’s books come pretty darn close, and only time will tell if they can equal it. There’s a fair amount of urban fantasy for teens out there today, and Valiant is definitely ahead of the pack. Don’t miss it.

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Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, (Simon Pulse, 2005)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Science Fiction, Young Adult | No Comments

Several hundred years in the future, after civilization has collapsed and been rebuilt, all of human society is divided into two categories: the uglies, and the pretties. Until you turn sixteen, you’re an ugly, forced to live in giant dormitories with others just like you, spending your time learning and playing pranks, full of youthful enthusiasm, but always aware of your physical shortcomings. Whether your nose is too big, chin too narrow, your ears stick out, or your eyes are too close together, you’re ugly. But once you turn sixteen, you’re transformed and enhanced through extensive plastic surgery and other procedures, becoming one of the vacuously happy pretties, leading a party-filled life in a paradise designed for contentment. This is the world Tally has grown up in, and it’s everything she knows. But when her friend Shay chooses to run away rather than become a pretty, Tally is forced to make a difficult decision: do the bidding of the authorities by seeking Shay out in the vast wilderness and bring her back, or stay ugly forever. Tally chooses the former option, and thus begins a quest that’ll take her out of the world she’s known, and into an entirely new society. Because out there, far from civilization, there are others who refuse to become pretty, and they know the horrible secret which lies at the very foundation of pretty society. Will Tally make the ultimate sacrifice to save her new friends and family?

Westerfeld has really established himself as an excellent, imaginative writer of young adult science fiction of late, and Uglies, the first book in a new trilogy, proves that he’s got what it takes to stay on top of the game. He lays down believable rules and guidelines for the society he explores here, and the more we learn, the more interesting the mystery at its heart becomes. With two books to go, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Westerfeld has planned, but he hasn’t disappointed yet with his YA offerings.

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Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, (Megan Tingley Books, 2005)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Young Adult | No Comments

Isabella (Bella) Swan never expected to really make a home for herself in the small Pacific Northwest town of Forks, Washington, where she’d be living with her father, the police chief. After all, she hasn’t stayed with him for years, preferring to live with her scatter-brained, eccentric mother. But times have changed, and now Bella must fit in at a new school all over again. She quickly settles in, making an assortment of new friends and carving out a niche for herself in true high school fashion. And then she goes and does the one thing she really shouldn’t: she makes friends with Edward Cullen, a strange young man whose family, while vaguely respected in town, are social outcasts for no immediately discernable reason. And Bella pursues this friendship, even as her life takes a strange and dangerous turn. The closer she gets to Edward, the more death stalks her, and the more she fall in love with him. And for all of his protestations and warnings, the feelings seem mutual. Then Bella learns the truth: Edward and his entire family are vampires, ones who deny their craving for human blood even as they attempt to live among humans. But there are still vampires out there who stick to the old ways, and they’re about to complicate matters tremendously for Bella and Edward. Will our heroes find love together, or be torn apart (and limb from limb)? If they want to live long enough to go to the prom, they’ll run for their lives and exercise every ounce of cunning they possess to outwit their foes.

Twilight is a thoroughly enjoyable, solidly-plotted YA vampire romance, that introduces a number of believable, sympathetic characters, and offers a thoughtful spin on the vampire mythos. Bella’s practicality and stubbornness makes her the perfect foil for the older-than-he-seems Edward, while their respective friends and families help to flesh out a scenario that borders (but never commits) on becoming tragic. It’s nice to see a vampire that doesn’t mope around, wallow in Gothic excess, or exude sex with every breath. (Although the way Edward describes Bella’s appeal is enough to make a person hungry.) I hope we’ll see a sequel to this book soon, if only to answer the questions raised about Bella’s nature. (Particularly her accident-prone tendencies, extreme clumsiness, and amplified appeal to vampires. You just know there’s something going on here.) I thoroughly enjoyed Twilight, and it’s a wonderful debut from newcomer Stephenie Meyer, proving that the vampire romance genre isn’t bled dry yet.

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The Truth-Teller’s Tale, by Sharon Shinn (Viking, 2005)

Jul 16

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Fantasy, Young Adult | No Comments

One can tell no secrets. The other can tell no lies. Adele and Eleda may be twin sisters, but they couldn’t be more different where it counts. Adele is a Safe-Keeper, capricious and mysterious, trusted by all to keep their darkest secrets so they can lighten the load on their minds. Eleda is a Truth-Teller, mystically capable of discerning truths without even realizing it, incapable of telling a falsehood even if she wanted. These talents make them both valued and respected, even though they’re still just teenagers. As they grow up, they go through the usual assortment of teenage triumphs and tragedies, learning to both love and lose, always relying on one another no matter how hard it gets. Never far away is their friend Roelynn, who some believe is destined to marry their kingdom’s prince, even though it’s really just the dream of her ambitious merchant father. Pity, then, that Roelynn has a taste for unsuitable men, and a talent for getting in trouble.

Then, when they’re seventeen, a dancing-master and his apprentice come to town, and everyone’s in for a summer of romance, mistaken identities, secrets and truths. But what circumstances could cause a Safe-Keeper to betray a trust, a Truth-Teller to lie, and a Dream-Maker to try and prevent someone’s dream from coming true, and how will that contribute to a happily-ever-after?
I missed out on this book’s predecessor, The Safe-Keeper’s Secret, but rest assured, this book works quite nicely as a stand-alone. It’s a thoroughly entertaining tale, combining fantasy, romance, and just a touch of classic Shakespearian soap opera to look at the eventful lives of a pair of twins with too much, and too little, in common. Shinn’s always been good at weaving romantic elements into her stories, and this book is a great example of her skill. It was a shame when it ended, as I’d grown quite fond of the trustworthy Eleda and her unpredictable twin. I’ll definitely have to go back and find The Safe-Keeper’s Secret now. Be sure to give The Truth-Teller’s Tale a try when it comes out.

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