Empire of Ivory December 6, 2007

Novik, Naomi (2007). Empire of Ivory, the Temeraire series. NY : Del Rey. 404 pages.

The Temeraire series depicts an alternate reality set during the Napoleanic Era in which dragons fight alongside humans in a new branch of the military.  In the fourth book of this series, the dragon Temeraire, and his human captain, Laurence, travel to Africa to seek the cure for a deadly epidemic that has struck England’s dragons.

This series is more of a historical adventure than a fantasy, however this book, much like the first book, has a lot of emotional depth. This is a major plus, since, in my opinion, that sort of subtle heart-tugging is Novik’s greatest strength as an author. Not that the action falls flat either!  And despite the serious thrust of the plot in this episode, there’s also more room for comedy and character interplay than in the two previous books.

There were a couple of things that I particularly liked in this book.  The relationship between Temeraire and Laurence really seemed to develop – there was also a lot of conflict between the two that was very nicely and subtly portrayed.  Temeraire’s alternating maturity and pettiness was very cute. And Laurence’s attitude towards women just continues to amuse, especially his reactions to his mistress (and superior officer) Jane Roland.

The new dragon, Iskierka, very nearly steals the show, what with her incessant quest for bling – her interplay with her bemused captain, Granby, is really charming. And since Granby has always been one of my favorite characters, I was glad he had more page time in this book. And all of the dragons continue to be fully developed characters in their own rights, and not just magical plot device ponies as I’ve seen them used in other series. (Sorry Eragon…)

So where’s the bad? Well, the book ends on a major cliffhanger, and the next book doesn’t come out until this summer. I hate waiting…

If you like this book: I’ve heard some people mention Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke as a read-alike, but in my opinion you’d be better off with Connie Willis’s To Say Nothing of the Dog, about time-traveling British historians.

Call of the Wild October 27, 2007

London, Jack (1903). Call of the Wild. Project Gutenberg Etext.

Buck, a dog living a comfortable, domesticated life, is abducted from his home and thrust into the harsh environment of the Yukon, where he unexpectedly thrives.

I don’t usually read dog books, because, frankly, the dogs don’t really have a good survival rate and there’s nothing that makes me tear up faster than man’s best friend biting the bullet (literally or otherwise). So (SPOILER) I was only willing to read this years after everyone else in the world has after I found out that Buck ends up ok. Mind you – he’s practically the only character that does.

London does an excellent job of characterizing Buck without anthropomorphizing (read: Disney-fying), and managed to maintain my interest and affection for the hairy protagonist throughout the length of the book, and through his evolution into a purely wild creature. The dog’s-eye view of the Yukon was interesting and surprisingly intense as well.

If you liked this book:  Maybe you should watch the Due South episode by the same title to get more of that adventuring-in-the-Yukon feeling.

Bound October 27, 2007

Napoli, Donna Jo (2004). Bound. NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 186 pages.

Xing-Xing is the young heroine of this retelling of the old Chinese folktale that Cinderella, more familiar to Wester readers, was based on. In this version of the story she is treated as a servant by her stepmother and half-sister, but continues to live her life by demonstrating the three virtues of painting, poetry, and calligraphy.

This novel is a beautiful and intriguing retelling of an old, old story, fleshed out with historical and atmospheric details of ancient China. The plot meanders its way to a rather sudden conclusion, but the book is really more concerned with the characters – and with social issues that have possibly more current than historical importance.

The title, Bound, is taken from the practice of foot binding, wherein Chinese women would bind their feet, inhibiting their growth (and use) in order to make them smaller and more attractive. Not dissimilar to our current practice of wearing high heels. While Xing-Xing has naturally small feet, her half-sister needs to have hers bound in order to attract a husband, and the painful and sometimes overly gory process is described in full. This foot binding is reflective of the metaphorical bondage of Chinese women in the time period, and Xing-Xing has to face existing within a social system that she cannot tolerate, which makes for an interesting internal conflict. Unfortunately, the resolution of the conflict happens about two pages from the end, and the reader really needs a basic understanding of Chinese history to fully appreciate it (this is hinted at in the author’s afterword, but is not actually explained).

Also, in what I’m assuming is an homage to the Grimm’s version of Cinderella (mutilation in the name of beauty!), the story treads a little heavily past the boundaries of cultural sensitivity in its reverse-exoticism regarding the foot binding. A large portion of the book is devoted to making this practice seem alien and barbaric, which can be (or rather, I’ve been informed, is) offensive to people of Asian, particularly Chinese, extraction. The overbearing obsession with foot binding also somewhat weakens the plot, as after all, the heroine does not experience it directly.

Booktalk Hook: Do you like the darker, grittier, Grimm’s version of fairy tales? Bound is a no-holds barred retelling of a Chinese folktale that is bound (haha!) to please.

If you liked this book: Why not play Kingdom Heart’s II, and help Mulan, another plucky Chinese girl-power hero, save the day? This game is the best thing Disney’s had its name on in a long time.

Octavian Nothing September 25, 2007

Anderson, M.T. (2006). The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol 1: The Pox Party. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. 351 pages.

Octavian Nothing grows up in luxury, educated and pampered, the son of an exiled princess. Only later does he learn that he is actually a slave, and the subject of an experiment to determine if those of African decent can mentally equal those of European decent. And that winning a war for freedom may not guarantee freedom for everyone.

This novel is definitely not a comfortable read. Whenever the beauty and fluidity of the author’s prosed had lulled me, some shocking – and vividly rendered – horrible event (torture, bodily functions, or death, usually) would occur. It’s just that kind of book.

That being said, the voice of the novel is excellent and realistically captures the tone of the rational philosophers of the American Revolution, and unlike some other historical fiction about this period, this book also digs really deeply into the complexity of the social and political beliefs of the time.

Booktalk Hook: What if your whole life was one big experiment? And what if it was rigged against you?

And if you like this book: Maybe you’d like Illusion by Paula Volsky. Both books are about a character who falls from a life of luxury into a time of war and strife, and both have a lot of gritty detail.