Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances & Joseph Gies

Title: Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages
Series: n/a
Author: Fances & Joseph Gies
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction; History; Medieval Technology
Publisher/Publication Date: First published January 1, 1994

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In this account of Europe's rise to world leadership in technology, Frances and Joseph Gies make use of recent scholarship to destroy two time-honored myths.

Myth One: that Europe's leap forward occurred suddenly in the Renaissance, following centuries of medieval stagnation. Not so, say the Gieses: Early modern technology and experimental science were direct outgrowths of the decisive innovations of medieval Europe, in the tools and techniques of agriculture, craft industry, metallurgy, building construction, navigation, and war. Myth Two: that Europe achieved its primacy through Western superiority. On the contrary, the authors report, many of Europe's most important inventions--the horse harness, the stirrup, the magnetic compass, cotton and silk cultivation and manufacture, papermaking, firearms, Arabic numerals--had their origins outside Europe, in China, India, and Islam. The Gieses show how Europe synthesized its own innovations--the three-field system, water power in industry, the full-rigged ship, the putting-out system--into a powerful new combination of technology, economics, and politics. From the expansion of medieval man's capabilities, the voyage of Columbus with all its fateful consequences is seen as an inevitable product, while even the genius of Leonardo da Vinci emerges from the context of earlier and lesser-known dreamers and tinkerers.

Every so often I need a break from even my favorite genres of fiction, and, more often than not, I fill the void with nonfiction, as a pallet cleanser. Sometimes it’s true crime (Cult of We), history (Daughters of Chivalry, Meet Me by the fountain: An Inside History of the Mall), or science with a focus on nature (Entangled Life, The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, The Brilliant Abyss). I’ve once again returned to the subject of history with my latest nonfiction read, Frances and Joseph Gies’s Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages.

“A spirit of otherworldliness and a preoccupation with theology were perceived as underlying a vast medieval inertia.” Page 1

The book sets out to disprove that notion, and does so in a very technical manner. The bulk of the chapters break down the Middle Ages into chunks, either by “early Middle Ages” or by dates such as for example “900-1200” or “A.D. 500-900.” And it goes into detail about the notable achievements and the way the technology—such as the waterwheel, armor, weapons, bridges, cathedral building, and advances in textile manufacture, ship building, and navigation—were invented and found their way into different corners of the medieval world through various channels (trade was often mentioned). It often revealed the fascinating processes—and ingenuity—behind actually making these inventions (or improving on earlier discoveries) and how they were applied for practical purposes.

Some of my favorite passages had to do with cathedrals, paper, the printing press, and early clocks. But there was much-much more than that, and all of it was interesting to read about.

And, even though some of the descriptions could be frank and sometimes a little dry, overall I enjoyed this book for the sheer volume of information it had. And I’d recommend it for anyone who is curious about the subject.

 

About Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

**Note: There may be mild spoilers for book one and two.**

I’m steadily making my way through The Raven Cycle (not the spinoff series). And, with Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I’m officially over halfway done, and all that’s left is The Raven King. If you want to know what I thought about the prior installments (The Raven Cycle and The Dream Thieves) click HERE and HERE. But I digress.

The best way I can sum up Blue Lily, Lily Blue is: change, balance, and the power of three. On a specific note, the characters struggled with coming to terms with the changes in their lives. They were growing up and considering what their lives would look like after high school, after the quest for Glendower was over. And while some of the interpersonal plotlines were resolved in The Dream Thieves, its ending left the familiar cast in a…less than ideal spot. There was their new ally—Mr. Gray, the reformed (reforming) former hit man—which was good. But what was less good about it was: Maura was missing. The “how” and the “where” were answered fairly early, but that didn’t lessen the impact Maura’s absence had on the residents of 300 Fox Way and her daughter, Blue. And with a new obstacle arriving in town to, once again, shake things up—with a motivation that was pure acquisitive and vengeful—Blue Lily, Lily Blue was exciting.

“”This is the corpse road,” she said, aligning her body with the invisible path. As she did, she could feel something inside her begin to hum agreeably, a sensation very much like the satisfaction that came from aligning book spines on a shelf.”—page 1

I wouldn’t call it a cat and mouse chase, exactly, but the present, aforementioned, danger had a way of looming in the background, casting a cloud over the story. There was a sense that time was running out, for the characters, for their hunt for Glendower.

The series has always been gradually building toward something. In The Dream Thieves, the conclusion of their adventure—including the prophecy about Blue and her kiss and the implication of seeing Gansey on the corpse road—didn’t feel as pressing as they do here. The clues were portent, which ramped up the tension. And, for a story that is largely driven by its characters—and the way they inhabit and influence the world in the books—that was a good thing.

On the other hand, the series has also been about searching for the impossible and finding magic in unlikely places. I appreciate the meticulous detail and care given toward weaving together the folklore and Welsh mythology with the respective powers possessed (or lack thereof) by the characters. It wasn’t, of course, without its own particular and gut-wrenching brand of pitfalls and unpredictability. But for me, the reader, however, it was fun to follow the characters as they explored new locations.

I’m still enjoying The Raven Cycle and am looking forward to the conclusion. So I know it won’t be long before I read The Raven King.

About the book...

The third installment in the all-new series from the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost. Friends can betray. Mothers can disappear. Visions can mislead. Certainties can unravel.

About The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

In January, I posted a Thought Corner about my reread of The Raven Boys. If you read it (HERE), you’ll know I was in desperate need of a refresher before attempting to continue with the series. It had been around a full decade since I last picked it up, and details get lost overtime. That was true for my recollection of the VERY fine print about the overall story of The Raven Boys. So, I reread it. And when I was considering what my 2024 blogging goal would be, one of the series I kept in mind was The Raven Cycle.

“There are three kinds of secrets.”—page 1.

The prologue begins with a page long monologue about three kinds of secrets and what Ronan Lynch has to do with them. In a way, it does some heavy lifting by informing the reader about the exact kind of story The Dream Thieves is going to be.

Where The Raven Boys was about exploring (the hunt for Glendower and the places it took the characters), new friendships, and laying the groundwork for the series. The Dream Thieves felt (and often read) like a book about consequences, risks, and implications.

The book is hectic, but I mean that in the best way possible. The consequences—Adam’s sacrifice, Blue’s prophecy, Ronan’s penchant for trouble, Gansey’s quest, and Noah’s reliance on the ley lines—were catching up to the main cast. It tossed a proverbial monkey-wrench into the fray, which tested the limits of both the platonic and romantic relationships. And that was coupled with the introduction of The Gray Man (a literal hitman) and Kavinsky (an endless source of potential trouble), which only added to the strain. Something had to give. And give it did.

And where The Raven Boys felt more like Blue’s story of how she got involved with the hunt and the titular Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves felt like it was for Ronan. The other characters were present and had their own growth to go through. There was a broader exploration on the meaning of Ronan’s secrets: a deep dive into his character, his family, and the circumstances and aftermath of his father’s death and the terms of his will. Since dreams and dreaming were a large aspect of the story, the focus on these things, on his character, was only fitting. I liked the way it was handled. It was portrayed as a serious, and more often dangerous, manner that never crossed the line into being hyperbolic—the consequences were too steep for that.

I enjoyed The Dream Thieves as much as The Raven Boys. Up next, I look forward to tackling Blue Lily, Lily Blue.

Happy reading!

About the book...

If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take? Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.One Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.Ronan is one of the raven boys - a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface - changing everything in its wake.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Title: Starling House
Series: n/a
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Source/Format: Purchased; Hardcover (Barnes & Noble special edition)
More Details: Fantasy; Gothic; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor Books; October 3, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home. As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares. If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

The story begins with the line: “I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen.” pg.1 That was the only hook I needed to get interested in Starling House, Alix E. Harrow’s latest novel, released on October third. I rarely preorder books, but I walked away from the excerpt on Tor.com (Read Here) knowing that—like my experience with a snippet of Suzanna Clarke’s Piranesi—it was a book I needed to read. This gothic house story is pretty aligned to what I’ve been reading this year; think A Study in Drowning. And like Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood, the creepy, dark fairy tale at the center of this story (The Underland) is only one hint toward the mysteries—misfortunes, and magic—that seemly only befalls the small town of Eden, Kentucky.

I took my time with reading Starling House, because it was the kind of story that I like to linger with and make sure I’ve caught all of the subtext. And, oh boy, did this novel have so much detail to sink my teeth into.

This isn’t a dual timeline, but there was a story from the past that was just as relevant—if not the whole beginning—of…well everything. The juxtapositions were frequent, and it was something that was done quite well. One aspect that’s stressed throughout Opal story is how easy it is for people to fall through the cracks, and for others to look away from uncomfortable situations. For instance, you see that throughout the book how the truth was buried within the different tellings of the same story.

Retribution and revenge; right and wrong; duty and choice—the lines were easily blurred. No character was simple: they had serious depth when it came to their respective versions of moral complexity. Take Opal, the primary perspective. The synopsis on the dust jacket describes her as “orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic, and part-time cashier.” It’s a pretty good list to sum up the core aspects of her character. And deceit was a kind of armor for her. The story digs into into that by putting her in increasingly difficult—and strange—situations. It peels back these outward layers and forces her to be honest with herself, with others, and about working on her communication with even her younger brother, Jasper. Opal was a fascinating character to follow. Among my other favorites were Arthur, Bev, Jasper, the cat, and the titular Starling House.

As I’ve said before on Our Thoughts Precisely, I love a good house story, and Starling House is one of my favorites. The magical aspects can feel very slight, almost vague, with how tightly they’re woven around the everyday issues that plague Eden. But Starling House—the actual house—was slowly revealed as its own character. It was a dark, dreary place; a labyrinth of locked doors and decay. And I loved every scene spent in its hallways and rooms.

At the end of the day, Starling House is one of my favorite reads of 2023.

  

The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany

Title: The King of Elfland's Daughter
Series: n/a
Author: Lord Dunsany
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Fantasy; Classic
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in 1924

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the "happily ever after."

Earlier this year, I read a book called Lud-In-The-Mist by Hope Mirrlees. A pre-Tolkien fantasy classic released in 1926 about the capital of a small fictional country—the titular Lud-in-the-Mist—with a curious history (and potential present) involving fairies. One of the books that I saw that was often compared to and recommended with Lud-in-the-Mist was Lord Dunsany’s 1924 fantasy story, The King of Elfland’s Daughter. And now, having read it for myself, I can say they’re vastly different stories but good for what they are, respectively.

Instead of fairies here, though, there are elves at the focal point as well as other recognizable character types: witches, trolls, unicorns, and willow-the-wisps. The magic was very it-just-exists-deal-with-it, which worked well when contrasting the differences between Elfland and Erl. Besides the vastly differing way time affected each place, the former was touched by a strange and also eerie perfection coupled with something a little dangerous and enigmatic, which was a feeling that never abated. But it was something I liked about the story.

Besides the fantastical aspects, The King of Elfland’s Daughter is a relatively layered story that, at times, felt like a cautionary tale about being mindful about what one wishes for. The parliament of Erl wanted a magic lord, heedless of the time it would take and the potential consequences that would arise from it. Just like how in a lot of fairy tale type stories, there’s always a lesson to be learned in making careless bargains. The initial request was phrased like a simple task, but it could also occupy the role of a bargain, since the substance of the story eventually followed a lot of the same pathways.

I also liked how interpersonal the story was with exploring Alveric’s relationship with Lirazel; how his unwillingness—at first—to meet his wife halfway when it came to beliefs, was one of the turning points that influenced the rest of the story.

If there is something to note, while I enjoyed the story, one thing to keep in mind when approaching it is the fact that there is animal death on page. One character is essentially a hunter, and some parts were detailed.

Besides that, I enjoyed The King of Elfland’s Daughter.

 

The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James

Title: The Woman in the Castello
Series: n/a
Author: Kelsey James
Source/Format: Won in a giveaway from the publisher; Paperback
More Details: Historical Fiction; Gothic; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: John Scognamiglio Books; July 25, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Rome, 1965: Aspiring actress Silvia Whitford arrives at Rome's famed Cinecitt Studios from Los Angeles, ready for her big break and a taste of la dolce vita. Instead, she learns that the movie in which she was cast has been canceled. Desperate for money, Silvia has only one choice: seek out the Italian aunt she has never met. Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castello on the edge of a volcanic lake. Silvia's mother refuses to explain the rift that drove the sisters apart, but Silvia is fascinated by Gabriella, a once-famous actress who still radiates charisma. And the eerie castle inspires Silvia's second chance when it becomes the location for a new horror movie, aptly named The Revenge of the Lake Witch--and she lands a starring role. Silvia immerses herself in the part of an ingenue tormented by the ghost of her beautiful, seductive ancestor. But when Gabriella abruptly vanishes, the movie's make-believe terrors seep into reality. No one else on set seems to share Silvia's suspicions. Yet as she delves into Gabriella's disappearance, she triggers a chain of events that illuminate dark secrets in the past--and a growing menace in the present . . .

I was in the mood for another historical fiction novel, which is why I decided to give The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James a try. I liked this book for what it was: a story with family secrets, a crumbling and atmospheric castle, and a troubled movie set.

Set in 1965 Rome, it follows Silvia Whitford, a struggling actress hoping for a big break. Her initial hopes were dashed, but she got a second chance at a breakout role. Honestly, I liked how quickly the setup for the story came together, especially how the family secrets were a source of conflict but also closely connected to the movie.

Silvia was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She doubted herself—and she was far from perfect—but part of what was good about her character was her determination. The relationships she had—especially with her daughter and mother—were very complicated, but I ultimately liked how James handled that end of the story.

Some of the clues—especially about the rift between Silvia’s mother and aunt—were a little too obvious for me. It was a complicated situation, and the issue was larger than just some small misunderstanding. That being said, there were some thrilling scenes, and the castle—especially the portions about the film, which were detailed and good—were some of the best parts of the story. So, while I could guess how some of the scenario would go, I was still entertained by how the conclusion was executed.

Overall, I liked The Woman in the Castello.

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix

Title: Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans

Series: 
Author: Isi Hendrix
Source/Format: Publisher; ARC
More Details: Fantasy; Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Balzer + Bray; September 19, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The first book in a fast-paced, witty, and big-hearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprenticing in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans, who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom. Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil.  

Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe she’s an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia can’t disagree—especially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she can’t control, causing an earthquake in her village. So when Adia is offered a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans, she flees with nothing but a pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that someone there can figure out what's wrong with her—and fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessed—by a demon more wicked than any other. And he’s on his way to the Academy for a visit. Joining forces with a snarky goddess, a 500-year-old warrior girl, and an annoying soldier-in-training, Adia must travel through hidden realms to exorcise the emperor and save her kingdom. But to succeed, she first must come to understand the powers inside her…. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

I had no expectations going into Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix, but it was an absolute delight to read. From the endearing characters to an adventure full of danger, magic, and a little bit of a mystery, I was thoroughly charmed by this middle grade fantasy.

The story itself is relatively complicated. There were layers of lore woven into the fantasy setting, and the quest to save the kingdom had plenty of action and was exciting to read about. But the book also delved into more serious topics. Zaria is a place with a history of being colonialized. The village the titular Adia Kelbara comes from is described as “missionary infested”—where she was judged and labeled an “ogbanji.” The effects of Zaria's colonization appeared in various ways throughout the story: from the way Adia viewed herself to the disappearance (or abandonment) of beliefs.

But the book was also a coming of age story with a big central theme of self-acceptance. Adia didn’t start out in the best situation, and because of that I found it easy to sympathize with her plight and to root for her to succeed. Her journey wasn’t an easy one. She held a lot of instilled believes that proved challenging to let go of. But overall Hendrix handled the development of Adia’s character in a good way. She had a lot of potential, and it was gratifying to see something become of it.

There were other characters, and they were just as well-written as Adia. In particular, Bubbles, Adia’s cat, was mischievous and the occasional comic relief. The Academy of Shamans, though, was something else. I wasn’t expecting it to be that way. And it was ridiculous, but the reason behind it was anything but humorous. It was, after all, tied closely to the aforementioned history of Zaria.

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans is the first book of a new series, and it was an excellent introduction. There are so many aspects left that I would want to see explored in another story, and I’m looking forward to what adventures await the characters next.

About the author....

Isi Hendrix is a Nigerian American children’s book author who has been lucky enough to live and work all over the world, from the Himalayas to the Amazon rainforest, during her past life as an anthropologist. Now she’s based in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY, where she lives with a rotating roster of foster kittens and a stubborn refusal to accept that she is highly allergic to cats. You can find her at www.isihendrix.com.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Balzer + Bray) in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora

Title: Holly Horror

Series: Holly Horror #1
Author: Michelle Jabès Corpora
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Horror; Paranormal
Publisher/Publication Date: Penguin Teen; August 15, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

"Playmate, come and play with me..."

A beloved classic reimagined with a dark twist.

After her parents' painful divorce, Evie Archer hopes that moving to Ravenglass, Massachusetts, is the fresh start that her family needs. But Evie quickly realizes that her new home—known by locals as the Horror House—carries its own dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who mysteriously vanished in her bedroom one night. But traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about The Lost Girl. Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance? Or is history doomed to repeat itself in the Horror House?

Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora wasn’t originally one of the 2023 books I was anticipating. However, as soon as I read the synopsis, I knew right away it was something I wanted to read. After all, it appeared to have everything I look for in a paranormal horror novel: spooky house, secrets, more secrets, and an eerie history that was far more present than what the characters would’ve liked to admit. My instincts were spot on, because I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Holly Horror has a somewhat typical beginning with a family moving to a new house under less than ideal circumstances. But “Hobbie House”—nicknamed “Horror House—came with a reputation, and it was one that was entirely earned. Part of my enjoyment of the book was the backstory Corpora wove into the present timeline. There was so much lore to think about as I was reading, and it arrived in well-timed allusions. I often questioned how the nuggets of information about the mystery would come into play later in the story, and it was one of the aspects about Holly Horror that helped gradually build the intensity. On the other side, while I didn’t find anything particularly too scary about the story, the spooky elements invoked a sense of unease, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Evie Archer was going through it in Holly Horror, but, in a general sense, I liked how Corpora built her character. Evie’s backstory really came back to haunt her, in a literal sense—no pun intended. The actions of her mother, the distance between her and her father, and her experiences with not being believed led to more harm than good. It really set her up as a character that would keep secrets, who wouldn’t say when something was wrong, or mention when she was afraid or hurt. She felt that she couldn’t be herself—and it made her susceptible—which was something reflected in the story by the way she handled stressful situations and her personal relationships. So “Hobbie House” wasn’t isolated—the town, Ravenglass, was within walking distance—but the feeling of isolation was something that permeated a large part of the story.

Holly Horror was intense, and that ending was too cruel of a cliffhanger. Luckily, there’s going to be another book in this series, and I’m looking forward to it!

About the author....

I've always wanted to be a writer, probably since the age of six. I spent most of my childhood years writing stories about mermaids in peril, ducks from space, and fan fiction where a girl resembling myself got to meet Agent Fox Mulder of the X-Files. After receiving my Bachelor's Degree in English and Theatre from UMBC, I went on to earn a Master's degree in Children's Literature from Hollins University. After that, I did some weird stuff. I was a wedding singer for a while. I also worked with animals in a vet's office, and at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Eventually, I moved to New York and worked as an assistant editor at Greenwillow Books, and then a concept creator for a well-known book All of these serendipitous events eventually led me to the #authorlife. Looking back, all those detours were exactly what I needed, because to be a writer, it's important to have some weird stuff to write about. Before I wrote books with my name on the cover, I was a ghostwriter for a world-famous middle-grade mystery series. I wrote my first five novels in that series, and enjoyed every minute of it. It was an honor to be a part of a legacy that is cherished by so many. When I'm not writing and editing books, you can usually find me at Crazy 88 MMA, training in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Competing at tournaments and being promoted to blue belt in BJJ were some of the proudest moments of my life. Some people may see videos of me rolling around on the floor and fighting my friends and think that I'm crazy. I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of this statement. I live in Frederick, Maryland with my dear husband, my two wonderful daughters, two guinea pigs named Fireball and Olive, and a very old cat named Callie.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Penguin Teen) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander

Title: The Only Harmless Great Thing
Series: n/a
Author: Brooke Bolander
Source/Format: Tor.com ebook club; eBook
More Details: Alternative History; Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; January 23, 2018 

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

In the early years of the 20th century, a group of female factory workers in Newark, New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island.

These are the facts.

Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history of rage, radioactivity, and injustice crying out to be righted. Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey that crosses eras, chronicling histories of cruelty both grand and petty in search of meaning and justice.

I’m steadily making my way through all of the old Tor.com ebook club freebie titles that I haven’t read. The next one I wanted to mark off my TBR list this year was this one.

If, like me, you’ve read a book called The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women—Kate Moore’s eye-opening historical nonfiction about the women who worked at radium-dial factories—then you can already guess the exact kind of tragedies that take place in Brooke Bolander’s 2018 novella, The Only Harmless Great Thing.

I was hooked, and I quickly got invested in some of the cast of characters. But that was because I found the side of the story that took place in the past particularly riveting—including the perspective of Topsy, and the other elephant related passages. I wanted to root for them, and I wanted it to work out. But, going into the novella, I knew it wasn’t going to be that kind of story. This one, through its tragedy, was about the message, but that’s exactly what made The Only Harmless Great Thing memorable for me. And, as I was reading it, I was strongly reminded of my experience with The Radium Girls. The story was very good in a lot of respects, as a work of fiction. But it also captured the same infuriating tone and behavior—just like the actual history it was partially based on—with the injustice of the situation and the open callousness of the people in charge.

At the end of the day, The Only Harmless Great Thing was meaningful and poignant, and I'm glad I finally read it. 

 

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: Silver Nitrate
Series: n/a
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey; July 18, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film--and awakens one woman's hidden powers.

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood. Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed. Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend. As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a favorite author over here on my end of Our Thoughts Precisely. I’ve read a handful of her books: Gods of Jade and Shadow, Mexican Gothic, Velvet Was the Night, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, and The Return of the Sorceress. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to nab an eARC of her latest novel from NetGalley. I couldn’t read it right away, because there were other ARCs that were ahead of it. However, once it was June, it was the first one on my list.

Silver Nitrate promised to be thrilling and dark, and full of curses and magic. What I got was an incredibly immersive story that was exactly the right amount of horror, fantasy, and historical fiction. Set in Mexico City in the 90s, it had a focus on films and occultism. There were pop culture references, but there was a particular emphasis on the work of a fictional director named Abel Urueta and one of his movies. However, the aforementioned film wasn’t just any. It was incomplete, and it came with its own particularly troubled infamy—and a dangerous mystery that spanned decades.

I liked how Moreno-Garcia approached this aspect of the story: the historical details and how they influenced the fantasy ones. The occultism was an important part of the overall magic, but that was combined with commentary about prejudice and the cherry-picking—the twisting and claiming—of knowledge and traditions from other people. Creating an ensemble of bone-chilling antagonists that were menacing shadows across much of the story, producing some of the eeriest moments of Silver Nitrate.

This book also had wonderfully complicated characters, but that’s something that—after reading now six novels—I know this author does well (and it’s something I look forward to). The POVs consisted of Tristán, a soap opera star who sought an opportunity to revive his career, and Montserrat, a sound editor frustrated with the film industry. There were decades of history between the two, spanning back to their childhood. They knew each other and their respective habits. Their relationship—though complicated and not without its hiccups—felt organic and real, and it was something I truly loved about this book.

At the end of the day, Silver Nitrate is another exceptional novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Among the ones I’ve read, it’s one of my top-favorites to date.

 

About the author....

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu's Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Title: The Color of Magic
Series: Discworld #1
Author: Terry Pratchett
Source/Format: Purchased; Mass Market Paperback
More Details: Fantasy; Comedy
Publisher/Publication Date: First Published December 1, 1983

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Imagine, if you will . . . a flat world sitting on the backs of four elephants who hurtle through space balanced on a giant turtle. In truth, the Discworld is not so different from our own. Yet, at the same time, very different . . . but not so much.

In this, the maiden voyage through Terry Pratchett's divinely and recognizably twisted alternate dimension, the well-meaning but remarkably inept wizard Rincewind encounters something hitherto unknown in the Discworld: a tourist! Twoflower has arrived, Luggage by his side, to take in the sights and, unfortunately, has cast his lot with a most inappropriate tour guide—a decision that could result in Twoflower's becoming not only Discworld's first visitor from elsewhere . . . but quite possibly, portentously, its very last. And, of course, he's brought Luggage along, which has a mind of its own. And teeth.

I have not read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series in order. My first—and only—two forays into it was a pair of the Tiffany Aching books (Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight). But, for a while now, I’ve wanted to go all the way back to beginning, to read for myself how the series actually began.

The Color of Magic was humorous in all the right ways! It poked fun at a lot of classic fantasy tropes—like wizards, magic, dragons, and heroes—by showing them in the most absurd light. No matter how dangerous the situation, the narrative always provided ironic twists with the most convoluted (and often times hilarious) solutions.

And that was coupled with the other big aspect I enjoyed about The Color of Magic: its characters. Rincewind, Twoflower, and the Luggage (and yes, there were puns everywhere) worked well as a trio for this adventure.

To date, this series has one of my all-time favorite settings: Great A’Tuin, the giant turtle flying through space with four elephants on its back, who hold up the flat (disk shaped) world. And I don’t think I fully appreciated the setting as much I did with this book. Maybe it was the story, or how certain ridiculous areas were still adequate obstacles and a source of tension. I don’t know, but I was having a great time.

And that is the crux of it. I had so much fun reading this book, and I know that I’ll end up checking out more Discworld stories.

 

The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell

Title: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion 
Series: n/a
Author: Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Crown; July 20, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The definitive inside story of WeWork, its audacious founder, and what the company's epic unraveling exposes about Silicon Valley's delusions and the financial system's desperate hunger to cash in--from the Wall Street Journal reporters whose scoops hastened the company's downfall.

In 2001, Adam Neumann arrived in New York after five years as a conscript in the Israeli navy. Just over fifteen years later, he had transformed himself into the charismatic CEO of a company worth $47 billion--at least on paper. With his long hair and feel-good mantras, the 6-foot-five Neumann, who grew up in part on a kibbutz, looked the part of a messianic Silicon Valley entrepreneur. The vision he offered was mesmerizing: a radical reimagining of work space for a new generation, with its fluid jobs and lax office culture. He called it WeWork. Though the company was merely subleasing amenity-filled office space to freelancers and small startups, Neumann marketed it like a revolutionary product--and investors swooned. 

As billions of funding dollars poured in, Neumann's ambitions grew limitless. WeWork wasn't just an office space provider, he boasted. It would build schools, create WeWork cities, even colonize Mars. Could he, Neumann wondered from the ice bath he'd installed in his office, become the first trillionaire or a world leader? In pursuit of its founder's grandiose vision, the company spent money faster than it could bring it in. From his private jet, sometimes clouded with marijuana smoke, the CEO scoured the globe for more capital. In late 2019, just weeks before WeWork's highly publicized IPO, a Hail Mary effort to raise cash, everything fell apart. Neumann was ousted from his company--but still was poised to walk away a billionaire. 

Calling to mind the recent demise of Theranos and the hubris of the dotcom era bust, WeWork's extraordinary rise and staggering implosion were fueled by disparate characters in a financial system blind to its risks, from a Japanese billionaire with designs on becoming the Warren Buffet of tech, to leaders at JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs who seemed intoxicated by a Silicon Valley culture where sensible business models lost out to youthful CEOs who promised disruption. Why did some of the biggest names in banking and venture capital buy the hype? And what does the future hold for Silicon Valley unicorns? Wall Street Journal reporters Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell explore these questions in this definitive account of WeWork's unraveling.

I remember the promotion for a company called We Work—which sublets office spaces—and, at one point, it seemed like it was everywhere. Building off of trendy marketing and a purported core purpose of being an interconnected space—a “community”—to appeal to those looking for a different office experience. However, with the pandemic, I forgot about them. So when I recently heard about a book called The Cult of We by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell I was, to say the least, intrigued, because I somehow missed the majority of the news as it was happening—and what I did hear about I didn’t delve too deeply past the surface.

The Cult of We does exactly as the synopsis promises, by delivering an in-depth look at the rise and fall of WeWork. Mapping out the company’s earliest days (and prior iteration)—as well as the founder’s life and the turning point when greed, a convoluted purpose, and false representations—warped what was promising on paper into a colossal mess with far reaching consequences. And the further I read, the more the first two sentences of the author’s note stuck in my mind, as what it had already succinctly explained was bolstered by a detailed recounting.

“The implosion of WeWork in September 2019 was an astounding moment in business. Nearly $40 billion in value on paper vanished, virtually overnight, as the investment world woke up to the reality that America’s most valuable startup wasn’t a tech company but simply a real estate company—one that was losing more than $1.6 billion a year.”—from the Author’s note

This book read like one long news report. Parts of it could be a little dry and, given the subject of the book, it was filled with financial jargon. However, I never felt lost when reading it, and by the midway point I was thoroughly engrossed.

So if you’ve wanted to know more about WeWork’s situation, then I’d recommend The Cult of We.

  

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Hell Bent
Series: Alex Stern #2
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Fantasy; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Flatiron Books; January 10, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell in #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo's Hell Bent.

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

The one sequel this year that I didn’t realize I should be anticipating was Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. I happened to read Ninth House in April to get out of a bad reading slump, and I loved it so much that I purchased a copy of Hell Bent. And I loved this sequel as much as the first.

I was so glad to be back with Alex, Dawes, Turner, and the other characters as a daring, dangerous, and reckless plan was hatched to rescue Darlington.

One of the highlights of this series continues to be the characters. There were familiar faces, like Tripp Helmuth. With every heist there is a team, and Alex’s allies (and the way they tackled the needs for their quest) was fantastic. Dawes is just Dawes: studious, shy, and incredibly reliable. Her friendship and understanding with Alex wasn’t without some hurdles, but it was one of my favorite platonic relationships in Hell Bent. There’s Turner too, who could sometimes be more reluctant, but I liked how much more background was revealed about him.

In general, there’s something so dark and realistic (and horrifying) about these books, but the grit suited the overall atmosphere and the contents of the story. A literal heist that involved burglarizing hell, and I don’t mean that metaphorically either.

Less time was spent on describing Yale, but the locations didn’t deviate much from the last book. Basically, much of the world building was done in Ninth House, and its sequel just built on the ground rules that were already established. A lot of the book was devoted to the main quest-type plotline, but there were plenty of other mysteries—about the magic, the secret societies, and the characters as well as new cryptic deaths—that made every moment interesting.

Overall, Hell Bent was an excellent sequel.

The Border Keeper by Kerstin Hall

Title: The Border Keeper
Series: Mkalis Cycle #1
Author:  Kerstin Hall
Source/Format: Tor.com ebook club; ebook
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; July 16, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

She lived where the railway tracks met the saltpan, on the Ahri side of the shadowline. In the old days, when people still talked about her, she was known as the end-of-the-line woman.

Vasethe, a man with a troubled past, comes to seek a favor from a woman who is not what she seems, and must enter the nine hundred and ninety-nine realms of Mkalis, the world of spirits, where gods and demons wage endless war.

The Border Keeper spins wonders both epic—the Byzantine bureaucracy of hundreds of demon realms, impossible oceans, hidden fortresses—and devastatingly personal—a spear flung straight, the profound terror and power of motherhood. What Vasethe discovers in Mkalis threatens to bring his own secrets into light and throw both worlds into chaos.

The second Tor.com ebook club title that I tackled at the end of April was Kerstin Hall’s The Border Keeper. It was another quick read, and I was drawn in by how the world was introduced. There was plenty of lore basically from the first page, and I was intrigued by the titular border keeper as well as the various worlds and people that inhabited them. The other main character, Vasethe, had his secrets/reasons for seeking out the border keeper. It served as the catalyst for the subsequent events. The questions I had about his motivations was one of the main reasons I kept reading.

 
If I have to describe this novella as anything, it would be the kind of story that has the characters traveling to various places for the majority of the time. These locations were interesting, detailed, and unique from one another. The rest of the story was explained in scattered pieces, while the ending was just kind of abrupt. And I closed the novella feeling as if I had missed half of the action. So, the story was just fine this time.