What I am reading Wednesday
Apr. 22nd, 2015 09:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiWhat I am reading Nothing! I just finished Cryoburn and with that I mean just before I wrote this post, so I haven’t had time to pick up another book yet.
What I have finished reading Prudence by Gail Carriger. This book is the first in the series The Custard Protocol, which is the third series by Carriger that take place in her very own version of Victorian England. They are steampunk/supernatural novels were vampires, werewolfs and ghost are accepted and integrated members of society. In fact, they are vital for the success of the British Empire. The main character in the first series, The Parasol Protectorate is Alexia Tarabotti, a young lady who is lacking a soul. As an overabundance of soul is what makes supernatural beings possible, a lack of it mean that her touch makes them humans for as long as she touches them. Most supernaturals gets very tetchy over that. This series takes place in the 1870’s and the YA series Finishing School takes place in the 1850’s. The finishing school is, in reality, a spy school for young ladies. And this new series takes place in the 1890’s and features Alexia’s daughter Prudence.
Each series can be read on their own, but they do belong together and if you read them in chronological order and some characters show up in two, or all three of the series. Over all Carriger’s books are a fun and easy read and she had made an excellent world building. Her character’s are engaging and even if some persons, like the outrageous vampire Lord Akeldama, may just seem like over the top camp, you will eventually get more serious layers. With that said, I think Prudence is Carrigers weakest book yet. It’s not bad at all, but a lot of time is spent to establish a set of new and semi-new characters which makes it a bit slow to start and then the conclusion comes with a bit of a rushed feeling. But I enjoyed it nevertheless and I look forward to the next one.
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold. I have reached the end of my re-read, this if the chronologically last book in the series. Miles go to the planet Kiboui-dani to check out a company dealing with cryogenics. Bujold often take an idea and take them for a spin, checking how far it can go. She had touched the subject of freezing and eventually revive the dead before, here she looks at the consequences of when it becomes more common than burials.
The book is told from Miles’ POV as well as Jin’s, a twelve year old boy on the run. It’s a good book, fast paced and engaging. I’m also pleased that in this book and Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance Bujold makes an effort in writing main characters that isn’t white. She has always been good at writing character’s who isn’t heterosexual and she also have an important character who is transgender, but almost all important have been white. They in Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance however, has African forefathers. And here Jin and in fact all of Kiboui-dani, have a heavy Japanese heritage.
What I will be reading next The Tomb, a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Apart from that, I haven’t quite decided. I think I’m going to re-read Diana Wynne Jones. I’m thinking of doing a chronological order, just to see how she evolve. I’ll jump Changeover, her first book, though. It’s the only one of her books I don’t like, so I’ll start with Wilkin’s Tooth.
What I have finished reading Prudence by Gail Carriger. This book is the first in the series The Custard Protocol, which is the third series by Carriger that take place in her very own version of Victorian England. They are steampunk/supernatural novels were vampires, werewolfs and ghost are accepted and integrated members of society. In fact, they are vital for the success of the British Empire. The main character in the first series, The Parasol Protectorate is Alexia Tarabotti, a young lady who is lacking a soul. As an overabundance of soul is what makes supernatural beings possible, a lack of it mean that her touch makes them humans for as long as she touches them. Most supernaturals gets very tetchy over that. This series takes place in the 1870’s and the YA series Finishing School takes place in the 1850’s. The finishing school is, in reality, a spy school for young ladies. And this new series takes place in the 1890’s and features Alexia’s daughter Prudence.
Each series can be read on their own, but they do belong together and if you read them in chronological order and some characters show up in two, or all three of the series. Over all Carriger’s books are a fun and easy read and she had made an excellent world building. Her character’s are engaging and even if some persons, like the outrageous vampire Lord Akeldama, may just seem like over the top camp, you will eventually get more serious layers. With that said, I think Prudence is Carrigers weakest book yet. It’s not bad at all, but a lot of time is spent to establish a set of new and semi-new characters which makes it a bit slow to start and then the conclusion comes with a bit of a rushed feeling. But I enjoyed it nevertheless and I look forward to the next one.
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold. I have reached the end of my re-read, this if the chronologically last book in the series. Miles go to the planet Kiboui-dani to check out a company dealing with cryogenics. Bujold often take an idea and take them for a spin, checking how far it can go. She had touched the subject of freezing and eventually revive the dead before, here she looks at the consequences of when it becomes more common than burials.
The book is told from Miles’ POV as well as Jin’s, a twelve year old boy on the run. It’s a good book, fast paced and engaging. I’m also pleased that in this book and Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance Bujold makes an effort in writing main characters that isn’t white. She has always been good at writing character’s who isn’t heterosexual and she also have an important character who is transgender, but almost all important have been white. They in Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance however, has African forefathers. And here Jin and in fact all of Kiboui-dani, have a heavy Japanese heritage.
What I will be reading next The Tomb, a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Apart from that, I haven’t quite decided. I think I’m going to re-read Diana Wynne Jones. I’m thinking of doing a chronological order, just to see how she evolve. I’ll jump Changeover, her first book, though. It’s the only one of her books I don’t like, so I’ll start with Wilkin’s Tooth.
