Category: Sci-Fi

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings

Title: Kindred: A Graphic Novel
Authors: Damian Duffy and John Jennings
Pub Date: 10-Jan-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

I read Octavia Butler’s Kindred novel years ago and loved it. So I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an ARC of the graphic novel. The story is still very gripping; yet, as a graphic novel it lacked the depth that Octavia achieved in her original version. I know the graphics are supposed to make up for lack of descriptive prose – yet, even after I took  into account that I read an uncorrected proof that is “a work-in-progress” – it still missed the mark. This is my only problem with the graphic version of the story.  If you have not read Ms. Butler’s novel, or are a graphic novel lover, you will probably disagree.

I found the graphic novel to be very true to the original. The story is about Dana a young African-American woman who keeps getting pulled back in time to the South prior to the Civil War, a time when slavery abounds. Each time she is pulled back it is because Rufus, a distant relative (who is white), is in trouble. Each time she assists Rufus and yet Dana herself endures all kinds of atrocities at the hands of white salve owners.

Because of the subject matter and how it is presented this is not something I would recommend for a young reader. If you are one of those people who HAS to read the book before you see the movie, then you might want to consider reading Octavia Butler’s Kindred first. If not, then you decide which to read first. I think you will find both enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone who likes graphic novels and/or sci-fi.

As noted above, I received an ARC from ABRAMS books in return for my honest opinion.

 

Gilded Cage by Vic James

Title: Gilded Cage Author: Vic James Pub Date: 14-02-2017 Rating: 5 Stars
Title: Gilded Cage
Author: Vic James
Pub Date: 14-02-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

I was hooked by the end of the first page. I loved, loved, loved how this book pulled me in to the world. In fact, I loved most everything about this book. The settings, the characters, the plot are all well thought out. Be prepared, this book was rather dark and very Machiavellian and in some ways reminded me of Game of Thrones. That said, the story was fresh and I loved that the setting was in the UK and not some totally made up world. The flow and speed of the story was really great and there were several twists that I did not see coming. I always love when a good book can surprise me and that does not happen very often.

The UK described in the book is ruled by the Equals, the aristocrats, who weld magic that is called “Skill”. The commoners or “Un-Skilled” are required to spend ten years of their lives as slaves with no rights and they are considered chattel. The story revolves around two families, the Hadley family, who are commoners, and the Jardine family who are the most powerful “Skilled” family.

The Hadley’s plan is to do their slave days as a family and they have been assigned to the Jardine’s estate of Kyneston. From the start their plans go array, when the car comes to pick them up the Hadley’s, soon to be seventeen year old, son Luke is not assigned to the estate, but to the slave town of Millmoor. Millmoor is a notoriously brutal factory town where the work is long and hard and many do not survive. As a slave Luke has no rights; therefore, he must go on to Millmoor and hope his family can correct this error. What ensues is nothing short of tragic.

The Guiled Cage is the start of a great new trilogy. I predict that it will be the next big epic YA fantasy series and I can’t wait to read the second installment.

Disclosure: I received an ARC copy from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for me honest review.

Sleeping Giants by Sylain Neuvel

Title: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) Author: Sylvian Neuvel Pub Date: 26-Apr-2016
Title: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)
Author: Sylvian Neuvel
Pub Date: 26-Apr-2016
Rating: 4 Stars

Sleeping Giants is the debut novel by Sylvain Neuvel. This novel uses an unusual technique, like found in World War Z, to tell the story. The narrator is an unknown person and you are reading the interview files of said narrator with a few journal notes and news reports as fillers. I was not expecting this, even though this technique is not new; yet, it really worked for me and I found it to be a very effective tool.  It gave a certain air of mystery and aloofness that I found enhanced the story.

The story opens with Rose Franklin riding her new bike on her 11th birthday and out of nowhere a huge hole opens up and swallows her. When rescue arrives it is discovered that she has fallen into a pit that contains an ancient artifact. This artifact is a gigantic metal hand and the hole is glowing and contains strange symbols on the walls. Skip forward twenty years and Rose is now a scientist and is leading a team of people to uncover the mystery behind the hand and the symbols. Continue reading “Sleeping Giants by Sylain Neuvel”