Book Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Book #88 of 2018:

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Starbound #2)

The first novel in the Starbound series took a while to draw me in, but this sequel improves upon its predecessor by offering two new central characters whose starcrossed Romeo and Juliet plot of soldiers on opposite sides of a war is compelling right from the start. I especially appreciate that the heroine is a dark-skinned woman with a Chinese mother, since people from minority backgrounds seldom get to see themselves as the romantic leads in genre fiction. The worldbuilding is also more complete, and although I still have questions about the larger society where the series is set, this particular planet feels fleshed-out and lived-in.

Granted, I could have done without the flashback-y dream sequences that occur in between every single chapter, which feel extraneous even after they’re finally explained in the last tenth of the book. And I would have liked a closer tie to the previous story, since this one is more than half over before being firmly cemented as a sequel. But if you like the sci-fi romance of These Broken Stars, this follow-up is well worth the read.

★★★★☆

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TV Review: Archer: Dreamland

TV #19 of 2018:

Archer: Dreamland

I don’t usually care for extended dream sequences or retcons, because writers playing fast and loose with what’s been previously established makes it harder for me to invest in the new status quo. But with that being said, I think the reboot at the start of this eighth season of Archer was a good call. The continuity is entirely reset and the characters themselves are a little scrambled, and although I miss what had been built up over the previous seasons, the shakeup definitely keeps the show from growing stale. (Plus there are enough new jokes to keep me from missing all the callbacks too badly.) This won’t go down as my favorite Archer season, but it’s effective on its own terms and would be a good place for new viewers to jump in.

★★★☆☆

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Book Review: Star Wars: Beware the Power of the Dark Side! by Tom Angleberger

Book #87 of 2018:

Star Wars: Beware the Power of the Dark Side! by Tom Angleberger

A fun junior novelization of the third movie from the original Star Wars trilogy. Stylistically it’s the least daring of the books in this semi-series, but it’s still a capable retelling of the film’s story with a few cool added moments. (A late heart-to-heart conversation between Princess Leia and Rebel leader Mon Mothma is particularly moving.) Author Tom Angleberger adopts a jaunty, conversational tone that’s a good fit for a children’s novel, aptly recapturing the magic of Return of the Jedi for a whole new medium.

★★★☆☆

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Book Review: Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Book #86 of 2018:

Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #4)

More or less a return to form after the disappointing third book in this children’s fantasy series. I wish this final volume hadn’t skipped forward 17 years after the last book’s cliffhanger, but the new story is fun enough and many favorite characters pop in for a cameo. I still might just stick with the first two books in a future reread of the series, though.

This book: ★★★☆☆

Overall series: ★★★☆☆

Book ranking: 2 > 1 > 4 > 3

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Book Review: The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Book #85 of 2018:

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

This 1812 children’s classic of a shipwrecked family is understandably old-fashioned, but it’s still a fun read. Although the action is incredibly episodic with almost no ongoing plot or sense of real danger, the characters’ plucky optimism makes it easy to root for them as they set up their new island home. It’s a welcome change from their dreary namesake Robinson Crusoe, and a nice picture of a family that sometimes bickers but always pulls together.

[With that being said, modern readers, especially those looking to share the story with young children, should be aware of some mild racism and colonial attitudes in this text. The island has no other human life, but the castaways occasionally discuss “Negroes” and “savages” in disparaging terms. These moments are unfortunately typical for the time of publication, but can be jarring amid the general pleasantness of the story.]

★★★☆☆

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Book Review: Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

Book #84 of 2018:

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

This novel by the Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle is fairly well-written, but its weird 90s midwestern gothic vibe doesn’t really work for me. (The comparison that keeps coming to mind is the old show Twin Peaks, which I gave up on in frustration after the first few episodes. If you liked that series more than I did, you might enjoy this book as well.)

The story begins when a video store clerk starts noticing strange home footage recorded over some of the cassettes, but after this promising start, we’re introduced to a lot of tangential plots, opaque character logic, and ultimately unanswered questions. The few resolutions that do come are not particularly satisfying, so although individual passages are effective in isolation, the novel as a whole just feels disjointed.

★★☆☆☆

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Book Review: Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

Book #83 of 2018:

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb (Liveship Traders #3)

The Liveship Traders trilogy has been steadily improving as it goes along, and this action-packed final volume is particularly great for weaving back together the various storylines that have diverged over the course of the previous novels. It’s downright thrilling to see some of these characters reunite, especially for their shared realizations of how each has grown during the time apart. Author Robin Hobb has written some lovely character arcs in this series, and the payoff here is tremendous.

The ugly side of Hobb’s talent is that readers spend a lot of time in this trilogy inside the head of a gaslighting abuser, who now progresses to outright rape. Backstory revelations give insight into the cycle of violence that can turn victims into victimizers, but Hobb doesn’t shy away from the traumatic nature of such a heavy narrative. Consider this a reminder that although these books tell a great story of swashbuckling adventures with pirates and dragons, there are dark waters along the way.

This book: ★★★★☆

Overall series: ★★★☆☆

Book ranking: 3 > 2 > 1

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TV Review: Better Call Saul, season 3

TV #18 of 2018:

Better Call Saul, season 3

At this point, I’m almost ready to declare Better Call Saul the superior program to its parent show Breaking Bad. (It helps that there doesn’t seem to be the same toxic fandom around it, with people mistaking a critique of harmful behaviors for a celebration or endorsement.) It’s less action-packed but no less tense, especially when it comes to original Saul characters like Nacho and Kim. I think this season in particular is the first prequel that’s really made me care about / worry for characters that I know won’t be around later on.

Three seasons in, it’s definitely time to let go of any lingering sentiment that Breaking Bad didn’t need a prequel or that there wasn’t anything left to explore in the character of Heisenberg’s attorney. Saul Goodman / Jimmy McGill has now appeared in more TV episodes than Walter White, and I’m still endlessly fascinated by his depths. When you add that to the Breaking Bad house style of music and cinematography – I could honestly spend days watching those wordless montages of Better Call Saul characters at work – this is truly a show that deserves to be up there with the original.

★★★★★

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Book Review: Doctor Who: Bad Therapy by Matthew Jones

Book #82 of 2018:

Doctor Who: Bad Therapy by Matthew Jones (Virgin New Adventures #57)

This novel was written as part of an ongoing series back when Doctor Who was off the air in 1996, and is probably best read within that context. Readers picking up the book in isolation, as I did, will still get a great story but won’t fully understand the tragedy from the previous novel that haunts the Seventh Doctor and his companion throughout their current adventure.

Nevertheless, there’s a lot to draw an interested Whovian to this title in particular within the Virgin New Adventures series. Author Matthew Jones would later go on to write the TV double-feature “The Impossible Planet” / “The Satan Pit” (as well as the Torchwood episode “Dead Man Walking”), and an early exploration of similar themes can be found here. Jones also uses the opportunity of his first full-length Whoniverse story to bring back classic companion Peri Brown, whose narrative arc was never really resolved when she left the show in 1986. For any fan of the character, it’s a thrill to see her interacting with Seven, especially when she confronts him for the way his earlier selves have treated her in the past.

The story itself is also a fine one. During the so-called ‘wilderness years’ when Doctor Who was kept alive through novels like this, writers had free range to take the franchise in a more mature direction than the family television program could allow. There’s frank confrontation of racism and homophobia, adult relationships (including several healthy gay romances), and a nuanced take on grief and trauma. Wrap all that in an alien invasion with compassion for refugees, and it’s no wonder that fans stayed hooked.

★★★★☆

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TV Review: Jane the Virgin, season 4

TV #17 of 2018:

Jane the Virgin, season 4

This season is so propulsive in forward momentum, and it’s fantastic to see Jane blossoming into such a capable adult. Petra, Alba, and Xiomara also get some particularly great plot arcs this season, and I love how fiercely celebratory of Latinx culture the writing has grown. (That’s always been present in this series, but I feel like they’ve been leaning into it a lot more post-2016.) I’m obsessed with that final twist and what it means for the next – potentially last – season, but as always, it’s the outstanding character work that really makes the telenovela narrative elements sing.

★★★★☆

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