melita's booklog - mostly

First off was The Bird of the River by Kage Baker. Set in the same world as The Anvil of the World and The House of the Stag, it is the story of Eliss. She's grown up early, trying to protect her brother (a half-breed), and care for him and her mother. Her mother was a Guild diver but has succumbed to drug addiction and a succession of boyfriends, most bad. Eliss manages to talk her mother into a job on the The Bird of the River, a ship that plies a major river (think, the Mississippi or the Ohio) clearing snags and mapping the ever-changing course. Shortly, her mother dies in an accident, but Eliss finds a job as a lookout.

The ship has taken on a young man as kitchen boy. Eliss soon realizes with her discerning eyes that there's more to him than he tries to let on. There are several mysteries to solve, and a few battles, but the overall tone of the story to me is quiet, focusing on Eliss making her way in the world, finding friends and security. I am very sorry that we won't get any more stories (unless there's some unpublished or partial manuscripts) from Kage Baker. Probably best known for her series about the Company, I liked all of her work.

All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me is an autobiography by Jeff Dunham. Jeff Dunham is a vent, or ventriloquist. I was first introduced to him by my friend, Mary (thanks!!). I don't search out comedians, or even comedic books usually. If you put something in front of me, I'll enjoy it, but I prefer a little humor leavening a drama or a regular book. Anyway, I was amazed by Dunham's performances on DVD. As explained in his book, he started out with more typical vent jokes, but realized that his figures (he still calls them dummies, but says figures is the more correct term--it's just like sci-fi versus sf!) needed to have strong personalities of their own. The book details how he got into ventriloquism and lengths he's gone to become as popular as he is. He's no longer allowed to compete at the national vent convention.

Like the characters in a good book or move, you really feel that [some of] the dummies are *there*, alive somehow. If you've seen and enjoyed his performances, you may appreciate getting some behind-the-scenes insight. Otherwise, try to watch one of the DVDs or a showing on Comedy Channel. I particular enjoy Walter (a elderly curmudgeon), Peanut (a hyperactive woozle), and Achmed the Dead Terrorist (Silence! I keel you!).

I then dove into Martha Well's new book, The Cloud Roads, from Night Shade Books (thank you, NSB!!). It's a new fantasy world with many different humanoid species. Moon is a shapeshifter with only dim memories of his mother and siblings and is currently living with various tribes, just trying to make a home. He hides his shifting ability as he's been chased away from communities before. As we find out, his other form (winged) looks like the bad race, the Fell who are continually encroaching on existing communities and destroying them (which includes eating the people). Uncovered and staked out, he's rescued by Stone, who looks similar to Moon, although much larger. It turns out that Moon is a Raksura and just the type (there are several) that Stone's been looking for.

I enjoyed the book a lot. (More Stone, Martha!) There's some magic in this world, beyond the shapeshifting, and hints of a bigger milieu than what we're seeing. Moon isn't as sarcastic as some of Wells's characters like Maskelle or Nicholas, but still has enough spunk to make him interesting. He's young, comparatively. Stone is the wise elder, trying to salvage the colony while handling a mad queen. He reminds me of Gibbs in NCIS, complete with head slapping when a underling does or says something stupid. The ending is reasonable--not a cliff-hanger or anything. A sequel, The Serpent Sea, is planned for next year.

If I had a quibble with the book, it's that Moon actually fits in quite well at Indigo Cloud Court (Stone's home). He automatically uses dominant moves--which made me wonder how he knows to use them? You could say that it's genetic, but after 20 years or more hiding much of his nature to blend in, I had to wonder if some of those automatic reflexes would be blunted. A hunting scene where he uses similar techniques to scare prey (or something) would have shown him using the technique. Anyway, very minor quibble.

Currently reading: Tanya Huff, Valor's Choice