Sci Fi Sunday with Guest Blogger Angel Martinez

When you think of Science Fiction writers, who do you think of? Asimov? Clarke? Bradbury? Most definitely. But today's science fiction has a difference face and name, and not all of it is male. This is not your parents' science fiction any more, it's a brave new world that women are not afraid to venture into! Having said that, please welcome back my friend and fellow author Angel Martinez, who's going to talk about Sci Fi, and her newest release withAmber Allure.  While she and I belly up to the bar, I'll let her begin.

The Science Fiction Child

Recently, I asked a group of friends to pose questions, anything at all they might want to know about my work and so on. There were some fabulous ones and some that surprised me. This is in response to the question from Emma asking if I was “into SF as a child” and what was it like growing up in a science fiction world of make believe.

That brought a flood of memories. I was interested in the universe at large when I was small, as most children are, but science subjects occupied a lot of shelf space in my room. My indulgent parents purchased a working microscope for me, bought books on stars and planets, on animals and weather, on anatomy and the moon landing. I was only five years old at the time of the first moon landing, but I think it sparked something in my imagination so fiercely, it never quite went away.

I wasn’t the only one, of course. A slew of movies and television shows built around speculation about space, both serious and silly, cropped up in my early childhood – Lost in Space, My Favorite Martian…

Star Trek.

It’s easy to make fun of the original ST, with its low budget sets, its primitive special effects, its tendency toward over-acting, (in certain cases) and its occasional disregard for the laws of physics, despite Mr. Scott’s protestations. But it was original, the characters interesting and accessible, and the themes important ones, explored in environments that removed them from the politics and strife of Earth.

Yes, my best friend and I played Star Trek. I admit it. She was Captain Kirk and I was Mr. Spock, because that’s how our personalities fell and because Kirk and Spock were best friends, too. Of course. The question of gender never entered our minds, nor the question or Kirk and Spock’s actual relationship. We were too young and our minds were filled with aliens, distant planets, tricorders and phasers. Sometimes we tried to have other friends join in, but they never really got it and we’d end up playing dress up or something equally distasteful to us. More often than not, it was just the two of us, transforming the landscape of shelves and boxes in our parents’ basements into alien terrain and starship corridors.

Eventually, my friend outgrew her SF phase. Me? I’m old enough to be someone’s grandmother – and I never have.

Want to see the next thing to spring from my geeky, tilted SF brain?

Launching August 19, 2012 – a new M/M Science Fiction Mystery from Amber Allure:

Sub Zero

By Angel Martinez

Always send the right man for the job – even if he’s been dead for a hundred years.

Blurb:

Major Aren Dalsgaard's newest assignment is to investigate a series of murders on the frigid planet, Drass, where relations between the Treaty settlers and the natives have taken a nasty turn. A linguist and trained xenologist, Aren should be the ideal Special Investigations officer for the assignment. So what's the problem? Drass is where he died, more than a hundred and twenty years ago.

Sent by his family to the chigyel city, Nyachung finds himself confronted with a murder charge, racial prejudice, and a cryo-revived investigator who claims to be a hero from his grandmother’s generation. Major Dalsgaard could be crazy or he could be lying, but the sincerity in his spring-green eyes disturbs Nyachung more than anything else he encounters in the foreigners’ city.

Now, confronted with mysterious black boxes and a beautiful yet evasive young man as a prime suspect, Aren hopes he can solve the murders before his fierce sexual attraction to Nyachung gets the better of him...

Excerpt:

Thuds and muffled screams came from the lab up ahead, only serving to underscore the sergeant’s anxiety. Aren bulled through the door and skidded to a stop, speechless in shock. Nyachung lay on his back on the gurney, stripped to the waist, arms stretched out to either side and strapped down to extensions. The staff had shoved something soft between his teeth, either to keep him from breaking them or to keep him from screaming too loud, and they had electro-pulse leads attached to his forearms, directly over the venom sacs and spur pads. The shocks from the hookup came in pairs, the first forcibly extending his arm spurs and the second zapping the sac in an attempt to force the venom out.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Aren bellowed.

The tech stared at him, nonplussed. “Getting your venom sample, sir.”

“By torturing him?”

“It’s standard operating procedure, sir.”

“Since when is physical abuse standard procedure in any branch of the service?”

Sergeant Wickstrom gave him a little nudge. “Sir, use of force in the obtaining of information or cooperation is up to the discretion of the facility commander. It’s in the manuals.”

“In the—you must be joking.”

“Afraid not, sir.”

Aren rubbed both hands over his face. “God. Barbaric century.” Then he stalked over to the tech. “Unhook him, please. Not only is this inefficient, it’s inhumane. Do you have any idea, Corporal, how sensitive those venom sacs are?”

The hapless corporal gulped a breath. “I…don’t know, sir.”

“Imagine hooking one of those damn things up to your testicles and then shoving another up your urethra. That should give you some idea.”

“Yes, sir.”

The poor tech had turned green. Aren patted his shoulder, not wanting the boy to pass out. “Just turn it off. Unhook him. There’s a better way to do this. Several, actually. You could have just asked him for a sample, but now that he’s a shuddering mess, he’ll need some help.”

While the tech unhooked the leads, Aren went around the gurney undoing straps.

“Sir, you know he’s a murder suspect, right?”

“Oh, yes. Terribly dangerous, I’m sure. Maybe you should stand back. Safety first.” Aren perched hipshot on the edge of the gurney and gathered Nyachung into his arms as he switched to dangpo. “Are you with me, little one?”

“Why are they doing this?” Nyachung tangled both fists in the front of Aren’s jacket, shaking uncontrollably.

“Sh, sh, they want some of your venom. To compare it to the venom in the woman you found. If it’s not your venom, then you didn’t kill her.”

A hoarse sound, more sob than laugh came from the little tale-singer. “They could have said so.”

“Yes, they should have.” Aren held up a collection tube. “Can you do it on your own?”

Nyachung held out one shaking arm, well away from Aren. He curled his fingers, forearm muscles contracting. “I can’t,” he gasped out.

Gently, Aren placed his hand under Nyachung’s elbow. “Will you let me help you? I know we’re strangers and this is in front of others, but it would be better than their way.”

Black eyes gazed up at him, wet with unshed tears of pain. “All right. Do you… Have you done this?”

“I have.” Aren massaged his thumb over the tense forearm muscles a moment. Then he reached around, encircling Nyachung with his arms, partially hiding him from prying eyes. He pressed gently on the pad with his thumb, pushing the arm spur out as one would a cat’s claw. Keeping the pressure constant and the collection tube held over the spur in two fingers, he turned his attention to the venom sac. Besides the obvious places, this was the most sensitive spot on a dangpo male’s body.

He caressed the tender, abused skin, barely holding back the urge to curl forward and kiss the spot where the electro-pulse had been. Nyachung made a sweet, whimpering sound that shot straight to his balls and Aren hoped he was holding the stone-faced expression he was trying for. He began to massage the sac, his thumb describing slow, gentle circles. Nyachung twitched in his arms.

“Easy, little one, easy. As soon as you’re able.”

With a soft cry, Nyachung hid his face against Aren’s chest, his body shuddering with pain as he released his venom. His poor sacs would most likely be tender for days but he had managed enough to fill the tube...

Wow, that sounds really good, Angel! Can't wait to read it.  Oh look, those two guys I was telling  you about just showed up. Let me wave at them.




Well, we might be busy for a while. Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Happy Easter Sunday - the blog hop continues

Happy Easter, Happy Sunday to everyone! This is the last day of the Hoppy Easter Blog Hop. You have until midnight to comment on my post, follow me, leave your email address and be entered in my contest. Having said that, I most likely won't pick a winner until Monday morning, so let's be honest - you have until I get up and my daughter helps me choose the winner.

That being said, it is Easter. We have no special plans for this day. I didn't get a ham, so I'm going to be a bit non-traditional, and make country fried steak and gravy, mashed potatoes, and baby carrots. Maybe watch a movie. Depends on what Sarah wants to do when she gets up - undoubtedly she'll sleep in.

Since this is Easter Sunday, I thought I'd re-post my review of a movie, one that is very fitting to the occasion. Jesus of Nazareth, with Robert Powell. I highly recommend watching this, despite its length. It's worth it. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

There are few people who are not familiar, at least to some degree, with the story of Jesus of Nazareth, from birth to death.  It's a story which has been portrayed in books, in songs, in verse, as well as in the cinema and on the small screen many times, not to mention it has a prominent place in the New Testament.  In 1977, acclaimed filmmaker Franco Zeferelli filmed his own version of the story, which was broadcast as a TV mini series of more than six hours' duration (probably a lot more than that by the time commercials were thrown in).  I admit that it took me a while to get around to watching this version because I was put off by the choice for the lead role of Jesus Christ.  I had only seen Robert Powell in one thing prior to this, and that was the rock opera Tommy, where he played Tommy's father.  I could not see him, based on that one performance, as Jesus Christ, so I didn't try.  And I was skeptical when I heard of his powerful performance in the role.  I stuck with old familiars, such as King of Kings, with Jeffrey Hunter, and two versions of Jesus Christ Superstar.  Until I finally got around to seeing this version.

I was totally wrong, and very remiss for not having watched it sooner.  This film delves in great depth into the life of Jesus, beginning even before his conception.  Robert Powell is magnificent as Jesus.  He completely brings him to life, and makes him real in a way that I think few can ever match (I admit I haven't seen all Jesus films, of course).  Even despite the blue-eyed thing and the fact that he doesn't even look Jewish, which of course Jesus was.  But putting that aside as a cosmetic difference, he has a definite presence and an appeal and his eyes are truly haunting in their intensity.  One of the reasons for this is that Zefferelli had him not blink, an effective method of creating an otherwordly presence when among men.  The notes I read said he only blinked once, and that includes the portrayals of him at all ages, so I must conclude that the one scene is the one at the very end; at least it's the one I noticed.

As I said, the story begins before his conception, with Mary (Olivia Hussey) and Joseph, and a lot of time is spent with them.  In fact, after an hour into the film, we are still dealing with an infant, which is pretty drawn out by anybody's reckoning.  I admit, the beginning is rather slow, but not uninteresting.   Olivia Hussey is an unusual choice to portray His mother.  She had worked with Zefferelli prior to this in Romeo and Juliet, in 1968.  At the time Jesus was done, she was 26, but certainly doesn't look it.  I can't honestly say she added anything to the character, but she wasn't bad either.  Kudos to the film for dealing with what must have been a difficult subject between herself and Joseph, who is asked to take on the role of father to a child he knows for a fact can't  be his - a difficult task for any man.  But he rises to the occasion, and helps to provide Jesus and his mother with the home and stability that they  need, despite the difficulties they must go through along the way. 

The cast of Jesus of Nazareth is a stellar one by anyone's standards, and whereas sometimes that's a great and wonderful thing, it can also be a deterrent in some ways, especially if the actor or actor involved is very well known outside of the part.  I don't know about others, but I found having Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), Donald Pleasant and Ben Gazarra as the three magi was a bit offputting.  Michael York made an interesting John the Baptist, lacking perhaps a bit of the fire and brimstone to be found in Robert Ryan's portrayal in King of Kings (and a whole lot of the crazy).  What I found interesting in my reading (a novel called Pilate's Wife by Antoinette May), was that Jesus and John were cousins, a fact that I'd never heard before, which is hinted at here if you pay attention.  Make of that what you will, I'm just throwing it out there.  Christopher Plummer acquitted himself well as Herod Antipas, dealing with a nagging wife whom he loved, despite her shrewishness, and a nymphetic stepdaughter, who inflamed his lust.  You can feel his sympathy with and liking for John the Baptist; he finds him harmless, and is loath to do anything against him, until driven to it by a rash promise to his wife.  Also very interesting casting is Ian McShane as Judas Iscariot, one of the more sympathetic portrayals of him I have seen, not resorting to automatic bad guy status.  He plays him as sincere and earnest, believing he is doing what is best for Jesus, not realizing he is being used as a pawn by Zerah (Ian Holm).  Other members of the cast, which is too numerous to list in its entirety, include Rod Steiger, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, Stacy Keach (as Barabbas), Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, and many more.

Without giving a blow by blow account of a well-known story, I'd like to mention two scenes which stand out in my memory.  The first involves Ernest Borgnine as a Roman centurion, who approaches Jesus to ask for his help.  He has a servant that is ill, and the man is more a friend than a servant, and he is very concerned about him, will Jesus please help him?  Although many of those around him protest at the centurion even being there, because of his being Roman and all, naturally Jesus does not listen to words of hate, but instead to words of need.  He says he will come with the centurion, who then protests that he does not expect that, he does not wish to trouble him.  He goes on to say that he just need say it is done, that then it will be done, he understands how that works.  As a soldier, he gives the order and it is obeyed, without him  having to be there.  Thus it is with Jesus.  He trusts that if Jesus says it will be, then it will be.  Jesus is very touched by the faith in him that the Roman evidences, and tells his followers that this man has got it right, that he understands better than they do.  That is a very heartwrenching tearful moment, especially when the news arrives that the Centurion's servant is well once more.

The second moment comes on the night of his arrest, prior to Judas' arrival,  as Jesus waits in the garden of Gethsemane, his disciples sleeping around him.  He is apprehensive and a bit fearful, naturally so, of what is going to happen.  And for a moment he is filled with doubt, and he has some introspection going on, and this is one of Robert Powell's finest scenes, I do believe.  I was very very touched, and wept myself.

Yes, six hours is a long film to watch.  I don't pretend to have watched it in one sitting, or two or three.  But I'm very glad I did.  This is one of the best versions of this story I've ever seen, and I highly recommend it.  I don't think you'll be sorry if you take the time to watch it.

Sci Fi Sunday - A Salute to the Men OF DS9

Happy Sunday and welcome to another edition of Sci Fi Sunday! Today we are going to take a look at those wonderful men from Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Enjoy!

Avery Brooks as Commander Sisco, commanding officer of DS9. He started the series with hair, but somewhere along the way he shaved it off.

Not sure what this is from, but it's a good picture of him.

And here he is with William Shatner.

Officer Odo was in charge of security. He was a shapeshifter, before the term was applied to other creatures, such as werewolves. He was able to shift into objects of any kind, and had to spend a certain amount of time in a bucket in a liquid state. Hard to recognize Rene Auberjonois under that make up!

There was something obviously between Odo and Kira Nereis, but Odo wasn't much of one for romance. Or relationships. He was always trying to catch Quark in the act, but by the end of the series, he gained a grudging respect for the Ferengian bar owner.

Everyone liked the genial Doctor Bashir, who could be rather naive at times. He had a thing for Jadzia Dax, but she ended up marrying someone else. I believe he ended up with Ezri Dax later. I could never warm up to her.

Here is Dr. Bashir and his good friend Chief Miles O'Brien, engineer for DS9.

O'Brien was on Next Gen before DS9. He was married to Keiko, and they have a little girl named Molly. You can find him on AMC's Hell on Wheels as a ruthless railroad builder.

Another picture of Dr. Bashir from his imaginary spy adventures in the holo suite.

Can't forget Q, also seen on Next Gen. He was mischievous and troublesome. And charming.

Here's Commander Worf. I know some people thought him standoffish, but I liked him.

Yes, he's the one who stole and married Jadzia Dax.

Garak. On the surface a simple tailor on DS9. In reality, a spy for the Obsidian Order. Very complex, and very fascinating. He became a good friend of Doctor Bashir. Played by Andrew Robinson, who was the bad guy in Dirty Harry, and was also in Hellraiser.








Now for my favorite character of all - Quark. Unscrupulous, sharp, businesslike and opportunistic, still - he had something good deep inside. Best character ever.

Quark was played by Armin Shimerman, whom you might remember from Beauty and the Beast. Usually seen beating on the pipes belowground.

Who's your favorite DS9 character? I'd love to know!

Don't forget to visit Sue Lynn's 2 Cents, and our shared blog, Backdoor Divas!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Sci fi Sunday - Gail Carriger's Heartless

Hello and happy Sci Fi Sunday! Today, I want to complete the reviews of the Parasol Protectorate with my own review of Heartless, the fourth book in the series. The fifth book, Timeless, releases in February of 2012, and trust me, I shall review it then.

Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4)  

Author: Gail Carriger

Publisher: Orbit Books

American release date: July 1, 2011

Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Paranormal Steampunk/374 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR/Suitable for teens and up

Overall Personal Rating : ☆☆☆☆☆

It seems that Alexia’s unexpected (and hitherto considered impossible) pregnancy has thrown the supernatural world into something of a tizzy (now that her husband has removed his head from his nether regions long enough to realize that the child is indeed his and none other’s). But it seems they have a plan. Lord Maccon, Lord Akeldama, and Professor Lyall, that is. They’ve been hatching their idea for five months, and have decided that now’s a good time to let Alexia in on their little scheme. (Nice of them, considering it’s her child they’re talking about). In light of the fact that Alexia has become the target of numerous annoying and inconvenient assassination attempts, she must give the child up. To Lord Akeldama;s care.

Men!

Synopsis:

Not surprisingly (except in the minds of the three gentlemen in question), Alexia does not fall in with their plan with handclapping and enthusiastic cheers. Rather, she’s totally against it. What mother would wish such a thing, to give up her child from birth? Really, gentlemen, be serious! But, with time to think, she, as always, has a better plan, one that will have the same result and not get her thrown out of her child’s life at one and the same time.

Alexia’s idea is to relocate herself and her husband into the townhouse next to Lord Akeldama’s, and to have a secret access to his home whereby they actually will live in his home, near their child, but for appearance’s sake, their address will be next door. Simple, eh? The hive’s fear centers around the child and what he or she may be capable of—namely their destruction. They feel that if said child were to be under Lord A’s tutelage, said crisis could be averted. However, just because a decision is reached doesn’t mean everyone has gotten the memo, and for now the attacks continue. Including one involving zombie hedgehogs.

Nothing in Alexia’s life is ever easy. Young Biffy, formerly one of Lord Akeldama’s drones (and the love of his life), now part of the Woolsey pack, is not adapting to his new condition well, and causes a great deal of trouble around the time of the full moon. Alexia’s sister, Felicity Loontwill, has taken it into her head to espouse women’s suffrage, and decides now, of all times, that she must be independent and free—while living with and dependent upon her sister. Madame Lefoux seems troubled to Alexia, but she isn’t sure why and the inventor isn’t confiding. Perhaps it is because her beloved aunt, Formerly Lefoux, the ghost, is about to end all existence at any time. But what is that derby-shaped contraption in Genevieve’s basement all about?

Then there is the ghost who shows up unexpectedly with a message for Alexia, warning of danger to the queen. Just when Alexia is in need of her wits the most, she finds that her advanced pregnancy has addled them, not to mention her increased bulk makes getting about fairly difficult at times. Especially when under fire. But that doesn’t keep her from impersonating a cook in search of unemployment, as she and Floote scuttle about the neighborhood, searching for clues.

Can anything else possibly go wrong in Alexia’s life?

Of course it can…

 Commentary:

The fourth volume in the Parasol Protectorate series is every bit as engaging as its predecessors, filled with the wit, the action, the suspense and the manners which we’ve come to expect from Gail Carriger. I have to say that as a mother, the solution which the gentlemen proposed at the beginning of the book set my teeth on edge. I understand why Alexia compromised as she did, but I would never be happy with such an arrangement, and I’d fight tooth and nail to keep my child. That being said, I have hopes that something will happen in the final volume to allow the family a normal life. That’s a relative term, by the way, as we are talking about a preternatural and a werewolf here, and who knows what the child will be?

My next consideration of ponderance is why on earth Biffy and Lord Akeldama can’t still be together, even if they are different species? Alexia and Conall manage quite well. It’s a matter of the heart, and if they work at it, I don’t see why it can’t be done. Perhaps the answer will lie in the next book.

Gail Carriger has drawn her characters superbly. Each and everyone pops out at you distinctly; there’s no mistaking one for another. Even the annoying ones, such as Felicity (whom I wish to beat down on a regular basis). At least we are spared the presence of Alexia’s insipid Mama and the rest of her mindless brood. Please let that last!

Carriger has given new meaning and depth to the steampunk genre, combining it with paranormal romance and coming up with one whale of a tale. Alexia Tarabotti Maccon is one of the best heroines ever. Were I ever to find myself in a fight, I’d definitely want her on my side. And her hubby certainly gives new meaning to the phrase sexy beast!

I read somewhere that there’s been a bit of dissension regarding the novel’s cover. I must say that I quite like the colors, and think they are rather fitting. I also like the backdrop of Woolsey.

I highly recommend this series to everyone. I’m greatly looking forward to the next volume; I’m sorry that it will be the last. However, take heart. Another series is about to begin—The Finishing School. I’m sure it shall be great fun too! Rest assured, I shall review that as well.

Join us next week for another episode of Sci Fi Sunday! Don't forget to check out Sui's blog, 2 Cents, and our join blog, Backyard Divas!

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie and Sui

Sci fi Sunday - Gail Carriger's Blameless

Happy Sci Fi Sunday! Continuing with our steampunk theme, I offer you my daughter Sarah's review of Gail Carriger's Blameless, the third book in the Parasol Protectorate Series. Enjoy!

Blameless: Parasol Protectorate book 3  
Author: Gail Carriger
Publisher: Orbit Books
American release date: September 1st 2010
Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Fantasy/374 pages
Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Older Teen
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar series/titles to check out: the Sookie Stackhouse series; Kieli; Last Exile

Alexia Tarabotti thinks her life is hard enough living as a preternatural socialite in steampunk Victorian England - but when her werewolf husband kicks her out of their home, she loses her position in the Shadow Council, and there are evil mechanical ladybugs trying to kill her, things go from bad to unbearable. There's only one option left to Alexia if she wants to stay alive - road trip to Italy, anyone?

Synopsis:

After finding herself in a most delicate condition—something that should be impossible given that Lord Maccon's supernatural state disallows breeding of any type—Lady Alexia Maccon-Tarabotti now finds herself kicked out of Scotland and her husband's familial home and back into the not-so-loving arms of her own family, who have no qualms about letting Alexia know how they feel about having such a scandalized individual under their roof. Angry at Lord Maccon and now unceremoniously cut off from the protection of both the clan and the Shadow Council due to a curt dismissal from the Queen herself, Alexia turns to the usually comforting presence of her vampire best friend Lord Akeldama—only to find the man missing, leaving behind only a vague message about looking after his cat. When a mini-plague of mechanical ladybugs, along with practically all the vampires in London, force Alexia to protect herself in a most unladylike fashion, England starts looking less and less safe for a pregnant preternatural. With her father's faithful butler Floote and the French inventor Madame Lefoux at her side, Alexia embarks on a road trip of steampunk proportions with the final destination being Italy: an ultra-religious country openly hostile towards supernatural beings and filled with Templars and delicious pesto galore. Who would ever guess such a place would be the best sanctuary for Alexia Maccon to seek answers about her preternatural state? But even the very orange landscape of Florence conceals some of the greatest dangers that Alexia has ever faced.

As Alexia and her jolly 'parasol protectorate' find themselves getting deeper into a whole mess of mysteries in Italy, back in London the arrogant and heartbroken Lord Maccon has decided to treat his state of mind by getting thoroughly hammered, much to the chagrin of his beta, Professor Lyall, who is forced to hold together the Woolsey werewolf pack in his elective absence - which means handling everything from challenges from lone wolves to dealing with the pressure of an irate Shadow Council. But when the Woolsey pack find itself being pulled into the inner political business of vampires, mainly the disappearance of Lord Akeldama, Lord Maccon will have to sober up quick if he wants to help find his wife's good friend as well as get back into his beloved's good graces (if Alexia will still have him). That is, if Maccon can stop acting like an arrogant buffoon long enough to realize the worst kind of truth there is: that he was totally and utterly wrong.

Commentary:

Do you like fantasy books in alternative Victorian England where the technology and fashion of steampunk is part of everyday life? Do you like your werewolves and vampires and other supernatural things to wear fancy dress and follow the old fashioned rules of etiquette, usually to humorous effect? Do you like reading about a well-read half-Italian woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind and wields a parasol like a weapon (because it is)? And . . . you're not reading the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger, now at three books and ongoing? For shame! Right now, there hasn't been a better time to jump into this excellent series, especially since the third book kicks off so many plots and subplots that will continue the story through several more volumes - all of them wickedly interesting and sure to make great reads in the next year. Plus, more Alexia Tarabotti! And that can never be a bad thing.

In the third book of the series chronicling Alexia's adventures in both the abnormal and the mundane, Blameless, she finds herself in a bigger pickle than ever before: her husband has deserted her; there's an impossible baby on the way; she has to live with her odious family yet again; her vampire BFF has gone AWOL with no clear reason why; it seems like everyone is pretty much out to kill her - including, of all things, mechanical ladybugs with very dangerous antennae. As usual, the amount of paranormal nonsense Alexia must go through on a daily basis is always strange and vastly interesting - as well as the fact that Alexia is less scandalized by these things happening to her as much as the fact that protecting herself from them means ruining all her best skirts and gowns in the process. In this volume, however, she has one more thing to worry about - she's pregnant. Her conversations with the 'infant-inconvenience' growing in her body are terribly amusing, and it makes one wonder what kind of mother Alexia will make if/when the child is born - or for that matter, what kind of father Lord Maccon might be.

Another new thing in Blameless is the new attention on Lady Tarabotti's preternatural soulless state, now more curious than ever seeing that she's with child by a werewolf, and such a union is rare if not impossible. As readers, we have spent two books following Alexia's life without a soul and have gotten used to her 'condition', so seeing characters like the German scientist Mr. Lange-Wilsdorf (who insists on addressing Alexia as the 'Female Specimen') and the church's preceptor (who in turn calls Alexia 'My Soulless One', capital letters and all) examine her like a slide underneath a microscope's gaze is unsettling in the strangest of ways. It's a good sign that Alexia's soullessness is going to become part of the ongoing story in a big way and I look forward to seeing how everything is resolved, if anything is. Add to this the dynamics of werewolf packs and vampire hives as well as the inner workings of England's high society set against a very gears-and-cogs world and it's plain to see that all the world-building and details built up in the first book are greatly paying off.

So, let's add it all up, shall we? In this book alone, a fearlessly stubborn and pregnant soulless female lead is dodging killer insects and odious vampires currently swarming a most steampunk London set in the Victorian age before being forced to flee with her stiff upper lipped butler and French inventor female friend to the land of tasty green sauce and dementedly religious Templars while her husband skulks around drunk on 'pickling' liquid and his beta is forced to pick up the pace of running the pack - and somewhere in the English countryside a fabulously distressed vampire is looking for his favorite drone and a research center disguised as a hat boutique is being overrun by ugly headgear by an unwitting Ivy Hisselpenny and her board-treading husband. With all theseawesome exciting things going on, you'd be demmed foolish to not give this book a whirl.

Overall Grade: A

The Alexia Tarabotti books continue to bring it in terms of adventure, humor, and stylish steampunk - whether in Victorian England or Templar-infested Italy.

In the Radius: Fans of Parasol Protectorate's steampunk-styled action should check out the anime series Last Exile, a sci-fi show created by Studio GONZO which has also been reviewed on the Anime Radius site.


Until Next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Sci Fi Sunday - Gail Carriger's Soulless

Good morning and welcome to Sci Fi Sunday! At least for now, Reality Check is done. It's been subbed and we're awaiting the results. In the meantime, we'd like to discuss Steampunk, and the new story we're working on. Never fear, you'll hear of Reno and Kay again, but we have new boys to bring you! And theirs is a Steampunk world.

My daughter Sarah wrote a review of Gail Carriger's novel Soulless, first in her Parasol Protectorate series. It's the first modern Steampunk I'd read, and I can directly attribute my reading it to my daughter's review, so here it is, and enjoy!

Soulless: Parasol Protectorate book 1  

Author: Gail Carriger

Publisher: Orbit

American release date: October 1st 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Supernatural/357 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Older Teen

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Similar series/titles to check out: Leviathan; Discworld; the Sookie Stackhouse novels

In an alternative Victorian-era England where werewolves and vampires are accepted occurrences and steampunk reigns supreme, it takes a young woman from high society who has no soul to cut through the nonsense and get to the important matters - like when the treacle tart is to be served.

Synopsis:

Alexia Tarabotti, half-Italian spinster with no soul who loves food, is greatly offended when she is attacked by a half-starved vampire during a social outing, a terrible breach of etiquette not to mention not very good for her health. She manages to kill the vampire with her parasol and a wooden stake/hair pin, thus bringing the attention of BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry) on her as well as the queen of a nearby vampire hive. Luckily one of BUR's top officials arrives in the form of the dashing upper crust rogue/werewolf Lord Maccon, who is ordered by the Queen herself to investigate the matter; he is already an acquaintance of Miss Tarabotti and swears to protect her from those who wish harm on her - well, if they could stop squabbling at each other and work together in peace. Accompanying him is Professor Lyall, second in command and the arguable voice of reason among BUR, who honestly thinks Alexia and His Lordship could be very close friends if they gave their silly games a break for just one minute.

It soon becomes evident that the problem facing London's supernatural society is bigger than imagined as vampires unregistered and unrecognized start appearing around town, while registered vampires who are associated with known hives are disappearing without a trace. And it isn't just the vampires in a frenzy, as BUR's werewolves are finding out the hard way. Even Lord Akeldama, the foppish gossip king of London, doesn't know what's going on. As a soulless - someone who can drain the paranormal abilities of a vampire or werewolf with just a touch - Alexia becomes an unwilling target for all the blame, and she's not terribly pleased about it. As danger looms nearer, it's up to Alexia Tarabotti to unravel the mystery of these disappearances before her reputation is ruined forever and her status as a soulless is revealed - or worse, a painful and unbecoming death.

Commentary:

I must confess: I have not read much steampunk. I am also not the biggest fan of either werewolves or vampires. I also do not read a lot of Victorian lit, either from the era or inspired by it. Having said that, you would think I'd avoid a novel like Soulless by author Gail Carriger, which combines all of the above into one work. I picked the title up in the name of morbid curiosity, and found myself drawn into a solid story with some bumps in the road that kept it from being excellent. Not terrible, but not golden. Having said that, fans of the genre of fiction that centers around characters of the paranormal persuasion will love this book. Each race of fantastic creatures each have their own mythos that is slightly different than the ones paraded around in Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. Not to mention, they are all terribly polite to the point that it plagues the rules of their species - an amusing side-effect from being born in times of Victorian niceties. In an era of novels like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it's nice to see someone play the bloody tropes straight and have their world of petticoats and hansom cabs accept the presence of werewolves and vampires without having to outright wage war on them.

Fans of steampunk, I'm sorry to say, should find their cogs and gears fix somewhere else. The most steampunk elements of the book are the interest in science running rampant through academia, an apparent interest in the steampunk aesthetic demonstrated by both vampires and werewolves, the dirigibles in the skies over London (which just remind this reviewer of the zeppelins in the alternate universe on Doctor Who), and Alexia's parasol, which is designed to protect her against unwholesome beasties. Aside from that, there are no grandiose steampunk-esque machines or experiments until the tail end of the book. Alexia, although an avid bookworm and thinker, never rolls up her sleeves and tinkers with machinery. Nothing about average Victorian society apart from the dirigibles suggest a steampunk atmosphere - and it confounds me that they would use it as a selling point when I can't really see it in the text. The bloody cover is more steampunk than the book itself.

(And as for the cover itself? Alexia Tarabotti looks slim and pale skinned, not the lightly tanned and curvy Rubenesque young woman described in the novel. Plus, she is wearing a stereotypically steampunk hat that isn't even hers. This isn't the kind of whitewashed cover that Justine Larbalestier's Liar got, not by a long shot, but it pretty much wipes out the fact that Alexia is half-Italian with a complexion to match and is not a 'perfect hourglass' figure.)

Having said all that, Soulless is not without its merits, despite it sounding like there are none. For example, it is obvious that Derriger did a metric ton's worth of research on the intricate details of Victorian era living, from the foods and clothing to the dining etiquette and social manners that were so prevalent during that period. Like any good English Victorian novel, it is packed with dry wit (which, as I hear from self-declared Brit John Oliver, is something the English invented themselves) and manages to make even the most simple social slip-ups remarkably hilarious. I love that when Alexia is in the face of mortal danger from a vampire her biggest worry is on the lines of how scandalous her untied hair must seem or that she really picked a bad day to wear her best evening gown.

Alexia Tarabotti herself is the perfect kind of main protagonist you want narrating a tale of supernatural going-ons in prim and proper London. She is a spinster with a dark complexion and curves to spare, a woman who loves to read and is far too intelligent for her own good - aka the kind of woman their mother despairs over because she'll never marry, and society pretty much dismisses her as a never-do-anything because of it. Does it bring her down? Of course not. She does what she wants, is capable of protecting herself thank you very much Lord Maccon, and once she sets her mind on something that something usually gets done no matter what. Alexia is stubborn and clever in a pinch and her constant snarky Victorian-era point of view as she straddles upholding social standards in all situations and navigating the waters of the vampire/werewolf realm brings a clarity to some of the more convoluted aspects of the time. Even the golden age of scientific discovery, it seems, can't stop society from upholding ridiculous moral and social attitudes that make things overly complicated, even for someone who was used to it.  It's a shame that, in ostracizing Alexia from society and thus making her a candidate for BUR's meddling, that they over-emphasize her Italian features and body shape. I understand that it is a Victorian viewpoint and it is Alexia herself telling the story, but there must be more subtle and better ways of separating one from the pack without resorting to overly describing her physical characteristics. (There's also the fact that the prose seems confused on whether she is barely tan or very much tan, but that could be another thing chalked up to the narrator's own self-perceived flaws.)

Alexia's foil presents itself in the form of Lord Maccon, and the back blurb of the novel describes him perfectly: loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf. I often find that when a writer tries to integrate the wolf-aspects into the human form's personality, it doesn't end well and seems painfully forced, but for Lord Maccon his werewolfish tendencies while still looking very much a human are a delight to read. He is just as stubborn and snarky as Alexia, and every time they butt heads over BUR policy or a social disaster you can practically smell the romantic tension building up between them. I found myself cheering for their very dysfunctional romance, and I'm not the type to cheer for the main characters to become couples straight out of the gate. When Alexia learns via Professor Lyall that Lord Maccon has actually begun courting her werewolf-fashion, her responses to his advances from then on are some of the most amusing and titillating scenes in the book. Yes, things get very steamy between our Victorian heroine and her dashing rogue friend, but never does it become embarrassingly explicit or unnecessarily detailed. After all, it's not a smut book, it's a mostly-general supernatural fantasy set in steampunkish Victorian England, dang it! This is the era of the Brontë sisters and Wilkie Collins; fade to black or be gone with you!

The only other time that Soulless outright addresses sexuality is through Lord Akeldama, whom upon meeting him for the first time you'd be foolish not to notice that he is English, intelligent, and gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. It is never expressed in those words, but you'd have to be blind, living under a rock, and have never interacted with any sort of media to not realize Lord Akeldama prefers vampires his own gender - and probably those who share his extremely vibrant and garish taste in clothing. Reading Derriger's descriptions of his usual outfits, you can imagine how many times Alexia has to look away from the vastly technicolor nature of his design. But Lord Akeldama is also one of the most intelligent and clever people in the entire novel, someone who has ears practically everywhere in England and is a very useful informant when Alexia or BUR needs some intel on what's what. This is why, when Akeldama admits to Alexia that he doesn't know what is going on with the disappearances, you can feel that it's not right. Akeldama, the man who knows too much, knows nothing? The fact that this happens only briefly after first meeting him and yet has the power to affect the reader's perception of the problem at hand should highlight some of the skill in which author Derriger wields her control over the ongoing drama than runs through the main narrative; under all the English humor and romantic situations there is always a hint of danger on the horizon, a clue that something more sinister and dangerous is approaching for the cast that will test the lot of them in unthinkable ways. This is what kept me reading page after page despite its flaws: Derriger made me want to know what would happen next. An author who can effectively grab a reader's attention and then slowly pull them in like a sinkhole until the very end is one to be remembered with great respect.

The second book in the series, Changeless, is on my list of books to read. I think that as a second book, it will be more satisfying that the first as it will be a story with an already establish universe and therefore will not suffer from the growing pains that are evident in the world-building process that goes on throughout Soulless, at times reading more like mindless exposition than thoughtful background information. It's clear that Derriger took great pains to set up this alternate universe of machines and manners and beasties all meshed together, but the effort getting there seems to have seeped through the actual prose too well. I can't help but think that if she had laid off on revealing some of the information introduced in the first chapter until it didn't seem like such a pile of info that the entire process would have read a lot more smoothly.

In all, Soulless is a solid read for fans of the biologically strange and socially astute, and is a fascinating look into a world hopefully expanded upon in the following books of the series. I can't help but be intrigued and attracted to the character of Alexia Tarabotti, and as long as she is headlining this steampunk world of high society and secret magics, I will continue to follow her continuing adventures until their conceivable end.

Overall Grade:  C+

An intriguing tale of paranormal dilemmas in steampunk London, led by a fascinating main protag; not much steampunk to actually qualify the tag, descriptions of certain characters were jarring and at some points flat out unnecessary.

This review was just to whet your appetitite, there'll be more, I promise. Any questions? Any comments? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, take care! Don't forget to check out Sui Lynn's blog, 2 Cents, and our join blog, Backdoor Divas!

♥ Julie