Laureen Guldbrandsen

Checking for correctness, conciseness, and clarity since 2006.
December 8, 2012

Makeshift Miracle Book 1: The Girl From Nowhere

The plot of Makeshift Miracle isn’t a new one. Teenage boy finds naked girl and brings her home. There’s something about this girl, and she needs protection from the boy. Fairly standard opening for a lot of mangas (DearS and Chobits, for example).

The art in this graphic novel is very remniscent of so many mangas I recall reading when I was younger, with the added bonus of the gorgeous watercolour. I inititally put this on my kobo, but when I realised that it was coloured I had to read it at the computer instead where I could look at the beautiful artwork in colour.

Colby was very easy to identify with, even if I’m the kind of person with the blog and the text messaging. However, Colby suddenly changed his opinion about posting things online and having a blog, which made him come across as an unreliable narrator. Iris’ confusion was endearing, but I wasn’t a fan of so much nudity. I get that the trope is for her to be naked, but I would have appreciated the clothing sooner.

I think this was an interesting start, and it posed a lot of questions that will hopefully be answered in the following volumes. The basic premise isn’t original, unfortunately, which made it seem a bit weaker than it could be, but on the other hand, it started to get a bit stronger plot wise near the end of this volume.

I was a little shocked at the lack of character information right off the bat, since that is something I am accustomed to seeing in manga, and not knowing one of the character’s names until you’re skimming through the sketchbook isn’t a good sign, especially if the character has been around for more than just a couple pages.

*Full disclosure, I received a free copy of this graphic novel from NetGalley.*

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December 7, 2012

Retrovirus by Jimmy Palmiotti

Dr Zoe Wallace is famous for her work on retroviruses. She’s approached by BioPharm with a job offer–she can study a neanderthal who is infected with a dead virus that is related to one the dinosaurs once had. Unfortunately, when she arrives at the research facility it’s to find that the virus isn’t as dead as she expected…

The artwork is what really sold the novel to me, it does a fantastic job at not just looking pretty, but also portraying emotional scenes. I found that a lot of the panels that had no text were some of the most evocative and compelling ones. And there were a few bits that I loved seeing, such as the stuffed Spock in Zoe’s room. It helped show a lot about the character, without the reader needing to be told in so many words, which I think is very important in a graphic novel.

On the other hand, the art was also used to continue stereotypes, with the scientists at the conference who are portrayed as perverts leering at the young and beautiful Zoe, while they themselves are either old, overweight, or both, and the majority of the scientists also wear glasses. There were a few instances where the dialogue could have been eliminated and a panel of art used to show instead, but otherwise it was really well done.

The story, though, was intriguing. I’m not a scientist, but I was fairly certain that the genetic science in Jurassic Park was pretty terrible, and it was probably bad in this as well, but it was consistent and believable which is the most important part of any science fiction. Zoe was a fairly strong female character, she expressed herself well and she was the one scientist who didn’t seem to be letting BioPharm pull the wool over her eyes after the first time. She agreed to signing up to work for the company and to her later romantic relationship a bit easily, but for such a short novel it’s understandable.

My only real complaint was that the ending felt a little too rushed. I really hope that there is a sequel for this one, because I’d like to know more about Zoe’s future research projects with BioPharm.

*In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free copy of this graphic novel through NetGalley. That does not influence my take on this comic at all, though I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to read and review it.*

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December 6, 2012

The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson

The Emperor's Soul cover

The Emperor’s Soul was not the first story I’ve read by Brandon Sanderson, but if I’m being honest it was the second. I’d picked up the first Alcatraz book and read it with my daughter when I learned that Sanderson had been picked to take up the mantle of completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. While Sanderson could tell a terrific kids story, I never got around to reading his Wheel of Time books, nor the rest of his books because, well, they’re really long books. So when I picked this book up on a whim, I thought I would enjoy a quick read and that would be the end of it.

And then the book sat on my book shelf. I was afraid to read it. I’ve heard it said that Sanderson is one of the best fantasy writers of our time and that sets some extremely high expectations, and there is always the fear of being let down when expectations are that high. But finally, I had enough of waiting and I started reading.

The Emperor’s Soul tells the story of Shai, a forger who is awaiting her execution after being caught trying to steal the emperor’s scepter. The day before her execution, however, she is given a chance at redemption and the greatest challenge of her life–she must forge a new soul for the emperor.

What I found to be so intriguing about this novella of less than 200 pages was that the majority of the story took place in a single room, yet was still captivating and I had a hard time putting it down. The way magic was used in creating forgeries was lovely and unique, and had the feeling of simplicity even though Shai had said that it was anything but. In order to create a forgery, one must know the history of the item in question, and she must then craft something that was plausible, or contained some element of truth.

The world itself was beautifully rendered with subtle hints at the larger world beyond the room Shai is held in, beyond the castle walls. There are, of course, references to the politics in this world which is only to be expected when the health of the emperor’s soul is the only thing that has stayed Shai’s execution. There are subtle hints to the rivalries and tentative alliances between the different countries.

It does feel like this had the potential to be a much longer story, but at the same time it doesn’t feel like we were cheated either. Sanderson told this story, and he told it well. I would definitely love to see a follow up to this story, to see if Shai succeeded with her changes to the soul, to see how she is doing after everything that has happened, even to see how the emperor’s advisers have managed since the emperor’s return.

While this book sat on my shelf for a while, I’m glad I finally read it. It was definitely worth the read, and I would recommend this to fantasy fans of almost all ages.

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October 15, 2012

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Genesis cover

In Genesis we learn about the society’s history as told through budding historian Anax’s eyes as she completes a four hour oral exam. But as Anax continues on in her exam she learns that what she thinks she knows isn’t the whole story.

This is labelled as a Young Adult novel, but for all that it’s a very short novel at only 150 pages, I don’t think I would have considered it to be intended for teenagers. Anax is a teenage girl, of course, but the subject matter of the novel is not what I would expect a teenager to read.

Genesis is full of philosophical discussions that pose questions on whether the idea or the mind came first (“They arrived together. The mind is an idea.”), that suggest how ideas can change and how the world can be influenced by this rogue ideas. There are some darker themes and aspects to the book than I would have expected, even with it being set in a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world.

The format for the story, though, was different and unique. Having the story itself be told as an exam lent itself well to the logical and well thought out approach that Beckett achieved so well. While I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in the book as much as I would have expected, I was intrigued and caught up in the debates that occurred throughout the course of both the exam and the history of the society.

But, let’s be honest, what I most loved about this book was that the ending was unexpected. A lot of authors try to surprise the readers, and the shock ending tends to be overdone. In this case, it was quietly done, the hints were there they were just so subtle that it took getting to the end for it all to build together and create a surprise ending. And between the ending and the philosophical questions, this is a book that makes you think.

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