Death and the Penguin, Andrey Kurkov (1996/2022)
Amazon swears I bought this in March, 2022 so it only spent 16 months or so at the bottom of my Kindle queue before I read it. At this point I’m not sure who or what recommended it. That’s too bad – I’d take more suggestions from them. The penguin in the title is a bird named Misha, who finds itself adopted by unemployed writer Viktor Zolotaryov. Viktor winds up with an unusual gig writing speculative obituaries for a local paper, and Misha winds up with a gig attending funerals–often of people Viktor has written obits for. The result is an interesting blend of mystery with darkly funny overtones, blended with scathing commentary on the state of Ukraine after the end of the Soviet Union. Kurkov writes deftly and in an almost minimal style, and was ably translated by George Bird. Prior acquaintance with Ukrainian politics or history isn’t necessary to enjoy this entertaining story.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No smirks to be found. Although I suspect the penguin of secretly smirking.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 8/10 (4 stars)
““As a butcher friend of mine was wont to say,” continued Sergey, “Let’s drink to not being worse off. We have known better days.”
The once terrible was now commonplace, meaning that people accepted it as the norm and went on living, instead of getting needlessly agitated.
The pure and sinless did not exist, or else died unnoticed and with no obituary.”
The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne 1), Sara Hashem (July 2023)
I preordered this based on the review of it in the May, 2023 Lightspeed Magazine – once I realized it was there, I zipped through it. An easy, satisfying read that ripples with nuance, detail and a fantastic, satisfying plot. Author Sara Hashem did a fantastic job with this. The plot and characters are layered, onionlike, with successive layers of substance that Hashem slowly and skillfully peels away. There’s an overlay of Arabic culture sprinkled lightly through the volume, which adds flavor and texture. The ending has particular dramatic depth, and sets the stage nicely for a tense opening to the next volume.
The faults are generally subtle. The world building was a bit sparse in spots, although the story sticks to the good side of the show vs. tell continuum. The writing could also have been a little tighter: now and then I had to look back to figure out what given name went with what character, and there’s too much use of my least favorite SFF word, smirk, in lieu of more subtle descriptors. This is balanced by otherwise excellent writing and superb storytelling. It was hard to believe it was a first novel, and I’m looking forward to more.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (10 ‘smirks’ but generally careful word choice.)
Immersion factor: Full-body: 2 pts
Writing quality: Above Average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: High: 2 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above Average: 1.5 pts
Total: 8/10 (4.0 stars)
“I didn’t understand the reactions I was experiencing, so I did what I do best in times of inner turmoil: I ignored it.”
Cold West, Clayton Snider (2020)
Recommended by https://www.ed-crocker.com/post/cold-west-a-review – this is a Grimdark fantasy western, with the “G” capitalized for a reason. It’s a quick read – literally an afternoon start to finish through its deceptively short 141 pages – but packed with the sort of thing you’re looking for if you want some really well-written, dark and fascinating entertainment. Snider’s a strong writer, and the plot flows fluidly. The main character, Wil Cutter, is damned many times over by his past who has managed to land on the straight and level. He brings ruin to himself and everyone he loves when he takes a job he shouldn’t have. The setting is a very weird version of the West, where magic and evil run rampant and no one seems to really, truly be a good person. There are only degrees of moral tarnish, painted artfully but also unsparingly and unsentimentally by Snider. A niche genre, to be sure, but this is a good, quick and compelling read.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No smirks given or taken, although they’d seem to be native to these parts…)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: High: 2 pts
Character/plot development: Above average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above average: 1.5 pts
Total: 8.5/10 (4.25 stars)