Review: The Scribe’s Vault by Emma L Adams

I read this book as a judge for SFINCS4. However, these are my own views and do not necessarily reflect those of the judging team as a whole.

The Book:

Vaster Golt, teenage criminal living on the grimy streets of the city of Nizwel, has spent years committing petty crimes for his owner and master, Svolger, under threat of the revelation of his most dangerous secret.

When he and fellow thief Gedwen are sent to raid the contents of a noble family’s vault, they find a powerful resource hidden inside that might help them free themselves from servitude… and a Scribe, a wielder of powerful runes who is none too happy to find a pair of teenage thieves stealing from their home.

But Vaster and Gedwen aren’t ordinary criminals. They have gifts of their own, ones their master has been cultivating for a purpose that goes far beyond simple robberies. As the pair begin to unravel the schemes that have ensnared their lives, they find out the lengths to which Svolger is willing to go to prevent them from becoming masters of their own fates.

My Thoughts:

This is a solid fantasy novella with lots of adventure and a magic system based around runes. 

As fantasy novellas go this one is fairly typical of the genre – you know what you’re going to get and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s a short read but clearly a prequel to a longer series, introducing the characters of Vaster and Gedwen and setting things up for their adventures ahead. There are also many unanswered questions – what exactly is the Forest of Stones everyone is so worried about? I guess all this will be revealed in later books. However, I would have liked to see more of the worldbuilding and character development in this novella. 

All in all an enjoyable read. It was a simple but well told tale, typical of the genre and one which fans of fantasy will enjoy.

Review: The End of Time by Karyne Norton

I read this book as a judge for SFINCS4. However, these are my own views and do not necessarily reflect those of the judging team as a whole.

The Book:

The world is ending in five years, and humanity's solution is a mass exodus to the past. What could go wrong?

Renee's job for Serendipity is simple: she relocates families to the past so they don't die when the asteroid hits Earth in five years. On top of a paycheck, she earns her own time travel slot to escape the end of the world. Everyone wins.

But then Beckham shows up in her office, claiming she sent him from the past to find her. On top of that, he wants her help taking Serendipity down. As much as she likes the idea of sticking it to some of her bosses, she also really likes the idea of being alive after the Earth is destroyed.

But as Beckham spills more secrets about the dangers of time travel, Renee is forced to decide between securing her own happy ending and preserving thousands of others.

My Thoughts:

This is a very decent speculative thriller novella which would appeal to fans of authors such as John Maars.

The concept is really interesting and Renee is an engaging character. The resulting tangle of multiple timestreams and hopping across between them was well thought out and a lot of fun to read. The author has clearly thought about all the problems and paradoxes time travel can cause and has woven these issues into a compelling storyline. Time travel stories can be difficult to do well, but this one really works.

My only gripe is that I would perhaps have liked to feel more chemistry between Renee and Beckham, as this was a major plot point. 

But that aside, this book was great fun to read and I enjoyed it very much.

Review: The Mystery of the Bitten Peach by Cecilia Tan

I read this book as a judge for SFINCS4. However, these are my own views and do not necessarily reflect those of the judging team as a whole.

The Book:

Meet Mei, a young Chinese American who has discovered she has the mystical ability to transport herself anywhere that is spiritually "China"-including Chinatowns around the world and different eras of Chinese history. As an adoptive child of the diaspora, Mei was raised in America with no knowledge of Chinese folklore or fairy tales, but when an antiques dealer friend needs help retrieving a mythic artifact-a jade carving of a peach that represented same-sex love in ancient China-she's game to give it a try.

Her quest sends Mei not only into the past, but on a journey of self-discovery.

My Thoughts:

This is a beautifully written book, compelling and immersive on many different levels. A beautiful blend of history and folklore, and a treatise into the many facets of love. I also found it a fascinating insight into American culture from the perspective of a Chinese diaspora. I loved this book very much. I was thoroughly immersed in this world and swept away.

Mei is an engaging and interesting character, at times flawed which makes her very relatable and very human. Mei’s relationships with family, friends and lovers are particularly well drawn and at times powerful and poignant. One scene in particular between Mei and her mother almost made me cry.

The structure of the novel with parallel timelines as well as time travel is really well executed. We move easily between Mei’s past and present, as well as her various forays across time and place, from Chinatowns in different cities all the way back to Imperial China itself. A real testament to the skill of the author. One small niggle though, a plot hole that was never really closed. A time travel paradox that I really hoped would be explained away. But it wasn’t, and felt unresolved. I can’t really say any more about this though because I don’t want to give away any spoilers

But don’t let that stop you!!! I absolutely loved this book and I’m sure you will too.