Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom's drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone's been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he's offered the incredible--a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom's instincts for combat will be put to the test and if he passes, he'll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War III. Finally, he'll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom's always wanted--friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters--but what will it cost him?

Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaid's futuristic thrill ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters, tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks startling, timely questions about the melding of humanity and technology.

If I had to pick an overlying theme for this book it would be something about corporate control.  At its roots there is some preaching about corporations and how they control the government and get away with murder (in this book: literally).  There's some really deep stuff for something that read like an MG SF book (probably because the protagonist is only 14, but also because the pacing is fast and furious like MG).  It's easy to forget how chilling this premise is, though, because Insignia is truly funny.  It's also technical, and although it does a really good job of breaking down neuroscience and cybernetic computer programming in spots the worldbuilding reads more like a technical manual.  The characterization is great, and all the kids have distinct personalities free of stereotypes that develop and mature as they experience things.  There are adults, too, who are shown to be not perfect and yet still working for the greater good.  Overall, though, the result is a great read.  I think it can be very hard to be both technical and funny, but Kincaid pulls it off beautifully.  I think anyone who is a fan of Human.4 and Little Brother will love this book.

Feature and Follow: October 5th

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your blog? Is it to one day become an author yourself, just for fun, maybe get some online attention, or maybe something very different?

I blog so that my opinion of books gets out there.  I love inflicting good books on people, so I like to get the word out there on what I think is good.  My main target when I created the blog was other adults who read sci-fi and fantasy and would like to read good YA sf/f without having to weed through the stuff that wouldn't interest them.

Waiting on Wednesday: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

October 9th 2012

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

I love that fantasy seems to be bridging out into mythologies that are not the standard Greek/Roman pantheon.  This seems like it will be a great example: a strong girl and Norse gods.

Books n' Nails

I'm in the October mood!  Spooky reading and brown nail polish with gold and red glitter!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

This is a delightful book set in a industrial~ish, magical~ish Russia~ish.  Russia~ish is probably the best description of this book, because the truly beautiful parts are in the worldbuilding.  Bardugo takes some standard fantasy tropes: an orphan is discovered to have The One Power to save the world, Evil People want to use the power for bad, who to trust; and gives them some truly excellent packaging which transforms it into something that is truly delightful to read.  The other bright spot is the lead character, Alina.  Alina is stubborn, loyal, nit-picky, and not really pretty, and I really liked how all her traits became negatives and positives in turn, making her feel like a rounded character.  The cast of characters surrounding Alina was great, too.  I wasn't even bothered by the "love triangle" setup since Alina seemed so against one of the choices even if she was dazzled by power and beauty.  In the end, Shadow and Bone is about making your own choices and following your own path, which I heartily endorse, and I dare you to not get overwhelmed by the unique voice and come to love this book.