Cainsville and Age of Legends, Kelley Armstrong

Recently I’ve been tearing through Kelley Armstrong’s books, particularly her fantasy books from the Cainsville and The Age of Legends series.  Previously I’ve read her Nadia Stafford series which is detective series.  I am delighted with everything I’ve read so far.

Cainsville is set in Chicago and an "imaginary" nearby small town, Cainsville (don't go looking for it on a map).  Having spent more than half my life in the midwest it was a very comfortable regional read.  (Those of you following me on Facebook know that I'm starting off retirement with literary tours.)  The Olivia, th main character, suddenly discovers she is adopted and that her birth parents are in prison for multiple murders.  She becomes acquainted with her birth mother's last attorney, a notorious attorney who does what is needed to get his often shady clients off of charges.  

She ends up, accidentally, retreating to Cainsville.  There she takes a job in to local diner (up to this time her adopted family is wealthy and she has lived a committed life as an advocate for homeless and abused women).  There she finds what seems to be a safe and almost timeless community that supports her.  There are the usual small-town characters but overall it is an idyllic retreat from Chicago and the media that has been hounding her.  Here the fun begins.

Armstrong weaves a new view of the fae, the Hunt, and other mythical entities into a very modern setting.    There is a perhaps a bit more sex in the book than I would normally recommend.  It makes it a series that I think prevents it from being a book that teachers could recommend to even high school students.  (I must be getting really old!  I could easily take the sex out, leave the romance, and get on with the story.)

The four books in the series were all well crafted and enjoyable reads.  I think Armstrong has left a possibility for additional books in the series which I would read immediately.  Some critics have criticized the series for being "slow" to unfold the plot and setting.  I did not find this problematic.  As a reader who is exploring a range of mythologies I was not impatient.  My own knowledge filled in the details that Armstrong does not immediately provide.  

In The Age of Legends series Armstrong turns to a more traditional fantasy setting, a "medieval" village, an emperor, and magical/mythical threats.  Twin sisters Ashyn and Moira are the spiritual leaders of their village, the outpost to the wilds where convicts are sent to die, or survive.  If they survive the are recovered after a year having served their sentence.  This series is a young adult series and will capture the attention of many readers.  There is plenty of action (sword fights and evil forces) to keep the attention of male and female readers.  I suspect it will be much more popular with young women.  There is a strong male character, Gavril Kitsune, who will engage young men.  I hope that in the second book that Armstrong develops him further to make the series more attractive to male readers (but there are many books out for them so I won't be disturbed if she does not).  

What I particularly appreciate in this book is the limited knowledge of the main characters, Ashyn and Moira.  In the tradition of "unreliable narrators" Armstrong helps us feel the confusion and anger of young women as they come to terms with the adult realities of their worlds.

Neither series is elevated to "four star" status because they don't rise to "universal truths" but they come close.  Armstrong certainly deals with some the interpersonal tensions of adult life as well as issues of power, politics and "human" weakness. 

Cold Days: A Novel of the Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher

2012, ROC

My son and I read the Dresden Files books as they arrive.  I saved this one for his Christmas present.  He finished it in 3 days as did I (even while I was leveling up in WOW).

My son perhaps said it best "Everything you'd want in a Dresden book."

It is filled with magic and feats of daring combined with thoughtful explorations of motivations and politics.  It is also infused with humor.  Butcher is one of the few authors who continues to surprise me.  My son agreed--we were both caught off-guard by the ending.  I won't spoil it, but if you are able to anticipate what is to happen I will award you a badge of foresight.

This is a book I would easily recommend to adolescents.  It particularly will fit students who are drawn to fantasy/adventure and quest literature.  It could easily be used in coordination with game-based learning.  There had been a video game (RPG) version as well as a one season television series. He also had a series of comic books based on the Dresden characters.  For you graphic novel/comics students this would be a leveling up.

Why am I such a fan?  First, Butcher himself has a great take on becoming a writer and the work ethic necessary to reach goals.  Anyone who needs "inspiration" should look at what Butcher says about these topics.  Secondly, Butcher has extremely complex characters.  Although good and evil are at constant war, most of his developed characters have a mix.  It is excellent character development and can help adolescents and young adults explore roles and decisions.  Finally there is Harry Dresden himself.  He's funny, in a way that will appeal to many readers, especially adolescent and young adult males.  But, as a mature woman I can also appreciate the humor.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.  Butcher suggests that he's hoping for 23 books in the series.  Cold Days is #14.  I'll try and be patient while waiting.  Maybe I'll try one of the comics to tide me over.  But, I have a reading assignment--look for A Confederacy of Dunces in my next review.  (My book club's choice.)

The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle, by Jim Butcher illustrated by Ardian Syaf (2008)

A graphic novel, this is a side story to the others in The Dresden Files.  In his introduction Butcher explains that "comics" were one of his early literary loves.  I can appreciate that--I spent hours as a child with comics--but I don't have the fondness for them that many have.  It could be that males respond to the genre differently than females.  I don't remember reading Wonder Woman comics--that may have changed my perceptions.

Welcome to the Jungle, much of it set in the Chicago Zoo, is fairly classic Dresden fare.  However, I find myself less compelled by the graphic version.  I can understand how less able readers would prefer this genre.  The illustrations do an excellent job of filling in many of the plot, setting and mood.  But to me, the illustrations lumped the book in with a sort of stock set of visuals.  When I read a Butcher book I am able to visualize the Chicago I know well and feel the gritty atmosphere under the El and other locations.  The illustrations here took me to a sort of "Gotham City" set. 

When I got to the back matter and saw the concept illustrations by Chris McGrath I knew that it was more than a personal preference.  McGrath's illustrations offered much more the "feel" I'd prefer for my personal vision for the setting and characters of The Dresden Files.  On the other hand--Butcher selected the illustrations by Syaf, Ketcham & DeVito and says they are "spot on" for his personal vision for Dresden.  This probably proves Louise Rosenblatt's reader response theory.  The interaction between me and Butcher is different from the vision Butcher has on his own.  That's okay.  Many authors say that their "critics" see very different things in their work than they had intended.  My vision of The Dresden Files won't be spoiled by the content of this graphic novel.  I will also be able to use it to introduce graphic novel fans to Butcher's work.

The plot line left me a little disappointed, but then it isn't possible to work all the character development and plot twists that are typical in The Dresden Files into a graphic novel length work.  I look forward to introducing this to some readers to gather their responses.