CeLEStial Books

REVIEW: return of the asgard by erik schubACH

27/6/2018

RATING: 3 Stars

QUEER REP: Pansexual (all of the Asgard), Bisexual (maybe?)

PAIRINGS: F/F, M/F

REVIEWED BY: Rebecca

WARNINGS: A lot of fighting/violence

The Valkyrie Kara stood alone against the Ragnarok horde on Earth to ensure that the Asgard race and Valhalla could escape. For five thousand years she has fought and evaded the Ragnarok race on Earth, just waiting for her people to return.

REVIEW

This was difficult to rate. During some parts, I wanted to give it four stars, during others, I wanted to give it 1 or 2. Sometimes, a rating is fairly arbitrary, and that may be the case here. In the end, I think this book is a film in disguise. It's a movie, trying to be a novel, full of action, lightning spears, cheesy flirtations, tight-fitting armour, and repetitive dialogue. That said, I can still understand why it's so popular.

The concept of using Norse mythology as the basis of a female-led action sci-fi sounds wonderful, and it almost works. Kara had me quite interested for the first few chapters, and the creativity behind some of her weaponry was quite interesting. I can definitely say I've never read another story with the nano-lattice concept and it was definitely cool.

The issues with the book, however, started to compound the further I read. Kate and Kara experience the epitome of insta-love. It's hard to understand any movement of time in the story, but the two women seem to know each other for less than a day before they've all but decided to spend the rest of their lives together. Kate also seems to have no real friends or family, no qualms at all about the thought of leaving her entire life behind in order to be the new "Daughter of Odin" as Kara's mate (a word that I was really tired of by the end).

The main thing that had me gritting my teeth by the end of the novel was the repetition. The phrase "Well met, Valkyrie" is used so many times that I couldn't stand it anymore. The constant use of full titles when the Asgard spoke to each other also become cumbersome, such as "Kate the Raging Storm, Daughter of Odin and mate to Kara the Wild One" or even the shorter versions such as "Areena the Whispering Breeze, Second to Kate the Raging Storm". I appreciate the need for cultural differences between humans and Asgard, but it became frustrating overkill within two chapters of Valhalla's return.

The book is heavy on action, and I couldn't help but picture Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld series for a huge portion of the story. The writer clearly has a talent for fast-paced fight scenes and, to be fair, those who read my reviews know that this probably makes me the wrong reader for the book.

I felt somewhat disconnected from the characters during these fight scenes though, as their wounds and manoeuvres were always just listed, never really described, never explored in a way as to show how they felt, even though it's written in first person. Someone is stabbed in the chest from behind, and barely reacts, and doesn't seem to feel a thing. The constant mention of "fighting with valour" became a distraction from Kara and Kate themselves, like they only did what they did because, as they say over and over (and over and over) again "we are Valkyrie", as though that's an explanation on its own.

It's an interesting novel. And if you're like me and just adore any connection to the ancient world and/or mythology, then it's worth having a look at. If you enjoy action from nearly start-to-finish, then this is certainly a book for you! Just be prepared for certain plot points to be re-hashed several times, along with a fair amount of repetitive language use. I don't regret reading this one, it was entertaining overall, but I don't think I'll be picking up any others in the series, as much as I desperately love the overall concept.

*NOTE: Apparently there's a comic book adaption, and this could be something worth exploring!

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REVIEW: Disobedience by Naomi Alderman

19/4/2018

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Disobedience is a powerful exploration of individual and communal identities and the places in which those two concepts both converge and diverge. A reader's reaction to this novel will likely be heavily influenced by expectation, so that's what I'll focus my review on.

WHAT TO EXPECT

* Flowing, well-written prose that examines the inner thoughts, experiences, and perceptions of the three main characters. Alderman occasionally lingers too long on a particular theme or thought, even for literary fiction. This is easily forgiven, however, when you pay her credit for the beautiful and effective symbolism, the brilliant dialogue, and evocative sensory imagery.

* A confronting and important commentary about the role/s played by organised religion in the lives of individuals, families, and villages. This commentary respects religion in many ways, but it may also offend those who do not wish to see tradition or religion questioned - showing where belief can become distorted by humanity's hubris. For me, as an agnostic who enjoys learning about religions from a social and cultural standpoint (not to follow or believe them), this novel was enjoyable, fascinating, and thought-provoking.

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT

* A 'lesfic' romance. The world of lesbian fiction is diversifying but, in my experience, the majority of readers tend to expect a romance that ends happily, a love affair that can overcome absolutely every challenge thrown at the couple, and which takes up the majority of the book in terms of word count. For those readers, this book will disappoint and frustrate them. 'Disobedience' is a literary fiction that focuses on religion, sexuality, and individuality. It is not a lesbian romance and the romantic connection between Esti and Ronit is not the focus of the book. It is part of the landscape, it is important, but it is not the central component.

The new cover for the book, inspired by a film that clearly differs from the book (even what we see of Dovid in the trailer is completely different to the kind-hearted, sympathetic, patient man we get to know in the book) won't help things in regard to setting readers up with false expectations.

Spoiler ahead (I allude to the ending, though don't directly spell it out)...

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* Also not to expect: A neat, happily-ever-after ending. With the film being released soon, there's been much discussion of the book's ending. I don't think the ending if all that awful, it actually makes a lot of sense because Esti is very much a devout Orthodox Jew. Her inner-thoughts show us, all the way through, how much her faith means to her (such as her worrying about breaking the rules of Shabbat). She is, however, released/freed in many ways, as is Ronit. The powerful use of symbolism makes it clear that both women, and their dear friend Dovid, become much more comfortable with their own lives and their own choices by the end of the book. It's a character piece in which everyone experiences growth. But if you want a story that is tied up with a neat bow at the end, this won't be for you.

Overall, I'm really glad I read 'Disobedience'. I'm such a big fan of books where sexuality is part of the landscape rather than the driving force of the plot. Ronit isn't sent away from her hometown, she just floats farther and farther from orthodoxy - and it isn't even because of her sexuality (which the film seems to be suggesting with the trailer) but rather her generally disquiet spirit. Anything that explores religion with a critical (but not TOO critical) eye is worth reading, in my opinion.

REVIEWED BY REBECCA

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REVIEW: return of the asgard by erik schubACH

REVIEW: Disobedience by Naomi Alderman

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