Daughter of Botu

This is the first of a bunch of short stories in an anthology, I will be writing separate reviews on each of these tales as I read them.
This is one of my favorites. I first read this story in a copy of Realms of Fantasy magazine (which was disbanded a few years ago, so the only place to find those is on ebay as back issues. Once they're gone, they're gone. Which is quite unfortunate due to them being a high quality fantasy magazine.) that I had received in a swag bag at the Faerieworlds Festival when it was still in Eugene, OR. It took for frigging EVER to track down this exact story, but I finally was able to. (I cannot wait to see what the other stories are like!)

Thus, I received this book as a Christmas present this year. AWESOME.

Story: Daughter of Botu
Book Title: Returning my Sister's Face, and other far eastern tales of whimsy and malice.
Author: Eugie Foster

You will be seeing this book cover each time I review a story in this collection. Just FYI so that you aren't concerned that you're about to read the same post as last time.

Daughter of Botu is absolutely magical. It is harsh, it is gritty. It is about Rabbits. It is about shapeshifting. It is about remembering who you are, and  knowing where you came from.

This is the story of An-ying. A young female rabbit who belongs to a warren of rabbits who have had multitudes of bad luck. Poison, trouble with foxes, hunters, and severe drought. 

The last thing she expected was for her fate to take over (though her grandmother knew exactly what was in store.)

Four words: Rabbit... Human... love story.

It's soooooo good you guys. If you like stories that deal with shapeshifters you will love this one; to have a rabbit be the shifter is a complete breath of fresh air after being swamped with werewolves and vampires for years. Prey animals are not normally seen as having shifting abilities in modern shape shifter stories. It is wonderful.

Word to the wise: You're probably going to learn a few chinese words. Foster does a great job of seamlessly blending the english and chinese terms so that they are easily understood without a glossary. I think it also a breath of fresh air that she gave traditional names instead of automatically naming characters Caucasian names. 

Check out this book!

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Returning-My-Sisters-Face-Eastern/dp/1607620111

ISBN: 1-60762-011-1

Gone to Amerikay

First off. I am pretty sure i'm going to acquire a copy of this book for myself at some point. This was unexpectedly great.


Title: GONE TO AMERIKAY
Author: Derek McCulloch
Artists: Colleen Doran and Jose Villarrubia

This book is drawn in a style that I very much adore. It tells not one story, but three separate tales in separate time periods that intertwine within the bounds of linear time. Set within the bounds of New York. 

One man  in 2010 is being led around by his wife on a wild goose chase looking for any remaining pieces of history.

One man in 1960 is looking for his big break, and on the way finds a ghost and a song and a story.

One woman in 1870 has made her way to America and is trying to start a new life in the land of opportunity while waiting for a husband that has promised to come soon.

All three show the nitty gritty of their respective time periods, and are quite realistic in what they share. These are not "pretty" stories where everything goes perfectly in the end with nothing bad at all in their pages. These are REAL feeling stories and do not shy away from very REAL topics such as poverty, homosexuality, prostitution, rape, and murder.

Not a book for children, but easily a book for young adults, though many parents probably not find it suitable. 

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Amerikay-Derek-McCulloch/dp/1401223516

ISBN: 978-1-4012-2351-9

Dust Girl

People say "Don't judge a book by its cover." BUT I do this literally all the time. You have to be an author that i'm interested in, a subject I really really like, or have a decent concept for me to ignore the cover of the book and jump right into it.

This is not the case of one of those... though in the same vein, the title of the series -not the actual book title- caught my eye.

Title: Dust Girl
Author: Sarah Zettel

"Dust Girl" is book one of The American Fairy Trilogy. 

The AMERICAN fairy trilogy. THAT is something new to me. There has only been one other book series that i've read that had any books focusing on the folklore of the Americas. That specifically would be O.R. Melling's "The book of dreams" in the Faerie Chronicles series. This however is specific to AMERICA and not just north america. The good ol U.S. of A.

This book follows the story of a girl named Callie as she finds herself in the Dust Bowl in the 30s. She has a lot going against her in the world. She is a girl, a teenager, a bastard child (born out of wedlock and her father is not present), and bi-racial. (In the years that the book takes place in, she would be called Mulatto or worse if anyone found out, and it is presented that if people knew that her father was a black man... let alone a musician... she would lose any "privilege" she stood to have.)

Life is hard for Callie. She doesn't know herself. Her world is a hard one, living with her single mother who pines and promises that her daddy will be coming back for them someday, and being in the middle of the dust bowl. The whole town has disappeared around them and it's very hard to keep money in the pocket; let alone food on the table. Her mother has an inkling of the magic involved with her fathers music (jazz, which was something only "uncivilized" people played and listened to) and tells her to play to call him back to her. 

She calls something all right. but it isn't her father. 

This is another book where they portray fairies "properly". Not the cutesy flower fairies that grant wishes and do nice things, but the darker more changeable creatures that do not carry the same morals as humans at all. They have their own rules, to them. EVERYTHING is rules... but rules can be changed by wording or meaning or slipperiness. There is no dark or light, only what gets them their way.

This book does leave you wanting more, and does a great job of mixing folklore and fantasy with the realities of the times. 

Sarah Zettel did rather well I think, as this was her first novel for teens. I actively await reading the rest of this series and hope that the library has it somewhere in the systems.

Find it here: http://www.sarahzettel.com/novel/dust-girl/

ISBN: 978-0-375-86938-9

Beauty

This is a book I picked up on a whim at the local library. It is taller than most books I have (i'm sure it wouldn't fit on my bookshelves any way but sideways) and is hard bound.

Beauty
author: Hubert
artist: Kerascoet

This comic book was originally published in french under the title Beaute, and was translated to english by Joe Johnson.

I rather liked this tale and I will be looking into finding more works by this author and the artist team. 

When I first picked up the book I had assumed (foolishly) that it was probably going to be a retelling of "sleeping beauty", as there is a fairy in the background, possibly with the twist of "the three little men in the wood" (another lesser known fairytale.) I was wrong on both counts. BUT I am a sucker for both fairytale retellings and stories that end not so pleasantly.

Beauty spins the tale of a young peasant girl named Coddie. Coddie has basically all of the traits one would expect in a low level rags to riches transformation story. She is "ugly", she is used as forced labor for the household, she is kind despite being shown unkindness her entire life, and she encounters a magical force as she comes of age.

The story takes place in a fictional land, but does a very good job of showing how serfdom and the class system works. You can tell the station of a person by what they are wearing and how they look.

Coddie is shown very quickly at a pagan coming of age ceremony just how very unwanted she is by her community. She soon after gets sent out to the forest in the middle of the night to gather firewood to get her out of the house, this is where she comes upon the magic. She saves a fairy.

I really love what the author did here. He did not go the now traditional route of fairies granting kindnesses. Instead, he shows the true nature of wishes. The "be careful what you wish for, it may seem good at the time but you didn't think this through and now you're stuck with it."

She makes a simple yet devastating wish.

To be beautiful.

Fairies are capricious things. They have their own morals and sense of right/wrong. It does not always align with our own. 

Such is the case with the Fairy Mab. Mab gives her not only beauty, but possibly the most dangerous version imaginable. Mab gives her the power of perceived beauty. In reality she will still look like herself. (the book frequently goes back and forth between her perception of herself and how others see her) but to EVERYONE else, she takes the form of their ideal of beauty. She is the sexiest/prettiest thing they have ever seen in their life. Pure perfection of form.

The only way people are able to recognize her from who she was before is her smell. Coddie smells like fish, due to her work skinning fish in the village. It is a smell that never goes away, but it is interesting to see how it is perceived in different ways due to her outer beauty.  

She doesn't understand this at first because she cannot see this illusion form. Coddie immediately has one pitfall after another. Her vision form makes men lose all control. In turn, the women disdain her because they will never be able to measure up. In a land where women are still very much property, the only ability she has is to awkwardly social climb.

This is where human nature begins to take over. All of her negative traits become emphasized as she is showered with wealth and ability. Her peasant upbringing really shines through, but anything that could be seen as vain or stupid becomes a non issue as soon as people are put under her spell.

SHE DRIVES MEN TO MADNESS.

They all want her.

And will do anything to obtain her.

There is no consent to this story, because women did not (and in most places, continue to not) have choices over own lives in the time period it is trying to portray itself as. 

This is a tale of wishes gone wrong, betrayals, battles, rapes, poverty, angry mobs, scornful women, and human nature.

THIS IS NOT A STORY FOR CHILDREN OR THE FEINT OF HEART.

This does not end "happily". But it does end well.

And for those who do not understand the end and think it is just because she was so different visually...

Remember. The only reason that she is not perfection to their eyes is because they are looking at the drawing of someone else's perfection. Not the woman that was Coddie. 

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Hubert/dp/1561638943

ISBN: 978-1-56163-894-9  

Oishinbo: Ramen & Gyoza

Title: Oishinbo A la carte, Ramen & Gyoza
Author: Tetsu Kariya
Artist: Akira Hanasaki

This is the third book in the Oishinbo series, though none of them are numbered on the actual book. So its hard to know what order in which to read them.

This one focused on Ramen and Gyoza, and has a recipe for Miso Ramen in it. I really liked the first story, as it showed that some people have skills that others don't and when worked together they can make something wonderful that would have fallen apart if they had segregated their skills.

I also learned a possibly racist word for China, and what the original way of making Gyoza is. 

Not a bad volume of Oishinbo, but still not my favorite.

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Oishinbo-Carte-Vol-Ramen-Gyoza/dp/1421521415

ISBN: 978-1-4215-2141-1

Children of the Corn (2009)

It's been YEARS since i've watched the 1984 film, and longer yet since i've read the book.

This film is based on Stephen King's short story of the same name, which was published in 1977. 

I'm going to write this post as I watch the movie.

 It already looks a whole lot less campy than the older film. I also already find the female lead "Vicky" annoying as all get out. I hope she gets better or slightly more likable. I understand that she is stressed by the terrible "opening" situation of being stranded and possibly having killed someone BUT she already proved herself to be insufferable before that took place. 

Yeah, I don't like her. Preachers daughter, loses her shit over seeing a corn poppet in the belongings they found. Not even with the explanation that it may just be local historical craft does she calm down. If it had been a "get rid of it. i just have a bad feeling about it" it might have been believable. 

These people are not observant. (Which I could understand if the movie took place in modern times but this is the 70s, I would think people would be a bit more curious and investigative.)

I think it should also be noted that though i'm all for creative casting it may have been poor casting to choose an african american actress as the woman in this tale, or at very least to make her so... upper class/higher than thou? In the story I don't recall Vicky being mentioned as brown skinned, and I DO recall her being referred to as an "ex prom queen". Now forgive me (and please do enlighten me) if I am wrong, but Nebraska still had forced segregated schools up through the 70s and a mixed couple would have not been so commonplace/would probably have been less privileged in that time and place. A lot of the things shes doing and her reactions while fine for a hysterical white woman of the time would not have been remotely okay seeming for any woman of color. Regardless of situation.

Burt is just dumb. I don't understand why he didn't just try to actually leave the town instead of just hiding in the cornfield and keeping near to where he could still hear the children. Though I do like that all the action is giving him war flashbacks.

Alright. That was new. He who walks behind the rows is doin his own thing and since when does corn have the abilities of vines? 1. cornstalks don't bend like that. 2. the man would be cut up like he went through a cheese grater.

One thing I wasn't expecting in this reiteration of Children of the Corn: The kids actually aren't all that creepy or terrifying. It's their lack of empathy and character that makes them the threat.

There was no real feeling behind this one. No real terror, they tried to play it much too straight and failed from lack of feeling in their actors.

I probably wouldn't watch it again, I give it a 4/10 rating.

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Children-Corn-David-Anders/dp/B002KH4KSY 

Elf Quest: The final Quest VOLUME TWO

Managed to find both this and the previous entry's book in the library at the same time so why not read them in a row! (The next book is available for pre-order currently but not in libraries or on the market yet.)


Elf Quest: The final Quest   VOLUME TWO
by: Wendy and Richard Pini

Elf Quest is another series that has a highly recognizable style to it, Wendy's art is beautiful and stylized. This series started way back in 1978 and is still continuing! (It's totally worth it to read all the previous volumes.)

This is a compilation of issues #7-#12 of the "final quest" segment of ElfQuest. It is in full color.

There were many characters in this issue that I was not expecting to appear! My favorite (Rayek) Is back, and there are huge amounts of character growth again amongst the players. The key word once again is: Change. 

Many characters experienced transformation this time around. Some VERY late in the game, but game changing in their own right. Timmian reveals many things that are overwhelming and in at least one case MADDENING. Cutter's son Sunstream becomes invaluable and may be the catalyst that brings the entire world together... or tears it apart.

Humans once again begin to play their part, some in good ways. Some in terrible ways. At least one in a COMPLETELY unexpected and surprising way.

I truly cannot wait to read VOLUME THREE when it comes out. 

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Elfquest-Final-Quest-Wendy-Pini/dp/161655410X

and signed/special editions of the whole collection here:  http://elfquest.com/shop/

The signed editions are very affordable and I think I will splurge on them when I go to start up my elfquest collection.

ISBN: 978-1-61655-410-1