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Stellar Space Stories: Demigod 12 and Binti

30 Aug

Demigod 12
by Gail Carriger
I enjoyed the first in Gail Carriger’s Tinkered Starsong series, Divinity 36 so was curious to see the next chapter in Phex and his friend’s adventures. The series plays with the idea that the godsong (music, movement, and imagery) that they create is not just metaphorically, but actually the equivalent of a religious experience thanks to the special domes it is performed in. Demigod 12 takes inspiration for what it would like to be an up and coming act on tour including integrating with an older already established group of “gods” and finding their own sound and identity.

There is also a spark of romance between Phex and a member of the older established act. Carriger provides Phex’s love interest with a gentle and whimsical persona which give a sweetness to the romance which could have been more predatory with the power imbalance handled differently. While the last book felt like a meditation on family, this book feels more focused on the idea of love both romantic and platonic. The idea that fans might become so overcome, that the “fixed” will try and harm the members shows the darker side of celebrity and the way obsession can become toxic.

Second books in trilogies can be tricky often feeling like simply a bridge between the other two, but the novel manages to feel satisfying on its own while still peaking my interest for the third and last book in the series which will be available at the beginning of October. If you are looking for more rock gods as music metaphors in speculative fiction before then check out Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, which I had previously blogged about.

Binti
by Nnedi Okorafor
I had previously read Nnedi Okorafor’s fantasy novel, Akata Witch with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group which was inspired by African cultures so I was curious to see how a similar inspiration would play out in her Sci-Fi Novella, Binti.

Binti is a member of the Himba, a group who are tech savy and master mathematicians, but rarely leave their homeland. When she is offered a chance to study at the Oomza University, the best institution for learning in all the Galaxy she will be the first of her people to do so and one of the few to experience space travel. As she makes the trip, she is confronted with other students who find her customs, such as adorning herself with the dried mud of her homeland, strange and off-putting, but it will take all of Binti’s heritage and diplomatic training to stay alive when the tentacled Meduse take over the ship.

Robin Miles gives a powerful performance with the first person narration for the 2 1/2 hour audiobook version. The story continues in Home and The Night Masquerade.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Finding Family in Unusual Places: The Only Purple House in Town and Divinity 36

12 Jul

I’m always enjoy a good “found family” story where characters find their place amongst others who often themselves have felt like misfits or outcasts. Speculative Fiction often puts a spin on this when characters don’t just feel different, but may be aliens or supernatural such as with Divinity 36 and The Only Purple House in Town.

The Only Purple House in Town
by Ann Aguire
I had previously enjoyed and written about Aguire’s novel Witch Please, the first in her Fix-It Witch Series. Although The Only Purple House in Town is set in the same world as Fix-It Witch, the central couple have other supernatural lineage. Iris Collins was raised by a family of psychic vampires, but believes she lacks any special abilities herself. Eli Reese has made a small fortune creating popular apps, but a late bloomer, most days he’d rather shift and fly free in his avian form then interact with other people. Eli and Iris met briefly in their youth before Eli moved away, but they bump into each other again as adults while Eli is fixing up his grandmother’s house for sale and Iris just inherited a purple Victorian, which she is renting to make ends meet. Sparks fly when Eli moves in; it seems Iris just might discover her hidden self and Eli might find a reason to stay in human form. They are joined in the restoring the old purple Victorian by several quirky humans and one witchy roommate. Although the core couple are straight, several LGBTQ characters are also featured and the growing suspicions and hatred towards the supernatural community seem paralleled to the rise of prejudice in our own society giving the book a timeliness. A meddlesome neighbor adds some drama and Eli and Iris have a few early misunderstandings to overcome but this low stakes cozy supernatural romance will make an enjoyable beach read. This gentle read will appeal to fans of TJ Klune’s novels. I received an early copy of The Only Purple House in Town from Netgalley and the publisher.

Divinity 36
by Gail Carriger
Gail Carriger is my favorite author; her work is unique, funny, insightful, and overall charming. She started off in the Steampunk Genre including the Adult Parasol Protectorate and the YA Finishing School series, but has recently begun crafting Science Fiction. Much like her Fantasy has mostly been confined to the interconnected Parasolverse, her individual Science Fiction is set in the larger world of Tinkered Stars. Divinity 36 is her first in the Tinkered Starsong Trilogy, about a crudrat refugee barista, Phex, who is selected to become a musical and literal “God” by an alien race who can make transcendent color from the songs and dances that the pantheons they create perform. At first Phex is unable to relate to many of his fellow contestants and feels closer to the more alien of them than the Sapiens who appear physically similar to him and yet are often repelled by the fact that he comes from a world where people are genetically engineered. Slowly though he finds friendship with others including my favorite character, the cuddly flying insectoid Berril. The novel is marketed as YA and has minimal violence and no sex so again a good choice for those looking for a gentle read for adults as well, especially those looking for new adult works. I look forward to the other books in the series that will be released later in the year (the next one, Demigod 12, comes out August 1). If you enjoy speculative fiction with a musical focus, check out my blog post on Catherynne M. Valente’s wacky Eurovision inspired Space Opera and my post on Spellsinger by Alan Dean Foster. You can also listen to another of Carriger’s YA stories set in the same universe, Crudrat, that gives more insight into the Wheel, the place where Phex grew up.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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