DAILY DEALS: Werewolves, Dukes, and unhappy suburbanites
Book Dealsdaily deals7 Comments
Wolfsong by TJ Klune $ 0.99
From the Jacket Copy:
Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.
Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road, the boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.
Ox was seventeen when he found out the boy’s secret, and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.
Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.
It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.
Dangerous in Diamonds by Madeline Hunter $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
When the outrageously wealthy Duke of Castleford is bequeathed a small piece of property that houses a modest flower shop, he encounters its owner, the mysterious Daphne Joyes-a budding rose who quickly becomes the object of his seduction.
Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
In Deep Water, set in the quiet, small town of Little Wesley, Patricia Highsmith has created a vicious and suspenseful tale of love gone sour.
Vic and Melinda Van Allen’s loveless marriage is held together only by a precarious arrangement whereby, in order to avoid the messiness of divorce, Melinda is allowed to take any number of lovers as long as she does not desert her family. Eventually, Vic can no longer suppress his jealousy and tries to win back his wife by asserting himself through a tall tale of murder—one that soon comes true. In this complex portrayal of a dangerous psychosis emerging in the most unlikely of places, Highsmith examines the chilling reality behind the idyllic facade of American suburban life.
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie $ 2.99
From the Jacket Copy:
The only novel ever to win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards and the first book in Ann Leckie’s New York Times bestselling trilogy.
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.
Once, she was the Justice of Toren – a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.
Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
In the Ancillary world:
1. Ancillary Justice
2. Ancillary Sword
3. Ancillary Mercy
I too recommend Wolf Song.
I loooooved Ancillary Justice, but it’s definitely not for everyone and it did get a lot of buzz after winning the Hugo. So maybe that’s where the lower reviews are coming from – people trying it because of the buzz and just not getting it.
How to know if Ancillary Justice is for you: if you respond positively to any of these statements, you’ll probably like it:
– it’s an homage to Ursula Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness (and it references a bunch of other SF classics too)
– it’s a philosophical space opera
– it’s a beautifully written, complex meditation on love, gender, trauma, and identity – with space ships, aliens and an insane, AI emperor
Also, Wolf Song is $1.99 at Kobo and .99 at AMZ
ANCILLARY JUSTICE isn’t an easy, light read; you have to pay attention and the payoff is huge. I loved this book, the entire series, and have plans to re-read every one.
I suspect some of the lower reviews of Ancillary Justice are from the “Ahhhh! They’re getting cooties on SF!” crowd.
I didn’t get around to reading it for a while due to a critical review, that turned out to be by someone who really wasn’t paying attention.
It’s not for everyone, but it’s well worth giving it a shot.
I went into Ancillary Justice with high hopes and wound up DNFing about halfway through. It just didn’t work for me. I like space opera of all types and I look for SFF that tackles issues of gender and imperialism. I thought of myself as totally the target audience. But no.
It was a reminder that the relationship between a reader and a book involves alchemy. There are plenty of books in the opposite direction, too, where I expect that I won’t like them and yet I do. For $2.99 I agree that if you haven’t read it, you should give it a shot. It won the Hugo AND the Nebula that year! You may love it. Or you may be like me, still wondering why it didn’t work but being absolutely sure a reread isn’t going to fix it.
Re : Anxillary justice . I had things I liked very much and some things I disliked but overall definitely thought the book and trilogy together even were worthy of Hugo and voted accordingly. That is till I started reading Ian Banks .
When I seee negative reviews of the series that start with omg PRONOUNS I roll my eyes and of course I saw such reviews . One review did even better – omg female only military ( so you are a misogynist AND cannot read because no it was not a female only military ).
But There are other negative reviews I suggest readers deciding if this book is for them pay attention too. Imo.