Begin with Navigating the Stars, then try Chasing the Shadows so you have all the characters and the background.
Likable characters, the Q-net, and a courageous attempt to save the galaxy. :)
Purchased.
YA/Science Fiction. Dec. 2, 2020. Print length: 407 pages.
Funny, bawdy, farcical, with a lot of bloody incidents, The Blacksmith Queen is...well, I'm not entirely sure how to classify it. Parody/Fantasy? Fun!
Keely is a big, strong woman who loves her hammer, her forge, and her family. She has a sunny personality and likes and gets along with everyone--with the exception of her sister Gemma, who ran off and became a nun.
The humor of this brawny woman blacksmith and her sister the nun (with a secret) and their constant arguments, their strange family, the Centaurs, dwarves, and demon wolves--kept me grinning. Oh, and there's an evil sister whose machinations endanger everyone.
It is a fantasy that has danger and suspense, and yet is full of rude humor, arguing siblings, and strange allies. The Blacksmith Queen seems intent on overturning many of the fantasy tropes, retaining the sense of danger in spite of all the silliness.
This is a love it or hate it book. The first chapter made me think I would abandon it, but I'm so glad I didn't. All the brawling, messy, ridiculousness I would have missed! Definitely over-the-top, but I had a great time reading it.
Kindle Unlimited
Fantasy/Parody/Camp. 2019. Print length: 304 pages.
The Sentinels of the Galaxy series was so great. It wasn't a genre I normally leaned towards, but it made me a fan.
ReplyDeleteThe Blacksmith Queen sounds like so much fun! I'm definitely gonna look it up. :)
The Sentinels series was fun. I'm a fan of science fiction, but the Maria V. Snyder version made the most of a YA version. :) The Blacksmith Queen is rude and crude, but it made me laugh even when I worried about the characters.
DeleteSnyder's trilogy is one I intend to read next year. And you've got me really curious about The Blacksmith Queen. It sounds like a lot of fun, but maybe one I need to be in the right mood to really enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the Sentinels trilogy! I know The Blacksmith Queen isn't for everyone, but I thought the farcical elements hilarious. :)
DeleteOk, you've me intrigued with these two books. Will have to check them out. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Sentinels series is fast-paced and suspenseful, and I loved the Q-net element. :) I thought The Blacksmith Queen a fun parody of the fantasy genre.
DeleteYou really seem to read a lot of science fiction, Jen. Did you start reading it as a kid...all the classics, etc. I enjoy it myself but I have a hard time finding something that appeals to me anymore by reading cover blurbs and reviews. I seem to do best with time travel ones, but have to be careful not to stray into all those romance novel series that use time travel. Can you tell me a couple of your recent favorites? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJ.S. Dewes' The Last Watch; the Murder Bot series (I know you like that one); Evan Currie (I love his books); Kennedy Hudner; Andrea K. Host's The Touchstone Trilogy (YA, but very good!); Amanda Bridgman's Aurora books; Tammy Salyer's Spectras Arise Trilogy; N.K. Jemisin. I started (years and years ago with Asimov and Larry Niven. Love David Webber. I prefer military space opera, but read whatever interests me at the time. :)
ReplyDeleteYou know what? Brawling, messy ridiculousness sounds just perfect!
ReplyDeleteI found it fun and offbeat! Not the first chapter, but after that it was silly, often crude, and funny.
DeleteThe Blacksmith Queen sounds like so much fun. I will have to add it to my wish list. I am looking forward to reading the Sentinels of the Galaxy trilogy. I am glad you enjoyed the third book.
ReplyDeleteSentinels of the Galaxy was a good YA science fiction. The Blacksmith Queen was kind of a high camp version of fantasy. I enjoyed both :)
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