Review: The Retrieval Artist by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

5 stars for The Retrieval Artist by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

I have always wanted to read this book, the book that introduces Miles Flint to the world and subsequently leads to the birth of the entire Retrieval Artist series. Yes, I may have read all seven books in this series, but somehow, there is always this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that something is amiss. So, I am delighted to be able to read this short story now.

Searching for an interstellar Disappeared is a lot harder than finding a missing person. Here, we see Miles Flint, the best and quickest Retrieval Artist in the business, in action - that stretches from Armstrong Dome, one of the colonies on Moon, to Sahara Dome on Mars, to Gagarin Dome on Moon - all because of a case that has turned personal.

I enjoy this short novel tremendously. It feels very much like meeting up with a good old friend and reminiscing about old times. And the best part? Everything is seen and told through the eyes of none other than Miles Flint.

The Retrieval Artist series is never complete until one has read the book that started it all; well, at least that is how I see it. Yes, I have come to complete this one terrific science fiction series. Finally.

Review: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

5 stars for Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.

The book title reminds me time and again of the miller's daughter in Rumpelstiltskin. I may even agree that the very idea of Spinning Silver originates from this children's classic book, yet Spinning Silver is remarkable in its own right.

The story is about a girl, a moneylender from a small town, who can turn silver into gold; from a hundred pennies into a silver kopek, and from twenty silver kopeks into a golden zlotek.

The initial 10% or so of the novel is business as usual, nothing special about the moneymaking activities. In fact, the story is so slow moving and uneventful that I teeter on the edge of abandoning this book for another. It also does not help that the story is narrated by more than one person, making it all the more confusing to read and follow.

Needless to say, I am happy beyond words that I persist in my pursuit of spinning silver into gold for soon enough, I am transported deep into a magical realm, first of winter and snow, then, one of fire and flame. A monster of ice and a monster of fire. As is, there is more to this icy monster than meets the eye. One exists because of the other and for good reasons.

Indeed, Spinning Silver is an enthralling and spellbinding story that explores the dynamics of various relationships and what it means to be human against all odds. Though the many different first person perspectives is not of my preferred style, the author successfully captivates me with her writing and imagery that I willingly let myself be sucked into the magical adventures of Miryem, Wanda, Sergey, Stepon, Irina, Mirnatius and Magreta. On top of it all, I love the underlying message that the story presents: everything happens for a reason.

Well, I shall leave it at that for now and say no more, else you will lose half the fun of immersing yourself in this fantasy novel.

Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

5 stars for Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

This book must have been uprooted from Heaven's ground and magically planted to take roots on Earth. It is a beautiful story, charming and captivating in all its originality.

Do not judge this book based on the peculiarity of a title and overlook it for good. As the chinese idiom goes, the phrase 臥虎藏龍 (Wò hǔ cáng lóng) totally applies to the story here. Translated, it means 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', in which the words 'Tiger' and 'Dragon' refer directly to people with special hidden talents.

In a sense, there is a tiger and a dragon in this book. Well, if a tiger of magic is considered as one, then there certainly is one such crouching in the female protagonist, Agnieszka, waiting to be discovered and unleashed. As for the dragon.. this Dragon does not eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside the valley. Though this dragon is not a real fire breathing one, it is close enough; a wizard and immortal whose name tasted of fire and wings, of curling smoke, of subtlety and strength, and the rasping whisper of scales.

Besides the two enthralling main characters, the marvellously melodic prose of love and war brings out a kind of beauty that goes beyond skin deep to touch my soul and flutter my heart. On the surface, this story may read like a first-rate fantasy built upon a world of mystery and enchantment, of fighting evil and corruption. But often enough, there is no clear-cut case of good versus evil for there is always a good reason behind everything. In the end, in the heart of it all, Uprooted is about learning to let go, to free oneself from obsessing thoughts and from unhappy feelings. And that basically is what makes this fantasy story epic.

Now that I have reached the end of a magical adventure with a deeply satisfying conclusion, I cannot help but yearn for more. Perhaps one day, the author may have a change of mind and turn this standalone novel into a series. Why not, right? A girl can always hope.