So, I'm gonna go ahead and blame the bad weather for my inability to keep up with my blog. And Dr. Who on Netflix, too. I have power, and I've been reading, and here's a little bit of catchup. I shall have the rest for ya tomorrow.
SP 6: Clockwork Fairies by Cat Rambo
This was a fun little story. Claude seeks to engage his fiancé in society a little more, while Desiree is more content with simply building her clockwork machines. And, she seems to get what she wants from 'Lord Tyndall' in the end.
While I understand this is the 19th century, latest, Claude was kind of set in his perspectives on his fiancé. Black, independent woman, and he wants to integrate her and make her a model wife. I'm not against a good compromise, but this would have been a pretty one handed relationship if you ask me. I'm glad that Desiree got to go off and be happy though, that made for a bittersweet ending.
SP 7: The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jala-ud-din Muhammad Akbar by Shweta Narayan
By far my favorite story so far in this anthology, because it was such a moral story about beauty breeding narcissism and suffering. The Artificer was a creature of such wisdom, and her story was moving and sad, even though the characters were all machines. Their heart strings though! So very sad. I don't even know what to write about this story, I just really enjoyed it. Definitely recommended.
SP 8: Prayers of Forges and Furnaces by Aliette de Bodard
Interesting combination of steampunk, technology, and religion/gods. Took me a while to really understand, but it was a pretty good story once I got the hang of it :P basically my understanding is that the machine 'overlords' or the machines in charge, aren't overly fond of the human gods of old. When Tezoca arrives, it forces Xochipil to decide between the two. It was difficult for me to really hold onto this story, but it was interesting how Xochipil informs the 'hierarchy' of Tezoca, but then helps him when she finds him in the desert. She just doesn't know what she wants, does she? I wouldn't trust machines, so hopefully they aren't taking over anytime soon..
I know these were rather brief but I've had a lot going on lately, so I'm just pleased I'm still finding the time to relax and read a little bit. Still working on The Rise of Rome, which is interesting but I'm still not in the proper mindset for a nonfiction book.. Well, we shall see how my month of nonfiction books goes :)
- Justin
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