The Price of Spring, by Daniel Abraham

[mrissa]

Review copy courtesy of Tor.

Okay, look. This is the fourth book in a series, and I have been raving about this series from book one. If you don't like to start series in case they aren't finished, or in case they go swiftly downhill, you no longer have that reason here: if anything, I found the ending stronger than the beginning. And while it's entirely possible that Daniel Abraham will write more books in this world, if he does it will be in a different story. This story has been told, start to finish. Go. Get the first one and start. What are you waiting for?

For those of you who have read the rest of the series--I was so pleased with how this fourth book started. After the ending of the third one, I was excited but also apprehensive to see where he was going with this: many people would have considered the ending of the third book to be series-ending enough, but it was clear that Abraham had conceived this as a four-book series all along. And the phrase, "well, that didn't work out quite as I'd planned," seems to sum up the results of so many character actions in this book.

Oh, consequences, consequences, more consequences, most of them unintended or not fully thought-out. Such lovely consequences. This is the problem with a review of a book late in a series: it's so hard to talk about things without all the things that caused them. Anyway, what Daniel Abraham writes next, I will read. Even if the premise makes me go, "Ick, really?" I will read it anyway. Because he's earned that from me with these books.

Over on Tor.com, papersky said of this series, "One of the ways in which fantasy generally tends to follow Tolkien is in the belief that magic is inherently superior to a cotton gin. It's refreshing to read something arguing the other position." Yes. That.

Comments

[numinicious.livejournal.com]

*puts on to-read list*

I will pick this up as soon as I can, ma'am. Sounds awesome.

[keilexandra]

I thought very highly of Abraham's first book when I read the description, but never got around to reading it. I will try to prioritize, especially now that the series is complete. It starts with A SHADOW IN SUMMER?

And if you haven't read it, Abraham has a short story in LOGORRHEA called "The Cambist and Lord Iron: A Fairy Tale" that is really excellent.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's the first one. And yes, he does good short stories, too.

[alecaustin.livejournal.com]

WANT.

(I will have my Amazon-Prime equipped minion order it post-haste.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

That is a good kind of minion to have.

[thoughtdancer.livejournal.com]

I am so jealous that you do review reading for Tor. How did you get so lucky?

Publications I assume. I so need to sell something.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether it was fiction publications, size of lj audience, size of lj audience brought to someone's attention because of the time my lj got listed in Asimov's among interesting online journals done by young fiction writers, or what. They just turned up saying, "Do you want to review stuff for us? Here is some of the stuff," and I said, "Yah, that sounds good, actually."

[thoughtdancer.livejournal.com]

Cool. I would love to have that gig. :-)

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

On the strength of Abraham's work, I read his work under a pen name (Urban fantasy). It might as well have had the Mrissa-do-not-read logo on the spine. Euuuuurgh.

I was going to skip book 4 on the general distaste I concieved for his work at that point, but now I may have to reconsider that.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

This information is sad but useful. Thanks.

[bram452.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you're looking for more Long Price-esque stuff, skip the MLN Hanover books.

It's a Very Different Project.

[bram452.livejournal.com]

Dude. That's why it's under a pen name. Different project, different brand. :)

Seriously, if Unclean Spirits isn't your bag, I can still recommend the Long Price books and the short stuff. Any short work along the UF line is going to be under MLN's name, so it won't be hard to skip if you want to.

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

I really loved the first 3 Long Price books-- and, in fact, just bought #4.

The problem is, unfortunately, an industry problem. I'm not sure there's a solution to it. As I'm sure you are aware, many authors write very similar stuff under different names due to their books not selling well. One example I can cite off the top of my head is Alis Rasmussen, who writes as Kate Elliot. Another is Megan Lindholm, who writes as Robin Hobb. I think that Anne Groell is now writing under a pen name, as is Lyda Morehouse, Judith Tarr, and Ms. Zettel. A friend of mine, CE Murphy, wrote several romance books under a different name.

So when I see 'writing under a pen name', I generally assume that the writing will be very much the same (maybe stronger, depending on when in their career an author takes on a pen name), despite small thematic differences. This is perhaps a mistake on my part, but that's what I've generally expected.

The clarity of prose that I love in Abraham's books, and the very subtle tensions and political interplays-- I'm just not seeing as much of them in Abraham's work as MLN Hanover. There's a lot of flailing around by the female protagonist, and emotional flailing around just, as you say, 'isn't my bag'.

...aaaaand I just realised you're the author. 'Kay. Shutting up now. :)

[callunav.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I never focused on your praise of this series before. It goes on my list forthwith. Thank you.