Review: The White City by Elizabeth Bear

Title: The White City
Author: Elizabeth Bear
Format: ARC
Pages: 189
Genre: Alternate-History, Fantasy, Mystery
Publication Date: December 31, 2010
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Rating: C+

From Amazon: For centuries, the White City has graced the banks of the Moskva River. But in the early years of a twentieth century not quite analogous to our own, a creature even more ancient than Moscow's fortress heart has entered its medieval walls.

In the wake of political success and personal loss, the immortal detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa has come to Moscow to choose his path amid the embers of war between England and her American colonies. Accompanied by his court--the forensic sorcerer Lady Abigail Irene and the authoress Phoebe Smith--he seeks nothing but healing and rest.

But Moscow is both jeweled and corrupt, and when you are old there is no place free of ghosts, and Sebastien is far from the most ancient thing in Russia...

This novella takes place in Bear's New Amsterdam world. I haven't read this author or that collection yet, so this is doubly new to me. This is published after New Amsterdam, and although I didn't find it confusing, it might be better to read its predecessor first.

Bear has created a unique and intriguing world, taking place at the turn of the 20th century. In this world, there exist vampires, one of which is Don Sebastien de Ulloa. Each vampire has a court where mortals are chosen to become companions to these vampires. Members of the court wear rings that contain a signature gem of the vampire to show their allegiance. This society is lightly touched on, probably more has been revealed in the previous collection, New Amsterdam. I would have liked to have seen more about this world and how it works.

Primarily, this novella is about a mystery. The story is divided into two times, 1897 and 1903, and two murders that are somehow connected. The mystery aspect of this story is very prominent, giving room for little else. I thought the mystery was good and kept me turning the page, however, there was no mind-blowing reveal that I had hoped for. I felt like it flowed nicely but there was never any intensity or sense of danger for any of the characters.

What was the most enjoyable about The White City was the setting: Moscow. Bear deftly created an animated and lively setting, poised for revolution. Another was the character Doctor Abigail Irene Garrett, the forensic sorcerer. She uses her mystical abilities to discover evidence of a crime, such as scanning the aura of an object to see who has come into contact with it. I found it very entertaining and original, but alas, she did not feature as big a part as I would have liked.

Overall, I found Bear's writing to be very delightful, however, I think it could have been more exciting. I think this world she has created has something for those interested in mysteries with a dash of fantasy, especially if you like vampires. I would like to check out New Amsterdam one day, if only to read more about Abby Irene. C+

I received an ARC through a contest with the author.

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Review: Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

Title: Cold Magic
Author: Kate Elliott
Pages: 502
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate History, Steampunk
Publication Date: September 9, 2010
Rating: A
Challenge: The Bookkeeper's Steampunk Challenge

Cold Magic takes place in steampunk world, some of whom have been calling even 'icepunk' because of the mixture of airships, firearms and a frozen landscape. In this world we meet Catherine "Cat" Hassi Barahal, a smart, clever young woman. There is also Beatrice ("Bee"), her cousin, an artist who is equally fascinated by dirigibles. One day, a man by the name of Andevai shows up to fulfill the contract the mage house Four Moons has with Cat's guardians, her aunt and uncle. The oldest Barahal daughter is to be married into the mage house before her twentieth birthday. Before she knows what is going on, Catherine is taken and there starts her journey of finding out show she really is and what is most important to her.

Going into this novel I didn't know what to expect out of the world and magic Elliott had created. The cover is beautiful and the blurb on the back sounds like something right up my alley. One thing I didn't expect was the thoroughly thought-out alternate history. I must admit I couldn't get a hold of the timeline perfectly, but there is mention of Romans and other civilizations from Europe and Africa, all holding their own magical traditions. This book takes place after the Roman Empire in a Victorian-like era. I was really impressed with the mixture of cultures old and new and how this influenced the magical elements of the story.

The story is narrated by Cat. I enjoyed her as the main protagonist because I thought she was smart and pretty strong in a world where women are considered lower than men. One of her main faults is saying things that could get her in trouble (which it sometimes does). I also liked the character Bee, her cousin, who is an artist and a lot more bubbly in personality. I thought that despite their similar ages and situations they really felt like distinct characters. My favorite character would be Roderic, which I won't say too much about him because of spoilers, but I thought he was very entertaining and hope to see more of him in the sequel.

The one character I just couldn't like for most of the book (which could be the goal but perhaps not) was Andevai. He's also the love interest of Cat. He's an arrogant, rude cold mage of the Four Moons House. I felt that Cat was attracted to him from early on, but I just couldn't figure out why at the time since he was just always rude and disagreeable. He somewhat redeems himself at the end, but even then I am still not convinced. He does some growing throughout the story; however, we don't see him as much as I would have expected for Cat to fall for him.

That brings me to the romance in the story. There wasn't as much romance as I thought there would be. Cat does think about Andevai on her journey, but there isn't much explicit romance. I'm guessing things will change in the second book, and I am looking forward to finding out what happens between all the characters in the story.

Lastly, the magic in this world is diverse. There is cold magic of the nobles' mage houses, who rule over the land like feudal lords. Then there is djeliw and bards "who have the ability to manipulate and respect the essence that flows through the spirit world." (p. 79) Blacksmiths use fire; however, we did not get to see this in depth yet. There is also the magic of the beings of the spirit worlds themselves who are a mystery in themselves.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed Cold Magic by Kate Elliott. I loved the world, the magic and the characters. This is the first in the Spiritwalker Trilogy and I felt that it was a great introduction. I want to see more of Cat, Bee, Roderic and also have the what I would call a big cliffhanger at the end of the story resolved. I highly recommend Cold Magic. A

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