the galahad legacy

Although I read a fair amount of sci-fi/fantasy, I’ve always given the fantasy component a bigger share of my reading life.  This holds true for both young adult and adult fiction.  In an attempt to rectify this imbalance, I picked up The Galahad Legacy, the sixth and final book in the Galahad series by Dom Testa.

The electrifying conclusion to the epic young adult science fiction series that began with The Comet’s Curse.

Council leader Triana Martell has returned from her journey through the mysterious wormhole, but she isn’t alone. She is accompanied by the ambassador of an alien race—the Dollovit. While the Council and crew of Galahad struggle to come to terms with the existence of the Dollovit, the ship begins to flounder. The radiation shields threaten to fail, damaged by the appearance of multiple wormholes. The Dollovit have a proposal for the crew: an offer of assistance that could be their only hope for survival. But their offer comes with an astronomical price. Beset with doubts and surrounded by danger, can Triana and her crew find a way to reach their destination—a new home for the human race?

I want to preface my review The Galahad Legacy by clarifying that I did not read the previous five books in the series.  Although that would be preferable, it is not strictly necessary in order to understand the plot.  Of course, reading the rest of the series would obviously make the cast of characters more familiar (and in some cases, relevant). 

Let’s talk about The Galahad Legacy: it’s science fiction, YA, and follows a group of young space explorers as they journey through the stars to another habitable planet in order to further the continuation of the human race.  At their head is a council, made up of the ‘captain,’ the heads of specific departments (such as medical, agriculture and engineering), and it is this group that the story follows, in all of their personal triumphs and leadership towards reaching group goals.

The Galahad Legacy is nominally narrated by the voice of the main computer, Roc.  While this would be an interesting overall tack, it is kept to a bare minimum, and the majority of the book is told as it happens in bits and pieces by the voices of the Council members.  The style is primarily expository, but thankfully it doesn’t stray into data dump territory often.  There’s enough character development (especially in Bon’s case) that though the plot twists are often presented as ‘information’ and through ship’s warnings, they do not seem overly clunky.

To my mind, the most interesting parts of the book were the major questions addressed by various crew members either in thought or through dialogue.  Testa incorporated themes of existence after death, the stages of grief, alien contact, ethics, and artificial life, along with musings on fate and faith.  This philosophical musing might have seemed out of place in another book, but it fits seamlessly in the overall tale of the Galahad, and should provoke thoughtful consideration of these topics in a majority of its readers.

With that said, I did find a few authorial tics (and obsess over them) – 1) continuous mention of getting drinks of water, 2) overall lack of sleep for all of the Council members (which would fell ANYONE), and 3) constant avoidance of the cafeteria, as being too busy/noisy/what-have-you.

In all, I found that The Galahad Legacy was not what I expected, but what it IS worked just fine.  It is not hard, technical sci-fi, it is not character-driven, it is not a personal story of teens traversing the stars.  What it IS: a tale of a group effort to reach new destination through space, a story about the dynamics of a leadership team as it faces unimaginable challenges, and a narrative that ponders the important questions of human existence – “Why are we here?” and so on.

Recommended for: fans of middle grade and young adult sci-fi, those who have imagined traveling through space and time, and anyone with a big imagination and the perennial desire to ask ‘what if?’

Fine print: I read a finished copy of The Galahad Legacy courtesy of Tor Teen (Macmillan).  Earlier this month I posted an excerpt; if you'd like to learn more about the Galahad series, please visit Dom Testa's website.

above

Leah Bobet’s Above has amazing cover art, and I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t influence my decision to add it to my wish list.  But adding a book to my list doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll buy it.  What tipped the scale was a positive mention by one of the book bloggers I trust for quality young adult and middle grade sci-fi and fantasy recommendations – Charlotte’s Library.  I know I say it over and over, but one of the best things about blogging is finding fellow readers with similar taste, and following their lead into the great unknown.

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee’s wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above—like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe’s history and the shadows’ attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home—not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

The cover might convince you that the protagonist of Above is a girl with wings.  But while she (Ariel) is quite beautiful, the book is instead the story of a boy named Matthew, or ‘Teller.’  His attempt to remake his own ‘safe’ place after its invasion is the central adventure – that and his need to protect Ariel, the damaged girl from the cover, and his duty to remember and ‘tell’ the true stories of the inhabitants of his underground home.

But what is Above?  It is more than a book about a boy and a girl.  It is the story of a rag-tag community and its broken, hurting members.  It is the story of danger, abuse, of healing, of trying to find a place to be safe.  It is a sharp, biting, and exquisitely written story that deserves the adjective “haunting.”  It is all hard angles and uncomfortable truths and dark, secret things. 

The prose, though – the prose!  It’s exceptional.  Feeling bled through words and heightened every sense, every reaction.  Above was tense, mad, sorrowing, and altogether lovely.  It will be one of my favorite books of 2012, I am quite sure.

There were several unusual elements present in the story: the connection of fantasy and mental illness, a discussion of psychiatry and its fringe elements of society, a bi-racial protagonist (and how I wish I didn’t have to write that that was unusual!), and a trained storyteller of a protagonist letting bits of the tale go free piecemeal.  The glory of the reading experience was in the discovery of truths that hurt and pulled and tore – forming you, and the characters, into new people.

Recommended for: fans of China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, Kate Griffin’s A Madness of Angels, those who prefer a dark bite to their fiction, and anyone who has wondered if perhaps the shadows are stalking them – and why this should be so.

teaser tuesday (80)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted every week by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page (or if you're reading on an electronic device, pick a random number and scroll to that section). Post two or more sentences from that page, along with the book title and author. Share your find with others in the comments at Should Be Reading, and don't give anything vital away!

“Now unarmed, the prince stood face-to-face with the troll. The monster was nearly three feet taller than him, but Gustav showed no hint of fear. Gustav didn’t really do ‘fear.’”

p. 42 of Christopher Healy’s The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (ARC version)

the incorrigible children of ashton place: the mysterious howling

At this juncture, I do not think it is possible to overstate my love of middle grade books. I have read so many marvelous stories in the past few months that I am convinced that I a) have been missing out for a long time, and b) am going to find something wonderful just around the next corner.

Of course, I know a couple of things about myself. I like clever books, clever people, clever in general. And I like an omniscient narrator for children’s books (when done well – see Narnia for example), as well as a historical setting. AND… I like a mystery with spunky characters, slightly improbable events, and a sense of humor. I probably don’t need to say it at this point, but The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood is an impeccable example of all of these. And so I loved it.

Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

The Mysterious Howling starts as many good adventures do: with a journey to a place and people unknown, but with hope that it will all turn out right. Penelope Lumley is a very young graduate of a school for governesses, sent to make her way in the world for the first time. What she doesn’t know is that she is walking into mystery and will be handed an impossible task.

And then there are the children – the Incorrigibles. They are funny, wild, and kind at heart, as well as too clever by a half. As you can imagine, they get into all manner of trouble, and only Ms. Lumley’s resourcefulness keeps them from utter destruction. Well, mostly. Introduce a squirrel, and all is lost.

This book resides somewhere in a land beyond endearing (is there a word for that place? maybe… idyllic?). It’s humorous, ridiculous, sweet, mysterious and altogether FUN. I couldn’t keep from smiling while reading, and I dare you to keep from smiling yourself. OH, and the illustrations! Jon Klassen, author of award-winning picture book I Want My Hat Back, did them. They (and the cover art) are utterly charming, and that is that.

Recommended for: ages 8-12, plus all of their attendant adults (and especially those who are fond of reading aloud), fans of Lemony Snicket, The Mysterious Benedict Society and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and anyone who likes books with a generous helping of humor and adventure on the side.