Books
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed
I loved this. It is interesting to read a second world fantasy stories whose religion/magic is so familiar from real world contexts. It is set in a secondary world fantasy version of the middle east/north Africa, although more culturally that geographically analogous. There is one God and magic is invocations of God. It is also set in a city and takes place almost entirely in the city. The city is a character.
Book two exists, but is not yet titled. No word on actual release date.
The Killing Moon, NK Jemisin
This is also a city book. Egypt based setting, which makes for a great familiar/unfamiliar setting. One of the point of view characters is an outsider, which helps to explain how some things works, but Jemisin is really good as explaining what the characters take for granted without making it strange. Most of the book is mystery so it’s a little like moving through a too dark place, not comfortable. I felt it kind of slow going because I felt a little out of my depth with it. I didn’t quite understand what the problems were. Then it got suddenly epic and fraught and wow!
The Shadowed Sun, NK Jemisin
This is book two of the duology. This was easier to devour because I understood the threat better and was completely freaked out by it. It was fantastic, too, because it built on everything that you learn from the first book about how the world and its magic works. I am less sure how I feel about the ending. I think that that is just because it went where I had expected but then talked myself out of expecting. I think I would have liked to end with Nijiri rather than Hanani, but I also that that is 1) my preference and 2) not actually fair to Hanani who had to do almost everything that got done.
Films
Iron Man
Okay, so you can see how long I’ve been waiting to write this. I saw IM3 twice and it was worth it. It is a good film and a great action film. I don’t think it makes terribly much sense in the specifics, but the broad plot is sensible enough to carry all the action, which is what one needs. Robert Downey Jr is such fun to watch and Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow get to do great stuff.
It’s weird on disability and injury and patriotic duty. I don’t know how to break down those issues though, certainly not however long later I am writing this.