Imprudence » Book Review

Egads! Imprudence is the first physical book I have ever received from a publisher. Here's me gushing on Instagram and barely holding myself together.



My sister will attest to the fact that I was practically hyperventilating when I saw the package in our mail. I'M TOO POOR TO ORDER ANY BOOKS FROM AMAZON. When I saw that it was Imprudence, I almost fainted. But I didn't!

BECAUSE HOW ELSE WOULD I BE ABLE TO READ THIS BOOK.

Where They Are Now

After the events of Prudence (see review HERE), Rue makes her way back home where she receives a firm admonishment from Queen Victoria for her part in creating a separate treaty with the Varanas and the Shadow council. The Crown's legal protection has also been revoked from Rue as punishment.

That's not the only thing that's going wrong in London. I can't go into details, but I almost wept. One of the things I love about the way Gail Carriger writes her books, is that she keeps her focus on the world at large. Characters that we have loved through many series will continue to sneak in and out of the book, and we get to see how they have changed and evolved throughout the years.

In this installment, we watch Rue grow into an adult. Not just in terms of age, as she is officially 21 years old and has reached her majority, but also in maturity. She is finally confronted with some painful truths about her parents (all 3 of them) and starting to understand them as adults, not just as her guardians.

Rue & Crew

As always, I adore Rue and her crew members. Prim and Rue's friendship is as solid as ever, Spoo remains our delightful deckling (can't wait to see how she grows up), Percy our grumpy navigator, Quesnel our charming Frenchman, Aggie our curmudgeon, gorgeous Sekhmet, and Footnote! Every ship needs a cat after all. Sometimes even two.

My brief complaint about the book is that I never really grew to love Quesnel as I did Percy or Prim or Spoo. I really tried, especially since I knew that the romantic pairing would be between Rue and Quesnel. Their romance is definitely quite different than the traditional Victorian tale, and I adored the reactions of her parents. I must not have been won over by Quesnel. However, that didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the story. The romance is definitely not the focus, and Rue handles it in a very mature manner.

Percy was SUCH an idiot in this book. I could have smacked him around for all the stupid decisions he made. I understood why he made those choices, but a smack was coming his way nonetheless. I love that Carriger can make me feel such strong emotions for her characters. I am also DYING to know what happens in Prim's future. For everyone who has read the book already, DON'T YOU SHIP IT?! Because I am the captain of that ship.

Colonialism

I found this to be a strong installment to The Custard Protocol series. Some of the issues I had in her previous book regarding colonialism was put to rest. As Rue travels and interacts with people that aren't British, we see her understanding of the world and the Empire's activities transform.

I almost want to go back and omit that section of my review in Prudence. But looking back with all the information that I have from Imprudence, it was clearly a process of growth for Rue. As a metanatural, she doesn't have normal citizenship rights and that has also impacted her view of supernaturals and their value to the Crown. She definitely isn't a mindless drone of the Empire. I think that was the greatest gift Queen Victoria could unknowingly give Rue as she removed the legal protection of the Crown.

Final Thoughts

I am DYING for a sequel. I originally assumed this to be a duology since no other books have been announced. Imprudence doesn't end on a cliffhanger by any means, but a few things have been set in motion and I'd love to see them come to fruition. Not to mention, I NEED TO KNOW HOW MY SHIP WILL SAIL.

The saddest moment for me in the whole book was when [spoiler]Rue was getting ready to leave London, and Conall had to give up being Alpha. We all knew this was coming, but I felt devastated for Conall as he lost his pack. When Rue showed her belly to Biffy in wolf form, and he rejected her, I felt her pain at losing her family. I'm just not ready (as a reader) to let the pack go either.[/spoiler]

According to Carriger, she hopes to publish a sequel in 2018. Only 2 years away!



I'm not crying!! There's just something in my eye...

---

I'm excited to announce that I will be seeing Gail Carriger in person in Chicago next week! My sister and I will be going together and I am beyond thrilled to meet my favorite author of 2016.

Prudence » Book Review

Prudence was everything my heart desired. I had been holding off on reading this series because I worried that it wouldn't be as good as The Parasol Protectorate and wouldn't evoke the same sense of love and nostalgia. I needn't have worried.

For those who are unaware, all of Gail Carriger's works (with the exception of a few short stories) take place in this alternate steampunk history where werewolves and vampires have been integrated into British society. Timeline wise, the books start with The Finishing School, followed by The Parasol Protectorate, and then The Custard Protocol.

Please keep in mind that my following review will contain spoilers for The Parasol Protectorate (though I shall endeavor to keep them to a minimum).

Rue & Crew

My favorite aspect of Carriger's books have always been her trademark wit/humor and her characters. Rue is no exception. She isn't a carbon copy of her mother, Alexia, either. And her relationship with her best friend, Primrose (Ivy's daughter), isn't at all like the relationship Alexia had with Ivy in The Parasol Protectorate. This is a relationship between equals and based on a twenty-year devoted friendship. I adored them.

Ivy's twin brother, Percy, is also a part of the crew. He is an academic, and lured aboard to accept the post of Chief Navigator. He brings along Footnote, his cat, and an entire library (which my soul appreciated). And as Rue believes, every ship needs a cat. Hear hear!

Rounding out the crew, we have Quesnel Lefoux, who is the son of Genevieve. He is hired on as the Chief Engineer. He is a ridiculous flirt, and we see a spark of interest flying between Rue and Quesnel. I look forward to seeing how that will progress. I love the way Carriger has developed the romance between characters throughout all her novels, so I am sure this one will be no different.

"Rue gave a little mental sigh. No one would ever describe her as deadly attractive. She brightened a bit. Perhaps she could aspire to just deadly?"

Rue & Family

Rue is the biological daughter of Alexia and Conall Maccon, but she was 'officially' raised by our favorite vampire, Lord Akeldama. Lord Akeldama is one of my absolute favorite characters in this Victorian world. I giggle when I picture his sense of fashion, I chuckle when I read his dialogue with his daughter and other valued companions, and I admire his ability to hide his keen mind behind a sense of frivolity.

I love practical Alexia, who referred to her pregnancy within The Parasol Protectorate series as 'infant convenience'. The relationship between Alexia and Rue is just as complicated and fraught with tension as any regular mother/daughter relationship would be.

"I must say, like most daughters, I resent being accused of emulating my mother."

Rue in India

Rue is metanatural, sent on a mission to India by her adopted father Lord Akeldama to acquire a special kind of tea. I was delighted with this premise for two reasons. Firstly, because I adore Indian chai and I wanted to know what Rue would think of it, and secondly, because I was curious about how they would depict India

This quote very accurately sums up Rue's abilities and her relationship to supernatural creatures that are not part of her family:

"Rue raised her bare hands. Her best threat to any supernatural was her metanatural state. Few immortals could face the idea of being mortal, even for a short space of time. It was what made Rue's preternatural mother so universally despised. The idea that not only would he lose his form, but someone else would have access to it, was adding insult to injury. Where a soulless was merely the enemy, a soul-stealer was dishonorable, a defiler of the supernatural state. Rue was not just despised, she was vilified."

In India, we meet vampires (also known as Rakshasas), English soldiers, and some familiar werewolf friends. I was delighted with the intermingling of Indian folklore with the traditional tale of vampires and werewolves. However, as a born Indian, I do have an inherent dislike of British colonial rule that did come up after I concluded the novel. Particularly after Rue did this one thing...

[spoiler]The Varanas (the were-monkeys) and Rakshasas are at an all-out war. Within Hindu mythology, Rakshasas are demons while Varanas fight against them. The eternal enmity makes sense. However, because the vampires and werewolves can co-exist in Britain, Rue expects the same out of these two factions. But the Varanas refuse to be on the same treaty with the Rakshasas and hence, are at a stalemate. Rue talks them into allying with the Shadow Council, and since that is closely aligned with Queen Victoria, essentially means that they are on the same treaty after all. Rue gains the outcome she wants through a semblance of trickery without making a genuine effort to understand the culture. [/spoiler]

While I understood it within the context of the story, upon further reflection, it did aggravate me. Another situation of white people coming and telling another culture what to do, what is right, and what is wrong.

Fashion & Tea

As any fervent Carriger reader would know, fashion, food, and tea play a significant role in all her novels. Hence, there is an exquisite amount of detail paid to dresses, parasols and (my absolute favorite) hats. Tea is required at all times, and delicious goodies are frequently mentioned. I always need a delicious goodness while enjoying a Carriger book. I mention this because I'm aware that there are those out there that find these details frivolous and unentertaining.

I recommend Gail Carriger's books for all those out there who enjoy a healthy dose of whimsy and silliness with their Victorian steampunk.

The next novel Imprudence releases July 19th, 2016.

Poison or Protect » Novella Review

Hooray for my first 2016-release read!

I am officially a die-hard fan of Gail Carriger's. I started off this year by reading her Parasol Protectorate series, and followed up with her Finishing School series. And I plan on reading her Custard Protocol series in July, which is when the second book Imprudence releases. I will read ANYTHING this woman writes. Also, not to toot my own horn, but she does follow me on Twitter and Instagram which made me squeal in delight when I saw my notifications.

I just adore her. And her cat is gorgeous, not that that's relevant to her writing...

The Novella

Poison or Protect (a stand-alone romance) is the first installment in the Delightfully Deadly series which will feature the graduates of Mademoiselle Geraldine's. Our first heroine is Preshea Buss, who was initially introduced in the Finishing School series. She was a catty, spiteful, unlike-able girl who has grown into a dangerous and wealthy woman. On her mission, she meets an attractive Scottish soldier named Gavin Ruthven.

Even though I knew I would enjoy the book because of the familiar world it was set in and the appearance of some of my favorite characters, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually LIKED Preshea. She is very self-aware, intelligent, and skilled at her chosen profession. She knows her flaws, and she makes no excuses for them. Her maturity and evolution throughout the novella was not reserved simply for Gavin, but allowed her the ability to form healthier relationships with others.

"Always, there was a tiny part of her that wanted to kill any man she knew. On principle."

Gavin was just a kind, gentle, and swoon-worthy character that complemented Preshea perfectly. Once I started reading the book and realized it was more romance-focused, I was briefly disillusioned. I expected a rake, or one of those regency romance rugged alpha Scotsman tropes that I had left far behind. But that's not who Gavin was at all, and I found it extremely refreshing.

Note: Not that there is anything wrong with the rugged alpha-man stories! I do enjoy a good bodice-ripper romance once in a while. It's just that as I've grown older and figured out my personal wants and desires in a partner, I realize that I actually don't find those kinds of men attractive in real life. And the feminist in me occasionally rages against their behavior.

"He liked knowing she could kill him."

The romantic/sexual scenes were well-written and enjoyable. And honestly, I don't really know what to say beyond that.  It's a sex-scene guys... fill in the blanks :P. I guess what I'm saying is, if I had the opportunity to have a little fun with Gavin, I would not turn it down. Every woman should be lucky enough to have a little Gavin in their lives. *swoons*

The espionage/mystery element of the book was not fully explored to my satisfaction. But I understand that with this being a novella, the author had to narrow her focus and not bite off more than she could chew. I encourage everyone to download a copy of this ebook. At the very least, it would give you an idea if this author is worth adding to your TBRs.

Happy Reading, everyone!

 

Curio » Review

Those who follow my reviews know that I have a weird relationship with steampunk.  I never seem to like books featuring mechanical fantasy, and yet, I keep trying, striving, to find gems in this troublesome genre.  Over and over again, I start a steampunk book and wind up with a DNF — Did Not Finish. I had some high hopes for Curio — pretty cover, ooooh — but I should have known better.  This book might be the one to make me give up on steampunk forever.

Curio has a very complex — okay, complicated — premise.  We have an alternate version of the United States, magician-scientists, potions that allow people to digest food, a town with strict rules enforced by whippings, a cabinet leading to a world of living machines called "porcies"...  It was all too much for me to take in.  My imagination wouldn't stretch that far. My common sense kept interrupting, piping up, but that doesn't make any sense!

Complicating matters was the pace of the book.  Curio starts out with an exciting scene of two teens racing to make it home before curfew.  We don't know what will happen if they fail, just that the consequences will be very bad. After that initial scene, however, the pace staggers at an alarming rate. The prose gets slogged down by tedious description.  We're told about every color that crosses our protagonist's eyes, every thought, every sensation... There needed to be editing to remove all of the unnecessary language — badly.  

All of this may have been tolerable, though, if not for the blandness of our protagonist, Grey.  She was a husk.  Early on in the book, she acts in a way that was clearly supposed to make readers admire her, but I was left cold.  Her actions weren't that impressive. We're told ad nauseam by other characters that Grey is special, but we were not shown that in any interesting or unique way.

Earlier on, I was going to recommend Curio for fans of Incarceron and Sapphique, two popular books in the YA steampunk niche, but now I hesitate to recommend this book in any capacity.  To put it frankly, I was not intrigued, not delighted, not interested.  I was frustrated and bored.

Ruin and Rising » Review

I can't believe it's over!  I remember the first time I read book one... It's like a Disneyland commercial — Never Forget the Magic!  ...And then I waited years to read book two, well past its release. Way, way past.

Why did I do this, when I loved Shadow and Bone so much?  I think it was because I was terrified over what would happen to the characters.  I didn't want to read about them getting maimed, or dying, or never being quite the same, like Frodo, at the end of Lord of the Rings.  Because I knew something like that had to happen to make the serious epic and serious and all that.

But, I'm pleased to say that I finally bit the bullet and read Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising back to back, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be!  That's not to say there wasn't maiming, death, and Frodo-fate, because there was. All of that happened, but my heart is still intact.

After a bit of weird pacing in Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising had a steadier pace and I enjoyed the book more than the middle installment but less than Shadow and Bone.  There were some really excellent plot twists that had me gasping and a proper, finished ending that left me satisfied.  (Granted, my ship sailed, so I had reason to be pleased.)

There's not much I can say about the plot without giving things away.  It wasn't a perfect construction, but I found it to be structurally sound.  My main quibble is that the climax was rather abrupt and a tad of a letdown.  I was expecting a bit more of a drawn-out, epic battle, but we got a skirmish instead.

As for the out of control love rhombus in Siege and Storm, well, it settled the fuck down in Ruin and Rising, thank God.  Things were handled quite skillfully and gracefully in my opinion. (Again, my ship sailed.)  There were plenty of swoony moments in the text, especially after a certain twist took place.  It was a great moment where plot and relationships collide and the effect was just excellent.

Overall, this isn't a book that I ever should have been scared to read, although it definitely kept my heart racing, wondering where the next betrayal was coming from, when the Darkling would manifest to wreck havoc, and what the third amplifier would do to Alina.  It was a magnificent conclusion to a great series.

Shadow and Bone » Review

Even though it was years ago, I still remember when I first read Shadow and Bone.  I started it in the evening... see where this is going? Yes, rays of light were poking through the windows by the time I finished the book.  Those rays of light were so fitting, let me tell you.

The book's premise isn't super unique.  There is a girl who manifest super special powers and finds out she must save her country (and the world!) from evil.  But, you know, there's a reason that general premise is so popular.  It's super compelling.  Add to that Bardugo's Russian inspired setting, vivid description, and worldbuilding and we have something special on our hands.

Alina Starkov, our protagonist, is an unlikely Chosen One.  She's prickly, scrawny, and ordinary. Oh yeah, and really grumpy and insecure.  She's a character that you only sometimes admire, but always root for.  Our villain is the Darkling, an almost omnipotent "grisha,"  who can summon and manipulate darkness.  He's almost a deity and he is pretty freaky.  I rate him up with Sauran in my list of "Near Impossible to Beat Literary Antagonists."  Many readers find him dishy, but I don't feel that way.  This character is a bad person.

As I mentioned before, the setting is in a Russian inspired country at the beginning of its industrial age.  The fitting term used by Bardugo to describe her genre, is "czarpunk."  Our story starts out with teenage Alina conscripted as a mapmaker's apprentice in the national Ravkan army.  Maybe it's due to all of the World War II footage I've seen in my schooldays, but I could picture so vividly the chilly landscape and dirty roads that the army stops through in our opening scenes. Also conscripted in her regiment is Alina's best friend and childhood soulmate, Mal.  Poor Alina has a serious case of the loves for Mal, which, again, isn't exactly original, but was very compelling regardless.

But I'm dancing around the main hook of the story.  There is a magic system in Bardugo's word.  Much like Kristin Cashore's Graceling, certain people are born with powers that bend the laws of the natural world.  These grisha are powerful figures in Ravka, and comprise an army led by their most powerful member, the Darkling.  As mentioned previously, the Darkling summons darkness.  His foil, a summoner of light, has not been discovered. Untiiiiil...

There now, doesn't that intrigue you?

As for faults, I found the middle portion of the book to sag slightly compared with Shadow and Bone's powerhouse opening and ending.  Alina could be insufferable at times, but it's understandable, as she's at the beginning of her character arc.  Got to start from somewhere, right.

All in all, this is a five star YA read and Leigh Bardugo has emerged as a top author in the genre.  If you like YA lit in the slightest, this isn't a book you'll want to pass over.

Six of Crows » Review

I love this book so much I carry it around with me when I go places. I love it so much that I mark it up with colored pens so I can figure out how Leigh Bardugo writes so well. I love it so much that I'm currently reading everything Bardugo has written. I love it so much that I've read the book five times over already, and it hasn't even been a month since its release.

Part of the reason I love it is that I'm currently writing an industrial fantasy adventure and Six of Crows happens to be an industrial fantasy adventure. It's a little niche off of steampunk that I love. So right away the genre of this book had me. There are all the issues that come from the setting being on the cusp of modernity, there's a healthy dose of magic, and there's action, risk, and suspense. Love it!

Another aspect I adored was the character development. The book follows a team of criminals and has an ensemble narration, with clearly defined arc for each character. Mechanically, the character arcs were neat and well done. Emotionally, they were compelling.

My favorite characters, though I loved them all, were Kaz and Inej. Kaz is the perfect anti-hero, a twisted and dark criminal genius, who happens to still be a teenager and working his way to the top. Inej is a former sex slave that Kaz rescued and turned into his own personal spy, redirecting her skills in acrobatic performance.  Their relationship is so compelling.  I could seriously write an essay on their relationship, their dynamics are so complex.

There's also Jesper, a combat savant with a nasty gambling addiction. There's Nina, a grisha Heartrender — a throwback connection to Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series. There's Matthias, a Nordic-inspired giant who worked as a grisha hunter before he was imprisoned on a hellish island. And then there's Wylan. Poor Wylan is the only member of the team who doesn't get POV chapters, so as of now, I'd call him a more peripheral character. He has a privileged background, but threw it all away because of his principles.



The book starts out with a chapter that could turn off readers, because it slides into the action indirectly and gradually, through the POV of a redshirt. Chapter two is when we get introduced to Inej, and from there, I can't see readers having a problem sticking with the book. It sinks its claws in.

As for the plot, I think Bardugo did a marvelous job in making things believable. There were a few instances where I questioned plausibility, but for a heist novel, it was pretty solid. Bardugo also did fantastic work in weaving quiet moments into the action. I just want to give her a standing ovation.

Already, I'm plotting how to get my greedy paws on the sequel, Empire of Crows as soon as I possibly can. Six of Crows ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, setting up book two perfectly. This is going to be an amazing series, everyone.

Also, I entered a contest to get my name inserted in the second book.  This is my entry.



 

The Falconer | Review

Let me start this review with a small rant about steampunk.

Steampunk, or mechanical fantasy as I call it, is a genre of fiction featuring a historical setting with advanced, often whimsical, technology.  It is often set in the Victorian period, although there are exceptions.  Dirigibles, automatons, spider-like vehicles, and weapons masquerading as ladies' accessories are popular pieces of steampunk machinery.

I DO NOT LIKE IT!

I dislike how steampunk machinery makes no scientific sense whatsoever.  I also dislike how steampunk books are often choked with genre cliches and tropes.

That being said, I can tolerate it in small doses.  My favorite series of all time, Lindsay Buroker's The Emperor's Edge, has steampunk elements to it.  However, for the most part, the technology in Buroker's series make sense, and the characters are often slaving over hot boilers or wrangling awkward machinery gone awry.  I like that Buroker's machines are bulky and malfunctioning and hinder the heroes as often as they help them.

On the other hand, Elizabeth May's The Falconer has the kind of steampunk technology that I'm not overly fond of — mechanical hands that shoot out to pour tea and fold bustles.  There are implausible helicopters ornithopters and and little ornate devices that hold tremendous power.  Um, what kind of power and how does the device harness it?  Nevermind that! Tremendous power!!

I connect the star and the remaining knife. Power flows from the objects as they melt together to form the larger star. The metal is smooth in my palm again.

See what I mean?  It's nonsense, I tell you!

As for the rest of the book, it's good.  It's a fun read, with kick-ass heroine and lots of action and antics.  The Falconer follows a young Victorian lady of Edinburgh, Aileana Kameron, whose mother was brutally murdered by a faery.  In the days after her mother's death, Aileana learned that her country has a bit of a faery infestation and humans are being slaughtered because of it.  Shortly after, she met her... unique... tutor, Kiaran McKay, who instructs her in all things murderous and violent.  With his help she goes on a supernatural killing spree.  Her life of wreaking revenge is upended, however, when she learns that the faeries below ground,  imprisoned in their kingdom, are very close to breaking out.

My favorite part of the book, funnily enough, was a character called Derrick.  He plays the comical sidekick, which is usually a part that I care little for.  But Derrick was truly hilarious.  He's a pixie, a male Tinkerbell, and lives in Aileana's closet, mending her gowns for honey, which intoxicates him.  His scenes caused me to laugh quite often.  More than that, he also served to make the fae folk more accessible.  Athough Derrick doesn't kill humans like his larger kinfolk, he is still an uncanny creature.  I liked how May made the villains slightly more sympathetic by giving them a spectrum of behavior that we got to witness.

However, there were issues with the book besides the steampunk.  I found myself arguing with Aileana's logic and the behavior of other characters quite a bit.  The writing also seemed to be... manipulative, unkind, coy?  I felt strung along, as a reader, having things withheld that didn't have to be.  Did the romance really have to unfold that way?  It was strung out for so long that when something did happen it felt too little too late.  And the cliffhanger.  By god.  What a disservice to readers.

All in all, I give The Falconer three stars.  It had good elements and frustrations in equal measure.  However, I will surely be picking up the sequel, which comes out this November.

 

 

The Viper and the Urchin Review

This book came to my attention when the author emailed me, saying she'd seen that I'd reviewed and liked Lindsay Buroker's self-published Emperor's Edge series, and would I be interested in reviewing her own book, which held similarities to Buroker's work?

Well.  As an utter fanatic of The Emperor's Edge and its sequels, I search ceaselessly for books that recapture Buroker's style and magic.  Of course, I wrote the author back, saying yes, please send me your book!  At once! — I mentally added.

Now, having finished reading it, I can say that The Viper and the Urchin was a short, solid start to what looks to be a series with potential.  It indeed holds similarities to Buroker's Emperor's Edge —  they are both set in a industrial fantasy setting, with mild steampunk elements.  There are assassins, whose names both end in "us" — although Jeanjean's deadly alchemist Longinus is decidedly different from Buroker's consummate killer, Sicarius.

I didn't know what to make of Longinus at first.  I was slow to wrap my head around such a foppish — at times foolish — assassin.  As the novel drew onwards, I began to find him slightly endearing, although the brevity of the book, 262 pages, was not enough to explain his motivations for killing fully. He seems to be a gentler soul, so why is he drawn to murder? Besides [spoiler]it being his family's trade.[/spoiler] I hope my questions regarding this will be answered in Jeanjean's upcoming installments.

Longinus was not the only protagonist, however.  He shares narration with Rory, an 18 year-old city urchin who harbors ambitions of becoming a great swordsman, like her idol, the Scarred Woman.  Rory was your typical scrappy heroine, who has a heart of gold buried beneath the law-breaking behavior adopted to help her survive the cruel streets.  She discovers some embarrassing information about Longinus, and blackmails him — her secrecy in exchange for lessons in dueling.

Neither of these characters really flew off of the page for me, but I do have hope that they'll slowly be built up over time.

Where The Viper and the Urchin really impressed me was its political intrigue.  The story takes place in a tiny, muggy, little country called Damsport, which used to be the property of an empire about 45 years ago, give or take a decade.  Independence was won by Damsport's young Marchioness who then made a series of brilliant political maneuvers, turning Damsport into an international trade center.  When the empire tried to take Damsport back into the fold, the little country waged a Thermopolyae-esque stand, in time for its allies to push the empire back.  The emperor has been bitter ever since.

This aspect of the story really held my attention.  Going forward, it seems as if the politics will continue to develop, which is excellent.

The style of writing was good, at times showing signs of beginner wobbles, but solid all the same.  I particularly liked a descriptive passage that described Damsport's Wet Market:

The Wet Market was the centre of the Great Bazaar, and therefore the very heart of Damsport. But whereas most hearts pulsate, pumping out life’s blood, Damsport’s heart dripped.  Live fish and crustaceans dripped sea water onto the cobblestones, and dead fish dripped murky viscera. Blood dripped from meat cleavers, whey from cheesecloths, ale through the cracks of poorly constructed barrels, and piss from table legs, attesting to the passage of a stray dog.

Milk dripped from jugs, from udders, from chins; berries dripped juice, makeshift awnings dripped leftover rainwater, and priests dripped holy water. Sweat dripped from the faces of porters, bent under heavy loads, wine dripped down the chins of those checking its quality, and snot dripped from children’s and old men’s noses.  Fat dripped from sausages, dripping dripped from fried fish, vinegar dripped from prawn dumplings, eaten by hand straight from enormous bamboo steamers. Beer dripped from spilt tankards, mud-coloured tobacco water from water pipes, wine from broken bottles, brandy from over-hurried gulps, fire liquor from glasses dashed onto the cobbles, tea from teapot spouts, and more urine dripped from over-refreshed men.

All of it drip-drip-dripped onto the Wet Market’s cobblestones, found its way to the gutters, and trickled off along each of the Twelve, gathering speed thanks to the gentle downward slopes, and carrying the lifeblood and stench of the Wet Market out to the rest of Damsport.

A tad long-winded, but very evocative!

All in all, I give The Viper and the Urchin 3.5 stars — I liked the book and intend to follow the series, but the brevity of the novel and its subsequent lack of development makes me hesitant to rank it higher.  However, The Viper and the Urchin left me wanting more — truly a good sign. I very much look forward to seeing how Celine Jeanjean unfolds her debut series.