Review - The Phoenix Keeper by S A McLean

 

The Phoenix Keeper is an accomplished cozy fantasy that introduces new elements into its story while also keeping us in touch with some that are familiar. In a setting that seems parallel to the real world, a zoo containing magical creatures is looked after by Aila and her best friend, Tanya. What we get are superior world-building (probably influenced by the author's background as an ecologist), lively interactions, humour, real concern about the endangerment of animals, lucid descriptions and a genuinely satisfying finale. There are strong friendship and romance bits to the story, and a refreshing viewpoint from a main character with social anxiety. My only small criticism is that two of the main plot happenings felt like they could be predicted from a mile away. But that doesn't stop it being a truly satisfying book.

Aila, the main character, struggles with her life-long anxiety around strangers and large groups. She is an expert in her field, devoted to saving the lives of endangered phoenixes through a breeding program at the San Tamculo zoo. This city strongly resembles San Francisco and the environment seems much like our own, with smartphones and social media like 'Griffingram'. The zoo itself is described vividly and we get a clear picture of tourist crowds, night atmosphere and the animals' habitats and individual personalities. 

Aila's best friend is Tanya, committed and brave. Tanya has her own goal: a volunteering program to assist the zoo. We get to experience the strong friendship between Aila and Tanya, and though their amusing, cheeky interactions can see how much they genuinely care about each other. However, Aila's single-minded obsession with phoenixes can be a weakness, and she must re-learn to pay attention to Tanya's need for help.

Spoiler warning

Luciana is another zookeeper who seems eerily perfect, and is a person Aila has had a long dislike for because of a past misunderstanding. We find out eventually that Luciana conceals a vulnerability when she must deal with the loss of her own creature, a griffin. By gradually co-operating with Aila, we see her barriers break down. 

Then there's an 'enemies-to-lovers' trope as Aila and Luciana's difficulties are reconciled, and through this fresh understanding a romance develops. And another tried-and-true plot element appears later when a 'dark horse' character betrays Aila in a plot against her precious animals. While there's nothing wrong with all this, they're hardly unexpected events when they eventually occur.

The final chase sequence, however, kept me in genuine suspense and was a great way to finish off the book. As was Aila's journey to finding love and personal freedom, with her successes in the faces of of her zoo colleagues, superiors and even a large audience.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

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Thanks to Hatchett Book Group & Netgalley for an ARC of this book. 

Review - Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions by Nalo Hopkinson

 

I had encountered some of Nalo Hopkinson's stories before starting this collection and admired them. So it's with pleasure I can say this is another varied set with which she shows a talent for making strange and thought-provoking tales with concerns including Western and Caribbean cultures, gender, climate change and adaptation and resilience. And cute swimming pigs!

'Broad Dutty Water' is one of the longest and strongest stories. Jacquee is a young female member of a 'taz', an ocean farming cooperative created after a catastrophic climactic flooding process, the Inundation, that has affected the local Caribbean environment. She has received a new 'wetware' cybernetic implant which allows her to bond with and control machines like her ultralight flying craft. Her unpreparedness with the implant is partly what causes her plane to crash on an isolated island, where she must fend for herself. While there, she discovers miraculous 'blob stuff' in a lagoon which may hold the key to preserving endangered species in the face of climate doom. But it is the engaging language and interaction of Jacquee and the other characters in the story which is the most enjoyable.

In 'Jamaica Ginger, we get a 'teslapunk' tale about another young female protagonist in a setting that resembles early 20th century America with many of its racial attitudes. But the usual steampunk cliches are flipped on their head, as the main characters are now poor, disadvantaged people of colour. Plaquette is at the mercy of a master in his workshop, creating mechanical servants or 'Georges', despite that fact that she is the real talent behind his inventions. It's a well-crafted tale with an ending involving a departure to her own personal freedom.

Things take a darkly humourous tone with 'Inselburg', which is an often funny narration by a future Caribbean native tour guide. During his imaginary island tour ride, he also relates startling details about dire flooding and an environment that is surviving despite ecological poisoning and disaster. There are also some wicked jabs about foreign tourists and a stark lack of compassion by the guide, as he passes on his cheeky, deadpan way. 'Repatriation' is another related story, in which a local Caribbean couple must deal with their own feelings when taking part in a tourist cruise, awkwardly finding that all the serving people on the ship are of their own background. But it ends with another burst of hope for the future against climate change.

It might be just my own preference, but the fantasy tale 'San Humanite' is my favourite. It is really just all about a general feeling and aesthetic, which really worked for me. It has the best weird atmosphere in any story this side of H.P Lovecraft. Also 'Whimper' is another tale with a surreal tone, but this time a nightmare.

I would say the parts of this collection that worked best for me were the author's energetic use of Caribbean vernacular, a grasp that is very convincing, at least to an outsider. There's a wide variety in the stories, from slice-of-life ('Waving at Trains'), to blisteringly fast microfiction, to eerie interactions with mysterious creatures ('Child Moon'). Hopkinson's focus on rising sea levels and their effects on island nations is a worthy one. However, her sometimes angry stories may not be for every one - despite how historically racially justified they may be. 'Clap Back' is a story that will get almost any reader feeling indignant, and is a viciously sly satire focused at the misuse of the identity of people from developing countries in Western marketing and fashion. However, I was left wishing there was a bit more balance in the racial approaches in some of the stories.

The author has a great way of telling tales, regardless, and it's clear she has things that are important to tell.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

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