The Constant Tower and The Proposition

My review of Carole McDonnell's The Constant Tower is live at Black Gate. It's a story of about suffering, sacrifice, and restoration that contains elements of sci-fi and fantasy. I love the two stories, "Changeling" and "The Night Wife" that McDonnell wrote for the two Griots anthologies edited by Milton Davis and Charles Saunders (they've already got a third, YA-themed, one in the works). Not heroic fiction, instead, her two tales are folklore styled stories of obligations, love, and jealousy.

McDonnell is a Christian (Protestant, Pentecostal subdivision) and there are studies of suffering, service, and sacrifice in the novel. This is all skillfully done so the book never reads like something you'd find on the spinner in the church bookstore. If you aren't religious don't be put off either, there's no proselytizing in The Constant Tower.

There's also enough sex and violence here to keep it off of that same spinner. They're important parts of the world she's created that labors under unending warfare, sexual domination and scarcity. It's a dark broken world in The Constant Tower, much like our own is.

Too many Christian artists I've read (don't get me started on most Christian films) show the messy, painful realities of the world being solved way too easily. As works of art many just stink. Instead of mirroring life in all its hues, dark and light alike, they settle for bright and shiny colors.

I'm not saying this is the best written or most profound novel I've read, but McDonnell has engaged the real world with her art. Christianity is supposed to be challenging and this book definitely doesn't go for the easy outs. I don't read a lot of fiction with anything deeper going on than adventure these days but every now and then I pick up something with a little more going on. This was one of those books. Good, good stuff.

I just watched The Proposition, an Australian Western from 2005. It was written by musician Nick Cave, directed by John Hillcoat, and stars Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, and Emily Watson. It's dirty, grim, and extra, extra bloody. It's well shot and well acted but in the end I'm not sure what purpose those things serve. It takes itself very seriously but the story's point seems to be little more than it's hard to tame a dangerous land. The relationships between Guy Pearce's characters and his two brothers isn't developed much but that's half of what's driving the story. It's slow moving and the dialogue's a bit ponderous so it's not exactly exciting. I didn't dislike it but I can't imagine ever watching it again. Now, I did just pick up a copy of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford the other day, so maybe I'll watch that again tomorrow.

I'm still listening to a lot of Dramarama though a little power pop in the form of Fountains of Wayne, Cheap Trick, Enuff Znuff is getting thrown into the hopper.

Mail Bag

   With the summer months I get a little more reading done and am a little more apt to spend some money on books.  Sometimes even real, printed-on-paper books.  Of course that didn't mean I didn't buy a couple more e-books.

Swords & Dark Magic: I never bothered getting my own copy of this pretty good collection of new, original swords & sorcery.  I also never finished reading it. I figure it's important enough an anthology that i should have a hard copy on the shelf next to all the Flashing Swords! and Swords Against Darkness volumes.

Surrender to the Will of the Night: As huge a Glen Cook fan as I am, I'm actually surprised I haven't read this series yet.  With the fourth book coming out this fall I figured at least let me have the third one on hand should the urge to read them hit me. He's one of the few authors I still buy in hardcover.

Meji Book One:  Since discovering Milton Davis last year I've become a big fan. Between his sword & soul writing and his publishing efforts he's an inspiring guy.  Still, if his stories weren't fun it wouldn't mean as much, but fortunately they are a lot of fun.  

Wind Follower:  When I reviewed Milton Davis' and Charles Saunders Griots last summer, one of the two stories I described as my favorites was Carole McDonnell's "Changeling".  This is a book I'm particularly looking forward to and have high hopes.  

In Savage Lands: I'd seen this around and read the review by John O'Neil over at Black Gate last summer, meant to buy it then and promptly forgot all about it.  Now I've remember and the old one-click brought it to my Kindles.