Review: The Tinder Box by M. R. Carey

 I love M.R. Carey's writing, but this one kind of misses the mark for me. It is a retelling of the fairy tale "The Tinder Box." Mag, a soldier whose wounds have sent him home, goes to work for a widow, Jannae Mirchella. Mag discovers that Jannae is no ordinary widow when a demon falls from the sky and she badgers him to empty the demon's pockets. As directed, Mag hands over MOST of the artifacts from the body of the demon, but he keeps one item for himself-- a magical tinderbox that grants wishes. Jannae, as one might imagine, is most distressed by Mag's duplicity.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

 For June, we are reading the always fun Kaiju Preservation Society. This is not a weighty book, but as Scalzi points out, 2020 was a dark time and the world needed more fun.  Resources for our discussion:  Tor offers a screening quiz to test if you are ready to join the KPS . And, as ReactorMag, they offer a nice review of the book .   Also, there are workplace guidelines for KPS.  Questions: What is Jamie Gray's gender? I've seen reviewers assume both male or female. "Jamie" is an ambiguous name, and the first person narration does not clarify.  Would you read a sequel?      Just for fun, I let Gemini write questions for me. I've listed them below, and it's likely that you'll spot some, ahem, issues with them: Kaiju Preservation Society Discussion Questions: Characters and Relationships: The novel features a quirky cast. How do the personalities of characters like Marvin, Hiro, and Jaime mesh (or clash) within the KPS? (Martin Satie, Tom...
Read more

Elizabeth Moon's _Remnant Population_

Image
  For September and October, we're reading Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population .  I'm enjoying the story, but I couldn't think of questions to ask, so I let the AI, Claude, write questions for me.  I did adapt/correct some of the questions to be more accurate to the text. Here are some book club questions tailored to this specific book: Character: How does Ofelia's character evolve throughout the story? What drives her changes? What do you think about Ofelia's decision to stay behind when the colony leaves? Was it selfish or brave? Themes: How does the book explore themes of aging, independence, and self-discovery? What commentary does the novel offer on colonialism and its impact on indigenous species? Alien encounters: How does Moon portray the indigenous population? What makes their society unique? How does the communication barrier between Ofelia and the indigenes  affect the story? Society and culture: Compare the human colony's culture with that of...
Read more

Gideon the Ninth

Image
Resources for discussion of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Blurb:  The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines and no more time for undead nonsense.  Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.  Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fa...
Read more