Sweet Vernal Zephyr

Carnival
by Elizabeth Bear

In Old Earth’s clandestine world of ambassador-spies, Michelangelo Kusanagi-Jones and Vincent Katherinessen were once a starring team. But ever since a disastrous mission, they have been living separate lives in a universe dominated by a ruthless Coalition—one that is about to reunite them.

The pair are dispatched to New Amazonia as diplomatic agents Allegedly, they are to return priceless art. Covertly, they seek to tap its energy supply. But in reality, one has his mind set on treason. And among the extraordinary women of New Amazonia, in a season of festival, betrayal, and disguise, he will find a new ally—and a force beyond any that humans have known...

• Striking
• Dual, the back art is just as important as the front (Back is not shown, it is a female version of the front)
• Dual meanings as well: Masks to hid behind physically, politically, emotionally

• Science Fiction
• Postapocolyptical
• Alien ecosystems
• Dragons, perhaps
• Ghosts, perhaps
• AI
• Biomechanicals

• M/M
• M/F
• Voyurism

• Political & emotional machinations are the moving force throughout this story.


• Not a light read. I fully intend to re-read this in the hopes that I will catch more of the underlying plots the second time around.


• I found myself confused an embarrassing amount of the time and attribute it to reading outside of my usually genre. I have no problems grasping power plays between werewolves, but it has been quite a while since I have delved deep into futuristic outer space. I found I have missed it, more science fiction is in my future. It tickles a part of my brain not usually stimulated.


• I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out what the pseudoscience meant and how the alien mechanics worked.


• This is not a book you read minutes at a time. Set aside chunks measured in hours for I found I spent the first 10 minutes remembering what webs were spinning in which direction before advancing in the story line.


• The love story is integral but not blatant. Sexual intimacy is striking limited, though the single encounter I remember was enticing in the way of lovers, not pornographers.


• The thickness of this novel may be a deterrent to some, but if you brave the weight of pages you will find yourself invested in a rich world with phantom stories flanking the past and the future... an echoing call for more, the history of this strange new world she has created.

Thanks again!

This book was spotlighted on my Tuesday Teaser HERE.

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Sweet daydreams...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read & open to a random page

• Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

• Share the title & author

Carnival is a novel of intrigue, spies, ancient alien technology, and what happens when a trio of borderline personalities decide to save the universe.

Carnival is about what happens when a couple of diplomats who also happen to be ex-lovers are sent to subvert the government of a rogue colony world, except unbeknownst to everybody, everybody is double-crossing everybody else.

In Old Earth’s clandestine world of ambassador-spies, Michelangelo Kusanagi-Jones and Vincent Katherinessen were once a starring team. But ever since a disastrous mission, they have been living separate lives in a universe dominated by a ruthless Coalition—one that is about to reunite them.

The pair are dispatched to New Amazonia as diplomatic agents Allegedly, they are to return priceless art. Covertly, they seek to tap its energy supply. But in reality, one has his mind set on treason. And among the extraordinary women of New Amazonia, in a season of festival, betrayal, and disguise, he will find a new ally—and a force beyond any that humans have known….