FDL Reads: The Faceless One
The Faceless One by Mark Onspaugh
Reviewed by: Julie Nutt, Reference Assistant
Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy
Suggested age: Adult
What is this book about? In the frigid darkness of Alaska, The Faceless One, a god of pain and suffering, lies in wait to be released from its icy tomb and take hold of a human host. Jimmy Kalmaku, who trained to be shaman as a young boy under his powerful uncle, now sits lonely and seemingly forgotten in a retirement home, skeptical of the myths and traditions he grew up believing, including that of The Faceless One. Once the malevolent entity is released, it begins its path of death and destruction – a path that only Jimmy and a chain of unsuspecting citizens will be able to stop before the Final Winter descends upon the world.
My review: The Faceless One is not for the faint of heart. The writing holds true to all five elements of horror: suspense, fear, violence, gore, and the supernatural. The demon known as The Faceless One (or T’Nathluk to the Tlingit people of Alaska), exacts sickening punishments on the mortals in its murderous path, and the author spares no details. And as for sparing no details, it’s not all blood and gore; the vivid descriptions of dream sequences and supernatural visions make it seem like you are staring right at the aurora borealis. The characters are relatable and well-developed, from grief-stricken families to hardened detectives. I rooted for the lead protagonist, Jimmy, to revisit his Tlingit traditions and rise up to become the shaman that his uncle trained him to be.
There are always conflicting opinions on books-turned-movies, but I feel like this one would be a success due to recent awareness surrounding the work of indigenous actors and stories, as well as the explosive action and luminous supernatural visions.
I read this eBook using the Axis 360 digital collection.
Three words that describe this book: graphic, terrifying, vivid
Give this a try if you like… supernatural horror; TV series Dark Winds or the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman; indigenous spiritual traditions
Rating: 5/5
Strategic Planning: Focus Groups
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the Community Survey! The next phase of our strategic planning process is to gather feedback from community members through a series of focus group sessions – and YOU are invited! The 60-minute sessions will be facilitated by our consulting team from Fast Forward Libraries.
Interested in joining a focus group? Sign up using the links!
In-person sessions at the library on March 9: calendly.com/fast-forward-libraries/fdl-focus-group-in-person?month=2023-03
Virtual sessions via Zoom on March 14: calendly.com/fast-forward-libraries/fdl-focus-group-virtual?month=2023-03
Feedback from the focus groups will be summarized in a report that Trustees and staff members will use during planning sessions in a few months. Your input will help us shape the future of the library!
#FDL: Book Giveaway!
Queenie may be one of the fiercest mobsters you’ve never heard of! Enter the drawing below to win a copy of this cool graphic novel Queenie: Godmother of Harlem, inspired by the life of Harlem’s legendary racketeer and civil rights advocate Stephanie Saint-Clair.
Read a little more about it here:
“Queenie follows the life of Stephanie Saint-Clair — the infamous criminal who made herself a legend in Harlem in the 1930s. Born on a plantation in the French colony of Martinique, Saint-Clair left the island in 1912 and headed for the United States, eager to make a new life for herself. In New York she found success, rising up through poverty and battling extreme racism to become the ruthless queen of Harlem’s mafia and a fierce defender of the Black community.
A racketeer and a bootlegger, Saint-Clair dedicated her wealth and compassion to the struggling masses of Harlem, giving loans and paying debts to those around her. But with Prohibition ending, and under threat by Italian mobsters seeking to take control of her operation, she launched a merciless war to save her territory and her skin. In an America still swollen by depression and segregation, Saint-Clair understood that her image was a tool she could use to establish her power and wield as a weapon against her opponents.”
– Annotation from the publisher
Giveaway
Enter your name here for a chance to win of this book. One entry per person. Drawing will be held approximately 7 days after this post.
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: A Memory Called Empire
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Reference Assistant
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About? Mahit Dzmare is a new ambassador to the light of the universe. A massive urban planet that acts as capital for human civilization’s largest power, the Teixcalaanli Empire. Mahit represents a small republic, headquartered on Lsel Station, which is innovated in advanced technology, but small in numbers as their major space station only houses thirty-thousand citizens. The Teixcalaanli Empire is rife with military prowess and culture, but also plagued with political instability, riots, and terrorism. With military demagogues threatening to stage coups, the emperor is considering war with Lsel to focus the public’s attention and annex the mighty space station under Teixcalaanli rule. Mahit needs to figure out how her predecessor managed to hold off a Teixcalaanli invasion for decades prior. And how he died in the first place.
My Review: This was certainly an interesting space opera to read. With that said, it is also a very heavy read. It creates a culture as complex as Elf culture from Lord of the Rings and has a cloak and dagger plotline as seen in Dune and Dune Messiah. There are also some technological oddities that span the novel and offer great philosophical debate about the totality of civilization and technology. This book was extremely rich in detail and complex in the world building and culture building the author has invented. Based on some of the cultural nuances, I would imagine the author took a great deal of inspiration from Roman and Byzantine history (she is a historian of the Byzantium, after all.) With all that being said, the novel also has a thrilling twist that I did not see coming. If you enjoy richly-crafted space operas like Dune and Foundation, I would highly recommend this book.
Three Words that Describe this Book: sci-fi, space opera, political intrigue
Give This A Try if You Like… Dune, Dune Messiah, Foundation, Winter’s Orbit, The First Sister, The Collapsing Empire, The Lord of the Rings
Rating: 4/5
Holly Jolly Writing Contest Winners!
We’re excited to announce the winners for the Holly Jolly Writing Contest!
1st Place – The Silver Staff by Brandon Oliger
2nd Place – A Christmas Past by Judy Dahlman
3rd Places – Home for the Holidays by Megan McCoy
Congratulations to each of them, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry! Follow the links below to read the winning stories. Our judges panel had a hard time selecting from the submissions we received, so keep writing and stay tuned for another writing contest this summer!
The Silver Staff by Brandon Oliger
FDL Reads: Our Woman in Moscow
Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey
Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about?: When Our Woman in Moscow opens in August 1952, Ruth Macallister is on a plane somewhere above Northern Europe, at the height of the Cold War, on her way to the Soviet Union to visit her twin sister Iris. Iris has been living in Moscow for a number of years with her children and husband – a former US government employee with communist leanings who fled to the Soviet Union with his family some years before. Although the twin sisters have not spoken or seen each other in twelve years, Iris has reached out to her twin sister with an urgent request to come as soon as possible to be with Iris as she delivers her fourth child. Because Iris’ previous deliveries have been quite difficult, Ruth feels compelled to obey the urgent summons. Little does Ruth know that she is about to enter a terrifying, life-threatening, cat-and-mouse situation.
My Review: With its Cold War spies and lies and subterfuge, this suspenseful tale might well have been taken from the pages of history. Author Beatriz Williams, whose work frequently appears on bestseller lists, quickly draws the reader in with this page-turning plot that smoothly transitions from the present day Cold War into the characters’ past. Williams deftly builds the characters’ back stories so the reader understands exactly what circumstances and character flaws have led these naïve, brave and sometimes hapless people into the dangerous situations they all face. I couldn’t wait to read what happened to these people and was only sorry when the book ended because I wanted the adventures to continue!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Suspenseful, Intriguing, Intense
Give This a Try if You Like… Spy thrillers such as The Courier (film), The Secrets We Kept by Laura Prescott, Transcription by Kate Atkinson, or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (film)
Rating: 5/5