Nina Kiriki Hoffman
The Thread that Binds the Bones (1993)
I really like Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s writing. She hasn’t written many novels, but I’ve tried to get my hands on as many of them as I could. The Thread that Binds the Bones is out of print, but my brother found a used copy for my birthday. I saving it for when I had time to enjoy it, but staring at my bookshelves the other night, I decided that I wanted to read something that I was almost certain to enjoy, rather than taking a chance on something new.
This is one of her earlier novels, and I didn’t always find it as strong as some of her later novels (specifically, A Fist Full of Sky which has touches I just love.) However, it has most of the strengths I like about her writing, including strong characters with complex relationships.
Tom has powers he neither understands or wants, and has spent years trying to repress the visions of ghosts that he sees. Unfortunately for him, one act of charity drives him from his comfortable existence to a small troubled town. It is there that he eventually meets Laura Bolte, and their meeting will change not just their own lives, but the lives of Laura’s entire family.
The relationships between characters are my favorite part of her books. Nothing is black and white, no one is good or evil, and everyone has a reason for their actions–their justification for what they do. Although I wasn’t initially sure about the relationship between Tom and Laura, this is magic, so I eventually just accepted it.
The problem I had with this story is that some of the later actions taken by the more troublesome characters seemed, well, out of character and not necessarily believable. Although this is eventually somewhat explained, I still wasn’t sure that I believed one of the more radical conversions–things happened just a little to quickly for me to be comfortable. In my mind, the process should have taken days, rather than hours.
However, as I said earlier, the strength of her stories likes in the complexity of the relationships, and her ability to portray families for what they are: complex organisms where the interactions between members are not always quite what they seem, and the love that families have for each other is something that goes beyond petty bickering and past hurts.
The other thing I especially love about her writing, is her ability to tell a story in a single book. This is coming to be one of my favorite traits in a fantasy writer, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman has it in abundance.
If you are a fan of Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s writing, then you will want to search out this book to read. If you have not read any of her books before, grab this if you stumble upon it, but in the meantime, look into some of her other works, including A Red Heart of Memories, A Fistful of Sky, and A Stir of Bones.
Rating: 7/10
The Silent Strength of Stones (1995)
To get it out of the way, the cover shown here? Awesome. The cover on the used copy I received? Awful. So bad that I kept putting off reading The Silent Strength of Stones even though I love Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s writing. I mean really, a naked woman (who is supposed to be a teenager) standing in a lake making a swoop of sparkly stars representing magic, while a guy and a dog spy on her?
Ew.
Luckily, the quality of the cover was no reflection of the quality of the content.
This was, I believe, her second book, following The Thread that Binds the Bones. Although the magic is the same, the characters are not. Nick works for his father in the convenience store, and spends his free time wandering around the lake, often watching the summer visitors who stay at the summer cabins and hotels. A strange family moves in, and Nick receives multiple surprises when walks around the river to check out the family in Cabin 5.
First, it’s a good thing Nick is a teenager, and is considering being a private investigator when he grows up, otherwise his spying upon the residents would be a bit creepy. Luckily, she does a good job explaining why he started doing this, so it makes sense. If he were older it would definitely cross the line from quirk to creepy.
Second, I really liked the complex relationship between Nick and Evan. Nick does have issues, and things aren’t always resolved in the best way, the characters are teenagers, and so you expect mistakes as they try and figure things out.
Although Fistful of Sky still remains my favorite Nina Kiriki Hoffman book so far, The Silent Strength of Stones is very good and well worth reading–assuming you can find a copy.
Rating: 7/10
A Red Heart of Memories (1999)
I really like Nina Kiriki Hoffman's writing. She reminds me a bit of Charles de Lint, probably because the both write about magic just under the surface of our world. Things are such that if we just looked a tiny bit harder, we'd see the magic too. It's our world, only it's magical. And it explains all those things you thought you saw out of the corner of your eye, but never stopped to look.
Matt has been wandering for years; never staying too long in one place, just long enough to make friends and move on to the next place. She also can talk with things. Specifically, created things. No door is barred to her, to machine too complex. But her strange talent and her past mean she is uncomfortable staying in any one place for too long.
Edmund is a witch, who wanders around trying to fix things. People or things, he goes where the Spirit leads him, and this time the Spirit leads him to Matt.
I read A Stir of Bones earlier this year, so I was already familiar with Edmund and Susan, however, A Red Heart of Memories takes place decades after, so it was really like meeting them for the first time. Which we really were, since this was written before A Stir of Bones.
I think the best part of Nina Kiriki Hoffman's writing is her characters. They seem like people you would really like to meet, except that when you think about it, they're the people that you see every day, only you cross the street when you see them coming because they look different, or you don't pay attention to them when you see them at work, maybe because you think they're boring or stuck-up.
I did get a bit confused at one point, when Matt and Edmund visited Abby, Edmund's sister. I didn't quite understand what was happening, or why. However, things were eventually explained, and made sense. But for awhile there it was slow going, as I tried to figure out what was going on.
But for the most part, I really liked A Red Heart of Memories. I didn't think the writing was quite as strong as in A Stir of Bones or A Fistful of Sky, but it is still good, and very enjoyable.
If you have not read anything by Nina Kiriki Hoffman before, this book--or any other--would be a great place to start. Although A Red Heart of Memories and A Stir of Bones contain the same characters, they are complete stories in and of themselves, and can be enjoyed in any order.
Rating: 7/10
Past the Size of Dreaming (2001)
The sequel to A Red Heart of Memories, Past the Size of Dreaming is superior to its predecessor. Which is impressive, because A Red Heart of Memories is very good.
Edmund and Matt and Suki are back at the House, and are gathering together Edmund and Suki's old friends: Julio. Deirdre. The twins. Matt isn't sure why they need to gather everyone together, only that they do.
There were many, many things I like about this story. I like the fact that Matt is getting over her need to run away from those who love her. I like Matt's relationship with Edmund. I like learning about Julio, and who he became. I like the fact that Terry wasn't quite a good person, but that they accepted her as she was. And I loved the surprises (I won't tell you what they are, lest I spoil the story. I'll just say that there were a lot of things I didn't see coming.
Suki was a little easier to deal with in this story, as she slowly learned to be more comfortable with herself. Also, she was far more in the background in this story. Really, the story belong to Matt, Julio, and Deirdre, even though they were in the background for much of the story.
Past the Size of Dreaming is a very good story--it sucked me right in and made me sit down and finish it--no leisurely pace here. The characters are excellent, and I enjoyed learning more about Julio and Deirdre. Less so about the twins, but they were interesting--especially their relationship with their mother.
Most of all I like the house and Nathan, and how they have changed in these stories. The one thing I didn't particularly care for was the way that Nathan's fate was almost an afterthought. I got the feeling that she didn't quite know what to do with him, but didn't want to leave us worrying about his future. Either that or she had plans for another book about Nathan, but hasn't yet gotten around to writing it.
The only drawback to these books is finding them. I picked up my copies from Abe Books, for there are none to be found new. But keep searching, and perhaps if there's enough demand, they'll be republished. (And then maybe I can also find a copy of The Thread that Binds the Bones.)
Although I believe that you could easily read this book without have read A Red Heart of Memories, I think that it would be better to read Past the Size of Dreaming after. Partially because the events seem tied more closely together, and partially because I feel that this is the better book, so you'll want to read it second.
Rating: 9/10
A Stir of Bones (2003)
I really liked A Fistful of Sky, as well as all of Nina Kiriki Hoffman's short stories that I have read in various anthologies, so I put A Stir of Bones on my Christmas wishlist. It's a very short book--only 211 pages long--so I was saving it for when I didn't have a lot of time to read.
Well, I had to get my blood drawn, so I grabbed this book to read while I was waiting. Got several chapter read, and then headed back to work. However, after dinner I picked up it back up and couldn't put it back down until I finished it.
In A Stir of Bones, Susan Blackstrom wants to escape. A chance meeting with her childhood friend Julio and his friends allows her a small escape, as well as an adventure. Okay, I realize that's a terrible synopsis, but it's hard to describe without giving anything away. Perhaps it would be better to say that despite the fact that the characters in this story are teenagers, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story--and I tend to find books about teenagers frustrating.
I love the way that Nina Kiriki Hoffman writes. There is something about her mix of characters and storytelling that I find nearly perfect. At times, the writing seems sparse, yet I still feel all the detail and ambiance, as well as the emotions of the characters.
I also really like Susan. She is unhappy, yet more together than any teenager should be. It is also interesting how the story is much dependent upon the time period. In 1981 much of what seems commonplace today was unusual then, or simply would not have happened. In that I am thinking specifically of Susan's mother, and that actions that one would expect her to take would have been, for her at that time and that place, unimaginable.
As we chomp at the bit and expect constant, ever faster progress, it is easy to forget how far we have come in just a few years.
This book is excellent, and I'm looking forward to reading the other books that she has written.
Rating:9/10
A Fistful of Sky (2004)
At loose ends, I picked up A Fistful of Sky because it was a single book and not a series. (I picked up the first book in a series by Mindy L. Klasky, and was so annoyed by the main character I put it back after 12 pages. Michael says it gets better, but I didn't have the patience.) I started the book sitting at the edge of the sofa, thinking that I'd read through a few pages to see what it was like, but it probably wasn't what I was in the mood for.
Four hours later I was stretched out on the sofa finishing the book.
I can't quite place what it is that I liked so much about this book, except that it drew me in, despite the fact that initially I wasn't sure it was what I was in the mood to read.
Set in a non-specifc current time in Southern California, the main character, Gypsum, comes from a family of true magicians (I have to admit that initially the fact she was called Gypsum annoyed me and made me wonder on earth Nina Kiriki Hoffman was thinking, but it eventually grew on me). Witches whose magic is genetic, and whose strength is variable, even skipping the occasional family member. The book starts in Gyp's adolescence, although the majority of the book takes place when she is twenty.
Although this is a coming-of-age story, it isn't an angsty one. Gypsum comes from a crazy family, but despite the craziness, she loves her family, and is close to her siblings--something I particularly enjoyed reading. It's always a nice to read about characters who don't hate their families, while not having perfect, wonderful, and completely unrealistic families.
But what I liked best was Gyp. Anyone who thinks that "Ultimate Fashion Sense" is a curse, is all right in my book. And it was the little things like that, which made the book. The interactions between Gyp and her siblings, her difficult relationship with her powerful mother, and the things she finds important.
It's a wonderful book, and although it may well be a "girl" book, I still highly recommend it.
Rating: 8/10
Spirits that Walk in Shadow (2006)
I ordered Spirits that Walk in Shadow, but because it’s a trade paperback instead of a mass market paperback, it got put on a different shelf, and I forgot I had it. But my reading binge while home sick reminded me I had another unread Nina Kiriki Hoffman book around somewhere, and I excitedly pulled it from the shelf.
Jaimie is still trying to recover from years of mis-education, but decided that it was time to attempt college. Kim has come to college trying to escape what may have been the worst six month of her entire life. They end up roommates, which may not only save Kim from her depression, but may bring Jaimie back in touch with her extended family, many of whom disowned her for her previous actions. Rugee is a Presence–a household god–who has consented to come to college with Jaimie, presumably to keep an eye on her, and to help her remain on the somewhat straight and narrow.
As with most of her other books, Spirits that Walk in Shadow is set in the same magical world as most of the rest of her books, however, the main character are different from tale to tale. Although some of the secondary characters are the same as previous books, readers should have no difficulty picking up Spirits that Walk in Shadow without having read any of Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s previous books. Which is good, because most of them are out of print and very difficult to find.
Also as with her previous books, her writing and storytelling are sharp. Kim and Jaimie are immediately sympathetic, even though they both have pasts than haunt them.
One other thing I want to note: Like Fistful of Sky, Spirits that Walk in Shadow is a young adult book. What that means in reality is no boinking and no horrible language. What I’ve also come to discover is that young adult tends to mean a higher quality of writing than some of the “adult” fantasy on the shelves. So if you’re looking for Spirits that Walk in Shadow and can’t find it, check the young adult section.
Or do what I do, and just order it on-line. Then you don’t have to feel like you need a kid chaperone to peruse the shelves.
Rating: 7.5/10
Books by Nina Kirki Hoffman:
The Thread that Binds the Bones (1993), The Silent Strength of Stones (1995), A Red Heart of Memories (1999), Past the Size of Dreaming (2001), A Stir of Bones (2003), A Fistful of Sky (2004), Spirits that Walk in Shadow (2006)
A website for Nina Kiriki Hoffman
