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Liminal #3
The Entropy of Bones
In Ayize Jama-Everett's second Liminal novel, a young martial artist finds there's more to the world than she can kick, more than she can see.
Chabi doesn’t realize her martial arts master may not be on the side of the gods. She does know he’s changed her from being an almost invisible kid to one that anyone — or at least anyone smart — should pay attention to. But attention from the wrong people can mean more trouble than even she can handle. Chabi might be emotionally stunted. She might have no physical voice. She doesn’t communicate well with words, but her body is poetry.
Chabi doesn’t realize her martial arts master may not be on the side of the gods. She does know he’s changed her from being an almost invisible kid to one that anyone — or at least anyone smart — should pay attention to. But attention from the wrong people can mean more trouble than even she can handle. Chabi might be emotionally stunted. She might have no physical voice. She doesn’t communicate well with words, but her body is poetry.
232 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
November 6, 2015
"The Entropy of Bones," by Ayize Jama-Everett, follows Chabi (a mixed race Mongolian and Black girl in the USA) as she follows a mysterious Sage and learns martial arts... and her place in the world.
I wanted to like this book. The reviews I read of it sounded really good, the sort of thing I'd be really into. And elements of it are very intriguing. But overall it falls flat and I'm not sure exactly why.
The biggest reason is that apparently it's part of a series, which wasn't made clear when I picked the book up. Although other books by the author are listed, it wasn't obvious this one was a part of the series. Some reviews on goodreads mention how closely this book and another are intertwined. I assume that's why I felt I was missing stuff while reading this. You know when you meet two people and they have a bunch of in-jokes and secret references that just fly right over your head? Reading this book was like that. I could tell other stuff was being referred to, but it didn't make sense.
In the book, Chabi is physically mute but she can speak psychically. So she can communicate with others in a "super-crip" sort of way, she can make herself understood both in person and over a telephone and it presents no problems to her at all, but it's also a huge thing that sets her apart from other people and she was in an expensive private school for the Deaf so she could learn to communicate via sign language. Like which is it? Later on she loses her psychic voice and it's a shattering thing but then its returned to her like an hour later so why even bother removing it in the first place?
This is a pretty racist-toward-Asians book and Chabi worries about rape a lot. One of her first training exercises involves her, a minor, fighting off a literal hoard of rapists in a bar. Because all men are panting slavering rapists eager to rape a child on a pool table, right? And also rape is the absolute worst thing that can happen to a woman ever ever ever and women must always be aware of it and nothing else will drive a woman to defend herself. Or something. Gosh I wonder why it is she reaches adulthood with no interest in sex, remaining a virgin. Huh. I wonder what that's about.
Chabi is the only real female character. Like, there's her mom (who in the start of the book/Chabi's childhood is a hopeless drunk who neglects her while still managing to support herself and a child while working at the front desk of a hotel and send her to an expensive private school, a study in contradictions, who later gets her act together and turns into wondermom but not until she kicks Chabi out of her house(boat) on her 18th birthday), there's an antagonist who is the Queen of Rats and is just a heinous bitch, and there's some fighters with no real personality. So there's this book that ostensibly is about a woman, but she exists in a near vacuum, an almost universally male space. Even her best friend is a dude. Which, you know, there's nothing wrong with having a best guy friend. But her teacher is a dude. The guy she gets tangled up with is a dude. Most of the antagonists including the leader and his dad are dudes. Why is it so dude heavy? What's that? Laziness? Got it.
A lot of the plot and characters feel like somebody's Mage: the Ascension game turned into a novel and I have no issue with that. In fact it felt kind of comfortable.
If this book were more engaging I'd track down the others in the series, but it's not. I finished it, but a little reluctantly. There's a lot of "having your cake and eating it too" in the book, with characters who have what are apparently supposed to be flaws or problems that don't actually negatively impact them in any way. There's no moral grey areas, just right and wrong. There's muddy writing and too heavy reliance on other books in the series.
I really wanted to like this but just didn't.
I'd love to hear from fans of the series, or people who've read the other books, what they think though.
I wanted to like this book. The reviews I read of it sounded really good, the sort of thing I'd be really into. And elements of it are very intriguing. But overall it falls flat and I'm not sure exactly why.
The biggest reason is that apparently it's part of a series, which wasn't made clear when I picked the book up. Although other books by the author are listed, it wasn't obvious this one was a part of the series. Some reviews on goodreads mention how closely this book and another are intertwined. I assume that's why I felt I was missing stuff while reading this. You know when you meet two people and they have a bunch of in-jokes and secret references that just fly right over your head? Reading this book was like that. I could tell other stuff was being referred to, but it didn't make sense.
In the book, Chabi is physically mute but she can speak psychically. So she can communicate with others in a "super-crip" sort of way, she can make herself understood both in person and over a telephone and it presents no problems to her at all, but it's also a huge thing that sets her apart from other people and she was in an expensive private school for the Deaf so she could learn to communicate via sign language. Like which is it? Later on she loses her psychic voice and it's a shattering thing but then its returned to her like an hour later so why even bother removing it in the first place?
This is a pretty racist-toward-Asians book and Chabi worries about rape a lot. One of her first training exercises involves her, a minor, fighting off a literal hoard of rapists in a bar. Because all men are panting slavering rapists eager to rape a child on a pool table, right? And also rape is the absolute worst thing that can happen to a woman ever ever ever and women must always be aware of it and nothing else will drive a woman to defend herself. Or something. Gosh I wonder why it is she reaches adulthood with no interest in sex, remaining a virgin. Huh. I wonder what that's about.
Chabi is the only real female character. Like, there's her mom (who in the start of the book/Chabi's childhood is a hopeless drunk who neglects her while still managing to support herself and a child while working at the front desk of a hotel and send her to an expensive private school, a study in contradictions, who later gets her act together and turns into wondermom but not until she kicks Chabi out of her house(boat) on her 18th birthday), there's an antagonist who is the Queen of Rats and is just a heinous bitch, and there's some fighters with no real personality. So there's this book that ostensibly is about a woman, but she exists in a near vacuum, an almost universally male space. Even her best friend is a dude. Which, you know, there's nothing wrong with having a best guy friend. But her teacher is a dude. The guy she gets tangled up with is a dude. Most of the antagonists including the leader and his dad are dudes. Why is it so dude heavy? What's that? Laziness? Got it.
A lot of the plot and characters feel like somebody's Mage: the Ascension game turned into a novel and I have no issue with that. In fact it felt kind of comfortable.
If this book were more engaging I'd track down the others in the series, but it's not. I finished it, but a little reluctantly. There's a lot of "having your cake and eating it too" in the book, with characters who have what are apparently supposed to be flaws or problems that don't actually negatively impact them in any way. There's no moral grey areas, just right and wrong. There's muddy writing and too heavy reliance on other books in the series.
I really wanted to like this but just didn't.
I'd love to hear from fans of the series, or people who've read the other books, what they think though.
July 14, 2015
Chabi, a half Mongolian and half Black young female, falls under the tutelage of Narayana Raj a martial arts master. She has little interest in school, an alcoholic mother and no father. She trains assiduously, becomes the bodyguard of a pot farm and later a security chief for a mysterious organzation. Her mentor has a habit of leading her into aggressive encounters and then leaving her alone to test her skills and new moves. Finally she has an end all be all match that moves her into the world of the luminous. This is a fast action piece, a real page turner and surprise. Not your ho hum and its over action drama. Great read.
June 13, 2016
Jama-Everett is brilliant and this book is great. read it.
June 9, 2017
This is the second book I've read by Ayize Jama-Everett, and all I could remember was really liking the last one - but not much of what happens in it, even if it felt memorable at the time. Still, you can't judge a book by its predecessors.
"The Entropy of Bones" is written in a lovely style - it feels real and a bit unreal at the same time, it draws you into its world and it makes you believe that the "entropy of bones" really is a thing, even if it sounds silly outside the book's world.
It's about this half-Mongolian, half-black, young, mute woman who discovers early on that she has a Voice she can use to communicate telepathically with people, who don't even realize she isn't talking physically. When she moves out of mute school, because nobody can remember why she was there in the first place, her mother tells her she should learn how to fight, to protect herself in public school. So she goes a bit overboard and finds an Indian (I think?) martial arts master who teaches her how to be super-lethal.
It all makes more sense than any summary would suggest.
At the same time, "The Entropy of Bones" left me dissatisfied and it's a bit difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. Is it all the over-the-top, bone-destroying violence? Hmm, not really, I can accept that. Is it the world, the plot, the characters? I'm not sure. Nothing rings especially false, but the beginning seemed to promise a lot more than the whole delivered, leaving me with a vague taste of disappointment.
"The Entropy of Bones" is written in a lovely style - it feels real and a bit unreal at the same time, it draws you into its world and it makes you believe that the "entropy of bones" really is a thing, even if it sounds silly outside the book's world.
It's about this half-Mongolian, half-black, young, mute woman who discovers early on that she has a Voice she can use to communicate telepathically with people, who don't even realize she isn't talking physically. When she moves out of mute school, because nobody can remember why she was there in the first place, her mother tells her she should learn how to fight, to protect herself in public school. So she goes a bit overboard and finds an Indian (I think?) martial arts master who teaches her how to be super-lethal.
It all makes more sense than any summary would suggest.
At the same time, "The Entropy of Bones" left me dissatisfied and it's a bit difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. Is it all the over-the-top, bone-destroying violence? Hmm, not really, I can accept that. Is it the world, the plot, the characters? I'm not sure. Nothing rings especially false, but the beginning seemed to promise a lot more than the whole delivered, leaving me with a vague taste of disappointment.
June 3, 2017
This is a fine novel in Jama-Everett's Liminal People sequence. It follows Chabi, an extraordinary martial artist learning how to be a human being. Adventure, intrigue, magic, spiritual learnings, character, and story. Recommended, but start with LIMINAL PEOPLE.
November 10, 2015
Stuff I Read - The Entropy of Bones by Ayize Jama-Everett Review
There are certain books that thrive on their movement, on their cinematic flare, and The Entropy of Bones is certainly one of those, capturing an energy that is alive with motion and power, with blood and bones snapping. There might be a few moments when the book stumbles a bit under the weight of the baggage it carries as a part of a larger series, but for most of the mad dash toward its ending the novel maintains a forceful momentum and pacing and doesn't take a breathe until the floor is strewn with bodies and the air is aflame with explosions.
The novel opens on Chabi, a mixed race girl whose family situation kind of dooms her a bit. Her mother, reeling from an abusive relationship, isn't really in a shape to deal with Chabi, especially because Chabi begins life without being able to talk. Later she learns to use her Voice, something that sets her apart from others, that marks her as special, but it is in her formative years that she experiences her first injuries, and the ones that never really heal. The book does a nice job of looking at cycles of abuse, the way that Chabi's mother passes on her pain and, in turn, how Chabi gets herself involved in a similarly abusive relationship, though not a sexual or romantic one.
All this is slid under a plot that kicks things to eleven, a martial arts mix of urban fantasy and science fiction blending time travel, superpowers, and magic beings without a moral compass. Things start out fairly straightforward but get out of had really quick, from defending a giant marijuana farm to getting involved with international billionaires who might actually be not-really-human. Chabi gets caught in the wake of things she doesn't really understand, but while she pushes into anyway, unwilling to wait or really consider letting any of it go. She lives up to her training, her damage, in how she disregards her own wellbeing, accepting that she is what she has been made into and embracing being a weapon.
And it's in that embrace that the book makes a nice point about abuse and power. Chabi is a victim of her training, of the man who trained her. Like her mother was with Chabi's father, Chabi became obsessed with her mentor, absolutely loyal to her, but he was incapable of feeling the same for her. Perhaps a mild affection, but the truth is what Chabi's mother says. He was evil. As was Chabi's father. And she cannot, in the end, escape them. She is offered an out, a way to let it go, but refuses, basically taking whatever power she can from her abuse to get some measure of revenge. There's a lot more going on than just that, but it was an aspect of the book I thought was well done.
There are moments in the plot when things just sort of have to be accepted. This is part of a series and while it does stand on its own fairly well it's not flawless. There are sections of explosition that do need to be chewed thoroughly and there are a few sections missing some contextualization, but mostly the book is just fun and fast and brutal. It's a wild ride and one that you sort of need to hold on tight to avoid being flung off from. It's adrenaline and sweat, pulse-pounding with a fun voice and a visceral style. And in the end it's the fun I remember, the fights and the magic and the determination of Chabi as she makes herself into a weapon, aims, and fires. An 8/10 for me.
There are certain books that thrive on their movement, on their cinematic flare, and The Entropy of Bones is certainly one of those, capturing an energy that is alive with motion and power, with blood and bones snapping. There might be a few moments when the book stumbles a bit under the weight of the baggage it carries as a part of a larger series, but for most of the mad dash toward its ending the novel maintains a forceful momentum and pacing and doesn't take a breathe until the floor is strewn with bodies and the air is aflame with explosions.
The novel opens on Chabi, a mixed race girl whose family situation kind of dooms her a bit. Her mother, reeling from an abusive relationship, isn't really in a shape to deal with Chabi, especially because Chabi begins life without being able to talk. Later she learns to use her Voice, something that sets her apart from others, that marks her as special, but it is in her formative years that she experiences her first injuries, and the ones that never really heal. The book does a nice job of looking at cycles of abuse, the way that Chabi's mother passes on her pain and, in turn, how Chabi gets herself involved in a similarly abusive relationship, though not a sexual or romantic one.
All this is slid under a plot that kicks things to eleven, a martial arts mix of urban fantasy and science fiction blending time travel, superpowers, and magic beings without a moral compass. Things start out fairly straightforward but get out of had really quick, from defending a giant marijuana farm to getting involved with international billionaires who might actually be not-really-human. Chabi gets caught in the wake of things she doesn't really understand, but while she pushes into anyway, unwilling to wait or really consider letting any of it go. She lives up to her training, her damage, in how she disregards her own wellbeing, accepting that she is what she has been made into and embracing being a weapon.
And it's in that embrace that the book makes a nice point about abuse and power. Chabi is a victim of her training, of the man who trained her. Like her mother was with Chabi's father, Chabi became obsessed with her mentor, absolutely loyal to her, but he was incapable of feeling the same for her. Perhaps a mild affection, but the truth is what Chabi's mother says. He was evil. As was Chabi's father. And she cannot, in the end, escape them. She is offered an out, a way to let it go, but refuses, basically taking whatever power she can from her abuse to get some measure of revenge. There's a lot more going on than just that, but it was an aspect of the book I thought was well done.
There are moments in the plot when things just sort of have to be accepted. This is part of a series and while it does stand on its own fairly well it's not flawless. There are sections of explosition that do need to be chewed thoroughly and there are a few sections missing some contextualization, but mostly the book is just fun and fast and brutal. It's a wild ride and one that you sort of need to hold on tight to avoid being flung off from. It's adrenaline and sweat, pulse-pounding with a fun voice and a visceral style. And in the end it's the fun I remember, the fights and the magic and the determination of Chabi as she makes herself into a weapon, aims, and fires. An 8/10 for me.
October 28, 2015
I was drawn to this book for two reasons:1 - A young, strong, biracial female protagonist who is a martial artist (sounds so promising) and 2 - the use of one of my favourite words in the title.
At first, I was quite interested in Chabi's abilities and the promise of an action packed book, but then the super-picky reader in me kicked in.
Chabi does not speak - she projects her thoughts and everyone else just hears her and does not seem to realize she is not moving her mouth. So....why does the character do this then? There is no difference in the conversations or the flow of information. What is the point of this? That bugged me (I know - super picky). IT may have been some foreshadowing to her supernatural qualities, but I think her physical abilities made this abundantly clear from the beginning.
The martial arts training was silly to me. I get that this character has other-worldly qualities and is destined (for something) but her initial reason to train was because "she was going to public school" Not enough for me.
Chabi's unbelievable abilities are somehow tied to dancing - so throw in some club scenes where she dances to current music (that admittedly I know nothing about) and her teacher tells her that when she learns how to dance, she will be able to shatter a skeleton. This led to a lot of music talk that I knew nothing about (Dub Step, African Tribal Rap/Hip Hop). I did not get any of the references.
The super-super picky reader in me got hung up on the idea of entropy and how it was defined in the story. But I am not going to get into that here. I will say that the notion that when Chabi "Finds the entropy" of bones (by dancing, "finding her life sound" (in dubstep and hip hop) and other exercises) she will be able to shatter them all at once was hokey to me. I just found myself groaning at all of this.
This is a short book and there are a lot of high-concept ideas just sort of thrown into the narrative - it makes the book off-balance. I also found the characters and their surroundings overwhelmingly depressing - uneducated, criminal, alcoholic, foul-mouthed, and violent. Even the wise martial arts teacher did not stray from this sketch.
Abandoned after 5 chapters.
At first, I was quite interested in Chabi's abilities and the promise of an action packed book, but then the super-picky reader in me kicked in.
Chabi does not speak - she projects her thoughts and everyone else just hears her and does not seem to realize she is not moving her mouth. So....why does the character do this then? There is no difference in the conversations or the flow of information. What is the point of this? That bugged me (I know - super picky). IT may have been some foreshadowing to her supernatural qualities, but I think her physical abilities made this abundantly clear from the beginning.
The martial arts training was silly to me. I get that this character has other-worldly qualities and is destined (for something) but her initial reason to train was because "she was going to public school" Not enough for me.
Chabi's unbelievable abilities are somehow tied to dancing - so throw in some club scenes where she dances to current music (that admittedly I know nothing about) and her teacher tells her that when she learns how to dance, she will be able to shatter a skeleton. This led to a lot of music talk that I knew nothing about (Dub Step, African Tribal Rap/Hip Hop). I did not get any of the references.
The super-super picky reader in me got hung up on the idea of entropy and how it was defined in the story. But I am not going to get into that here. I will say that the notion that when Chabi "Finds the entropy" of bones (by dancing, "finding her life sound" (in dubstep and hip hop) and other exercises) she will be able to shatter them all at once was hokey to me. I just found myself groaning at all of this.
This is a short book and there are a lot of high-concept ideas just sort of thrown into the narrative - it makes the book off-balance. I also found the characters and their surroundings overwhelmingly depressing - uneducated, criminal, alcoholic, foul-mouthed, and violent. Even the wise martial arts teacher did not stray from this sketch.
Abandoned after 5 chapters.
February 7, 2017
I'm so conflicted on how to review this book. It is not my kind of book, but at the same time, I feel like it would appeal to many of my friends (the types who write stories centered on fighters or always play the martial artist character in a role-play game).
The reason I had this book on my Kindle at all is because I bought a Humble Bundle with a bunch of sci fi/fantasy books. I have been hoping to uncover some fantasy gems. And while my instinct was to call this book sci fi, it isn't, really--it's more fantasy with a modern setting.
There is a significant focus on martial arts and many fighting scenes in this book, which is 95% of why it didn't appeal to me. I am the sort of person who literally falls asleep during action movies, and fighting in books is even less interesting. At the same time, the fact that the main character is a young woman who can bring down a man three times her size without breaking a sweat is AWESOME. So I'm in this weird I-love-this-but-it's-boring-to-read-about-it place!
Although the "lore" (for lack of a better way to describe it) in the book was sometimes hard for me to follow, it was quite interesting; to avoid spoilers, the main character is a special type of person who has certain abilities, and there are other special beings who also have superhuman abilities--but are evil. I found A.C. to be a compelling character and wish I knew more about him. Some of the imagery was very engaging.
I didn't like the way Chabi's Voice is written, but that's mainly because it was confusing at points, where the author's prose and Chabi's Voice would get muddled together. After two or three pages you'll be well used to her Voice and it will be easy to follow except in those places. I thought it would have been easier to follow had her Voice been italicized, but I also feel like that would have taken away from the style of the story -- the author deliberately chose not to italicize the Voice, making Chabi's narrative more immersive. Her Voice is supposed to come without people really understanding how it is different and unique; writing it as he did brought that across very nicely, I thought.
I give stars based solely on my enjoyment of a book--so three it is. Nevertheless, I think it is a great book, and I do recommend it to those to whom the martial arts aspects might be more interesting.
The reason I had this book on my Kindle at all is because I bought a Humble Bundle with a bunch of sci fi/fantasy books. I have been hoping to uncover some fantasy gems. And while my instinct was to call this book sci fi, it isn't, really--it's more fantasy with a modern setting.
There is a significant focus on martial arts and many fighting scenes in this book, which is 95% of why it didn't appeal to me. I am the sort of person who literally falls asleep during action movies, and fighting in books is even less interesting. At the same time, the fact that the main character is a young woman who can bring down a man three times her size without breaking a sweat is AWESOME. So I'm in this weird I-love-this-but-it's-boring-to-read-about-it place!
Although the "lore" (for lack of a better way to describe it) in the book was sometimes hard for me to follow, it was quite interesting; to avoid spoilers, the main character is a special type of person who has certain abilities, and there are other special beings who also have superhuman abilities--but are evil. I found A.C. to be a compelling character and wish I knew more about him. Some of the imagery was very engaging.
I didn't like the way Chabi's Voice is written, but that's mainly because it was confusing at points, where the author's prose and Chabi's Voice would get muddled together. After two or three pages you'll be well used to her Voice and it will be easy to follow except in those places. I thought it would have been easier to follow had her Voice been italicized, but I also feel like that would have taken away from the style of the story -- the author deliberately chose not to italicize the Voice, making Chabi's narrative more immersive. Her Voice is supposed to come without people really understanding how it is different and unique; writing it as he did brought that across very nicely, I thought.
I give stars based solely on my enjoyment of a book--so three it is. Nevertheless, I think it is a great book, and I do recommend it to those to whom the martial arts aspects might be more interesting.
March 15, 2015
Crazy good.
February 10, 2022
I gradually came to like this book. At first, I thought it was trying too hard to be cool. It wasn't amateurish, but have you ever had that feeling that an author is afraid to state things plainly for fear that it the ideas won't hold up on their own? It's like when artists cover up a drawing with lots of textures, splatters, and lens flares in hopes that you won't look too hard at the actual shapes.
The writing style stays consistent throughout. Some of it works really well. Some of it jarred me right out of the story (there were some pretty ham-handed nods to other fictional universes, for example).
But it turned out that I did come to enjoy the mythology underlying this story. And though I was a little annoyed to find out that this book does NOT conclude the story and is, in fact, the second (?) book of a trilogy (?), I am actually tempted to read the others. For a second book, this actually works just fine without having read the first.
There may not be anything new under the sun or any true original ideas for fiction, but this has some very unique stuff in it (and, besides, EVERY book is a completely unique COMBINATION of stuff). So relax and enjoy the ride. I've got some other stuff to read first, but I think I'll be revisiting this universe. I do want to find out what happened next.
The writing style stays consistent throughout. Some of it works really well. Some of it jarred me right out of the story (there were some pretty ham-handed nods to other fictional universes, for example).
But it turned out that I did come to enjoy the mythology underlying this story. And though I was a little annoyed to find out that this book does NOT conclude the story and is, in fact, the second (?) book of a trilogy (?), I am actually tempted to read the others. For a second book, this actually works just fine without having read the first.
There may not be anything new under the sun or any true original ideas for fiction, but this has some very unique stuff in it (and, besides, EVERY book is a completely unique COMBINATION of stuff). So relax and enjoy the ride. I've got some other stuff to read first, but I think I'll be revisiting this universe. I do want to find out what happened next.
August 15, 2022
I couldn't put this book down. It's Karate Kid meets The Matrix only three times darker. This 229 page speculative fiction novel features Chabi, a teen girl who lives with her mom on a houseboat in Sausalito.
Chabi finds herself under the tutelage of Nayarana who teaches her martial arts and then some. Chabi discovers she's a liminal with some extra talents (and curses). She meets a lovable criminal trio who grow pot, an eerily magnetic hotelier and A.C. a superhero with wind power. Her goal becomes to save the world from an ancient battle that's been culminating in a different realm.
The pacing, reversals and surprises kept me in the story. I felt the first three quarters of the book were best. The final quarter could have been expanded because it contains a lot of new information and characters, not to mention complex themes that I personally loved.
Still a four star book because the characters stayed with me long after I put the book down.
Chabi finds herself under the tutelage of Nayarana who teaches her martial arts and then some. Chabi discovers she's a liminal with some extra talents (and curses). She meets a lovable criminal trio who grow pot, an eerily magnetic hotelier and A.C. a superhero with wind power. Her goal becomes to save the world from an ancient battle that's been culminating in a different realm.
The pacing, reversals and surprises kept me in the story. I felt the first three quarters of the book were best. The final quarter could have been expanded because it contains a lot of new information and characters, not to mention complex themes that I personally loved.
Still a four star book because the characters stayed with me long after I put the book down.
August 4, 2020
Okay, The Entropy of Bones is not for those readers who need everything spelled out for them -- at times, you feel that the author is spelling in, at best, a foreign language, if a language at all. It helps, quite a lot, if you've read Jama-Everett's The Liminal People and/or The Liminal War first (I did, although it was a while ago). But even without that assistance, you'll find yourself swept up in the action of a world filled with superhuman foes and a superpowered young girl being trained to combat them, a girl regaining her mother in the process; a world of wind spirits, kindly drug dealers, and a Mortal Combat style all-female fighting tournament. This book is a trip and a half, and recommended for those who are willing to ride the whirlwind.
October 21, 2022
Reading this was like watching Rogue One before seeing any of the other Star Wars movies. Amazing, but it's part of a broader universe? And these characters are ancillary to the big story? But also these might be the most interesting characters in this universe?
This was so cool and so much fun and I loved Chabi. And also Jama-Everett very clearly wanted to show how much he knows about certain martial-arts moves, or to nail very particular details of real or imagined martial arts moves that were a little unnecessary. For a book this tight, it could have been even tighter.
Now I want to read the Liminal series, and I'm also worried that it's going to be Phantom Menace.
This was so cool and so much fun and I loved Chabi. And also Jama-Everett very clearly wanted to show how much he knows about certain martial-arts moves, or to nail very particular details of real or imagined martial arts moves that were a little unnecessary. For a book this tight, it could have been even tighter.
Now I want to read the Liminal series, and I'm also worried that it's going to be Phantom Menace.
August 19, 2017
Great action writing, lots of fun to read. And I enjoyed learning more about the universe of the liminals. I had trouble getting into the story, though, in the first part of the book - chapters were split between Chabi's past and the present of the action, and the I think the past part where she was in training interrupted the flow of the other story. Not that I wasn't interested in her training and her relationship with Narayana. But once the chapters were all in the present, I couldn't put the book down.
September 28, 2017
This fucking series. Like all of the emotions I get from these books. Taggert's finally mentioned in this book and the whole world of liminal people is beginning to collaspe (and expand at the same time). I don't post reviews on here (I keep those private) but good GOD.
April 11, 2018
Clearly not for everyone (as evident from the mixed reviews), but I found the plot, characters, and overall world-building pretty amazing. Dialogue could be improved a bit, but that didn't detract from the overall experience.
April 20, 2023
This was mislabeled as SF but it's really fantasy. I was confused for a bit while reading. A strange world that might have made more sense if I had read others in the series first, but stands reasonably well in is own
March 18, 2017
Martial arts madness and urban fantasy craziness set in and around San Francisco. Massively entertaining, even the infodumps. Looking forward to reading more of his stuff.
August 3, 2018
That was one hell of a book.
December 19, 2018
Another book where I liked the idea but not the execution.
January 16, 2021
Wow. Mix together ninja, gang wars, music, and fantasy and you start to get a sense of this. It was hard to put down.
March 19, 2018
Beautifully written, swiftly paced and suspenseful, The Entropy of Bones is a piece of genre fiction even a self-identified literature snob could enjoy. However, the mid-book plot pivot jarred me out of the narrative somewhat -- the reason for three stars instead of four. But once settled into the new plot direction, I was once again comfortable in Chabi's world and unable to put the book down.
Misfits, misanthropes and loners will enjoy this book, along with anyone who has ever secretly wished for superpowers.
Trigger warnings: attempted gang rape; bone-pulverizing violence.
Misfits, misanthropes and loners will enjoy this book, along with anyone who has ever secretly wished for superpowers.
Trigger warnings: attempted gang rape; bone-pulverizing violence.
December 24, 2018
I’ve seen kung fu movies, but I’d never read a kung fu novel before this one. It’s the story of Chabi, a teenage girl growing up on a houseboat in the Bay Area who, after some training from an eccentric old Indian guy, is capable of running fifty miles in a couple of hours every day and breaking every bone in someone’s body in a matter of seconds. The latter feat is accomplished not by strength tuning in to the titular entropy already extant in the bones themselves. All of this is imparted like it’s obvious common sense, which makes it more fun.
Obviously there’s something special about Chabi in terms of her physical capabilities. She’s also mute, but can speak psychically. This didn’t make much sense to me as a character feature until a minor reveal at the end. The book in general has a kind of loose, almost conversational rhythm, like Jama-Everett is telling you these stories over beers. Loose, but well-structured (like a barroom story one has told many times)- the details of Chabi’s powers, and the world she’s a part of, come out naturally. The world of the story is similarly tossed-together in the best way: entropy beings versus “liminals,” super-powered people like Chabi, and a few demigods and time travel thrown in.
Chabi winds up working for some suspiciously pretty hotel magnates once Narayana, her sensei, disappears on her. She knows there’s something wrong with them but can’t work out what. When a friendly demigod of the wind comes from the future and hips her to the whole entropy-being thing, she puts two and two together and realizes maybe Narayana wasn’t on the side of the continued existence after all, which is a bummer. She gets it together enough to fight a bunch of other superpowered fighters in a big final tournament the baddies put on, but of course she can’t fix the whole thing or there wouldn’t be a future conflict for the wind guy to come back from, would there? No, the forces of rhythm and weed (this guy likes weed) will have to continue to battle the forces of entropy. In all, this book was pretty fun and I’m going to look up some of the rest of his work. ****’
Obviously there’s something special about Chabi in terms of her physical capabilities. She’s also mute, but can speak psychically. This didn’t make much sense to me as a character feature until a minor reveal at the end. The book in general has a kind of loose, almost conversational rhythm, like Jama-Everett is telling you these stories over beers. Loose, but well-structured (like a barroom story one has told many times)- the details of Chabi’s powers, and the world she’s a part of, come out naturally. The world of the story is similarly tossed-together in the best way: entropy beings versus “liminals,” super-powered people like Chabi, and a few demigods and time travel thrown in.
Chabi winds up working for some suspiciously pretty hotel magnates once Narayana, her sensei, disappears on her. She knows there’s something wrong with them but can’t work out what. When a friendly demigod of the wind comes from the future and hips her to the whole entropy-being thing, she puts two and two together and realizes maybe Narayana wasn’t on the side of the continued existence after all, which is a bummer. She gets it together enough to fight a bunch of other superpowered fighters in a big final tournament the baddies put on, but of course she can’t fix the whole thing or there wouldn’t be a future conflict for the wind guy to come back from, would there? No, the forces of rhythm and weed (this guy likes weed) will have to continue to battle the forces of entropy. In all, this book was pretty fun and I’m going to look up some of the rest of his work. ****’
May 13, 2016
I'm torn about how many stars to give this book. 3 seems like a cop out.
This book pushed my buttons in so many ways. Among other things, it was a pulpy Kung Fu movie made into a novel, and in that it was very successful. I've never seen a writer describe martial arts in such an engaging way! Never just a list of body parts getting hit by other body parts, Jama-Everett constantly blends motion, intention, reaction, philosophy and straight medical science. The book is strictly from main character Chabi's point of view, and I have to admit, when she described using pressure points to push a very bad guy's blood the wrong way though his veins, it was pretty cool. A little gross, totally brutal, but hey, this is a modern-day martial arts story.
I also appreciated the diversity. The book has a very international cast, Chabi herself is part-Black part-Mongolian. This isn't necessarily important to the story, but martial arts protagonists tend to be Chinese, Japanese or very very White. This was an interesting change of pace, and the diversity of the cast contributed to the feeling of scope and scale. This is a story of ancient orders and vast conspiracies; having people from all over the world supports the feeling that these are things happening all over the world.
I discovered part way through reading it that this book is set in the same world as Jama-Everett's other books, the world of The Liminal People. As my introduction to the setting, the book worked pretty well. I'd be curious the continue to explore this world of trippy superpowers and ancient weaponry.
So why not a higher rating? In truth, it was the ending. The book promised to end with a no-holds-barred mystical cage match. What we got was something less than that. I won't spoil it, but the final showdown took a sudden turn, and I feel that this story was swallowed up by the greater series (which I have not yet read) in the final act. I'm interested to continue the series, but not urgently so.
So, if you like badass martial artists, stoic female protagonists, diverse casts, and lovely descriptive language of people doing awful things, I would recommend. If you are looking for a standalone adventure story, The Entropy of Bones is a good time, but doesn't quite get there.
Maybe I'll change my rating if I ever get to the other books.
This book pushed my buttons in so many ways. Among other things, it was a pulpy Kung Fu movie made into a novel, and in that it was very successful. I've never seen a writer describe martial arts in such an engaging way! Never just a list of body parts getting hit by other body parts, Jama-Everett constantly blends motion, intention, reaction, philosophy and straight medical science. The book is strictly from main character Chabi's point of view, and I have to admit, when she described using pressure points to push a very bad guy's blood the wrong way though his veins, it was pretty cool. A little gross, totally brutal, but hey, this is a modern-day martial arts story.
I also appreciated the diversity. The book has a very international cast, Chabi herself is part-Black part-Mongolian. This isn't necessarily important to the story, but martial arts protagonists tend to be Chinese, Japanese or very very White. This was an interesting change of pace, and the diversity of the cast contributed to the feeling of scope and scale. This is a story of ancient orders and vast conspiracies; having people from all over the world supports the feeling that these are things happening all over the world.
I discovered part way through reading it that this book is set in the same world as Jama-Everett's other books, the world of The Liminal People. As my introduction to the setting, the book worked pretty well. I'd be curious the continue to explore this world of trippy superpowers and ancient weaponry.
So why not a higher rating? In truth, it was the ending. The book promised to end with a no-holds-barred mystical cage match. What we got was something less than that. I won't spoil it, but the final showdown took a sudden turn, and I feel that this story was swallowed up by the greater series (which I have not yet read) in the final act. I'm interested to continue the series, but not urgently so.
So, if you like badass martial artists, stoic female protagonists, diverse casts, and lovely descriptive language of people doing awful things, I would recommend. If you are looking for a standalone adventure story, The Entropy of Bones is a good time, but doesn't quite get there.
Maybe I'll change my rating if I ever get to the other books.
August 28, 2016
I read this book without realizing it was #3 and enjoyed it as a stand-alone, but some of my issues with the plot might have been because of its #3ness.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It's a sort of urban fantasy superhero origin story / coming of age story with sort-of superpowers. The protagonist is a young woman of colour in LA who is taken as a mentee by a rather seedy alcoholic who teaches her martial arts. She has what are essentially superhuman powers but doesn't really seem to realize it; the book follows her as she gets involved with a job that brings her into contact with other 'superhumans' with comparable powers to her, and gradually comes to realize her own powers and to re-examine her relationship with her mentor.
Things I liked about this story:
- all the main characters are people of colour, and the voices are really good
- it was a very satisfying 'young woman beats the shit out of people in increasingly effective ways' story
- it was very violent but there was no sexual violence (threats of it occasionally)
- good pacing; I ate it up
- I liked the way the protagonist gradually came to re-examine her relationships, particularly with her mother
- it felt different from a lot of other urban fantasy AND superhero narratives I've read (but I haven't read a lot, it has to be said). The book it felt the most like that I've ever read was The Queen of the South by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, only with a magical realism/fantasy element in place of a RL setting.
Things I didn't like about this story:
- basically I thought the end-game plot, revealed about 2/3 of the way through, was dumb - it was too airy-fairy and high-concept to work in contrast to the grittier real-world problems of the first half of the book. BUT I felt like the book worked pretty well anyway, which is a testament to how well written it is. The protagonist also seemed to think it was dumb, which helped.
Things to be aware of: this book is SUPER violent.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It's a sort of urban fantasy superhero origin story / coming of age story with sort-of superpowers. The protagonist is a young woman of colour in LA who is taken as a mentee by a rather seedy alcoholic who teaches her martial arts. She has what are essentially superhuman powers but doesn't really seem to realize it; the book follows her as she gets involved with a job that brings her into contact with other 'superhumans' with comparable powers to her, and gradually comes to realize her own powers and to re-examine her relationship with her mentor.
Things I liked about this story:
- all the main characters are people of colour, and the voices are really good
- it was a very satisfying 'young woman beats the shit out of people in increasingly effective ways' story
- it was very violent but there was no sexual violence (threats of it occasionally)
- good pacing; I ate it up
- I liked the way the protagonist gradually came to re-examine her relationships, particularly with her mother
- it felt different from a lot of other urban fantasy AND superhero narratives I've read (but I haven't read a lot, it has to be said). The book it felt the most like that I've ever read was The Queen of the South by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, only with a magical realism/fantasy element in place of a RL setting.
Things I didn't like about this story:
- basically I thought the end-game plot, revealed about 2/3 of the way through, was dumb - it was too airy-fairy and high-concept to work in contrast to the grittier real-world problems of the first half of the book. BUT I felt like the book worked pretty well anyway, which is a testament to how well written it is. The protagonist also seemed to think it was dumb, which helped.
Things to be aware of: this book is SUPER violent.
November 27, 2015
Mind blowing conglomeration of martial arts, world conciousness, evil and good - with a heaping pile of self examination and a different way of looking through the mirror!
Standard disclaimer : I received a free copy for a review. Nuff said.
Chabi - child of an alcoholic mother is taken in by a kindly old asian and taught a different kind of martial art (bone breaking) [shades of Miyagi] - but all is not as it appears to be. There are old powers loose in the world that corrupt humans - just as there are powers that want to help humans advance. Just your normal psychic otherworldly story - NOT!
Without going into spoilers mode - I started reading this book because of my own martial arts background - and couldn't put it down. From the beginning of the novel with the introduction of the protaganist, her mother and background, through the introduction of her teacher - the war she finds herself in to the end - the writing is visceral and emotionally compelling - hooking you in and not letting go. The thread of belief that is explored (lightly) between various cultures and the belief that we carry the guilt or transcendance of our ancestors, and are called upon to pay for their actions resonates throughout.
Bottom line - this novel will resonate with everyone in one way or another (just my humble opinion) at a visceral level.
This is a must read novel - and I have to find the others by this author.
Standard disclaimer : I received a free copy for a review. Nuff said.
Chabi - child of an alcoholic mother is taken in by a kindly old asian and taught a different kind of martial art (bone breaking) [shades of Miyagi] - but all is not as it appears to be. There are old powers loose in the world that corrupt humans - just as there are powers that want to help humans advance. Just your normal psychic otherworldly story - NOT!
Without going into spoilers mode - I started reading this book because of my own martial arts background - and couldn't put it down. From the beginning of the novel with the introduction of the protaganist, her mother and background, through the introduction of her teacher - the war she finds herself in to the end - the writing is visceral and emotionally compelling - hooking you in and not letting go. The thread of belief that is explored (lightly) between various cultures and the belief that we carry the guilt or transcendance of our ancestors, and are called upon to pay for their actions resonates throughout.
Bottom line - this novel will resonate with everyone in one way or another (just my humble opinion) at a visceral level.
This is a must read novel - and I have to find the others by this author.
March 17, 2016
More akin to The Liminal People than The Liminal War (which is likely the reason I enjoyed this one a whole lot more than the second one; almost as much as the first one...), this read goes deeper into the ethos and myths of the universe as created by Ayize Jama-Everett. It even manages to shed new light into some of the events narrated within the previous books, including cameos from a whole host of old and new liminals, alters, gods and entropy personifications alike.
Chabi's tale is an intimate one. I loved how the narration managed a very clever way to portray Chabi's Voice and her liminality. And even though her appearance in the second volume serves as foreshadowing of the books' demolishing ending, the path she takes and the choices she makes to fulfill that role has managed to revive my interest in this saga.
Here's hoping the next (final?) volume goes back to its roots and ends with a whispered bang.
Chabi's tale is an intimate one. I loved how the narration managed a very clever way to portray Chabi's Voice and her liminality. And even though her appearance in the second volume serves as foreshadowing of the books' demolishing ending, the path she takes and the choices she makes to fulfill that role has managed to revive my interest in this saga.
Here's hoping the next (final?) volume goes back to its roots and ends with a whispered bang.
November 21, 2023
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
This book reminded me why I love reading. I know almost nothing about martial arts and knew even less about the book, but I'd seen it mentioned and decided to pick it up. Wow! Before I knew it, I was totally engrossed in young Chabi's life and her violent path toward her destiny.
Chabi is a young warrior, trained by a neighbor in some sort of martial arts. She has names for all her crazy moves which makes her fight scenes seem more like art than a bloodbath. There is also a constant reference to dance and rhythm, which adds to the beautiful descriptions of people getting their butts kicked. Sort of a weird but rewarding juxtaposition.
Apparently there are a couple of books before this one that dive into the mythology (which I will soon be reading) but don't seem necessary as prequels. I felt like I had enough information within the story to make this a strong standalone book. After I read the other two books I might have to come back and edit that part if they add a substantial layer of depth. But for now, I loved the book and you should definitely read it!
This book reminded me why I love reading. I know almost nothing about martial arts and knew even less about the book, but I'd seen it mentioned and decided to pick it up. Wow! Before I knew it, I was totally engrossed in young Chabi's life and her violent path toward her destiny.
Chabi is a young warrior, trained by a neighbor in some sort of martial arts. She has names for all her crazy moves which makes her fight scenes seem more like art than a bloodbath. There is also a constant reference to dance and rhythm, which adds to the beautiful descriptions of people getting their butts kicked. Sort of a weird but rewarding juxtaposition.
Apparently there are a couple of books before this one that dive into the mythology (which I will soon be reading) but don't seem necessary as prequels. I felt like I had enough information within the story to make this a strong standalone book. After I read the other two books I might have to come back and edit that part if they add a substantial layer of depth. But for now, I loved the book and you should definitely read it!
July 15, 2016
I loved this, even though it's sort of the last in the series and I didn't realise until the end... It's an extraordinary presentation of the martial arts training of a very special young girl and what she then has those powers for. I loved the protagonist, Chabi - a mixed race mute girl living on a houseboat utterly obsessed with her training regimen slowly being drawn out into the lives of others.
Since I hadn't read the earlier books I was surprised by the shift in genre as she's revealed to be 'liminal', an enhanced human who's purpose is to oppose the forces of entropy. And fight, fight like a master.
The setting of San Francisco is vivid and rich. I've only been there once, but it worked for me. The author has a unique voice and I'm going to have to read the other books next.
Since I hadn't read the earlier books I was surprised by the shift in genre as she's revealed to be 'liminal', an enhanced human who's purpose is to oppose the forces of entropy. And fight, fight like a master.
The setting of San Francisco is vivid and rich. I've only been there once, but it worked for me. The author has a unique voice and I'm going to have to read the other books next.
August 12, 2017
I’m glad I read The Liminal War only a few months ago. The plot of The Entropy of Bones, by Ayize Jama-Everett, is so closely entwined with The Liminal War that they ought to be read back-to-back. In fact, it’s going to be tricky to write about this book without giving away spoilers for both parts of the series...
Read my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Read my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
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