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Pile of Bones A Novel of the Parallel Parks Bailey Cunningham Books

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Pile of Bones A Novel of the Parallel Parks Bailey Cunningham Books

I read tons of fanstatic / fantasy / urban fantasy / I don't even know the name / sci fi. And there is always a part of the book dedicated to introduce the reader to the "new" world.
For instance, in Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, we were in another world. At the beginning of each book, the character reflects on 1) the fact that they are different ; 2) how so and how they are perceived ; 3) the basic politics of their world. I love those books.
But I did not love Pile of Bones. I kind of liked the end but that's as far as it goes. Why is that ?
First, Bailey Cunningham never takes a moment to introduce us to the new world. Some "rules" about both worlds are discussed throughout the book, but without developing them.
And, holy smokes, they can't remember anything on one side but they can on the other (although it is a blur) ? Talk about logic.

I have to concede that the original idea is a very good one. But I couldn't lose myself completely because I felt I missed a part of the story. How they discovered the park, why they like it so much, what rules keep them grounded.

The end is surprising and I kind of liked Part 3 and 4, when I finally understood the words "sagittarii, meterix, fortuna?..." and others. Unfortunately, I did not like the beginning at all.


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Pile of Bones A Novel of the Parallel Parks Bailey Cunningham Books Reviews

Every sci-fi/fantasy novel has a learning curve. This one? This one's got a corkscrew.

Oh, and I got this book in exchange for an honest review through the Goodreads FirstReads program. This in no way influenced this review, except to ensure it exists as I likely would never have read it otherwise.

By day they're a group of grad students, toiling away at never-ending stacks of grading (or "marking" as the Canadians apparently call it) and trying to figure out just what they were thinking when they decided to join academia. But by night...by night they are whisked away to another world entirely, living out very different lives as characters in the pseudo-Roman city of Anfractus. In our world, Andrew is a slightly introverted scholar of Old English epic poetry. In the other, he is Roldan, a majorly introverted would-be auditor, able to hear and speak to the lares that share Anfractus with its human visitors. In our world, Carl is an overly-confident historian studying Byzantine buttons. In the other, he is Babieca, an overly-confident would-be trovador skilled both at music and theft. In our world, Shelby is a slightly awkward scholar of Restoration literature that has been studied until there's nearly nothing new left to learn. In the other, she is Morgan, a no-nonsense sagittarius, one of the bow-wielding guardians of Anfractus and the de facto leader of the company. In our world, Ingrid is a single mother studying elementary education. In the other, she's Fel, a sword-wielding gladiator and one of the many keepers of the peace in Anfractus. It's all fun and games, until our protagonists find themselves embroiled in an assassination plot that threatens to upset the balance of power both in Anfractus and back in our world....

The idea behind this series is brilliant, and the world created therein is fascinating. The character you assume in the other world is very real, complete with a backstory and distantly-glimpsed memories of a time before you played them, and while there are often a number of striking similarities there can also be drastic differences as well. You might find yourself back in our world marveling at the behavior of your other self, wondering why in the world you said or did something on the other side. One of the more amusing scenes was the moment our characters returned from Anfractus, only to suddenly remember at the same moment that they'd hooked up on the other side. Anfractus may seem like fun and games, a live-action version of Dungeons & Dragons, but it can be deadly as well. Injuries sustained there will follow you home, as will the grudges of those you've crossed. If you're not careful, you can wind up very much dead in both worlds.

Like I said, the concept is fascinating. The execution...can be incredibly frustrating. Anfractus comes with its own extensive vocabulary that is never clearly defined, forcing you to figure things out by context clues. That technique is all well and good here and there, but when employed on this scale it can be just confusing. You even have to figure out that Andrew and Roldan are the same person (kind of) in different worlds and how that works. I actually set this aside for a few weeks after about a hundred pages (things with deadlines take priority) then started the book over from the beginning when I came back to it, and that did help a bit. I enjoyed the first part a lot more when I was able to figure out what was going on. A glossary would have been helpful. For all that, though, I have to admit that I did enjoy the book. The characters were engaging, as nerdy or more than I am myself, and despite what I expected most of the way through, I think I actually will end up trying to get my hands on the other books in the series....so long as I can get them from the library.

CONTENT R-rated profanity. Strong violence. Awkwardly explicit (yet not graphic) sexual content, mostly of a homosexual nature.
not bad not great it was a fun read tho
Great new approach to an alternative universe. Very interesting dual character development. Can't wait until the next in the series!
Novels that bridge two worlds are difficult to do. This one is creative, and largely successful on both worlds. The more familiar world of grading papers is quite poignant, and it portrays the characters well. One characters' interview with her mother was a particularly good illustration of the author's skill at communicating the frustration we feel when our ambitions do not mesh with those our parents hold for us. The fantastic world is fantastically creative; it keeps approaching tropes and then shying away from them. I really like that the characters are trapped in a huge political conflict, but the narrative is restricted to the part that they can play/affect, and to their understanding. Very refreshing, very disciplined writing. With only one or two exceptions, there is restraint in the writing, nothing is overdone.

Midway through the book I was ready to pre-order the next. Then the author grafted on a sex plot that hollowed out the narrative drive. It was as though in the middle of the superbowl, all the players ripped off their helmets and started singing opera while carving rowboats; no matter how well executed, it detracts from the original storyline. What was the plot? who were these characters? What happened to the stories that interested me?

I don't know if I want to buy the second book; if it continued to explore the characters and the plot and the settings, I'd be anxiously waiting. But if it is just more arias and rowboats, then I'd rather re-read Green Eggs and Ham. I'll wait and watch the reviews.
I read tons of fanstatic / fantasy / urban fantasy / I don't even know the name / sci fi. And there is always a part of the book dedicated to introduce the reader to the "new" world.
For instance, in Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, we were in another world. At the beginning of each book, the character reflects on 1) the fact that they are different ; 2) how so and how they are perceived ; 3) the basic politics of their world. I love those books.
But I did not love Pile of Bones. I kind of liked the end but that's as far as it goes. Why is that ?
First, Bailey Cunningham never takes a moment to introduce us to the new world. Some "rules" about both worlds are discussed throughout the book, but without developing them.
And, holy smokes, they can't remember anything on one side but they can on the other (although it is a blur) ? Talk about logic.

I have to concede that the original idea is a very good one. But I couldn't lose myself completely because I felt I missed a part of the story. How they discovered the park, why they like it so much, what rules keep them grounded.

The end is surprising and I kind of liked Part 3 and 4, when I finally understood the words "sagittarii, meterix, fortuna?..." and others. Unfortunately, I did not like the beginning at all.