Review: Partial Function by JCM Berne
Blurb:
If Taken starred Michelle Yeoh and was set on a Jurassic Park - inspired Cradle.
Monster hunter Akina Azure inherited the most powerful weapon in the martial world before retiring to a peaceful life raising her twin girls.
The Reaver has them kidnapped, thinking Akina will trade that weapon for their safe return.
Will she? Or will she use it to wreak a terrible retribution on the men who took her girls?
You get one guess.
Review:
A fun, fast-paced adventure that bursts plenty of stereotypes. JCM Berne is a recurring favorite among SFF Insiders staff members and when I saw a wuxia-inspired book by him described as “Taken starred Michelle Yeoh” I knew I had to try it out because I am a big fan of all three.
This short book opens with some explosive action that straight away eliminates all doubts that our forty-plus protagonist embodies just the right combination of fury and skill to keep the reader hooked throughout the tale. And I was proven correct.
Her daughters have been stolen from her, she has every right to be angry, and if to get her children back she has to set the entire continent ablaze, so be it.
‘I’m going to save her, and my girls, and if the fates, the heavens, and the Emperor himself stand in my way, they’re going to regret it sorely.’
Akina is powerful, competent and just badass. This is a book that revolves around not just action, but also planning, strategy, cunning and good old-fashioned deception. And our protagonist is a master of all of them.
‘Tell them who you saw. Tell them that it was Akina Azure, Heiress to the Azure Dragon Clan, the Spiral Witch, Master of Infinity Bagua. Tell them I’m back.’
The story defies expectations at numerous points, and besides the “Infinity Bagua” playing a central role, we see various other creative applications of magic. It was particularly hilarious to see a self-proclaimed savior of humanity who quite literally fuels his magic by sucking out the life force of other people. The presentation is very approachable, and the story moves forward in a clear direction at all times.
‘There’s a difference between betting your life on a bone toss and betting your life that the bone will land balanced on its edge.’
The style of humor felt a bit too comedic for me at times, but likely for a more frolicsome audience it will not be a concern. But I absolutely loved the fast-paced narrative, beautifully described action sequences, and the characters were all likeable. There is a strong focus on friendship and mutual respect, and you are bound to fall in love with the dog.
‘The doctor turned a very round face to her and smiled, showing her two more chins than was typical for a health professional.’
The references to the various mathematical concepts in the context of martial arts made me chuckle, and for a while, I was wondering if this would evolve in a direction similar to Sanderson’s Rithmatist, where the author beautifully elevates geometry to a form of martial art. But in this book, the logic behind the elements of sorcery remains abstract, and we never really get into the deeper rules governing the system of magic.
The book does end with some open tangents, and I hope Berne decides to continue this with one or more sequels. I am especially looking forward to seeing the full extent of Millennium Qi in action. In the meanwhile, I’d be looking forward to reading his widely regarded Wistful Ascending series because, among other things, I just loved griffins.
Finally, in the spirit of the mathematical theme of the story, I conclude the post with a totally scientific rendering of how my emotions varied over the course of reading this book:
