The Shape of Mercy (2008) Susan Meissner
I received The Shape of Mercy to review, and when I read the first couple chapters I had a sinking feeling–I don’t typically like books about young women finding themselves. But I knew I’d be getting a sub story about a young Puritan girl who was a victim of the Salem witch trials, so I read on.
And was hooked by the second chapter.
Lauren is a daughter of privilege who feels she has never lived up to her father’s desire for a son. While at college she takes a part time job working with an older woman transcribing the diary of a young woman from Salem who was accused of being a witch. The older woman, Abagail, wants not just a transcription, but a translation from the language of the 1600s to a more modern cadence.
Lauren is not only pulled into the story of Mercy Hayworth, but begins to see parallels in her own life, and into the life of the woman who wants the transcription.
I have to admit that initially what fascinated me most were the “transcribed” diary entries. They provide a look at a time when fear and terror gave power to a handful of teenage girls whose whims condemned nineteen women to hang. What a horrible power, the ability to accuse those you dislike or do not trust, and have them sent to their deaths.
Although the story of Mercy first drew me into the book, I soon became interested in Lauren. I can’t say I understood her, but I started to become interested in her attempts to put give her life some meaning, and to solve what she saw as mistakes and errors on her part.
But the best part of the book really was the story of Mercy, and the discovery of what happened after her death.
Although this book is not one I would normally read, I’m glad I was sent it, because I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will add it to my grandmother’s “to read” list as well. I think she’ll also enjoy it immensely.
Rating: 8/10
BRPD Vol 1: Hollow Earth and Other Stories (2003) Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Tim Sniegoski, Ryan Sook, Curtis Arnold, Brian McDonald, Derek Thompson, Matt Smith
I’ve been enjoying the Hellboy comics, so I thought I’d branch out and check out the B.P.R.D. series. Hollow Earth & Other Stories takes place after the events in Conqueror Worm. Hellboy has left the B.P.R.D. and Abe and the others are unsure of their place and if they want to remain in the B.P.R.D. without Hellboy (and in consideration of the events that led to Hellboy’s resignation.)
IN this collection of stories, we discover where Elizabeth Sherman went, and now that she is in danger and Hellboy is not around, Abe must take out Roger and the Kraus, the newest member of the team, to attempt to save her. We also catch a glimpse into Abe’s past, and learn how Roger became a member of the team.
As with the Hellboy volumes that are short story collections, I enjoyed the shorter format for B.P.R.D. stories. Unlike the Hellboy stories, Mike Mignola shared writing and drawing with others, I have to say I preferred the stories where Mike Mignola shared writing credits, but all the stories were good.
Because this is a comic format, you should be able to pick up these stories without knowledge of the previous Hellboy tales. But I always think that having read the backstory makes the following stories richer.
Rating: 7/10
Poison Sleep (2008) T.A. Pratt
Nathan raved about the first Marla Mason book, Blood Engines. I thought the book was good, but nothing really drew me into the story. But Michael liked Blood Engines so I bought the second book, and decided to read it while I was on vacation.
Marla is called out to an emergency at the Blackwing Institute–a home/prison for insane sorcerers. One of the worst inmates there has attempted to escape, but by the time Marla arrives the threat has been contained, and the only concern is that Genevieve, a possible reweaver, has escaped from Blackwing. Genevieve, an empath and possibly a reweaver–was brutally attacked and has spent decades comatose. However something has awakened her, and no one is sure what she’ll do now she’s awake.
Additionally, she hires a new–and dangerous in a completely unexpected way–member of the team, and picks up a personal assistant.
I have to say that I enjoyed Poison Sleep much more than Blood Engines. I think the difference was that Marla was in here element here–Freeport is her home, and her actions made sense in light of the fact that she was protecting the city she was sworn to guard. She makes hard choices here, but instead of seeming sociopathic, those decisions make sense in light of her duty to guard the city.
I also liked the Marla was able to make those hard choices–and that she was willing to admit when she was wrong. It definitely added a complexity to her character that I don’t remember from the first book.
One thing bugged me however.
SPOILER
(rot 13)
V fgvyy qba’g haqrefgnaq jul Tertbe jbhyq unir uverq gjb nffnffvaf. Lrnu, ur fnj Zneyn nf n guerng, ohg nf unccrarq, gur gjb raqrq hc trggvat va rnpu bguref jnl.
END SPOILER
Other than that, I thought the story was strong, the characters were good, the pacing was nice, and I appreciated the extra complexity. In other words, I definitely preferred Poison Sleep to Blood Engines.
Rating: 7/10
White Corridor (2007) Christopher Fowler
Once again the Peculiar Crimes Unit is in danger of being closed. After Raymond Land decided to close the until for a week’s vacation, a member of the unit is found killed, while Bryant and May are on their way to one of Bryant’s spiritualist conventions.
With Bryant and May out of town, the rest of the PCU has to solve the locked room mystery–while another mystery unravels in the middle of a blizzard.
This isn’t my favorite book of this series. It’s good, and it’s funny and made me laugh aloud at several points.
‘Mr Bryant is so old that most of his lifetim subscriptions have run out.’ Leslie Faraday, the increasingly portly liasion officer at the Home Office, poked about on his biscut tray looking for a Custard Cream. ‘He’s only alive because it’s illegal to kill him.’
But for some reason I can’t put my finger on, it just wasn’t quite as good as the previous books. Though it was still well worth reading.
The interesting thing about this mystery is that a big honking clue was actually bothering me, but I simply assumed I’d misread but kept reading anyway, because I was too lazy to go back and check to see if I’d read correctly. That’s not quite the same as solving the mystery, but closer than I usually get–precisely because I tend to read too fast and miss details.
If you like British mysteries, then you should check out Christopher Fowler’s Bryant and May series. You should be able to start at the White Corridor with no difficulty, but as usually I recommend picking up the first book and moving forward–heaven forbid you miss out on any of Bryant’s past irascibility.
Rating: 7/10
Harbingers (2006) F. Paul Wilson
The tenth Repairman Jack novel things are beginning to come to a head as finds Jack at odds with the entities that have wreaked such havoc in his life.
Abe is still trying to find a new identity for Jack, and a way for him to reenter society. But Jack himself is still reeling from the events of the past two books and hasn’t worked since then. However, one of the regulars at Julio’s asks Jack to help him find his niece–a good girl who was snatched on the way to school. The police think she’s probably a runaway, and so won’t act, but Timmy is desperately afraid something terrible is about to happen, and begs Jack to help.
Jack’s search for the girl introduces him to the Oculus and the Yeniceri, and brings Jack’s past forcefully into the future.
The tone of Harbingers is extremely dark. Not that the other books haven’t been dark, but it seems as if the accumulated deaths are starting to catch up with Jack and he’s starting to lose the ability to act rationally.
If you were already reading the Repairman Jack novels, there’s no way you’re stopping any time soon. If you haven’t read a Repairman Jack novel, don’t start here. Go back to the beginning and read your way forward.
Rating:7/10
Doctored Evidence (2004) Donna Leon
A querulous old woman is killed in her apartment, and suspicion automatically falls upon the maid. Scarpa closes the case, but when Brunetti comes back into town, new evidence–that Scarpa wants to dismiss unheard–comes to light.
This book is not just about discovering who killed a nasty old woman and why, it also looks at Brunitti’s relationship with his co-workers, not just the positive relationship with Vianello and Signorina Elettra, but also his antagonistic relationship with Scarpa. We also see a deeper look into police work in Venice, and why one wouldn’t want to be caught up in a crime in Venice.
What I found interesting was that the story at some point became less and less about justice for the maid, and more and more about the actions of the dead son.
Although you could easily enjoy this mystery if you’ve never read a previous Brunetti book, the delving into the relationship between Brunetti and his co-workers is much deeper if you’ve been reading along for awhile. Whose actions are truly immoral and whose actions are illegal? It’s a fine line Brunetti walks, and sometimes it’s hard to see what is good from what is right.
Rating: 8/10
Uniform Justice (2003) Donna Leon
I really like Commissario Guido Brunetti. I like his sense of justice and fairness. I like his intelligence and wit. And I like his wife. In fact I think I wish I was Paola.
A boy is found dead in the local military school, and it’s immediately filed as a suicide. However, the father was not only in Parliament, but had been forced to retire for being too honest. So Brunetti wants to see if the boys death could have been something other than suicide.
As usual in Venice, politics and corruption are at the heart of every case, and Brunetti continues to learn that discovering the truth does not always mean bringing criminals to justice.
Something about the back cover put me off this book, and I can’t tell you precisely what it was, but for some reason the back cover text on these books seems unappealing, even though I almost uniformly love what appears between the covers.
Go figure.
If you have not read a Commissario Guido Brunetti book, you should be able to start at this book. There are occasional references to past cases, but nothing that would keep one from understanding or enjoying this book.
Rating: 7/10
Hellboy Vol 5: Conqueror Worm (2002) Mike Mignola
I believe I’ve mentioned previously that I prefer Mike Mignola’s shorter Hellboy stories than the longer stories.
The Conqueror Worm is a longer story.
It’s not that the story is bad–it’s not. My problem is that the longer stories tend to wander more and get more confusing as they go. I think his Hellboy stories are simply better when they’re sharply focused.
Hellboy and Roger are sent out to a decrepit Nazi castle to see why a rocket the Nazis shot into space during WWII is trying to return.
That said, the more interesting story is the relationship between Hellboy and Roger. In the series Roger has evolved from a brainless homonculus to a creature not unlike Hellboy. A being of amazing strength and resistance, but one that is quite obviously not human and so is viewed by those as charge as game for the most deadly and dangerous missions. Partially because they’re hard to destroy, and partially because they aren’t human.
It’s a fascinating concept, and one that has interested me for awhile, especially as humans are on the verge of creating artificial life, and so this question may soon become one we will need to consider.
To it has it’s pluses and minuses. Although I prefer the shorter format for these stories, I like the way ideas in this story made me think.
If you aren’t reading Hellboy, you really should be. Yeah, it can be a bit gruesome, and there are lots of supernatural baddies, but he’s a fascinating character, and has lots of amazing adventures.
Rating: 7/10
Hands of Flame (2008) C.E. Murphy
The third and (for now) final story in the Negotiator story arc finds Margrit dealing with a conflict between the Old Races that is turning into an out-and-out war.
A war that Margrit inadvertently started.
Although I was quickly sucked into the story, and tore through the book to find out what happened, my opinion about the book is conflicted.
On the positive side, the pace is fast and I was drawn right into the story, reading it in two days, despite the need to go to work. I also liked the resolution of the story arc. Sure there are more stories that could be written, but there is a nice sense of resolution here.
On the down side, I still don’t get what Margrit sees in Alban. I know she thinks he’s wonderful, but I found Janx far more interesting. And twice in the story I know precisely where things were going, which made getting there a lot less interesting. It’s hard to build up suspense if it’s pretty obvious what is going to happen, and that was probably the books biggest failing.
SPOILER
(rot13)
Vs lbh jnag zr gb oryvrir gung n punenpgre vf qrnq, svefg naq sberzbfg, qba’g gryy gur qrngu sebz svefg crefba cbvag bs ivrj. Gung’f n qrnq tvirnjnl (cneqba gur cha). Frpbaqyl, V’z abg tbvat gb oryvrir gur znva punenpgre va n fgbel vf qrnq vs V fgvyy unir n dhnegre bs gur obbx yrsg gb ernq.
Fb abg bayl qvq V xabj fur jnfa’g qrnq orpnhfr bs gur svefg crefba aneengvir, gurer jnfa’g nabgure punenpgre fgebat rabhtu gb pneel gur erznvaqre bs gur obbx. Fb V zbfgyl whfg jnagrq ure gb trg ba jvgu ure qenzngvp qrngu naq trg uheel hc naq pbzr onpx gb yvsr fb jr pbhyq TRG BA jvgu gur erfg bs gur fgbel.
END SPOILER
So I was pleased with the resolution of the story arc, and I enjoyed spending time with most of the characters, but some parts of the story drug on a little. And I still just don’t get what she sees in Alban. If you haven’t read the first book, don’t pick up this one. Start in the first book in the series and read through in order. Although in theory the books could stand alone, I don’t think they’d do so very well.
Rating: 7/10
Cast in Fury (2008) Michelle Sagara
Let me get this out of the way: I hate this cover. The scene seems to be a depiction of events from the last book, Kaylin does not once wear a dress–especially a dress that horrific–in this book, and the bracer is so badly photoshopped onto her arm her elbow looks broken. If I were not already reading this series, I’d take one look at this cover, out the book down, and walk away. It’s just that bad.
Luckily, the story found within the cover more than makes up for the travesty found on the front.
Cast in Fury occurs immediately after the end of Cast in Secret (which had an awesome cover I’d like to point out). Kaylin and Severn are assigned to duty at the palace, as Cultural Resources on the Tha’alani, as a playwright attempts to place recent events in perspective and keep the city from rioting against the group that had in actuality saved them. To add insult to injury, while they are at the palace, Marcus, Kaylin’s mentor, is arrested for murder.
And that’s a far better summary than you’ll get from the back of the book, which is certainly not describing the book that I read. In fact, I strongly advise you not to read the back copy, it’s that bad.
But again, the cover content had nothing to do with the quality of the actual book. Kaylin’s story continues to build, as she continues to discover more of her powers. I also am enjoying seeing her grow up–albeit painfully slowly at times. As she continues to prove herself, old animosities are set aside, which is allowing her to grow even more.
I also liked how we are seeing the repercussions of the previous book. Again, this may be part of Kaylin’s growing up, but it’s nice to see events in a series not occur in a vacuum.
If you like fantasy crossed with mystery, then you’ll want to check out Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra series. In theory you can start the series here–and she gives plenty of back story to keep you up to date. But I always recommend starting at the beginning if you can, and as one of the things I enjoyed was seeing Kaylin’s growth, I think you’d be rewarded to start at the beginning and work your way here.
Rating: 8/10
Blood and Iron () Elizabeth Bear
I put off reading Blood and Iron because I haven’t been in the mood for epic fantasy. But I added it to the pile of books I took on my trip, and picked it up when nothing else seemed to suit.
First of all, Blood and Iron is set both on the modern realm and in the world of Faerie. Elaine is half fey, and is now the Seeker for the Daoine Sidhe. Matthew Magus is a mage for the Promethean Society, a group seeking to eradicate Faerie. And everyone is searching for the new Merlin.
This is a complex tale with a wide variety of multi-faceted characters. What I liked most is that there are no villains in this tale–only different sides with different conflicting desires.
Although Elaine is one of the main characters, she is also one of the most conflicted and one who’s choices are often hardest to understand.
Strangely, as much as I enjoyed this book, I’m finding it difficult to write a review. The story ranged all over and was full of supernatural characters and every side had their own take on events and what the goals and desires were.
Rating: 8/10
Precious Dragon (2007) Liz Williams
The third Detective Inspector Chen novel, it seems as if recent activities have brought Chen and Zhu Irzh to the attention of authorities, and they are charged with escorting the emissary from Heaven, Miss Qi, through Hell.
Meanwhile, an old woman arranges the marriage of her only daughter, and soon after is entrusted to care for her only grandson. And elsewhere, a teenage boy who sings in the chorus of the Opera is pulled into a mystery that tangentially involves Chen and Zhu Irzh.
By the end, everyone is involved including Chen’s wife, Zhu Irzh’s mother, and the Badger Teakettle, and we taken a rather thorough tour of Hell.
Although there are rather strong elements of horror in the story (particularly the time spent in the Ministry of Lust) I didn’t find it particularly disturbing. Possibly because at least some of the characters treat their surroundings in such a matter-of-fact manner it was easy for me to do the same.
As with previous books, Precious Dragon is a complete story arc, however, this story builds upon previous stories, and it looks like future books in the series will continue to do so. You should be able to read this book without having read the previous books in the story, but as usual I recommend going back and reading the series in order.
Rating: 8/10
The Hobbit (1937) J.R.R. Tolkein
My father gave me my first copy of The Hobbit and I quite literally read it to pieces. I read it at least once a year up through my late 20s. Then I suddenly had lots of books to read, and didn’t get around to rereading The Hobbit for quite awhile.
In the interim, I ended up with a new copy of The Hobbit (two actually, plus Michael’s two paperback versions) and it was the new hardback book I decided to read.
It was a very strange sensation, but between the new version and the fact that it’s been so long since I read The Hobbit, I felt like I hardly recognized my old favorite.
And this was a good thing.
Bilbo was pretty much as I remember him, although a little bit braver through the whole thing and not just under the mountain. Gandalf was also a bit of an enigma, since on this later reading I had to wonder why he was wondering around with the dwarves for so long. But wizards are an enigma, and their motives even worse.
What surprised me so much on the rereading was Thorin. I remember crying at his death when I was a child, but this time I felt a bit more conflicted. He was much more of a jerk than I remembered him being, even with the explanation of the effect of the treasure on him. All of which made Bilbo an even better being in my eyes, as he was willing to forgive Thorin and accept the blame for Thorin’s anger, even though Thorin was the one who was being entirely unreasonable.
I also paid more attention to the writing. There is something about a familiar book where I sometimes just skim through the pages, however, with a new version I realized there were passages that seemed unfamiliar that I must somehow have skimmed over on earlier readings. (I know I do this, and it’s a terrible habit, but when I start reading fast that’s the way it goes.)
So I’m glad I actually waited such a long time before re-reading the Hobbit. There’s something nice about waiting so long between re-readings that the familiar becomes once again unfamiliar and new. And although the feeling is different, reading it now I am older, I still love it was much as I did as a child, and loved seeing the patterns that made this very much a bedtime story.
Rating: 10/10
Hellboy Vol 4: The Right Hand of Doom (2000) Mike Mignola
Have I mentioned that I am really enjoying the Hellboy books? I am. They’re a lot of fun.
Like The Chained Coffin and Others, The Right Hand of Doom is also a collection of short stories centered on Hellboy.
The first story in the collection is a two page tale called Pancakes. This may have been my favorite tale in the entire book, and since it was only two pages, I made Michael read it before I went on, and he also liked it.
The Right Hand of Doom covers a great deal of folklore, and integrates everything from Japanese to Norwegian tales with that little Hellboy twist.
Many of the stories are dark, however, with Hellboy they’re not particularly depressing. Well, the last several pages of Box Full of Evil were kinda rather moody in a way I don’t really expect from Hellboy, but they also suited the story and the consequences of the story very well.
The other nice thing about The Right Hand of Doom and its predecessor is that they can be read outside of the story line. Even though events in previous volumes and stories are mentioned, the important details are covered so you could easily read on without difficulty.
Rating: 8/10
The Shadow Roads (2004) Sean Russell
The Shadow Roads is the final book in Sean Russell’s ‘The Swans’ War’ trilogy.
Having escaped the Stillwater (those who survived) the children of Wyrr now prepare for battle. In the realms of the Renee and the Wills mortals prepare for war, even without Hafydd there to control and guide them.
Taken as a whole, the story was good, although I felt the middle dragged a little. As with all Sean Russell’s tales, things never go quite as you expect them, which is one of the things I like.
What I liked most about the story was how the nagar influenced or failed to influence the mortals they inhabited. I found it very interesting to compare Elise and Hafydd and the deals they made with their nagar and how they allowed the nagars to influence who they became.
This is not my favorite Sean Russell series, primarily because I think the second book is a little weak. But even weak Sean Russell is still very good, and well worth reading.
Rating: 8/10
The Isle of Battle (2002) Sean Russell
The Isle of Battle is good book. However, it is a middle book in a series; although the tale continues forward, the book doesn’t have the momentum of the first book. The characters are still good, the intrigue is still good, but the characters spend much of the book wandering lost in the hidden lands, and at times the story felt like it too was lost in those same lands.
Additionally, unlike other Sean Russell books, this story moves from one incomplete ending to another. We pick up the pieces of the first book, but by the time we reach the end of the second book, those pieces are again scattered to the wind.
Yes, this is a personal peeve. I simply don’t like books where we almost none of the story arcs are closed at the end of the story. And I think what bothers me most about this book is that this is a very unusal thing for Sean Russell to do.
Yes, this book is crafted well as are all his books, but I had the feeling this wasn’t a true trilogy, but was instead a duology that got too big for its britches, and so three books were created from the two, and the middle book had to make up for it.
Perhaps I’m wrong and Sean Russell simply changed the way he wrote, but there was just something off about this book.
Mind you, Sean Russell in an off book is still pretty amazing and better than many of the other books I have on my shelves. But as a Sean Russell book, this one felt like a bit of a let down–I expected more of him.
Rating: 7/10
The One Kingdom (2001) Sean Russell
I love Sean Russell’s writing. I’ve read everything he’s written that I could get my hands on, including the mystery series he co-wrote as T.F. Banks. The One Kingdom and the other books he has written are very different from the supernatural fantasy that I most often scarf down. Sean Russell books take time. They’re more to be savored than zipped through at the fast clip I normally read at.
Tam and Baore and Fynnol are young men who have lived their lives in the Vale, near Telanon Bridge, in the Wilderness, far from any towns or cities. After spending years searching for ancient artifacts, they decide to travel the river to sell their artifacts and purchase fine horses–just the adventure for young men not quite ready to settle down. However, all their plans are set awry when a man named Alann comes to share their fire one night.
Elise Wills has lead a pampered life, but her Uncle is forcing that to change–forcing a marriage upon her for political alliances that are deep and confusing beyond the ken of a woman who has preferred to spend her time with her blind musician father, rather than at the balls and soires attended by her peers. Her life is also changed by by strangers, but the path she must follow is far harder than the path followed by Tam and his cousins, for as a woman she has little control over her life and her destiny.
The Renee and the Wills have hated each other for centuries, over a fight all but lost to the mists of time. Each keeps hope for the day when they may regain the crown and the throne and the kingdom–regardless of how impossible that idea and that dream may be.
What I particularly love about Sean Russell’s writing is that although there are many characters in this book, we spend plenty of time getting to know the characters in the different groups, and when the story moves from group to group, it does so at an easy pace, allowing the story to unfold slowly.
However, this book has some flaws that do bother me. The ending is extremely frustrating for one. Almost nothing is resolved, and we are left wondering as to the fate of many characters. I really dislike it when authors do that. The other thing is that for once Sean Russell has written a trilogy instead of a duology. There’s nothing wrong with trilogies, I just tend to prefer stand alone books and shorter series is all.
And this of course is not a problem for most people. Simply a pet peeve of mine.
If you are in the mood for a slowly unwinding story that takes you down a winding river, then you may want to sit back, put your feet up, and relax with Sean Russell.
Rating: 8/10
Hellboy Vol 3: The Chained Coffin and Others (1998) Mike Mignola
Unlike the previous two volumes, which were along the lines of novellas, The Chained Coffin and Others is a collection of Hellboy short stories. As I’m a big fan of short stories, I really enjoyed this collection.
And as a fan of folktales and folk lore, the fact that many of the stories were based on folktales or creatures of folk lore was icing on the cake.
The stories appear in chronological order, the first set in 1959 and the last set immediately after the events of Vol 1: Seeds of Destruction. The first story, “The Corpse”, is a retelling of an Irish folk tale, and the second story, “Iron Shoes”, also has the feel of an Irish folktale. Both are brief and fun.
The third tale, “Baba Yaga”, is referred to in Wake the Devil. What I particularly liked about this tale was that Baba Yaga is neither good nor evil here, but simply a creature of Russian folklore. I don’t think I explained that well, but in folklore Baba Yaga isn’t necessarily a creature of evil, she simply is. And this story does a good job (for me) of matching the tone of some of the Baba Yaga stories.
“The Chained Coffin” (the story for which this collection was named) is an origin story for Hellboy, and isn’t a very happy one (even though I knew how things had to turn out, I still felt bad.)
“Almost Colossus” is the closing tale for the volume, and describes how Liz got her powers back (and didn’t die, despite the initial wishes of Mike Mignola.) I particularly enjoy this story, and seeing the homunculus on his own terms, instead of as simply a creature of doom and destruction.
This volume brings to mind a question though: Why is Hellboy always so willing to assume the worst in others? In both “Baba Yaga” and “Almost Colossus” Hellboy has a shoot first ask questions second mentality. I find it interesting that he does not ever seem to give others the benefit of the doubt.
If you have not previously read Hellboy, you could easily start at this volume, although I always recommend starting at the beginning of any series. If you’ve seen the movies, then you should know enough of his history that you can easily understand the stories (Specifically, “The Chained Coffin”) and the other stories are mostly out of time and easily read on their own.
I think the quality of Vol 3 is much higher than Volume 2, and I’m hoping there are more short stories in the following volumes, because Hellboy seems to work very well on that level.
Rating: 8/10
Infernal (2005) F. Paul Wilson
The next book (9th?) in the Repairman Jack series, Infernal again contains little but misery for Jack. A visit from Jack’s father turned terribly wrong turns into the visit from hell from Jack’s brother Tom.
It’s actually impossible to say anything more than that, without giving away the main parts of the story.
So how does this book fit in with the rest of the series? Well, in that Bad things continue to happen to Jack, it fits right in.
SPOILER
(rot 13)
V jnf vavgvnyyl tbvat gb fnl gung vg frrzf yvxr rirelbar jub xabjf Wnpx qvrf, jvgu gur rkprcgvba bs Nor, Tvn, naq Ivpxv, ohg gura V erzrzorerq gung Wnpx unq n qernz jurer nyy guerr qvrq va Ubfgf, fb V thrff gung pbhagf, naq ng fbzr cbvag rirelbar Wnpx xabjf unf orra xvyyrq bss.
Vs V xarj Wnpx, V guvax V’q or zbivat ernyyl ernyyl sne njnl nobhg abj. Znlor npebff gur pbhagel. Creuncf rira npebff gur jbeyq.
END SPOILER
Is this book as strong as earlier books in the series. I don’t think so. Unfortunately, the series is reaching critical mass, and is taking on a life of it’s own. I think that it would be nearly impossible to begin the series at this point, there are too many things happening that are dependent upon knowledge of past events–even having read Crisscross recently, I’d still forgotten an important detail that came up here.
I also wasn’t thrilled with the resolution of the story arc in this book. It felt rather… strained. Looking like someone does not mean that
Also, Gia’s pregnancy must be the longest in the history of the world. Poor woman. Luckily for her she’s still barely showing. (Excuse me? Bogus!)
If I’m sounding bitter, I’m not really, it’s just that things were not very resolved in this book, and the overarching story arc is starting to take over every book, and I’m wondering if this series is ever actually going to end. So I’m holding off reading the next book, until Bloodlines comes out in paperback. And even then I’m going to read cautiously.
Rating: 6/10
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy through Jokes (2007) Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
My dad got me this book for Christmas, and I’d been reading a few pages at a time before bed, but last night I didn’t know what I wanted to read so decided to finish this book off.
It’s a cute conceit–presenting philosophy through humor and jokes. Admittedly this probably works very well for an intro college class. We get an over view of all the philosophical big names and traditions. I can’t say that I feel like I have a better understanding of any of the subjects covered, though it was a refresher for the ideas and individuals.
Additionally, as much as I love a good joke as the next person, for me jokes should be told out loud, and I am quite certain that most of these jokes work much better in the classroom when they are being told aloud, rather than read off the page. However, I’m perfectly willing to admit that this might just be a personal failing.
But I did find one joke that I wanted to mention as it reminded me of someone in particular:
Two cows are standing in a field. One says to the other, “What do you think about this mad cow disease?”
“What do I care?” said the other, “I’m a helicopter.”
So cute, but not anything I’d gone out of my way to read if it hadn’t been a gift.
Rating: 5/10
Hellboy Vol 2: Wake the Devil (1997) Mike Mignola
In the second volume of Hellboy stories, it is believed that someone is trying to bring the vampire Vladimir Giurescu back to life and health, so Hellboy and several others from the BPRD are sent to Romania to find out what is really going on.
Needless to say, things do not go well for anyone involved.
I found this volume a little weaker and a little more confusing than the first. Didn’t mean it wasn’t good, but it did jump around quite a bit, and I wasn’t always sure where it went for awhile. What I did like was the subtle way things were done. The clues were there, but you had to put the pieces together yourself, and no one within the story had a clue why things were going so badly.
We spent almost no time with Abe and Liz, which was a little frustrating, because Abe is a very interesting characters. (Yes, I know there’s a BRPD series where we see more of him. I just have to decide if I want to read it or not.)
Was it as strong as the first volume? No. But I have hopes the third volume will be better, as it appears to be a collection of short stores. And I love short stories.
Rating: 6/10
Girl Genius Vol 7: Agatha Heterodyne and the The Voice of the Castle (2008) Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio, Cheyenne Wright
It’d been so long since the last Girl Genius volume came out, I’d all but forgotten about it. So I was very excited when my copy of Agatha Heterodyne and the The Voice of the Castle arrived today. In fact, I opened the box, pulled out the book, and immediately started reading. And managed to ignore Michael’s consistent complaints of “Read Faster! Hurry Up!”
I swear I wasn’t laughing and giggling as I read just to taunt him with how much I was enjoying this volume.
Agatha is still getting herself in and out of trouble, while Gil is finally growing up–much to his father’s surprise. And of course we got to see my favorite Jagermonsters. It’s not just they’re comic relief, it’s that they’re fun!
Of course this volume ends with a bit of a cliffhanger–however as soon as I finish typing this I’m going to go to the Girl Genius website and get caught up. And you should go quickly to the website, read through some of the comics, and get sucked in–just like I am!
Rating: 8/10
Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs
I really like Patricia Briggs writing, so when I saw she had a new book coming, I ordered it without knowing anything about it.
CryWolf is set in the same world as her Mercy series, and many of the characters carry over, although Mercy does not make an appearance. Which is a good thing, since I think the series needed to be able to stand alone. We also learned about the Marrock’s pack from an outsiders point of view, rather than Mercy’s, which made it very different. Samuel made a brief appearance, but not a large appearance, which I liked, because he has been a major character in the Mercy series.
As with the Mercy books, the characters are distinct and well developed, although much of that may come from most of the characters having made an appearance in the Mercy books. One thing I liked was that we learned more about the characters who have made brief appearances in the Mercy series. The Marrock was a major character, and we learned quite a bit about his past, which I found fascinating.
And of course we spend lots of time with Charles and Anna.
However, I had one major problem with the book. I spent the entire book feeling like I had missed the first part of the story. I kept checking to see if there was a book before this. Nope. Was this something that happened in one of the Mercy books? I don’t think so. So why does it feel like I’m missing something?
Because there was a short story that came before this.
That’s not so good. The first book in a series should be able to stand on its own, without making you feel like you’ve missed something. Was it anything glaring? No. Just a general feeling as I read the book that I was completely missing something.
But what was even more annoying is I own the collection the story is in, but hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet.
So like her other books, it was a very good story with very good characters, but lost points for the nagging feeling that I was missing something. If you like Patricia Brigg’s Mercy series, then you’ll want to pick up Cry Wolf. Just be aware that if you haven’t read the short story, you may feel like you’re missing something.
Rating: 7/10
Hellboy Vol 1: Seed of Destruction (1994) Mike Mignola and John Byrne
After starting my comic reading life with Sandman, it’s been hit and miss for me since then. I love Ex Machina and Fables. But didn’t care for Preacher or Lucifer or Constantine. Michael reads and likes almost anything he picks up, but it’s been harder for me to find things I really like.
So, a couple years ago we watched the Hellboy movie and I enjoyed it. Not like I enjoyed Batman Begins but in the way I really liked Fantastic Four. I thought about picking up the comic then, but since Michael was wishy-washy about it, I didn’t want to get something neither of us might not like. So I held off.
But after Janiece’s review of the new movie, Tania said she really enjoyed the comic, and so I decided to give it a try. Couldn’t hurt right?
I’m glad I finally gave in, because I quite enjoyed Seed of Destruction. The tone reminded me of Sandman in a way that I wanted Constantine and Lucifer to be like Sandman except that they weren’t. I was somewhat familiar with the generation story from the first movie, but of course things are different in print than on the screen, but it was close enough that I had a good idea what was happening. Of course we quickly moved onto the new story, in which Hellboy and the other members of the BPRD investigate the death of the man Hellboy considered his father. We catch glimpses into the characters of Abe and Liz, but I feel like I knew more about them from the movies than I did from the book.
One thing that did catch me off guard is that, at least in this volume, Hellboy comes of as far more intelligent than he did in the movie. Not that he was dumb in the movie, but intellect-wise, he was far outshined by Abe. It’s also possibly because the story is written in first person, while the movie was third person, and perhaps it’s the glimpses into his thoughts that make the difference.
So, I thoroughly enjoyed Hellboy: Seed of Destruction and will definitely order the next volume in the series. Though I will try and hold off ordering all of them at once.
Rating: 8/10
Iron Hunt (2008) Marjorie Liu
I picked this up partially because the story looked interesting and partially because I loved the cover. Plus I read several recommendations and thought I’d like it. And I did like it, but there is one major drawback.
It’s one of those books that doesn’t really end. Yes, there is a conclusion to the book–we aren’t left hanging–but there is an over arching story arc, and that is left very open-ended, which I don’t particularly like in a first book.
Now I have to admit that it wasn’t a bad way to write the story, and it was very well done. I just have not been in the mood for epic fantasy for a very long time. I want to read a series because I enjoy spending time with the characters, not because reading on is the only way to find out if everyone survives (or whatever).
So, aside from my pet peeves, how was the story?
Not bad.
Maxine Kiss is a demon hunter. She has skills and advantages that have been passed along from mother to daughter for centuries, as they are the last of the Watchers to guard the earth from Demons. Most of the demons she encounters are zombies. Except that her zombies aren’t the shambling undead that live upon brains, but are instead possessed humans that thrive on the pain of others.
Although her mother lived a life of solitude, traveling only with Maxine and the boys, moving from place to place and hunting demons, Maxine has broken her mother’s rules and has settled down in one city, in one place, and with one man. A man with unique skills it must be said, but one still a single man. And because or despite of this, she has been found by those who are searching for her, and who have come to tell her that the world as she knows it will soon be ending.
The story did wander a bit, and was confusing at times, and did refuse to conclude the major story arc, meaning sequels are not just in the works, but mandatory, but Maxine and Grant were interesting, and I wanted to discover who Jack was and why he was involving himself with Maxine. I also wanted to learn more about the boys, but they remain very much a mystery.
I’ll pick the next book up in the series at some point after it comes out, but I won’t rush to look for it, and I may have Michael read it first, to let me know if the level of resolution at the end of the story continues to decrease, in which case I’ll definitely put off continuing the series.
Rating:6/10
Runaways Vol 8: Dead End Kids (2008) Joss Whedon, Michael Ryan, and Christina Strain
Finally! The next installment of Runaways! And boy have things changed.
First and foremost, Brian K Vaughan gave up his writing duties on Runaways to Joss Whedon. Second, the format changed, and instead of the little tiny book, Dead End Kids was published as a larger sized hardback. Third, excluding the Civil War book, it’s been a YEAR since the last installment. Fourth, we’ve got a whole new set of artists with Michael Ryan and Christina Strain replacing Adrian Alphona and Craig Yeung (although the last position occasionally rotated.)
So, how did those changes work out? I think Joss Whedon did a good job of nailing the characters as Brian K Vaughn was writing them, and he may have added a bit more levity into the tale. What I didn’t much care for was the fact that JOSS WHEDON was about three times larger than the text saying Runaways: Dead End Kids. I realize that part of the hope is that Joss Whedon’s name will draw more people into the story, but it just seemed… excessive. Probably because I think the series is strong enough that people should be reading it in droves anyway. But if they aren’t? Well, hopefully this will bring more people to the series.
As far as the artwork, for awhile I thought Molly looked a little bit too much like Kaylee, which was eerie, but things settled down and she eventually looked more like herself. Of course this is the first time I’ve gotten to read the series in the larger format, so that may have something to do with it as well.
So how did Joss Whedon do with continuing the story? Pretty good actually. I thought he did a particularly good job dealing with one of the new characters they meet. In fact, “He makes you do CHORES?!” cracked me up. The only weak part of the story in my opinion was Victor’s thread. Of course they are teenagers, so that helps explain their crazy reactions. I also like Niko’s solution to the problem they had to deal with before they left. Very nice, all things considered. (And a good solution to the time line problem as well.) There were also hints that Chase might be growing up a little more.
All in all, I was very pleased with this next installment in the Runaways series. If you haven’t been reading along, this is a good place to start, as the book begins with a synopsis of the characters. But of course I always think it’s better to start at the beginning, and I believe there are hardback editions covering multiple books, which might be a nice version to have. (Probably better than the smaller versions I have.)
But primarily this is a good continuation of an excellent story, and one that’s good for both kids and adults.
Rating: 8/10
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife (2005) Mary Roach
As much as I enjoyed Stiff, I found Spook disappointing. As a scientific look at life after death, excluding the last couple chapters, it read more as a debunking than a presentation.
Of course that’s partially because several chapters deal with things like ectoplasm exuding from mediums, which was a short lived phenomenon, and so the “research” into it seems… unnecessary, although I admit that the chapters on where the mediums may or may not have hidden the “ectoplasm” was both titillating and disturbing.
The chapters I did find interesting were on electromagnetic fields and low frequency sounds, and how they can cause repeatable phenomenon in a portion of the population. The idea that EMF and sounds beneath our hearing range can cause us to hear and see things that are not there is fascinating.
And although I liked the chapter on Near Death Experiences, it seemed short, at least in comparison the the amount of time spent on mediums and ectoplasm. It feels as if there should be far more research on the subject (after all, there was a movie on the subject) and that the chapter should have been a little longer. Not that the information I learned about turn of the last century mediums wasn’t interesting, it just didn’t seem the slightest bit relevant.
As always, the book is full of Roach’s characteristic wit and sarcasm, much of it to be found in the footnotes. And the footnotes ranged from completely irrelevant to occasionally more interesting than the text.
All in all, although interesting, the book felt far more uneven than Stiff. Interesting, but I’m not sure it was worth the trade paperback price.
Rating: 6/10
Fatal Remedies (1999) Donna Leon
I started Fatal Remedies immediately after I finished A Noble Radiance, wasn’t sure about the direction the story was taking, and then picked it up again today, as I have a whole stack of Guido Brunetti books waiting to be read.
What I was unsure about was how things were going to turn out between Guido and Paola. As his marriage is one of the centers of his world, any threat to the stability made me unhappy. However, that concern rapidly disappeared as the situation turned deadly.
As always, Donna Leon is good at pointing out the inadequacies of the legal system, and how easy it would be for a good man to begin to work outside the system, as so many other police in the system did. So I very much enjoyed Guido (mostly) sticking to his principles, and for once meeting a lawyer who was much the same as him.
But the book also probes more deeply into the question of what action is moral when immoral actions seem to be allowed by the legal system. No answers are provided, but in the corruption of Guido’s Venice, it is as always an interesting question to consider.
As with all the books so far in the series, you should easily be able to read Fatal Remedies even if you have read no other books in the series. However, I will note that Paola’s actions and beliefs–and Brunetti’s reactions to them–may seem strange to someone who has not been reading the series.
Rating: 8/10
Crisscross (2004) F. Paul Wilson
Jack is still in the Repairman business, despite the fact that Gia doesn’t like the way she never knows if he’ll return safely from his fix-it jobs. And with Gia’s pregnancy (Despite the fact this is a multi-book pregnancy, Gia is only at 20 weeks. She might be pregnant for years at this rate) Jack is becoming uncomfortable with putting himself in harm’s way, for the pain his death would cause to Gia and Vicki.
Jack takes on two fix-its. First is an old woman who wants to discover how her son, who joined the Dormentalist Cult, is doing. The second is a woman who is being blackmailed and can no longer pay. ANd as with previous books, there are no more coincidences in Jack’s life.
A little less Gia in this book, and a little less of Jack’s personal life, but two very good fix-its. Though I have to admit that being involved (excluding Gia) seems to be rather deadly, since so many people he deals with end up dead. I’m beginning to be surprised when people make it to the end of the story, as opposed to being surprised that Wilson is so willing to kill off so many characters.
But primarily I really liked the fix-its in this book.
If you like Repairman Jack, then you’ll want to pick up this books. If you have not yet read a Repairman Jack book, you could conceivably start here, however you’ll have picl up on the background really qucikly.
Rating:8/10
A Noble Radiance (1998) Donna Leon
The Commissario Guido Brunetti series continues with A Noble Radiance. A body is discovered in a field that has lain fallow for several years, and from the ring found with the body, it is likely that the body is that of a young man who had been kidnapped two years previously. Because the kidnapping was in Venice, the case is reopened, and Brunetti ends up with the case.
I am really enjoying this series. I like Brunetti, his attitude, and his sense of justice. I also like that although the criminal may be known, that does not mean that justice is always served. I also really like Paola. Sometimes spouses and significant others seemed to appear in mysteries only the further flesh out the main character. But Paola is a strong character, and to be honest, one I wouldn’t mind reading about myself even though I’m not sure how exciting a book about an English literature professor in Italy would be. But the point is I’d like to spend time with Paola, the say way I enjoy spending time with Burnetti.
Even with a history of complex cases, this one took so many strange twists and turns I was never quite sure where it was going, until everything suddenly fell perfectly into place. I picked up hints and pieces that Brunetti seemed to be ignoring, but I didn’t know what to do with them any more than he did.
Like the previous books in the series, you should be able to begin reading anywhere. This book mentions previous cases, but these is nothing mentioned that would ruin earlier books, and should be too confusing for someone starting the series at this point.
Rating: 7/10
