I know it’s strange for me, but I’ve had Basilisk sitting around unread since last August. Strange, because I love Rob Thurman’s writing, and have loved every book of her’s I’ve read. But as much as I enjoyed Chimera, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a sequel, so it sat unread until I grabbed it on the way to a doctor’s appointment.

Then I got sucked in and had to finish it.

Misha has spent the past three years learning to live outside The Institute where he was raised and lived until his brother Stefan rescued him. Now, instead of learning to kill, he is learning how to get along like a normal teenager, instead of the genetically altered killer he actually is. And it’s going pretty well, until they learn their father (a Russian mobster) had been found dead–murdered.

Was he murdered as a result of being a mobster? Or was he murdered by someone wanting to find Michael.

First and foremost, you CAN read this book without having read Chimera. It is set up that way. But you really should read Chimera.

And yes, I still love Rob Thurman’s writing.
Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Roc

When I perused the reviews for this story, I almost didn’t get it. Too much sex for a YA the negative review cried. Aw crap, I thought. I hate boinking books, which is one reason why I like YA–much less boinking, and it’s mostly off screen.

But it was only $0.99, so I decided it couldn’t hurt to try.

Let’s clarify the boinking–the main character does not boink–she doesn’t even get kissed–but she is at a private school where other students are doing what 17 and 18 year old kids do. That does not make a boinking book. It’s an acknowledgement that lots of teens are sexually active, whether adults want to acknowledge it or not. But Gwen herself is not, and I think that’s an important distinction the negative reviewer failed to make. After all, any YA book full of kids who are NOT drinking and NOT being sexually active isn’t reality based in our current reality.

So yes, there is an acknowledgement of sex, but that’s all over TV, movies, and everything else. But this is NOT a boinking book.

Thank goodness.

Gwen Frost is a student at Mythos Academy. She was sent there after her mother was killed by a drunk driver, to learn more about her Gypsy gift and the magical heritage of not just herself but of others in the world–Amazons, Valkyries, Spartans–all these exist and a trained to fight Chaos.

I thought the world building here was especially good–because Gwen knows little other than how her gift works, we learn along with her.

Gwen is a typical teen, except for the fact she’s struggling with grief following the death of her mother. The school to which she is sent is NOT full of typical teens, but instead full of very rich, very spoiled, kids with supernatural powers who have grown up knowing they are destined to battle chaos and evil.

The secondary characters are also good–the boy Gwen has a crush on, and the girl who eventually becomes Gwen’s friend are interesting in and of themselves, and were enjoyable to spend time with.

And of course there was the story itself–I like the idea that there are people descended from myth still inhabiting the world, still fighting evil.

Read the short story first, and if you enjoy it, then I believe you’ll enjoy Touch of Frost.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Kensington Books

Gwen Frost has a Gypsy gift–when she touches things she learns about the people who held those items. In addition to that skill, she has a good dose of curiosity, that eventually shows her things she never wanted to learn.

This is a short story, and an introduction to Touch of Frost, the first book in the Mythos Academy series.

If you like YA, this is a good story to check out, to tell you if you’ll like the series. It’s self-contained, which is always good in a short story, but it did lead me to immediately start the first book. Just one more reason to love eBooks.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Kensington Books

This is the third book in The Legend of Eli Monpress.

The third book is much less about Eli, which is too bad, because Eli was the character I most liked. Instead, we see that those who are supposed to be watching over the world aren’t doing their job particularly well.

We also see Nico’s continued battle with her demonseed. And Miranda obsessively continues her quest to capture Eli, to the exclusion of almost everything else.

As much as I enjoyed the first book, at the end of the third I’m kinda… meh about the series. I enjoyed reading about Eli’s capers, and I liked the other characters, but this book was primarily focused on the demon and the politics of the Spirit Court and so on and so forth, and that just… wasn’t what I want to read.

There are other books in this series apparently, and the story didn’t end particularly cleanly, but I think I’ll leave it here.
Rating: 6/10

Published by Orbit (The Legend of Eli Monpress contains three books, starting with The Spirit Thief.)

This is the second book in The Legend of Eli Monpress.

Following the events of the last book: Nico needs a new coat, which sends Joseph, Nico, and Eli to the one man who could make another garment for her. Miranda returns home only to be put on trial for her actions. The Duke of Gaol (and the ally of the man behind Miranda’s trial) has built an “impenetrable citadel” to draw in and attempt to capture Eli.

We meet several new characters, including some of Eli’s allies, and catch glimpses of Eli’s past.

It has a cliffhanger-ish ending, however, since I have all three books in a single series, it didn’t bother me in the slightest.

It continues to be a fun series.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Orbit (The Legend of Eli Monpress contains three books, starting with The Spirit Thief.)

I like to read non-fiction books. First, I like learning stuff, and second, non-fiction is generally good to read before bed, since it tends to lack suspense and surprises.

Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History cover a lot of plants, focusing on four areas: Edible, Medicinal, Commercial, and Practical. There is, of course, a lot of overlap between these categories, and unsurprisingly, commercial is the most common category.

Many of the plants he write about are ones you’d expect to find: wheat (Triticum aestivum), corn (Zea mays), soybean (Glycine max), papyrus (Cyporus papyrus), rice (Oryza sativa), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), apple (Malus pumila). But there were other plants that have had a huge affect that you might not have considered as having influence upon the world: black pepper (Piper nigrum), white mulberry (Morus alba), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), tulip (Tulipa spp.), white willow (Salix alba).

For each plant, he discusses not just the botany of the plant, but also how that plant influenced the humans who consumed it. For example, tea (Camellia sinensis) is more than just a beverage, it is also tied deeply into history from trade between Europe and China, as well as the Boston Tea Party.

One of the only negatives is that I found sections (chapters?) occasionally jumped around a fair amount, which made things somewhat disjointed. It didn’t happen in every section, but it did occasionally throw me off. But that’s only a small negative in an otherwise excellent book.

The other thing this book did was remind me that if I’m going to survive the zombie apocalypse, I’m going to have to brush up on my botany, for you can only survive on canned goods for so long.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Firefly Books

As readers of my twitter stream and blog already know, I love The Bloggess.

I fully admit she isn’t for every. After all, this is the woman whose tag line could (and should) be “knock knock motherfucker”

But if she does amuse you (as she does many of us) then you should read Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Or at least her blog.

But really, you should read the book.

If you read the book you’ll learn how Jenny developed her unhealthy love of taxidermied animals (who died of natural causes) wearing clothing. You’ll learn how she met Victor (and of Victor’s proposal) (and of the first time Victor met her father). You’ll also read about her battle with general anxiety disorder, her miscarriages, her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and how she she struggled with all these things, but came out mostly okay anyway.

Oh, you’ll also read of some of the things that happened while she worked in human resources (hint: men like to take pictures of their penises and then email the pictures to co-workers).

But mostly, you’ll just learn what it means to be Furiously Happy.

My only complaint is that the pictures (proof of things such as bread bag winter shoes) were too small to see clearly.
Rating: 8/10

Published by amy einhorn books

Miss Annis Wychwood believes she is too old for marriage, and not wanting to spend the rest of her life being little more than an aunt to her brother’s children, she insists on setting up house for herself. Of course, no unmarried woman can live alone, so her cousin is invited to live with her, much to Miss Wychwood’s (silent and polite) annoyance.

Then, into her life stumbles Miss Lucilla Carleton, who is escaping her aunt who is attempting to force her into a marriage everyone believed her late father would have wanted. Annis takes Lucilla in, and in doing so, brings Lord Carlton–notorious rake–into her life.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Although Eugenides makes many appearances in this story, it is about Sophos, the heir to the throne of Sounis.

Sophos had disappeared, and this story is told, in large part, as his retelling of what happened to him.

As with every other book in this series so far, and as with every other book I’ve read by Megan Whalen Turner, the story is excellent. The characters are excellent. There are no punches pulled, despite the fact this is a young adult book, and the tale is complex enough to satisfy any adult.

If you have not read this series, you really need to do so. Go pick up The Thief. I promise. You’ll thank me.
Rating: 9/10

Published by Greenwillow Books

Miss Penelope Lumley continues to be the governess of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible, the three children raised by wolves and adopted by Lord Ashton.

Penelope (or Lumawoo as the children call her), continues to be both protector and educator of these still semi-wild children, and believe they can learn geometry and how to speak and read all at the same time.

As the story begins, Lady Ashton is lamenting the state of the house, and repairs are made following the damage done during the Christmas ball, when a party unknown attempted to goad the Incorrigibles into acting like wild animals. As Miss Lumley has received an invitation to visit the headmistress of her school, Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Lady Ashton decides that going to London for the duration is Just the Thing.

Yet still it seems as if something sinister is lurking for Penelope and the Incorrigibles. Luckily, she manages to make a friend!

This is an interesting series, and I’m enjoying seeing where it goes. I also like how (like the Series of Unfortunate Events) it caters to a child’s love of seeing horrible things happen.
Rating: 7/10

Published by HarperCollins

I should have loved this–I love folklore and so was familiar with Koschei the Deathless, and was eager to read a tale staring him. And the hero of the story is the young Marya Morevna who has seen birds turn into her sister’s husbands, and so expects magical adventures to happen to her.

But… I made it more than halfway through before I gave up and skipped to the end.

It’s not that there weren’t things to like.

Zemlehyed looked more or less like what you would get if a particularly stunted and ugly oak tree had fallen passionately in love with a boulder and produced, at great cost to both, a single child.

What’s not to like there?

But the story was set in Stalinist Russia, and the fairy creatures have taken communism to heart just as the populace has. And as much as Koschei and Marya love each other, only bad things happen.

And I just didn’t want to read about bad things.

Published by Tor

I’ve been pretty forthright about how rarely I buy hardback books. But C.S. Harris is on the extremely short list of authors I’ll buy and read in hardback.

So why, you may ask, if his book came out over a month ago–and I’ve had it in my hands for that long–did it take me so long to read it?

Because this was one of the series Grandmom liked, and in reading it myself, I’m reminded that I won’t be sharing this book–or any other–with her again.

That said, once I did pick up the book, I didn’t set it back down until I finished it.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount of Devlin has been married now for only a few days. He and Hero must learn to trust one another, else their marriage fail before it has even begun. But just as they are taking the first tentative steps towards getting to know each other, one of Hero’s friends is found murdered–and Hero has reason to fear her father might be involved.

But because it is Hero’s friend who has been killed, Sebastian agrees to the request of Sir Henry Lovejoy to help discover the murderer. Unfortunately, because he and Hero don’t yet fully trust one another, they may be working at cross purposes. And they are definitely not willing to share all the information they learn–Sebastian for fear his information will hurt Hero, and Hero because her information may implicate her father.

A lot of the reviews on Amazon don’t seem to care much for this book in comparison to past stories. I have to say I was rather pleased in how things she worked things out. Sebastian was not going to be allowed to remain unmarried, and as lovely as Kat might be, she’d make a terrible wife for Sebastian, on many levels. But assuming they can work out their differences (ie, Lord Jarvis) Sebastian and Hero could be very good for one another.

I will admit that in this book the mystery took second place to Hero and Sebastian working out their differences, and in fact was simply a vehicle for them to do so.

But I’m OK with that. I like both characters very much, and enjoyed spending time with them in this book, even if the mystery took second place.

Though I am hoping the next book returns to a stronger mystery.
Rating: 8/10

Published by NAL

This was a reread, just because I felt like it.

Cute, and at times interesting, but also at times, she was trying way too hard.

Plants (at least to me) are fascinating in and of themselves. And people do tend to naively assume that if someone is a plant it’s therefore “natural and healthy.” This is, of course, ridiculous, since people have been poisoning since the dawn of time, not just the advent of manufacturing.

The book covers not just poisons (like foxglove and oleander) and hazards (like nettles and acacia) but also invasive species like kudzu and water hyacinth, and even toxic blue green algae (which isn’t a plant).

The book is alphabetical (although scientific names are given, the plants are alphabetized by common name) with sections like “deadly dinner” and “fatal fungus” covering multiple species.

This is actually probably a very good book for people who tend to think that natural automatically equals good, or naively think that you can wander in the woods without a care in the world. But I can’t say there was very much I got from the book, and I thought sometimes she was trying too hard to get her point across.
Rating: 6/10

Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

Laurie Fabiano’s grandmother and great-grandmother were amazing, remarkable women. This is a retelling of her great-grandmother Giovanna’s life, with pieces of the author’s interactions with her grandmother (Giovanna’s daughter) added in, and details, where they would have been unknown so many years later (such as what individuals thought or said) fictionalized.

Regardless, Giovanna Costa Pontillo Siena was an amazing woman.

I picked this up because it was only a couple bucks and I thought it would be interesting to read about the history of Italian immigrants in New York.

This turned out to be a story I had trouble putting down, and which stayed with me after I’d put it down.

To be honest, I’d rather not give you any more details, because the story was a delight to read, and the shocks all the more surprising because they were real and true.

If you have a kindle, you’ll be well served if you pick up Elizabeth Street, and spend some time with Giovanna.
Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Amazon Encore

Good, but really not my thing.

Published by IDW

This was a fun, straight-up fantasy romp, something I haven’t read in awhile, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Eli Monpress is a thief. As far as he’s concerned, he’s the best thief in the world, and his goal is for the bounty for his head to reach one million gold pieces.

In his journeys, Eli has two companions, Nico, a young waif who wears a strange and large coat, and Josef the swordsman. Josef’s goal is to become the best swordsman in the world, so hanging around with Eli seems a good way to achieve that goal.

We also meet Miranda and her companion Gar. Miranda is a member of the Spirit Court, and her job is to make sure those who can speak to spirits are not abusing their powers.

If you enjoy stories about rogues, then you’ll enjoy spending time with Eli Monpress.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Orbit (The Legend of Eli Monpress contains three books, starting with The Spirit Thief.

Mallow is content to live with her cast iron ducks doing the occasional magic for those in need, but mostly she prefers to be left alone.

But then the King of Fairy calls a for a Foul in the capital of Pandemonium and requires are Fair Folks to attend, so off she goes, hoping perhaps to learn some Wet Magic while she’s there.

I’ve had The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making on my wishlist for awhile now, so I thought this short story would be a nice introduction to Catherynne M. Valente’s money. It was, and it’s time for me to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Tor

I believe I’ve made my love of Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros series well known. I love the relationship between Niko and Cal, and how Niko keeps Cal human, despite everything. And how Cal remains human, because of Niko.

Cal has changed a lot over the course of the series. He’s overcome the Alphie, yet remains a monster in the eyes of most, and once again, that reputation comes back to cause trouble.

I’m conflicted about this book. I still love Cal and Niko, but I’m not certain I like where the story is going. In retrospect, I can see the setup for part of this story several books back, but I am having trouble setting aside some of my disbelief.

I’m also unsure about different reactions of several of the characters–I’m not sure I saw the logic in why they behaved the way they did. I’ll have to think about that for a little while.

The other thing I realized while considering this book, is that I don’t see how this series can go on indefinitely. Cal cannot exist without Niko. But unlike Cal, Niko won’t be long lived.

So, I’ll read the next book–won’t be able to help myself–but I’m nervous as to where the story is going.
Rating: 7/10

Published by ROC

I’d put off reading Exit Music, the last Rebus book, for several months. Because it is the last Rebus book, and I wasn’t ready for it yet.

Rebus, of course, ends his story the way he began it: stubborn, contrary, and in trouble.

A Russian poet is found dead, and it looks like Rebus’ last case might have political implications, so no one higher up really wants Rebus leading the case, what with his propensity for trouble. But he only has three days–how much trouble could he cause in three days?

Plenty, of course.

I was quite pleased with the way the series ended. We don’t know what Rebus is going to do but throughout he has remained unchanged–whether it was good for him or not.

I’m going to miss Rebus.
Rating: 8/10

Cleaners help clean things up. Sometimes that includes messes when wiseguys with green blood and black wires come in and shoot up Madame Rosa’s place.

Cute. But then I’ve always been a sucker for noir.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Tor

This is a short story by Amy Tan, set in Shanghai in 1912.

Violet is a new courtesan and Magic Gourd is the older courtesan who is to both train Violet and prepare for for the life she has chosen.

The story is comprised entirely of the advice that Magic Gourd gives to Violet about life as a courtesan and how to become one of the Top Ten Beauties in Shanghai, so that they can get a good price for Violet’s defloration and so Violet can avoid the same mistakes Magic Gourd made when she was a young courtesan.

The story is a period piece, a glimpse into the lives of courtesans, and a glimpse into the past of Magic Gourd.

It’s shocking and marvelous and wonderful.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Byliner Inc

Kylie is having what is justifiably the worst day ever.

On top of losing her favorite grandmother and her boyfriend breaking up with her, she comes home from school to discover that her parents are getting divorced. In fact, her father is throwing clothes in a suitcase and storming out.

Plus, her night terrors have returned.

In an effort to take a break from all the crap in her life, Kylie goes to a party. Unfortunately, it ends up being the wrong party, and now she’s being shipped off to a camp for troubled youth.

Could things get any worse?

Yup. The camp is for supernatural youth. As far as Kylie is concerned, she doesn’t have any special powers, but the counselors are convinced she does, and they’re the cause of her night terrors.

One of the things I particularly liked was that there were no easy answers for Kylie, and as hard as it is for a child to be caught in the middle of their parent’s divorce, Kylie learns there is no one bad guy when a marriage falls apart.

Very enjoyable. Even if everything wasn’t completely resolved, it was a solid ending that left you wanting to know more rather than wondering what the heck is going on.
Rating: 7/10

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin

Free story that’s an intro to the Shadow Falls series.

It obviously worked, since I then got the first book, Born at Midnight.

Della Tsang doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she has to wonder, when one night she sees her dead cousin.

This story is a very good introduction to her world, and the background on Della was nice when I read Turned and Midnight.
Rating: 7/10

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin

I liked this right up until I realized it was book one in what will become an ongoing series.

I love that the story is based upon found pictures–and that we get to see the pictures.

I just hate getting involved in ongoing series when there is little resolution at the end of a book.

Published by Quirk Books

Another PostSecret book.

Atticus O’ Sullivan is a druid who has lived for more than two thousand years. He’s spent the last several in Arizona, hiding from the god of love, who wants his sword back.

Adding to his problems, his ally of sorts is the Morrigan, who warns him that his enemy is closing in, but won’t directly involve herself in helping Atticus.

Of course, Atticus does have a few allies–his lawyers are a vampire and a werewolf, and his best friend is an Irish wolfhound. Plus, he looks like he’s 20 years old, which doesn’t hurt him any either.

This was a fun romp. It is a boinking book, but it’s not ALL about the boinking. Atticus has huge powers, but he’s not invincible, and he has to survive in the modern world. It was interesting, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
Rating: 7/10

Penelope Lumpey has just graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and now, at the age of 15 must make her way forth in the world.

Luckily for her, a governess position was found by her teacher, and she is off to interview for the position, which will hopefully give her not just a job, but also a home, something she now lacks since she graduated.

Penelope is a smart, no-nonsense young lady who–despite her young age–is ready to make her way in the world.

This is a very fun book. As a grown-up, I can see where some of the story will eventually go, but for an older child, I’m sure much will be Very Mysterious. It also seems there will be many books in the future, which I do believe I am looking forward to.

Rating: 8/10

Published by HarperCollins

Satira is the daughter of a whore, who has spent the last several years working for Nathaniel. Like her mentor, Satira is mechanically gifted, but unlike her mentor, because she’s a woman she is forbidden to officially study and join the guild.

Wilder is a bloodhound. Bloodhounds are men who have been changed by the government to help control vampires.

Nathaniel has been kidnapped by vampires, and now Wilder and Satira have to go into the lands controlled by the vamps to get him back. The only problem is that the New Moon will soon be upon them, and Wilder will have to deal with his curse.

This is a steampunk adventure, and I like Satira, and I liked the world building, but good grief was there a lot of boinking. I think a full third of the novella was sexual escapades, which just isn’t my thing.

So as much as I liked the characters and world building and story, I’ll probably skip any new books, because that’s a LOT of boinking.

Published by Samhain Publishing (and if I’d seen that, I probably wouldn’t have bought this book, because they publish primarily erotica, which isn’t what I’m looking for.)

This is a novella set in the same world as Steam & Sorcery, with the characters from that story making an eventual appearance in this one.

Amy Deland is a photographer, who is haunted by marks appearing in a handful of her pictures that seem to presage the death of the person she photographed.

Kendall Lake is a member o the Order of the Round Table, a group dedicated (since the days of King Arthur) to protecting the public from malevolent supernatural creatures.

As with the first novella, I liked the mystery and the steampunk, and could have done without all the boinking (or near boinking as the case may be). The world building is very good, and I hope she keeps writing stories in this world, even if the boinking bits are not to my taste.

Published by Carina Press