Nightlife (2006) Rob Thurman This is a reread, because I was talking about it to someone else, and I just couldn’t resist going back to the start of this series. There are so many things I love about this book, and this series. First and foremost, is the relationship between Cal and Niko. “You should […]
A Hard Day’s Knight (2011) Simon R. Green Walker is dead. Long live Walker. Because now John Taylor is Walker, and now it is his job to keep order (of a sorts) in Nightside. Unfortunately for him, someone has decided it’s time for Excalibur to make a reappearance in the world–and he needs to be […]
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2004) Susanna Clarke I admit it. When I saw this on sale on the kindle I grabbed it even though we already have the hardback book. Because this is a HUGE book, and it’s so much nicer to read a kindle than an 800 page hardback book. And since I […]
Night Watch (2002) Terry Pratchett This book, for me, strikes far more political chords than funny bones. It doesn’t make it bad, it just makes it a lot darker than some other Terry Pratchett book. (He) started in the wrong place. he didn’t look around, and watch, and learn, and then say, “This is how […]
Fables Vol 16: Super Team (2011) Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Eric Shanower, Terry Moore That was… unexpected. Rating: 7/10 Published by Vertigo
Naked City (2011) edited by Ellen Datlow This collection of urban fantasy stories has several of my favorite authors, so it was a no-brainer to get. The bad thing is that I’ve been reading this collection for several months, so I now have no idea what the stories at the start of the anthology were […]
Dracula in London (2004) edited by P.N. Elrod I give up. After six months I’m about three-quarters of the way through, and haven’t enjoyed one single story I’ve read. I generally like P.N. Elrod’s stories, and I’ve read several other anthologies she has edited, all of which I’ve enjoyed, but these stories? No. Yuck. One […]
Feet of Clay (1996) Terry Pratchett There’s trouble in Ankh-Morpork. Someone has committed at least two unauthorized murders, and the city golems are all acting funny. Plus, the Watch continues to recruit more members, including dwarves who think it might be nice to maybe wear earrings and lipstick. As usual, the best part of any […]
Fate’s Edge (2011) Ilona Andrews I have to say I’m glad I didn’t notice the floating man head until after I finished the book, because that floating man head totally doesn’t look like how I pictured Keldar. Keldar is a rogue. That floating head? Just… doesn’t look smart enough to pull off the part. But […]
I Shall Wear Midnight (2010) Terry Pratchett Tiffany Aching is now officially a witch, and is doing her best to be a good witch, and perhaps even counteract some of the stereotypes. But she also has a past, and it looks like someone is riled up about her past adventures with the Wintersmith, and is […]
Men at Arms (1993) Terry Pratchett Another reread and another Night Watch story. This one also had several passages that stuck with me. Such as, And this was right. And it was fate that had let Edward recognize this just when he’d got his plan. And it was right that it was Fate, and the […]
Guards! Guards! (1989) Terry Pratchett I love Discworld. That’s not to say I love all the books, but some of the character arcs in this series feature some of the best writing around. Guards! Guards! is the start of the Night Watch story arc. When we meet Captain Samuel Vimes, he’s drinking himself into the […]
Steam & Sorcery (2011) Cindy Spencer Pape First off, this is a Steampunk romance, with equal weight being given to both descriptors. So there is lots of boinking. However, aside from the boinking, there are interesting characters and some good world building. Sir Merrick Hadrian is a Knight of the Order of the Round table, […]
Bone Shop (2010) T.A. Pratt Bone Shop is Marla Mason’s back story–from how she first discovered magic to how she ended up chief sorcerer of Freeport. This was originally published as a serial novel on Tim Pratt’s website after a financial crisis, but is now available as an eBook or a paper book. It’s short, […]
The White City (2010) Elizabeth Bear Abigail Irene, Sebastian,and Phoebe have traveled to Moscow, as they attempt to get over their loss of Jack. However, Sebastian spent time here with Jack, before he met Irene and Phoebe, and his memories of the place include Jack. And murder–past and present–inserts itself into their lives, both causing […]
Miss Bramble and the Leviathan (2010) Kristen Painter This is more of a short story than even a novella, so I can’t say it was worth the $3 purchase price. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t awesome. Typical steampunk romance, with female character who loves gears and cogs and thinks no one will ever love […]
Eight Skilled Gentlemen (1991) Barry Hughart This is the third and final book in the Master Li and Number Ten Ox trilogy. I’m a little sad to see it end, but it was quite enjoyable. Oddly, the passages that caught my attention in this book weren’t the funny ones, but the ones that related to […]
The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told (2010) edited by Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers I wouldn’t say the best necessarily, but it’s not a bad selection of stories. And the fact that I got to read it for free probably helped. “Appetite for Murder” is Simon R. Green story that does not feature […]
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel (2011) Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris I was a lot happier about this book before I discovered I’d paid full price for it. Eliza D. Braun and Wellington Books are agents of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences who met when Braun rescued Books from Antarctica after he’d […]
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After (2006) Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer Kate and Cecy are once again embroiled in magical mysteries. James is called to investigate the disappearance of a magician who was inspecting the rail lines up north. Thomas and Kate thus get to care for James and Cecy’s brood, and […]
The Story of the Stone (1988) Barry Hughart Master Li has taken Number Ten Ox on as his assistant. The Abbot of the monastery of the Valley of Sorrows comes to Master Li asking for help resolving the unexpected death of his librarian, and the strange dead spots in the Valley. Along the way they […]
Bridge of Birds (1984) Barry Hughart A year or so ago I ordered The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, because I’d read Bridge of Birds, loved it, and wanted to read more. Unfortunately for me, The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox is a BIG book. It’s three volumes: Bridge […]
Boneshaker (2009) Cherie Priest I started this book the week Grandmom went into the hospital. Unsurprisingly, it took me a bit to get back to it, as I remembered almost nothing of what I read–not because of the story, but because I was distracted. Briar Wilkes had been married to a man claimed to have […]
Last Watch (2009) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield Fourth (and last?) book of the Night Watch series. I’d actually forgotten a good deal of this, probably because I’d only read it once. Published by Mirimax Books
Twilight Watch (2003/2007) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield Third book of my reread of Night Watch. This one contained some of the must surprising events. Published by Miramax
Day Watch (2000/2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield Second book in the Night Watch series as I continued my reread. I love his world building. Published by Miramax
Night Watch (2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield I have a HUGE to-be-read pile, so what do I want to read? Things I’ve read before. Go figure. However, Night Watch is well worth a re-read. Published by Miramax Books / Hyperion
Dark Entries (2009) Ian Rankin, Werther Dell’Edera I have a conflicted relationship with John Constantine stories. I love the idea of who Constantine is, but for some reason the stories always fall short of my expectations in some manner. But when I saw that Ian Rankin–whose John Rebus mysteries I love–had written a Constantine graphic […]
Thirteenth Child (2009) Patricia C. Wrede I discovered Patricia C. Wrede’s writing when I couldn’t resist the title, Sorcery & Cecelia -OR- The Enchanted Chocolate Pot. I also read and enjoyed A Matter of Magic. Both are alternate histories where magic is an integral part of the world, however, in Thirteenth Child they live in […]
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (2010) Lish McBride Sam can’t decide what to do with himself, which means that by default he has fallen to the painful default of food service. His life is going nowhere, he’s job is crap, but he has friends, and friends can make anything easier. Even drawing the attention of a […]
The King of Attolia (2006) Megan Whalen Turner The sequel to The Queen of Attolia and The Thief, we see Gen this time from the outside–from the view of a guard who doesn’t like–but yet must work with–Gen. As with previous books, there is a great deal of intrigue, and we’re a step removed from […]
The Devil You Know (2009) P. N. Elrod I like PN Elrod’s Jack Fleming series. Jack is a vampire, living in the 1930s, who works as a private eye, owns a nightclub, and quite accidentally developed ties to the Chicago mob. It’s fun, and I enjoy the setting immensely. In this story, Jack receives a […]
Instead of Three Wishes (2006) Megan Whalen Turner This is an absolutely wonderful collection of fantasy short stories for the pre-teen set. Although some of the stories are dark, they are still fabulous, and far less dark than real life. The story “A Plague of Leprechaun” had a feel reminiscent of Charles de Lint. Someone […]
One Salt Sea (2011) Seanan McGuire Most fantasy series, the longer the series goes on, the weaker the stories get. Or perhaps the series remains strong, but for a book or two it seems like the author is struggling to figure out where they are going with the characters. Or, to work with the overarching […]
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner I just couldn’t help myself. Every year or so I need to reread this book–because it’s simply that awesome. Rating: 10/10
Vampires: The Recent Undead (2011) edited by Paula Guran As with many anthologies, this one has some stories I especially liked, and others I didn’t care for at all. I believe I’ll focus on the ones I liked. The anthology opens with Holly Black‘s story, “The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.” This was an unusual take […]
Eye of the Tempest (2011) Nicole Peeler There are so many things about this book I should hate–boinking and cliffhangers being the top two–yet I love Jane True and this series. The story takes off where the previous book ended. Jane and Anyan are newly returned to Rockbill after the dire events of the previous […]
Ghost of a Smile (2011) Simon R. Green As much as I enjoy Simon R. Green’s writing, and as much is it frequently makes me laugh, I found Ghost of a Smile to be disappointing. There is still plenty of dialogue to make me happy: “That’s it?” said JC, after Happy had been quite for […]
Kiss Me, Kill Me: A Paranormal Anthology (2011) Definitely a mixed bag. But for 99 cents, it’s hard to complain too much. “Impulse Control” by Susan Bischoff was very very good. It’s about teens with superheroes in a “school” for kids with “Talents”. Or more accurately, it’s little better than a prison for kids who […]
Kitty’s Greatest Hits (2011) Carrie Vaughn Kitty’s Greatest Hits is a short story anthology, so its timeline is interwoven between the various Kitty books. There are also several stories that don’t have Kitty in them at all, although most of those stories contain peripheral characters, and all are set within Kitty’s world. I’d read several […]
Kill the Dead (2010) Richard Kadrey If you read Sandman Slim, you’re familiar with James Stark, who escaped from Hell to seek revenge for his imprisonment there and the murder of his girlfriend. Now he’s at loose ends, drinking himself into oblivion, living with a disembodied head for a roommate, and trying to make ends […]
Madame Xanadu Vol 4: Extra-Sensory (2011) Matt Wagner, Marley Zarcone, Laurenn McCubbin, Chrissie Zullo, Celia Calle, Marian Churchland I really like the layout for this volume. We see slices from several years in the 1960s in which Madame Xanadu took part. The first several stories only have Madame Xanadu in the periphery–she steps in to […]
Quatrain (2009) Sharon Shinn Four novellas set in four different worlds: Samaria (Archangel), the land of Gold Mountain, Alora (Summers at Castle Auburn), and Gillengaria (the Twelve Houses). I have purchased the first book in the Archangel series, but had not read it, so I saw this as a nice introduction to that world. In […]
The Queen of Attolia (2000) Megan Whalen Turner I really loved The Thief, so when I realized The Queen of Attolia was a sequel, I wanted to read it, in the hopes that Eugenides would be one of the main characters. He was. And as with the previous book, I could hardly stop reading. Attolia […]
Shadow Touch (2006) Marjorie M. Liu Elena Baxter has powers she doesn’t understand. She can heal by touch, but has worked hard to keep her gifts hidden, lest she be studied in a lab and kept from her calling. Artur works for Dirk & Steele. He escaped from the Russian mafia to the United States, […]
The Red Heart of Jade (2006) Marjorie M. Liu Dirk & Steele have been very good to Dean Campbell. They allow him to use his powers to help others, but also to have adventures–going out in the world and rescuing the innocent from evildoers. He also continues to mourn the loss of his first love […]
Silent Blade (2009) Ilona Andrews Meli is an assassin who has inherited gifts from her family that make her an excellent assassin. However, after years of killing for her family, she has decided to retire. And she enjoys her retirement until her family asks her for one last death–the death of the very man who […]
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agness Nutter, Witch (1990) Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett With so much recent discussion of Good Omens on the web recently, what with its anniversary, and with my recent rereading of American Gods, I’ve been wanting to reread Good Omens. So a long flight seemed like a […]
Kitty’s Big Trouble (2011) Carrie Vaughn Kitty’s latest interest is finding historical figures that may have been supernatural creatures. Someone sends her some indirect evidence that General Sherman may have been a were, but Kitty’s attempts to have his body exhumed and tested are adamantly denied (and rightfully so). Then she comes across a story […]
Girl Genius Vol 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse (2011) Phil & Kaja Foglio It was reading Agatha H and the Airship City that made me realize it had been awhile since I read a new Girl Genius comic. (Yes, I know you can read them online, but I just like having the bound […]