Lucifer Vol 3: A Dalliance with the Damned (2002) Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly, Dean Ormston A Dalliance with the Damned is the third book in the Lucifer series. Maziken is in search of a way to return her face to its proper form, Lucifer has decided to create his own Creation, and there […]
Blood Bound (2007) Patricia Briggs Blood Bound is the sequel to Moon Called, and continues the story of Mercy Thompson, a mechanic and a walker. A walker is similar to–but not the same as–a werewolf. What she has is an inborn power to change form at will, and that shifting isn’t tied to the moon. […]
Lucifer Vol 2: Children and Monsters (2001) Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly, Dean Ormston Children and Monsters is the second book in the Lucifer series. Lucifer has obtained the gate, and has now decided to use it. Now he is looking to get some other objects, for whatever plans he has. We also see […]
Snake Agent (2005) Liz Williams When I purchased this book I thought it was a mystery, after all, it’s “A Detective Inspector Chen Novel.” And since I bought the book on-line, I couldn’t see the cover clearly, so that didn’t tell me anything either. I just knew it had come up as recommended for me, […]
The Serpent’s Shadow (2001) Mercedes Lackey Myra Witherspoon is half-Indian and half-English, and has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a doctor. Unfortunately for her, both her race and her gender work against her, in a society where women are still little more than possessions, and India remains a British colony. It is her […]
Ghosts in the Snow (2004) Tamara Siler Jones Dubric is the head of security at Castle Faldorrah–a matter of self-preservation, since he is haunted by the ghosts of those who are murdered at the castle, until their killers come to justice. In the past there has been only an occasional killing, but now young servant […]
Perdido Street Station (2000) China Mieville I’ve been reading this book since March, a page or two at a time and for awhile, I was beginning to think it was never going to end. It’s not that this book isn’t good–it is good–I just didn’t care for it. Isaac is a scientist–an eccentric scientist who […]
The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006) Scott Lynch It’s somewhat difficult to classify The Lies of Locke Lamora. It’s definitely fantasy, but I haven’t come across a lot of fantasy like it. The closet comparison I can think of is Thieves’ World; the main characters are scoundrels and thieves, and no one is up to […]
The Ladies of Grace Adieu (2006) Susanna Clarke Illustrated by Charles Vess The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories set in the same world was Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell during the 18th and 19th centuries. Several of the stories revolve around familiar characters–Jonathan Strange, the Raven King, the Duke of […]
Touch the Dark (2006) Karen Chance Cassandra is a clairvoyant who is on the run from her former vampire master. After she receives a death notice on her computer, she flees, taking only her gun from her office, and stopping only to warn her roommate that there is danger coming, and he shouldn’t go home. […]
Hell To Pay (2006) Simon R. Green I am quite fond of Simon R. Green’s Nightside books, although the Nightside itself would probably be offended by the use of the word fond. John Taylor is a private investigator in the Nightside, an alternate city within London where it is always night, and anything you can […]
Night Watch (2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield I picked up this book a month or two ago, even though I didn’t have time to read it, because I was afraid it would be one of those books that I never saw again if I didn’t get it then. Having read it, I am […]
Ex Machina: March to War (2006) Brian K Vaughan March to War is the fourth installment of the Ex Machina series. The president is pushing for war in Iraq, and Mitchell Hundred is dealing with the repercussions of that in New York. A group wants to have a peace protest, and the police commissioner wants […]
Tripping to Somewhere (2006) Kristopher Reisz Gilly and Sam are looking to escape their lives, and opportunity knocks when one of the city’s better known street people tells them that the Witches Carnival is in town, and if they move fast they can catch it. As Gilly and Sam run after the Witches Carnival, we […]
The Dark Sleep (1999) P.N. Elrod I don’t know how I messed it up, but somehow I thought that The Dark Sleep came after Lady Crymsyn. This would be wrong. The Dark Sleep precedes Lady Crymsyn. Luckily, both are stand alone books, so I didn’t lose anything by reading them out of order. This was […]
Lady Crymsyn (2000) P.N. Elrod After finishing the last three books, I was reluctant to read this book, for fear it would continue what felt to me as a downward spiral. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Lady Crymsyn went back to the things that I had liked so much about the previous […]
A Chill in the Blood (1998) P. N. Elrod The best thing about A Chill in the Blood is that it finishes the story arc started in Fire in the Blood. Angela Paco and Vaughn Kyler are fighting for control of Chicago and Jack and Charles are caught between, with both gangs believing that Jack […]
Blood on the Water (1992) P. N. Elrod Okay. Now I’m starting to get frustrated. This is the second book with an unfinished story arc. It’s not quite as bad as the previous book, but it’s still frustrating. Blood on the Water picks up immediately after the end of Fire in the Blood. And by […]
Fire in the Blood (1991) P. N. Elrod The Vampire Files Vol II I have to say that I found Fire in the Blood disappointing on multiple levels. Although the mystery wasn’t bad, I know I’ve read at least one of the major conclusions. So it was only the details that were a surprise, rather […]
Art in the Blood (1991) P. N. Elrod The Vampire Files Vol II It probably means something that when I started the first story in The Vampire Files Volume Two I had to stop and think, “Wait a second. Which vampire was this? Who did he kill in the last book?” It possibly means that […]
Doppelganger (2006) Marie Brennan Doppelganger. Doppelganger. Doppelganger! Okay, now you know why I picked up the book. What a fun word: doppelganger! Luckily, I looked at the back cover first, and read the blurb and found the story interesting. Because if I’d seen the front cover first I might have put the book down without […]
Ex Cathedra (2006) Rebecca Maines I first came across Rebecca Maine in MZB’s Sword And Sorceress anthology, with her short story “Plowshares.” That story, and ten others make up the single author anthology Ex Cathedra. As a note for the curious, ex cathedra is the term that has come to define the idea of papal […]
The Good, The Bad, and the Undead (2005) Kim Harrison The second book finds Rachel Morgan still working with Ivy and Jenks, and struggling to make ends meet. She’s getting jobs, but they’re barely enough to cover the rent. Plus, she still has to figure out how to pay off the demon she owes for […]
Dead Witch Walking (2004) Kim Harrison This book had a lot to overcome. I don’t like the cover, I hate the title, and the first time I picked up this book I couldn’t get past the first ten pages. However, I kept hearing good things about it, and Michael said that he liked it, so […]
Winter Moon (2005) Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee, and C.E. Murphy Winter Moon contains three novellas all centered around the moon: Moontide by Mercedes Lackey, The Heart of the Moon by Tanith Lee, and Banshee Cries by C.E. Murphy. Moontide and Heart of the Moon are traditional fantasies, while Banshee Cries is an urban fantasy set […]
The Little Country (1991) Charles de Lint While musing over a broken relationship that may lead to a broken tour of American, Janey searches the attic and finds a book by her favorite author–an author who was good friends with her grandfather–and discovers there was only a single copy of the book printed, and that […]
Staying Dead (2005) Laura Anne Gilman A Retrievers Novel I found this book disappointing. I’ve come to expect a lot from books published by Luna, so it’s almost a shock for me to read one of their books that I don’t absolutely love. And the thing is I really should have loved this book. Like […]
Wolf Moon (1988) Charles de Lint Wolf Moon is one of Charles de Lint’s earlier books. It’s quite short–only 245 pages. In tone, it reminds me very much of The Harp of the Grey Rose. A fantasy world that similar to, but not quite the same as, ours. Kern is a werewolf. Accepted by neither […]
Swan Sister (2003) Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling I don’t think I’ve come across a short story collection put together by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling that I didn’t like, and Swan Sister is no exception to the rule. The stories are fairy tales retold, by a variety of authors–many some of my favorites. The […]
Ptolemy’s Gate (2006) Jonathan Stroud The final book of the Bartimaeus trilogy, in Ptolemy’s Gate Bartimaeus and Nathaniel discover the conspiracy that has been plotting to overthrow the government. We also discover what Kitty Jones has been doing since we last saw her. John Mandrake may have risen in the government, but Kitty has been […]
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner Despite my best efforts, I ended up re-reading Swordspoint again. I really love this book–and with good reason. Here, see for yourself: The falling snow made it hard for him to see. The fight hadn’t winded him, but he was hot and sweaty, and he could feel […]
Cast in Courtlight (2006) Michelle Sagara The sequel to Cast in Shadow, Cast in Courtlight continues the story of Kaylin Neya, Ground Hawk of the Halls of Law, marked by unknown magics, and still lacking control of her magics or her temper. This is a fine sequel to Cast in Shadow, and although there remain […]
The Privilege of the Sword (2006) Ellen Kushner There are a handful of authors whose books I actively seek out, looking for crumbs of news of upcoming books: Sean Russell, Guy Gavriel Kay, Charles de Lint, and also Ellen Kushner. Well, July has been a good month for me; new Charles de Lint, and even […]
The Golem’s Eye (2004) Jonathan Stroud The second book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy starts two years after the end of The Amulet of Samarkand. Nathaniel/John Mandrake has been the apprentice of Jessica Whitwell, and has become a member of the Department of Internal Affairs, and put in charge of learning about and stopping the Resistance. […]
Kitty Goes to Washington (2006) Carrie Vaughn The best thing about supernatural fantasies are the fact that they’re quick reads and a lot of fun. Kitty Goes to Washington takes off where Kitty and the Midnight Hour left off. Kitty is on her own now, separated from her pack and unable to return to her […]
Widdershins (2006) Charles de Lint Widdershins is the latest book by Charles de Lint, and I debated for about a month as to whether I wanted to buy it in hardback or wait for it to come out in paperback. First there was the fact that I own Spirits in the Wires and Tapping the […]
The Amulet of Samarkand The Bartimaeus Trilogy (2003) Jonathan Stroud Bartimaeus is a djinni who has been around for thousands of years. He even spent time in Ancient Egypt, a culture that he seems to have some slight fondness for. However, when he’s called this time, his Master is an eleven year old apprentice with […]
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (2005) Carrie Vaughn Kitty Norville is a midnight DJ for a local Denver radio station (I believe it is supposed to be a public radio station. Yay!) who takes requests and calls. One night the calls go in an unexpected direction, and she ends up hosting a regular call in […]
Bloodsucking Fiends (1995) Christopher Moore Jody is coming home from work when she’s attacked. She wakes up to find herself under a dumpster and turned into a vampire. The she has to come to terms with her change, and learn how to survive. The story was interesting but there was something about the writing that […]
Rising Stars: Voices of the Dead / Bright (2006) Fiona Avery This was definitely a disappointment. First of all, it didn’t say on the front cover that this was not written by J. Michael Stracznski. So I was expecting a certain type of writing and story, and didn’t get it. That probably didn’t help matters. […]
Nightlife (2006) Rob Thurman This book starts the action right on page one: It was the touch of a much warmer liquid on my fingers that let me know differently. It was blood. My blood. I tightened my hand over the one that held the knife handle. The blood covers both our hands, his and […]
The Vampire Files: Bloodcircle (1990) P.N. Elrod The third book in The Vampire Files series, Bloodcircle, seems to clear up the last bits of Jack Flemming’s past. Jack and Charles Escott decide to travel to New York to see if they can discover what happened to Maureen. I have to say that it’s a good […]
The Vampire Files: Lifeblood (1990) P.N. Elrod Several weeks have passed since the events of Bloodlust, and Charles Escott offers Jack a part in his investigative services. But the next case they end up investigating end up being a search for the whereabouts of Jack’s lover Maureen–the vampire who sired him. Despite the fact that […]
The Vampire Files: Bloodlist (1990) P.N. Elrod It’s Chicago, in 1936 and reporter Jack Flemming is investigating a case he takes rather personally–his own death. (I feel like I’ve written or read that sentence before. Strange.) I picked up this three book omnibus because we found three later books in this series used. Michael read […]
Courage of Falcons (2000) Holly Lisle In all, this was an interesting series. Again, the pace was fast–very fast–and action packed. In fact, I found it to be a little too fast, and a little too action packed, which I didn’t think was possible. The problem I had was that I was reading one tragedy […]
Vengeance of Dragons The Secret Texts Book 2 (1999) Holly Lisle Again, with the cliffhanger ending; the lack of conclusion of a story arc is my biggest problem with this book (or series actually). You have been warned. Don’t read this book without the third close at hand. Luckily, they’ve been out for awhile, so […]
Diplomacy of Wolves (1998) Holly Lisle Do not, I repeat do NOT start this book unless you already have the second book. If you finish this book without having the second book at hand, you’ll be sooorry! Talk about a cliff hanger ending! Jeesh. Aside from that, this is a pretty good book. I started […]
Twisted Tails (2006) edited by J. Richard Jacobs e-book ISBN: 1-55404-339-5 Twisted Tails This anthology probably wasn’t meant for someone like me. It’s an eclectic mix of short stories, of fantasy, mystery, science fiction, and horror. The problems is that I don’t enjoy science fiction, and horror simply bothers me. (Horror leaves me feeling icky–a […]
The Crooked House Book Two of the King’s Daggers (2000) Dave Duncan The further adventures of Sir Stalwart and Sister Emerald. In summary: Pride goeth before the fall. Pretty much the same as the first book. Teenage characters. Acting pretty much as you’d expect teenager heroes to act. I liked The Crooked House even less […]
Sir Stalwart Book One of the Kings Daggers (1999) Dave Duncan Candidate Stalwart has been training since he was thirteen to become one of the King’s Blades–the elite group of guards whose lives are sworn and bound to the king. Emerald had just been sworn as a White Sister, when a magical attack leads one […]