Delicate Creatures (2001) J. Michael Straczynski Delicate Creatures was not what I was expecting, though I’m not sure what I was expecting. The art was interesting in that it was definitely in a style that I associate with comics, but was written like Stardust and The Dream Hunters–more like a picture book than a comic […]
Where’s My Cow? (2005) Terry Pratchett If you like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, then you will definitely want to read this book. First of all, it has an award, “Children’s Winner of the Ankh-Morpork Librarians’ Award. OOK!” Also, it has blurbs on the back, “‘…wonderfully instructive’ Tuppence Swivel, the Times of Ankh Morpork” and “‘…Are we […]
Rising Stars: Visitations (2002) J. Michael Straczynski Published between Power and Fire and Ash, Visitations gives some background stories. The first story, Rising Starts, is a quick history of what caused the specials, an excerpt of Dr Wells’ diary, and the Supreme Court opinion on how the specials were to be treated as children. Plus […]
Anansi Boys (2005) Neil Gaiman All summer I went back and forth over whether I was going to get Neil Gaiman’s new book Anansi Boys in hardback, or wait until it came out in paperback. On one hand, I greatly prefer paperback books–they’re smaller and lighter. On the other hand, I really didn’t want to […]
Powers of Detection (2004) edited Dana Stabenow I like fantasies. I like mysteries. So… “Stories of Mystery and Fantasy” sounds like a good thing. Plus Charlaine Harris has a Sookie Stackhouse short story, and that had to be a good thing. Well, it was an okay thing. The Charlaine Harris story was good. In “Fairy […]
Rising Stars: Born in Fire (2001) Power (2002) Fire and Ash (2005) J. Michael Straczynski Wow. When I asked for comic recommendations, Tom gave me several suggestions. The one I found locally was Rising Stars. Initially I only picked up the first volume, however I saw that all three volumes were there, so I figure […]
Maiden, Matron, Crone (2005) Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg I try to pick up fantasy anthologies when I see them, since chances are they won’t be there the next time I look. I picked up Maiden, Matron, Crone while ago, but saved it to read during the school year, because short story collections are […]
Assassin Fantastic (2001) edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Alexander Potter I know that Martin Greenberg puts together good anthologies, however there’s something about the “Fantastic” that gets tacked onto the end of each anthology theme title that puts me off for some reason. However, I’ve always been fond of Assassin characters, so I picked […]
Silver’s Edge (2004) Anne Kelleher This book really pissed me off. And the stupid thing is that there was a simple solution that would have made everything okay. That solution? MARK SOMEWHERE ON THE DAMNED BOOK THAT IT IS PART OF A TRILOGY. Up until the last twenty or so pages I loved this book. […]
Shadows of Myth (2005) Rachel Lee A woman awakens amidst carnage, with no memory of what has happened or who she is. Elsewhere, in her father’s inn Sara remembers her lost mother as she helps to prepare for the fall harvest, despite the fact that the harvest was bad and winter seems to have came […]
The Compass Rose (2005) Gail Dayton In response to a desperate plea to the Gods to save her city from ransacking, naitan Kallista Varyl becomes one of the Godstruck–suddenly possessing more power than anyone in Adaran has for centuries. This is another book published by Luna. I picked up several that all looked VERY good, […]
The Wild Wood (1994) Charles de Lint Eithnie feels like she has lost something in her paintings, and is wandering the woods near her home searching for the soul that used fill her paintings. Originally published in ’94, Orb rereleased The Wild Wood in 2004. It’s a very short book, just 205 pages with wide […]
The Firebird’s Vengeance (2004) Sarah Zettel The Firebird’s Vengeance is Sarah Zettel’s third book Isavalta book, set soon after the events of A Sorcerer’s Treason. Bridget Lederle is contacted by the Vixen, who warns Bridget that the Firebird is coming to take revenge upon Isavalta and Hung-Tse. She also poses an enigmatic question about Bridget’s […]
A Sorcerer’s Treason (2002) Sarah Zettel Bridget Lederle has inherited her father’s job as a lighthouse keeper on Sand Island, a job that is perfect for her, not only because she is shunned by much of the community, but also because she has a sight that often shows her when danger lurks. When she rescues […]
In Camelot’s Shadow (2004) Sarah Zettel I knew when I started the book that this was going to be a fantasy/romance. Perhaps for that reason, or perhaps because the romance was well done, and I haven’t read a well written romance before. But whatever the reason, I really liked this book. I picked it up […]
Byzantium (1996) Stephen R. Lawhead By all rights I should love this book. It’s set in ancient times, in this case it starts in ancient Ireland not too long after Christianity has taken hold of the land. The writing is good. The main character is well developed. But I just can’t get into it. 150 […]
The Blue Girl (2004) Charles de Lint I love Charles de Lint. There is nothing he has written that I have read that I have not liked, and most of what he writes I absolutely love. Yet for some reason I was hesitant to read this book. Probably because the main characters are high school […]
Silver Wolf, Black Falcon (2000) Dennis McKiernan This is the final book in Dennis McKiernan’s Mithgar series, where all the loose ends are tied up. We follow the journal of Bair, the impossible child, borne of Riatha and Urus. The reeds speak of Bair as the one to find the silver sword, to be borne […]
The Iron Tower Trilogy: The Dark Tide (1984), Shadows of Doom (1984), The Darkest Day (1984) Dennis McKiernan The Iron Tower Trilogy tells the tale of the Winter War, Mordru’s final attempt to gain control of Mithgar and bring Gryphon back into the world. The story is told from the point of view of Tipperton […]
The Eye of the Hunter (1992) Dennis L. McKiernan If I remember correctly, this is the second Dennis McKiernan book I read–and the first novel. (The first book was the short story collection Tales of Mithgar.) In The Eye of the Hunter, the Lastborn Firstborns Gwilly and Faeril, join with Riatha and Aravan to fulfill […]
A Circle of Cats (2003) Charles de Lint Illustrated by Charles Vess I received this book for my birthday from Brian and Stacie. (THANKS!) I’d placed it on my wish list solely because it was written by Charles de Lint, and as usual, I wasn’t disappointed. A Circle of Cats is about Lillian, a girl […]
Into the Fire (1998) Dennis McKiernan Book Two of the Hel’s Crucible Duology The conlusion to the story started in Into the Forge, Phais, Loric, Tipperton, and Beau leave Mineholt North to continue Tip’s quest to take the coin to Agron. War continues to rage as Gryphon seeks to dominate Mithgar and all its inhabitants. […]
Into the Forge (1997) Dennis McKiernan The first book in the Hel’s Crucible duology. Tipperton is awakened by sounds of battle outside his door, and thus is drawn into what is to become one of Mithgar’s great battles of good versus evil, as Gryphon seeks to dominate not just Neddra, but Mithgar and all its […]
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2005) J.K. Rowling Finished. And grr… I liked the book up through the last couple chapters. Then it went exactly where I thought it was going to go. And I’m not happy about it. Also, this had all the feel of a second book in a trilogy–minor points […]
The Dragonstone (1996) Dennis McKiernan This is a good book, but not my favorite Mithgar books. Unlike other books set in Mithgar, there are few appearances by characters from other books: Aravan is mentioned in passing, the great dragons make an appearance, and Vanidar accompanies Arin for awhile, but mostly the characters in this book […]
Voyage of the Fox Rider (1993) Dennis McKiernan Dennis McKiernan is another author I appreciate for his ability to write duologies and single book fantasies. Of course as the Mithgar books all have the same setting, and contain recurring characters, I suppose that gives him the luxury of being able to continue in a known […]
Illusion (1992) Paula Volsky Illusion is a good book, however I can’t say I really like it. The characters are good–very good. Despite starting out as a rich snob, I quite liked Eliste. Her snobbery was quite obviously a product of her upbringing, and beneath it she showed herself to be a decent human being. […]
The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle Although I’ve read other books by Peter S. Beagle, I had not yet read The Last Unicorn. It’s mentioned as a classic, and I kept getting stunned disbelief that I had never read it, so I finally picked up a copy. Perhaps it was a case over […]
A Fistful of Sky (2004) Nina Kiriki Hoffman At loose ends last night I picked up A Fistful of Sky because it was a single book and not a series. (I picked up the first book in a series by Mindy L. Klasky, and was so annoyed by the main character I put it back […]
The Southern Vampire Mysteries: Dead Until Dark (2001), Living Dead in Dallas (2002), Club Dead (2003), Dead to the World (2004) Charlaine Harris If I told you I’d been reading erotic, vampire mysteries, would you still respect me? If the answer is “No,” too bad. Since the Victorian part of my soul has to deal […]
Tigana (1990) Guy Gavriel Kay Why is it that every time I finish one of Guy Gavriel Kay’s books, I ask myself, “How could I have forgotten how good his books are?” Even reading this book for a second time, I was still surprised at how good it was. This book was frustrating at first. […]
Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) Grass for His Pillow (2003) Brilliance of the Moon (2004) Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. I loved everything about these books. The story, the writing, even the covers. The only complaint I have is that there was very little resolution at the end of books […]
The Assassins of Tamurin (2003) S.D. Tower This book is a rare find in fantasy–a stand alone book. No trilogy, no books from the same world or with the same characters, just a single story within it’s covers. I have to say it’s really quite a joy to come across a book like this, and […]
The Shadow Roads ‘The Swan’s War Book III’ (2004) Sean Russell Finally! The book was in the mailbox when we got home, and I devoured it last night. Good. Very good! Yet in retrospect this series is quite different from other Sean Russell books I’ve read. There was more direct action. In the past I’ve […]
Tales of Mithgar (1994) Dennis McKiernan Still looking for books to tide me over, I turned to another favorite, Dennis McKiernan. I picked up Tales of Mithgar because it’s a collection of short stories, and I love short stories. Set in the “One Eyed Crow” tavern, a blizzard has descended suddenly upon the land, and […]
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner While waiting for the last book in Sean Russell’s ‘The Swan’s War’ to arrive, I decided to indulge in a book I’ve read fairly recently and loved. This book is just as gorgeous as I remember. The writing is absolutely lovely, drawing me into the story from […]
The One Kingdom (2001) & The Isle of Battle ‘The Swans War’ (2002) by Sean Russell I’m fond of Sean Russell because he is a good writer, and because he writes duologies. I like knowing that a series will not stretch on interminably. So a year or two ago I picked up The One Kingdom […]
The Novels of Tiger and Del Sword-Dancer (1986), Sword-Singer (1988), Sword-Maker (1989), Sword-Breaker (1991), Sword-Born (1998), Sword-Sworn (2002) by Jennifer Roberson I am quite fond of the first book in this series, Sword-Dancer. I like the characters, I like the writing, and I like the story. I particularly like Tiger, who sounds quite a bit […]
Moontide and Magic Rise: World Without End (1994) and Sea Without a Shore (1996) Sean Russell Every time I read Sean Russell, I am always surprised at how good his books are. I pick them up knowing they are going to be good, but the pessimistic part of me always says, “they can’t be that […]
Rotten Relations edited by Denise Little I was really disappointed in this collection. I had, as the song goes, high hopes, but was, in the end, let down. I picked up the book because the idea of it sounded great: villains from fairy tales and literature telling their side of the story (much like Gregory […]
Twice Upon A Time (1999) edited by Denise Little Fairy tales seen from another perspective–the wife of the giant from the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The hunter in the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The Wolf who appears in multiple tales. This book is hit and miss. Some of the stories are […]
Emerald Magic (2004) edited by Andrew M. Greeley This book first caught my eye because I didn’t expect to see Andrew Greeley’s name in the fantasy section. Then I looked at the list of authors who wrote in this anthology: Charles de Lint, Diane Duane, Elizabeth Haydon, Morgan Llywelyn, Judith Tarr, Peter Tremayne, Jane Yolen. […]
A Wolf at the Door (2000) edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling I love folk tales and fairy tales, and I love the idea of stories that have been told and retold, and then finally captured on paper. The problem of course, is finding an author who is good at translating stories from an […]
The Fifth Elephant (2000) Terry Pratchett This book barely talked about elephants at ALL. Instead, it was about the Watch and Commander Vimes, and Captain Carrot and Angua. It also is a good look at how power corrupts, even on a small level. That was probably the most disturbing part of the book–watching Sgt Colon […]
Carpe Jugulum (1998) Terry Pratchett I’m not quite sure what it is, but I found this book disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, there were places where I laughed out loud–it just seemed like those places were farther apart than usual. There were lots of tables [in Nanny Ogg’s house], mainly in order to display the […]
Jingo (1997) Terry Pratchett What surprised me most about this book was that it was written in 1997. A new island has risen between Ankh Morpork and Klatch, and war seems to be the only way to determine who really owns the island. Jingo features Commander Samuel Vimes and the Watch, including Sgt Colon and […]
The Hounds of the Mórrigan (1985) Pat O’Shea I really like this book. I can’t remember precisely when I bought it, or precisely when I read it for the first time, but I do remember that it rekindled my love of folktales and folklore. The story starts in modern Ireland, although the precise time is […]
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (2001) Terry Pratchett The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is one of Terry Pratchett’s young adult books, are set in Discworld. Talking cats, talking rats, and an appearance by Death (as well as by the Death of Rats). Aside from being slightly shorter normal, this is a […]
Good Omens (1990) Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Good Omens is one of my all time favorite books, and one that I’d take with me to be stranded on a desert island, because it’s funny. Really funny. With lots of passages that make me giggle, and even laugh out loud, not just when I read […]
A Stitch in Time (2000) Andrew J. Robinson Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Okay, before you say anything, I admit it, this is a Star Trek book. And I don’t even have the excuse of it being a movie novelization. All I can say is that Garak is my absolute favorite DS9 character, and I […]