Best Laid Plaids (2020) Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures) Set in Scotland in 1928. Well, I’ve now completely ruined my search history, trying to find when top and bottom were first used as gay slang. And the worst part is, I didn’t find the answer. Joachim Cockburn fought in WWI. He’s now trying to finish his […]
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter (2019) Alexis Hall Captain John Wyndham has returned to the city of Khelathra-Ven after five years of war. He needs rooms, but anything nice is beyond what he can afford–until he sees a posting. Co-tenant required. Rent reasonable to the point of arousing suspicion. Tolerance for blasphemies against nature […]
Valor: Swords (2015) edited by Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton Fairy tales do not inform children that there is such things as monsters. Children already know that there are monsters. What fairy tales really teach is that monsters can be transformed or destroyed. “Prunella” By Isabelle Melançon And Megan Lavey-Heaton “Little Fish” By Emily Hann […]
Half-Resurrection Blues, Audio Edition (2015) Daniel José Older, narrated by Daniel José Older (Bone Street Rumba) This is the first audio book I started when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be listening to. Carlos Delacruz works for the NYC Council of the Dead. Being half-dead–and inbetweener–it’s one of the few jobs he can […]
Skinwalker, Audio Edition (2009/2010) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) I had trouble with the last couple Jane Yellowrock books, so I decided to go back to the beginning. Also, I wasn’t in the mood to listen to the Night Watch series anymore, and this was one of two of the books I […]
His Mossy Boy (2017) R. Cooper (Beings in Love) This story has problems, most of which are editing related. But I was also unable to put it down. Martin Dyer is a mess. He drinks too much and smokes too much weed in an attempt to escape from his brain and the pressure his mother […]
A Boy and His Dragon (2013) R. Cooper I was perusing ebooks on sale and came across an R Cooper fantasy romance. Then I saw that it was available from the library. So I checked it out. And then realized they didn’t have the kindle edition so I had to read it on my phone. […]
Spells for the Dead (2020) Faith Hunter (Soulwood) The fifth Nell book begins with Nell trying to sort out her life. She hopes to soon become the guardian of her younger sister Mud, and has to work all that involves into her schedule. Also, her very pregnant older sister Esther is having marital problems, and […]
Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection (2020) Ben Aaronovitch This is a collection of Rivers of London short stories. About half the stories are are Peter stories, the others features other characters from the world, including Abigail and Dominic Croft (from Foxglove Summer). PART ONE: THE PETER GRANT STORIES The […]
Emerald Blaze (2020) Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy) I used to pre-order all Ilona Andrews books and then devour them as soon as I got them. But to be honest I still haven’t finished the Kate Daniels series, and I have not found the Hidden Legacy series as enjoyable as their other series. I started this […]
Passing Strange (2017) Ellen Klages Set in San Francisco in 1940. Haskel is an artist who makes her living doing pulp covers. She and her friends live on the edge of polite society, either because they aren’t white or because of their sexuality, but they are found family. “Ah, Jack. You failed the three-garment test […]
Last Watch, Audio Edition (2009/2010) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield narrated by Paul Michael As with the previous book, there are three intertwined stories. These stories take place over a relatively short period of time. Common Cause Anton is sent to Edinburgh, Scotland to look into the death of a Russian student who died […]
Eight Skilled Gentlemen (1990) Barry Hughart (The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox) Year of the Horse 3338 (a.d. 640) This is my least favorite of the three stories. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that I don’t like it as much as the first story. A vampire ghoul has killed an important […]
The Case of the Damaged Detective (2020) Drew Hayes (5-Minute Sherlock) The man was found naked, dancing, in a warehouse full of corpses. The government has him, but there are other people who very badly want to get their hands on his brain. So to move him across the country, they give the job to […]
Unappreciated Gifts (2014) Patricia Briggs from A Fantastic Holiday Season: The Gift of Stories I thought I’d finish up my read of the Alpha & Omega series with a re-read of the Asil short story, Unappreciated Gifts. Someone in the Pack has decided that Asil is lonely and needs some companionship. So they set him […]
Burn Bright (2018) Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega) And now, I’m all caught up and have no more Alpha & Omega stories until March. I was unsure how I felt the first time I read this story. There is a lot that happens here, that probably has repercussions for future books (and possibly the rest […]
Dead Heat (2015) Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega) The Fae may have retreated to their reservations after the events of the past book, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t letting out monsters to show the humans just how much the Fae were keeping from humans. His glamour fell away, the illusion that truly represented the […]
Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega) Although this book lacks Asil (except for a few scenes at the beginning) it is still very good. Primarily because I still find the ending shocking, even though I’ve read it multiple times. This book is not going to be for everyone. Take the last line of […]
Spooky Business (2020) S.E. Harmon (The Spectral Files) Rain Christiansen is settling into life with Danny. They both work for the cold case unit, which uses Rain’s (non-publicized) talent as a Medium to help solve cold cases. The fact that Rain worked as a profiler for the FBI doesn’t hurt. But the FBI wants him […]
Hunting Ground (2009) Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega) This is set only a few months after the previous book (which is set immediately following the novella). Charles and Anna are still setting into their marriage and their mating bond. He wasn’t used to all of this emotion. He’d taken the feelings and desires of his […]
Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega) Going through this series for comfort reading. Charles and Anna’s wolves have decided they are mated, but the two humans still need to get to know one another, and Anna has a lot of damage to overcome–as does Charles after dealing with the pack that tried to […]
Alpha and Omega: A Companion Novella to Cry Wolf (2007) Patricia Briggs Comfort reading it is right now. So I decided I needed Patricia Brigg’s Alpha & Omega series. Charles wasn’t worried about dying— it was just that cars went too fast. He couldn’t get a feel for the land they passed through. One thing […]
Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage (2016) C.S. Poe It’s been a rough couple days. I desperately needed something light and funny so I decided a reread of Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage was necessary. This is a short story, and currently you can’t find it anywhere, but OMG it is one of the […]
The Enforcer Enigma (2020) G. L. Carriger (San Andreas Shifters) When Colin’s brother returned from college, to find him completely withdrawn, Kevin decided they would both join the new pack moving out to San Francisco where Colin could be himself without fear of retribution. Judd has been a werewolf since before the Saturation. He may […]
The Omega Objection (2018) G. L. Carriger (San Andreas Shifters) Tank came east with the rest of what eventually eventually came to be the San Andreas Pack. Although he’s big enough to be an enforcer, he’s truly submissive and doesn’t like to fight, even if he does a lot of work as security. Isaac has […]
The Sumage Solution (2017) G. L. Carriger (San Andreas Shifters) Max is a sumage and, as far as his father was concerned, a complete failure. Instead of being a Surge, he’s a Placer, and instead of continuing the family line, he’s gay. So now he works for DURPS and lives in a small cottage. Biff […]
A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking (2020) T. Kingfisher Mona isn’t an impressive wizard. Her power is is with baked goods, which is very specific, and (as far as she can tell) not much good unless you’re a baker. Which she is. But someone is killing wizards, and it seems like Mona isn’t quite as […]
Day Watch (2000/2006/2010) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield and narrated by Paul Michael (Night Watch) Unauthorized Personnel Permitted, A Stranger Among Others, Another Power The first story in this book is my least favorite in the entire series, however Paul Michael’s narration actually makes it enjoyable for me. The witch Alisa Donnikova is trying […]
The Engineer (2020) C.S. Poe (Magic & Steam) Set in the American West in 1881. Gillian Hamilton is a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam–and a powerful magic user. He is sent out west to catch a renegade magic user, but runs into a completely different wanted man while on the […]
The Fifth Elephant (1999) Terry Pratchett (Discworld) A new Low King is about to be coronated in Uberwald, and for some reason, Vetinari has decided to send Vimes (the Duke of Ankh-Morpork) to the coronation. “Let me see if I’ve got this right,” said Vimes. “Uberwald is like this big suet pudding that everyone’s suddenly […]
Lady Mechanika: La Dama de la Muerte (2017) Joe Benitez, M. M. Chen, Peter Steigerwald, Beth Sotelo Set in Mexico in 1869 This is set outside of the regular series, and was published the same year as the third volume, The Lost Boys of West Abbey. I actually don’t know what year (in steampunk time) […]
Jingo (1997) Terry Pratchett (Discworld) An island has arisen from the sea–and island that is claimed by both Klatch and Ankh-Morpork. As every student of exploration knows, the prize goes not to the explorer who first sets foot upon the virgin soil but to the one who gets that foot home first. If it is […]
Feet of Clay (1996) Terry Pratchett (Discworld, #19, Watch #3) Commander Vimes needs to figure out who has been murdering citizens of Ankh-Morpork. And also who is poisoning Lord Vetinari, since the Assassins’ Guild swears it’s not one of them. People look down on stuff like geography and meteorology, and not only because they’re standing […]
Men at Arms (1993) Terry Pratchett (Discworld, #15, Watch, #2) Someone has stolen something from the Assassins Guild. No one knows what it is, but they’re pretty sure it isn’t a good thing. And this was right. And it was fate that had let Edward recognize this just when he’d got his Plan. And it […]
Guards! Guards! (1989) Terry Pratchett (Discworld, #8; City Watch #1) This is the first book with Captain Vimes, and Carrot, yes, but we also get lots of THE LIBRARIAN! (OOK!) Very senior librarians, however, once they have proved themselves worthy by performing some valiant act of librarianship, are accepted into a secret order and are […]
The Story of the Stone (1988) Barry Hughart (The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox) Year of the Serpent 3,339 (A.D. 650). I’ve been re-reading The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox before bed for a really long time now. I’d read a page or two, then switch to something else, […]
Turning Darkness Into Light (2019) Marie Brennan Audrey Camherst, grand-daughter of the famous Lady Trent, is a scholar in her own right. But it’s so hard when I can feel everyone looking at me, waiting to see what I’ll do. Not my family, of course; if I decided I wanted to retire to a country […]
The Night Watch, Audiobook (1998/2006/2010) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield, narrated by Paul Michael (Night Watch) “The common good and the individual good rarely coincide . . .” Sure, I know. It’s true. But some truths are probably worse than lies. When I ran out of podcasts I wanted to listen to for the […]
The Grimrose Path (2010) Rob Thurman (Trickster) Trixa has avenged her brother, and now she has to live as a human until she regains her powers. But now I was human, and had discovered living off diner food. . . . It was less than a block away; what could I do? I packed on […]
The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) TJ Klune I’ve read several TJ Klune books, and I am not always sure how I feel about them when I am done. That was not a problem here. Linus works for the agency in charge of monitoring the welfare of magical children. He is a caseworker who […]
NPCs (2014) Drew Hayes (Spells, Swords, & Stealth) What happens when the haggling is done and the shops are closed? When the quest has been given, the steeds saddled, and the adventurers are off to their next encounter? They keep the world running, the food cooked, and the horses shoed, yet what adventurer has ever […]
The Immortal Conquistador (2020) Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville) Set in the Americans, 1500s to present. This has four stories and a surrounding tale. “Conquistador de la Noche” (2009) Subterranean Online “El Hidalgo de la Noche” (2015) First time in print “El Conquistador del Tiempo” (2019) Original appearance “Dead Men in Central City” (2017) Asimov’s Science […]
Starcrossed (2020) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan) Set in New York in 1925. This is set immediately after the events of the first book. Rory and Arthur are in Hyde Park where Rory is helping to authenticate some of Arthur’s brother’s supposedly antique compasses, and Arthur is visiting his family. “Speaking of children,” Arthur said […]
Spellbound (2019) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan) Set in New York in 1924. Rory Brodigan works for a woman he calls his aunt, helping assess the authenticity of antiques. But there is no science–only magic–behind his abilities. Arthur Kenzie needs someone who can read the history of objects, and he thinks Mrs Brodigan is the […]
Master Wolf (2020) Joanna Chambers (Capital Wolves Duet) Set in Europe in 1820 with flashbacks. Gentleman Wolf ended with Lindsay all but being sent away from Drew. Master Wolf picks up thirty years later, as Lindsay has tried to stay away from Drew, and Drew has tried to come to terms with his wolf, and […]
Gentleman Wolf (2019) Joanna Chambers (Capital Wolves Duet) Set in Scotland & Europe in 1682 and 1788. Lindsay Somerville spent years as the prisoner of a man who turned and then tortured him solely because Lindsay looked like the man who turned him–a man he cannot disobey any more than Lindsay can disobey him. The […]
Smoke Bitten (2020) Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson) Bizarrely, I had forgotten about the previous book–the one with the zombies–which threw me initially, since those events were not foremost in my mind. I’d disemboweled a zombie werewolf on the old carpet, and one of the results of that was that I’d finally discovered a mess that […]
Shattered Bonds (2019) Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock) This book came out last October. I started it, and immediately realized I just wasn’t up to reading a book that was all action and bad stuff from the get go. At the end of the last book, Leo is dead, the vampire world is in chaos, and […]
Heathen: Volume 2 (2019) Natasha Alterici, Rachel Deering The second volume picks up where the first volume left off. Brynhild and her lover have separated from Aydis who has been sent on a quest by Freyja. Aydis needs to reach Heimdall, but the sea is cursed, and filled with mermaids who see humans as delicious. […]
Murder in G Major (2016) Alexia Gordon (Gethsemane Brown Mysteries) Gethsemane Brown is stuck in Ireland. The assistant conductor job she was promised fell through, her luggage was stolen, and she’s out of money. If she doesn’t want to return to her family with her tail between her legs, she has get a job until […]