London Falling (2012) Paul Cornell (Shadow Police) I started reading, and briefly thought I had entered in the middle of the story. I hadn’t. It was actually the beginning, but for the characters, they believe they are in the end game. Two cops working undercover to take down a crime lord, the DI running the […]
The Dream Thieves (2013) Maggie Stiefvater Right. Now I know why I put off reading this, even though I pre-ordered it. It’s book two in a projected four book series. (sigh) However, once I started listening to Raven Boys, I had to finish re-reading it, and then I had to read The Dream Thieves, because […]
Swordspoint (1987/2011) by Ellen Kushner (Author, Narrator) with Dion Graham, Katherine Kellgren, Robert Fass, Nick Sullivan, Simon Jones This review is of the audio recording of Swordspoint. Please check my review of the book Swordspoint for my thoughts on the story rather than the recording. First, Ellen Kushner is the narrator, and like the recording […]
The Privilege of the Sword Audio Book (2012) Ellen Kushner (Author, Narrator), Barbara Rosenblat, Felicia Day, Joe Hurley, Katherine Kellgren, Nick Sullivan, Neil Gaiman This is a review of the audio book. If you’d like a review of the story itself, that can be found here. Audio books take quite a while for me to […]
A Plague of Zombies (2012) Diana Gabaldon This was originally published in the anthology Down These Strange Streets, and is the story that made me look for other Lord John stories. Lord John (now Lieutenant-Colonel Grey) is sent to Jamaica to look into the unrest there. The governor had requested the military after a rebellion […]
The Custom of the Army (2012) Diana Gabaldon Another re-read. After a duel at an electric eel party (These used to be a Thing! Fascinating!) Hal decides it’s best if Lord John puts himself out of the way for awhile, so when his presence is requested in the Americas, to testify in a Court Martial, […]
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007) Diana Gabaldon This novel falls between the novellas Lord John and the Succubus and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier. Which makes for slightly complicated reading if you want to read in order, since the two novellas are in the same book. There are two story […]
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) Diana Gabaldon Another re-read. I enjoyed these the first time around, and I’m enjoying them just as much the second time around. This is NOT a novel, this is, instead, three novellas. Because, apparently, this is as close to a short story as Diana Gabaldon can get. […]
Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon I’m in another mood where I don’t know what I want to read, so I instead chose to re-read something I enjoyed. This time it was Lord John and the Private Matter. Lord John Gray is a Major in the British Army. Additionally, as next oldest, […]
The Privilege of the Sword (2006) Ellen Kushner I’ve been listening to the audio book version of this, when I reached a point where I gave up and started re-reading (from the beginning) on the Kindle. Mind you, I’m still listening to the audio version, but it had been too long since I’d read the […]
Midnight Riot (2011) Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant wants to be a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Unfortunately, his tendency to be distracted looks like it’s going to head him into the Case Progression Unit. Until one night he comes across a witness to a crime no one else has talked to. Too bad that witness […]
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner I love this book. As I’ve said before, this isn’t a fantasy in the usual sense of the genre. There are no magicians or mystical creatures. There is no magic, except the magic found in the expert storytelling. Here is our introduction to Richard St Vier: The […]
In Sea-Salt Tears (2012) Seanan McGuire The Luidaeg has been a complicated character throughout the October Daye series. This story gives us a glimpse of the relationship between the Selkie and The Luidaeg. The only way a selkie can become a true fey is to inherit one. But there aren’t many skins, so most selkie […]
The Custom of the Army (2012) Diana Gabaldon This is a Lord John novella. During an electric eel party, Lord John ends up in a duel (he’s not entirely sure how). When he opponent dies, Lord John is sent by his commander (also his brother) to Canada, where his presence is requested as a character […]
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) Diana Gabaldon This is a collection of three Lord John novellas: “Lord John and the Hellfire Club,” “Lord John and the Succubus,” and “Lord John and the Haunted Soldier.” The first two stories follow in time after the novel, Lord John and the Private Matter. The third […]
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007) Diana Gabaldon I am really enjoying this series, and REALLY like Lord John. Lord John’s mother is getting remarried. Hal and John choose to meet with General Sir George Stanley, so Hal can make sure he’ll be acceptable for their mother, at which time they also […]
Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon I read a Lord John short story by Diana Gabaldon in the anthology Down These Strange Streets, and if you know anything about my reading preference, you should be impressed when I tell you it was a zombie story, and I still wanted to search out […]
Garrett Investigates (2012) Elizabeth Bear Five short Abby Irene short stories, covering most of her career, from 1897 to 1941. The first story, “The Tricks of London” has her investigating the return of Spring-Heeled Jack. Although the story set from the point-of-view of the Detective Sergeant Sean Cuan, we get to see Abby Irene early […]
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 […]
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
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner Why yes, I did just re-read Swordspoint. And it was good. Published by Bantam Rating: 10/10
Seven for a Secret (2009) Elizabeth Bear I made a mistake about a year ago. I signed up for Subterranean Press‘s e-mail news letter. Why was this a mistake? Because they’re publishing an awful lot of fantasy that I want to own. My most recent arrival was Elizabeth Bear’s Seven for a Secret. Although Abagail […]
New Amsterdam (2007) Elizabeth Bear Imagine North America where there was never a Revolutionary War against the British. Where England and France and Spain control North American colonies. France controls Canada and Louisiana. Spain controls the West Coast. And England still controls the original colonies. It’s 1899. Magic and technology exist together. Despite the tensions […]
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner I couldn’t help myself. I re-read Swordspoint. Sometimes when you’re feeling bad, you just have to turn to favorites.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners (1987) Ellen Kushner This is a marvelous book. Richard St Vier is a swordsman in a time and places where nobles hire swordsmen to fight their duels and to make points of honor. The system was originally created to formalize dueling, and to, one imagines, reduce the number of deaths […]