Zorro (2005) Isabel Allende translated by Margaret Sayers Peden As I’ve mentioned before, I love swashbuckling adventures, and as swashbuckling adventurers go, Zorro is one of my favorites. Last summer, when “The Legend of Zorro” was out, I saw this book, but assumed it was related to the movie, and didn’t pick it up. My […]
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 […]
Cloven Hooves (1991) Megan Lindholm I realized relatively quickly that this was not the book that I wanted to be reading. Already depressed, the last thing I needed was a story full of pain and sorrow and darkness. “I’ll just finish this chapter, and then I’ll pick up something else.” Except that I couldn’t put […]
Black Powder War (2006) Naomi Novik Trilogy? Did I say trilogy? BAH! This is no trilogy! This is a series, nowhere near done! It is, however, still good, and although the war still rages, she does complete the story arc of this book, and does not leaving you hanging–at least not too much. Now that […]
Throne of Jade (2006) Naomi Novik Temeraire is not just a Imperial dragon, but a rare Celestial dragon, and upon discovering that the English have him, the Chinese are demanding his return, and the military is commanding Will Laurence to give him up–and to lie to Temeraire to convince him to return to China. Temeraire […]
The Book of Ballads (2004) Charles Vess To create The Book of Ballads, Charles Vess worked with some of the biggest names in fantasy, to recreate a graphic rendition of some of the best known songs of folklore. Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Emma Bull, Jane Yolen… It’s like a who’s who of fantasy authors. […]
His Majesty’s Dragon (2006) Naomi Novik During the Napoleonic wars, Captain Will Laurence of the HMS Reliant captures the French ship Amitie and its valuable cargo: a dragon egg. Unfortunately, the egg is close to hatching, so someone on the ship must become bonded to the dragon upon its hatching, and then leave the Navy […]
The Charmed Sphere (2004) Catherine Asaro In the kingdom of Aronsdale, the king must be wed to the strongest female mage of his generation. Chime is an untrained mage, unable to control her powers and unwilling to use them, but stronger than any other known mage. Muller is heir to the throne only because a […]
The Devil in Music (1997) Kate Ross Four years previously, Lodovico Malvezzi died of a heart attack. Now, four years later, it comes out that he was actually murdered, but local officials covered up the murder in fear it would encourage the revolutionaries, who it was believed were behind the plot. However, on her deathbed, […]