Another fine Valdemar tale! As always, a highly enjoyable read!
I especially enjoyed this book as this time the adventure takes place out of Valdemar. Another fine Valdemar tale! As always, a highly enjoyable read!
I especially enjoyed this book as this time the adventure takes place out of Valdemar. In fact, we get to see several neighboring countries. I also particularly enjoyed learning more about Cousin Mag's relatives the Sleepgivers.
Highly recommended for all fantasy fans, all series fans, and all fans of well-plotted, character-driven action!
Hooray! Another Penric & Desdemona adventure! They sure get into a lot of scrapes! Captured by pirates this time!
Pen & Des want to escape the piratesHooray! Another Penric & Desdemona adventure! They sure get into a lot of scrapes! Captured by pirates this time!
Pen & Des want to escape the pirates but the pirates' lair is a small island. None of Penric's choices are good: Steal a boat, wait for ransom, or be sold to slavers!
Did I mention that no sailor wants a sorcerer on his boat?
So, Pen has to steal a boat, while at the same time not getting exposed as a sorcerer, even though the only way he can effect his escape is through using sorcery!
So, yes, Pen & Des have their work cut out for them in this adventure!
Another highly satisfying and thoroughly enjoyable read from Lois McMaster Bujold!
Highly recommended for fantasy and longtime Pen & Des fans!
First Dangle and Other Stories is an Iron Druid Chronicles collection set after the main series (Atticus's story) ended in the ninth book Scourged.
FiFirst Dangle and Other Stories is an Iron Druid Chronicles collection set after the main series (Atticus's story) ended in the ninth book Scourged.
First Dangle, in fact, is a story of Owen (Atticus's own mentor) and Slomo, his sloth friend. There is also a Granuaile (who is living her own life post-Atticus, thank you very much) story. And even a Loki story.
I'm further very pleased that the author is planning a follow-on Iron Druid Chronicles series starring a new Scottish Druid. I have enjoyed this world so much all these years and it will be great to see it continue!
Highly recommended to longtime Iron Druid Chronicles fans and to urban fantasy fans in general! ...more
I have by no means read all of the Valdemar books. I have read, on the other hand, all of the Valdemar books which include the character Mags (and/or I have by no means read all of the Valdemar books. I have read, on the other hand, all of the Valdemar books which include the character Mags (and/or his Companion Dallen).
I have especially enjoyed the two Family Spy novels I've read so far: The Hills Have Spies about Mags' son Perry and Eye Spy about Mags' daughter Abidela. Both had unexpected adventures. I particularly liked that Abi's Gift turned out to be one Valdemar's Heralds had not seen before.
Mercedes Lackey is such a wonderful writer. She has many longtime Valdemar fans. I can't wait for Mags' younger son Tory's book because I fully expect that he, too, will have unexpected adventures!
Highly recommended for longtime Valdemar fans and for anyone who just enjoys a good story told well!
Professional authors prefer to be paid for their work. That is as it should be.
When it comes to short fiction (short stories, novelettes, novellas), Professional authors prefer to be paid for their work. That is as it should be.
When it comes to short fiction (short stories, novelettes, novellas), there are fewer science fiction & fantasy magazines all the time. Another important market for short fiction is themed anthologies.
Authors are invited to submit a story (usually from the most popular novel series/world that the author has) that follows the stated theme. I was surprised that Jim Butcher was asked for a Wild Weird West story but he did come up with one from the Dresden Files world (since we are talking 19th Century, no, Harry Dresden himself is obviously not included in this particular tale).
The only downside, for longtime readers, is that readers may not be aware of all of the different works that get published with their favorite author's latest short story.
The answer is to let the author be paid a second time and let these stories (after a suitably long time period) appear in a collection of the author's OWN stories, all under one cover. The sweetener is one story/novella original to the short story collection.
Brief Cases is the second one such collection for Jim Butcher (Side Jobs was the first).
I thoroughly enjoyed Brief Cases. There was the aforementioned Wild Weird West story, several stories from themed anthologies that I had managed to track down on my own, a Waldo Butters story about his first day as a Knight of the Cross (with his special sword), and a terrific Harry/Maggie/Mouse story (the original tale).
I especially enjoyed even the stories I had read before because having them all under one cover I could see consequences from one story showing up in a later story (which I may have missed before because it was such a long time between when I had read the first story and when I found the second story).
And a final reason to get Brief Cases is the introductions to each story, adding considerable value to this collection!
Highly recommended for longtime Dresden Files fans and all urban fantasy readers who would like to get a taste of this world!...more
My favorite part about the Myth Manifestation is that it is a locked-room mystery. I got a kick every time Yay! Another installment of the SPI Files!
My favorite part about the Myth Manifestation is that it is a locked-room mystery. I got a kick every time another character sputtered "That's impossible!" Shades of the Princess Bride indeed! OK. Neither magic nor tech works. So now how will you get rid of the bad guy party-crashers!?!
I really enjoy urban fantasy police procedurals. Well, not just ordinary cops. But acting as security nonetheless. I enjoy having so MANY different alien races show up and interact. I particularly like the SPI New York crew.
New readers would enjoy picking up any of the books in this series. (This is book five so you need to start at the beginning, you only need to read the first four.)
What a marvelous Snow White retelling? Who knew Snow White was from India and her seven animal companions were special indeed?
I particularly liked thaWhat a marvelous Snow White retelling? Who knew Snow White was from India and her seven animal companions were special indeed?
I particularly liked that Snow White (Maya)'s mother refused to teach her daughter Eastern magic insisting that the daughter had her father's Western magic and needed to be taught by a Westerner instead. Turns out, of course, Maya has both but her mother had wanted to keep her hidden from mom's evil twin sister [this story's evil stepmother].
Very lush, exotic atmosphere PLUS the world of the Elemental Masters! Highly recommended! ...more
Even though I have read and thoroughly enjoyed many different series written by Mercedes Lackey, somehow I had never picked up an Elemental Masters boEven though I have read and thoroughly enjoyed many different series written by Mercedes Lackey, somehow I had never picked up an Elemental Masters book. This one tempted me because it had Sherlock Holmes on the cover.
Elemental Masters is set in an alternate England in the 1890's. John & Mary Watson are key protagonists. Sherlock Holmes, not so much. (We see him occasionally.) Magic works. So do revolvers & rifles.
I enjoyed A Scandal in Battersea because I'm ready now for telepaths and people who can speak to ghosts (mediums) plus magicians in an urban fantasy alternate London setting.
The most important protagonists are two young women: Nan (the aforementioned telepath) and Sarah (the aforementioned medium).
I am quite looking forward to seeing how Nan and Sarah are introduced and develop throughout this series. Plus their avian companions the raven Neville and the African parrot Grey, respectively. Both birds speak English, if only a few well-chosen words at a time.
It is also absolutely true that I very rarely start a series with any book other than the first.
A Scandal in Battersea is Book Twelve. In this case, I can look forward with much glee to the first eleven books plus two shared-world short story collections (in which other sf authors are invited to write stories set in this universe)!
What a page-turner! I just could not put this book down! I finished it in two days!
I already knew that I liked this author's work. I had previously deWhat a page-turner! I just could not put this book down! I finished it in two days!
I already knew that I liked this author's work. I had previously devoured his *five-book League of Peoples space opera series. (In this series, "Expendable Crew Members", that is "The ugly, the flawed, the misfit, the deformed, they are the unwanted, flung to the farthest corners of the galaxy to investigate hostile planets and strange, vicious creatures." Life is "sacred" for the worthy allowed to remain on League planets.)
This new series is not space opera but comic urban fantasy. Any book which starts out with "A vampire, a werewolf, and a demon walk into a bar..." joke is alright by me!
I also really enjoyed the setting - four housemates at a university in Canada. The main thing that they have in common is that they are all college students and they agree on standards of housekeeping. So, they become friends (as well as housemates). Hearkens back to my own college days!
But it was an easy way to make all four quite interesting characters.
Sign me up for book two: "They Promised Me The Gun Wasn't Loaded"!
*And Goodreads has just told me that there is a sixth book in the world of the League of Peoples set on-planet. Woo hoo! ...more
Penric is in love! Now all he has to do is win over the girl!
Which won't be easy since the girl in question (Nikys) has seen him & his chaos demon iPenric is in love! Now all he has to do is win over the girl!
Which won't be easy since the girl in question (Nikys) has seen him & his chaos demon in action during their harrowing escape. Nikys knows full well that she would not just be marrying Penric. She'd be marrying the chaos demon too, as Penric & Desdemona come as a package deal.
What is worse is that both Nikys and her brother Adelis have already moved on after their recent rescue by Penric.
Adelis, in fact, has already departed to fight his new employer's enemy, one he had campaigned against earlier. And Nikys has already taken up her new position as governess to a young daughter in the new patron's household.
Penric has to now decide between immediately going home (as ordered by letter) to report to his archdivine or staying & sending in his report by return letter. Before he has to make that decision, however, the next adventure falls into his lap.
I have so thoroughly enjoyed the Penric & Desdemona series and especially have enjoyed Penric's growth from a young man (he acquires his demon by accident at age 20 on the way to an arranged betrothal) to now a somewhat more seasoned Learned divine at age 31.
By all means, don't miss the newest adventure & find out if Penric wins Nikys' heart after all!
I very much enjoyed the return of Shaman Inglis and Locator Oswyl, who we met earlier in Penric and the Shaman, in the most recently released Penric I very much enjoyed the return of Shaman Inglis and Locator Oswyl, who we met earlier in Penric and the Shaman, in the most recently released Penric & Desdemona novella Penric's Fox. That said, new readers can begin the Penric books with Penric's Fox, as it stands enough on its own, and then read Penric and the Shaman. Penric's Fox is the fifth Penric & Desdemona novella. Rather than being listed as number 5, I think that the author made the correct decision to list it as number 3 because the story continues characters from the second novella Penric and the Shaman. The World of the Five Gods is one of my favorite worlds. The Father, the Mother, the Daughter, the Son, and the Bastard sometimes decide to take a very personal interest indeed in their worshipers. As in making a personal appearance at times. And I like the fact that there is room for both sorcerers and shamans in this world. In Penric's Fox we get to meet several more shamans and appreciate what abilities shamans possess versus what abilities sorcerers have. Penric's sorcerer abilities, of course, come courtesy of Desdemona. I have also especially enjoyed the developing relationship between Penric and his chaos demon Desdemona. I highly recommend the Penric and Desdemona series to those, like me, who enjoy character-driven fantasy and well-crafted tales!...more
In Book Ten Past Tense, Emily suddenly finds herself thrown one thousand years into the Nameless World's past and given a front-row view to Whitehall'In Book Ten Past Tense, Emily suddenly finds herself thrown one thousand years into the Nameless World's past and given a front-row view to Whitehall's founding! Dr. Locke would be so jealous!
Emily arrives just as Lord Whitehall and his friends are first attempting to tame Whitehall's nexus point.
Emily finds that in Lord Whitehall's time women were not only not taught magic but it was widely believed that magic is a curse for women, leaving them unable to bear children.
Emily also finds that Lord Whitehall and his contemporaries have a much more brute force approach to magic, rather than the "use only as much magic as you really need" attitude regarding spells in Emily's own time.
Needless to say, Lord Whitehall and his friends were not prepared to meet a Whitehall Fifth Year sorceress-in-training, whose magical skills Emily desperately tries to downplay or hide because her training had been so advanced compared to the training available in the past!
Emily's chief problem, of course, is she's stranded 1,000 years in the past without a return ticket to her own time unless, of course, she can come up with one on her own!
Even worse, she knows she knows that she dare not damage the timeline. Was she supposed to be here? What if she DID get back and the world she knew (with Caleb and her other friends) was no longer there?
Emily had read a number of Whitehall history books during her years at Whitehall. Unfortunately, she's meeting people not included in the official histories or people barely mentioned. She is aware, of course, of her reputation as the Necromancer's Bane and how many tales about her were wildly inaccurate or had only a few crumbs of truth to them.
Another highly satisfying Schooled in Magic series read! ...more
Whitehall comes unraveled in Schooled in Magic's ninth book Infinite Regress.
We've known for some time that Whitehall is like the TARDIS. That is, muWhitehall comes unraveled in Schooled in Magic's ninth book Infinite Regress.
We've known for some time that Whitehall is like the TARDIS. That is, much bigger on the inside than on the outside. Like Hogwarts, the corridors change (such as the famous moving stairways at Hogwarts). But this time, the tutors & students become trapped inside with no way to contact the outside world (much less bring in supplies like food, etc.).
By book nine, Emily is on the verge of expulsion. She returns to school as a "probationary" student. She and another girl (also on probation) are assigned to assist Professor Locke who wants to explore the tunnels under Whitehall.
Anybody seeing any problems with this idea? (Like, don't fix it if it is not broken and leaving well enough alone??)
Also, Emily's closest friends have left the school. Most students just take four years and then go on with the rest of their lives. Fifth and Sixth Years are more like graduate school.
Fortunately, Emily's boyfriend Caleb is a fellow Fifth Year student. Former rival Melissa has also returned for Fifth Year, even though she got married after Fourth Year. (Emily and Melissa had gotten off to a bad start in their earlier years but become a little closer in Fifth Year.)
Another highly satisfying read!
I was surprised, though, that it ended on a cliffhanger, though. The author actually apologized for this in an Afterward. This is the only novel that took two books to tell the entire story. So, the second half of Infinite Regress is book ten Past Tense. Starting again with Book Eleven, the story will be contained within the one novel.
That said, I strongly recommend the entire Schooled in Magic fantasy series for those who like a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court approach to wizard school fantasy. ...more
More chickens, of course, come home to roost in Book Eight Wedding Hells.
Emily has introduced a lot of new concepts into the Nameless World. The 26-lMore chickens, of course, come home to roost in Book Eight Wedding Hells.
Emily has introduced a lot of new concepts into the Nameless World. The 26-letter English alphabet PLUS the printing press alone has meant that the masses can now read and write their own pamphlets/books.
The masses (commoners) are starting to ask why the aristocrats have all of the political power (whereas in the past, learning was much more controlled and the aristocrats were the one getting good educations).
And then there is the horrifying vision provided Emily by the demon of Alassa struck down on her wedding day. Demons always lie, but what happened in the vision may (or may not) still come to pass.
Magical children tend to come to Whitehall for Year One at age 16. The majority leave after Year Four at age 20. The exams at the end of Year Four are much like the O Levels used to be in Great Britain.
Emily is told that the exam results from Year Four are hugely important for the student's subsequent career. AND after passing these exams the student is no longer considered a minor but enters Year Five as an adult. Top exam results are critical, for example, to getting the apprenticeship the student needs.
Alassa is leaving after the end of Year Four to go back to her Kingdom and take up her duties as ConfirmedHeir/Crown Princess. Imaiqah is also leaving to go back to the Kingdom and be a close adviser to Alassa.
Emily knows that she needs as much magical training as she can possibly get to survive in the Nameless World so she needs to return to Whitehall for Years Five and Six, even as she misses her closest friends.
If she can just survive Year Four and Alassa's huge state wedding!...more
Lady Emily must die. So say her enemies, whose number grows year by year. And change continues to come to the Allied Lands. The genie [concepts/idea Lady Emily must die. So say her enemies, whose number grows year by year. And change continues to come to the Allied Lands. The genie [concepts/ideas that Emily has brought from Earth] has truly left the bottle, for better or worse. Year Four sees Lady Emily working on her first joint project. The purpose of the project is the close teamwork necessary for the two students to successfully complete their project. Emily has had trouble all her life making new friends and has never had her grade depend on such a joint endeavor before. And her teammate is both a stranger [at first] and a boy. Then accidents begin to plague most of the First and Second Year students. Minor injuries but did they ALL really walk into a wall? Just to top it off, Emily and Aloha have both completed the only two years of Martial Magic offered at Whitehall. So, a private tutor is retained just to put the two of them through their paces so they do not lose what they learned earlier. Except it is Master Grey, who hated Emily on sight the first time she met him. This series continues to be a great comfort to me. During trying times, I can always count on the Schooled in Magic series to provide excellent entertainment to take me away from the troubles of the day! ...more
Book Five School of Hard Knocks has Emily transferring to Mountaintop, another magical school from which her roommate Lin had transferred in Emily's Book Five School of Hard Knocks has Emily transferring to Mountaintop, another magical school from which her roommate Lin had transferred in Emily's Second Year. Mountaintop certainly does things differently, even if overall both Whitehall and Mountaintop cover roughly the same curriculum. I really enjoyed the getting to see how a rival wizard school operates. And the change of scene really helped keep my interest in the series as strong as ever!
