In the previous book, Penric had an adult woman acolyte with a relatively new demon. Four years later, the acolyte has completed her sorceress traininIn the previous book, Penric had an adult woman acolyte with a relatively new demon. Four years later, the acolyte has completed her sorceress training and is out on her own. In the new book, Penric meets a six-year-old child who has also acquired a demon by accident (as Penric had himself many years ago).
A child with a demon on board is a very different kettle of fish than an adult in the same situation. Is this child an orphan or does she have parents who will want her back? Penric can see the child is brought before a saint (who can remove the demon) but Desdemona understandably hates this solution.
Otta (the six-year-old girl in question) washes up on the beach not all that far from where Penric & Nikys live. The people who find her, unfortunately, can't make out a word she says, nor can she understand their speech. Otta is already terrified from her ordeal and not being able to communicate with anyone makes it worse.
Fortunately, Penric knows several languages and. when he meets Otta, he is able to quickly find one in common. Penric very wisely involves his wife Nikys in this adventure. Nikys, after all, has lived with Penric and his resident demon Desdemona all of these years and has a good relationship with both of them.
And it turns out that Penric & Nikys already have a seven-year-old daughter and a four-year old son. And they had wanted a third child but Nikys miscarried a month or so before this book begins.
So, one possible solution is that the child be adopted and raised by Penric & Nikys. But will the child want to go back to her former life on board her father's merchant cog? Will she be able to adjust to a life on land having only known life at sea?
I especially enjoyed this Penric & Desdemona novella because we get a deep dive into Penric's family life. Potentially taking someone new into one's household affects Penric's entire family.
Highly recommended for all fantasy fans, Penric & Desdemona fans, and fans of a very well-told tale!...more
As a librarian, I appreciate that long series can have multiple entry points. (Of course, the first one is to simply begin with Book One.)
I had heard As a librarian, I appreciate that long series can have multiple entry points. (Of course, the first one is to simply begin with Book One.)
I had heard of Valdemar for years but had not given it a try. I like telepathy, especially someone who can MindSpeak with many others, not just one other.
So, my first Valdemar book was not Book One Arrow of the Queen (c. 1987). Instead, my first Valdemar book was Foundation (c.2008), book one of the Collegium Chronicles mini-series [within the overall Valdemar series]. This was the book introducing Mags, Chosen of Companion Dallen, who can MindSpeak with everyone, Companion and human alike.
Starting with the beginning of Mags' story proved to be a very good entry point for me.
A series entry point means that you can read that book WITHOUT HAVING READ ALL OF THE MANY BOOKS PRIOR TO THIS ONE.
[There was ONE series that I thought I would get around to "someday". Finally, I just had to bite the bullet and read the twelve books I had skipped to catch up to the next book being published. While I thoroughly enjoyed the books during that slog, it made me all the more grateful for "entry point books". I am also now reading the Saga of Recluse, book one of which was published in 1991. I started with the book published in 2017 and have absolutely no intention of reading the 18 books prior to that one.]
I have now found that the Founding of Valdemar (Book One is called Beyond) is another good entry point.
Right after I finished the third book of the Founding of Valdemar trilogy (called just Valdemar), I picked up Gryphon in Light.
I am pleased to report that Gryphon in Light is another entry point.
Yes, it refers to an earlier gryphon trilogy, but it was not required reading to enjoy Gryphon in Light.
The earlier books (also written with her husband Larry Dixon) White Gryphon, Black Gryphon, and Silver Gryphon were published in 1993, 1995, and 1996 respectively. Again, as a public library librarian, getting your hands on books published that long ago means interlibrary loan (if you are lucky) or taking your chances trying to find these books at used books stores. Public libraries have limited space for print books. We keep the books that the public keeps checking out regularly. If a book doesn't get checked out for a year or two, we can't afford the space to keep it. We buy new books in its place.
Fortunately for me, I read Kindle eBooks. And yes, Amazon has very much changed the game for people suddenly interested in books published thirty years or so ago.
I could (and did) promptly purchase the Kindle eBook versions of all three books the same day I decided I wanted to read them.
AND Amazon will happily sell you a paperback published in 1996 for White Gryphon from DAW.
Books by beloved authors don't tend to go out of print so much as they used to. (Mercedes Lackey is a legend in fantasy fiction. I tend to doubt that ANY of her books are out of print, and she has so many that I refuse to check each one to back up this statement.) Meaning, of course, if you are NOT Mercedes Lackey your books go out of print, you get the rights back, and quite a few authors have decided to go indie publishing and publish them themselves for readers to find and enjoy.
So, I highly recommend Gryphon in Light, book one of Kelvren's Saga. I knew nothing about the gryphons of Valdemar and this book assumed that. (Another reason this is a good entry point.) I really enjoyed learning about Gryphons, especially about their magic.
Kelvren has at least a trilogy. (Mags started out with five books but then there were additional books - one for each of his children, etc.) As is not uncommon, this first book sets up the world (at least how Gryphons fit into the world of Valdemar), and our heroes are just approaching their major goal (like Frodo and Mount Doom) when book one ends.
People who hate series books insist that they only wish to read books where the ENTIRE plot is neatly tied up within the covers of that one book. So, these people would be very unhappy with Gryphon in Light. On the other hand, Gryphon in Light does an excellent job of setting the scene, grounding you in the world of Valdemar gryphons, and gets you ready for the major task (the Mount Doom-type destination) to come in the next book or books.
AND I have three extra Valdemar books (the initial gryphon trilogy) that I can read that I had not planned on. Life is good!...more
Of course I should immediately say that this is a love story but it is also about who should have power in societies.
AlWhat a richly satisfying read!
Of course I should immediately say that this is a love story but it is also about who should have power in societies.
Alternate history Rome with magic! This book is a fantasy set on a different world, which happens to have the same geography and buildings as Rome and the same world geography in general (Iberia is recognizably still Spain). The author has set this world up to be as like to Rome as desired but different (such as the magic) whenever she needs it to be different for story purposes.
I have always loved Ancient Rome. In this case, Aven (the city state in this book) still has its Republic. Yes, it did have a Dictator but that that man's death, the Republic reasserted itself and the consuls and senators ruled, as before.
I do find it interesting that magic does not necessarily run in families in Aven. That is, anyone might have his or her child start displaying magical powers (say, at age six) so any laws regarding magic regulation have to take that into account. Non-magical families may gain a magic user and only some members of magical families may inherit magical talents.
And I love elemental magic. Our main protagonist Latona is a Fire and Spirit mage. Her older sister has no magic but her younger sister is a Seer (sees possible futures).
Women are definitely not liberated in Aven. Rather, their fathers chose their husbands and women do not have the right to vote. Women live under their father's care until marriage and after marriage under their husband's care. Fortunately, women can divorce their husbands (even if only upperclass women have that right - our main protagonist did have that option.)
Ambitious men have to stand for annual election (including many campaign speeches, etc.) for the various offices.
The other aspect of this book which I really enjoyed so much was the fact that the main woman protagonist's servant (slave) was from another country. Yes, she spoke the Aventan language but her word order was different and her attitudes were certainly different. In Iberia, one of the main man protagonist's most valuable ally (while on campaign against the local troublemaking tribe) was a female warrior, again from another country but this was a free woman beholden to no man. I enjoyed the differing perspectives the people from the various cultures contributed.
Can't wait for the next installment of the Aven Cycle! Highly recommended for all who enjoy a good love story, alternate history, elemental magic, plenty of political intrigue, and lots of character-driven action!...more
Another solid outing of the Elemental Masters long running series! Mercedes Lackey never disappoints and that is such a comfort in these distressing tAnother solid outing of the Elemental Masters long running series! Mercedes Lackey never disappoints and that is such a comfort in these distressing times!
Not much is known by the average person about Annie Oakley except that she was an exceptional markswoman. She could hit those trick shots reliably and did tour with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for years.
I also enjoyed that Annie and her friends were in Germany while fighting various supernatural creatures. I was not surprised to see two of these remarkable creatures listed in Wikipedia under the category of "German legendary creatures". Not surprisingly, Ms. Lackey does her research and her versions fit Wikipedia's descriptions.
The other thing I enjoy about most of the Elemental Masters books is that the magic system is the same, but the setting is different each time. Annie Oakley is a famous American historical figure, but I was not as familiar with German folklore (other than the original Brothers Grimm fairy tales).
Highly recommended for alternate history fans, fantasy & folklore fans, and fans of the Elemental Masters series!...more
A completely new fantasy world with its own completely new magic system plus a demon protagonist, Witch King is a richly imagined whodunit where our pA completely new fantasy world with its own completely new magic system plus a demon protagonist, Witch King is a richly imagined whodunit where our protagonist Kai is trying to solve his own murder and locate his best friend's missing wife.
The demon Kai uses his own pain to power his magic spells. I had not seen this type of magic system before, but it also means that you can use as much power as you can tolerate pain-wise.
I also enjoyed how he is able to silently communicate (and also track) his best friend through "pearl magic". There is a limit - the other person with his (or her) pearl must be within a certain physical distance to be able to connect with the pearl.
We get to see a lot of this world as Kai and his friends journey in search of the missing person.
I also enjoyed getting the backstory as we went along. This meant interspersing current events with remembered past events, but it certainly added depth to the story!
The author has also indicated that there might be a follow-up novel in this new world, so I am very much looking forward to reading that one, too, when it happens!...more
I enjoy a story with a juxtaposition of cultures. I particularly enjoyed Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
In Elder Race, Earth decided to send out batI enjoy a story with a juxtaposition of cultures. I particularly enjoyed Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
In Elder Race, Earth decided to send out batches of colonists to various planets. MUCH LATER, it sent out scientists to observe these colonies (who had long since lost contact with Earth) to see how they were doing. This is the story of the last Earth crew member left on this particular planet (his three other crew mates had gone back to Earth when word had come that Earth was in trouble). Three hundred years have now passed, and our crew member has resigned himself to most likely never hearing anything from Earth again.
The one-time colonists have an origin story that tells how the ancients brought them through the sky to this planet. So, they know that they originally did come from someplace else. Currently we have a medieval culture where when evil wizards arise, the prince of the blood (as it were) goes forth with his sword and vanquishes them. This being a matriarchal society, in this case a princess of the blood has taken up her sword.
The Earth crewman is known as a great wizard who helped the princess's grandmother defeat the last evil wizard. This time the foe is a demon laying waste to the countryside.
The Earth crewman finally agrees to help the princess but insists that he is a scientist (actually an anthropologist, second class), not a wizard. But he also realizes that in the princess's language, scientist is translated as wizard, so he is stuck.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the reluctant Earth "wizard" and the princess (who finally admits that not only did her mother the queen not send her on this quest with her blessing but up until now our princess had mostly been seen as a great disappointment to her mom).
Highly recommended for fantasy fans, fans of hard sf/space opera, and fans of adventures well told! ...more
What a fabulous debut novel! It is SO NICE to rediscover the JOY of reading!
Author Luke Arnold's writing is replete with metaphors! It makes his work What a fabulous debut novel! It is SO NICE to rediscover the JOY of reading!
Author Luke Arnold's writing is replete with metaphors! It makes his work sing (for me, at least). This plus the gritty noir private eye setting really made this book my cup of tea.
For the most part, I stay away from books where, upfront, we are told that the magic has died. I not only enjoy books with magic I prefer the protagonist to be a magic user.
But this book is the exception.
The protagonist is a human private eye and, in fact, he was the reason that the magic died. He is surrounded by a large nonhuman cast. The magical beings (such as the dragons who literally fell from the sky) were sorely affected by the sudden loss of magic. A number of them (especially elves) suddenly aged and died in front of our protagonist human.
I really do enjoy police procedurals, including those where the protagonist is a private eye and has to deal with the police in the course of solving his cases.
Highly recommended for the plentiful metaphors (like Darmok and Jalad), the gritty private eye voice, and a very well-told tale! ...more
When is a corpse not a corpse? Why, when it keeps moving in some semblance of life! What a perfect tale for Halloween!
The Penric and Desdemona storiesWhen is a corpse not a corpse? Why, when it keeps moving in some semblance of life! What a perfect tale for Halloween!
The Penric and Desdemona stories just keep getting better and better!
Penric is joined by his Apprentice Sorcerer, of course, [if you have not read the previous book Assassins of Thasalon stop NOW and go read that novel!] and there is plenty for both of them to do to get to the bottom of this mystery!
Highly recommended for fantasy fans, mystery fans, series fans, Penric and Desdemona series fans, and by all who enjoy a good mystery which keeps you guessing until the end of the book! (As a good mystery tale should!)...more
As with all sequels, the most important thing that is needed at the beginning of The Last Graduate is to deal with theWhat a truly entertaining read!!
As with all sequels, the most important thing that is needed at the beginning of The Last Graduate is to deal with the problems it now has to deal with due to what happened in Book One A Deadly Education.
Wizard parents all over the world send their high school-aged children to the Scholomance for their magical education. To learn the spells, etc., which they will need as adult wizards.
For the last 100 years, an unwritten feature of the Scholomance has been demon-fighting (from day one). Devil take the hindmost literally becomes the watchword of the day, as it were. If freshmen wizard children cannot develop robust situational awareness and learn how to not just spot but how to kill the varied and assorted types of mals (functionally demons), they will soon be dead.
Not surprisingly, wizard children quickly learned that it is every man (as it were) for himself at Scholomance.
In Book Two The Last Graduate, to survive our protagonists start cooperating among not only each other but the rest of the student body. I've often heard that authors prefer not to write the same book twice. So much has changed in student life by Book Two that this is not an issue.
While constant demon-fighting sounds like a grim life indeed, the Scholomance books are NOT horror. Horror has an entirely different atmosphere, namely how much can the author terrify the reader today.
I do not like the horror genre. So, take it from me, if you don't care for horror either, you are going to love these books!
Highly recommended for fans who enjoy wizard school books, series books, fantasy books, and just a very well-told totally action-packed tale!...more
Al MacBharrais, the Scottish sigil agent, goes to the rescue of fellow agents who have gone missing in the mountains of Australia.
This is a fine advenAl MacBharrais, the Scottish sigil agent, goes to the rescue of fellow agents who have gone missing in the mountains of Australia.
This is a fine adventure, full of surprises and derring-do at every turn.
I also enjoyed seeing Atticus, Oberon, and Starbuck again. Atticus, of course, was the primary protagonist in the long-running Iron Druid Chronicles series and it is nice in this spinoff series to catch up with him again and see how he's doing after the final Iron Druid book Scourged.
Fans of the Oberon's Meaty Mysteries series will also enjoy hearing another story told in Oberon's inimitable style.
All in all, a very enjoyable outing in this second book of the new Ink & Sigil series. Definitely looking forward to many more in this terrific spinoff series!
Highly recommended for urban fantasy fans, mythology fans, series fans, and fans who enjoy a well told tale with plenty of action! ...more
Ruin of Kings is one of the more interesting books that I have ever read.
It has a tale told by TWO narrators: Kihrin and Talon. (Except that Talon is Ruin of Kings is one of the more interesting books that I have ever read.
It has a tale told by TWO narrators: Kihrin and Talon. (Except that Talon is a monster, not the girl she appears to be.) And the stories told by Kihrin and Talon diverge quite a bit.
Kihrin has been raised by a blind street musician who taught him all of the classic ballads of the heroes of old. Thus, Kihrin has a good understanding of his culture's history and mythology.
Suddenly Kihrin finds that he himself is a long-lost prince and that his rightful place is as a member of one of the powerful royal families. If this is not confusing enough, being a member of this royal family is quite a dangerous position to suddenly be in.
This book is an exciting, fresh take on missing royal princes and the way epic fantasy is usually told.
Highly recommended for epic fantasy fans, series fans (yes, this is the first book of a new series), and fans who enjoy a challenge to figure out which (if not neither) narrator is reliable! ...more
Ring Shout is an imaginative retelling of the effect that the film "Birth of a Nation" had on 1915 America with its depiction of the Ku Klux Klan as hRing Shout is an imaginative retelling of the effect that the film "Birth of a Nation" had on 1915 America with its depiction of the Ku Klux Klan as heroes saving the white race and terrorizing the black race.
Author P. Djèlí Clark gives us an alternate world (complete with fantasy magical combat). In this world, the human Klan members are separated from the inhuman Ku Klux (now demons but formerly human).
However, now the black race has heroes of its own fighting back against both Klan and their Ku Klux partners!
As this is war, there is plenty of gore. Even so, a fairly satisfying read!
Recommended for alternate history / fantasy combat readers, and plenty of character-driven action!...more
Much thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in the Hugo Awards Voter Packet so that I, who had missed this book when it originally was published Much thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in the Hugo Awards Voter Packet so that I, who had missed this book when it originally was published last summer, had the chance to actually read the book so as to make an informed choice when it comes time to vote for the Hugo Awards!
Wow! What a fabulous tale! I loved first-time novelist Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer book so much that I've already pre-ordered book two!
Ms. Ifueko has such rich worldbuilding, such a sure understanding of what motivates people / makes people tick that this book was a pure joy to read!
Highly recommended for all fans of African-touched fantasy [fantasy based on African native people], fans who understand loyalty, fate, and the struggle young adults go through to make their own way through life, AND everyone else who enjoys plenty of character-based action and an African lodestone-based magical teleportation as a means of quickly traveling through a large and vivid world! (As with all good fantasy, magic extracts a price!)...more
What a joy to get to read another Penric & Desdemona adventure! Even better, this new one is a full novel, not just a novella!
I have so treasured the PWhat a joy to get to read another Penric & Desdemona adventure! Even better, this new one is a full novel, not just a novella!
I have so treasured the Penric & Desdemona series.
Highly recommended for fantasy readers, series readers, and long-time Penric & Desdemona fans!...more
I've been burned more than once with anthologies. Collections of short stories by a number of different authors. Have not finished reading all of the I've been burned more than once with anthologies. Collections of short stories by a number of different authors. Have not finished reading all of the stories in most of the ones I've purchased in the last few years.
But I thought I'd try again anyway.
I'm so glad I did because I actually enjoyed every story in Heroic Hearts, centered around the themes of "courage, adventure, and magic".
It begins with a strong Harry Dresden story and ends with a strong Mercy Thompson universe story. Most of the time I've cherry-picked my way through anthologies reading the stories by authors I already knew first and then trying some of the others.
With Heroic Hearts, I started with the first story and continued straight through the book because I hadn't come to a story I didn't like!
So, fans of Jim Butcher, Anne Bishop, Kevin Hearne, Charlaine Harris, and Patricia Briggs will absolutely love this collection. And I was introduced to a number of other urban fantasy authors I had never read as well.
Highly recommended for urban fantasy fans, fans of ordinary folks who suddenly find themselves called upon to be heroes, and plenty of character-driven action!...more
Again, always delighted to read a new Penric & Desdemona adventure!
This tale is set earlier in Pen & Des' life - between "Penric’s Fox" and "Penric’s Again, always delighted to read a new Penric & Desdemona adventure!
This tale is set earlier in Pen & Des' life - between "Penric’s Fox" and "Penric’s Mission", only ten years after Desdemona had entered Penric's life. I definitely enjoyed getting another perspective on Pen & Des' early years.
Someone complained that this novella was much shorter than the others but all of its action occurred in one night, albeit a very eventful night indeed! Even so, this was a fully completed tale and I, in no way, felt shortchanged.
As a fellow retiree, I appreciate that Ms. Bujold is publishing these Penric & Desdemona novellas on her own timetable. She writes these tales when she feels like it rather than having to produce under deadline. I say "Good for her!" I’m just glad that more Pen & Des stories keep appearing!
Highly recommended for fantasy fans, series fans, and fans of character-driven action! ...more
Void was there when Emily first came to the Nameless World and now that Emily's apprenticeship is finally under wayAs always, a highly enjoyable read!
Void was there when Emily first came to the Nameless World and now that Emily's apprenticeship is finally under way, I enjoyed getting to know Void better. Yes, we have seen him from time to time, usually to save Emily's bacon just in the nick of time, but for the most part, he has been offstage for the majority of this series.
It was also highly interesting to see for the first time Void interacting with his peers.
Highly recommended for fantasy fans, series fans, wizard-school series fans, and people who just enjoy serial action (that is, one chapter at a time!)!...more
A Word of Warning: If you say to yourself, let me "get away from it all" and take a break from worrying about contracting the novel coronavirus for a A Word of Warning: If you say to yourself, let me "get away from it all" and take a break from worrying about contracting the novel coronavirus for a few hours and just let me instead spend time reading the new Penric & Desdemona novella.
I hate to tell you but this one is about a contagion or plague which is extremely contagious, no one knows where it came from, or how it is being passed from one person to the next victim and a lot of people are dying from it.
If you are still interested in reading the eighth Penric & Desdemona novella Physicians of Vilnoc, I can assure you that it is a really good story told well.
Highly recommended for fantasy & series fans. Even if you want to wait to read it after the current coronavirus pandemic is finally over (of course, no one knows when this pandemic will be over, either). ...more
I had really enjoyed Ann Aguirre's Ars Numina book Leopard King. And I waited and waited for the next book. What I didn't realize was that the rest ofI had really enjoyed Ann Aguirre's Ars Numina book Leopard King. And I waited and waited for the next book. What I didn't realize was that the rest of this series is self-published. When I was getting ready to review Strange Love (new book in another series), I found out that there will be six books in the Ars Numina of which she has already written and published the first four! (I now have finally signed up for this author’s newsletter so I won’t miss any of her upcoming books in the future!!)
So now I have just enjoyed reading Ars Numina 2, the Demon Prince. I enjoy this world because these are romance stories with shapeshifters who nevertheless have human problems (like forming relationships, etc.).
Alastor is the younger brother of the tyrant King Tycho who has gone to war with the rest of the Ars Numina. Alastor has no choice but to challenge his brother for the throne and lead the rebellion to hopefully end the war and bring peace back to the Ars Numina.
Sheyla is a doctor who really prefers medical research and not dealing with people. Alastor needs her as he has a chronic condition which needs constant monitoring (battlefield or otherwise).
Alastor, as all royalty, knows he can't marry for love but must make a political match for the good of the state. Sheyla, too, knows that all that they could ever have is a wartime fling because her parents not only expect her to return home but have already picked out a husband for her (as arranged marriages are the custom for their people).
Plus, Sheyla is familiar with the other Ars Numina races - the bear, wolf, etc. shapeshifters - but has never met a Golgoth shapeshifter (Alastor's other form is huge and brutish-looking).
Very enjoyable and satisfying read. Highly recommended for adult fantasy fans (this is by NO means a young adult romance book!)! ...more
This is the first book I have read comprising almost entirely of a series of brief vignettes.
Tales are a page or two, much shorter than typical book cThis is the first book I have read comprising almost entirely of a series of brief vignettes.
Tales are a page or two, much shorter than typical book chapters. So this is a fairly fast read, especially as I could barely bring myself to put it down.
John is an itinerant wanderer/singer. In particular, he walks up and down Appalachian hills and vales, meeting folks along the way.
The author has gathered folk tales from this part of the country. All manner of tall tales, campfire scary stories, and the like about all sorts of supernatural / strange creatures allegedly encountered in this part of the world.
All related in an easy-going, folksy manner.
Highly recommended for all fantasy and folklore fans!...more
