The Parasol Protectorate gets even better in the third book Blameless when Alexia is cast out of her home by her husband protesting that as a werewolfThe Parasol Protectorate gets even better in the third book Blameless when Alexia is cast out of her home by her husband protesting that as a werewolf, he could not have fathered her child and demanding that she immediately provide the name of the man who got her pregnant. (Quite obviously, that man was her own husband!)
So, Alexia and her companions are off to The Continent visiting France and Italy. Really cool change of scene.
The vampires continue their near-constant efforts to kill Alexia, fearing her child and wanting to see Alexia dead as the quickest and easiest solution. (Really, attempts on Alexia's life have been made nonstop since book one and book three is no exception. The vampires appear utterly terrified.)
More travel by steampunk dirigible and more long-distance communication by another cool steampunk device the "aethographor" (introduced by at least book two Changeless) which is like a long-distance wireless telegraph and also sends one character at a time.
And, of course, another comedy of Victorian manners which should appeal to all Georgette Heyer fans especially for the "arranged marriages, murder, fashion, upper classes, sarcasm and humour" [Fantastic Fiction listing for Georgette Heyer] which applies to Gail Carriger as well!.
Highly recommended to all urban fantasy fans, paranormal alternate history fans, Georgette Heyer fans, series fans, and Gail Carriger fans!
Gregory Roarke gets by on his wits AND sneaky planning. (By which I mean he takes actions offstage and then rolls the dice and What a satisfying read!
Gregory Roarke gets by on his wits AND sneaky planning. (By which I mean he takes actions offstage and then rolls the dice and hopes for the best.) Icarus Twin is the third book in this series. Icarus Hunt was written back in 1999. Then author Timothy Zahn was able to sell a trilogy to Baen: Icarus Plot, Icarus Twin, & Icarus Job. I was checking Fantastic Fiction today and, to my delight, there was now an additional listing for Icarus Changeling! So, I am a very happy camper!
The Icarus Hunt was Jordan McKell and his alien partner Ixil's book. (Not to worry. Jordan & Ixil appear in the rest of the books, too.) But beginning with Icarus Plot the main characters are Gregory Roarke and HIS alien partner Selene.
Ixil's superpower is that he has two symbionts Pix and Pax. Pix and Pax are about the size of ferrets and intelligent. Smart enough to scout for Ixil and report back exactly what they have seen and heard. Ixil gives them their instructions and then they carry them out.
Selene's superpower is that her sense of smell is at least 1000 times better than ours as humans. She can detect faint smells that humans have no hope of smelling AND she remembers what she smells permanently, no matter how long ago. So, she is a superb tracker, a walking bloodhound.
AND Gregory listens to his dad. Gregory's dad had a pithy aphorism for any and all occasions. I loved them. If you get tired of them, then this series is DEFINITELY not for you! (An example of an aphorism is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it.") In Icarus Twin, a few of the other characters join in the fun and give aphorisms that they imagine Gregory's dad would have said, too!
Suffice it to say, Gregory & Selene (as well as Jordan & Ixil) are in competition with a particular alien race for something they both want very much. Both are on the hunt, and both want to find the prize first! I particularly enjoyed Icarus Twin because Gregory teams up with one of the competitor aliens even though both agree that they are not friends and in fact are in deadly competition. But Gregory has a proposal, and it is in the alien's best interest, for now, to cooperate with him, warily of course.
Highly recommended for great worldbuilding, terrifically developed aliens of all races, the feel of James Bond (including plenty of fast action), and for all Timothy Zahn fans as well as series fans. You could possibly start with Icarus Twin, but I definitely recommend reading Icarus Hunt and Icarus Plot first. And hang on to your hat because Icarus Twin is a great ride!...more
This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. ESPECIALLY if you have seen James Bond movies starting with Sean Connery, etc.
Imagine the clasThis book was an absolute delight from start to finish. ESPECIALLY if you have seen James Bond movies starting with Sean Connery, etc.
Imagine the classic James Bond villain - in his sharply dressed suit and his cat in his lap for caresses.
Charlie is a divorced substitute teacher down on his luck. He came home to care for his dad in his last days. Now Charlie is living in his family home which his three siblings would dearly like to sell already and get their portion on the inheritance.
Suddenly Jake is notified that his Uncle Jake, with whom he lost contact years ago just after his mother died in a car wreck, had passed away and Charlie is his sole heir.
On paper, his Uncle Jake was a parking garage magnet. Actually, he turned out to be a super Bond-style villain and now Charlie finds himself learning the ropes of the villainy business, complete with the de rigueur volcano lair in the Mediterranean.
All is not exactly as it seems, of course. Charlie finds out that his cat has human-level intelligence and has been hip-deep in Uncle Jake's affairs for years.
Anyway, this book is a thumping good read. John Scalzi wrote it during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is the perfect pandemic escapist read.
Highly recommended for all James Bond movie fans, for all John Scalzi fans, and for fans of just well-told yarns in general! ...more
