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still searching for the answers so far away from home
In which I recount the books of February.
Fiction 21-31, Books 23-33
21. Alma Alexander, The Embers of Heaven.
Alexander is one of the handful of authors who can be relied on to make me cry. In fact, she may well be the only author who has made me cry with not one or two, but all, of the books of hers I've read. The Embers of Heaven is a sequel-of-sorts to The Secrets of Jin-Shei . It's not as incredibly magical as its predecessor, but that's appropriate: Embers is a novel of a more mechanised time, a novel both of personal growth and of the passing of an age. It's excellent.
22. Mark Burnell, The Third Woman.
If you like thrillers, and haven't read Burnell (The Rhythm Section, Chameleon, Gemini), what the hell are you waiting for? His protagonist, Stephanie Patrick (aka Petra Reuter, assassin-for-hire) is sympathetic and thought-provoking, his plotting is strong and fast-paced, and Stephanie's character arc is consistent throughout.
In The Third Woman, Stephanie/Petra only just avoids being blown up in a Paris restaurant and finds herself pursued by enemies determined on her demise. Not only that, but her Petra identity has been compromised: someone else is impersonating her. She takes a hostage, but pursuit is closing in: if she can't get to the heart of this conspiracy in time, she'll die.
Excellent stuff.
23, 24. Mike Carey, The Devil You Know and Vicious Circle
Carey is, apparently, better known for his work on the Hellblazer and Lucifer comics. He makes a good novellist: the Felix Castor books are tightly plotted and have a grim, noir-ish feel. Some of the better urban fantasy I've come across in recent times. What can I say, except what are you waiting for? Read them. They're good, and I'm hoping for more.
25. Kathy Lynn Emerson, Face Down Under the Wych Elm
I decided to check out some historical mysteries. Alas, when they arrived here from Amazon (the Emerson, Paige and Thompson books), they were sopping wet. Still readable, though, and since I can't get to the post office to send them back till Monday, I read them anyway.
Face Down Under the Wych Elm is an Elizabethan murder mystery. It has witch trials, a reasonably believable (and not, fortunately for verisimilitude, over-modern) strong female protagonist, and poison. Altogether a decent read.
26. Robin Paige, Death At Bishop's Keep
A young American women (a self-sufficient writer of penny-dreadfuls and a freethinker) takes a position as secretary-companion to an elderly aunt in Victorian England, and becomes embroiled in murder and the Order of the Golden Dawn.
The mystery was engaging enough. Alas, it seems to me that more attention could have been paid to the worldbuilding, and having one's characters act in ways appropriate to the society of their time. Also, having cameo appearances from Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, and William Yeats feels just a tad self-indulgently over the top. In sum, pretty much meh. I won't be paying money for a sequel.
27. Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Captain Alatriste
Think Dumas. In Madrid of the 1620s. It is a most excellently engaging novel, narrated with panache by Inigo, ward of the swordsman-for-hire 'Captain' Diego Alatriste.
And more to the point, the translation didn't make a hash of things, either. Read this.
28. Nora Roberts as J.D. Robb, Innocent in Death
I read Roberts when my brain wants a rest. If you've read any of the 'In Death' series, you pretty much already know how this goes. No real surprises. The first thirty pages or so are jarringly bad, though. So bad I had to wonder if Roberts had had someone else ghostwrite. It straightens out okay, though, into something that if it isn't thought-provoking, at least fails to bore.
29. Victoria Thompson, Murder on Astor Place
Of the three historical mysteries I ordered from Amazon, this one edges out the Emerson to take postion as 'best'. Fitting, then, that it arrived the most soaked of the trio, and in the worst condition.
Sarah Brandt, former member of New York's fin de siècle upper classes, now a midwife, becomes involved in the investigation of a murder. Excellent worldbuilding, excellent characterisation - perhaps a slight slippage of plot and pacing, but forgivable in a debut. I'll definitely be looking for the sequel on this one.
30. Charles Stross, The Jennifer Morgue
It's Stross. Deep Ones, Bob Howard, megalomaniac billonaires and playing around with the Bond mythology. Wonderful, wonderful book. I heap praises upon it. Go forth and read it immediately.
Yes, I do mean now.
31. Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Allegiance
Zahn's Heir to the Empire was my introduction to Star Wars, and thus to science fiction. His Star Wars novels remain the best examples (with the exception of the frankly boring Outbound Flight) of space adventure stories I've ever read.
Allegiance is no exception to the general rule. It's set soon after the Battle of Yavin, and involves deserter storm troopers, a young Mara Jade, and of course Luke, Leia and Han Solo. It's pure fun. Sheer, pure fun.
In which I recount the books of February.
Fiction 21-31, Books 23-33
21. Alma Alexander, The Embers of Heaven.
Alexander is one of the handful of authors who can be relied on to make me cry. In fact, she may well be the only author who has made me cry with not one or two, but all, of the books of hers I've read. The Embers of Heaven is a sequel-of-sorts to The Secrets of Jin-Shei . It's not as incredibly magical as its predecessor, but that's appropriate: Embers is a novel of a more mechanised time, a novel both of personal growth and of the passing of an age. It's excellent.
22. Mark Burnell, The Third Woman.
If you like thrillers, and haven't read Burnell (The Rhythm Section, Chameleon, Gemini), what the hell are you waiting for? His protagonist, Stephanie Patrick (aka Petra Reuter, assassin-for-hire) is sympathetic and thought-provoking, his plotting is strong and fast-paced, and Stephanie's character arc is consistent throughout.
In The Third Woman, Stephanie/Petra only just avoids being blown up in a Paris restaurant and finds herself pursued by enemies determined on her demise. Not only that, but her Petra identity has been compromised: someone else is impersonating her. She takes a hostage, but pursuit is closing in: if she can't get to the heart of this conspiracy in time, she'll die.
Excellent stuff.
23, 24. Mike Carey, The Devil You Know and Vicious Circle
Carey is, apparently, better known for his work on the Hellblazer and Lucifer comics. He makes a good novellist: the Felix Castor books are tightly plotted and have a grim, noir-ish feel. Some of the better urban fantasy I've come across in recent times. What can I say, except what are you waiting for? Read them. They're good, and I'm hoping for more.
25. Kathy Lynn Emerson, Face Down Under the Wych Elm
I decided to check out some historical mysteries. Alas, when they arrived here from Amazon (the Emerson, Paige and Thompson books), they were sopping wet. Still readable, though, and since I can't get to the post office to send them back till Monday, I read them anyway.
Face Down Under the Wych Elm is an Elizabethan murder mystery. It has witch trials, a reasonably believable (and not, fortunately for verisimilitude, over-modern) strong female protagonist, and poison. Altogether a decent read.
26. Robin Paige, Death At Bishop's Keep
A young American women (a self-sufficient writer of penny-dreadfuls and a freethinker) takes a position as secretary-companion to an elderly aunt in Victorian England, and becomes embroiled in murder and the Order of the Golden Dawn.
The mystery was engaging enough. Alas, it seems to me that more attention could have been paid to the worldbuilding, and having one's characters act in ways appropriate to the society of their time. Also, having cameo appearances from Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, and William Yeats feels just a tad self-indulgently over the top. In sum, pretty much meh. I won't be paying money for a sequel.
27. Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Captain Alatriste
Think Dumas. In Madrid of the 1620s. It is a most excellently engaging novel, narrated with panache by Inigo, ward of the swordsman-for-hire 'Captain' Diego Alatriste.
And more to the point, the translation didn't make a hash of things, either. Read this.
28. Nora Roberts as J.D. Robb, Innocent in Death
I read Roberts when my brain wants a rest. If you've read any of the 'In Death' series, you pretty much already know how this goes. No real surprises. The first thirty pages or so are jarringly bad, though. So bad I had to wonder if Roberts had had someone else ghostwrite. It straightens out okay, though, into something that if it isn't thought-provoking, at least fails to bore.
29. Victoria Thompson, Murder on Astor Place
Of the three historical mysteries I ordered from Amazon, this one edges out the Emerson to take postion as 'best'. Fitting, then, that it arrived the most soaked of the trio, and in the worst condition.
Sarah Brandt, former member of New York's fin de siècle upper classes, now a midwife, becomes involved in the investigation of a murder. Excellent worldbuilding, excellent characterisation - perhaps a slight slippage of plot and pacing, but forgivable in a debut. I'll definitely be looking for the sequel on this one.
30. Charles Stross, The Jennifer Morgue
It's Stross. Deep Ones, Bob Howard, megalomaniac billonaires and playing around with the Bond mythology. Wonderful, wonderful book. I heap praises upon it. Go forth and read it immediately.
Yes, I do mean now.
31. Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Allegiance
Zahn's Heir to the Empire was my introduction to Star Wars, and thus to science fiction. His Star Wars novels remain the best examples (with the exception of the frankly boring Outbound Flight) of space adventure stories I've ever read.
Allegiance is no exception to the general rule. It's set soon after the Battle of Yavin, and involves deserter storm troopers, a young Mara Jade, and of course Luke, Leia and Han Solo. It's pure fun. Sheer, pure fun.
