Books 2013: 181-191
181. Judith Tarr, Alamut. Ebook.
I don't think I remembered to include this in the last couple of lists. Medieval Outremer high romance, with fantasy. Interesting, but it did not incline me strongly towards picking up the sequel.
182. Barbara Hambly, The Kindred of Darkness. eARC, Severn House, forthcoming 2014.
Another excellent Hambly vampire novel. I will review this at length elsewhere.
183. Sharon Lee, Carousel Sun. eARC, Baen, forthcoming 2014.
Urban fantasy. Not as tight a novel as its predecessor, the first book in the series, Carousel Tides - a little bit fragmentary and episodic - but an entertaining read.
184. Sharon Shinn, Troubled Waters. Ace, 2011.
A solid, compelling fantasy with interesting, believable characters and a well-done central romance. GIVE ME NEXT BOOK PLEASE.
185. Mark Charan Newton, Drakenfeld. Tor, 2013.
Locked-room murder mystery in a fantasy world. Mostly solid; characterisation and prose a bit flat, but I like mysteries, and I also like fantasy novels where not everyone is particularly good at or enthusiastic about violence. I will be looking out for sequels.
186. Josephine Tey, The Man In The Queue. Arrow reprint, originally published 1929.
That could have been more racist. Lovely prose, interesting mystery, but OY RACISM. Like being slapped about the face with a wet and rotting fish in the middle of a nice dinner.
187. Katharine Kerr, License to Ensorcell. DAW, 2011.
What does one call a guy who bullies a woman about her eating habits, insists on staying in her apartment to "protect" her, gets his own keys cut from her keys without permission, and assumes she's going to move countries to live with him after they've had sex once?
This might have been an entertaining urban fantasy, save that the Israeli Interpol agent positioned as the partner/love interest type was CONTROLLING ASSHOLE RED FLAG RED FLAG GIANT WARNING, and the text treating his boundary-crossing behaviour as an irritating but slightly endearing personality quirk I mean really WTF?
188. Stephanie Saulter, Gemsigns. Jo Fletcher Books, 2013.
Reviewed at Strange Horizons. Good stuff.
189. Greer Gilman, Cry Murder! In A Small Voice. Small Beer Press, 2013.
Review forthcoming at Strange Horizons. Very shiny novella.
190-191. Faith Hunter, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed. Ace, 2011-2012.
Solidly entertaining urban fantasy novels with vampires and werecreatures and witches and things going BOOM in interesting configurations.
181. Judith Tarr, Alamut. Ebook.
I don't think I remembered to include this in the last couple of lists. Medieval Outremer high romance, with fantasy. Interesting, but it did not incline me strongly towards picking up the sequel.
182. Barbara Hambly, The Kindred of Darkness. eARC, Severn House, forthcoming 2014.
Another excellent Hambly vampire novel. I will review this at length elsewhere.
183. Sharon Lee, Carousel Sun. eARC, Baen, forthcoming 2014.
Urban fantasy. Not as tight a novel as its predecessor, the first book in the series, Carousel Tides - a little bit fragmentary and episodic - but an entertaining read.
184. Sharon Shinn, Troubled Waters. Ace, 2011.
A solid, compelling fantasy with interesting, believable characters and a well-done central romance. GIVE ME NEXT BOOK PLEASE.
185. Mark Charan Newton, Drakenfeld. Tor, 2013.
Locked-room murder mystery in a fantasy world. Mostly solid; characterisation and prose a bit flat, but I like mysteries, and I also like fantasy novels where not everyone is particularly good at or enthusiastic about violence. I will be looking out for sequels.
186. Josephine Tey, The Man In The Queue. Arrow reprint, originally published 1929.
That could have been more racist. Lovely prose, interesting mystery, but OY RACISM. Like being slapped about the face with a wet and rotting fish in the middle of a nice dinner.
187. Katharine Kerr, License to Ensorcell. DAW, 2011.
What does one call a guy who bullies a woman about her eating habits, insists on staying in her apartment to "protect" her, gets his own keys cut from her keys without permission, and assumes she's going to move countries to live with him after they've had sex once?
This might have been an entertaining urban fantasy, save that the Israeli Interpol agent positioned as the partner/love interest type was CONTROLLING ASSHOLE RED FLAG RED FLAG GIANT WARNING, and the text treating his boundary-crossing behaviour as an irritating but slightly endearing personality quirk I mean really WTF?
188. Stephanie Saulter, Gemsigns. Jo Fletcher Books, 2013.
Reviewed at Strange Horizons. Good stuff.
189. Greer Gilman, Cry Murder! In A Small Voice. Small Beer Press, 2013.
Review forthcoming at Strange Horizons. Very shiny novella.
190-191. Faith Hunter, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed. Ace, 2011-2012.
Solidly entertaining urban fantasy novels with vampires and werecreatures and witches and things going BOOM in interesting configurations.