Magnificat / Julian May

 

2.7 out of 5 stars 

I have finally finished Julian May's complicated future history, and although I am glad to know the ending and to be finished, I am left rather disappointed. Maybe that's what I feel. Underwhelmed, perhaps? Obviously the author was passionate about her creation, but I have consistently lost steam since reading The Many-Colored Land. It was the pinnacle for me and all the following books have led downhill.

In this novel, we move into the far future. All those goddam Remillards are still there to plague us, blast those rejuvenation tanks and immortality genes! None of them are particularly pleasant people and some of them (Marc, I'm looking at you and all your Rebel buddies) are downright repugnant. At least I finally know what drove Marc and his cronies through the Time Gate into the Pliocene. The end of this book curls around to intersect with the earlier Saga of Pliocene Exile.

I have inadvertently skipped Intervention, the connective tissue between the Pliocene and the Galactic Milieu series. May is a good enough storyteller that I am tempted to track it down, but realistically I have far too many more shiny new books to read (and old favourites to reread) to seriously pursue the matter. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Toto / A.J. Hackwith

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Take it from a dog who has accomplished many calculated hijinks with his sterling reputation intact—you can get away with a lot of terrible shit when you're small and cute.

Hackwith has written an updated version of Oz. After all, Frank L. Baum wrote the original tale 125 years ago. Dorothy in this version wears jeans and hoodies. She carries a pocket screen which she and Toto use to watch videos. She may live in Kansas, but she's plugged into internet culture. In other words, she is a 21st century Dorothy. And the other main characters get a fresh look too. The Scarecrow began life as hedge witch; the Tinman has been transformed from human (with a patriarchal incel leaning) and he comes with a Munchkin sister/defender; and the Cowardly Lion is maybe less cowardly than cautious.

When Dorothy and Toto end up in Oz, Toto enters his Bad Dog era. Finally, he can talk and be understood. He can use that terrier brain to keep them safe in this tricky new world. He may aspire to be a Bad Boy, but he is the one starting their networking, making friends with a Blue Jay named Crow. A would-be revolutionary, Crow wants to overthrow the elites who run Oz (or at least cause some mayhem). Toto is a perfect pal for him: When in doubt, cause chaos. That’s the motto of terriers everywhere, and it’s always served us well.

I've only read the first book of Baum's Oz series, so I may have missed a bunch of references. Also, I've only seen glimpses of the movie, but I think I prefer Hackwith's Rooks to Baum's flying monkeys. This was a perfect summer read, complete with snappy dialogue and magical action galore.

Stone & Sky / Ben Aaronovitch

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

This was a delightful installment of the Rivers of London series. I must confess that the graphic novels don't thrill me in the same way as the regular novels do. However, this one had a cast of characters that worked extremely well together: Peter and Bev, Nightingale, Abigail, and numerous foxies. Peter has calmed, Nightingale has mellowed, and Abigail has matured. The foxes remain fun and sly. Bonus points for bringing Peter and Bev's twins, Peter's parents, and the Lord Grant Irregulars along for the ride.

Once again, we learn that “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.“ Bev seems to have a pretty good handle on things, but her non-divine companions have many things to learn. Not to mention the Aberdeen coppers.

Splitting the narration between Peter and Abigail gave us readers firsthand knowledge of the entire investigation without a bunch of dry explanation. The Scottish foxes’ hardware assets were smile inducing, as was foxy pride in their own abilities.

You know, I'm surprised at how long this series has continued without going stale. I'm still enjoying the basic premise and the embroidering around it. Aaronovitch has managed to keep it fresh and fun, not an easy task. (Plus he obviously wanted Kobna Holdbrook-Smith to have some Scots accents to deal with while recording this audiobook.) I don't currently have the leisure to revisit the first Abigail book, but I find myself wanting to. A sure sign of a favoured series.

The Innocent Sleep / Seanan McGuire

 

4 out of 5 stars 

The last volume of the October Daye series (Sleep No More) cooled my love of these books somewhat (despite my irrational loyalty to the authors I love). Although I eventually enjoyed that book, I had no idea why McGuire would write the same story again from Tybalt's point of view. Perhaps because I've had a long break, this installment pleased me the way all the older volumes did. Tybalt made a powerful narrator.

Separated from his new wife, who has just informed him of her pregnancy, Tybalt is beside himself. He wakes in the Court of Dreaming Cats, where all except the royals are confined. The Shadow Roads are closed to those non-royal. There are food and hygiene problems that Tybalt's heir Raj and regent Ginevra have been struggling to deal with. Responsible for both his court and his wife, the King of Cats must work smart and hard to solve things.

I knew from the previous book that they were fighting a massive illusion, put in place by Titania, who has made over Faerie to suit her prejudices. Tybalt starts to chart the edges of the illusion and to gather allies, just as October would if she knew who she is/was. During this mission, he gets clonked on the head in true October fashion, and reflects, My last coherent thought was that I would need to apologize to October: it was much more difficult to carry out heroism-adjacent acts without being knocked insensate than I had ever anticipated.

Now I am caught up and can begin to optimistically anticipate Silver and Lead.

What Dreams May Come / Christina Dodd

4.5 out of 5 stars 

A cute little novella featuring my favourite medieval amateur detective, Rosaline Montague. Rosie's sister and Princess Isabella venture out into fair Verona disguised as boys and Isabella loses a diamond ring that she should have left at home. Worse still, the loss happened in a house of ill repute that the girls were too innocent to recognize. As they are not-so-quietly freaking out, Rosie discovers them and vows that she will fix things.

Can she successfully disguise herself? Can she plot a way to get the ring back from the nefarious Count Prospero without her recently acquired fiancé, Prince Escalus, finding out? Can she shield Isabella from his displeasure?

I wish I could have read this before the second book, Thus With a Kiss I Die. But it was still a pleasure and when I inevitably reread that volume, I will at last have all the details. I do adore Lady Rosie and hope to read many more of her adventures.

Where Bodies Fall / Sheila Kindellan-Sheehan

 

1 out of 5 stars 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

Quebec

For my summer Quebec book, I wanted to avoid the obvious choice of Louise Penny. I've already read several Gamache novels and desired something different. This book is copyrighted 2015 and there is no evidence of any more writing by this author (although one review hints that there are others). That intrigued me. As it turns out, I think there is a good reason for the obscurity. I rarely give one star reviews, but I honestly can't justify giving this novel any more than thst.

The narrative style is very odd. The author wanders from one character to another, head hopping continually. It's almost stream of consciousness. She tries to assert that Toni Damiano, the woman detective, is the main character, but virtually every character gets exactly the same treatment as Toni. The clues and facts are chaotic, all over the place. The other characters tell Toni repeatedly that she's an awesome detective, but we see no evidence of it. I don't understand how the author decided where to end chapters—it feels pretty random. Add to that some confusing and unrealistic dialogue, and I couldn't stand to read the whole thing.

At the fifty percent mark, I felt that I had spent enough time on a poor book. I skipped to the end at that point to see who the murderer was and put myself out of this misery. The last two chapters were every bit as confusing and chaotic as the first half of the book. Really, the murderer could have been any one of the suspects. The conclusion made as much sense as anything, I guess.

Not recommended.

Never Been Witched / Molly Harper

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I couldn't wait to start this third book of the Starfall Point trilogy. I picked it up at the bookstore yesterday and finished it today. The tale of the third witch of the Starfall coven, Alice Seastairs. I had to wonder how Harper was going to approach Alice, who was raised by cold, uncaring grandparents and was used by them as cheap labour to fund their lives. Everyone on the island feels sympathy for Alice, but no one did anything for her until Riley Denton came to town.

I was surprised by Alice's secrets and I could finally understand her feeling of being off kilter within the coven. I thought that giving her this unfortunate backstory of poor choices was a good device. Alice is not the only one to have a history of poor decisions. Collin Bancroft has returned to the island, having purchased the Duchess Hotel. Although Collin has no need to work, he wants to return the Duchess to its former glory. Once he meets Alice, he wants her too. But he must face his past if they are going to find happiness.

Theoretically, now that each woman's romance has been established, the series should be done. Certainly everyone seems squared away. However, the very last paragraph indicates to me that Harper isn't done with Starfall Point just yet. I have to say that I'm glad about that, because I'm willing to read another story set in this witchy community.

Zomromcom / Olivia Dade

 

4 out of 5 stars 

What a fun discovery! One of the new books purchased by my library. It's fun and funny. Dade's sense of humour is right on point for me. Plus I really appreciate that the main character, Edie, is a chunky chick who can find romance with her mysterious neighbour, Chad/Max/Gaston. Yeah, there's a story there.

As you can guess from the title, this is a world with zombies, developed by the human government to combat other supernaturals. Unfortunately, things didn't work out to plan and now the human authorities and a supernatural committee work together unwillingly to keep their citizens safe. Which doesn't explain why Edie sees an uncontained zombie about to assault her neighbour Chad. Turns out he's a vampire with a huge sword and fighting skill. And he's determined to protect her!

Of course there is something nefarious going on, and Edie and Max (his preferred name) must team up with their neighbours to sort things out. While doing that, they must also figure out what they feel for one another. In my opinion, there was a bit too much over-explicit sex, but it didn't detract from the funky fun of the story.

I have looked into Dade's back catalogue and I am very sorry that her Lovestruck Librarians series is out of print. I have a hunch I would like it and I hope she gets around to self-publishing it some day (since she got her rights to them back from a former publisher). It sounds like there is a second book in this series coming, involving one of the side characters in this volume. Oh, and if you read this, be sure to also read the “discussion questions” that Dade supplies at the end. They are good for a giggle.

The History of Science Fiction / Xavier Dollo

 

2 stars. It was okay.

I have been a fan of science fiction since about age 11, when I read The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. In recent years, I've embarked on a reading project to sample a large selection of fantasy and science fiction literature, starting with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and working my way forward in time. So this graphic novel should have been perfect for me.

Unfortunately, the author took an interesting subject and a usually fun format and turned it into a dull slog. The artwork is unexceptional and the print is teeny. It consists largely of well known writers lecturing about the history of the genre. I can see where it would be difficult to create action appropriate to a graphic novel from the subject matter, and he struggles mightily to create some movement. There are large blocks of text, quite different from most graphic novels.

The information was good and accurate, but I feel that the author tried to cover too much material. Most of it lingered on the very earliest days of the genre, rather than the vibrant and diverse modern scene. The inclusion of women and people of colour into the mainstream has enlivened the genre delightfully. I did appreciate the focus on the British science fiction of the early days.

In short, I think this was the wrong format for this particular subject.

Arctic Blue Death / R.J. Harlick

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

Nunavut

It's not easy to find a mystery set in Canada's newest territory, let alone one available at my local library. I wasn't sure about this novel, but quickly set aside my prejudices and started to enjoy it. Although the mystery itself took place in Nunavut in the 1970s (when it was still part of the NWT), the main character lives in Quebec. Meg begins her investigation into her father's disappearance in Toronto at the family home and in Ottawa, consulting Inuit art specialists.

I don't know a great deal about Inuit art, but it seemed to me that the author has done her research on the subject. Perhaps someone with expertise could be critical, but I found her scenario believable. Meg's father, Sutton Harris, dealt in art and made frequent trips north to collect. On his last trip, he was apparently killed in a plane crash. Meg and her sister have just discovered that their elderly mother has been receiving anonymous letters from Iqaluit suggesting that Sutton is still alive and a submerged plane has been recently reported, stirring up the Harris family.

If Sutton Harris is alive, why has he never contacted his wife or daughters? What has he been doing all these years? Or is this a nasty rumour? What could anyone gain from it? Meg begins with these questions and starts following the clues. She is willing to talk to the RCMP, but at no point does she really insert herself into their investigation. She is following public sources and networking with people who may know things. There are plenty of loose strings for her to tug on and I found myself engrossed in the details.

There is, of course, family drama for Meg to contend with too. She and her mother have never had a comfortable relationship. The elderly woman is unhappy about the newest hints of what may have happened in the arctic and is having heart problems (literal and metaphorical).

The ending may not be everyone's cup of tea. The perpetrators are found and dealt with, but some of the family mystery remains unresolved. Proceed at your own risk! I personally liked it, as I like messy endings.

A view of Iqaluit, capitol of the territory of Nunavut.

Son of a Trickster / Eden Robinson

 

4 out of 5 stars 

All during my time reading this book, I couldn't shake the feeling that it reminded me of Lullabies for Little Criminals. I think that's because we start life only knowing what we learn in our first home with our family. Generational trauma is a real thing. I had the benefit of a stable family who had enough resources and no substance habits or violence. But not everyone lives that way.

Jared is very young for the amount of responsibility he shoulders. He often finds himself finding a way to pay the rent or the utilities for his mom. His dad has lost his job and can't support his second wife and stepdaughter, so Jared helps them out too. His mom is mercurial, so life can change on a dime. Despite this load, Jared helps his elderly neighbours, shoveling snow, doing yard work, taking care of the husband with dementia. He's a good young man, but coping with all this plus high school and regular teenage stuff is overwhelming. He copes by drinking and drugging, like he sees all around him.

So he's almost not surprised when ravens start talking to him and he starts seeing things that aren't really there. Jared chocks it up to a bad drug reaction and keeps putting one foot in front of the other. He just keeps on working away at the basics, hoping for better things. It was pretty obvious that this book was a first book in a series. It doesn't wrap up at all. It just abruptly ends. By this time, however, I am interested and invested in Jared. I'll be continuing on.

Fallen Court / Geneva Lee

 

2 out of 5 stars 

Holy repetitive vocabulary, Batman! Geneva Lee doesn't seem to have a large vocabulary and she uses a lot of odd expressions while over using it. Does your heat beat in your chest or against your chest? I feel the first is what I would prefer, but Lee chooses the latter. Too me, that sounds like the heart is outside the body, beating against the chest.

And oh, the melodrama! As much as I enjoy the plot and want to know the ending, I find myself tiring of the reoccurring self sabotage and the information withholding that causes 90% of the characters' problems. Followed by the same physical reactions. Cate's stomach is always churning or twisting. She is often crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin or there is bile rising in her throat. Lachlan is always grinding his teeth and growling, mostly because he has neglected to provide appropriate advice or has bullied the people he should be recruiting and trusting. Cate's brother Channing is still dumb as a stick and hasn't learned a goddamn thing. As I said, tiresome.

And yet I want to know about Cate and her ring. Is that ring actually related to the extinct fae Terra court? If so, why did she inherit it? Will Lach find some way to elude the Wild Hunt permanently? He did the crime, but can he avoid the punishment? Cliffhanger alert! Once again it ends with one.

I really wish my library had purchased a print copy of this title. Listening to the audio version I couldn't avoid the cheesiness of the writing. I couldn't miss the awful exaggerated descriptions and melodramatic plot. When you're listening, you can't miss the relentless repetition of the same phrases and the characters repeatedly blaming themselves for the same problems. I can ignore the worst of that when I'm reading a paper copy. Now I have to wonder if I will read book three. I'd like to claim that there's no way, but I know myself better than that. If my library buys it, I will likely borrow it out of sheer stubbornness to find out how things end.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs / Agatha Christie

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This book was a faithful companion as I cooled my heels in my local hospital's emergency ward for several hours. Perhaps for that reason, I quite enjoyed it. I could tune out the other people and all the kerfuffle. Thank you, Dame Agatha.

Old age seems to have been on Christie's mind as she penned this novel. It is the penultimate Tommy and Tuppence mystery and our featured couple have aged. One of the tasks associated with late adulthood is taking time for even more elderly relatives and, eventually, settling their last affairs. Tommy and Tuppence start this tale by visiting Tommy's aunt in a care facility. The aunt refuses to visit with Tuppence, who has a curious experience in the common room with another resident. This is the inciting incident.

For once, it is not Tommy who gets clonked on the head and goes missing. Tuppence manages to get herself in trouble while he is away at a conference which is a men-only affair. Resentful, Tuppence follows her nose, trying to locate someone she is concerned about. At several points in the action, Tuppence reflects on her age and how much more difficult it is to pursue a case and recover from injury.

Since I find myself in much the same condition, wishing that I could do some of the things I did easily as a younger woman, I completely sympathized with Tuppence (and presumably with Christie also). Getting older is preferable to the alternative, but Bette Davis spoke a truth when she declared that aging is not for sissies.

The Spy Coast / Tess Gerritsen

 

5 out of 5 stars 

I chose this book because of a favourable review by my friend Mike. Thank you, Mike, I loved it. It belongs to the same family as Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age and Mick Herron's The Secret Hours, featuring retired espionage operatives who realize that they are never completely out of the game.

It's next to impossible to outrun your past, as Maggie Bird is finding out. A much younger operative shows up at Maggie's small farm in rural Maine, wanting intel on another member of the last job that Maggie worked. Maggie tells her to go away, that the other woman is none of her concern. And while Maggie is at her regular book club meeting with other former CIA folk, her visitor's body is dumped in Maggie's driveway. Then a sniper tries to pick her off in the chicken run.

I absolutely love the idea of a former spy-turned-chicken-farmer. After such a career, who wouldn't prefer chickens? If you have a few friends, nice neighbours, and a peaceful environment, what else do you need? I enjoyed the author's end note, where she revealed that she and her doctor husband had moved to Maine, where he opened a new practice. While interviewing new patients, he came to realize that there were abnormally high numbers of retired CIA agents in the area. How could Ms. Gerritsen resist such a tempting scenario for a novel?

It's refreshing to see older characters featured in a thriller and I enjoyed this novel enormously. I'm pleased that my library has the second book available, because I need to know what happens next.

Seven Days Dead / John Farrow

 

R

3.5 out of 5 stars 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

New Brunswick

Emile Cinq-Mars reminds me a lot of Agatha Christie's Poirot. He's a newly retired detective from Montreal, attempting his first real vacation with his wife, Sandra. It's hinted pretty strongly that his obsessive way of investigation has caused them marital strife. So, they have come to Grand Manan Island to hike, enjoy the sunsets, picnic, and pour cocktails. But Cinq-Mars has a puzzle solving mind and when he is somewhat interested in the two deaths that have occurred since he arrived on the island, his wife sternly reminds him that it is none of his business. As in Chrisie, one of the victims is despised and the other is rather ambiguous, a clergyman who has lost his faith.

Both Emile and Sandra have left the RCMP out of their calculations. The Island has a tiny detachment and one of the officers has severe PTSD. They try to recruit Emile to their investigation, but he resists because he wants to keep his wife. However, the daughter of one of the dead men eventually tracks him down, convinced that she is going to be accused of both deaths. Emile is about to turn her down when Sandra declares that he must help the woman. Finally, over half way through the book, Emile is on the case!

The setting is very much like Christie—a small population on a remote island. Everyone thinks they know all about everyone else. Emile drafts the officer with PTSD as his native guide and they set off together to see what they can discover. His empathy for the younger man is admirable. I have to say that I am impressed by Canadian authors regarding their unflinching willingness to depict police officers with severe PTSD and the accompanying complications of alcoholism and drug addiction. For whatever reason, our various police forces (and the Canadian military) are reluctant to admit that trauma can happen to their members or that mental health interventions might be necessary. In this case, it doesn't help that New Brunswick is a small province and is one of the have-nots. Their sparse population means a small tax base and their governments are perpetually under-funded.

After scene setting and build up for the first half of the book, events really get rolling. It's a fast sprint to the ending, which I found satisfying because I hadn't figured out all the details. Although my library has a couple more Emile Cinq-Mars books, I doubt that I will request them. I already have far too many titles on my TBR.