Friday 22 March 2024

The Vampire Knitting Club / Nancy Warren

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Book 9 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge

I forget how I originally became attracted to this book, but I purchased it in 2020, so it has been languishing on my shelves for 4 years. Although I'm not sorry that I read it (and spent money on it), I don't believe that I'll be reading further in the series.

This is a not-very-mysterious cozy with a bit of witchcraft and some vampires thrown in. Lucy Swift returns to her grandmother's wool shop, only to find that her gran is dead and Lucy has inherited said shop. And that the shop has been a meeting place for a vampire knitting circle. Now, Lucy can't knit to save her soul, but she decides to re-open the store while she figures out what happened. Of course Gran has joined the ranks of the undead, just to complicate matters. To cap things off, Lucy seems to be exhibiting some witchy powers, including a black kitten familiar.

Some conflict is needed, so we are given a missing grimoire, shifty employees, several break-ins, a persistent estate agent, and two handsome men: Rafe, a vampire, and Ian, a detective (very much alive). To this point, these two guys have just been attentive to Lucy, but there's potential for a full fledged love triangle in future books. Okay, tell a lie, the second book is available as an audiobook through Libby and I could probably withstand one more installment….

Just a note on the publishing—a Google search revealed that they deal with just three authors. It seems to be a case of authors banding together to bring their books to market. Kind of a step above basic self-publishing. I have to say that the cover art is lovely and very appealing.



Thursday 21 March 2024

Neogenesis / Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

 

4 out of 5 stars 

The Liaden Universe: the Artificial Intelligence edition

If Clan Korval isn't careful, they will end up completely responsible for the whole universe! But this volume deals primarily with the AIs involved with the clan. The first chapters kindly remind us of many of the organic members of the family. These books have many characters who are all quite active, so the memory nudge was welcome.

The largest concern is the impingement of the Pre-Migration Universe on the currently inhabited universe. How will it be prevented from killing everyone through crystallization? There are several groups acting from different angles on this matter: members of Korval, the Uncle and his sister, and the space station Tinsori Light (an AI creation of the Uncle which is degrading rapidly). And perhaps the Lyre Institute, who strive to capture and control artificial intelligences. And speaking of the Uncle, he must find a way to reunite Daav yos'Phelium and Aelliana Caylon, newly revived, to their clan while dealing with all of these situations.

The Scouts are split after Korval's relocation to Surebleak and those who remained on the Liaden homeworld are in hot pursuit of Theo Waitley and her sentient ship Bechimo, which they seek to prosecute under the Complex Logic Laws. On one of Theo's previous adventures, she helped to create the AI known as Colonel Bunter, whose sanity has required the work of two Mentors, with unexpected complications. The Korval's AI butler, Jeeves, has a “daughter" Tocohl who is a pilot and involved in several of these issues. The complication of two members of the proto-Yxtrang, rescued by Theo, to find a place in the new universe provides an additional wrinkle. Meanwhile, Val Con and Miri are trying to shepherd the planet of Surebleak through an inspection to upgrade their status as a port and trade centre. Each time they think the way is smooth, the clan throws them another curve. As Val Con muses, “First we conquer a planet, then at once we save the universe and overthrow a space station—all unwitting, but who will believe it?”

This is not the volume to plunge into the series if you are unfamiliar with it. There are threads that lead all the way back to the first volumes, and connecting to most of the previous books. There is even a call-back to Jethri Gobbelyn! Newly begun readers would be bamboozled by the flood of details that one is assumed to be knowledgeable about.

Book number 516 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project



Monday 18 March 2024

The Gathering Edge / Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I was fussing around, trying to find something I was excited to read. Of course the books coming due at the library or my book club selection had little to no appeal. I grabbed the next Liaden book from my book cart and it was just the thing.

It is always a pleasure to spend time with Theo Waitley and her ship Bechimo. Bechimo is a sophisticated AI and thus a character in its own right. But this universe is hostile to artificial intelligence and the luck runs roughly around this pair. Theo has an excellent crew, tough, smart, and loyal. Bechimo has returned them to one of its favourite quiet places to regroup. Earlier, a ship registered to one of Theo's ancestors appeared in this location. It appears that this spot is the gathering edge of the universe, gathering items from elsewhere. They have secured the empty ship for transport, as it was devoid of crew, unless you count a tree very like the one which has grown to be a symbol of Clan Korval. Thus they acquire a giddy tree in their hydroponic bay.

Suddenly, another ancient ship in distress arrives from the old universe. The only survivors on board are two proto-Yxtrang and one ship's cat. Shortly, Theo has an extremely varied selection of beings under her care and command. The two refugee Yxtrang must learn to communicate in modern languages and make decisions about their future. They are understandably worried and uncertain of Theo's plans for them. She, however, is determined to treat them as guests, not prisoners, to their amazement.

Since the Department of the Interior seems to still be in pursuit of any member of Korval, Theo must plan next moves carefully. Theo, being the honourable person that she is, is unwilling to leave a friend in a bad place and must teach Bechimo to properly evaluate risk, something the ship is strongly averse to. But Theo is Korval—she is a talented pilot and not going to back down from challenges. Similar to good urban fantasy, Theo is assembling her crew, chosen family. Whether she realizes it or not, this is typical Korval behaviour.

These plot lines are much too numerous and complicated to be resolved in one book. I can hardly wait to read the next one!

Book number 515 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project



Sunday 17 March 2024

Big Meg / Tim Flannery & Emma Flannery

 

3.7 out of 5 stars 

Free Range Reading

I have developed many odd interests over the last 60 years. Paleontology has been a long lasting love. My father used to tell me that I knew the names of “all the dinosaurs" by the time I was three (an exaggeration I'm sure). In the last decade or so, I've also become fascinated with fossil fishes. Attendance at a lecture/slide show by the artist Ray Troll sparked my interest (check out his website for fabulous fin art).

Anyone who has read Peter Benchley's Jaws will understand the lure of the gigantic prehistoric shark Megalodon. Shark fossils are particularly scanty, as their skeletons are mostly cartilaginous rather than bone and cartilage doesn't preserve well in the fossil record. However it is amazing what scientists have been able to piece together from what there is available: range maps, possible birthing localities, diets, possible habits and causes of extinction (although the last two items seem rather more speculative).

The ocean is a mysterious place to most of us and its predators are a source of fascination. There is good reason that there are many shark gods envisioned by the people of Oceania. Our current world has an impoverished ocean, with sharks and other fish, whales, even corals and other small creatures in decline. Nevertheless, there are those who would like to believe that the Megalodon still lurks in the depths. I suppose anything is possible, but it seems to me that there just aren't enough food species left to maintain a sustainable population of this enormous shark. But I think it is natural, in a world where so many species teeter on the edge of extinction, to hope that this awesome predator is still out there.




I've read other books by Tim Flannery which I also found enjoyable. He provides accurate information (although paleontology is a science prone to revision as new specimens are studied) and he writes in a clear, accessible style. I get the impression that he truly loves sharing his knowledge. If you are particularly interested in fossil sharks, I would also recommend Resurrecting the Shark: A Scientific Obsession and the Mavericks Who Solved the Mystery of a 270-Million-Year-Old Fossil. If fossil fishes in general are your jam, The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution might suit you. If you are intrigued by the connection between fish and land animals, Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body is a great choice.



Tuesday 12 March 2024

Find Me / Anne Frasiet

 

4 out of 5 stars 

2024 Re-read

I had forgotten that the main character, Reni Fisher, was so focused on birds, an obsession of mine over the years. I'm unsure why I felt the need to read this again, but it was a very strong urge and that may have been a factor. I am bumping the rating from 3 stars up to 4, reasoning that wanting to reread it and reading it just as quickly the second time indicates that I am really engaged with the work.

Reni is the daughter of serial killer Benjamin Fisher, used by him as a lure for his victims while she was a child. A heavy burden to bear and the major reason that she became an FBI agent. A mental episode where she mistakes her partner for her father leads her to retire from the Bureau and retreat to the desert. She is persuaded to assist Agent Daniel Ellis when her father seems willing to give up locations of his victims. Little does she know that Daniel has his own dark history.

If you are curious about nonfiction concerning the families of these murderers, I suggest looking for A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming. Go into it aware, however, that it is truly about the daughter. (She makes it plain that far too many people are way too interested in her father and have completely ignored her.) Also interesting is The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, a memoir by a woman who was involved with that notorious man. These people are collateral damage in the killers' lives.

Sunday 10 March 2024

Cryoburn / Lois McMaster Bujold

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Another wild whirl with Miles Vorkosigan at its centre. He does surf the chaos with remarkable skill. As a reader, one sympathizes with Armsman Roic, who must try to protect the Lord Auditor. Miles has been sent to figure out what, if anything, is untoward about the cryogenic preservation business on Kibou-daini as it looks to expand to Barrayaran territory. A bit of an exploration of whether it is worthwhile or even moral to try to cheat death through this method, being frozen until there is a cure for whatever ailed you. And there is indeed something rotten in the state of Denmark (or Kibou-daini, as the case may be).

Miles, who seems to collect strays wherever he goes, soon acquires a young man whose mother seems likely to have the dirt that the investigation needs. Unfortunately the cryocorp goons seem to have reached her first and she is in cryogenic storage, quite literally on ice. In his usual inimitable fashion, Miles devises a plan to extract and revive her.

Rogue cryogenic facilities, a menagerie of animals, two children, a stunned planetary consul, an arson attempt, kidnapping, plus a business deal involving Lord Mark, this book has all that. It's the usual Vorkosigan experience. The epilogue, however, broke my heart. 💔

Book number 514 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project



Trade Secret / Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

 

4 out of 5 stars 

How did I miss the fourth book of this series? It was time to backtrack and patch this hole in my Liaden knowledge. I appreciate how Lee and Miller follow many characters, keeping their story telling fresh. This, then, is the second installment of the adventures of one Jethri Gobelyn ven'Deelin, raised on the Terran ship Gobelyn's Market (such a clever name) but adopted by the Liaden master trader van'Deelin.

Never before has a Terran been adopted and trained as a trader. As a result, there is resentment among certain Liaden clans, who feel that associating with humans is beneath their dignity. Surely Jethri cannot understand their complex system of melanti, Balance. Unfortunately for them, Jethri is quite competent in his understanding of most aspects of trade and of Liaden society. He has had exemplary education, after all.

However Jethri encountered resentment on the Terran family ship also. The current captain disliked him for quite unaccountable reasons, refusing him pilot training and forcing him off ship. Only by a stroke of good luck (or was it bad luck?) did he find his way to his new Liaden adoption. In this volume, he discovers that his biological father's work may account for this situation and he must set about recovering items inherited from that man. He also learns of his close relationship to that mysterious man known only as Uncle to most of the universe.

Jethri gets to grow up, learning about piloting, getting experience at trading, having confidence, not to mention how to conduct himself with young women. Like all the Liaden books that I have read, there is plenty of space travel, subterfuge, and action. I hope I will meet young Jethri again in the future.

Book number 513 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project