The Queen's Price / Anne Bishop

 

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Book number 548 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

I wonder if Anne Bishop had a miserable school experience as a child? Because most of the books in this series deal with mean girls and the shit they stir up. Or maybe she just has a clear eyed view of humanity?

I'm unsure if this is actually the final book in the series. Bishop left things at a satisfying point, but in my opinion she did leave space for future development. This is my “silly series" which I have a yen to read when my reading life is stalled out. I guess I can start over when I hit my next reading glitch.

I much prefer Bishop's The Others series and her brand new Turns of Fate. Neither of these have all the dark fantasy trappings that make The Black Jewels series seem so silly to me. Whatever she's writing, Bishop is skeptical of humanity's ability to act in kindness. Her antagonists in this series are power hungry and cruel, something we all know about in this day and age.

In this installment, Daemon's daughter, Saetien, must learn to be a decent human being. In the previous book, she was very influenced by one of the aforementioned mean girls and has acquired a snobbishness that her father can't seem to pierce. Saetien (how in the world does one pronounce that?) receives a vision from a girl in the sanctuary where she is living. When she petitions her father to be allowed to explore this avenue, he agrees with strict conditions. Saetien resents the rules intensely, but it is plain that without them, she will not visit the Isle of Scelt.

Saetien reminded me a bit of Robin Hobb's character Malta Vestrit, who is transformed from a spoiled, pouty teen into a practical, much more likeable young woman. (See the Liveship Traders for that tale, but I warn you that you will hate Malta for a lot of pages!) Growing up is hard to do.

We Chase Shadows / Richard Osman

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Surprisingly, I have struggled to finish this book, but let me assure you that the problem lies within me, not in the book. I think I was avoiding it because I was too cranky to properly appreciate it. Osman has a talent for creating quirky but loveable characters and dreaming up situations in which to display those quirks.

To my mind, this second book is superior to the first. I liked both Amy and Steve much better this time around. There was a smile on almost every page, as Osman's sense of humour meshes nicely with mine. The mystery to be solved was a bit ridiculous, but I just went with it in order to spend time with our amateur sleuths.

In my opinion, this would make a good television show or theatre production. There's enough action and humour to really carry a show. I'm assuming that Mr. Osman has further plans for Amy, Rosie, and Steve. I will be ready when that happens to join them on another investigation.

“Revenge is more fun in the mind than in reality,” says Steve. “Thinking of ways of killing someone is like looking at houses on those websites. Actually killing someone is like buying a house. Money, lawyers, stress.”

A Tiger in the Smoke / Margery Allingham

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Halloween Bingo 2026

I read this for the Vintage Vibes square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

Ever since I read The Queens of Crime, I have wanted to try a book by Margery Allingham. It's unusual for me to start with the 14th book in a series, but it didn't affect my comprehension of the novel. Yes, Albert Campion, for whom the series is named, makes an appearance, but he is rather a side character here. The police detective, Charles Luke, and the titular tiger, ex-convict John Havoc, are the true leading men.

It begins with a young woman, Meg Elinbrodde, receiving mysterious photographs which could be her husband, who was declared killed in action during the war. But maybe there's a chance he survived? She's engaged to another. Perhaps someone is trying to blackmail her? Charlie Luke is determined to find out.

Havoc is a worthy enemy, capable of a well planned operation and easily dispensing death when someone gets in his way. His plan includes hooking up with some army buddies and retrieving a treasure he heard about from another serviceman named Elinbrodde. With this connection established, the action picks up. There's plenty of fear, intimidation, kidnapping, blackmailing, and stabbing to go around.

Some may be unhappy with the ending, but I love an ambiguous ending. Life doesn't always have neatly tied up conclusions and fiction doesn't need to either.

Changeless / Gail Carriger

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Halloween Bingo 2026

I read this for the Relics & Curiosities square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

Lady Alexia Maccon is startled to come to breakfast one morning and find her home crowded with werewolves that she doesn't know and an encampment of tents on the front lawn. The troops have been recalled from India and have travelled home via Egypt. As the day progresses, Alexia and her husband realize that none of the supernaturals in the vicinity can use their usual powers. Then, suddenly, the problem has moved north, seemingly with Conall's previous pack, Kingair. If it's moving, Alexia deduces that the cause must be an artifact of some kind.

The logical thing to do is go to Scotland, following Conall. Alexia is obliged to bring her friend Ivy, her sister, and her husband's valet. When they board the dirigible, she discovers Genevieve Lefoux waiting for her. This crew adventures their way north and experience a less-than-warm reception at Kingair. But Alexia has never let little things like that prevent her from doing what she wants. Hilarity ensues and eventually Alexia (briefly) prevails.

There is skullduggery, opera, danger, druggings, gunfire, elopement, and a bloody werewolf initiation. All perfectly normal in Gail Carriger's version of Victorian London. All perfectly entertaining, too.

Soulless / Gail Carriger

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Halloween Bingo 2026

I read this for the Punk'd square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

There were overlapping reasons to reread this novel right now: firstly, Halloween Bingo and wanting a steampunk book for it; second, a delicate recovery from a reading slump which seems to respond well to paranormal romance; and third, the recent acquisition of this novel from my favourite second-hand bookstore. The stars thus aligned, I returned to the world of Alexia Tarabotti, Lord Maccon (alpha werewolf), and Lord Akedalma (rove vampire).

I adore Gail Carriger's sense of humour—silly, but in a way that makes me laugh instead of roll my eyes. I also like the fact that there is no love triangle here. Alexia and Lord Maccon have the mating dance floor to themselves. Lord Akeldama, the flamboyantly gay vampire, acts as wise(ish) friend to Alexia and as foil to the unsubtle werewolf courting Alexia. Miss Tarabotti's clueless and frivolous family also provide comic relief.

If I have any complaints, they would be that the match is made too quickly. I would have loved at least one more book's worth of courtship before the relationship becomes established. However, this novel is always fun, even with repetition.

Evil Under the Sun / Agatha Christie

 

4 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2026

I used my Lovebug wild card to read this for the Dark Academia square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

One of the better Hercule Poirot novels. The Belgian detective has no sidekick for this investigation so we don't get much in the way of explanation along the way. Like Mrs. Gardener, we must wait for the final reveal. It was only three years ago that I read this, but I was completely off base with my suspicions once again! This is why Christie is one of my favourite authors. Rereading is still enjoyable.

I got thrown off the scent when I took characters' opinions for facts. In this way, I am every bit as foolish as Arthur Hastings! He is lamentably absent from this novel (presumably off in the Argentine). He would have been captivated by the red headed Arlena and suitably shocked by her murder.

Reputedly, Christie was sick and tired of the Poirot character by 1930. This book was published in 1941. She must have found some forgiveness for him, as she gives him an extremely well written mystery to star in here.

Shield of Thunder / David Gemmell

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Halloween Bingo 2026

I read this for the A Grimm Tale square of my 2026 Halloween Bingo card.

This past summer, I reread The Odyssey. Now I kind of wish that I had also revisited The Iliad. This novel is set at the very beginning of the Trojan war. Mostly, when I think about this war, I think about the Trojan Horse, the great wooden horse which the Greeks used to sneak into the city of Troy. If Wikipedia can be believed, it is only briefly mentioned in The Odyssey, but receives fuller treatment in The Aeneid. I hadn't thought about it, but this event was at the end of a years long bloody war. Gemmell writes a gripping tale of this mythic event.

I was interested to compare Homer's version of Odysseus with Gemmell's. Homer depicts him as crafty, brave, and eloquent. Gemmell gives him the epithet the Ugly One and emphasizes his ability to spin heroic tales out of unfortunate events.

Despite my weariness with fantasy world battles, Gemmell roped me in with characters I truly cared about. I was once again pleasantly surprised by the significance of the women. Andromache is shown to be a woman of courage and intelligence. Kalliope is more impetuous but proves to be loyal and tough. Gemmell also creates two men who guide the reader through the Greek world which is unfamiliar to many of us. Kalliades and Banokles provided me with their viewpoints to all the action. They are sword brothers, but they couldn't be more different. Kalliades is a planner, intelligent and sensitive. Banokles is ruled by his desires for food, wine, and women. Late in the book, watching Banokles in charge of other men and watching him bumble his way to heroism was highly entertaining.

Some men are not brave or tough, some women have immense courage. Gemmell gives us real feeling characters that we can cheer for and sympathize with. Since characters are the way to this reader's heart, this book was a success for me. I'll look forward to the third volume.