Bones / Jan Burke

Bones by Jan Burke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2020 Summer Clearance Special

I vividly remember the first time I read this novel—I was on vacation with a cousin and while she slept, I huddled in the next bed in our hotel room, unable to set the book down. Even when I finished reading, I was jumpy for several days afterwards.

This was one of the first books that got me reading again after my mother was killed in a car accident. She was my reading buddy, we were a book club of two, and I quit reading fiction for years when I was unable to discuss it with her any more. Along with Patricia Cornwell's first novels, Bones was my entrée into the whole serial killer mystery genre. Perhaps because of that, I still retain a fondness for this novel.

It is rapidly becoming a period piece. Cell phones were a new and expensive option. Newspapers were still influential and lucrative. The papers themselves were still being printed by presses. Perhaps because of Irene's profession, she seems surrounded by a whole battalion of men: her husband, his cop friends, her cousin, her neighbour, their friends, male anthropologists, and so on. I'm always mystified by writers' use of this formula, since it would be my female posse that I would want around and, unlike Irene, I would be spilling my guts to them, probably more than they would care to hear. So I don't know how realistic Irene's personal life is, but I guess I can see how it works better for the dramatic tension.

By this time, several rereads later, this book is still a four star experience for me. Part of my Summer Clearance Special is an attempt to weed my bookshelves. I had anticipated reading Bones one last time and then disposing of it. I've emerged from this reading unsure whether that's what I really want to do. I guess there's no harm in letting it linger a while longer.


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Bayou Moon / Iona Andrews

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read

The first book of the series was based on Cinderella. This one starts as The Taming of the Shrew and ends as Beauty and the Beast. During the first section of the book, we have changeling William, feeling sorry for himself, getting a new assignment, and then trying to conceal his furry nature from Cerise. She is undercover as a homeless person, on her way home to the Mire. She has a sharp intelligence, a sharp wit, and unfortunately a sharp odour as part of her disguise. She is also unconvinced that a nobleman can be anything but useless in the swamps. William is determined to be awesome enough to impress her.

Eventually, however, both William and Cerise have to drop their disguises. Just like the Beast, William has given his heart and is willing to die if Cerise is unwilling to accept him. Unlike Beauty, Cerise gets both aspects of her beloved, the wolf and the handsome nobleman.

These old story patterns have been with us a long time and as soon as we encounter one of them, we instinctively know where the story is headed. Not all fairy tales end happily, so there are losses along the way. Despite that, this couple gets their HEA. And Iona Andrews readers get the background that will stand them in good stead for their Innkeeper series.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

One of the main things that I love about the Andrews’ female main characters is that they are very self-sufficient & competent to run their lives. They are acknowledged to be high functioning people by their families & circles of friends. Not only can they handle the vicissitudes of life, they can defend themselves and their dependents.

Another reason that I love their books? The humour. In this book, when Cerise and William first meet, they are both “undercover.” She thinks he’s an ass and secretly calls him Lord Leatherpants. She is smelling rather pungent, and William not-so-secretly calls her the Hobo Queen.

William leaned forward and pointed at the river. “I don’t know why you rolled in spaghetti sauce,” he said in a confidential voice. “I don’t really care. But that water over there won’t hurt you. Try washing it off.”
She stuck her tongue out.
“Maybe after you’re clean,” he said.
Her eyes widened. She stared at him for a long moment. A little crazy spark lit up in her dark irises.
She raised her finger, licked it, and rubbed some dirt off her forehead.
Now what?
The girl showed him her stained finger and reached toward him slowly, aiming for his face.
“No,” William said. “Bad hobo.”

There are, of course, the obligatory rocks in the romance road. As Shakespeare told us, the course of true love never did run smooth. But that line is from Midsummer Night’s Dream and the plot line of this story is more Taming of the Shrew.

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On the Edge / Iona Andrews

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read

Yes, I'm still rereading Ilona Andrews books as an antidote to social isolation. Although this story lacks an evil stepmother and nasty stepsisters, it is very much a Cinderella retelling. Rose works like a dog at a minimum wage job in the Broken, enduring the humiliations that poor people endure in our society. She's smart, talented, and attractive, but she lacks the all-important paperwork that would allow her to get ahead. How many people live like this? (Try Barbara Erlich's book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America if you want details).

Declan may not be a prince, but he is a nobleman. And he's on a mission when he runs across Rose. They may not dance at a ball, but they fight side by side. No need for her to lose a glass slipper, Declan knows where she lives.

The nice thing about fairy tales? There's a happy ending.


2019 Re-Read

Enjoyed this book more the second time around. I saw more details this time, when not reading at speed to find out how the plot works out. I really like how this series intersects with the Innkeeper series and observing how the Andrews’ writing has evolved over the books.

Original review:

This is probably my least favourite Ilona Andrews offering to date, but I still really enjoyed it. I feel like I am reading historical background to books 2 and 3 of the Innkeeper Chronicles, learning the backstory of the arbiter, George. I can also see this particular book as a blue-print for Burn for Me, which is, in my opinion, a stronger offering (and both BfM and OtE tip further into the paranormal romance direction than the Kate Daniels series did).

There is at least one obvious fairy-tale element here—Declan can win Rose’s hand by performing three difficult tasks. Plus, she is living in poverty and working a minimum wage job, evoking Cinderella comparisons. Also obvious is a fairly standard romance trope—reluctant allies developing genuine feelings for one another. Add in a Romeo-and-Juliet type angle, with Rose and Declan being from extremely different family backgrounds, and how can you miss? There are built-in communication problems to confound the couple as they try to navigate their relationship.

Another solid offering from the Andrews writing team. I will definitely read book two and I’ve already picked up books three and four second hand, so they are a foregone conclusion. I am worried that I am almost caught up-to-date on their published works—rereading will be my solution until more are published!

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Ghostly Paws / Leighann Dobbs

Ghostly Paws by Leighann Dobbs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars

I am becoming a reluctant covert to the cozy mystery genre. It seems that an added paranormal angle makes this formula a bit more palatable for me. This book is like a cross between Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries and Angie Fox's Southern Ghost Hunter series. Just like Delany's main character Gemma Doyle, Willa Chance left her small town to pursue a career, but ended up returning to Mystic Notch after her marriage foundered and she inherited a bookshop. Like Verity Long in the Southern Ghost Hunter series, seeing ghosts is a new skill that Willa isn't comfortable with yet. All three have connections to their towns' police forces, as ex-boyfriends, almost-brothers-in-law, and sisters. Each has a companion animal (dog, skunk, cat).

I did have a couple of problems with this novel, however. For a woman who used to be a crime reporter, Willa is awfully clueless about investigation techniques. She blunders about, annoying everyone until she accidentally discovers something. My other, bigger beef is the cats. Not that they are included, but that they hold meetings and discuss things. I'd be fine with cat familiars with spooky attributes, but talking cats is just a little beyond where I'm willing to go.

Dobbs' writing is serviceable, but not wonderful. The mystery portion of the story isn't too skilfully handled. Really, as a reader I didn't feel like I got enough information to be able to figure out who dunnit, which is a personal requirement for a good mystery. The scattershot clues that were provided seemed random, rather than well planned. The romance element was overly obvious, telegraphed too early, and to my mind unrealistic. The ghosts were really the best part. I am dismayed, as I had hopes about a series featuring an older woman, something that I can definitely identify with.

I spent my own cash on this book and for that I am disappointed. I sincerely doubt whether I will read anything further by this author. I hope she has a loyal following, but I won't be among them.


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Gunmetal Magic / Ilona Andrews

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ilona Andrews has my number. This husband and wife team writes action adventure/romance fantasy novels that I am completely unable to resist. Whenever I need a little reading pick-me-up, I turn to one of their novels. I'm currently going a bit stir crazy at home these days and I'm still harbouring some doubts about re-entering our newly reopened economy.

The Andrews incorporate so many details in their books that I've been reading and enjoying since I was a teen. A female main character, well educated, curious, and brave when she needs to be. Not overly dependent on the men around her and doesn't use her looks or flutter her eyelashes to get men to help her. Even better if she has self defense skills and can hold her own. Doesn't require anyone to “complete" her, but wants a male companion who knows he can't boss her around or wrap her up in protection that interferes with living life.

But like any typical Gothic romance that I cut my teeth on, there has to be a drastic misunderstanding to create the plot tension that pulls the reader along. Andrea and Raphael are both stubborn people, so their conflict has to be worthy of two very strong people. The Andrews oblige in this story which stars these two boudas. Of course, we also get to see all of our other favourites along the way. Barabas, Jim, Doolittle, Ascanio, Derek, Julie, the list goes on. Not to mention Kate and Curran.

The authors follow their formula. For me, it's a winning one. Not everyone will feel the same way, but their writing matches my reading preferences so well that I am happy to read this set up over and over in varied fantasy worlds and starring various couples. They've written my happy place. Thanks, Ilona and Gordon!


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Southern Spirits / Angie Fox

Southern Spirits by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I should have been reading other books, but this one was so tempting that I picked it up instead. I have to say I enjoyed it a lot, which is kind of a relief since I spent my own money on it. My library doesn't have any books by Ms. Fox and I've never found any at the used book store that I frequent.

I do like these paranormal books set in the American South. I'm thinking of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse, Molly Harper's Jane Jameson, and Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock. This series has more in common tone-wise with Molly Harper's writing. Sookie & Jane Yellowrock face more supernatural threat and have to be tougher than Verity Long in this book. Verity reminds me of Sookie though because of her financial difficulties that she is trying hard to solve. But all of these women have to navigate Southern society, with its gossipy ways, its expectations of politeness, and its clear gender roles. They also have to deal with their own relatives and with judgy small town communities.

Maybe because I grew up in a small community, I really identify with these main characters. Since I chose not to marry or have children, I know what it is to not fit into usual small town expectations and learning to deflect the criticism that haunts women who won't conform. Somehow the women who do what's expected feel threatened by those of us who know we wouldn't be happy in those roles and who go our own way. Men too, for that matter. I'm fine with them doing what they want, but I expect to be granted the same freedom.

I think that I'm being drawn to romances right now because our city has been shut down for 70+ days and I'm missing my contact with people. Reading romance reminds me that physical closeness is possible!


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Night Shift collection

Night Shift by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read

My mission right now is to read from my own book shelves and to hopefully get to those books that have been lingering there, unread. But yesterday I felt the pull of this collection of romantic short stories and I didn't even try to resist. In these days of physical distancing, I felt the need to at least read about physical closeness.

My previous review pretty much says it all. If anything changed, it may have been that I appreciated Lisa Shearin's Lucky Charms even more. It can still make me smile.

Resistance was futile. I was assimilated.


ORIGINAL REVIEW:

This was a fun little collection of urban fantasy/paranormal romance fiction. I especially enjoyed the Ilona Andrews and the Lisa Shearin contributions. Their writings are consistently on target with my reading tastes. The Nalini Singh story is also exactly what one would expect from her, a little too skewed to the romance end of the scale for my reading taste, but her fans will undoubtedly get what they are looking for.

The interesting offering in my opinion is the Milla Vane story--shades of Robert E. Howard! This is Conan the Barbarian meets his Warrior Princess version and they struggle for supremacy! (Not that Howard wrote weak women--and the limitations of his time meant that he couldn’t detail their physical relationship in his stories the way Vane does). It’s obvious that Ms. Vane has appreciated Howard’s work and probably Fritz Leiber’s as well, classics of the sword & sorcery genre. The major shift is that this story is told from a strong female point of view--Mala decides what she is and isn’t willing to put up with from her Barbarian-to-be. It could have fallen flat, but for me it didn’t. But if sex on the page makes you uncomfortable, you will squirm while reading this gritty story. Mind you, if that makes you uncomfortable, you will not have made it this far in the book!

The Andrews story details the romance between Jim Shropshire and Dali Haurimau, in delightful fashion. I had never liked Jim all that much in the Kate Daniels series, but I’m due for a re-read in the near future and will see him quite differently now (and I will see Hugh D’Ambray differently after reading Iron and Magic).

The Lucky Charms story by Lisa Shearin is the introduction to her SPI Files series. It might have been fun to have read it before plunging into The Grendel Affair, but she didn’t write in any details that were crucial to understanding that first novel. (Completely unlike Patricia Briggs’ Alpha & Omega series, where if you missed the initial short story, you ended up confused as heck during Cry Wolf).

All in all, a pleasant and fun offering by four talented authors.

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Dragon / Steven Brust

Dragon by Steven Brust
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.25 stars

I like Vlad Taltos and his smart talking jhereg companion, Loiosh. In this installment, Vlad ends up in the army in an attempt to prove a point. It was rather like a cross between The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted and The Black Company. Brust doesn't get quite as silly as Harrison did with Slippery Jim DiGriz, but like Harrison he uses the opportunity to make fun of all things military. However, Vlad shows enough guile and sneakiness to remind me a tiny bit of Croaker in the Black Company. No one can match Croaker for sneaky, though.

Usually, I can handle alternate points of view. This story switches back and forth in time, always from Vlad's point of view. I found myself confused on several occasions, which detracted from my enjoyment somewhat. I think I can chalk that up to quarantine confusion or spring allergies or something.

All in all, this is an enjoyable series with short bite-size books. I never mind spending time with Mr. Taltos.

Book number 369 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.

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All Spell Breaks Loose / Lisa Shearin

All Spell Breaks Loose by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I spent part of an afternoon recently reorganizing my book shelves, making a list of unread books to tide me over until the public library reopens (there are over 100, lucky me). I found this book tucked away with all my other Raine Benares books, completely forgotten. How did that happen?

This is the volume where the whole Saghred story gets wrapped up. Just like Shearin's SPI Files series, which I recently reread, this is the last RB book published by a traditional publisher. Once the original plotline is resolved, publishers seem to prefer to move on to fresh characters. Authors may still have stories they want to tell about the current characters. I'm pleased to see that my library has the next (self published) volume of this series, so I can try it before I buy it. Whenever said library reopens. Sigh!

This was a pretty satisfying ending to the adventure. I think most readers would be fine leaving things right here. It included a long interlude in the Goblins' home, Regor. Plus, we get to meet Tam's magic teacher, a crusty old Goblin with a smart mouth, good instincts, and a deadly fart. When he tells you to hold your breath, you darned well better do it! There is also the successful introduction of Tam's teenage son, Talon, into the Goblin world. Many plot lines getting tied up in a neat bow.

Of course there are other things that the author could explore, which is why I will read on to see where she goes. But I can sure see why Ace was done publishing these books at this point.


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Heaven's Reach / David Brin

Heaven's Reach by David Brin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good conclusion to an entertaining trilogy. Brin has created a wonderfully inventive universe, complete with multiple levels of reality and a whole panoply of fantastic species. There were even hydrogen breathing eatees, reminding me strongly of E.E. “Doc" Smith's Lensman series. There were also overtones of Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End, as the Old Ones approach black holes to pass on to the next level of “spiritual" development. The reluctance of some Old Ones to move along to make room for upcoming species subverts the ideals of those of us who cut our science fiction eye teeth on the Star Trek universe. We are used to associating age with wisdom, but Brin reminds us that it ain't necessarily so. The use of black holes also made me think of Frederic Pohl's Gateway series.

I have no doubt that David Brin has read all of those classics and many more. I love the tempered optimism of his creation. For example, the planet of Jijo, which is largely left behind during this book, but demonstrating how multiple species can live together in harmony. When this way of life is a challenge even for Old Ones, you know that it is exceptional.

Several Jijoans are spread out to carry this culture of mutual respect to the other galaxies, while a few outsiders end up at Jijo to add to that co-operative culture. The final denouement was a nice touch at the very end. I have enjoyed my time in the Uplift Universe.

Book number 368 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project


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Obsidian / Thomas King

Obsidian by Thomas King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was fabulous. So help me Goddess, it was perfect. Thomas King, you did an excellent job of this one. You have taken the tried and true plot, consisting of the former cop who is haunted by a significant failure in his past and who won't rest until things are settled, and you've rewritten it starring a decent man who really doesn't want revenge or to be a policeman again.

My only disappointment is that this book feels really final. Will there be another one? King has tied up all the loose ends and Thumps DreadfulWater seems to be left in a pretty comfortable place. I'd be lying if I told you that I was happy about that. This is one of the few series that I have bought brand new. No scrounging around, trying to get them secondhand. King deserves my money for this excellent series.

In another book, Mr. King said that writing fiction is like buttering warm toast. Reading his fiction is every bit as rich and buttery. The humour, the sly commentary on our wacky society, the friendships that shape Thumps' life, even his erratic relationship with Claire, its all delightful.

If this is the end of the line (and I'm only guessing that it is), I will miss Thumps, of course, but how will we know how Sheriff Duke's cancer treatment goes? Will I ever know what happened to Freeway, the cat? Does Moses Blood continue to know everything that Thumps will do before he does it? Does Cooley Small Elk ever find a girlfriend? Does Al recover from her star-crossed love affair? I've become as fond of the townsfolk as I am of Thumps and it will be difficult not to get fresh news of what is happening in Chinook.

With any luck, I'm completely wrong and King has more mischief up his sleeve for Mr. DreadfulWater and the denizens of Chinook. Fingers crossed.


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Inversions / Iain M. Banks

Inversions by Iain M. Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book goes to show what a sophisticated writer Iain Banks was. I was looking forward to another Culture novel, but a few chapters in, I was confused. The tale is told as two intertwining stories, set in two rather mediaeval societies. There are no AI minds, no sentient space craft, no “Cultured" humanity swanning around. I set my misgivings aside and just enjoyed the interplay of the two tales, at least until I arrived at the final chapters.

Suddenly, things became clear. The stories that the body guard DeWar told to Lettens came into focus. The Doctor, with her extraordinary attention to cleanliness and her omnipresent dull old knife. I won't spoil things for you. You deserve to put the pieces together at your own speed in your own way. I'm sure many people figured things out more quickly than I.

This is a very subtle novel, much different from those that preceded it. I'm betting that Banks was looking for a change and this is a refreshing one. I kind of want to go back to the beginning and re-read the book with my new found realizations informing the experience. However, it is far too soon for that.

I can see eventually wanting to re-read the entire series, but first I must finish it.

Book number 367 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project


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Diamond Mask / Julian May

Diamond Mask by Julian May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't impressed with the first book in this series, but I had purchased this one along with it. The public library is closed right now, so I'm working my way through these books that I've ignored for far too long. This one was a pleasant surprise and now I must search for the third book.

There was far less religion and philosophy in this installment plus far more exploration of metapsychological talents. There's an effective evil genius and his henchmen to deal with. But for me, the pièce de résistance was Dorothea as the main focus of the story. Someone that I found interesting and who had problems that I could identify with. Someone who is not a Remillard. Uncle Rogi is the only one of them that I find intriguing and thankfully he is one of the main narrators here.

May does political plotting extremely effectively. The Rebels are trying to block humanity's incorporation into the Galactic Milieu and I could see both sides of the argument. Apparently getting human agreement is like trying to herd cats. Not very effective. Its difficult to sell something where you can't try before you buy and there's no money back guarantee! Now what I want to know is why the Lylmik are so adamant that humanity must be corralled into the Milieu.




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The Chaos Balance / L.E. Modesitt

The Chaos Balance by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Chaos Balance follows Modesitt's usual story pattern. There are simmering tensions between men and women, with resentments on both sides. They both have reason for their feelings, but it does get repetitive. Here we have the main character, Nylan, who is a reluctant black mage. It seems all the main characters are dissatisfied with the status quo, but unwilling to talk about whatever is eating at them. They are all hyper-responsible, workaholics with persecution complexes. They all end up with vision problems at the least or blindness at the most, for using more of their mage powers than they should or misusing the power in their own opinion.

The author frequently gives us male characters who leave their emotional labour to others. ”Just give me a task to do and then thank me extravagantly when its done,” that seems to be their way of dealing with life. Then they're surprised that the women in their lives get annoyed, being forced to nag, guess what's going on in his head, be the bad guy, or be blamed for the outcome of the decisions that they've been forced to make without his input. Plus, after all this he expects praise for whatever task she has had to plan and request his work on.

What I really did appreciate in this volume is Modesitt's examination of the nature of so-called honour societies. Where it is more honourable to throw away lives in an unwinnable war than it is to mount a guerilla operation. Where it is honourable to treat women and children as chattel. Since there's still quite a bit of this among men in modern society, this book still has relevance. Other very positive aspects are the obvious environmental message in the use of the forest energies and the message about sexism being ridiculous. Thank you, Mr. Modesitt, for featuring these progressive concepts.

Book number 366 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project


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Satan in St. Mary's / Paul Doherty

Satan in St Mary's by Paul Doherty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I guess when you are a headmaster as well as an author, you have a tendency towards the didactic. You know, teach 'em history while they think they're reading a novel. That was definitely the case with the first Doherty novel that I read (The Mask of Ra). It certainly also explains the attention to setting and the details of Hugh's daily life, rather than on his thoughts or feelings.

Any one who has been reading my reviews for a while will know that when it comes to historical mysteries, I hold Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael books up as my gold standard. They are one of the only cozy mystery series that I can honestly claim to really, really enjoy. And that is because of Peters' characterization of Cadfael. He is easy to know and to sympathize with. Hugh Corbett has potential to get there, but we aren't permitted very far into his interior life. At this point, he remains remote, despite the fact that we witness his struggle and pain over his relationship with Alice.

I currently have book two of this series sitting on my bookshelf waiting, so I'm happy that I liked book one as much as I did. Having a collection of unread books has been a sanity saver during this time of pandemic and physical distancing. This week, our public library will be sharing their plans for reopening, but maybe I will take time to investigate another crime with Hugh before I rejoin society.


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The Phoenix Illusion / Lisa Shearin

The Phoenix Illusion by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These optimistic adventures are just what I need right now. They are kind of happy-clappy, but charming nevertheless. Shearin keeps the action coming, not giving Makenna much time to breathe.

You've gotta love getting Rake and Tam, the goblin cousins, in the same book. It's like having two James Bonds (with silvery skin, pointed ears & fangs) running around! By this time, however, they've both had to tame their bad boy ways. That tends to happen when you get promoted to high government office. I was a bit sad to see them domesticated. It was good to have Tam get to be the black-leather-clad dark mage once again in the final showdown.

Shearin is also very good at providing enough closure to be satisfying in each volume while still leaving sufficient unresolved issues to carry us on to the next book. And I hope the next book does get produced and that we finally get to meet Grandmother Fraser!

I'm thinking that I may have to revisit the Raine Benares books soon, and refresh my memory on Raine, Tam, and Mychael.


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The Myth Manifestation / Lisa Shearin

The Myth Manifestation by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read

First SPI self-published volume. I'm happy that the same cover illustrator continued on. Julie Dillon outdid herself with this cover. Even if I didn't know the series, I would have bought the book based on that artwork! It probably would have been more suited to the previous volume with its Formorans & tentacle beasts, but its still awesome.

Plenty of plots and supernatural creatures to go around in this installment. Vivienne is back in her dragon glory this time around, ruling over a supernatural summit. Circumstances shut out her formidable vampire lawyer, Alain Moreau, this outing. I miss him when he's not included! On the plus side, the Viking team comes to town to assist with security. They are always fun.

Not all authors can manage to tie their series together as neatly as Shearin does in this book. It's a natural fit, not requiring too much massaging of the previously written material. Achieved with her trademark humour.

So far, Shearin seems to be committed to continuing this series, for which I am a grateful fan.


ORIGINAL REVIEW

I’m still enjoying this series--there’s plenty of action in each book, but somehow the overarching plot line moves along very, very slowly. But this seems to be a Shearin thing, as her Raine Benares series is exactly the same in this regard.

Speaking of the Raine Benares series, this is the volume where the two series come together. One of Raine’s piratical relatives shows up as a diplomat here in Mackenna’s universe and Mac’s goblin love interest, Rake, turns out to be a cousin of Raine’s one-time love interest, Tam.

I’m not entirely sure, but it seems that Shearin has had to publish this book (and later volumes of Raine Benares) as an independent, rather than with a traditional publisher. My public library wouldn’t order this volume, because their policy is to only purchase from traditional publishers, so I had to put out my own cash for this adventure. Not a big deal, since I’ve purchased the entire series, but it makes me a bit sad that people who depend on the library can’t continue on.

I think I’m safe in saying that if you liked previous volumes of the SPI Files, you will also enjoy this one. If I have any critique, it’s that I didn’t get nearly enough of Mac’s partner, Ian, in this volume. The Mac-Ian show has been entertaining and I’m sorry it got short shrift in this outing. I’m also a little disappointed with Rake, who seems to be going all ooey-gooey good guy. Where is the dark mage that Mackenna fell for in the first books?

Despite these concerns, I don’t think there’s any doubt that I will put out the money for the next volume!

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The Ghoul Vendetta / Lisa Shearin

The Ghoul Vendetta by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read

Interestingly, I can see this second time through why the publisher was done at this point, leaving Shearin to pursue a self-publishing path. The most important plot lines have been resolved. We know reasonably clearly who the bad guy is. He is classified and provisionally named before being soundly trounced. Both Ian and Makenna are suitably paired off. Makenna has achieved her place firmly in SPI.

Shearin definitely uses Irish mythology to the best advantage in this installment. She is probably a plotter rather than a pantser, as many of the necessary details for this, the fourth book, were set up in the first book. Someone just depending on seat of the pants inspiration is unlikely to have this level of continuity.

These days, when the future is uncertain, a HEA ending is surprisingly comforting.


ORIGINAL REVIEW

Another enjoyable offering in the SPI Files. Now I can see the set-up for this book that Shearin wove into the first three books. Very skillfully done.

For those who are into paranormal romance, this series may frustrate you. The pace of Mac and Rake’s relationship is glacial, but I’m okay with that. This seems to be parr for the course, as Shearin’s Raine Benares series is much the same. Unfortunately there is also the same is a tendency to repeat, repeat, repeat herself (although not quite as much in the SPI Files).

With Vivienne Sagadraco on vacation, we get to see more of Alain Moreau, cool vampire lawyer. Although I love Vivienne, it was nice to see Alain get some page-time.

The big changes in this installment happen in Ian’s life. I will be interested to see where Shearin takes things next, as there are obviously threads of the story left hanging, waiting for another book. Not to mention that I want to know how things go for Mac & Rake. Mac didn’t get to use her seer’s powers much in this book—hopefully that will change in the next one.

Now the big question is when will Book 5 will be published?

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The Brimstone Deception / Lisa Shearin

The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


2020 Re-Read

My favourite SPI agent, Makenna Fraser, has an educational trip to the outskirts of Hell. She learns a lot about her seer abilities, her friends and coworkers, and about a certain Goblin businessman. This is the book where the paranormal romance characteristics become pronounced. Thankfully there is still a substantial action adventure involved, or it would get as sugary as Makenna's diet. This girl loves her baked goods!

A bright and optimistic urban fantasy series, giving my spirits the boost that they need during these days of physical distancing. Thank you, Lisa Shearin, for a shot of fun in every book.


ORIGINAL REVIEW

The SPI Files is a delightful series! I will be anxiously awaiting book 4 in 2017.

Makenna is a charming main character—a seemingly ordinary woman with an extraordinary ability (to see through magic glamours) but who knows her limitations. She knows that she will never be able to kick butt like many of her fellow SPI agents, but allows them to do their thing while she does hers. On the theory that one should be a pleasant coworker as well as a useful one, she is always quick with a quip or a smart remark to break the tension.

One of the things that I appreciate about the series is that there is very little swearing—cuss words are used sparingly and when they are appropriate. One of the lessons my mama taught me: swearing all the time takes all the magical shock value out of the words. If you rarely swear, when you do people sit up and pay attention. Save it for when you really need folks to take you seriously. It works! And Shearin has obviously had similar coaching.

I know that some readers will also be frustrated with the glacial slowness of the romantic subplot of the SPI files too. For me, that is another one of its charms. Love is in the air? Hand me a gasmask! Eventually, however, the author will have to fish or cut bait.

It will be difficult to wait a whole year for the next installment.

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The Dragon Conspiracy / Lisa Shearin

The Dragon Conspiracy by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read

As one of the blurbs in the front of the book says, this book is the perfect antidote for doom and gloom. Makenna bounces happily along, being sassy, confident that SPI will come out on top of whatever situation they find themselves in. She drags me, as reader, along in her happy, optimistic wake.

Gandalf warned us not to meddle in the affairs of dragons, but Makenna works for one. For a brand new employee, she is making quite an impression on her dragon lady boss. Also upon one goblin businessman-about-town.

Fast, fun, and decidedly cheerful, these books are just what the doctor ordered in these unsettling times.


ORIGINAL REVIEW

****Wanda’s Summer Festival of Reading Fluff***

I liked the first book in this series and I really enjoyed this second installment. In fact, I had so much fun that I picked up the book the next day and read it again! And I started contemplating purchasing my own copy. It is that amusing.

I really like the lightness of attitude and the intelligence of the series. It is rather like the Men in Black movies crossed with James Bond, perhaps with a sprinkling of Austin Powers and/or X-Files? In other words, it plays with all the tropes in a fun way without taking itself too seriously.

I like the friendships that are building between Mackenna and her fellow SPI agents, including her dragon lady boss. I am also amused by her Southern sensibilities and the fact that she is just a regular woman (not depicted as some ultra-beautiful person, often ending up covered in food) and that she is sometimes the rescued and sometimes the rescuer.

What can I say? I can hardly wait for book three to be published in January 2016.

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The Grendel Affair / Lisa Shearin

The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 Re-Read (Part of my Pandemic Read-a-thon)

I'm doing something that I don't usually do, I'm bumping my rating of this book up to 4 stars. Maybe it’s the times we are living in, but I really, really enjoyed this the second time around. This book has all the things that I enjoy in urban fantasy, namely bloodthirsty beasts, bad-ass heroes tracking them, a mystery to solve, plus a quirky main character who is willing to kick butt while making smart ass remarks. And it never hurts to have a Berserker Viking or two!

Yes, there is one small smooch for Makenna, close to the end of the novel. I'm really wondering if Shearin's original intention was to make these two into a couple and when she changed her mind? Oh to be able to ask these questions!

At any rate, this was great fun, punctuating a rather subdued real life right now. Someday the library will reopen, I'll be able to go back to the bookstore, birding will be an option, and the garden centre will be a destination. In the meanwhile, there are books.



****Wanda’s Summer Festival of Reading Fluff****

A very cute beginning to what promises to be a fun, fluffy series. Makenna Fraser is a likeable main character, learning her new job with Supernatural Protection & Investigations. She is a Seer, able to see through the glamours that supernatural beings can use to hide themselves from regular humans. It’s a rare skill and she hopes to make a place for herself in the company.

As the title implies, a descendent of the great Grendel (slain by Beowulf) is on the loose. Grendels are quite noise sensitive, explaining why the original Grendel attacked the hard-partying Danes that were his neighbours. SPI is based in New York City and it’s almost New Year’s Eve—so there’s lots of opportunity for loud humans to once again annoy the grendels.

I must say that I loved the Scandinavian team that came to help with the hunt—at least one of them a Berserker with a famous sword! I wasn’t quite as keen on the depictions of the grendels. Beowulf’s Grendel looks much different in my imagination than Lisa Shearin’s version, but I was able to set aside my version and enjoy hers for the purposes of the book.

Shearin has a good sense of humour and uses a few pop-culture references that even someone who is as out of touch as I am could still recognize & enjoy.

Real rating: 3.5 stars of summer entertainment

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The Red Wyvern / Katharine Kerr

The Red Wyvern by Katharine Kerr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.25 stars

These books frustrate me, because I keep feeling that I should enjoy them more than I do. This one was the best of them so far, mostly because I really appreciated Lilli. But I'm confused, because I thought Nevyn had died and left his position of dweomer master to Jill. And Jill died in one of the previous books too. Although Jill remains dead and gone, suddenly here is Nevyn again, like nothing ever happened to him! I'm guessing that this is a jump back into the past, but then Jill should still be alive too, so I'm still confused. Not that I suppose it matters.

The Prince Maryn part of the story was quite engaging and it kept me up very late the other night, reading until I couldn't keep my eyes open! It's the Evander/Alshandra/Elissario storyline that bores me. Why do we care about these inhuman creatures from another plane and their mixed feelings about being born into the human realm? They really aren't very relevant to the main plot and what small part they do play could be easily replaced with more down-to-earth characters.

And so you may ask why do I keep reading these books if I'm not wild about them. Back when I was just getting started on the series, I found a bunch of them in a used book store and grabbed them. Now I feel somewhat duty bound to read them. Foolish, perhaps, but they are decent books, if not my favourites.

Despite the cover art, the red wyvern doesn't make an appearance, except as embroidery on clan banners.

Book number 365 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project

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Wicked Lovely / Melissa Marr

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I can't in good conscience give this four stars, as I don't think I'll ever be tempted to read it again, but it was a pleasant experience the first time around. I do love fairy stories and this is a decent one, although definitely written for the younger crowd. I wouldn't hesitate to hand it to a young person in my circle.

I like the lines that the author draws for behaviour. Making sure that a partner is a good and caring person before sleeping with them. Staying loyal to friends even when doing so is difficult. Righting wrongs if you are able. Being compassionate to those who maybe don't deserve it. Finding creative solutions for life's big problems. Realizing that the adults in your life may not understand what your life path is, but that you still want them to be part of that path.

Aislinn and Seth are a charming couple, though perhaps their relationship does set a pretty high bar for real people to aspire to. No arguments, no overwhelming sexual pressure, seemingly utter trust. I've never experienced that in real life—two people who grow up in different households (as you usually do if you're going to be romantically involved) will have some incompatible ideas about how life should proceed, big occasions and little details both. And couples will fight over both.

But this is fantasy, so why not conjure a ultra-romantic relationship as well as the fairy world?


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She is the Darkness / Glen Cook

She is the Darkness by Glen Cook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Black Company doesn't get very far in this installment of their tale. They're stuck outside Longshadow's Overlook for the vast majority of the book, wallowing in mud, barely making do for food, hunkering down during earthquakes, and defending themselves from the shadows turned loose by one of their least favourite wizards. But despite this lack of movement, I found it involving reading. If you, like me, have made it this far in the series, you're pretty invested in the Company, it's quest, and it's future.

Murgen, our standard-bearer and narrator, has his own struggles to deal with—the pain of losing his wife, the annoyance of her uncommunicative and ever-present family, and the odd duties that his strange talents have saddled him with. Actually, Murgen's ability to *walk the ghost,* apparently a form of astral projection, is an ingenius way for Cook to show us what is happening away from the Black Company without having to change narrator. Some folks are more difficult to track than others, leaving enough uncertainty to make things interesting. Plus, one man can't be everywhere at once, so some things will remain unseen. Murky enough to produce the necessary plot tension.

The title of the book, although apt, is a bit nebulous until the last pages. There are plenty of women with dark designs involved in the action, so the reader has choices. Lady, Kina, Soulcatcher, or the Daughter of Darkness. These women haven't been held back by their gender! They are powers to be conjured with.

There are interesting revelations and setbacks, as well as forward movement. All the paranoid, back stabby plotting that we expect from Croaker and Lady. It's reassuring to know that some things don't change.

Book number 364 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project


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Land Mammals and Sea Creatures / Jen Neale

Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Humans are strange animals. For one thing, we like to deny that we are animals, that we are connected to the natural world, or that death is a normal and necessary part of life. I saw a cartoon once of various animals thinking, *Eat, survive, reproduce.* They were clear on their purpose. The next panel was a person wondering, *What's it all about?* We make life so complicated for ourselves. Jen Neale explores these complications, denials, and inevitabilities in this novel.

In the first chapter, we witness the beaching of a blue whale, self-destruction in action. Every year, whales head for land and strand themselves, dying a horrible death, but no one yet has deduced why this behaviour exists. Surely the self-destructive genes should be weeded out of the population by now? This foreshadows much of the action ahead in the book. Marty, Ian, Julie, Nancy, they are all dancing around the self-destructive impulse. Neale mirrors that in the natural world, with the decaying whale carcase, a lost dog, a road killed racoon. Is it as normal as the impulse to live?

It made me think about depression, PTSD, suicide, and how one responds to those things. In a society where we can order anything on the internet except happiness, where war, hunger, and disease are everyday life for many people, where we are busily damaging our environment to satisfy economic goals.

Julie is to Marty as Marty was to his dog, Midge. Like Julie with the little racoon, Bert. Hanging on, unwilling to let go. Desperately wanting the other creature to want the same thing that they do. Part of life is learning that it doesn't work that way, but it's a difficult lesson and not everyone absorbs it. Is Jennie/JLL/Victoria representing how the arts can help us when life gets ugly? Not necessarily to make things better, but to make the path clear? To assist in processing emotions that we've denied, pushed down, avoided? How easy it is to seek comfort, how burdensome it is to face realities.

Marty has made a small B.C. town into his own personal hell. The miasma of decaying whale permeates the community, telling us exactly how much his life stinks. As Milton wrote, *The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.* We each need to decide where it is we live, not necessarily the physical location, but the psychological one. Every living thing dies eventually, individual or species. It's awful, it's necessary, and it also has its own beauty.


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