The Dark Archive / Genevieve Cogman

 

The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a good day—my copy of The Dark Archive arrived and I dropped everything to plunge into it! Who needs clean floors or sparkly bathrooms? Those tasks will wait.

Irene is dealing with a new Fae apprentice as she oversees the new treaty between the Fae and the Dragons. Catherine, the new apprentice, and Kai, being the representatives of Chaos and Order, are obviously going to butt heads. This wouldn't be as big an issue if there wasn't yet another assassination attempt on all three of them.

Cogman is very proficient at setting up challenges for her characters. Irene has to have a particularly twisty brain to come up with the creative solutions required to extricate them from the traps and captivities. I was happy to have a bit more Kai page time in this installment. We get a bonus dragon when his elder brother insists on involving himself too. This sets the brother up for a whole bunch of learning that his royal self was not anticipating. Ha! If anyone can teach him, it'll be Irene.

Catherine is, of course, a relative of Lord Silver's. Unfortunately Lord Silver himself has skipped town to save his own hide. I miss having him oozing around Irene making suggestive comments and driving Kai crazy. Silver is such an excellent villain, it's a shame to hustle him out of town.

There are obviously more books planned. Irene and Kai's relationship is based on the shaky assumption that their superiors don't decide to send them in different directions. Catherine has potential to be an interesting choice of apprentice. Shan Yuan, Kai's brother, seems to have ulterior motives that would be fun to explore. Plus there are a couple of big reveals at the book's end that set things up nicely for the further adventures of Irene Winters. That is excellent.


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If I Knew Then / Jann Arden

 

If I Knew Then: Finding wisdom in failure and power in aging by Jann Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Breathtakingly, devastatingly honest. I don't know if you like Jann Arden's music, if you don't, or if you don't even know who she is. She's right around my age, she lives in my area of Alberta, and we both have aging on our minds. There are potentially many years ahead of us and we are both determined to do the most with them that we possibly can. We are entering the Crone stage of life, where we can do exactly what we like without worrying about what other people think. Our own opinions are all that matter now. I understand what one of my senior women friends meant when she advised me when I turned 50 that I was just coming into my power. Now I get it (and she is no longer here to see me make the mental connection, sadly).

A few pearls of wild woman wisdom from Jann:
“I appreciate the fact that my body is carting my soul around and it's doing a spectacular job of it. I see such strength and ability in myself, which I didn't even notice, let alone appreciate, when I was a young woman.”
“Getting older in this life is a privilege.”
“If you don't learn about problem solving at a young age, you can't expect to effectively navigate problems in adulthood.”
“You have to keep going forward even if that forwardness is kind of sideways—sometimes backwards.”
“Becoming wiser is the reward for getting older.”
“[The Crone is] not going to stay in relationships that aren't loving and thoughtful and uplifting, and I mean any relationship, not just the ones where you're naked with the other person. In fact, the Crone doesn't need to be in a relationship. She is strong standing right where she is, on her own, breathing in and out on top of the mountain, owning every single thing she's ever done.”

There's very little about Jann's career in this memoir, but plenty of life lessons and hard won experience. If you like reading memoirs, I would highly recommend this one. It is a quick read, but if you're a woman who wants some bracing encouragement, this is your book.


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The Three Musketeers / Alexandre Dumas

 

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have dim memories of watching a tv show about the Three Musketeers when I was a child. Particularly the four men crossing swords and proclaiming “One for all and all for one!” That doesn't happen very often in the book, much to my surprise. I was always mystified as a youngster why there were four men, but the show was titled Three Musketeers. That matter is finally explained to me, as D'Artagnon doesn't belong to the same military unit as his friends do.

I had to continually remind myself that these were extremely young men, to try to excuse some of their behaviour, so belligerent, rash, selfish, and manipulative! Relying on women for their spending money, drinking like fish, continually involved in plots and counterplots. But if these are honourable gentlemen, Goddess save me from the cads of that time! Their honour doesn't seem to hold very much water, if there is something to be gained from being deceitful.

So many people adore this novel, I wonder what I'm missing? Yes, there is swashbuckling (to a ridiculous extreme) but serious history is reduced to a series of love affairs and jealousies. It seemed perilously close to being a tawdry novel, redeemed only by its age and general reputation. I have seen these characters referred in so many other works, they have obviously been influential. People, such as myself until now, reference its details though they haven't read it. Was it Mark Twain who declared that a classic is a book that people praise but don't read?

I can appreciate that this was an influential novel, but my goodness it was long!


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Battle Ground / Jim Butcher

 

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How in the world to rate this? It was awful and it was awesome. I never thought I would say this, but this book was too long. It began with the flurry of a battle already joined, with Harry confronting the released kraken. In many ways, this book and the previous one (Peace Talks) should have been one volume, but then I would really be whining about the length. We usually get a bit of gentler prologue, if you will, to ease us into the action. There were no such pleasantries here. I felt abruptly yanked into the maelstrom.

Be aware also that important people are killed in this installment. I cried on more than one occasion, mostly for one significant loss. It didn't feel fair, but then life isn't fair, is it? So I'm chalking this situation up to Butcher writing reality. You can't go into the heart of the apocalypse and expect everyone to come out unscathed. It sucks, but it's realistic.

When I was about at the 40% mark when I started to realize that Harry's Chicago will never be the same again. It was a chilling realization. Would there even be another book? And I'm still not sure. Butcher left some loose threads that he could pick up again and resume weaving, but where is there for him to take things? Each book has seen Harry learn a little bit more, gain a little more power, gain friends and allies, and each book has him facing a bigger threat than the last one. There's nowhere for that progression to go anymore. Once you've fought a Titan, a demigod, are there bigger threats? If Butcher is to continue on, he will have to find a way to make smaller foes seem more interesting. No small feat. In many ways, if this turned out to the last volume, it would be a reasonable ending point.

So, the unanswered questions include: what the heck is this “starborn" stuff? Can Thomas be saved and his little family made safe and sound? What will the humans of Chicago do in the aftermath? Plus several other matters that are too spoilery to mention. All worthy questions, but nothing like fighting a Titan and an army of the Formor.

Now that I've worked my way through this turmoil of thought, I think I am willing to give this book 4 stars. Because it is consistent with what we know of Harry Dresden and with what I have come to expect from Jim Butcher.


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Song for the Basilisk / Patricia A. McKillip

 

Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A. McKillip
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4+ stars, more than 4, somewhat less than 5.

This was a rich fantasy world, riding the line between history and myth. McKillip's writing revealed a dreamy world, where music has incredible power if you know how to use it and people wield unusual powers.

The villain of the piece, the Basilisk of the title, is a man whose ruthlessness is on display. Like the creature on his crest, he can turn people to stone with his gaze and spit poison at his enemies. One of his daughters has studied beside him in his lab and shares these abilities.

How can a mere musician stand up to such a power? He can visit the hinterlands, learning the power of various instruments and songs. He can regain his blocked memories and return to the city where it all began.

If you are a fan of writers like Guy Gavriel Kay, Charles de Lint, or Robin Hobb, I suspect that you will also like McKillip. They all share that blend of magical fantasy and medieval settings that I am personally addicted to.

Book number 394 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.



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Teen Killers Club / Lily Sparks

 

Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a stand alone novel, a rarity these days, especially in the YA genre. So that's refreshing. The premise is kind of grim and yet funny at the same time—convicted teen killers selected for a sort of summer camp for professional killers. Kind of like Looking for Alaska crossed with Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

The author has been a camp counselor, so probably started out by fantasizing what she might like to do to some little puke who made themselves obnoxious. (I've never been a camper, my experience consisted of working in a camp kitchen, so I only experienced this rite of passage as an observer and I admired the counselors' patience. I was grateful to deal with dishes, not campers.)

Signal has ended up in this camp through someone's malice. She woke from a drugged stupor with her only frenemy's decapitated head in her lap. Signal & her mother live in a trailer park, so there's no money for a lawyer and Signal goes to jail. She has scored highly on a psychiatric test that identifies stone cold killers too, so between the two, she is chosen for this deadly commando training. But it rapidly becomes obvious that she didn't kill her friend and doesn't have what it takes to harm anyone. How is she even going to survive training, let alone her first assignment?

This is a seventeen year old main character, pretty naïve really, so of course she wants friends and a boyfriend, even if she is surrounded by sociopaths. And for people who have very few emotions, her unusual peer group seems to find a certain degree of connection with her. But we question the reality of these associations every step of the way right along with Signal. One thing these peers recognize is that Signal doesn't belong in their circle.

So, not realistic at all, but great entertainment. I'm just recovering from a nasty migraine and this was the perfect antidote. Nothing too heavy or complex, just silly fun.


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The Bradbury Chronicles / Sam Weller

 

The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book holds the distinction of being the oldest item on my Goodreads TBR list. I decided that now was the time to do something about that. I came to Bradbury's writing late. I'd never read a thing by him until I started an idiosyncratic science fiction & fantasy reading project back in 2011, just a year before the great man's death.

As so many people before me, I was blown away by Fahrenheit 451 (having read it in conjunction with Huxley's Brave New World and Orwell's 1984). I was impressed (and I recycled my television set). My reading also included The Martian Chronicles and Something Wicked This Way Comes, which I must re-read some day as I don't think I appreciated them properly. Timing is everything for my reading enjoyment and I think I rushed into these books, not knowing what to expect.

So this account of Bradbury's life was of interest to me. I started out a bit skeptical, as the author was in many ways an acolyte of Bradbury and I wasn't sure that I would get a balanced account of his life. As I read, however, I realized that he was well aware of Bradbury's flaws and wasn't trying to conceal them.

Ray Bradbury must have been both a joy and a challenge to know. Outgoing and charming, he seems to have made friends easily and seems to have been loyal to them. Easy to talk to, but inclined hog the spotlight. Confident in his own vision, but desperate for applause. There is no doubt that he was a unique voice in American literature and deserves his reputation, but this need for approval surely made his life more difficult.

Definitely an original. Thank you, Mr Bradbury for your many kind words about libraries and librarians. As a retired library worker, I appreciate you in return.


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The Spine of the World / R.A. Salvatore

 

The Spine of the World by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quite a shift from previous Legend of Drizzt books, in that Drizzt doesn't appear in it. He provides some commentary, rather like voice over in television, but other than that he appears only in Wulfgar's memories.

And that was the rub for me, for this is very much Wulfgar's book and he is not my favourite character in this series. I must admit that I now like him better, since he has been tested by life and is emerging from darkness. He has faced awful torment and returned to his essential honourable nature and I can appreciate that strength of will.

Like so many of these rather medieval fantasy worlds, the Drizzt universe is very patriarchal. Cattie-Brie is the rare woman who can run her own life. In this installment, we watch peasant girl Meralda graduate to being the wife of a nobleman. Apparently sexual misadventure is the only source of plot conflict “conceivable” for women by most authors, but for me that is so boring. It reduces women to only their sexual aspect, a very narrow role. Nevertheless, these limitations were and are a reality where birth control and women's rights are missing.

On the plus side, Salvatore has continued with grittier plots with more moral ambiguity and I'm liking that. It will be interesting to see how he integrates previous plot details into this new version of Drizzt's world.

Book number 393 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.



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The Man in the Brown Suit / Agatha Christie

 

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne Beddingfeld is a fun main character, a young woman who is determined to find adventure and of course, a dashing man. So when her paleoanthropologist father kicks the bucket, she packs up her few possessions & pounds and heads to London. Goodreads tells me that this is a Colonel Race novel, but he seems like a secondary character here, rather unfair of Christie. He's a good character, but somehow she lavished her attention on Poirot!

Christie's espionage novels are so entertaining—totally unbelievable, but carried out with such enthusiasm. While reading this one, I thought of M.M. Kaye's Death in … series, published in the 1950s, they could have been modelled on this novel. I was also reminded a bit of Ian Fleming's Diamonds Are Forever, probably mostly because of the diamond angle, and because I know that Fleming was an admirer of Christie's writing.

At least in this novel, Anne gets to spend some time getting to know the man that she has set her heart on rather impulsively. In Kaye's novels (and, frankly, Mary Stewart's) the young women trust far too easily and too soon, committing to men with whom they are barely acquainted. I did like Anne's bravery, even if it did seem foolhardy at times. Really, sailing to South Africa with just a few bucks in her purse!

It was also fun to be reminded of some spots in South Africa that I visited a few years ago. The dusty, hot Karoo and the Kimberley, for instance. All in all, an entertaining couple of evening's reading.



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I Dare / Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

 

I Dare by Sharon Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had meant to read this book later in the year, but I held it in my hands and couldn't resist the temptation to see what happened next. I'm so glad that I was able to indulge the desire.

This novel reads like a thriller, with the Clan Korval separated in space and time, with Plan B in effect, and many family members out of touch. We are quickly introduced to Val Con's cousin, Pat Rin, who never passed his pilot's exam, but is an excellent shot and a gambler of some note. We also meet Anthora, the family dramaliza or wizard, with freaky powers, living in the family house complete with magical Tree and some seriously spooky cats.

Pat Rin unexpectedly shows his genetic heritage in his response to the Department of the Interior. They manage to convince him that he may be the only living member of Clan Korval, leading him to retreat to a backwater planet and take it over. Surebleak is run by various gangs, some better than others but all brutal. Pat Rin moves in and uses his natural leadership skills to improve life on Surebleak for all its citizens.

Lee & Miller take all of the various plot lines that they have running and spin a coherent and gripping thriller out of them. I am always delighted when the Clutch, giant sentient turtles, feature in these novels, so having Edger and Sheather show up with a groovy spaceship carved out of an asteroid was a treat.

Now I truly must move on to other titles and series, but I have enjoyed this visit to Liad.

Book number 392 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.


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Plan B / Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

 

Plan B by Sharon Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I become more and more fond of these tales of the Liaden universe. I also found myself thinking often of Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan, especially her Komarr and A Civil Campaign novels. There is a similar combination of espionage, battle details, meetings between families, and an undercurrent of romance. In fact, Val Con yos'Phelium very carefully binds to himself a disgraced Yxtrang explorer. This is a very Miles Vorkosigan thing to do.

Just like many of the strays that Miles has bound to himself over the course of the books, Nelirikk Explorer (the Yxtrang in question) is now fanatically loyal to the yos'Phelium line. Funny how being treated fairly and having your skills and knowledge appreciated can inspire devotion, something that many managers should take notice of.

If one ever had any doubt in the plotting and planning abilities of House Korval, this novel will dispense with them. It rapidly becomes apparent that plans have been laid for generations, leaving the reader to wonder exactly what the family is involved in that requires these sorts of machinations. For suddenly Plan B is activated, bringing Val Con and Shan together under less than ideal conditions, unable to enjoy their reunion. Why is the Liaden Department of Interior pursuing them so determinedly and violently?

Needless to say, the desire to read on is strong! Soon, Liad, I will return to see what is happening with my favourite renegade family.

Book number 391 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.


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January Thaw / Jess Lourey

 

January Thaw by Jess Lourey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun, fast mystery for my first book of 2021. I have become quite fond of this series and I really enjoy the comedy team of Mira James and Mrs. Berns. This is humour that I can appreciate, something I comprehend. How can I resist Mrs. Berns, who asks questions like “Are you writing a book in your head or are you holding in a fart?” What can I say, I enjoy very simple jests.

It helps that Lourey can plot a pretty good mystery, plus she provides a continuing plot about Mira's love life, her professional development, her friends and neighbours. As much as I love the mystery genre, I really love the soap opera like details of this ongoing story line. I like getting to know characters over the course of several books, giving me a chance to become fond of them. It helps that Lourey doesn't write Mira (or Mrs. Berns) as unintelligent. Both women can add up details to get to results quickly, even if Mira has problems with relationships. At least she seems to be working through her issues, not repeating them ad nauseum (Kay Scarpetta, I'm looking at you!)

I also appreciate the kindness of these main characters, who seem to be acquiring quite a circle of friends and pleasing acquaintances. There's quite enough negativity in the world right now and I find that this depiction of caring people makes me feel better about life, not worse.

I've been plotting my reading life for the New Year and I think I will likely weed out some lesser mystery series to make room for more Mira in my life.


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So Long, 2020!

 

2020 on Goodreads by Various
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2020 Reading Summary

What a weird year! Despite having more time available for reading, I found my attention wandered too much to be very effective at the task. What should have been an exceptional year became an average year and I found myself hiding in genre fiction, unable to face books with serious or heavy subject matter. Whether I enjoy a book or not is usually more to do with me than the book. I don't give 5 stars often or easily, but I may award 4 stars more readily than some. I find most of my choices wind up in 4 stars and this year was no exception.

Total books read: 234

Longest book: The Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton (and for me it was a stinker!)

Shortest book: Silent Night by Milla Vane (a short story)

Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project: 45 books completed.

Favourite reading project book: Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay. I consistently love this man's novels and my only regret is that I have only 3 of his titles yet to read. Thankfully, there is a strong likelihood that he will produce more.

Best new-to-me author: Willa Cather, whose O Pioneers! And Death Comes for the Archbishop charmed me.

Best Mystery novel: Obsidian: A DreadfulWater Mystery by Thomas King. I have loved this series about Thumps DreadfulWater, former cop and current professional photographer, whose life in the small town of Chinook has entertained me for 5 volumes. Sadly, King has pronounced himself done writing, but at least we are left with some excellent re-reading options.

Best Paranormal Novel: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. Not your average vampire book, this one made me think about many of the assumptions held in common in our society and about the racial inequality that plagues us.

Best Artificial Intelligence: All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Murderbot is such a fabulous character, supposedly nonhuman, but really exquisitely human in so many ways. After all the books that make artificial intelligence seek to become humanity's overlords, this one introduces us to an AI who would rather goof off and watch TV. Brilliant!

Unexpected New Enthusiasm: fiction by women in the early 20th century. For example, Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym, The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson. (Not to mention Cather, above).

Most Anticipated New Book: Emerald Blaze by Iona Andrews. Completely adventure/mystery/romance and one of my favourite confections. I will, with great delight, read anything that this husband and wife duo publish.

Best YA Novel: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White. I've become quite a fan of Ms. White's work and found this retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to be wonderfully disturbing. She took the horror of the original and updated it for the 21st century.

Best Espionage Novel: Nobody Walks by Mick Herron. Another author who has become a “must read" in my opinion. John le Carre may be the undisputed king of Cold War spying, but Herron is master of the 21st century espionage novel, with an unforgettable cast of characters who will amaze you with their twisty minds and their unexpected bravery.

Best Victorian Era Mystery: A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn. Mystery with a good dollop of romance , featuring the irrepressible Veronica Speedwell and the delectable Stoker. The author obviously enjoys these characters, making them a joy to read.

Best Non-fiction: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold. An extremely well researched look at the five victims of Jack the Ripper, effectively switching the focus from the perpetrator to the crime victims. An enlightening look at Victorian society for me, as usually what I have read dealt with the upper classes, not the working people.

Agatha Christie project: I've read 4 novels and 2 books of short stories by the Queen of Mystery in 2020. I've signed on to a reading group where we are reading through Christie's works, one per month, in publication order, so I expect to read 12 more over the course of 2021.

My Shakespeare Project: This project came to a screeching halt this year when cinemas and theatres closed. Once Covid-19 vaccines are available, I'll be in line, rolling up my sleeve for a jab so that I can enjoy these entertainments once again.

Most anticipated books of 2021: An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn, Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire, Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs, Sufferance: A Novel by Thomas King, Slough House by Mick Herron, and anything that Ilona Andrews produces! I also look forward to continuing The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, plus a number of mystery series.

Reading kept me as happy as possible over these pandemic months. I don't know how some people live without books! There were days when I didn't want to cook or didn't bother to get dressed, but there was never a day that I didn't read.

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