All the Murmuring Bones / A.G. Slatter

 

4 out of 5 stars

Each May, I try to read a book or two featuring mermaids and occasionally mermen. It's my version of MerMay. This dark fantasy tale was very entertaining, mimicking both the fairy tale and the gothic romance, switching between them at will. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, hey presto! The author would send me back the other way with a new bit of knowledge to try to fit in the puzzle.

You know the old saying, when something seems too good to be true, it probably isn't true? The good fortune of the O'Malley family is one of those things. Sure, they've been successful, but at what cost? Miren O'Malley has always been told that her parents died when she was a baby, but when her grandfather dies, she searches through his papers and discovers letters from her missing mother. Then her tough-as-nails grandmother makes it clear that Miren will be marrying her cousin, Aidan, a cruel man who has made it clear that he enjoys hurting her.

But grandparents have trained Miren too well and she is not some helpless waif. She is a determined young woman with talents, wits, and her grandfather's ivory handled pen knife. Her parents are out there somewhere and if she's clever, she'll find them and evade Aidan.

Lots of twists and turns, complete with ruthless mer, creepy ghosts, and horrible family members. Since I got only one MerMay book this year, I am glad it was this one!

The Shepherd's Crown / Terry Pratchett

 

4 out of 5 stars

Sir Terry's last book and a highly enjoyable one. It's probably not as polished as he would have wanted, but it's still a lot better than many books that I've read.

Tiffany Aching is called to the bedside of Granny Weatherwax, to see that formidable woman to her grave. Tiff is sad and a bit worried. What will all the witches do without Mistress Weatherwax? It becomes obvious that she is expected to pick up the mantle, but she feels too young and inexperienced. (This happens to a lot of women, who've been informed by our society that we are “not enough" and shouldn't expect much respect.)

There's lots of good stuff here, including Geoffrey who wants to be a witch, not a wizard, thank you very much! And Tiffany realizes it's her call and she can't see why not. Things don't need to stay the same, in fact they're changing a lot. One thing that does remain is the Nac Mac Feegle and their kelda, Jeannie. They keep watch over their big wee hag and are there to fight when necessary (and often when it isn't).

I'm glad that I read Going Postal before this installment, as I knew a little about the railways, the clacks, and some of the cameo characters that would have meant nothing to me otherwise. It's sad to realize that there will be no more Discworld adventures. I'd like to think that Pratchett had plans for Tiffany and Preston, but I guess I'll never know for sure.

Destroyer / C.J. Cherryh

 

4 out of 5 stars

It seems that Bren Cameron is destined to find himself in the saddle, on a fearsome mecheita, in the company of the Dowager, grandmother to the ruler of the aetevi, Tabini. (It always seems to me that riding these animals must be rather like riding a huge, mean draught horse.) Bren & co have returned from a two year space mission, only to find the aetevi home world in chaos. The government is overthrown and Tabini and his consort are missing. Cajierei, Tabini's son, had also been on the space voyage, so their guards must protect an elderly woman, a boy of eight years, and a foreign human, who all owe their loyalty and man'chi to Tabini. They land the space shuttle on the human-occupied continent and it is Bren's brother, Toby, who ferries them across the strait to aetevi territory.

As usual, Bren is thinking and overthinking the situation. He is extraordinarily prone to blaming himself for circumstances well beyond his control. But plenty of time on a mecheita gives a body time to work through things, when one isn't absolutely exhausted or dodging gunfire. Bren still hasn't learned that he can't control what other beings will do (including his brother), but by book's end he has limited himself to deciding only his own actions.

Cajieri has become a very mature eight-year-old, and has developed his own network of man'chi as soon as he hit the aetevi continent. Another of Bren's worries dealt with—so much time spent with humans hasn't crippled the youngster's aetevi instincts.

Cherryh explores the struggle to modernize a very conservative civilization, with kerfuffle being inevitable. But change is also relentlessly approaching. Aetevi and humans are going to have to deal with the kyo, the third alien species, whom the Dowager and Bren negotiated with in the last book. And the kyo have suggested that there is yet another alien species out there to be contacted and make peaceful treaties with. Not to mention the relations between at least two aetevi factions and three or more human groups. Politics is Cherryh's forte, along with constructing believable and truly alien societies. I am looking forward to the next book, Pretender, this fall.

Book Number 457 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell / Susanna Clarke

 

3.6 out of 5 stars

I am not usually put off by long books. However, nothing these days is normal. The years of pandemic have changed my reading habits, hopefully not permanently. One of my current issues is attention span, which is an impediment when confronting a 1,000 page tome. I renewed and renewed the library book, but at some point the library kindly suggests that there's little point to continuing the process. I set to with determination when I had ten days left in which to read it. I have found my best reading got done when I removed myself to the library, where there were fewer distractions.

I think if I had read this several years ago that I would not have had the same struggle to finish it. When I was reading, I enjoyed the experience, but if I set the book down, it was difficult to pick it back up. However, I found it to be entertaining and I was particularly pleased by the ending. I really appreciated the destiny of Stephen Black and how the Raven King was able to make it so. We think that we make our own way in the world, making decisions and pursuing plans, but perhaps we can be manipulated into bringing things into being that we had never dreamed. How wonderful that would be! Both Strange and Norrell seem only partially cognizant of how much they were the conduit of the King's intentions, which is best for all concerned. Proud men would be unhappy to feel they had no say in the matter at all.

I may seem ungrateful, but I am really delighted to be finished this enormous novel, to no longer feel guilty about my reluctance to read it, and to be free to pursue other matters. Perhaps I will revisit it in the future if I regain my former concentration and enthusiasm for longer tales.

Book Number 456 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Deep House / Thomas King

 

5 out of 5 stars

2022 Free Range Reading

A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. Mind you, it would have been on my 2022 list had I realized it was going to be published! I have no idea how this got by me for five months. Well, I knew that Mr. King had said he was done writing. But I should have counted the DreadfulWater books—I also knew that he had a contract to write more as part of a deal to get the first couple of them republished under his name, not the pseudonym. 

I love the community of Chinook. Sheriff Duke Hockney is a particular favourite of mine, as is Cooley Small Elk. I was sorry to see the elder Moses the worse for wear from covid. But the greatest happiness came from the return of Freeway, the cat. She's back, with kittens in tow. Just as Thumps' sometimes girlfriend, Claire, is with her adopted child, Ivory. It's the supporting cast as much as DreadfulWater that truly make these books for me.

In actual fact, Thumps is a Sad Sack when it comes to relationships. He seems to think he shouldn't have to put in any effort but still be able to enjoy the good bits: the warm home, the sweet little girl, and the company of her mama. He has Freeway to teach him about taking care of mothers and kittens. About being less selfish in general.

As usual, King's sense of humour was delightful. Thumps's internal dialog is frequently ironically entertaining. Could I be lucky enough that Thumps will have further adventures? I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that King will be as unable to truly retire from writing as another King, Stephen King, has been. The words just seem to keep flowing out of that guy, so maybe I can hope the trait goes with the surname? There's only four years difference in their ages, so I have my hopes. We readers are greedy, we always want one more book from our favourites. 

The Plot is Murder / V.M. Burns

 

3.25 out of 5 stars

2022 Free Range Reading

A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. I've found myself ‘stuck' this week, making little progress at anything, be it a book, household chores, or projects. Choosing a free range book will often shake me out of the rut that I'm mired in.

Having said that, I have a mixed relationship with cozy mysteries. The writing must be top notch to keep me focused on the story and not mentally editing & critiquing. This novel came close to that threshold, but didn't quite meet my criteria. The author used one of my most hated tropes, the completely incompetent cop. She sets him up to be an asshole, naming him Brad Pitt, but making him unattractive and dumb, then gives him an insulting childhood nickname (which Samantha's grandma knows because she taught him).

There is also a novel within the novel here, as Sam is writing a British cozy mystery whenever she is stressed or sleepless. Her story is not bad, but the British details are stereotypical and awkward, leading me to urge my friends in the UK to avoid this book (unless they want a laugh, I guess). The plot itself isn't horrible (although basic, as necessitated by the book-within-a-book format), but I would venture the opinion that Burns has never visited the UK nor had any English friends.

What made up for those two detracting factors was the coterie of older women who team up with Sam to solve the mystery. One of them has a battalion of grandchildren and great nieces & nephews with all kinds of connections that come in extremely useful. One of them is willing to date one of the elderly male suspects to get the intel on him and his family. Nana Jo can brandish a gun with the best of them and one of her pals is a martial arts student. Another can ferret out all kinds of info by making friends while in the ladies loo. They are enthusiastic, blunt in their opinions, and loyal to their friends. Samantha may ultimately figure out who dunnit, but she would never have got there without her posse of vital older women!

In short, there is potential here and I can see myself reading the next book eventually. Hopefully both Detective Pitt and the attempts to write British mysteries will be left behind and the author will find better tools for her next installment.

Tempest-Tost / Robertson Davies

 

4.3 stars

The (Mostly) Dead Writers Society Author in Residence program 2022

My introduction to Robertson Davies was his wonderful Fifth Business in an introductory English course during my first year of university, over 40 years ago! I know that I read the Salterton trilogy shortly after concluding the Deptford trilogy and I seem to recall being underwhelmed. What can I say? I was young (about the age of Griselda) and didn't properly appreciate this witty novel.

There is no doubt that this was a first novel, but written by a man who was both an experienced playwright and actor. He has good dramatic timing and doesn't overdo the ridiculous antics of his characters. You can tell this book is written by a man who has daughters. Freddy and Griselda are depicted realistically, with sisterly disdain for one another and behaviour congruent with that of young women of the time (1950s). I must say that I completely understood Freddy's presence at the auction, competing for the box of old books.

This is also an author who has been involved in small town amateur theatre, maybe exaggerating a little for effect, but accurately reflecting the community politics involved in such an endeavour. At this point, Davies’ father was still alive and he apparently was still trying not to be too outrageous. This is a dress rehearsal for The Deptford Trilogy, where he was able to pull out the stops and write the marvelously weird characters that I love him for.

Although I consider his later work to be better than this novel, it is still extremely enjoyable and a very worthwhile read. I'm pleased to be old enough and hopefully wise enough now to truly appreciate this very Canadian book.

The Algebraist / Iain M. Banks

 

3.7 out of 5 stars

This is a very interesting novel of Banks for what it is and what it isn't. It is a sprawling tale, set in a universe inhabited by many species, of which humanity is just one of the many. Humans aren't in some superior or inferior position—they get along, work with their partner species, and enjoy hedonistic pursuits, long life, and what seems like a utopian capitalist society. And this definitely isn't the Culture universe which Banks is well known for. Artificial intelligence has been demonized and is destroyed whenever it can be identified. There are no sentient ships or smug drones.

Our main character, Fassin Taak, is a Seer, a scholarly visitor to the Dwellers, inhabitants of the gas giant planet in his home solar system. Dwellers are eccentric and seem to be anarchic, Plus they live at a much slower speed than those they call the Quick. Having a lifespan of potentially billions of years, they have traveled the universe without faster-than-light speeds or wormholes, undaunted by the elapsed time. They have little interest in anything outside their own planetary affairs and are not especially welcoming to Seers or anyone else. Much of the time they seem to be scatter-brained and easily distracted.

Fassin has had more luck than some Seers, in that he has acquired a sponsor, Y'sul. Possibly because Fass is intelligent, gentle, and patient but still brave enough to actually physically enter the gas giant atmosphere and slow himself to Dweller standard. Despite his scholarly endeavors, no one could be more surprised than Fassin when he is abruptly seconded by the military arm of his local government. Apparently, the Dwellers have a secret network of wormholes, which the Mercatoria would like to claim access to, and Fass has uncovered an ancient volume pertaining to it. He is quickly given a military rank and a mission to find out more. He is skeptical, but refusal does not seem to be an option.

Skepticism seems to have been a permanent condition for Mr. Banks, as it permeates this tale. He subtly questions the continued existence of the absurdly wealthy, the morality of the military, as well as the approved ‘religion' of his creation, known of course as the Truth. Fassin Taak quite openly doubts that the Truth is any such thing. It is all explored with typical Banks humour, not the satire of writers like Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, but just illustrated by a quiet man doing his duty, no matter how absurd he finds it.

Book Number 455 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Hexed

 

2.5 out of 5 stars

I'm somewhat disappointed that I spent money on this anthology. When I calculated my average my star values for the four novellas, the result was 2.5 stars. The highest marks go to Ilona Andrews because…Ilona Andrews. I know their characters, they feel like old friends, and I always enjoy learning more about them or just getting to hang out with them in their world.

The fourth story by Jeanne C. Stein was the next most entertaining because vampires. I usually like a good vampire tale. The middle two stories were forgettable and I can't imagine wanting to reread them. I'll probably hang on to the volume for the sake of the Andrews' story. I should have had the patience to interlibrary loan it. Perhaps I'll be wiser next time?

Cards on the Table / Agatha Christie

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

May 2022 Appointment with Agatha

I must admit the mystery plot of this book wasn't one of my favourites, but what fun to have M. Poirot, Colonel Race, and Superintendent Battle all in the same book. Both Battle and Poirot twinkling all over the place! Plus the delightful addition of Ariadne Oliver, Ms. Christie's alter-ego. Mrs. Oliver has her Finnish detective who she wishes she had never invented, as Christie reputedly felt about Poirot. But both of them soldier on, producing more books about these men.

When Rhoda Dawes goes to visit Mrs. Oliver, she is treated to that author's perspective on writing, that everyone thinks it's ever so easy, but there's a lot of planning involved and frequently plot problems that require a lot of work to iron out. I finally realized that I had previously met Ariadne in a much later novel, Hallowe'en Party. It took me a while to make the connection.

If I was to subtract points, it would be for the focus on bridge, a game with which I am completely unfamiliar (and I'll happily stay unenlightened). Those details are rather like Dorothy Sayers' railway schedules in The Five Red Herrings or the code breaking in Have His Carcase. I try to let all these clever details just flow around me without requiring serious thought!

Going Postal / Terry Pratchett

 

3 out of 5 stars

I struggled to get into this Discworld novel. I've been enjoying the Tiffany Aching series and this is so different that I found myself floundering, trying to find the commonalities. I had to push myself to get to about the 150 page mark, but once I made it there, it felt less like wading through molasses.

Finally, I was seeing the social commentary that I have come to expect from Sir Terry. Laughing at the amount of work that con men like Moist von Lipwig are willing to put in to avoid work. Giggling when the greedy businessmen get taken by a Ponzi scheme. Snorting at the silliness of the Igors, the cynicism of Adora Belle Dearheart, the fanatic collector Stanley, among others. Some of them resembling people that I recognize from my own history.

I frequently find written humour to be a bit opaque, but this was accessible even to the humour-handicapped like me. Probably an audiobook would be the best way for me to appreciate Pratchett's books, but I haven't mastered that medium yet.

Book Number 454 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Broken Soul / Faith Hunter

 

4 out of 5 stars

2022 Re-Read

Hunter has assembled quite the cast of characters and it seems that everyone is on deck for this book. Jane and Beast have some choices to make, to bind them into a better fighting machine and to heal their broken souls. They can do this because of the circle of supporters Jane has built around her/them. That's one of the best aspects of urban fantasy, in my opinion. You don't have to do everything yourself--it's okay to accept help from your friends.

This is the book where Jane and George finally consummate their relationship, perhaps the worst timing ever, as it seems to send the Master of the City into a jealous rage. Leo is definitely a dog in the manger. He has a number of lovers and is greedy to have Jane, too. It's the old patriarchal B.S., where he is ultra controlling and only gives gifts as manipulations. What a contrast with George, who puts Jane in charge of the speed of their relationship and gives gifts that are meaningful to her.

So, the European vampires are expected, bringing trouble in their wake. Hunter has cleverly woven an alternative history of the crucifixion into her work and is taking her readers on an action-packed adventure through her imaginary world. The ultra-talented computer hacker, Reach, has been tortured and has given up unknown quantities of data. And we must wonder how Jane and Leo will resolve their situation. As Beast would say, “Fun!"

Fantastic Hope / edited by Laurell K. Hamilton & William McCaskey

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

2022 Free Range Reading

A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. In fact, I purchased it primarily for Patricia Briggs' short story about her ancient werewolf character, Asil. That one was the best of the lot for me, as Asil is a favourite of mine, smart, handsome, and proud as he is.

The other short fiction collected here consists of stories designed to be hopeful. Since I mostly find urban fantasy to be a hopeful genre, I'm not sure how it differs from regular anthologies. There were several stories that stood above the rest, in my opinion. No Greater Love by Kacey Ezell was a great twist on the werewolf theme, from a Mormon point of view. I was struck by the dilemma of a very devout person having to choose a path that would normally be anathema. I was also very taken with Skjoldmodir from the duo of Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker. I am very impressed with several writing teams of mixed gender. They seem well balanced to me, and this interpretation of Beowulf is intriguing and reinforces my impressions. I also enjoyed Last Contact by M.C. Sumner, in which I saw significant echoes of Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End.

As in any anthology, there were tales that I found less captivating and one or two of them even boring. But even those have their place, probably appealing to folks with divergent tastes from mine. Literally something for everyone.

The Lyre of Orpheus / Robertson Davies

 

5 out of 5 stars

The (Mostly) Dead Writers Society Author in Residence program 2022

It was my belief that I had never read this final volume of the Cornish trilogy, but as I got started, I began to recognize details dimly here and there. I think I may have had a couple of false starts with it, but this time I have completed the task. That kind of record would lead you to believe that it's a poor book, wouldn't it? Nothing could be farther from the truth!

This book is one of the very last gifts from my mother before her death in a car accident in 1996. She and I were a book club of two, passing novels back and forth, discussing them over pots of coffee, often managing to talk about our own lives through the guise of fiction. I miss her still. And somehow, to read this book was to let go of her in some mysterious way. It has taken me almost 26 years, but I was finally ready.

This is a fitting culmination to the trilogy, giving the Rev. Simon Darcourt his proper place in the sun. The Cornish Foundation funds an opera and manages to “rehabilitate" the redoubtable Francis Cornish, star of the second book. Darcourt gets to resort to some academic skullduggery and leger de main, totally in keeping with his friend Francis' mercurial life.

As usual, Davies provides a plethora of quirky, yet intelligent cast members, quite literally in the case of the opera performers. His time in theatre is obvious when he describes the creative aspects of the job: recruiting singers, constructing sets, arranging schedules, conducting rehearsals, harassing libretticists, etc. No doubt during his time at Massey College he was also involved in the adjudication and bestowing of advanced academic degrees, like that of the talented and obnoxious Schnak.

There is a feeling among readers that the second book of a trilogy is the weakest, even being labelled “second book syndrome.” Davies puts paid to that theory—although all three are fine books, What's Bred in the Bone is easily my favourite of the three. Maybe it's my family's Loyalist stock, but I loved Francis Cornish from Blairlogie to England, to Europe and home again to Toronto. I'm a Virgo, making Mercury and his mischievous influence very attractive, something Francis and I have in common. Like Simon, I've been careful and clandestine about it (as Francis was when he bundled up his preliminary drawings for posterity).

An excellent and fitting conclusion to a masterful triptych.