The Warden / Anthony Trollope

 

4 out of 5 stars

There is a precept that I try to live by: I frequently ask myself, do I want to be happy or do I want to be right? The upshot of which often has me shutting my mouth and letting others live their lives without my irritating interference. It seems to me that John Bold could have used an explanation of this principle early on in this book. Add to this that you cannot attack an office without necessarily attacking the person who holds the office. You may be sure that the office holder will take it very personally, not recognizing the philosophical hair-splitting.

This novel reminded me of Mrs. Gaskell's North & South, what with the class turmoil in it. I must confess that I was glad to see Mr Harding, the Warden, quit being a door mat and insist on doing things his own way. It is important to live according to our true values, not what other people think. I completely understood his position and would have behaved exactly the same in those circumstances. I must confess that I also was happy to see the archdeacon thwarted and the hospital residents realize that they had come out of the matter worse off than before. Vindictive and classist of me, I know.

I was also reminded of Jane Austen's work, particularly Sense &Sensibility, probably by the complications of Eleanor Harding's relationship with John Bold. I cheered for her when she turned her back on John Bold for attacking her father's church position. One of my few disappointments in the narrative is that Eleanor gets very little page time after the Warden goes to London to see for himself what his situation is. I would have been interested in her life in their new apartment and how she and John reconciled.

I have to say that Trollope can really write. I know that the next Barchester book is awaiting me at the library and I look forward to picking it up.

One, Two, Buckle my Shoe / Agatha Christie

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

I had a long library wait for this book! The previous borrower hung onto it for several weeks past the due date. I had begun to fear it had been ingested by a dog or dipped in the bath or some other mishap!

It always amazes me when people keep Christie books overdue—I always find them quick reads, easily consumed over a day, two if my schedule is hectic. I was intrigued by this title, referencing a rhyme that I learned as a child. And Christie did indeed structure the story around the rhyme, quite ingeniously I thought. Unfortunately, that rendered the tale a little bit stiff and less engaging than some of her more free-form novels. But, as usual, she fooled me regarding the identity of the perpetrator. Unlike some other Poirot stories, where the detective is willing to let the murderer go free, Poirot feels it necessary to turn this one over to the authorities. Take that for killing his dentist!

I was also interested to see Poirot remember fondly a certain aristocratic Russian woman from his past. Who knew that Poirot had an Irene-Adler-like figure in his life! I have often speculated about why Christie made him such a confirmed bachelor. Perhaps the great detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot cannot divide their attentions between crime and romance, but that is sad for them.

So, I made it just under the wire, getting the January Christie done just before month's end. The February book is already waiting for me at the library, so no drama next month.

Magic Tides / Ilona Andrews

 

4 out of 5 stars

My copy of Magic Tides was delivered a day early (I'm glad I checked the parcel tracking info and got dressed earlier than usual on a Saturday!) I did what I always do when a new Ilona Andrews book arrives—I dropped everything and cracked it open.

What a pleasure to be back in Kate's world. This time, we get three points of view, as Curran gets equal time and even Conlan gets a chapter. It's a short little story, but with many of the elements that I expect from Kate's repertoire. Cuddles, the mammoth donkey, is a particular favourite of mine. Kate sets out on Cuddles to rescue the kidnapped nephew of their contractor. She has been firm about the fact that her family must not draw attention to themselves, but Curran knows that Kate is incapable of stealth and plans accordingly. Watching Kate fail at stealth while succeeding at her objective is as entertaining as usual. My only reservation was that I felt the conclusion was a bit abrupt.

Also, I know the Andrews have gone independent, but who did that cover art? I don't know who that woman is, but she's not Kate! Her hair is too dark and she looks about 14. As I read, I kept waiting for this new character to appear. Finally, I realized that the pommel of the sword behind the cover girl's left shoulder must be Sarrat and the image therefore must be Kate. Humph!

Nevertheless, I won't look a gift horse (or mammoth donkey) in the mouth. It seems that House Andrews intends to write more of the Wilmington saga. Shut up and take my money!

Sourcery / Terry Pratchett

 

3 out of 5 stars

My least favourite Discworld book to date. I'm not sure why, as a couple of my preferred characters are here, namely the Librarian and Death. Unfortunately they don't get pivotal roles. I can't say that I like Rincewind very much, but I could get quite fond of the Luggage. An angry magical suitcase is an interesting concept. 

I also appreciate Pratchett's word play. Sourcery vs. Sorcery in this particular instance. I was amused by the theft of three of the four horses of the Apocalypse (oh, excuse me, the Apocraplyse). War, Pestilence, and Famine decide to have another drink after they watch Death ride away. One thing leads to another and soon they are too sozzled to participate in the end of the world.

Who would have thought that one could blunder one's way to preventing world destruction. Rather a hopeful concept really.

Only Bad Options / Jennifer Estep

 

4 out of 5 stars

I'm finding that I'm quite partial to Jennifer Estep's independently published fiction. In the dedication, she refers to this as the book of her heart. It's obvious that she did enjoy writing it.

I read it in a day, so my enjoyment is obvious too. It is extremely similar in tone to another recent Estep novel, A Sense of Danger. It is basically a romance novel, but set in a fantasy/ sci fi setting. Estep seems to like corporate set ups. This female character, Vesper, describes herself as a lab rat working for Kent Corp (similar to Charlotte in A Sense of Danger who is an analyst in Section 47). I loved her mechanical aptitude, aided by her magic that helps her see how to fix or improve things. Her magic abilities are also similar to Charlotte's in that both women get magical warnings of danger.

The male lead, Kyrion, is a warrior (rather like Desmond, the assassin, of Section 47). Kyrion's class of fighters are known as Arrows, deadly and rather amoral. His path crosses Vesper's when she is punished by involuntary conscription into the Imperial forces. It is his turn to make sure the “shock troops" do their jobs and he is surprised to see one woman get up, shed her lab coat, put on a pair of coveralls, and start rummaging around a workstation looking for tools. For reasons that he doesn't understand, he helps her remove the device that is suppressing her voice.

I really appreciate that Estep didn't rush the romance in this book. By book's end, Vesper and Kyrion have realized that they may have more of a connection than they hoped for, but they are headed in very different directions. That is a great way to produce plot tension and inspire readers to head to the next book, Only Good Enemies. I haven't read the second book in either series, but I most definitely will.

Friday Night Bites / Chloe Neill

 

4 out of 5 stars

Book one set up the parameters and introduced the main characters. Here in the second book, the plot thickens. Merit is trying her best to fit into House Cadogan and vampire society, but she is plagued by the feeling like something has gone wrong in her conversion from human to vampire. There's evidence that she will be an extremely powerful vampire when the dust settles, if she can survive that long.

Unfortunately there is less Mallory in this installment since Merit has moved into Cadogan House and the women are no longer room mates. They have also had a major spat, which has yet to be resolved by book's end. There's also less Catcher, not entirely bad in my view. The current set of problems leads to Merit returning to interaction with her family and the elite society that she left behind. Ethan gets to accompany her as her plus one and he finally gets to see first hand why Merit separated herself from her father. Ethan is still (understandably?) ambivalent about his relationship to Merit. Is he her House master and boss, or does he want something more intimate? He runs hot and cold, leaving Merit in a confusing spot. Is she free to pursue Morgan? Has she been ordered to? Does she even want to? It seems like she needs to settle the Ethan question before she can figure out where her romantic life will land.

We also get our first peek at shapeshifters here. The Grand Poobah has arrived in Chicago to head up a major meeting of shifters. The book ends with a couple of opaque comments from him that promise another re-evaluation of Merit's status. It's obvious that he is a Force to be reckoned with and I look forward to see what Neill does with him. (He couldn't be more opposite to Patricia Briggs’ Marrock, Bran, if he tried!)

This series is fun and fast. In two books a lot of ground has been covered, the plot moving at a spritely pace. Ideal urban fantasy in my opinion.

Some Girls Bite / Chloe Neill

 

3 out of 5 stars

Access to e-books is messing with my reading choices! I've been ignoring my paper library books in favour of reading vampire urban fantasy. And I've been having a great time! I've been circling back to series that I didn't have access to before.

I enjoyed this first installment in the adventures of new vampire Merit. Yes, sure, she is a Mary Sue. She's only a few days old when she impulsively challenges her master/maker. Not only does she survive, but she does better than more experienced vamps. Merit has always been strong willed, even as a human. She was turned to “save her life” rather than as a choice. Because she has pointedly made different choices than her parents, this really chaps her. Neill is setting her up as an extremely powerful vampire, whose previous life has set her up to be very resistant to vamp mind influences.

Unlike so many urban fantasy heroines, Merit has a close woman friend, Mallory. This is what saves the book for me. Yes, there's a big focus on romantic relationships, but Mallory and Merit are each other's support system. They are both learning new skills, as Mallory has just discovered her magical talents. So they manage all these changes together. Most urban fantasies leave the main character on her own for a bit.

Of course there is a “love" triangle. Merit is reluctantly attracted to the head of her House, Ethan. He is equally ambivalent. But there is also an attractive Second from one of the rival Houses who has a thing for Merit. He's cute and fun and Merit would probably be interested if she didn't have the pull of Ethan annoying her. It's debatable how much love is involved in either of these potential links.

So it may be predictable, but it's fun and fast. I'll have to restrain myself a bit to avoid bingeing the series and get on with my paper library books.

Sweep of the Heart / Ilona Andrews

 

4 enthusiastic stars out of 5!

Love, love, love the ending!

I really enjoyed this book! I mean, I love Ilona Andrews just as a general principle, but Gordon and Ilona outdid themselves here. First, there is a wonderful circling back from the conclusion of the story to the beginning (supplying the Inn with loads of wood as it prepares to open a new door to a new planet). A very satisfying call back.

Secondly, this was the Greatest Hits album of the Inn Keeper series. Caldenia gets her moment to shine (and glower, threaten, plot, etc.) Orro gets to show his mad Red Cleaver skills. Tony and Marais get to flex a little bit and there was giggling when the identity of Hector Marais' wife is revealed. Lady Karat and Under-Khan Dagorkun are always entertaining, with their predilections for sword play and scheming. The return of First Scholar Thek was noteworthy and his role as debate moderator was perfect. The kidnapping of Wilmos gets the ball rolling, and his Auul wolf, Gorvar, gets to stay with Sean at Gertrude Hunt as he waits for his master's return. And what would an Inn Keeper book do without the lees? Cookie, looking all grown up and plotting with the best of them, is still adorably fluffy. Similarly, we get a cameo of George Camarine and an update on his life provided by Gaston, who becomes the enthusiastic Master of Ceremonies for this intergalactic version of The Bachelor. Even Olasard, the cat, gets a moment.

Third, we get a whole cornucopia of new species. The Andrews always have imaginative aliens and they didn't stint on the novelties here. There are the Oomboles, sentient fish. The Donkamins, highly intelligent but also highly disconcerting and distressing to other humanoids. The Higgra, who seem to be civilized snow leopards. The Dushegubs, sentient, murderous trees. All these species and more, gathered together for a spousal selection ceremony for the Sovereign of the Dominion, Caldenia's nephew, Kosandion. He must choose a spouse from the 12 “contestants" provided, all the while dealing with various plots and running an interplanetary empire.

In short, this was worth the wait. Just when I was starting to wonder if it was lost in the mail, my mailman appeared at my door with the package. I'd read the weekly installments on the Andrews' website, but those did not include the dramatic conclusion! Even the parts that I was familiar with had been edited for clarity, making the whole novel better. I sense we are getting much closer to the end of the story arc, which is both good and bad. Good, in that we may finally find out what has happened to Gerrard and Helen Demille and see a reunion of Dina with Klaus and Maud. Bad, in that I really don't want the Inn Keeper series to end! I enjoy my visits to the Inn so much. Thank you, Iona and Gordon, for hours of reading pleasure.

The Light Pirate / Lily Brooks-Dalton

 

3.7 out of 5 stars

I chose this book for a frivolous reason—a main character named Wanda. Usually fictional Wandas are not nice women. They live on the edge of the law or they leave others to burn to death or something equally unpleasant. So what a treat to find a smart, resilient girl named Wanda after the hurricane of the same name.

In some ways the tale has a dreamlike quality, with nightmarish interludes. It's in some ways a vision of what may come to pass. Or a parable about human behaviour. Wanda's father, Kirby, is of the older time, when people thought they could solve any problem with sufficient technology. Wanda is the wild, untamed version of humanity, adapting to nature instead of fighting it. She has the perfect tutor in this in their next door neighbour, Phyllis. Phyllis is just what every child needs: an adult with skills that she passes along just by taking the child along and teaching by example, including Wanda in her activities. It doesn't hurt that Phyllis is a prepper and a survivalist.

It took a while for the story to gather speed. Rather like a weather system gathering its strength before attaining enough structure to be a proper storm. Wanda is unborn as things begin and tragedies happen before her birth that will shape her life. We are introduced to a number of other people, many of whom will be interwoven in Wanda's later life. Don't give up to soon. I almost threw in the towel before I got to the good stuff.

As I was finishing the book, I realized that I'm used to reading about ancient peoples who are developing civilization. They are becoming domesticated. This book is the reverse of that—these people are going feral. I may have lingering misgivings about the conclusion, but people have survived other disasters, so I am coming to terms with it. Happiness is a definite possibility, despite my inherent doubt.

Much Ado About Vampires / Katie MacAlister

 

3 out of 5 stars

This is Alec's redemption story. We met him in Zen and the Art of Vampires and Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang where he was involved in nefarious schemes. His Beloved-in-waiting had been accidentally killed (run over by panicked oxen and cart). Alec decides revenge is in order: he kills the woman driving the ox-cart, he turns her husband into a Dark One, and then he befriends that man and systematically sabotages all of his relationships, keeping him from finding a Beloved. That frustrated man is Kristoff (from the two books above).

This book opens with a miserable Alec, having been banished to Abaddon (essentially Purgatory) where he has decided to lay down and go into a sort of torpor. This is where an accidentally-banished Cora finds him and decides to revive him. To begin with, he is unappreciative, but he finds himself responding to Cora. Cora has her own problems. She has experienced a traumatic past life regression. Then during her accidental removal from regular life, she has been melded with one of the Tools of Lucifer, plus she has no idea how to get out of Abaddon.

Good old Ulfur, the Icelandic ghost, plays a significant role here. He is a lich, brought back from the spiritual to corporeal form by a lichmaster, and has stolen the three Tools of Abaddon. During his escape, he collides with Cora and they are accidentally turned into human Tools and transported to Abaddon. Things escalate from there.

As per usual in MacAlister's novels, there is overlap with previous books, there are elaborate and quite crackers plans, and a Dark One will find his Beloved. In this case, Alec ends up with two potential Beloveds, proving once again that there is some flexibility in the Beloved dynamic.

I've been having great fun with this ultra-fluffy series, but I think my enjoyment will decline if I read yet another right away. It's time to turn to other fare, but I'll be back to visit the Dark Ones and their Beloveds in the future.

In the Company of Vampires / Katie MacAlister

 

3.3 out of 5 stars

Like many urban fantasy authors, Katie MacAlister is willing to mix and match her fantasy creatures. In this case, she has added in some Norse deities, some Viking ghosts, shapeshifter lions, and a witch or two. There are also a few brief appearances by Ulfur, the Icelandic ghost introduced in the previous two volumes. Unfortunately he has been captured by a necromancer and pressed into service.

Our main character, Francesca, is struggling. When she was a mere 16 years old, she was introduced to Benedikt, a Dark One who recognized her as his Beloved. But Fran wasn't ready to bond permanently with Ben. She wanted to discover her own identity, to get some education and experience, and to figure out if Ben is really the one that she wants. If she really loves him or if the Dark One/Beloved dynamic is overwhelming her true desires. Ben had the sense to let her have the freedom to grow up. He proves that Dark Ones can be flexible if they have enough incentive (and a few brains)! However, Fran's mother is missing and she must return to her childhood environs to head up the search. There she finds Ben, in the arms and trailer of another woman.

Fran has been loaned three Viking Warriors, ghosts made corporeal, by Freya, with the idea that she will also attempt to banish Loki. They provide comic relief, as they choose modern clothing (with Freya's “weasel gold," a Visa card), drink and eat copious amounts, and boast about their sexual prowess and bed as many women as possible, preferably with the largest breasts. Fran keeps a list of things she doesn't wish to discuss with them which keeps getting longer and longer.

Fran has her work cut out for her, but as MacAlister's heroines do, she deals with problems step by step as they present themselves. I may have to return to the book that I skipped where Fran and Ben meet. I'm liking the way the books have characters that recur as supporting actors in following installments. The change in main characters provides variety and keeps things fresh.

As much as I want to keep binging this series, I have physical library books with due dates that I should haul my attention back to….

Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang / Katie MacAlister

 

3 out of 5 stars

I just couldn't wait to see what happened to Pia, her Dark One Kristoff, his DO pal Alec, the Council of Vampires, The Brotherhood of the Light, the Icelandic ghost Ulfur (and his ghostly horse Ragnar), not to mention Pia's friend Magda and her beau Ray. I was lucky to be able to access the e-book through my library (and no one had beaten me to it).

The slapstick continues, as Pia tries to make everyone play nice. Since she is both a Zorya of the Brotherhood and a Beloved of the Dark Ones, she can see both sides and will smite the recalcitrant. There are several plots running concurrently, making things murky, but as Kristoff tells Pia, she will work through the details one step at a time. In the meanwhile, she has fun with their telepathy by tormenting him with erotic fantasies.

One of the best parts of the book (in my opinion anyway) is when Pia is brought before the Vampire Council at the beginning of the novel. It becomes very clear that she has chosen to come of her own accord and that she will take no shit from any of them. I believe that this is a parody of authors like Christine Feehan, whose vampires (oh, excuse me, Carpathians) drag their women around by the wrist, talk down to them, and tell them what to think and feel. Feehan’s heroines think they are smart, but act really dumb and put up with abuse. Pia may appear ditzy, but she's a helluva lot smarter than she lets on and she moves the investigation along. MacAlister's Beloveds definitely rule the roost and spend time deflating large egos, calling a spade a spade, and generally cutting the arrogance down to size!

Not to everyone's taste, but is anything ever? The combination of slapstick and feminism makes this series great fun.

Zen and the Art of Vampires / Katie MacAlister

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

This series is bonkers. The vampires or Dark Ones aren't as suave or competent as they are usually portrayed. The women are blithering idiots. The plot is ridiculous. And it's all quite entertaining.

Pia has never allowed herself to feel smart or confident. She has spent her adult life putting herself down because she isn't half of a couple. Society is hard on women who can't find or don't want a partner and Pia has internalized this judgement. Ironically, after several days dealing with Dark Ones, the Brotherhood of the Blessed Light, and a gaggle of ghosts, all while avoiding Icelandic law enforcement, Pia is able to claim her power. She knows what she wants to do and what she absolutely won't do and she has commitment to stick to her guns.

So, despite all the slapstick shenanigans, Pia comes out of her ruined European tour with more strength than before. Unlike previous books, this one is has a cliffhanger ending, so if you don't like waiting, make sure you have the next book teed up and ready to go!

Assault and Pepper / Leslie Budewitz

 

4 out of 5 stars

No one is more surprised than me at how fond I've become of cozy mysteries over the last couple of years. Yet another side effect of the covid pandemic, I suspect. It's an extremely variable genre, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. I'm pleased to report that this is one of the good ones.

One of the things that I liked about this novel was the way the author broke the usual “rules" of cozies. Pepper Reese may be divorced, but she didn't run off to a small town to find herself. She stayed in Seattle and created a life that she loved. Mind you, she does treat the Pike Place Market as her own small community, allowing the author to write an effective whodunnit. The other tradition that Budewitz subverts is the “necessity" of a love interest for the main character. Pepper has both her ex-husband and a handsome restaurateur buzzing about in her life, but she is unwilling to put up with shit from either of them for the sake of a relationship. In my opinion, we need more books like that!

The novel does rely on one cozy trope: Pepper is determined to get her employee off the hook for the murder that took place on the spice shop doorstep. She may resent some police actions (as we all might in the same position), but she never meddles in their investigation. She pursues her own instincts and finds her own lines of inquiry.

I am very favourably impressed and glad to see there are four more books in the series. I also have to mention the excellent word play in the titles. Cozies are just the best for that!

His Majesty's Dragon / Naomi Novik

 

4 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this first book of the Temeraire series and my first book by Naomi Novik. She provides an interesting alternative history, in which the Napoleonic Wars feature aerial troops on dragon back. The book opens with an English naval vessel capturing a French ship with a dragon egg aboard. At first, there is general celebration, until a bit of research reveals that the egg is likely to hatch before they can reach a port. What will they do with a dragonet on a ship?

When the egg hatches, the dragonet staggers about a bit but ignores the man who has drawn the short straw and is obliged to try to bond with it. Of course the hatchling fixates on the ship's captain, Will Laurence. This situation reminded me of Anne McCaffery's Pern books, where potential dragon riders gathered on the hatching grounds and waited to be chosen by a dragonet. Unlike the dragons of Pern, Novik's dragons are capable of speech, not just telepathic communication. Caught flat-footed by the bonding, Laurence choses a naval name for the beast, Temeraire, the name of a ship.

Dragons seem to inhabit an uneasy place between men and beasts. Most of them are intelligent and all are capable of speech. Yet they are treated largely like extra-intelligent horses, harnessed and used as weapons of war. My cousin and I frequently marvel at the willingness of horses to obey humans—they are much stronger than us and we truly require their co-operation for us to work together. How much more would this apply to a being the size of a dragon? And Laurence sometimes must do some fancy explaining to convince Temeraire to participate in some activities. Dragon and human spend time together reading and I expect that soon Temeraire will soon be better educated than most of the humans around him.

Also similar to Pern, dragon-rider society seems to run along different mores than regular English society. We get to realize it as Laurence navigates the differences from naval culture. The distinctions make sense—dragons tend to overwhelm a person's life, making marriage unlikely. What spouse would put up with playing second fiddle to a dragon? Unlike Pern, there are few female dragon handlers, but they seem to be treated with more respect than the women of Pern.

As you have probably gathered, I think the Pern series was a major influence on Novik, but she has written an updated version (and one that I prefer, though others may feel otherwise). With the obvious intelligence of both Temeraire and Laurence, I expect future books will feature these two shaking up the established order.

Book number 478 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Fortune Favors the Dead / Stephen Spotswood

 

4 out of 5 stars

I hope that this first book of 2023 will be indicative of what my New Reading Year will be like. It has glorious cover art which gives the reader an excellent preview of what they will be getting. Set in the 1940s, the main characters are both women: Ms. Pentecost is a private investigator who also incidentally has multiple sclerosis. Will (Willowjean) Parker is a much younger woman, who left home at 15 and quite literally joined the circus. Pentecost is a Sherlockian genius and Parker is the streetwise protégé. They make a great team.

Will is the narrator. She is an enthusiastic fan of detective literature and tells the tale in a very noir voice. There are certainly plenty of dames in the course of the novel! There is a convoluted family mystery, worthy of Agatha Christie. Mind you, in Christie's time there wouldn't have been the plethora of queer characters as Spotswood provides.

I picked this book up because it was the December choice of the mystery book club sponsored by my local bookstore. I couldn't get it from the library in time for the December meeting, but I intend to start attending these meetings in February. If this book is any indication, they choose excellent mysteries and I look forward to discussing them with other mystery enthusiasts.