The Many-Colored Land / Julian May

 

5 out of 5 stars 

2025 Re-Read

I decided on a reread of Julian May's work in 2025, beginning with this novel. This is my third go round with it and I'm still seeing new things. This series is an odd mix of fantasy and science fiction with psychic decoration. I find it delightful.

This time, I really took note of the Galactic Milieu which looms in the background of this tale, forming the framework for May's vision. It will become more relevant in the following trilogy, The Galactic Milieu. But that's for later this year. Originally, this was my least favoured aspect, being as focused on the Pliocene fauna as I am. It has grown on me.

I also noticed a theme of individualism vs community. The humans who chose the time portal tend to be of the “me first" mindset. Once in the Pliocene, they find they must stick together or hang apart. It suggests that individualism relies on civilization and technology. Since most of us don't make most of the things we use, that independence is largely a illusion. The Galactic Milieu is a more “all for one and one for all" situation (or seems to be, at any rate). The human situation is mirrored by the Tanu and Firvulag, with the Tanu coercing community and the Firvulag being only loosely committed to their group. Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, but once again cooperation gives the feral humans an edge.

We get to view this in the microcosm as well, with the very community minded nun Amerie contrasted starkly with the self-involved sportswoman Felice. Amerie immediately becomes a valued member of the free humans, while everyone is careful of the ultra-focused Felice. Felice gets knocked unconscious on at least one occasion to keep her from ruining a plan that will benefit the group.

Nevertheless, the Green group who came through the portal together are more likely to stick together from their time training as a unit. Upon arrival, the Greens get split into two groups. In this first book we get more time with the individuals who were less favoured by the Tanu. If I recall correctly, the folks who were taken with the Tanu get more page time in volume two. I'll be able to confirm or deny next month when I reread The Golden TorcThe Golden Torc.

The Postscript Murders / Elly Griffiths

 

4 out of 5 stars 

It's becoming a habit to start and end each reading year with an Elly Griffiths book. I am currently hoarding the last few Ruth Galloway volumes, so I began 2025 with the second Harbinder Kaur book. I am coming to be almost as fond of Harbinder as I am of Ruth even though you couldn't get two characters more different from each other.

Harbinder is an Anglo-Indian police officer, in contrast to the Anglo archaeologist Ruth. Harbinder is a lesbian, but she lives with her parents so has very little purview to pursue a relationship. She suspects that her parents would be disappointed if they knew. She actually has a strong bond with her parents, once again unlike Ruth.

Also different is the looser focus on the main character. Yes, Harbinder ties all the various plotlines together, but the ancillary characters get a great deal of page time without her. Like Claire Cassidy in the first volume (who makes an incidental appearance in this one). Perhaps Edwin, Benedict, and Natalka will hang around too. That would be fun.

I also appreciated the method that Harbinder uses to be able to put up with her partner, Neil. She imagines him to be a shy forest creature—wiping his whiskers, twitching his tail, seizing a nut, nibbling, nibbling. I wish I had thought of this when I was still confined to an office! (Retirement really is the best decision I ever made.)

This was a very enjoyable part of the mystery binge that I seem to be indulging in at present. Ms. Griffiths is definitely one of my favoured authors.

Year End Round Up

 This has been a trying year. Our city spent many weeks under severe water restrictions because of a burst water main. We got used to short showers, fewer flushes, and dry gardens. Add to that some forest fire smoke, making the city look apocalyptic on some days. We finished up the fall with a cyber attack against our public library that closed it down for about a month. We have definitely had our patience tested. With any luck, 2025 will be a better year in the real world.

My reading year has been much easier, although the library closure put a crimp in my November reading plans. December has been spent trying to get caught up and to reschedule holds. I've done a ton of rereading rather than consistently tackling new titles, but I can't regret that pleasure.

Despite these circumstances, I read some awesome books during 2024. Here are some of my favourite titles.

Enchanted by Magical Realism: Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber. A gorgeous cover and an enticing title attracted me first. The plot included hordes of birders descending on a small Southern town to view rare Blackbirds. How could I not love that? I'm also a sucker for dealing-with-grief books. This novel was perfect for me.

Most Re-Read Novel: Bride by Ali Hazelwood. I read a library copy, then bought myself one this summer. I keep picking it up when I need a pick-me-up and I would hate to say exactly how often that has been this year. I also convinced a friend to buddy read it with me which was fun. Yup, obsessed with this werewolf-vampire romance.

Favourite Historical Mystery: A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd. Rosaline Montague tells us how Shakespeare got the story of her parents wrong. She is the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet, she is done with romance, and thus far, she has diverted three fiancés with more suitable women. But she has been engaged once more and her husband-to-be is murdered at their betrothal party. Can she clear her name? Wonderfully cheeky and funny.

Favourite Historical Novel: The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson. A story of female friendship and ambition in the wake of WWI. A young woman comes to a small community as companion to an older woman and finds purpose and friendship there.

Favourite First Contact Novel: Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon. Representative of the “old lady" fiction that I've come to appreciate as I age. An elder woman decides to stay behind when her village is pulled from their current planet by the megacorporation that basically owns them. When everyone else is gone, she revels in her freedom from the demands and expectations of society, at least until she meets the first indigenous inhabitant.

First Delightful Encounter with Cozy Fantasy: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. Forget the fantasy worlds rife with war. Viv, the orc who stars in this novel, is done with fighting and wants to run a coffee shop. First she must teach her neighbours the joys of coffee drinking, then she finds a community of supporters who make her business and her life better. Leave the struggle behind and enjoy this book with a big cup of coffee and a cinnamon treat.

Fabulous Farce: The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton. If you are both a birder and a romance reader, this is the book for you. Set in an alternate Victorian England, rival academics must team up to find a rare bird in the Birder of the Year competition. They struggle with their attraction to each other while the other competitors threaten their success. It gently pokes fun at academic rivalry and competitive birding.

Favourite Christmas Mystery: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter. The Christmas aspect of the mystery is negligible as the author concentrates on creating a locked room mystery with an enemies-to-lovers romance between two successful authors. Fun and funny.

My Shakespeare Project: I notched two more plays this year, namely A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors. My new total is 21 plays seen.

My Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project: My progress is 22 titles this year (not counting some rereads). I made a lot of headway on one of my favourite series, the Liaden Universe. I am still mourning the death of one of its coauthors, Steve Miller. Sharon Lee is continuing to write, for which I am thankful. This year also marks my finishing Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga. I hope to read some of her other fiction as well as rereading the Vorkosigan books. I also notched 3 more volumes in the Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh. I look forward to more adventures with Bren Cameron during 2025.

I also participated in a challenge this year to read books that have been physically sitting on my own shelves, my book hoard. These books tend to get neglected while I concentrate on library books. It was a useful exercise, as I read 28 titles and was able to part with a fair number of them. This is a challenge that bears repeating in 2025. Probably my favourite title among them was Suddenly Psychic by Elizabeth Hunter, a very good impulse buy.

What am I looking forward to in 2025? The next installment of Mick Herron’s Slough House series, Clown Town. The 10th book in the Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook, Lies Weeping. A new book by Guy Gavriel Kay, Written on the Dark. A yet untitled Alpha and Omega novel by Patricia Briggs. Catching up on some classics. Getting au courant with a ton of new releases. Whatever the outside world may throw my way (and there promises to be a fair bit of crap), I will have my books, my coffee, and my music. ☕📚🎶

Happy New Year, friends! 🍾🥂