Another set of mini-reviews of books I’ve read. Looking at the shrinking list of books to be added here, it looks like this idea of mini-reviews for most of them is doing what I wanted it to.
The Dark Thorn (Annwn Cycle #1) by Shawn Speakman. Speakman has been the webmaster for fantasy author Terry Brooks for many years, and he also has a publishing business where he offers signed and special edition books. But he is also a writer of both sci-fi and fantasy. I’ve reviewed a couple of his sci-fi books already. This is the first of his fantasy stories I have read. Richard McAllister is the Unfettered Knight who possesses the magic of the Dark Thorn. He is sworn to protect the division between our world and the world of the fey. But forces on both sides of the divide want to change that- for better or worse. Richard and his few allies must prevent them from accomplishing their plans. A decent read, with some interesting takes on the fey and how they are connected to our world. Plus, secrets in the Vatican, a bloodline that goes back to Henry II, and the most annoying-yet-endearing fairy you’ve met. A strong 4 of 5 stars.
Station Eternity (Mid-Solar Murders #1) by Mur Lafferty. Mallory Viridian keeps getting stuck in the middle of murder cases only she can solve. But unlike the plucky detective in your favorite mystery novels, Mallory finds her “gift” only makes her a more than likely suspect and tends to keep people away. So, she decides to take a position living on a sentient space station, where, surrounded by tech and aliens, she figures she’s safe from her problems. And then- the station decides to allow humans on board, and, well, yes, people start dying. And Mallory has to get right into the middle of things yet again to prevent more deaths. This was kind of a light sci-fi read. There was a good dose of humor throughout, and the murders aren’t really grisly or graphic. Mallory is your typical sci-fi heroine but not cardboard, either. She has a personality and intelligence, and is more than capable of handling what gets thrown at her. Add in a couple nice twists, and this is definitely worth a read. Solid 4 of 5 stars.
Blood Rites (Dresden Files #6) by Jim Butcher. Harry is hired by his vampire friend Thomas to help out an adult film producer who believes he has been cursed, although it is the women around him that keep dying. It’s not the worst gig Harry’s had to deal with, but something about it seems off. Harry can’t figure out why Thomas is so interested in this one until his investigation leads straight to Thomas’ family- and a whole lot more than Harry figured on. It’s a Dresden Files book, and not much surprising in it. Harry has come back a long way from the woe-is-me attitude of the the couple books right after girlfriend Susan was turned vampire and left town, and that was a good thing for me. One of the things that drew me to this series was Harry’s attitude and when that downslid, I enjoyed the books less. Things are more back to normal now, and the wisecracks keep coming, the demons are demonic, and Harry is up to the collar of his infamous duster in magic and mayhem. As usual. 3 of 5 stars.
Black Vault by Alma Katsu. Katsu also writes horror which I mostly do not read, but she is also an intelligence analyst who worked for the government, so she knows a little about the spy business. This short story is one of her spy stories and here CIA agent Craig Norton is still trying to recover from the aftershocks to his career and personal life reporting a UFO sighting caused him. But now, the Navy has confirmed “aerial phenomena” and Craig is enlisted to help the investigation. What he uncovers could be the start of an international upheaval that could have global consequences. I liked this one. It’s short, so it reads pretty fast, and there’s a fair bit of action and spy stuff. It pulls in some sci-fi elements that might put off the strict spy thriller lovers but I thought those fit in well. 3 of 5 stars.
That checks a few more off the list. Next time, a longer review of a book I really liked. Till then, drink your water. Eat a vegetable. Get outside and get some air. Be nice to one another.
My latest book is a collection of very short stories, half science fiction and half fantasy, called “Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories”. I have also written a few other short pieces, another collection, two novels, and an urban fantasy series. You can find most of them at Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold. A few are also available from Amazon in paperback. My novel, “Circle Unbroken” is also on Kindle Unlimited, if that’s your reading preference. You can find out about all of them here.
There are also some stories you can read here on my site, mostly the yearly Halloween short I write, but there are a few others. You can read them from here
And So On... 