Bloodshot by Cherie Priest (Cheshire Red Reports #1)

RBloodshot by Cherie Priest
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.
Read for October 2020 book group. Read as an audio book.

Premise of the book is interesting enough: Raylene is a century old vampire who keeps herself employed by stealing things for other people, or sometimes, herself. Usually very expensive and priceless things. She has been approached by another vampire who wants his records retrieved from when he was held captive under a secret government experiment. When Raylene accepts, this triggers a cascade of events that have her on the run across the States as she works to uncover the truth.

See? Interesting.

The main character? Not so much. She grated on my nerves, switching whiplash like between a strong, independent, kick-ass vampire-ess, to a panicky, indecisive, uncertain vampire in the space of a few breaths or sentences. The use of snark as a self-defense mechanism and humor to offset the indifference didn't quite work. I will add here, my dislike could be a response to the narrator of the book. The performer did a most excellent reading, maybe too well, and that much added vocalized emotion might have contributed to my annoyance.

The sub-characters I quite liked. Ian and Cal were intriguing, I wanted to know more about Antonio, and even Pepper and Domino were interesting.

The antagonists were, well, typical government subversive antagonists right down to wearing black and sneering. Nothing new there.

There was one small plot surprise toward the end of the book that had me nodding in appreciation, but while the book does not end on a cliff hanger, it does firmly set up the next book in the series. I'm really on the fence if I want to read book two. My opinion: recommended with reservations.


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Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron (DFZ #3)

Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: They say family always sticks together, but when you’re your dad’s only lifeline and the whole world—humans, dragons, and gods—wants you dead, “family bonding” takes on a whole new meaning.

My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I’m in way over my head. I thought getting rid of my dad’s bad luck curse would put things back to normal. Instead, I’m stuck playing caretaker to the Great Dragon of Korea. That wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t such a jerk, or if every dragon on the planet wasn’t out to kill him, or if he was my only problem.

Turns out, things can always get worse in the DFZ. When a rival spirit attacks my god/boss with the aim of turning the famously safety-optional city into a literal death arena with Nik as his bloody champion, I’m thrust onto the front lines and way out of my comfort zone. When gods fight, mortals don’t usually survive, but I’m not alone this time. Even proud old dragons can learn new tricks, and with everything I love falling to pieces, the father I’ve always run from might just be the only force in the universe stubborn enough to pull us back together.


Read as an audio book.

Book three in the Detroit Free Zone series featuring Opal Yong-ae. This series straddles the fence between being YA and a more mature read. Though even that observation is subjective when compared against other YA books. But, in my humble opinion, this could tumble either way.

I picked this one up because I needed something that was escapism, I didn't have to think about the plot, and I could just zone out to on my commute. This book begins where book number two - Part Time Gods - concludes. Opal and her Father have been in hiding for the past eight weeks with the help of the DFZ, Opal is continuing her Shamanic training, but the Great Youg is not healing as a dragon should. Opal makes a poor decision (surprised anyone?) and our cast of characters is off and running.

I basically enjoyed this latest installment. The supporting characters keep me coming back (Opal...not so much), the plot(s) are engaging enough if not sometimes built on poor decisions by the main character, and the world building is interesting. Detroit - who writes about a future Detroit?!?

What drops this from a four or five star review to a solid three is the repetition. So. Much. Repetition. I don't know if this comes across on the written page, but I know that a nine hour book could - nay should - have been six, if there wasn't so much repetitious dialog. And I'm referencing both internal dialog and vocal. I fully admit to hitting the "skip ahead" button more than a few times.

The other item that dropped my star rating was Opal's flip-flopping emotions. One moment it was "We can kick some Arena God ass!" and the next sentence would be, "We're doomed, this is it, the end of everything we've worked for...". I would have been pulling at my hair with both hands if I hadn't been driving.

This is not a stand-alone book. As I noted above, book three begins right where book two leaves off. There are some interesting and engaging aspects that keep me coming back, and there are a couple of aspects that drive me a bit batty. Recommended with some reservations.

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Hexed by Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid #2)

Hexed by Kevin Hearne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.




Book number two rocked. These books are like a bag of kettlecorn or cheesy popcorn - they go down way too fast and leave you wishing you had bought the next book/bag.

Hexed follows the same premise as the first installment - someone wants Atticus dead and he's determined to stay alive. Atticus gathers his friends and they go off to do battle. In between fighting giant wheel bugs, fallen angels, and witches sporting the 1980's punk rock look and carrying hand guns, Oberon (Atticus's trusty wolfhound) has some insight into sticking it to The Man.

This book hits the ground running and doesn't stop until the last nasty is dead. It's fun, it's sad, it's frequently over the top (that's urban fantasy), and it's perfect for when you've had a no good, very bad, not nice day and need something light and fun. Or if your traveling. Or if your snowed it. Or if it's a perfectly nice day and you can sit on the porch and avoid mowing the lawn.

If you like urban fantasy - highly recommended.



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Part Time Gods by Rachel Aaron (DFZ #2)

Part-Time Gods by Rachel Aaron

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Life in the magical mess of the Detroit Free Zone is never easy. When you’re laboring under the curse of a certain prideful, overbearing dragon, it can be down right impossible.

My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I’m a Cleaner. At least, I used to be. Thanks to the supernatural bad luck that turns everything I do against me, these days I’m more of a walking disaster. Getting rid of this curse is the only way to get my life back. Unfortunately, dragon magic is every bit as sneaky and deadly the monsters behind it, and just as hard to beat.

But I’ve never been one to take her doom at face value. Cornered doesn’t mean defeated, and in an awakened city that rules herself, dragons are no longer the biggest powers around.

Read as an audio book.

Oh my oh my. Where to start?

Overall, a mostly enjoyable plot. Opal is creative in trying to get around her curse. I quite liked Nik - Nik is actually the reason I kept reading this installment. And perhaps because of Sybil, Opal's AI. I thought Sybil was more interesting in Part Time Gods than Minimum wage magic. The reader gets to meet the God of the DFZ, meet Julius the Peacemaker from the Heartstriker series, Boromir makes an appearance (!), and Opal take Peter (the priest of the Nameless Wind), out for dinner. Those all were the high points in the book and what kept me reading.

Because I grew so very weary of Opal's constant cry of "It's not my fault!", her perpetual self pity, and instability to see beyond her own selfish perceptions. As the book progressed, she reminded me more and more of a over-indulged whiny teenager. By the time the book moved toward the climatic conclusion, I was ready to chuck my ipod out the window in disgust. But, it being my ipod and my only way to read audio-books, I didn't.

I am having serious doubts about wanting to read the next installment because I came to detest Opal. Do I want to know what will happen with the God of the DFZ? Yes. Do I want to know what will happen with Nik? Yes. Do I want to know if Opal can master her magic? Yes. Do I want to listen to another 9 hours of "It's not my fault!" "It's all my Father's fault!" "I'm no one's possession!" No. No, I do not.

So that's where I'm at. Quite enjoy the world, world building, and supporting characters, not enjoying the main character.

Recommended with reservations.



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Hounded by Kevin Herne (Iron Druid #1)

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb: Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.



Read for November book group.

This was so much fun to read. Just a delightful take on urban fantasy with Gaelic and Nordic gods, witches, Druids, Irish Wolfhounds, vampires, werewolves, and whiskey drinking old ladies. When all is said and read, this is pure entertainment, so not something to take overly seriously.

What I enjoyed - well, everything. Especially Oberon, the wolfhound. Loved his doggie point of view.

What I didn't care for - um, not much. I really find anything to complain about. I was entertained.

So this is going to be a super short review. If you need something light, for travel or vacation that can easily be put down/picked up, this is the book for you. I'm looking forward to getting my hand on the next couple of books in the series.

Recommended if you like urban fantasy set in Tempe, AZ, based loosely on Celtic mythology.



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Zero Sum Game by S.L. Haung

Zero Sum Game by S.L. Huang

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: Cas Russell is good at math. Scary good. The vector calculus blazing through her head lets her smash through armed men twice her size and dodge every bullet in a gunfight, and she'll take any job for the right price.

As far as Cas knows, she’s the only person around with a superpower...until she discovers someone with a power even more dangerous than her own. Someone who can reach directly into people’s minds and twist their brains into Moebius strips. Someone intent on becoming the world’s puppet master.

Cas should run, like she usually does, but for once she's involved. There’s only one problem...

She doesn’t know which of her thoughts are her own anymore.

Read for October book group. Read as an audio book.

Premise of the book is Cass Russel, a street wise gal good at retrieving items, has been hired to retrieve Donna Polk's sister from the cartel. The job goes sideways and Cass finds herself falling down a rabbit hole involving her not-friend Sun Rio and a PI named Arthur, and a putting them all against not one but two secret organizations. One organizaation determined to make the world a better place, the organization is determined to eradicate the very existence of the first. Cass and Arthur soon learn that morality is a very gray area and their thoughts might not be their own.

This is fairly fast paced. The story hits the ground running and really doesn't stop. At. All. I thought the narrator had an excellent performance - it was almost as if you could feel Donna Polk manipulating the people around her, the lack of empathy in Sun Rio, and Cass's mind whirring as she tries to fit all the pieces together.

There is a small enough cast of characters to keep the story interesting and kept the plot moving forward without getting bogged down. Everything is told from Cass's point of view, but we go get those glimpses of frustration, anger, and worry from our supporting characters. I did find Cass to be a bit of a contradiction; for someone as smart as she is, there were some moments where I found her actions to be...stupid. Plot mechanics aside, they were just dumb choices or decisions. It's like watching someone in a horror movie - "Let's hid in the shed with the chainsaws!" or "Nooo! Don't go down into the basement alone!". And they do it anyway.

I also hit a wall with my tolerance for action about chapter 27. I was ready to be done - wrap this plot up and let's move on. Alas, no. There were three more hours to go at that point. About chapter 30 the story starts to move over into implausible and I'm contemplating skipping to the end. But, the astute reader will recognize that at some point, there will be a Big Reveal...I just had to hold out till then to confirm my suspicions.

Overall, an interesting read that could have wrapped things up about 10 chapters earlier than it did and still been just as strong a story. Not sure *I* would read the next in the series, we'll see what the book group thinks.



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Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron (DFZ #1)

Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  The DFZ, the metropolis formerly known as Detroit, is the world’s most magical city with a population of nine million and zero public safety laws. That’s a lot of mages, cybernetically enhanced chrome heads, and mythical beasties who die, get into debt, and otherwise fail to pay their rent. When they can’t pay their bills, their stuff gets sold to the highest bidder to cover the tab.

That’s when they call me. My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I’m a Cleaner: a freelance mage with an art history degree who’s employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It’s not a pretty job, or a safe one—there’s a reason I wear bite-proof gloves—but when you’re deep in debt in a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, you don’t get to be picky about where your money comes from. You just have to make it work, even when the only thing of value in your latest repossessed apartment is the dead body of the mage who used to live there.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:
This is the first in a new series set in the same universe as my Heartstrikers books, but you don’t need to have read those stories to enjoy this one. MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC was written to stand by itself, so if you haven’t read the others, don’t worry! I wrote this book with you in mind. I hope you’ll give it a try, and thank you so much for reading!

 
Round up to 3.5 stars.
Read as an audio book

This is set in the same universe as the Heartstriker series by the same author, but placed after the events in Book 3 from what I can ascertain. I've reviewed the first three Heartstriker books previously on Goodreads and this blog, I enjoyed those with some caveats, and thought I'd give this one a try.


I think I enjoyed this a tich more, only because the info dumps were small. Oh, so much less info dumping! This isn't to say our main character Ms Opal doesn't ramble on, she does, it's just much less than Julius Heartstriker.

As with the authors other books, our main character - Opal Yong-ae - has gotten herself into a pickle and her back against the wall. She's in dire straights financially and has until the end of the week to come up with the money she owes her controlling father. The harder she tries to dig herself out of the situation, the worse things get.

I'll start with aspects that I didn't care for - the repetitive commentary. As I noted above, nothing like the Heartstriker series, but still enough for me to go Ho-hum more than once. This was especially notable during "intense" events, when Opal was convinced she was about to die - then cue the internal monologue and wait for ten minutes for the conflict resolution. The astute reader will easily pick up on Opal's string of bad luck and figure out why, a bit of a gimme and could have been handled more deftly. From a audio narration standpoint - Sybil's "voice" was just grating and I had hard time believing a Companion AI could even behave in such a manner. The whole Sybil aspect didn't work for me, actually.

What I enjoyed was the freshness of this story line - a different take on this alternate reality where magic has returned and dragons and spirits rule. There were some interesting twists thrown in to keep me engaged in Opal's adventures. The ending was predictable - this really could only end one way - but, a delightful resolution to Opal's situation really made listening to this a treat. Overall, this was light, the plot was interesting, and delightfully different.

Recommended if you enjoyed the Heartstriker series. Recommended if you want to try a new urban fantasy/alternate reality fantasy.



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Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

For March book group. Read in anticipation of release of series in May.

This is my third or forth reading, except this time I read as an audio book. Absolutely delightful!

What can I say that hasn't already been said - this is pure brain candy. Its a fun theological romp through the eyes of one angel and one demon, Aziraphale and Crowley, who have quite come to enjoy earth and humans and don't want Armageddon to come about. It's about mis-placing the Anti-Christ, Adam Young, who ends up being raised as a normal human boy in lower Tadfield. It's about finding love when it's been right in front of you all along. It's about strangely accurate prophecies and that sometimes, they're best ignored.

I found the supporting cast an absolute hoot - from the "Them" (Adam's friends), to the Four Riders of the Apocalypse, to Newt, Anathema, and Mr. Shadwell and his psychic lady friend.

I giggled at the subtle jabs at secret agencies feeding ducks around a pond.

I loved the insightful observations into the human psyche.

I just enjoy this book.

My previous readings of Good Omens must have predated 2007, which was when I started this blog. In 2011 I attended the North American Discworld Convention, which was Terry Pratchett's last American visit and what would become the basis for the Long Earth collaboration with Pratchett and Steven Baxter. Which I also just read.

But I digress. Good Omens. It's good fun. Go read it.



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Midnight Riot by Ben Aranovitch (Rivers of London #1)

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Read as an audio book.

I had a hard time putting this book down, so to speak. I do enjoy a good urban fantasy, I adore books set in Britain - especially London - and this fit into those criteria and more. The plot moves smartly along, the characters are interesting, and that combination makes it an engaging read.

Peter and Leslie have finished their mandatory two year stint as probationary street cops and they are now are assigned to their permanent positions. Leslie gets assigned to homicide, as Peter suspects he's going to end up in Case Progression Unit writing reports, but by shear happenstance, he's assigned to Thomas Nightingale, Inspector of the supernatural and more. Peter finds himself talking to rivers, gods and ghosts as Nightingale, Peter and Leslie try to solve a bizzare case where peoples faces are falling off and riots are breaking out at opera houses.

Peter is one of the most refreshing main characters I've read about in quite a while. He's just an average guy trying to get a leg up in the world. He has a crush on Leslie, he sees ghosts, and he doesn't sit around moaning "why me...".

Thomas Nightingale is a fascinating character and I would love to know more.

The supporting cast is as varied as they come in real life, and for myself, the characters never really felt two dimensional.

My one complaint with the book was the ending. As the events are starting to swirl and culminate in a resolution, the resolution got a bit overly long and dragging the pacing of the book down. A bit to much screaming and shouting and running about in circles for my tastes.

But not enough of a detraction that I won't go find book #2. Recommended! Especially on audio - I really enjoyed the narrators performance.



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Shadows Falls by Simon R. Green

Shadows Fall by Simon R. Green

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  A town of amazing magicks, where the real and the imagined live side by side, where the Faerie of legend know the automatons of the future. Time sees all here - but even he cannot escape the prophecy of James Hart's return. Casting his own ominous veil, the man without a past can only mean the death of Shadows Fall...

If you've read the Nightside novels, then you will have a passing familiarity with Shadows Falls from the same world.  But that familiarity will end about there - you know about Shadows Falls, but not really.  Not until you've read this book.

Where Nightside is everything dark, Shadows Falls is everything else.  Shadows Falls is its own place and time.  It has its own rules. Shadows Falls is a conglomeration of times and places held together by Old Father Time's say-so, rules are enforced by a creepy scarecrow named Jack Fetch, Eric the sheriff, and the Mayor Rhea.   The problem is, Old Father Time is afraid, and so is Shadows Falls.

I enjoyed the world building, the cast of characters was different and delightful, the quirks that make everything tick and tock are quirky and different.  Where I struggled with the book was in the author's repetition.  I often felt like I was reading the same paragraphs over and over and over, the sentences  phrased a tiny bit differently (or the same), and after a while that becomes really annoying.  Not only am I being told how things are different, then I'm shown, and then I'm told again.  I consider myself a fairly astute reader, I can figure things out without being bashed over the head.

Plot wise, moderately predictable.  No huge Ah HA's leaping off the page.  Without giving any spoilers, the ending dragged on, reading more like a bad action film with bombs, flames, guns and explosions then took an exit ramp right into Disneyland.  Not my favorite.

While the book has it's issues, overall Shadows Falls is a story that gently pulls the reader along for a lovely little boat ride as long as you don't expect a lot. Perfect for mindless vacation reading.



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The Minority Council by Kate Griffin (Matthew Swift #4)

The Minority Council by Kate Griffin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






Jacket Blurb:  Matthew Swift, sorcerer, Midnight Mayor, is in charge. Or so he'd like to think. London, being London, is having its issues. Drug use is rampant. Teenage vandalism is driving away business. Violent crimes are on the rise. Once upon a time, Matthew Swift wouldn't have cared. Now it's his mess to clean up.

Especially when the new drug on the market is fairy dust and the production process involves turning humans into walking drug labs. And when the teenage vandals are being hunted by a mystical creature. And when the petty criminals of London start dying by magical means.

It becomes clear that not only is this Swift's mess to clean up, but someone is trying to tell him how to do his job. Now he has to sort out who's behind the crime wave and who's interfering in his business. Swift has a lot of old enemies and few friends. If he's going to save London from a rising tide of blood -- he's going to have to learn his lessons and fast.


I love the Matthew Swift books.  I find them consistently solid, peppered with fascinating insights into the human psyche, and interwoven with that British sense of humor I've always enjoyed. 

Our hero, Matthew, is flawed and reluctant to assume the mantle of his job responsibilities.  His apprentice, Penny, is one kick ass sorceress with a heart of tarnished gold who is the perfect counter to Matthews often dark outlook.  The supporting cast of characters are varied and multifaceted, the monsters we meet are fascinating, an the setting of a city rife with modern magic of electricity/garbage/graffiti is a nice change from the usual pointy eared elves and woodland magic.  I love the urban grittiness. 

I also appreciated how Matthew's character develops in this book.  He has to begin to take ownership of his responsibilities.  He is forced to step up to the plate and BE the Midnight Mayor.  He has to accept a little help from his friends.  He steps up his mentoring Penny.   And, along the way, he makes new friends.  Can I just add here that Kelly was wonderful?  I love Kelly as much as I love Penny.

And through everything that is thrown, hurled, sicc'd , injected, or fired at Matthew, he still remains true to himself despite what the Electric Blue Angels want. 


Highly recommend this whole series. 



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Skin Games by Jim Butcher (Dresden #15)

Skin Game by Jim Butcher

My rating: 2 of 5 stars







Jacket Blurb:  Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day….

Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.

He doesn’t know the half of it….

Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.

It’s a smash-and-grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he’s dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.

Dresden’s always been tricky, but he’s going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance….

Chapters 1-8, I was wondering if I had stepped into some male wet dream.  The first four female characters were pretty much Barbie-doll copies: long legged, big chested (as in they filled out their sweaters quite nicely, or so I was informed), long hair of all shades, and quite fuckable.  Then we morphed right into a 20 minute (on audiobook) dream sex scene.   Gack.  I seriously contemplated pitching the whole audiobook right out the window right there and paying the library the fine for not returning it.

But I kept going.

And listed to Harry wallow in self pity.  Poor Harry.  Everybody Loves Harry but Harry thinks nobody loves him.   I am beginning to wonder why anyone likes Harry because he's a major git.

But I digress.

And I listened to Harry wallow in self flagellation on how he killed Susan.  Again.  And again. And yet again.

And I listened to Harry's soliloquy on how he's brought all this harm to his friends because he's been freezing his ass off on Deamonreach trying to protect everyone. 

And I listened to Harry pontificate on his terror of raising Maggie.

And I listened to Harry's tough guy exterior snarkiness.

And somewhere in all of this I *think* there was a plot.  Something about raiding Hades for the Holy Grail, but not really, because it wasn't about the Grail, but it wasn't about Harry, and it wasn't about the money, but maybe it was?  Too many loose ends left floating around like bits of sticky ectoplasm.

Not my favorite Dresden book.



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The Bride Wore Black Leather by Simon R. Green (Nightside #12)

The Bride Wore Black Leather by Simon R. Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  John Taylor is marrying the love of his life, Suzie Shooter, the Nightside’s most fearsome bounty hunter. But before he can walk down the aisle he has one more case to solve as a private eye — a case that has him on the run from friends and enemies both, with his bride-to-be looking to collect the bounty on his head...

I really enjoyed this book.  If you haven't read the series yet, I highly recommend starting at the beginning.

Our man John Taylor is on the cusp of his wedding.  He asks his secretary Cathy to find one more private investigator job for him to do, something that can be finished in one night.  What is supposed to be a straightforward "find this" job, leads to the King of Skin's murder, a mysterious message "...let the sun shine in.", and a horrible misunderstanding that has Taylor running for his life.

I loved this one for the variety and how seamlessly the separate stories seemed to flow together, with John's pending wedding to Suzie flowing underneath all.  The usual Gods and Major Players make an appearance, Taylor teams up with Julian Advent (the two characters really do balance each other well), and we get the usual trip through Nightside and some cool new place.  This time it was Green Henge, Nightsides version of Stone Henge.  Nice twist, here.   

All my favorite characters made an appearance - Julian Advent, Eddie the Punk God of the Straight Razor, Dead Boy, the whole Oblivion Clan including Hadleigh.  I'd like to see more of Hadleigh in future books, actually.

Highly Recommended.



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London Falling by Paul Cornell

London Falling by Paul Cornell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Jacket Blurb:  The dark is rising . . .

Detective Inspector James Quill is about to complete the drugs bust of his career. Then his prize suspect Rob Toshack is murdered in custody. Furious, Quill pursues the investigation, co-opting intelligence analyst Lisa Ross and undercover cops Costain and Sefton. But nothing about Toshack’s murder is normal. Toshack had struck a bargain with a vindictive entity, whose occult powers kept Toshack one step ahead of the law – until his luck ran out.

Now, the team must find a 'suspect' who can bend space and time and alter memory itself. And they will kill again. As the group starts to see London’s sinister magic for themselves, they have two choices: panic or use their new abilities. Then they must hunt a terrifying supernatural force the only way they know how: using police methods, equipment and tactics. But they must all learn the rules of this new game - and quickly. More than their lives will depend on it.

October's book group selection. 

I enjoyed this quite a bit.  Somewhat of a cross between a police procedural, mystery and urban fantasy, the story blended a bit of each into a rather well written book. 

Four unlikely characters are thrown together after a gang bust literally blows up in their faces - the crime lord's head explodes for no apparent reason.  The group finds they are blessed and damned with the gift of Sight - they can see the "other side" of London.  They can see the ghosts and shadows and the depths of Hell itself.  They can see the one old woman who has transcended time and is now a threat to London and the innocents that live there.

I had two complaints with the book.  One, the "chase" or "hunt" went on for one too many .   It started to become, "yeah, yeah, she's got supernatural powers and continues to kick your butt ((yawn))".  

And my second complaint was the shifting point of view.  I really didn't care for the paragraph blurbs for each character.  The rapidity of the shifts felt almost like a video rather than a story - I would have preferred a chapter devoted to each character, rather than a paragraph.  Perhaps this rapid fire delivery is a carryover from Mr. Cornell's comic/graphic comic background?   Whatever the reason, I found it annoying.  Though I will give a tip o' the hat to Mr. Cornell in that I never had to wonder which character the paragraph belonged to. 

Recommended.  And I see there is a book two coming out shortly.  I will have to pick that one up as well.



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A Hard Day's Knight by Simon R. Green (Nightside #11)

A Hard Day's Knight by Simon R. Green

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: John Taylor is a P.I. with a special talent for finding lost things in the dark and secret center of London known as the Nightside. He's also the reluctant owner of a very special-and dangerous-weapon. Excalibur, the legendary sword. To find out why he was chosen to wield it, John must consult the Last Defenders of Camelot, a group of knights who dwell in a place that some find more frightening than the Nightside.

London Proper. It's been years since John's been back-and there are good reasons for that.

Another fast read that follows right on the heels of The Good, The Bad, and the Uncanny.  Excalibur has literally shown up on John's and Suzie's doorstep in the Post no less.  The Elves are threatening to go to war in Nightside.  And it seems the answer to both lies in London Proper with the Knight's of London. 

And, as usual, it's up to John to figure everything out.

I enjoyed this one, but perhaps not as much as #10.  The repartee between Suzie and John has evolved nicely, telling rather than showing how their relationship has grown and evolved.  Not as many Nightside regulars in this one - as John has stepped out of Nightside and is working with the Knight's of London.  Some interesting plot twists.  And, as always, I love how Green has taken myths and legends and incorporated them into this alternate reality/urban fantasy setting and in such a way as to make them new and refreshing. 

Recommended if you've read the first 10.  Please do start at the beginning for this series.



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The Good, The Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green (#10)

The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Jacket Blurb:  Things were going so well for P.I. John Taylor, that it was only a matter of time before everything hit the fan. Walker, the powerful, ever-present, never?to-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities, is dying. And he wants John to be his successor-a job that comes with more baggage, and more enemies, than anyone can possibly imagine.

I really enjoyed #10.  It has the right combination of characters, tongue in cheek humor, philosophical reflection, and action to make this a page turner for me.  And the ending did - and didn't - surprise me.  The reader who's read these in order will know what is coming, but how it comes about is rather fascinating.  

My one complaint, and it's not really much of one, was the repetition.  Still with the "I opened my private eye, my third eye...".   Some of the descriptions of Nightside I've felt I've read before.  Perhaps some descriptive paragraphs have been cut, pasted, and re-worded a bit?  After Walker and John take yet another stroll around Nightside, I was beginning to feel like there was some filler scenes happening.  A lot like, Yup, yup, Street of the Gods, been there, done that...

As I said, small complaint.  Overall I was quite happily entertained and picked up the next one at the library when I dropped #10 off.  This might be my favorite to date. 

Recommended.  Also recommend starting at the beginning of the series.



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Monster Hunters International: Alpha by Larry Corriea (MHI #3)

Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




Jacket Blurb:  Earl Harbinger may be the leader of Monster Hunter International, but he’s also got a secret. Nearly a century ago, Earl was cursed to be werewolf. When Earl receives word that one of his oldest foes, a legendarily vicious werewolf that worked for the KGB, has mysteriously appeared in the remote woods of Michigan, he decides to take care of some unfinished business. But another force is working to bring about the creation of a whole new species of werewolf. When darkness falls, the final hunt begins, and the only thing standing in their way is a handful of locals, a lot of firepower, and Earl Harbinger’s stubborn refusal to roll over and play dead.

This was darker and slower than the first two previous books and I missed the quirky humor.  I also found Alpha a bit slow and had a hard time getting into the story for the first 100 pages or so - perhaps even the first half of the book. I thought Earl's journal was the most interesting part of the over all story and would really liked to have read more journal and less of Copper River. 

For a 500+ page book, not a lot happened, really.  Our protagonist, Adam, with the help of a witch, sets up a situation in Copper River, MI to take over the world with the help of an ancient amulet and a town of newly converted werewolves.  Earl and his arch nemesis, Nikolai, are lured to the town under false premises and find themselves reluctant allies.  The town, descended from hearty Eastern European mining immigrants, also proves to be harder to contend with than initial anticipated.  Troops are rallied, massive snow blowers employed, and a battle ensues...but it sure takes a long time to get there.

So, I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite MHI book to date.  Recommended with slight reservations.



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Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Dresden #14)

Cold Days by Jim Butcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars





 Jacket Blurb:  After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul...


Read as an audiobook.

This was a story that started rather sedately then suddenly took off like a blood hound hot on the scent of a coon.  I enjoyed this book insofar as I enjoy any Dresden book, but I had some issues that have been building over the last several books and unfortunately manifested themselves in this selection.

Perhaps this is a bit prudish, but since I am a female reading about a male protagonist, I really don't want to hear about Dresden's wet dreams (getting boinked by Queen Mab on a stone slab and having all of Farie witness, how he/the Winter Knight wants to ravish and dominate every female he comes across, Molly offering herself - again - to Dresden, etc).  Seriously, these "thoughts" are getting more and more sqwicky as the series progresses.  And the phrase, "I've known Molly since she was in a training bra" is becoming repetitive. Seriously, what guy makes a comment about a female friend or family member in terms of her training bra?  So this is telling me that Dresden was checking her out when she was twelve?  If you aren't grossed out you perhaps you should be.

I also thought the action in book fourteen was over the top even for an over the top fantasy.  Way too much going on:

Queen Mab introduces Harry to the Winter Court, and then tell's Farie it's open season on Harry.  Run, Harry! Run!

Queen Mab tells Harry to kill Maeve, and oh, by the way, you can't kill an immortal.  Good luck, best wishes, see you when you get that done,  

Harry learns he is now a Warden of the Island of Demonreach and must stop Demonreach from blowing up and taking most of the Midwest with it.

Harry discovers the dreaded and feared Outsiders are making a bid for Chicago, then world domination.  Harry has to stop the Outsiders.

And Everyone Loves Harry, but poor Harry is badgered about not being able to express his love for everyone else.


And what is with Harry always ending up nekkid right before a big fight?  That's a bit disturbing too. 

This was also fairly long for a Butcher book - and I didn't find it a fast read even as an audiobook, if that makes sense?  I found my mind wandering away while Harry pontificates about something right before a big knockdown - I don't know why Butcher does that actually,and it's really annoying.  My interpretation of Dresden's soliloquies: "The Goo-Glump was coming at me, hideous gelatinous arms reaching out to throttle the life essence out of me, and I knew if I didn't do something quick, I would soon be a paste on the parking lot asphalt.  It was like Ebeneezer always told me when I has knee high to a grasshopper, I had to learn when to back away from a fight.  And I knew if I backed away from this one, all my friends would perish.  I found that thought to be sobering, the life of Chicago reduced to a quivering blob of jello, my friends mere drops of fruit cocktail as they were slowly digested..."  blah, blah, blah.  Then he collects his will, gathering his power about him like a familiar glove, shouts FORZARAE! (or however it's spelled) and blows the Goo-Glump up and collapses until he can get his breath back.

Again, I enjoy this series, but I'm starting to find a few raisins in my pudding that I have to push to one side of the bowl to get though the rest. 

Still wholeheartedly recommend the books, but start with Storm Front if you're just tuning in.





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Just Another Judgement Day by Simon R. Green (#9)

Just Another Judgement Day by Simon R. Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  There's a new sheriff in town, and he's got the Nightside's rich and powerful quaking in their boots. He's The Walking Man, and it's his mission to exorcise sinners-with extreme prejudice. Problem is, the Nightside was built on sin and corruption, and The Walking Man makes no distinction between evildoers and those simply indulging themselves. He'll leave the place a wasteland unless someone stops him, and P.I. John Taylor has been handed the job. No known magic or science can affect The Walking Man, and if John can't discover his weakness, he'll be facing the very Wrath of God...

I thought this was the most interesting book in the series to date because it asked some very interesting questions about God, beliefs, and judgement through the actions of our protagonists and antagonists. Specifically, who has a right to judge other than [your] God? 

The Walking Man is God's enforcer.  He kills those who have wronged in God's name.  He is immune to bullets, swords, and magics.   The Walking Man begins his trip to Nightside by purposely showing Suzie Shooter and John Taylor a very black and white picture of wrong - a Nightside business has been enslaving children.  No questions there.  Wrong.  But then the grey starts to creep in - is it correct to kill the people who visited the business?  They didn't know about the children. Is it right to kill the employees who were on the salesroom floor?  They didn't know about the children.  It is the Walking Man's opinion that Nightside is a hot bed of evil and wrong and it's his duty to clean it up.

There is also an interesting philosophical discussion in the Street of Gods, that because people are worshiping 'false Gods',  they are therefore evil.  John raises the point that just because they choose a different God, doesn't make them wrong, that these people needed to start some where else.  Chandra walks the middle line, noting that it doesn't matter what we call 'god', it's the same being.

So, for a fantasy novel, this was actually a fairly philosophical read.  Scifi and fantasy are known for exploring religious themes moreso than other genres - I think it's because they can use alien worlds or alternative settings to do so. 

Recommended.  Whole series has been wonderful to read.



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The Neon Court by Kate Griffin (Matthew Swift #3)

The Neon Court by Kate Griffin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







Jacket Blurb: War is coming to London. A daimyo of the Neon Court is dead and all fingers point towards their ancient enemy - The Tribe. And when magicians go to war, everyone loses.
But Matthew Swift has his own concerns. He has been summoned abruptly, body and soul, to a burning tower and to the dead body of Oda, warrior of The Order and known associate of Swift. There's a hole in her heart and the symbol of the Midnight Mayor drawn in her own blood. Except, she is still walking and talking and has a nasty habit of saying 'we' when she means 'I.'
Now, Swift faces the longest night of his life. Lady Neon herself is coming to London and the Tribe is ready to fight. Strange things stalk this night: a rumored 'chosen one, ' a monster that burns out the eyes of its enemies, and a walking dead woman. Swift must stop a war, protect his city, and save his friend - if she'll stop trying to kill him long enough for him to try


I enjoyed this book immensely.  It grabbed my attention from chapter one and held it captive right up until the end. 

Book three was definitely settling into a established pattern though; our reluctant hero, Matthew Swift, finds he has Mega Problems on his hands (again), gets beat up trying to reason with parties who don't want to be reasoned with (again), is saved by a friend, situation deteriorates badly (again), and he saves the day.  Literally in this instance. Plot design is same as first two in the series and this has the potential for pulling the writing down.

What I did like about Neon Court was the character development of several minor characters such as Matthew's apprentice Penny.  Flamboyant, outspoken, loudly defiant to everyone else's somber-hued approach, she was a refreshing drink of water in what could have been a standard story.  The inclusion of the Alderman, particularly Leslie Dees, gave some interesting insight into the City itself. The contrast between Toxik and Lady Neon was a nicely balanced study between light/dark black/white, especially how Griffin used text-speak to emphasize how Toxik was different. Neon Court gave some back story to how things came to be that I appreciated.

With the reappearance of a man thought dead, a somewhat unpredictable ending, and Penny's character, this was a very fun and engaging read.  Recommended.



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