Jessica Strider

Pros: interesting characters, excellent worldbuilding, fast paced

Cons:

Jane McKeene is in her final year at Miss Preston's School of Combat for Negro Girls. At 17 she's trained to become an Attendant, to protect a white young lady from shamblers - the undead - and protect her modesty from amorous young men. But what she really wants is to return home to Rose Hill and her plantation owning Momma.

Though the war between the North and South was set aside to deal with the undead as they rose, racial tensions haven't eased, and some people believe the shamblers are God's punishment for trying to make all men equal. These men build communities behind walls. But can walls really keep the monsters of the world out?

When a friend of Jane's asks for help finding his missing sister, Jane stumbles into trouble even her combat training hasn't prepared her for.

I absolutely loved Jane and was astonished at how self-aware she was for a seventeen year old. She recognizes that she lies a lot and acknowledges her other faults, even as she often revels in rule breaking. She's impulsive and often later regrets her actions but can't stop herself from acting first and thinking later, a trait that actually saves her life on occasion. She's also really smart, though realizes that there's often safety in appearing to be less intelligent than she is.

Katherine was also great. I liked that her animosity with Jane was due to superficial things, so it didn't feel manufactured when they started becoming friends.

As a Canadian, I don't know much about the American Civil War or it's immediate aftermath, so I don't know to what extent things have been twisted here, though I did recognize the names of a few of the Generals referenced. There's an author afterward talking about the Indian residential schools that come up in the book and how she used them as a template for her training schools.

I thought the author incorporated the zombies into the history quite well. Due to the period in which the book is set, some offensive language is used. The 'n' word is not, but other slurs do appear. This made parts of the book uncomfortable to read, but it's the discomfort of how horribly some people treated others.

This is a brilliant book and I highly recommend it.

Pros: excellent characters, great world-building, variety of fights

Cons:

Pyrre has reached the final test for becoming a priestess of Ananshael. She must kill seven people in fourteen days. But her final target must be someone she loves above all others, and Pyrre has never known love. So she returns to the city of her birth and the man she once knew, hoping he'll be The One.

Pyrre appears as a side character in Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne. This is a stand-alone novel where she - and her worship of the god of death - are in the forefront. While the previous books aren't necessary to enjoy this one, there are descriptions of Rassambur, the assassin's home base, in book three, Last Mortal Bond, which flesh out the city and the practice of Ananshael's priests.

Witnessing her trial are two priests, Kossal, an older man who speaks truth and has few cares for the world, and Ela, the woman he loves, who loves everybody and who's as graceful as she is deadly. Ela tries to teach Pyrre what love is, a conversation that involves as many knives as you'd expect from a duo of professional assassins.

There's a surprising amount of banter considering the premise of the book. I enjoyed Pyrre's attempts to understand her own emotions as she alternates between getting closer and further away from Ruc Lan Lac. Her plan is overly convoluted but has some fascinating consequences. I especially enjoyed the chapters dealing with the delta and life there.

The world-building was top notch, expanding an unexplored area of the world but tying it and its history into that of the previous books. The delta felt vibrant and the dangers - and how to deal with them - realistic. The local religion also had weight to it, practiced differently by the city folk and the delta people.

As expected, there are some fabulous fight scenes, against a surprising variety of people and things.

This was an excellent book.

Meet Jig. He's a goblin runt. He's about to have a REALLY bad day. As if muck duty weren't enough, his pet fire spider has burned off all his hair and the bullying captain Porak has sent him ahead on patrol while the rest of the goblin guard gambles. Things might have turned out ok if only Jig hadn't run into that group of adventurers... Meet the adventurers. Prince Barius is the warrior, his brother Rysland is the magician. They've got a dwarf too, Darnak, who keeps them from killing each other. And don't forget the elven thief crouching over there in the corner. They're about to kill Porak's goblin patrol because, well, goblins are evil and that's what adventurers do, right? They're looking for the Rod of Creation and no monster, not even the ‘rightful' owner of the rod will stand in their way. And Jig? Jig's about to become their guide. If only he knew where the Rod of Creation was... Taken from the goblin's rather unique perspective, this well plotted quest has you questioning your beliefs about heroes and the honour that they kill by.

Pros: engaging, combines new age beliefs with fantasy world magic, protagonist stays in character

Cons: major plot twist is very obvious

Eon's ability to see all 11 energy dragons is awarding her the chance to become the apprentice of the Rat Dragon, ascendant this year. But women aren't allowed to be Dragoneyes, so she must hide her gender. When the choosing ceremony goes awry and the long lost Mirror Dragon returns, she is plunged into mess of political intrigue she is ill equipped to handle.

Eon is an engaging read that's hard to put down. The girl goes from crisis to crisis as she's thrust into the heart of palace politics while trying to keep several important secrets.

The magic of this fantasy world is based heavily on new age beliefs. The chakras are used to focus chi, while the dragon mythology is the Chinese zodiac. Goodman manages to take these familiar concepts and makes them unique by molding them to the energy dragons, through whom natural phenomenon can be controlled.

Modern readers will quickly figure out the plot twist regarding the truth of the Mirror Dragon. While it is in character for Eon to misunderstand what is happening, it is frustrating as a reader to see how she's missing something that to us is so obvious. However, I was impressed that the author resisted the urge to give Eon a modern mindset. She is very much a product of her world, which is as it should be.

I found Eon a fascinating character, even while I didn't always like her decisions. She's caught in a difficult position where if it's learned she's a woman, her life and that of her master and servant, are forfeit. As more and more people put their faith in her power her position becomes even more desperate. In response, she pressures a friend to act in a way that puts his life in danger, with no consciousness that she's done so. She also takes pains to avoid becoming a pawn.

While I was able to guess many of the plot twists early in the book, the last third, after the truth of the Mirror Dragon is revealed, was so unexpected, and somewhat disturbing, that I enjoyed every moment of the adventure.

The book ends at a satisfying place while leaving many things unfinished. I'll definitely be picking up Eona when it comes out next spring.

Pros: interesting characters, good ending

Cons: advances are made ridiculously fast, some continuity errors, gets boring at times

After spending two years in America, Toru returns to Japan, defying the Shogun's law of isolation and the death penalty his return will earn him. He knows American ships will come, forcing the country to open its borders on their terms, unless Japan can innovate and show its strength in time.

Toru is a great protagonist, deeply in love with his homeland but also an admirer of the technology and people he met in America. He straddles a difficult line as a commoner advising a Lord, trying to foster quick changes in a society that honours tradition.

I really liked Masuyo, Lord Aya's feisty daughter. Her flaunting of custom on her father's land was well contrasted by her embarrassment in front of other noble women, where she tried to fit society's ideals. This accurately portrays the juxtapositions common in Japan today.

There were a lot of supporting characters, ranging from peasantry to Lords, many of whom had well defined personalities. While she's negatively portrayed, I thought Lady Tomatsu was well done, snobbish and overly proud of her family name while married to a less powerful Lord. I liked that she had impeccable taste in food and clothing. I also thought she showed astute political sense, given her circumstances, though she makes a decision towards the end of the book that could have used more clarification as it seemed to go against her earlier personality.

The plot consists of Toru convincing people to build trains, telegraph machines, Babbage Difference Engines, airships, and more in order to face the American threat. While I can believe that some of what they accomplish is possible within a year, the sheer scope of their operations and how much they achieve - necessarily kept hidden from the Shogun and requiring parts to be ordered from overseas - is hard to believe. Masuyo, an admittedly intelligent and well-educated woman, somehow translates enough English (which she's never seen before) and engineering data (for things she's never heard of before) in less than a week to put together a list in one night of all thing parts the Japanese can manufacture themselves and others they'll need to order so that they can start building trains, etc. right away. Despite the failure of engineers with more experience in France to build working airships, the Japanese manage to make one using dictionaries to translate the French and then improving on the designs, again, despite never having seen such schematics before or (I would guess) knowing the science behind them.

I also wondered how the smaller Lords Toru influences have enough money to finance the large - and expensive - projects. Added to this is how they believed they could keep what they were doing hidden from the Shogun. Given the sheer number of people involved and the obvious damage to the land, it seems unreasonable to believe the Shogun wasn't aware of things from a very early point.

For anyone looking for steampunk elements, there are airships towards the end of the book, and mention of submersibles, but not much else.

The inclusion of Japanese words and phrases for things helped keep the oriental flavour of the setting. In a few places the immediate translation felt awkward (as someone who knows a fair bit of Japanese), like ofuro bath (which basically mean the same thing). A handful of times the Japanese was left untranslated, which might trip up readers unfamiliar with the language. I personally had trouble figuring out the meaning behind the name of the first dirigible, which was commented on, but not translated (as far as I could determine).

There were some long sentences with awkward phrasing that I had to reread a few times in order to understand properly. I also noticed some continuity errors with regards to timing. One section began by saying it was the next morning and a character was preparing for a meeting, despite the fact that the meeting was to be in 3 days. Other times characters suddenly travelled weeks worth of distance in a few days (two characters were said to be at their homes but managed to be at least a 4 week journey away from their homes the next day).

While I founds parts of the story a bit tedious, it's basically set-up for future books where the divergence from history becomes more stark. There's an author note at the end of the book explaining how this book compares to history (while the tech advance is all added, the meeting with Commodore Perry at the end and the difficulties between the Shogun and his Lords was cribbed from history). Following books are meant to diverge more, showing Japan in a position of power as its borders open.

While it's not a perfect book, it was an interesting look at an interesting time (imagined as parts of it were) of Japanese history. The author's familiarity with the language and customs (and gestures) shows through.

Pros: very unique world, interesting characters, intrigue

Cons: body horror

Years ago Zan and Jayd came up with a plot to save the worlds from their inevitable slow decline. When Zan wakes up from her most recent attempt to retake their neighbouring world, Mokshi, she has no memory of who she is. Again. Jayd's manipulations are getting them closer to achieving their goal, but her betrayals are catching up to her and others aren't playing their roles the way she expected.

This is a very unique novel. I have never read of a world, or rather a series of worlds, so... bizarre. They're things of flesh, orbiting a sun and populated solely by women who birth the components the world (ships?) require. While each world is unique, the lords of some of the worlds discovered that they could prolong the lives of their worlds by sharing flesh, though this causes other problems. I was a little concerned going into the book as I heard it was body horror. While there's some disturbing imagery around birth, cannibalism, flesh, etc., it wasn't as bad as I feared.

The narrative is told from the viewpoints of Jayd, who knows what's going on but isn't very forthcoming, and Zan who's trying to navigate situations she no longer understands. It's clear that she can't necessarily trust Jayd, though it's also clear that she loved Jayd deeply at one point.

The plot is fairly straightforward, despite it's being drawn out. The book itself is a quick read as you're anxious to find out who Zan really is, what Jayd's plan is, and why the Mokshi is so important.

If you're looking for a good book outside the ordinary and you have a strong stomach, give this a try.

Pros: fantastic mystery, suspenseful, interesting technology, diverse characters

Cons: a few continuity errors

When the six member crew of the starship Dormire all wake up in new clones, they're shocked to find several of them were murdered. Unsure of who to trust, knowing they're all convicted felons but not what each others' crimes were, they try to find answers for what happened in the 25 years of memories they've lost.

You're introduced to all six characters, plus their AI, all at once, so it's impressive how Lafferty keeps their voices unique and their personalities distinct. You jump around to everyone's POV, so this is important.

The story unfolds mostly linearly, with important historical background flashbacks as needed to forward the plot, learn more about the characters, and keep you guessing about what happened. I was impressed by how intricate the various stories were and how they eventually pulled together. The pacing is great, propelling you towards the ending.

I was also impressed by the treatment of Joanna's character. She was born with withered legs and uses a wheelchair and 2 prosthetic legs in the book. Her choice to retain this disability comes up in the book, and is handled well.

The technology and world-building were a lot of fun. There's a series of codicils governing the creation of clones, riots, anti-cloning sentiment, the generation ship, AI, mind hacking, and more.

I did notice two minor continuity errors, one where a character got up twice to program food, and another where two characters suddenly shift from talking in the theatre to talking in one of their rooms. Hiro got a little annoying at times, but even the characters in the book complained about that.

It's a fast paced book that kept me guessing and glued to the pages. Highly recommended.

Pros: brilliantly plotted, amazing world-building, excellent pacing, thought provoking

Cons: fundamentally disagreed with some of the philosophy, ending left me disappointed

Picking up immediately where Too Like the Lightning left off, Seven Surrenders details more of the actions of the heads of the seven hives, reveals the thief behind the seven-ten list, deals with the fall-out of the revelations that ended the first book, and paves the way for potential war.

I loved all of the politics, manipulation, and unclear morality of this book. This book has a LOT of political maneuvering and backroom dealings. It made me think about a lot of issues, even if my conclusions were different from those the book came to.

Mycroft remains an unreliable narrator at times, not always telling the truth and keeping certain things hidden until later. this helps with the pacing of the book, which I thought was great. The revelations come fast and hard, but enough is saved for the end to keep the reader guessing and turning pages quickly.

If the mix of sensual language and politics from the first book disturbed you, there are a few uncomfortable scenes in this book as well, mostly at the beginning.

One character is gendered as ‘it', which may upset readers. We are told the character chose that pronoun, but in addition to being a gender neutral term, it's also a term that reduces the person's humanity. Given the nature of the character, both of those may have been intentional repercussions of that choice.

There's a speech towards the end of the novel about gender that kind of irritated me. While I agreed with the ultimate point (or, at least understood where the character was going with the discussion), I'd understood this future to have done away with gendered pronouns as well as gendered clothing and expectations. And yet, this speech implied that children were still raised with the ideas that boys were more aggressive and girls more caring, etc, something I didn't get from the books themselves. But what annoyed me was the assertion that some traits code ‘female' and others ‘male' and if you get rid of those terms, it just makes everyone more ‘masculine' as if men aren't inherently capable of being kind or considerate despite the book's clear proof to the contrary (Carlyle, Bridger, etc. are men who obviously care about humanity, notwithstanding their being male).

The ending left me feeling unsatisfied. Yes, there are more books in the series which may overturn this, but with so many revelations I was expecting more resolution.

Pros: gorgeous artwork, interesting characters, good story

Cons:

Issue 0 is a prequel story that takes place about a year before the main comic. It features Lady Mechanika hunting a ‘demon' that's been killing children.

Issues 1-5 comprises a story about a young woman, found dead in a train station, who has similar mechanical arms to Lady Mechanika.

I LOVED the artwork. The colours are rich and bold, the backgrounds lush, and the characters vibrant.

Lady Mechanika is portrayed in a sexy fashion without showing much (or sometimes any) skin. I loved her costumes (particularly her Victorian style dresses), and the occasional steampunk elements of it. She's intelligent, no nonsense, and kickass.

The supporting cast are also well dressed and appropriately quirky. I enjoyed the fact that there's history between Lady Mechanika and the two lead antagonists.

The story was pretty interesting, though there was one scene where the antagonists had an expository conversation meant for the reader rather than each other.

This volume is self-contained, with a quick mention of what will begin the next volume.

Karen Maitland really knows her stuff, working details about life in the middle ages around her story of a company travelling around England, trying to avoid an outbreak of the plague. She also manages to create a fascinating mystery - are the travellers dying one by one of unrelated causes, or is there a murderer in their midst?

Pros: interesting settings, fun characters

Cons:

When Rini falls out of the sky at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children she's shocked to learn that her mother has died. Several students help her bring her mother back, knowing that if they fail than Rini will be erased from existence.

This is the third novella in the Wayward Children series and returns - for a time at least - to the setting of the first book. In addition to the school and the students there, you also see Nancy again.

Rini is from a nonsense world, Confection, the world her mother, Sumi, went to and was hoping to return to one day. There's another new character, Cora, an overweight girl who loved the underwater worlds where she was a beautiful mermaid. She's the main point of view character, which allows the reader to understand her feelings around weight and self-confidence (and the attempts by others to use the first to undermine the second). It was interesting seeing her interactions with Christopher, who went to a world of skeletons and who therefore as unconventional ideas about flesh and weight.

The plot is fairly linear and takes the group to several locations. There are some dangers they face, though not always physical ones.

I thought the mythology of Confection was kind of cool and really fit the kind of world it was - giving it a weird sort of logic despite its nonsense overlay.

It's a quick, fun read.

Pros: fleshed-out characters, interesting world, fast paced

Cons: pay close attention or you'll get lost quickly, some aspects not explained well

Pay very close attention to the first few chapters of the book as you're dumped into the action with no background information beyond what you can gleam from conversations. Once you've got a feel for the players, the world, and the stakes, sit back and enjoy the fast paced ride.

The story is told through mostly alternating chapters from the points of view of Rachel White and Peter Bloom. Note that their timelines don't match up right away (his story starts a few days after hers). I was impressed at the amount of background detail you eventually learn about the pair, and how that makes you care about them, even while they're making choices that are hard to sympathize with. I especially liked the difficult relationship Rachel has with her husband. It was great seeing a married woman as a protagonist that took into account the prejudices she faced as well as the sacrifices she made to reach her position.

The worldbuilding is well done and takes into consideration how the discovery of a literal afterlife affects the living. Summerland itself is a little hard to picture (understandably as it's got a 4th dimension that isn't time) but adheres to a particular set of rules. I would have liked more information on how the ectotanks and flyers worked, because they sounded terrifyingly awesome.

This is a unique spy thriller that's worth picking up.

Pros: absolutely brilliant, intricate world-building, fascinating interconnected politics, reads on many levels, thought-provoking, challenges ideas of gender and sexuality, later revelations force you to reevaluate earlier scenes

Cons: opening is VERY confusing, some uncomfortable scenes, frustrating at times

Too Like the Lightning is the first book of the Terra Ignota duology. The second half, Seven Surrenders, comes out in December. The two books together are a historical account of 7 days that lead to an event that changes the world, as written by Mycroft Canner, an eye witness to many of the events, as well as instrumental to a lot of vitally important background activities. The year of interest is 2454. Though the current world doesn't use gendered pronouns and raises all as equals, Mycroft uses antiquated words for this account. Religions shows up too, though the Church Wars have made all proselytising, churches, and cults illegal. Mycroft is a Servicer, available to anyone who needs a servant, though most often seen helping those in high offices, to atone for the crimes he committed 13 years prior. He starts his great work by explaining the meeting between the sensayer Carlysle and Bridger, a 13 year old boy, who for his own safety Mycroft has kept hidden. A boy who can perform miracles.

The book starts with a title page explaining the permissions obtained so that the book could be published, as well as the various content ratings the book received. While these names and institutions don't mean much to the reader at the beginning, they set the tone for a book with fully immersive world-building. I spent the first half of the book trying to piece together the meanings of positions and terms, placing characters into their political groups, and feeling quite lost by the sheer mass of things that are left unexplained. While Mycroft does give occasional asides for the reader, these are asides for readers of his present, for whom the events being relayed are past, and for whom the terms that I questioned aren't unfamiliar.

The brilliance of the book starts in the second half when the occasional philosophical asides start to be reflected in the plot through the actions of the characters. It's here that you start to understand that the book isn't a straight narrative, that you're meant to examine the different layers of text and subtext in order to piece together what's actually going on. For example, Mycroft doesn't always gender people properly. It's frustrating as a reader, but there is a reason for this, which comes up later in the book. Similarly, some scenes are disturbing to read, not because they're graphic, but because they pair eroticism and terror, something most people don't equate. This again is done for a reason that the book eventually reveals. So many later revelations make you reevaluate what you understood from the first half of the book. Sometimes more than once.

The world-building is exquisite. It's completely alien to our current political situation, and yet is something one could imagine coming to pass given the circumstances the characters face. The politics are fascinating, with level upon level of competition and alliance.

There are a lot of characters to remember, but I didn't have any trouble keeping them all straight. I do recommend, however, bookmarking the seven-ten list when it's revealed, as you'll be referring to it several times as more people are introduced and the political situations become clearer. In fact, I haven't bookmarked and highlighted so much text since university. This is the kind of book I would have loved to have a professor explain the intricacies of, and then write an essay on.

I almost put this book down on several occasions. It can be that frustrating and confusing at times. But the pay-off when you start understanding what's going on, with all its layers and complexity, is definitely worth the effort. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Pros: brilliant premise, some heart-wrenching scenes, great characters

Cons: a few off notes

July 1916, the Great War continues and so does the work of the Spirit Corps, taking reports and messages from the British dead. Ginger Stuyvessant is a medium, doing her duty both with the ghosts and at the hospitality tent that acts as their cover. When a message comes through suggesting that the Spirit Corps is being targeted, her fiance and military spy, Captain Ben Harford, starts to investigate.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Mediums who used the ghosts of the dead to track enemy troop positions? What a brilliant idea. If, of course, also a horrific one as it's entirely dependant on your side dying. I loved that part of the mediums' job was assuring each soldier that their death had meaning.

The cast was great. I loved Ginger's pluck and her relationship with the members of her circle as well as the deep love she has for Ben. Ben is also a good character, trying to protect Ginger while acknowledging that part of what made him fall in love with her was her adventurous spirit.

I was impressed that Kowal brought in an Indian squad as well as a West Indian woman, and horrified by how they were treated by the military brass.

Given that it details wartime, it's not surprising that there are some heart-wrenching scenes.

A few minor things bugged me, like at the end I got Edna and Aunt Edie confused. There was also an ending scene with a character that rang a bit false to me.

The mystery was well done with a good number of twists and turns to the investigation. Ginger and Ben certainly work hard to find out what's going on, taking a lot of physical - and other - punishment.

I really enjoyed this novella. It's only about 200 pages, but it took a while to read, simply because of the heavy subject matter. I would love to see more done with this setting/premise.

Pros: great relationships, tight plots

Cons: not enough background!

Several years ago Diago had a short “affair” with an angel, a betrayal he hid from his husband. Now another angel threatens to kill his husband if he doesn't sacrifice the son he didn't know existed to a daimon.

This is a collection of 3 novellas dealing with Diago, his husband Miquel, and his son, Rafael and how the Nephilim (offspring of humans and either angels or daimons) interact with each other. The stories take place within a short time frame.

I've put “affair” in quotation marks because as the story goes on it's revealed to be a rape. There are no graphic details but if this will trigger you you may want to avoid the book. I thought the author handeled it well, though the characters don't dwell on the emotional aftermath that would result from this revelation as much as I suspect real people would.

I liked the interactions between the three principle characters. The relationship between Diago and Miquel was so loving and considerate. Seeing Miquel caring for Rafael was very touching, especially given Rafael's origin. There were some great family moments, especially with the later stories.

Each novella has a tight plot that gives you the necessary information and characters and little else.

I'd love to learn more about Diago's past, his time with King Solomon in particular. Hopefully one of the novels the author has written as follow-ups will go into that period and fleshes out the world some more.

I enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more in this world.

Pros: great characters, brilliant world-building, variety of action

Cons: lots of close shaves

Claydon Torcreek is a thief who gets roped into being the blue-trance communicator for the Longrifle Independent Contractor Company. The Company's mission is to find the fabled white dragon, living in the dangerous interior.

Lizanne Lethridge is a blood-blessed covert agent of the Exceptional Initiatives Division of the Ironship Trading Syndicate. She's sent to Morsvale to investigate the former owner of a box that held a device that might aid in Clay's company's mission.

Corrick Hilemore is the new Second Lieutenant of the IPV Viable Opportunity. Their ship is trying out a new engine that allows for faster travel, as it takes out a pirate ship.

Meanwhile, the drakes that have been bled for their magical blood for decades, have started acting in strange ways despite their reduced numbers, attacking cities, leaving their hunting grounds, and working together in ways they never have before.

There's a lot going on in this book. There's some political intrigue, spy work, sea battles, steampunk style inventing, dragons, dragon blood magic... Told from three POV characters, the book jumps around enough that you're always on your toes, wondering what will happen next.

The world-building is excellent. There's real history here. There are several countries with different ways of doing things, past rebellions, corporate greed. Different people from different lands interact in different ways (sometimes as part of the same crew, sometimes as infiltrators).

The characters all felt like real people with real hopes and goals. I enjoyed spending time with all thee POV characters, learning more about them and seeing how they react in different circumstances. Their supporting casts were all really interesting too.

This is partly explained by the end of the book, but there are a LOT of close shaves for the various groups. Enough that it started to feel really manufactured and repetitive. There was a reason for that, but it doesn't prevent some scenes from feeling a bit fake.

The economics around blood-magic was well done, though it started to drive me nuts hearing how depleted their stores of product were becoming and how expensive it was to buy, and then seeing so much wasted blood as more and more drakes get killed. The magic itself was cool, with each type of drake having a different property. I especially liked that there were limitations on the magic and that there were actual consequences for using it extensively.

At the back of the book is a list of dramatis personae, which I would have referred to a few times had I known it was there. There's a large cast, and on the ship especially I had to remind myself who was who.

This is an excellent book with a lot going for it. It you love immersive fantasy, pick this up.

Pros: reminiscent of Regency and Victorian authors, uses a Victorian inspired setting, flows well, literary but the fantasy aspects are fully realized

Cons: story develops a little too slowly

The Magicians And Mrs. Quent is split into three parts. In the first, we are introduced to the major players - the Lockwell girls, of which Ivy is the dominant, Mr. Rafferdy and the upperclass circle he inhabits, and Eldyn Garritt, a gentleman whose father ruined the family name and has left him in dire straits. This part of the novel feels very much like Pride and Prejudice. There's matchmaking among those of unequal backgrounds and much prejudice abounding because of it.

The second part is more like Jane Eyre. I won't say more than that as it would give away a major plot twist. The third part of the novel was entirely original in that it didn't make me think of a Victorian novel, and is designed to tie the other parts together.

The story meanders, following the fortunes of the various players. There is a plot, but you don't really see it until the third segment - though that's not to say it isn't present in the first two. The first two entrance you with their language and the doings of the people so it's not until near the end that you see what the author's been working towards. While the Magicians make a brief appearance in the first part, Mrs. Quent doesn't show up until the end of the second.

And while the setting is Enlightenment/Victorian, it's a fully realized fantasy world. The planet is not earth (the day/night cycle follows an uneven rotation so almanacs are consulted to learn how long each will be). There's history, there are the seeds of revolt and there are the underpinnings of emancipation. Which makes it a unique book among fantasy novels which tend to stick to Medieval worlds.

And it's hard not to read a book that begins, “It was generally held knowledge among the people who lived on Whitward street that the eldest of the 3 Miss Lockwells had a peculiar habit of reading while walking.”

If you like Regency or Victorian literature or just want to read a fantasy novel that's a bit different, this is a good choice.

Pros: fascinating protagonist, thought-provoking, interesting mystery

Cons:

Millicent Roper, director and UCLA student, is in an institute for borderline personality disorder and an attempted suicide that left her with two prosthetic limbs and a lot of physical and emotional scars. When Caryl Vallo approaches her with a job offer, she's intrigued by the secrecy surrounding it. The Arcadia Project regulates travel between our world and Arcadia, and one of their nobles hasn't returned as scheduled.

I picked this book up because the protagonist has several physical and mental disabilities. I kept reading because the writing is so damn good.

I was a little afraid that I wouldn't like the protagonist, as she's introduced as bitter and sarcastic. But as the story's told from her point of view, the reader's included in her thought process - why she acts the way she acts, and therefore gets to see the disconnect between her thoughts and feelings and her actions. In other words, she's not a particularly nice person from the outside, but from the inside you really sympathize with her. Much of the division between what she feels vs what she does comes from her borderline personality disorder, but there's also an element of ‘I've been hurt before so I'll keep others away so I can't be hurt again'.

I'm not qualified to judge the accuracy of Baker's depictions of prosthetics, wheelchair use, and mental disorders, so I'd be interested in hearing from those who are. It was wonderful to see a protagonist deal with physical and mental disabilities - especially referencing the psychiatric treatments that help her deal with the borderline personality disorder.

The book is interesting because Millie works with several other damaged people, who aren't very polite towards her but are likely just as sympathetic, if you saw inside them. It's understood that they've all got issues of some sort - like Millie, but she's not always told what their issues are. On the one hand, I understood that as a privacy issue it should be left to the individual to decide if they want to tell their story. On the other hand, I suspect some of the personality clashes in the book could have been resolved if everyone understood what everyone else is going through / what their diagnoses are - so they could avoid triggering negative reactions in each other.

One of my favourite things in the book was the calling out of unintentional/unconscious insults/racism. These include things she does and things she notices others doing to her.

You're slowly introduced to what the Arcadia Project does and it's quite interesting. The world expands a little at a time with each revelation to Millie about what's really going on. And she's a very clever protagonist, seeing minor clues and putting things together in ways I didn't catch. The mystery was really interesting, with several twists I didn't see coming. The world is soundly built, with rules - quite specific ones - and lots of room to expand.

This is an excellent urban fantasy novel that doesn't follow the trends. There's no romance, no ass kicking, just damaged people trying to get by in a damaged world.

Pros: brilliant characters, great premise

Cons: underdeveloped, mystery's fairly easy to solve

Seventeen year old Nancy is starting at a new boarding school. But this isn't just any school, it's a school for kids who have found doorways to other worlds, kids who can't forget their experiences and adventures and who want to return to their real homes in those worlds. And one of them is willing to kill to find their doorway.

I loved the premise of this novella, that kids who went to other worlds (fairylands, underworlds, nonsense realms, etc.) would come back changed, and would want to return to those places. I also liked how their parents weren't too happy with the changes, and how society viewed their ‘odd' stories, assuming mental illness.

The characters were fantastic. What a fun bunch of misfits. You're told that a particular type of person finds these doorways, and that shows in how these youths act. They tend to be older than their years, speaking with a refreshing frankness. They're a diverse bunch with several sexualities and genders represented. Having an asexual protagonist was neat, as it's a perspective not generally used.

While interesting, the murder mystery is fairly easy to solve. And the shortness of the book meant that things wrapped up pretty quickly.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a fast read, and while I'd have loved for it to be a full length novel, the author made some great observations about humanity.

Pros: good pacing, lots of action and plot twists, interesting and realistic (if sometimes infuriating) characters

Cons: I wanted the kids to do the smart thing - rather than the right thing; because a lot of the actions taken are adult, I kept picturing the kids as being at least 16 when the protagonists were actually 14

For Parents: good for reluctant and/or weaker readers, no sexual content but a fair bit of violence and some racial slurs

It's school as usual for Sam until the teacher disappears. It doesn't take the kids long to discover that everyone in Perdido Beach over 15 is gone. There is now a barrier they can't cross enclosing a 20 mile radius and powerful bullies are setting themselves up in positions of power.

And some of the kids are acknowledging they have strange abilities.

Gone has an excellent mix of characters. There are bullies who manipulate with words and others who use violence. There are decent people who want someone in charge who will keep order, who don't want to be the one in charge. There are cowards and heroes, kids who are responsible, kids who are victims. I thoroughly hated a few of them, particularly Quinn and his use of racial slurs.

It was easy to forget that the protagonists were all 14 or under. While there was one real psychopath in the book, most of the kids were adverse to killing - even when it was in their best interest (I find it frustrating when characters in books don't get their comeuppance. In life I'd never urge a 14 year old to kill another kid, but in a book you want to good guys to win and the bad guys to die, not come back in the next book to make things hard for the good guys again. On the other hand, it's a better message for kids that they shouldn't kill, so the author did the right thing).

The pacing was great. For a 550 page book, it's a quick read. There are numerous plot twists and the cause of the disappearance is explained in a rational manner.

Great for adults who want a quick, entertaining read, or kids who want a good story. There is some violence but I don't remember any swearing and there's no sexual content.

Pros: fast paced, shows results of addiction and mental illness, interesting story

Cons: surprised Seivarden kept her position

New problems regarding the undergarden on Athoek Station and Queter's interrogation on the planet occupy Breq, fleet captain, commander of Mercy of Kalr, last ancillary of Justice of Toren, One Esk Nineteen. When she gets word of four ships entering the system she suspects they've been sent by the enemy version of the Radchaai's split ruler, Anaander Mianaai.

Picking up immediately where Ancillary Sword left off, this book begins with Breq trying to clean-up the loose ends of the previous book. When the enemy ships arrive in the system, things heat up fast, with several desperate plots to even the odds and take out this clone of the Lord of the Radch.

While the opening's a bit slow, reminding you of the events of the previous book, things pick up quickly and propel you through the rest of the story. It's a fast read.

I was impressed that the author dealt with more repercussions of Seivarden's addiction and depression and the results of Tisarwat's manipulations. It's great to see a book show that traumas leave scars that take years to heal, and that someone can have good and bad times, depending on circumstances. Having said that, I'm surprised Seivarden was able to keep her position, considering the breakdown she has. It's obvious she's not capable of dealing with the pressures of command.

While this book can't wrap up everything going on in the universe, it does give a sense of resolution for the primary characters of the series.

Pros: atmospheric, interesting characters, intriguing story

Cons: a little slow

No one knows what caused the Spill Zone, but its dangers are numerous. Addison supports herself and her younger sister by sneaking into her old hometown, now a quarantine zone, and selling the pictures she takes. She stays safe by obeying a set of rules. Now she's offered a large sum of money to bring something back from the zone, but it means breaking the rules...

This is the first volume and so mostly sets up the spill zone and the characters. It's a bit slow, but that's due to the many panelled atmospheric nature of the artwork. While the artwork wasn't entirely to my liking, it does embody the post-apocalyptic feel of the city and the creepy stuff going on inside it. It's also highly expressive, showing a lot of motion and emotion.

Addison's pretty interesting as a protagonist, gutsy if not terribly business savvy. Her obvious love for her sister shines through. I have to admit, I'm most intrigued by Vespertine, her sister's telepathic, snarky doll.

The story ends with several mysteries introduced and I'm very curious to see what happens next.

Pros: economic and political intrigue, utterly fascinating protagonist, interesting pov, keeps you guessing

Cons: not sure the rebel dukes gave their plans proper consideration

Daughter of a huntress, and a blacksmith, and a shield-bearer, Baru Cormorant grew up in Taranoke. Her world changes when the Empire of Masks uses its trade agreement with Taranoke to slowly conquer the land, educating her and other native children in their schools. Horrified by what has been done to her homeland but knowing that the Empire is too vast to fight, Baru resolves to destroy it from the inside. But first she must prove her loyalty and worth to the Empire by using her intelligence to uncover revolt in another conquered land, Aurdwynn.

Before you start reading the book you're greeted by a map. After a quick cursory glance I turned the page. Maps are common in fantasy books and this one wasn't that detailed or complex. But something had caught my eye so I turned back and examined the map in more detail. It's a map of Aurdwynn, showing the duchies and - more interestingly - Baru's comments on the various dukes and what each duchy is known for. There aren't many comments, but the sheer honesty they portray is refreshing and drew me into the story before it had even begun. Through the map we learn that the people of Oathsfire have awful beards, Radaszic is a complete moron, and Erebog is probably going to starve. It's a clever and fun map that peaked my interest.

The novel starts with Baru's childhood and education before heading to Aurdwynn where the rest of the book takes place. This is a book driven by Baru's character and her attempts to understand, control, and outmaneuver the dukes as she tries to organize the country's finances while rooting out rebellion. While there is some fighting, most of the book is concerned with political and economic intrigue.

Baru's a wiz at economics and seeing the big picture of cause and effect. Where she falters is in recognizing that individual people have the ability to cause change outside of the larger picture, meaning she sometimes gets blindsided by not taking individual passions and choices into consideration. It's a wonderfully tense book with a protagonist who's always thinking so many moves ahead you're struggling to understand her current plays. At one point I had to reread a conversation to figure out what she'd read between the lines during it, in order to understand why she was doing certain things. It's a book that will keep you on your toes, second guessing her and everyone else's motives.

I've never read a book that goes over, however briefly, the conquest of a country, so I really appreciated the point of view. It's both fascinating and horrifying, how - and how quickly - the Empire gained power in Taranoke.

After thinking about the book for a few days I find myself wondering how much the rebel dukes considered their plans. They end up making at least once decision that seems to go against their individual interests. A decision I'm not sure they'd be willing to make as it reduces their own power.

I'm not sure I agree with one aspect of the ending, but I really enjoyed the book. I had to read it quickly, but I'd advise taking time to really think about what's going on - to appreciate the decisions Baru makes and the circumstances she finds herself in. It's a fascinating read and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Pros: good pacing, interesting characters, interesting mystery, light romance

Cons: felt like Lia should have understood a few things faster

For three years the Celestial Expanse and the Tellurian Alliance have fought over rights to New Earth. Now, there's a cease-fire accompanied by the good-will release of 500 prisoners of war from the Tellurian prisoner of war camp at Tiersten Colony. Among those being released onto New Sol station is sixteen year old Lia Johansen. But she's actually a living bomb, set to go off in thirty-six hours.

This is the first book in the Spectre War series, and it's a doozie. Given the age of the protagonist and her search for meaning after things go wrong, it kind of felt like a YA novel. There's a touch of romance, coming of age, befriending an enemy... But throughout there's an undercurrent of something else - the same mystery that Lia's trying to remember.

I thought the pacing was great, with the book teasing out bits and pieces of the mystery. There was one aspect in particular that I was surprised she didn't grasp earlier. Yes, she is sixteen and it wouldn't be easy to work around false memories, but it did frustrate me a bit.

The romance elements were great and gave the ending quite a punch. I liked that Lia developed friendships with several women of various ages. Often books ignore the importance of female friendships to female protagonists, so I really appreciated seeing this.

While the story is self-contained, it opens a lot of future possibilities, and leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

Pros: interesting characters, brilliant world-building, some clever plot twists

Cons: tension lost if read previous novels, ending of final battle is a let down

Forty years ago the King in Red, Elayne Kevarian and Temoc Almotil met in battle in the Gods' War. Now Elayne is back in Dresediel Lex, a Craftswoman and consultant for the King in Red on a contract to fix the Skittersill, the old temple slave's quarter. But the people of the Skittersill haven't been included in the deal, and their massed discontent could break the world. So Elayne goes to meet with its various representatives, including Temoc, the last Eagle Knight and priest of the old Gods, in hopes of resolving the tension peacefully. Temoc meanwhile struggles with the different demands of priesthood and fatherhood in this time of crisis.

This is the fourth published novel in the Craft Sequence, but the first chronologically. This book takes place in the same city, with many of the same characters (only younger) as the second published book, Two Serpents Rise. Having read that book, some of the narrative tension of this one is lost, as I already knew certain characters would survive. Similarly, though I don't remember that book as well as I'd like, I had to reevaluate the relationships I remembered with the new, ‘prior' relationships of this book. When the books are all out I look forward to reading them in order to see how well they follow each other, and how characters develop across the books.

The characters are fascinating and the world-building sound, as usual with Gladstone's books. And that's good, because there's less judicial mystery in this story, with the centre being more character than plot focused. Both Elayne and the King in Red perform some interesting Craft, and you see the power of the defeated Gods in play at the end.

The big battle is quite apocalyptic, but ends somewhat disappointingly. It felt like the author's hands were tied, needing certain people to survive for book two, and couldn't quite figure out how to end the battle well as a result. There are some clever plot twists in the book, including the final battle, that were great though.

Despite its few faults it's a great book and this is a wonderful series.