Jessica Strider

Pros: quick action, fascinating rewrites of several more fairy tales, realistic characters

Cons: have to read the first two books in the series in order to properly understand this one

Taken from the back of the book, because it's written so well: Roudette's story was a simple one. A red cape. A wolf. A hunter. Her mother told her she would be safe, so long as she kept to the path. But sometimes the path leads to dark places.

After living through a traumatic childhood event, Roudette has become an assassin. Her current target is Talia, known as Sleeping Beauty.

This is the third of Mr. Hines' princess novels, and the strongest to date. He builds upon the foundations of the previous books, deepening the established relationships, so new readers would do well to read those first.

If you think you know Talia's story based on The Stepsister Scheme, think again. We get to see her homeland, and someone dear to Talia's heart. We also learn that her understanding of the events surrounding her cursed sleep are not as simple as she believed.

The book has a lot of good fight scenes, some romance and a lot of conflicted emotions.

Pros: fascinating characters who develop a lot throughout the course of the book, interesting (if terrifying) religion

Cons: the ending makes it feel more like a set up for the next book than a novel in its own right

The Left Hand of God is an interesting book. It's packaged like a fantasy novel, but reads more like an historical fiction. It's not really either. The book takes place on earth - from what I could tell - but not the earth of our history. The religion of the Redeemers is similar to the Catholic church, if the Catholic church went to extremes that even the inquisition would find horrific.

Thomas Cale entered the Sanctuary when he was a child. Now, a few years from manhood, he understands how to avoid beatings and other punishments. That doesn't stop him from getting punished as the Redeemers who run the Sanctuary believe every act is sinful. He's been trained from youth to be a killer and he's the best at what he does.

When two non-friends of Cale's (friendship is discouraged, and if discovered, punished) find and open a sealed off door, their lives are forever changed.

There's a lot happening in the book. The only problem being that the ending makes you realize the entire book was simply to put Cale in a specific position in relation to the Redeemers. It's fascinating how he gets there (about half way though I started wondering where the book was going, but the characters were so interesting it didn't bother me that I couldn't figure out the author's aims). A few characters near the end also make choices that seem odd given the circumstances. These are minor points though, and don't marr the enjoyment of the story.

The narrator is slightly sarcastic, especially with regards to medicine, making the book a lot of fun. When things get too serious the narration itself provides a bit of tension relief. There's a lot of character development - much of it fun as the three boys have never seen a woman before leaving the Sanctuary and don't know how the world outside the Sanctuary works.

Bottom line, it's a great set up and I can't wait to see where the next book takes the story.

Spoiler Warning This is book 5 in a 5 book series, therefore even the synopsis will have some spoilers if you haven't read the previous books.

Pros: great wrap up for the series, satisfying battle scenes, down time between fight scenes allowed for continued character development

Cons: while Wilson was willing to kill off a few characters, there were too many last minute saves, which reduced overall tension

The Eld have begun their attack on Celaria. King Dorian and his wife are more at odds than ever and Rain, banished from the Fading Lands, is nearing bond madness.

This book starts directly after the events of Queen of Song and Souls. There is a brief recap of that book's conclusion, but you might want to skim it again before starting this book.

With war imminent, there's less time for romance. Wilson manages to squeeze in a few love scenes, but they're not as detailed as the ones in previous books. Crown is more focused on battles and Wilson does a great job of narrating battlefields.

In this book we learn more of the Elves and see some creepy creatures of evil that Vadim Maur has prepared for this war.

There's a long denouement after the climax which clears up a lot of things. Rather than feeling overlong, it makes for a satisfying conclusion.

While it seemed like she was willing to kill characters, too many named supporting characters are saved in the nick of time. Similarly, Rain and Ellysetta are almost captured and/or killed so often some of the tension was lost (as you know they'll be saved). Having said that, Wilson definitely puts her protagonists through the wringer.

If you've enjoyed the series thus far, you'll find this a satisfying conclusion.

Pros: fast paced, good dialogue, a fair bit of action

Cons: last 30 pages rely more heavily on previous books for climax and denouement and contain spoilers for the earlier books (only a problem if you haven't read those books)

Savannah Levine's running her guardian's P.I. agency while they're on vacation. When another P.I., Jesse Aanes, drops a murder case that has hints of occult activity in her lap, she's ready to prove she can solve a case solo. So off she goes to Columbus, a small town that now boasts 3 murders. With two obvious suspects and several people offering help (including the brother of one of the victims, an out of town detective), it seems like an easy case. But nothing's as it seems and when someone else dies Savannah realizes that going solo isn't as fun as she thought it would be.

Savannah's an interesting character. She's got a lot of streetsmarts and a no nonsense attitude. She's not quite the kick ass character urban fantasy is known for, but not far off either. Magic is her first line of offense, though she knows some martial arts too. She avoids being a Mary Sue by asking for help from a senior member of the P.I. agency and by occasionally making potentially stupid decisions (like meeting a possible suspect alone without telling anyone where she's going).

This is the first Otherworld book by Armstrong that I've read. I assumed Savannah was a minor character in the other books so the first book dedicated to her would be a good place to jump into the series. There were occasional references to her past throughout the book that were easy to understand until 30 pages to the end. Suddenly someone from her past who was never mentioned in this book shows up. The climax's ‘ah ha' moment was more of a ‘what?' moment for me. Since I didn't know who this character was I had no idea what was coming. The ending wasn't ruined by this. Armstrong explained enough about who the character was that a new reader could follow along. But I knew I'd missed the real surprise of the scene.

Still, it was a fun, quick read. And, from what Armstrong tells about Savannah's past, those who have followed the series will likely enjoy seeing Savannah grown up.

Pros: detailed fantasy world, interesting characters

Cons: not a standalone, slow moving at times

Path of the Sun has Dhulyn and Parno, Mercenary Brother partners, involved in a murder mystery in the Menoin Tarkinate.

They come escorting the Tarkin's bride-to-be, but a grisly murder causes them to pass through a Caid ruin, the Path of the Sun, in pursuit of the killer. The path leads to another world where those Marked with the powers of Healing, Finding, Mending and Seeing - like Dhulyn - are broken and put to death. And the Espadryni, Dhulyn's extinct people, still live.

The identity of the killer is revealed to the reader early on. The makes for an interesting character study, as we see the killer interact with several people, lying and manipulating his way to his goals.

As with her other books, Path of the Sun examines a new corner of her fantasy world. The peoples are all distinct, with cultures, tastes, politics, etc. that differ from those used in the past.

Newcomers to the series will not be able to start here, however. Too much of this book depends on knowledge of events in earlier books. Characters from book 1 reappear, the trouble the partners get into in book 2 is finally resolved, and some actions from book 3 are referred to.

Still, if you haven't discovered her and want to read a quieter, more thought provoking fantasy, Malan is a great choice. Her characters grow with each novel and there's always more of the world to discover.

Pros: old style SF feel, VERY fast read, quick paced, suspenseful
Cons: leaves you wanting more
For Parents: no content, a great SF primer for newcomers

0.4 (Human.4 in the U.S.) is a book written in the style of classic science fiction writers like H.G. Wells and John Wyndham in that there's a narrator explaining strange events that have already occurred. In this case, the narrator is Kyle Straker, a teenager whose 3 audio tape recordings have been found and heavily analyzed by historians of the future. This written transcript (the book itself) is edited by Mike A. Lancaster.

Kyle has a fantastic story to tell. At the annual talent show on the village green he agrees to be a test subject of a friend's attempts at hypnotism. When he wakes up from the trance a few minutes later the world has changed.

The novel is best read knowing as little as possible about it. It reads very much like a Twilight Zone episode, the pleasure coming both from the suspense and in trying to guess what's going on. And the editor's asides about 20th Century phrases and cultural norms are quite interesting. Aside from the cassette tapes (the use of which is explained within the text) the technology mentioned is modern.

This is a fun, quick read with TV style pacing and a story that will keep you guessing about what's really going on. If you're trying to introduce a young reader to science fiction, this makes the perfect primer.

Pros: creepy premise, strong writing, good pacing, interesting family mystery

Cons: unlikable protagonist, didn't feel like a horror novel

Stevie is an unreliable narrator.

She remembers her father, a cop, as a good, quiet man. Others remember him differently. He was the kind of cop who didn't like to see the guilty get away with their crimes, even when there wasn't enough evidence to convict them.

Stevie was 18 when her mother died, passenger in the car Stevie was driving. The accident gave Stevie her third near death experience. Before, she'd been too young to understand what happened. This time she realized that when you die you enter a room. A dark room. A dark room where those you've slighter want to hurt you.

The book is presented as a horror novel and the premise is quite terrifying. But in execution, it's less about horror than it is about the mystery of who Stevie's father was and what death actually holds for her. And while she runs from the first mystery, wanting to believe her father was a great man, she runs towards the second, trying to get back to her room to see if it changes.

As a protagonist she's a thoroughly unlikable character. She's rude, disrespectful and goes out of her way to anger the people in her life. And yet, her story is fascinating and she somehow remains sympathetic.

The writing is strong and the pacing good, doling out enough clues to keep you interested.

One word of caution, try not to read the synopsis on the back of the book. It contains a spoiler that makes part of the mystery a lot easier to figure out. If you want to get a sense of the book, read the first few pages.

Pros: vividly real world, mostly sympathetic protagonist

Cons: entirely character driven, unevenly paced

Green was bought from her father at a very young age and raised in another country to be a nobleman's wife. Trained to numerous arts: cooking, sewing, music and more, it's her dance lessons and the illicit classes of stealth, falling and climbing, and the mistress who teaches them, that offer her a taste of the freedom and choice she longs for. When the time comes for her to leave her training courtyard, she makes a choice that shows her that while you can choose your actions it is their consequences that decide your future.

The world building is fantastic, with the people of different continents having different skin tones, languages, cultures, food preferences, sexual preferences, etc.. The history was loosely done though I got the impression that this was because Green didn't know much of it and therefore it would have been out of place to add more, rather than because the author hadn't considered this aspect of his novel.

This is a book that will appeal to readers who enjoy character driven action like that of Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy and Piers Anthony's A Quest for Chameleon. And like the latter, the almost aimless wanderings and life of the protagonist have purpose, when seen from the end (though to a lesser extent than Quest).

The problem I have with character driven stories is that, as with real life, not everything that happens to a person is interesting. Plot driven stories typically skip over these periods quickly, but character driven stories can't, leading to pacing issues where some periods are fascinating (like Green's two periods of schooling), action packed (her time as an aspirant and the ending), and times that are boring (her return home). Indeed, Green has an almost anti-climax half way through the book, after which the protagonist wanders for some time.

While she's a mostly sympathetic character, as a child taken from her father, her inability to grow up and realize that, despite the circumstances of her youth, she was better off in her new home than her old one, annoyed me. Despite constant observations to the contrary she held to her mistaken belief that everyone else in the world got to choose their futures while only she had to face misfortune and a loss of freedom. She held to these beliefs even after she left her court prison and found that her own choices had trapped her. That being able to make decisions for her life wasn't the same as being free. She was someone who held to an ideal that didn't exist and refused to move on. She made uninformed decisions and wondered afterward why those decisions were wrong.

Ultimately, Green is an interesting protagonist but not interesting enough to hold attention for an entire novel.

Pros: variety of stories, different lengths and wildly different subject matters, though provoking, unsettling

Cons: several stories require some thought to understand, with one being beyond my comprehension

This is a great collection of horror stories. There's variety in length and subject matter, with most having horrifying twist endings of some sort that make you rethink what you believed was happening in the story. Mr. Nickle brings in different mythologies, which was fun. And they all deal with affection in one way or another, most regarding family and a few with other topics.

There were only two stories I didn't like and in one case that was because I didn't quite understand the ending. With a few other stories it took some thought to realize their brilliance, which I did like.

Mr. Nickle uses your natural assumptions against you. For example, you assume Janie in “Janie and the Wind” is a victim. Turns out that's not entirely the case.

My review code for short stories is ^^ for 2 thumbs, ^ thumbs up, v thumb down)

^^ “The Sloan Men” - Judith visits her boyfriend's parents and discovers the man she loves is not WHAT she remembers him as. A very unsettling story.

^ “Janie and the Wind” - Janie's husband gives her a beating and leaves her stranded without food on a small island in Georgian Bay. A storm's coming and she's hungry. I found it a little long and rather strange. Great twist ending.

^^ “Night of the Tar Baby” - A father recently released from prison takes his two kids out to make a tar baby. He uses the creature to teach those around him about anger management. Another unsettling story, told from the young daughter's POV.

^ “Other People's Kids” - A rest stop lunch break turns weird when 13 year old Sam spots a kid with really sharp teeth. A strange tale about growing up and leaving childhood behind. Sam makes some interesting choices.

^^ “The Mayor Will Make a Brief Statement and Then Take Questions” - The mayor speaks of the city's grief over the murder of a young boy. Surprisingly short and deeply profound - after a bit of thought.

^ “The Pit-Heads” - Four painters make a terrifying deal to improve their craft. An interesting take on vampires. Mr. Nickle's father, a painter, has done some paintings for the story. You can read the story with the paintings online (under a creative commons license). I managed to see the paintings just before reading this story, and they do make it come to life.

v “The Slide Trombone” - Three musicians at a cottage wonder how they knew to pick up the 4th, a trombone player whom none of them had met before. I found this story confusing.

^^ “The Inevitability of Earth” - A man tries to find his grandfather to learn the secret of human flight. Unsettling with a very creepy ending.

^ “Swamp With and the Tea-drinking Man” - A swamp witch is in for a very bad day, filled with regrets. Another story that took some thought to figure out.

v “The Delilah Party” - An autistic teen accompanies some internet friends to a small party. Deeply unsettling.

^^ “Fly in Your Eye” - Discusses a rather creepy medical condition. Another very short and extremely creepy story.

^ “Polyphemus' Cave” - A man returning home for his estranged father's funeral sees a cyclops and hears an odd circus tale. Originally published in Queer Fear 2, this is another unsettling story, about what horrifying things can happen in families when one person doesn't act the way other members would like them to.

^ “The Webley” - Two boys make up after a fight to deal with a threatening dog. A look at how children act and their cruelties to one another.

It's a strong collection of thought provoking horror stories.

Pros: good writing, fast paced, nifty concept, true to life high school atmosphere

Cons: takes a while to understand the school/game setting, plot twists were often obvious

For Parents: there's a little swearing, minor violence, no sex

In a future where corporate sponsors run school as a game, a group of kids wants to reclaim their privacy as the Unidentified.

Katey Dade (@kidzero) is in the pit when the Unidentified pull off their first publicity stunt. Her interest in the act propels her into the limelight, where she has no desire to be, and forces her to make important decisions regarding her future.

A refreshing change from the weightier, more violent YA books I've read recently (The Hunger Games, Chaos Walking), this is a quick, entertaining book.

Told from Kid's POV, it captures the ups and downs of high school perfectly. I could easily imagine a future where schools are run by corporations sponsoring events and certain ‘in' students. And the willingness of the kids to have public lives is something facebook attests to today.

The plot focused on Kid's desire to remain low key despite the advantages (depending on your outlook) of being branded. The language is easy despite a few futuristic curses and expressions (Oh Google). There's minor swearing, a tiny amount of violence and no sexual content for parents to be concerned about.

The game took a while to take shape. Mariz drops you into the story with no preparation. I liked trying to figure out how the game worked but some readers may find it a chore to piece together what's going on.

Ultimately it's a well told story about the importance of choosing friends wisely, of privacy and the freedom to be yourself.

The World More Full of Weeping is a 77 page novella told from two points of view. The first is the view of Jeff Page, as he discovers his son hasn't returned from playing in the woods. The second is that of the son, Brian, as he meets a girl in the woods who shows him marvelous things.

It's a sweet, compelling story of love and loss. And a reminder that doing what you believe is best for someone doesn't usually take into account their own preferences on the matter.

Pros: good pacing, interesting story, realistic relationship development

Cons: Trella manages to do an awful lot despite injuries and being tracked at one point

The Pop Cops are in the brig and a committee now runs Inside. But the scrubs aren't happy and most have stopped working. Trella's still reeling from the events of Inside Out and doesn't want more responsibility. So she's only a consultant to the committee, which is ignoring all of her suggestions. After a blast destroys a key system and injures a lot of people, Trella discovers that it was not an accident but caused by saboteurs. How could things have gone so bad so fast?

Ms. Snyder's forte is with relationships, and this book shows off her skill in that regard. Trella's relationship with Dr. Lamont begins strained and slowly develops into something new. Her relationship with Riley also progresses at a natural pace, with her reckless behaviour causing him stress and hesitation with regards to taking things further.

As with the previous book, Trella makes mistakes and grows as a person when she acknowledges them.

Lots of unexpected twists will keep readers on their toes. While Trella does endure more pain and injuries, again recovering remarkably fast, she remains a fun, flawed character.

Pros: protagonist experiences real growth of character

Cons: Trella recovers from severe injuries surprisingly fast


For Parents: no content issues or language, mild violence

Trella knows their world is a cube. Though she's a scrub, and relegated to a life of drudgery cleaning the ducts on levels 1 and 2, she's snuck to the upper levels often enough.

Now her skill at navigating the ducts and breaking the rules is going to get her into trouble. Her only friend is convinced that Gateway - a door to an outside world - exists. To prove him wrong she must retrieve something from the upper levels. Only the authorities have set a trap and she's about to spring it.

While neither the idea of a two-tier society nor an enclosed environment are unique, their combination and lack of known history by the inhabitants makes this story interesting.

Trella's do it herself mentality could be grating, but it's not. She's a teen who wants more from life and who's willing to change as her world expands. She does heal much faster than I believe is possible, and functions well under high amounts of pain, but that's becoming common in teen dystopian fiction.

And she's given time to think about events and see the consequences of her actions, allowing for true character growth.

Pros: quirky characters, action

Cons: soap opera feel

As this is the 3rd book in the series, the synopsis contains spoilers. This is not a book you can pick up without having read the previous two.

Alexia, Lady Maccon, begins this book at her mother's abode, being estranged from her husband due to the ‘baby inconvenience'. Though faithful, her husband's werewolf state ought to make him unable to father a child. The vampires aren't happy about Alexia's pregnancy, and without the protection of the Woolsey Pack she's in trouble.

So she does what any self-respecting soulless would do while under attack - take a trip to the continent to see if anyone there can explain how she conceived.

While the characters are still quirky, their personalities are toned down a bit in this novel so at no point do they grate on your nerves (which happened a few times in Changeless).

The plot, while organic as per the other books in the series, feels a bit tighter in this book. Carriger's writing, already good, has improved.

The only ‘negative' I had was that the story is starting to feel like a soap opera. Which can be fun, but can also go too far. It's worked so far, I hope Carriger can keep the books from becoming farcical rather than pleasantly campy.

Pros: interesting characters, get to see the outside world and learn some of the world's history

Cons: powerful creatures are defeated with surprising ease (which may be realistic but it's also a bit disappointing)

The City of Hope and Despair is a novel about two quests. The first involves Tom's first time outside Thaiburley as he, the assassin Dewar, Kohn, a sightless giant and the Thaistess, Mildra, journey to find the source of the goddess Thaiss's river. A demon doesn't want them to succeed and has alerted another assassin to stop them.

Back in the city, Kat and her sister postpone their fight to the death in order to hunt down the returned Soul Thief, the monster that killed their mother.

It's nice to see Tom grow up a bit and realize that street smarts won't cut it in the real world where dangers are many and varied. It's also fun to see him falling for the unobtainable priestess. Seeing more of the world Whates has created as well as learning why Thaiburley has isolated itself was great after the very contained (in terms of worldbuilding) City of Dreams and Nightmare. The Prime Master has more of a role in this book, and as he's a character much like the Patrician in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, that was a welcome addition.

Both quests encounter a number of difficulties, which keeps the book moving at a fast pace. It was surprising how quickly the protagonists managed to overcome some of the obstacles in their path, and while they faced tragedy, their triumphs seemed easier won than expected given the power of their enemies.

The book ends on a double cliffhanger, with both quests leading to something new, to be picked up in the final volume of the series. And given the quality of writing in the first two books, that's a book worth picking up.

Pros: good writing, realistic extrapolation of the aftermath of a nuclear war

Cons: boring at times, Len becomes increasingly hard to relate to

Len and Esau are cousins growing up in the New Mennonite Community of Piper's Run a hundred years after the atomic war that destroyed the United States. The Thirtieth Ammendment states that no cities beyond a certain size are allowed to be built and the country has splintered into a variety of religious farmers and traders.

After witnessing a stoning, the boys realize their curiosity is peaked and they start dreaming of going to Bartorstown, a mythical city where old technology is still used.

Brackett is a good writer. Her descriptions are solid and her plotting is direct. The idea that a nuclear war would find religious zealots banning cities, in the hopes of avoiding such a thing in the future, is realistic (even more so for the early post-WWII world Brackett wrote this in, when fear of nuclear bombs was very high), as is the idea that many people would become Amish or Mennonite, learning from people who have always eschewed technology.

Having said that, if you like your post-apocalyptic fiction more Mad Max than Little House on the Prairie, like me, you'll find this book fairly boring. What technology there is, is obviously patterned off of 50s understanding. But it's so limited that it doesn't detract from the story.

Len's story arc, however, does. I liked him in the first two sections. He's young, idealistic, and unwilling to let go of his dreams regardless of how he's beaten and shamed. By the third segment I realized that he's also the kind of person who's always chasing a dream. He's never satisfied with where he is in life, because he's always sure it's better somewhere else. Only at the very end, when he finally decides as an adult what he wants out of life and what he believes in, does he stop waffling and settle.

This is the first thing by Beckett I've read. I wouldn't mind picking up something else by her, given the writing chops she shows in this book, but The Long Tomorrow isn't a book I'd read again.

Pros: interesting premise, intense, sympathetic protagonist

Cons: no time for the reader to take in what's happening, the shrinking is offhandedly explained

Scott Carey fights for his life against a giant spider in the cellar of his house, imprisoned by his ever shrinking size. Between trying to find food and water in his dangerous world, he remembers the difficult road that brought him here, losing 1/7th of an inch each day.

Scott is an angry man. From the time his shrinking began he's raged against his ultimate fate, denying the reality of his situation, yelling at his wife and ignoring their daughter. He's also a scared man, dealing with the reality of his situation even as work becomes harder, medical bills mount and supporting his family becomes impossible.

He's a highly sympathetic character. While it's hard to like how he treats his wife in the flashbacks, it's also hard to deny that anyone would feel the same in similar circumstances. The novel explores his continuing sexual urges as well as his desire to be ‘a man' in a world that increasingly views him as a kid, then a doll, then nothing at all.

It's a pulse pounding novel. Whenever you think he's caught a break something goes wrong. Then several more things go wrong and you wonder how he keeps going on. Both the present scenes and back story are fraught with new perils he must face and, generally, escape. The intensity rarely lets up, as everything becomes a danger to him.

Having said that, there's no time for the reader to do more than hang on for the ride. A few times the author brings up more philosophical questions, but it's hard to contemplate life the universe and everything when you're running for your life, so the questions are asked and quickly forgotten as Scott gets on with living.

Readers who like solid science will be disappointed by the haphazard explanation of why Scott is shrinking.

At just over 200 pages, it's also a fairly short read, but detailed enough to give you insight into the characters and a wild ride.

It's a fantastic conclusion for this collection and an interesting read.

Pros: fascinating protagonist with very interesting life, great narrative style

Cons: some crass scenes, light world-building

The unnamed protagonist of Reposession Mambo (republished as Repo Men) is typing his memoirs on an old Underwood typewriter in an abandoned hotel. Once a level five repo man, charged with repossessing the artificial organs of those who stopped making payments, for the Credit Union (and others), he's now on the run, having his own artificial organ and unable to pay the extremely high interest rates.

Despite being character driven I never found my interest lagging. The protagonist's life is so interesting, from his 5 ex-wives, to his job as a repo man, to his time in the military and friendship with Jake, it's a non-stop adventure. He's a mix of contradictions. He's described by a therapist at one point as having a great capacity for love, but each of his ex's call him a bastard. He's not a cold hard killer, but has no problem ripping out someone's liver or heart, despite knowing the person's going to die because of his actions. There's a brief mention of him repossessing children's organs, but no description (for which I'm thankful). Perhaps the author realized that heading in that direction would destroy any sympathy the protagonist otherwise gains. And he does gain some. He's somehow a likable guy, despite the work he does.

The narrative is disjointed, jumping from time to time, keeping you on your toes trying to figure out what's happening and why he's now on the run. Within that jumbled framework, comes a fairly linear life story, from highschool through military life, joining the Credit Union and all his wives along the way. Even the present day story is fascinating, with everything he knows about repo men giving him a better chance at survival. The mystery of why he's on the run is quite compelling.

As for the negatives, the story is crass at times. His first wife's a prostitute and there's a lot of sex humour (though no eroticism or graphic descriptions). It's not on the level of, say, Porky's style humour, but it is highschool style crass humour at times. While I'm not a fan of that kind of writing, it did fit the book and character and wasn't overdone.

The world-building is very light. You're only told about what the protagonist finds interesting, namely his life. He's quite self-centered and focused in that respect. There's some information about how the organ shops got started and the high interest rates that keep people's names on his pink slips, but not as much about this new world as I'd have liked given the interesting premise of the book.

The ending... I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Again, it fit the story but I wasn't entirely satisfied by it. The character has a chance to grow as a person and things don't work out as you're expecting.

A decent amount of action and a fascinating crew of characters make up Repossession Mambo.

Pros: clear, easy to read biography, warnings against drawing conclusions without sufficient information, examples from contemporaries to explain medieval thought and give context for Hildegard's actions and/or what may have happened to her when information is scarce

Cons: the introduction and conclusion gave a lot more information about the modern state of the cult of Hildegard than I was interested in

Fiona Maddocks takes historical sources to piece together Hildegard of Bingen's life. Her prose is engaging and, though scholarly, easy to read. She obviously knows modern interpretations of Hildegard's life and works, mentioning them in her book while at the same time cautioning modern readers against looking at Hildegard's actions with a feminist/lesbian slant. Hildegard was very much a woman of her time and there isn't enough evidence to make such conclusions (while at the same time understanding that this doesn't mean such conclusions are wrong).

For times when the information about Hildegard herself is scarce (her childhood for example), Maddocks mentions stories and writings of contemporaries who would have had similar experiences. For example, there is some doubt that Hildegard joined the monestary at the age of 8 but there are other cases when boys and girls of similar ages in Medieval times felt called to serve their God behind walls, so it's not unheard of that she could have come to her vocation early, especially knowing her parents had promised her to the church.

I was unaware of just how much Hildegard had written and on how many subjects - the natural world (plants, animals, rocks), music lyrics and notation as well as her visions. Makes me want to read some of her own works now, though Maddocks warns that most of the English translations are by a gentleman who translated them not from the original Latin but from a German translation (meaning you're getting interpretations of someone else's interpretations, compounding whatever translation errors/decisions the previous translator made).

If you want to read about this fascinating woman while maintaining proper historical distance, I highly recommend this book.

Pros: very interesting premise, fun characters, partly set in Toronto

Cons: characters learn things remarkably fast (eg: new aspects of their powers), don't study the NYC attack to learn about the aliens, just try same techniques

When Jo Tanis, aka Surf, and her sidekick Metal Mike, are called by the Agency to help fight aliens over New York City they know something is wrong. First, they weren't scheduled for a fight today and second, A-List supers are dying. This isn't a staged fight but Jo heads out because defying the Agency would force Mike, who's also her Guardian, to detonate the bomb in the back of her neck.

One of the few survivors of the battle, Jo heads home to Toronto and forms an underground team of supers to take care of the aliens and stop the Agency's control of supers around the world.

The story is told from Jo's point of view, with occasional flashbacks to explain her relationship with Metal Mike. She's a feisty woman with the power to control electromagnetic waves, giving her the ability to fly and shoot lightning bolts.

The team she puts together is formed of those who answer her call for aid and consists of one villain who can melt things, a telepath, a guardian with inside Agency information and a guy who can control animals. It's impressive what the team accomplishes considering their powers aren't formidable. The animal talker especially surprised me, showing significantly more versatility than expected from such a ‘lame' power.

The characters have incompatible personalities, making for some fun dialogue and scenes. Their villain likes porn and coarse language, the telepath doesn't like crass behaviour. And Jo's stuck in the middle trying to make things work.

Jo's a strong character, who shows weaknesses at the appropriate times (ie, when her team can't see her break down). She's not given time to mourn the loss of those who die in the NYC attack and given little time to rest before getting right back out there. This made her feel genuine. She asks for help when she needs it but maintains control of the group through tough talk and leadership skills.

I loved the set-up that the superhero battles were all manufactured for TV, with the populace believing they're real. I can definitely see a government agency contacting people who develop superpowers and not giving them the chance to say no to joining the program. This also causes Jo problems as she has to explain to her former friends what happened to her, what the battles really were and why she couldn't contact them after her powers developed.

There's a minor romantic thread running through the book. I was afraid the author would take things too fast, given the events in Jo's recent past, but she didn't, which I was thankful for. I suspect the romance elements will be stronger in the second book of the series.

As for the problems the book has, the alien plot gets solved rather... easily all things considered. There are some good fight scenes, but the ultimate resolution is pretty cliche.

Jo, who had just started training how to carry someone when flying, manages to carry 4 people, without any practice. Her jump in skill is testament to her determination, but also felt somewhat fake given she's never managed to carry 1 person before, let alone more.

I'd expected them to research the NYC battle before facing the aliens again, trying to learn what the other supers did and what powers / defences the aliens have. Nope. They just ran back into battle with the aliens, trying a lot of the same things and hoping they'd work this time.

Ultimately, I loved seeing Toronto featured in a science fiction book and thought the story was a lot of fun, flaws notwithstanding.

Pros: very interesting and complex characters, city founder has a unique philosophy, slow apocalypse, references to the game are subtle, has a sense of closure so it works as a novel not just a game history

Cons: don't learn as much about certain people/items from the game as I'd have liked, major spoilers for those who haven't played the game

Bioshock: Rapture is the prequel novel to the Bioshock video game franchise. It explains the founding - and ultimate deterioration - of the undersea city, Rapture. Andrew Ryan, the industrialist who designs and builds Rapture has a philosophy upon which his uotopia is based, summed up in the following quote from the game:

“I am Andrew Ryan and I'm here to ask you a question: Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow? No, says the man in Washington. It belongs to the poor. No, says the man in the Vatican. It belongs to God. No, says the man in Moscow. It belongs to everyone. I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose....Rapture. A city where the artist would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by Petty morality. Where the great would not be constrained by the small. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well.”

The book is a slow apocalypse taking place in an enclosed environment, with characters and quotes from the games scattered throughout.

The novel is told through several points of view, predominately those of Chief Sullivan, Bill McDonagh and Frank Gorland. People familiar with the game will recognize - and probably read with more interest - scenes with Brigid Tanenbaum and Dr. Yi Suchong (the creators of ADAM and EVE), Frank Fontaine and others who get briefer attention.

There are two groups of people who would read this book, 1) those who have played the game and want to know more of the back story associated with the game and the people whose tape recorded messages you hear played throughout the game, and 2) those who haven't played the game, but who are interested in it or just want a decent soft apocalyptic / dystopian novel.

The book contains some major and minor spoilers for the game if you haven't played it yet. Most notably it explains who Atlas, the man who guides you through the first game, is. As a book independent of the games, the author did a good job of creating one narrative thread that extends beyond Rapture, giving the text a narrative arc with an element of closure. Since the book otherwise ends where the first game begins, this helped give it closure independent of the games, for those who might be interested in an apocalyptic story but who otherwise aren't interested in playing the game.

As a lot of the character explanations in the game happen during fights, the book does a great job of explaining things - in sequential order. The discovery of ADAM and the creation of EVE were very interesting, thought I'd have liked learning more about how the Big Daddies were made.

Because the book covers so much time, some characters, who get levels in the game, are barely touched on, like Dr. Steinman, Julie Langford and Sander Cohen. And most of the events in general are glossed over. Even with such fundamental aspects of the game as ADAM and EVE, the book doesn't go in depth, allowing the mystery of the various Plasmids (psychic powers obtained via taking ADAM) to survive. Also, some common elements of the game are late additions to Rapture, like the Circus of Values vending machines, and so only show up at the end of the book.

As an apocalyptic novel it succeeds quite nicely. The book doesn't depend on an immediate failure of everything as films like Jurassic Park and Westworld do, where one action (or several actions in one night) undermines everything quickly, Rapture faces a slow decline, but one heightened by the fact that the people living there are unable to leave when things start to go bad. There are economic problems, ideological clashes led by those who don't like how things are run, Plasmid addictions (compounded by the lack of regulations on science, especially when it comes to testing new drugs), and more.

I read the book fairly quickly between sessions of watching my husband play the first game, and enjoyed it a lot. I would suggest, if you want to play the games, to play the first one before reading the book. In fact, reading it between games gives you a good grasp of the history of the place (and many events from the first game) without spoiling the gameplay. I did notice a few extremely minor contradictions between what the book said and what characters in the game say, but they're so hard to catch I found myself questioning my memory over them. The writing is good and the story is quite interesting.

Pros: interesting stories, historical grounding and commentary, gorgeous illustrations, necessary warnings with regards to reading historical documents and dealing with non-European stories about dragons

Cons: too short!

Myths and Legends is a new series by Osprey Publishing. If you've never heard of them, they publish a lot of short, detailed military history series: Men at Arms, Fortress, Campaigns, etc. Each volume is a crash course in a very specific aspect of history: Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025, The Fall of English France 1449-53, M103 Heavy Tank 1950-74. The Myths and Legends series is part of their Osprey Adventures books, ‘where fact and fiction meet'. The three volumes currently in print are: Jason and the Argonauts, Dragonslayers, and The War of Horus and Set.

Dragonslayers is specifically about the European tradition of serpentine monsters, how their legends evolved and who killed them. The book starts with an explanation of what a dragon is, historically speaking, and how the image of the dragon evolved into the creature we think of today. There are a lot of gorgeous illustrations throughout the book, both historical and ones commissioned for this book by Peter Dennis. Unlike the older images, Dennis places his subjects in period appropriate clothing. For example, Sigfried/Sigurd is often depicted in barbarian skins. In this case, Dennis paints him in the armour of a 6th C. Germanic warrior. Dennis also uses the actual descriptions of the dragons given by the texts for his images, rather than making up his own, as a lot of older artists did (so there are several sea serpents and crocodile-like creatures here).

I loved how McCullough placed each story in its historical context, explaining who the dragonslayers might have been and how each story has been modified and expanded upon. He also cautions against using a European lens when dealing with ‘dragons' from other cultures. There are a few non-European stories mentioned at the end of the collection, but he emphasizes the fact that the dragonslayer is a European construct, though other cultures have similar creatures and heros (at least, when their stories are told by Europeans).

The stories are summarized concisely, which makes this a great introduction to European myths, even if it's not an in depth study. Each chapter only shares a few stories - the most famous - out of the numerous available. Some of the other stories are given boxed summaries, which helps flesh out the chapters.

Covered in the book are: Ancient, Norse, Holy, Medieval and Dragonslayers From Around the World. It's a great jumping off point for reading the stories themselves, though historians like me might prefer longer synopses here. My only real complaint with the book was its length. It's much too short. :) I was also surprised that the final chapter didn't mention Chinese dragons, which are famous. The author has a brief explanation for this, wherein he states that Asian dragons are generally gods or benign creatures, and so don't need slaying that often, which I was unaware of.

If you're interested in old stories about dragons and dragonslayers then pick this up. It's a fantastic introduction.

Pros: well researched, details Stoker's connection with numerous people despite the focus on Dracula

Cons: fairly repetitious

This non-fiction look at Bram Stoker and the men who influenced the character of Dracula is part biography, part fan letter. It's obvious that the author is a huge fan of Stoker's life and work and has written this well researched book in order to share that love with others.

The book starts out by pointing out the fact that what most people think of when they picture Dracula isn't how the Count was written and that most of the movie features modern audiences are familiar with are not in the novel. If you haven't read Dracula, there's a fairly thorough synopsis of the novel in chapter five so you can follow along.

The book is written in many ways like a novel, with dialogue and set scenes as though the reader was present during the important moments of Stoker's life. This decision helps pull the reader into the story as well as make the book feel less scholastic than the twelve pages of notes at the back reveal it is.

While little is detailed about Stoker's childhood (including his illness when his mother told him fairy tales and about the influenza epidemic of her own youth), there is a lot of detail from his university time onward. In fact, there's a lot of information included on several people, including Henry Irving, Oscar Wilde, the Jack the Ripper murders, other actors, playwrights, poets, etc. But the focus is on Stoker's time as Irving's stage manager and the goings on in and around the Lyceum Theatre.

It's quite a fascinating story, and Steinmeyer mentions how scholars have changed their ideas about Dracula and where Stoker's inspiration came from, over the years.

My only real complaint - and I use that word loosely - is the amount of repetition in the book. The author will mention something in a decent amount of depth in an early chapter and then revisit it later in the book, giving the matter even more depth. On the one hand this means rereading the same information several times, on the other hand, the repetition makes it hard to forget the people/places/events mentioned in the book.

I was a little surprised that the final chapter, which focuses on Dracula's success in the modern age neglected to mention the Francis Ford Coppola film, which greatly emphasized the erotic aspects and meaning of blood in the story to an extent that previous movies had not. Especially since the author seemed so surprised by Stoker's apparent lack of awareness of the erotic overtones of his own story (I have to admit I'm more on Stoker's side on this issue than Steinmeyer's. I probably have to read it again, but I don't remember Dracula being particularly erotic in any sense. The Lucy scenes I'll give you could have been seduction, but Mina's attack was anything but. And I found Dracula's brides more scary than sexy). Similarly, the Stoker estate's acknowledged sequel to Dracula, Dracula: The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt, wasn't mentioned.

Those are minor quibbles and on the whole I found this a highly enjoyable and very educational read.

Pros: fascinating premise; intelligent characters; great mix of humour and sadness; linguistic shifts, history and scientific cohesion give a sense of realism, minor romance

Cons: everything goes a little too perfectly for Jarra

Jarra is an ape, a throw back, a nean(derthal), handicapped: a human born with an immune system that won't allow her to portal to other worlds the way the Norms can. Dumped on Earth to be raised by Earth Hospital as a ward just after birth. She's fascinated with history, having worked on archealogical digs from the time she was 11. She wants to prove that she's as good as any Norm, so she enrolls in a pre-history course run by an outside university for the purpose of meeting, fooling, and then telling off some Norms. But as she gets deeper and deeper into her cover story, lying about most aspects of her life, she also realizes that maybe she didn't think her plan through very well. And maybe these people don't deserve her hatred any more than she deserves their derision.

Set 600 years in the future, the book touches on a lot of science (solar arrays, Planet First, colonization, and most importantly, transportation portals), but the main focus of the book is on Jarra's decisions. This is a character driven book that reads at a quick pace (I finished it in a day).

The author does an amazing job of making Jarra feel real. One minute you're laughing out loud and a few pages later you're crying. Jarra is almost a Mary Sue in that everything seems to go well for her, but she's definitely got some negative character traits. And around the half-way mark something goes very wrong that affects her deeply.

I loved the linguistic shifts that allowed the characters to swear without swearing, and showed how culture and morality had shifted (both due to time and on various planets). For example, Beta is more sexually liberated than the other systems, allowing for nudity and having triad marriages. Meanwhile Gamma, who runs the university course Jarra is on, is much more conservative.

While most of the characters were 18, there were a few instances when they acted younger (mostly when baiting each other at the beginning of fights) but they generally acted their age, learning more about the freedoms of adulthood without going overboard.

There's an understated romance that pops up about half way through the book. I really appreciated the mature way it was handled. Unlike most teen books where angst rules, here the characters thought carefully about the future and what their current decisions would mean for their future. I also liked that when Jarra was strong her beau went along with things, but when she needed help he stepped up, showing that they were both strong characters, but in different ways.

While in no way preachy, the book examines prejudice - and how it can hurt people on both sides. Facing your own beliefs - both positive and negative - is a part of growing up, and it was nice to see Jarra questioning her hatred once she's interacting with Norms, rather than watching them in vids. The Norms too, get some lessons on how important - and knowledgable - the Earth dig teams are, making them question their beliefs.

The book has a few flaws but I highly recommend it. The humour alone is worth the read.

Pros: great characters, complex story, multi-racial cast

Cons: Kayla and Devak's waffling with regards to their relationship got a bit irritating, several plot twists were obvious

It's been several months since the events of Tankborn and Kayla misses Devak. He's been avoiding meeting with her and she's not entirely sure why. Her transport job with Risa has kept her from visiting home and though she's done a lot of work for the kinship, transporting information and materials, she's not as sure their goals are in line with hers anymore.

Two other matters concern her: the spread of the Scratch, a plague that only infects GENs, one their internal circuitry can't cure, with a 100% mortality rate. That is, 100% until one victim came back to life with the ability to heal others. And the graffiti scribbled on the door of a warehouse that blows up: Freedom. Humanity. Equality.

This is a great book with a series of complex, interconnected plots. The characters are great, with a mix of races represented, and a positive portrayal of a lesbian couple.

Kayla's dealing with several issues, both in her love life and with regards to her treatment by the kin. She's fed up letting people mess with her brain without explaining what they're doing, even if it's just to transport information from one group to another.

While I found her relationship issues with Devak a bit irritating over the course of the book, I acknowledge that it's a realistic portrayal of how two sixteen year olds react in the face of challenges they hope - perhaps without hope - to overcome. Devak's realized just how hard a relationship with a GEN would be, and even if Kayla took the treatment that would turn her into a lowborn, a life together would be difficult. She meanwhile feels he's making decisions for her, just like the other trueborns in the kinship.

Some of the plot twists were fairly obvious, but that didn't make the book easy to predict. There were a number of twists I didn't see coming, particularly the cliffhanger ending.