Enemy of Entropy
Review: Walking Dead by C.E. Murphy
Walking Dead by C.E. Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve enjoyed the other Walker Papers novels, but Walking Dead definitely showed more depth and maturity than the earlier volumes. Both the author and her lead character have grown very nicely. Joanne is far from perfect, but she doesn’t make the same mistakes over and over again, which is a pet peeve of mine and occurs all too often in some other authors works. (There’s consistency, and then there’s refusing to learn from mistakes to the extent that I have to believe that a character is too stupid to live.) As for the author, it’s incredibly refreshing to read a series that does not fall into the all-too-familiar paranormal romance formula!
Another thing I enjoy about this series is that heroine Joanne has a supporting ensemble of friends and coworkers who have their own talents and foibles, including a delightful married couple, a sexy father figure (who isn’t related to anyone we’ve met so far), and an even sexier boss. This time around we were treated to the return of a character Joanne rescued in an earlier volume who has grown into some of her own ass-kicking abilities.
There is a thread that ties all of the Walker Papers together, but C.E. Murphy is keeping things fresh enough that I, at least, am not getting bored. I would, however, caution that this is a series that is best read completely and in order. I began reading one of the novels without realizing that there had been a novella published between it and the previous one, and found myself well and truly confused. Walking Dead definitely is not a good starting point for the series! While a new reader wouldn’t necessarily be completely lost, she would miss far too many details to get all the juice out of this book.
Capucine’s Story!
This little girl has to be one of the cutest little darlings anywhere! Her story is highly entertaining 
Once upon a time… from Capucha on Vimeo.
Random Linkage
In lieu of a real post, which would require actual thought…
New Elizabeth Bear short story: The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder
Ruminations on science fiction, fantasy, etc.: Asking the Wrong Questions
Dr. Horrible recast with My Little Ponies
Review: The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu
The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Iron Hunt is a beautifully written book with some interesting twists on established fantasy memes. To some extent, I felt that I’d come in to the world on book 2 or 3, but as far as I know (and from what Amazon says) this is the first book of the Hunter Kiss series. There was a bit of Buffy and a little Witchblade, with other elements I’m sure I’m overlooking.
For once, it’s good to see a novel in which an established couple has a seemingly-healthy relationship. Maxine and Grant have very different skills, but they work together well. That said, this is not a romance, so some of Liu’s readers may not enjoy it.
Edited to add: I just learned that there is, in fact, a prequel to this book in Wild Thing (an anthology), which I hadn’t heard of before. I’ll certainly be looking for it.
Next up: The Down Home Zombie Bluesby new-to-me-author Linnea Sinclair
Review: Hotter Than Hell
Hotter Than Hell, the latest “Hell” anthology is edited and has an introduction by Kim Harrison. I don’t know if the sexier trend is her choice, a response to market demands, or something else again.
The anthology is thicker than most, with longer pieces – short novellas? – by each of the 13 authors. I read a copy from the library, but it’s one of the few anthologies that I’d consider worth the $7.99 cover price.
Read on…
