Review: Reese by Lori Handeland
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Reese by Lori Handeland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
And now for something COMPLETELY different. Yes, this book is out of character for me, but I like Lori Handeland, and since I received a free copy I felt obligated to read it and write a review. I’m keeping the fact that it is a western romance in mind, and judging it accordingly.
I don’t know from western tropes, but I do know the standard romance tropes, and Handeland hits them all. Mary is a spinster schoolmarm who is considered too plain and too outspoken to ever be attractive to any man — in fact, another character (a real jerk) says so. It’s her character, more than her looks, that is the problem, according to the jerk.
But the hero, Reese, finds her beautiful in her innocence, her ignorance of her effect on him, and especially in the fact that she’s as stubborn as he is. The fact that they have to butt heads is an important romance trope, as I understand these things.
Mary believes she isn’t the kind of woman any man would want, and Reese believes he isn’t good enough for Mary, so they hold back from revealing their feelings to each other, providing the main conflict in their relationship.
There’s a plot that goes beyond Mary and Reese, obviously, explaining why the town of Rock Creek needed to hire Reese and his little troop of gunmen in the first place. That larger plot sets up the entire Rock Creek Gang series. I found nothing to laud or complain about in the main plot. It’s probably a standard acceptable western, to be honest, and it doesn’t read so differently than any other sort of adventure story. It worked to set things up, but obviously wasn’t the main focus of the book. The energy is in the romance.
I think perhaps romance fans read books like this because they’re comfortably predictable, like an old friend wearing new clothes. In any case, Handeland has written a sweet little love story that I didn’t mind reading. I could see her hand in the details, and while I would have preferred reading more of one of her paranormal series, she did a nice job with this book. Fans of western romances will probably enjoy it.
Tags: Lori Handeland, Rock Creek Six, romance, western
Review: This Case Is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
This Case Is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was an unexpected delight. Lawyers? Meh. Even lawyers with paranormal spice.
But Linnet Ellery is no ordinary lawyer, even for a young lawyer in a White Fang law firm. She has no end of backbone and smarts, not to mention luck — or should I say Luck? Because fortune swirls around her like nobody else, making her a nexus of events and a little too conspicuous for her very discreet employers.
That’s not to say that she doesn’t make her share of mistakes — that wouldn’t be any fun, now would it? She survives and learns from them, then helps others avoid the same.
Living in a world of vampires, werewolves, and Alfar (elves) might be intimidating to most humans, especially when those beings (Powers) are essentially in charge. Linnet doesn’t let them intimidate her. She uses her contacts and plays to her strengths, winning more and more significant battles every time she goes to bat.
Bornikova sets things up very nicely for a sequel, and I am personally hungry to read more. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who enjoys paranormals, urban fantasy, or simply good, humorous fiction with a dollop of suspense and a strong heroine.
Tags: Linnet Ellery, Phillipa Bornikova, urban fantasy
Review: Face Off by Mark del Franco
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Face Off by Mark Del Franco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I went back and forth on the rating for this book, but finally settled on a four. I honestly found all the conflict to be exhausting and unpleasant, but it was very realistically written and I certainly felt connected to Blackstone. I decided that if del Franco weren’t such a good writer, I wouldn’t be feeling everything so much.
I read Face Off right after finishing Skin Deep, which is how I recommend that you read them. That is, after all, how the plot works. There’s a lot more of Jono Sinclair in this volume than the first, which will be popular with romance fans.
During the events of Skin Deep, Laura retired the Janice Crawford persona. Her life should be simpler now that she’s just herself and Mariel Tate, right?
Wrong, because she and Mariel Tate are being pulled in opposing directions by powerful forces, and she has two more-than-full-time-jobs. Toss in an order to impersonate an uncooperative prisoner in order to infiltrate a terrorist group, and her life is at risk every day too.
In the midst of all this, there’s a visit from royalty, and her boss assigns Mariel yet another top priority.
The only respite is her growing relationship with Jono Sinclair, who is also undercover with the terrorist group. He’s the only person in the world who always knows who she is, no matter what glamour she’s wearing.
Laura started wondering how much of herself was left behind all the personas in Skin Deep, realizing that “Laura Blackstone” was in danger of becoming just another persona. She’s even more concerned about that issue in Face Off, but thanks to Jono she’s getting back in touch with who she is behind the masks. Will she be able to hold on to her progress? Will she be able to simply survive the undercover assignment with almost no preparation? Or will it be the internal Guildhouse politics that do her in? These questions kept me reading and interested. I was thrilled with how del Franco answered them, and I’m intensely curious as to whether those answers leave any room for further adventures with Laura and Jono.
Tags: Laura Blackstone, Mark del Franco, urban fantasy
Review: Skin Deep by Mark del Franco
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Skin Deep by Mark Del Franco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is an intriguing beginning to a series. I’ve played a character with similar abilities in a long-running roleplaying game, so I was particularly interested in this book. I think the author did an excellent job of exploring just how much could be done with “essence” (glamour), while setting believable limits to the character’s abilities. She has an exceptionally well-trained memory, but even she slips on a few details here and there when juggling too many personas or with someone very close to her for a long time.
The plot was less interesting to me, frankly, than the character. In fact, the details are a little fuzzy and I just finished the book earlier today. (Of course, I’ve read most of the next book since then, too). Even while reading it, though, some details strained believability. That detail took the rating down a point.
Still, I was interested enough to go right on to the next book in the series, and I intend to read more of del Franco’s work. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy urban fantasy.
Tags: Laura Blackstone, Mark del Franco, urban fantasy
Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Add this book to the short list of must-reads for every True Geek, right alongside Snow Crash. It’s a gleeful homage to geekdom and pop culture.
Wade explains to the reader that he was born after humanity wore the world out and escaped to OASIS, a massive simulation that has replaced the internet and all other forms of entertainment. Nobody seems to spend time in reality any more, because it sucks. There are multiple wars going on over the few energy sources that are left. Poverty, hunger, and homelessness are rampant everywhere.
Most people who are fortunate enough to live indoors at all are like Wade, who lives with his aunt and her latest boyfriend in a three-bedroom doublewide trailer shared with 17 people. The trailer is at least near the top of a stack, which is just what it sounds like: a stack of trailers 10 or so high, so many across and wide, so that 500 or more trailers are held together with rusted scaffolding, chains, and whatever other reinforcements people have added over the years. Stack collapses are common.
Wade spends most of his time in his hideout, the back of an old van that’s parked in a junkyard and crammed in a stack of vehicles. That’s where he keeps his computer and other equipment, so he can attend school (in OASIS, of course) and spend time research The Contest, which is the center of his life.
The creater of OASIS, James Halliday, created The Contest in his will. Whoever wins it will inherit Halliday’s vast fortune and control of OASIS. At the opening of the novel, it has been five years since Halliday died and contestants are ridiculed in everyday society as obsessive losers.
Wade’s quest through The Contest and his fight to simply survive is far more interesting than I thought it would be. I’ll also admit to being entertained by the 80s trivia that pops up throughout the book (integral to The Contest). I’m biased, as I was a teen during those years.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It’s one of the very few that I’ll be saving to re-read in the future.
Family Announcement
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Announcement, Family
I know, I know — I’ve been posting a lot of reviews lately. They seemed more interesting than actual updates. Most of my time has been spent doing volunteer work for Grants to You, which is interesting to do but not to describe.
However, I have actual NEWS now! My baby girl and her beau are engaged! I swear, it feels like she was just learning to walk last week and now she’s all grown up!
No, there isn’t a date set for the wedding yet. I’ll post more when there is one. But for now, I’m very happy for my girl and her sweetheart. There have been lots of tears of joy around here.
Tags: engagement, felicitations, Katie
Book Review: More Holmes for the Holiday edited by Martin H. Greenberg & co.
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
More Holmes for the Holidays by Martin H. Greenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Martin H. Greenberg and company have provided a fine collection of Sherlockian holiday stories that fit in quite well with the traditional set.
“The Christmas Gift” by Anne Perry is a nice little piece about a stolen Stradivarius and a couple who want to marry against the wishes of the young lady’s father. There is an excellent red herring, one of the few in this anthology.
In “The Four Wise Men” by Peter Lovesey, Watson must answer a call to duty from his former commanding officer in the Army, in order to help guard a medieval treasure in a Christmas pageant. The game is soon afoot, and Sherlock’s powers of observation are as keen as ever.
Barbara Paul’s “Eleemosynary, My Dear Watson” gives Holmes a jewel theft and a kidnapping to solve, which he does in his inimitable way. One clue seemed slightly too obvious to me, but it may not to other readers.
In “The Adventure of the Greatest Gift” by Loren D. Estleman, Holmes receives a wax cylinder containing a recording of a song popular in America. He takes it as a warning of a crime which could lead to war between Britain and France, and of course he leaps into action. This is Mycroft Holmes’ only appearance in the volume.
There’s plenty of misdirection in “The Case of the Rajah’s Emerald” by Carolyn Wheat. Somehow, though, I suspected one of the great revelations in this one from the beginning, but I couldn’t tell you exactly why. It didn’t ruin the story for me, and there was still a surprise at the end.
On the other hand, Edward D. Hoch’s “The Christmas Conspiracy” managed to take me completely unawares. I couldn’t fathom why the crime would be committed or by whom, despite having a major clue dropped by one character. Very well done!
“The Music of Christmas” by L.B. Greenwood telegraphed the identity of the criminal from the start, but was well worth reading. One of the characters also tugged at the heartstrings.
Bill Crider’s “The Adventure of the Christmas Bear” is largely memorable because of the appearance of Oscar Wilde as a character.
“The Adventure of the Naturalist’s Stock Pin” by Jon L. Breen gives us Charles Darwin as Holmes’ client. The mystery is less Sherlockian than some of the others, but I didn’t mind reading it.
Daniel Stashower’s “The Adventure of the Second Violet” was an interesting twist on a well-known Christmas story. I cannot say more without spoiling it, but he has a nice touch.
“The Human Mystery” by Tanith Lee is as dark as I expect from her, and was a depressing ending to the collection. It was, however, very well-written.
The anthology left me hungry for more Holmes, and wishing that I weren’t between seasons of BBC’s Sherlock or that I had another collection of stories on hand. That’s the sign of a success, I think.
Tags: Carol-Lynn Waugh, Jon L. Lellenberg, Martin H Greenberg, Sherlock Holmes
Book Review: Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller continue to please with this latest installment in the Liaden Universe series. Theo Waitley, now First Pilot on the sentient ship Bechimo, is in the process of deciding whether she’s going to bond with the ship permanently as its Captain. She and the Bechimo are being pursued, together and separately, by the Department of the Interior. Despite that fact, she goes out to establish a new trade route for Clan Korval, with former Juntavas Boss Clarence O’Berin sitting as Co-pilot.
Theo’s former lover Win Ton is confined in Bechimo’s restructuring facility, something a step beyond the autodoc, where he is being rebuilt cell by cell after being tortured by the Department of the Interior in its pursuit of the Bechimo. There’s no guarantee that Win Ton will survive the process, or what shape he’ll be in when it is completed.
They aren’t far into the route when they receive a distress signal from space station Codrescu, in orbit around Eylot, the planet where Theo began training as a Pilot. The political situation on Eylot has come to a head, and all Pilots there are in danger. Codrescu has put out an emergency call for help, so Theo takes Bechimo to the rescue — despite the fact that she has good reason to never want to see that system again.
Theo is a very young woman, but growing by leaps and bounds. She makes any decision that doesn’t rely on social intelligence very well, guided by good basic instincts and other types of intelligence. Her social skills still leave much to be desired, but she’s slowly improving those and she knows she has a weakness in that area.
It is always a joy to read a Liaden novel, but watching Theo grow up adds a new dimension of pleasure to the reading. While I’ve paused to read and re-read some of the chapbooks in order to put off the time before I ran out of new material, the time is here now. I’m back to the same old complaint: I want more, now! Please?
Tags: Liaden Universe, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Book Review: Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Theo Waitley has met her father’s Clan and been Seen by the Delm of Korval now, at the end of both I Dare and Saltation. She does not, however, consider herself of Korval — she is a Waitley, as is reasonable for a young woman raised in a matrilineal culture. She did, however, take two issues to the Delm for solving, and one has been resolved: she has been reunited with her missing father.
However, she also carries the Captain’s key to the sentient ship Bechimo, and that ship is looking for her. The Delm chose to put that issue aside, trusting that it would solve itself, given enough time. How much time, though, and in what manner?
In the meantime, she acts as courier for Uncle, one obviously known to the Clan and not as an ally — although not necessarily as an enemy, either. As his courier, she flies his ship, Arin’s Toss, which is hunted by his enemies, including the Department of the Interior.
Theo acquits herself as well as any child of Korval could in meeting her challenges. She continues to experience more than the usual number of them, though, because of her Terran rearing and Liaden appearance. It seems to me that a father as dutiful as Jen Sar Kiladi (or Daav yos’Phellium) would have given her more preparation to encounter Liaden society.
Ghost Ship certainly isn’t limited to Theo’s story. We rejoin Val Con and pregnant Miri as they move to Surebleak, and check in with Daav as he settles in to being Daav again after his long sojourn as Kiladi. There are also appearances by Pat Rin, Natesa, Quin, Padi, Shan, and other family members. Definitely an ensemble cast this time out, and just as absorbing as fans have come to expect.
Tags: Liaden Universe, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Book Review: Saltation by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews, Reading
Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2) by Sharon Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Saltation (Theo Waitley, #2) is good enough that I finished Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1), then read it in one sitting. It simply has the sort of momentum that doesn’t allow for good stopping points — something that is true of many of the Liaden Universe novels.
At the end of Fledgling, Theo was sponsored into pilot school by Scout Cho sig’Radia. Saltation begins with her time there, just as politically naive as ever, but a much more confident person than she was at the beginning of Fledgling. Many of the characters from Fledgling reappear, including Win Ton, Kamele, and Jen Sar. There are new characters too, though, such as Kara ven’Arith and Orn Ald yos’Senchul (who, by the way, also appear in a free story, Landed Alien, that has just been released at the Baen web site and should be read after Saltation).
Theo is a legal adult now, but a very young one, and she has plenty of growing up left to do. That said, this is a young ADULT novel, not a children’s book — while it isn’t discussed specifically, Theo does take a lover.
She continues to flex and stretch into an admirable heroine. She isn’t perfect, by any means, being sometimes short-tempered and not understanding social cues easily. She’s someone readers can relate to, though, and that is important. We were brought up concurrent with the end of I Dare, which was vastly satisfying. I will go right on with reading Ghost Ship, because I definitely want to know more!
Tags: Liaden Universe, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller