Toby, her immediate family, & friends are, of course, still recovering from the trauma caused by TiAnother fine outing for October Daye and company!
Toby, her immediate family, & friends are, of course, still recovering from the trauma caused by Titania's "perfect Fairie" enchantment which was anything but that to most people.
Oddly, it gave October Daye a loving family to grow up in and she formed a close attachment to Simon Torquill who was thrilled to have BOTH his daughters home and everyone getting along.
So, of course, now Toby finds out that while everyone was enchanted, person or persons unknown took the opportunity to empty out the vaults of Arden Windermere's Kingdom of the Mists. A Hope Chest was stolen (among other powerful, priceless, AND dangerous fae objects).
So even though Toby is 8½ months pregnant, as a knight and hero of the realm she needs to go find the missing stuff, like yesterday.
I'm glad that Toby got to have a loving childhood with Simon Torquill. Too many people only recall the villainy he was forced to do (before finally breaking free of the Firstborn who had controlled him).
I always enjoy October Daye books. Reliable, thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. What more can you ask of a good series book?
Plus, I was thrilled that author Seanan McGuire included a Simon Torquill novella at the end of Toby's book!
Highly recommended for all urban fantasy fans, found family fans, series fans, and especially October Daye series fans!...more
The latest Penric & Desdemona is the late Learned Ruchia's book. Penric became a sorcerer the day he stopped to help the dying Ruchia on the road. He The latest Penric & Desdemona is the late Learned Ruchia's book. Penric became a sorcerer the day he stopped to help the dying Ruchia on the road. He asked if he could be of help and then the demon passed to him.
Penric's predecessors (as host) were 10 women, a lion, and a horse. (One earlier novella Mira's Last Dance featured the courtesan Mira .)
The other aspect that I particularly enjoyed is seeing more of Penric's early years. This book is set some eight years after that fateful day on the road when Pen acquired Desdemona.
Ms. Bujold said she had to write this book now before she forgot too much about Penric as a young man. This book is set during a time when Penric was still serving the Princess-Archdivine Llewen of Martensbridge.
So, he is still considered a "lad" and still has a lot to learn, compared to the Penric we have been seeing lately (husband and father of three children, albeit one adopted).
A very fine adventure for both Learned Ruchia and young Learned Penric indeed.
Highly recommended for all fantasy readers, all Penric & Desdemona readers, and all readers who enjoy a well-told tale!...more
The book is marketed as a "science-fiction thriller". It most definitely is a page-turner and a fast reIndiana Jones meets Star Wars plus time travel!
The book is marketed as a "science-fiction thriller". It most definitely is a page-turner and a fast read.
Our hero, like Indy, is an archeologist who teaches as a university professor when he is not out in the field collecting rare artifacts. He also agrees with Indy that his finds belong in museums, not private collections.
Like Luke Skywalker, our archeologist hero is introduced to a powerful weapon controlled by your mind. (Our archeologist gets a crystal mounted on a rod.)
And, truth be told, Star Wars is more science fantasy than science fiction. This book has tech so beyond our 21st Century level that the starship CAN totally repair itself, given enough time. (What good is the best tech imaginable if it can't self-repair?)
Don't just suspend your disbelief. Throw it out hook, line, & sinker and strap in for an excellent ride!
Highly recommended for anyone who loved the Indiana Jones movies / Star Wars movies and anyone who suddenly finds themselves the last hope to save a great long-ago civilization (Can we say Atlantis?)!!...more
There are those who say media tie-in novels (such as Star Wars or Star Trek, for example) aren't as good as "original" novels. That tie-in novels are There are those who say media tie-in novels (such as Star Wars or Star Trek, for example) aren't as good as "original" novels. That tie-in novels are somehow "less than".
After the original Star Trek TV series was canceled in 1966, I started reading the Star Trek tie-in novels. Obviously, there were a lot of Star Trek fans hungry for new Star Trek stories so the decision was made that more Star Trek books should indeed be published.
At first, I read EVERY ONE that came out. Then, I have to admit, I DID notice that some were markedly better than others. At that point, I became more selective and paid more attention to the names of the authors on my Star Trek books.
Well, I'm here to tell you that most Star Trek books are OK, some are better than others, and some are amazing! This new book, Ring of Fire by David Mack, is definitely amazing.
I knew that I had wanted to read Star Trek books by David Mack, but I had not consulted my notes to see why this particular author sounded good to me. Then, when I did look after finishing Ring of Fire, I found out that he had written Firewall (my favorite Seven of Nine book, set during Star Trek: Picard). Another amazing Star Trek book.
Ring of Fire is a richly imagined book, albeit in the Star Trek world with the Star Trek Strange New Worlds cast. Again, because Strange New Worlds is relatively new (fans have only seen the first three of what are supposed to be five seasons so far), there is still room to flesh out some of our favorite characters in this cast.
A stirring not-to-be-missed Star Trek Strange New Worlds adventure awaits fans in Ring of Fire. I can't wait for David Mack's next Star Trek SNW book!
Highly recommended for all Star Trek fans, all Star Trek Strange New Worlds fans, and also hard sf military space opera fans, as well!
I loved EVERYTHING about this book. A Sherlock Holmes-type protagonist, living at 221C Baker Street in London no less! Out of time (sleeping involuntaI loved EVERYTHING about this book. A Sherlock Holmes-type protagonist, living at 221C Baker Street in London no less! Out of time (sleeping involuntarily for 200 years will do that to you). [I love both Sherlock Holmes AND time travel.]
The "Watson" character is a member of the Hudson family, one of the most powerful witch families in England.
She completed her medical degree and did a year of residency (which in England is called a Foundational year. In England, you do a basic Foundational year with your second Foundational year being where you specialize.) Technically she has not even dropped out. She is on break and just has not yet started her second Foundational year. The key here is that she has already completed the majority of her medical training, so she IS a doctor, just not yet fully trained. [Note: Both "Sherlock" and "Watson" are women.]
AND this is a two-character POV story.
Avery ("Sherlock-type") and Saga ("Watson-type") get alternating POV chapters. [Strikes me as similar to the BBC Sherlock in which John Watson is a formidable character, able to go toe to toe with Sherlock. Avery and Saga have an equal partnership in that they each bring unique AND valued skills to said partnership.]
Cozy Urban Fantasy (and yes, it is criminal to let the Mundane become aware that magic is real / that Fairyland & Fey exist).
Really well-drawn characters. One of our two protagonists is a changeling - one Fey parent, one human parent. (Changelings are raised among the Fey but they are looked down upon by the pureblood Fey.)
This is author Kiri Callaghan's first detective mystery novel. I am VERY encouraged that it is listed as Hemlock Saga, bk 1. (Implies a book 2, right)
I am astounded to say that I discovered this book via an Amazon recommendation. At this point, Amazon is recommending LOTS to books to me. This is the SINGLE BEST recommendation I have ever received from Amazon.
(Amazon recommendations in the past have ranged from Why Did They Think I'd Like This One, to OK, Maybe I Will Read a Sample Chapter for This One, to CHECKS ALL MY BOXES for books I would love! This Kiri Callaghan book is the ONLY one in the last category for me so far.)
Highly recommended for All Sherlock Holmes fans, all Urban Fantasy fans, all detective mystery fans, and fans of well-told stories!
Amazon's blurb calls Alyiakal a "reluctant hero". He is definitely that. He'd rather just do his job, thanks.
Alyiakal's problem is that he is a strongAmazon's blurb calls Alyiakal a "reluctant hero". He is definitely that. He'd rather just do his job, thanks.
Alyiakal's problem is that he is a strong mage, and he cannot afford to let other people find this out.
His troopers definitely notice that he leads from the front and has unusual tactics. Fortunately for him, Alyiakal both thinks "outside of the box" and has strong magical shields that he has developed on the sly over the years.
Also fortunately, Alyiakal is a Mirror Lancer. In this fantasy Saga of Recluce world, Mirror Lancers shoot firebolts out of their firelances.
Alyiakal's firelance mysteriously never runs dry because each day he surreptitiously opens his invisible funnel to capture raw chaos from the sun. His soldiers have to depend on the chaos pre-loaded into their firelances at headquarters. He also is an impossibly good shot (because he uses a small bit of order to guide the chaos firebolt to its assigned target. Alyiakal thus never misses.). [Yes, the Saga of Recluse magic system is centered on order / chaos balance.]
Not surprisingly, other officers come to resent Alyiakal because he can wipe out overwhelming enemy numbers with a relative handful of casualties. AND Alyiakal is willing to admit that he is a "field healer" (in our world, a combat medic). So MANY fewer of Alyiakal's soldiers die from the wounds (and NO, he cannot save all of his wounded).
Fortunately, his superiors tend to give orders like "take out this stronghold using whatever you have to do". Even so, I have to admit he makes the other commanders look bad, especially when the enemy counterattacks a base and kills the base commander not to mention a lot of his soldiers.
Alyiakal was told as a young man that he would not do well with training to be a chaos mage because he can handle BOTH order and chaos. (Normally, mages are either or the other). Instead, he was given his first lessons as a field healer (to tend his wounded after battles). So far as I can see, Alyiakal is one of the kind.
A previous book in this series featured a man who was an incredibly weak chaos mage. Could barely do anything.
Until the day he met a man who said let's test you as an order mage. Turned out that this same man was one of the strongest order mages who had ever lived. (This was a surprise because the man's entire family had been strong chaos mages for generations.)
So, I have really enjoyed reading about Alyiakal. I also know that the author turned in all four books with Alyiakal's story in at the same time. This was book three. So, I have one more book to look forward to. Life is good....more
Shattering Peace is the seventh book in the Old Man's War series. Book one came out twenty years ago in 2005. I would strongly recommend that you readShattering Peace is the seventh book in the Old Man's War series. Book one came out twenty years ago in 2005. I would strongly recommend that you read the first six books before Shattering Peace.
Gretchen, the protagonist of Shattering Peace, tells us that she was Zoe Perry's best friend. I remember John Perry (the original protagonist), his wife Jane Sagan, and their adopted daughter Zoe. I don't recall Gretchen but that's fine. (Gretchen knows her stuff so it doesn't matter how well she knew Zoe.)
John Perry was a soldier. Gretchen is a diplomat. We are now at a point where keeping the peace is critical. No one wants war to break out again.
Gretchen is summoned to deal with a diplomatic crisis. For this she gets an Obin assistant, Ran. I particularly enjoyed the Obin Ran. I enjoy well-drawn alien races.
The Consu are back, and the first one Gretchen meets is suicidal. The story goes on from there.
I found Shattering Peace an immensely enjoyable read. The writing is both smart and snarky. Classic Scalzi. And why I love this series.
When you are writing a Space Opera, your first decision is how the FTL works. (Trust me, if your characters don’t have Faster Than Light travel, they When you are writing a Space Opera, your first decision is how the FTL works. (Trust me, if your characters don’t have Faster Than Light travel, they will spend the ENTIRE novel trying to get to their FIRST destination planet.) Ms. Kerr went with space shunts, anchored at each end by a gravity well (that is, a planet). OK, that’s new. Good so far!
Second, you need to decide if you will have an all-human crew (that’s OK if you do) OR if you are going to have a mix of alien races among your human crew. I like the latter best. In this book, there are four sapient races. Humans, Leps (resemble lizards), Kar-Li (resemble dogs), and Hoppers (resemble insects). [To be fair, humans resemble chimps.]
[And we need to mention that the first three races had a major war with the Hoppers, that ended not that far in the past.]
So, our protagonist has humans and a Lep on his crew. Other human ships have Leps and Kar-Lis.
The third major decision you need to make is how smart to make your computers. Ms. Kerr has AIs that are fairly intelligent. They can and do fly the ship when necessary. But the humans are clearly in charge.
The fourth major decision you need to make is whether your human crew has genetic enhancements. In this world, designer genes are common and the people who have them are largely in the military (which takes advantage of the better reaction times, better recall, etc. etc. ). Of course, our protagonist starpilot definitely has designer genes.
The fifth major decision you need to make is whether you will be writing about a military or civilian/trader crew. In this case, we have a military crew going undercover and presenting themselves as a trader crew because they need to be inconspicuous.
Now you are ready to tell your story.
Haze is the name of the drug that the starpilots (human, Lep, and Kar-Li) take to be able to navigate during FTL flight. Our particular protagonist starpilot is addicted to Haze (he’s apparently more the exception. Other starpilots take just enough to get their job done).
The problem is that the shunts are failing, and people are dying because they are literally becoming lost in transit. Our protagonist starpilot, Dan, however, can SEE what is out there during FTL as opposed to his fellow starpilots who are literally flying blind compared to how well Dan can see where the ship is going.
This is Ms. Kerr’s first space opera, and, for my money, she definitely hit the ball out of the ballpark! I totally loved this book.
I was worried that this was a standalone. But a second starpilot Dan book called Zyon is due to be published in March of 2026, which isn’t even that far away. Hooray! I can’t wait for the next starpilot Dan adventure!...more
I have been attending Mark Finn's readings at sf cons for years now. He always has a good tale to share. I especially enjoy his unique character namesI have been attending Mark Finn's readings at sf cons for years now. He always has a good tale to share. I especially enjoy his unique character names, such as Clork Punchsack and his brother Pliff. And I appreciate his wry sense of humor.
So I was delighted last year when, at the conclusion of one of his sf con readings, he said that he had been approached to co-edit (with veteran editor David Afsharirad) a themed anthology composed of short fiction about fantasy heists & capers to be published by Baen. I was even more pleased that some of the authors whose work is in Swords & Larceny have been attending some of the same sf cons as myself for a number of years.
Now I can start attending some of their sf con readings as well.
This collection contains a baker's dozen of stories. In addition to the Mark Finn story, I highly recommend the Adrian Simmons story, the Wen Spencer story, and the Jim Zub story. As Mark says in his not-to-be-missed "Introduction: Stealing the Shire", "There's something here for every taste."
Infinite Archive was such a delight! Infinite Archive is a science fiction mystery. Yes, a whodunit set in space!
Bless her heart, Mallory Viridian hadInfinite Archive was such a delight! Infinite Archive is a science fiction mystery. Yes, a whodunit set in space!
Bless her heart, Mallory Viridian had had a quiet few months on sentient space station Eternity. Mallory had fled to the space station in book one to escape constant murder in her vicinity. Only humans were dying (not by her hand) so Mallory prefers to live on the alien space station, which has only a handful of humans resident.
But her luck runs out when a large starship with a shipload of human mystery fans docks at Eternity station. Turns out that Mallory has been writing true crime books detailing the murders she has solved, and her literary agent has not only come aboard with the fans but has announced her as the convention keynote speaker!
Mayhem ensues. Not to mention that the large alien starship is data-hungry and someone thought it would be a good idea to introduce the ship to the Internet. The ship promptly decided that the Internet needed to be backed up, in physical form no less. And yes, that includes loads of fan fiction!
Highly recommended for all sf mystery fans, all series fans, all fan fiction fans, and of course all Mur Lafferty fans!...more
In this book, author Forthright goes back to an earlier book Tamiko and the Two Janitors. In the earlier book, Tamiko got her happy ending. But did boIn this book, author Forthright goes back to an earlier book Tamiko and the Two Janitors. In the earlier book, Tamiko got her happy ending. But did both of those janitors?
Alder Woodacre and the Acorns of Affection opens with the two janitors Joe and Kip already bondmates. So, in a sense, they were already a couple.
But Kip still misses is best friend Ash (now Tamiko's husband). Joe had settled years ago for second best but now he needs a change.
This is a relatively short book but the events happen AFTER the main series of the Amaranthine Saga has wrapped up. So we get to see a welcome return to the Stately House crew (specifically the kids) who come to Joe & Kip's farm.
Amaranthine Interludes tend to be shorter stories.
Once I went back to my copy of Tamiko and the Two Janitors and established that Tamiko and Joe were twin brother & sister and that Kip was an Amaranthine (who are a long-lived people and had lived with Ash for years before Tamiko met Ash), I was good to go.
Highly recommended for all who have been keeping up with Forthright's Amaranthine urban fantasy tales!...more
Be careful of what you wish for! Wilt can't wait to leave his mother and go on a mission to deep space. She complained bitterly that she would never sBe careful of what you wish for! Wilt can't wait to leave his mother and go on a mission to deep space. She complained bitterly that she would never see him again. But was she right after all?
Wilt expected to be on an adventure that would give him plenty of material for his doctoral dissertation.
But what had his doctoral adviser planned for him?
I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it to other hard sf space opera fans as well!...more
Jade wanted to end her life on her own terms. She had outlived her husband & family. But before she expired out in deep space, she was rescued by alieJade wanted to end her life on her own terms. She had outlived her husband & family. But before she expired out in deep space, she was rescued by aliens.
Given a new lease on life (no matter that she had not wanted it), much adventure ensues!
Highly recommended for all space opera fans and adventure fans!...more
Space opera, in particular with merchant / trader ships, has always been my first love in the sf genre. A case in point is C.J. Cherryh's long-runningSpace opera, in particular with merchant / trader ships, has always been my first love in the sf genre. A case in point is C.J. Cherryh's long-running Alliance-Union series that I began reading in the early 1980's. More recently, I have discovered that I really also enjoy found families in this sub-genre. So, I already knew that I was a prime audience for Cedar Sanderson's Tanager series.
I also deeply appreciate books which depict space travel accurately (OK, of course this book has FTL but other than the foldspace AND artificial ship gravity), ships flip over to do their braking burns as they should.
Tanager's Fledglings opens as the young orphan boy the starship captain had taken aboard many years before has grown up to be a capable first mate and is now arriving to notify the captain's brother of his recent death. The brother Peter is a part-owner of the starship Scarlet Tanager and one of the ship's key suppliers of cargo.
Jem is aware that he must finish out this season's regular trade route and he will be judged at the end of it whether he can keep both the ship and the captaincy. If he fails, he might still have accumulated enough experience to hire on another trader ship.
The old captain had grown more frail in recent years and by this last season, Jem was doing everything, if under the captain's supervision, himself anyway. So, he has a good shot to pull this off and earn his own captaincy.
Did I mention pirates? Jem more than has his hands full, not to mention the new Basset Hound puppy Peter gave him along with other cargo for his run. I've frequently read about starships having cats aboard, but this was a delightful surprise - a ship's dog!
Highly recommended for all space opera trader ship lovers and people who enjoy plenty of action and at least a nod to physics (in The Expanse, ships also flipped over to do their braking burns)! Also delighted to report that I am now reading the sequel Tanager's Flight!...more
Thank you for a sequel worthy of Abeni's Song! The world of Abeni's adventures is so richly imagined from African folklore & myth traditions.
Abeni anThank you for a sequel worthy of Abeni's Song! The world of Abeni's adventures is so richly imagined from African folklore & myth traditions.
Abeni and her friends are continuing on their mission (begun in the first book). The best part of the Abeni books is that this is an ensemble cast.
Abeni makes friends with a spirit girl panther shapeshifter and a spirit girl porcupine shapeshifter in book one. Both are still with her. Also, Abeni is still acting as guardian to the spirit girl Asha (who was an old woman in book one but died and came back as a young girl). There is also a young man who signs instead of speaking but who is a gifted flute player. (He appears to hear just fine but doesn't talk.)
In book two, we meet the Kingdom of Gold. (Plus, we find out that the Witch Priest has a human adopted daughter, who is also now after Abeni.)
Abeni and her companions reach the Kingdom of Gold and are promptly captured and sent as slaves to the gold mines. They are told that just being trespassers on the Kingdom of Gold's territory was enough to sentence them to lifetime labor as slaves in said mines.
They get lucky when they are told that if they undertake a quest to return a magical Golden Throne (which was stolen recently), they would win both their freedom and the gratitude of the Kingdom of Gold.
So, they have no choice but to undertake this daunting quest for their captors.
Highly recommended for lots of action & adventure in a fantasy African setting!...more
I have SO enjoyed this cozy space-opera mystery series set on the platforms of a future Jupiter, after the Earth has been abandoned as uninhabitable. I have SO enjoyed this cozy space-opera mystery series set on the platforms of a future Jupiter, after the Earth has been abandoned as uninhabitable. This series ties together several of my favorite things - space opera, a good Sherlock Holmes/John Watson-type mystery, and my cozy sensibilities (thank you, I don't need the blood and the gore).
This time, Pleiti is entreated by a friend to come help the friend's cousin, who is a fellow academic at a university on Jupiter (but by no means close by), and is up for a promotion. But the cousin has been accused of one of the worst academic crimes imaginable - plagiarism.
Pleiti, as an academic herself, knows what is at stake. An academic's reputation being attacked is unacceptable. Pleiti, of course, asks her friend and Investigator Mossa to accompany her but Mossa categorically refuses. Pleiti has no choice but to go it alone, even as she sends letters & telegrams back to Mossa to apprise her of her progress in trying to solve the case.
Highly recommended for all Sherlock Holmes fans, all series fans, all space opera fans, and all fans of well-told stories full of character-driven action! ...more
Thank you Patrick Chiles for the first two Interstellar Medic books!
You mentioned on your Web site that Tonic Weisskopf (Baen) had agreed to publish yThank you Patrick Chiles for the first two Interstellar Medic books!
You mentioned on your Web site that Tonic Weisskopf (Baen) had agreed to publish your book IF you wrote an initial book introducing the character and doing solid worldbuilding.
I totally loved the first book Interstellar Medic: the Long Run. I enjoyed the second book as well but I was really excited that you left the door slightly ajar to a third book.
Here is a heartfelt plea to write a third book! I want more adventures with the GU Medical Corps and its alien race members!
Thanks especially for letting us know that there will be a Melanie Mooney short story in a Baen anthology set for release in summer 2026!...more
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