The Iron Wyrm Affair

Today’s post is on “The Iron Wyrm Affair” by Lilith Saintcrow. It is 323 pages long including an author interview and a sample of the next book ‘The Red Plague Affair’. It is published by Orbit books. The cover has the two main characters on it both of them looking at the reader. Bannon is casting a spell with her left shoulder touching Clare who is looking intelligent. The intended reader is a Steampunk fan but Saintcrow is a wonderful writer so anyone who likes well written stories with interesting characters, and a heart pounding mystery then this is for you. There is some language and hinting at sexuality but nothing on page so anyone over the age of 14 should be just fine. The story is told in third person close mainly from Bannon or Clare’s perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Emma Bannon, forensic sorceress in the service of the Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed, unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. Unfortunately they can barely tolerate each other…

Review- To start with the blurb is wrong. Bannon and Clare do not dislike each other, they just are very different people. Mentath’s are people who are totally logical, always, and sorcery is not logical. That is the main point of disagreement, Bannon is a Prime Sorceress and Clare is a high level Mentath. The world that Saintcrow has created is very close to our own, if you have a passing familiarity with England then you will see what she has changed. For example England is not England but Britannia and Britannia has its own intelligence, it is more than just an ideal but a real being of ancient wisdom. The queen is Victrix not Victoria. I enjoyed identifying all the differences from our world to the fictional one. The magic/logic in this world is fun. Most of the time when magic is in a story there is no talk about things being illogical but not in this one. That is a major point because magic is illogical and that is difficult for Clare to deal with as a Mentath. How Clare deals with it is that he thinks that it is just a logic that he cannot understand at this time. That thought pattern saves him from the madhouse over the course of this book. The magic is slowly revealed over the course of the book like Clare’s thinking. Bannon is a very powerful sorceress who is not afraid of her power but she is smart with it. Something that I have thought of but Saintcrow directly talks about is when sorcerers are having a duel the easiest thing would be to have someone else just come up and stab them in the back. She deal with this by having Shields. Shields are people who protect sorcerers from physical attacks when they are magical dueling. There are so many layers to this book that I could just go on and on. But read it yourself, it is worth your time.

I give Five out Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library but I am going to be buying it.

Midnight's Master

Today’s post is on “Midnight’s Master” by Donna Grant. It is the first in a new series called the Dark Warrior’s. It is 370 pages long including an excerpt from the second novel Midnight’s Lover. It is published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks. The intended reader is someone who likes paranormal stories with strong romance themes. The cover has two figures the female lead is looking over the male leads shoulder at the reader and the male lead has his back to the reader with a knife in his hand behind his back while he is looking into the distance. There is sexuality in this book so over 18 just to be safe. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A MYSTERY OUT OF TIME
Gwynn Austin has no idea why her father has disappeared on a mysterious trip to Scotland. When she goes on a desperate mission to search for him, she finds more than she bargains for in a ruggedly handsome, wickedly exciting Highlander who exudes danger and mystery. And when she discovers her own link to Scotland, she’ll have to trust her heart to help her…
A LEGEND IN THE FLESH
Propelled through time by powerful Druid magic, Logan Hamilton uses his immortality and powers of the god inside him to help prevent the awakening of an ancient evil in the modern world. He never expects to find help in the form of a beautiful, alluring, and all too tempting woman whose passion and strength match his own. Together, Logan and Gwynn must fight for their love- before a demon from the past destroys them both…

Review- I did enjoy this novel. There is nothing surprising in, it does not reinvent the genre but it is not bad. The plot is fun, the characters are engaging, I liked the world. The magic in this world is mysterious but fun and I hope that Grant explains how it works more as the series continues. The hero is probably an alpha male but I did not find him unbearable and the heroine is brave and interesting. This is a continuation of an earlier series that I have not read but it is not a disadvantage as Grant explains everything in a manageable way. Now I do not care about sex scenes so I cannot really give an opinion on them but there are three of them just to warn you. The only thing that I really did not buy about this world was one of the villains. Gwynn’s father is one of the villains but I really did not buy his villainy. It was cheap to me, pulled out just to make his standing with the other villains believable. He feels like a wooden villain just there to move the story along in a certain way. Other than that it was a pretty good read. A nice way to spend a weekend as I did.

I give this book Four out Five stars. I get nothing for my review. This book was bought for me as a gift.

The Crow

Today’s post is on “The Crow” by Alison Croggon and it is the third book of Pellinor. It is 511 pages long including maps, notes, and appendices. It is published by Candlewick Press. The cover has the three main characters on it with Hem, who has a white crow on his shoulder, facing the distance to the side of the reader, Zelika looking at Hem, and Saliman looking the Iron Tower. The cover is very telling about the plot of the story. The intended reader is all young adults, not just girls, but anyone who loves high fantasy in the Tolkien style will just eat this up and I should know. There is nothing in this book that should make parents nervous. It is told from third person close following Hem. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Hem is a rough and weary orphan whose brutal struggle for survival ends when he’s reunited with his lost sister. Maerad, though, has her own destiny to fulfill, and the two must soon part. Hem is sent to the golden city of Turbansk in the south, where he learns the ways of the Bards and discovers a hidden gift when he rescues a white crow. But when the forces of the Dark threaten, and a young orphan girl named, Zelika to join the Light’s resistance forces. He, too, has a crucial role to play in Maerad’s quest to solve the Riddle of the Treesong.
In the Third Book of Pellinor, which continues the epic tale begun with The Naming and The Riddle, Alison Croggon creates a world of astounding beauty overshadowed by a terrifying darkness as Hem- and, distantly, Maerad- prepare for a final battle in defense of the Light.

Review- I liked this book so much more than The Riddle. The Riddle continues Maerad’s story from the end of The Naming and this one picks up about two months after the beginning of The Riddle. Hem is learning about how to be a Bard and in the beginning of the story he is a whiny 12 year-old but by the end he is a young man with responsibilities both to himself and to his destiny. Unlike in Maerad in The Riddle the darkness in The Crow is not just as bad. I do not know why. There is little hope, bad things are happening all around them, and one of the main characters dies but there is something about it that is not as bad as The Riddle. The Riddle was not easy for me to read because of all the bad things that happen to Maerad and it was horrible to experience. I just do not know what about The Crow is not has unbearable to read and experience with Hem. Hem grows so much over the course of this book, he really does change into a better person because of all the bad things and maybe that is it. All the suffering that Maerad goes through does not grow her as a person, it is just suffering not growth. But Hem is now a character with power in this story and I look forward to seeing where he is going from here and I cannot wait to see him interact with Maerad again. I do have a problem with the cover because Zelika looks white and she is not, she should look Arabian because that is how she is described in the text but other than that the cover is very good. Croggon renewed my faith in her series with The Crow.

I give this one Four out of Five stars. I get nothing from for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

Today's post is on 'The Girl in the Clockwork Collar' by Katy Cross. It is the second in her Steampunk Chronicles. It is published by Harlequin Teen an imprint of Harlequin and was published in 2012. The cover has a very pretty Chinese girl in a purple dress with a huge collar on her neck and a candle in her hand. The intended reader is Young Adult and really that is the best. It is the told from third person close with changing POV of the may different characters in the story. There is nothing sexual in this book but some of the violence may concern some parents so read it before your child to make sure that it okay for them.

From the dust the jacket- In New York City, 1897 life has never been more thrilling- or dangerous.
Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade- the dangerous device Jasper stole from him... for the life of the girl Jasper loves.
One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens.
And tightens.From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll for friendship.
More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley... and it will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily- whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.
Now, to help those she;s come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much...

Review- I wish that I could say that I liked this one as much as the first but I cannot. This book was not easy to read, I do not know if that I just was not in the mood to read it or if it was sophomore slump but I just really did not get into the book. The plot was not bad but I just wanted more. I wanted more talking about Finley's two sides, like in the first book. It was talking about but only in passing, not in really part of the plot and I do not know why. It was still important when the first book ended and this one picks up about three days after the first one, so I do not get why is not talked about. The characters do grow some but it feels forces like Cross knew that they should grow but did not know how to make it more natural. The villains are better in this one than the first book because you do not really see one of them coming so I give credit for that. But really this one is just not as a good as the first one and I am hoping it is sophomore slump. It is not great but it is not bad either so I am just ambivalent about it.

I give Three out of Five, not great but not bad. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Stalking the Vampire

Today's post is on 'Stalking the Vampire' by Mike Resnick. It is the second novel following John Justin Mallory. It is published by Pyr books which is an imprint of Prometheus Books and was published in 2007. The cover has John Justin with a gun in one hand and a stake in the other in front of a wall with missing person pictures and a ominous shadow in front of him. It is 264 pages long with three appendixes in the back with more fun information like a speech from John Justin's partner on hunting vampires. The story is told in third person close point of view. The intended reader is urban fantasy fans but anyone who likes humor, urban fantasy tropes, and good writing will enjoy this. There is nothing in this book to make any parents uncomfortable so all ages over 12 should be fine. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the Dust jacket- It's Halloween and John Justin Mallory's partner, Winnifred Carruthers, has been so busy preparing for the biggest holiday of the year (in this Manhattan, anyway) that she seems short of energy and pale. Then he notices the two puncture marks on her neck...
On this night when ghosts and goblins are out celebrating, detective Mallory must stalk the vampire who has threatened his partner and killed her nephew. With the aid of Felina the cat-girl, Mallory and Carruthers investigate clubs and lairs that only seem to exist on this one night of the year.
His hunt takes him to Creepy Conrad's Cut-Rate-All-Night Mortuary, where he questions the living and the dead, to the Vampire State Building; to the annual Zombies' Ball, to learn more about the undead; to the Hills of Home Mortuary, Cemetery & Delicatessen, where the vampire sleeps by day; and to Battery Park, where all of Manhattan's bats come to feed and sleep. Along the way he meets a few old friends and enemies, and a host of strange new inhabitants of this otherworldly Manhattan.
Locked in an intriguing battle of wits with the millennia-old vampire, Mallory has until dawn if he is to save his trusted partner.

Review- This is the first book that I read by Mr. Resnick. I was not prepared for how wonderful and funny of a writer he is but now he is one of my favorite authors. The humor in this book is more than just the making fun of fantasy and urban fantasy tropes, it is in the way that John Justin is so normal. In the first book Stalking the Unicorn, John Justin is from our world and is now stuck in the other Manhattan. So he handles things in a way that makes prefect sense to me at the very least. The dialog is was shines in this book and that is where the humor really is. John Justin has a very dry sense of humor and that comes through in the writing, the reader gets an excellent sense of who he is. We only see the world through John Justin's eyes but that does not feel limiting, it feel like it is trying to help the reader not over-whelmed by how much the other Manhattan is like ours but so not ours. The more that you have read, as in read other books, the more jokes you are going to get because Resnick knows his literature. The characters are funny, fun, and clever so you are going to like the people that you will meet in this book and when John Justin defeats the bad guy I was so impressed with the cleverness of it that the final two chapters are my favorites.

I give book Five stars out of Five stars because it is just wonderful and you need to read it. Like now. I get nothing for my review and this book was bought as a gift for me from my spouse.

The Girl in the Steel Corset

Today’s post is on “The Girl in the Steel Corset” by Kady Cross. It is 473 pages long and is published by Harlequin Teen. The cover has the main character with her back to the reader in a red dress with the steel corset showing. It is the first book of the Steampunk chronicles. It is Young Adult but anyone who likes Steampunk, girls with personality, or just fun plot will like this. There is nothing in this to offend anyone, there are some scenes with excitement but not very graphic and no sexuality or language.

From the dust jacket- In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one… except the “thing” inside her.
When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch…
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she’s special, says she’s one of them. The orphaned duke takes her inform the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.
Griffin’s investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help- and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff’s little company of strays apart, and it isn’t long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she’s on- even if it seem no one believes her.

Review- It was a fun, quick read. I know that almost 500 pages is not really ‘quick’ to most but I found no trouble just putting this book away. The characters are interesting but the most interesting thing in my opinion is not even talked about in the blurb. Jack Dandy is an underworld boss and he is fun and interesting. He is part of the love triangle between Finley and Griffin but he is so much more than that. I did ask who the villain was very quickly but that is not a bad thing. Cross has a good grasp of pacing, dialog and plot. The only problem I have is that I feel the character development was a little too fast. Finley just rolled in and everything started happening but there is just not enough time really for me to buy all the development that happens in the story. Finley goes from hating and fearing her other self to integrating with it in about 100 pages. Maybe she was just that ready to deal with it but I did not get that feeling from the story itself. That said, that is the only problem I have with the story. I liked everything else. Cross is an excellent writer and she knows her books; if you are a classics reader then you will enjoy the references that she makes.

I give this book Four solid stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Stormdancer

Today’s post is ‘Stormdancer’ by Jay Kristoff. It is 324 pages long including a dictionary and a glossary. It is published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s press. The cover has a pretty Asian girl with a beautiful tattoo of a fox with nine tails on her arm and above her is a griffin or as they are called in the book arashitora flying the red and gray skies. The intended reader is a fan of fantasy, Asian culture, in particular Japan, and should be adult. There is some sexuality and the descriptions of what has and is happening to both the people and the land can be disturbing. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The first in an epic new fantasy series, introducing an unforgettable heroine and a stunningly original dystopian Steampunk world with a flavor of feudal Japan.

A DYING LANDThe Shima Imperium verges on the brink on environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shogun to capture a thunder tiger- a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shogun is death.
A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that, is discovered would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shogun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is that he’s rather see her dead than help her.
But together the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Review- This is a strong first novel but I have watched a lot go anime over the years and Kristoff pulls from anime liberally. It is not a bad thing but if you have watched as much anime as I have the plot as points were not surprising. But if you have not watched much anime or any at all in this book is going to be a wonderful ride for you. Yukiko is likable, she is brave, and at 16 she is pretty selfless. The book is told in third person far and it does jump from one character to another but it is not jarring and it helps the reader to see the story from different angles. The reason I do not give this five stars is that he is very good at descriptions, so good that some of them turned my stomach, but Kristoff is very good at them and in fact they are the high point of the novel. At points I had to push myself to keep reading. I do not know if I will the next one but I am not sorry that I have read this one. The characters are not uninteresting but again I have watched so much anime that I have met them before.

I give this one Four stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.