Showing posts with label Seanan McGuire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seanan McGuire. Show all posts

Saturday, January 10, 2015

2014: Top Books of the Year

My 2014 Top Books of the Year post is late! Unfortunately it could not be helped. I always say, better late than never. :) In 2014, my reading was not as prolific as it has been in previous years. Fortunately, I read many memorable books, particularly during the first half of the year and during the summer.

Below, you will notice that my favorite books fall under three different headings: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Romance, and Honorable Mentions. Out of 114 books read during the year, I have chosen the most memorable from those rated A/A- (5.0/4.75), and a few "honorable mentions" from books rated B+ (4.5). These are books that were highly recommended and quite memorable despite the lower grade.

SFF: (Click on titles to read reviews)

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Fantasy (2014, Tor Books)

I loved this stand-alone fantasy and ended up reading it more than once this past year. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison stands out from the rest with a hopeful outlook and an unforgettable central character.

Ancillary Justice* & Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
Science Fiction Space Opera (2014, Orbit)


Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie are, without a doubt, my favorite science fiction books of 2014, with Ancillary Justice (*2013, Orbit) read in January 2014, taking the top spot. I also reread these books throughout the year. I love the unique world-building and characters, and was particularly taken with the characterization and emotional impact that Leckie achieved in this a science fiction opera with an AI as central character.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Speculative Fiction (2014, FSG Original)


With its nameless characters and truly mysterious Area X, VanderMeer's Annihilation drew me into the mind of a biologist whose skewed perspective and detached narrative took me away from reality. This is a book I could not stop reading.

The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey
Speculative Fiction Thriller/Horror (2014, Orbit)


Post-apocalyptic zombies? We've heard of those before and I am not a fan. But The Girl with All The Gifts is not that typical a book, and after having read the first 10 chapters, I was hooked by a little girl named Melanie. This book is a fantastic read that I devoured as soon as it was released. A keeper!

World of Trouble (The Last Policeman III) by Ben H. Winters
Science Fiction Pre-Apocalyptic Mystery (2014, Quirk Books)


World of Trouble is the last book in Ben H. Winters The Last Policeman pre-apocalyptic mystery trilogy. Hank Palace's actions may seem obsolete to some, but he is one of my favorite, most memorable characters of the year. This is a trilogy that makes readers ask questions of themselves, and with World of Trouble, Winters ended Palace's journey just the way it should.

The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire
Urban Fantasy (2014, DAW)


In 2013 I read the entire October Daye UF series and it took me a while to warm up to the main character Toby and to the series as a whole. So it was a surprise to me when The Winter Long turned out to be my favorite UF read of the year. McGuire's execution is particularly notable. She opens up this series, drives it forward, while revealing some long-held secrets and closing up threads. A fabulous read!

ROMANCE:

It Happened One Wedding by Julie James
Contemporary Romance (2014, Jove)


I loved this contemporary romance by Julie James with its snappy dialog, sense of humor, and narrow focus on the main couple. It is fun and sexy, with an oblivious couple whose love grows from one fantastic hostile meeting that is used to build heat between the two, until surprise! They are in love. This romance is the perfect example of an up-to-the moment, sexy, fun, read.

Now and Forever (A Last Past Romance, Part 2) by Logan Belle
Contemporary Romance  (2014, Moxie Books)


Now and Forever is Part 2 of Logan Belle's A Last Chance Romance. I love that this two-part series is all about an adult woman's journey. She finds love with the right man while dealing with real-life conflicts. With a sexy, erotic romance, and pertinent, relatable conflicts to today's woman, Now and Forever is one of my favorite reads of the year.

Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath
Historical Romance (Kindle Ed. 2010, Harper Collins)


Always to Remember came as a complete surprise to me! I read it up for Wendy's TBR Challenge as it had been in my Kindle for a long time. This book is also the only historical romance to have received an A grade from me in 2014. A fantastic American post-civil war romance set in Texas, this RITA Award winner is exquisitely executed by Lorraine Heath. With both a memorable plot and characters, there is no question that it belongs right here. A classic!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine
YA/Historical Fantasy-based Fiction (2014, Atria Books)

The Paradox Trilogy by Rachel Bach 
Science Fiction Space Opera (2014, Orbit)

Seduced (Into the Wild #1) by Molly O'Keefe
Historical Romance Western (2014, Molly Fader) 

In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman
Historical Romance Western (2014, Berkley)

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Some interesting facts:
  • Of the 114 books read (I did not count rereads or DNFs), most of the favorite reads on this list are SFF (Science Fiction / Fantasy).
  • I read few historical romances in 2014. Regardless, it is interesting to note that my top 3 are all western historical romances.
  • I read more westerns than usual, across the board: romance (historical, contemporary, YA, m/m), mystery, young adult fiction, LGBT.
  • Mysteries take the top spot though. Even some of my science fiction and fantasy books had a mystery as the core plot. Lots of mystery mash-ups in 2014!
  • As in previous years, I read some fantastic LGBT books. My favorites are listed on a separate post. You can see them here.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Mini: The Winter Long (October Daye, #8) by Seanan McGuire


Last year I read the entire Toby Daye series (Books 1 to 7). I wasn't blown away with the beginning of the series, but somehow both the series and Toby grew on me and I devoured all the books consecutively.

Guess what? Surprise! So far, for me, The Winter Long is the best urban fantasy read of the year. I am really impressed with how beautifully Seanan McGuire weaved threads throughout the series, even bringing in the smallest of details, and wrapping them up in this book, while creating new ones. There are answers that go back to the first book -- remember when Toby was turned into a fish? Expect answers to those events and more.

There are also some terrible betrayals leading to heartbreak for Toby. However, loyal friends do step up to the plate as Toby battles an old powerful frenemy and seeks answers to a personal history that gets more complex by the minute. She gets some much needed answers, but McGuire simultaneously creates new threads by raising new questions and dropping clues to maintain the reader speculating and waiting for more adventures. Toby still ends up bloody and broken, she is still the hero jumping to the rescue, but in The Winter Long she slows down long enough to finally pay attention.

This installment has just enough action, mystery, revelations, and the right pacing to keep the flow going to the beautiful surprise at the end. Great execution. I love this installment.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Books: August/September 2014 New Releases!

At the beginning of the year I highlighted my "most anticipated reads," a few are releasing in August such as Visions (Cainsville #2) by Kelley Armstrong (August 19, 2014) and Lock In by John Scalzi (August 26, 2014), but of course there are always other books for a book addict like me. Today I am highlighting 5 books, most releasing in August or already available, all of them with covers I covet. Check them out.

AUGUST

SALVATION by Jeff Mann (Bear Bones Books)
Category: LGBT - Historical Fiction/Erotic BDSM

The American Civil War still threatens to tear the nation in twain. Private Ian Campbell betrayed his company and his duty because he fell in love with a handsome Yankee prisoner-of-war, Drew Conrad. Both men are on the run, desperate to reach Campbell’s family home in West Virginia, which may have escaped the conflict unscathed and offer them both peace and salvation from the cruelties and prejudices of men heightened by the conflict.

But the trek is dangerous. Both men are wounded, deserters, and their love for each other is viewed by so many as a crime against nature—hanging for any of these offenses threatens every moment they tarry to rest. They must rely on the kindness of strangers, but every household they enter seeking sanctuary for even a single night on a bed and scant provisions for hungry stomachs might betray them should the truth be discovered.

Acclaimed author Jeff Mann’s sequel to his beloved civil war historical novel Purgatory will instill in readers an ardent expectation over Privates Campbell and Conrad’s fate.
First we had Purgatory, now we have Salvation by Jeff Mann. I adored Jeff Mann's civil war historical novel, Purgatory and waited two years for the sequel. The wait is over, this book is available now. And, the cover is just perfect.

A HUNDRED LITTLE LIES by Jon Wilson (August 2014, Lethe Press)
Category: LGBT -- Historical Western Romance

Everyone knows Jack Tulle as a widower, a doting father, and an honest businessman. The problem is, it's all a lie. For eight years Jack has enjoyed the quiet life in the sleepy little town of Bodey, Colorado where he owns and operates the General Store. He sits on the town council. He dotes upon his eight-year-old, headstrong daughter, Abigail. He is even being sized-up as a prospective new member of the family by the bank president. But when the local saloon announces plans to host a grand prize poker tournament, Jack realizes it could spell trouble.

One of the many secrets he's been hiding is that he used to be a con man - mainly underhanded poker, but he wasn't above the odd swindle when the situation presented itself. And a contest like the one his town is planning is sure to draw some old business acquaintances - fellows Jack would really rather not admit to knowing.

Of course there's one man in particular Jack is worried about seeing - Tom Jude is the only person who knows the truth behind all his secrets. Tom wasn't just Jack's partner-in-crime, he was also the love of his life. And Tom knows things - like the fact that the little girl Jack is raising, really isn't his... As Jack scrambles to maintain his deceptions by lying to friends and neighbors as well as the child he has grown to love, he discovers the real truth: when your world is built on A Hundred Little Lies, exposing a single one of them can bring the whole thing crashing down
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I read A Shiny Tin Star by Jon Wilson earlier this year and loved the author's style, so as soon as I realized that his historical western romance A Hundred Little Lies was going to be rereleased it immediately went on my wish list. The fresh new cover that says western and speaks to the book summary is a big bonus.

SEPTEMBER

THE WINTER LONG (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire (DAW, September 2, 2014)
Category: Urban Fantasy

Toby thought she understood her own past; she thought she knew the score.

She was wrong.

It's time to learn the truth.

Okay, I hate it when all we get are three little lines to summarize a whole book, and a whole bunch of advanced review blurbs. Those three lines do not say anything about the book, or anything new about Toby. It seems to me that Toby has very little understanding about her past and is often wrong. LOL! But of course now we are all really curious, aren't we? Because maybe this time she will really learn the truth about her past. By the way, I not only love the cover for this book, I love most of the covers for this UF series.

I KNEW HIM by Erastes (Lethe Press, Tradeback available September 13, 2014)
Category: LGBT-- Historical Thriller

Harry George Alexander Bircham: Not necessarily an infamous name in the annals of gay fictional characters…yet. But readers of Erastes’ newest historical novel should prepare themselves for many pages of suspenseful intrigue as the miscreant Bircham, a man of Wildean excesses and humours, will do anything it takes to bend Fate to his will. And that sinister will is to keep the affections and attentions of another young English lad. If accidents, if murder, are necessary, then Bircham is just the villain. Or anti-hero, as he is quite the early twentieth century charmer.

“If there can be such a thing as too much fun, this is probably it. It’s Hamlet in white tie and flapper dresses, relocated to the country-house circuit between the wars; but nobody quite acts out the roles laid down for them. This is just too good to miss.” —Chaz Brenchley, winner of the August Derleth Award and author of Blood Waters.
The cover for this historical thriller by Erastes is beautifully sinister and matches the book summary just about perfectly. I have been in the mood for mysteries and thrillers lately and this one looks like is going to be a beaut! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

AN AMERICAN DUCHESS by Sharon Page (Harlequin HQN, September 30, 2014)
Category: Historical Romance

At the height of the Roaring Twenties, New York heiress Zoe Gifford longs for the freedoms promised by the Jazz Age. Headstrong and brazen, but bound by her father's will to marry before she can access his fortune, Zoe arranges for a brief marriage to Sebastian Hazelton, whose aristocratic British family sorely needs a benefactor.

Once in England, her foolproof plan to wed, inherit and divorce proves more complicated than Zoe had anticipated. Nigel Hazelton, Duke of Langford and Sebastian's austere older brother, is disgraced by the arrangement and looks down upon the raucous young American who has taken up residence at crumbling Brideswell Abbey. Still reeling from the Great War, Nigel is now staging a one-man battle against a rapidly changing world—and the outspoken Zoe represents everything he's fighting against. When circumstances compel Zoe to marry Nigel rather than Sebastian, she does so for love, he for honor. But with Nigel unwilling to change with the times, Zoe may be forced to choose between her husband and her dreams.
This is the type of historical romance that I am craving at the moment. The Roaring Twenties is a favorite era, but I am curious to find out if the British setting (as opposed to America) makes a difference in "my love" of romances set during this time. Love, love the cover for this historical romance.
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Clarification: I know this happens all the time and publishers shift release dates -- that is frustrating enough -- but I am REALLY disappointed because I featured THE BURIED LIFE by Carrie Patel with a July 2014 release date and boy was I looking forward to reading that book! BUT, when I went to buy it, the release date had been changed to April 14, 2015 for the paperback, AND, January 1, 2035 for the Kindle release!!! I'm sure that's an error, but I will keep checking and will let you all know when the book is available.

Currently Reading/Next on my reading list:
Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
Lessons in Love: A Cambridge Fellows Mystery #1 by Charlie Cochrane
Home Fires Burning by Charlie Cochrane
Downfall: A Cal Leandros Novel by Rob Thurman

Just Finished Reading:
Wilde Stories 2014: The Year's Best Speculative Fiction ed. Steve Berman
The Affair of the Porcelain Dog by Jess Faraday

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Overview: October (Toby) Daye Urban Fantasy Series by Seanan McGuire

I was in the mood for urban fantasy and just... pleasure reading. I decided to begin by hitting a few of the urban fantasy books sitting in my TBR and read a few, including the first two books from Patricia Briggs' Alpha & Omega series, but most notably, I inhaled the entire October (Toby) Daye urban fantasy series by Seanan McGuire. Yes, all seven books!

So what did I think of the series?

The first three books of the series, Rosemary and Rue #1 (B-), A Local Habitation #2 (C-), and An Artificial Night #3 (C+/B-) were not real winners for me. So you may wonder why I continued reading the series. Well, I fell in love with McGuire's world-building, particularly the fantasy side of things. Her Faerie world is fascinating with its changelings, multiple fae races, nobles and Courts, and of course the Court of Cats. I particularly like McGuire's take on how they all interrelate with each other, the history details, and all the political ins and outs that develop throughout the series.

I also fell in love with the detailed and clear magical elements in this series. McGuire's takes her time developing this aspect of her world. Magic works and is used differently depending on the fae's race, mixture of pureblood race, and for changelings -- the half-human, half-fae -- it all depends the fae parent's blood. Power and magic really comes down to blood. Humans don't necessarily play a big role in this series, however, the fae have no choice but to make use of their physical world and I like how magic is used in this symbiotic relationship. San Francisco is a fantastic setting. My fascination with the world-building kept me reading Rosemary and Rue and beyond because frankly, I was not necessarily taken with other aspects of this series until I reached the fourth book.

Initially, one of my problems was Toby, the narrator and main character, who is not impressive in the first book as the "hero." Toby is a changeling with little magical power of her own, but earned her place as knight errant to Sylvester Torquill, Duke of Shadowed Hills, making Toby special/unique among the changelings and purebloods. Her story begins when Toby is turned into a fish, a Koi to be exact, while in Sylvester's service. Toby spends fourteen years swimming in a pond until she breaks the spell and realizes that her whole life as she knew it is lost, including her human live-in boyfriend and daughter Gillian. This loss plunges Toby into a depressive spiral until a friend binds and compels Toby to find a murderer or die trying. Toby's life slowly gets back on track as she picks up the threads of her life as a P.I. and begins the process of bonding with people who eventually become her closest allies.

The highest praise I can give Toby's character is that although she is half-human, McGuire imbues her with a humanity and vulnerability that is sorely missing from many of the characters encountered in this series, including changelings. She has a big heart and because she is a "hero," bravery. However, Toby's bravery is often the foolish kind -- she is universally known for taking stupid, uncalled-for risks. There are other aspects of her personality that tend to annoy. For example, Toby tends to blame herself for events that are not her fault. She's a guilt-ridden hero. Me thinks she's a bit self-deluded in that respect, but then she has a huge hero-complex which makes her both self-sacrificing and self-centered in my opinion.

See, initially, Toby doesn't think much of herself and believes she's a waste of space. Later on confidence comes with power and gained affection, but too often she is willing to let herself go if necessary because there always seems to be a small part of her that feels she doesn't deserve to live -- that she is not good enough or doesn't deserve better. Talk about poor self-esteem! If you understand that about her, it goes a long way toward understanding Toby's choices -- including her choice in men. This drove me a bit insane during the first three books as did her lack of insight, follow through and investigative skills. Toby also tends to be oblivious to important comments or clues, and other times she chooses to be oblivious to the obvious. But okay... Toby was a fish for fourteen years, her emotional state was severely compromised for a while, and she has huge mommy issues (and I'm talking about Toby's mother here, not her daughter. That's another kettle of fish altogether).

In this respect, Toby is no different from other urban fantasy "heroines" who throw themselves in the fray over and over again and are willing to sacrifice themselves to save the world because they believe they are the only ones equipped to do so. Initially where she differs is in the fact that she has little power throws herself heart and soul into the battles anyway. Later on in the series she falls in line with other urban fantasy heroines. What doesn't change is the fact that Toby wants to be a 'hero' and believes her own press (she contradicts herself about this though), or the fact that she's not a great investigator, in fact most of the time she stumbles along until things fall into place, has problems following through and "listening to others." Toby's usually too busy looking for the next bit of trouble to really take the time to listen and analyze information. She doesn't pay attention. Thank goodness for her allies.

And that's the thing, the secondary characters in this series kick some serious ass! I'm not talking physically now... I mean whatever flaws I found when focusing on Toby were placed aside when McGuire began building those excellent relationships between her protagonist and the key secondary characters. It is a slow development, but every single one of these characters and relationships are worth the page time. What would Toby do without Quentin, Tybalt, or her fascinating frenemy the Luidaeg. There are so many more!

Toby? Toby grew on me. By the time I read Late Eclipses #4 (B) I was hooked and thrilled to finally see significant revelations about Toby come to light, and by One Salt Sea #5 (B+) I was laughing my ass off as Toby hopped on a mermaid's lap, riding a wheelchair down a San Francisco hill to save her life -- an absurd and memorable scene, and a very good read! And yes, Ashes of Honor #6 ( A-) was an absolute winner for me just as it was for many other readers. There is an obvious reason behind that, but also in this book Toby finally takes the time to look inwards, gains some insight into herself and admits some hard truths. Self-awareness never hurt anyone, and Toby needed a good dose of that! Chimes at Midnight,#7 (B-) wasn't a great read for me, but it made me think hard about this series. Am I still hooked? Hmm..., I will read the next book to see where McGuire takes it.

Additional Thoughts after reading Chimes at Midnight: McGuire's Toby is a changeling of mixed blood -- half-human, half-fae. In her world, changelings are forced to make the choice to become one or the other. Socially, they are also at the bottom of the ladder and are often disregarded by the upper classes -- the pureblood fae. The issue of blood, the mixtures of blood, and/or choosing who you are because of your blood becomes a central theme in McGuire's series. In many instances, choosing to be both means having little power. Choosing to change your blood to become a pureblood means more power and becoming human means next to none. In thinking about this central theme in a contemporary context (something I tend to do when I read fantasy and sci-fi), the whole idea became utterly disturbing.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Review: Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire

Midnight Blue-Light Special
Cryptid, noun:
1. Any creature whose existence has been suggested but not proven scientifically. Term officially coined by cryptozoologist John E. Wall in 1983.
2. That thing that's getting ready to eat your head.
3. See also: "monster."

The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity--and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and when her work with the cryptid community took her to Manhattan, she thought she would finally be free to pursue competition-level dance in earnest. It didn't quite work out that way...

But now, with the snake cult that was killing virgins all over Manhattan finally taken care of, Verity is ready to settle down for some serious ballroom dancing—until her on-again, off-again, semi-boyfriend Dominic De Luca, a member of the monster-hunting Covenant of St. George, informs her that the Covenant is on their way to assess the city's readiness for a cryptid purge. With everything and everyone she loves on the line, there's no way Verity can take that lying down.

Alliances will be tested, allies will be questioned, lives will be lost, and the talking mice in Verity's apartment will immortalize everything as holy writ--assuming there's anyone left standing when all is said and done. It's a midnight blue-light special, and the sale of the day is on betrayal, deceit...and carnage.
I loved the world that Seanan McGuire created as a setting for her InCryptid urban fantasy series. Verity as the central figure of the first book Discount Armageddon was a refreshing delight and her adoring colony of Aeslin mice, particularly memorable. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second book of the series Midnight Blue-Light Special, and read it as soon as it released.

This adventure begins when Verity's Covenant sort-of-enemy with benefits Dominic De Luca warns her that the Covenant of St. George is sending agents to evaluate how ready New York City may be for a cryptid purge. He wants her to run, but she's not about to leave people she has come to love behind! She's a Price girl and Price girls don't run. Instead, Verity, Sarah, her cryptid friends and Uncle Mike who travels from Chicago as backup get ready for war and probable death. In the process Verity discovers who her friends are, that monsters are not always cryptids, and that family can sometimes be a real pain the neck!

In Midnight Blue-Light Special, Verity continues to be the kick-ass heroine of the piece with the delightful narrative voice that I loved in the first book even when the situation gets really hairy. She is young, fun, and bright. Verity is smart but there is a lightness about her character and the narration from her point of view that makes me smile. The same can be said for the much of the dialog that takes place between her and some of the secondary characters in the story. For example, we have Kitty, a bogeyman(woman) who owns the club where Verity works. She is a tough, scary negotiator, but wears fuzzy slippers and cartoon pajamas, and Istas, a waheela who loves to wear frilly clothes from top to bottom and talks of nothing but her love of carnage. And of course we have the Aeslin mice whose dialog consists of coming up with the best of Hails!
HAIL THE VISITATION OF THE GOD OF QUESTIONABLE MOTIVATIONS!
"Since Dominic's been sleeping with me, the mice have been trying various labels on him, looking for the one that fits. My personal favorite was the week they spent calling him "the God of Absolutely Never Smiling, No, Not Ever." 
Ahh, Dominic. In my review of Discount Armageddon, one of my niggles was the lack of in-depth information about Dominic's character and the speed with which Verity trusted him, particularly since he is a member of the Price's nemesis organization, the Covenant of St. George. In Midnight Blue-Light Special, Dominic's character plays a major role in what happens to Verity and in the outcome of the story. However, his page time is limited and I'm afraid that for me his character just never took off! There is growth to Dominic's character that the readers experience from Verity's and Sarah's perspectives. Unfortunately, I only connected with him on a superficial level.

That might have something to do with the fact that Verity shares much of this adventure with her cousin Sarah, the cuckoo. So, instead of focusing on Dominic, insight and characterization are focused on her. The story shifts to Sarah's point of view at about 60% of the book for a few chapters and then returns to Verity. Frankly I was not enamored of Sarah's narrative voice (probably due to the fact that for much of that time Sarah is panicked and unsure of herself), and feel that this shift interrupted the flow of the story. Don't get me wrong Sarah is nice, but she's no Verity.

The war between Verity, her crew, and the agents from the Covenant of St. George is well done and not over-the-top. McGuire's Covenant agents as villains are an interesting bunch. They believe they are doing the right thing in the name of God, while in reality their beliefs are a combination of bigotry and religious zealotry. They are willing to commit genocide (kill the 'monsters') to rid humanity of all those who are different, and 'monster-lovers' like the Price family become traitors to humanity. This straight forward us against them type of human conflict works well with this light series. It also provides the action and necessary, contrasting dark moments to make this urban fantasy piece work.

Regardless of my niggles, I enjoyed Midnight Blue-Light Special. Verity and her amazing cast of cryptid and human secondary characters are a joy and yes, I finished the book with a smile on my face. If you are ready to enjoy a fun, angst and emo free urban fantasy series, then this is it. The next two books of the series will focus on Alex, Verity's brother. I can't wait to meet him!

Category: Urban Fantasy
Series: InCryptids
Publisher/Release Date: DAW/March 5, 2013 - Kindle ed.
Grade: B

Visit Seanan McGuire here.

Series:
Discount Armageddon, #1
Midnight Blue-Light Special, #2

Friday, April 13, 2012

This n' That: Recs, A Bargain, Reads + Updates!

Hey how's everyone this Friday? Ready for the weekend? It's a gorgeous spring day, and guess what? It's baseball time! Yankees are holding their game opener today at Yankee Stadium against the Angels. I know you all don't want to hear it, but... Go Yanks! LOL!

I guess this is the perfect time to again recommend one of my favorite fiction books with a baseball theme: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger! Have you read it? No? Well, even if you don't love baseball, you'll love this book because I dare you not to fall in love with the wonderful characters and the excellent story. (review here)

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So what else do I have for you today? Heads up people! Special subscription offer for ICARUS: The Magazine of Gay Speculative Fiction. Lethe Press has a bargain going on today only for those of you who love great writing and/or would like to give gay speculative fiction a shot. I mentioned back in October that I love ICARUS magazine, so you know that I took advantage of this bargain. Check it out here.

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And shifting from speculative fiction to science fiction, did you know already that both Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, AND Embassytown by China Miéville made the list of finalists for the HUGO Awards? Yeap, they did!

Also in case you don't know this yet, Seanan McGuire also made it to the list of Hugo finalists under the Best Related Works Category with "Wicked Girls." And, since I featured John Scalzi during my month-long Science Fiction Experience reading binge, I'd like to mention that he also made it as a finalist under the Best Short Story Category with "The Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book 1: The Dead City." Good stuff!

I have books by all these authors on my 2012 Wish List or TBR:


Railsea by China Miéville (May 15, 2012)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (June 5, 2012)
Caliban's War (Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey (June 26, 2012)
Rosemary & Rue (October Daye Books) by Seanan McGuire - backlist title

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Last but not least, I'm reading again! Yay! I've finished some good books, some of which I've already reviewed: The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley, The Rake by Mary Jo Putney, Split by Mel Bossa, Private Eye by S.E. Culpepper and a couple of other books that I haven't reviewed yet: Just Down The Road by Jodi Thomas, and About That Night by Julie James.


Right now I'm reading a book I just received for review and that looks to be a great read, The Heart's History by Lewis DeSimone.

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That's my news today! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Impressions: Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire


Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night... The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city...
Well, wasn't this just a refreshing urban fantasy read? It has a lot to do with Verity Price, the heroine of the story. She's young, yes... she can kick ass and has some wonderful sarcastic lines in this story, but Verity is happy! She's not moody or depressed or a downer. Helping along with this refreshing atmosphere we have her permanent roommates, the Aeslin mice, those happy, happy, talking rodents who have daily religious celebrations about everything they can think of, and HAIL Verity as their Princess. It's a party at home for this girl whether she wants one or not

Verity's family life and personal choices help along with the atmosphere too. She seems to have a "normal," loving relationship with her parents and siblings, Alex and Antimony, even if her life is not considered the norm. The other surprise is her choice to make a career out of ballroom dancing. An urban fantasy heroine as a ballroom dancing queen? Lots of fun. I love it! I also love Verity's sense of freedom when she plummets from her kitchen window into the darkness and races through the rooftops of New York City, and her straight forward approach to situations as she confronts or relates to both friends and foes.

Of course Discount Armageddon is not a light fairytale. There are dark spaces, tough villains, scary moments, great kick ass fighting, a mystery to solve and that wonderful pacing that makes urban fantasy the genre we all love. There's also a love interest who just happens to be part of the Covenant and a nemesis of the Price family. Dominic DeLuca is in New York for the Covenant of St. George to evaluate the situation for his organization to see if a Cryptid purge is needed. Of course these two meet as enemies, but this is Dominic's first foray into the field and pretty soon he and Verity are working together and she's trying to change his long-held beliefs: that all Cryptids are monsters and all deserve to be exterminated.

Verity and her family were labeled traitors to the human race by the Covenant when they quit the organization generations ago. Why? Well, they hold different beliefs. To them Cryptids are sentient beings and as such yes, some are monsters, but most just do what they are meant to do, live with their families, or alone, and survive, and nature dictates that there's a reason for their existence. Because the family is considered traitorous, they are hunted by the Covenant and have been in hiding to avoid assassination for generations. Verity and Dominic's meeting in New York is monumental and dangerous, not only for her personally, but for her whole family's safety.

I love Verity and Dominic together, as well as the rest of the cast of characters that are introduced in this book. For me, one of the few weakness in this first book comes from Verity's lack of curiosity about Dominic and in how quickly she "trusts" an enemy. Verity doesn't ask enough questions, and since the story is from her first person point of view by the end of the story Dominic is still pretty much a mystery. There's no real proof that what he says is truth, and although his actions do back up what he says, there's a 'wait and see' factor to Dominic's character that is not entirely satisfactory. Although I'm sure his background will really be explored in future installments.

Verity's family's history is also a bit of a muddle even with the family tree that's provided at the beginning of the book. Her immediate family is well defined: her mother, father and siblings sound wonderful, but once great grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc., are mentioned, the relationships and some of the events that Verity mentions get a bit confusing and some bits of information dropped here and there are left unexplained. This is something that is also left open for future exploration. The mystery is well done with plenty of clues along the way, a good twist at the end, and some logistics that don't quite make sense to me -- mainly to do with William.

McGuire is a new-to-me author, so I'm one of those readers who is beginning with a clean slate. I'm not comparing this series with her Toby books (yet). As such, I can say that even with the niggles found in this first book, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Discount Armageddon is fun and refreshing, full of wonderful characters, and I love this world. I can't wait to meet Alex and Antimony, or to find out what the heck is up with Dominic. And of course, Hail Verity!

Category: Urban Fantasy
Series: InCryptid
Publisher/Release Date: Daw Books, Inc/March 6, 2012 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: B

Visit Seanan McGuire here.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Latest Book Haul!

How's everyone this Sunday?

I'm still not ready to post reviews. It has been a long week and I'm still going through a reading slump! This is not good for me, or for my wallet. When I don't read, I buy! (Good news for retailers, of course). So my post today is about all the books I've added to my Kindle (as if I needed more books). Plus a few of the books I received for review.

These are the 10 purchased additions to my TBR from this last week:

Contemporary Romance:

I Want Candy by Susan Donovan
Perfect Partners by Carly Phillips*
Solitary Man by Carly Phillips*
The Right Choice by Carly Phillips*
Donovan seems to be a hit or miss with me as an author, but the books I like by her I really like. I hope to like I Want Candy. And, well... Carly Phillips has been releasing lots of her books lately and I haven't been reading them! I need to get back on that horse.
*(All three books by Carly Phillips are re-releases, but I have not read them)

Urban Fantasy:

Discount Armageddon: An InCryptid Novel by Seanan McGuire
Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel by Seanan McGuire
This is an author I've had on my list for a couple of years now. I've had Rosemary and Rue in my hands at the book store and placed it back for later. Well, this is it, this is the year I'll be reading McGuire. Discount Armageddon was reviewed by KMont and the book looks good, so I'm going to give it a try to see how it goes.

LGBT:

The White Knight (The Dark Horse) by Josh Lanyon
Gay: A New Path Forward by Nicholas Janovsky
Moontusk: Rendevous in a Ruined City by Bruce P. Grether
Between Dances by Erasmo Guerra
I didn't have The White Knight by Josh Layon and that means I'll be reading it, somehow I missed this one. Gay: A New Path Forward is an educational book about the gay culture (gay/lesbian). And, Moontusk: Rendevous in a Ruined City by Bruce P. Grether is the beginning of a fantasy series. The second book just released and I'm curious. :) Between Dances by Erasmo Guerra is gay erotica.

For Review:

Touch of a Rogue (Touch of Seduction #2) by Mia Marlowe
Logan's Outlaw by Elaine Levine
My Lord Vampire (Immortal Rogues #1) by Alexandra Ivy
Simply Carnal by Kate Pearce
I also received a few books for review this last week. Of these four authors, I've read books by Elaine Levine, Alexandra Ivy, and Kate Pearce. I recently enjoyed Leah and the Bounty Hunter by Elaine Levine, and have Rachel and the Hired Gun in my TBR, so I'm looking forward to reading Logan's Outlaw.

Hmm... I need to start reading again!