February 2013: Books Read Recap + Minis

February was a short, rather complicated month. Somehow, however, I managed to read quite a few excellent books. I do believe that because it was such an emotionally stressed sort of month, I indulged myself by reading books that fitted my mood. So if you look at my list you will notice that there is only one (ONE) mainstream romance in there.

The end of February also marked the end of my participation in the highly enjoyable 2013 Science Fiction Experience. Although I didn't get to half the books stacked on my coffee table, ALL those books I planned to read, with a total of 14 books read and 11 posts, it was a satisfying year. You can read my wrap-up post here.

Here are my total numbers for February.

Total Books Read: 20
--Historical Romance: 1
--Science Fiction: 3
--Poetry: 1
--Speculative Fiction: 1
--Non-Fiction: 1
--LGBT: 13 (Gay Fiction: 1, Gay Urban Fantasy/Romance: 7, Gay and/or Erotic Romance: 5)

Grades:
A = 4
B = 9
C = 7

Favorite Reads of the Month:
1.   The Rest of Us: Stories by Guy Mark Foster: A-
2.   In Search Of an Others by Will Ludwigsen: A-
3.   Criss Cross (PsyCop #2) by Jordan Castillo-Price: A-
4.   Secrets (PsyCop #3) by Jordan Castillo-Price: A-

Balance of Great February Reads:
5.   The Natural Takeover of Things by Tim Z. Hernandez: B+
6.   Among the Living (PsyCop #1) by Jordan Castillo-Price: B+
7.   Hermovore by Jordan Castillo-Price: B+

I loved the different take on vampires -- the virus -- and the details that JCP provides to make the world of vampires and non-infected humans come alive in Hermovore. Her characterization is also excellent and Mark's voice as the human narrator is fabulous. Jonathan as the secretive vampire love interest comes off as a sex bomb turned sensitive macho love bucket. I don't know who I liked best; Mark's snarky, biggest-queen-in-the-world attitude or Jonathan's sexy, secretive persona. The story's pacing is a bit inconsistent, with some too-slow portions and other action-packed spaces, but overall a very good read!

8.   Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane #5) by Elizabeth Hoyt: B
9.   The Human Division #3: We Only Need the Heads by John Scalzi: B
10. The Human Division #4: A Voice in the Wilderness by John Scalzi: B
11. Body & Soul (PsyCop #4)by Jordan Castillo-Price: B
12. Camp Hell (PsyCop #5) by Jordan Castillo-Price: B-
13. GhosTV (PsyCop #6) by Castillo-Price: C+
14. On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber: C+
15. Trick of Time by J.L. Merrow: C+

I like J.L. Merrow's m/m romance stories. I've enjoyed them primarily because her characters never seem to fit the usual A&F mold. Instead her characters are, for the most part, unusual and/or unique. The two main characters in Trick of Time don't necessarily fit the mold either, so why didn't I enjoy this story more? This is a time travel story that shifts between contemporary and Victorian London and the execution of this particular storyline didn't quite work for me. I kept picking at the time travel aspect of it and finding too many holes, so that took me out of the story. Additionally, the time in which the two main characters develop a strong attachment to each other is very short! So, where did that leave me? After suspending disbelief, I enjoyed Merrow's turn of phrase, the unique characters she created and the emotion that she always seems to pour into those characters.

16. Striking Sparks (PsyCops #2.1) by Jordan Castillo-Price: C+
17. Many Happy Returns (PsyCops #2.2) by Jordan Castillo-Price: C+
18. In The Dark (PsyCops #6.1) by Jordan Castillo-Price: C+
19. The Stroke of Midnight (PsyCop #3.1) by Jordan Castillo-Price: C
20. Red-Inked Retablos by Rigoberto Gonzalez (Upcoming Review)

That's my recap for February and on to March! I already have a few new releases I've been looking forward to reading AND some old books that caught my eye too! Let's see if I can get through all of them.

Review: Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane #5) by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane #5) by Elizabeth Hoyt is the fifth installment in one of my favorite historical romance series. All the previous installments have been winners for me so far, let's see how this book fares.

We last left Godric St. John when he is blackmailed into marrying Griffin's sister Margaret who's left pregnant and unmarried when her lover is killed in St. Giles. Fast forward and Hoyt begins Lord of Darkness with a scene where Godric meets Margaret in a St. Giles alley while she is attacked by footpads, and while trying to save her realizes that she is bent on shooting him! Godric's immense admiration for Margaret's passion, courage and beauty dominates this short action scene and sets a precedence for the rest of this romance. Godric was previously married to the sickly Clara whom he loved with all his heart and whose ten year illness and death left him with a withered soul. Now, after two years of absence, Margaret, or Megs as she prefers to be called, comes barging into his life without warning and wants something from him that he may not be able to grant -- a consummated marriage.

Megs doesn't want Godric's love, but he is her husband. What is so unreasonable about wanting to consummate their marriage? She came to London with two goals in mind: to avenge the death of the man she loved, and to fill those little empty spaces in her life by getting pregnant. She needs a baby! As her husband, Godric is the only who can do this for her. However, as she gets to know Godric, Megs realizes there is a difference between planning to bed an unknown two-dimensional man and having a vital, passionate man in her bed; one who she quickly learns to admire for his physical assets, courage, loyalty and kindness. While this emotional turmoil takes place, Godric continues to don the Ghost of St. Giles' mask, placing his life on the line more than once, saving more than a few innocents, and killing a few villains in the process.

My favorite aspects of this novel are the likable characters and how well the development of the relationship is executed. I really like this couple together. Godric thinks of himself as the "Lord of Darkness" with his less than optimistic outlook, while it quickly becomes obvious to the reader that on the inside he is a romantic, beautiful, giving man. Megs on the other hand is a beautiful woman with an outwardly happy soul that brings light, hope and the type of mischievousness that Godric needs in his life. Megs, however, carries an emptiness inside placed there by a loss that manifests itself in two ways: a need to be fulfilled as a mother, and a need to avenge an innocent man's death.

As a couple Godric and Megs are honest with each other even when at times that honesty is downright hurtful, but I love that there's no long-term resentment on either side. They understand, get to know and work to make each other happy even as they believe the relationship is temporary. Megs' obsession to avenge Richard's death and her fear of letting him go are the biggest conflicts in this romance, more so than Godric's attempts to rationalize his feelings for Megs vs. his feelings for Clara. I actually found that a well done, interesting twist. Why? Well, Godric's was a long term relationship that ended in slow increments, if painfully. Megs' on the other hand was a short-term relationship that ended in a sudden burst of violence that left her without any real sense of closure. Additionally, in the process, she lost more than a lover.

There are some gorgeous sexual scenes in this story. Yes, they are sexy and passionate but what I find so beautiful about them is the fact that Hoyt imbues them with emotional intimacy, and each scene becomes highly relevant and furthers the relationship. Many of Megs' doubts are expressed during some of these scenes, and Godric's and Megs' moments of clarity also happen in the bedroom, both in and out of bed.

The weakness in this historical romance came from Godric's involvement as the second Ghost of St. Giles. Mind you, there are good reasons for Godric's role as the Ghost. A role primarily used as part of his character development and to drive Godric's growing relationship with Megs. For me, however, Godric's involvement in the continued investigation of an already explored situation addressed in the last book felt like a rehashed thread; particularly since I already knew who the villain was going to be! There was no suspense and frankly some personal disappointment in that aspect of the story. Additionally, at this point aristocratic characters abound and the series has been taken away from the heart of St. Giles, as a result some of the dark, gothic(ky) atmosphere that I love so much is sorely missing from this installment.

Overall, Lord of Darkness is a solid addition to the Maiden Lane series. I found that despite minor plot weaknesses and loss of atmosphere, there are excellent elements to be found in the romance. I am now looking forward to reading the Duke of Wakefield's adventures and his journey to happiness in Duke of Midnight. After that, I hope Hoyt returns to Maiden Lane and maybe to the other seldom mentioned, but rather intriguing, Makepeace brother. Yes?

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Maiden Lane
Publisher/Release Date: Grand Central Publishing/February 26, 2013
Grade: B

Visit Elizabeth Hoyt here.

Series:
Wicked Intentions, #1
Notorious Pleasures, #2
Scandalous Desires, #3
Thief of Shadows, #4
Lord of Darkness, #5

In Search Of and Others by Will Ludwigsen

In Search Of and Others

Do you think of romance when you hear the term speculative fiction? There is a kind of romance that goes along with reading speculative fiction. It's true. I believe it happens because readers, or fans like me, fall a little in love with the what ifs and why nots, the unexplained, the unexpected, the twists and turns that sometimes push edginess into the weird. The wonder.

The title of Will Ludwigsen's collection, In Search Of and Others is a take on the 1970's television program In Search Of hosted by Leonard Nimoy. That program specialized in debunking myths and legends, in other words as Ludwigsen says in his foreword, they in fact specialized in killing the imagination. However, this collection is his answer or the antithesis of all that: "What am I "in search of"? I'm looking for any signs of imagination in the universe, and if I don't find any, I'm willing to create some of my own. The truth that paralyzed me twenty years ago has come full circle: you don't find magic but make it." When I began reading this collection of 15 stories, I went in my own "search" for magic, the unexpected, those what ifs and why nots that keep the romance of speculative fiction alive and kicking for me.

In his first story "In Search Of," Ludwigsen creates his own version of the television program where he goes from giving general answers to well known events shifting to personal, more intimate moments and building tension until it ends with an edge. The collection continues with "Endless Encore," a fun story with a somewhat predictable outcome, followed by the brilliantly executed "The Speed of Dreams" which has one of those stop-on-your-track endings, and "Nora's Thing" with its excellent plot and beautifully organic finish. As I kept reading, I found that with stories about moving old houses, rednecks, canny realtors, and clowns, this collection just kept getting better and more consistent as it moved along.

At the back of this collection there is a short section where Ludwigsen explains what inspired him to write each story. In his witty explanation as to what inspired him to write "Universicule," he uses the phrase "coaxing meaning out of meaninglessness" while referring to language. This phrase brought to mind how we, as readers, bring our own baggage and imagination to the table, and sometimes "coax meaning" out of stories that may in fact have an entirely different meaning or no meaning at all to someone else. This is true of all stories, but then again that is the beauty of reading. In this case, what I found in Ludwigsen's stories seemed to touch on the personal.

For example, in reading "The Ghost Factory" I made an immediate connection between the eerily fictional circumstances presented by Ludwigsen and real life past job experiences, giving this piece a significance that goes beyond the obvious. This is a story set in a mental health institution narrated by an unethical psychologist. The narrator shifts from events that took place in the 1990's to his present position as the only resident at said institution. The one passage that made this story gel and snap for me is: "The whole world's a ghost factory. We all fade like the paint on these buildings, sometimes from too much sun, sometimes from too little. We blur and blend to the murky shades left behind when something vivid dies." At times the atmosphere in this story is oppressive and immediate which Ludwigsen juxtapositions quite effectively against the coldness of his disconnected characters, and at other times the sense of disconnect and distance is all encompassing. This excellent story is precise in its execution.

"Universicule" on the other hand provided me with quite a few chuckles regardless of the ending and great passages interspersed throughout the text. "[...] but here in person, smelling this loamy garden of a book --- God, you could plant seeds inside it and they'd grow trees of glass with absinthe fruit." In this story, a bibliophile writes letters to Charlotte to keep her informed of his progress as he obsessively studies and attempts to decipher the contents of a rare book. It builds to an unexpected ending, but in reality this story is an elaborate farce. "They miss the fluidity of language qua language." Hah! Written in letter form, Universicule is creative in writing style, development and content. I absolutely loved it.

"She Shells" is a great example of the diversity of stories found in this collection because this story borders on the creepy-horror category. It freaked me out! Again, this could be interpreted as a personal reaction since I suffer from deep-water phobia. I always blame my personal fear on the movie "Jaws" and that awfully effective music (not true, but it sounds better than the truth). In this story, Ludwigsen uses a seemingly simple narrative style and a very short story format heavy in atmosphere to great effect.

And the excellent "We Were Wonder Scouts" brought back memories of days when as a girl my imagination was the best entertainment and I believed in such places as Ludwigsen's fictional Thuria, and of one particular moment when cold reality interfered. But, there is always a place for Wonder Scouts like Harald; boys and girls who are willing to explore and look for the unexplained and the unexpected, the what ifs and why nots. I love that even after reality creeps into this story, Ludwigsen imbues it with enough imagination that the magic lingers to the end.

If you haven't figured it out yet, then I will tell you. In reading In Search Of and Other Stories, I found that Mr. Ludwigsen was quite successful in "making his magic." He took me along for a ride of the imagination and I loved every minute of it. Highly recommended.

Category: Speculative Fiction
Publisher/Release Date: Lethe Press/March 1, 2013
Source: ARC Lethe Press
Grade: A-

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About the Author: Will Ludwigsen's fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction, Weird Tales, Strange Horizons, and many other magazines. His first collection of short fiction, Cthulhu Fhtagn, Baby! and Other Cosmic Insolence, appeared in 2007. A 2011 MFA graduate from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast program in popular fiction, he teaches creative writing at the University of North Florida. He resides in Jacksonvile, Florida, with writer Aimee Payne.

Completing: The 2013 Science Fiction Experience

Wow, February is over already? The month just flew by and that means my participation in The 2013 Science Fiction Experience hosted by the gracious and enthusiastic Carl V from Stainless Steel Droppings is over too.

I had a fantastic time during January and February indulging my love of science fiction. It's unfortunate that my month of February was such that I was not able to read and/or review all the books on my list. Like last year, I ended up wishing for just one more month. . . this has become such a fabulous experience that I just didn't want it to end. But, there's always next year, right?

Here's a list of all reviews and related posts:

Andre Norton: Sargasso of Space (Solar Queen #1)
Group Read: Dragonflight (Pern #1) by Anne McCaffrey (Parts I & II)
Group Read: Dragonflight (Pern #1) by Anne McCaffrey (Parts III & IV)
Sci Fi Books Old and New: When the price is right
Andre Norton: Storm Over Warlock (Forerunners, Book #1)
Plague Ship (Solar Queen #1) by Andre Norton (Not reviewed but recommended)
Review: Wool Omnibus (Wool #1 - #5) by Hugh Howey
The Human Division #1: The B-Team by John Scalzi
The Human Division #2: Walk the Plank by John Scalzi
To Read: Jan/Feb 2013 SFF Releases & More
This n' That: Scalzi, Guy Mark Foster + Updates
On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber

Thanks to Carl V and all my fellow participants. I had a fantastic time visiting, discussing books and authors these past couple of months, and more importantly adding more books to my ever-growing pile of books. Thank you all!

New Releases: Feb/March 2013 Historical Romance

Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane #5) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical Romance
Grand Central Publishing, February 26, 2013

The Maiden Lane historical romance series is one of my favorite at the moment. So, I'm reading this book released yesterday and I'm already reading it! As always, Hoyt's romances are some of my most anticipated books of each year.

When Strangers In The Night
He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife.

Become Lovers...
Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.

Desire Is The Ultimate Danger
When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender...to the temptation that could destroy them both

Standish by Erastes
Gay Historical Romance
Lethe Press, February 2013

This second of edition of what has become a classic gay historical romance was re-released in February by Lethe Press. I haven't read it yet, but the book is now in my possession.

A great house. A family dispossessed. A sensitive young man. A powerful landowner. An epic love that springs up between two men. Set in the post-Napoleonic years of the 1820's, Standish is a tale of two men - one man discovering his sexuality and the other struggling to overcome his traumatic past. Ambrose Standish, a studious and fragile young man, has dreams of regaining the great house his grandfather lost in a card game. When Rafe Goshawk returns from the continent to claim the estate, their meeting sets them on a path of desire and betrayal which threatens to tear both of their worlds apart. Painting a picture of homosexuality in Georgian England, Standish is a love story of how the decisions of two men affect their journey through Europe and through life.

Spirit of the Pacific by Walter L. Williams
Gay Historical Romance
Lethe Press, February 2013

This gay historical romance is different in that the story takes place during the Civil War, but the events do not take place strictly in the South. There's an adventure aboard a whaling ship, the Aleutian Islands seem to play a big role, and more. Just take a look at the book summary.

Whaling ships in the Aleutian Islands, Confederate raiders and Union naval vessels in Maui, sloops and skiffs in the Hawaiian Islands--ships sail into the unknown and change lives. This is the story of Eddie Freeman, an African American slave from South Carolina, who escaped slavery in 1860. Eddie learned not to be afraid of change and the unknown. This is a story about the unexpected twists and turns of life, and how sometimes a person must travel one way to get to the other, become a sailor to find solid land, go to the Arctic to get to a tropical paradise. It is about giving up one's home to find a better home. It is a story about learning to transcend the polarities of slave and free, sacred and profane, love and hate, human and animal. Most importantly, it is a story about learning to transcend the polarity of life and death to become one with nature, experience limitless love, gain absolute happiness, and achieve true spiritual freedom.

There are quite a few new March releases coming up within the historical romance and historical fiction genres, but I'm highlighting two that caught my eye:

A Little Folly by Jude Morgan (Tim Wilson)
Historical Romance
St. Martin Press, Releasing March 12, 2013

I've never read anything by Morgan. I love the Regency period and despite the comparisons to Austen and Heyer, this novel looks great to me! It says in the blurb that it's a "romantic" novel, and it also mentions that Morgan is an acclaimed historical fiction author. So, I will let you know where this novel falls, exactly. :D

A witty and romantic novel of Regency love, family and appalling scandal, from a latter-day Jane Austen. When their strait-laced, domineering father, Sir Clement Carnell, dies, Valentine throws open their Devonshire estate of Pennacombe to their fashionable cousins from London and Louisa feels free at last to reject the man Sir Clement wanted her to marry.

Soon, the temptations of Regency London beckon, including the beautiful, scandalous, and very married Lady Harriet Eversholt, with whom Valentine becomes dangerously involved. Meanwhile, Louisa finds that freedom of choice is as daunting as it is exciting. Will the opportunity to indulge in a little folly lead to fulfillment—or disaster?

A Little Folly is a novel to make Jane Austen proud and Georgette Heyer envious. An acclaimed author of historical fiction, Jude Morgan weaves together the very best of Regency era writing with "refreshingly original characters, an intriguing plot, and an elegantly ironic style." (RT Book Reviews on Indiscretion). In this exciting new novel, Morgan delivers a story that, yet again, will bring cheers from critics and readers alike.

Surprising Lord Jack (Duchess of Love #2) by Sally McKenzie
Historical Romance
Zebra, March 5, 2013

I read the first book of this series, Bedding Lord Ned and enjoyed McKenzie's style. More so, I liked Jack's character in that first book. So I'm looking forward to this story with the that tried but true trope about the girl in breeches who I'm sure will capture Jack's heart. I'm hoping this is a fun read!

Unladylike Behavior
Frances Hadley has managed her family’s estate for years. So why can’t she request her own dowry? She’ll have to go to London herself and knock some sense into the men interfering in her life. With the nonsense she’s dealt with lately, though, there’s no way she’s going as a woman. A pair of breeches and a quick chop of her red curls, and she’ll have much less to worry about…

Jack Valentine, third son of the famous Duchess of Love, is through being pursued by pushy young ladies. One particularly determined miss has run him out of his own house party. Luckily the inn has one bed left—Jack just has to share with a rather entertaining red-headed youth. Perhaps the two of them should ride to London together. It will make a pleasant escape from his mother’s matchmaking melodrama!
 

That's it for my February/March historical highlights. Any particular historical romance OR historical fiction books you are looking forward to reading in March? 

New Release March 2013: Shattered Pillars (Eternal Sky #2) by Elizabeth Bear

The Shattered Pillars is the second book of Bear’s The Eternal Sky trilogy and the sequel to Range of Ghosts. Set in a world drawn from our own great Asian Steppes, this saga of magic, politics and war sets Re-Temur, the exiled heir to the great Khagan and his friend Sarmarkar, a Wizard of Tsarepheth, against dark forces determined to conquer all the great Empires along the Celedon Road.

Elizabeth Bear is an astonishing writer, whose prose draws you into strange and wonderful worlds, and makes you care deeply about the people and the stories she tells. The world of The Eternal Sky is broadly and deeply created—her award-nominated novella, "Bone and Jewel Creatures" is also set there.

I loved Range of Ghosts, the first book of Elizabeth Bear's Eternal Sky fantasy series. It should not be a surprise then that Shattered Pillars is one of my most anticipated books of 2013.

Releasing: March 19, 2013 by Tor Books

On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1962, David Mark Weber is a science fiction and fantasy author whose stories run the range from epic fantasy to space opera with alternate history and military science fiction where he tends to highlight naval themes.

Weber has written a number of different series and stand alone books, however one of his most popular series is the military science fiction opera whose title coincides with the main character's name, Honor Harrington. Honor's name and Weber's stories are an homage to C. S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower. Honor's story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 14 novels and various shared-universe anthologies.

In 2008, Weber donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University. Many of Weber's books are available online, either in their entirety or in part, as part of the Baen Free Library.

Visit David Weber here.

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On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber

On Basilisk Station by David Weber
Digital Edition

Honor Harrington in trouble: Having made him look the fool, she's been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her. Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station. The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens. Parliament isn't sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling, the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called "Republic" of Haven is Up to Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn't work to police the entire star system. But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They've made her mad.

I enjoy military science fiction and David Weber is one of those authors whose works I have been meaning to read for a while. This series was recommended to me last year during a discussion about females as central figures in science fiction space operas or military sci fi.

On Basilisk Station definitely qualifies as a military science fiction space opera, and Honor Harrington plays the dominant central figure. Most of the story is told from her point of view, although that point of view shifts to secondary characters' some who ruminate about Honor's personality traits or her performance as captain of the Fearless, and of course the villains of the piece who worry about how Captain Harrington's actions will affect their plan.

I wish this book had worked out better for me. Instead it was a mixed bag with excellent sections that include detailed, action-packed military battles, and particularly good military science fiction descriptions and sections where it is obvious that Weber placed the majority of his efforts. Where it does not work for me is in how some of this information is delivered.

The book begins slowly and actually becomes plodding at times due to Weber's tendency to use huge sections of information to begin the process of building his world. Later during some of the most exciting sections of the story, including a gorgeously detailed space battle, the flow is repeatedly interrupted by additional long sections of info-dumping (history of the Manticoran system, military history and history of weapons development). In other words, all these excellent historical details that I mention above are not well weaved in with the rest of Honor's adventure.

Honor as the central character is interesting, but the reader doesn't really get to know her character well. We know she comes from Sphinx, that she has a "cool soprano voice," and that she is emphatically bonded to a treecat. This whole bonding with the treecat is mentioned but not really explored. There are a few other personal revelations about her, but not enough to define Honor in-depth. Instead we get to know her as a captain whose crew is initially hostile and slowly learn to admire her for her honor and talents of deduction, as a captain, and as a tactician, and believe me there's not much that Honor can't do! Even if she must sacrifice her career, crew and ship to save her home world, Honor will do the right thing.

There's little "grey" about Weber's characters or or his story, instead there's a lot of black and white. The story itself kept my interest throughout, with political games adding some much needed grey areas and a bit of a twist, some secondary characters that I really came to like along the way, but with a few unanswered questions (or gaping plot holes) left at the end of the story that may or may not be answered in future installments.

There are some excellent moments in On Basilisk Station, and Honor is a good heroine if maybe in need of a flaw or two or three. I have the second book of the series, The Honor of the Queen, and will read it hoping that the story will be better executed. After all, there is enough to enjoy in On Basilisk Station and the military science fiction details are good enough to merit a second look at this very popular military science fiction series.



2013 Sci Fi Experience

Category: Military Science Fiction Opera
Series: Honor Harrington #1
Digital Edition - Released Oct 1, 1994 by Baen Publishing
Grade: C+

Series:

1. On Basilisk Station (April 1993)
2. The Honor of the Queen (June 1993)
3. The Short Victorious War (April 1994)
4. Field of Dishonor (October 1994)
5. Flag in Exile (September 1995)
6. Honor Among Enemies (February 1996)
7. In Enemy Hands (July 1997)
8. Echoes of Honor (October 1998)
9. Ashes of Victory (March 2000)
10.War of Honor (October 2002)
11.At All Costs (November 2005)
12.Mission of Honor (June 2010)
13.A Rising Thunder (March, 2012)
14.Shadow of Freedom (February 18, 2013)

TBR Overview: PsyCop Series by Jordan Castillo Price

For the TBR Challenge this month, I decided to read one book from Jordan Castillo Price's PsyCop series and ended up reading the whole enchilada. These books (the entire series) have been in my TBR for a few years and Jordan Castillo Price's work (or JCP as this author is commonly referred to by readers) has been recommended to me by multiple friends. However, for the purpose of this month's theme I must say that Mariana is the one fellow-reader who has most often recommended both the author AND this series to me. 

So instead of writing a review for one book, I decided to post an overview of the series, which includes books read: Among the Living #1, Criss Cross #2, Secrets #3, Body & Soul #4, Camp Hell #5, GhosTV #6 and various novellas that complete the series only by focusing on certain characters and giving them a bit of depth, but that do not really give away any important information pertaining to the overall storyarc.

The PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price is a combination urban fantasy and m/m erotic romance narrated from the main character's first point of view. It sounds pretty standard, doesn't it? But as always when considering urban fantasy world-building must be taken into consideration, and in this case I was quite taken with JCP's world-building, as well as with her wonderful characters.

In JCP's world the action, murder mysteries, and paranormal events that Psychs and Cops encounter take place on or around Chicago's gritty streets. Her world building is that great fusion of alternate contemporary and heavy on the paranormal, with suspense and crime solving always as the center of each book. The other very important aspect of the series, the one I am sure that pulls at most readers, are the characters and the complicated relationships that develop between them. These relationships include both central and secondary characters since they have a tendency to become key contributors to the storylines.

Victor Bayne is a medium and the Psych half of a PsyCop team with his partner being the non-psych or as they are commonly referred to, a Stiff. Vic has a fabulous narrative voice. I don't know of anyone who would not fall in love with the talented but always grumpy Vic with his drug-induced insecurities (or is it his insecurities that cause his tendency to abuse those "feel-so-good" drugs?), vulnerabilities, and snark. I do love that Vic is very much aware of his flaws. But I think that what I've enjoyed most about this series, besides the fact that I'm enjoying JCP's writing style, is that the relationship between Victor and his romantic partner Jacob grows incrementally as the series progresses. By that I mean that although the two of them maintain a sexual relationship, the real trust and balance that makes a true partnership takes time to develop. The same can be said for Vic's relationship with his growing list of friends or secondary characters.

There is also character growth for Victor and Jacob individually, neither remains static as JCP uses the overall storyarc about the Psychs, which she packs with action and exciting revelations, to accomplish this growth. My favorite books of the series are Criss Cross #2 and Secrets,#3, probably because intimate revelations are thick in both books. Camp Hell, a favorite for many readers, was also a great read for me, but left a few holes and important questions unanswered, giving the book an unfinished feel, and GhosTV had a fantastic paranormal atmosphere, but unfortunately the book ended with one of those personal cliffhanger revelations. That was a disappointment, particularly since there has not been a follow up to this book. Hopefully there will be an end to the series.



Theme: Recommended Read
February 2013

Overall this is an addictive series for good reason. Jordan Castillo Price can weave an action-packed story, create a character, and maintain suspense and sexual tension. She can also write some over-the-top steamy scenes! Pheww... those scenes are the reason I decided to label this series UF/Gay Erotic Romance. Do I recommend this series? Absolutely!

Category: UF/Gay Erotic Romance
Series: PsyCop (#1-#6)
Overall Grade: B+

This n' That: Scalzi, Guy Mark Foster + Updates

Hey, how is everyone! I've been missing lately, I know, and slow in posting, but so far this has been one of those tough blogging months for me. Let's see... I had one long week of migraines that would not go away, I am still serving on Grand Jury duty every Thursday and won't be done until the end of February. That means double duty at the office. I can't seem to catch up no matter what I do! Plus, the situation with my mom seems to be deteriorating and it is both an emotionally draining and stressful time for all of us.

But you wonder if I've been reading, I have! Reading is one of those personal joys that I need to keep going. So what have I read lately? What am I reading now? I think I've chosen to read everything but "romance," and by that I mean mainstream contemporary and historical romance.

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I have been keeping up with John Scalzi's new science fiction serial, The Human Division and read, Episode #3: We Only Need the Heads, and Episode #4: A Voice in the Wilderness. In We Only Need the Heads, Scalzi returns to the Ambassador's negotiating team and Harry Wilson, cleverly weaving in the events that took place in the wildcat colony featured in Walk the Plank. In A Voice in the Wilderness, Earth is the setting and readers get an inkling as to how the Colonial Union is viewed from their perspective. Political ramifications, manipulation by and of the media play a big part in this installment and I love that this episode ended with a bit of bang! I have Episode #5: Tales from the Clarke in my queue to read, but didn't get to it yet.

I'm really enjoying this serial, folks! So far Scalzi has alternated between the overall storyarc involving negotiations between the Colonial Union and different aliens and key events that affect or will affect those negotiations. So far some of the individual episodes work well on their own while others do not, and as a whole book the flow may seem a bit choppy. However, as the story moves along and revelations come to light, it works. I think that after Tales from the Clarke the story may flow better. I will let you know. So far this is a solid B read for me.

The 2013 Science Fiction Experience 
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Earlier in the month I highlighted The Rest of Us: Stories by Guy Mark Foster. Foster is a gay African-American writer whose collection of gay fiction stories turned out to be fantastic. I purchased the digital edition, began to browse and ended up reading the whole book in one sitting.

The collection begins with "Boy," a short piece that sets the tone for the rest of the book, where a father explains to his son what manhood is all about, "rest the ankle of one leg on the opposite leg's knee-never cross one leg over the other's knee, and people won't too easily peg you for the punk you are right under my very roof due to become; " and ends with the amazing "Between Us," a story in letter form addressed to "Dear M" where Foster's character Mark attempts to explain to his former white lover why he tends to push people away. Foster's character explains that in addition to being black and gay he also has to "navigate the ever present complexities" of racial history: "simply being a human being presents a whole host of conflicts, but to be gay and of African descent in our society only increases those conflicts."

In between, Foster's wonderful collection of stories captures the social and cultural complexities of growing up as a gay African-American male while dealing with difficult family issues, religion, racial differences, racism, homophobia, and snapshots of men who continue to love men regardless of the obstacles. Highly recommended, this was an A- read for me.

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Then, I got all caught up reading Jordan Castillo Price's addicting PsyCop series. Now, some of the books in this series have been sitting in my eReader for years. No kidding. So yeah... I gloamed and read: Among the Living #1, Criss Cross #2, Secrets #3, Body & Soul #4, Camp Hell #5, GhosTV, Book #6 plus the novellas Many Happy Returns, Striking Sparks and In the Dark, to complete my reading experience. As you can imagine, I really enjoyed that experience, otherwise I would not have read all of these books consecutively. Expect an overview of the whole series soon!

I'm not done with Jordan Castillo Price yet. I'm planning on reading more of her series, plus Hermovore. All books already in my Kindle. Can't wait!

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I began but have not finished The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke. I really wanted to concentrate on that book and unfortunately my migraines hit while I was in the middle of it and I had to place it aside for another time. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone suffered the same fate. This is a book that has been sitting in my Kindle since last year and I was enjoying it so much! But, I really needed the time to concentrate on the world building which is quite intricate and unfortunately my head was not in the right place to do so. So I will be reading it at another time. Hopefully soon.

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What Am I Reading Now?

Two upcoming March releases: In Search Of and Others is a collection of speculative fiction stories by Will Ludwigsen that's working perfectly for me at this time because I can read and enjoy a few stories at a time in between other books. I will let you know how it turns out when I'm done, but there are some great stories in this collection so far.

The other book I'm reading is Rigoberto González's upcoming creative nonfiction release from UA Press, Red-Inked Retablos. This is another book that I'm thoroughly enjoying. It is totally different from my other reads in that it is nonfiction, but because the book is essentially a collection of distinct essays it can also be read slowly. So far a great read.

That's it for now folks! Hope those of you in the U.S. are enjoying President's Day.