I had the great pleasure of being a guest on the A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast this week, with Julie Davis and Scott Danielson; we discussed Rachel Neumeier's novel Tuyo, one of the real stand-outs from last year.
Book Reviews
Comedy and Siegecraft
Author K. J. Parker (also known as Tom Holt) has two books out about a siege of a thinly disguised fantasy Constantinople. The Robur Empire is made of up of two kinds of people: the Robur, and everyone else. But most of the residents of the Empire are "everyone else", and most of the folks … Continue reading Comedy and Siegecraft
Sunday Will Never Be The Same, by Dawn Eden Goldstein
Don McLean asked, "Can music save my mortal soul?" In Dawn Eden Goldstein's case, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"; but as regards her immortal soul, the answer is far otherwise. Sunday Will Never Be The Same is a spiritual memoir, the tale of Dawn's journey first into Christianity and then into the Catholic Church; … Continue reading Sunday Will Never Be The Same, by Dawn Eden Goldstein
Recent Reading: Historicals, Monsters, and DNA
Been doing a lot of reading of late; here are some capsule reviews. Black Chamber, by S. M. Stirling. This is a WWI-era spy novel set in an alternate America in which Teddy Roosevelt was elected instead of Taft and was able to implement his progressive policies with a free hand. It's got airships, submarines, … Continue reading Recent Reading: Historicals, Monsters, and DNA
A Bloody Habit, by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson
The cover of Eleanor Bourg Nicholson's vampire novel led me to expect some kind of late-Victorian Harry-Dresden-meets-Father-Brown mash-up. The truth is considerably less goofy, and far more interesting. The cover depicts a cheerfully rotund Dominican friar, be-spectacled and be-hatted, carrying a bloody stake and wearing the bloody habit of the cover. This is one Fr. … Continue reading A Bloody Habit, by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson
The Duty and Destiny Series, by Andrew Wareham
Beginning with The Friendly Sea, the Duty and Destiny series is the story of Captain Frederick Harris of His Majesty's navy. The (currently) eleven book saga follows Harris' career from his days as a newly made lieutenant in the Caribbean to his days as baronet and commodore at the beginning of the Peninsular Campaign in … Continue reading The Duty and Destiny Series, by Andrew Wareham
Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life
I have on my desk a copy of Julie Davis' new devotional book, Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life; and let me begin my review by saying that as soon as it was available I immediately ordered copies for the six people in our RCIA class who will be baptized or confirmed at Easter this year. … Continue reading Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life
SJ Rozan: The Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Mysteries
Lydia Chin is an American-Born Chinese who lives in New York City's China Town with her widowed mother; Bill Smith is an Army brat and one time bad-boy. Together, they are the most interesting pair of PIs I've had the pleasure to run across in maybe ever. Every successful mystery series has a gimmick; in … Continue reading SJ Rozan: The Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Mysteries
A Night in the Lonesome October
Halloween is approaching, and Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October is a delightful way to spend some of the evenings leading up to it. The book takes place during a certain October in the late 1800's—a year when the full moon coincided with Halloween—and has one chapter for each day of the month. … Continue reading A Night in the Lonesome October
Night Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko
Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series, recently concluded with the publication of the sixth and final volume, Sixth Watch, is a unique take on the whole "urban fantasy" genre, not least because it takes place in Moscow rather than in London or Chicago. Urban fantasy has rather been done to death, so much so that it … Continue reading Night Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko
Zymurgia House 