LibraryThing reviews of books in meleada's library)

Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1) by Lilith Saintcrow [reviewed by amberwitch]

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:47:24 -0400

amberwitch's review: "The beginning of a - so far - well written and engaging urban fantasy series. Told in 1. person by the usual powerful and strong female hero battling her inner demons while she saves the world. Dante Valentino - an accredited Neuromance and bounty hunter - is hired at gun point by the devil to kill a demon and recover a stolen artifact. As part of the deal she is equipped with a demon familiar who is to help her and protect her while doing the job. Dante has a personal score to settle with the demon, making the job mean more to her than just staying on the good side of the devil. The details of the world-building are convincing and engaging. The dark and gritty futuristic setting makes for an excellent backdrop for Dantes exploits. The technological details are a bit vague, but not in a way that matter or detract from the story. I like Dante as a character. I like her ressourcefulness, the fact that she wears sensible clothes for the job instead of the to ohigh heels, too short and too tight clothes of many of her fellow urban fantasy series protagonists. Her inner demons are realistically portrayed, and her response to them ring true."
Warner Books (2006), Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel by Michael Chabon [reviewed by dugmel]

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:50:36 -0500

dugmel's review: "Couldn't finish this one...Love Chabon's writing but the characters, the tone, the story elements just did not gel for me. My mind wandered as I tried to read until I finally gave up...and I don't ever walk away from a book. My thorough enjoyment of Kavalier and Clay led me straight into this book but it had none of the charm and fascination of that book."
HarperCollins (2007), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 432 pages

The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) (Oprah's Book Club) by Ken Follett [reviewed by dugmel]

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:38:17 -0500

dugmel's review: "Couldn't put it down. Fast-paced, full of fascinating characters and sub-plots and a captivating story that I never thought I'd get into upon hearing the description. The best 900 pgs since Lonesome Dove."
NAL Trade (2007), Paperback, 973 pages

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett [reviewed by nwhyte]

Sun, 09 Oct 2005 04:48:30 -0400

nwhyte's review: "I was pleasantly surprised. The setting is my favourite century, the 12th, in a fictional county of southern England between Hampshire and Sussex, and the topic is human relations and architecture. There were a couple of annoying historical inaccuracies - everyone in the book speaks English, and hardly anyone French; the story of the White Ship is brought in rather gratuitously as a plot device, and the character of Thomas a Becket at the end seems to me very different from what we know of the real one. But one should read historical fiction for style rather than accuracy, and this one passes that test."
Signet Book (1996), Reissue, Mass Market Paperback

Good omens : the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch : a novel by Neil Gaiman [reviewed by nwhyte]

Sat, 17 Sep 2005 10:05:46 -0400

nwhyte's review: "<a href="http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1591083.html">http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1591083.html</a> Although I'm a fan of both Pratchett and Gaiman, I don't quite get Good Omens, which seems to me to have the two writers not so much reinforcing each others' talents as toning them down. I did laugh out loud at the footnotes about firelighters and decimal currency, but I have to say that the book itself is rather a footnote in its authors' careers as far as I'm concerned."
New York: Workman Pub., c1990.

20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill [reviewed by swl]

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:48:36 -0500

swl's review: "Aside from multi-author anthologies, not too many short story collections are being pubbed these days, especially in genre. That's too bad. There is something to be gained from reading a wide swath of an author's work in the form, IMHO. In JH's case, it's an appreciation of his astonishing range on the one hand and the consistency of the unifying elements on the other. Range: the book includes gross-out horror (no judgment intended, I just mean traditional gore), light-to-medium supernatural, and pure literary, as well as a couple of standards - the serial killer victim in the basement and the boys-at-play-discovering-something-awful-in-the-woods. It's not my place to say which JH does best; I suspect that would come down to a reader's preference. Unifying elements: JH's control of the story is a combination of a beautifully light touch and an unflinching attention to whatever represents the horror in the work. There's never a lecture, unwieldy dialog, or clunky narrative (an occupational hazard, I'm afraid, of the horror writer who envisions a separate reality only to falter when trying to describe it). Many of the stories are told from a child's point of view. It's safe to say that JH's inner child is alive and well. I loved the often-sweet characters, who are all "other" in some way. In fact, otherness is the closest thing to a universal theme for the book - otherness and its attendant ills: bullying, isolation, loneliness, detachment from reality, and, in some cases, violence. I agree with Christopher Golden, who wrote the forward, that "Pop Art" is a truly exceptional work. I wish that horror-haters would read this book, as I think it represents what the genre can be at its best."
William Morrow (2007), Hardcover, 336 pages

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1) by Stephen King [reviewed by paghababian]

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:15:53 -0500

paghababian's review: ""The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." It's such a simple sentence, yet so iconic. This is the sentence that sets the reader on the path of the Beams, following the footsteps of Roland, last of the gunslingers, on his quest for the Dark Tower. At first, the story seems like a straight Western. But hints of other worlds and strange events seep in. Roland begins telling the story of his past, about how the world used to be before it "moved on," all the while chasing that man in black across the harsh desert. This is probably the weakest of all the books in the series, which is a shame, because many people get turned away by it. Luckily, the revised edition (rereleased when books 5, 6, and 7 came out) is reworked to be a little more approachable and understandable. I enjoyed this book much more the second time through, knowing what I know about the rest of the series."
Plume (2003), Paperback, 264 pages

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Readers Circle) by Libba Bray [reviewed by yrchmonger]

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 12:51:26 -0400

yrchmonger's review: "I originally bought this book based on the title and jacket art alone (I have a habit of doing such things) and was pleasantly surprised to find some meat within. A tad predictable (I saw that twist coming pages upon pages before it was actually revealed), but still some enjoyable "light" reading complete with dark undertones and blatant sexuality. This book definitely stands heaps and heaps above the literary merit of "Twilight". Sorry Stephenie Meyer fans, but Libba Bray wins hands down."
Delacorte Books for Young Readers (2005), Edition: Reprint, Paperback

Nefertiti: A Novel by Michelle Moran [reviewed by kathy_h]

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:06:52 -0500

kathy_h's review: "The book begins as Nefertiti is married to the "new" pharaoh (who might have actually killed his brother), and she takes her sister Mutnodjmet along as her handmaiden. While the powers behind the throne know the pharaoh is unstable, they are hopeful that Nefertiti can keep him in line and they can continue to rule as they have for centuries. Well, the best laid plans...the people of Egypt do indeed LOVE Nefertiti, she is only able to exert so much power over her husband, and in the end, ruin and the plague come to Egypt. Her powerful family does survive, but at what cost? I thought the author did an excellent job of creating a sense of place...I could see and smell the Nile, and I truly felt transported to ancient Egypt. And it continues to fascinate me how these women were forced to dedicate their lives to their families' success at court. Turns out, Egypt had its own Boleyn girls."
Crown (2007), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 480 pages

Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green [reviewed by Awfki]

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 07:01:07 -0400

Awfki's review: "I've got mixed feelings about this one. It's kind of a supernatural-in-the-modern-world book, except that they leave the modern world to go to the "Nightside". A spooky place that's a wrong turn off the real world. The main character has a gift (read, magic power) allowing him to find things in the Nightside. He also comes with a lot of mysterious background centered around his mom who was apparently a demon or something. The book is fast-paced and well written enough to keep me reading. But the plot seems to be full of holes. There's the super-scary Nightside which also happens to be home to a really cool 60's cafe where "you'll be safe here". I thought it was super-scaryville where you'd never be safe? The author needs to pick one. Is it just weird or is it super dangerous? There's also this cold rich bitch who, mid-story, turns out to just be "successful business woman" and then becomes a therapist for the main character. Characters are allowed to be multi-dimensional but there should be some sort of transition and the characters here seem to just change masks as needed. It just feels like there are a lot of odd direction changes in the book. Changes that could have been smoothed out with a few more pages in between. Much like this review could be improved if I spent more time on it, the book could have used more time too. Or maybe the editor was a little over zealous. I kept reading so it can't have been all bad."
Ace (2003), Paperback

Old Man's War by John Scalzi [reviewed by libraryofus]

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:24:28 -0500

libraryofus's review: "(Alistair) See, I'm not sure what I should tell you about this book. I like the characters. I like the plot and the underlying concept. It's an enjoyable book by any standards - I certainly found it a fast and enjoyable read - and I'm looking forward to getting around to reading the next book in the set, The Ghost Brigades. Set against that, on the other hand, is that the parameters of the universe it is set in - from (and especially) the sociology of the interspecies relations to the way the "superluminal" drives work -, for whatever reason, just bugs the crap out of me. (Oh, and there's one really egregious square-cube law moment of disbelief-suspension-snapping, too, in one place.) On the whole, I'd still probably recommend it, but for full disclosure, I mention the above. ( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/cerebrate/2007/12/old-mans-war-john-scalzi.html )"
Tor Science Fiction (2007), Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch [reviewed by libraryofus]

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:49:31 -0500

libraryofus's review: "(Amy) Everyone has been talking about this book lately. So, when we got a couple of Amazon gift cards for Christmas, it found its way into the cart. And it didn't take more than a dozen pages or so to see why it was being mentioned so often: This is a good book. It's not earthshatteringly significant, or anything like that. What it is, is a very well-told story in a very real-seeming city, with its mysterious past hinted at just enough to be intriguing and not enough to be annoying. What it isn't, is an attempt to do Something New, at least not gratuitously. City filled with artifacts from the Advanced Civilization that used to live there before the current group of people came along? Check. Orphans abandoned by society and turning to a life of crime to stay alive? Check. Robbing from the rich? Uh, check. Thank god, a writer who knows how to take familiar pieces and make a compelling story out of them. They are not so common as I would like. All too often, speculative authors think they have to break new ground in order to tell a good story, and usually end up falling on their faces. This is much better. The parts are old, or at least some of them are. The story, however, is new. I could do a thumbnail plot sketch here, but honestly, the plot - though fun to read, especially the interleaved snippets from the past - doesn't really sound like much when summarized, but made me laugh out loud several times and get a bit misty-eyed at least once. Go. Buy the book. It's $7 and a handful of hours that you will not want back. ( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/zenos-library/2008/01/the-lies-of-locke-lamora-scott.html ) (Alistair) By most, or at least many, reasonable standards, this should have been a terrible book. I mean, just look at the elements. We have, let's see, the orphan thief (well, actually, several); the tight-knit thieves organization; the city built on the ruins of the older and better civilisation; the fallen Empire in the background; the... well, I could go on. By rights, given the number of what might be considered awfully cliche elements, one might be forgiven for expecting The Lies of Locke Lamora to plunge headlong into the EFP hackery category. Which is why I am delightedly surprised to be noting all those things in retrospect, after spending the last few nights devouring this page-turner as fast as the demands of work and sleep permitted. While he may be assembling existing parts, Mr. Lynch does so awfully effectively, pulling one in with the basic caper tale and the bits and pieces of Locke's past we see in the inter-chapter interludes to start out with, and thus making sure one's thoroughly hooked by the time the major plot hoves into view. And then it delivers. Recommended, and I'll take another one as soon as it can be shipped here, please? ( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/cerebrate/2008/02/the-lies-of-locke-lamora-scott.html )"
Spectra (2007), Mass Market Paperback, 752 pages

Cowboy Angels (Gollancz S.F.) by Paul J. McAuley [reviewed by Fledgist]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:10:17 -0500

Fledgist's review: "McAuley crosses three genres not altogether as deftly as one might like. This is, at bottom, your basic Cold War thriller, with standard, multitool Company hero battling evil (in this case rogue elements disaffected with president Carter and unhappy about the Church Committee's uncovering of illegality), but this is an alternative universe which has discovered the means of moving between alternative Earths. The story is complicated by the addition of a time travel plot, the interaction of two hero types, the Heroic Daughter, Nazis, Communists, traitors, rock-jawed pioneers in the wilds of lower Manhattan, and basically the whole kitchen sink of alternative history, the Second World War thriller, and the Cold War thriller stirred, and given a science fictional sauce."
Gollancz (2007), Hardcover, 400 pages

Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir [reviewed by xtofersdad]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:53:35 -0500

xtofersdad's review: "On balance I think I prefer Anya Seton's take on Katherine's history; for a start it was much easier to read than this book and it was unashamedly fiction even though it was based on the same facts as far as I can tell. On the other hand in this new book truth and fiction inevitably ride hand in hand just because there's so little in the way of established documentary evidence from the period. And sometimes the level of supposition and hypothesis that Alison Weir requires in order to tell her story is somewhat overwhelming. Nevertheless you'll read the book if you still hanker after a quick flirt with the girl; she was after all the supposed "Mother of the Nation's Monarchy".....as Jeremy Paxman refers to her in his recent book on "Royalty ""
Jonathan Cape (2007), Hardcover, 288 pages

Half the Blood of Brooklyn: A Novel by Charlie Huston [reviewed by blueslibrarian]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:43:09 -0500

blueslibrarian's review: "This third novel in the Joe Pitt series finds him still in the shadows of Manhattan which has been split among various "vampyre" clans. Joe grudgingly works for The Society as head of security and when his boss sends him across the river to Brooklyn to check out some rival clans he knows there will be trouble. And is there ever. Murder, kidnapping, double crosses and treachery are just the start of the blood soaked mayhem. Huston's tough-guy neo noir rewrites the tired vampire legends on the gritty streets of modern New York. Much like fellow noir writer James Ellroy, the dialogue comes fast, furious in staccato bursts, and it's dark and raw stuff. Certainly not for the faint of heart, but those who enjoy dark and imaginative horror will find much to savor here as Huston is one of the most unique writers in contemporary genre fiction."
Del Rey (2007), Paperback, 240 pages

Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest [reviewed by dberryfan]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:27:06 -0500

dberryfan's review: "Spooky and excellently written. Best read at 3 in the morning for full effect."
Tor Books (2005), Edition: 1st Tor Ed, Paperback, 288 pages

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville [reviewed by lampbane]

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:50:24 -0400

lampbane's review: "<A HREF="http://lampbane.livejournal.com/484053.html">http://lampbane.livejournal.com/484053.html</A> "So Mieville is creating something completely different here, and it really is new. It's new to the level of being completely alien, and sometimes I think he's just being weird for the sake of being weird. Which really doesn't add to the story, I think. A good chunk of the book is world-building, all these really interesting little tidbits that add depth and texture to the city of New Crobuzon, but when you consider their purpose to the storytelling, it doesn't do anything except add a few hundred pages to the book. This novel is laden with so much cruft, it really weighs the story down at times. It's never really boring, but it does take you places you never needed to be.""
Del Rey (2001), Paperback, 720 pages

Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon [reviewed by devilwrites]

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:26:37 -0400

devilwrites's review: "For a reader, male or female, who's looking for a good SF adventure yarn, this fits the bill. Bonus points for having a well-developed heroine who evolves over the course of the book, and I suspect will develop more over the course of the series. I'm not chomping at the bit to read the rest of the series though, because while this was written well with a solid character, nothing about the world really stood out to me and had me begging for more. Oh, there are little things that caught my interest, things that I think will develop over the course of the series, but I can wait to read those for when my bookshelves are a little emptier, and I'm looking to kick back with a good adventure yarn. Still, as an example of women writing space opera/adventure with female protags, this is a good one, and worth the read. For the full review, which does contain spoilers, please click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/55023.html"
Del Rey (2004), Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Race of Scorpions by Dorothy Dunnett [reviewed by Schmerguls]

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:06:06 -0500

Schmerguls's review: "2924 Race of Scorpions, by Dorothy Dunnett (read 6 Nov 1996) This is the third volume in the House of Niccolo series. It tells of Niccolo in Cyprus and Rhodes, where in 1461-1464 he helps James of Lusignon, bastard son of King James II of Cyprus, defeat his sister Carlotta and become sole ruler of Cyprus. There is stirring action at times, but I have decided not to read the fourth volume--while there is a lot of research in these books, for long periods they are not too interesting, and I have decided that I have read enough of Dorothy Dunnett."
Vintage (1999), Paperback, 560 pages

The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) by Libba Bray [reviewed by ShellyPYA]

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:22:59 -0500

ShellyPYA's review: "Last book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy. Gemma has claimed the magic of the realms for herself, intending to forma an alliance among all the creatures and share it equally. She hesitates, though, when she tastes how wonderful it is to have the magic all to herself, and wants to hold on to it until she can shape her destiny and that of her friends. Mysterious dreams haunt her, and she begins to question who she can trust. An excellent end to the trilogy."
Delacorte Books for Young Readers (2007), Hardcover, 832 pages