Janny's Reading 2018

Well, I missed posting 2017 due to production on a novel, so the kick off to this year will be a catch up review of my last year's highlights, recapped from my paper notes:

Brian Staveley - kicked off last year, as I often do, by reading a new author I wasn't familiar with. Began with his standalone, Skullsworn. Some of the most beautifully woven world building anywhere to be found, and if you like your stories gory as they come, have at it.

I continued with Brian's trilogy, taking place in the same world (Emperor's Blades, I think is the series name). This included his debut work. Again the world building was superb, the non stop action seems a trade mark, and he loves his plots as bloody as they come. The first book was very well done. I will watch this author's works in the future.

Next, I caught up with Kate Elliott's Black Wolves - ages after its release, but sometimes schedule causes books to stack up until I get the break to binge. This book kicks off yet another trilogy, set in the Hundreds, but not so tightly tied to her Spirit Gate series.

I pounced hard, after that, on C. J. Cherryh's Convergence - and yes, I am still a Foreigner series addict. She does the politics and the crazy quilt pressures of societies so very well.

Then I read Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's A Gathering Edge - the next installment in their Liaden series. Love these for comfort reads. I know they've another one out that I have to order, yet.

Followed this one with a debut that was just lovely: Draigon Weather by Paige Christie - which I fell in love with. If you like your heroes beat up a bit, and if you like an interaction with two equally weighted male and female leads - who do NOT see eye to eye - this little gem is just splendid. It's told in split time - a present day story revealed in flashback to its roots, and it definitely took me for a ride that I enjoyed. Both threads were engagingly told, and she left it at a point where I am crying for the sequel. This is a small press release, but it's well worth chasing down.

Followed it with Sabaa Tahir - Torch Against the Night - found a signed copy in our local B&N - dependably well written with nice characterization. A fun read, light enjoyment, with the late trend for segregated societies that seems so prevalent. (the trend follows Hunger Games and Divergent, et al, with characters rebelling against the status quo in various ways. I do admire how she handled the suspense.

Then I checked out Nedi Okrafor's Book of the Phoenix which opens up a drastically different view of a futuristic dystopia, often stirring up ideas that challenge the majority mind set.

A trip to the library brought home Standing at the Scratch Line by Guy Johnson, who is Maya Angelou's son. the book wasn't what I expected (not sure what I expected/with Angelou's influence in mind) - it was historical and very oriented towards black history post WW. An interesting read, that in some ways, raised echoes of my reading during my youth - different from Frank Yerby but in some ways very similar in the ways that the characters interacted and the various betrayals of family values drove the plot.

Another small press title, Thyrd on the Bridge by Jason Graves followed this...a highly unusual little book, with an orphan/foster kid (black) lead, raised by gay foster parents...which flips between urban modern day to faerie in very VERY disturbing ways - until you are not sure what is real, and what is not - whether there is a fantasy parallel world, or, if the lead character is mentally ill. An adventurous theme, on many levels, and one that provoked a lot of thought.

Needing a rest from challenging my reality, I plunged into Thick as Thieves by Megan Whelan Turner - another delight, for which I have to thank Majkia, for introducing me to this author. Best way to encapsulate this little series, would be Dorothy Dunnett for YA.

Last title I'll list for 2017 is A Promise of Blood by Brian McLellan - which hurls the reader into the thick of a revolution with breathtaking speed - so breathtaking, it took awhile for my brain to catch up. I enjoyed this book more and more as it went along, and quite liked it by the finish. Except for the paper thin angsty relationship that nags the main character (and almost turned me off) I was glad to have pushed on - that relationship actually recedes into the background, so it no longer became such an issue. I'll probably chase down the sequel at some point.

The other 2017 reads were either unmemorable, or galleys that aren't released, yet, so I'll save them for later.

2018 I plunged into the latest in the Foreigner series, again, Cherry's Emergence, which I enjoyed as much as ever. I've read two other advance galleys, AND - got stopped cold with deadlines: the audio production of Destiny's Conflict is happening NOW, and I got to review the files for pronunciation - at high speed, under pressure, since the schedule cannot stop - but the narrator just did such a superb job, I am still floored.

More later; I look forward to another year of sharing the better reads, here, sorry for the year's absence - I have been through time to time, and read (lurked) more of the reading threads than folks probably realize - time constraints have kept my activity and posting very limited (chalk it up to a 93 year old mother, needing a hand, and my local involvement as volunteer (mounted) search and rescue personnel/on call whenever needed.

Darn, ya got me with Draigon Weather! Also, I think my Game of Thrones-loving son might really like Brian Staveley. Thanks!

All sorts of interesting reading there, and a very busy life!

Welcome back, Janny! We're always glad to see you. :o) No apologies needed. I've been gone a while myself, and so have a few others who have recently found their way back here.

*waves* Glad to have you back!

Great to see your posts appearing. I had noticed your ansence and feared you had given up on LT due to pressure of real life.

Starred and following...

Ooooh I might have to check out some of those. Starred!

Welcome back!

Hey there! I haven't read any of Cherryh 's books. Where should I start? What are they like?

Welcome back and starred! Producing an audio book must be quite an experience. Also three of your 2017 reads were already on my radar. Do they still count as book bullets? :)

Welcome back!

#2 Tardis, I don't think you'll be disappointed - and the sequel's in edits, now, so it should be released soon. I'll be watching your thread to see what you think (when you get to this).

Thank you for ALL the welcomes back - I am very touched, hadn't expected them after such an absence. #5 pgmcc - pressures of real life hit us all, I was just overwhelmed, not gone - production on the book was a doozer - all the meticulous stages of it, and also, all the load of artwork, interiors and cover; plus I'd done 4 new short stories, I felt like I was always breathless. By the time I had dug out from under, 2017 was shot; but I had kept notes with posting in mind.

I am grateful, in fact for the real life pressures - means I'm still kicking hard in the river of life! :)

Yes....taking on the search and rescue required a whole lot of training and certification, and that had me jumping extra far and high - this is about my fifth year with them. There are photos: Peace River K9 Search and Rescue (they have a Facebook and a website). Ought to be a few shots of the mounted members.

#8 reconditereader: if there is any one of them that piques your interest, I could go into a bit more (nonspoiling) depth for you.

#10 cmbohn - depends what sort of book you like, really.

She's done exemplary work in both SF and Fantasy.

If you like the mass psychology of crowds in a crisis, Downbelow Station is a good starting point, and it did win the Hugo Award.

On a more personal level, Cherryh is truly excellent at doing human/alien first contact, Cuckoo's Egg might be short and sweet.

If you want an excursion into a truly strange world (she does those well, too) - one that is psycho-reactive, Cloud's Rider and Rider at the Gate might fit the bill.

If you like space opera that's more personable (again with alien/human contact) her Chanur series is great.

If you lean towards space/fantasy, Gate of Ivrel.

She's got some very disturbing horror titles - see her Outer Reaches books.

The impact of cloning: Cyteen etc.

Her fantasies span the gamut from very high, to very melancholy, to some neat little standalones. One of them, The Paladin has one of the best instances of a female warrior to be found, anywhere - CJ is a serious fencer, and she really drew off what she knew in this one.

Personally, I have loved all of Cherryh's works - and Fortress in the Eye of Time is totally splended, if you can wait for the development, the ride is well worth it. Her works always age well, too - they are timeless.

#11 - Narilka - book bullets - depends - do you cave from just one, or a barrage? Which books were already on your radar?

And audio books, yes....each one, if your in a position to care. I've always suggested the narrators I wanted (sometimes listening to fifty or more to arrive at a match). Sometimes you get the one you as for, sometimes not, but always, they will pick one that is CLOSE to what you asked for. (I wonder, given the lovely co-operation, whether the suggestions actually help them with their talent search.) Next, given it's fantasy, you are best advised to create a list of unique words that occur in that title (pretty big list at Vol 10 of a series). I go farther, and add accents to the list, and also record it and send it over as an Mp3 for the narrator's use....otherwise you get who knows what? Most narrators do make use of them. In this case (being a book 10, crazy place to start, but shrug, publishers....) I also made character files and a 'here's who they are/what they've been through" so the narrator had an emotional starting point. and I had to define how the book's terminology differed from what we know here on Earth. That bit took about 2 weeks to compile.

I was lucky, too, to be able to review the production files (for pronunciation) - and it is a very fat book. That took another week of very intense time, burning the candle at both ends (short deadline!) It's a privilege to be able to participate in the process at all, I am very grateful - and excited. The performance is very VERY lovely and easy on the ear. The publisher said if the response is sufficient, they will go back and do the beginning of the series. (wishing very very hard for that - the style was totally written to be read aloud. Astonishing fun to hear it in that format, after so many years of careful work on the prose.) It truly brought out the detail in ways that would be missed over in a quick read.

Thank you to everybody for the warm welcome back! I always follow all of the threads - more than you may realize (I don't post much: introvert).

The audio process sounds fascinating - as someone who listens to lots of audio books, I'm even more curious - is having so much input the norm or is it an elective choice on the part of the author to be so involved? I've listened to some that are read wonderfully and others that don't seem to work at all (although that may just be my personal opinion) and I've often wondered how books and narrators are matched.

I don't know what the norm is, truthfully. My husband listens to a lot of audio books; I prefer to read them in print, honestly. But in sharing some of my favorites with him - certainly getting a bad fit for a narrator, or getting one with a graty voice, or one who reads the female parts (if male) in a squeaky patronizing voice is the kiss of death. I'd run screaming....

So my tack was to write a VERY POLITE NOTE when the rights were acquired, saying how thrilled I was, and were they open to suggested names? Each time, I've gotten an enthusiastic yes. And each time, it has made a huge, huge difference - I was either given the one I asked for (if they were free and willing to take the job) or else, I was given audio samples of alternatives that truly were very close to the voices I had asked for.

Given my books have their own style - getting a narrator who didn't rush, and who didn't over act (who would do just enough characterization, but let the prose do its work) and who could handle the depth and complexity - I've been extremely lucky! two trilogies, two stand-alones, and now, this latest one being a part of a massive series - it mattered a lot to me.

I think that having the enthusiasm and the interest on the other end, and having the author go the second mile to offer the pronunciations for them meant it made their job easier, too. I'd like to think so...it will be up to the listeners, in the end. Just as, it is always the readers' last word on the matter, once a release goes its way.

I have also always requested (and been given) the first chapter of the production to post on my site as a download/teaser so readers can kick the tires - where it can get entirely frustrating is after the beautiful performance gets made, it can be released with no push whatsoever. Nada. So it's up to the readers to discover it, somehow. I feel I've been super fortunate, so far, getting narrators that I thought suited the stories very well.

>18 JannyWurts: I've become quite a fan of audio books. The narrator can make or break the experience so it's great you found one you like. I usually take a couple weeks to finish a shorter 8-10 hour book. I cannot imagine trying to finish a longer one in a compressed time frame. That would be intense.

On my radar already are Skullsworn, Draigon Weather and A Promise of Blood. I take my wishlist with me whenever I hit a book store so they do have some competition :)

>10 cmbohn: - somewhere in the GD history is a group read of her long running Foreigner series with lots of discussion about some of her other works.

#22 Narilka - the narrator is Colin Mace, who has done a stunning job.

Skullsworn is gorgeously written - the world and setting is incredible, and the characters are well drawn. It's a solidly suspensful read - but wow, it is gory! Staveley does killing like some authors do sex. I found it - well, working search and rescue - the 'real' side of real interferes with a read of this nature (where murderous death is almost glorified), some, but if that's your bag, you'd be in for a treat!

Draigon Weather is small press, very unlikely to be found at a bookshop, but I'd assume it could be ordered. If you are into paper books, they are very very gorgeously done.

I have yet to pursue the sequel to A Promise of Blood, but I do hear they've been well received.

Right now, I cannot list my current reads - the past 2 were advance galleys, and I haven't finished one of them. I always comment of I LOVE them; otherwise, pass, since they would be written for a different audience.

Welcome back Janny! It's good to "see" you again and follow your reading. You always find books that are completely off my radar. I hope you have a great year in reading and in real life.

>17 JannyWurts: I really need to read more by Cherryh; many of the books you list are already on my TBR pile.

I have The Farthest Shore on my desk - distilled poignancy.

Good to see you back in the Pub!

I see you've read Megan Whelan Turner's latest. I haven't ... yet. Trying to decide if I need to re-read the others first...

And eagerly awaiting my pre-order of the audio version of Destiny's Conflict.

>27 majkia: on Thick as Thieves - The book pretty well stands alone - I didn't do a re-read, and I had no trouble re-connecting. It's a sequel with the focus on different characters - all tied in, but not inextricably. Glorious fun as ever.

re: the audio - my head's still spinning. Just wow.

I just finished a huge debut epic fantasy in ARC....took me awhile to get through it (six weeks?!! That is a LOOONG read for me). It played - literally - with the multi-layered glitz of high speed video game, action heavy in the extreme. Polarized opposite end of the spectrum from a Robin Hobb book, scaled from the standpoint of character depth.

Debating my next choice, it will have to be quick, there's another ARC in the mail and I've a loaded schedule.

>28 JannyWurts: Thick as Thieves just came through from the library and is on my Kindle. I loved the others in the series and can't wait to start this one. It's good to know it will work without a refresher on the earlier volumes.

>30 MinuteMarginalia: Oh, wonderful! Feel free to discuss it if you like.

Oh my goodness! A million thanks to (Janny Wurts) for mentioning my little book. I am glad it sparked interest. I'm very new to Library Thing. Hello to all!

>31 JannyWurts: Finished Thick as Thieves last night -- 3 stars (quite readable, but not the 4-star quality of the others in the series, mostly because it seemed she was reworking familiar plot elements). It's hard to discuss without risking spoilers not only for this book but also earlier ones. The characters were likeable and watching Kamet's perspective on his situation change added to the plot. The idea of using characters from myths as parallels to the friends was intriguing, but the recitations of the legends didn't seem quite as effective as those in The Thief -- though the occasional was-that-intervention-really-luck-or-something-more moments were wonderful, especially played off those stories.

How does that compare with your reaction?

In rereading your comments on the book, I noticed you described Turner as a YA version of Dorothy Dunnett, an author completely unfamiliar to me. Is there a Dunnett title you'd recommend as similar to Turner (especially the earlier Turners)?

>32 PaigeLChristie: Welcome to LibraryThing and The Green Dragon!

>32 PaigeLChristie: Welcome!

>33 MinuteMarginalia: Dorothy Dunnett is a world and a class all to herself.

She's wrote historical novels on a scale without parallel - what she does that is similar to Turner: extremely clever protagonist/huge plot twists, invention on a scale that can't be beat.

But: unlike Turner you cannot read a book in an afternoon....her style is gorgeously complex, she has layers on layers on layers of inference that you cannot possibly get all in one take (unless you read along with the Dorothy Dunnett Companion - a 2 volume compendium that translates the bits of French or Latin poetry/quotes she tosses in, and also, digs into the references. There are whole discussion groups on FaceBook/GoodReads devoted to her work, and a Dorothy Dunnett Society.

More special: she researched her history/was a detail person SO intensely involved, I am told you can read her books and pick up the history with a huge degree of accuracy. Her characters (the main ones) are fictional, so you cannot predict their story arcs, but they interact with real historical figures, and her way of portraying the historical backdrop is sensationally well done. You genuinely get a deep feel for the setting and the times. (Far, far better than Outlander, IMO.

What is also different than Turner is that her protagonists are far more complex, and in fact, you WILL NOT get the gist of what they really are/where they are coming from because of the way she misdirects your attention/the surrounding characters' observations are not reliable perspectives, so you tend to fall wide of the mark until that AH HAH moment when she tips her hand - and the reveals (Like Turner) are sensational, but upped exponentially.

Dunnett books are a HUGE investment/it requires a focused read - her misdirection is SO GOOD, you genuinely hate (sometimes) her protagonist - until bam, the reveal turns everything and but EVERYTHING around. The characters make mistakes and are very human, and some of them are a riot.

If you start a Dunnett book, YOU HAVE TO FINISH IT, how she wraps the finale is everything. There will be very deep moments (and very deep prose) and an emotional experience bar none. WELL worth the effort.

Her works fall into three catagories:

The Lymond Chronicles - set in the 1500s in Scotland/borderlands for the first volume, but then moves on into France, Malta, Sulieman's court, then Russia, and finally back to Scotland for the grand finale. If you like your protags difficult, prickly, competent, and devilishly intelligent - here you go, you've got SIX volumes of pure joy.

She did a second series that takes place earlier: the House of Niccolo - there are more volumes, the story centers around the founding of a banking and trade family, and again, chases all over the Mediterranean, N. Africa, etc. Huge, complex, unforgettable.

She did a standalone version of MacBeth that is MUCH more historically connected - and so well done. (You WILL CRY) - based on the period, the story makes sense, and MacBeth is the hero who united Scotland.

Then she did a sequence of very lush, clever mysteries centering around a portrait painter/cum spy - but that character is seen through the eyes of a different, young professional woman in each volume. The style is lush, the references are very thick (to the time period/and to Dunnett's culture) - slimmer books/very dense in content.

I think if you read the reviews that don't spoil - folks either love these books or hate them for their complexity. I fall into the former group - but I do admit: I read Game of Kings (Lymond vol I) while on an overseas trip to see an eclipse and if I had had another book to read, I'd probably have DNF'd it - WAY too damn soon, due to the way she portrayed the MC....once the story thread became clear - what was REALLY at stake - holy wow, I could not put it down. I finished it, stunned, and IMMEDIATELY had to re-read it to take in all I'd missed on the first run.

She died; there IS no replacement. I love her work. I return to it in thought, and in reads, probably more than any other single author.

Hope that gives you a clue. I will answer any other questions, if you have them - not sure if there are any other readers of her work in the Green Dragon....haven't seen her mentioned, and in the reviews - the haters usually crash and burn/are pretty outspoken about it.

Reading Iraq + 100: Stories from Another Iraq by Hassan Blasim - it's a somewhat literary collection of SF stories - written by !raqi authors, with the stories projected into the future 100 years from our present.

This book hits hard on SO many levels - the inside view/the experience as seen by authors living in the middle of a country torn into war from so many angles of conflict/the thrashing mess created by headlong clashes with multiple ideologies. The insights come one after the next, and they paint a picture that is at once incomprehensibly sad, and comprehensively human.

You cannot read this book and not cry for the raw sting of expanded empathy for what these people are going through, and what they imagine their future might be.

Powerful. Explosively different.

(Well, that's maddening - the title's touch stone shows in the preview, but not, apparently after I save the post)

>36 JannyWurts: Wow! Thank you for the detailed information on Dunnell!! It looks as if one of our libraries has the entire Niccolo series as ebooks available for loan (but no other Dunnells). I sampled the opening of the first volume on Amazon and liked it enough to request it, but the library's server is down. I'm going to try again later. Again, thank you!

Hi, Janny! Thanks for the positive mention of Gretchen Thyrd: On the Bridge. I'm glad you liked it—despite it being such a sad story.

Added King Hereafter to my TBR list

Welcome back! The folks here welcomed me back after months of inactivity as well, they are a very tolerant and welcoming group. I've always been a fan of Cherryh's older stuff - her Kesrith and Chanur books are some of my favorites. I was into the Foreigner series for a while, but after book 6, I started to find them a bit implausible and then got confused as the series just went on and on.

I have loved nearly everything CJ Cherryh's written, fantasy or SF. The only ones I shuddered over (they were TOO well done!) were her outer edge books - and those, ONLY because they were creepy as heck and I am no fan of horror (don't find entertainment in being scared out of my wits!).

Stressed out and pulled nine ways from Sunday (deadlines and just life) - so I decided a comfort read was in order: picked out Spindle's End by Robin McKinley from the TBR mountain, and it was exactly to order. Sweet, fun, soothing, and a different take on Sleeping Beauty. The style of the writing was a bit offbeat, with commentary interjected in parenthesis, and it took about three chapters to wind up but it gave me the relaxing read I was needing, at precisely the right moment.

>43 JannyWurts: Will keep an eye out for that one. I've only listened to one of McKinley's, but it was very enjoyable. Hope your stressful times are in the rear view mirror.

Little hard to contemplate a rear view mirror take when the stress is ageing parent related - but thanks for the well meant thought, I'm touched. Mom's health and attitude are really great, but her short term memory is getting to be a disaster. No real good way to go from here. She's 93, and amazingly able, all things considered. Counts blessings daily.

>45 JannyWurts: Oh no. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize what you were dealing with. Get as much help as you can, and do not neglect yourself. *hugs*

>46 clamairy: No need to be sorry at all. I try not to grump in whiny detail. Just was fair warning, I'm not reading tough books right now, or very dark ones.

I am passing on mentioning a few 'time filler' reads from the library (sequels) that were great for let down but not worth a lasting impression.

The highlight of the moment was Kingfisher by Patricia McKillip a gorgeous blend of mythic magic and an alternate 'modern day' world where cellphones and cars blend in with primordial forces, as always, done in the most scrumptious prose. Pat writes some of the most profound allegory in fantasy today - always, for all of its beauty and strangeness, profoundly timely, with piercing insights that are both otherworldly and apt. I am always entranced, moved, uplifted, and left richer by one of her works, and this was no exception.

Right now, also in the vein of luscious prose - a look backwards to one of my mentors, Gladden Schrock's literary work, Letters from Alf. Searching, cynical, cuttingly sharp, and at times, hilariously funny, this is a soul searching view from the point of view of a Maine fisherman who also writes - while shedding profound insights into the disillusionment of modern life. This book was nominated for a Pulitzer in a year when no Pulitzer was awarded - it's stunningly original and masterfully themed. If you enjoy the work of M John Harrison this would hit some of the same notes. It always manages to shock me awake, and jab me out of complacency.

Coming soon, and available now for pre-order, is the sequel to Paige Christie's Draigon Weather, titled Wing Wind - if you liked the first one, this one will satisfy, with tension brought to a searing head, and the characters beautifully well drawn. I have to search hard for new talent like this - few books grab me hard enough that I can't put them down - this one struck gold. Short, sharp, and unforgettable.

I've got Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows on the desk to see what the buzz is about.

>48 JannyWurts: OOOH! Can't wait to see what you think of the Bardugo. I might have taken a direct hit with the McKillip.

>48 JannyWurts: I really need to pick up Draigon Weather and work it into my reading cycle. I hope you enjoy the Six of Crows duology. I just finished it and ended up loving it.

Just finished Six of Crows - it was very sharply done. I don't usually like caper books, but the characterization was excellent, and won me over. There's quite a new crop of writers who have sharpened their grasp of suspense to a fine point. And I am always a sucker (could you guess???) for fine drawn characters with back stories, and the clever, slow reveal behind their present. Chalked it up as a rollicking fun read, and annoyed as hell about the hook set with Inez - so I will have to hope our library stocks the sequel!

Not sure what I'll read next...April's a month of double duty deadlines, so it may well be something very very new, or at least, not consuming so I am not tempted to chuck my schedule and lark off reading.

I've got an ARC by Kameron Hurley to give a whirl, or I may crack Vonda MacIntyre's Moon and Sun which is sitting on the bodily threatening stack of Mt TBR.

I loved Vonda's starfarers although the rest of the quartet didn't quite keep up. I should try some of her other writing.

I will let you know what I think of this one.

I too will look forward to your thoughts on Moon and sun. I wanted to love it but had some issues with it.

Glad to see your praise for Kingfisher. It's been sitting on my tbr pile for a while now just waiting for me to have time to settle in and savour it.

Moon and Sun - at a third of the way in, it's quite the slow wind up.... I truly loved Dreamsnake, so sticking with this just to see...this is a very very different sort of book, certainly.

>55 JannyWurts: Dreamsnake is on my tbr pile - hoping I can overcome my phobia of snakes to read it! I've heard such good things about the book.

Finished Moon and Sun. My impressions, in order: pretty cover, many clothes, period outlook, stilted women, some predictable reveals, some unlikely reveals, and a clash of extremely narrow outlooks that won't make me think after the last page. Dreamsnake is still my preferred read by this author by far.

Next up: Who Fears Death by Nedi Okorafor and Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier - definite picks because they are borrows from the library.

I've also got some tech reading, since I need to re-up my expired Ham Radio license. Had it current for offshore sailing/it expired while I was looking cross-eyed at too many deadlines, and now, our Search and Rescue Team could use the updated credential. I've at least heard the newer version of the exam is WAY EASIER compared to the bad old days.

I hope you enjoy Who Fears Death. I love Okorafor's work so much.

>57 JannyWurts: An uncle of mine was a keen radio ham back in the day -- about 50 years ago. I believe then you had to be able to send and receive Morse at quite a cracking pace. In this day and age, does anybody still use Morse?

Yes, you did have to have a solid grasp of Morse Code. That deterred many. It was actually a good thing to know since sometimes, Morse was the only thing that could get thru, and so many elder war vets were very practiced at picking it out of the static. Sometimes that was the only way to get our location offshore home to family so they knew where we were on a passage.

That requirement is waived, now. As well as (I think) a lot of the electronic knowledge - I'll know for sure when I get into the books I've got reserved from the reference desk at our local library.

>58 reconditereader: - this is the second book of hers, for me. So far, gripping - I'm about 5 chapters in. (added) The rage just crackles off the page.

>56 Sakerfalcon: - definitely at least read the short story, Dreamsnake, that won the awards, if you can't fit the novel in.

>56 Sakerfalcon: >62 JannyWurts: The novelette is Of Mist, Grass and Sand. I haven't read the short version yet but the full novel, Dreamsnake, was a great read for me.

Another good stand-alone McIntyre book - albeit more of a hard sci-fi story - is Superluminal.

The past weeks have been crazy busy, even for me, so reading time had to be snatched and savored.

Who Fears Death by Nedi Okorafor = unforgettable, original, written in a clipped style with edges. Very vivid, intense, and not fluff.

Wolf's Den by Juliet Marillier was the other title - a nice relaxed pace, with several plot threads that all twined together. If you liked her other Blackthorn and Grim books, this one flows along dependably.

Not sure what I will pick out next/I had a brain crack over a technical book and a short time to cram for an exam....so it could be fluff/popcorn with a fast moving active plot, or it could be a book with intensely beautiful language and deep insights, not sure what my mood will be - recommendations happily considered.

>64 JannyWurts: Who fears death and Den of wolves are both on my tbr pile - glad to see that you liked them.

I've noticed our tastes overlap, just a bit.

POUNCE!!!! The ARC of Carol Berg's newest just landed - my next read, no contest!

>67 JannyWurts: OOOH! I can't wait to hear more about that!

:) She's never let me down with a book, yet! So: anticipation for this title is very high.

>69 JannyWurts: I’ve only read 7 of her books so far, but I loved all of them. Hers is one of the first names to come to mind whenever I’m thinking of my favorite authors. I look forward to reading what you think of her newest book!

>70 YouKneeK: - I've read them all. Berg's been on my 'buy on first notice' favorites list for some time now. She was recommended to me by so many of my readership - when I beefed about authors who couldn't wring empathy out of characters, or who opened books but could not stick the endings, or who wearied me with predictable plot twists. Berg's work hit the gold standard of everything I most value in a work of fiction, in those regards.

For anyone who hasn't read her stuff yet, I do recommend you try Song of the Beast which is a standalone.

If you like gorgeous prose (like Kay's) and the sort of nuanced characters (more adult characters than YA) in the style of Barbara Hambly, and if you like slow burn plots that ALWAYS twist and are not black and white or predictable - where heroes can turn villain, or an apparent villain's motives be not what you expected at all - and if you like the first person up close feels and - yeah pretty hard on her characters fits here - of a Robin Hobb (but usually in protags who foot to foot Hamlet style dither a little less/their struggles are more active) - give Berg's work a try - DO NOT be put off by the covers; they've been packaged with a slant towards the women's' market that maybe isn't altogether an accurate reflection of the overall impact of her stories. If there is a romantic angle it emerges as secondary, not primary to the plot - except in her four book D'Arnath series, which is, anyway, I thought, a bit less tightly wrapped than the rest of her bibliography.

Give her stuff a try!

My library doesn't have Song of the Beast. It has Ash and Silver, The Soul Mirror, The Spirit Lens, Breath and Bone, Flesh and Spirit, and Dust and Light. Are any of those worth a try?

>72 jjwilson61: Song of the Beast is Carol Berg's only standalone (to date). Excellent way to try this author out without a series investment.

Ash and Silver/Dust and Light are a duology - excellent.
Flesh and Spirit/Breath and Bone together are the Lighthouse Duet - parallel time and setting to the other duology, and this one actually was released first - could probably read either storyline first if you really wanted to; publiscation order definitely was the way I did, so not sure what reversing order would do to the reveals. The second duet (Ash/Dust) picks up the action faster, but maybe that was because I was familiar with the world presented in the first (Flesh/Breath) - I would say, depend on reading both volumes of the dulologies together - they are really half of one complete story, each, and in particular for the Lighthouse Duet, ALL of the stunning denouement happens in the second volume. That's where the real whammy hits and all the stunning beauty unveils.

The Soul Mirror and The Spirit Lens are part of a set - story told from several viewpoints to illuminate an overarching plot - do read them in sequential order. They are short reads/story is typical Berg at her best.

All of those books are worth a try - definitely be sure to place the ones that have sequels in order, though. Oh yeah: it's Berg. Don't take any character at 'face value' ever - she's masterful with reverses.

The ARC of Carol Berg's latest was typically brilliant - lots to say, but pub date is far away. I will certainly go into it in more depth when that time comes - comment so far, you have a treat coming.

I have had a heavy course load for SAR since then, but still read three books - both great.

Stories of the Raksura by Martha Wells - always a delightful read, the world and characters she's created have just the right mix of warm characters, and bloody predation on the biological grand scale. If you haven't tried this series, I truly recommend it!

Scorpio Races by Maggie Stievater -- such a sucker for a horse story, always have been, and the author did a great job of it. Not only believable animals, but stunning characterization and superb suspense. Loved it. Why is this author considered YA? Seems there's enough depth in her work to fit anywhere.

A trip to Barnes and Noble brought home Armored Saint by Myke Cole - just to see what his work is about. Read it in a day (it's short/novella length) - can any body tell me if this story is typical of this author's work? It's gotten a massive amount of hype....

Next up in the library stack: Dragon and Phoenix by Joanne Bertin - own the prequel, never finished the series/and Crown for Cold Sliver by Alex Marshall - which is another excursion into an author I'm not familiar with.

>74 JannyWurts: I’m happy to hear Carol Berg’s book was as good as anticipated! I look forward to the time when you’re able to share more.

I've not gotten to read more than a chapter of Armored Saint, but it's at the top of my TBR pile. I'll let you know if the style is similar, but his other works that I'm familiar with are... not my taste. They're post-magic-riot military action fluff, with very little in the way of characterization (and unfortunately in the one I read, a decent lot of problematic cultural stereotyping). I'm hoping this is a new direction for him, which is why I'm giving it a try.

Thanks - I don't like to fix an opinion too strongly based only on one single work. Look forward to discussion with you whenever you get to this one, if you're still inclined.

I too will be looking forward to the new Carol Berg being published!

I really need to read the Stories of the Raksura volumes; they have been on my tbr pile for a couple of years now. I loved the original trilogy.

I am generally not a huge fan of short fiction, but these stories fleshed out the original series in a very nice way. I do recommend it if you loved the longer works.

I got to read Armored Saint today, and it wasn't awful? I'm trying perhaps a bit harder than I should to be "fair" about it, because to be totally up front, it's not entirely my jam either (I don't have the emotional fortitude for grimdark) but it is leaps and bounds better in worldbuilding and characterization than his fluffy magic/military stuff is. I can really tell that he worked hard on this. But... it very much SEEMS like it was a first foray into epic style high fantasy.

So I'm conflicted. I feel like there was a lot of effort and growth, but I'm still left a little displeased and unfulfilled.

Some examples (and I'm trying to avoid spoilers here):

While I'm glad to see an attempt at a more fleshed-out ensemble cast, I feel like there were problems working out the quantity of various characters in such a short work, so there were still a lot of shorthands and stereotypes.

I am happily surprised that the story addressed sexual orientation, but more than a little grumpy (actually quite frustrated, and sick of even having to explain WHY I'm displeased) at ALL THE WAYS that particular topic was included. Just. Sigh.

I really enjoyed the way that he used established fantasy tropes to lure the reader into thinking that the story was going to go a particular way towards the end, but I feel like both the worldbuilding and the characterizations were.... ignored? or railroaded? in order to make that "twist" work out so quickly. I feel like a little more work there to re-jigger the plotting could have made that particular revelation immensely satisfying instead of "Oh cool! ...But hmmmm."

Most of the scenes of group battle/conversation/milling about were super unclear.

I thought the nascent steampunk bits were really cool!... and then nearly entirely ignored.

I feel like the main character (and the best friend) both acted much younger than their stated ages, in such an overarching way that I wasn't mollified by the repression and innocence implied by the worldbuilding choices. I also really dislike stories where the plot advances because the main character repeatedly acts like an idiot or "loses their head" and does unhelpful things at perfect times in order to catalyze the plot. On the flip side, I feel like that's much more common for heroines in YA fantasy, so I don't know that I can entirely blame him for that choice. It is still really irritating.

So I probably won't keep up with this series, but I do see him hopefully continuing to improve, and I'm definitely willing to try him again with a different fantasy attempt.

Thanks for your in depth comments. I, too, felt there was a lot that was compressed in very odd spots. and MC/idiot - she acted way way (as in single digits) below her double digit stated age. Didn't learn from her first stupid idiocy, either. So that bit truly colored how I viewed the rest of the story. Brainless female MC had me fuming from the get go, I really felt her blockhead act like a 6 year old was just an excuse to up the threat - women generally are MORE aware of their impact on a group, not less, unless they are super rich, spoiled and sheltered. Which she's demonstrably not...isn't fair to the story, maybe, but it got my nerves on the boil. Personal take....I'd read some of the author's essays and was very iimpressed with his views on violence and war, which this genre tends to treat in an immature way - his essay was a total breath of fresh air/reality based. Sol that was what motivated me to check this out. Didn't feel what he said in the essays quite matched the portrayal in this short work/only a little overlap. I will wait and re-check out his work later, after he has a few more releases under his belt. I try not to cast my opinion too strongly, ever, and will always 'circle back' at a later time in a writer's career. I guess, too, the huge hype made me expect a whole LOT more, so there's that....it felt a lot more shallow than I expected based on the smash hit commentary coming from everywhere. Normally I'd wait YEARS for the hype to die down before trying a title for exactly this reason - but that essay impressed me so much.

Often my opinion is an outlier, anyhow, because I so much expect that depth to be there. The story wasn't boring, it was easy to finish - it was the teeth grinder idiocy/bone head lack of responding after blowing it - that.

The stab at diversity - but who died....?

edited for a mispelling

I tried to get through A Crown for Cold Silver, and it was due back at the library before I could finish. Larger than life, loaded with violence/a variety of settings. I read enough to get a feel for this work; but it will remain DNF since I had to return it.

The Secret Knowledge of Water - comtemplative, introspective at times bordering on the mystical - nonfiction. If you like lyrical writing about extreme wilderness settings, it is soothingly wonderful. I really enjoyed this.

Continuing to explore writers I haven't tried yet: The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop - this sat on my shelf unread for years; I tried it/encountered the violent uncomfortable themes and put it aside. But comments by authors I respect a LOT made me give it another shot....and much like my bounce off encounter with the Coldfire trilogy - the opening was in many ways misleading....it turned into a story I didn't expect at ALL - the rough aspects were just surface and the meanest characters at the apparent start had the softest undersides. I now see why some people with backgrounds of abuse like this trilogy - a surprising read that wasn't at all what I expected, usually themes like this book is reputed to have send me running in the other direction like a shot. But like the Coldfire trilogy - the story did not dwell upon where it started, but moved rapidly into other directions.

Not sure what I'll reach for next; lots and lots of titles on mt TBR to pick from.

I have really enjoyed Bishop's novels of the Others. (Starts with Written in Red )They're surprisingly sweet-hearted and almost gentle reads, which is really absolutely not what I expected from the subject matter. Like you, if there hadn't been a blurb from de Lint on it, I never would have kept with it after the first chapter of the first book, but I'm glad I stuck it out, and I'm always happy to see another one. I've shied away from the Jewels series for the same reason - I might actually try them out now.

On your rec, I will look up Written in Red. I think you may be surprised/possibly the Jewels trilogy will hit you the same way. Made me glad I tend to form my own opinions, that's for sure.