Narilka reads in 2020 - Vol 1

Happy New Year! I'm impatient so starting a new thread the old fashioned way :)

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Highly enjoyable, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! The book may not be perfect but it was perfect for me. Possibly a new favorite.

A star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Currently Reading


Listening To

Books Read in 2020
1. The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
2. Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson
3. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
4. Where Gods Fear to Go by Angus Watson
5. Lying Low by Cynthia St. Aubin
6. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
7. Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
8. Soulless by Gail Carriger
9. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero
10. The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron
11. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
12. Terminus by Peter Clines
13. Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter
14. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
15. Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
16. Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
17. Flux by Jeremy Robinson
18. Written in Red by Anne Bishop
19. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
20. The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop
21. Changeless by Gail Carriger
22. The Alchemist and the Amaretto by Annette Marie
23. Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko
24. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
25. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
26. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
27. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
28. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
29. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
30. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings

Fun Stats
Books Read: 30
Total Pages Read: 9259
Audio Book Hours: 66h 43m
Rereads: 7
TBR Challenge: 6/12

2020 Series Stats
In progress: 17
Up to date: 13
Completed: 3
Abandoned: 2

Mount TBR
Start 2020: 200
End 2020: ?

TBR Challenge

Aiming for 12 books. I'd be thrilled if I completed more :)

6/12

Primary
1. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
2. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero Completed 2/1/2020
3. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
4. Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko Completed 3/27/2020
5. Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmsted
6. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson Completed 2/18/2020
7. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harai
8. The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick
9. Saving Sadie by Joal Derse Dauer
10. Written in Red by Anne Bishop Completed 3/7/2020
11. Soulless by Gail Carriger Completed 1/26/2020
12. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Completed 1/19/2020

Carryover from 2019
1. Circe by Madeline Miller
2. Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan
3. The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
5. Wool by Hugh Howey
6. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
7. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
8. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
9. Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
10. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan
11. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
12. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
I always knew I juggle a lot of series, primarily so I don't suffer series burnout and also partly because shiny new books keep being published :D I decided it was time to make it "official" and actually track all the series I have in progress for the year. The list is frightening! Maybe this will give me some incentive to finish a few more series off before I start even more new ones. Maybe ;)

Series Stats Summary
In progress: 17
Up to date: 13
Completed: 3
Abandoned: 2

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 6/8
Discworld: City Watch - 5/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 1/5
Discworld: Overall - 29/41
Kate Daniels - 6/10
Iron Druid Chronicles - 6/9
The Dresden Files - 7/15
Temeraire - 1/9
The Empire Trilogy - 1/3
Lighbringer - 1/5
Legends of the First Empire - 2/4
Parasol Protectorate - 2/5
The Guild Codex - 5/6
The Others - 2/5
The Belgariad - 2/5
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Witch of Edgehill - 2/3

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2021
DFZ 2/2 - #3 expected May 2020
Skyward 2/2 - #3 expected 2021
King of Scars 1/1 - #2 TBD
The Witchlands - 3/3 - #4 TBD
Awaken Online - 4/4 - #5 TBD
Inkeeper Chronicles - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Darkwater Legacy - 1/1 - #2 TBD
The Hidden Legacy - 4/4 - #5 Sept 2020
Paternus - 2/2 - #3 expected June 2020
The Goddess War - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Threshold - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Burning - 1/1 - #2 expected July 2020

Deliberately On Hold
A Song of Ice and Fire - 3/5, 7 planned? Waiting for the author to finish the series.
Murderbot Diaries - 1/4 - hoping they go on sale, they're expensive for novellas
The Gentleman Bastards - 3/3, 7 planned? Waiting for the author to finish the series.

Completed in 2020
West of West - 3/3
Jane Avery Mysteries - 2/2
Black Jewels - 10/10

Abandoned in 2020
Metamorphosis - 1/3
Tales of the Ketty Jay - 1/4

Touchstones appear to be misbehaving. I'll try fixing them later. I bet the site is being hammered today.

>3 Narilka: You have a few books on your TBR challenge that have been on my list but aren’t a very high priority due to being in a incomplete series. I’ll look forward to reading what you think of them!

I’d also be really interested to find out what you think of Wool and Red Rising if you get to those. I liked the former quite a lot although I had less SF under my belt at the time I read it. The latter wasn’t a favorite of mine, although most people seem to like it better than I did. I thought the series got better in the subsequent books.

>6 YouKneeK: I admit that Red Rising has gone down in priority after reading some reviews that it is very like the Hunger Games, which I didn't enjoy in book form. Maybe I should just go for it and get it over with.

Out of curiosity I went to my library and looked at my TBR list. It's up to 200 books! I've added that to tracking. I have an unofficial goal to not increase that number lol I think I'll fail horribly but only time will tell :)

Good luck and happy reading. Take care with that TBR list or it will end up as bad as mine! That's not to be encouraged - unless you live in a mansion or an actual library and have the space for that many books (I don't live in either so am determined to deal with the situation - steadily)

Happy new year! You have some interesting books in your plans and I'll be following eagerly to see what you think of them.

1. The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch



The Republic of Thieves is the third entry in the Gentleman Bastards sequence by Scott Lynch. The book opens with Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen reeling from events in Red Seas as Locke slowly and painfully succumbs to poison while a frantic Jean is unable to find a cure. Their salvation comes from an unlikely source: a Bondsmagi. The Bondsmagi will heal Locke if he and Jean participate in their five year election to sway the vote in favor of the Deep Roots party. The catch? The opposition has hired Sabetha to do the same. Yes, that Sabetha.

With that set up I went into the book expecting another fun caper full of political shenanigans as Locke and Jean face off against Sabetha. What we get is two stories both telling the same thing in different ways, Locke and Sabetha's romance. The first is told in the modern day as part of the election scheme while the second is told in "interludes" of a time in the past when the Gentlemen Bastards were sent off to enact a play titled "The Republic of Thieves" to give Chains a much needed break from a group of teenagers. Both stories are given equal page time with alternating chapters. I admit I found going back and forth between them annoying so ended up reading all the Interludes and then all of the present day plot. I don't think this hurt the story at all as the two plots never intersect, acting more as mirrors for each other and gave me a good foundation to understand where Locke and Sabetha were coming from.

With all the build up around Sabetha's character, there's no way she could have lived up to expectations. And guess what? She's an absolutely normal, if highly infuriating, person. While I'm glad we got to meet her in some ways I almost wish Sabetha was left off screen so her mythology and mystery could continue to grow.

It is fair to note that author Scott Lynch was going through a divorce and battling depression and anxiety while he wrote this book. It definitely shows. The story is missing that special spark of the previous two books and there is a definite sense of bleakness to the writing. I think the first portion of Locke dealing with the poison may have been Lynch putting himself into the book as he dealt with his depression. I also wonder if Locke and Sabetha's romance wasn't a reflection of his own divorce and that's why Sabetha came across more like she was leading Locke on instead of truly caring about him for most of the book.

I realize I may be coming across rather negative in this review. I don't mean to. There is some spectacular dialogue and the world building continues to be amazing. I also enjoyed many quite moments between the characters, those little things that make them feel very real. There is one scene where Jean and Sabetha finally air their grudges that was especially touching.

By the end all plot threads are nicely wrapped up, leaving Locke and Jean set to head off on their next adventure, and then we're hit with a bombshell of an epilogue. Lynch definitely saved the best for last! Locke, Jean and the world have no idea what's coming for them. I am feeling cautiously optimistic for the next installment.

Rating:

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! It also looks like touchstones are still hit or miss.

Looking forward to following your 2020 readings. The Gentleman Bastards series is popular on BookTube, and I'd like to try it.

Happy New Year! I wish you the best in reading this year!

>13 Narilka: Yeah, I had to comeback three times yesterday to get the touchstones on my first post to work. Hopefully by the end of the weekend things will have settled down.

I have to avoid you're review of Gentleman Bastards #3 since I'll be *hopefully* reading it this year.

>15 mattries37315: I saw it in your reading plans. We can compare notes when you get to it :)

I really really loved Red Rising. I confess to only having seen the movie of The Hunger Games but what I saw wasn't a bit like Red Rising. But that's just me, maybe. I thought the trilogy was great. I have yet to get to The Dark Age but it is in my TBR. (touchstones not working agian)

Happy reading, my dear! :o)

Happy New Year - I'm sure your book bullets will frequently hit me again! Some interesting titles coming up.

2. Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson



Amber has always known there was more to her parents' deaths than a random accident. When her Aunt Gretchen shows up unexpectedly with a story about how a member of a cursed witch clan is heading to Edgehill specifically seeking Amber, Amber begins to suspect that this is no coincidence and Aunt Gretchen knows a lot more than she's claimed in the past.

Pawsitively Poisonous is the second in the Witch of Edgehill series by Melissa Erin Jackson. I am quite enjoying these paranormal mysteries! It was great meeting more of Amber's family and seeing the differences in their magic. Even though there is a murder this book is much more about the various witch clans and their flavors of magic than the actual murder itself. The story was a lot of fun though I did feel bad for Amber at the end and the fact that events have reaffirmed she can never have a normal life. Here's hoping we continue to see more of her family in the future so Amber isn't so isolated.

Rating:

>17 majkia: Maybe I should go ahead and push Red Rising up higher in priority and see how it goes. I'm getting curious again.

>18 clamairy:, >19 reading_fox: *waves*

3. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher



Dead Beat is the seventh book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. In this week's episode... Chicago's only professional wizard, Harry Dresden, must save the good people of the city (and the world) from black magic and necromancy. That is, assuming he can figure out what the Word of Kemmler is and locate it before the bad guys do.

Fast paced, laugh out loud funny, a great cast of characters, an amazing climatic battle on Halloween night that works beautifully as a homage to Jurassic Park, this is Harry Dresden at its best. The plot is well focused on Harry's need to stop the necromancers from destroying Chicago in their attempt to take power while deftly layering in wonderful character building and potential hooks for future adventures all without loosing stride.

With Murphy spending most of the book on vacation, Harry ends up helped primarily by Butters, a medical examiner from the Chicago PD with a love of Polka, and to a lesser extend by Thomas. Mouse, the puppy from the previous novel, has grown up and there is definitely more to him than meets the eye. We finally learn a bit more about Bob's history and got to see some Wardens in action. There are a couple great twists that I can't wait to see how they play out in future books.

I think I have a new favorite Dresden novel. I wonder if I'm going to start saying that in all future Dresden reviews. Apparently I felt that way about book 6 also. Polka will never die!

Rating:

>22 Narilka: Yes, I think you will feel that way, although for different reasons, about future Dresden novels, at least for awhile. Dead Beat is special though.

>23 MrsLee: I don't know if I could reread the earlier books but I could definitely reread Dead Beat.

4. Where Gods Fear to Go by Angus Watson



Woootahhh!

Where Gods Fear to Go is the final book in the West of West trilogy by Angus Watson. Our journey picks up right where the last book leaves off. It's finally time to find out what is in the Meadows and see if our heroes can prevent it from destroying the world. That is, if they can get out of a dangerous situation with the Squatches first.

When I picked up this series I never imagined how much zany fun I was in store for or how much this unlikely group of misfit characters would grow on me. There are so many touching moments on the final leg of the journey along with some pretty impressive character growth. I absolutely adored Paloma and Freydis's side journey together. Finn actually starting to grow up and accept responsibility for his actions. The Owsla realizing that there's more to life than just killing and learning how to be more human. Poor Eric the Angry, though really it's not all bad afterwards.

Watson's imagination continues to be bizarrely wonderful. While I don't think his monstrous creations quite achieved the greatness of the ones in the Badlands, the horrors of the Meadows are sufficiently weird and disconcerting that I was kept on the edge of my seat worried for what was going to happen next. And with good reason. Given the nature of the group's quest, not everyone makes it to the grand finale.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Sean Barrett. His performance is absolutely perfect for these books. I need to listen to more stories narrated by him.

This was such a nice ending to one of the most imaginative series I've read. Make sure you read the afterward at the end. The historical notes about what Watson based this series on are fascinating.

Rating:

5. Lying Low by Cynthia St. Aubin



Lying Low is the second in the Jane Avery Mysteries seris by Cynthia St. Aubin. This was a fluffy, fun, quick read, perfect for a rainy weekend. Jane is continues to be her crude, foul-mouthed self, getting into absurd situations as she fumbles her way through solving the mystery behind her mom's disappearance. At the same time, Jane also has to solve a murder to clearn her name as primary suspect. The plot twists and turns so much I had no idea whodunit and the logic behind how we got to the big reveal was a bit confusing. Still, this was worth reading for the LARP section alone. Jane as a purple elf queen was laugh out loud hilarious.

Rating:

6. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

I hope you will find the cracks in the world and wedge them wider, so the light of other suns shines through; I hope you will keep the world unruly, messy, full of strange magics; I hope you will run through every open Door and tell stories when you return.

In 1901, seven-year-old January Scaller found a Door standing alone in a field. In a single moment January's life is changed forever when she walks through and finds herself briefly in another world. Running home with a story of her discovery, January's experience is dismissed by her guardian as the fancies of a young girl and encouraged attend to her lessons and forget such childishness. It isn't until many years later when January discovers a book, The Ten Thousand Doors, that her childhood experience is brought back in a new and dangerous light, one that will send her on a journey to discover the truth.

I have been putting off writing this review because I have had trouble putting into words how this book impacted me. This felt more like an experience than just reading a novel. It has been a long time since I've felt so absorbed in a book where I truly believed, for a short time, that I might be able to open a door and unlock the mysteries of a world. Some of that feeling is with me still, a week later.

January is a likable character, a bit on the wild side even though she's been taught to be a "good girl," and felt very real. I found her fairly relatable. Her dog Bad is absolutely adorable and a wonderful companion. Harrow's writing is beautiful, very lyrical. Given the setting, themes of racism, sexism and classism are woven in yet handled gracefully. They are there but I didn't feel beat over the head by them. The book isn't without its faults but they weren't enough to impact my enjoyment of the story. The ending is quite beautiful and left me more than a little teary eyed.

I was completely swept away by January's journey of books within books, mysteries within mysteries, worlds within worlds. I look forward to rereading this in the future.

...my long years of research have taught me that all stories, even the meanest folktales, matter. They are artifacts and palimpsests, riddles and histories. They are the red threads that we may follow out of the labyrinth.

It is my hope that this story is your thread, and at the end of it you will find a door.

Rating:

7. Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews

"Dina, we're going to host sixty-one space chickens."

I gave up. "Yes."

"And they're going to argue philosophy."

Sweep with Me is a novella in the Inkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. It has been about two weeks since the Gertrude Hunt was beseiged while protecting an endangered alien race and Dina has been slowly recovering from the incident. It's time for the special Innkeeper holiday, Treaty Stay, which celebrates the original treaty that united the very first Inns on Earth and established rules that protect them and their intergalactic guests. For the duration of the holiday it is the tradition that Innkeepers must open their doors to anyone who wants to stay at their inns. Anyone.

Only Ilona Andrews could write a story that features a flock of philosophical space chickens! And Orro on a quest to recreate horrible fast food! And ninjas! Needless to say, this was pure fun. I was only disappointed that it was so short that I was ultimately left wanting so much more of Dina, Sean, the Inn and its guests. Here's hoping the wait for the next full book isn't too long.

Rating:

>27 Narilka: You got me squarely with that one.

>27 Narilka: I took a major BB from @2wonderY (https://www.librarything.com/topic/134201#6923837) on this but have yet to read it. Seems like I should do so soonish.

>27 Narilka: I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about this book lately! The group I’m in on GR chose it for one of the February group reads. I’m really tempted to join, but I think the timing won’t really work out for me. I’ll probably try it eventually, though.

>29 -pilgrim-:, >30 haydninvienna:, >31 YouKneeK: I hope you all enjoy it when you get around to it.

>27 Narilka: I was just looking at this one the other day. Thanks for the bullet!

Yet another on Doors. Sounds wonderful!

>27 Narilka:, >28 Narilka: I'm part way through both of these books at present and very much enjoying them.

It seems that Ten Thousand Doors may be this year's Gentleman in Moscow :)

>35 Sakerfalcon: Nice!

>8 Narilka:
Oh that my TBR list were only three digits.

>37 pgmcc:
Good thing you have that super computer in the back room.

>38 suitable1:
Yea! I have stacked books on top of it.

>39 pgmcc: Well, that is simply Cray Cray... (ducks & runs away)...

>40 ScoLgo:. :-)

hehe I told my husband about a week ago I need to contract vampirism so I will "live" long enough to read all the books, current and future releases :)

>42 Narilka: Unfortunately (?), as a vampire in my favourite vampire sequence (by Barbara Hambly), points out, the rate of publication nowadays is such that it is no longer possible to keep up (and he was only referring to technical journals).

>43 -pilgrim-: Sounds like a challenge worth exploring :D LOL

January series update!

Started: 1
Parasol Protectorate

Brought up to date: 2
Gentlemen Bastards
Innkeeper Chronicles

Progressed: 2
Witch of Edgehill
Dresden Files

Completed: 2
West of West
Jane Avery Mysteries

>44 Narilka: I am not so sure. An eternity of slipping further and further behind? That could be one definition of Hell. :D

8. Soulless by Gail Carriger



Soulless is the first in the genre-mashing Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. It's a whimsical steampunk paranormal romance comedy of manners set in Victorian London where werewolves and vampires have integrated into society. Fair warning, the romance gets explicit in spots. Other reviews I've seen calling this style as Buffy meets Jane Austin is a fair description. All of this turned out to be one highly entertaining read with a story that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Alexia Tarabotti is a self described spinster. The daughter of a dead Italian father yet still attending society parties to keep up family appearances. If only this current one wasn't so boring! Then perhaps she wouldn't have been rudely attacked by a vampire who should have known better. Alexia is soulless after all, a preternatural who can turn the supernatural temporarily human at a touch, who most of the supernatural know to avoid. The only thing worse than having to deal with an ignorant vampire is being involved in an investigation when Alexia accidentally kills him with her parasol.

I'm not sure which I ended up loving more, the world with an integrated supernatural and natural society or the witty wordplay the author used. The world concept is absolutely fascinating and I quite enjoyed how Alexia's soulless state fit in. I am definitely looking forward to how that plays out more as the series progresses. I also greatly enjoyed the use of modernized proper English as the character's bantered back and forth. Perhaps it's time to reread Pride and Prejudice or another Austin later this year.

As I mentioned earlier the romance is a big element of the story. If you don't like much romance in your reading you may want to think twice about trying this book. Given the set up in the first chapter I think it was fairly predictable where the romance ends up yet it still made me grin.

There is a lot of silliness in the story. Most of it I found entertaining but some just didn't work for me. I had a problem with some of the names in the book, including the main character. I kept calling her "Alexa" in my head. In fact I had to use find and replace in this review to make sure I got it right! Some of the other family names, such as Hisslepenny and Loontwill, made my eyes roll. Maybe it's a joke I just didn't get. I was also disappointed in the reveal of the main bad guy. After such a mysterious set up it was such a let down to have him just be a normal person out to "protect" society by eradicating the supernatural "menace." With all of Carriger's other creativity I think she could have done better.

I was entertained enough and definitely curious as to what is in store for Alexia next. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Rating:

>47 Narilka: Since I also have a tenancy to flinch at what strikes me as unsuitable character naming choices, I am intrigued to see you reacting to one that strikes my ear as completely normal (more so than "Alexa", Amazon device notwithstanding!)

Alexia is the feminine form of Alexius, a common Byzantine name.

Google also tells me that it is the "Portuguese form of Alexa", so it sounds a more appropriate choice for the daughter of an Italian than Alexa (Romance language names having more in common with each other than with Germanic ones.)

As to the surnames, I think the "joke", such as it is, is that they are each comprised of two, slightly bizarre-sounding elements, that do genuinely occur in surnames (being holdovers from early English or dialectal forms), but not in those combinations.

Thank you for the review. I have read Gail Carriger's first YA contribution to her Parasol Protectorate setting, and had been wondering if I would like her adult-targeted novels any better. Romance is not my thing, so I think I'll probably stay away.

>48 -pilgrim-: My problem with Alexia is purely due to the Amazon device and its extreme popularity here in the States. My brain just did not want to add the extra "i" while reading. I even kept calling her Alexa in conversation when asked about the book.

Yeah, if you don't like Romance definitely avoid this one!

>49 Narilka: I remember the hotels of complaint when the device came out, from women who were actually called "Alexa".

>47 Narilka: I read Soulless and wasn't bothered by Ms T being forenamed Alexia, although I did have trouble with not calling her Alexa. But I did have some issues with other character names. To quote myself: "She also gives her characters absurd names: 'Loontwill'? 'Floote'? Seriously? Maybe this is Dickensitis, as in 'Charles Dickens did it so I can too'. But Dickens' made-up names are usually plausible—'Pickwick' sounds almost like a real name, and 'Twist' is close to 'Twiss', which is a real name.".
Also, I wasn't seeing the rapier-like wit.
>48 -pilgrim-: If you mean Prudence by "first YA contribution to her Parasol Protectorate setting", I tried that too, but DNF.

>51 haydninvienna: No, I was referring to Etiquette & Espionage. (I had to check, but it appears to both have been published before Prudence, which I haven't read, and precede it in the setting's internal chronology.)

>47 Narilka: Thanks for your review of Soulless. I loved the Finishing School quartet but had heard things about the adult series that made me reluctant to try it. Your review has just reinforced that. So thank you for saving me from acquiring more books!

>53 Sakerfalcon: Happy to help :)

9. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell



The Room. One of the strangest and most gloriously bizarre pieces of American cinema I have ever seen. Written, directed, produced and starring Tommy Wiseau, it is commonly referred to as the worst movie ever made (which I disagree with; I think that title belongs to the absolutely horrible Troll 2, but I digress). The Room is one of those movies you have to experience as any attempt at explanation doesn't do it justice. The closest I can come up with is it is what an ideal American life would be like as explained by a space alien who doesn't understand humanity at all or that movies need a certain amount of continuity to make sense. There is something special, some undefined quality that even as you watch in utter shock that something this bad actually made it to the big screen, the complete ridiculousness of every scene and dialog is just so endearingly odd that you can't help but laugh the whole time. If this description has made you curious at all I encourage you to check listings, find a theater showing in your local area if you can and go see it. It's definitely better watched with a full audience, though if it isn't playing in your area I'm sure a small party viewing at home is fun too.

Greg Sestero plays Mark in the film, the main co-star, and is friends with Tommy in real life. I went into this book expecting to read about the origins of the movie and some behind the scenes stuff of how it was made. I got this and oh so much more. Greg goes into how his friendship with Tommy started, what Tommy is actually like, a bit of Tommy's history and a lot of information about what it's like to be a struggling actor trying to make it in Hollywood. Great is one of the lucky ones who manages to acheive some modest success. It makes for a surprisingly great read.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author. I highly recommend this format. Greg absolutely nails Tommy's strange accent which adds so much to the book. I'm not sure the story would have been as enjoyable as a traditional read.

Rating:

10. The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron



The Ranger of Marzanna is the first in The Goddess War series by Jon Skovron. This is a character driven epic fantasy with heavy Slavic influences. The story focuses on a pair of siblings that end up on separate paths after their father is murdered by Imperial soldiers.

The nation of Izmoroz has been conquered by the Aureumian Empire for many years. Sonya Turgenev Portinari - a Ranger and devotee of Marazanna, the goddess of winter and death - has vowed to remove the Empire's influence from Izmoroz and free her country. Coming home after a one of her trips into the wilderness she finds her father has been murdered and her mother and brother abducted. Following their trail to a nearby city Sony is shocked to find her mother, Irina Turgenev Portinari, has returned to her old life as an Izmorozan noble while her brother, Sebastian, has joined the imperial army as a powerful elemental mage. With her family torn apart by the Empire Sonya sets out to find allies in her quest to free her country.

There are a lot of things to like about The Ranger of Marzanna. The worldbuilding is solid. The elemental magic system will be fairly familiar to fantasy fans with just enough changes so it doesn't feel completely stale. More interesting is Marzanna's influence on her followers. A Ranger that receives her blessing is "marked" and begins to change, gaining beastly characteristics of an animal assigned to them by the goddess. I found this aspect fascinating and definitely want to see more of this as the series progresses. There is just enough action mixed in so that the pace remains steady though not breathless like more action oriented books can be.

Sonya is brash and wild, having fully embraced her life as a Ranger. She is determined to protect the land and her countrymen, going to any length necessary to acheive her goal. This takes a surprising turn, bordering on horror elements a times, giving her character a surprising depth. Sebastian is almost her exact opposite. He is a gentle soul, confused by his father's death yet joining the Imperial Army anyway after having been convinced it's the best way to protect his country. He is gradually lead down a path of brutality, not even realizing how badly he's being manipulated by his commanding officer, and continues to deny the atrocities he's committed against the populace. It's an interesting contrast between the two. The supporting cast is great, with the standout being Galina, Sebastian's betrothed. She understands exactly what is happening to Sebastian and tries her best to counteract it, knowing in her heart it's a losing battle. In many ways this makes Galina the most interesting and sympathetic character in the book. I hope she has a larger role in the story to come.

The Ranger of Marzanna is a solid start of a series. I look forward to continuing Sonya and Sebastian's story.

I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway. Expected publication date is April 21, 2020.

Rating:

>56 Narilka: That does sound interesting.

11. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop



I am rereading the trilogy to prepare for the release of The Queen's Bargain next month. It's been a while since Bishop released a new book in this world and I'm excited. I'm also happy that I still enjoy the story after all these years. This is one of those love it or hate it series with every little middle ground. The review from my 2016 reread is below.

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Seven hundred years ago a Black Widow witch saw a prophecy in her tangled web of dreams. Now Witch, a new Queen who will wield more power than the High Lord of Hell himself, has come but she is still young, open to influence and corruption. Whoever can control Witch will rule the Darkness. And so begins a game of ruthless politics over the fate of one young girl and the Realms.

Daughter of the Blood is the first in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. It is a dark fantasy series set in the Realms of the Blood. Blood society is matriarchal with castes ranked by the color of the jewel you wear. The darker the jewel, the more power you have. Bishop has reversed typical fantasy roles. Not only do the women rule but she highlights the physical and social differences between the sexes and shows the fallacies of the system that the people of her world have accepted. She challenges typical gender roles regarding relationships, sexuality and power between men and women. She also explores the idea of how empowered women can be when they believe in themselves and just how easy it could be to destroy that empowerment.

The setting is also different. There are three realms: Terreille, Kaeleer and Hell. It is not medieval nor is it particularly modern. The best description I can come up with is otherworldly. Magic is used instead of technology. People are split into two groups, landen and Blood. Landen are your normal, every day people while Blood is the ruling class that wears jewels, has magic and is fairly long lived. Among the Blood this is broken down further into the living, the living dead and the demon dead with a few races mentioned. Each Realm is divided into territories, with each territory ruled by a Queen and her court. There are various roles in the Queen's court though details are left somewhat vague at this point.

While there are many side characters, the story focuses on four characters in particular: Saetan, Daemon, Lucifer and Jeanelle. The first three are almost pretty much exactly what you think. Saetan is the High Lord of Hell and Daemon and Lucifer are his sons. Daemon and Lucifer were taken as children and raised as pleasure slaves in their aunt's court. Both men have been tortured and abused for their entire lives, their only hope laying in the prophecy of a future Queen who is destined the cleanse the blood of their aunt's taint. Jeanelle is the youngest granddaughter of Chaillot Territory's Queen. Her family sees her as a disturbed young girl who makes up fanciful stories and has been in and out of a mental institution since she was five. Not is all as it seems at the hospital as many of the girls admitted never return to their families. Each character is caught in their own prison, some mentally, some emotionally, some physically, with each person struggling to break free as the story progresses. Each character also must face what they are willing to sacrifice to ensure the prophecy comes true.

The story is a slow reveal with many threads that is spread across all three books. This is a reread for me and it's fun to see just how each book builds upon the one before it. The first book ends on quite a cliff hanger so make sure you have the second one ready to go if you end up enjoying the first.

This series is not for everyone. There are graphic sex scenes and plenty of violence, especially violence against women and children. The scenes are very intense and can be uncomfortable to read. Light moments are mixed in to break things up but it is a series not for the faint of heart.

Rating:

There's a Valentine's treasure hunt going on for anyone interested https://www.librarything.com/hunt_2020-02.php - I ended up needing clues to finish. I was impressed I got 6 without having to google!

>59 Narilka: I didn't finish, But enjoyed finding the 4 or 5 clues I could without help.

>59 Narilka: Thanks for the tip, turns out the hunt banner doesn't show up on the 'Your books' page, or the groups page, so I never see the banner.

>61 Karlstar: The banner is only on the homepage from what I can tell.

>60 MrsLee: The hunt is going for a week. You could always try again later and see if you get any more :)

>60 MrsLee: I think I did the same thing – I read through the clues, answered the ones I could figure out on my own, and stopped there. :) I ended up with 5.

>59 Narilka: I have 12, without going looking for clues. Am rather surprised, because this is very much not my preferred genre!

I went back and looked, and I actually got six on my own! Woo me.

I think the banner ban is because of a few vociferous naysayers who couldn't stand it, and wouldn't be satisfied until it was gone. Pardon, my bitter is showing. They weren't even happy with the compromise of an x to make the banner not show again after the first time. However, that is my own sneaking suspicion, I have no facts to back it up.

Recently I don't mind not finding all the clues. Some are so obscure to me because of genre, etc that I would only get them by being given enough clues to get the answer. For me the fun is tracking down the ones I think I might understand.

Had inspiration and got one more, leaving only one. Which niggles me, but I don't want to crack and go looking for clues.

>66 -pilgrim-: As I understood it, the "problem" was that if you have your browser set not to accept cookies, the banner repeated next time that you logged in. But I sympathise with your bitter tone; it seems that because they could not put up with the minor inconvenience, the vociferous objectors were willing to inflict a greater inconvenience on others - namely mixing out on the game unless they happened to think to look for one.

>65 MrsLee: I would like the banner to at least show up on the 'your library' page, since that's my browser home page! This is not my genre, I like doing the ones I can without internet research.

I had completely missed the treasure hunt until seeing this thread! Thank you Narilka for pointing it out.

Hope everyone has been doing well! Work is kicking my butt. My boss left and I was asked to step in with the potential for promotion. It's been a lot of things to learn :) Finished 3 books and will likely finish a 4th this week. This weekend I will devote time to catching up on reviews.

>69 Narilka: Good luck with the potential promotion! I hope things settle down and are easier to keep up with once you’ve had a little more time in the role.

12. Terminus by Peter Clines



Finally! Terminus is the Threshold book I've been waiting for since reading both 14 and The Fold, but especially 14. While you might be able to get away without reading The Fold first I would highly recommend reading both books before Terminus for full story context. Dead Moon is likely optional, though I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see connections there too in some future installment. But I'm getting ahead of myself. How about a synopsis?

The Family is close to achieving their ultimate goal of destroying the machine. With Anne as their Minister she knows it's her destiny to pave the way for balance to be restored on the planet. The hunt takes them all to an uncharted island where the walls of reality are thin and the apocalypse has already started.

It is really hard to talk about this book without spoilers so I'll keep things short. This book kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. The situation our characters end up in is relentlessly grim and yet has so many touches of humor and ends with a bit of hope. Fans of the series will be excited by the major reveals and connections to previous books. Several things I had questions about since the beginning are answered even though it just created more questions. I was sooo excited to see a couple familiar faces and meet many new ones. I think I can see how Chase will be important in this universe's future. That last mention of "needing a new Tim" made me a tad teary eyed. With that ending I have no idea where the author will go from here and I'm super excited to find out! This is easily my go to series for scifi/thriller/horror.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. I think he may be my favorite narrator by this point. Love his narration! He's amazing.

Rating:

13. Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter



Shining Smith ekes out a living running a junkyard. She's a survivor of the Final War, where she was altered by alien nanobots making her not-quite human any more. The junkyard is her sanctuary where life is predictable and safe. Right up until a scrapped Tesla warplane is delivered containing the dead body of one of her few friends with a warning inside. Someone knows her secret, what she's been guarding all these years. Shining's boring life is about to become a lot more interesting.

This was one of the free Audible Originals in January 2020. Not a bad little story, which I think is the start of a new series by Faith Hunter. I really enjoyed getting to know Shining Smith, her friend the war bot and, of course, all the cats that live in the junkyard. The post-apocalyptic setting of a world destroyed in WW3 against aliens is also interesting and gives the author a lot of room to explore ideas in the future. There is a lot of high tech language as the author info dumps, especially around the world's military technology and weapons. The story is action packed as Shining and the cats defend against a gang intent on stealing some hidden tech off her property. Fair warning, some of the cats do get harmed as part of the battle.

The audio book was narrated by Khristine Hvam. She does a good job of bringing Shining and the cats to life.

It's a decent start to a sci-fi series. I may go back in a few years and see if the author continues writing in this world.

Rating:

February series update!

Started: 2
The Goddess War
Black Jewels

Brought up to date: 2
The Goddess War
Threshold

Progressed: 1
Black Jewels

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Misc stuff.

2 reviews down, 3 to go. I'm feeling like I've stalled but hope to knock them all out before I head to bed today.

This appears to be an Anne Bishop heavy first half of the year. I was only intending to read the original Black Jewels trilogy to prep for book 10's release but now that I've been back in the world I'm not sure I'm quite ready to leave it yet. So, we'll see. Might be more rereading here. And I signed up for a Buddy Read in my GoodReads book club of her Others series because it's an Anne Bishop year lol

This also may be a reread type year. Work stress has me jonesing for a comfort reread of the Belgariad, though probably won't do that for a couple more months while I get through Anne Bishop. Reading Terminus has given me a desire to reread the other Threshold books. I'm tentatively thinking to do that this summer as I mix in other audio books. Which brings me to....

Freaking Audible! They had an amazing sale and now my audio book backlog has grown LOL I was doing a good job at keeping it to only one at a time. So much for that idea!

I have temporarily paused my reading of The Legends of the First Empire. The last book of the series is due in May so going to let it publish and then finish that series off in June/July.

2 Anne Bishop books, Vita Nostra and an Agatha Christie are currently on deck for March.

14. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson



A book about libraries that house magical grimoires that have a tendency to turn into demonic beasts and the librarians who care for them? Sign me up!! Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is a fun YA adventure story where an apprentice librarian faces down a threat to the Great Libraries.

Found as an orphan, Elisabeth Scriviner has lived her whole life in the Great Library of Summershall. Currently an apprentice librarian Elisabeth dreams of becoming a Warden, a type of librarian trained to battle grimoires that have turned into Maleficts and protect the kingdom against sorcery. An act of sabotage releases the Library's most dangerous grimoire. Finding the library's Director dead and the Malefict heading to a nearby village, Elisabeth tracks down and faces the monster. Yet her one act of bravery ends up implicating her in the crime instead of bringing her praise. Suddenly Elisabeth finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conspiracy and her only ally is... the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn.

The story is told entirely from Elisabeth's point of view. She is a likeable heroine who stumbles a bit in the beginning and grows into to being fairly capable with the help of her friends. Having grown up in the Library she's rather naive and has been taught to be prejudiced against sorcery and, by extension, sorcerers. Naturally this sets up the relationship with Nathanial to be in the vein of Beauty and the Beast as they learn about each other and Elisabeth realizes just how wrong many of the things she was taught are. On the flip side, Nathaniel is And yes there is a romance, though it is a very slow burn sub-plot.

Easily my favorite thing about the book is the world. I absolutely love the idea of libraries as dangerous places that house living books. Each book had its own personality and is rated on a scale for how dangerous the spells are it contains. What else is interesting is that the sorcery in the world isn't natural, as in a person isn't born with it. It is granted by summoning and making a deal with a demon, typically at a fairly high cost. The demon then remains as a servant to the sorcerer, though don't let that fool you. Each demon will turn on their master given the opportunity.

Which brings us to Nathanial and his demon Silas. Nathaniel is an incredibly talented sorcerer from a very old family of necromancers. He serves as a fun foil to Elisabeth and I enjoyed their bantering dialog. That said, Silas completely stole the show for me. Talk about an interesting character! Morally ambiguous and doesn't pretend to be anything other than he is. He constantly warns Elisabeth about his nature, which she continuously chose to ignore, though in the end he seemingly performs a selfless act. I think I could use a whole story with Silas as the main character.

It took about half the book before I was fully hooked. Then it was a rush to the end to see how everything would turn out. Even though there are many common YA fantasy tropes, I quite enjoyed it. It's a standalone novel with an easy hook should the author wish to write more in this world some day.

Rating:

15. Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop



Continuing my reread of the Black Jewels trilogy to prepare for the new release. Still enjoyable though I think the tension was lacking this time due to knowing what was coming. Downgraded to 3.5 stars from 4. Review from 2016 is below.

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The Blood have waited centuries for the coming of Witch. The living myth. Dreams made flesh. She who will rule the Darkness. But not all are happy for the arrival of their savior. Some refuse to believe. Others consider her only a myth. And some few look forward to using her, a puppet in their games of control and politics. With time and the love of her family Jeanelle's physical wounds have healed. Her mind is still fragile, threatened by the memories of how her childhood was violently ripped away. And yet destiny calls. The day of reckoning draws near, the day Jeanelle must accept her fate or be driven into the Twisted Kingdom.

Heir to the Shadows is the second in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. The story picks up two years after book one ends. Jeanelle has barely survived the violence that threatened to take her life and her power. Her physical wounds have healed. Her frightening memories are mostly kept at bay by amnesia. Her loved ones are afraid to fill in the gaps because they don't know whether she will be able to accept what happened or if it will drive her mad. A semblance of normal life returns.

This book becomes more of your typical fantasy fare. While there are still some action sequences, gone is the over the top violence and sexual situations. It also feels a bit more like a middle book that is bridging the gap between the first and final acts. The story slows down significantly and it's pacing plods along in the beginning half as Jeanelle recovers. Things pick up midway through as we learn more of the world and it sets up most of the players for what is yet to come.

The first story was set primarily in Terrielle, the Realm of Light. This time the story is mostly set in Kaeleer, the Realm of Shadow. This realm is more Other and more magical than we've seen before. Dorothea's taint and perversion of what it means to be Blood is just stating to spread. It gives us insight into how Terrielle could have been had Dorothea not existed. It's here that we're introduced to the Kindred, animals that are also Blood. They come in all shapes and sizes from centaurs and satyrs to dragons, unicorns and wolves. They are the same and different from human Blood. They have Jewel ranks yet manage to avoid many of the failings that comes with great power for humanity. Unfortunately their form of innocence leaves them open to other influences they're unprepared for. Bishop does a great job of giving each animal its own personality and insight into how other species could think and act if they had magic.

The villains begin to move more openly. Dorothea and Hekatah continue to scheme, both together and against each other, each trying acheive her own ends. It is a common fantasy theme of evil starting to turn against and consuming itself that works well in this setting.

This is the book where Lucifer comes into his own. We finally learn what it means to be an Eyrien warrior.

Events wrap up neatly this time around leaving all characters in place for the finale to come.

Rating:

16. Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop



And this concludes my Black Jewels trilogy reread. Finished the book in 2 days. That was quite satisfying. While I think I'm about ready for the new release I'm not sure I'm ready to leave this world yet. Review from 2016 is below.

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Jeanelle has made her Offering to the Darkness and accepted her fate to rule as Queen and protector of the Shadow Realm. The taint from Terrielle continues to spread. Even Witch cannot stop it alone. Somewhere, lost in the madness of the Twisted Kingdom, is Daemon, her promised Consort. Yet even their combined strength may not be enough to secure the Realms from their enemies. A final sacrifice must be made for Jeanelle to save the Realms and her loved ones and to cleanse the Blood.

Queen of the Darkness is the third in the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. The final installment picks up 5 years where the second book leaves off. War is brewing. Hekatah and Dorothea's scheming knows no bounds and won't stop until all the Realms are brought under their rule or are left in ruins.

All of the main characters arcs are nearly done. Jeanelle has transitioned from a young, shy, unsure girl into a confident and powerful young woman. She rules in Kaeleer with her court full of powerful Queens, Warlords and Kindred. Jeanelle feels keenly the responsibility she has shouldered, that she never wanted, to take care of the Blood and the land. Saetan has settled into his role as family patriarch and court Steward. Luciver, freed from the corruption and slavery he was trapped in, has found peace in his life. He has become a loving husband, doting father and his joy comes through on the page. He has also accepted his role as the Warlord Prince of Ebon Rih and takes his duties very serious. And then there's Daemon. Lost in the Twisted Kingdom he has finally started to find his way out and is faced with the challenge of finding out exactly what happened that night seven years ago. He still has a long way to go and I don't want to say too much more for fear of major plot spoilers.

This was the most emotional of the three books for me. To see the characters fight so hard for happiness, get to taste it for a moment and then have it ripped away was heartbreaking. It is a dark fantasy series so there is some collateral damage expected. Bishop doesn't pull any punches.

The action is fast paced and the gore factor is higher in this book than the last. The final 100 pages of the book were hard to put down.

The only draw back in this series in general, and why I can't give any of the books five stars, is the repetitive descriptors that Bishop uses. You get "sapphire voice" and characters "snarling" at each other constantly. It was particularly bad in the second book and still there, but less glaring, in the third.

I thoroughly enjoyed my return to the Black Jewels trilogy. Bishop has gone on to write other stories in the Black Jewels world, but the trilogy is where it's at for me. I know I will return again some day when I need that dark fantasy fix that is unique to Bishop's writing.

Rating:

17. Flux by Jeremy Robinson



Owen McCoy works as head of security for Synergy, a research company. The pay is good and the average day on the job is perfectly boring. Owen should have known that this wasn't going to be an ordinary day when his breakfast is interrupted by a misguided youth breaking into his house. Wanting to help the young man out, Owen invites him to ride along on his morning patrol of perimeter security for Synergy. Just as their patrol is starting, Owen discovers that the facility has been breached. As they leave his truck to examine the trail the trespassers left, Owen's truck explodes. As if that wasn't enough within a few minutes the area is hit by an unexplained wave of light-bending energy that rolls down the mountainside transporting Owen and everyone in close proximity back in time to 1985. What exactly is it that Synergy is researching? And what if the energy, the flux, happens again??

Flux is a time travel thriller by Jeremy Robinson. Time travel is one of those love it or hate it tropes. While "hate" might be too strong a description, it is definitely one of my least favorite science fiction tropes. In this regard, Flux does not shift my opinion of the trope one way or the other. Robinson has a couple interesting ideas here and manages to avoid the problem of paradox, which could be good or bad depending on if you enjoy paradox in your time travel story or not. Letting myself sit back and enjoy the ride without questioning too deeply also helped.

The strength of the story comes from it's characters and the themes of family that Robinson explores. Owen is an interesting character, one who gains a lot of depth during his unexpected journey through time. It's a unique opportunity Owen has to explore his own character as he meets other versions of himself and also runs into his father again, who had passed away early in Owen's original timeline. These were the parts of the book I enjoyed the most.

There is plenty of action and the story accelerates its pace as it speeds towards its final conclusion. Throw in some dinosaurs and myths-turned-real and it is quite a wild ride for everyone involved.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Jeffery Kafer. He does a decent, if inconsistent, job. His ability to separate the multiple generations of the same character was excellent. He even did a pretty good job of regional accents in a couple cases, though it made a few characters sound alike. His female voices could use some work. I bet his voice would be amazing for narrating crime noir stories.

Overall it's not a bad story. I suspect more people will gain more enjoyment from it than I did. I think I need to stay away from time travel stories for a while.

Rating:

18. Written in Red by Anne Bishop



Written in Red is the first book in The Others series by Anne Bishop. The story is set on an alternate Earth where the world is populated by terra indigene, the earth natives, the Others, who consider humans to be their prey.

Meg Corbyn is on the run. Having fled the facility where she was being kept by her Controller, Meg is desperate to find a safe place where she can hide for a few days. Meg is a cassandra sangue, a blood prophet, a person who can see the future when her skin is cut. This makes her very valuable to those who are chasing her. Seeing a sign at the Lakeside Courtyard for a job as Human Liaison, Meg decides that maybe hiding with the Others is the safest place she can be for a few days. Simon Wolfgard knows there's something different about Meg, she doesn't smell right and she's obviously hiding something, so he reluctantly gives her the job to buy himself time to solve what ever mystery it is she's hiding. Besides, the Courtyard really does need someone who can interact with the humans in the area, even if only for a few days.

Slice of life meets paranormal fantasy! I don't know how Bishop managed it but she pulled it off. The story is one beautifully written slow burn that focuses on Meg's daily life of mail delivery as she adjust to her new role as Human Liaison for the Others and learns about the world outside the compound she escaped from. I can see how this could be frustrating for some readers as the plot moves at a glacial pace. I quite enjoyed spending my time with Meg going about her day and learning about both the world and the Others right along with her.

Meg is definitely not your typical heroine. Given that she's been sheltered her whole life, only learning through training videos and other imagery, Meg retains a childlike innocence about her. In some ways her lack of a typical upbringing is a benefit as it gives her a completely different perspective of the world and the Others, allowing her think of solutions to her unique situation that most people likely wouldn't have. It also turns laugh out loud funny at times with some of the odd reactions she has to basic things we take for granted. Meg's courageous, forthright, intelligent and genuinely cares about others no matter what their species. I liked her a lot.

The Others of the Courtyard were a genuine treat to get to know. Bishop has given the standard paranormal creatures a great twist as they identify much more with their beast and elemental natures. This lends an eerie atmosphere to most of the story as these beings are definitely NOT human and barely understand the basics of humanity. Simon, Sam, Tess, the ponies, Vlad and all the rest were a lot of fun to watch how they reacted to Meg-the-not-prey and learned to care about her in their way.

Most unique is there isn't any romance. I honestly have no idea when the last time I read a paranormal fantasy that didn't have romance in it. It was a refreshing choice even if I could see something happening between Meg and Simon in future books.

Even though this is a slow burn that does not mean there isn't any action. The violence of the Others is bloody and can be disconcerting when you realize that humans are their food of choice so nothing goes to... waste.

I quite enjoyed spending my time with the Others. I look forward to continuing along with Meg and her adventures in the next book.

Rating:

19. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie



And Then There Were None is Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery/psychological thriller where ten people are lured to an island under false pretenses and murdered one by one as described in a nursery rhyme. It's no wonder she's often described as the Queen of Crime Fiction!

This was a very twisty mystery that was an interesting examination of the psychology of what happens to all the people on the island. Is there a murderer among them? Who is the killer? The tension continues to mount with each death as the remaining guests get more and more paranoid as there are less and less of them. The killer was not who I expected at all! I don't think there's any way to solve this one on your own. It's a fairly short book that's perfectly paced and turned into a nail biter by the end.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Dan Stevens. He does an amazing job of bringing all the characters to life. I love his narration style.

Rating:

Edited to fix the touchstone.

And now I'm full WFH. I'm grateful to be able to do so when so many people have been furloughed or outright losing jobs. I hope everyone is hanging in there and staying safe!

>78 Narilka: Written in red is one of my favourite books! I'm glad you loved it too.

>81 Sakerfalcon: It took me time to get over the cutting aspect of the story. For some reason just the idea of that practice makes a panic knot in my brain that I have to calm and loosen before I can let any story in. I understand that it's good to have stories that address what's really happening with young people, in fantasies as well as other YA books, but, my did I find that a shock. Now that I've calmed myself down, I realized there are some YA fantasy issues that bother me a good deal more such as in the entirely unexamined classism of Lili St Crow's Tales of Beauty and Madness

>81 Sakerfalcon: Did you read the whole series? Are the two add on books worth it? I was thinking to do just the 5 with Meg.

>82 quondame: I can see how that could be disturbing. Maybe I should add a cutting warning in my review.

>83 Narilka: I've liked all of the series and additional books out so far.

>79 Narilka: Have you watched any of the movie/mini-series adaptations? I enjoyed the 2015 miniseries and at some point I plan on watching the 1945 movie...

>85 BookstoogeLT: Nope. Time to look some of them up.

>83 Narilka: I still have to read Etched in bone but I've already acquired the next two related books! I like the idea of staying in the same world but following different characters and communities.

20. The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop



The Queen's Bargain is the 10th book in the Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop. I was so excited when I heard this book was going to be released as I have missed these characters and I thought the series was completed. I think this is a case of "be careful what you wish for." I'm not going to attempt a synopsis as there's no way I could do it without spoilers since the plot of this one is fairly simple. Needless to say the story focuses on Daemon, Surreal, Lucifer, Marion and introduces two newer characters in Jillian and Dillon.

Ok, I'm just going to say it. In may ways this story feels like a light weight retread of things that have gone on before, one that captures some of the story previously without much of its heart. The first half of the book feels very YA instead of the very adult tone of the original trilogy. The second half picks up and begins to feel more Black Jewelsish though never quite reaching the same level as prior books. Still it is a lot more enjoyable than the first half.

I love these characters and this world and was so bothered when many of these characters were NOT acting like themselves. Since when does Surreal run from a fight? Why does Daemon always have to be walking the edge of the Twisted Kingdom? He's so much more interesting when he can act like the strong lead he is. Thankfully Luciver is still Luciver. I really did not like Dillon's character much though I could at least sympathize with his situation to a certain extent. Jillian I have conflicted thoughts about, but that's mostly due to how Bishop handles maturity in the long lived races in this book, which I don't remember previously.

Still, there are some excellent moments. I would dearly love a short story about Perzha, the Queen of Little Weeble, and her sunlight allergy. You can also never go wrong with the Scelties. There are some truly touching family moments in the Yaslana household. And even though I was dubious at first, it was great to go back to the misty realm to visit with Witch.

This book is definitely for die hard fans of the series, one of which I admit I am. In some ways I'm glad I read it. In others, I wish I'd stopped with book 9. Still I just know if a book 11 is ever written, I'll have to read it too!

Rating:

I hereby dedicate this weekend to catching up on reviews! My motivation has been lacking with everything else going on in the world. 3 reviews to go :)

>89 Narilka: Way to be so positive! I always think "Now I have time" but then I procrastinate and never quite catch up ;-)

>90 BookstoogeLT: LOL thanks! You can dooo eeeet. I think 2 of the 3 won't be too bad. I finished Vita Nostra today and I have absolutely no idea how to review it. Usually I have an idea even if it takes me a week to get it written out. Speculative fiction about metaphysics... it's a weird one that I have to mull over a lot more.

>90 BookstoogeLT:, >91 Narilka: When I first started to write reviews, nobody explained to me this concept that you didn’t have to write your review the second you finished a book! ;)

In all seriousness, I do that mostly because I don’t trust my memory to remember enough specifics to write about whatever I wanted to write about. Plus I like to capture how I felt at the moment I finished. But I imagine forcing your brain to think back over what you read a few books ago well enough to write about it helps the details stay in your memory longer than if you wrote it right away and moved on?

>92 YouKneeK: I used to do that, not start a new book until I finished my review. Now I jot down thoughts and feelings in a digital note pad either as I go and/or, at a minimum, my immediate reaction upon finishing a book. (Vita Nostra's final note was "WTF just happened" lol) Then over the next couple days I add to it as my brain processes. Once I have a solid block of time, typically an uninterrupted hour or so, I review my notes and start writing out my review. I keep the book handy too in case I want to flip back through it for something specific. After the review is posted I wipe the file and start over again. When I get behind I'll have several files going. On occasion I do finish a book and know EXACTLY what I want to say about it. At those times I write the review then and there. It doesn't always get posted immediately though if I have a previous review I need to finish up. Reviews are posted in book completed order regardless :)

For me it's similar to watching multiple tv shows at once. I'm not big on TV binging, though there have been exceptions, so I tend to rotate episodes between a few shows. Usually I can keep the stories straight for what happened last time easily enough.

21. Changeless by Gail Carriger



Changeless is the second in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. This review contains minor spoilers for book one.

Lady Alexia Maccon, formerly Tarabotti, has settled into her dual role as Wife of Lord Maccon and Muhjah for the Queen. All is going well until one morning Alexia wakes up to find her husband has left for Scotland to attend to a family matter without telling her. As if that's not enough a sudden streak of humanity has come over the supernatural population of London. The condition appears to be similar to a soulless's affect on the supernatural except it affects a large geographic area at once and doesn't require physical contact. As suddenly as it starts the condition vanishes, leaving a lot of questions and a plethora of exorcised ghosts. Alexia is on the case!

The story starts off very slow and takes a good two thirds of the book for the plot to really get going. Much of the fun of the first book was enjoying Alexia and Lord Maccon's flirty banter, which was gone for a good portion of the book. Instead, we're introduced to a couple new characters and Ivy Hisslepenny is given a lot of page time. So are her horrible hats. As great as Alexia is she really needs a good supporting cast that can keep up with her mental gymnastics. Ivy was annoying and an airhead for most of the book, seemingly around mostly for comic relief, something that she did not come across as in book one. Thankfully there is Madame Lefoux, who is a much better foil for Alexia, even if her sexuality is dealt with in a heavy handed manner. She was fun to get to know.

More time is also given to gadgets in this one which helps this installment feel a bit more Steampunk than the first. Alexia is quite dangerous with her new parasol! It also must weigh a ton to house all secret compartments and goodies stored within them. James Bond would love this parasol.

The whole thing ends one one big bombshell. I'm glad I already have book three downloaded.

Rating:

>94 Narilka: How romance-y are the Carriger books? I find the concept intriguing, but I'm not a fan of romance novels in general, and I've found fantasy romances to be unreadable (for me, no judgement on anyone who likes them).

>95 libraryperilous: Romance plays a role in the plot of the first one and there is a pretty steamy sex scene though I would not classify it as a pure romance book. It's greatly toned down in book two though there are a couple husband and wifely scenes.

>96 Narilka: Thank you!

22. The Alchemist and the Amaretto by Annette Marie



The Alchemist and the Amaretto is the fifth in the Guild Codex: Spellbound series by Annette Marie. It's the holiday season and many members of the guild are out of town to visit relatives. The Sinclair family always throws a holiday party at the world-renowned mage academy they run. Since Aaron invites Kai and Ezra to join him every year, Aaron also invites Tori along so she won't be alone for Christmas. Things seem normal enough until students start being attacked on school grounds, unexplained animal tracks are found in a nearby woods and rumors of a rogue alchemist begin circulating. Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy.

Yet another enjoyable time spent with my favorite mages and their fiery redheaded bartender. This story has a more subdued tone as the humor was toned down. I think I've also read too many werewolf themed books in a row so some of the plot felt a little predictable. Tori continues to give sass and kick ass, both literally and figuratively, which never gets old. The story ends with a great set up for book 5. I can't wait to find out how Tori solves that tricky situation!

At this point the author has also started a spinoff series, Guild Codex: Demonized. Given events in the last two Spellbound books I could easily see the two series be either intertwined or at least contain information important to Tori's story. I'm going to start mixing those books in between the audio releases for Spellbound.

Rating:

March series update!

Started: 1
The Others
Metamorphosis
The Belgariad

Completed: 1
Black Jewels

Progressed: 1
Parasol Protectorate

Abandoned: 1
Metamorphosis

>99 Narilka: Good to know there is a Belgariad review coming!

>100 Karlstar: Yep! Soon :)

23. Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko



This review has been so hard to write. I'm not entirely sure if it will make sense to someone who hasn't read the book. I am making an attempt anyway.

At it's heart Vita Nostra is a story about that period of time of the early transition to adulthood, that 17-20ish age range, and just how terrifying that time truly is. All while being wrapped in a speculative fiction story about metaphysics. Never before have I felt a book's description has left me unprepared for what I was about to read. Yes, Sasha is chosen to attend a special school after completing some bizarre tasks for a mysterious stranger. And yes, that school could be considered magical if looked at a certain way. A Slavic Harry Potter this is not. I have been told a closer comparison is The Magicians though I have not read those books so couldn't say for sure.

Vita Nostra is easily one of the strangest reads I've experienced in a long time. The plot is deceptively simple. It doesn't follow standard story writing at all. There is no antagonist, no conflict as such, characters are semi-cardboard, there is a heavy undercurrent of fear and terror throughout. In any other book this would have seriously bothered me and yet here it is fascinating, engaging and makes for an almost compulsive read. Even with a slow pace I kept finding myself turning pages long after I should've turned out my light each night. It is a deeply philosophical read, heavy on the existentialism, and utterly brilliant.

For most of the book we are just as confused and in the dark about what's going on as Sasha is and we discover it right along with her. Once enlightenment is achieved, things get really weird! Metamorphosis is necessary. The ending is deliberately left open to interpretation.

I could see this as a love it or hate it book depending on how much you enjoy a Kafkaesque style. It also appears to be the start of a series. Based on Google translate of the summaries of the other books, the rest of the series seems to be completely unrelated and are not yet translated to English. This reads well enough as a stand alone.

So why three stars? I rate books on the enjoyment of my reading experience. Given the current state of the world and the underlying terror inherent in Sasha's story the book tended to trigger the generalized anxiety I have at the moment. I think I'd like to reread this again in a couple years and see how I do.

Rating:

24. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings



March 2020 Reread: These books are the ultimate comfort read for me. I've read these books so many times that the characters are like old friends I haven't seen in a while. It is exactly what I needed to read during these troubled times. Adding a star for how much joy reuniting with Garion and friends brought me. Review from 2012 below.

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Garion is a farm boy living in a quiet part of Sendaria with his Aunt Pol. One day a vagabond storyteller, whom Garion names Mister Wolf, visits the farmstead telling old tales of a dark god and magic. But that is just a story... or is it? When the storyteller returns a few years later with news of the theft of a mysterious object by a thief whom no-one will name, Mister Wolf and Aunt Pol must leave the farm to chase him down. Garion finds himself on an adventure that he doesn't quite understand.

This book is great for young readers. It has magic, adventure, mystery, humor and is fairly simple. It is one I reread from childhood every few years as a pick me up when things are rough or when I'm in the mood for a more relaxing read. I also recommend it for anyone interested in trope fantasy as Eddings hits most of them. The writing is not spectacular and the story not all that original, but I love it anyway.

Rating:

>103 Narilka: I have this book on my list to read one of these days. It sounds like, similar to the Feist books I just finished, it’s more enjoyable if you have some nostalgia to fall back on. I won’t have that, but I still want to try it eventually!

>103 Narilka: Glad to see it still has staying power :-D

>104 YouKneeK: You should give them a go. Only 5 books will feel like a breeze compared to Feist :D

>105 BookstoogeLT: For sure! I'll be finishing up the series in the second half of April.

>102 Narilka: Vita nostra is on my TBR pile. It sounds good. I will let you know what I think when I get around to reading it!

>106 Narilka: Haha, very true!

>107 Sakerfalcon: Hope you enjoy it :)

>104 YouKneeK: - yes it's similar to Feist, in feel at least. The plot goes elsewhere. Eddings is very much an introduction to fantasy, there's nothing clever or special about it, but it's easy to read well enough done not to raise hackles and has some good character banter. Fantasy-lite maybe. You never feel any character is in danger, there's no moral quandary, no grey areas. But it is fun. I've not gone back to read any for years, but maybe I should.

>78 Narilka: yes I really enjoyed these too. The later ones get a bit more branched out as various familiar characters move outside the Compound and hence they lose the focus a little that makes the first one so compelling, but still worth reading.

>110 reading_fox: That sounds like it really would be a great comfort read.

>103 Narilka: Good review, thanks! So hard to review those without giving anything away, but I think you summed it up nicely. I've re-read these quite a few times, I love the characters. When my wife is reading an old favorite like this and I don't want to give anything away, I always ask her if she's gotten to the part with the dwarves yet. That way she can tell me what's happened so far.

>111 YouKneeK: They are a great comfort read and very Feist-y. I'd never thought about that before, but now I'm struggling to differentiate the two in any substantial way. Eddings is more of a story teller, I guess? I'd also say Eddings built a more varied world for his setting and explores it more. There's also no dwarves or elves.

>112 Karlstar: Very sneaky! I like it :D

>112 Karlstar: I’ll have to make a point of fitting this one in -- after I’ve recovered from my recent Feist-a-thon and am starting to crave something with a similar feel again.

25. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop



Speak, Prophet, and I shall listen.

Murder of Crows is the second book in The Others series by Anne Bishop. The story picks up a couple weeks after events in the first book leave off and it builds brilliantly on the characters and world that were introduced. This book provides exactly what I hope from a sequel: more of everything. More action, more mystery, more suspense, more humor, more intrigue, more world building, more wonderful friendships and more Wolf treats!

Meg Corbyn has gained the trust of the Others and now resides permanently in the Lakeside Courtyard. She is settling in to her new life as she learns what it means to be human and... free. When Meg begins to dream of blood and feathers Simon Wolfgard knows her visions has something to do with the latest conflicts between humans and Others. It seems that Crows are being targeted and the violence is spreading.

As I mentioned earlier, this story takes us out of the Lakeside Compound and starts to show us nearby communities with hints of the world at large. The cast is expanding. While this continues to be Meg's story, it's great to see more supporting characters have bigger roles and gain more depth. I especially enjoyed how the Others are have come to accept and continue to adjust to having Meg's "human pack" around the Compound.

Also of interest is we gain insights into the Controller and some of his operations. What the other cassandra sangue have to endure is horrifying. I think the story ends on a hopeful note for all these girls in general. Only time will tell for sure.

The romance continues to be platonic for the most part and is absolutely charming as Meg and Simon realize how much they care for each other and learn how to deal with this fact.

This story has a wonderful balance. While the pacing continues on the slower side, there is enough humor to lighten up the dark parts, of which there are plenty. The main conflict is resolved well with just a enough left as a hook for the next installment. It made for a highly satisfying read. I'm looking forward to continuing on with Meg's story.

Rating:

Touchstones appear to be having problems. I'll fix it later.

26. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings



April 2020 Reread: Continuing on my Belgariad reread is such a treat. No matter what else is going on in the world, this series can absolutely take me away from it all. It's a relaxing and pleasant read even as I cringe at how much of a brat Garion is in this one! Review from 2012 below.

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Zedar the Apostate has stolen the Orb of Aldur in hopes of awakening the evil god Torak. Belgarath and Polgara are determined to take back the Orb before this god can be awakened and hope to avert a war. Along the way the party is joined by Hettar of Algaria, a man who can speak with horses, Sir Mandorallen, a Mibrate knight, Ce'Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tolnedra, and for a short while Lelldorin, an Asturian archer.

Queen of Sorcery is the second book of The Belgariad and picks up a couple of weeks after the end of Pawn of Prophecy. The cast of characters begins to grow and each is given a bit of background and small characterization. Ce'Nedra is easily the most fleshed out of the new additions and adds quite a bit of drama to the group, as a teenage girl might. We also get to see three new areas of the world and are given a broader idea of its people.

The pacing on this book is better than the first and the story becomes more cohesive for me. It is also the first time we see a character start to arc: Garion must face the truth of his heritage and accept the powers that control the party's fate.

Rating:

>106 Narilka: Only 5 books will feel like a breeze

10 books surely, not counting the later prequels.

>118 -pilgrim-: If you did both series, definitely 10 books.

>118 -pilgrim-: & >119 Narilka: 12 surely if you also include the two prequels featuring Belgarath & Polgara.

>120 AHS-Wolfy: Are the prequels any good? I'm afraid that I never got around to reading them.

>121 -pilgrim-: Not very good but worth reading IF you're desperate to know some of the history of Belgarath and Polgara.
Honestly, I consider them on the level of Redemption of Althalus, if that is of any help.

>122 BookstoogeLT: Hmm. I got about 20 pages into that, IIRC.

>121 -pilgrim-: I'm in agreement with >122 BookstoogeLT:. Though I never bothered with Redemption of Althalus so can't comment on that bit of the comparison.

>121 -pilgrim-: I've only read the prequels once each. I've read both the Belgariad and the Malloreon many may times. Your mileage may vary.

>122 BookstoogeLT: I though they were better than the Redemption of Althalus, which is one of my few 1 star books. It was horrible. More that Polgara and Belgarath's books basically repeat a lot of what has already happened and was written in the prologues for both series.

>125 Narilka: It wouldn't surprise me if they actually were. I went and looked and don't have a record of them in my reviews. Which means I read them when they came out. Been a couple of years :-)

>126 BookstoogeLT: I have hardback copies of both that I admire every time I visit my Eddings shelf :) Also last read at time of publication!

>122 BookstoogeLT: Ouch, they aren't that bad! Redemption was better than the Younger Gods series.

>127 Narilka: I do too! I haven't re-read them yet, but if they weren't in a box, I might now. A bit long-winded. I'm glad you are enjoying the re-read.

>127 Narilka: I wonder what you'd think of them now?

>128 Karlstar: The Dreamers was where Eddings and I parted ways :-D Those were horrible, weren't they?

I hadn't even heard of The Dreamers! My bailing point was The Redemption of Althalus, combined with my impression that The Diamond Throne and its sequels were just going to be a rerun of the Belgariad.

>130 -pilgrim-: I enjoyed The Elenium trilogy but the sequels, The Tamuli, was just bad stuff....

>128 Karlstar:, >129 BookstoogeLT:, >130 -pilgrim-: I parted ways with the Athalus book. I couldn't bring myself to even try The Dreamers because Athalus was so bad. I think that's the same time I heard the news that Eddings' health had taken a turn for the worst and even though the books had his name on the cover it was really his wife writing them. Which would explain the shift in writing quality/style.

27. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding



Think Pirates of the Caribbean but with airships. That's how Retribution Falls, the first book in Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay, felt to me.

Captain Frey knows this opportunity is too good to be true. Fifty thousand ducats to steal a chest of gems is unheard of! That's just too much money to pass up though. Even though he knows it's a bad idea, Frey takes the job. He and his crew plan the heist that will make them all very, very rich. Until, that is, the heist goes wrong and the freighter they are targeting blows up leaving the crew of the Ketty Jay as prime suspects.

This book has a lot of things going for it. I liked the concept. The world building is interesting, similar enough to Earth to be familiar while also being completely different. Retribution Falls definitely is Tortuga for airships as an example. I see this book categorized as "steampunk" a lot though I'm not sure that's accurate since nothing is steam powered and nor did it seem to take inspiration from Victorian styles. Retro-futuristic with some magic might be closer.

The Ketty Jay is crewed by an odd mix of misfits. Led by the selfish and cowardly Captain Darian Frey, each crew member's history is gradually revealed throughout the story. Frey is a womanizer and terrible poker player. Jez the navigator doesn't seem to require normal human needs. The doctor is an alcoholic who is refuses to perform surgery. A passenger, who is also a daemonist, has paid his way with an enchanted sword. There are a couple of pilots and the silent but loyal engineer who can fix anything. Also a golem named Bess and the ship's cat, Slag. While their backgrounds are interesting and lay a great foundation for some fun personalities, mostly they didn't live up to their potential and none of them a really that likable other than Bess and Slag. Especially Bess. I was just starting to warm up to the rest of the crew by the end so perhaps it gets better with the rest of the series.

The story takes a while to get going. Once the main plot is set in motion and everything goes sideways, it turns into a fun little romp for the Ketty Jay crew to stay just ahead of the hangman's noose while they figure out what went wrong. It's a fairly standard story of this type, a little predictable in places, but still made for an entertaining tale.

Rating:

>133 Narilka: Steampunk gets tossed at almost anything with airships. Not sure why publishers are so sloppy with their genre designations :-/

>128 Karlstar: >130 -pilgrim-: >132 Narilka: You picked the right time to stop reading Eddings. The Dreamers were not good at all. Horrible might be an accurate description, I really wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

>131 BookstoogeLT: The Elenium was great, The Tamuli was disappointing. I'm a Sparhawk fan but that was too much!

How would you define steampunk then? I have taken it as a combination of tech level (early industrial) and attitude (protagonists have a lax attitude to the legality of their behaviour). I have not considered actual combustion engines essential.

I think I'm more likely to read Belgariad and Polgara than the whole 10 books again. I too enjoyed Elenium, maybe I should re-read it again soon.

>136 -pilgrim-: To me, steampunk usually has a focus gadgets/technology, uses steam power and clockworks but not always, and a heavy Victorian influence, especially with fashion. I'm sure there are other takes.

This is a decent quick read: http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/what-is-steampunk/

28. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter



The Rage of Dragons is the debut novel by Evan Winter and the first in the estimated 3-4 book series The Burning. Originally self published, Orbit was quick to pick the series up once it started to gain popularity on r/Fantasy. Turns out that was a very smart decision. This is one unique start to a fantasy series.

Two hundred cycles have passed and the Omehi people are fighting a war they cannot win, holding their lands on the shores of Xidda through the strength of their army and the powers of their Gifted. Tau is a Common, destined to fight and die in the endless war if he can pass the test to enter the military. If he fails he will be destined to become a Drudge, the lowest of the low in society. While Tau does not desire either choice he concocts a plan that will let him enter military training and yet avoid having to join the war effort. Before Tau can put his dubious plan into action his father is brutally murdered. Tau's grief quickly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge Tau sets off on a path to turn himself into the best warrior the Omehi have ever seen all for the chance to kill those who betrayed him.

There is a lot to like about The Rage of Dragons. The action is constant and cinematic. The world building is brilliant. Taking inspiration from African culture, Xidda has a unique, scorched-Earth feel, though it's initially hard to tell if the land is supposed to be this way or not. There is a lot of vocabulary to learn if, like me, you haven't read many African inspired books which tells me I really should go look up more of these to read. The magic system is fascinating. Gifted are female-mages only who can tap into the power of the underworld to perform feats of magic, including summoning dragons to fight on their side, though it comes at a steep price. The Omehi are failing as they lose warriors and Gifted faster than they can replace them. There are also hints at a greater history for the Omehi that I can't wait to find out more about.

What dampened the enjoyment of the book for me was the main character, Tau. He is a reluctant hero. Tau starts off as a young man with humble aspirations to avoid the war and live a simple life, with a wife and children. Once tragedy strikes Tau becomes completely obsessed with his desire for revenge. He tends to act on impulse, making rash decisions to just kill any time he sees one of the people on his list and constantly puts himself into situations that are self defeating and outright harmful to those he cares about. He is rude and horrible to people who disagree with him and has one especially harsh scene with Zuri where I wanted to slap him. He's very lucky others around him can stop things before they go too far and that his friends are loyal despite his actions. Yes, Tau is young and yes, this is somewhat believable. Tau's determination and work ethic are to be admired. It's just his constant outbursts made it hard for me to feel sympathetic towards the character. I truly hope Tau will mature as the series progresses. That would be a wonderful hero journey.

This was a promising start to a new series. I am curious as to where the story will go and am looking forward to the next installment.

Rating:

>139 Narilka: Just from your little description here, I want Tau to die a horrible, drawn out death. I think I better pass on this book/series :-D

>140 BookstoogeLT: What if @Narilka gets to the end of the series and tells us that he did die a horrible, drawn out death? Then it might be perfect for you! ;)

>140 BookstoogeLT: Happy to help!

>141 YouKneeK: Book two comes out this summer so we will see.

>141 YouKneeK: Nahh, then I'll just feel justified in my feeling but also in the fact that I avoided the series. I like poetic raw justice for my villains, not the main character!

>142 Narilka: Every book crossed off means less that gets added to the monster tbr. What an uncontrolled beast that thing is, eh?

29. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings



April 2020 Reread: Even with Ce'Nedra's POV chapters this remains my favorite in the series so far. I find her highly irritating in this read through! Still, there's no better way to get through stressful times than a comfort re-re-re-read :) Review from 2012 below. Wrapping my synopsis in spoiler tags as it basically is the whole plot of the book.

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Her Imperial Highness, Princess Ce'Nedra, jewel of the house Borune and flower of the Tolnedran Empire, was confused. Everyone knew the tale of the Orb of Aldur, a magical artifact that protected the West from the evil god Torak, was just a legend. After all, no one really believes in sorcery do they? And yet Garion's aunt and grandfather appear to be the sorcerers Polgara and Belgarath. Not only that, even Garion is beginning to do things that can only be called sorcery. But Garion is nothing more than a farm boy. Why does he fascinate her so?

Two prophecies, made thousands of years ago are approaching and the moment is nigh when only one will hold true. Garion is only now beginning to understand the part that he will play in the future of the world. Ctuchik, the Grolim High Priest, has taken the Orb from Zedar. Before the party can go after him, Belgarath is summed to the Vale of Aldur by his master to receive instructions for their quest. The journey takes them through the haunted land of Maragor, where ghosts of the slain roam, on to the Veil and through the mountains of Ulgo. It is here that Ce'Nedra must be left behind to protect her life while the others continue on to retrieve the Orb. Since she must stay behind Ce'Nedra can't be there to watch over Garion. He might be killed!

Magician's Gambit is the third book of The Belgariad. The first portion of the story is told from Ce'Nedra's point of view. It was interesting to see Garion and the party from another view point. The best part of this comes from a conversation between Ce'Nedra and Mandorallen when they discuss the various social ranks of everyone in the party.

We pick up one new party member, Relg, a religious fanatic. At first he adds a discordant note to the party, constantly pointing out the sins of others and berating himself for sins he has supposedly committed. As the story gets going, he proves how valuable his unique skills are and, if not actually becomes likable, he at least starts to fit in better.

This is my favorite book in the series. Two of my favorite parts in the series both happen in this book: the birth of colt in the cave and the end battle. It is also the only book in the series that ends in a semi-cliff hanger. Even though I've read it so many times I always find this book hard to put down.

Rating:

Ooo! There's a Spring treasure hunt going on :) https://www.librarything.com/hunt.php?y=2020&m=04

>144 Narilka: I've often wondered about reading all 5 books as one large book and see how the story, and my patience, goes instead of breaking things up.

>146 BookstoogeLT: That is how I read it, on my first read.

>144 Narilka: And I loathed Ce'Nedra that time. I doubt my opinion of the whiny brat will have improved over the intervening years!

Edited to undo ravages of Autocorrect!

>145 Narilka: OK there went the half hour for which I had other plans, and I've only got 4 so far.

>146 BookstoogeLT: Historically that's how I've done my rereads of the Eddings books, though never the Belgariad straight on to the Malloreon. This is the first time I've broken the series reread up and... actually it's hard. I really want to go on to the next book each time :) Even though I started another book already, I'm debating putting it aside to read book 4 now.

>147 -pilgrim-: Yeah, probably not. She's never been my favorite character. Those were always Silk and Belgarath. So far they are still Silk and Belgarath :)

>148 quondame: Good thing the treasure hunt is going for a week! I found 3 without help lol I need to see how far I can get with Google next. Then I'll hit up the hint thread.

>149 Narilka: Actually I read all 10 straight through. "But what happened next?" is one of their strengths.

Ah, Silk. :)

>145 Narilka:, >148 quondame: I am at that irritating stage where I have got all the clues without using hints, except for one (#6). I have no idea how to tackle it, but am reluctant to cave and go to the hints thread!

>144 Narilka: I bailed halfway through Book 4 of The Belgariad, mainly because I found Ce'Nedra so irritating! I haven't dared try a second attempt.

>151 -pilgrim-: Ah, that one I only knew because it made the rounds on some nature book lists a few years ago when it was published. I've not read it. The author also wrote a book about moss that I do want to read someday.

If you change your mind and want a real hint: Do an LT search for the three capitalized words that don't start each line.

>151 -pilgrim-: I count it as found by me if I google a pertinent line or two of the riddle.

>151 -pilgrim-:, >154 quondame: Google got my count up to 11 :) I'll look up hints to my remaining 3 tomorrow. Oddly enough #6 was one I managed to google.

>154 quondame: I am with you; I count it as "found by me" if I use Google. The dividing line between refreshing my memory and finding new information is too thin, and too easily blurred.

The important distinction is whether I got the answer from just me + the clue, out whether other brains had to be recruited to get me there.

Yay! Seven seedlings in my first go-round. I don't really have time to dig deeper or I think I could come up with a couple more. Thanks for pointing this out here, I don't visit other groups anymore, or the home page, so missed the announcement.

>153 libraryperilous: Thank you. I finally cracked and used your clue; I would never got that one without it. I am now tempted by a certain book.

Still don't understand the reference to banks in the clue though.

>158 -pilgrim-: You're welcome. I've just read a little about the title, and it does sound good. I don't understand the banks reference either, but I did find this blog post that might be a hint.

>159 libraryperilous: I see what you mean.

I also feel sad that what is described as the "dominant mode of education" as described there was very far from what I experienced in my own schooling.

I love these treasure hunts :) I was able to google to find one more. Finished off the remaining two with hints.

>161 Narilka: They always are fun, and I love @ConceptDawg's illustrations.

>160 -pilgrim-: Yes, mine was closer to the description in the blog. I don't know enough about pedagogy or education administration politics to speak eloquently on it, but I do know testing and generalized classrooms are even more in force today, at least in the US, than when I was a student.

>149 Narilka: >150 -pilgrim-: Mandorallen and Durnik for me. Really, I love almost all of the characters, but the ridiculous Mandorallen and the always steady Durnik are really done well. I'm surprised I haven't heard any votes for Aunt Pol!