Narilka reads in 2020 - Vol 2

Happy new thread! Volume 2 for 2020.

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
31. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
32. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop
33. Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
34. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings
35. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
36. Blameless by Gail Carriger
37. A Subtle Agency by Graeme Rodaughan
38. A Traitor's War by Graeme Rodaughan
39. The Dragon's Den by Graeme Rodaughan
40. Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron
41. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
42. Deadly Sweet Tooth by Kaye George
43. Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan
44. The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
45. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
46. Heartless by Gail Carriger
47. Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan
48. Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop
49. Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan
50. Saving Sadie by Joal Derse Dauer
51. Timeless by Gail Carriger
52. Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan
53. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
54. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
55. The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry
56. Location, Location, Damnation by Nick Moseley
57. The Self-Evolved Leader by Dave McKeown
58. Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

Fun Stats
Books Read: 58
Total Pages Read: 17230
Audio Book Hours: 104h 13m
Rereads: 9
TBR Challenge: 8/12

2020 Series Stats
In progress: 17
Up to date: 13
Completed: 8
Abandoned: 3

Mount TBR
Start 2020: 200
End 2020: ?

TBR Challenge

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

8/12

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 Completed 7/16/2020
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 Completed 5/2/2020

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: 8
Abandoned: 3

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 - 2/9
The Empire Trilogy - 1/3
Lighbringer - 1/5
The Guild Codex - 5/7
The Metaframe War - 3/5
Joe Ledger - 2/11
The Lord of the Rings - 1/3
The Brackenford Cycle - 1/4
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Witch of Edgehill - 2/4

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2021
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
Innkeeper Chronicles - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Darkwater Legacy - 1/1 - #2 TBD
The Hidden Legacy - 5/5 - #6 TBD
Paternus - 2/2 - #3 audio expected Sept 2020
The Goddess War - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Threshold - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Burning - 1/1 - #2 expected July 2020
The Book of the Ice - 1/1 - #2 expected 2021

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
The Belgariad - 5/5
DFZ - 3/3
The Others - 5/5
Parasol Protectorate - 5/5
Legends of the First Empire - 6/6

Abandoned in 2020
Metamorphosis - 1/3
Tales of the Ketty Jay - 1/4
Vintage Sweets Mysteries - 1/2

30. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings



April 2020 reread: Ahh yes, the slowest book in the series. Still an enjoyable read. And Ce'Nedra's still annoying though I think she has grown as a character by the end. Only one book to go! Review from 2013 below. My synopsys has spoilers for previous books so I'm tagging it.

------

The quest begun all those months ago at Faldor's Farm is coming to its end. The Orb of Aldur has been recovered. Now it is a matter of getting it to the island kingdom of Riva before Erastide. With Belgarath incapacitated by his fight with Ctuchik and Polgara concentrating entirely on shielding the child Errand, bearer of the Orb, leadership has been thrust upon Garion to get them to safety. As they journey across the lands, Murgo soldiers and Grolim sorcerers try to stop them. After that, however, Garion was sure that his part in these events would be over. But the evil god Torak begins to stir from his long sleep and the Prophecy has more in store for Garion than he imagines.

Castle of Wizardry is the fourth book of The Belgariad. The story picks up immediately after events in Castle of Wizardry. While a few events do happen to move the story along, this book focuses more on the characters than what we've seen previously. It is also the set up for the final book so reads more as the middle book in a series to me than the previous two. As we have less events happening, the book is a slightly slower read than those previous as well. This is also the point when Eddings has more characters than the story needs. A few get focused on while the rest fade into the background.

Two characters we were briefly introduced to in the last book become members of the party: Errand, an innocent child and unlikely thief, and Taiba, a slave woman the party rescues. While he plays a larger role in the second series, here Errand is primarily used as a plot device. He is the only true innocent on the planet and therefor able to touch the Orb. His name comes from "errand" being the only word he says as he tries to give the Orb to anyone he sees. His innocence is also used occasionally as a distraction to get others to do the right thing. Taiba seems primarily to be a foil to Relg. Being a slave her entire life, she has had a hard life and is unused to the outside world. She also represents the ultimate temptation for Relg: sin. It is through her that Relg starts to have a small character arc as he realizes that the world is not as black and white as he would like. Ironically, after the party gets to Riva, these characters pretty much fade into the background.

Garion continues to grow, transitioning from a typical teen to the beginnings of maturity. After his true heritage is announced to the world, Garion has no choice but to accept the role the Prophecy has laid out for him. It is with a mixture of relief and trepidation that he looks full on his destiny and choose the path that will save the most lives.

Ce'Nedra also begins her character arc. For the first time in her life she realizes that she is not the center of the universe and cares more for another than for herself. It is through this strength that she is able to complete the tasks set out for her by the Prophecy. It is good to see her as something more than a spoiled princess.

One of the downsides to The Belgariad is that Eddings sets up little side stories and then they don't go anywhere. It's a shame really as some of those stories could have been interesting. It is probably to keep things focused as many of those asides don't have much bearing on the overall plot but it still would've been neat as a way to revisit other areas of the world.

Rating:

Just dropping by to say hi!

>6 quondame: Hi! Good to see you :)

>1 Narilka: With the “Happy New Year”, I thought I’d gone into a time warp for a minute and we were starting the year over. ;)

>5 Narilka: I’m glad to see you’re still enjoying the Belgariad!

>8 YouKneeK: haha that's copy and paste for you! I'll fix it :)

>5 Narilka: I have to say, you are putting way more effort into these reviews than I'd ever think to do for this series. Makes me wonder if I should at some point add the Belgariad and the Elenium to my reading line up.
********
I just looked and holy smokes, it's been 18 years since I read the Elenium trilogy! I read the Belgariad back in '12, so that is good for a couple more years. Man, I had no idea it had been so long.

I guess I owe you some thanks for making me look at some actual dates instead of "fuzzy memories"!

>10 BookstoogeLT: Happy to help :D I honestly have no idea about when I read the Sparhawk books last. I don't reread them nearly as often as Belgariad and Malloreon. In a few years it will be the Malloreon's turn again. Unless I am in dire need of another comfort read sooner. With the current world state you just never know.

>10 BookstoogeLT: You made me curious. Last time I read the Elenium was in 2011. I don't have a date for the Tamuli it's been that long lol The thought doesn't excite me right now but I'll keep it in the back of my mind.

April Series Update!

Started: 2
Tales of the Ketty Jay
The Burning

Progressed: 2
The Others
The Belgariad

Brought up to date: 1
The Burning

Abandoned: 1
Tales of the Ketty Jay

>12 Narilka: Honestly, I wouldn't re-read the Tamuli if I was paid to. I read it when it came out and even then, as a teen I could tell how bad it was :-D

I am 3 book reviews behind again. I know what I have planned for the weekend LOL

31. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik



From the back of the book:

China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.

Based on that synopsis and what I remembered from the first book, I went into this one expecting a grand adventure in China for Temeraire and Laurence filled with political intrigue in the Chinese court, some aerial action and to meet new dragons. Instead this is primarily a travelogue with a meandering plot and not near enough dragons though I really enjoyed the ones we got to meet.

The voyage to China, which makes up almost 75% of the book, was long and tedious. There is some commentary on society around slavery and the treatment of dragons. For the most part though we're given the day to day of ship life, with plenty of descriptions of what everyone was eating and a little tension between the British and Chinese as well as the Aviators and the ship's crew. Mostly that felt a little like how the pandemic lock down has been feeling - people stuck together in a small space with no other outlet than to fight with each other over real or perceived insults.

The final quarter of the book, when Temeraire and Laurence finally arrive in China, was quite interesting and the ending felt rushed after spending too much time at sea. I loved seeing the differences in Chinese culture and how they incorporate dragons into their society. It is an eye opening experience for Temeraire and Laurence, one I hope they can take back with them to England for the benefit of the English dragons. The Chinese dragons were so much fun to meet. I wish we'd had time to get to know them more! As always I continue to love Temeraire and Laurence's dedication to each other. It is the heart of what makes these books special.

I already have the third book in my TBR though I find I'm not in a rush to read it since I think it will include yet another voyage. I will get to it eventually though when I am in dire need of something to fill the Temeraire-sized space in my heart.

Rating:

>16 Narilka: I read this whole series about 3 years ago and really enjoyed it at the time, but now the books are all blurring together in my head. I do remember though thinking that the travel tapered off and/or got more interesting after the book with that loooong boat journey.

>16 Narilka: I gave up on the series myself when it became evident it wasn't going to be an " All Action, All Dragons, All the Time" kind of series.

>18 BookstoogeLT: Heck I'd be happy with "dragon slice of life" considering Temeraire is such a charming dragon :) But yeah, if the 3rd book is similar to this one with the poor pacing that may be where I stop. I'll find out eventually.

>16 Narilka: I agree with >17 YouKneeK:, if I remember correctly the 3rd book got better, but I can't say it was more dragon-focused.

>20 Karlstar: Through #s5,6,7 I found that Lawrence really only had Temeraire as a resource, while Temeraire had mathematics. Those books are pretty draggy, and reminded me how wonderfully rich the lives of O'Brian's characters in the Aubrey-Maturin series.

32. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop



Do you know what happened to the dinosaurs? The Others is what happened to the dinosaurs.

Vision in Silver is the third in The Others series by Anne Bishop. Actions having consequences is a huge theme of the series and is really coming to light in this installment. This is also the book where the fact that events in a small area are having a lot more impact on the world at large than our characters first imagined.

Freed from their "benevolent ownership" the cassandra sangue are finding it difficult to adjust to the outside world. This is proving dangerous both for themselves and those looking to help them. Can Meg, first of her kind to ever escape, help? Meanwhile, tension are rising as attacks on humans and Others continue, with the Humans First and Last movement placing all the blame on the Others. Unfortunately their actions have not gone unnoticed.

I could not put this book down. Bishop has an amazing talent of balancing the horror with the tender moments. One of the atrocities committed made me incredibly sad and the reaction Meg had to it made me teary eyed. At that moment I could've used my own wolf pup to cuddle. It's also interesting how the story continues to ask who the real monsters are, with humans basically being the greatest threat to their continued existence as a species.

Meg, the Others of the Lakeside Courtyard and her new human friends continue to be a joy. It's fun that the Courtyard has accepted a "human pack" to go along with Meg. I also feel it's going to be very important to the human's survival in the future. The new cassandra sangue who likes to draw her visions into pictures offers hope that perhaps they might have another outlet for prophecy that won't result in their early deaths. I also enjoy Meg and Simon's growing fondness for each other and how they work out how to have a relationship.

That ending gave me chills. The humans are in a lot of trouble. Quite honestly, they deserve it. I can't wait to see where the story goes next. I both look forward to and somewhat dread meeting the Elders.

Rating:

33. Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke



Annie Duke offers up the idea that life is more like poker than chess. You can play the perfect hand, make all the right decisions and still get unlucky. Given the presence of uncertainty in every decision we make, even those decisions we feel fairly certain about, it's time to recognize that every decision is basically a bet and how thinking in this manner can give us a better process to make great decisions.

What makes a decision great is not that it has a great outcome. A great decision is the result of a good process, and that process must include an attempt to accurately represent our own state of knowledge. That state of knowledge, in turn, is some variation of "I'm not sure."

Duke uses the idea to lay out a framework to help us make better decisions on a daily basis. Ideas covered include: Understanding the concept "resulting" and how to decouple that from the decisions we make; how we form beliefs; the innate biases in our current decision making process based off our beliefs; how to adopt new habits in our decision making process; and how to be more truth seeking instead of just confirming our biases. Duke outlines these ideas in an easy to understand manner and uses examples from her own career as a professional poker player often.

I found this book thought provoking and plan to try out a few of her examples. It's also a case where I wish I had a print copy of the book instead of the audio so I could make notes more easily. I think I also need to add Predictably Irrational to my TBR.

Rating:

34. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings



Reread 2020: I have come to the end of my reread. It was highly satisfying and just what I needed during these stressful times. I am going to miss Garion and friends. Maybe I should pick up the Malloreon again soon. I added a half star to my rating this time around. Review from 2013 below.

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The quest was over. The Orb has been recovered and a king sits once again on the Rivan throne as Overlord of the West. Yet the Prophecy is unfulfilled. The evil God Torak is about to awaken and seeks dominion over all. It is up to Garion to face the God in a fight to the death to decide the fate of all mankind.

Enchanters' End Game is the final book of The Belgariad. It's a satisfying ending to the series. The book is fast paced and was a page turner for me. All loose ends are tied up nicely. The character banter in this book is in high form. The conversations were so much fun to read. Eddings let almost every character have fun with this, even some of the minor ones.

Rating:

>24 Narilka: Glad the Belgariad is still treating you so well. If you do read the Mallorean again, I'll be interested to see if treats you good too.

>25 BookstoogeLT: Sometimes you just can't beat an old favorite.

35. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling



Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of fairy tales from the world of Harry Potter as translated by Hermione Granger. There are five tales in all and they are absolutely charming. Even better than the stories was Dumbledore's commentary on the history and meaning behind each story. They have great lessons for wizards and muggles alike. Even the footnotes were fun.

I listened to the audio book performed by Warwick Davis, Noma Dumezweni, Jason Isaacs, Jude Law, Evanna Lynch, Sally Mortemore and Bonnie Wright. They do a fantastic job of bringing this collection to life. This audio is free for Audible members until Jan 2021. There's no reason not to give it a try.

Rating:

Dear lord this week has been rough. Venting post.

I received a text from my dad that my stepmom's aunt died from covid complications. It was quite a shock. I didn't even know she was sick! I also didn't know her well. My stepmom is devastated and I'm trying to be supportive, which is challenging long distance. I hate feeling so helpless.

My 20-year-old kitty hasn't been well. She's been losing weight and two days ago she stopped eating. I got an emergency appointment with the vet where, due to covid, I had to drop her off and wait for a phone call. I've been a wreck. My pets are family and if I'm feeling this traumatized with my little girl I can only imagine how a others must feel during this time facing a similar situation for a parent, spouse, child, etc. She's home now and doing very well. Bloodwork came back great. She has a bladder infection and an inflamed GI tract, the cause of which they're not certain of yet. More importantly we've created a conservative treatment plan for her and she's gobbling down food like crazy so I'm cautiously optimistic and incredibly relieved.

The team lead role I accepted at the beginning of the year is a managerial role and I had my first employee give notice today. The company as a whole has been undergoing significant changes, both covid and non-covid related, and it's been a strain for everyone. I know more resignations will be coming. I am genuinely happy for my employee, she's landed at a great place and it's a great move to further her career. It's just... I guess it's just an odd thing on top of everything else.

I am incredibly grateful that I already scheduled time off for next week. I am in need of a break. I hope everyone else is doing well. Thanks for letting me vent! Typing this all out has been cathartic.

>28 Narilka: I'm glad you pet outcome is looking up.

>28 Narilka: I’m sorry about your stepmom’s aunt, and all the trauma with your cat! I’m so glad things look hopefully for the kitty!

>28 Narilka: Sorry to hear everything seems to be piling up on you all at once! In those situations, even little things suddenly look bigger :-(

Hope your time off is restful...

>28 Narilka: I am sorry to hear that you are going through such a tough time.

I know that it is difficult to be supportive long distance, but it the fact that you are letting her know that you care, are are thinking of her, that is the most important thing.

Seeing your cat's health improve must be a relief. Don't let the bad stuff overwhelm you; hand on to the pieces of God news too.

Well poop, that was a week. Hope the time off will help.

>29 quondame: >30 YouKneeK: >31 BookstoogeLT: >32 -pilgrim-: >33 Bookmarque: Thanks everyone. I appreciate the support.

>22 Narilka: - I sort of lost the fun in the series about here, it's a very tricky balance between having the characters we love in the same setting which gets hard to continue for too long, verus spreading them out a bit into a wider world. I felt he transition to a wider world was too soon, and too large.

>28 Narilka: Sorry to hear you had such a rough week, but I'm glad to hear your cat is doing better. My daughter had to say goodbye to her cat last month, it developed a digestive problem that just could not be healed. The covid restrictions did not help.

*Hugs* for you from afar. Trying times for sure.

Sorry to hear all your sad news. It is hard to feel you are being effective when trying to give comfort from afar. I hope your kitty continues to do well and that you enjoy your time off. You deserve it!

Thanks again everyone for the well wishes. My old lady kitty is doing really well on her meds and is continuing to eat. Not as much as I'd like but progress. She also has a lot more energy, enough to be my morning alarm clock, tell me when the food dish is "empty" (if she can see the bottom it's empty regardless of how much actual food is in it) and exactly how many times a day she wants treats (so far 2-3 and, yes, I oblige). All encouraging signs as she acts more like her younger self.

My dad and stepmom reported they had a video funeral for her aunt and it was less than ideal. At least it's done though and there is closure.

>39 Narilka: I’m so glad your kitty is still doing better!

My previous cat was similar about the food dish being “empty” if she could see the bottom of it. My current cat, on the other hand, I don’t know what’s wrong with him. His food bowl can get almost completely empty and he doesn’t do a thing to let me know. (Or if he does, it’s so subtle that I can’t recognize it.) He’s never had a completely empty food bowl in his 6 years of life though, so maybe he just doesn't grasp the possibilities of an empty bowl. ;)

(Edited to add word accidentally omitted. Ok, I had to edit that post 3 times to get it right – I think I need to go back to bed!)

36. Blameless by Gail Carriger



After the bombshell ending of the second book I was definitely looking forward to continuing Alexia's story. Blameless, book 3 in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate, turned out to be just the right amount of fluffy fun I needed to get through rough week. This review contains spoilers for the previous books.

The story picks up a few days where Changeless leaves off, with a pregnant and shamed Alexia dealing with rejection by her husband. While I can understand Connall's scepticism over the situation, you'd think that the fact that Alexia's touch can turn a supernatural human might mean there's a chance he could become human enough to be able to father a child. As annoying has his reaction is it ends up being a good thing as it allows Alexia's strength of character to come shining through and her determination to understand the whole mess leads us on quite a fun journey to Italy. Homicidal mechanical ladybugs included!

The book opens with Alexia having breakfast with her horrible family, which definitely doesn't help the situation in any way. Poor Alexia! It is such a great display of Carriger's wit that I can forgive her putting Alexia into the situation on top of all the woes she's already dealing with.

I enjoyed the change of scenery and had a blast with Alexia's fraught filled travels to the continent. Separating her from Connall was a great idea as it gave other characters more page time, especially Floote, Madam Lefoux and Professor Lyall. There is so much more than just a reserved butler to Floote that I hope we get more insight into his character over the next two books. Professor Lyall has the unfortunate job of trying to keep a despairing and drunk Lord Maccon from embarrassing himself too badly. He also has a great chance to show off exactly why he is the pack beta. He'd be one heck of an alpha if he ever wanted the position! Ivy is not in the story as much which means we are subjected to a lot less descriptions of ugly hats. More of Madam Lefoux's past is revealed and her brilliance as a mechanical scientist is played up nicely. In fact I'd say that it is the secondary characters that brought the most to the story.

One of my favorite parts is that we finally see the origin of the series title, Parasol Protectorate. I love when books do that.

The story has has just the right amount of light-hearted silliness, sly wit and absurd attacks by ladybugs that I enjoyed the read immensely. I'm looking forward to seeing just how the infant-inconvenient continues to ruin Alexia's life.

Rating:

May Series Update!

Started: 1
The Metaframe War

Progressed: 4
Temeraire
The Others
Parasol Protectorate
The Metaframe War (x2)

Completed: 1
The Belgariad

Still working on reviews for the Metaframe books. I hope to have at least one posted today. I'm such a reviewing slacker :)

>42 Narilka: Reviewing is hard work. I try to do mine in batches so I can do it less often :-D

>43 BookstoogeLT: Yes it is!

37. A Subtle Agency by Graeme Rodaughan



Anton Smith thinks he's just another regular teenager living in a Boston suburb with his parents. About to graduate high school with a scholarship to play Hockey, Anton has no way of knowing that vampires are real and that his parents are exiles from an ancient secret society of vampire hunters. He certainly has no way of knowing that his parents are hiding an ancient artifact the vampires have been searching for, one of three items needed to unlock access to the Metaframe. And he definitely doesn't know that he carries a latent ability within himself waiting to be unlocked so he can join the secret war. All this changes with a knock at the door by a woman who claims Anton's family has been lying to him and she can reveal all their secrets.

A Subtle Agency is the first in The Metaframe War by Graeme Rodaughan. In the author's own words: "This book does not contain paranormal romance of any kind, and the only vampires who sparkle are those caught within the blast radius of a thermobaric grenade." The book is one action packed thrill ride pitting ramped up humans against vampires in a secret war over the fate of reality. It took a little bit for me to get into the groove but once I did it was an enjoyable roller coaster thrill ride. I got definite Blade vibes while reading this.

Poor Anton. He really has no idea just how much trouble is headed his way or the pivotal role he's going to play in events to come. It was fun learning about the secret shadow world with Anton, as details about his family history start to come out (like the fact that their last name is actually Slayne) and the beginning of his Order training. Anton is definitely a teenage boy though, with some anger issues and difficulty adjusting to his new reality. His rebellious streak lands him in trouble a couple times. We're also introduced to a few other characters. Of note are Li and Gang Wu, other hidden Order members who help Anton adjust to the new world he's living in. I liked both characters immensely. On the other side is Chloe Armitage, a general in the Vampire Domninion who has plots of her own. It's obvious that there is more going on that it seems as we only touch the tip of the iceberg of the various intrigues going on.

This is the author's debut work and it shows. Some of the dialogue, especially at the start of the book, doesn't feel natural. There are also some odd punctuation choices that were a little jarring and ruined the flow of an otherwise engaging story. They happened just often enough to be noticeable but didn't entirely pull me out of the action.

As we reached the book's climax the rhythm of the writing smoothed out and I was completely caught up in the heart racing action. Rodaughan sure knows how to writing exciting endings! I'm really glad I signed up for my book club's buddy read of the first three book story arc of The Metaframe War.

Rating:

>45 Narilka: Nice. That little blurb by the author is a huge draw for me. If you like the trilogy I'll have to give it some thought about adding this to my tbr

>46 BookstoogeLT: It's a 4 part story arc. The first arc is 3 books, which is what I read. Arc 2 is complete and is 2 books. Arc 3 is being written now as one longer book. Arc 4 he's projecting to be only one longer book also. I chatted up the author a bit on Good Reads as part of the buddy read. Fair warning, it's self published so if odd punctuation and awkward phrasing bothers you, you might want to avoid. He does consistently improve with each book. Otherwise it's a great vampire scifi thriller and he writes amazing action. I'll review the other two soon and you can decide if they sound good. The books are part of KU and even the straight up purchase price of the omnibus for Kindle is fairly cheap if I remember right.

>47 Narilka: I saw it was indie and that does give me pause. Might see if I can track down any reviews over on wordpress. Thanks.

38. A Traitor's War by Graeme Rodaughan



A Traitor's War picks up directly where book one leaves off, dealing with the fallout of events on the Boston docks. Vampire General Chloe Armitage has her own agenda to take over rulership of the Vampire Dominion and the Order's actions are dovetailing nicely into her plan. Anton and Li find refuge with an Order of Thoth team where they continue to train. What no one knows is there is a traitor in their midst, a Red Empire agent who may be what tips the balance of the stalemate for the Metaframe.

This installment is well titled. There is so much betrayal on all sides of what's turning into a highly complicated war. Plots within plots! Who is the Raven? Do they know they're just a pawn and being used by one of the other sides? There are so many splinter factions that it's

The characters are growing on me. Li and Anton are starting to mature, both as people and fighters. Their continued Order training is turning them into a formidable team. I'm quite curious about Li's new "aura" ability and hope it is explored more in the future. Chloe remains as mysterious as ever. I like the two different factions that are starting to emerge in Shadowstone through James Haley and Louise Wesson. Something tells me that Louise will have a bigger role to play as the story progresses. She has potential to be a key ally for the Order if only they knew. I enjoyed getting to know the Mirovar team and having our first look at an Order Loremaster with Juliette. I have no doubt the friendships Anton is starting to forge will serve him well in the fights to come. The insight into Cornelius Crane's background and unique ability are frightening. Luckily it seems to have a limit to it or he'd definitely be ruling the world already.

Once again the story builds up to an exciting climax, one that is breathless with the action and left me wanting more immediately. The authors writing also continues to improve as many of the odd punctuation is gone and the dialog has smoothed out.

Rating:

39. The Dragon's Den by Graeme Rodaughan



Hang on tight! The Dragon's Den, the third book in The Metaframe War by Graeme Rodaughan, is one bullet filled action thrill ride from beginning to end with very little time to catch your breath. Again, the story picks up right where the second left off without wasting any time. Ramin Kain, the head of the Order of Thoth, has been abducted and Team Mirovar is the only one in position to mount a rescue. It is obviously a trap but they must try to rescue Kain before he tells all the Order's secrets to their sworn enemies.

If you don't like Matrix-style cinematic action, give this series a pass. You have bullet dodging, sword swinging, tanks firing crazy action on nearly every page. Even with all of that going on we are still given several points of view, both of the action and of what's going on inside character's heads. I like the side characters that were given points of view to add depth to an already complicated situation. Another fun tidbit is we're treated to Chloe's origin story - the day she was turned to a vampire. She has been plotting her revenge and eventual freedom for a long, long time. It's great to have a villain who plays the long game well.

The book wraps up the first story arc of the series. It ends in a nice place with most loose ends tied up yet enough of a tease for what is go come. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Rating:

>50 Narilka: Well, you've convinced me! I'll be saving my amazon credits I guess :-D

>51 BookstoogeLT: Hope you enjoy! Looks like the Omnibus is $.99 right now too :)

On June 9th I had to make the hardest decision of my life and put my sweet Cameo to sleep. Her health went downhill so fast. I know in my heart it was the right thing to do even if I still feel guilty about it. I had her for half my life while she had me for almost all of hers. She was a very loving little girl who saved me just as much as I saved her if not more so. We had an incredible bond from the beginning that only deepened over time. She might have let other people play with her at times but I was her special human. I miss her terribly.

>53 Narilka: I'm so sorry for your loss.

So, so sorry for your loss! I've been there and it's the hardest thing. Hugs!

(((((Narilka))))) Been there, done that, too. Tears are close.

Oh dear, so sorry. What a beautiful girl.

Losing a pet is so rough

>53 Narilka: their lifespans are just too short. the best we can do is be there for them all the way, so that they never have to miss us. keep her in your heart so you never have to let go...

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the kind words.

>53 Narilka: Whether they be human or not, losing a friend is never easy. Sad you had to go through this.

>53 Narilka: I am so sorry. It's so hard...

I am afraid I inadvertently ignored your thread somehow (all thumbs and a tiny phone screen, no doubt) and now I have half a year's worth of posts to catch up on. And I think I'd better check ALL of my ignored threads to be sure I haven't accidentally thumbed anyone else into oblivion. :o( My apologies...

>53 Narilka: Very sorry to hear that, losing a pet is very difficult.

>53 Narilka: I'm so sorry about Cameo! I had a similar experience with my previous cat.

So sorry to hear of your loss. Pets are family and they work their way into our hearts.

Thanks again everyone. Your support means a lot!

Oh I’m so sorry you had to do that. It is the right thing but so damn hard. They take up so much room in our lives.

40. Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron



Night Shift Dragons is the final book in the DFZ trilogy by Rachel Aaron. The story picks up two months after where the previous book leaves off and we finally find out what happened to Opal and Yong. Winning her freedom from her dad's bad luck curse, Opal figured life could finally return to normal again. Instead Opal finds herself fretting over her dad's recovery and wondering what kind of trouble Nik has gotten himself into now. When you live in the DFZ, things can always get worse.

The focus on this one is definitely family and the father/daughter relationship between Yong and Opal. I absolutely loved every moment of it. Yong is just the arrogant dragon you expect him to be and yet they have so many touching moments. They obviously care for each other a lot. It lends a heavier emotional impact to the book than the two previous. I so wanted to join them on their family treasure hunt! Things turn tricky once Nik shows up as he's gotten himself into a hell of a lot of trouble while he was searching for Opal. Good thing they have a scheming dragon on their side to help come up with a way out of Nik's problem.

There are some great twists and turns. I did not see the reveal about the Gameskeeper coming even though I probably should have. It made so much sense! All the little cameos from Heartstrikers are highly enjoyable, especially seeing the Spirit of Dragons again. Amelia cracks me up.

The grand finale is spectacular, if a little on the easy side, and provides a nice ending to the series. I enjoyed my time getting to know Opal, Nik and the Great Yong. I'm very curious what else the author has in store for this world.

Rating:

>68 Narilka: That sounds like a fun series - oh look, it's on Kindle Unlimited and I 2+ months to go on my free trial!

>69 quondame: I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try.

Just reading this as I try to catch up.

*Hugs"

I am also just trying to catch up.

So sorry about your little friend.

>71 MrsLee: & >72 -pilgrim-: Thanks to you both.

41. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop



< Do you know what the Sharkgard call humans on a ship? >
< No, what? >
< Meat in a can. >

Tensions between the Others and Humans First and Last movement have been ramping up. It all comes to a head in Marked in Flesh, the fourth book in The Others series by Anne Bishop. Caught in the middle are the residents of Lakeside Courtyard, where Simon Wolfgard has taken on the task of protecting their own in the war to come.

I blew through this book in two days. This story kept me on the edge of my seat! It also made me sad as I knew going in approximately where this would go and yet held out hope that the HFL movement would come to it's senses. Simon had a rough choice to make and make it he did for the benefit of the entire Courtyard. It's nice to see Meg continuing to work through how to help the other cassandra sangue. The prophecy cards seem to be working so I hope this is explored more in book five. If I had one disappointment it is that I wanted to spend more time with the Elders. The scene with the Elders at the the police precinct was terrifying and I needed more like that! That was awesome. The other scenes with our main characters were good and tense but I wasn't really worried they'd pull through. Also very amusing that the Elders have a sense of humor.

While there are a few dangling story threads this did sort of feel like it could have been the end of the series. I'm curious what's going to happen in book 5. Rebuilding maybe?

Rating:

Have also taken an indirect BB, in that your review at >68 Narilka: inspired me to start reading Minimum Wage Magic.

>75 -pilgrim-: I hope you enjoy it! Please note it is a spinoff series. You can probably read the DFZ without reading Heartstrikers as the author provides all you need to know for the story. You'll just miss out on the fun cameos of previous series characters.

42. Deadly Sweet Tooth by Kaye George



I'm always a little sad when a book doesn't work for me, especially when it's one I think I should have liked. Deadly Sweet Tooth by Kaye George is one of those. This is a cozy mystery set in a small town in Texas that focuses on sweetshop owner Tally Holt. Tally is hosting a party for her parents who have just returned from a tour for their performing career when Fran Abraham, the town’s foul-tempered theater director, drops dead after a bitter confrontation with Tally’s mother. Tally's going to need her best friend Yolanda's help in unraveling this mystery.

The town and the shop are charming. Unfortunately I never really connected with the characters. Tally isn't a great sleuth. She hasn't even done the basics of looking into the helpers she's hired for the event, just trusting that everything in their applications is accurate. The main detective she sort of flirts with lacks personality and most of the supporting cast isn't given enough page time to have much depth. The ending is very abrupt, going from the discovery of the murderer to the after party celebration without very few details to fill in how Tally escapes their plot and how the murderer is apprehended.

I should note that this is the second book in a series and I haven't read the first one. Possibly more of the character backgrounds were provided there. That said, this book could have still used a few more chapters to help complete the story.

I received a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway.

Rating:

>76 Narilka:

I found the set-up a bit abrupt: "magic, vanished c. 1000 CE, it returned, suddenly, 2035 - OK, let's go".
Does an explanation develop later?
Or should I have read the Heartstrikers series for that?
Or am I expected to just "go with it"?

>78 -pilgrim-: The background on that is in Heartstrikers. I'm not sure it's even relevant for the second series considering that for Opal magic has been around quite a while (she's never lived without it) and I don't remember any pre-magic days impacting the story in any way. The other thing you might miss is the creation of Mortal Spirits. I think it's given a brief overview but now I just don't remember :)

>79 Narilka: That's fine. If it was covered elsewhere, then that's my fault for not reading that first. And if, as you say, it's not really relevant, then the is no problem.

>74 Narilka: Marked in flesh was great, wasn't it! I too now have Etched in bone lined up to read soon.

>81 Sakerfalcon: I'm both sad my time with Meg and the Lakeside Courtyard is almost over and looking forward to the book.

>81 Sakerfalcon: I feel the same, which is why I've put off reading it for so long!

June series update!

Started: 3
Vintage Sweets Mysteries
The Book of the Ice
Joe Ledger

Progressed: 2
The Others
Legends of the First Empire

Brought up to Date: 1
The Book of the Ice

Completed: 1
DFZ

Abandoned: 1
Vintage Sweets Mysteries

Reviews outstanding: 3. Will be 4 soon. Hope to get some, if not all, written over the long weekend.

43. Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan



Life had been the same for hundreds of years. Then the war came, and nothing was ever the same again.
-The Book of Brin

Age of War is the third book in the Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan. For those following along so far the title on this one should be a dead giveaway. This is the book where the war between Rhunes with their outcast Fhrey allies against the Fane and his Fhrey army begins in earnest.

Events pick up not long where book two left off and takes a bleak turn as both sides face the reality of an impending war. For the first half of the book we are treated to continued character building and just how hard a job Persephone and Nyphron have of holding their sides together along with the psychological toll this has been taking on everyone. Then we reach the point where the war starts and holy smokes! Long range planning and politicking all come to fruition in the midst of a pitched battle for the fate of the Rhunes.

If I'm being purely objective the plot on this is pretty standard fantasy fare. Where Sullivan elevates it is how much of an emotional punch this story packs. Sacrifice, a major theme in the series so far, is front and center along with betrayals and some genuinely heartwarming moments amid all the ugliness. There were several places where I had to keep reading through my tears.

The way this first main story arc ended I'm definitely curious to see where the rest of the series goes. I have so many questions! Hopefully some of them are answered in the second half.

Rating:

44. The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence



I loved the world and characters from The Book of the Ancestor so was excited when I heard Mark Lawrence was writing a second series set in Abbeth. Even more intriguing was that it was going to be set in the north where the world is entirely covered in ice and focus on a new cast of characters. The Girl and the Stars is the first in that series, The Book of the Ice.

Life on the ice is harsh. Only those with the right qualities can survive. Variation is dangerous and being different can be fatal for the whole tribe. Once every four years all of the ice Tribes gather at the Pit of the Missing where each of the children of a certain age group are judged by the priests. Those who are strong become adults that day. Those found broken, lacking what it will take to survive, are pushed into the Pit. Yaz has felt drawn to the place in the days leading up to judgement. When her brother Zeen judged as being different different and pushed into the pit, Yaz jumps in after him, surprised at what she discovers there.

My favorite thing about the story is the setting. The world under the ice is inspired. It feels at times dark, claustrophobic and menacing while at others it is beautiful and full of it's own kind of light. It's both alien and familiar. You never quite lose the sense that the characters are miles below the surface with unknown tons of ice above them adding another element of tension to an already perilous journey.

Where the story didn't work as well for me was just how YA the book felt. It came as a complete surprise as the book is being marketed as "adult" fantasy, which usually has a different tone entirely. The author's previous works which feature young protagonists are not YA at all so it's not just the age of the characters. I think it is this mismatched expectation that dampened my enjoyment of the story. I kept looking for something deeper that just wasn't there. This read more like a story aimed at teens.

Yaz is a typical YA heroine. She's likeable enough with some admirable qualities including bravery, determination and loyalty to her family. She's also the special chosen one, is able to master her special talent with no training and little practice, and is highly reckless in her pursuit of her goal, constantly endangering herself and others. I'm not sure why three of the other characters fell in love with her immediately - two were insta-love, the third was slightly more reasonable from having grown up with her, and all were jealous of each other to varying degrees.

The plot itself is fast paced and has a lot of action. There are many twists, turns and surprises around every corner.

You don't need to have read The Book of the Ancestor to enjoy The Girl and the Stars. Other than having a little more background, everything you need to know about the world is provided as part of the story. There aren't any character crossovers so far and it's unknown if we're even in the same time frame as Nona and friends.

Yaz's adventure ends in an action packed climax that leaves some of the characters literally hanging. I think now that I know this is more YA my expectations will be more in line for the rest of the series. I'm interested seeing what happens next.

Rating:

>86 Narilka: Thank you for that review. My copy of Grey Sister hasn't reappeared from the move yet (I was part way through, and intending to keep it on hand to read on journey, but someone helping zealously threw it in a random box at the last minute!) and I had been staying away from this until I could find that again. It seems that I don't need to.

>87 -pilgrim-: Since you've read the first book you'll have plenty of background. The important thing in the new series are the racial variants and their inherited quality. I hope you can find your copy of Grey Sister one of these days!

>86 Narilka: I just acquired a copy of this from a charity shop but was planning to wait until I'd read Grey sister and Holy sister, neither of which I own. Maybe I will skip ahead and read The girl and the stars first.

>89 Sakerfalcon: You'll probably be fine :) BTW, I started Etched in Bone. So far, so good.

45. Patient Zero by Jonathan Mayberry



Patient Zero is the first book in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Mayberry. Joe Ledger is a Baltimore Detective who gets recruited by a secret government agency to head up a special task force created to deal with problems that Homeland Security can't handle. The team's first mission is to stop a group of terrorists from releasing a bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies and save the world.

Apparently reading a book about terrorists creating a zombie plague during a real pandemic worked for me as I enjoyed the hell out of this book. The story was just the right mix of action, horror, humor and camp. Joe is a character you can admire and a great action hero. He's a natural leader, good at tactics and not afraid to show emotions. Joe also has doubts and other human flaws to help keep him semi-relatable while also being a bad ass zombie slayer. The supporting cast is a lot of fun. Church, Joe's new boss, is an enigma wrapped in a mystery that I hope only partially gets revealed throughout the series. Rudy, Joe's best friend and a psychologist, is a person I'd love to have as a friend in real life. Echo Team is tough as nails (even the one named Bunny), their scientist Dr. Who Hu has all the toys, the lady on the team can rescue herself and the bad guys are mad scientist geniuses.

I was impressed by Mayberry's research. The science behind the plague the terrorists create is based on reality which naturally I had to go look up. Prion diseases are terrifying - google at your own risk. Thankfully they are also quite rare. Here's hoping nothing like this ever becomes a pandemic.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. He is amazing as always. I look forward to continuing the series on audio.

Rating:

>91 Narilka: Haha… that cover! Sounds like a fun book despite the topic.

>91 Narilka: I read a Joe Ledger short story in one of Larry Correia's collections and it was good enough to convince me to add this series to my tbr. Glad to see someone else liking the first book. Makes me feel a bit more confidant about adding it to an already full plate :-D

46. Heartless by Gail Carriger



The Parasol Protectorate has become the series I read when I need some absurd silliness to lighten up a rough week. In that regards Heartless, book four of Alexia's adventures, hit the spot. Comically timed werewolf nakedness? Check. Foppish vampires? Check. A supernatural threat to be solved? Check. An 8 month pregnant Alexia getting into trouble? Check. A giant mechanical octopus rampaging around London? Check.

Did I mention this book is a lot of fun? I loved how much time we get to spend with Lord Alkedama, learning more about Professor Layll's history and working through poor Biffy's predicament. Connall's character is back to being supportive which is a nice change after two books of him being rather oafish. Having an 8 month pregnant heroine was unexpectedly wonderful. Alexia isn't one to let a little thing like being extra pregnant stop her from investigating the latest threat no matter how inconvenient the infant may be. My favorite scene is where Ivy is inducted into the "Parasol Protectorate." I was disappointed by Madam Lefeaux's story line as it seemed out of character and I could really do without any more of Alexia's horrible family.

I am looking forward to the final book in the series. I'm excited to meet Prudence and the sneak peek we're given of her powers.

Rating:

>93 BookstoogeLT: I'm hooked on Joe Ledger. The series is going into my audio rotation which means more reviews to come :)

47. Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan



I have always found it amazing that in the vast expanse of eternity, several significant yet unrelated events can occur simultaneously. Such things make we wonder what the gods know that I do not.
-The Book of Brin

Age of Legend is the fourth book in the Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan. It is also the point where the series takes a mythological turn as the story's tone and focus shifts. The war between Rhunes and Fhrey has been going for years and is now in a stalemate. While both sides desire an end to the war, one side desires peace while the other aims for nothing short of the extinction their enemies.

What I didn't realize going into the second half of the series is that these three books were written as one story and broken into a trilogy due to size. This entry definitely reads as one long prologue with a set up for the remaining two books to come. There are some interesting reveals and a seriously bad decision all to move various characters into place for what's to come. Just as everyone is in place and the plot gets going, it ends. Not just ends but ends in one heck of a cliffhanger. I'm glad I waited for the series to finish being published so I don't have to wait to see what happens next.

Rating:

48. Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop



History has proven time and again how much trouble one bad person can cause for an entire community and just how easily that trouble can get out of hand if it's not caught in time. Etched in Bone, the final book in The Others series by Anne Bishop, uses this idea as its main plot line. Communities that survived the Namid's teeth and claws are starting to rebuild. Through the efforts of Simon and Meg Lakeside Courtyard weathered the storm better than most and has managed to keep the peace between humans and Others in their small town. That fragile balance is threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery's shady brother arrives in town looking for a free ride and the Elders are curious about the effect one seemingly insignificant predator can have on a pack.

This series has become one of my favorites. I never imagined paranormal slice of life stories where humans are in constant fear of getting eaten could feel so cozy. I absolutely love these characters and this world. Twyla and Skippy stole the show for me and pulled on my heartstrings with one of the best scenes written about a youngster with disabilities that I've ever read. Monty's brother Jimmy is absolutely horrid and I couldn't wait for his comeuppance. Each of the characters have grown so much over the course of five books that they all have a place in my heart. This series is going into my reread list.

Meg and Simon's love story was wonderful. It has been the longest slow burn, understated romance and I loved every minute of it. If you are someone who enjoys a hot and steamy romance, you're going to be disappointed. For me the slow burn felt right for these characters.

This was a solid ending to the series. I'm going to miss these characters. Hopefully Ms. Bishop returns to write more about our Lakeside Courtyard someday. Or at least a short story about Skippy. I need to know now Skippy is doing!

Rating:

49. Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan



The good news is that death is not the end, but that is also the bad news.
-The Book of Brin

Age of Death picks up exactly where the cliffhanger ending of the previous book leaves off. It makes for an intense start to the book that unfortunately slows back down as the story splits to follow both events in the underworld and how things are going in the regular world.

This is a solid middle book where some forward plot progression is made, albeit at a slow pace. It also wraps up in a cliffhanger-style ending, though I didn't feel urgency of the previous book as I don't feel that the characters are truly in jeopardy. Everyone keeps making the abyss a big deal, how Trilos fell down it and disappeared but we know Trilos is in the garden so obviously the abyss is not the end of their existence. I am genuinely curious to see how these stories will come together for the grand finale and hope the question of who Lothian sacrificed to make his dragon is answered.

Rating:

50. Saving Sadie by Joal Derse Dauer



Saving Sadie is the story of how rescuing one horribly abused dog transformed lives of those who meet her. Sadie was discovered by some good samaritans in the woods where she'd been dumped after having been shot twice. Joal Dauer was making a regular donation stop to her local no-kill shelter where a depressed and injured dog caught her eye. Not really looking to adopt another fur-baby, there was something special about Sadie that Jaol couldn't ignore. And so begins a the story of how Joal was determined to help Sadie walk again while Sadie rescues Joal in the process.

Sadie and Joal's story is heartwarming and uplifting. It's great to be reminded at how transforming love, hope, compassion and persistence can be when combined to acheive a goal. What's even more amazing is how Sadie's experimental therapies were groundbreaking and helped advance veterinary science on how to treat paralyzed pets. Hopefully those learnings can translate into new treatments to help paralyzed humans in the future.

Rating:

And now I'm temporarily caught up on reviews :D

>100 Narilka: It never lasts!

>99 Narilka: That one is a bit tempting, but I'll restrain myself for now.

>100 Narilka: YAY!

>97 Narilka: Great review of Etched in bone and of the series. The extended cast of characters that surround Simon and Meg are what makes the books so great. I love how the humans and Others become a family as the books progress. And I agree 100% with you about Simon and Meg's relationship. Anything more explicit or faster-moving would not have been true to either character or their experiences.

51. Timeless by Gail Carriger



Timeless is the final book in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. The absurd silliness continues along with all of Carriger's trademark wit. The worst play ever featuring a bumblebee? Check. Chaotic toddler bath day? Check. A trip to Egypt to solve a mystery? Check. Meeting the oldest vampire in existence? Check. A plot? Um...maybe, sort of?

Two years have passed. Prudence has grown into a precocious toddler, the delight of all her parents and an utter terror to the dandies tasked with keeping an eye on her. Biffy finally comes into his own and I enjoyed his story line immensely. Biffy's induction into the Parasol Protectorate was every bit as entertaining as Ivy's in the previous book. Ivy has finally grown on me and I'm interested to see if her new status will have an impact in a future series set in this world. Poor Floote, that wasn't what I expected. Madam Lefoux again was a disappointment as she was along for the ride without much to do. Lord and Lady Maccon have their hands full managing toddlers, vampires, werewolves, an acting troupe and each other. They also end up in a nice place with their future together secured.

If someone were to ask me how to describe this book, and the whole series for that matter, I think it can be summed up nicely with the following quote: "Dandelion fluff upon a spoon." Unlike previous installments, which did seem to have some sort of plot to them, Timeless reads more like a series of character moments. This was a nice way to show where all our favorite characters end up, and loose ends are dealt with, yet lacks that extra something to give the experience a little more depth.

I admit I'm having a hard time rating this one. It's outright hilarious and has a weak plot at best. If I was rating on humor alone it would easily be a 5 stars. Still, it's a fun ending to a fun series. I think I'm going with 3.5 stars and reserve my right to change my mind later.

Rating:

I have two more book reviews outstanding, and will get to them eventually. Before that though I wanted to mention that I decided it's finally time to rerereread The Lord of the Rings. I am a bad Tolkien fan! I think the last time I reread the series was before the first Peter Jackson movie released in 2001 which means I am long overdue. I'm two chapters in to Fellowship and am realizing how much watching the movies has affected my memory of the books. I had completely forgotten that one of my favorite quotes happens much earlier in the story.

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

That quote feels incredibly relevant during these trying times.

I know Karlstar has done a reread recently with movie comparisons. I'll have to go back through his posts as I finish each book :)

July series update!

Progressed: 2
Parasol Protectorate
Legends of the First Empire (x2)

Completed: 3
The Others
Parasol Protectorate
Legends of the First Empire

Reviews outstanding: 2

I can't believe it. I didn't start any news series in July :) I won't be able to say that of August.

>105 Narilka: I agree with both the timeliness of the quote and with how the movies have somewhat messed with my memories of the books. I've learned to somewhat compartmentalize them both, but they do leak into each other.

>105 Narilka: Yep, the movies have affected a whole generation of fans (hopefully for the best). I figure as long as they brought in some more fans for the books, they succeeded.

>107 clamairy: It is my hope that as I read my brain will eventually stop making comparisons :) And that I can rebuild my "book" compartment to compliment the "movie" compartment.

>108 BookstoogeLT: I agree. More fans of the franchise is great!

>105 Narilka: I too love that quote. I remember when I saw/heard it in the movie, it put me in tears, mostly because 911 had just happened, and so much of it seemed relevant to the times we were in. That is the beauty of Tolkien. He speaks to the heart and so to all ages.

>110 MrsLee: Yes he does. The best stories do :)

52. Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan



All too often, that which we are most certain of is that which we are most wrong about; and that which we are wrong about can change everything.
-The Book of Brin

It has been a long journey. What was started in Age of Legend comes to a conclusion in Age of Empyre, the final book in Michael J. Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. I can't say the story comes to an end as history has no end. As far as this series goes this is a satisfying, if melancholy, conclusion. I've grown fond of some of these characters and the Book of Brin quotes. I will miss them.

The story picks up immediately where the cliffhanger of the previous book leaves off. As I suspected, the abyss is not the end of our intrepid heroes. The Greek myth style continues as the story follows those traveling through the underworld and the events happening in the war between Rhunes and Fhrey. Things have not been going well for the Fhrey and there is a lot of political maneuvering.

I enjoyed the journey Sullivan took me on. The pacing issues and feeling of "filler" of the previous two novels are gone and I was fully engaged with the story. The reveals start to come fast and furious, there are some great reunions and not all the characters get a happy ending. It ends with hope which is really all you can ask for. And there's always Malcolm. I don't doubt there is more for him to do.

With this stage of the story done I need to bump Riyria Revelations up in my reading priority for next year. I want to see how this history is (mis)remembered in Elan's future.

Rating:

>112 Narilka: Well, I was intrigued... until I clicked and saw there are six of them. Nope, with a side order of not a chance. (Okay, maybe someday...) Glad you enjoyed them, though! :o)

>113 clamairy: And once you devour the Revelations, then you can go on to the Chronicles! Personally, I can't wait until this Age of.... series is finally finished, so he can get back to writing the Riyria Chronicles :-D

>113 clamairy: Maybe if you can borrow them from the library :)

>114 BookstoogeLT: Well, Legends is complete now so if you wanted all 6 to release before checking them out, you are in luck. About Chronicles... In the afterward of this last book Sullivan mentioned the next planned series will be another trilogy between this one and Riyria. Something like 2000 years after Legends and 1000 years before Chronicles or there about. He could always change his mind I suppose.

>105 Narilka: Glad to see you are going back to the Lord of the Rings, I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts!

>112 Narilka: Thanks also for the reviews of those last 3 books. I had to pause on the Legends series, I plan on getting back to the Chronicles sometime though.

>116 Karlstar: I'm in Ch 6 of Fellowship, where the book finally heads off to events cut from the movie. My brain is letting go! I'm enjoying Tolkien's prose. It's also amazing the Hobbits ever made it out of the Shire since they liked to stop and eat so often LOL I admit I'm anxious to get to the Prancing Pony and Strider's introduction :D It will be good to see Tom Bombadil again after almost 20 years away.

>115 Narilka: Oh fudge. I won't be reading this Legends series due to some of the content that I ran across in the first book, but it is good to know I shouldn't hold my breath about any more Chronicles books then. I guess I need to pretend that the Death of Dulgath is the last book in the Chronicles series then :-(

>114 BookstoogeLT: & >115 Narilka: Thanks. LOL It's not an accessibility issue, it's that I've swore an oath not to start any new series until I finished a few more of the umpteen I've already started, or already own.

>118 BookstoogeLT: I wouldn't give up hope on another Chronicles book yet. It's just going to be a 3 year or so wait unless he changes his mind.

>119 clamairy: I understand entirely!

Fellowship of the Rings book 1 done. SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Wow! I sure have mis-remembered a lot :) It makes for an interesting reading experience being both familiar and new at the same time. I had totally forgotten Frodo is 50 when he starts off on his adventure. It took a bit to reconcile in my brain and honestly I still partially see movie Elijah Wood as Frodo as I read, though not always. Some of my own imagination is blending in :) I definitely see why Tom Bombadil was cut from the movie. He really makes no sense for plot progression. It's interesting to see how dialog was moved around, sometimes to other characters. As far as the story itself, I am absolutely loving revisiting my time in Middle Earth. I wish I'd revisited years ago! I also really wish the movies had included Glorfindel instead of using Arwen in the ford, though I understand why the decision was made. Once the hobbits made it to Bree and Strider, the story really took off. Work has seriously slowed down my reading pace this week and probably next which stinks as all I want to do is read :D

I believe some reunions and a (not so) secret council are in my near future.

>121 Narilka: I am glad to see some support for my "why Arwen didn't actually make sense as a replacement for Glorfindel (even though an extra elven hero would be a difficult pitch in movie terms)" rants in Karlstar's thread... :-p

>121 Narilka: Glad you are enjoying it. It is almost like the movies made re-reading the books a whole new experience.

>123 Karlstar: It does. It's hard to describe. Like discovering the whole story fresh again but not exactly. Familiar and different at the same time, in a good way. I'm enjoying this reread immensely :)

>121 Narilka: I felt pretty much the same way when I read LotR last Winter. The bleeding between book & movies was harder to staunch than I was expecting. I plan to listen to the audio again in a year or two in an attempt to keep the original story line shored up in my brain.

"My' Frodo morphed with the movie version into an older thinner faced Elija-esque hobbit. LOL Plus my hobbits were all slightly chubbier than the film hobbits.

>125 clamairy: Yeah, their clothes don't entirely obscure the lack of a comfortable stoutness to them.

>126 quondame: I agree lol

Wow, I didn't realize, but it looks as if it has been 10 years since I've read the LotR trilogy. I've done a lot of other Middle Earth reading since then, but not the books themselves. Perhaps after I finish my reread of the Dresden series I will dive into LotR again.

When I did read the books after the films, I remember many of the experiences you are having. Fun to hear about yours. :)

I've not re-read Tolkein since I reviewed them on here, and expressed my enjoyment of them all, I don't think I 'd suffer film bleed-in as I wasn't very impressed with the films.

How does Sulivan's later writings compare with Rivyia? I read them when he was on here, but as far as I remember I wasn't that impressed with them, fun ish but nothing special.

I read the LOTR trilogy in my twenties and really enjoyed the experience. I have not felt the urge to reread the books, but then again, I am not one to do a lot of rereading.

Thankfully I have moved myself into the space where I regard a book and its screen adaptation as two separate things and I can usually assess them as separate entities without getting too upset over any mismatch born of comparison. Like >129 reading_fox: I was not bowled over by the films, but I enjoyed them. There were differences between the films and the books, which is inevitable due to the nature of the two media. Also, any screen adaptation has the difficulty of competing with the book reader's imagination. Everyone who reads a book has formed imagery in their mind and when a film maker opts for a look and feel for the film they will always vary to some degree from the reader's perceived imagery.

My cold assessment of book and film as separate entities failed me with Ted Chiang's Arrival. (The touchstone links to the collection containing the story.) I had read the short story some years before the film was released. I reread the story the day before seeing the film and was quite disgusted with the liberties taken to make the film. I thought it weakened the effect of the story.

>129 reading_fox: I haven't read the other Riyria books so can't compare them. The Legends series is fairly standard fantasy fare though.

>130 pgmcc: Book to film translations are such tricky things. I also try to separate the two and enjoy each based on their own merits though it can be hard :)

I finished The Fellowship of the Ring. It's going to take me a bit to pull something like a real review together. Initial thoughts though....

SPOILERS!

Peter Jackson's movie has completely messed with my memory of where the book actually ended. I enjoy the book's ending more as again it turns up the tension on events. Boromir's betrayal, while not a shock, is more profound when his attempt at redemption is delayed.

Tolkien does an amazing job with tension in general. I think I held my breath for all of Moria and most of Caradhras :) The hints of Gollum following are downright creepy.

The Lorien scenes are so mystical! And a bit sad. They know time is passing on and their days are almost at an end yet they endure. This is the version of elves that I always imagine. I completely forgot Sam also got to look into the Mirror.

With that ending, I'm not entirely sure where Two Towers will pick up. Do we start out with Frodo and Sam or is it the others in the fellowship? I remember that the halves of the book are split between them, just not the order. Can't wait to find out :) Two Towers used to be my favorite in the series. We will see if it still is after this reread.

>132 Narilka: Yep, join the club on the Mixed Up files of Mrs Basil E. Jackson Lord of the Rings ;-)

>133 BookstoogeLT: Hahahaha!

My theory is that Jackson's version worked (mostly) better for the screen than a straight adaptation ever could have. My heart will always belong to the books. (Though I sorta wish my Aragorn was a bit more Viggo-esque.)

>132 Narilka: While I thoroughly enjoy the movies, I thought the movie missed the mark when it came to Lorien, because of the difficulty capturing the depth and sheer magic of Tolkien. Not that they didn't try, but it just didn't succeed.

>135 Karlstar: I agree. I'm not sure if it is possible to capture that well in a visual medium. They did their best though.

>135 Karlstar: & >136 Narilka: Howard Shore did a great job with the music for Lorien, but I agree there was something off about the set design. Everything looked too heavy or leaden, for choice of any better words.

>137 clamairy: The music score is great! I should pick up a copy so I have the full movie/book/audio collection.

>134 clamairy: For me, the films are the work of Peter Jackson, and the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, and best enjoyed as separate entities.

That said, Viggo IS Aragorn. He was exactly as I had always imagined him. (Well, OK, I had imagined the hair as darker.)

53. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull



One part memoir, two parts business management guide, Creativity, Inc. is Ed Catmull's love letter to the computer animation and animated movie industries. Catmull is best known as one of the co-founders of Pixar Studios and is currently the president of both Pixar and Disney Animation. What is less known about Catmull is how many important contributions to the animation technology used today he made as a computer science engineer. Catmull paved the way for computer graphics by creating a lot of the technologies that didn't exist as he pursued his dream to create the first computer-animated movie. After years of problem solving in a technical space, Catmull found himself the head of a thriving company and devoted himself to solving the problem of fostering an environment where creativity can thrive in a modern workplace. This book is Catmull's way of sharing the lessons he learned along the way.

I found this book inspiring in many ways. My bachelors degree is in Computer Animation so a lot of what Catmull had to say about both the technology and industry of creating animated stories spoke to me. For the first time in many years I began to miss the fact that I haven't touched animation in I don't know how long and that I currently work for a less creative company. It also gave me some insights that I can use in my daily job to help foster an environment that promotes innovation and a sense of shared responsibility. Many of Catmull's ideas should work for any in any company whether it's in a traditionally creative industry or not. I highlighted many passages of this book to refer to when I'm in need of something to help offset the day to day at work. For example:

"In an unhealthy culture, each group believes that if their objectives trump the goals of the other groups, the company will be better off. In a healthy culture, all constituencies recognize the importance of balancing competing desires—they want to be heard, but they don’t have to win."

"Rather than trying to prevent all errors, we should assume, as is almost always the case, that our people’s intentions are good and that they want to solve problems. Give them responsibility, let the mistakes happen, and let people fix them. If there is fear, there is a reason—our job is to find the reason and to remedy it. Management’s job is not to prevent risk but to build the ability to recover."

I listened to the audio book narrated by Peter Altschuler. He has an exaggerated, dramatic style of narration. I found that speeding up the narration speed helped smooth things out and made for a better listening experience.

Rating:

>139 -pilgrim-: My Aragorn was definitely older, more weather-beaten, and a lot more grim faced than Viggo. I have been trying to merge them a bit when I read LotR, but it hasn't worked that well. Viggo was one of my favorite casting choices for the film, so it's not that I don't appreciate him. I just formed my Aragorn when I was 13, so he's firmly entrenched.

>140 Narilka: I have heard only great things about this one, but have managed to avoid the bullets so far. So glad you enjoyed it.

54. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien



At this point it is impossible for me to keep track of how many times I've read this series. My parents gifted me a boxed set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for my 12th birthday. A couple months later we took a family vacation and these books were what I chose to keep me occupied during the boring, traveling parts of our trip. I devoured all four books in a week, firmly cementing this series as one of my favorites. For many years after I reread the series yearly. Then I heard about the Peter Jackson movies being created and I was both excited and apprehensive given that book to screen translations don't always workout so well. Turns out I need not have worried. The movies are faithful to the spirit of the books and enjoyable in their own right even if there are differences. After that I admit I became a bad Tolkien fan and only re-watched the movies instead of rereading the books. Time sure flies. That was almost 20 years ago. I was long overdue for a reread.

Boy have the movies messed with my memory of the book! It makes for a unique reading experience, familiar and yet new at the same time, almost like reading the books for the first time all over again but not quite. There are so many things I'd forgotten and even more that have become all mixed up. Jackson swapped events and lines of dialog around, sometimes to other characters. It took me almost half the book to not imagine Elijah Wood as Frodo as it took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that book Frodo is 50 years old when he sets out on the journey, a far cry from the very young looking Elijah. I am ruined enough that Viggo Mortensen will always be Aragorn in my imagination just like Orlando Bloom will always be Legolas.

All of that is to say there is absolutely no way for me to objectively review this book. I love The Lord of the Rings. By modern standards Fellowship of the Ring is a dense read with a slow moving plot for the first half of the book. It's full of songs and poetry that may or may not be pertinent to the plot, dedicates a lot of time to world building and has many descriptive passages to beautifully illustrate the scenes. Once the hobbits made it to Bree and Strider, the story really took off. Tolkien does an amazing job with building tension, both during the flight to Rivendell and then after the Fellowship sets off on their quest. I think I held my breath for all of Moria and most of Caradhras. The hints of Gollum following are downright creepy. Lothlorien is even more magical and mystical than I remembered and made me a bit sad how the elves there have accepted their fate. These are the version of elves that ruled my imagination growing up.

Peter Jackson's movie has completely messed with my memory of where the book actually ended. I enjoy the book's ending more as it turns up the tension on events. Boromir's betrayal, while not a shock, is more profound when his attempt at redemption is delayed. It's also made me question where Two Towers will pick up. Do we start out with Frodo and Sam or is it the others in the fellowship? I remember that the halves of the book are split between them, just not the order. Can't wait to find out! Two Towers used to be my favorite in the series. We will see if it still is after this reread.

Rating:

>141 clamairy: Aragon may be eighty when we first meet him, but that is still only early middle age for the race of men he comes from, so Viggo's physical maturity seems to me about right. And Aragorn has an instant effect on Eowyn; she is not sappy enough to be swayed primarily by appearance - I think his life matters far more to her - but that does suggest that he has the physical presence as well.

55. The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry



The Dragon Factory is the second book in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry. This time around a group of scientists are looking to finish what Hitler started, his eugenics program to eliminate "lesser" races, and are using highly sophisticated transgenic techniques to carry out their plan. As part of their experiments they've created genetically enhanced mercenaries and exotic monsters inspired by mythology. Unfortunately the DMS has no idea they're racing against an extinction clock with 80% of humanity at stake.

I think it's safe to say that this series is the book equivalent of summer blockbuster action movies. Or, better yet, action/scifi/horror/comedy summer blockbusters. The bad guys are all diabolical and scary. Joe and his team continue to be bad ass action heroes that remain likeable enough for you root for them the whole time. The science used on the plot again is impressive at how well he takes real technologies to spin into fantastical realms.

This ends up being a rough mission for Joe and his team. The story starts off with the DMS being targeted by the Secret Service for reasons unknown. It takes them a long time to be clued in to what's really going on so they can save the day... barely. I was surprised at that ending, both at what Maberry pulled off and what it means for Joe in the future. Even with all the fantastical creatures discovered throughout the story, I found myself missing the zombies from the first book.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Ray Porter. Porter does a phenomenal job yet again.

Rating:

>142 Narilka: I always hear such great things about The Lord of the Rings, but also that it starts out super-slow. Some of the general advice I've read is that LOTR is better than The Hobbit, but if you didn't enjoy The Hobbit, you probably won't like LOTR---which is a shame, because I spent a year dragging myself through The Hobbit (embarrassing, considering that the book isn't thaaat long). I'm still mentally working myself up to attempting the trilogy someday, though, so I'll be looking out for your reviews.

>145 Majel-Susan: LOTR is definitely adult while The Hobbit is aimed at a young audience. IMO that just makes them different with one or the other being "better" based on your reading preferences. If you aren't into children's books or YA, I could see you having a hard time with The Hobbit in general. I personally love both for different reasons :)

Now that the new Ilona Andrews book has released and I've devoured it, I'll be heading back to my LOTR reread. I didn't want to interrupt Two Towers or Return of the King with a new book release so read a few "filler" books that I wouldn't mind interrupting when the time came :) The plan is to finish Prudence this weekend and start Two Towers Monday. And attempt to catch up on book reviews. 3 more to go lol

I thought that 50 was a young adult for a hobbit.

>147 jjwilson61: Yes, Frodo is still at "that irresponsible age", when LOTR starts.

If Bilbo was respectably old at 111, wouldn't that make 50 towards the start of middle age?

>149 Narilka: Frodo and his friends behave oddly, by hobbit standards - the moonlight walks, etc. It is shrugged off by his neighbours as something that he will "grow out of". He is treated like a twenty-something who shows no signs of "settling down".

One more post should do it....