Way Too Hot…

It’s 27 degrees outside (that’s Celsius, btw - don’t ask me what it is in Farenheit) and not much cooler indoors.  This is madness for May weather.  It’s not so bad at the weekends when I can just sit outside on my balcony and not do much (okay, not do anything), but getting to work and back tomorrow is going to be a nightmare.  London transport is not built for hot weather.  Just thinking about it depresses me.

Anyway, I finished reading the new Sookie Stackhouse.  It’s a longer book than I expected it to be - not sure if that’s necessarily a good thing.  One thing I’ve noticed about Charlaine Harris is that she’s not afraid to take irrevocable decisions with her characters and plots.  I’m trying to figure out if that’s a good or bad thing.

That’s all I’m going to say at the moment - it’s too hot to actually think.

More Web Links

If you’re in the mood for fantasy, Eos is offering Sara Douglas‘ “The Serpent Bride” as its free ebook for May/June.  I’ve never read any of her books before, though I have heard of her.

Anne Bishop has posted the cover blurb for her upcoming Black Jewels novel “The Shadow Queen” (March 2009).  I’m thinking this one sounds promising!

Around the Web

The Times today had a review of Eva Ibbotson’s new YA (children’s?) book “The Dragonfly Pool”.  I wasn’t that interested, but I am now after reading the review.  Here’s the back cover blurb:

Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a horrid, stuffy boarding school in the countryside. And all because of the stupid war. But Delderton Hall is a far more unusual and interesting place than Tally ever imagined, and she soon falls in love with its eccentric staff and pupils. Now she’s even organizing an exciting school trip to the kingdom of Bergania …although Tally never expected to meet the prince. Prince Karil hates his life at the palace and he is only truly happy when he escapes to the dragonfly pool, a remote spot in the forests of Bergania. Then Karil meets a feisty English girl who brings the promise of adventure. But his country is under threat, and the prince soon looks to his new friend Tally for survival as well as friendship…

If you’re a Paddington Bear fan, the Times also had an interview with the author, Michael Bond, with an extract from the new book.  I was never that into Paddington (think I only read the first one way back when) but it’s a amusing extract.

Moving on, here’s an interview with Lois McMaster Bujold at the Star Tribune newspaper website - it’s interesting reading.  She also provides a summary of the universes for her different books.

Finally, if you loved Eloisa James‘ “An Affair Before Christmas” (which I did), here’s a bonus chapter on her website (you have to register to read, but it’s free and quick).  I’m loving her Desperate Duchesses series and can’t wait for “Duchess by Night” to come out.

Books for May

Okay, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to post covers properly for this post.  I’m not liking the WordPress upgrade much. (ETA: No, I still can’t insert pictures directly - this is driving me mad!)

Anyway, May books I’m looking forward to:

Charlaine Harris‘ “From Dead to Worse” (urban fantasy) - I’ve been a big fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series since Day 1, so definitely am getting the 8th book in the series.  But OMG.  Look at the UK cover (left).  Is that Sookie to you?  Yes, she’s blonde and if I think about it, I can’t pick out anything that contradicts the books.  But I guess I’m just not used to actually seeing Sookie as a “real” person - err… that would be as opposed to the cartoon-like characters on the US covers. 

Excerpt here (out May 6).

 

Julia Quinn’s “The Lost Duke of Wyndham” (historical romance) - A brand-new Julia Quinn!  And I mean properly new (that is, not a rewritten older book).  The sequel to this is out in September, btw, and apparently is the story of the existing Duke of Wyndham.  The one who could be replaced by the hero of this book.  I’m looking forward to seeing how she handles this story.  The cover’s interesting - it’s mimicking the look of a TV/movie book adaptation.

Excerpt here (out May 27).

 

Stephenie Meyer’s “The Host” (SF) - Ms Meyer’s first grown-up book.  I’m thinking lots of teen readers who loved “Twilight” will be picking this one up.  I really have no idea how this one will be received.  Heh - just went over to her website, and the tagline is “science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction”.  I like SF, but SF thrillers aren’t quite my thing.  I’m planning on getting this as I loved Ms Meyer’s writing and “Twilight” (though by the third book, Bella was really starting to grate on me).  I haven’t been looking for reviews on this, but I’m surprised I haven’t happened across any by accident yet.  I’ve seen quite a few ARCs of these on auction sites.

Excerpt here (out May 6).

 

Laurell K Hamilton’s “Blood Noir” (urban fantasy) - I’m such a sucker for Anita Blake books - this is the 16th, I think?  The last one (”The Harlequin”) started out promisingly but sort of fizzled out halfway.  I’m hoping this one is better.  The UK cover is more consistent with previous books in the series (for some reason, the model reminds me of Angelina Jolie in the Tomb Raider movies - err that would be Lara Croft then).  The US cover, as has been mentioned elsewhere, is a radical departure from previous covers. 

Excerpt here (out May 27)

 

Tanya Huff’s “Blood Bank” (urban fantasy) - This is a collection of the Vicky Nelson/Henry Fitzroy short stories, previously published in an omnibus version together with “Blood Debt”.  Vicky’s a PI and Henry’s a vampire - I know you’re thinking standard urban fantasy, but the first of these books was published back in 1991, so way before the current UF trend.  I suspect I’ve probably read some of these short stories already, but still…

No excerpts (out May 6).

 

That is pretty much it for this month.  I’m most excited about the Charlaine Harris book.  I’ll also probably get the Jes Battis book I mentioned in my post below.  Amanda Quick also has a new book out (”The Third Circle”), but it’s hardcover and I still haven’t gotten hold of her last release “The River Knows”.

 

Review - Ann Aguirre’s “Grimspace”

It was with slight trepidation that I began reading Ann Aguirre’s “Grimspace”.  There was massive online buzz about this SF romance - however, the last couple of SF romances that I had bought due to online recs hadn’t quite done it for me.

And then there was the “present tense” thing.  Yes, the book is written in present tense.  I’m fine with third-person and first-person narration (I draw the line at second-person), but had never read a novel in present tense before.  Short stories, yes, full-length books, no. 

But hey, I’m always willing to give new books a go.  Especially if the author’s been blurbed by Sharon Shinn. 

And I’m really glad I did becaused I loved it.

Short summary: Sirantha Jax has a special genetic ability to “jump”, i.e. navigate, through grimspace.  Grimspace is a sort of new dimension (I think - I’m rubbish at science and I wasn’t paying all that much attention to this part anyway) that basically allows you to travel faster in space.  It’s all going well (sure, jumping shortens your lifespace, but grimspace is fantastic *grin*) until her last trip, when she apparently loses control and crashes, killing everyone on the ship with her, including her pilot and lover.  The book starts with her in an cell facing yet more torture - err, I mean interrogation - when this stranger breaks in offering freedom… in exchange for use of her navigation talent.  Of course, this is a romance and I don’t think it’s giving anything away to say that the stranger, March, plays the part of the main romantic interest in this book…

Okay, what did I love about this book?  Well, firstly, the fact that the SF and romance elements were part of the whole - in some books, I feel as though one or the other could be removed without affecting the story.  Not so in this case, they’re wonderfully intertwined and together provide an excellent action-packed story.  I really liked Ms Aguirre’s world-building - I felt as though Jax’s world was real. 

The characters normally make or break the story for me, and Jax is a strong heroine - I want to say “kick-ass heroine”, but that has Anita Blake connotations!  She’s faced with some rather dangerous and tight situations yet never does the TSTL* thing in order to progress the plot.  I also liked Jax’s voice - there’s humour and yes, some snarkiness.  The relationship that she and March have is an intense one, but I buy that because of the psychic connection they have as navigator and pilot, and which is intensified by March’s abilities.  The supporting cast of characters are good too, well-rounded with personalities of their own.

And the “present tense” thing?  I can safely say I didn’t even notice it after the first few chapters.  When I consciously thought about it, I would re-read the last few paragraphs and think “hey, it is in present tense”, but it never bugged me.  What I’m wondering, though, is what impact the tense had on how I perceived the story.  I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Ms Aguirre used present tense to make the story feel more immediate.  If I didn’t notice that, does it mean it didn’t make a difference?  Or subconsciously did that filter through?  I’ve no idea.

If I had to be picky, I would say that there are some parts that appear slightly throwaway to me.  But this is the start of a series, so I’m assuming we’ll be revisiting some characters and places in the next books! 

It is not the most original of stories and some SF cliches slip through, but this is a really good read, nonetheless.  My overall grade would be a strong B+ and I’m very much looking forward to the next book “Wanderlust” out in August 2008.

 

*Too Stupid to Live

New Author?

I try to be organised and keep a list of books I want to get - usually, this has books from authors I already know or with lots of buzz online.  However, I was looking at my list for May, and for some reason, this book is on it - Jes Battis’s “Night Child” (excerpt here).

Tess Corday, Occult Special Investigator for Vancouver’s Mystical Crime Lab, is used to seeing dead vampires. But there’s nothing ordinary about this case. Not the lab results on the cause of death. Not the teenage girl living at the address found in the vamp’s pocket, who may well be in thrall to a demon. And certainly not Lucian Agrado, the necromancer who is liaison to the vampire community. Agrado is supposed to be part of the solution, but Tess suspects he might be part of the problem.

Soon she finds herself in the middle of a paranormal conspiracy that will change her life forever—and possibly end it.

It sounds cool and I will probably get it - but I’ve no idea where I came across it in the first place.

Recent Reads

I’ve been rather quiet here lately, but that’s because I’ve been reading lots, so it’s all good!

I finished Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Passages” almost in one go (note to self: do not start reading LMB’s books at 11pm at night).  I really liked this one.  I think part of the charm is that it is just so readable - it’s effortless reading. 

In a way, it’s different from the previous two because it’s not as romance-focused.  The first book in this series, “Beguilement”, was more about Fawn and Dag falling in love in the farmer world, while the second one, “Legacy”, focused on acceptance of their relationship by the Lakewalker community.  In “Passages”, it’s not that there’s less time spent with Dag and Fawn - it’s more that there’s less focus on their relationship as a couple.  They still take centre-stage, but I think that there’s more time spent with their relationships with everyone else in the story.  Also, it’s a more light-hearted humorous story compared with “Legacy” - there were a couple of scenes that made me laugh out loud!  All in all, an excellent read - a very very strong B+ for me, it definitely lived up to my expectations.

Speaking of books I’ve enjoyed lately, another one I really liked was Eva Ibbotson’s “A Company of Swans”.  When I started the book, I wasn’t sold on the Amazonian setting - not quite sure why, I suppose it’s just not as appealing to me as, say, her Eastern European stories.  But as I read on, I just was completely drawn into the story.  If you look at the plot objectively, it is a standard romance one - girl runs away from home, meets rich man, falls in love, has misunderstanding, resolves misunderstanding and gets back together.  But Ms Ibbotson has a very special gift - she makes what could be a very ordinary story in the hands of another author a completely magical story.  You fall in love with the characters and root for them to get back together.  You smile, laugh, and sniffle your way through the book.  An A for me.

 

Weekend Thoughts

To all those who said I should definitely read Elizabeth Peters‘ “Night Train to Memphis”, thank you!  I read it last night, and now am impatiently waiting the next instalment in the Vicky Bliss series.  I do think her later books are better than the earlier ones - there’s added depth in characters and relationships, IMO.  This book had everything I was expecting - mystery and romance with a large dose of humour.  And I’ve a soft spot for the Egyptian setting, thanks to Amelia Peabody.  Despite the setting, I have to say that this was distinctly a Vicky Bliss story.  If anything, it actually reminded me of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot’s Orient adventures rather than the Peabody books. 

However, this is driving me nuts - just what is the connection between the Tregarth family and the Peabody family?  From the hints dropped, there’s a connection (actual relationship?) on John’s mother’s side.  What he says about his great-granddad makes him sound very much like Emerson, and I can see his granddad being Ramses (sorry, can’t find the exact parts to quote now).  Only how does that fit in with the overall timelines?  Sigh.  Does anyone have a definitive answer?

On a completely different note, I bought a book today.  Only worth mentioning because it was an impulse buy in a bookstore, and I don’t do that many of those nowadays.  Not in bookstores, anyway - online is another story 

I think I’m more organised with my purchases nowadays as I keep an eye on the new releases each month and take notes on what I want to get.  Also, I’m consciously trying to make more ebook purchases these days, just because the paper version takes up space!  This especially goes for authors I haven’t read before, because space is precious… 

The book is Susan Grant’s “The Star Princess”.  I’ve read one of her books before - I think it was “Contact” - and wasn’t hugely impressed, but this sounds like a lighthearted futuristic romance, which was exactly what I’m in the mood for.  Blurb:

Ilana Hamilton isn’t an adventurer like her pilot mother, or a diplomat like her do-right brother; she’s a brash, fun-loving filmmaker who’d rather work behind the camera than be a “Star Princess” in front of it. Heiress or not, she’s a perfectly normal, single woman…until Prince Ché Vedla crashes into her life.

With six months to choose a bride, the sexy royal wants to sow his wild oats. Ilana can’t blame him — but fall for the guy herself? Not a chance! Hotshot pilot or no, Ché is too stuffy, too arrogant, and too old-fashioned. But when he sweeps her off her feet Ilana sees stars, and the higher he takes her the more she loves to fly. Only her heart asks where she will land.

What was the last book you bought on impulse - purely from browsing and without any previous recs?

Around the Web

A great interview with Lois McMaster Bujold is up at Fantasy Book Critic, together with a review of “Passage”.  I skimmed the review because I don’t like reading reviews of books I know I’m going to get (is that just me?), but the interview has some interesting answers, especially when she talks about how different it was using romance as the central plot in a fantasy novel.  There’s an excerpt of “Passages” up on the HarperCollins website, btw, but it’s using their rather frustrating BrowseInside widget, which takes forever to load.

Urban Fantasy Land has this cover of an upcoming book “Magic to the Bone” by Devon Monk.  I’ve never heard of her, but she has a rather cool cover quote by Patricia Briggs (”Loved it.  Fiendishly original”).  And I’m gullible.  Back cover blurb on author’s website here, but no excerpt.  It’s out November of this year.  I’ll have to look out for it.

Review - Elizabeth Vaughan’s “Dagger-Star”

Nath very bravely invited Katie(babs) and myself to do a three-way review of Elizabeth Vaughan’s “Dagger-Star”.  What did we think?  The short version is that Katie(babs) loved it, Nath thought it was all right, and I err… didn’t really get it.  The (much) longer version is up at Breezing Through.