Category Archives: Book Review

Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Altered CarbonTitle: Altered Carbon
Author: Richard Morgan
Series: Takeshi Kovacs #1
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Cyberpunk, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: Yeah, and look where that stupid bitch ended up.

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Synopsis

It’s the twenty-fifth century, and advances in technology have redefined life itself. A person’s consciousness can now be stored in the brain and downloaded into a new body (or ‘sleeve’), reducing death to a minor blip on a screen. Onetime U.N. Envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before, but his last death was particularly painful. Resleeved into a body in Bay City (formerly San Francisco), Kovacs is thrown into the dark heart of a shady, far-reaching conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that treats existence as something that can be bought and sold. For Kovacs, the shell that blew a hole in his chest was only the beginning.

Thoughts

I really liked this. And I think that if I re-read it while I was more in the mood for this type of book, I would think that it was phenomenal. The premise is amazing, the message is intense and the action is continuous. But, after over a month of slowly reading through this, it’s just not quite intensely intrigued me. Again, just because I wasn’t in the mood for it.

This is an incredibly intense, fast-paced story that is a conspiracy wrapped in a conspiracy. Alongside trying to figure out who’s the “bad guy” whose behind everything, there’s also a lot of playing catch up in this world. The world building in this cyberpunk story is amazing, and the complexity of it means that half the time I was trying to follow the story, and the other half of the time I was trying to figure out more about the world that Morgan has built.

I could spend all day tweezing apart the themes and messages throughout Altered Carbon. But what I like most is that life is precious, and not to be wasted. It might not be exactly what the author was originally intended, but I found that the idea of shells and murder and mayhem simply highlighted the fact that life is something to be revered and treasured, not something that can be traded away lightly. Even if there is just another shell around the corner…

 <- Woken Furies Review Broken Angels Review ->
Image source: Amazon

An Evening with Al Gore by Charlaine Harris

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Overview

Blood LiteTitle: An Evening with Al Gore
Author: Charlaine Harris
In: Blood Lite (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Vampires, Werewolves
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: We want this to be a private affair.

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Synopsis

Toddy just wants to make the world a better place. But the way she goes about it is a little… unorthodox.

Thoughts

I literally laughed out loud when I read the last line of this story. Which kind of scared my dog because I normally don’t make so much noise when I’m walking around the house reading. Or really, much noise at all when I’m home alone. I normally am very careful with the vampire and werewolf books that I read when home alone because I can get some whacked out nightmares. This is not the kind of story that makes me feel concerned about this. It’s the kind of light-hearted tale that makes me laugh. In a very weird, very loud spasm.

I love the idea that there is a couple who are passionate environmentalists. And they happen to be werewolves. And they want to change the way that those most heavily responsible for environmental degradation think. It all just works exceedingly beautifully in my brain. The fact that the “bad guys” don’t repent wasn’t in the slightest bit surprising, and I laughed to myself throughout the tale. Now I have to return to the world of reality and continue attempting to do my own part for the environment… lest a vampire or werewolf decide to take their revenge.

 <- The Sound of Blunder Review Dear Prudence Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Armature of Flight by Sharon Mock

Book Review, , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of SteampunkTitle: The Armature of Flight
Author: Sharon Mock
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: LGBTQI, Steampunk
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: “If you like.”

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Synopsis

Leo and William are in love, but Leo has obligations and William needs to find a way to stand on his own two feet. Will they find a way to make it work together? Or will life and all its pitfalls get in the way?

Thoughts

I really don’t know how I felt about this story. The idea of love and loss was a good theme. The use of two homosexual men and their roles in their societies was fun. But this just didn’t grab me and sweep me away like so many other stories in The Mammoth Book of Steampunk. And, since I liked all of the concepts in this, I was really disappointed in myself for not being swept away.

This is one of those weird stories that I can tell you all of the activities throughout. But I can’t really tell you what happened in it. The activities and the actions yes, but the actual emotional, social, psychological aspects of the story? I really don’t know. And these are the parts of the stories that I really love… which is why I gave this short story a lower rating. It was still really good, but nothing that really grabbed me in any way, shape or form…

 <- The Clockwork Goat and the Smokestack Magi Review The Anachronist’s Cookbook Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Death and Relaxation by Devon Monk

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Overview
Death and Relaxation

Title: Death and Relaxation
Author: Devon Monk
Series: Ordinary Magic #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Odd House Press
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror.

Synopsis

Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle the valkyries, werewolves, gill-men and other paranormal creatures who call the small beach town of Ordinary, Oregon their home. It’s the vacationing gods who keep her up at night.

With the famous rhubarb festival right around the corner, small-town tensions, tempers, and godly tantrums are at an all-time high. The last thing Delaney needs is her ex-boyfriend reappearing just when she’s finally caught the attention of Ryderr Bailey, the one man she should never love.

No, scratch that. The actual last thing she needs is a dead body washing ashore, especially since the dead body is a god.

Catching a murderer, wrestling a god power, and re-scheduling the apocalypse? Just another day on the job in Ordinary. Falling in love with her childhood friend while trying to keep the secrets of her town secret? That’s gonna take some work.

Thoughts

I loved this book from the very beginning. Partially because one of the secondary character couples is a gay couple. And they’re a vampire and werewolf. Which makes me incredibly happy and delirious. I love gay couple. An inter-racial mythological creature relationship that is traditionally at odds with one another… well, that’s even better. It also gives a hint to the ways in which this story tends to push the boundaries a little more than most of the urban fantasy books on my shelves.

I’ve read a lot of stories that features the gods in one way, shape or form. I’ve never read a novel about what happens when the gods want a vacation. Or how they go about giving up their godly duties to actually take a break and relax. This concept in and of itself would have meant that I loved this story. But add to that a small town competition where jealousies run high, a rhubarb patch being blown sky-high and the murder of one said god… well, it’s definitely the kind of story that you shouldn’t pick up if you have boring, and responsible things to do…

Delaney is exactly what I want in a heroine. Just so completely human and flawed. The entire story she’s running around half-delirious with exhaustion and awkward and crabby at times to boot. Both of which I can completely relate to. Her relationships with her sisters is kind of like mine – lots of love, love of frustration, and an overwhelming sense of safety. It’s her relationship with men that kind of messes with my head. Mostly the guy that she is involved with throughout – there is a lot of mystery attached to him and I really want the next books to arrive so that I can find out what his deal is!

 <- More Devon MonkDevils and Details ->

Image source: Goodreads

By the Light of My Heart by Pat McDermott

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Overview
The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance

Title: By the Light of My Heart
Author: Pat McDermott
In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Running Press
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d make a fine commission.

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Synopsis

Tom is bored with his life in the Irish countryside. Until he runs into Doreen. Then everything changes in the blink of an eye and he dares to dream of a brighter future.

Thoughts

I love when you read a nice, simple, homely story. And just finish it… smiling. Nothing else, just quietly smiling to yourself. The fact that this was the final tale in The Mammoth of Irish Romance collection just made it all that much more sweet and endearing.

There are almost two storylines happening throughout this tale. That of Tom and Dorreen’s plight against the fae and that of their meeting in real life. The fact that they are both realities and crossover beautifully at the very end was something that I enjoyed monumentally. As I enjoyed the way in which you’re not truly certain if their visit to the fae is merely a dream or something more… until those very final moments.

An incredibly fitting end to a wonderful collection of romantic tales.

 <- The Seventh Sister ReviewThe Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Dancing with the Star by Susan Sizemore

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Overview
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Title: Dancing with the Star
Author: Susan Sizemore
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep) & Vampires: The Recent Undead (Paula Guran)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: The problem is what are we going to do for a bartender now?

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Synopsis

She’s a vampire with a little ennui and a ghoul for a best friend. But a car accident might leave her with the best hope of a future that she could ask for… and a star worth dancing the night away with.

Thoughts

This was a really cute little story. Sephora has a major case of ennui and is kind of bored with her life. And she has a best friend who is a ghoul. All of which in and of itself would make a great short story. After all, this is the kind of story that has a great outline of characters and creatures. But then it gets better with the dream sequence.

I haven’t read a story with a good dream sequence for quite a while. And this one ticked all of my boxes. It was slightly confusing and opaque, but also clear in other moments. Which, for me at least, is what a dream is really like. The fact that it leads Sephora to her own leading man and helps to rescue him just makes it all the better.

I was expecting an entirely different story from what the title suggested. I was kind of expecting some kind of dancing with the stars dance competition to be honest. But this was so much better and more interesting…

 <- To Ease the Rage ReviewPlay Dead Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Sound of Blunder by J.A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Blood LiteTitle: The Sound of Blunder
Author: J.A. Konrath & F. Paul Wilson
In: Blood Lite (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Hey, did you eat all the duck sauce?

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Synopsis

Mick and Willie are in a buttload of trouble with their drug-dealing boss. But things are about to get a whole lot worse…

Thoughts

This was a pretty tripped out story. In more ways than one.

It starts off with two total douche bags who owe a pound or so of cocaine to their boss. But it’s been baked into a cake. Now, I’m not really sure what happens after that, whether they eat the cake, or they actually time travel. But shit just gets weirder and weirder and weirder as the story unfolds.

Like seriously weird. So weird that I can’t actually explain what is going on… or how I feel about it… or really anything.

 <- Old School Review An Evening with Al Gore Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Clockwork Goat and the Smokestack Magi by Peter M. Ball

Book Review, ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of SteampunkTitle: The Clockwork Goat and the Smokestack Magi
Author: Peter M. Ball
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: It was not until the fourth day that the copper door swung open, magically, before the sharp rat-a-tat of the goat’s knock.

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Synopsis

The smokestack Magi has a surprise waiting at his door. Is the goat another Trojan horse, or a true offering of peace? It will take him a while to find out…

Thoughts

So many of the steampunk short stories that I have read so far have featured the entire idea that pride comes before the fall. And this is no different from any other. It also reminds me of the tale of the Trojan Horse. And reminds us that maybe we should take what is offered in the spirit which it is offered, instead of being prideful and resentful.

I love the image of a tiny little clockwork goat sitting amongst the darkest of the streets. And being the downfall of the most powerful man in the city. The innocence and cuteness which I associate with goats (I’m not entirely sure why) is seared into my brain and works perfectly well with the image that a clockwork goat has created in my brain. Certainly a story that I want to read again and again and again.

 <- The Effluent Engine Review The Armature of Flight Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Hunter Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Wild Thing

Title: Hunter Kiss
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Hunter Kiss #0.5
In: Wild Thing (Marjorie M. Liu, Maggie Shayne, Alyssa Day & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: We are questioned separately, but spin stories of surprise and confusion and who-could-do-such-a-thing.

Synopsis

Enter the forbidden and recklessly exciting world of the demon horde and their willing victims…

Thoughts

I loved the prose in this. It was jumpy and a little all over the place. Quite sharp and to the point. And not really the kind of prose I would have expected from a novella in a paranormal romance collection. It wasn’t really that heavy on the romance either, that was just kind of slotted in. Which I appreciated immensely. After all, what I like about this series (the novella that I have already read anyway) is the darkness of it and the intensity.

This is the start of Hunter Kiss, a little romantic introduction that (I’m assuming) sets you up for the rest of the series. And it is one that worked really very well for me. I found it thoroughly enjoyable, if anything, a little too enjoyable in that it makes me want to not finish any of the other books on my “currently reading” pile and just jump straight into The Iron Hunt. It is taking a lot of self-control to not do this. And to you know… continue doing the work that I’m actually supposed to be doing (that I get paid to do).

This isn’t the fast-paced novella that I was expecting. Although there are demons and external impacts on Grant and Maxine, most of the story is about them getting to know each other. Specifically, it is about Maxine being introduced to her reader in all of her weird and abnormal glory. And what an introduction it is… now to hide The Iron Hunt somewhere safe so I can be a little more productive in my life…

 <- ParadiseThe Iron Hunt ->

Image source: Amazon

The Seventh Sister by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: The Seventh Sister

Author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Romance

Pace: Slow

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: The pin twinkled at him, its emerald brilliance almost blinding.

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Synopsis

Every seven generations the seventh sister returns. And Maggie Gleason is there to witness it.

Thoughts

I both loved and hated this story. I loved the feeling of Irish folklore, love of land and ancestry. But I didn’t really enjoy the fact that two lovers were kept apart for twelve years. And there really isn’t any actual reason for this separation… it felt angsty, but then fell a little flat when there was no reason for such angst.

Maggie and Conall are obviously meant to be from the very outset of the story, but circumstances and fate are keeping them apart. Which is kind of painful. And more than a little frustrating. But I loved the imagery and the potency that is described throughout the story. Which made my slight discomfort at the distance of lovers almost disappear… and left me with this feeling of contentment and happiness.

 <- The Houndmaster Review By the Light of My Heart Review ->
Image source: Goodreads