Narilka reads and keeps 2021 colorful

Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2021 is better than the year that shall not be named.

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 2021
1. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger
2. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
3. How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems by Randall Munroe
4. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
5. Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry
6. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
7. The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang
8. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
9. The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan (Theft of Swords pt 1)
10. Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
11. Space Team by Barry J. Hutchinson
12. Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan (Theft of Swords pt 2)
13. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
14. Magic Tests by Ilona Andrews
15. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
16. Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan (Rise of Empire pt 1)
17. The Case of the Damaged Detective by Drew Hayes
18. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
19. The Emerald Storm by Michael J. Sullivan (Rise of Empire pt 2)
20. Pawsitively Secretive by Melissa Erin Jackson
21. Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan (Heir of Novron pt 1)
22. Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry
23. Pawsitively Swindled by Melissa Erin Jackson
24. Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors by Annette Marie and Rob Jacobsen
25. Percepliquis by Michael J. Sullivan (Heir of Novron pt 2)
26. Pawsitively Betrayed by Melissa Erin Jackson

Fun Stats
Books Read: 26
Total Pages Read: 7626
Audio Book Hours: 71h 34m
Rereads: 2
TBR Challenge: 5/12

2021 Series Stats
In progress: 15
Up to date: 12
On Hold: 4
Completed: 4
Abandoned: 1

Mount TBR
Start 2020: 211
End 2020: ?

TBR Challenge
Aiming for 12 books. I'd be thrilled if I completed more.

5/12

Primary
1. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
2. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan Completed March 13, 2021
3. Mind to Matter by Dawson Church
4. The Wisdom of Donkeys by Andy Merrifield
5. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews Completed March 18, 2021
6. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
7. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
8. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger Completed Jan 4, 2021
9. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss Completed Jan 10, 2021
10. Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey
11. Pawsitively Secretive by Melissa Erin Jackson Completed Apr 20, 2021

Carryover from 2020
1. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
2. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
3. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harai
4. Circe by Madeline Miller
5. Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan
6. The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
7. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
8. Wool by Hugh Howey
9. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
10. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
11. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
12. Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
13. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
Keeping my never-ending series list going for yet another year. Let's see if I complete any in 2021.

Series Stats Summary
In progress: 15
Up to date: 10
On Hold: 7
Completed: 5
Abandoned: 3

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 6/8
Discworld: City Watch - 6/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 2/5
Discworld: Overall - 31/41
The Dresden Files - 8/15
Temeraire - 2/9
Joe Ledger* - 6/10
World of the Five Gods - 2/3
Space Team* - 1/11
Vampire Knitting Club - 1/13
Of Cats and Dragons* - 1/3
Divine Cities - 2/3
Manners and Monsters - 1/6
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Awaken Online: Tarot* - 1/3

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2022
Skyward 3/3 - #4 TBD
Innkeeper Chronicles - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Darkwater Legacy* - 1/1 - #2 TBD
The Hidden Legacy - 5/5 - #6 expected 2022
Threshold - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Metaframe War - 5/5 - #6 expected Dec 2022
The Brackenford Cycle - 4/4 - #5 TBD
Guild Codex: Warped - 1/1 - #2 TBD
5-minute Sherlock* - 2/2 - #3 TBD

Temporarily On Hold While I Try to Reduce my TBR
The Burning - 1/2
The Folk of the Air* - 1/3
King of Scars - 1/2
The Book of the Ice - 1/2
The Witchlands - 3/4
Awaken Online* - 4/5
The Goddess War - 1/2

Completed in 2021
Finishing School - 4/4
Mistborn Era 1 - 3/3
Riyria Revelations - 6/6
Witch of Edgehill - 5/5
Kate Daniels - 10/10
The Guild Codex: Spellbound* - 8/8
Threadbare - 3/3

Abandoned in 2021
The Custard Protocol - 1/4
Hitchhiker's Guide - 3/5
The Empire Trilogy - 1/3

*Indicates series on audio

>1 Narilka: Happy new year, here’s hoping 2021 is a much better year!

Happy reading in 2021!

Happy New Year and happy reading!

Happy new year!

Happy New Year!

Happy new year Narilka! I hope it is a good one in life and in books!

Happy New Year, and happy reading!

Happy New Year. Looking forward to following your thread.

Thanks everyone!

Reading Plans for 2021? Copying this over from last year's thread. I'm terrible at keeping to reading plans but let's give it a shot anyway.

• I'll be wrapping up the Finishing School series off the bat as I started the final book yesterday.
• I'd like to try out Riyria Revelations, Gods of Blood and Powder, and Cradle.
• With Brandon Sanderson stating he'll be finally writing the final Wax & Wayne book this year, this is likely to be a Mistborn reading year. Just waiting for that progress bar to appear on his website before committing to Era 2. Era 1 reread is in progress.
• Looking forward to some new releases: Dark Jewels #11 & Skyward #3 are on the top of my TO BUY list
• Reduce that Mount TBR number
• Complete some series I've had in progress for over a year now
• Don't forget to read a classic this year

>13 Narilka: Thanks for the tidbit of news re Brandon Sanderson. I've not read nearly enough of his work. (But what I've read, I've truly enjoyed.)

A new thread and a new year - I hope they're both filled with laughter and cheese!

Happy New Year - wishing you well for your year

May your 2021 be filled with amazing books, great pics to color and happiness of all kinds.

Starred your thread!

Happy New Year! Always full of interesting suggestions to read!

Happy New Year!

First finished coloring of 2021. From my new book :)

>21 Narilka: Oooh! Lovely! How long does something little that take to complete?

>22 clamairy: That one took around 6-7 hours split across 3 days.

>21 Narilka: Wow, that's fabulous! Will you frame it?

Happy New Year!

And a Happy New Year to you also.

>24 Storeetllr: I have a binder with clear plastic pages I put my finished art into. It makes for a pretty flip book :)

>21 Narilka: That is lovely!

Happy new year! Love the picture.

>26 Narilka: That's a lovely and soothing idea!

>21 Narilka: It is lovely and I like that you preserve the finished piece.

1. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger



Sophronia's training is put to its final test in Manners & Mutiny, the fourth book in the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger. It's the last year of school for our favorite group of students at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. A large-scale plot the Pickleman have set in motion is about to come to fruition unless Sophronia acts quickly. She will need to use all of her intelligencer training if she is to have any hope of saving her friends, her school, her teachers and all of London from disaster. I loved every minute of it.

Gail Carriger's trademark wit and clever dialog is back and just as delightful as ever, reminding me why I enjoy both series so much. Speaking of which, I think fans of Parasol will get the most from this book as we finally see all the connections back to Alexia's story. There are some surprising reveals that I did not see coming!

Yes, the romance is back. Thankfully it's a lot less annoying as the a forced triangle is gone and the romance sub-plot is put on the back burner for much of the story. I do feel that Felix got the short end of the stick and not a very good resolution, though in general didn't mind too much as that was my least favorite thing about the previous entry. By the end it's almost charming and feels more authentic as Soap and Sophronia figure out just how messy love is.

I also missed Sidheag as her story ended in book 3. I was nicely surprised by Agatha who shows great character growth and maybe she's not as bad an intelligencer as she initially appeared, fooling everyone. Even Dimity has nice character growth, almost overcoming her aversion to blood, though not quite.

Once the grande finale started, I could not put the book down.

This has been such a fun series. I'm going to miss visiting with the girls at Mademoiselle Geraldine's. I could see myself doing a reread when I need light hearted, dirigible adventure to take my mind off the troubles of the world for a while.

Rating:

>31 Narilka: I absolutely loved this series, though I haven't read the Parasol Protectorate books and am not feeling inclined to do so. I could tell that there were things that I was perhaps missing the full significance of, but there was enough information and context that it wasn't a problem.

>32 Sakerfalcon: Good to know!

2. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss



Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator, offers a different approach to the art of negotiation in his book Never Split the Difference. Through his experience spanning 20 years Voss has realized that older methods for negotiation, relying more on facts and logic, run counter to human nature and how we, as humans, make decisions. He proposes that we embrace human nature and adopt strategies that feel counterintuitive by taking emotional intelligence, targeted empathy and active listening skills to the next level to become more persuasive in our daily interactions. This was a refreshing point of view and Voss's techniques have many applications to all sorts of interactions between people, not just negotiations.

Each chapter starts with a real negotiation scenario from Chris's past, be it hostage situations with lives on the line or a class setting for training, then follows it up with insights into what worked and what didn't during the situation. He even highlights a spectacular failure and why things went as wrong as it did. Each chapter builds upon the previous with pointers on how to use the skills in combination with each other or individually. Each chapter ends with a summary that are great to refer back to. My kindle tells me I highlighted 92 passages I found so many things I want to review and remember.

After reading the book I have been working on integrating some of Voss's advice into my every day life. I think it's slowly helping me improve my social skills and daily interactions with others. It's definitely a work in progress. I'll be rereading parts of this book often.

Rating:

>34 Narilka: From the title, I was expecting this to be a Hard Nose, My Way or the Highway style of negotiating, not what you ended up describing :-D

>35 BookstoogeLT: My Way or the High Way style of negotiating is the old school, traditional style that his book is a counterpoint to ;) I think this a case when the book's title doesn't do the content justice.

>36 Narilka: I agree. I had advoided the book because my impression from the title had been the same as Bookstooge's.

3. How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems by Randall Munroe



Have you ever wondered if you could open bottles using nuclear bombs because regular bottle openers are boring? Or how much cheese it would take to contain a pool because who needs concrete? No? Never fear! Randall Munroe has you covered in his book How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems. The title really says it all on this one.

It's an entertaining and silly read. Scenarios in the book include:

• How to jump really high
• How to land a plane
• How to dig a hole
• How to get rid of a book (the horror!)

You get the idea. Problems that don't really need solving but if you did want a highly impractical solution, Randall Munroe is your man! He also provides the mundane, boring solutions to each problem first for comparison.

I listened to the the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. He gives a fantastic delivery as always with spot on comedic timing.

As enjoyable as this was to listen to, turns out I preferred the bonkers scenarios in What If much more. Either way, I hope Munroe keeps writing these types of science books. Science can be fun. Wish it was taught this way in school when I was growing up.

Rating:

>37 -pilgrim-: The title is a reference to his time with the FBI. In traditional negotiations we're taught that meeting in the middle, both sides making concessions, is a good idea. What would that mean in a hostage negotiation? Likely the person you're trying to help being harmed in some way, which is unacceptable, or you pay up and never receive your loved one in return, also unacceptable. From that perspective, the title makes sense. Unfortunately it's not obvious from reading the title alone that is the intent behind it.

4. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson



Reread Jan 2021: This is a different experience on reread. Such a slow, slow burn. There are so many moving parts that take their time before being brought together in a spectacular finale. I am amazed yet again at how subtly Sanderson plants the hints to where all this is leading that I only now understand in hindsight. So many important conversations that blend in brilliantly.

Original review from 2016 below.

---------------

The Well of Ascension is the second in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. Usually it takes an entire series to defeat the bad guys so everyone can live happily ever after. But what if that was only the beginning? What if Frodo threw the ring into Mount Doom in Fellowship of the Ring? What happens after evil has been defeated? This is the question that Sanderson asks and is the main premise of book two. It is an absolutely brilliant take on a classic genre trope.

It turns out that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Vin and the crew are back, trying to keep society held together long enough for Elend Venture to put a new, more fair form of government in place. This is no easy task in the best of circumstances and, naturally, these are NOT good circumstances. The city of Luthadel is in an extended siege when three separate armies surround the city. Food is running short. Various factions in the city are scheming for ways to take power for themselves. The mists are changing, lasting longer into the day and even killing people. Vin patrols the night trying to keep Elend safe from assassins. It also appears the crew has a spy in their midst. While she may be the most powerful Mistborn in the land, she is only one person. The only hope may be in the legend of the Hero of Ages and the Well of Ascension, the place that gave the Lord Ruler his power. Assuming it really exists.

The cast of characters has grown. Most of the crew members are given point of view chapters as are the main antagonists. Elend Venture goes on quite a character arc. He starts off as a scholarly nobleman with high ideals and quickly learns just how different book knowledge is from the real world. He is forced to answer the question if a good man can make a good king or if he must compromise his own beliefs to save his fledgling kingdom. Vin has come a long way from the shy street urchin she used to be. She fully embraces her Mistborn powers and continues to use her gifts in unimaginable ways, becoming the greatest Mistborn in recent history. Vin has finally learned the value of friendship, how to trust and feels devastatingly betrayed when she learns one of her closest friends is likely a traitor. While the other characters don't go on as big of character arcs, all are well rounded, fully fleshed out and believable. I particularly loved the interactions between Sazed and Tindwyl, the two Terris Keepers. As much as I loved Sazed in book one, it was great to have Tindwyl to provide a contrast as to just how different a Keeper is based on their field of study. I also really enjoyed being introduced to the kandra OreSeur. Kandra are an inhuman race that have become fully subservient to humans as a means of self preservation. They have the amazing ability to absorb the bones of other creatures and take up their shapes and mannerisms. This is both a useful and concerning ability. Throughout the story as OreSeur's background is revealed, he became a surprisingly sympathetic character.

With a shift in plot comes a shift in tone for the story. Instead of a hero journey the characters are forced to face the brutal reality of leadership. There are still heroic moments and a ton of allomantic action. However a larger focus is on the political situation. This slows the pace down considerably and allows for a gradual build in tension until events almost literally explode. Sanderson has a gift for turning typical fantasy tropes on their head and the ending twist is a great example that I did not see coming at all. The main downside for me was the weird, psuedo love triangle Vin gets stuck in. Its one of the fantasy tropes that has started to grate on my nerves over the years due to over use. Thankfully the story is resolved in such a way that I don't think this will be an issue in the third installment.

Over all, the second installment lives up to the promise of the first book. I can't wait to find out how Vin's story ends.

Rating:

>40 Narilka: Glad to hear this is doing so well upon re-reading. At some point in the next year I'd like to re-read the original trilogy myself and this makes me happy to see.

Work has been taking all my brain power the last two weeks. I think I can finally see the light at the end of that tunnel. Last night was the first solid nights sleep I've had in days and I feel much better for it. We're at the final part of a datacenter migration and almost done.

I'm all caught up on reviews and have a new coloring page to post sometime this weekend. I'll be starting Curse of the Chalion today and joining in the group read :)

>39 Narilka: Yes, it does make sense. Although "meeting in the middle" in the context you describe could be s concession that benefited the hostage-taker, without necessarily harming the hostage.

Maybe a title that made a positive statement - a ""do this" - rather than a negative one, would have been more helpful?

I am finding it mildly amusing that someone who is writing a book on how to manipulate the reactions of an audience appears to have mismanaged the response that his own title provokes (in a couple of readers, anyway).

Finished this one two weeks ago. Sorry it took so long to get posted.

>44 Narilka: Lovely.

>44 Narilka: I really like that, the colors are beautiful and the design is interesting too.

>44 Narilka: That's gorgeous!

>44 Narilka: OOOH! Lovely!

>45 -pilgrim-:, >46 YouKneeK:, >47 libraryperilous:, >48 clamairy: Thanks!

January series update!

Completed: 1
Finishing School

Progressed: 2
Mistborn Era 1
Joe Ledger

Abandoned: 1
The Custard Protocol

Reviews pending: 1

>44 Narilka: Very nice! Do they suggest colors or do you choose them?

>51 Karlstar: I choose them.

>44 Narilka: Gorgeous! Love the colors you chose!

Finished another one:

You are very good with color! I love it!

>54 Narilka: Oh, very pretty!

>54 Narilka: Very pretty. It comes alive with the range of colours.

>54 Narilka: That is lovely and spring-like!

>54 Narilka: Another nice one. I'm impressed by your technique and color choices. Both interesting and harmonious.

>54 Narilka: Oh, lovely. That makes me think I should start sketching with colored pencils...

>55 Storeetllr: - >60 clamairy: Thanks everyone!

>60 clamairy: You should definitely start sketching with colored pencils and post photos :)

5. Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry



I'm glad Maberry went back to the supernatural. This story was almost as crazy as the first book. I think Joe gives the best synopsis:

In my trade, confidence is built on a platform whose legs are made up of good intelligence, continuous training, proper equipment, and field support. I had a sick dog, a dead man’s gun, a stolen briefcase, a vampire hunter’s stake in my belt, and a cell phone; and I was walking down a street in Tehran less than a day after breaking three political prisoners out of jail. I was involved in several murders and had left sufficient physical evidence behind to convict me on enough charges to lock me up until I was a thousand years old. Or enough to have me put against a wall.

Oh, yeah, and there were seven hidden nuclear bombs and somehow vampires were tied up in that.

My life used to be a lot less complicated.

Assissin's Code is the fourth book in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry. This has to be one of the roughest 48 hours in Joe's life. Poor Ghost too! It seems like both of them kept getting the crap beat out of them as they attempt to make sense of an insane situation. The action is heart poundingly relentless making for the first time I seriously thought Joe wouldn't survive even though I know there are 6 more books in the series.

Violin and ArcLight are a great additions to the cast. Anger these ladies at your own risk! I can't wait to see how their organization works with the DMS in future books and how Joe's relationship with Violin progresses. They would make a nearly unstoppable pair. The implication of Nicodemus leaves a lot of room for to explore the mythology being created in this world. It was very satisfying for a couple of the villains we love to hate to get their comeuppance. Mr. Church continues to be his enigmatic best and it was heartwarming that Rudy has found some happiness in his life.

Ray Porter's narration of the audio book is brilliant as always. It won't be long before book 5 cycles in to my listening rotation.

Rating:

>62 Narilka: Sounds like a great book to me! I'm still waffling between which Maberry to add to my kindle when the time comes, the Vampire War series or this. I haven't read much direct vampire oriented stuff since I stopped the Necroscope series and I have to admit, I'm leaning in that direction....

>63 BookstoogeLT: This is the only series I've read by Maberry and as you've seen from my reviews I'm enjoying it immensely. Whichever way you decide I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts.

6. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold



Cazaril is a broken man. Betrayed and sold into slavery following a disastrous military campaign, Cazaril makes his way home to Valenda where he hopes to find a job and live out the rest of his life in peace. Having previously served the royal family of Chalion as a courier, Cazaril finds himself assigned as the secretary and tutor to Iselle, the sister of the heir to the kingdom. When Iselle and her brother are summoned to the royal court by their half-brother, the ailing king, Cazaril finds himself caught in a web political intrigues, pitted against an old enemy who is very unhappy to see that he has survived, and a curse that may be beyond his abilities to thwart.

The Curse of Chalion is the first book in the World of the Five Gods series by Lois McMaster Bujold. The story is told entirely from Cazaril's point of view. Caz is a refreshing protagonist - middle aged, physically damaged by his experiences as a slave, haunted by his past and very thoughtful in how he responds to the various intrigues going on around the royal family, especially Iselle who he's vowed to protect. This thoughtfulness lends a slow and deliberate pace to the story. I found it interesting and highly readable though easy to set aside until right around the 50% mark when it's finally revealed what's really going on and just how big the stakes are for the game Cazaril finds himself involved in. Good thing he's up for the challenge!

The world building is stellar. Bujold puts just enough description in that Chalion feels like a place I could visit yet isn't overwhelming in the details. The brief look we get into the religion of the world of the Five Gods fascinating and I loved the concept of living saints. It reminded me of what Sebastian de Castelle does in The Greatcoats.

I enjoyed my time spent getting to know Cazaril, Iselle and the rest of the cast. I'll be checking out book two in the near future.

Rating:

7. The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang



I don't know what I was expecting going in to The Sword of Kaigen. Based on the first chapter, a magical kung-fu school style-story is a strong possibility. (Which would still be totally awesome, please make recommendations!) There is some of that, but it's not what The Sword of Kaigen is really about. This is a wonderful family drama set in a Japanese inspired fantasy world.

The story revolves around the Matsuda family, particularly a mother and son. Misaki, the mother, has given up her exciting and violent past as she tries to be a good wife and do her social duty to provide sons to continue the family line. Mamoru, the son, strives to live up to the Matsuda name and become the warrior for the Empire he always knows he would be. Both are about to be challenged as Mamoru's world view is shattered by an outsider and Misaki finds she has to embrace her old skills if she wants to save her family. All of this is set in a remote village high on a mountain where people hold to the old traditions and train to be the best warriors in the world.

That's about as much of a synopsis as I can give as I'm not sure I could provide any other introduction that would do the story justice. Even that feels inadequate. This is one of those books that has to be experienced. Beautifully written, the action is nail-biting and breathless combined with heart-breaking emotional scenes as a family struggles to understand each other and survive the violence of war. Even with all the action, it's a slower plot that builds to an explosive yet hopeful finale.

So why only 4 stars? I honestly think it's just timing. The world is in such a state that I am struggling to read more serious books at the moment, even one as beautiful as The Sword of Kaigen. I don't doubt this had 5-star potential had I read it pre-pandemic.

The final chapter feels like it should be a hook to a larger series though the story stands well enough on its own. When I looked up the other Theonite books, that series goes in a YA direction that I'm not interested in. Hopefully ML Wang will write a follow up one day. The Sword of Kaigen is a self-published gem. I'm rather surprised it hasn't been picked up by a big publisher yet.

Rating:

>65 Narilka: Great review! Here's the group discussion thread if you want to add to it: https://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=328368

>67 clamairy: Thanks.

8. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black



Holly Black knows her faerie folklore. The Cruel Prince, first book in The Folk of the Air series, shows the fae in all their ruthless, spiteful and selfish glory. Too bad it's wrapped in a fairly standard YA story. From the back of the book:

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

The strength of the story is in its setting and how well Black understands the folklore she used as her inspiration. Black's writing constantly reminds us just how other Elfhame and the fae are. The fae cannot lie yet they can still deceive with the truths they tell. Immortal and hauntingly beautiful, yet they have no purpose to their long lives other than to amuse themselves, which tends to lean towards cruel tricks and bullying. Glamours, fairy oaths, debts and obligations, Black includes them all.

It took me a while to feel invested in the story. Part of that was due to my fairly neutral feelings towards Jude. Desperate to fit in, Jude is just as petty as the fae she loathes though it takes her a while to realize it. Once she does and fully commits herself, she becomes a lot more interesting. Jude's bullheaded determination takes her far and it was enjoyable to finally see her outsmart the fae. I wish the sister's relationship was explored more. It has a lot of potential. Half-fae Vivi acts more human than either Jude or Taryn at times. Taryn's betrayal was not completely unexpected and I have a feeling she's in for heartbreak in the future.

There is a romance. It's not the main focus of the story though I think I can see where it's potentially heading. My guess is it's an enemies turn lovers deal. While I was able to guess most of the twists the story took, I was quite surprised with that tricky ending.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Caitlin Kelly. I enjoyed her narration. She does a great job with character voices.

Even though I enjoyed the ending and kind of want to know how Jude manages to keep her little brother safe, I don't feel any desire to pick up the next book. Perhaps this will change in the future.

Rating:

>69 Narilka: The "ending" is even more tricky than you thought. I'd recommend The Wicked King.

>70 quondame: I'll keep an eye for it to go on sale. I'm intrigued.

>71 Narilka: I agree with everything you say about the book, but I continued and I would recommend that you do. There is a lot of typical teen behaviour in the first book, but Jude is having to grow up fast - this setting does not underplay the lethality of the faerie world.

You are right in detecting a romantic undercurrent, but it never becomes the point of the story - think of it more as another in the set of problems that the protagonists have to cope with. If you are trying to be level-headed and handle a complex situation, then inconvenient feelings are exactly that - inconvenient. The characters may sometimes react like hormonally-charged teenagers - because they ARE teenagers - but the results are realistic; there is no insta-love.

There is also more depth to the characters than is first apparent. There is reason behind each behaving as they do; it's never "that's just the way they are".

Also, the plot turns consistently surprised me, which is unusual. (And quondame is absolutely right about that ending.)

>72 -pilgrim-: Alrighty. Moving the series to On Hold.

February Series Update:

Started: 3
World of the Five Gods
Folk of the Air
Riyria Revelations

On Hold: 1
Folk of the Air

Reviews pending: 1

>69 Narilka: Half-fae Vivi acts more human than either Jude or Taryn at times.

That is not accidental. Viv rejects her father completely, because of what he did, and wants to be in the human world, while Jude and Taryn are each, in their own way, trying to make their way in Faerie.

ETA: I do like your selection of current series...

9. The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan (Theft of Swords pt 1)



Needing a nice, light read, I joined my book club for The Crown Conspiracy, the first in The Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan. The book gets off to an awkward start. After a couple of chapters the author works out his writing style and story finds its pace. I found myself swept away on an old-fashioned fantasy adventure with two unlikely heroes.

Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn are a pair of thieves known for pulling off the impossible. Always on the look out for their next job, the duo is hired to retrieve a sword only to find themselves framed for the murder of the king. Thrown in jail and sentenced to death, Royce and Hadrian are out of options when an unlikely opportunity to escape presents itself.

The book isn't amazingly deep but it doesn't need to be. At just over 300 pages, Sullivan gives us enough descriptions to get a feel for the world with hints that there is more history. Since I read Legends last year it's interesting to see how things have changed drastically over the 5000 or so years since the Age of Myth. I wonder what other major differences I'll notice over the course of this series.

Hadrian and Royce are a lot of fun and compliment each other well. Hadrian is the muscle, a mercenary and darn good fighter, while Royce is the rogue, great at planning and has almost unnatural stealth abilities. My suspicion is he has elven heritage. Again, we don't get a lot of background information on the characters yet. It's something that will be great to explore in future books. The duo meet some unlikely characters along the way. It's hard to get into without spoilers though I will say how much I loved Myron. Such childlike innocence!

If I had one complaint it is that the bad guys have a tendency to monologue to reveal their evil plans. If they had mustaches, they'd be twirling them.

The Crown Conspiracy was the perfect light, fast read I was looking for. I had great fun on my first adventure with Hadrian and Royce. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Rating:

10. Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson



Reread March 2021: Yet again, that ending hit me right in the feels. Even knowing where everything is heading I read the final 200ish pages in one sitting, unable to put the book down. This story just works for me. Time to take a break from Epic fantasy and go nurse my book hangover with some lighter fare as I don't think much else will hold up right now.

Original review from 2017 below.

-----------------------------------

The Hero of Ages is the third and final book of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. And what an end it is! The stakes for the final battle are quite clear. The world is literally ending. Having been tricked at the Well of Ascension, Vin has released a great evil on the world. The ashmounts are erupting constantly and plants are starting to die due to a heavy coating of ash and lack of sun. The ground is being rent apart by violent earthquakes and lava flows. The mists continue to kill. Life will soon be unsustainable. Vin and Elend must follow clues left by the Lord Ruler in the hope they can save the world.

While most authors who write stories like these leave hints and clues for the reader throughout their books, Sanderson is a master. Every single clue, no matter how small, that has been laid out since the beginning are tied together and explained. And they all work. Some of the clues I was able to figure out myself, some I missed entirely and a few I was completely wrong about. It was great fun to be kept guessing until the very end. He even leaves a couple tantalizing nuggets that I'm sure are going to feature in the next Mistborn series.

All the characters that we've come to know and love are back. It's plain to see just how events have changed them. A heavy sense of dread, frustration and helplessness influences all the characters, even the bad guys. Gone is the naive, scholarly Elend Venture and instead we're shown a ruler who is willing to do anything it takes to try and save his people, even if he's not sure what it is he should do. Vin is still quite the bad ass, though she has no idea how to fight a force of nature. Poor Sazed. I alternated between feeling badly for him and wanting to shake him out of his melancholy after he loses his faith. Some characters that had minor roles before are given bigger ones. Spook comes into his own. He grows from a shy, timid youth into a confident man and revolutionary. It's also interesting how we're shown with his character can happen to someone who over uses their allomantic power, what it does to their mind and body. Marsh, another background character, has been given more page time. Through Marsh we're given an inside look at what it's like to be an Inquisitor and just how awful Ruin's power is. I was also really glad to see the kandra TenSoon back. The kandra had really grown on me. I'm glad he had an important part to play.

The world building continues as well. Just when you think there isn't much more to learn, Sanderson proves you wrong. Turns out there's a third aspect of metal magic that's been in play all along. We're also given insight into just what the koloss and kandra are, which was fascinating.

As to the ending itself, it is quite bittersweet. So many reveals. So many twists and turns. I devoured the last 200 pages in about an hour it was so engaging. All story lines are resolved and it's absolutely brilliant. It is fully satisfying end to the trilogy even though I knew going in that not everyone would survive. It would not have felt authentic to the characters or the world had everything been a perfect, happy ending. That said, the story ends with hope and I cannot wait to read more in the Mistborn universe after the final book of the second series is written.

Rating:

>76 Narilka: If you liked this one, you'll like the rest of the Revelation series and I'm 99.99% sure you'll like the Chronicles prequel series too :-)

>78 BookstoogeLT: I'm starting Avempartha tonight. Here's hoping the adventure is just as fun in book two :)

>76 Narilka: Great review. I have this series on my list, so I’m glad to read you enjoyed it! Since the author is still writing and writing and writing in that world, it’s a low priority for me to read in print, but I have it on my list to sample the first book in audio. From your review, it sounds like something I'd probably enjoy. I'm also glad to read it's pretty light since I do better with the lighter books when I do audio. I’ll have to try to get to it sooner rather than later!

>80 YouKneeK: Now that I think about it, it does sound like a good audio candidate for you. Here's hoping you enjoy the narrator :)

>81 Narilka: Ha, thanks, good point – the narrator could definitely make a difference in my reaction!

>79 Narilka: * gets nit picky * Technically, it's book 3. It was a 6 book series that was re-released in 3 volumes to appease the "we must have great big doorstopper fantasy or we won't think it's real" crowd ;-) Nah, I'm kidding. It's because he went from indie to big5 publisher and they decreed it must be so.

>76 Narilka: I took a hit on this one. Nicely described. Sounds like good bedtime reading.

>76 Narilka: Thanks for the review, I've read The Crown Tower, which I see now comes later. I think I'll pick up The Crown Conspiracy and start at the beginning.

>78 BookstoogeLT: Are you saying there's a way to read these in 3 books and not 6?

>85 Karlstar: Take a look at the series page here on LT. It shows the three omnibuses that each collect two of the original six books.

Based on the series page, Avempartha is in fact book 2, the second part of the first omnibus.

Here’s the series page to save people one mouse click (versus clicking the book link in Narilka's post, then clicking on the series): The Riyria Revelations

>85 Karlstar: & >86 YouKneeK: Well, color me embarrassed! the Theft of Swords does collect the two books in one and for some reason I made the mistake of assuming. sigh.

Sorry >79 Narilka:!

>87 BookstoogeLT: If people would just stop re-publishing books in different configurations, everything would be so much less confusing. ;)

>85 Karlstar: Yes. Basically what >86 YouKneeK: says. I'm reading the first two in an omnibus titled Theft of Swords, which is what I used as my cover photo, and reviewing each individually since they are distinct works.

>87 BookstoogeLT: No worries!

>87 BookstoogeLT: >88 YouKneeK: Me too, I completely overlooked the collections section, which would have answered my question. Anyway, thanks for recommending the first of this particular series.

11. Space Team by Barry J. Hutchinson



If Guardians of the Galaxy and Galaxy Quest had a love child, Space Team by Barry J. Hutchinson might be the result. In a horrible case of mistaken identity, Cal Carver is abducted by space aliens and cajoled into a space mission to retrieve a package for a massive space corporation. Things start to go downhill immediately. It's not long before Cal and his misfit crew find themselves in a frantic battle to save an alien civilization, and it's god, from total annihilation.

It took me a good portion of the story to warm up to Cal as he is highly annoying and his humor was hit or miss for me. His annoying tendencies is confronted and has a pretty good explanation for it, which helped make him more sympathetic and likable by the end. Good thing the rest of the cast is pretty great from the start. Mech, Miz, Loren and Splurt are all highly enjoyable as they put up with both Cal and the ridiculous situation they've all ended up in. Splurt is definitely my favorite.

Humor is such a personal thing. I suspect enjoyment of this book will depend on if the humor works for you or not. For me it was half giggles and half eye rolls. Nothing too terrible. I've seen it compared to Hitchhikers Guide and Monty Python though I had a different comparison at the beginning of this review. The potential is there. The character banter got better as the book progressed and the crew was working together almost as a cohesive team by the end.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Phil Tron. Tron does a great job giving each character it's own voice, especially for the multiple personalities of Mech.

Space Team is a highly irreverent, silly space adventure that was a great way to take me away from the seriousness of the world for a while. I could see myself continuing the series when I need another light, fun space story to listen to.

Rating:

>91 Narilka: In spite of all my protestations in another thread here about being immune to book bullets, you have proven that no one is ever immune.

In my defense, I bought this for my husband *cough, cough* and it didn't help my resolve any that Amazon is selling the Kindle version for .99 at the moment.

>92 MrsLee: It's for your husband. No book bullet there ;)

>91 Narilka: You got me, I just bought it for free on Kindle, I had credit! Thanks.

>91 Narilka: Got me too!

>94 Karlstar: & >95 Storeetllr: Hope you both enjoy it :)

12. Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan (Theft of Swords pt 2)



Royce and Hadrian's adventures continue in Avempartha, the second book in Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series. These two should seriously consider not taking jobs to steal swords. They never go to plan.

A desperate young woman hires Royce and Hadrian to save her village from a monster that kills villagers every night. The catch? No one has actually seen the creature, only the destruction it leaves behind, and the beast can only be slain by a sword that is locked in a tower - a tower has no obvious way to get inside.

I admit I'm a little sad I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book. The first half of the story lays a lot of groundwork that involves the thing I disliked most in the first book: villains monologuing. It was necessary set up for what ends up happening and I have no idea how if I was a writer I'd change it. It's just not my favorite way to tell a story.

Once the story gets back to Hadrian, Royce and their current problem to solve, it is a lot more enjoyable. It also goes on a more serious tone as Hadrian stays in the village to help them organize better defense against the nightly raids while Royce works on the problem of getting into the tower. In this case having read Legends made things fairly easy to guess as I already had the background information the characters lacked and some of the historical information was a repeat. That repetition wasn't all bad though I can see how the long time between stories has changed things. Such an interesting concept. There is plenty of action and I didn't see the resolution to the monster working out in the way it ended up. I truly feel bad for Thrace as she's going to have to live with the repercussions of that. It was also great to have my suspicions about Royce confirmed.

Spoilers for Legends! I'm starting to suspect that Esrahaddon is Malcolm though I'm still on the fence. He sells only being 900 years old quite well. I also haven't figured out why he let his hands be cut off since I'm pretty sure Malcolm could've prevented it if he didn't want it which is also making me doubt. Hopefully this will be revealed by the end of the series. I love how the author is keeping me guessing.

Those quibbles aside, this was an enjoyable read. We will see where the plots the Church of Nyphron Novron has set in progress goes next as I'm sure it's going to interfere with Royce and Hadrian's future adventures.

Rating:

>97 Narilka: I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the first, but glad you did still enjoy it! I’m tentatively planning to start the Theft of Swords audio in a month or so, after I get my next Audible credit.

>98 YouKneeK: Tim Gerard Reynolds is a pretty popular narrator. Hope you enjoy it!

>99 Narilka: Thanks!

13. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews



Magic Breaks is the seventh book in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. This book is a turning point for the series as the one event the previous six books has been building up to finally happens: Roland arrives. Yes, there is a mystery to solve, heart pounding action and some Pack/People politics to deal with. All of it is overshadowed by the knowledge the Roland is coming and Kate will do everything in her power to keep those she loves alive.

While the mystery and political side of things was interesting, it's Kate's internal struggle where the heart of this story is. The wait was worth it. Finally seeing Kate embrace her heritage and truly know what it means to be Roland's daughter was glorious. I also enjoyed getting to know Ghastek better as well as some different Pack members though I missed some of my favorite characters who weren't involved in events.

That ending was quite a surprise. With only three books to go I can't wait to see what the implications mean for the Pack and Atlanta. And I need more Roland please. Is it bad that I like the guy? Overall this was a satisfying read.

Rating:

14. Magic Tests by Ilona Andrews



Magic Tests is a short story in the Kate Daniels universe by Ilona Andrews. Kate tricks Julie into wanting to attend a new school by having her solve a mystery involving a lost student. It's a quick read. I liked seeing more of Julie's magic. She seems like an interesting character to follow so I'm glad she has her own book now. I'll be sure to check it out after I finish the main series.

Rating:

----------------

A question for folks of the GD. I'm having a hard time getting this added to my library. I've found the work page and clicking the "Add to Library" link doesn't pull up the right results. Since this is part of an anthology, the rest of which I'm not intending to read, it doesn't have it's own ISBN or AISN to look up. Any suggestions on how I can add this to my catalog?

>102 Narilka: Can't you manually add "books" to your library under the "add books" tab?

>103 BookstoogeLT: Furthermore, after you have added it manually, if it does exist in someone else's library, LT will automatically merge it. (Beware this, the program errs on the side of enthusiasm, I find.)

>104 -pilgrim-: I did not know about the auto-merge. I don't think I've ever manually added a book though.

>105 BookstoogeLT: I can manually add a book, and then find that it is in 4 other people's libraries as well!

>102 Narilka: I've struggled with this before with books that don't have ISBN's. I haven't found a good solution. Did you try the Library of Congress lookup option? I've had very mixed success with that, which I usually attribute to my lack of knowing how to use the Library of Congress system.

>107 Karlstar: I don't think that will help Narilka, since she is not actually adding a book, but rather a component of a published anthology.

>105 BookstoogeLT: I regularly use manual-add, most often for railway instruction manuals and annual reports in the Railwaysoc archives, and from time to time for more-properly published really obscure works nobody else has ever heard of. LC card numbers (try the verso of the title page for American books published before c. 1971) work a treat, usually.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try manually adding it. I've been on LT for over 10 years and have never used this feature before :)

That worked flawlessly. It combined with the other entries just like >104 -pilgrim-: said. Thanks everyone! I appreciate it.

March Series Update:

Started: 1
Space Team

Progressed: 3
Riyria Revelations (x2)
Kate Daniels
Discworld

Completed: 1
Mistborn Era 1

Reviews Pending: 2

15. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett



Two years have passed and it's time for Tiffany Aching to learn how to be a real witch. Expecting spells and magic, Tiffany is surprised when her training revolves around chores and ill-tempered goats. Surely there's more to witchcraft than this! What Tiffany doesn't know is she's being hunted by an ancient, disembodied creature. It will take all of Tiffany's inner strength, with the help of some Nac Mac Feegles, to get through this tricky situation. Crivens!

A Hat Full of Sky is the 32nd Discworld book and the second in Tiffany Aching's subseries. At it's heart this is a coming of age story for Tiffany as she comes to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. While not quite as deeply profound as other entries in the series series, it's still a Discworld story so there is plenty of Pratchett's trademark humor and wisdom, though on the lighter side as this book is aimed at a younger audience. Granny Weatherwax plays a slightly larger role than in Tiffany's first book, which reminds me I need to reread one of the Witches books as I've missed her.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Nac Mac Feegles? They steal every scene they're in. The tavern scene and the Feegles idea of how to blend in with humans had me laughing out loud.

While not strictly necessary as A Hat Full of Sky reads well on its own, I highly recommend reading The Wee Free Men first for an introduction to Tiffany and the Feegles.

Rating:

16. Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan (Rise of Empire pt 1)



Royce and Hadrian continue to aid the kingdom of Melingar as war looms in Nyphron Rising, the third book in Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series. An Empress has been crowned and the Imperialists are out for conquest.

It's clear at this point that what might have started off as a buddy adventure series is expanding to be epic in scope. This is not in itself a bad thing though it does lead to slower plot movement and less time with Royce and Hadrian while more space is given to bigger world events. The change in narrative splits the story into three main threads.

The Empire thread follows the freshly crowned Empress Modina and her newly appointed secretary Amilia. While the Church's schemes are still well underway, and Saldur is still the evil mastermind, this new focus has greatly reduced the villains tendency to monologue. I found Amilia and Modina's situation enthralling. Amilia's determination to not just survive but help her and her mistress thrive was easily my favorite part of the book. I kept looking forward to their chapters. I think Amilia may be my new favorite character.

The time spent with our favorite thieves is enjoyable if a tad melancholy. Royce digs into Hadrian's past as he tries to solve the mystery of the heir while Hadrian suffers from a midlife crisis. This in turn leads to revealing more about Royce's childhood, which was not the happiest. It lends a more serious tone to their story thread and I found myself missing the easy banter from the first book.

Most problematic is Arista's story thread, who we spend the most time with. After realizing she's an utter failure as an ambassador, Arista is determined to help her kingdom even if it means doing something foolhardy and deliberately undermining her brother's authority though she doesn't give that any thought. I both love and am irritated by her progress as an Artist. She's ok with using her powers to save herself but balks at using them in battle to save a whole city? Also highly problematic is when she gets drunk while undercover and immediately blabs to all and sundry who she is and what their mission is. Don't get me started about the bad case of insta-love Arista suffers. She's lucky this is a Michael J Sullivan novel!

While technically the main plot is resolved, the story ends abruptly on a bombshell that left this reader with many questions.

Rating:

>97 Narilka: >114 Narilka: I took a hit on Theft of Swords and enjoyed it quite a bit, at a time when I was having trouble sticking with any books. I picked up Rise of Empire at the library this week and will start it soon. Thanks for the bullets!

>115 Jim53: Any time! Glad you enjoyed them :)

>114 Narilka: there is an old GD thread on the beginning of this series, somewhere in the archives where the author took part. I don't think he appears in the GD anymore.

>113 Narilka: Tiffney is amazing. Shepherd's crown is so sad. It's one of the best sub-series.

17. The Case of the Damaged Detective by Drew Hayes



This is one of those cases where I took a chance on a book based on liking the only other work I've read by the author and that it had been given positive reviews by a couple friends. I am so glad I did. The Case of the Damaged Detective by Drew Hayes is a great re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes with a scifi/thriller twist and a healthy dose of comedy.

Someone dumped a biological weapon into a nightclub killing all but one man who woke up with no memory of his past calling himself Sherman, an off the charts IQ and believing himself to be the descendant of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes. Naturally the government wants to study Sherman's newfound genius and needs to transfer him to a different facility. Assigned to the task is agent code-name Watson. Watson is in for a more difficult than expected task as the government aren't the only ones looking to study the survivor's brain.

Sherman and Watson are a great odd couple. Sherman's condition has given him a superiority complex where he disdains the common man. What Sherman lacks in people skills he makes up for with his quick insights into everything going on around him. This leads to some hilarious conversations that would be utterly horrifying to hear in real life, though I'm right there with him on his logic to why cats secretly rule the world. As we grow to understand the nature of Sherman's condition it's easy to sympathize with the guy as he attempts to manage not going insane while staying relatively functional. Watson is an extremely competent special agent with a high level of paranoia and severe trust issues due to both his chosen profession and his recent past. Dealing with Sherman's unique requirements forces Watson to leverage his agent training in creative ways. It was great seeing these two unlikely companions grow into a good working relationship and friendship by the end.

I suspect enjoyment of this book will depend on how well you tolerate Sherman's quirks. I enjoyed it and found him entertaining though I can see how someone would find him incredibly irritating.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Scott Aiello. Aiello does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.

This was such a fun listen. The series has lots of potential. I'll be rotating the second book into my audio cycle soon.

Rating:

>117 reading_fox: Are you sure about that? I mean that it was in this group. It appears one of his books was an Early Reviewer selection on LT. Perhaps the discussion was in that group, as I can't find anything in here.

>118 Narilka: Well, you sure hit me solid with that BB! Sounds really fun!

>120 Storeetllr: I hope you enjoy it :)

18. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold



"Once, she had been her parents' daughter. Then great, unlucky Ias's wife. Her children's mother. At the last, her mother's keeper. Well, I am none of these things now. Who am I, when I am not surrounded by the walls of my life?"

Paladin of Souls is the second book in Bujold's World of the Five Gods series. Technically it can be read standalone as the story is wholly contained, has all the information needed to understand the nuances of the world and only references the first novel that aren't plot impacting. If you're looking for a fantasy novel starring a mature, middle aged woman with demons and gods mucking about, this is the book for you. Ista's story had me hooked immediately.

Dowager Royina Ista is questioning what to do with her life. Previously believed to be mad though in reality just god cursed, the feeling of being stuck and believing her life has no purpose is slowly driving Ista mad in actuality. Unable to put up with the condescension of her keepers any longer, Ista decides to go on a pilgrimage to escape castle life. It's not long before Ista learns that while you can run away to a different location, problems eventually find a way back to you, especially when gods are involved.

Ista is such a great character and one that's easy to identify with. Who hasn't had that same feeling of being at a crossroads in life, unsure where to go next, unsure if your life has purpose at all and just wanted to run away from everything? I know I've been there a few times. As Ista sets off on her journey a bigger mystery starts to unfold. Ista is up for the challenge and encounters a great supporting cast along the way. There are plenty of clues as to where the mystery is going, several I picked up on, a few I missed and were nice surprises.

A small warning. There is an apparent love triangle early on. If you hate that trope please push through. It ends up not being what it first appears at all.

If I had one gripe with the book it is that after being incapacitated for two months Ilvin is able to immediately go into battle no problems. It's funny how something so minor feels far fetched in a story about gods and demons but there you go.

I absolutely loved this book. This having being my second time reading her works, I love Bujold's writing style and am firmly a fan now. I need to check out some of her other series.

Rating:

>66 Narilka: oh! I have this so am delighted to hear you loved it

>122 Narilka: I do love the dy Gura brothers' adventures and interactions on the way.

>122 Narilka: *cough*Vorkosigan*cough*

I really enjoyed the Vorkosigan saga, starting with Shards of Honor, tho apparently Falling Free is first in chron order. It's scifi rather than fantasy. It's in my top five scifi series favorites (after Murderbot, of course). My favorites list also includes the Liaden Universe books, which is scifi-fantasy space opera (and, alas, romance, tho not too squicky).

>125 Storeetllr: Oh yes. I'll even say that the best of the Vorkosigan saga, Memory & A Civil Campaign IMO beats out Murderbot, though that's of course a preference and they come from very different eras of SF.

Them's fightin' words! :) Though I do agree those are the best in the series, or at least two of my favorite Vorkosigan books, which also includes Cetaganda and Komarr.

>122 Narilka: Great review, and I also noticed the thing you are griping about! One minute he's weak and at death's door, and the next he's up and fighting. But I think they tried to explain that by the fact he was living off a much younger person's energy at that point.

>127 Storeetllr: Maybe a rematch when Murderbot's matured a decade or so. Vorkosigan tackled some new territory in it's own way back when it was shiny new. And not much compares to Mountains of Morning, and the lovely coda in Memory.

>124 quondame: They would be fun for some short stories or novellas :)

>125 Storeetllr: Vorkosigan is on my radar. Isn't it a longer series?

>128 clamairy: Wasn't it the other way around? His life force was keeping his brother alive and in his lucid moments it was staying with himself more than sent elsewhere.

>130 Narilka: Yes, they would.

Vorkosigan is a series of 14 semi-stand alone novels with a few shorter works and a great deal of discussion of what order is the best to read them. If you go with publication order you will be fine. Chronological order is recommended starting at Mirror Dance which is happily, pretty much publication order except for Cetaganda which takes place earlier so it can be read after The Vor Game if you have a preference for chronological order.

>131 quondame: I recently read Mirror Dance after being away from the Vorkosigan books for a while, I'm not sure I'd start with that one, it jumps right into the middle of things.

>131 quondame: I would likely go with publication order when I'm ready to keep things simple. I also have my eye on her Penric series. I really like the world of the five gods.

>132 Karlstar: I agree. I meant that once you started Mirror Dance the order became more important. I don't know if I read all of them as they came out - but certainly I'd read and re-read all the ones before Mirror Dance when it came out and then each as soon as I could get my hands on it. I've hardbacks Mirror Dance and all the later ones.

>133 Narilka: LMB does good worlds.

>130 Narilka: I believe for all his 'battle scenes' he was being powered by his brother's young wife and the demon that inhabitated her.

>135 clamairy: And I thought she was keeping Arhys up so the brothers could work together. Arhys couldn't be animated without one or the other providing him power.

19. The Emerald Storm by Michael J. Sullivan (Rise of Empire pt 2)



The Emerald Storm is the fourth book in Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series. The story picks up immediately where the last book left off, continuing the three story threads.

I haven't seen it mentioned much in other reviews. I am impressed with Sullivan's portrayal of PTSD and depression through Modina. Her story continues to be the most interesting of the three for me. I understand a lot better now how she's stuck and why she's so passive as she deals with her inner demons. I can already see her story ending one of two ways, one that is fairly bleak and the other hopeful. Here's hoping she gets the encouragement she needs for the hopeful outcome.

Royce and Hadrian's story definitely picks up once they reach their destination and we're given a whole new part of the world to explore. The world building here is phenomenal. I wish we could have spent a lot more time exploring this new land.

And then there's Arista. Her thread continues to be the most problematic for me and I don't like that is seems the author is trying to force a romance for her. It just isn't as smooth as the rest of the story and feels jarring in comparison.

Yet again the book ends abruptly, leaving each story thread unresolved and one in a sort of cliff hanger. I'm really glad I waited to read these after they were all published.

Rating:

>122 Narilka: ouch! not just a BB, but more of a Book Shotgun Shell - i haven't read anything by this author, but your review and the comments here from other readers have piqued my interest. Where do you recommend I start?

>138 Darth-Heather: I read them in publication order though I suspect you could probably read the books in either order. Maybe other pub members have suggestions? For those who have read the books, do you all think it should follow Curse then Paladin?

>139 Narilka: I just learned that I have done it all wrong if I wanted to read the series in chronological order. I read Curse first, then Paladin, then a number of the Desdemona novellas. Here's the order I got from Wikipedia:

The Hallowed Hunt
"Penric and the Shaman"
"Penric's Fox"
"Masquerade in Lodi"
"Penric's Mission"
"Mira's Last Dance"
"The Prisoner of Limnos"
"The Orphans of Raspay"
"The Physicians of Vilnoc"
The Curse of Chalion, approximately 100 years after the novellas
Paladin of Souls, a few years after The Curse of Chalion

I also learned that "Bujold's reading-order guide states that the works in the World of the Five Gods can be read in any order, although Paladin of Souls has spoilers for The Curse of Chalion."

>140 Storeetllr: Interesting. Good to know. I put Hallowed Hunt on my wish list. Then I'll be debating between Penric or trying out her scifi.

April Series Update

Started: 1
5-Minute Sherlock

Progressed: 4
World of the Five Gods
Riyria Revelations (x2)
Witch of Edgehill
Joe Ledger

Reviews Pending: 3

>140 Storeetllr: I really prefer publication order, because Bujold added important elements with each of the 3 novels, and The Hallowed Hunt is completely disjoint from the Chalion books.

>140 Storeetllr: I accidentally read Paladin of Souls before Curse of Chalion and I definitely wish I'd read Chalion first.

20. Pawsitively Secretive by Melissa Erin Jackson



In an attempt to distract herself from stressing over events from two months ago, Amber has immersed herself in planning for the upcoming Here and Meow Festival. Amber's search for inner peace doesn't last long. Chloe Deidrick, daughter of the mayor and fellow committee member, has gone missing. It becomes a race against the clock to find out what happened to Chloe.

Pawsitively Secretive is the third in the Witch of Edgehill series by Melissa Erin Jackson. For a cozy mystery I am impressed with the amount of character building in this installment. Many of the side characters are gaining more depth. I wish I had a friend like Kim. It's good that Amber finally has a friend she can trust! The mystery is well plotted and not predictable which made it more enjoyable. The reunion scene at the end was so well done it made me a little misty eyed.

Even with the mystery solved the author managed to end the story on a personal bombshell for Amber. What is it with me choosing books with these kind of endings lately?

Rating:

21. Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan (Heir of Novron pt 1)



Wintertide is the fifth and penultimate book in Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series. Again, the story picks up right where the last one left off. The Wintertide festival is almost here and events set in motion in the second book finally come to a head.

Each character goes on an arc. It's amazing how much growth they all have in just over 300 pages. I loved the nod to A Knight's Tale in Hadrian's story thread. My heart is breaking for Royce and I'm a little worried about what that's going to do to his mental state. The horrible situation Arista was in has taught her to be humble and I think she's going to bounce back fantastically. Now if only she'd experiment with the Art more! Thankfully Modina finds her way through her own personal darkness and is back in the game as an active participant. Between her and Nimbus the Empire is in good hands. With all the hubbub over the real heir Degan Gaunt is a let down. And a bit of an ass. I hope there's another twist in store and he's not really the heir though that doesn't seem likely at this point. Best of all, it was satisfying for Saldur to finally get his comeuppance.

While I don't think anything will match the pure fun of meeting Royce and Hadrian for the first time, this book came close and is a tie for my favorite in the series. I can't wait to see how it all ends in Percepliquis.

Rating:

Do you think you'll read the Riyria Chronicles after this or take a break?

I'm going to take a break from Sullivan though I do plan to hit up Chronicles either later this year or early next year. Percepliquis is my next read after I finish the cozy mystery I'm on.

Being unable to be active outdoors lately means I've been coloring again.

>149 Narilka: I like that, it looks very relaxing and cozy!

>149 Narilka: Very nice.

>149 Narilka: Feelings of coziness.

>150 YouKneeK: >151 pgmcc: >152 quondame: Thanks! I had a lot of fun coloring that one.

>149 Narilka: Oh, lovely! Great color choices, and I like that you used slightly different shades to color each strand of her hair!

>149 Narilka: Lovely! That's a very comforting image.

>149 Narilka: I like!

>149 Narilka: Adorable. What are you doing with these? Hanging them somewhere?

>155 Sakerfalcon: >156 fuzzi: >157 clamairy: Thanks!

>157 clamairy: I keep my completed pages in plastic sleeves in a binder. It makes for a pretty flip book.

22. Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry



“The word "impossible" used to mean something. It was a line that couldn't be crossed. It was the outer edge of the safe zone.

I can't find that line anymore.”

Extinction Machine is the fifth book in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry. The impossible has happened. The President of the United States has been abducted from the White House and not a single Secret Service agent saw anything. The only piece of evidence left behind is a crop circle on the White House lawn. This has to be a hoax, right?

If the X-Files had an episode featuring Joe Ledger the result would be this book. Aliens are real...or are they? The DMS is in for a hard time as they work to unravel what's going on. We get a peek into Church and his "friends in the industry" that manages to both give some new information and keeps his mystique going. Joe and Ghost are their bad ass selves though I'm starting to wish they'd get a break. I'm not really sure how much of a beating a human can take before it affects their mental state and Joe's not 100% stable. Junie Flynn is another great addition and I hope we see her again in the future.

Maberry must have had fun doing research for this book. I kept pausing the story to google conspiracy theories various bits of technology as it progressed. It was an enjoyable rabbit hole to go down to see what had a basis in reality (microwave guns are real) and what is purely from Maberry's imagination. The author skillfully weaves them together.

The series has covered zombies, bio engineered super soldiers, vampires and alien technology. I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

Rating:

23. Pawsitively Swindled by Melissa Erin Jackson



A lot of story threads are coming together in Pawsitively Swindled, the fourth book in the Witch of Edgehill series by Melissa Erin Jackson. Amber's story has become so much more than your typical cozy mystery. Sure there's a mystery to solve - an innocent man has been set up to take the blame for a murder in the neighboring town of Marbleglen - but the bigger story here is around how Amber learns more about using her magic and her family's heritage, the growing friendships and trust with her new inner circle and a full realization of the threat the Penhallows actually represent to the entire magical community. There's a lot going on in such a short book!

I found the witchy side of the story more intriguing than the mystery this time. Especially fun was the game of magical cache and how it was worked in to the overall plot. I wonder if the author enjoys geocaching. It's nice that we get resolution to the bombshell at the end of book 3 and that things seem like they're going in the right direction. Assuming that the fifth book is the final in the series I'm looking forward to seeing how Amber deals with the Penhallows once and for all.

Rating:

>159 Narilka: - I have patient zero queued up in my reading list so it's good to know the series remains good.

>161 reading_fox: I hope you enjoy it :)

24. Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors by Annette Marie and Rob Jacobsen



Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors is the first in The Guild Codex: Warped series by Annette Marie. This is a spinoff of the main Guild Codex: Spellbound series. You can likely read this book without having read the other series first though you will miss out on a lot of fun nods and easter eggs that the authors have placed throughout Kit's tale.

The plot is a fairly simple one. Kit's in MPD jail after the take down of his rogue guild and will do anything to escape, even if that means pairing up with the MPD to help them find one of the dangerous rogues who escaped capture. Magical mayhem ensues.

Kit is an interesting character. He seems to be following the "rogue with a heart of gold" trope though he starts off completely self obsessed ass who is focused on how he can use everyone around him. His obsession with pop culture references was both funny and eye roll worthy. If you hate that kind of thing, you likely aren't going to enjoy this book. Kit's magic is fascinating and has a lot of potential for future installments. I hope the writers get creative. MPD Agent Lienna Shen works well enough as Kit's foil being the straight guy in their odd couple pairing, though she's entirely too trusting with a known criminal with unknown psychic powers.

The romance was of the terrible instalove variety. I don't mean where it's magically induced as a plot point, that part mostly worked, but earlier in the book. It did not make sense for Lienna to be that into Kit immediately, knowing he's a criminal, and incredibly trusting even for a rookie agent.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Iggy Toma. It took me a while to warm up to his narration style. A lot of his characters sounded the same, especially the female characters, though he did some voices that were pretty great. I definitely need better distinction between major characters since I tend to listen to audio books while doing other activities. Turning up the narration speed helped a little. I suspect I might have enjoyed this one more on my Kindle and plan to continue the series in that format.

Rating: