Narilka reads (hopefully!) in 2022

Happy new year! Here's hoping 2022 is better than the previous.

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 2022
1. Unsouled by Will Wight
2. The Wrath of Vajazzle by Barry J. Hutchison
3. Galvanism and Ghouls by Tilly Wallace
4. Lake Silence by Anne Bishop
5. E-Squared by Pam Grout
6. Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm
7. Soulsmith by Will Wight
8. Blood Oath by Christopher Famsworth
9. Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza
10. Wild Country by Anne Bishop
11. Witchshadow by Susan Dennard
12. Mythos by Stephen Fry
13. Blackflame by Will Wight
14. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
15. Crowbones by Anne Bishop
16. The Broken Room by Peter Clines
17. Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
18. The Diamond Throne by David Eddings
19. Skysworn by Will Wight
20. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
21. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn
22. The Ruby Knight by David Eddings
23. The Search for Splurt by Barry J. Hutchinson
24. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
25. Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
26. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
27. The Midnight Orchestra by Jessica Khourey
28. Ghostwater by Will Wight
29. The World According to Bob by James Bowen
30. Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews
31. Underlord by Will Wight
32. Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
33. Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass
34. Ask Your Guides by Sonia Choquette
35. The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
36. The Sapphire Rose by David Eddings
37. Uncrowned by Will Wight
38. Wintersteel by Will Wight
39. The Odds by Jeff Strand
40. A Hero Born by Jin Yong
41. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
42. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
43. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
44. White Night by Jim Butcher
45. Bloodline by Will Wight
46. Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews
47. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin
48. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
49. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
50. Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication by Vanessa Van Edwards
51. Reaper by Will Wight
52. The Reality of ESP: A Physicist's Proof of Psychic Abilities by Russell Targ
53. Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
54. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
55. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
56. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
57. The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
58. Dreadgod by Will Wight
59. The Eleventh Metal by Brandon Sanderson
60. Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania by Brandon Sanderson
61. Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson
62. The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnworth
63. Feedback by Dennis E. Taylor
64. NPCs by Drew Hayes
65. Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews
66. The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson
67. Song of the Space Siren by Barry J. Hutchison
68. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
69. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
70. What If? 2 by Randall Munroe
71. Split the Party by Drew Hayes
72. Changes by Jim Butcher
73. Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews
74. Blitz by Daniel O'Malley
75. The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum

Fun Stats
Books Read: 75
Total Pages Read: 18908
Audio Book Hours: 180h 14m
Rereads: 6
TBR Challenge: 8/12

2022 Series Stats
In progress: 18
Up to date: 13
On Hold: 5
Completed: 3
Abandoned: 4

Mount TBR
Start 2022: 213
End 2022: ?

TBR Challenge
Aiming for 12 books. I only got through 10 in 2021 so carrying over 14 and picking 10 new ones. Fingers crossed no reading slump this year.

8/12

Primary
1. Unsouled by Will Wight Completed Jan 8
2. Witchshadow by Susan Dennard Completed Feb 28
3. Mythos by Stephen Fry Completed Mar 4
4. The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
5. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
6. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Completed Aug 1
7. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson
8. White Night by Jim Butcher Completed Aug 9
9. The World According to Bob by James Bowen Completed May 19
10. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

Carryover from 2021
1. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson Completed Aug 27
2. Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey
3. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
4. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
5. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harai
6. Circe by Madeline Miller
7. Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan
8. The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
9. Red Rising by Pierce Brown Completed July 23
10. Wool by Hugh Howey
11. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
12. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
13. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
14. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
Keeping my never-ending series list going for yet another year.

Series Stats Summary
In progress: 18
Up to date: 11
On Hold: 5
Completed: 3
Abandoned: 4

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 6/8
Discworld: City Watch - 6/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 3/5
Discworld: Overall - 32/41
The Dresden Files - 12/17
Temeraire - 2/9
Joe Ledger* - 6/10
World of the Five Gods - 2/3
Space Team* - 4/11
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Awaken Online: Tarot* - 1/3
The Vampire Knitting Club - 1/13
Of Cats and Dragons* - 1/5
Hunter - 1/3
Manners and Monsters - 2/5
Nathaniel Cade* - 2/3
King of Scars - 1/2
Spells, Swords and Stealth* - 2/5

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2023
Skyward - 3/3 - #4 expected 2023
The Darkwater Legacy* - 1/1 - #2 expected 2023
The Metaframe War - 6/6 - #7 expected 2023
The Brackenford Cycle - 4/4 - #5 TBD
5-minute Sherlock* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Witchlands - 4/4 - #5 TBD
World of the Others - 3/3 - #4 TBD
Mystwick* - 2/2 - #3 TBD
The Locked Tomb - 3/3 - #4 expected 2023
Cradle - 11/11 - #12 expected 2023
Aurelia Ryder - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Innkeeper Chronicles - 5/5 - #6 TBD

Temporarily On Hold While I Try to Reduce my TBR
The Burning - 1/2
The Folk of the Air* - 1/3
The Book of the Ice - 1/3
The Goddess War - 1/3
Awaken Online* - 4/6

Completed in 2022
The Elenium - 3/3
The Hidden Legacy - 6/6
Wax & Wayne - 4/4

Abandoned in 2022
Bookmobile Cat Mystery - 1/9
Legends of the Condor Heroes* - 1/4
Guild Codex: Warped - 1/3
Red Rising Saga - 1/7

*Indicates series on audio

Happy new year's thread!

Happy New thread.

Good luck and happy reading

>5 quondame:, >6 Karlstar: >7 Silversi: Thank you!

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

Found and starred!

Happy New Thread! May the reading slumps stay far away!

Happy new year! I hope it will bring you lots of good reading!

>9 majkia:, >10 fuzzi:, >11 clamairy:, >12 Sakerfalcon: Thank you!

Happy reading in 2022!

Happy New Year!

Looking forward to reading about your reading again this year.

>16 -pilgrim-: Happy to have you aboard!

I started the year off giving birth to a kidney stone this week. That was NOT fun. Thankfully it passed. I also managed to finish a book, yay! Now to keep digging myself out of my backlog of reviews.

1. Unsouled by Will Wight



This is my first time reading "cultivation fantasy," a genre I'd never heard of before. According to the internet, it's a story based around "cultivating" or progressing one's soul/body/state of being, usually towards gaining immortality. That description fits Unsouled perfectly, the first in the Cradle series by Will Wight. This is a start of a classic "zero to hero" journey set in a world inspired by Eastern mythology and anime.

Lindon was born unsouled, a person with no soul energy, something that hadn't been seen in his village for as long as anyone could remember. Unsouled are forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan and are treated as outcasts, looked down upon by society. Flying in the face of tradition, Lindon is determined to forge his own path even though all the odds are against him.

Turns out I like an underdog story. Lindon is a likable young man, an underdog you can root for and a decent person at heart. I like how he has figured out, with a small nudge, that he has to think outside the box in order to improve himself. It's a great message that even the most unlikely of goals is achievable if you're willing to dedicate yourself to it and are resilient. He is starting at zero with what is perceived as a big handicap and no one believing in him yet has the deterioration and grit needed to see his goal through. Or at least started since this is just the first book.

The world is an interesting one. I don't read a lot of Eastern inspired books (something I should correct), nor do I read/watch anime or manga (tried and couldn't get into it), so the setting felt fresh to me. I've read that this is very similar to Naruto so if you've read this type of manga you will be more familiar with this style of story. The author does a lot to give us enough background information in the first half of the book so that when the exciting plot twist happens we're not bogged down as the story races off. Unfortunately that means the first half has some pacing issues.

This is a great foundation to a series that I look forward to continuing. I see a lot of potential for Lindon and his journey.

Rating:

A request! What recommendations do you all have for some Eastern inspired books? SF/F is my preference but doesn't have to be if the story is well told.

>18 Narilka:

The Barry Hughart series of novels, starting with Bridge of Birds. Humorous, but in an authentically fantasy version of ancient China. Each book stands on its own pretty well.

The Fairy of Ku-She by M. Lucie Chin. Fantasy set among the deities and mortals of Confucian cosmology.

Silk Road and Shadows by Susan Schwartz. Fantasy, part of her Heirs of Byzantium series.

Just a few excellent ones from the top of my head.

For a more modern, indeed future, setting, Snake Agent by Liz Williams is another, irreverent fantasy.

And for some traditional wuxia, Legend of the Condor Heroes was written in the fifties, but the first few volumes have now been published in English.

ETA: I have not got on well with manga, and rarely with anime, but you are interesting me with this.

>18 Narilka: I second pilgrim's suggestion of the Hughart books. I also like Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle series. I'm intrigued by the forthcoming Daughter of the Moon Goddess and S. L. Huang's retelling of Water Margin is due sometime this year, too.

>20 libraryperilous: Oooh.... Water Margin.... 😍

The music from the seventies TV show is playing through my head... I did try to read the classic after that, but found it too alien in terms of what it was acceptable for the "good guys" to do. (Only got through about 12 chapters out of 52.)

>21 -pilgrim-: Apparently, Huang's book also is going to play with that concept of morality, so we'll see how I react.

I added Water Margin to Mt TBR after reading Guy Gavriel Kay's River of Stars. I must track down the TV show!

>22 libraryperilous: It predated VCRs. Although I do remember seeing it available on DVD at one point. I remember, as a teenager, carefully writing up a synopsis fir each episode.

BTW, if you hunt via Amazon, be extremely careful. They treat the TV series and the Shaw Brothers film as the. "same item"!

Wow, -pilgrim- is merciless with her BB gun :D Thanks for all the recommendations. My wishlist has grown. I added them all.

>24 Narilka: Enjoy!

>18 Narilka: there's the paladin and maybe A memory called empireI know I've read more, but can't recall the titles.

In terms of books with a protagonist who starts without any skills that the others around him have - Spellslinger and furies of calderon are good examples, but I always get disappointed when they stop being clever and gain their skills instead.

>22 libraryperilous: I wonder how far Huang will go. The point at which I bailed from the Shi Nai'An text was when one of my favourite characters from the TV series started "heroically" raping...

>26 reading_fox: One of the things I liked about Kellen of Ke was that, although he does keep acquiring skills, he remains underpowered compared to everyone around him.

>18 Narilka: For traditional fantasy but with an 'eastern' style, try Gregory Keyes Chosen of the Changeling
series, that starts with The Waterborn. For more contemporary, there's The Tale of Shikanoko by Lian Hearn.

>25 -pilgrim-: The universe works in mysterious ways. A Hero Born just went on sale at Audible US for $6. Guess what's now in my TBR :) It is second in line after I finish the one I'm currently listening to.

>26 reading_fox: Added The Paladin to my wish list. I've been on the fence about A Memory Called Empire. Some of the reviews I've seen made me iffy.

I did not realize Spellslinger or Furies of Calderon are underdog stories. They're already on my wish list. Might be time to be a bit more proactive in watching out for them.

>29 Karlstar: Added both to my wish list. Thanks!

>27 -pilgrim-: Oof. I would have bailed at that point, too.

>32 Narilka: Welcome! There's also Elizabeth Bear's The Lotus Kingdoms series, but I have only read book one in that series so far.

2. The Wrath of Vajazzle by Barry J. Hutchison



It's been a while since I've had a humorous read so it was time to load up the second Space Team book, The Wrath of Vajazzle. Yeah, that's really the title and, yes, I wanted to snicker right along with Cal every time that ridiculous name is mentioned. Because it is the name of one of the deadliest, and oldest, assassins in the galaxy, who happens to have been hired by Zertex to hunt down Cal for causing Zertex some embarrassment.

I don't know how the author managed it but he found a balance between laugh out loud/eye roll humor, absurdity, a couple of fairly horrible things and even some touching moments. We get to know Cal and the crew a little better with a lot of backstory for Miz and some insight into her species civilization. Things kinda, sort of, mostly work out even if there is one unexpected dangling plot thread at the end. Not a cliff hanger. Definitely a hook for book 3.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Phil Tron. Tron delivered yet another spectacular performance.

Fonk that was fun. Book 3 will be rotating in soon. I need to see what kind of mischief that little ball of green goo has gotten up to.

Rating:

>1 Narilka: wishing you a belated happy new year and much enjoyable reading in 22!

>36 Jim53: Thanks Jim! You too :)

>18 Narilka: You were looking for Eastern-inspired titles. Have you looked at the novellas in the Singing Hill cycle by Nghi Vo. I just finished The Empress of Salt and Fortune and there are two others set in that universe.

Also I read A Memory Called Empire at some point w/in the past two years and found it very well-done.

>35 Narilka: I thought Space Team was a hoot, probably on your recommendation, I'll add the second book to my list.

>39 Karlstar: Awesome!

3. Galvanism and Ghouls by Tilly Wallace



When a part of a monster with pieces from two different bodies has been found stitched together, Viscount Wycliff is called to investigate the oddity. All of London knows there is only one scientist capable of creating such a monster and it's not long before accusations are thrown at Hannah's father, Sir Hugh Miles. Now Hannah must join with Wycliff in his investigation if she's to clear her father's name.

Galvanism and Ghouls is the second installment in the Manner and Monsters series by Tilly Wallace. The story is another fun mystery for Hannah and Wycliff to solve. It's a nice nod by Wallace to both Frankenstein and The Adams Family. There is a surprising twist in the second half that I did not see coming and has left me intrigued about what this all means for Hannah. Also, it seems that the Miles house is going to end up a museum of oddities if Hannah keeps bringing home all the poor lost, ah, experiments she finds during investigations. I'm looking forward to where the series goes next.

Rating:

4. Lake Silence by Anne Bishop



It felt good to return to the world of the Others. If you've read the Meg's story, you basically know what to expect as Bishop has a formula for this series. Fortunately I enjoy that formula.

Vicki DeVine got one thing out of her divorce - a rustic resort called the Jumble on Lake Silence. After spending months making the resort habitable, Vicki has her first tenant, Aggie Crow. When Aggie finds a dead body on the property, trouble lands on Vicki's doorstep in the form of some detectives from a nearby city trying to pin the crime on her even though all evidence shows nothing human could've killed the victim. Some people seem to forget that human laws do not apply in wild country.

Even though this book is the first in a new series set in the same world, Lake Silence is designed to be read after Meg's story as this book assumes you already have a foundational understanding of what the Others are and how their laws in this world work.

This book is interesting in that I enjoyed the supporting cast more than the lead. Grimshaw is a police officer with a past who knows himself well and also understands just what he's dealing with at the Jumble. Getting to see more about the Intuits with Julian was a nice way to add to the world building. The Others are awesome and easily my favorite part of the book. Having less humanized Others for Vicki and the townsfolk to interact with worked quite well and helped them seem even more other. I have mixed feelings about Vicki. As a divorcee, she has seen some of the world and should know more than she apparently does. I sometimes got the feeling the author used Vicki as a stand in for Meg but couldn't pull off the same level of childlike innocence since Vicki was not nearly as sheltered as Meg. This seems like a great opportunity for some character building in a future book.

I admit while reading this I found myself missing the Lakeside Courtyard. Vicki, Ilya, Grimshaw and the rest helped fill the Others sized hole I didn't know was in my heart. I enjoyed my time back in this dangerous land and look forward to the second book.

Rating:

>41 Narilka: If this series is done with some wit to it, I will have to give it a shot. Are Wycliff and Hannah partners working together or is the relationship more like that of Poirot and LeStrade? Where they stay in separate channels that sometimes cooperate?

>43 jillmwo: They are partners working together.

5. E-Squared by Pam Grout



A friend who knows I've been reading up more on quantum physics gave me a copy of this book. The title and subtitle basically say it all. E-Squared by Pam Grout is a series of nine experiments anyone can do with minimal or no equipment to prove the quantum theory that thoughts create reality. Grout starts the book off with a layman's explanation of the quantum field, which she calls the field of unlimited potential, and how we can use it to manifest what we'd like. Grout's writing is entertaining and easy to read.

So how did I do? I attempted 5 of the experiments and I got results with all 5. Not all the results were what I expected with one being quite surprising. It was a lot of fun! I'm planning to try the experiments again sometime in the future.

Rating:

Happy Two's Day! Depending on your part of the world today is 2/22/22 or 22/2/22 :D

>46 Narilka: I'm enjoying this Two's Day very much!

6. Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm



I have mixed feelings for this book. I am not a big fan of magical realism and Wizard of the Pigeons toes the line. Written by Megan Lindholm (aka Robin Hobb), the writing itself is beautiful and engaging. I was kept guessing about what was real and what wasn't, what was just in Wizard's head and what was actually happening. Even now, weeks after finishing the book and thinking it through, I'm not entirely sure I have it sorted. In that respect, this is a thought provoking book as it forced me to examine my views of homelessness, poverty and mental illness from a completely different perspective. This makes for an uncomfortable read at times.

Wizard's story has a fairy tale feel while the setting is a very gritty and real 1980s Seattle. It's a combination that shouldn't work well together yet it does. Technically this means it can be classified as Urban Fantasy though it is nothing like what the genre has become today.

Is this a story about real magic in Seattle or just a man coping with PTSD by believing himself to be a wizard? Perhaps it is both. I think I might need to reread this one again in the future.

Rating:

>48 Narilka: Sounds interesting; although I probably have my grim reading TBR list backed up far enough as it is, at present. Making a note of this, though.

7. Soulsmith by Will Wight



Soulsmith does exactly what I hoped it would: it builds on the foundation set in Unsoulded and kicks everything up a notch. There's a great big world outside of the Sacred Valley. In pursuit of advancement, Lindon and Yerin find themselves drawn to an ancient ruin rising from the jungle. Many sacred artists have gathered to fight for the treasures inside.

I am enjoying the growth of both our characters. Lindon's handicap of being unsouled has forced him to develop his mind and learn to be clever. I can see that being very, very handy as his soul progresses and he finally has the physical power to match. It has definitely been helpful for him to navigate of a world of people much more powerful than he is and stay alive through his wits. Yerin, too, starts on a small character arc. She's starting to have more personality and I like how her friendship with Lindon is developing. Eithan, a third main character is introduced. I loved him from the start! His ability of always knowing the present moment is insanely useful. Plus how he helps Lindon advance has given me much speculation for the future.

The author does an amazing job of expanding upon the world building and on the powers of the magical martial arts system. Its funny how very sheltered the Sacred Valley is. Outside it, Golds are found in abundance and they have varying levels of power within Gold that has a wider gap than a Copper has to Iron. It makes me excited to see just how many levels beyond Gold there are and how far along Lindon will be able to progress.

This book is a fun, quick read. I like where Lindon's progress is heading with the "help" of his new mentor. It makes me wonder if he'll pass Yerin up. I also hope we learn more about Yerin's past soon as she obviously is keeping a pretty big secret. We are left with a great set up for book 3. I'm looking forward to it.

Rating:

>50 Narilka: Glad to hear these books are good. I own the first seven (gulp!) books in this series for Kindle, though it looks as though I never added it to LT. I'll have to fix that!

>51 clamairy:, >50 Narilka: I think this is a case of the marketing campaign misfiring. Finding so many of them available for free, I assumed they were dross. I am glad to hear that they were not.

>51 clamairy: >52 -pilgrim-: Yeah, the author makes all his books available for free once or twice a year. That's how I picked them up and I'm glad that I did. I'm going to keep an eye out for his other series too next time.

The first 3 books in the Cradle series are currently FREE on Amazon US. Unsure of other countries.

>54 Narilka: Not free as such for Amazon UK, but available on Kindle Unlimited.

8. Blood Oath by Christopher Famsworth



Zach Barrows, ambitious White House staffer, made the mistake of sleeping with the President's daughter and now he's been reassigned as partner and handler of secret agent Nathaniel Cade. Cade's mission, given to him by President Andrew Johnson as part of a pardon for vampirism, is to protect the Union from supernatural horrors that the daylight world, and Zach, are not prepared to cope with.

Blood Oath is the first in the Nathaniel Cade series by Christopher Famsworth. Nathaniel Cade is the vampire version of Jack Reacher with a little bit of The West Wing thrown in. In this mission someone has been shipping dismembered American soldiers back to the States with the intention of reassembling them in a kind of frankensoldier based on old Nazi experiments.

Cade is more of what I'd consider a "classic" vampire. Ultra strong and fast, drinking blood helps him regenerate from wounds, severe sunlight allergy. He has a strong moral compass for a vampire that could make for some interesting situations in the future. Basically everything but the supernatural seduction because:

"Humans are our food. Do you want to have sex with a cow?”

Did I mention there's some humor too? On the flip side, Zach Barrows starts off highly unlikable and obnoxious. I believe this is by design so we can see his character grow as he adjusts to the full reality of his new job situation. I ended up with how well Zach handles himself by the end of the book.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Bronson Pinchot. It took me a bit to get used to the narration as he was more monotone than I prefer. It made more sense as the story went along and more characters were added which upped the variety of voices.

Famsworth had fun drawing inspiration from popular horror legends and weaving them together into an entertaining horror/thriller. Fair warning, there are a couple gory parts and one in particular that made me cringe. That said, I enjoyed the set up and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Rating:

>56 Narilka: "Humans are our food. Do you want to have sex with a cow?”

I remember a short story in a collection from the eighties, from the POV of a psychologist whose patient, a college professor, whose employers have learned of his habit of cruising a local park late at night picking up young women - and maybe young men. Psychologist assumes that vampirism that enables him to disguise the "unacceptable" (i.e. homosexual) subset of his urges. So she asks him if he prefers to suck blood before or after..."Instead of, for preference. Do you mate with your livestock?"

You have read the genre rather more widely than I. Do you recall this story, and who wrote it?

>57 -pilgrim-: That's not ringing any bells. I might not have read it or just don't remember.

9. Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza



If you've never heard of Joe Dispenza, I highly recommend looking him up in a quick internet search before reading this review. His self healing journey after a terrible car accident where doctors said he'd never walk again is amazing. This book, Becoming Supernatural, acts as a guide to the power of the mind and how you can transform your life with meditation and mindfulness practices.

This book has a lot of interesting ideas. Dispenza has a different take on the chakras that I found fascinating and I do want to try many of the meditations he presented. I also enjoyed how Dispenza relates parts back to actual scientific studies and experiences both from his own life and how people that attended his workshop have transformed their lives with using these techniques.

Where the book started to lose me was when it read more like an advertisement for his workshop and other services. I get it, he needs to make a living. I just didn't need to be "sold" continuously. If I really like what I'm reading I'm naturally going to look up more information and will find his workshops. Secondly, the student stories presented give the impression that mastering meditation and self transformation is easy and quick instead of showing the hard work and time that goes into the process. Anyone new to meditation and mindfulness should look for a less advanced book on the subject before jumping in to Becoming Supernatural.

Rating:

10. Wild Country by Anne Bishop

He has teeth.
She has a gun.
They are the law.

Wild Country is the second in Anne Bishop's World of the Others series. Events in this story coincide with those in Etched in Bone and contains spoilers for the main plot in that book. While technically this book could be read out of order, I recommend reading Meg's series first . The events in Lake Silence have no bearing on Wild Country and either book could be read first without any problems.

All of my favorite elements from the previous Others books are all here, rearranged and tossed together in a story about life in a frontier town that is just being repopulated after the Great Predation in the main series. The new residents are truly in the wild country where human law is barely tolerated at and the Others have the final say in all things.

The story features an ensemble cast without any one person truly feeling like the main lead. It was very nice for Bishop to break her series mold and have several competent female pov's that work well with the Others. The new sheriff and deputy get plenty of page time and it's quite enjoyable reading how they figure out ways to work with each other that doesn't end with the human being eaten.

Easily my favorite part of these books is that Bishop writes the best comeuppance for bad guys. I know that no matter how horrible the bad guys behave or how heinous their crimes, decency will win out and the evil doers always meet a gloriously bloody end. It makes for satisfying and oddly cozy read.

Rating:

>42 Narilka: I'm glad the Others are continuing in a new series, I enjoyed the world but haven't followed Meg's story to the end as it was starting to get a bit out of balance.

>45 Narilka: - I'm somewhat intrigued. There is noting in quantum theory that requires a mind creating reality. It's one way of interpreting some results but assumes all the universe was put together for us to decide upon - something that's always seemed a trifle arrogant. However I'm a long way from even thinking about grasping the mathematical principles - and without those attempts to put it into words are adding yet more metaphor to a model.

>48 Narilka: - I don't know why I never knew that was by Robin Hood. I found it unsettling, I'm quite happy to read urban fantasy, but the unreliable narrator aspect didn't sit well with me, somehow the tone didn't quite match the point I thought was being made.

>61 reading_fox: I can understand that about Wizard of Pigeons.

11. Witchshadow by Susan Dennard



Witchshadow is the fourth and penultimate book in Susan Dennard's Witchlands series. I believe the long gap between releases and not having reread the series prior to this hurt my enjoyment of the book. Even with the recaps on the author's website, I had a hard time remembering some plot points and reconnecting with the series. The scope was more vast than I was expecting, making it feel unfocused and left me lost at times. That said, the book as a whole feels like one big set up for the finale to come.

Iseult and Safi have come such a long way since the beginning of the series. Iseult's character development is incredible! She has finally accepted and embraced her powers and becomes a force to be reckoned with. Safi, considering her unique situation, is forced to grow beyond the skills she's always taken for granted and adapt to planning out a little strategy. I was left frustrated that, yet again, the two friends don't get to stay together as a team even after meeting up at the end. For those looking for progression in the Iseult/Aeduan romance, you will be disappointed.

I did end up enjoying the story and like some of the resolutions we were given. I have a much greater understanding of Paladins now. I think a whole series reread will be a good idea once the final book releases.

Rating:

12. Mythos by Stephen Fry



I remember discovering the Greek myths as a child, the stories of the capricious gods and all the trouble they caused mortals causing my imagination to take flight. I think I probably read a version that was simplified for children as several of the stories were a lot darker than I remembered. Mythos is Stephen Fry's modern retelling many of the Greek myths, from the creation of the world to tales of major gods, minor gods, titans, nymphs, furies, muses and more. Fry adds a dose of humor to the stories and I love how he relates each myth back to its impact on the modern world. The Greek myths live on all around us in the words we use, cities we live in and products that we buy.

The retellings also reminded me how badly I've started to mix Greek and Roman versions of the stories up at times. For example, I've managed to completely mix up Eros and Cupid, likely due to the marketing madness that comes with Valentine's Day every year.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author. Stephen Fry's narration was a joy to listen to.

Rating:

Edited to fix a typo :)

>64 Narilka: I find myself very tempted by this one.

>65 Peace2: I hope you enjoy it if you try it :)

>60 Narilka: I need to start this series. I really enjoyed the original 5 books.

I really liked Mythos, too. Fry is a gem. Truly a National Treasure. I also listened to the next one, Heroes, but haven't gotten around to the one about Troy.

>64 Narilka:, > 65 & >68 Bookmarque: This one was a real pleasure to listen to. I still need to listen to Heroes.

>67 Sakerfalcon: I hope you enjoy them when you start them :)

>68 Bookmarque: >69 clamairy: I have Heroes in my wish list. If it comes anywhere close to Mythos it's going to be a delight to listen to.

>64 Narilka: All three of the books in Fry's trilogy are worth the time to read. The titles are Mythos, Heroes, and Troy (couldn't find the working touchstone for that last one.). The hardcover versions have lovely color halftones included.

>64 Narilka: >68 Bookmarque: >69 clamairy: Thank you, I'll add that to my list. Can anyone compare it to Gaiman's Norse mythology?

>65 Peace2: Got me with that one.

>72 Karlstar: I've not read the Gaiman book so couldn't say.

>73 Jim53: Hope you like it when you read it :)

>72 Karlstar: I would say that Gaiman's book is more campfire retelling while Fry's is more classroom. Fry's is also more comprehensive as there are a LOT of stories to get through.

>66 Narilka: it’s funny because I saw it and the next in the set in a charity shop the other day but they were in such poor condition that I resisted getting them. Given the current rate of increase of the TBR pile it was a relief to find the strength not to just bring things home again!

>63 Narilka: That's what I rated the first of the series, which is all I've read (2019) and my review didn't bring a shadow of the book back to me.

>76 Peace2: Now that's a fun coincidence :D

>77 quondame: I remember liking the first one so much due to it having a healthy female friendship.

>75 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks, the Fry sounds like a good one to add to our collection.

That's a BB for Narilka, we bought the Nook version of Mythos today.

13. Blackflame by Will Wight



Cue the training music from Rocky.

Blackflame is the third book in Will Wight's Cradle series. It is time for our young heroes to train up and continue to grow their powers. In Lindon's case this means selecting a path for one of his cores. For Yerin it's all about learning to control her goldsign.

And what path does Lindon decide on? The path of Blackflame of course! It's an ancient path that has mostly died out due to it being inspired by dragons and the humans following a path of dragon have a tendency to go mad. Since this is part of Eithan's plan I have to trust that he's built in a contingency so that Lindon doesn't suffer the same fate. Time will tell.

The training portion takes about 70% of the book. I really enjoyed Lindon and Yerin learning how to be a team and Lindon learning a proper path. Both characters acheive great advancements. Even Little Blue the sylvan gets some action and growth. It was nice to meet Orthos, a sacred beast in the form of a giant turtle. He adds another layer to the types of creatures we could meet in the future.

In between the training, we're treated to the perspective of Jai Long and his revenge arc. I did not enjoy his view point and I'm pretty sure we aren't supposed to.

Once the plot kicks in, the final quarter of the book is one heck of a wild ride. I have to imagine since Eithan is the one who has set a lot of this in motion that things ended up more or less where he wanted them to. Guess I'll find out soon.

I also like that the titles of each book seems to be a big hint of what to expect.

Rating:

14. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle



Reread March 2022: Yep, I still love this book just as much as before. I'd forgotten some of the details, like Hagsgate, so it was nice to revisit. That ending gets me every time. Review from 2013 below.

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A unicorn, believing she is the last of her kind, sets off on a quest to discover what happened to the rest of her people. Along the way she is joined by Schmendrick the Magician, a poor excuse for a wizard on his own quest to discover his magic who becomes completely devoted to the unicorn, and Molly Grue, fiercely loyal and ever practical. Together the follow rumors of a Red Bull to King Haggard's land and the dangers that await.

The Last Unicorn is a classic fantasy tale. Beagle's use of language is absolutely beautiful and evokes emotion for me. The prose flows wonderfully, keeping the story moving along and is engaging the entire time.

There was an animated movie adaptation in the 80s that I saw as a kid and was fairly faithful to the book. As I read, I kept hearing the actors voice overs for the characters.

The story breaks my heart every time I read it. In a good way! I look forward to another reread in the future.

Rating:

>80 Narilka: While I wasn't looking Will Wight seems to have produced quite a lot of books. It's only been this year that I noticed his name coming up more and more often. On Literature-Map.com I don't know any of the authors closest to him - on the edges Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson show up, but pretty far away.

>81 Narilka: I recently reread The Last Unicorn too, sometime in the last few years, and discovered again how wonderful it was.

The book I originally owned had that same cover, though the copy is long gone (45 years?).

ETA: there's a SEQUEL????

>83 fuzzi: - I loved two hearts far more the LU itself. Short and more poignant, better writing too. I've not come across the unicorn sonata which is apparently in the same world.

>84 reading_fox: I need to read Two Hearts. I didn't know that Unicorn Sonata was in the same world. I'll have to keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the tip.

>82 quondame: I've never heard of Literature-Map.com before so had to visit it. Interesting idea. I've not read any of the nearest authors. The closest I've read are Drew Hayes and Nicholas Eames.

>81 Narilka: Wow haven’t thought about that book in years. I remember watching the animated film when I was a kid. Didn’t read the book until much much later.

>84 reading_fox: >81 Narilka: and now I've ordered it...as part of The Line Between.

>87 Volt875: The old animation is pretty faithful to the book. If I remember right, Beagle wrote the movie script.

>88 fuzzi: Cool!

>89 Narilka: one of the things I've come to appreciate about the animated version of The Last Unicorn is that the unicorn is the only pretty character, aside from a young couple we get to meet. All the humans are coarse in comparison. I don't know if that was intentional, but I thought it was a good touch.

15. Crowbones by Anne Bishop



While technically Crowbones is the third book in Anne Bishop's World of the Others series, it is a direct sequel to book 1, Lake Silence. Events from book 2, Wild Country, have no impact on this book and could be skipped if desired.

Crowbones is gonna gitcha!

A Halloween inspired Others novel! It's Trickster Night and what goes bump in the night that can scare one of the Others? The party at the Jumble is going well up until Crowbones, the Crowgard bogeyman, arrives to scare everyone. When the imposter is later discovered dead, along with a mutilated Crow, the residents begin to wonder if the real Crowbones has arrived, which would be bad news for everyone.

Given that the Others naturally border the horror genre it was a fun way to add more lore to the world while linking it to our own. As an added bonus, Crowbones is a fairly frightening myth that literally scares the feathers off the Others. While I felt a little bad for the Crowgard, it also made for some humorous moments.

It was nice to catch up with the characters from the Jumble. Vicki is still my least favorite of the leads in this world. The good news is all the supporting cast get plenty of page time through various points of view. I found the POV of the titular Other to be fascinating. It's nice to see that Bishop still has a few things to show us new in this world. It made me a bit sad to see that the Others can be corrupted like humans. Still, this being an Others novel, you basically know what to expect. And yes, the bad guys get their comeuppance in the end in a most satisfactory manner.

Rating:

16. The Broken Room by Peter Clines



Peter Clines is one of my "go to" authors when I'm in the mood for a scifi/mystery/thriller with touches of cosmic horror and his books became insta-buys after reading 14 for the first time. I am happy to say that The Broken Room continues in the Clines' mold that I enjoy so much, somehow managing to be disturbing, exciting and emotionally moving at the same time. It's also a heck of a lot of fun.

Hector is a retired government agent. His plans to drink the rest of his life away are interrupted when 12-year-old Natalie approaches him in a restaurant, claiming to have escaped from a facility known as the Project where an experiment being performed on children left her with the ghost of a dead agent in her head. That ghost insists that Hector owes it a favor and both Natalie and the ghost need Hector's help to uncover the nature of the experiments to determine what's happened to them both.

The story alternates between the present day happenings and Natalie relating her story to Hector on how she ended up at the Project and what happened there. Natalie's story is heart breaking. Clines was inspired by real life immigrants and how they are sometimes treated at the border. At first Natalie's past felt a little info-dumpy. Then I found myself caught up in Natalie's story just as much events happening in the present. She's been through a lot more than any child should have to go experience.

Hector and Natalie make a great pair. Their story is fast paced and I found it was one that I didn't want to put down. I even learned a couple practical tips should I ever find myself on the run and needing to blend in. Fair warning, the horror elements end up in the gross category. The story also gave me Stranger Things vibes at many points.

Even though the author states this is NOT a Threshold novel, there are plenty of nods to Threshold that I enjoyed immensely.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Timothy Andres Pabon. I admit it felt a little odd to be listening to a Threshold-like book not be narrated by Ray Porter. Pabon does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life, especially Natalie. The flatness Pabon gave her voice really emphasized the PTSD of a traumatized child.

Rating:

17. Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi



Jamie Grey finds himself laid off from his corporate job at a food delivery company during his 6-month performance review. The whole nation had just locked down for the pandemic and Jamie finds himself forced to make ends meet by taking a job as a "deliverator" at the company that had just let him go. Luck is on his side as Jamie begins delivering food to an old acquaintance who just happens to have a job opening for Jamie at his place of employment, KPS. KPS is in animal activist organization and Jamie jumps at the chance. Jamie has no idea just what KPS's mission is: to preserve Kaiju in a parallel universe. It's really not a spoiler. I mean, it's in the title!

This book is so much fun. I loved all the scifi references Scalzi included though I'm sure there are some I didn't get. The story is well paced and keeps moving through out, leading up to an exciting climax. The charters have just enough background and personality to get us to root for them without being too deep. I loved how Scalzi put in the author's note to treat this book as more of a pop song. I believe I enjoyed it just as it was intended.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton with my husband on a few car rides. Wheaton delivers Scalzi's sarcastic and snarky humor perfectly and had both of us laughing out loud. Scalzi's writing and Wheaton's narration make a great pairing.

Rating:

Your aim with The Broken Room missed me but your aim on John Scalzi's Kaiju Preservation Society pretty much hit fair and square.

>94 jillmwo: Yesssss! Hope you enjoy it :)

>93 Narilka: I finally borrowed the Kindle version of this from OverDrive, and I'm starting it tonight. I'm so glad you liked it!

18. The Diamond Throne by David Eddings



Reread March 2022: The last time I read this series was back in 2011. Eddings tends to be a comfort read for me though normally I turn to the Belgariad instead of the Sparhawk books. And now I remember why. The story is an old school quest/hero journey to save Queen and country from evil by finding a magical maguffin and one I enjoy even if it is considered tropey 30+ years later. Where this differs from Eddings' other series are the characters. It took me a long time to warm up to the characters. I finally got into the groove in the last quarter of the book and started to enjoy the story. We will see if the remainder of the trilogy changes my mind but this may be my last time reading The Elenium.

Rating:

>93 Narilka: Thanks for the review, I may try to listen to that one!

19. Skysworn by Will Wight



Skyworn, the fourth book in Will Wight's Cradle series, serves as a transition piece to the next major story arc of the series. The narrative starts off focused around Lindon's upcoming duel that has been looming since events in the second book and broadens in scope as we learn more about the threat of Dreadgods.

It's nice we get deeper characterizations of Lindon and Yerin as they examine their motivations and reasons for growing along their paths. I enjoyed the addition of Mercy to the crew - we'll see how much being from the Akura family has an impact on things. Our plucky heroes still have a lot of growing to do to face what's coming.

I'm excited to find where the story goes next! Eithan has a plan and I just know it's going to be the best kind of crazy for everyone involved. Also, I totally ignore the in-book description of Eitahn's scissors and replace them with brightly colored kiddy safety scissors when I imagine his battles for the pure hilarity of it. Comedy gold.

Rating:

20. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews



Reread April 2022: So glad my book club chose to read the whole series ahead of the new book release. I have been missing the Innkeeper universe! The story is just as enjoyable as I remembered. Original review from 2017 below.

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Dina DeMille runs a quaint Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas. She's a great neighbor and everything seems normal from the outside. Her Inn, the Gertrude Hunt, caters to a very specific clientele: otherworldly visitors. As an Innkeeper Dina has one duty which is to protect her guests and stay neutral. With the gruesome death of yet another neighbor's pet, Dina can no longer stand passively by. She must get to the bottom of what's going on even if it means putting the Inn at risk.

Clean Sweep is the first in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. The story was originally released in serial format on the author's website as they wrote it and has now been packaged up and released as a short book. It was quite a fun read! There is intricate world building, action, humor, great characters, fun dialog and all packed into less than 250 pages. Andrews has also managed to do something completely original with vampire and werewolf lore, a thing I didn't think possible. No small feat!

The story is told entirely from Dina's point of view. Dina is a capable heroine and is easily discounted by the other characters at first. It was fun reading as she proved just how powerful she is within her realm of the Inn. The Inn is also a quasi character. It definitely has it's own life force, quirks and a bit of personality. I hope more of these are shown in future installments. The inn has one guest, one who likes to be called Her Majesty and has paid for a lifetime stay. Rounding out the cast are the friendly neighborhood werewolf, Sean Evans, and a vampire Marshall from the Holy Cosmic Anocracy, Arland. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers. Just know that both guys are great fun. One of my favorite scenes is when the two of them are talking about vampires and Arland casually refutes the holy water and garlic myths as utter nonsense. I loved it! While the author does set up both men as potential love interests, the romance theme of the story is fairly minor and I have a feeling this will be plot thread in the next book or two.

Overall this is a short, fun story. It has good pacing that steadily picks up for an exciting ending. I will definitely be continuing this series.

Rating:

21. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn



I read this book on the recommendation of a friend who knows I'm getting more into spirituality and mindfulness. I've seen it compared to The Secret which I've never read so have no way to compare them. It's basically the Law of Attraction and manifestation from a Christian/Bible scripture perspective. Originally published in 1925, it's short and easy to read. This seems to be a love it or hate it book. I'm not particularly religious so that part I can't comment on. I do believe there is power in positive thinking and liked those parts. Your mileage will vary.

Rating:

22. The Ruby Knight by David Eddings



Reread April 2022: I enjoyed the second installment more this time around, enough to bump it up to 4 stars. It's funny how even 10 years later enough of the story stayed with me I could remember the main plot arc though it's been long enough I'd forgotten where events ended. I was thinking that parts of book 3 were in this one.

Rating:

23. The Search for Splurt by Barry J. Hutchinson



With the ending of the previous book I just knew I'd be listening to The Search for Splurt fairly quickly. I just had to know what happened to my favorite ball of green goo after he saved Cal.

This is my favorite Space Team entry so far. Poor Splurt! That evil Vajazzle will never hurt you again!!! A darker story line over all, things get pretty grim for Cal and Splurt, yet still retains the humor. The story also ends on a minor cliff hanger as the daring rescue of Splurt leads them into yet another tricky situation. I'm going to have to rotate book 4 in soon.

I am continuing to listen to the series on audio narrated by Phil Tron. Tron delivers an amazing performance yet again.

Rating:

24. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews



Reread Apr 2022: Man I wish I could visit Dina's inn when an major event isn't going on. Descriptions of Orro's cooking are divine. Happy to see peace is kept yet again. Original review from 2017 below.

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Caldenia blinked. "Who are the attending parties?"

"The Holy Anocracy represented by House Krahr, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the Merchants of Baha-char. They coming here for Arbitration and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door."

Caldenia's eyes widened. "Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!"

She would think so, wouldn’t she?

Sweep in Peace is the second book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. Dina and the Gertrude Hunt have been selected to host the Nexus Peace Summit. Nexus is a small, rugged planet inhabited by three factions. The Holy Anocracy and Hope-Crushing Horde are blood enemies who have been waging war for years with the Merchants caught in the middle. The war has carried on so long that all three sides feel they can't stop fighting yet they are so tired of watching loved ones die they will make the attempt anyway, even if things seem doomed from the beginning. Also in attendance are members from the Office of Arbitration to act as mediators for the talks. Dina definitely has her work cut out for her!

The story has a more serious tone than the first book though there are still bright and funny spots to provide balance. The wars impact on the characters involved is palpable. Everyone is worn out and on the edge of despair. You would think that would make things easier, but it doesn't. There is nothing easy about these peace talks. Dina has a lot of history and cultures to navigate through in order to sort out the mess.

Andrews have outdone themselves with the creativity of the species and characters. Each of the new species has their fun quirks and are all quite interesting. I loved that the Merchants are an anthropomorphic fox species and request a kitten as a pet! Caldenia is in her element as a bystander and revels in the change of pace and all the drama. One of my favorite additions to the cast is Orro, the Quillion chef. His species is like a humanoid sized hedgehog. He is over the top melodramatic, one of the top chefs in the galaxy and highly entertaining. I was sad to see what happens to Sean's character since we saw him last though I think things will get better for him. We also get to see more of the Gertrude Hunt as having a personality, which was fascinating.

This was a great sequel. I'm looking forward to reading the third installment.

Rating:

With that I'm caught up on reviews from April :D It had a pretty great star average too that I didn't notice until seeing them all together like this.

I have a soft spot for Eddings. It's not very complex fantasy, but it was one of my gateway reads. The ellenium if fine, I quite like Sparhawk. But the Tamuli gets too much.

>104 Narilka: I love this series and am so glad there's a new book coming out! The blend of UF and SF is pretty unique, and the humour is great too.

>107 Sakerfalcon: The newest book is releasing right now in as a weekly serial on their website. I've held off so far but may cave... we will see. Previously I've waited for the full book to be done, edited and bought the ebook format.

>106 reading_fox: Same here, friend, I'm a fan of the Elenium and Sparhawk.

>104 Narilka: >108 Narilka: I'm tempted, but I'd pretty much have to read the serialized version sitting at my Mac, and I sit in front of it way too much as is.

25. Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett



"You danced into a story, girl, one that tells itself to the world every year. It’s the Story about ice and fire, Summer and Winter. You’ve made it wrong. You’ve got to stay to the end and make sure it turns out right."

Crivens! That was such a good read. Wintersmith is the 35th Discworld book and the 3rd in the Tiffany Aching sub-series. Tiffany is a trainee witch under the scary Miss Treason. Every year the region observes the Dark Dance, where summer transitions to winter, and Tiffany, for reasons she can't explain, joins the dance. Now she's attracted the Wintersmith himself and Tiffany's forced to face the consequences of her actions: the fact that there may never be another springtime.

Of course, the Nac Mac Feegles are right there to help their Wee Big Hag no matter whether she wants them to or not!

I'm always impressed with how much Terry Pratchett can pack into a seemingly simple tale. Wintersmith is about the power of stories and how humans shape the world with the stories we tell ourselves. It is such a deeply profound idea with so many layers to it that I think it's right up there with Small Gods as one of my favorites. As Wee Billy Bigchin says, "A metaphor is a kind o' lie to help people understand what's true." I highly recommend this book, though you'd likely want to read the previous two Tiffany Aching books first.

Rating:

26. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews



Reread May 2022: My favorite in the series so far. This book hits so many notes perfectly with just the right blend of humor, action and emotion for me. I can't wait for Sweep of the Heart to finish releasing in serial! Original review below.

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"You're up early, Your Grace."

"It's a lovely day and we're under siege. People are trying to murder us." Her eyes shone with excitement. "Isn’t it marvelous?"

She would think so, wouldn’t she?

One Fell Sweep is the third book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. So much for Dina's relatively quiet life. First, she receives an urgent call for help from her sister to come rescue her and her family from the planet they've been exiled on, a lawless and desolate place that is used as a penal colony. Then Dina agrees to help a guest with his last chance to save his dying species. Now the inn is under siege by a family of assassins putting the Gertrude Hunt and everyone's lives at risk. How will Dina keep everyone safe while also continuing to search for her missing parents?

This one has a slightly more complicated plot than the first two installments, weaving together three main story lines along with a couple side threads. One thing is quite certain: Dina takes her role as Innkeeper seriously and cares deeply for her family and the guests staying at the inn. She will stop at nothing, putting her own life on the line, to live up to her duties. If it wasn't obvious before the depth of power Dina has when she's on the inn's grounds is enormous. She is one bad ass, highly capable heroine!

All the regular characters are back along with are some great additions. Dina's sister and niece, Maud and Helen, are delightful. They provide insight into another layer of vampire society and family structure, giving that species more depth. My heart broke a little for the Hiru, an alien race that is being hunted into extinction for all the wrong reasons. They have been scattered across the universe in an attempt to stay alive. All they want is a place where they can live quietly and their delicate physiology requires them to constantly wear repulsive space suits in order to live anywhere off their home planet. The romantic thread that has been hinted at in the first two books comes to fruition and, a word of warning, there is one very steamy scene as a result. The humor is well done. The conversation where one alien tries to explain Christmas to anther based on his viewing of A Christmas Story is laugh out loud funny. This book should also get an award for best use of a fart gun.

I'm so glad the author has decided to continue the series as the book ends on a bit of a bombshell. With this story wrapped up it leaves us with a nice hook for what is to come. I look forward to it.

Rating:

27. The Midnight Orchestra by Jessica Khourey



It's been just a couple weeks since Amelia Jones saved the Mystwick School from ghosts and revealing herself to be a Composer. Now the students have entered the school into a musicraft competition and Amelia must Compose the winning song for Mystwick. But then Amelia finds herself invited to the Midnight Orchestra - a mysterious monthly event, held in a different location every time, and one that is half concert, half black market for magic. The Midnight Orchestra is even more sinister than its reputation implies and Amelia soon finds herself under pressure to unlock her Composing ability if she wants to save her friends.

The Midnight Orchestra is the second book in the Mystwick School series. It's another enjoyable magical music school romp with Amelia and Jai. I feel bad for Amelia for most of the book. Amelia has placed so much pressure on herself for this competition that only gets compounded when the "real" Amelia Jones (aka Mia) shows up miraculously rescued from being shipwrecked and is quite the "mean girl" for most of the story. It also makes me feel bad for Darby, who has finally made friends with Amelia only to have it disrupted by Mia. Jai continues to be the lovable, ever enthusiastic character as always. Everyone needs a Jai in their life.

As much as I enjoyed the story over all, the character Mia drove me nuts. Even after explaining her nasty behaviour, I still just didn't like her. While the story is fully resolved, there is definitely enough room to write more in this world.

I'm definitely going to keep listening to this series on audio. Suzy Jackson's narration combined with musical performances by the NJSO Youth Orchestra make for a magical experience.

Rating:

28. Ghostwater by Will Wight



Ghostwater is the fifth book in Will Wight's Cradle series. The Skysworn has our plucky heroes on a mission to check out the pocket universe called Ghostwater. It was created by the Monarch Northstrider long ago as a world of his own to experiment in. Damaged in a recent attack, the team has been tasked with checking out the place to see if there's anything able to be recovered before the pocket universe collapses completely.

Easily my favorite in the series so far. I did not realize how much I had missed the leveling aspect of the story until it was back! And back in spades. I'm impressed with how much progress almost everyone makes, even Ortho and Little Blue. I love the new addition of Dross. That has some great implications for Lindon's future advancement. I wonder if they'll be able to take Dross's learnings and help enhance everyone else too. Hmmm! Must read the next book soon.

Rating:

29. The World According to Bob by James Bowen



The World According to Bob are more stories about James Bowen and his adopted street cat Bob. This was just as lovely and heartwarming as the first book. I enjoyed the adventures the pair had and even got a little teary eyed in places it was so touching. Both have come such a long way on their journey together. James and Bob's story is truly inspiring. Who rescued whom!

Rating:

30. Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews



Reread May 2022: I love this series. I'd forgotten the ending of this one and now am dying for a follow up to see where it fits in with the main series. Vampire society is just as brutal as I remembered and Helen just as adorable. Original review below.

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Sweep of the Blade is the fourth installment of the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. These books are released by the authors in serial format, then edited and published as an ebook. I always wait for the final edited version before I read them. The book shifts perspectives to be told from the point of view of Dina's sister Maud. Once a wife of a powerful vampire lord, Maud and her daughter Helen were abandoned by his family and exiled for his treachery to the wasteland planet of Karhari. The planet claimed her husband and Maud spent years avenging his death. Rescued by her sister, Maud has sworn off vampires and started to remember what it is to be a real person again. Then she met Arland, Marshal of House Krahr. One thing lead to another and Maud finds herself on a ship with Arland and Helen, heading back to his home planet to meet his family. Never one to back down from a fight House Krahr is about to discover there's a lot more to Maud than they expect.

Naturally it's not just meeting Arland's family as House Krahr is hosting a wedding between two other vampire houses who happen to be mortal enemies. There is an abundance of vampire politics, culture and violence on display, which was a great addition to the world building. Maud is quite a bad ass! I think she may be Kate Daniels' long lost, highly lethal sister. Maud is constantly blown off as "just a human" so naturally she seems to know more about vampire society and etiquette than many of the vampires do. Having been a daughter of Innkeepers has helped her tremendously in understanding the various races in the galaxy, something they also underestimate. It was fun reading how she outmaneuvered many in the vampire court and established herself as an asset for House Krahr on her own merit. I was rooting for her all the way.

Helen, her daughter, is absolutely adorable. I about died when I read about "ripper cushions" (repercussions)! So like a little kid to misunderstand a word and make it their own. I hope we are able to see more of her as the series progress. About the only disappointing thing was not enough Arland! Oh, and how PG the book ended up being. I was expecting a more R rated sex scene and it was all handled off screen.

Fair warning, while the story is nicely wrapped up, things end on a bit of a bombshell. Even so this was such a satisfying read. I can't wait for the authors to start writing book 5 and see what happens next.

Rating:

31. Underlord by Will Wight



Underlord is the sixth book in Will Wight's Cradle series. A tournament has been announced. Clans and Sects from around the world prepare to enter their young Underlords into the contest. The Blackflame Empire works hard to strengthen their candidates so they'll be able to enter the competition.

If you've been paying attention to the book titles in the series, you've likely noticed they give a big hint as to what the book's focus will be on. Based on the title alone I was expecting to read about what it takes to become an Underlord. I was not let down! In order to progress, Lindon and team must dig into the deepest parts of their soul for revelations that will take them to the next level of their abilities. I am amazed at the character depth the author was able to fit in and each insight our favorite characters learn about themselves.

Wow! That was one hell of a final fight. Even knowing there are several more books to go, that's the first time I've been truly worried about one of the main characters making it to the end. I loved the twist at the end the Akura family had for Lindon. No idea how that's going to play out so I'll find out soon. Thank you Mr. Wight for not letting us worry too long about our favorite turtle! This installment definitely feels like another turning point in the series.

Be sure to read the bloopers at the end! They are pretty funny.

Rating:

32. Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews



Reread June 2022: Still too short! After so much fun, that ending is rather abrupt. I'm glad the next one is shaping up to be a full book :D Can't wait! Original review below.

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

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

I gave up. "Yes."

"And they're going to argue philosophy."

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

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

Rating:

>111 Narilka: I have a deep fondness for Small Gods, though it's not my favorite TP for rereading, possibly because it is so distinct and memorable.

>119 quondame: I really do need to reread it. Perhaps next year. I'm still extra slowly making my way through Discworld.

I'm so happy to hear the Will Wight series is so good. The LT ratings are very high as well!

33. Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass



Lending a Paw is the first in the Bookmobile Cat Mystery series by Laurie Cass. Set in a small Michigan town, local librarian Minnie Hamilton and her cat Eddie solve a mystery when they discover a dead body while out on their bookmobile route.

This is a nice first installment in a typical cozy mystery series. Minnie is quite likeable, as are her friends in town, though I wasn't a fan of the detectives who pick up the case as they seemed rather condescending. Eddie the cat is adorable! Minnie needed to pay attention to him more as he helped solve the crime but I don't think she quite figured that out yet.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Erin Bennett. She does a good job of bringing the characters to life. I especially enjoyed the extra nuance she gave to Eddie's "mrrrs" and "mrrows" to make it sound like he's responding to Minnie's questions.

Rating:

34. Ask Your Guides by Sonia Choquette



As I continue on my journey into exploring spirituality, I stumbled across Sonia Choquette's book Ask Your Guides. If you've ever been curious about angles and guides, this book is a great introduction. Sonia believes that each of us has a whole host of angles and guides ready and willing to help us out if we knew to ask. Parts of the book resonated with me and there were parts that I just couldn't get into, hence the middle of the road rating.

Sonia provides many examples of how guides have helped in her own life and stories she's heard from friends and clients. Naturally, I had to give some of the suggestions a try. I used the advice on how to find a parking spot several times with no trouble finding ones, even at busy times and in locations I've never been before. Coincidence? I don't think so. Was it guides helping or did I somehow tap into the unified field of potential? I'm not sure. Either way I plan to keep experimenting and see what happens.

Rating:

35. The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher



In my review of T. Kingfisher's other horror novel, The Hollow Places, I mentioned that horror is highly individual. To me, the true horror in this novel is the mundane situation Mouse has found herself in that kicks off the story: being asked to clear out her hoarder grandmother's house after her death. I can't watch those popular hoarding TV shows without feeling like I need to clear out everything in my house and Lysol the walls. This book gave me the exact same feeling in parts. Luckily there's also a cosmic horror element to help offset the true horror.

Melissa's (known as Mouse) grandmother has recently died and her father has asked asked Mouse go clear out her grandmother's house. How bad could it be? Pretty bad as it seems grandmother was a hoarder. While clearing out all the stuff her grandmother had accumulated over her lifetime, Mouse stumbles across her grandfather's diary. The journal entries appear to be written by someone suffering a mental break until Mouse begins to experience those same events herself. There is something strange in the woods behind grandma's house.

This was an interesting read. I found it to be more atmospheric and creepy rather than scary. As much as I liked Mouse, her dog Bongo and all the side characters, something was missing. I think it just didn't have the amount of humor of other Kingfisher books. Nor did I find it as much fun as The Hollow Places, which I enjoyed more. Maybe it was the hoarder house setting instead of the museum? I'm not sure. Regardless, I look forward to more weird horror from T. Kingfisher in the future.

Rating:

36. The Sapphire Rose by David Eddings



Reread June 2022: That was a nice end to the series. The pacing improved dramatically and there were almost no slow spots. Yet again I had misremembered a couple of minor points. It's always interesting how upon reread I can see the foundation laid for the sequel series.

Rating:

37. Uncrowned by Will Wight



Uncrowned is the seventh book in Will Wight's Cradle series. The Monarchs, the most powerful sacred artists in Cradle, have gathered, bringing their most promising candidates with them. The day of the tournament is at hand. Let the competition begin.

As much as I enjoy a good training sequence, I'm glad that part was shortened and we moved right along to the tournament. I am fascinated with how Lindon and Dross work together and wish I could have my own mind construct. That would be so useful in every day life.

Sneaky author! He totally got me with that twist at the end. As badly as I wanted to see the battle between Lindon and Sophara, then was shocked at Northstrider's switch, I have to say that the Lindon and Yerin battle was very satisfying. That is also basically the only situation where that could occur so great set up! The ending though has changed everything. This feels like another turning point in the series.

This is the first time one of these books ends in a cliffhanger. I'm going to apologize to my book club and move straight on to book 8. I'm sure they'll understand.

Rating:

38. Wintersteel by Will Wight



Wintersteel is the eighth book in Will Wight's Cradle series. Tensions are high as the Uncrowned King Tournament nears the end. The final eight constants remain and one winner will be crowned. Meanwhile, a Dreadgod has started moving.

That was satisfying! I'm impressed with the breadth the story has taken on. It truly feels epic now. There are so many good things about this installment. Everyone's advancement and Lindon/Yerin's relationship are probably my favorite things. Good old Eithan is still following his plan. I'm looking forward to the upcoming reunions in the next book. Lindon is going to shock quite a few people.

Rating:

>125 Narilka: That was a good ending to the series. I am not a big fan of the following series though.

>128 Karlstar: If I remember it right, I agree lol I don't know if I'll reread it or not to find out for sure. I definitely prefer the Belgariad to the Sparhawk books.

39. The Odds by Jeff Strand



You know that old saying that when something's too good to be true, it probably is? Ethan Causin doesn't seem to have learned this. After losing big in a casino, Ethan is approached by a stranger who proposes he play a game that can solve all his money problems. The catch? The consequences of losing could be deadly.

The story starts off slow and it took me a few chapters to get into things. Once I did, this ended up being a quick and compelling read. While not nearly as gory, I was reminded of the SAW movies with the crazy scenarios Ethan has to solve as part of the game. I am disappointed we didn't get more information about the organization behind the game. It ends well enough, all things considered. I'm truly surprised at Ethan by the end and his final actions. Big kudos to his wife Jenny also for being willing to take part if needed. Perhaps some day there will be a sequel.

Rating:

40. A Hero Born by Jin Yong



A Hero Born is the first in the classic Chinese epic Legends of the Condor Heroes by Yong Jin.

I have never read a kung fu epic before and I liked it. There were parts that were slow and I think that I should've gone for a physical book over audio. It's not the narrator's fault, he did a good job. There were just some things I found confusing and I couldn't rewind to listen again as I primarily listened to this one while driving. The fight scenes were a lot of fun and I especially enjoyed the indexes at the end explaining the history behind Chinese kung fu. Fair warning, this ends on a cliff hanger.

This was a BB from -pilgrim- . I still miss her.

Rating:

>131 Narilka: She wrote thoughtful reviews and really seemed to care about the pub's denizens. :(

>132 libraryperilous: She definitely did.

41. Red Rising by Pierce Brown



This is one of those books that I can't help comparing to other things. The people calling this "Hunger Games on Mars" is fairly close. I'd also toss in a bit of "Lord of the Flies" and even "Gladiator" to an extent.

Darrow is a miner on Mars, part of the "Reds," the lowest class of a color-based caste society. The Reds have always been taught that they sacrifice so that the surface of Mars can be terraformed for the rest of humanity to settle on. That's all well and good except for one thing - it's all a lie. Darrow quickly finds himself joining the rebellion against the "Golds", the ruling class and ends up competing against the best and most brutal of the Gold's candidates in a war game. Sometimes you have to join the enemy in order to take them down.

I found this to be an uneven read as there were times when I just didn't want to pick it up. Then I'd finally get past that and couldn't put it down until I didn't want to pick it up again. It was an odd experience. I did like the story in the end. The ending is exciting and has set Darrow up well for the rest of his mission. I just wish I had a character I could really root for. Right now the only one I really like is Servo.

While I am genuinely curious to see where the story goes next, I'm in no rush to continue.

Rating:

42. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir



I'd heard this book described as "necromancers in space." It's not really a good description. There are necromancers (and their Cavaliers) and there is space but the space travel is very minor. The majority of the story happens in a very old citadel on an island and is in the form of a locked room mystery. With necromancers!

The story starts off slow and slightly confusing as you're dropped into the middle of a very determined Gideon attempting to run away from home. It doesn't go as planned. One thing leads to another and Gideon finds herself as with her necromancer Harrow on a trip to said citadel where the Necromancer will have a chance to advance to Lyctor if she can figure out how. It takes about a third of the story for the plot to really kick in. Once the mystery starts, I was hooked. The last third of the book is so exciting that it was hard to put down.

I have very mixed feelings about the cast. They are both wonderful and horrible at the same time. Necromancers aren't exactly the most likable people considering their line of work and their Cavaliers put up with a lot of crap. I can have trouble with books where I don't have a character to root for. In this instance though I think it worked out well and added to the overall mystery and tone of the story. I did genuinely come to like Gideon and Harrow by the end as well as a couple of the supporting characters. Once the secret to becoming a Lyctor was shared, I had a feeling on how it would end. It is bittersweet.

Even with the mystery solved, I have a lot of questions. I'm hoping some of these are addressed in the next book.

Rating:

>135 Narilka: I enjoyed this one, but I still haven't managed to read the 2nd, and I'm not sure why I'm avoiding it. My daughter liked it as much as the first.

>134 Narilka: I liked this series well enough, but I haven't gone on the to read the next three.

>136 clamairy: The third one is out now, too. I still haven't read the first one. So many intriguing titles ...

>137 libraryperilous: I saw that. I'll buy it for Kindle when it goes on sale. I may be 90 before I read it, though.

>136 clamairy: & >137 libraryperilous: - I've finished Harrow the Ninth (3 stars) and Nona the Ninth (4.5 stars) too. Just need to catch up on reviews. Only behind by 13 now LOL Harrow is quite possibly the most confusing and frustrating thing I've read in a while though it all pulls together in the final 30%. I'm semi proud that I figured out the secret before the full reveal. Then it ends on a cliff hanger which, after all that struggle, was highly annoying. Nona, while also confusing, really worked for me because I loved the characters more. I'm in for Alecto next year.

I've been debating changing up my thread a little next year to be more of a running commentary on the what I'm reading as I go. I already make notes as I read so I know what I want to put in my reviews. Maybe it would get some fun conversations going. What do you guys think?

>139 Narilka: I liked Harrow a bit better, but am glad that you like Nona better - it's pretty close to the top of my TBR pile.

>140 Narilka:
I have done that and enjoyed it. My posts usually focus on where I think the story is going. The later posts are all about where I got it wrong. :-) I find it great fun, also it provides a record of what I was thinking as I worked my way through a book.

>140 Narilka: I find it interesting when people do this and would follow along! It might also end up being less pressure on you. 13 behind, oof.

>139 Narilka: I've tried Gideon a couple of times and had trouble both a) figuring out what was going on and b) connecting with Gideon. It sounds like the other books also are a kitchen sink. I like your description of figuring out the secret. Maybe I should approach the first book like a puzzle to solve.

>143 libraryperilous: There is definitely a mystery/puzzle with Gideon around Lyctorhood. Well, the murders too but they are secondary. Good luck ;)

Let's give this a try! I started The President's Vampire on audio today. Only one chapter in and we're taking on lizardmen! It puts me in mind of that conspiracy theory of lizard people living in tunnels and stuff lol While I was hoping for more about Dr Frankenstein, this should be fun too. Who knows, maybe the powder is his creation.

I usually take 3-4 weeks for audio books of this length as I listen while I do other things like chores or drive.

For my regular reading, it's Small Favor. I'm 21 chapters in, which looks just shy of the half way mark. The pacing is fast and writing is highly readable. It starts with action in Ch 1. I feel sorry for Harry. He's having a genuinely good time with the Carpenter family and some asshole fairies ruin it. Couldn't he have more than 3 pages of fun before the action starts??

Through Ch 8 The Za Lord Guard! OMG so adorable. It's nice to see Toot Toot again.

Does it ever get explained why Mab is talking through Gimalkin? That is rather odd, even for a fairy queen.

Thoughts around Ch 14 Oh good grief. Denarians and another Denarian coin. Dresden *just* got rid of his in the last book! In some ways they remind me of the One Ring from LotR - can corrupt just by carrying one around. Good thing Thomas didn't touch it. A Denarian vampire would be bad.

And to where I'm at now, Ch 21 I'm liking the whole gathering the troops aspect. It's good to see the Knights of the Cross again and I imagine they're going to be needed if there could be up to a dozen or so Denarians. Does Harry figure out who to give the third sword to this book? Seems like it will be needed by the end.

I think Harry's speculation on to why Marcone was nabbed could be right.

All we're really missing are a few more of the cops from SI to fill this party out. I hope they bring Butters along. Polka never dies!

>144 Narilka: I will shut my mouth, but Small Favors is a good one.

Small Favors through Ch 26 How many books has it been since we've seen the Archive? Is this a set up for Harry & Luccio to be an item or just some eye candy?

A lot sure has happened in a day or two. I don't think its been much longer than that since this whole thing started. I actually think it's great how Butcher reminds us of Harry's broken nose instead of most books where the hero takes an ungodly amount of damage and just walks it off.

I need to try the Dresden series. I think one of the books has a Wild Hunt in it?

Yes, the Wild Hunt has an appearance or two in the series though I think it's main appearance is in a book I haven't read yet.

>140 Narilka: Sounds good to me, that way we can see your immediate reactions.

Small Favor through Ch 40. Lots has happened. I'm impressed at how many coins Harry and team have recovered. I also was horrified that they sort of blew up an aquarium :(

I feel bad for the Archive. I hope Harry's trick of writing her a letter worked.

Odd direction a book that started off with a search for Marcone has taken. He doesn't feel like the main target any more. Was his "disappearance" a red herring?

Finished Small Favor. I was wondering if the sword would be offered to Murphy. It's not like Harry hadn't seen her pure heart in a soul gaze. I wonder if she'll change her mind in the future.

I have mixed feelings about Michael. Bad, obviously, at how he almost died. However this may free him up so he can live the simple life with his family as he wished. A silver lining perhaps? Of course now Harry has two swords to find new owners for.

I'm not really sure where this leaves the series. Guess I'll have to read the next book soon.

>151 Narilka: "Ah well, nevertheless, I'll find out in the next book." Authors really know how to hook us, don't they? :)

>151 Narilka: I wept like a baby at the end of this one.

I've read all of them, most of them twice, but I can't remember what happened to the two swords! Guess I'll have to read them again.

>152 libraryperilous: That they do!

>153 MrsLee: LOL, reread-a-thon :D

This year's Halloween Hunt was fun :) I got 14 of 15 without help!

>155 Narilka: Congrats!
I started it yesterday, but I was having technical issues. I'd hit a page, get the notification that I'd gotten the correct answer, but then the main page wouldn't show it as found, even with a refresh. :o(

>156 clamairy: Weird. I did notice when I found the last one it showed I had found 16/15. I guess there are still some bugs.

Next up is The Bands of Mourning. Prologue Wax sure saw a lot of messed up stuff in his younger days. He probably just saved the city from a serial killer. I hope that little kid got some mental help afterwards.

Part 1 (Ch 1-4) Interesting myth. I do not remember what happened to the Lord Ruler's metals after Vin pulled them off him. Does anyone remember if it was mentioned at all back in book 1? Since they were embedded, would they be imbued with extra abilities?

The Kandra asking Wayne for his bones was both creepy and hilarious.

I'm glad we'll get to see more of Steris in this book. This should be fun :) I love how she tries to plan for everything lol Wax may end up truly falling for her after all. She's obviously already falling for him.

Our Wayne is growing up. He seems to have actually let Ranette go. Does this free him up for a pairing with Marasi?

I have a discussion going with a friend around the allomantic symbols in the chapter heads. Spoilers are for Era 1 & 2. So I pulled out my copies of Era 1 and checked the chapter heads. Era 1 uses a base 23 (!) for the symbols before starting over from Iron. It includes Atium/Malatuim.

Era 2 is base 16, without Atium/Malatuim. Cadmium/Bendalloy are symbols 9 & 10 now in place of Atium/Malatium. You can use the reference chart in the back of the book to count 1-16 - they're all in order in the chapter heads. Chapter 17 is Duralumin + Iron, aka 16 + 1 = 17.

Between both eras, that leaves at least 5 unknown metals based on the known symbols from both Eras so far.

The Epilogue for Bands (I flipped ahead to look at the symbol) has a brand new symbol not in either list nor one of the unknowns in the list of 23. Maybe the 24th metal since they always come in pairs? The next book title being the Lost Metal, I was assuming they meant Atium based on comments in the previous two books that it's been "lost". Maybe not.

I am mightily impressed with Sanderson and his ability to plan ahead. I think he put some of himself in Steris ;)

>155 Narilka: I missed that there is a hunt going on, thanks!

>159 Narilka: You're asking questions I can't answer, I clearly need to re-read this one.

>161 Karlstar: :D

The Bands of Mourning Ch 7 - Has some of the best banter yet!

"The thieves must have recognized this car as a private one, probably lush with riches to plunder, so they uncoupled it. But something is wrong."

"Other than people trying to kill us?" Marasi asked.

"No," Steris said, "in my experience, that's quite normal."

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

Then the back and forth with the new valet is pretty funny and Steris had handed out ear plugs. Steris is amazing. I wonder how long Drewton will last.

What's interesting though is if that was an anti-allomancy "bomb" Wax had thrown at him. I remember from Era 1 that there was a metal that can force another to burn up all their metal reserves. That would be quite a twist if it wasn't one of the robbers.

Ch 8 & 9 A ha! It's a cube :D I was close. Some device to negate allomancy. That's going to be an interesting puzzle.

I did not see Wayne & MeLaan as the next pairing. Oh my.

The Bands of Mourning The more I read, the more I wish Steris could be my best friend lol From Ch 12 "The accounts are exaggerated," Steris said quickly. "Lord Walillium has only been directly responsible for the deaths of around a hundred people. Unless you include those who died of infection after he shot them - I'm still not sure how to count those."

Finished Part 2 This one is all over the place.

Steris' planning for everything is just hilarious. She even helped the innkeep with "falsely accused of murder" lol

Marasi's investigative instincts are spot on. Good thing someone's are. Her investigating with Wayne makes for some interesting scenarios. Seems like a great working relationship.

MeLaan's latest body is brilliant. Heck she could have swords for all her limbs if she wanted. This opens up so much creativity for the future. Punchy punchy, stabby stabby indeed.

Poor Wax. Being led by the nose by everyone it seems. His uncle really does know him well. So how long before he puts that earring in and talks with Harmony? Can't hold a grudge forever.

Time to find out more about that mystery cube.

Hi Narilka, I'm catching up on some threads after being out of commission for a while. I was not familiar with the Ilona Andrews innkeeper series that you mentioned, and it sounds like something I would enjoy. Gonna check it out when I finish some current reads. Thanks!

>164 Jim53: Cool! I hope you enjoy it. Book 5 releases in December so great timing :D

The Bands of Mourning Ch 17 - 24 When they first mentioned a ship, I definitely thought something that travels through water first. Then as they kept describing it I started to wonder if it was a space ship lol Guess I got a little ahead of the timeline here - it's an airship :D

Fascinating to see how the investiture works in practice through the medallions. I'm also completely floored and annoyed with myself that I never even considered there could be other continents or areas on Scadrial where people live. I like where this is going a lot. The people of Elendel think the world revolves around them. This should shake things up a bit, assuming everyone makes it home and they bring Allik with them.

Got to love how the guy wearing a tribal mask thinks of the others as savage lol Man, I'd love a short story or more on his area of the world. Fingers crossed! However, we're right on the doorstep to where the Bands are supposed to be so...

I do feel bad for MeLaan. She's going to have to craft herself a whole new crystal skeleton once this adventure is done. I also feel for Steris thinking of herself as useless and wanting to improve. I don't think she isn't useless at all! Loving all the character growth.

The Bands of Mourning Ch 27. Hmm. I'm guessing here that Wayne finds the real bands to bring Wax back or maybe a piece of the god metal like was used on Elend? Something has to heal him. Unless he can figure out how to make that super gold band work.

Hmmm. This is all about investiture. Does Wayne transfer his healing power to Wax for a bit?

Ch 28 hehe I like that. I didn't think the bands were real. They were but not ;) So that works out. Hope Wax gets MeLaan's spikes back.

I finished. That was fun. I love how much the world and it's characters are growing. Expanded the metallic arts, each character had their own growth journeys and air ships! This really opens things up for the final book.

I see the Trell connection more with this book. It's not mentioned too much, just enough to be curious. I guess it's Trell that has the Set as his (it's?) workers on Scadrial. Not a surprise that Wax's sister is in the Set, nor that she took some healing ability. If you're going to steal powers, that's one of the first to take. It also seems that even though the Set is experimenting with it, they haven't quite cracked hemalurgy.

The epilogue... was that Kelsier??? Ok, I will read the novellas before book 7 lol

I absolutely loved that Wax decided not to wait to marry Steris. They could use some happy time together :)

I read through the Ars Arcanum this time in detail instead of skimming. The last section compares Scadrial to Roshar. Do we have any idea who is writing these? Is it Hoid? Has to be some world hopper... It kind of makes me want to go compare to the last two books. Maybe I'll do that later.

Next up is Dreadgod. Prologue Why do you get the feeling that those "restrictions" are what Eithan planned for and are likely useless should he want to escape?

This is going to be so weird, Lindon and team adventuring without Eithan.

>167 Narilka: I really need to re-read Bands of Mourning before I read the next one.

>169 Karlstar: Two weeks to go for the release :D

Dreadgod Ch 1 There go my hopes for the old Dross personality :(

>170 Narilka: Thanks, I better get to it!

Dreadgod Ch 2 I did not expect a visit from Pride. That was awkward lol It was nice of Lindon to offer him a spot on the team.

I also did not expect Dross to propose giving everyone hunger arms, though now that I think about it, it does make sense as a way to accelerate everyone's leveling up. Dross' upgrade, as far as battle tactics are concerned, is amazing.

Through Ch 6 Zeil acting like Eithan is priceless :D I love that Lindon has a plan for everyone. He's serious when he meant they are a team. He's also keeping Eithan's dream alive.

Speaking of Eithan (I can't call him Ozriel), interesting just how powerful he is as a judge even with restricted powers.

Through Ch 9 I like the pairings. Gives everyone experience with someone else in addition to their leveling. Great team building.

One of the things I find annoying, and probably very realistic, is the paranoia of all the power players. Always worried someone's going to steal their power or kill them or something. I can see Malice's point that at least some monarchs need to stay or their will be a power void. However, they don't all need to be there, which I think is Lindon's point. And couldn't some Heralds serve a similar purpose should the Monarchs ascend? Does the Monarchs staying to temporarily stall a massive struggle for dominance out weight all 4 Dreadgods rampaging at the same time? Perhaps Lindon will find another option to get rid of the Dreadgods, though I believe he's going to attempt to force or trick the Monarchs into ascending. Malice whispering in Mercy's ear about Lindon just irritated the hell out of me :) Everyone knows he's on route to ascend asap! He is not stopping at Monarch lol

Through Ch 12 Malice and Charity are stupid. How can they think that almost dying will somehow slow Lindon down from progressing???

I admit, I thought Charity also knew. That was very very sneaky on Malice's part.

I'm enjoying going back and forth between everyone's progress. I think Zeil has just figured out the array?? That whole waking up an archlord dragon was pretty awesome hehe And I can't wait for Yerin to wipe out the damn cult. It's so darn cute when Little Blue gets fierce :D Though I'm curious how well Lindon and Mercy will do on their part.

The husband and I are doing a series of road trips so we're going through audio books at a good pace. Usually I have him listen to something I've already listened to and thought he'd like. This time, we started a book new to both of us - NPCs by Drew Hayes. It's an interesting take on LitRPG as it's from the NPC (non player character) point of view after a party of adventures basically killed themselves being stupid and left the NPC town in a bad spot. We've got through about 75% on this trip. I like the concept. The story was a bit rough starting out as I really didn't like any of the player characters. Things got better when they killed themselves and the NPCs took over. I am liking the NPCs better. Too bad we go back to the "real" characters to see how they started over and are doing with their new characters. I guess I'll see where this goes though at this point I'd be plenty happy to just stick with the NPCs and never visit with the PCs again. Unless they're going to meet. I could see that being interesting. This is in the 3-3.5 star range currently.

Dreadgod Finished. Whew! Fingers crossed it won't be too long for Waybound :D The book needed more Eithan. Anyway...

Oh thank god Dross' original personality is back! His "new" personality was like an emo teen and so morbid.

I am highly impressed by Emriss. She's playing both sides so well. If any Monarch stays behind, it should be her. Not sure how a remnant would do ascending but her goal of spreading knowledge is worthy to help uplift all of Cradle.

hehehehe Eithan watching events while he's waiting for Suriel to heal a world. Classic Eithan :D Not a good set up for them though. I'm betting Suriel will have to unshackle Eithan so they both survive.

I was thinking a lot about the second Icon Lindon almost summoned and am stumped. Maybe something like Justice? Hunger doesn't seem right with him already having Void and he was trying to protect everyone. It also answers if a person can have more than one icon. Not really sure how that would play out.

I was slightly confused about Lindon's absorbing the Dreadgod. It seemed like he progressed but Malice keeps calling him a Sage. He's not "just" a sage any more. Is he a hybrid now? And since Dreadgod is level with Monarch, that should be interesting for the future. My god I can't wait to see how they all level up in that pocket world.

43. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir



This is a book that's probably best to go into as blind as possible so you don't ruin the surprise. It's also one that's nearly impossible to review without spoilers. I will try my best.

A man wakes up in a medical bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there, with a computer voice asking him to answer an inane question: What's two plus two? So begins my new favorite science fiction book, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Yes, the author of The Martian.

As with The Martian, this book is full of hard science, hard decisions, and a lot of heart. I loved our protagonast's journey to regain his memorys and then fulfil his mission. I wish I had a friend like Rocky! I enjoy Weir's writing style immensely. He writes science exposition in a highly excessible and enjoyable way. Some of my old science teachers could have learned a lot about their delivery from reading Weir's books.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the fabulous Ray Porter. I was blown away by Porter's narration, especially what he did for Rocky. This might be one that's better in audio than print.

I enjoyed this so much I've already listened to it twice and can't wait to listen to it again! This is definitely a new favorite.

Rating:

44. White Night by Jim Butcher



White Night is the ninth book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. In this week's episode... There's a supernatural serial killer loose in Chicago that is targeting weaker members of the city, ones who don't have enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Harry's investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot believe is guilty: his half-brother Thomas. Harry teams up with his old flame Elaine to solve the crimes and clear his brother's name.

I'm going to sum this up with a quote:

"Get your head in the game Harry...Defeat the whole damn White Court now. Worry about taking on Hell later."

White Night is another solid entry into the series. I really should not take so long between reading books. I forgot how these books hit that one spot and then it's off to the races. Around chapter 10 the pace on this one picks up and doesn't let go. It's obvious that Thomas is being set up but it's quite a mystery for Harry and team to solve that takes some interesting turns. The plot on this moves several story threads that have been building throughout the series along nicely.

I'm highly impressed with how complex and nuanced the characters are becoming. Dear lord Molly needs to grow up. I definitely agree with Harry in needing to scare her straight before she gets them both killed. Murphy noticing Harry's "unexplained" anger issues that are the result of the gordian knot that is Lasciel is quite insightful.

And that ending! I am very curious to see how what Lash did plays out. I'm not entirely sure she's gone and it's great Harry is no longer tied to Lasciel. I'm also hoping that these events have bought Lara's alliance for a little while and gives the White Council some breathing room in the war. The solution for Thomas's unique problem is absolutely perfect!

Rating:

45. Bloodline by Will Wight



You just can't go home again, forever being changed by your experiences since leaving. Lindon learns this the hard way in Bloodline. So many reunions, some great, some terrible, my emotions were all over the place. Poor Lindon!

I'd also forgotten just how horrible the people in the Sacred Valley were. That ending though, I hope it didn't permanently damage Dross. Fingers crossed it's like we've learned throughout the series in that pushing yourself to the edge and beyond helps you grow, bringing Dross back stronger than before. I also find it pretty funny that Lindon now has a sect and doesn't even know it. And it's being led by Eithan! Oh my, the potential for future hilarity. The Monarchs do not seem happy either. Guess I'll find out all the ramifications in the next book.

As always, be sure to read the Bloopers! The nod to, ah, avoiding copyright infringement had me laughing.

Rating:

46. Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews



Ruby Fever is the sixth book in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews and concludes Catalina's trilogy. A shocking attack has left the Warden of Texas incapacitated and it's up to Catalina Baylor to untangle the mystery before all hell breaks loose in Houston.

It feels so good to return to the world of Hidden Legacy and the Baylor family. I've missed them. I am always blown away by the depth of the world building and how creative the authors are with all the various magic types. Speaking of which, I like that we see an expanded version of Catalina's siren powers.

Knowing that the authors may not be returning to this world made for a bittersweet read. So many twists and turns. That reveal with Linus I did not see coming at all! It makes me want to reread the whole series to see if I can spot the hints on a second read through. I'm a bit dubious about how they handled Victoria though. I have a feeling that could be a very bad idea.

While the final confrontation with Arkan was satisfying, the ending felt rushed as all loose threads are brought together. I think the authors tried to answer everything just in case this is truly the end. I am hoping that the epilogue was a hint that maybe this isn't the end after all and Arabella will still get her own trilogy.

Rating:

47. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin



What if you could change the world by what you dream? What would you do? This idea is the premise for The Lathe of Heaven.

Talk about the unintended consequences of wielding unlimited power. It's like having a genie grant a wish - it never quite works out as intended. Very philosophical and thought provoking.

Rating:

48. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson



Even though I was warned that Era 2 is quite different, it took me a while to adjust to just how different the world has Scadrial has become. Once I did, the story was a lot of fun.

I am impressed with what Sanderson has achieved with The Alloy of Law. Most fantasy worlds end up in a sort of stasis and remain relatively unchanged for any series set there no matter how much time has passed between them. This one, though, has advanced, similar to how we on Earth have advanced through the ages. It was fascinating reading how events from Era 1 have become myths and legends now that roughly 300 years have passed. Even the magic system has evolved to an extent. I absolutely love how Allomancy and Feruchemy mix and augment each other now too!

The Alloy of Law is an enjoyable buddy cop story set a Wild West version of Scadrial, with gun slinging lawmen and mustache twirling bad guys. There is a mystery to solve and it takes a few twists and turns along the way with a lot of metal-burning action. I enjoyed getting to know the new cast of characters. Wax is a good straight man with strong morals and a need to uphold the law. Wayne is hilarious, even if some of his actions are fairly dubious, and quite a mastery of accents. Marasi is fascinating with her knowledge of the law and the players involved. They each have interesting Allomancy and/or Feruchemy abilities. I'm curious to see how Steris will add in to the mix in the future.

Rating:

>174 Narilka: Yes, yes, yes!

>179 Narilka: I know I'm in the minority with this opinion, but Alloy of Law is my favorite 'Mistborn' novel.

>178 Narilka: This one doesn't seem to get the same attention as many of hers, I'm guessing because it doesn't fit into the Hainish or Earthsea collections. I found it a lot of fun. Good old Jorjor.

>181 Jim53: It got a great deal of attention within two decades of when it came out. But after that, yes, not so much.

>179 Narilka:, >180 Karlstar: I was a bit "meh" about Mistborn and didn't read the sequels. But I love the Era 2 books so far! The alt-Gilded Age setting is different from most fantasy series, and I really like the characters better than in Mistborn.

>174 Narilka: I really loved this book. It was so compassionate and funny, and I loved the idea of first contact as a buddy road trip.

>183 Sakerfalcon: I read the Mistborn trilogy, but I'm not a huge fan, mostly the same reaction as yours.

>184 libraryperilous: Definitely!

>183 Sakerfalcon: The Lost Metal releases Tuesday :)

>185 Karlstar: I forgot I downloaded Alloy of Law to my Kindle when they were offering it free a little while ago, started reading it earlier today.

>187 Karlstar: Cool! I hope you enjoy it :)

Finished up NPCs and Blood Heir on our latest road trip. NPCs was definitely interesting in how our world and the game world interact that has a lot of possibilities for the rest of the series depending on where the author would like to go. We started the second book, Split the Party on the trip, though haven't finished it yet. Blood Heir is a continuation of the Kate Daniel's world with Julie as the main star. If you enjoy Kate Daniels, you'll enjoy this book. Just be sure to have read all 10 KD books as Blood Heir picks up after those events and references them. It was a fun and satisfying read :) I also read all three Mistborn short stories in preparation for the 7th books release. Speaking of...

I just purchased a copy of The Lost Metal so starting that tonight. Can't wait to finish Wax and Wayne's arc! I'm also starting Song of the Space Siren on audio as I decided I needed some silly Space Team fun.

The Lost Metal I don't know how Sanderson does it. He breaks my heart every time with these prologues.

Broadsheet 1 I think it's funny that the new gentleman adventure is Jak's old assistant. I found a possible typo in her story. Her headline is "Nicki Savage" and in the story she's called "Miss Sauvage". An advertisement for a bendalloy cook to start a fast food restaurant is ingenious.

Through Ch 10 It feels weird that there's been a 6 year time jump when I only started reading the series a couple months ago :) I bet it feels natural for those who read the books as they released.

I am having trouble reconciling in my head that Wax is now a Senator lol Love their little boy Max.

Ooo another God metal! Now to find someone who can burn it and see what trellium does besides letting Trell speak through someone spiked with it.

I really like how Marasi and Wayne work as a pair. Very cool how well Wayne can control his speed bubbles now and how they interact with Marasi's slow time bubbles. My god the combos are endless with this. Could you imagine how extraordinary Vin would've been with access to additional metals? My god...

The Lost Metal Ch 11 & 12 That just took a left turn. I mean I should've realized someone would have to go inspect off world but... I guess I thought they'd just learn more through the Set and that spike. Well crud. Fingers crossed this intersects with Elantris or Warbreaker and not Stormlight based on which I've already read. I'm making a huge assumption here that it does.

I feel for Wayne right now :(

Through Ch 17 Wayne is an investing genius. He just invented professional sports lol He's going to end up the richest man in the Basin if he isn't already.

I don't like this bomb that Wax has created. Reminds me too much of the atom bomb.

Through Ch 32 OMG Wax and Jak are besties hahahaha that had me laughing! I love how Wayne's good at just rolling with this stuff. He should give himself more credit. Also, I bet he's going to invent a signal light system or that was the hint when they were trying to cross the busy road with their vehicles.

I'm glad we went back to Steris for a chapter. I had wondered how she would do as a stand in Senator.

I like how things tied back to Alloy of Law. It's likely that all the woman kidnapped were hemelagury sacrifices :( Makes me wish my original theory about attempting to breed allomancers would've been correct. As bad as that would be, hemelagury is worse IMO.

It was nice seeing Marsh/Death again. Too bad the spikes didn't work out like true Mistborn/Feruchemist combo. He's getting tired. Though possibly also a good thing with the Set's experiments. Even if they crack the code for long life, it's not immortality. And they don't have Atium yet.

Ch 33 has 3 symbols :D Steel (2), Duralumin (16) and Iron (1). So 2 x 16 + 1.

The Lost Metal Through Ch 45 Ok! That explains it. Moonlight is either Shai from Emperor's Soul or someone very similar. I'm itching to go open that spoiler but remaining firm for now lol Using an Aon for communication was pretty cool.

What planet does TwoSoul come from? Is it something Sanderson has written and I haven't read or is he brand new? I thought aether might have been Elantris but I do not remember anyone making crystal structures at all. Actually I think there's an Elantris short story I haven't read yet. Hmm.

How the heck did Kelsier recruit these people?? We need another Secret History. I think that's going to be my mantra throughout this book.

If Marasi joins the world hopper crew, we could see her in future books. That would be neat.

Broadsheet 4. I read the whole thing and now kinda hope we get a Nicki Savage short story lol I kind of want to know how that one ends. Seems relevant to Kelsier's current form entering the ghostly dimension.

Finished The Lost Metal. That was a wild ride. Sanderson has such cinematic writing in some of these scenes. It's also the first book I'm aware of with some pretty big Cosmere cross overs. It's fun if you've read the right books though I don't think it would ruin the story any if you haven't read them. 4 stars. Full review eventually.

Started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I figured a nice easy reread for the holiday would be nice. I can't believe the book is 25 years old now and the last time I read it was for the 20th Anniversary back in 2017. I'm through Ch 4 and had forgotten the hoops Mr. Dursley jumped through in an attempt to avoid the Hogwarts letter lol

>193 Narilka: Since I've got The Lost Metal checked out from the library but haven't started it yet I've been skimming over your updates. It's unlikely I'd remember anything I read, but it could happen. As I doubt I'll remember enough of the other Cosmere novels to get the references.

>194 quondame: About the only thing I'd say is a must read is the rest of the Mistborn saga and possibly the Secret History novella. The rest is a bonus for Cosmere fans.

>195 Narilka: I'm glad I just re-read Alloy of Law, I'm thinking I need to also re-read The Bands of Mourning before jumping into The Lost Metal.

49. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir



Harrow the Ninth is the second in The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. Even though events pick up a shortly after Gideon, you are going to start questioning everything you think happened. I am impressed with the author's ambition.

This was such an odd read. The first 2/3rds are very confusing and nearly caused me to DNF out of frustration. The final 1/3 is awesome. The story is told alternating between second and third person perspectives for the most part. There absolutely is a reason for this and I can't believe I figured it out, though I kept second guessing myself. It does get explained by the end. There are subtle hints. I'm still not sure how I picked up on them.

While there are many reveals that were rewarding, it ends in a frustrating cliff hanger. I'm glad I read this just before Nona published so I didn't have a long wait to find out what happens.

Rating:

50. Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication by Vanessa Van Edwards



If you're looking to improve your communication skills, this book is for you.
If you're already a professional communicator, this book is for you.
If you're anti-social and would prefer not to communicate with anyone, this book is for you. Seriously, there are tips for how to do just that!

Vanessa Van Edwards and her team of researchers have collected all the latest data and science around what makes for charismatic communication and present their findings in this volume. I learned sooooo much. I need a physical copy of this book that I can refer back to and start refining my own techniques to improve my communication skills.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author. She does an excellent job.

Rating:

>198 Narilka: I'm tempted to pass that on to my daughter who has a people centered job, by choice, but who is introverted with periods of anti-socialness.

>197 Narilka: I still haven't read this one because of the mixed reviews. I'm not sure that I can handle it. LOL

>199 quondame: I hope she finds the book useful if she tries it.

>200 clamairy: hehe I can understand. I hope you work up the courage to read it eventually. I adored Nona and you do need to read Harrow first ;)

>201 Narilka: Yes... I suppose I do. LOL

I finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone a couple days ago. It's still an enjoyable reread.

Next up is Turn Coat. Through Ch 8 A skinwalker. That's bad bad bad. Though is it related to our mystery?

So who did Morgan piss off to have him marked for death? Some how I don't think a two day deadline is realistic to solve this one. Harry's going to have to find him another hiding place.

Oh boy. That club. Yeah I can definitely see that as a White Court feeding zone. Ugh.

Ch 11 has what is likely going to be a top contender for my favorite quote in the book:

Thomas stopped his Jag in front of the boarding house where my apartment was and said, "I'll have my cell phone on me. Try to call me before things start exploding."

"Maybe this time it'll be different. Maybe I'll work everything out through reason, diplomacy, dialogue and mutual cooperation."

Thomas eyed me.

I tried to look wounded. "It could happen."

hahaha keep dreaming Harry!

>197 Narilka: I stumbled upon a major spoiler for this series, and I'm both mad about it and also now super excited to read the books. "Are we the baddies?" :)

>203 Narilka: You are making me want to read the Dresden series yet again. :)

>204 libraryperilous: hehehe it's not that simple is it ;)

>205 MrsLee: You are probably going to say that with every book :)

Turn Coat through Ch 23. That 'takes off like wild horses' happened for me around chapter 18 :)

Mouse is the best. Anyway I am highly irritated with the White Court. I was hoping that the good will Harry bought two books back would've lasted longer. Though it could've been Madeline on her own I suppose.

I had completely forgotten that Luccio was Morgan's mentor. That just made things awkward. Though it's good that Harry has a full wizard helper in this. Molly's learning but not the same.

Turn Coat I'm in Ch 44, which feels like about half way through the main climax. Fucking vampires. Other than Thomas, they can all go rot. And hell, Thomas has the same demon so hopefully he can keep it leashed and never go as demented as Madeline.

I love Harry's Za Guard! OMG, they are adorable and highly underestimated.

I'm impressed at how reasonable Bender ended up being. Quite the realist, that guy. I also hope we never see him again.

Should I have figured out who the traitor is by now? Because I haven't :)

I'm not confident they are going to kill the skinwalker. Though now I'm very curious about the island and how it can ward against it? Harry's bond just got even more interesting.

I finished Turn Coat a couple days ago. That seems like it's going to have profound implications for the future of the White Council. And Harry's family relationship. Corruption of the good guys is a theme here. I understand the paranoia and kinda feel it too - you can't really trust anyone any more. This is leading the series down a dark path. I definitely felt it more in this book. Though I hope we see more of the Wizard Council. Listens-to-Wind's beatdown of the skinwalker was epic. And the skinwalker still managed to get away. Ugh. The Merlin is also pretty impressive though he's such a politician it's annoying.

Part of me thinks Thomas might be better off dead. That's one hell of a psychological blow he's taken and I'm not sure it's one you can come back from. Since he still has Justine's love, maybe there's hope. Perhaps Butcher will give him a redemption arc. I used to think the White Court vamps were kinda ok. Not any more. I'd be perfectly OK never to see another vampire again hah I know that's not an option ;)

I'm sad about Luccio/Harry. It was nice he had that casual relationship.

I hope we see more of Demonreach. Seems there's a lot for Harry to learn there.

Mouse is the best :) And it's nice to see Butters getting invited to game night lol

I started Blitz and not feeling engaged. I think I noticed another Dragoneer with a similar problem though they mentioned it picks up after the first third. A question to those who have read it I'm just not enjoying the story from WWII yet. I love Lyn's chapters. How badly would it hurt the overall story arc if I skimmed the historical parts and just read Lyn's part? :)

>209 Narilka: It would hurt a bit. I eventually become so engaged in the WWII bits that I resented coming back to Lyn's timeline. But it did take a while!

>210 clamairy: Thanks clam. I shall attempt to push through.

51. Reaper by Will Wight



Reaper is the tenth book in Will Wight's Cradle series. The sacred Valley has been saved, sort of, so it's time to slow down a little and do an old school dungeon crawl!

The book starts off a slower and turns out I enjoyed the change of pace. It was great for Lindon and Yerin to just spend time together without the push to level. Given Lindon's personality it's no surprise when curiosity finally wins out and it's finally time to explore the labyrinth. Don't worry, there are plenty of action sequences, humor and Eithan.

Story elements started all the way back in the first book really pay off in this installment. There are so many reveals. That ending blew me away. I can't believe there are only two books left.

Rating:

52. The Reality of ESP: A Physicist's Proof of Psychic Abilities by Russell Targ



"After eliminating the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

I have an odd hobby of randomly reading declassified documents from the CIA Reading Room, so I had heard of Project Stargate, Ingo Swann and the research being done on remote viewing before. It had made me mildly curious but not enough to dig deeper at the time.

Then I stumbled across Russell Targ's banned Ted Talk. It is highly worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVZ24r3y5_U

It was after watching this video that my curiosity was reignited and I bought a copy of this book.

I was not disappointed. The Reality of ESP is a great overview of remote viewing, an introduction to some of the formal scientific research being done into psi phenomenon in general and provides instructions on how to give remote viewing a try yourself. It does not go too deep though plenty of references and recommendations are provided should you like to go deeper into the subject.

If you have any curiosity about ESP/psi phenomenon, I definitely recommend checking out Targ's YouTube video first. Then, if you'd like to learn more, give this book a try. Be sure to read with an open mind.

Rating:

53. Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson



Shadows of Self is the fifth book in the Mistborn saga and the second book featuring Wax and Wayne. Worker strikes, religious conflicts and terrorism is threatening to upset life in Elendel and the surrounding Basin. It all seems to be a conspiracy to bring down society. But why? Wax and Wayne are on the investigation.

While the first book technically stands alone as a complete story, and did not rely on Era 1 to be enjoyed, this book you likely need to have read at least The Final Empire (though the full original trilogy would be best) to catch all the references and history of what's happening in the book's modern era. This leads me to my favorite thing about this installment - all the direct connections back to Era 1. I continue to be fascinated with how the world has grown and changed. There are even additional elements added to how allomancy and feruchemy interact together. Just when you think you know how the metals work, there's always another secret to be revealed.

The banter between Wax, Wayne and Marasi is highly enjoyable. I liked getting to know MeLaan, which both hearkens back to Era 1 and feels completely fresh. I'm glad she's joined the crew. We also get to see a little bit more of Steris. I like her. I hope she gets more page time in the future.

The ending has a surprising twist that I didn't see coming though now in hindsight I can see how the foreshadowing was laid out. I feel so bad for Wax. I wonder how this will impact his relationship with Harmony.

Rating:

54. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir



"Life is too short and love is too long."

Be prepared to toss out everything you think you knew and get ready for the strange and delightful ride that is Nona the Ninth, book three in Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series. As a fan of the series I really should be used to this by now and yet it still caught me off guard at just how different this book was to what's come before. I absolutely loved it. I love Nona and Nona loves me.

This is a slow burn story yet it never seemed to drag for me. The first half of the book deals with the day to day life of Nona and her family (eating breakfast, going to school, etc.) as the mystery of Nona and what's really going on begins to unfold. Plus the mystery of Camilla and Palamedes. Oh and the mystery of Pyrrah. Did I mention there's a lot of mysteries? I probably left some out of the list. This set up lets us see what's going on in the universe outside of the Nine Houses. It is disturbing. The idyllic moments don't last as the second half of the book explodes, almost literally, and the action starts. Then it becomes a frantic race to answer the question of Nona before it's too late. I had a hard time putting the book down I was so engaged.

It's also a book of reveals. We are given John's origin story, which includes the background of the original Lyctors, told brilliantly using biblical imagery and references. Apparently those bible verse codes are an alphanumeric cypher which gives you a cool teaser for Alecto by the end in addition to the actual bible verses having relevance to that which is revealed. Thanks so much to my buddy read pal Iain for pointing this out! We also learn more about the Blood of Eden organization and what they're fighting for.

The cast of Nona is brilliant. Nona is such a joy to read with her sweet innocence and quirks. I just wanted to hug her and be her friend. Camilla and Palamedes have cemented their position as my favorite necro/cav pair with their devotion to each other and Nona. The kids at the school and the dog Noodle are fun. Pyrrah is a tough nut to crack but even she won a small piece of my heart. I loved spending time getting to know everyone.

In the end, this is all one big set up for events to come in Alecto. I hope we get to see some flashes of Nona in the final book. Her sweet innocence was so refreshing in this dark and strange universe.

Rating:

55. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North



It was at the end of Harry's 11th life, as he lays dying in a hospital, that a little girl finds him and drops the bombshell: "The world is ending." Thus begins The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

You see, Harry is one of the rare individuals who, upon death, is reborn back at the beginning of his life again with all the memories of how he has lived his life (lives) previously. It's a neat expansion of the idea in the movie Groundhog Day. Harry is always born in 1918 and lives until about 1996 no matter what different decisions he makes. This set up makes for the oddest low anxiety thriller novel. It's hard to get too concerned for the protagonist, even as he endures some horrible things, with the knowledge that he will be reborn each time.

Harry tells his story in a meandering manner, jumping between different lifetimes. As the story progresses it's neat to see how they all interrelate to each other. I found it all fascinating. It immediately got me thinking about what different things I would try with my life if I had been in his circumstances. So many possibilities! I think it would take many lives to get bored.

I felt the ending was a tad abrupt and wished for a couple more chapters to round things out. It was still satisfactory though I was hoping to actually read about the timelines returning to normal after Viktor's forgetting.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Peter Kenny. His narration is fantastic. So many great accents!

Rating:

>214 Narilka: I'm still trying to find that one so I can re-read it. LT says I don't have it, since I've read it, it must be around here somewhere!

>217 Karlstar: Yeah, I think you'll want to reread it and Shadows of Self before tackling The Lost Metal. I'm confident you'll find it :D

56. Small Favor by Jim Butcher



Small Favor is the tenth book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. In this week's episode... Mab, ruler of the Winter Court of faerie, is calling an a favor from Harry. Marcone has gone missing and it's Harry's job to locate him.

Another great entry into the series. The mix of action, humor and compassionate moments is almost perfect. I loved how this book opened with Harry enjoying some time with the Carpenter children having a snowball fight, even if it does get ruined almost immediately. It was so nice to see Harry have a moment of fun and not have to worry about saving the world that I was furious with Butcher for ruining it. The humor is in high form. There are so many laugh out loud moments. One of my favorites:

"Right," Thomas said. "Where are we headed?"

"To where they treat me like royalty," I said.

"We're going to Burger King?"

Have to love the brotherly banter between Harry and Thomas.

So much happens and I have no idea what half of this means for the series. I have so many questions. The ending with Michael about broke my heart. Harry gaining further abilities probably means that the future is going to be even crazier. I guess I'll just have to read and find out.

Rating:

57. The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson



The Bands of Mourning is the sixth book in the Mistborn saga and the third book featuring Wax and Wayne. Long thought to be a myth, a kandra researcher has returned from an expedition with the possible location of the Bands of Mourning - the Lord Ruler's original metal minds that are said to grant the wearer his powers. When it appears that the Set are also interested in this information, Wax is determined to investigate and see if there's any truth behind the old legend.

If there is one thing that can be said about Era 2 it's that these are fun books. The Bands of Mourning is no exception. Based on the initial plot hook I was expecting another romp around Elendel and the surrounding areas. I was not disappointed. While the book does start as a typical adventure, the plot expands in scope after about the first third of the book, giving the story more of an epic feel that has been missing in this era so far. As before, just when I think I have a good understanding of Scadrial, Sanderson reveals yet another secret or three. I can't believe all this time I'd never considered that there are more populated continents on the planet! It's so obvious in hindsight.

In addition to expanding the world, there is a lot of character growth. I am so happy that Steris has finally be given a chance to shine. She's gone from interesting, quirky secondary character to possibly my favorite in the series. I hold her ability to plan and organizational skills in awe. She literally thinks of just about everything. Wax is having a crisis of faith regarding Harmony and is still feeling out his relationship with Steris. Wayne temporarily gets over his aversion guns. Marasi continues to doubt herself yet by the end she's decided who she wants to be and embraces it.

Given the new reveals, this leaves a lot of room open for interesting possibilities in the future. I'm ready for the final book!

Rating:

58. Dreadgod by Will Wight



Dreadgod is the eleventh and penultimate book in Will Wight's Cradle series. If there's one thing that is consistent about this series it's that the title is relevant to the plot of the book. If you didn't guess it already... all the dreadgods attack and it's all hands on deck to deal with the crisis.

I love how Lindon has plans to help everyone accelerate their progression, even in a time of crisis. It was fun seeing the team split into uncommon pairs as they all worked to help each other grow and getting more page time with characters who haven't gotten as much love in recent books.

Oddly it felt like the main climax of the book happened mid way through with the remainder of the story as the build up to book 12. It is one hell of a set up! Holy crap does Lindon and team have a situation on their hands. My main complaint is there wasn't enough Eithan. I definitely needed more Eithan in the story. Waiting for the final book to release is difficult.

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59. The Eleventh Metal by Brandon Sanderson



The Eleventh Metal is a short story of Kelsier's past - his training as a full Mistborn and the origination of his mad plan for the crew. I think his teacher must have a piece of metal in him and was talking to Ruin, not just mumbling to himself. While not long enough to be satisfying, it's a nice snapshot of a foundational event. I wish I'd read this closer to my first read through of the original trilogy.

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60. Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania by Brandon Sanderson



Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania is an old school pulp adventure about gentleman adventurer Jak with hilarious annotations by his Terris Steward. Perhaps some day Sanderson will write more of Jak's unbelievable adventures.

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61. Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson



Be warned: Secret History contains HUGE spoilers for the original Mistborn trilogy and very minor spoilers for Bands of Mourning. Definitely do not read before finishing the original trilogy.

My mind is blown. It's amazing how much was going on behind the scenes during the time of the original Mistborn trilogy. I think I have even more questions now than answers. I really hope additional Secret Histories are written some day. I want the rest of the story!

Rating:

62. The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnworth



The President's Vampire is the second in the Nathaniel Cade series by Christopher Famsworth. This time around, Cade goes up against genetically engineered lizard people. I love the idea of conspiracy theories and paranormal combining! The story makes for a fun mash up of history, pop culture, supernatural horror and politics. The final third and climax of the book is a gore fest. On the down side, I can't stand how the scenes with Zach and the Company people sound like a bunch of frat boys. Those scenes make me cringe while listening to them. Good for Zach to go all in by the end. Cade could use that commitment from his partner.

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63. Feedback by Dennis E. Taylor



Feedback is a very short time travel story. Very thought provoking. You absolutely need to pay attention while listening. This one left me I wanting more!

Rating:

>226 Narilka: Oh! This is by the Bobiverse author, yes?

>220 Narilka: There is something in the tone of this one that was discordant for me, that kept me from being absorbed in the story.

>227 clamairy: Yes! The audio is 30 minutes and available on Audible Plus if you're a member.

>228 quondame: That stinks. I hate when a book I think I should enjoy just doesn't work out. In fact I have one of those to review, which I'm planning to get to tomorrow with any luck.

>229 Narilka: Thanks! I just added it to my audible library.

64. NPCs by Drew Hayes



If the movie Free Guy had been about a tabletop D&D game you might have ended up with something like NPCs, the first book in the Spells, Swords and Stealth series by Drew Hayes. A small group of players has gotten together to try out a new game called Spells, Swords and Stealth. Their game master tries to warn them that this game is a lot more realistic than other role playing games they've played. It comes as no surprise when the players ignore this advice make bad decisions which leaves them dead in the inn of the small town of Maplebark. What is a surprise is that four of the non-player characters, NPCs, who witness the adventurer's deaths end up with an impossible choice: pretend to be adventurers undertaking a task of near-certain death or see their town and loved ones destroyed. In an attempt to save the lives of everyone they know and love, the four NPCs don the adventurer's gear and set out on a quest that is likely to get them killed.

While the book seems aimed mostly at gamers, I think it could have a broader appeal as the world mechanics, while mentioned, aren't really the focus. The bulk of story is a fairly standard high fantasy tale with a clever meta narrative about the gaming group interacting with the world of the NPCs and vice versa. I was so glad when the player characters died. They were mostly a bunch of jerks! The NPCs are much more interesting and likeable. In a rarity, I like all four of the main characters (Grumph the half orc, Thistle the gnome, Eric and Gabrielle the humans) about equally, having a heck of a time picking a favorite. The story takes a while to find its stride as we're introduced to all the characters involved. There is some fun sorting out who will play what amongst the NPCs with some fun role subversion. About mid way through is when I felt myself engaged and by the end I enjoyed the small twist Hayes had thrown in that I assume is the hook for the rest of the series. If so, this should get very very interesting for future players, PC and NPC alike.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Roger Wayne. He does a great job of bringing the characters to life and has quite a vocal range.

Rating:

>232 Narilka: That sounds fun!

>233 Karlstar: I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try :)

65. Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews



Blood Heir is the first in the spin-off series for Aurelia Ryder, aka Julie, by Ilona Andrews. In true Kate Daniels style, there is a mystery to solve (Moloch is threatening to kill Kate and end civilization), some minor complications arise and a hint of romance. The romantic angle should be no surprise to fans of the series and, going in, you probably have a good idea of who it could be. For newcomers, this installment contains major spoilers for the end of Kate Daniels and is probably best read after completing that.

Overall, I found this a satisfying and fun read. It is set eight years after Magic Triumphs and Julie has done a lot of growing since then. Her magic abilities are now off the charts. I think it's hilarious that for someone hoping to keep her identity hidden, Julie Aurelia does an incredibly poor job at it as it seems like almost everyone from her "old life" recognizes her. It looks like this may be the first in a trilogy. I'm looking forward to the next book.

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66. The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson



Six years have passed and it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Lost Metal is the seventh book in the Misborn saga and the fourth and final book to feature Wax and Wayne. Wax has discovered a new kind of bomb, one that can unleash unprecedented destruction. It turns into a race against time as he realizes that it is likely the Set has already discovered this technology and is planning to use it.

It took me a couple chapters to wrap my head around the time jump considering that I have been reading books in this series only one month apart. So much has changed for our characters - they've all grown so much. I love where they ended up and am sorry to have missed out on some of it. Perhaps there will be a short story or two in the future to fill in gaps. Even with that, our characters all go on further character arcs, especially Wayne. In same ways you could say this is Wayne's book.

The world building also deepens as various factions find more ways to combine metals. I am astonished at how much planning and thought Sanderson has put into this. I can only imagine what surprises will be in store for Era 3.

This was an ambitious novel. The action was fast paced and had a very cinematic fee. Even though I saw a couple of the reveals coming, I enjoyed the ride and felt a lot of satisfaction for those items I figured out ahead of time. I both laughed and cried by the end. The Lost Metal wrapped up Era 2 nicely and left me with plenty of questions about what is to come. I hope we get another Secret History in the future.

Now for the potentially controversial part and a possible reason why some may or may not enjoy this book as much. The Lost Metal is to the Cosmere as the Avengers movies are to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, you can watch Avengers without any other MCU movies and still enjoy it. It's that watching all the previous movies leading up helps deepen the Avengers experience. I feel like a big part of The Lost Metal is for the full Cosmere fans with all the links and connections between different Cosmere books. There are links back to Elantris, The Emperor's Soul, Stormlight Archives and White Sands. I've not read the last two in that list and it didn't impact my enjoyment in the book at all. Having read the first two I was delighted when I spotted things related to Elantris and The Emperor's Soul. I'm a geek like that :) All of this is to say that the only books I think absolutely should be read ahead of this one is the Mistborn Saga, including Secret History. Everything else is a bonus.

Rating:

>236 Narilka: I guess I'm ready since I have read the Mistborn books, plus Elantris and the first 3 of Stormlight Archive. I'm still debating whether I need to re-read Shadows of Self first. I've read Bands of Mourning recently enough I don't think that needs a re-read first.

Happy New Year to you!

>237 Karlstar: I think you are well set for the the new book. Maybe just Secret History if you're rusty, which should take a day or two tops.

Happy New Year to you and everyone also!

I am attempting to wrap up all my 2022 reviews I've been slacking on lol I'll start a fresh post tomorrow for 2023 :)

67. Song of the Space Siren by Barry J. Hutchison



Any time I need a funny pick me up, I know it's time to read another Space Team book. Song of the Space Siren did not disappoint. In fact, I'm impressed with how touching it ended up being in addition to the zany fun. In Space Team fashion the team manages to wreck a crime scene, rescue a young girl, turn a civilization upside down, anger a super creepy mad scientist and still manage to save a planet from a big monster. I think Cal may be having heroic tendencies! Kevin remains the best/worst ship AI of all time. And Splurt is still my favorite.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Phil Tron. I love Tron's performance for these books.

Rating:

68. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling



Reread 2022: Happy 25th Anniversary Harry, Ron and Hermione! My goodness time has flown. I still enjoy reading these books all these years later. Review from 2017 below.

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Happy 20th Anniversary Harry, Ron and Hermione! In honor of this event I decided to interrupt my current book and reread the Sorcerer's Stone. It was around the time the 5th book was going to publish that I originally read the books. A friend at work had just started reading the series and I was intrigued after seeing the first couple movies. As she finished them she would loan them to me to read. It was so much fun and I loved sharing the experience.

While I think most of the world has read the books or at least seen the movies, in case you haven't...Young Harry was just a baby when his parents died. He has been living with his aunt and uncle ever since, who treat him horribly. On his 11th birthday Harry receives a letter inviting him to go study at Hogwarts School of Magic and become a wizard! Off Harry goes to school where he makes friends and thwarts an evil plot by a dark wizard.

This story is just so much fun. I love the world of wizards and witches JK Rowling has created. The magic is funny and inventive, the school dynamics and making friends are so universal that pretty much everyone can identify with them, the characters are memorable, there's an evil to be defeated and Harry's hero journey is just getting started. The story has a few inconsistencies that bug me a little, but it's not enough to spoil the overall magical experience.

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69. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher



Turn Coat is the eleventh book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. In this week's episode... Warden Morgan (yes, that Morgan, the one who has hounded Harry for years) turns up at Harry's door seeking help. Morgan's been accused of murder and needs Chicago's best private detective to help clear his name. Life is full of irony at times.

The banter in these books continues to be one of my favorite things in these books. This quote is one of my favorites:

Thomas stopped his Jag in front of the boarding house where my apartment was and said, "I'll have my cell phone on me. Try to call me before things start exploding."

"Maybe this time it'll be different. Maybe I'll work everything out through reason, diplomacy, dialogue and mutual cooperation."

Thomas eyed me.

I tried to look wounded. "It could happen."

Keep dreaming Harry!

That seems like these events are going to have profound implications for the future of the White Council. The series is taking a darker, more serious turn. I'm glad Butcher keeps the funny banter going to help lighten things up. I feel bad for Harry and how his life is turned more and more on its head with every book. I did enjoy seeing more of the senior wizards - they are impressive when they aren't playing politics. I have no idea if Thomas is going to recover from what happened to him. Toot Toot was pure awesome and deserves extra pizza. Mouse remains the best boy ever and steals every scene he's in.

Rating:

70. What If? 2 by Randall Munroe



This one is just as much fun as the first book. I like that the answers are generally shorter though Munroe does go to Mythbuster style absurd lengths at times. Some of my favorites are:

• How much meat a day would be needed to feed a T. Rex
• How long would it take to read every book
• Can you eat a cloud
• The billion-story building
• And the gag of "Things You Should Not Do" that runs throughout the book (Spoiler: Don't tell California that your farm is selling Pokemon eggs)

I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. You can tell Wheaton is enjoying himself immensely as you can hear the laughter in his voice at times as he reads, especially as he describes some of the cartoons.

I hope we get a 3rd What If? in the future.

Rating:

71. Split the Party by Drew Hayes



Split the Party is the second book in the Spells, Swords and Stealth series by Drew Hayes. After successfully escaping from the King of Solium, our former NPCs have traveled to the neighboring kingdom of Alcatham. In need of supplies, the party stops at the village of Briarwillow where all is not as it seems. Thistle's god Grumble has in no uncertain terms decided that Thistle, and therefor the party, will figure out what's going on and save the villagers or die trying.

This was a great sequel. I enjoy how much depth and growth our NPC party is taking on. Each of the former NPCs has fully embraced their adventuring role and is learning to make the most of it. Grumph gets some much needed training in the magical arts. Eric continues to use his experience as a guard to expand his rogue abilities. Gabrielle feels keenly frustrated at her lack of progress and finds help in an unlikely place. Poor Thistle is learning first hand just how demanding it can be to be a Paladin, even for one dedicated to the god of minions. I enjoyed the additions of Timiscore and Mr. Peppers to the party. The side characters were a lot of fun too - I hope we see some of them again in the future. I also apologize in advance if I get some of the spellings of names wrong as it can be hard to determine when listening to an audio book.

It's great that the PCs have ditched the bad apples and now seem to have a decent group. I started to find their new story line engaging. The hints at the larger mystery are fun too. I really hope this continues to be explored.

Rating:

72. Changes by Jim Butcher



The title of this book always brings the David Bowie song to mind. Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Changes is the twelfth book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. In this week's episode... Susan is back and drops the biggest bombshell on Harry possible. Nothing is going to be the same after this.

The title for this installment is on the nose. In this book everything changes for Harry. Everything. Butcher seriously messed with my emotions big time. My heart damn near stopped when Butters took two bullets in the back. POLKA WILL NEVER DIE! As the story progresses every part of Harry's life is gradually stripped from him. Harry thought he'd hit rock bottom before but he was wrong. No more house, work, car, magic goodies, Mister is lost (please say someone finds Mister), potential White Council civil war, back broken, made a deal with Mab (which explains the title on Cold Days I'm thinking). It's a lot to take in and has to be the worst 48 hours in Harry's life.

I will say it was highly satisfying for the entire Red Court to be wiped out. F*cking vampires. Though I will say I wouldn't mind seeing the Ebbs again. The win the "Most Interesting Parley With The Enemy" award.

Then, just when you think it's over and the good guys can go home, or in Harry's case someone else's home, after saving the girl, Butcher pulls a fast one and we're left in a cliffhanger. It won't be long before I read the next book.

Rating:

73. Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews



Sweep of the Heart is the fifth book in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. Wilmos has gone missing. In order to get information on Wilmos' whereabouts, the Gertrude Hunt will have to play host to an intergalactic spouse selection. Will the selection be completed in time to rescue Wilmos?

I have missed Dina, Sean and the Gertrude Hunt so much. So many different and unique species! Plus the fun of the galactic spouse selection. It was a lot like the Innkeeper version of The Bachelor. While I did not read the serial as it released I remember seeing the blog post titles for each chapter and examples of the various contestants, which can now be found in full on the author's website. I enjoyed learning about Caldenia's past though she needed more page time. Also, what a reveal at the end. This answered several questions and opened up several more. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Rating:

74. Blitz by Daniel O'Malley



DNF @ 50%

This just isn't working for me. I find my mind wandering as I read and I'm not engaged. It makes me sad because I enjoyed the first two books so much.

Rating:

75. The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy by Arik Kershenbaum



This is a case where I should have read a few more reviews before trying the book. Based on the subtitle I was expecting a book speculating on what alien life in the universe could be like as backed up by current scientific understanding. Unfortunately this book was mostly about Earth zoology and evolution with occasional mentions along the lines of "And this is how it could be on other planets too." It is my mismatched expectations that hurt my enjoyment of what otherwise was a decent book about evolutionary theory for animals on Earth.

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Whew! I did it :) All caught up on reviews. Happy New Year everyone! I'll create my 2023 thread tomorrow.

>245 Narilka: Why didn't I already have that on hold? Silly me.

Happy new year!

>244 Narilka: At least you have the next book immediately available. Just think how us poor saps that were up to date with the series felt having to wait over a year for the next book.

>250 AHS-Wolfy: No kidding! That must have been so frustrating.