The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes edited by John Joseph Adams

In this collection of stories, compiled by John Joseph Adams, a variety of authors invent cases that Sherlock Holmes might encounter if our world were just a bit different. These are cases in which the “improbable” occurs. Most of the stories involve some sort of fantastical situation in which Holmes is required to go outside of his normal logic-based abilities and enter the realm of fantasy… I had a lot of fun listening to this anthology, and the production quality was flawless. My hour-long commute to work went by much more quickly, and for that I’m grateful… Read the rest.

The Chick and the Dead by Casey Daniels

… there’s very little mystery in this mystery. It’s too easy to armchair-solve. Pepper valiantly chases down several red herrings, but they’re never quite convincing to the reader… The Chick and the Dead is at its best when poking gentle fun at obsessive book fandom… The Chick and the Dead is a funny, quick read that can be enjoyable if you read it with accurate expectations. Think of it as chick lit with a paranormal twist, and don’t expect too much from the mystery plotting… Read the rest.

All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear

… I needed something really different and All the Windwracked Stars was just what the doctor ordered and more. I was once a big fan of Apocalyptic Sci-fi, so it was a refreshing thrill to lose myself in Elizabeth Bear’s dying world. The outcome of doomsday comes down to a handful of unique misfits in a truly original story. I especially liked the conclusion and I was so gloomily fascinated that I immediately downloaded the Kindle version of the next book, By the Mountain Bound. I just had to know the answers to some of the wonderfully tantalizing mysteries left unexplained… Read the rest.

Cat’s Claw by Amber Benson

In Cat’s Claw, Amber Benson picks up right where she left off in the tumultuous life of Calliope Reaper-Jones: office drone, wannabe fashionista, and daughter of Death himself. As the novel begins, Calliope learns that her maybe-boyfriend Daniel may not be as dead as he seems, Cerberus wants a favor in return for the hellhound puppy Calliope stole, and her parents have enlisted an eccentric “aura specialist” to train her in magic…  it’s fun, and has some heart-tugging moments as well. The characters are great. With its breezy tone and humor, Cat’s Claw — like its predecessor, Death’s Daughter — can be a delightful break from heavier, gloomier books. Read the rest.

Once Bitten & Twice Dead by Kalayna Price

One of the great joys of book blogging is the discovery of a new authorial talent. I recently had the distinct pleasure of reading two books — Once Bitten and Twice Dead — by new author Kalayna Price. Both novels had edge-of-your seat plots as well as a surprisingly vulnerable heroine surrounded by a strong supporting cast. Once Bitten and Twice Dead were so well balanced and finely crafted that I am bereft of weaknesses to carp on… Read the rest.

A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire

I was a little disappointed in Rosemary and Rue, the first OCTOBER DAYE novel, but I could see tons of potential there and looked forward to the rest of the series. A Local Habitation blows it out of the water, and blows most of the urban fantasy on the shelves out of the water while it’s at it… Toby is stronger here than she was in Rosemary and Rue, more dynamic, and more resourceful… The suspense, the world-building, the characterization, and the writing combine to make A Local Habitation a standout. I can’t wait for An Artificial Night; I want more Toby, and definitely more Tybalt! Read the rest.

The Story of Cirrus Flux by Matthew Skelton

… at times Skelton does a wonderful job of conveying the sights, sounds, and smells of 18th century London, while at other times the background is less vivid. Younger readers probably won’t care much, but older-younger readers might wish for a bit more depth to the setting, and a fuller sense of a wholly different time and place. In the end, The Story of Cirrus Flux is a bit disappointing, especially the close. It’s a paler cousin, perhaps, of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, with its mix of youth and science and a sinister group chasing after a strange substance. Very young readers will find it entertaining enough, though I doubt they’ll be clamoring for a sequel… Read the rest.

The Red Wyvern by Katharine Kerr

The Red Wyvern is the first book in a new cycle of novels set in Deverry by Katharine Kerr, and as such new readers can start out at this point. I would recommend vehemently, though, that they do not since a number of storylines from prior novels come together or are referenced in this novel… The Red Wyvern is a great return to form for Kerr. I was somewhat disappointed in the last few DEVERRY novels — Kerr seemed very much to be writing by the numbers. Here her writing comes alive again — with intrigue, scheming, battle, fair maidens, dweomer mysteries, and high adventure… Read the rest.

Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent

… Thirteen Years Later features another engrossing story by Jasper Kent, brilliantly weaving together history and family drama with supernatural horror, political intrigue, espionage and suspense… as much as I loved Twelve, I enjoyed Thirteen Years Later just as much, if not more, and if Jasper Kent can continue this high level of excellence in the remaining sequels, then I strongly believe that THE DANILOV QUINTET will end up being one of the best vampire series I have ever read. Read the rest.

The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard

… I enjoyed The Seventh Witch. It has the kind of tangled-family-history plotline that I just love, and the setting is beautiful. Damsgaard does a great job of describing Ophelia and Abby’s ancestral home. The clearing with the stone circle sounds just as gorgeous as it looks on the cover. And I especially loved the climactic scene involving the seven witches, though it could have been longer… I don’t recommend starting with this one — you’ll be lost — but if you’ve missed some books along the way, like I have, you won’t have much trouble catching up… Read the rest.

Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder

… I think Except the Queen is meant — at least in part — as an exploration of aging… Most problematically, the plot just doesn’t have a lot of forward momentum, at least for me. The prose is beautifully crafted, but the story is not keeping me turning pages. This is really a “DNF-for-now” rather than a “DNF-forever.” I’ve greatly admired both Jane Yolen’s and Midori Snyder’s work in the past, and on the strength of that work and of the lovely writing in Except the Queen, I think I’ll probably give it another shot someday. Maybe the second time will be the charm… Read the rest.

and Falling, Fly by Skyler White

When I finished and Falling, Fly, the first words out of my mouth were, “Wow, what a mindf*ck.” The cover art, while a beautiful example of its kind, seems to imply a fairly standard urban fantasy. and Falling, Fly is anything but… and Falling, Fly reaches an ending that satisfies and yet leaves the reader’s brain buzzing.  I always appreciate a novel that makes me think… I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the beautiful writing… Read the rest.

Swords Against Death (audio)

… Fafhrd and the Mouser are persuaded to return to Lankhmar where, it turns out, they have not been forgotten, and soon the duo is back to their old tricks and dealing with their former enemies… Some of the stories are better than others (my favorite was “Bazaar of the Bizarre”) but all are “classical rogue” (Neil Gaiman’s term) and all are worth reading simply because they’re written in Fritz Leiber’s gorgeous prose, which is thick with alliteration, insight, and irony… I listened to Swords Against Death on audio… I highly recommend this format; it adds an extra dimension to these fun stories. Read the rest.

Silksinger by Laini Taylor

… Silksinger starts with a bang. Apparently Laini Taylor is determined to shave a few years off my life, as the opening chapter grabs the reader by the throat and runs (or flies, as might be more appropriate)… I continue to be impressed by Taylor’s world-building skills… Silksinger has few slow moments and a lot to recommend it. Though the series is labeled for an age group of 9-12, it’s perfectly satisfying fare for adults as well. So if your son or daughter has these sitting on their shelves, go steal — er, I mean, borrow them… Read the rest.

MAGEWORLDS: The Price of the Stars, Starpilot’s Grave, By Honor Betray’d by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald

MAGEWORLDS is one of the best trilogies I’ve ever read. It’s categorized as Space Opera since there are spaceships and multiple planets involved, but trust me, this falls on the fantasy end of the spectrum. If you’ve never tried Space Opera, this is a wonderful place to get your feet wet. If you like Space Opera, jump on in! If you like great characters, intriguing plots and a fast-paced, action packed adventure, you’ll love this series… Read the rest.

The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu

The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart, according to the back flap, is the “basis for an album that  Malzieu wrote.” I’d like to hear the album because I’m thinking his source material may have been better served in that medium… the core image — the boy with a cuckoo-clock heart — is a wonderfully inventive and compelling one, but the execution of story beyond image and premise falls short of their promise. I plan to check out the album, though; I can see Malzieu’s imagery and impressionistic sense working much better in music stripped of the need for straight narrative… Read the rest.

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

I’m really trying to find something positive to say about Danielle Trussoni’s Angelology, but to be honest, I really can’t think of much of anything…The plot is excessively convoluted and often simply fails to make sense… The mythology and backstories are offered up in clunky exposition… Few of the characters are compelling…  Angelology falls far short in nearly every element: character, plot, premise, etc. Trussoni has written an acclaimed memoir, but the move to fiction appears to have been a move too far, at least with her first novel. Not recommended. Read the rest.

The Once and Future King & The Book of Merlyn by T.H. White

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of retellings concerning King Arthur, Guenever, Merlin, Lancelot, the Knights of the Round Table and the Kingdom of Camelot, but only a few of them attain literary quality and even less become classics. T.H. White’s masterpiece definitely falls into the elite category. With oddly chatty and anachronistic prose, White moves from comedy and satire to grandeur and tragedy, with each book getting successively darker as they follow Arthur’s growth from childhood to old age… Read the rest.

Days of Air and Darkness (A Time of Justice) by Katharine Kerr

With Days of Air and Darkness / A Time of Justice, Katharine Kerr wraps up The Westlands Cycle. It is a fairly decent final book, bringing a number of ongoing stories together and finishing things decently. With that said, it felt a little soulless to me — with her first four books, Kerr made the characters come alive and I had a lot of interest in their doings. Gradually I am losing interest in Rhodry and co… Read the rest.

The Sorcerer’s House by Gene Wolfe

… I wouldn’t call The Sorceror’s House a major novel in Gene Wolfe’s impressive oeuvre, at least when compared to masterpieces like The Book of the New Sun or THE WIZARD KNIGHT, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a supremely elegant fantasy novel, with a memorable narrator and a Twin Peaks-like atmosphere of “everyone in this small town has a secret”. If you’re already a fan of the Wolfe, definitely pick up a copy of The Sorceror’s House… Read the rest.

Warriors edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

… In his Introduction, George R. R. Martin describes Warriors as a ‘spinner rack’, which is an apt description for an anthology that includes stories of every ilk from historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi to a Western, mysteries, “some mainstream”, and “a couple of pieces that I won’t even begin to try and label.” Besides diversity, Warriors is also rich in quality, with every story in the anthology well-written and deserving of inclusion, even if I enjoyed certain pieces more than others. Warriors lived up to expectations delivering a diverse, entertaining and rewarding reading experience that I will not soon forget… Read the rest.

The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel

… From top to bottom, The River Kings’ Road will be instantly familiar to anyone well-versed in fantasy literature. Yet for all of its familiarity, I really enjoyed reading The River Kings’ Road. The plot was fast-moving, entertaining and accessible, while also managing to throw a couple of unexpected curve-balls at the reader. The setting is well-realized and hints at a much larger and interesting world, I cared about the characters, and I finished the novel wanting to know what happens next. In short, even though The River Kings’ Road fails to bring anything new to the fantasy genre, I liked what I saw from Liane Merciel’s debut… Read the rest.

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke

Sometimes you find a fantasy novel that’s not extremely original, but is so much plain fun to read that you just can’t help but love it. The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke is one of those books: despite using some recognizable fantasy templates, it’s a great story and a book I found extremely hard to put down… With its smooth storytelling style that should go over very well with fans of Brandon Sanderson, and an overall theme — water shortage and conservation — that’s acutely relevant in today’s world, The Last Stormlord is a tremendously entertaining read that’s easy to get sucked into… Read the rest.

Firebird by Mercedes Lackey

Since Firebird is one of Mercedes Lackey’s somewhat older works, I thought I’d enjoy it. It certainly sounded promising. And indeed, Firebird starts off with a lot of potential. Though the main character, Ilya, is yet another underappreciated, super-clever youth whose family is mean to him, etc. etc., he’s a bit of a, well, womanizer. He likes him some womenfolk, and it’s kind of charming in a rather “That’s not very like Mercedes Lackey” kind of way. I liked Ilya, and the book, with its charming premise, starts out well. But… by page 90-something, it still hadn’t stopped starting… Read the rest.

King Maker by Maurice Broaddus

…Maurice Broaddus’ writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets. When the supernatural elements are introduced, they drift through the novel like smoke, leaving the reader gradually horrified as the end game is reached. Broaddus’ horror background is evident; some of the events in King Maker sent chills down my spine. With all that said, I didn’t enjoy King Maker, for a number of reasons… Read the rest.