Book Thingo » SFF & horror

Children of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy

Kat — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Children of Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus, Book 2)

Not quite as compelling as the first book and the romance is underdeveloped, but still a satisfying conclusion to the Scarabaeus duology.

When Edie is recaptured by the Crib, she discovers they’ve been grooming four Talasi children to become cyphertecks for her former mentor’s pet project, Project Ardra. Edie is torn between her freedom, her obligation to free Finn, her desire to save the children, and as she learns the motives behind Project Ardra, to find a way of preventing colonised planets turning into uninhabitable mush.

This book is a continuation of the events in Song of Scarabaeus, and it’s best to read the books in order. Unlike its predecessor, Children of Scarabaeus relies on a series of smaller arcs and plots to keep the momentum going. The pacing isn’t as strong, nor are the conflicts as compelling. There are a lot of antagonists, and they’re not all well developed enough to be interesting.

There’s a bit of deus ex machina in the resolution, which is disappointing given that, for the most part, it wasn’t easy to predict how the story would go. The world building in this book also becomes mired in twists and complications.

The romance between Edie and Finn is properly resolved in this book. Creasy isn’t writing a romance novel here, and that’s obvious. The romantic tension between these two characters sometimes comes across as shallow, and the consummation of their relationship isn’t as thrilling as I was anticipating. The lack of insight into Finn’s point of view weakens the romantic arc noticeably.

Nevertheless, Children of Scarabaeus is a satisfying conclusion to the Scarabeus duology. Creasy has plenty of scope for future books with the remaining cast of characters, and it’ll be interesting to see what she comes up with next.

Yay or nay?

Not quite as compelling as the first book and the romance is underdeveloped, but still a satisfying conclusion to the Scarabaeus duology.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who need to know if Edie and Finn get their happy ending

Who might not enjoy it: Sticklers for hard science fiction

Title: Children of Scarabaeus (excerpt – Flash)
Series: Scarabaeus (Book 2)
Author: Sara Creasy
Publisher: Eos/HarperCollins
A format: 9780061934742 (29/3/2011)
Ebook: 9780062078728 (29/3/2011)

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Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy

Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy

Kat — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy (Scarabaeus, Book 1)

A page turner for science fiction readers who like a bit of romance, not the other way around.

Edie is desperate to escape her life of service to the Crib empire, so when she’s kidnapped by mercenaries and forced to cooperate with their plans, she’s worried but not exactly anxious to get back to the Crib.

But when she’s leashed to Finn, an ex-slave who turns out to belong to a group of highly trained fighters, she’s given no choice. If she ventures too far—for example, in an attempt to escape her new masters—Finn dies. If Edie refuses to help the mercenaries, they’ll both be killed.

Edie is a cypherteck, and her job for the Crib was to help seed newly discovered planets in order to make them viable for human occupation. After the planet is occupied, the Crib charge its inhabitants to keep the seeds viable. The mercenaries want her to extract keystones from existing planet seeds, which are then sold to Fringe planets so they can be free of the Crib’s control.

To do so, Edie must revisit the first planet she attempted to seed—Scarabaeus. Privately, it’s her one source of pride and the one success she has kept secret from the Crib. But how can she keep Scarabaeus free from human interference when her life—and Finn’s depends on once again interfering with the planet? And what does it mean when the seeds that were supposed to have naturally died in Scarabaeus seem not only active but thriving?

There are romantic elements in Song of Scarabaeus, but not enough to call it a romance per se. This works well because we’re never in Finn’s point of view, and he remains a bit of a mystery throughout the book. The ending is optimistic, but you’ll need to read the next book to get a proper conclusion. That said, there’s no overt sequel baiting in this book—it’s satisfying enough on its own.

The world building is detailed, but you have to read closely to get the subtle nuances between different types of technology, the political issues and the factions involved. To Creasy’s credit, the exposition is done in context, and it’s unlikely to pull readers out of the story.

Fans of Ann Aguirre’s Jax series, or those who dislike Jax’s first person narrative, may find Creasy’s style more enjoyable. Both series feature heroines who may not be defenceless but are certainly vulnerable and heroes on the inscrutable side. Aguirre’s series has a more well-developed romantic plot, but Creasy’s narrative style flows better. There’s a similarity in the way Jax describes hyperspace and how Edie describes biocyph. Creasy uses music as a metaphor, which allows readers to get a sense of what Edie is explaining without having to delve too deeply into the (very speculative) science behind it.

Yay or nay?

This is a page turner for science fiction readers who like a bit of romance, not the other way around.

Who might enjoy it: Science fiction readers who like a bit of romance on the side

Who might not enjoy it: Science fiction readers who like their science to be rigorous

Title: Song of Scarabaeus (excerpt – Flash)
Series: Scarabaeus (Book 1)
Author: Sara Creasy
Publisher: Eos/HarperCollins
A format: 9780061934735 (27/4/2010)
Ebook: 9780061991363 (27/4/2010)

Heart Search by Robin D. Owens

Wandergurl — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:38 +0000

Heart Search by Robin D. Owens (Celta's HeartMates, Book 10)

A good addition to the series for Celta fans who are curious to see how characters have evolved and want to catch up on previous characters’ lives.

I first read Robin D. Owens’ HeartMate earlier in the year. Within the next month I managed to collect every single book in the Celta series by visiting random bookshops in the Philippines and through some creative used book buying via @GirrlitsBooks. Needless to say, I love everything about this series—even the apostrophes.

Laev T’Hawthorn was stupid a few books ago and, as a twenty-year old, married the wrong girl, thinking she was his HeartMate. She fucked him over, to put it in simple terms, and later died when a devastating illness swept the land. Laev, now head of his family after the death of his grandfather, has since discovered that she stole family heirlooms and sold them. He is determined to get them back, and in doing so right some of the wrongs he felt he has brought upon his family by choosing the wrong woman.

Camilla Darjeeling runs a tea house (in case you couldn’t get this from her name) and is a very independent woman who has worked very hard to get herself a better station in life. She also knows Laev is her HeartMate. (She can’t tell him—this is a law of the land, just so you know that she’s not just being unnecessarily stubborn.) She’s being bothered by her unscrupulous father and uncle, who keep stealing everything she owns and physically abusing her despite her best attempts to avoid them.

Camilla refuses to acknowledge Laev is her HeartMate, and he refuses to try and find her because of his past experiences and regret. Eventually, their sexy-time dreams catch up with them and they finally hook up in real life, but neither them wants to go further than that.

Laev and Camilla’s relationship came across at times like a friends-with-benefits tale that evolved and and turned out well. Their hesitation to move towards romance, despite the fact that it was inevitable, was realistic and well-portrayed. People do have regrets, and this does stop them from moving forward or trying to love again, because they’ve been burned before. Camilla’s lack of trust for men, brought about by abuse from the men in her family, was also realistic. If you take away all the juju and magic porting and mind-talking cute animals, they really could just be two people having issues with commitment.

You can’t read this book without reading the rest of the series. The Celta series has a very finely ingrained mythology, which you won’t entirely understand if you start with Heart Search, which is set ten years into the future from the last book and focuses on a younger generation. You don’t have to read all the preceding books, and you don’t even have to read them in order—I didn’t—but you need another book to start with before you get to Heart Search. It’s so far along in the series that it’s best to read one or two of the previous books in the series (any of them, really) beforehand.

Yay or nay?

A good addition to the series for Celta fans who are curious to see how characters have evolved and want to catch up on previous characters’ lives.

Who might enjoy it: Celta HeartMates series fans

Who might not enjoy it: Apostrophe haterz

Title: Heart Search (excerpt — PDF)
Series: Celta’s HeartMates (Book 10)
Author: Robin D. Owens
Publisher: Berkley
A format: 9780425241387 (2/8/2011)
ePub: 9781101517291 (2/8/2011)
Adobe: 9781101507896 (2/8/2011)

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Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison

Wandergurl — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:42 +0000

Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison (Elder Races, Book 2)

My new auto-buy author. Even if the hero had turned out to be a wimpy web-footed shapeshifter from outer space whose non-human form was even weirder looking I’d probably still buy it.

Tricks, former head of PR for Culebre Enterprises, has come out of hiding after the death of the Dark Fae King to reveal herself as the heiress to the throne. Not surprisingly, people are trying to kill her. Enter Tiago Black Eagle, wyr sentinel sent by Dragos, her ex-boss who gave her refuge (see previous book), to make sure she’s okay and find out who tried to kill her. They haven’t had much interaction until now, but they make up for lost time pretty quickly. Can Tricks and Tiago find out who’s trying to kill her before she ends up dead, and still have time for some nookie?

I think I’ve written a similar summary before. Hell, I think I might have done it for Dragon Bound, the first book of this series. But hey, why ruin something that works?

Thea Harrison is my new auto-buy author. Even if the hero had turned out to be a wimpy web-footed shapeshifter from outer space whose non-human form was even weirder looking I’d probably still buy it. (But I’d ask Decadence first.) I am utterly fascinated by her world building and enjoy the universe she’s created.

Tricks and Tiago are great characters. Tricks could have easily turned into a Mary Sue, or Miss Super-Independent-I-Don’t-Need-Anyone, but instead she acknowledges what she needs to learn and gets on with it. Tiago could also have turned into a grunting alpha—honestly, I think of him as Conan or Taboo (from the Black Eyed Peas)—but he’s worked out well. Harrison, and by virtue of this, Tricks, doesn’t try to change him, even at the end, when they’re mated (this is not a spoiler as I’m sure we all know this is going to happen—it’s a romance) and he’s got to be Mr. Faerie. There are also none of the if only they spoke to each other this conflict would not have happened bullshit. When something happens to her, they talk about it right away. They even talk about the whole mating gig. I really liked that in the story.

I found the external plot around murder attempts on Tricks quite interesting, and that kept me reading more than the actual romance. I liked the murder investigation and how everything moved along but, yes, eventually I killed a fairy three-quarters into the book.

Yay or nay?

Yay. But you need to read Dragon Bound first. Storm’s Heart can stand alone, but the first book is better. This doesn’t suck—not at all; it’s pretty good—but you might as well get book one too. :-)

Title: Storm’s Heart (excerpts: one, two, three)
Series: Elder Races (Book 2)
Author: Thea Harrison
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
A format: 9780425242667 (2/8/2011)
Ebook: 9780748132508 (2/8/2011)

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The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Kat — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross (The Steampunk Chronicles, Book 1)

Delivers a good mystery at the expense of world building and character development.

This book has everything going for it. Look at that gorgeous cover. Check out the gushing reviews online. It’s teen steampunk—two of the subgenres du jour in popular fiction. I squealed in delight when the folks at Mills and Boon were kind enough to send me a review copy.

In hindsight, I should’ve known better than to raise my expectations to a level that few books could possibly attain. The Girl In The Steel Corset might have worked for me ten years ago, but now I’m just left wanting more.

Sixteen-year old Finley Jane knows something lurks inside her—something strong and dark and unpredictable. She tries to hide it, but she can’t always control it. After Finley escapes an assault, she’s taken in by Griffin and his friends. She doesn’t want to cause them any trouble…and yet they, too, seem to have their secrets. And their abilities.

Griffin is searching for the mastermind behind recent troubles with automatons going rogue. He’s fascinated by Finley and seems to be the only person who can help her overcome her darker side. But as their search for The Machinist comes to a head, Finley isn’t always sure whom to trust, especially when everyone is pushed to the limit of their powers—including her.

In truth, that summary seems a tad more exciting than the book felt while I was reading it. The mysteries surrounding the different characters’ abilities were intriguing and kept me invested in the story, despite the many info dumps along the way.

“I have no desire to be any more in your debt than I already am.”

[Griffin] looked thoughtful for a moment. “Would it make you more comfortable if I demanded something in return? Would that put you at ease?”

When he put it like that, it made her sound like an awful sort of person for thinking the worst. “It would, yes. At least that would be honest.”

…

“What I want from you,” he said, and Finley braced herself, “is your trust. Irrevocable and unshakable. I want you to put your life in my hands, and I want to be able to do the same without hesitation.”

Disturbed to her very soul, Finley could only shake her head. “You ask too much.” Put his life in her hands? He was deranged! A bedlamite for certain.

A crooked grin curved his mouth. “Too much? You strange and wonderful girl, that is the least I’ll ask of you.”

And yet I felt that author Kady Cross focused too much on the mystery plot surrounding who The Machinist was and what he planned to do, at the expense of deep and solid world building.

Abilities and talents are revealed piecemeal, which is fine if somehow they’re brought together at the end to serve the bigger picture. It didn’t really work for me; parts of the plot still seemed very vague at the end. I’m not sure if this is deliberate, because this is obviously the first book in a series, but it left me unsatisfied.

My other gripe is that many of the characters feel derivative. The underworld figure of Jack Dandy seems like a barely disguised sketch of The Pirates of The Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow. Sam, the enigmatic part-automaton, closely resembles Wolverine from X-Men (film). Maybe this is the way the author planned it, but if so, the characters pale against their much more well-rendered film counterparts, and the comparison only highlights the book’s weaknesses.

Having an ensemble cast doesn’t help, as Cross struggles to flesh out all the characters. I would rather the story had focused on a few key characters and left others a mystery until subsequent books, but Cross tries to do justice to each one. The effect, unfortunately, is to dilute everyone.

Oh, and there seems to be a love triangle in the horizon. Of sorts.

Yay or nay?

This book was an entertaining if not altogether satisfying read. Perhaps the next book will provide the depth I was looking for in the world building and the characters. In the meantime, this one should appeal to readers who are after a bit of adventure and mystery without taking it all too seriously.

If you’re on the fence about trying this book, you can download a free copy of the prequel, The Strange Case of Finley Jane, from All Romance.

An advanced reading copy of this book was generously provided by Mills and Boon Australia.

Title: The Girl In The Steel Corset (excerpt)
Series: The Steampunk Chronicles (Book 1)
Author: Kady Cross
Publisher: Harlequin Tee/Mills and Boon
Hardcover: 9780373210336 (24/5/2011, USA)
B format: 9781921793127 (6/2011)
Ebook: 9781742901305 (6/2011)

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Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook

To dream the impossible dream (Top 5 for 2010 + TBR Challenge)

Wandergurl — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:00:01 +0000

Wandergurl’s recommended reads from 2010 and a self-imposed challenge to conquer her TBR pile.

Book picks for 2010

The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne

Effectively the prequel to The Spymaster’s Lady, this equally wonderfully written novel is about ‘Maggie and Doyle’. Marguerite de Fleurignac, a French noblewoman, encounters William Doyle in her burnt out chateau. They both pretend to be people they are not, as she is trying to desperately smuggle out people during the revolution and he is an English spy looking for her father. The romance is lush and lovely, the spy plot moves around nicely, and I was kept captivated. Highly recommended.

Feet of the Chameleon by Ian Hawkey

This is a largely anecdotal history of modern African football and how it has shaped various countries’ political histories. I read this book during the football (soccer) world cup while in Africa so it was especially poignant. It explained a lot of things that were interesting to me, and would be interesting for anyone with an interest in Africa, its people and its history.

A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemsin

A fantasy novel written about a world with a hundred thousand kingdoms, in which one family and effectively one god rules an earth where many other minor gods and goddesses walk among its people. After the death of her mother, Yeine is summoned to the court of the worlds’ ruling family, the Arameri. She is surprisingly named one of their heirs and has to survive political machinations, competition from the other heirs and the gods themselves, who have a greater stake in this than anyone else. The writing flows well and transports the reader to the lofty hights of Sky, the Arameri palace, as well as the surrounding towns and the lives of its inhabitants. There’s a bit of romance that also drives the story forward.

Changeless and Blameless by Gail Carriger

Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series is one of my favourites, and I can’t wait for the next one. Changeless ended with a massive cliffhanger that annoyed the bejeezus out of me, so I never reviewed it. I picked up the next book and devoured it in a few hours, and am pleased to say that it ends satisfactorily. I need the next one, stat!

Set in steampunk London, Alexia is Soulless, married to a werewolf and has a gay BFF who happens to be a vampire. In Blameless, she tries to figure out what exactly being soulless means, so that she can clear her name based on things that happened in Changeless which i cannot spoil! If you haven’t read this series, start with Soulless!

Lover Mine by J. R. Ward

This book is here because it’s the book that got me to believe in The Crack (TM) again. This is all your fault, J. R. Ward. You and your sunglasses and hip hop lingo. Damn you, I’m going to end up with the next book, whatever happens. Do not read this book unless you’ve started the series. Start with Dark Lover at your own risk. You feel me?

TBR Challenge

Every year I start a challenge or two which I forget about two months after. I never end up completing my challenges. Hence, I’ve decided to set up my own.

My challenge is to finish all the books in my TBR by Dec 31, 2011.

There are approximately 75. (I have made extra allowance for the romance novels I haven’t counted). I think it’s do-able. Sort of.

The rules are:

1. All books read from the TBR must be reviewed (even if it’s just part of the mixed bag).
2. You must read at least 50 pages before giving up. If you do give up, you don’t have to review.
3. You are allowed to give a book away if you pick it up and think, What was I thinking?
4. You must not replace a completed TBR book with a new one. You need to finish at least 5 before you are allowed to add to it. (Pre-planned purchases are excluded—e.g. those in the 2011 new releases listing. This is because 70% of my TBR is impulse purchasing. If you buy a pre-planned purchase you must read it immediately without adding to the TBR! )
5. Are there any other rules I should add?

Please feel free to join me in this challenge. Let’s hope I don’t forget about this one.

Wandergurl’s recommended reads from 2010 and a self-imposed challenge to reduce her TBR pile.

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HeartMate by Robin D. Owens

Wandergurl — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:00:33 +0000

HeartMate by Robin D. Owens (Celta's HeartMates, Book 1)

A well crafted book that will appeal to fans of Jayne Castle’s series. Just ignore the attack of the apostrophes.

Rand T’Ash is a member of one of the Great Families on the planet of Celta, colonised by the people of Earth many years ago during a search to find a suitable location to develop their psychic gifts. Formerly a street rat he is now a respected nobleman with a talent for shaping stones. He has crafted a necklace as a HeartGift, as is customary in their culture, for his HeartMate, the woman who is destined to be his. Danith Mallow walks into his shop one day and is drawn to the necklace, but after some alpha grunt-type discussion and a bit of chaos caused by other customers, she leaves, and T’Ash has to find her and somehow convince her that they are destined to be together. Thus the story and the apostrophes begin.

I had trouble with the names at first. The honorific in their culture appears to be T’something or D’something and the apostrophes started to drive me nuts. I was later told by a friend that it appears to be standard in futuristic fantasy now, and I do not think this is a trend I would like to continue. Having an apostrophe does not make you all fancy, you know.

That said, the world building was excellent, if a bit complicated at first. There’s a lot to get through at the start and you have to keep track of it all as you go along. That said, it’s a very well crafted, well thought out world, very consistent and imaginative.

T’Ash was a solid (literally and figuratively) alpha male hero, though I found him trying sometimes. While I understand that he was raised in the gutter and had no manners, sometimes I really expected him to grunt when he was talking to Danith: Me Tarzan, You Jane, Us belong together. The end. He was really quite pushy, and it’s understandable why she would reject him repeatedly. This conflict did not get resolved until the end, and all the other external conflicts and side plots were fixed, which kind of had me feeling that this bit was a bit rushed.

While the main conflict in the story is the romance between the two, there are a lot of tiny side plots that fit well with the story, although I found that Owens could have done with fewer. This being the first book in a series, it seems as though a lot of these side plots were necessary to establish the other families for future books.

Despite the many things going on, I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Holm from the D’Hollys , T’Ash’s super charming BFF (who gets his own book later on) and his familiar, Zanth, the straight talking but adorable psychic cat. (Trust me, it’s cooler than it sounds.) His full name, Zanthoxyl, sounded a lot like medication to me, though. The kind that would be banned for recreational use.

Yay or nay?

Name nitpicking aside, I enjoyed this book and found it a good start to the series. I’ve ordered two other books already (thanks, @girrlitsbooks!) and am looking forward to exploring more of the world of Celta and meeting more psychic cats. It’s a well crafted book, and if you like sff books similar to Jayne Castle’s series you may like this one, too.

This book was first published in 2001 by Jove and reissued by Berkley in 2006. Some bookshops list the title as two words, Heart Mate, so if you can’t find the book, that’s probably why.

Title: HeartMate (excerpt)
Series: Celta’s HeartMates (Book 1)
Author: Robin D. Owens
Publisher: Berkley
A format: 9780425212400 (8/2006)
Ebook: 9781436284073 (12/1/2009)

Where you can buy this book

Books in the Celta’s HeartMates series

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Heart Search by Robin D. Owens

Mixed Bag: November 2010

Kat — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 03:00:14 +0000

In keeping with Halloween, this month’s Mixed Bag is a mix of (mostly) otherworldly books by (mostly) Australian authors.

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Fallen #1)

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Fallen, Book 1)

When Luce starts senior year (year 12 for us) at a boarding school for troubled teens, she discovers that her classmates aren’t, well, normal, and that the reason the school hottie is avoiding her at all costs has something to do with her destiny—until for some reason her destiny doesn’t happen on schedule.

I might have enjoyed this story more if I hadn’t already read the many—oh, so many—teen urban fantasy books with similar characters and conflicts. The brooding, I’m-no-good-for-you-so-I’ll-turn-down-your-advances-by-being-rude-and-offensive hero just doesn’t work for me anymore. At least, not unless the heroine calls him out on it—and Luce doesn’t do it enough. It got interesting towards the end, but the main characters didn’t have enough shades of grey for me.

Yay or nay? Sparks of interesting plot were bogged down by a frustrating hero and shallow character development. You can read an excerpt via Facebook (scroll towards the bottom of the page if you want to avoid spoilers for the next book).

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Random House Australia.

Publisher: Doubleday (Random House) | C format: 9780385618021 | B format: 9780552561730 | Ebook: 9781409096085

Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts (Timestalker #1)

Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts (Timestalker, Book 1)

This book is the first in a time travel mystery series featuring 22-year old Kannon Jarratt, who inadvertently becomes a time traveller in the process of trying to find her biological mother. When Kannon finds herself in Ancient Rome, she has to figure out how to get back to her time—but first she has to survive the arena.

There were two things I liked about this book: the beginning of the story is set in Sydney and most of the rest is set in Ancient Rome. There’s potential in this series, but I’m used to a lot tighter plotting and faster paced novels. Gladiatrix didn’t always hold my attention.

Yay or nay? A series to watch out for. There was a little romance in the story, which always wins points. You can read an excerpt via HarperCollins Australia.

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Voyager.

Publisher: Voyager (HarperCollins) | A format: 9780732288556 (May 2009)

The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

When Sylvie Davis’s promising ballet career is cut short by a terrible fall, she goes off the rails a bit, gets drunk at her mother’s wedding and is sent off to some distant relatives in Alabama to get herself back together. But there, Sylvie beings to see and hear things that make her wonder if she really is going insane. Meanwhile, she meets two boys—one bright and one moody, of course—and they might just be the key to her family history.

This book starts off strongly, and I loved the way Clement-Moore introduces Sylvie’s injury and resulting downward spiral. But when the paranormal elements are introduced, the story becomes less engaging. I found the plot lacklustre, the pacing slow, and even though the romance wasn’t bad—in fact, quite sweet at times—it wasn’t anything extraordinary, either.

We stood that way for a long, ridiculous moment, until my out-of-practice grin faded, and there was nothing left to say but goodbye. But the longer he didn’t say it, the more I didn’t want him to.

I certainly couldn’t. My tongue had tied itself in knots. Maybe because I was suddenly very aware that we were in my bedroom, and I was wearing my camisole and pink pyjama pants with bright yellow ducks. Which hadn’t seemed like such a big deal until we shared that smile.

Yay or nay? For readers who like a gentler kind of paranormal plot with tree-hugging undertones. You can read an excerpt via Random House Australia (link to Flash widget).

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Random House Australia. Note that the US edition is titled The Splendor Falls.

Publisher: Corgi Books (Random House Australia) | B format: 9780552561358 (April 1, 2010) | Ebook: 9781409096245 (July 1, 2010)

River Run Deep by Rachael Treasure (originally titled Jillaroo)

River Runs Deep by Rachael Treasure

(There’s nothing paranormal about this book at all, but I’m including it in this Mixed Bag, because if you pick up this book? You should be very afraid.)

This is the book I have dubbed The Vomit Book. In summary: They fight, they drink, they puke, they save the farm.

Apparently, the B&S in ‘B&S Ball’ doesn’t just stand for ‘bachelors and spinsters’; it’s also code for binge drinking and spew. Alcohol abuse and vomit scenes in every other chapter are not my idea of a good read. This is a shame because the romance is quite sweet in some parts of the story and the drama shows promise here and there. But the plot and characters are a bit of a mess and Treasure doesn’t manage to convey any depth despite the trauma they—and I, as the reader—endure in this book.

Yay or nay? If you’re thinking of trying this author, start with a different book. You can read an excerpt via Penguin. (This book was first published in 2005 as Jillaroo by Penguin Australia.)

Publisher: Preface (Random House UK) | B format: 9781848090859 (November 2008)

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Blameless by Gail Carriger

Wandergurl — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:05 +0000

Blameless by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate, Book 3)

After the cliffhanger that was Changeless, the latest instalment in the Parasol Protectorate series brings us back to romance territory.

After Changeless, I was very frustrated. It was a total cliffhanger, and I went as far as DMing Gail Carriger on Twitter to ask what was going to happen next. She very nicely replied, I’m very sorry but I can’t tell you. Fortunately, Kat got a review copy of Blameless last Friday, which coincided with Carriger’s visit to Galaxy to randomly sign things. She assured us that, as a believer of happy endings, she always makes sure everything ends with a HEA.

Alexia Tarrabotti is back at her mother’s house following her separation from her husband, Lord Maccon, after he accuses her of cheating on him when she tells him of her pregnancy. (Werewolves can’t breed.) Alexia wants to prove him wrong, but Lord Akeldama, her gay BFF who possibly has the answers, has left town. She decides that the answers are in Italy, with the order of Templars, so off she goes with her trusty assistant/butler Floote and Madame Lefoux, the mysterious hat-maker cum inventor, who incidentally likes to cross dress.

In the meantime, Professor Lyall, the Woolsey pack Beta, is desperately trying to keep the pack together while her husband is off getting drunk off his face on an unknown source of alcohol. Of course, people—I should say vampires—keep trying to kill her, which adds to the mystery. How did she get knocked up, and why does everyone want to kill them?

I’ve always loved Alexia as a character. She never lets anyone knock her down and has the kind of stubborn tenacity that’s enough to kick butt without being annoying. I like how despite her circumstances—she left her husband, and that alone is enough to make someone a pariah in Victorian England—she kept trying to make the most of her situation and hold her head up high. Her husband was the only person who was able to bring her down to her knees (and even then he had to do it first!) and now his betrayal of her has left her reeling, even though she tries to pretend it doesn’t. I think that part was well done.

Despite everything, Lord Maccon manages to redeem himself in the end. I loved him in the first book and then he fell out of favour, so to speak. He’s begun to worm himself back into my good graces with his actions in this one. His actions and behavior, especially his interactions with his second, Professor Lyall, lead to some of the best comedic moments in the book.

I felt that the tone and language, as before, was in line with the era and the steampunk elements fit in very well. The dialogue was sharp and witty and the descriptions, while giving a vivid picture of the situation, left just enough to re-create the wonders of steampunk in my own imagination.

The storyline was wrapped up well—if their marital issues hadn’t been resolved I would have hurled the book across the room—while more details were dropped to make you wonder what would happen next. I, for one, am excited at the prospect of their coming progeny and its implications, and would like more details on Alexia’s father and the mysteriously evil cultish Templars. (Carriger is really good at dropping these hints that leave you wanting more.)

Yay or Nay?

A definite YAY! But only if you’ve read the rest of the series. If you start here you’ll be coming right in the middle of the story, and while it could work, you’ll be missing out on a lot. Fortunately, there are two more books in the series due next year. Can’t wait for those!

This book was released on September 1, 2010 by Orbit. Gail Carriger will be at the World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne, Sept 2-6.

Title: Blameless
Series: Parasol Protectorate (Book 3)
Author: Gail Carriger
ISBN: 9780316074155
Release date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Orbit (Hachette Australia)
Format: A format

Where you can buy this book

Parasol Protectorate

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Mixed Bag: July 2010

Wandergurl — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:00:21 +0000

A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #2)

A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (October Daye, Book 2)

Toby Daye is sent by her liege, the Duke of Shadowed Hills, to the County of Tamed Lightning to check on his niece, the reigning countess. Toby thinks that this will be an easy job, but once she and her assistant Connor arrive, she finds it more complicated than that—people are dying and their souls aren’t being carried away by shades, the traditional soul bearers of the fae.

Toby has grown from the previous book, and it shows—I liked how her character didn’t remain static and bitter. She has become more stable, has found herself on more solid footing. She even has girlfriends and goes on night outs. Her situation (explained in the previous book, Rosemary and Rue) sucks but she’s learnt to deal with it better. She’s still a strong character and you can’t help but barrack for her.

McGuire pays good attention to world building and detail. I liked how the different aspects of the fae came together and the political complications of Tamed Lightning were interesting. However, the murder mystery part of the story was a predictable, and I found myself getting as frustrated as Toby with the lack of cooperation from the characters and their inability to see past their noses. I was also a bit surprised that Toby didn’t figure out who the murderer was, because despite the misdirection it seemed obvious, given the murderer’s personality and characteristics.

I love this series, so I was very excited when McGuire announced that two more books had been picked up by her publisher. I think I will keep reading them even if the series reaches Laurel K. Hamilton proportions with no end in sight. (Please have an end, Ms Maguire!) That said, while this can stand alone, I would recommend starting with Rosemary and Rue. It provides a more detailed background of Toby’s past and sets up the story. It’s also a bit more exciting than this one.

Yay or nay? Not as good as the first book, but still a good adventure. You can read an excerpt via the author’s website.

ISBN: 9780756405960 | Release date: March 2, 2010 | Publisher: Penguin | Format: A format

White Star by Beth Vaughan (Palins Sequence #2)

Or: I tried but I couldn’t.

This book was given to me to review. My apologies but I simply could not finish it, though I tried three times. The problem with this book isn’t the writing or the plot or the characters—I don’t think I got far enough to get the entire plot. It’s just that it was book two of the series and it didn’t stand alone.

The book starts at the end or in between part of the last novel. There was a lot of stuff I didn’t get right away, which I think would be better understood if I had read the other novels. Perhaps Vaughn explains it more later, but as I didn’t get past chapter five, I won’t know. The world building looked promising, but I did not get enough background in the character motivations or in the nuances of culture to see the whys behind their actions.

Yay or nay? If you want to try this one, start with book one. I have read Vaughan’s other series, Warprize and quite liked it (though I must admit to not reading book two) so if I were to recommend anything it would be that.

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Hachette Australia. In the US edition the author is named as Elizabeth Vaughan and the series is called the Star Series.

ISBN: 9780575084230 | Release date: April 2010 | Publisher: Gollancz | Format: A format

In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah

In this standalone sequel to The Caliph’s House, Shah talks about his continued life in Morocco and how he goes about ‘finding the story in his heart’. As a culture with a strong sense of oral tradition, it is said that in Morocco, everyone has their own story—one that is meant for them and will have special significance once it is told to you. Shah goes about finding his story by seeking out storytellers, also in an effort to preserve the dying art of storytelling. Along the way, he talks about his life in his big, crumbling renovated house, his memories as a child with Afghani/Nomadic history, with strong ties to Morocco, his relationship with his family, past and present, and the many colourful characters he meets along the way.

I loved this book. I bought it on impulse after The Caliph’s House saved me from a day of boredom in my old job, where I sneakily downloaded it on the work laptop and pretended to be reading PDF documents. (Yes, it was on my TBR for a loooong time. Why, I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t want it to end.) You don’t have to read the first book to understand this one. One of the things I liked most about In Arabian Nights were the stories within stories. There are many layers to this book—the stories that he hears from others, the stories he remembers from childhood, and the present. The parable-like tales delivered by storytellers are never interpreted, and you are left to understand how they relate to you—and at least one of them will. When Shah finally found his story, I felt uplifted, as if I had found my own story, the story in my own heart.

Yay or nay? It was a beautiful tale. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780553818765 | Release date: March 12, 2009 | Publisher: Bantam Books | Format: Paperback

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky

The Big Oyster by Mark Kurlansky

Despite the title, this is actually a history of New York. Kurlansky is popular for writing gastronomic histories, using food to illustrate the history of the world or places as he did with his books Salt: A World History and Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World. I actually bought The Big Oyster while in New York, inspired to read the history of such a fascinating place.

The book starts out strongly, with the appearance of the Dutch on American shores and the first sighting of oysters. It takes us all the way to the present era in the last chapter, discussing movements and events that shaped New York. It was an interesting way to cover its history.

While I enjoyed this book, I also got a little depressed right from the start because I know that New York has been around a while and it’s quite polluted—for example, no matter what anyone says I would never swim in their river, or eat anything caught from there—and I knew the oysters were doomed. Its not a secret; you can tell this from the prologue. It was depressing and the little environmentalist in me was aghast at seeing how it started and how unmanaged sewage and filth and lack of hygeine basically just lead to the destruction of the area and pretty much the extinction of the New York Oyster. (I shall get off my green soapbox now.) I also felt that while, yes, this is a gastronomic history, it had too many recipes and cookbook excerpts.

Yay or nay? If environmental issues don’t upset you too much, I would recommend this as a history of New York, told in simple terms, with oysters. I would, however, recommend Kurlansky’s other books more, particularly Salt: A World History and The Basque History of the World, which introduced me to his writing.

This book is published in the UK and Australia by Vintage Books (Random House) as The Big Oyster: A Molluscular History of New York.

ISBN: 9780345476395 | Release date: January 2007 | Publisher: Random House | Format: Paperback

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