This is the first book in this series by Michelle Sagara (aka Michelle West or Michelle Sagara West). Kaylin is a Hawk - one of the arms of the law inThis is the first book in this series by Michelle Sagara (aka Michelle West or Michelle Sagara West). Kaylin is a Hawk - one of the arms of the law in her world. She has an unusual ability for healing and also unusual tattoos on her arms which suddenly appeared on her when she was a child. No one can explain them. She is an orphan from the outer city (a very poor and dangerous area). When she was young she escaped this place by petitioning to be a Hawk. There is a reason she left, a really disturbing event that Kaylin wants to forget; but while Kaylin wants to leave her past behind, it follows her : suddenly children are being killed and found with tattoos on them similar to Kaylin's, and everyone wants to know why. Because Kaylin believes in justice and enforcing the law, she must get involved in solving these murders and dredge up her past. A very engrossing police procedural mixed with fantasy and very interesting characters. Probably one of the most interesting things is the different races and cultures in Kaylin's world and how they all interact with one another. ...more
Kate Daniels lives on the outskirts of a futuristic Atlanta, where both magic and technology exist in "waves" (one crests, another falls, everyone goeKate Daniels lives on the outskirts of a futuristic Atlanta, where both magic and technology exist in "waves" (one crests, another falls, everyone goes on with their lives, but magic seems to be winning). She is a mercenary with some magic skills, rather a rule breaker and impulsive, she is loathe to join the Order (sort of the magic police, independent of the actual police) - their rules and code are too stiffling for her, no matter how much her guardian Greg tries to get her to join. Greg is the knight diviner in the Order, and one day Kate gets notified of his murder. True to her nature, her reaction is to exact revenge on his killer, even if she has never done detective work before. Her style is to shake things up and get people so mad they reveal themselves, which doesn't help her very much with certain powerful people. Examples include the necromancer puppetiers that control vampires, the Pack of shapeshifters, and the killer who is even worse than either of these. Very enjoyable novel, in a style that reminded me of Patrica Brigg's Moon Called and Blood Called. Kate is an intelligent and likeable heroine, a tough, no-nonsense girl, with maybe one major personality flaw - her mouth! Sometimes I was amused about what came out, other times I winced at her ability to get herself into trouble by speaking, especially with the Curran, Lord of Beasts. I am eagerly awaiting the second book of this series (coming out in 2008!), and will most likely pre-order it. Highly recommended. I read this book in a day, I couldn't stop. ...more
Female mechanic Mercy Thompson, a coyote shapeshifter very familiar with werewolves, tries to help a newly turned werewolf but things go awry and she Female mechanic Mercy Thompson, a coyote shapeshifter very familiar with werewolves, tries to help a newly turned werewolf but things go awry and she finds herself entangled in a complex plot. A couple of people mentioned that this was a little slow to get into - I didn't have this problem at all. I liked Mercy's character, probably for two main reasons. One was that she is smart. Throughout the book she trusts her instincts (true she second guesses herself on one point, but her instincts seem to be right). Also, as she tries to figure out the big picture and what is going on, she asks good questions and also figures out some things pretty quickly when she gets a good clue. I prefer that over a heroine who sits around confused and asks whats going on and the other characters who figured it out have to explain it to her for the reader to understand. The second reason is the way she handled the males in this story. But to go into more detail would be a spoiler. An enjoyable read. There will be a sequel - "Blood Bound" which I'm looking forward to. I'm probably going to look for more books by this author, this is the first book of her's I've read. ...more
Well-written young adult story about a boy who doesn't speak. I really enjoyed this, and recommend it. It was an interesting look at abuse and friendsWell-written young adult story about a boy who doesn't speak. I really enjoyed this, and recommend it. It was an interesting look at abuse and friendship, and me think about how people interact with each other, and what people expect from one another in return for friendship or love. Quick read. ...more
One of the best space opera's I've read in a long time. It does remind me a little of Ender's Game because there is a very intellegent young male protOne of the best space opera's I've read in a long time. It does remind me a little of Ender's Game because there is a very intellegent young male protagonist, and much of the story is about him being trained for a war; but while Ender's Game has a lot of similations and military type training exercises, Jos's training is more piecemeal and he must often rely on his own wits in order to survive. His story is an individual rather than a team one, and he undergoes some heartbreaking trials at a very young age which color the rest of his life. The writing is very good and the world/universe building and characters in this book are very unique and complete. Lowachee creates races, languages, slang, technology and a coming of age story that amaze me with how well thought out they all are. ...more
This is a growing pains type of book, something that makes you look at being a young adult stuggling with growing up in a different way, maybe in a wrThis is a growing pains type of book, something that makes you look at being a young adult stuggling with growing up in a different way, maybe in a wring you out kind of way. Possibly the only other books that made me feel this way would be the series by Megan McCafferty.
Sherwood Smith, author of Inda and Crown and Court Duel has recommended it on livejournal (http://community.livejournal.com/atha...) and describes it very well - "Greensleeves had what I considered the very best illustration of the difference between love and mere (or not so mere) attraction that I have EVER seen. And that included very wide reading in adult books at that time. In fact, much of the popular adult literature I read in the sixties mixed the two--usually mistaking attraction-at-first-sight for actual love, which usually ends in tragedy in real life. The thing about Greensleeves is that it is a delightful story, not the least bit preachy, and not a single inappropriate word or action, though it deals so directly with potentially strong material. I thought Jarvis a genius. And more clearsighted than many so-called adult writers.
The story, briefly, is about a girl named Shannon whose divorced parents are both famous. So she's spent time partly in Europe, partly in a small town in USA. She feels like she doesn't fit anywhere. When it comes time for college, she panics. So her 'uncle' hires her to go in disguise to this tiny college town to investigate a very peculiar will. There is no danger involved, just a very odd set of circumstances around this will, and he wants to know if the recently deceased elderly lady was sane, or coerced, or what.
So Shannon makes up this ridiculous persona, and goes off to investigate, getting a job as a waitress. Among the distinctive characters she meets are two guys . . . well, I'll stop there. " ...more
This is the sequel to Silver Metal Lover, but you do not need to have read that book to enjoy this one. This is set 12 years after the first book and This is the sequel to Silver Metal Lover, but you do not need to have read that book to enjoy this one. This is set 12 years after the first book and centers around entirely different characters - Loren and Verlis, and only lightly touches on previous characters. Tanith Lee explains things well enough that someone who hasn't read the first book understands who they are because the story of Silver and Jane is actually an underground book that Loren has read. In this book Loren is a young woman in a futuristic society who has lived on the streets most of her life. She is a tough character. She meets a robot much like Silver in the previous book named Verlis, but he is not Silver. He has greater powers and seems to be the leader of the other robots. Throughout the book it is a mystery what his agenda is and why he is so often drawn to Loren. Likewise with the company who makes the robots which also wants Jane to work for them. The reader learns as Loren does what is going on. Very intruiging. Highly recommended. ...more
Marked as paranormal romance - but more of a fantasy with many romantic elements. I really really enjoyed the writing in this book - very richly detaiMarked as paranormal romance - but more of a fantasy with many romantic elements. I really really enjoyed the writing in this book - very richly detailed and imaginative. The story starts out with Neva on a business trip in Wales. She's at a bar when she encounters a young man who often has young women trying to get his attention. When he tries to pry himself away from perhaps the 10th one, Neva feels compelled to step in and pretend to be his girlfriend. This starts some weirdness in the air. From there Neva begins to lose track of reality. When she goes home to seaside Alabama she keeps having visions of falling through a pond into another world, and her sister is ready to commit her. Around Mardi Gras, Neva has begun to accept her madness and decides she knows where the pond she sees is - her grandparents farm. Jumping in, Neva finds herself in another world - she meets fairies, a talking raven and stag, and March - the young Welsh man at the bar. They tell her that she has to save the Eternal Youth and send her on a quest. March is surly and resigned, as if he has been here before, and has no reason to hope. Neva finds his attitude annoying but feels compelled to finish the quest and go home, so sniping at one another they trek through a wildly created land. Many fairytale and mythical elements make appearances and a reader has many "whoa.. what's happening now?" moments. I really enjoyed how unexpected the story was and the growing relationship between March and Neva. I also liked that March and Neva use modern speech when they argue as it contrasts greatly with their surroundings. The only complaint .. I wish this story was longer! The four stars is because the ending felt a smidge incomplete to me.. I would have felt more content with two more chapters and a better idea of what really happened in the gap before the final happy chapter, and yet it is not a bad ending at all. I just want more time with the story and characters. I wanted to turn the book over and open it to the first page to reread it as soon as I finished.
I sped over to the library to pick up a copy of this book after reading a review of it online. This reads as a mix of Neil Gaiman's Stardust, 1001 NigI sped over to the library to pick up a copy of this book after reading a review of it online. This reads as a mix of Neil Gaiman's Stardust, 1001 Nights, and some well-known, often-told fairy tale. Keturah is a young village girl who follows a stag into the forest and gets lost for a few days. Eventually she sees Death come for her, but being the storyteller of the village, she tells Lord Death a story and then refuses to tell the ending unless she gets one more day of life and then, she promises, she will finish the story. What follows is a charming story about her village and the people in it, and of Keturah, and her relationships with her friends and family and with Lord Death. Told from the first person point of view this story reminds me of the first time I ever experienced a fairytale. While this is a young adult novel, it felt like it was written with no particular age in mind. A gem.
I think if you are a fan of Elizabeth Moon you will like Sandra McDonald's books, particularly because of the military aspects. If you like Linnea SinI think if you are a fan of Elizabeth Moon you will like Sandra McDonald's books, particularly because of the military aspects. If you like Linnea Sinclair and Ann Aguirre you may like this as well. The author was an officer in the U.S. Navy and her knowledge of the day to day workings of he military seems to really show in this novel. In The Outback Stars Jodenny has to deal with a mix of personalities both below and above her in the chain of command. Not everyone is a hard worker and trying to get the bad seeds working in harmony with everyone else is a challenge. However, it was refreshing to see Jodenny tackle the challenge with creativity and toughness, which didn't always help her make friends, but did make me respect her. She's a very competent character who knows her job and is good at it. I also liked seeing how she reserved judgement on people until she saw things for herself - particularly with Terry, an accused rapist. It was also interesting to read a book where the main culture was Australian, not American (even though the writer is American!), but there was a also a big mix of races and religions and ethnicities on the ship too. The romance itself was satisfying to read - it wasn't the main focus, and is slow-building. The tension comes from the fact that Jodenny is interested in a subordinate, which is a no-no within the milirary, so she spends most of the book supressing her feelings. I sighed a happy sigh at the end of this book. Although it seems like it will continue in The Stars Down Under, this book ended in a good place, without cliffhangers. I didn't feel like major strings were left undone, but there is enough undiscovered territory to keep me wanting to read book 2.
I started reading all of Wen Spencer's books after reading "Tinker" and I think I like this series even better than the Tinker series. Spencer's plotsI started reading all of Wen Spencer's books after reading "Tinker" and I think I like this series even better than the Tinker series. Spencer's plots always seem very well thought out and I usually feel satisfied by the time I get to the end of the book. Her characters are very compelling as well - she always has an intruiging backstory, and this is no exception. Ukiah Oregon is a tracker who works with a private investigator, and he is an ununsual young man in that he was found in the middle of the forest eating a rabbit - he was raised by wolves (!!) and has uncanny abilities at tracking and a photographic memory. He has a young innocence which contrasts with his superior abilities. This story starts out with Ukiah tracking a possible kidnap victim but soon Ukiah gets tangled up in something much bigger which also involves his past and where he came from. I want to go on about Spencer's original ideas but I think its more fun to read the book and find out for yourself. I really enjoyed this one. ...more
All through the book I was marvelling at the world created by Wen Spencer. In a wild west culture, women outnumber men by something like 20 to 1. GrouAll through the book I was marvelling at the world created by Wen Spencer. In a wild west culture, women outnumber men by something like 20 to 1. Groups of sisters will become wives to a single husband, who is protected and coddled away from society, and has domestic duties: cooking, cleaning and raising the children! The main character (Jerin Whistler) is one such male, who spends a lot of time blushing prettily (hah). His role is like that of a virgin bride in a historical romance, but much like historical romances with a plucky heroine, he is unusual as his family teaches their boys to read, write, ride, pick locks, and shoot (not common skills among the menfolk). One day while his mothers and elder sisters are out, and only the younger sisters are about to protect the men, a stranger stumbles onto their land, pursued by river trash. She is one of the princesses, and because his younger sister fends off the attackers and Jerin leaves the house to carry her unconscious form to safety, he soon gets noticed by the royal family. I enjoyed the world immensely and found it delightful how well thought out the society, matriarchy, laws of inheritence and male/female roles were. ...more
Very original space fantasy novel. Mikk is an alien who was abused and neglected as a baby by his parents. When he becomes a young boy, he is sent to Very original space fantasy novel. Mikk is an alien who was abused and neglected as a baby by his parents. When he becomes a young boy, he is sent to a music conservatory to study, but his abuse makes him quiet and it seems hard for him to learn. While he is there he catches the eye of a visiting performance master (someone who has mastered countless instruments as well as the art of dance, theater and other performance arts). This man decides to take Mikk in as his last and greatest apprentice. Mikk eventually becomes famous and reverred but his fame and fortune cannot help him when he decides to defy a ban on performing a dance of a dead civilization. The punishment for this crime is death. While this book is about art and censorship, it was so rich and full of other things as well, and was very enjoyable to read. I feel like this is a hidden gem: while it won a award when it first came out, it doesn't seem like this author wrote more than 2 books. I count this among the classics and have reread it several times. One warning: there are brief mentions of alien sex and love between two males, but don't let that dissuade you. ...more
This book is the first of two books by Delia Marshall Turner, who sadly hasn't written anything other than these two. The second book is "Of Swords anThis book is the first of two books by Delia Marshall Turner, who sadly hasn't written anything other than these two. The second book is "Of Swords and Spells". This book is about a strong-headed girl, Lisane, who is a magic user and queen of her people. Lisane escapes persection against magic users on her planet by the "enforcers", and arrives on a new planet where only men are believed to have magic powers. There she is enrolled in a school for adepts and clashes with King Kaihan. This book combines fantasy and magic use with science fiction and spaceships very well. There is also a little romance. Very unique story and I thought the ending came together very well. It also ties in with the next book but both can be stand alone. ...more
Loved this. A little bit weird but in a way that's my jam. I watched the movie and I like the movie, but the book is different, and I actually may likLoved this. A little bit weird but in a way that's my jam. I watched the movie and I like the movie, but the book is different, and I actually may like the book more....more