Ahira's Hangar

Deep into A Dance with Dragons---didn't know you just published a new book ali! Will have to read your first one very soon!

Get busy, bub!

The new one just came out. I guess I need to add 'em both to my sig here...

At about page 400 od ADWD

Finished up Patricia McKillip's latest, The Bards of Bone Plain. Beautiful, as her novels are.

Trying to read Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes, but I can already tell it might be a bit grim so I have been dragging my feet reading it. Having just finished an actual history of the Dust Bowl of the 1930's I guess I am just not ready for more grim realism at the moment. (Though this is a fantasy war story, not a true ecological disaster story).

Nearly done reading the first three books in a series called The parasol Protectorate. The novels are Soulless, Changeless, and Blameless.

It is a cross between urban fantasy and steam punk - with vampires and werewolves in a Victorian Britain that seems to be filled shore to shore with mad scientists. The first book was a lot of fun - a funny comedy of manners. The second book was more of a mystery and the third is action adventure and travel. While I usually really support authors trying out new things, the second and third books just did not please me as much as the first - the first one was funny, the second and third not. I think this author's forte is the Victorian comedy of manners set in the drawing rooms and ballrooms and mad scientists' labs, and perhaps she should stick more with it - at least within books in the same series.

Now reading The Castings Trilogy by Pamela Freeman, an Australian writer. Lots of necromancy, as a mage attempts to create unstoppable ghost armies to avenge a thousand years of invasion and racial warfare/genocide.

I reading 'The First Books of Swords', and it's a really good farm-boy tale so far.

I tried reading Brandon Sanderson's Alloy of Law, set in his Mistborn universe, but just could't get into it, which is a shame because I really enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy.



So I am now trying Terrier by Tamora Pierce, first book in her latest series set in Tortall. This one follows a young woman in training to be a police officer, which is somewhat different both for that world and for fantasy in general. So far so good.

Just finished up the latest book in the Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs, entitled Fair Game.

This series is set in the same universe as her Mercy Thompson series, with overlapping plots, timelines, and characters. This particular book takes place a month or so after the events in River Marked. There is a huge surprise twist near the end which will probably have major implications on both series.

Lately I have been reading more history books than anything, though. My current read is about the Whiskey Rebellion.

Reading the John Carter books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I realize they are technically science fiction, but actual science has progressed so much since the books were written, that they seem much more fantasy in this day and age. Civil War veteran somehow ends up on Mars where he has many many adventures...

I have not seen the recent movie based on the books. Is it any good?

I started to read Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown, got sidetracked into Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind that Tam gave me for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. I gave her The Hunger Games and Adele 21 and she gave me Wasting Light by the Foo Fighters!!! Yeah Ba-Beeeee!!! I loved the beginning of Hero and Robin's use of language is both unique and haunting, however the first 17 page of Name is terribly cool, already...and I can't wait to get back to it.

Trying once again to read Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters. This is my second attempt at the book.

It is really really strange steampunk, and you are pretty much dropped into the middle of the story (to the point where I have wondered many times if it the second book in a trilogy or series? ).

A while back I realized that I partway reading about six books, none of which were bad enough to not finish and throw directly into a donation bag, but none good enough to want to sit down and devour them, either.

I had gotten to the point where I was reluctant to start anything new.

I realized I had to clear deck.

Whitechapel Gods is book five of the six - trying to finish the last two up before July 31, when new books come out in two of my favorite urban fantasy series (Kitty Norville and Kate Daniels).

An in depth review of this book:

You know, I have decided that Whitechapel Gods is not steam-punk. Yes, it is set in Victorian London, and the Victorian Age is that where most Steam-punk is set. It is missing most common elements of steam-punk however - no zeppelins, zombies, mad scientists, etc.

What is actually is - for lack of a better term - is Lovecraftian fiction set in Victorian London after two of the elder gods come to Earth and take part of it as their own...

About halfway done, and it is growing on me, though it is still VERY weird.

Whitechapel Gods ended up being pretty darned good, so I am very glad I finally sat down to finish it. Hard to get into initially and very weird, though.

Read the latest installments of the Kitty Norville series - Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn - and the Kate Daniels universe - Gunmetal Magic by Illona Andrews - and really enjoyed both. Now it is time to get caught up with the Hugo nominated novels.