Murderbot Diaries #2 and #3

 Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (2018), 158 pages

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (2018), 159 pages

I am loving this series. You really just need to read them. Both of these books (entries?) find our intrepid explorer continuing on his quest to figure out his murderous past while reluctantly trying to stop evil corporations from destroying the universe. Much to his dismay, he is becoming more and more human like and can't shake his need to protect them. I particularly like his snarky interactions with other Artificial Intelligences. Murderbot never fails to let you know exactly what he thinks and it is hilarious. 

The Island Between Us

 The Island Between Us by Wendy Hudson (2021, 320 pages)

Love and adventure on a remote Scottish island. Survival skills and drama. Storm surges, lack of food, and finding shelter. New year's day 20 years before.

Georgia hosts excursions on a Scottish island for people looking for outdoor skills, bonding time, and just a space to get away. She teaches her group how to build shelter; find, hunt, and prep food; and take care of themselves and others. Kelsey is a successful actor in LA looking for some privacy and a connection to a familiar name. While their romance blossoms, a cast of characters causing trouble and creating comedy end up stranded on the island. Trying to keep the group calm, Georgia tries to lead the group she's responsible for to safety.
Highly recommend the audiobook purely for the narrator's adorable Scottish accent.

 

The Misplaced Legion

 

The Misplaced Legion by Harry Turtledove (1987) 323 pages

This is the first book in a series called The Videssos Cycle. I picked it up at a nerdy yard sale because it was recommended by the host. A Roman Legion is fighting "barbarians" in Gaul. When the leaders of both forces stand off against each other, both carrying Celtic swords, and the swords make contact, as pictured on the cover, the whole legion is transported to the Empire of Videssos, a strange magical land. No elves, or orcs, or dragons make an appearance, just different human cultures living within or outside of Videssos. There are wizard/priests who can do magic drawing from either the light or dark divine realms of the local religious system. I mainly enjoyed the story because of the main character, Marcus Scaurus, the leader of the Romans. He is inquisitive, observant, fair-minded, disciplined, and brave. The way he and his men adjust to this new world, and the way this world is revealed through Scaurus's eyes kept me engaged. Another Goodreads reader points out that the author is an expert on the Byzantine empire and that this is the basis for the world of Videssos. There are not many fantasy elements. It does feel like the Legion, which is somewhat over 1,000 men, has jumped 1,000 years into the future into the medieval Middle East. It all leads to a big battle. It is the start of a series, so maybe I shouldn't have expected a neatly wrapped happy ending. I don't imagine it is easy to find this old series, so in my mind it will probably remain a stand-alone adventure, and it was enjoyable enough for what it was.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton, 336 pages

This sequel to The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels focuses on the Wisteria Society's sworn enemies, the Wicken League, a similarly neat and tidy group of society women wreaking havoc on England, the main difference being that the Wicken League is full of witches (though they won't admit it as witchcraft is still illegal and punishable by death). This book isn't quite as delightfully wacky as its predecessor, perhaps because we're already familiar with the previously surprising flying manor homes and tea-drinking pirates. That said, this one definitely ramps up the romance between book-loving future Wicken League leader Charlotte and scandalous Irish pirate Alex. It's a light, fun read.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton, 324 pages

Cecelia Bassingwaite is the ward of her aunt, a prim and proper older woman who is concerned about Cecelia becoming the right sort young lady, reading appropriate literature and avoiding the sun (lest she get the dreaded freckles, of course). However, they're both also pirates, members of the esteemed Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels who fill their flying homes (yes, actual houses that fly) with the expensive wares of the British upper class while observing proper tea etiquette. Cecelia has recently become the target of an assassination contract (from another member of the society, of course; it's a rite of passage in their world), but her would-be assassin, Ned, is both captivatingly handsome and mysterious about his many assignations.

The blurb on the cover of this book refers to it as "delightfully bonkers," and I've never read a more accurate description of a book. It has an underlying romance story, yes, but it also has all the elements of a rollicking adventure novel and a bit of fantasy (what with the magic that keeps those houses aloft) and plenty of intrigue. It's not going to win any awards — the plot's a little too zany and several of the society women are hard to keep straight — but it's certainly a bunch of fun!

Gutter Mage

Gutter Mage by J.S. Kelley, 321 pages

For the past 15 years, whiskey-swilling foulmouthed "arcanist" Roz has been on the outs with the mage community, though she still has the knowledge she learned before being ousted from the academy. Oh, and she can hold fire in the palms of her hands, which none of those mages can do. Because of these "skills" Roz and her pal, Lysander, have made a sometimes-legal career for themselves, solving magical problems and tracking down ne'er-do-well mages. When a local lord hires them to recover his kidnapped heir, Roz and Lys realize that this legitimate job may be enough to let them retire from their rough life. But nothing is quite what it seems, and Roz's late mentor seems to have returned from the dead, making the affair much more dangerous.

I love a rude, boozy protagonist, particularly one with magical abilities that she's not afraid to use. Roz's adventures are non-stop, and SO MUCH FUN. And while that's a good enough reason to pick up this book, it's also a richly created world that's ripe for more investigation, so I *really* hope Kelley is planning on writing more books about Roz.

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner, 371 pages

Delly Wells is a scrappy firewitch from the bad side of town, weeks behind on the rent for her sad little apartment, and constantly hunting down her drug-addled mother. She's getting pretty desperate when she answers an ad seeking magically-abled women to escort a posh bride to her fiance's castle, figuring that she can handle traveling for some cash. But the trip introduces more complications to Delly's life, including the hunt for a murderer, busting a drug cartel, and the growing affection between Delly and her new wealthy friend Winn.

In this inventive novel, Waggoner has created a complex set of characters dealing with some complex problems, and she manages it all magnificently. Delly's struggles and personal growth, the romance between her and Winn, the commentary on the cycles of addiction...it's all so well done and so captivating! And it's funny! Highly recommend this wonderful mix of romance, adventure, mystery, and fantasy.

The adventure zone: murder on the Rockport Limited!

 

The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited! / Clint McElroy et. al, Illustrated by Carey Pietsch, 232 pgs. 

Part two of the adventure has the guys on a train with a MURDERER. Will they discover who this is and retrieve the magical relic?  Well of course they will.  But getting there is quite the adventure. Also, what is this ending?  Do we know what is going on or is it all up in the air? I'll never tell, read it yourself.

The Adventure Zone : Here there be Gerlins

 

The Adventure Zone: Here there be Gerblins / Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, art by Carey Pietsch, 252 pgs.

First in the series, we meet the crew and go on the first adventure.  Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior are a motley crew of misfits but they manage to entertain us and stay alive on this first adventure where they get bandied about and end up securing the relic and a job. Fun reading, even for a non D&D acclimated human.

A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy

A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy by Alex White, 532 pages

The ragtag crew of the Capricious is back at it, fighting evil and doing it in not-so-legal ways. In this followup to A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, the crew is hunting down the gods of the Harrow, the uber-powerful cartel that is destroying life galaxy-wide for their own magical benefit. This quest finds them attempting to infiltrate a cult, hunt down a turncoat treasure hunter, and take out another god, creating a quite the adventure. This series is definitely not going to win any awards, but boy howdy, is it fun!

This Was Our Pact

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews, 329 pages

Every year on the autumnal equinox, Ben's town launches lanterns into the river and Ben and his pals follow them on their bikes for a while. But this year, Ben and his buddies are determined to follow the lanterns all the way to their final destination to see if the lanterns end up beached on the side of the river somewhere or if they really do travel to the sky to join the stars (which is what local legend says). What results, however, is an unexpected friendship and adventure for Ben and the slightly-too-nerdy Nathaniel, as they meet a bear and a crazy witch, and get hopelessly lost in the interim. It's a fantastic story, beautifully told.

West

West / Carys Davies, read by Robert Fass, 149 pgs.

Mule breeder John Cyrus Bellman is itching to find the large animals he has read about.  Bones have been found.  Bellman is a widower and single father of Bess, a 10 year old girl.  She can not join the adventure so is left with Bellman's sister.  Bellman takes out west in a quest that covers uncharted territory and Bess stays home to her own adventure...that of becoming a woman.  The story goes back and forth between the two main characters.  As things go along, we see Bellman as a bit foolish and Bess rightfully wary, but then it all comes together boldly.  I enjoyed the audio book but much is made of Bellman's English origin, I'm not sure this reader captured his essence. 

The Lady Travelers Guide to scoundrels and other gentlemen

The Lady Travelers Guide to scoundrels and other gentlemen / Victoria Alexander read by Marian Hussey, 538 pgs.

A departure for me, this is a historical romance that features witty banter, travel adventures and a woman who changes her mind about love. India Prendergast was raised to be a VERY practical woman by her cousin who took her in after her parents died. Now her dear cousin Lady Heloise is missing! She embarked on a trip arranged by the Lady Travelers club and after a few descriptive letters, has disappeared. India, who has read MANY detective stories, is investigating and convinced that the club is a scam and stealing money from its members. She has pinned this on Derek Saunders, the great nephew of one of the founders of the club. Derek, at the same time, has discovered the possibly fraudulent setup and is concerned for his great aunt. India and Derek decide to work together to find Lady Heloise despite their obvious animosity for each other. They travel to Paris, the location of the last letter from Heloise. While together, they notice a lot of things to like about each other and proceed to fall in love. Will they end up together or will Inida's prim employer break them apart? I don't think it is much of a cliffhanger so don't hold your breath. The audio version is very well done.

Pirates of Pensacola

Pirates of Pensacola / Keith Thomson, 309 pgs.

Morgan's dad Isaac disappeared when he was a kid, off to prison.  This was bad timing because his mom had just died.  Morgan is taken under the wing of  Herb Flick, he grows up to become a middling accountant.  He is basically an office drone at the Vail Company when his dad shows up unexpectedly and drinks the last beer from his fridge.  There are some unresolved issues between father and son, to say the least.  Soon, however, they are on an adventure, looking for lost treasure that Isaac hid before his time behind bars.  Seems like Isaac has lots of people who remember him from the old days.  Although this starts out as a kidnapping, Morgan eventually goes all in on the adventure and he learns to admire and trust his dad.  Swashbuckling fun.

The books of the Raksura trilogy

  

The books of the Raksura trilogy by Martha Wells


The cloud roads, 278 p. 

The serpent sea, 340 p.
The siren depths, 277 p.

Moon lives among groundlings on the Three Worlds, drifting from group to group, never able to quite fit in among the many different races. His family group was killed when he was very young, and he's never found another being who's like him: a shapeshifter. Moon's winged form bears an unfortunate resemblance to a vicious enemy known as the Fell, so he has to stay in groundling form as much as possible. Finally he meets another member of his race, and discovers that he's a Raksura. However, learning to fit in with a Raksura court is even more difficult than his life has been so far.

Martha Wells is enormously talented at worldbuilding without infodumping, and this setting is a rich and marvelous secondary world. Plus she's really, really excellent at showing culture clash--in this case, not just between the Raksura and other races, but between Moon and other Raksura, since his upbringing was so different from theirs. One scene in particular The Serpent Sea where she illustrates Moon's incomprehension of something that all of the other Raksura just assumed he knew is a gutpunch, and so, so well done. Martha Wells remains one of my all-time favorite writers.

Plus, sullen, grumpy Moon is a lot of fun to read about. The fifth book, The Harbors of the Sun, comes out in early July, and I can't wait to read it and The Edge of Worlds (the fourth book).

Undermajordomo Minor

Undermajordomo Minor / Patrick DeWitt 317 pgs.

Lucy is a young man with a life going nowhere.  When the village priest finds him a position in a run-down castle far away, he takes it.  On his trip, he becomes acquainted with a father/son duo of pick-pockets with a hearts of gold.  His position at the castle is under Mr. Olderglough, who works directly for the mad Baron.  There are so many interesting relationships between the characters in this book but my favorite is between Mr. Olderglough and Lucy.  At one point Lucy has taken to his bed in depression over his broken love life and Mr. Olderglough is trying to 1) cheer him up and 2) get him back to work when Lucy points out to him that he has never actually been paid.  The shock by Mr. Olderglough (who is the person responsible for paying Lucy) is priceless.  I listened to the audio version of this book and reader Simon Prebble does a wonderful job.  Sometimes dark and gothic but with great humor, a recommended read.

The Eye of Zoltar

The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde, 405 pages

In this third installment of Fforde's zany Chronicles of Kazam YA series, orphan Jennifer Strange once again finds herself wrangling the kooky sorcerers of Kazam Magic Inc. and trying to mend fences with outside magical forces. This time around, she strikes a deal with The Mighty Shandar to spare the world's two remaining dragons in exchange for the mythical Eye of Zoltar, a powerful gem that has been lost to time. With her possible boyfriend Perkins and a body-swapped princess in tow, Jennifer embarks on a mission (don't call it a quest; the International Questing Federation's fees are too high) to the bordering country of Cambria, where giant carnivorous creatures, taxidermy-obsessed cannibals, and warring (but very polite) tribes all await adventure tourists. It's a fun adventure, filled with Fforde's trademark smart silliness. An excellent addition to this series.

Winter

Winter by Marissa Meyer, 824 pages
Book 4 in the Lunar Chronicles

Spoilers if you haven't read Cress.

When last we met our crew, they had successfully managed to kidnap Emperor Kai before he could say "I do" to the evil Queen Levana. Orbiting Earth using Cress's hacker skills to evade capture, Cinder comes up with a plan that will get her onto Luna and (hopefully) start a revolution. Unfortunately, it involves Kai marrying Queen Levana after all, except this time on Luna, so that he can help smuggle them in.

Meanwhile, Jacin has made it back to Luna after seemingly selling out Cinder and her friends to Sybil Mira. He really doesn't care what happens - he just wants to get back to Princess Winter, Queen Levana's beautiful step-daughter. Winter herself is more than thrilled he has returned, not only because he is the only one who can calm her down when the walls start bleeding, but also because she loves him. Jacin also loves her, but knows that the two of them could never be together, for millions of reasons.

Cinder's plans are set. Can she and her friends start a revolution and change Luna forever?

What an adventure. 800-plus pages of cliffhangers, deadly struggles, and romantic moments later, and I can't believe the series is over. But what a fantastic ending! Every night I went to bed with my mind racing, not sure how everyone was going to survive and desperately hoping that they all would. Admittedly, there are a few moments that were a little too perfect (like Cress meeting Kai at just the right moment to evade capture), but the story moves so quickly that it's hard to be too judgmental. Meyer really drives home the deadliness of the Lunars and their powers in ways that weren't as obvious in the previous books, and she still manages to deftly weave all the different characters' narratives together without missing a beat. She also manages to make Winter almost satirically perfect as her stand in for Snow White (of course she could go convince a pack of Lunar special operatives to join Cinder's cause just by singing), but without making too much fun of her. Luckily I still have the recently released short story collection to keep me anchored in this wonderful sci-fi world.

The Fiery Cross

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, 1443 pages

The fifth book in Gabaldon's Outlander series finds WWII nurse Claire and her 18th-century Highlander husband Jamie settled in the Carolinas in 1771. (Feel free to read that sentence over a few times until it makes sense.) Having traveled from the 20th Century, Claire is well aware of what will happen to the colonies in a few years time, so the overarching plot of life on the homestead and raising families (as well as some intrigue) is set against the rising tensions between the colonies and England.

This series has been repeatedly categorized as romance (Goodreads readers even voted the eighth book, Written in My Own Heart's Blood, as the best romance novel of 2014), probably because of the overarching love story between Claire and Jamie. Perhaps it's just because I don't typically read romance novels, but given the historical accuracy, the battles, the time-traveling, and the somewhat gross descriptions of injuries and medical procedures, I'd hesitate to put any category on Gabaldon's books. They're good books. Period. I'd recommend them to fans of historical fiction.

Lewis & Clark

Lewis & Clark / Nick Bertozzi 136 pgs.

A graphic novel version of the Lewis & Clarks' western expedition that took a small team of explorers from St. Louis to the Pacific ocean and back.  Unlike the thin glossy story that you hear in primary grade history courses, the group had many hard times and problems along the way but they also did great work bringing back samples, dealing with natives along the way and surviving!  It is hard to believe how tough it was for them and how much they learned about our growing country.  Theirs was a special commission by President Jefferson and they fulfilled their mission.

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