Slayers of Old

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines, 352 pages

When they were teens, Jenny, Annette, and Temple were all Chosen Ones, tasked with defeating evil as a hunter of Artemis, a half-succubus, and a wizard, respectively. But now they're all much older and have put their battle days behind them, choosing to run a secondhand bookstore in Salem. Of course, evil has decided it's not quite done with them, and when locals start summoning ancient magical creatures, the trio must get back in the saddle to once again vanquish demons and secure the safety of Salem.

Blurbs about this book describe it as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Golden Girls," and boy howdy, is that correct. It's a ton of fun, and has lots of nods to the Slayer, though knowing Buffy isn't a requirement for enjoying this book. A great time and hopefully the first of many featuring Jenny, Annette, and Temple.

I See You've Called in Dead

 

I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney (2025) 289 pages

Bud Stanley is an obituary writer for a news org. He's also been divorced for long enough to know that his ex isn't going to return. After a blind date goes nowhere‒the woman is late and tells him that she's going to go out with her own ex instead‒Bud goes home and drinks too much. He also learns that his former mother-in-law has died, and that his ex is not only remarried, but has a child now. He drunk-writes his own obituary, and although he didn't really mean to post it to the world, he does. And the obit is a doozy, filled with crazy things that are clearly untrue. Bud's continued employment is in doubt. He's put on paid leave while the head-honchos figure it out. 

Bud is swearing off of dating because of his bad luck. However, friendship is a strong recurring theme in this novel. Bud's boss, Howard, is a friend, although he doesn't seem to have the final say in the job decision. Bud's landlord, Tim, is another good friend who seems to have much strength of character although he's unable to walk. Bud's office mate, Tuan, treats him with fake disdain: one can sense camaraderie there, as well. A young neighbor boy named Leo also has an important role in Bud's life.

Bud goes to the funeral of his ex-mother-in-law, and meets a woman outside who confides that she goes to wakes and funerals of strangers, and that for her, it has been a kind of a secret to the meaning of life. She indicates the next funeral she will be attending. Bud begins attending funerals of strangers, then, too.

The pace and conversations in this novel make it fly, and in spite of the subject matter, it's definitely got its humor as well as discussions pertinent to the meaning of life and friendship. Really liked this book.

The Teller of Small Fortunes

 The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong, 336 pages.

Tao leads a solitary life; she travels from village-to-village with her mule and wagon, telling small fortunes which always come true. Her life may be lonely, but it is freer than the life she is fleeing, and she considers it good enough. That is until a chance run-in with a theoretically reformed thief and a former mercenary pulls her into the search for a lost child. Add a baker with a craving for seeing the world and a grumpy black cat, and Tao starts to keenly feel the companionship she has been lacking. 

This was a very cute, cozy fantasy. I don't think I've read enough books lately about the power of friendship, and this book nestled comfortably into that nook. That being said, there was enough conflict (both external and interpersonal) to feel like the book was going somewhere, and to make me excited to see what came next! This was a phenomenal debut novel, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading Leong's new book (which seems to be set in the same world) next time I'm looking for a cozy book. 

Sunward

Sunward by William Alexander, 224 pages

Interplanetary courier Tova Lir rejected her parents' high-profile political lifestyle to serve as a low-level messenger between the many human settlements across the solar system. While she does that, she also helps raise young AI identities, which are housed in kid-sized robot bodies as they learn how to focus on the tasks at hand and develop personalities. When her latest baby bot, Agatha, takes on more computational tasks that she can handle to save Tova and her ship, Tova is in a race to track down one of her past charges to keep Agatha's chassis from resetting, trying to dodge a hitman and a recent surge of anti-bot sentiment in her quest.

Right now, AI is a scary wild-west style of technology, as we have no idea what impact it'll have on the future (though none of it looks good). This short novel gives a hopeful alternative to a grim future, with AI beings that have well-developed personalities and an element of humanity working with and for people in a relatively harmonious manner. The found family of Tova and her AI "kids" is fantastic, and Alexander has created some great characters that I'd love to read more about. Highly recommended for fans of Becky Chambers and Annalee Newitz.

Wearing the Lion

 Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell, 376 pages.

Heracles has spent his whole life utterly devoted to his "Auntie" Hera. Hera is completely incensed by this devotion, resenting the constant reminders of her husband's infidelity, and the general insult of his existence. One day she snaps, and orders a Fury to drive him to madness and self-destruction, but in a horrifying twist he instead murders his children. Heracles is nearly broken by the grief and shame of this action, and follows a trail laid out for him to find which god was responsible and get his revenge.

This is an extremely fresh take on the very old story of the 12 labors of Hercules. After his actions leave him unable to stomach any violence, the many monster hunts become much more creative problems, which must more impactful emotional results. This book felt deeply in conversation with the original myth, while not being so married to it that it was afraid to go it's own way. I also found the dual perspectives very effective, and liked them both when used for humorous or dramatic effect. This book is very well-crafted with a great emotional core, and I would definitely recommend it. I know I certainly plan to read more from this author. 

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man)

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutano (2025) 324 pages

Vera Wong was too good to have just one story, so she's back again. In the first Vera story, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, the lonely 60 year old Chinese woman investigates the death of a man she finds in her tea shop, and also brings together a group of people into a "found family." In this continuation of her story, while she is still so happy with her new family members, she misses the thrill she had while investigating the murder. When Vera finds a nervous young woman with a story about a guy who has disappeared, Vera hops right to it, trying to figure out what happened to him. Part of the difficulty is that he went by a number of different names.

Vera is an excellent cook who makes the best Chinese foods, often transporting them to people who have no idea what a delicious feast is in store for them. (Hmmm, is she buttering up possible witnesses in order to get more information? Quite possible!) She also has the ability to brew up just the right tea for any given situation. And did I forget to mention that she is rather strong-willed and pushy? Yes, she's all of that. And once she learns how to use social media to send out videos, she goes viral, gaining information, but putting herself and her family at risk. The charm of Vera and her ever-growing family makes this story a quick and surprising read as we learn what secrets the witnesses have been hiding.

Another selection of graphic novels read in May

My Time Machine by Carol Lay (2024) 168 pages

IN A WORLD, where H.G. Wells' book is nonfiction and the 1960 movie is a documentary, "Carol Lay's My Time Machine is serious and funny, a sly cautionary political satire." It was a fairly quick read that I read in one day. I loved the pop culture sci-fi references as the author's stand-in and her engineer ex discuss theories about time travel and build a working time machine. Survival and exploration and a concern for our future are all reasonably realistic. It is a fun adventure with solid art.

Laika by Nick Abadzis (2007) 205 pages

This is only around 200 pages, but it is jam packed with story panels. Unless you are cold-hearted, you will cry. It is such a sad story. There are moments when Kudryavka "Little Curly" later renamed Laika "Barker" is treated with kindness, but also neglect as if expendable. We follow Chief Designer Korolev of the space program and Yelena the dog handler hired by the medical department as well. Yelena truly cares, Korolev is ambitious to prove Soviet technological supremacy. Kudryavka's voice and inner imagination is also brought forward. She just wants to be free and in a loving home. I finished it while cuddling with one of my cats with kleenex close by.

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (2018) 537 pages

This combines coming of age, a found queer family, and two timelines. It is difficult to describe, but I do love sci-fi and fantasy being mixed. Sunbeam is the name of the fish space ship that Mia's found family flies to restoration jobs. We meet Mia post-high school starting a new job with this crew that does building restorations through outer space. Five years earlier, we see Mia's experiences in a girl's boarding school where she befriends Grace. Through games, work and learning, and through mischief, pain and challenging relationships, Mia discovers herself. Finding out how past and present converge feels so satisfying. I love the art! The limited color scheme works and even delivers some beautiful nature shots and awe inspiring galaxies and nebulas. Floating buildings and creatures that take on gaseous forms are magical too. As the primary color of different sections change it does sometimes take a moment to recognize who is who, since some of the main characters have similar haircuts. But it is not a problem often. The mystery of where Grace comes from and the serious trouble Mia goes to to reunite with her makes for a heartwarming conclusion.

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson, 400 pages

When Peter Shaughnessy was a teen, he was cursed by one of "them folk" to wander the world forever, unable to come home. Well, that was 200 years ago, and Peter is now an eternally 70-year-old itinerant man, wandering from town to town around the world, helping spirits (particularly the angry or fearful ones) move on and stop causing a ruckus to the living. He makes no connections and doesn't stay long, and that's been the case for more than a century. But now he's in a small town in Ohio, trying in vain to find a malevolent spirit that's infecting the whole town, and dangit, he's starting to get to know people and care about them. Can he succeed in his attempt to put the spirit to rest and then skip town before getting too attached? Hmm...

I love love loved this book. It has very strong T.J. Klune energy, managing to balance big feelings, coziness, and solid sense of what's at stake. The people who come into Peter's life are all fantastic, and I've gotta say that I am 100% behind having a 70-year-old man be the center of a slow-burning romance in a cozy fantasy. I'll be recommending this book far and wide.

Space Brooms!

Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez, 352 pages

Johnny Gomez left his home on Luna (AKA the moon) a decade ago to seek his fortune on the far-flung space station Kilgore. But instead of fame and fortune, he's doing drudge work as a space station janitor, AKA "space broom." While cleaning out a particularly gross public toilet, he finds a data chit wedged in the wall and, not knowing any better, grabs it to examine later. Bad idea. Now several of the most notorious gangs are after Johnny, putting up insane bounties on him, just so they can get ahold of that chit. It's during a run-in with hired goons of one of those crime syndicates that Johnny is saved by a couple of smugglers, who offer to set him up with a ride off-station, as well as a buyer for the in-demand chit. If only they can shake their pursuers as they speed across the galaxy.

This is a decent found-family science fiction tale, with fun characters and a pleasantly ludicrous plot. That said, there are several questions that don't get answered (like why the smugglers are so invested in Johnny and who owned the chit to begin with) and a few elements that just felt kinda random. It was OK, but it's not going to be the top of my "best of 2025" list by any means. Still, you can't deny that the name and cover are fantastic.

In the Lives of Puppets

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune, 420 pages

Rather than summarize again, I'm going to make you click this link to my previous post about In the Lives of Puppets. Generally speaking, I agree with what I said back in 2023 when I first read it, though I'll admit that chatting about this with the Orcs & Aliens last night made me consider it more critically. That's why I love discussing stuff with this group! If you read and like this one, I highly recommend Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which I'll be posting about one of these days.

The House in the Cerulean Sea

 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, 394 pages.

Linus Baker works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY for short) and spends his rainy, grey life in a rainy, grey city evaluating government orphanages that house magical youth and filling out paperwork. His long and steady record leads Extremely Upper Management to send him to evaluate an extremely secret orphanage that houses children that are considered especially dangerous or unusual. The monthlong visit with the weird and wonderful children of Marsyas Island Orphanage floods him with all of the color his life was missing, and soon he's wondering how he will ever live without the children and their caring and enigmatic caretaker. 

This was a reread for me, and it was just as wonderful the second time (although perhaps not as desperately needed as December of 2020 when I read it the first time). I love all of the characters, Linus included, and the whole novel reads like a warm hug. At a recent author event I attended Klune mentioned that this was the first book of what he informally thought of as the "Kindness trilogy" (along with Beneath the Whispering Door  and In the Lives of Puppets) and I can't get over how completely apt that is. This is a book about compassion, finding love and community, and confronting biases (both internalized and towards others). A truly lovely book, highly recommended to anyone who hasn't already read and also people who have. 

Our Dining Table

 Our Dining Table by Mita Ori, 236 pages.

Yutaka is a great cook, but his own poor childhood has left him too nervous to eat around other people, so he mostly ends up eating convenience food. A chance encounter with brothers Minoru and Tane leaves him somehow promising to come to their house and teach them how he makes Onigiri. The brothers recently lost their mother, and despite his best efforts older brother Minoru is a terrible cook, and taking care of his much younger brother has been proving a real challenge. Soon Yutaka is coming over to cook often, and that is exactly how a better family is built (especially once he and Minoru start falling in love). 

This was an extremely wholesome comic. The characters were all very sweet, and the story felt the same kind of wholesome as a good meal. My only real complaint is that the fact that the whole story is in a single volume means there are a lot of things that are mentioned but are never really explored. I feel like if this was a four volume series it might have more depth, but as is it's a warm, single setting story. I would recommend it as a light read and a good option for trying manga. 

Dance with the Devil

Dance with the Devil (Mercenary Librarians #3) by Kit Rocha (2022) 352 pages

I continued to enjoy this series. It picks up immediately after the events of the second book, and a relatively short span of time has past in total in all three books. The TechCorps security memos and such, which are inserted between chapters, are contemporary, so we are past the flashback scientific observation entries from the training days of various members of the team. Dani and Rafe now get to be the center of attention. Their relationship is developed. Their skills are needed especially for the key mission. Dani's superspeed and inability to feel pain as a security expert and Rafe's supersoldier intelligence officer experience make for an entertaining and tense grifter scenario amongst the rich on The Hill. It was teased at the end of the previous book that we would meet Rafe's family and we do. The team of reliable people building a community in the oppressed Five-Points neighborhood of Atlanta continues to grow. The found family continues to care for each other. Despite the gap between the rich and poor as well as the tech and medical dystopia setting, the main characters always find hope in each other. This third part perhaps has more sexiness and more pulse pounding action. There are still chapters from the point of view of each of the main team members, but they are short. This one wrapped up a lot of the story threads from the previous two books. However, there are still characters from the widening circle of Five-Points residents that have not had their chance at the center of a story, and we get hints of a future threat from the Franklin Center for Genetic Research that will lead to further adventures.
 

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto  338 pp. 

Kara already blogged about this book and pretty much says it all. I don't have much to add other than I enjoyed the busybody Vera Wong and the way she copes with her failing teahouse, the dead body in the teahouse, the police, and the other characters/suspects, although I don't know why she wasn't arrested. The descriptions of the meals Vera makes had me drooling. Can you bribe police officers with food (aside from donuts)? I agree that there should be at least one sequel starring Vera. This is a fun book.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, 338 pages

Vera Wong is a lonely widow who runs a dying teahouse in San Francisco's Chinatown. She has one or two regular customers, a son who can't be bothered to text her back, and a rigid early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule. When she comes downstairs one morning to find a dead body in her teahouse, Vera's quiet world is thrown into chaos, with lazy police (her words) and a slew of murder suspects, who swing by the teahouse in the days following the death. As she gets to know her suspects, however, Vera creates a new family for herself, one with adult "children" who respect their elders (read: they let Vera push them around), and a precocious stand-in granddaughter. One of them must be the murderer, and whichever one it is will break Vera's heart.

As much as this is a murder mystery, this is also cozy book about found family, which is a favorite of mine. Sutanto nailed the goofy overbearing aunties in Dial A for Auntie, and while Vera isn't nearly as wacky as those aunts, Sutanto has created another memorable set of characters here. I loved the relationships between the characters, and even if the ending stretched credibility a bit, I still enjoyed it immensely, and I'd love to read more about Vera and her cobbled-together crew.

Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 3: In Other Worlds

Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 3: In Other Worlds by G. Willow Wilson with art by Christian Ward (2021) 128 pages

Several years ago I read G. Willow Wilson's complete run of Ms. Marvel graphic novels. This series looked really intriguing when it started in 2019, and it won a couple Eisner Awards. I love the marbled vibrant colors and the themes that Wilson explores in this sci-fi adventure. All three volumes are available on Hoopla. The back cover tagline and summary for Volume 3 bears repeating. 

"The Path of Most Resistance  

On the run through the darkest depths of the galaxy, Grix, Vess and the crew of the Sundog are captured by a faction of mysterious new Nones, and now, they'll have to face The Point of No Return."

From the beginning, the crew reminded me of a combination of the characters from the TV show Firefly and several characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The characters here are unique enough that the story is not a rehash of those other adventures. We are in a universe with a mono-religion that is mainstream, but also corrupted by its ties to a monopolistic corporation (like Amazon). This third volume especially incorporates elements that we all would recognize from the past few years of dealing with the pandemic, such as the reaction to interrupted supply chains despite record profits for the biggest corporations. All of our main characters discover that it is more important to do the right thing even when powerful religious or corporate entities encourage something else. The conclusion felt satisfying with Grix and Vess, our queer protagonists, saving the day and finding each other again.

 

Chilling Effect

 Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdez, 448 pages.

Captain Eva Innocente is working very hard to keep her crew afloat doing strictly legal jobs (which pay much worse than the illegal kind). This resolve is severely tested when her sister is kidnapped by a sprawling criminal organization called "The Fridge," who have a habit of putting their victims in cryostasis. Now Eva has to do a series of dangerous jobs to pay her sister's ransom with the complications multiplying by the day, so it's only a matter of time until something gives.

This book is pretty much unbridled fun. It reminds me of an old serialized adventure story. It's not a book that takes itself to seriously, and asks the reader not to take it too seriously either (this is really hammered home by the time you hit a live T-Rex soap opera). If you're willing to suspend pretty much all disbelief and go along for the ride it's a lot of fun, and I'm really looking forward to talking about it at Orcs & Aliens next week. (Although the psychic cats feature less than I had hoped)

A Pale Light in the Black

 A Pale Light in the Black by K.B. Wagers, 421 pages.

Kara beat me to the punch this month! So check out her original review of this book last year. 

I had a bit of a harder time getting into this book. The first fourth or so was a bit of a struggle for me, and I didn't really get into it until about half way through. However, from that point I was completely invested. I really appreciated the detailed explorations of how in the distant future people continue to be essentially the same, and the interesting ways that is expressed in a changing world (the examination of evangelical reactions to space was especially interesting for me). 

I really enjoyed all of the characters on Zuma's Ghost, and most of the characters in general (D'Arcey in particular is a favorite). This book was extremely sweet, and once I got into it it felt extremely comfortable to read. I'm looking forward to discussing it more at Orcs and Aliens tonight!