kgbooklog

Kara Dalkey, Goa
Tor (1996) ISBN: 0-312-86000-5
Score: 1.5

First part of the Blood of the Goddess trilogy, set in the Portuguese colony of Goa in India. I'm not fond of religion in general, so having two of the POV characters part of the Inquisition didn't appeal, even if it seems likely they'll come face-to-face with a provably real goddess. Not a bad book, but not remarkable either.

3-27-05
Charlaine Harris, Shakespeare's Landlord
St.Martin's (1996) ISBN: 0-312-14415-6
Score: 1.5

This is the beginning of an amateur detective series set in the small town of Shakespeare, Arkansas. A fun, quick, read though not much of a mystery. It does not leave any loose ends, so there's no particular reason to keep reading.

Rosemary Edghill, The Bowl of Night
Forge (1996) ISBN: 0-312-86768-9
Score: 2.5

Third (and probably last) Bast book. A rabid anti-pagan is ritualistically murdered at a pagan festival. The mystery part was a bit weak (the only person with a motive didn't have the means) and Bast spends most of the book deliberately not thinking about crucial things. I still really like her though, despite (or maybe because of) how distant and emotionless she appears. This book really drives home how alone she is, even when surrounded by her closest friends.


Hrm... in the last two books I read, the heroine was actively against having a romantic subplot (with good reasons), and the book I'm most likely to read next (Undead and Unappreciated) will probably continue the trend. Any suggestions to provide contrast? Thud! or Gate of Gods would be perfect except for having to wait 3/4 months for them to be published. What's the romance like in Stross's Family Trade?