kgbooklog

Charles Stross, The Atrocity Archive
Golden Griffin (2001) ISBN: 1-930846-25-8
Score: 0

This novel begins the Laundry series, about a secret British agency that uses high tech to protect us from eldritch horrors. I just couldn't get interested in the setting or characters, and had WSOD issues with the narrator telling us at length about how top secret all this is, and yet he's clearly addressing his remarks to someone who isn't cleared for this information.

Next Book: Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Joel Shepherd, Crossover
Pyr (2001) ISBN: 159102443-9
Score: 3

First novel about Cassandra Kresnov, an artificial human designed to be a perfect soldier. This is set in a future where humanity has colonized many solar systems, divided between the traditionalists and innovation-at-all-costers, and they just fought a large (but inconclusive) war over whether artificial people should be created. At the end of the war, Cassandra deserts and tries to hide as a civilian on a traditional world, which works for almost a whole chapter (plus a year before the book starts). Then there's lots of politics and government agencies doing bad things and Stuff Blowing Up. The book ends after the fighting but before the major political mess (inquiries, trials, negotiations, debates, protests, rumblings of civil war, etc.), and it'll be interesting to see how much of that the second book shows before things get violent again.

Next Book: Liz Williams, The Demon and the City

Kelley Armstrong, Bitten
Viking (2001) ISBN: 0-670-89471-0
Score: 2

Start of the Otherworld urban fantasy series and introduces Elena, the world's only female werewolf. Unsurprisingly, her love life is having problems and it doesn't help when some rogue werewolves stir up trouble.

Next Book: Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Scion

Jane Lindskold, Through Wolf's Eyes
Tor (2001) ISBN: 0-312-87427-8
Score: 2

Start of a high fantasy series about a girl raised by wolves. While she clearly has a Destiny, this book is more about court politics than her. I would prefer fewer internal monologues, but otherwise I quite liked it.

Next Book: Charlaine Harris, Definitely Dead

5-27-06
Trudi Canavan, The Magicians' Guild
Eos (2001) ISBN: 0-06-057528-X
Score: 2

Start of the Black Magician trilogy, about a peasant girl who discovers she has magic powers. Entertaining and well executed, but not very original.

Next Book: Rene Goscinny, Nicholas

Kristine Smith, Law of Survival
Eos (2001) ISBN: 0-380-80785-8
Score: 2

Third of the Jani Kilian books; more politics, more paperwork, more attempts on Jani's life (but for once it's not her body trying to kill her). Lots of excitement, new characters, and we see old ones in new roles as the political situation gradually changes.

Next Book: Holly Lisle, Diplomacy of Wolves

4-3-05
F. Paul Wilson, Reborn
Dark Harvest (1990) ISBN: 0-913165-52-2
Score: 1.5

The second novel of his Adversary Cycle, this one is more solidly in the Horror genre and lacks the sappy ending of The Keep. It gains a point for having sympathetic characters on both sides of the conflict, but loses a point for killing most of the cast without resolving much of anything. I read this in the hopes of learning more about certain characters (the Lady and the Twins) mentioned in the Repairman Jack novel Conspiracies, but sadly, they aren't mentioned in this book.

4-10-05
F. Paul Wilson, All the Rage
Forge (2000) ISBN: 0-312-86796-4
Score: 2

Fourth Repairman Jack book, this one about drugs. Once again Jack (a professional vigilante in New York City) gets involved in weird stuff while trying to mete out poetic justice.

4-18-05
F. Paul Wilson, Hosts
Forge (2001) ISBN: 0-312-87866-4
Score: 2.5

Fifth Repairman Jack novel, this time he has to deal with his sister, a nosy reporter, and a virus that turns people into a hive mind.

4-27-05
F. Paul Wilson, The Haunted Air
Forge (2002) ISBN: 0-312-87868-0
Score: 2.5

Sixth Repairman Jack novel. Psychics, ghosts, and guys who abduct little kids.

Joel Rosenberg, Not Quite Scaramouche
Tor (2001) ISBN: 0-312-86897-9
Score: 1.5

Guardians of the Flame book 9, more like the previous than the earlier ones. More Walter Slovotsky (good), very little Jason (good), and more angst (bad). Still no progress on the sword/wizards/Matriarch plot thread (which hasn't even been mentioned since book 4).

Next Book: F. Paul Wilson, Crisscross

Lynn Flewelling, The Bone Doll's Twin
Bantam (2001) ISBN: 0-553-57723-9
Score: 2

Well written, but not spectacular. Epic fantasy about a kingdom near collapse due to invaders, plagues, and nobles behaving badly. It mainly focused on the childhood of the queen who is supposed to set things right, but for now must be hidden by a magic sex change. The magic systems were interesting, but I don't care much for prophecy-based plots. Ends abruptly on a cliffhanger. I'll probably like the sequels better since the main character is nearly an adult now (I've never been good at relating to children).

Next Book: Carole Nelson Douglas, Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit