kgbooklog

Jim Butcher, Turn Coat
Roc (2009) ISBN: 978-0-451-46256-5
Score: 3

Book 11 of the Dresden Files, dealing with wizard politics and finally making some progress on finding and dealing with the traitor[s]. It does clear up a few things that were bugging me in the previous books, but unfortunately the conflict involves using magic to mess with people's minds (have I mentioned lately how much I hate that?).

Next Book: Dave Sim, Cerebus

Taylor Anderson, Maelstrom
Roc (2009) ISBN: 978-0-451-46253-4
Score: 2

Third book of the Destroyermen series, now with precocious aristocrat girls. This works both as a conclusion to a trilogy and as a transition point in a longer series (the author is already working on another book with these characters).

Next Book: Jim Butcher, Turn Coat

Kat Richardson, "The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog"
Roc (2009) ISBN: 978-0-451-46249-7
Score: 1.5

Harper Blaine goes to Mexico during the holidays in response to some dead people seeking revenge.

Jim Butcher, "The Warrior"
Roc (2009) ISBN: 978-0-451-46249-7
Score: 1.5

A Harry Dresden novella dealing with the Carpenter family and set about a year after Small Favor. This is the lead story in the anthology Mean Streets, and I suspect the author heard that title and decided to write the sappiest, most moralistic story he could for it.

Next Book: John Meaney, Black Blood

Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Raises Hell
Grand Central (2009) ISBN: 0-446-19954-0
Score: 4

The sixth Kitty Norville novel, in which we're formally introduced to the main villain of the series. It's nice to see the mundane authorities trying to deal with the supernatural, but I wish Kitty would use them more (specifically, I wish she would've at least considered telling them that someone she has a restraining order against has come to Denver, called into her show, and practically bragged about being responsible for several recent deaths and arsons).

Next Book: Lawrence Watt-Evans, The Turtle Moves!

Jonathan Stroud, Heroes of the Valley
Hyperion (2009) ISBN: 978-142310966-2
Score: 0

A Scandinavian flavored fantasy novel about a boy who wishes he lived in the old days when men were heroes and spent all their time fighting monsters and each other. When he's not moaning about how boring modern life is, he plays dangerous practical jokes on everyone he doesn't like and generally acts like a spoiled brat (but without actually getting spoiled). The cover blurb says the story is about "the true meaning of heroism", so I assume he eventually Learns Better, but he's not at all likable in the beginning (and there are no other main characters to focus on) so when he decides to poison a bunch of strangers I gave him the Eight Deadly Words.

Next Book: Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Raises Hell

Lois McMaster Bujold, Horizon
Eos (2009) ISBN: 978-0-06-137536-1
Score: 3

Conclusion of the Sharing Knife quartet, in which the characters begin to resolve the main conflict. And yes, it really is the end of the series; the main problem here was that the two races weren't talking to each other, and that's not something that can be quickly solved by killing monsters (though like the previous books, the author threw in some monsters anyway to keep the characters and readers from getting bored).

Next Book: Jonathan Stroud, Heroes of the Valley

Patricia Briggs, Bone Crossed
Ace (2009) ISBN: 978-0-441-01676-1
Score: 5

Fourth Mercy Thompson book, dealing with vampires (again), love, loyalty, and heroism ("Hostage-holding is for the bad guys"). One of the things I love about this series is that even though each volume has a complete story arc, they also build on each other; specifically, this book is all about the consequences of things done in the previous books (and that means the sample chapter on the author's website contains huge spoilers for the previous two books).

Next Book: Taylor Anderson, Crusade

Carrie Vaughn, Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
Grand Central (2009) ISBN: 0-446-19953-2
Score: 4

The fifth Kitty Norville book, in which she goes to Las Vegas to elope. As usual, she does a show, runs into people who don't like what she is, and things get messy. A good volume of this series, though I thought the resolution was a bit too convenient (I would be surprised if the characters responsible are still alive when the next book starts). It didn't end with a cliffhanger as I was expecting; it seems that the publication delay of this book was so the events would still be fresh in your memory when reading the sequel (being published next month).