Review: Maids of Misfortune

Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rating: Ok, but I thought the ending pretty messed up and the least believable part.

Pretty well depicted the plight of women and non-whites, which was a good part of the plot. The writing was quite good and the story kept my interest. I did find the ending to be a bit of a mishmash and not really up to the standards of the rest of the book.

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Review: The Christie Curse

The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating: Cute cozy mystery with quite a few plot twists.

I enjoyed the story and liked the narrator (I listened to the Audio book). Funny, and light-hearted, it was a fun read, with twists and quite a few surprises along the way.

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Review: Gardens of the Moon

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of my hopes for this year is to delve more deeply into this series. I read them all but over an extended period. I'm hoping this re-read will be a bit more, er, concentrated. And I'm listening to the audios.

The books are all dense, complex, with interweaving plots that often fight with each other, just as real plotters find, others working against them. And so it is here. We have quite a few sides in a war: The Malazans, the people trying to stop the Malazan empire from conquering Derujistan, the mysterious lord of Moonspawn who no one understands, a Derujistan cabal of wizards, and last but not least, several Gods who put their oars in.

I love the concept of religion here, where mortals can 'ascend' and eventually become gods, but who also can be used by gods to further their own goals. The problem is trying to figure out who is being used, and by whom, and who is acting on their own.

At any rate, if you want to delve deep into SFF, especially military SFF, this is the series for you. But it's a difficult path you will tred.

Oh, and I like the audio versions. Ralph Lister does a yeoman's job at giving voice to various and sundry beings.

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Review: Command Decision

Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Rating: Exciting and fun military sci fi continues

I am really enjoying this series. Moon was in the Marines and you can really tell. She thinks, and has her main character, think like a military person. And while Ky Vatta is young and not as experienced as others, she thinks logically and thoroughly and seldom lets her emotions make mistakes for her.

The action is complex and the world well drawn and changeable in a believable fashion. And the characters are interesting and you want to cheer for them. I especially love the new guys on the block, Ransome's Rangers. :)

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Review: The Hanging Girl

The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating: Had me guessing all the way through.

Department Q gets roped into an old case when the investigating officer shoots himself the day he retires. Carl is not happy about it, thinks it's a waste of time, because it appears to be a hit-and-run death but probably an accident. Until he, Rose and Assad begin digging into things. Then it turns out to be a whole lot more complicated .

I do love this team of mismatched, cranky and hard to get along with folks, who somehow manage to find a way to work together.

And the suspects are well drawn, complex and interesting in their own right.

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Review: They Shall Have Stars

They Shall Have Stars by James Blish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating: Despite its age it holds up for me.

I've always remembered this series as one of my favorites from when I was young. I finally found an ebook edition, so wanted to re-visit it.

It held up. It is upbeat, despite portraying an Earth which is a mess, torn by upheaval and despair, politically a mess. Yet visionaries look for ways to change the paradigm, and reach for the stars.

I'm tired of depressing books, and want ones that uplift us, that give us hope and remind us that we can achieve fabulous things so long as we believe we can. We can't just give in to despair. We have to strive against it.

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Review: Black Dog

Black Dog by Stephen Booth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating: Nicely done, with plenty of twists and turns

Interesting noir-ish take on country-set English murders. Cozy setting, not so cozy mystery. The setting was very well drawn, easily pictured and imagined. Cooper and Fry, junior police officers, were definitely still learning, and both were hampered by their pasts and their views of families and how other folks might behave.

Definitely plan to read more of this series.

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