I grabbed this book as a Kindle deal because despite the fact it’s the second in a series, it said it was a stand-alone story. And to a degree, it is – it actually does a good job about giving you just enough detail when past events are mentioned that you know what you need […]
Fire Dance – Ilana C. Myer Read More »
Marina had her fifth child during a terrible winter, and did not survive after the birth. But she was clear to her husband that this daughter was her choice – a daughter to be like her grandmother, a mysterious woman who appeared from nowhere and married a prince. From the beginning, Vasya is a bit
The Bear and the Nightingale – Katherine Arden Read More »
Selene di Silva was once Artemis – like many members of her family, when belief waned, she found a new home far from Greece, and she now lives in New York City. The family is barely immortal now, though some gain smaller amounts of power from the pieces of themselves that mortals still worship. Selene
The Immortals – Jordanna Max Brodsky Read More »
It’s winter in Shrewsbury, and a particularly bad storm puts a hole in the roof of the Abbey. While the brothers are up fixing it, Brother Haluin falls from the roof. His injuries are grave, and they do not expect him to live. Because of this, he makes a confession that Brother Cadfael is there
The Confession of Brother Haluin – Ellis Peters Read More »
I think this book can best be described as Pride and Prejudice in the borderlands between two alternate realities, where one has magic, and the other does not. Rose lives in the Edge – those that do live a bit of a hardscrabble existence, being neither from the Broken (our world, because magic is broken)
On the Edge – Ilona Andrews Read More »
Irene is a Librarian, but for a very specialized Library – one that exists outside of a multitude of alternate worlds, and has tasked itself with collecting books important to all the alternates. It’s a varied job – you may be able to purchase said book, or it may involve some degree of sleight of
The Invisible Library – Genevieve Cogman Read More »
This is a book of essays written for the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Society (back in 2010 – there are some political leaning statements in certain areas that are depressingly dated). There is a real mix of topics – some are very science oriented, some more concerned with the history of
Seeing Further – ed. Bill Bryson Read More »
This is an interesting book, based on the author’s trials at Colonial Williamsburg of various plants that were thought to be available for Colonial era gardeners. He talks about where they were found in sources, reasons that they might have been brought over, and even why some of those plants are probably problematic if you’re
Flowers and Herbs in Early America – Lawrence D. Griffith Read More »
It’s several years after the first story in this series, where Penric accidentally gained a demon, and therefore became a sorcerer. He and Desdemona (the demon) have gotten to know each other better, and how to work together. He’s also been fully invested as a temple divine, serving in the Princess-Archdivine’s temple. This means that
Penric and the Shaman – Lois McMaster Bujold Read More »
This is the second books in the Queens of Renthia series. Delaina has come to the throne as the last survivor of all the heirs in Aratay. And while she is young and should have many years ahead of her to reign, she finds she has contracted the False Death. When she has spells, the
The Reluctant Queen – Sarah Beth Durst Read More »
