Aug 3, 2011
Posted by Lisa on Aug 3, 2011 in Authors, Reviews | 0 comments
Blurb
Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard PI. Turns out the ‘everyday’ world is full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. But he’s forgotten his own golden rule: magic – it can get a guy killed. Which didn’t help when he clashed with unknown assailants with his murder in mind. And though Harry’s continued existence is now in some doubt, this doesn’t mean he can rest in peace. Trapped in a realm that’s not quite here, yet not quite anywhere else, Harry learns that three of his loved ones are in danger. Only by discovering his assailant’s identity can he save his friends, bring criminal elements to justice, and move on himself. It would just be easier if he knew who was at risk. And had a (working) crystal ball. And access to magic. Instead, he is unable to interact with the physical world – invisible to all but a select magical few. He’s also not the only silent presence roaming Chicago’s alleys. Hell, he put some there himself. Now, they’re looking for payback.
If you haven’t read Changes, then be aware that this review may contain spoilers as it’s a bit hard to review this book without acknowledging what happened in the last one!
Jim Butcher claims that the end of Changes is not a cliffhanger – he killed off Harry, didn’t explain who killed him and left us hanging until now to find out what’s going on.. if that’s not a cliffhanger, then nothing is! Either way, when I finished reading Changes, I howled out loud at the typical way Jim left us wanting more and so have been waiting impatiently for this latest installment. . . and boy, I wasn’t disappointed!
From the first page, it’s like meeting up with an old friend – one where it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you last spoke, you simply pick up where you left off and carry on. That’s how it is with Harry Dresden. From the opening lines, you’re back in Chicago and - for a few minutes – you forget Harry’s dead… that is until he reminds you . . which he does, loudly and often.
Jim’s writing style is as superb as always, in fact I’d say even more so on this book. The story – which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t read it – is sharp, with the sarky quick-witted comments Dresden fans know and love and the other characters from previous books make an appearance too, as well as some new ones.
I read Ghost Story over a weekend, breaking only to feed the kids and sleep, and found it hard to drag myself away from it even then. The story keeps you guessing and, I don’t know about anyone else who has read it, I wasn’t expecting some of the final results at all. There are some very real laugh out loud moments as well as some where you’re more vocal with “Holy Crap!” I suggest you don’t read this in public unless you don’t care about the odd looks you may become the recipient of!
Overall, a fantastic addition to the Dresden series and, as per usual, it has left me waiting in impatient anticipation for the next one in the series. If you haven’t given the Dresden Files a try yet, do so you won’t be disappointed.
Book Details:-
- Hardcover: 496 pages
- Publisher: Orbit (28 July 2011)
- ISBN-10: 1841497614
- ISBN-13: 978-1841497617
- Product Dimensions: 22 x 14.6 x 4.4 cm
Jun 15, 2010
Posted by Lisa on Jun 15, 2010 in Authors | 0 comments
Urban Fantasy is a subgenre of Fantasy, where the stories are based in contemporary real-world urban settings instead of traditional fantasy settings of mythical cities/worlds/lands. Below is a list of authors who are popular in this genre.
Cat Adams
C.T. Adams
Ilona Andrews
Jennifer Armintrout
Kelley Armstrong
Keri Arthur
Jenna Black
Francesca Lia Block
Patricia Briggs
Emma Bull
Jim Butcher
Rachel Caine
Jonathan Carroll
Mike Carey
Karen Chance
Cathy Clamp
Cassandra Clare
Shirley Damsgaard
Sylvia J. Day
Carole Nelson Douglas
Jeaniene Frost
Neil Gaiman
Laura Anne Gilman
Simon R. Green
Justin Gustainis
Laurell K. Hamilton
Charlaine Harris
Kim Harrison
J.C. Hutchins
Chris Lester
Charles de Lint
Sergey Lukyanenko
China Mieville
C.E. Murphy
Tim Powers
Tim Pratt
Kat Richardson
Rick Riordan
Matt Ruff
Jeanne C. Stein
Rachel Vincent
Terri Windling
This list is by no means complete so if I have missed off any you feel should be included, please let me know.
May 30, 2010
Posted by Lisa on May 30, 2010 in Authors, Reviews | 0 comments
Blurb
What wouldn’t you wish on your worst enemy? It seems that Harry Dresden is about to find out. . .
Harry Dresden, PI and practitioner of magic, has done his best to keep his nose clean where the White Council of Wizards is concerned. Even so, his past misdeeds haven’t looked good to the Council’s Wardens – and they take their responsibility to enforce the Laws of Magic very seriously. but this has placed him in a bit of a predicament. Morgan, formerly his chief persecutor among the Wardens has been wrongly accused of treason. There”s only one punishment for that crime so he’s on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden.
Dresden faces a daunting task. He must clear the less-than-agreeable Morgan’s name while simultaneously hiding him from the Wardens and the supernatural bounty hunters sent to find him, discover the identity of the true turncoat and, of course, avoid accusations of treachery of his own. A single mistake may mean that heads – quite literally – could roll.
And one of them might be his.
Turn Coat is book 11 in the Dresden Files series and usually, by this point, a series this long has a tendency to lose its steam somewhat and sometimes begin to flounder. Thankfully, this series isn’t one of them! While it’s possible to pick up this book without having read any of the previous ones, to really appreciate the richness of the plot you have to understand what has gone on before, to understand the dynamics of the various relationships between Harry and the other characters.
As always, Jim Butcher writes with a black humour that is absolutely wonderful. Had he been born in the right era, he’d have been applauded as a masterbard (one has to wonder if Jim can sing and play the instruments for that, but no matter, his storytelling is good enough to overlook it if he can’t!).
From the first page, you are pulled in by Harry”
s dry wit as he recounts his latest escapade and you”re right there with him, feeling every emotion and physical attack as he goes up against the skinwalker, while trying to discover who’s really behind the murder that Morgan has been set up for. Without giving too much away, Harry gets emotionally battered in this book, losing people to the vengeful nasties in this book and the ensuing battle near the end is fantastically written.
I’m yet to be disappointed by a Harry Dresden novel, and I hope that continues as I wait for the next installment with bated breath. Turn Coat is a superb addition to the series and has left me wanting more (as they always do) as well as leaving me with questions that need answering.
Ten out of ten for a wonderful tale, Jim!
Book Details
- Paperback: 544 pages
- Publisher: Orbit (4 Mar 2010)
- ISBN-10: 1841496898
- ISBN-13: 978-1841496894
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 10.8 x 3.8 cm
May 30, 2010
Posted by Lisa on May 30, 2010 in Authors, Reviews | 0 comments
Blurb
They walk the streets no one else can walk, take the jobs no one else will take, and if you’ve got a problem – and the cash – they can solve it.
Of course, if your case involves rabid werewolves, cursed objects, the living dead, malevolent beings from another dimension, or other “unusual” circumstances, it may cost you a bit extra!
Mean Streets is a compilation of four all-new novellas by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson and Thomas E. Sniegoski. While I”ve read Jim Butcher and two of Kat”s books I hadn”t read anything by Simon and Thomas, so their stories were a foray into new territory for me.
Jim Butcher’s novella is called The Warrior and brings us back into the world of Harry Dresden – an excellent choice to kick off this book. The main plot is Harry trying to protect his friend Michael and his family from danger and ends up becoming a target himself. What I liked most about this novella is the ending.
Without giving too much away, the ending is not what you’re expecting throughout the whole tale and, as usual, Jim Butcher shows just why he’s such a fabulous author, weaving the story with skill and humour.
Next up is Simon R. Green’s offering – The Difference A Day Makes – taking us into his Nightside series with John Taylor, where John is hired to find the lost memories of a desperate woman. I’m in two minds on this one. While it’s written extremely well, I didn’t particularly enjoy the story. The whole tale just didn’t gel for me and I couldn’t enjoy the characters. I think it may be necessary to have “met” the characters before to really get a grip on the dynamics of both the characters and the Nightside. I was left with the feeling that the story was rushed and wasn’t very well thought out.
The third novella is by Kat Richardson and brings her Greywalker, Harper Blaine, to Mexico during the Day of the Dead, where she becomes enmeshed in a tangle of dark family secrets and revenge from beyond the grave. I’ve yet to read the two Greywalker novels (although I do own them) but I found the story easy to follow without having any prior knowledge of the main character. Overall the story was interesting, drawing on some of the beliefs of Mexico to give a very real feel to the whole situation. This story, for me, ranked as one of the two strongest stories in the compilation – the other being Jim Butcher’s.
The fourth and final offering is from Thomas E. Sniegoski – another author I”ve never read. In this tale, Remy Chandler - a fall-angel-turned-detective – investigates the death of Noah (yes, THE Noah). At first I wasn’t too sure I was enjoying this one, but I think it grew on me. Remy is an interesting character and I do believe I will be picking up some of the novels in this series. The tale Thomas shares with us relates to the flood and what happened to the animals that didn”t make it on the ark – I found this interesting on many levels and the story was woven well.
Overall, the book isn”t bad, and for any fans of the authors contained well worth picking up for the additional stories to the respective series.
Book Details
- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: ROC (5 Mar 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0451462491
- ISBN-13: 978-0451462497
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.3 x 2 cm
May 30, 2010
Posted by Lisa on May 30, 2010 in Authors, Reviews | 0 comments
Blurb
Tavi of Calderon, now captain of his own Legion, has been fighting a bitter war for two years. Then he discovers the invading Canim warriors are harbingers of a far greater threat. The Canim are being hunted in their turn by a savage race that forced them from their homeland – and which has pursued them to the Aleran borders. With options fast running out, Tavi proposes an alliance with the Canim. But the Senate”s new military commander wishes only to wipe out the Canim ”scourge”, and would also kill Aleran slaves that have sought freedom with these aggressors. Tavi must reconcile Aleran and Canim, slavemaster and slave, Citizen and Proletarian, if an alliance is to be forced. And he must lead his Legion in defiance of the law, against both friend and enemy – before the greatest army of all launches its assault.
I’d been looking forward to reading Captain”s Fury since finishing Cursor”s Fury and swearing profusely at the cliffhanger ending Jim Butcher left us with! So in anticipation I reread the first three so I could launch straight into Captain”s Fury once I was allowed to get my mitts on it come Christmas Day. As it happened, I didn”t get to start it until a couple of days after Christmas and from start to end I could not put it down. Jim has done an outstanding job of tying up all the loose ends in a manner that didn’t feel rushed or haphazard and I found myself torn between desperation to see what happened to Tavi and his friends and not wanting to end the book and say goodbye to the characters. But all books come to an end, and I finished Captain’s Fury with a smile.
If you haven”t tried Jim Butcher yet, don”t just aim for his Dresden series – which are absolutely brilliant – give his overlooked fantasy series a try. You won”t be disappointed!!
Book Details
- Paperback: 608 pages
- Publisher: Orbit; paperback / softback edition (6 Aug 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841497479
- ISBN-13: 978-1841497471
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 10.8 x 4 cm
