I’ve been meaning to read Mohsin Hamid for years now so when I found it right after it was added to my library’s collection, I took it as a sign. Sidenote: Can we talk about how beautiful this cover is? I can’t stop staring at it. The cover designer for the US version should be given a raise. I knew Exit West had something to do with immigrants, but that was the extent of my knowledge going in. Turns out I was in for much, […]
I see now what everyone meant about latter Pratchett.
“It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone’s fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I’m one of Us. I must be. I’ve certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We’re always one of Us. It’s Them that do the bad things.” Jingo is an anti-war book in […]
Before the Killer Tomatoes Attacked
I’m a huge reader of well-written urban fantasy series, the ones that have strong heroines whose magical powers help them navigate their worlds that are almost like ours except the supernatural is real. The Hollows series by Kim Harrison is a great example of that. The main character, Rachel, is a badass female witch who fights against elves, demons, and vampires, with her cool sidekick pixy and vampire bff Ivy. I was kind of sad when the Hollows series ended except it did seem like […]
A Warlock That Needs to go Straight (but isn’t)
This book is part of the Magpie Lord universe. It is the least connected of the series and really could be read on its own. It features two fun cameos and the justiciary including Stephen Day, but sadly no Lord Crane. Crispin is a warlock by accident, having been trained in blood magic by a man that wanted to wear his skin. He is struggling with using magic in the approved ways and feels like a failure. The only joy in his life comes from […]
Final Countdown
Final set of Novellas from the Collection, and a final word: On the High Marsh 3/5 Stars So this story is another Earthsea story. Purportedly taking place on a relatively untouched island from the Earthsea archipelago, this is a variation on a common trope: the mysterious stranger come to town. I guess if I read more Earthsea novels and stories, I might be better equipped to place this one within the continuum of stories, but I can’t, so I can’t really weigh in on […]
Double-crossing demons is dangerous
4.5 stars This is book three in a series. This review will contain spoilers for previous books in the series, so if you mind that sort of thing, skip this, and start at the beginning, with Dead Witch Walking. Never one to live a quiet life, Rachel Morgan, independent witch for hire is in trouble. She successfully took down the master vampire who was summoning demons to murder leyline witches and lived to tell the tale. She had to bargain with a demon in order […]