This is a delightful little Southern fantasy about a developer's attempt to buy up and raze over the small town of Auraria, an old gold-mining town deThis is a delightful little Southern fantasy about a developer's attempt to buy up and raze over the small town of Auraria, an old gold-mining town deep in the hills of the Southern US where moon-spirits bathe in the rivers, a singing tree can be cajoled to perform for special events, a broken springhouse door can cover a hillside in ice in the middle of summer, and ghosts walk and sometimes even talk with the town residents. Auraria reminded me a bit of Hope Mirrlee's Lud-in-the-Mist or even Scott Thomas's Westermead, although it's a full and coherent narrative rather than bits and pieces of fictional-world folklore. I enjoyed this novel's quiet sense of wonder and constant unfolding of secrets, as well as the way it followed the story through the development process, far beyond where most authors would have simply decided to give the town an easy out or end on a hopeless note. The setting is quietly mystical, the characters quirky, the protagonist a little hopeless (I kept wanting to kick him in the butt, but I'm pretty certain I was supposed to feel that way!) and the story memorable. ...more
Despite his very best attempts at retiring from his former job as the go-to guy for all conspirators occult, paranormal, and extradimensional, Blank fDespite his very best attempts at retiring from his former job as the go-to guy for all conspirators occult, paranormal, and extradimensional, Blank finds himself drawn back into the biz when he has to get Mina off of a trumped-up murder charge in LA. Luckily for us readers, the Satanists (both types), the Little Green Men, the Masons, the Russian Mafia, the Illuminati, and all the rest of SoCal's cryptids and conspirators just aren't finished with Blank yet -- and we can only hope they never are....more
Harry Dresden knows a few people. Repairman Jack's involved with a supernatural group or two. Eddie Drood and John Taylor have connections. But none oHarry Dresden knows a few people. Repairman Jack's involved with a supernatural group or two. Eddie Drood and John Taylor have connections. But none of those guys are as deeply enmeshed in the secret underground world of occult organizations and worldwide conspiracies as Blank.
Blank is every conspiracy's go-to guy. He's the anonymous fellow who drives the car, delivers the package, answers the door, hides the gun, and cleans up the mess. He maintains a few dozen secret identities, keeps his head down, doesn't ask questions, and pockets the paycheck. Everything’s going smoothly for him until somebody tries to kill him. When you’re working your way up to centuple agent, figuring out which incredibly dangerous secret group wants you dead can be quite the challenge!
Mr. Blank is an incredible amount of fun, especially if you grew up — as I did — immersed in Shea & Wilson’s Illuminatus! Trilogy and the Cthulhu Mythos, and enjoying RPGs like Illuminati, Paranoia, and Unknown Armies. Kick back, brush the dust off your occult knowledge and pop-culture library, and enjoy the action as Our Hero does his best to stay alive as he wisecracks his way through Satanists (both types), Assassins, the Russian Mafia, V.E.N.U.S., the Anas, the Masons, the Clone Wolves, chupacabras, Men in Black, and a whole lot more. If this book doesn’t make you a Justin Robinson fan, you must be an alien … in which case, Blank’s probably run a few errands for you, too....more
I'm afraid that after enjoying the first book in this series, I found the second disappointing. Part of what I enjoyed about the first book was the loI'm afraid that after enjoying the first book in this series, I found the second disappointing. Part of what I enjoyed about the first book was the localized setting and immediate problem; the depiction of Meralda as a working mage, struggling to satisfy a king's whims in the midst of a chaotic political summit. This second book suddenly threw in world-shaking threats, godlike magicks, and mysterious alien-like artifacts, which changes the flavor of the series a great deal. It was OK, but it didn't retain the interpersonal charm of the first novel. The book introduces one notable new character, a reporter, but fails to develop her as thoroughly as the other characters were developed in the first novel; it's as if she were only perfunctorily introduced in order to play a larger part in the next novel. All in all, this felt like a bridge story, not as well-developed as the first and primarily serving to set up some future plotline....more
I found this a very pleasant and enjoyable gaslight-fantasy novel. It's not complex or high-concept, but it offers entertaining, inoffensive, amusing I found this a very pleasant and enjoyable gaslight-fantasy novel. It's not complex or high-concept, but it offers entertaining, inoffensive, amusing escapism, which is really all I ask for most of the time. All The Paths of Shadow has a strong and sympathetic female protagonist, dodges some potential racial-stereotyping pitfalls while presenting a culturally diverse cast, presents an interesting set of human and inhuman support characters, and was suprisingly engaging given its simple initial premise, in which the royal mage is ordered to move a tower's shadow. Minutes after finishing the novel I was on Amazon, looking for -- and buying -- its sequel. ...more
I enjoyed this YA novel about a disease that leaves a generation of children with psychic abilities and leads to the political and economic collapse oI enjoyed this YA novel about a disease that leaves a generation of children with psychic abilities and leads to the political and economic collapse of the U.S.; the concept and setting were very interesting, and the characters likeable. I have to confess, however, that although I considered buying the sequel, the comparatively high Kindle price and lukewarm reader reviews on Amazon for the sequels led me to decide not to bother....more
This short book is a nice change from the simple/minimalist lifestyle books that concentrate on decluttering physical space. It begins with the most dThis short book is a nice change from the simple/minimalist lifestyle books that concentrate on decluttering physical space. It begins with the most difficult, but logical, place to start -- one's own mind -- and then moves toward more physical environments. An easy read but more conceptually solid than most of the quickie ebooks on the subject that are being cranked out right now....more
After watching the two Detective Dee movies, I wanted to find out where it all came from, and started here since the first novel isn't on Kindle. It'sAfter watching the two Detective Dee movies, I wanted to find out where it all came from, and started here since the first novel isn't on Kindle. It's definitely not the cinematic Dee, but as a historical Chinese mystery, the book stands up just fine. The biggest difference it might have from contemporary historical-Chinese mysteries is likely its treatment of women. This novel had a paucity of strong female roles, which I haven't found to be the case in similar historical mysteries written today, although there may be an author-gender bias at work, as well. At any rate, I found the book interesting enough, although don't expect any movie monsters and wuxia!...more
This is very much a wish-fulfillment novel for young-adult girls. It has flashes of wry humor that suggests the author also wants to appeal to a more This is very much a wish-fulfillment novel for young-adult girls. It has flashes of wry humor that suggests the author also wants to appeal to a more mature audience, but in the end the protagonist has just a little too much going for her (beauty, powers, wealth, love, etc.) to allow it to be taken seriously by adult readers. ...more
This book provides an overview of superheroes' roots in pulp fiction and early comic strips, with an attempt to draw links between various occult tradThis book provides an overview of superheroes' roots in pulp fiction and early comic strips, with an attempt to draw links between various occult traditions and certain superheroes (or at least their creators). The book also offers an archetypical analysis of superheroes -- e.g., the Messiah, the Golem, the Amazon -- and bios of notable writers and artists in the field. It's a good supplemental source for a comics scholar, offering food for thought about the history, development, and symbolic importance of mainstream comic superheroes. ...more
This story of an American family vacationing in the Irish countryside when bombs go off and the electrical grid collapses was more interesting than I'This story of an American family vacationing in the Irish countryside when bombs go off and the electrical grid collapses was more interesting than I'd expected. It explores something I've often thought about, which is that there are places in the world where the loss of electricity simply wouldn't be that great of a social disruption. True, Ireland wasn't one of the countries that usually leapt to mind when I imagined the scenario, but the author offers a convincing story of a very rural area where sustainability isn't too difficult despite technological collapse. This isn't a complex novel, but it's a change of pace from the usual postapocalyptic scenario and not quite as didactic as other Christian survivalist novels, although the "let go and let God" message is obvious and may turn off some readers while attracting others. Note that this is the first in a series, although it stands alone reasonably well....more
This book was interesting enough to make my digital library "keeper" list. It doesn't offer easy answers to detecting deception, but it offers enough This book was interesting enough to make my digital library "keeper" list. It doesn't offer easy answers to detecting deception, but it offers enough pointers to give you an idea of when you ought to be suspicious and press harder. I hope I won't need the book (except, perhaps, as writing reference), but it might come in handy the next time some student tells me about a grandparent's untimely demise right around midterms.......more
Husk isn't deep, but it offers a twist on the Weird West genre by moving the setting to another world, a long time after settlers first colonized it, Husk isn't deep, but it offers a twist on the Weird West genre by moving the setting to another world, a long time after settlers first colonized it, in which "Maresmen" battle the inhuman nightmares that cross over into settled lands from the wild — shapeshifters, demons, vampires, and the like. Nothing too odd there, but most Maresmen are themselves half-inhuman, their duty to hunt down and kill their kin the only way they can keep themselves alive — a Maresman who fails in his duty will be considered a sympathizer and find himself hunted down by his former colleagues. If you like Old West horror with a slight extraterrestrial flavor, this book's worth a look....more
Crash starts out well enough, revolving around a writer who is grappling with the loss of his daughter in a car crash by obsessively taking photographCrash starts out well enough, revolving around a writer who is grappling with the loss of his daughter in a car crash by obsessively taking photographs of vehicular accidents, but the deus-ex at the novel's end was disappointing, as though tacked on by writers who weren't quite certain how to finish what they'd started. Much of the novel is a blatant assault on the reader's emotions (does it get more traumatic than dead children and guilt?), but a defter hand would have simultaneously woven in foreshadowing and hints that would have also engaged the reader's mind and left the twist at the end feeling more logical and satisfying....more
![[Minimalism] Simple- Live Life Minimal: The Unconventional Path to Minimalist Living [Declutter Your Home and Work] (Slow Down to Grow Book 1)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1424801686l/23594704._SY75_.jpg)
Loading...
