Catching Up on Book Comments
Let's see... some other reading comments to catch up on. I may have to go back and count, but it feels like I've gone through a lot more books this year than I have in... quite a while.
I have read several of the Kitty Norvile series since the last batch: Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, Kitty Raises Hell, Kitty's House of Horrors, Kitty Goes to War, Kitty's Big Trouble, Kitty Steals the Show and Kitty's Greatest Hits. Whew, that's a mouthful. I like the development of the story for the most part, as Kitty gets married, handles her pack, makes some friends, loses some friends, and aligns herself against a vampire-run consortium playing their "Long Game" that largely seems to be about controlling the world. Through it all, she keeps up her radio show, making her a very public voice for everything as the world deals with werewolves and vampires being known and acknowledged. Steals the Show ends on a particularly interesting note that shakes up her position a little bit.
Greatest Hits is a collection of short stories, most (if not all) of which have appeared elsewhere. For the most part, they serve as background. In a few cases, Kitty's the protagonist, but some of the most interesting ones star someone else. There's insight into Cormac's time in prison, Emma becoming a new vampire, and the origin story of Kitty's Denver vampire counterpart, Rick. All neat little glimpses that expand on the setting and characters.
Her Own Devices is the follow up to Lady of Devices, and fulfills the promise a bit more at least. There's a bit more interplay between high society and the underworld, though I use that term somewhat loosely as Claire is really doing little more than holding together a group of street kids and financing her projects through teaching them to be card sharks. While that might be frowned upon, she doesn't actually do much that's illegal. In one scene, she dresses up in the "street work" rig for a costume ball, claiming to be there as an "airship pirate."
But it still feels like it's falling a little short of the real adventure it could be. And her relationships show a frustrating lack of direction on her part, but I guess that can be forgiven by chalking it up to being young enough she doesn't know what she wants or something. Still a decent read and more entertaining than the first (which I feel should not have been separate volumes to begin with).
My most recent finished read was Cast in Peril (previous entries commented on here). This deep into a series, most things are pretty familiar. Kaylin is once again subjected to a number of things, putting her in the spotlight as "Chosen." I still enjoy the flavor and feel of the books. Very little Tiamaris (and dragons in general after the very beginning), which is a little sad, but you can't have that all the time. The focus is more on the Barrani this time again, with some skirting around Nightshade's past and some focus on Teela's. Once again, I'm afraid Severn is mostly just there to be stoic and supportive. He's got his own mission, but it really doesn't get him doing anything unusual.
Amusingly, as I'm noticing the gratuitous non-sex in the Dresden Files, I'm noticing a gratuitous "everyone around Kaylin is pissed off" in this series. It's often understandable, but still getting to be a bit tired.
The disappointing point, however, is that the book doesn't really feel finished. One big event of the story is the journey off to witness the Barrani regalia (sacred/magical stories). Nightshade and Kaylin are selected as having roles in this, but the book wraps up before the group actually gets there for it (having been distracted with a fight against not-Shadows). It's pointed out several times that Kaylin's new familiar needs a name (or Name), but that isn't resolved. There's also talk about the journey as if it will mend/resolve something for Teela, and other than talking about her past to Kaylin that never really happens. The case Kaylin was on is theoretically resolved, but none of the fallout (or how it ties into the other big ongoing background case) is really addressed. Basically: a lot of the payoff I was led to expect didn't come.
But... it was still an entertaining read to me, at least.
I have read several of the Kitty Norvile series since the last batch: Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, Kitty Raises Hell, Kitty's House of Horrors, Kitty Goes to War, Kitty's Big Trouble, Kitty Steals the Show and Kitty's Greatest Hits. Whew, that's a mouthful. I like the development of the story for the most part, as Kitty gets married, handles her pack, makes some friends, loses some friends, and aligns herself against a vampire-run consortium playing their "Long Game" that largely seems to be about controlling the world. Through it all, she keeps up her radio show, making her a very public voice for everything as the world deals with werewolves and vampires being known and acknowledged. Steals the Show ends on a particularly interesting note that shakes up her position a little bit.
Greatest Hits is a collection of short stories, most (if not all) of which have appeared elsewhere. For the most part, they serve as background. In a few cases, Kitty's the protagonist, but some of the most interesting ones star someone else. There's insight into Cormac's time in prison, Emma becoming a new vampire, and the origin story of Kitty's Denver vampire counterpart, Rick. All neat little glimpses that expand on the setting and characters.
Her Own Devices is the follow up to Lady of Devices, and fulfills the promise a bit more at least. There's a bit more interplay between high society and the underworld, though I use that term somewhat loosely as Claire is really doing little more than holding together a group of street kids and financing her projects through teaching them to be card sharks. While that might be frowned upon, she doesn't actually do much that's illegal. In one scene, she dresses up in the "street work" rig for a costume ball, claiming to be there as an "airship pirate."
But it still feels like it's falling a little short of the real adventure it could be. And her relationships show a frustrating lack of direction on her part, but I guess that can be forgiven by chalking it up to being young enough she doesn't know what she wants or something. Still a decent read and more entertaining than the first (which I feel should not have been separate volumes to begin with).
My most recent finished read was Cast in Peril (previous entries commented on here). This deep into a series, most things are pretty familiar. Kaylin is once again subjected to a number of things, putting her in the spotlight as "Chosen." I still enjoy the flavor and feel of the books. Very little Tiamaris (and dragons in general after the very beginning), which is a little sad, but you can't have that all the time. The focus is more on the Barrani this time again, with some skirting around Nightshade's past and some focus on Teela's. Once again, I'm afraid Severn is mostly just there to be stoic and supportive. He's got his own mission, but it really doesn't get him doing anything unusual.
Amusingly, as I'm noticing the gratuitous non-sex in the Dresden Files, I'm noticing a gratuitous "everyone around Kaylin is pissed off" in this series. It's often understandable, but still getting to be a bit tired.
The disappointing point, however, is that the book doesn't really feel finished. One big event of the story is the journey off to witness the Barrani regalia (sacred/magical stories). Nightshade and Kaylin are selected as having roles in this, but the book wraps up before the group actually gets there for it (having been distracted with a fight against not-Shadows). It's pointed out several times that Kaylin's new familiar needs a name (or Name), but that isn't resolved. There's also talk about the journey as if it will mend/resolve something for Teela, and other than talking about her past to Kaylin that never really happens. The case Kaylin was on is theoretically resolved, but none of the fallout (or how it ties into the other big ongoing background case) is really addressed. Basically: a lot of the payoff I was led to expect didn't come.
But... it was still an entertaining read to me, at least.
And to think all I've gotten through is Heinlein's Martian Chronicles and am now reading Homer's The Odyssey
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