So, currently located in Zoetemeer in the Netherlands, it's Summer and that means long, LONG nights, filled with plenty of time to read plenty of new books. since I haven't written in a while, I'm going to plug some great books from the past 6 months or so:
Continuing with the theme of Steampunk month from February, we have recently seen the release of Gail Carriger's 4th book, Heartless, continuing the intrepid Alexia Tarabotti's adventures, again, a fantastic example of the genre, I really appreciate Carriger's writing style, it is irreverent and absolutely hits the nail on the head; her succinct and well written prose immediately throws you in with the characters, and even after a couple of months between books, you feel as though you are back amoung friends.
Following on teh same theme, I have just finished CJ Archer's The Adventures of Miss Upton and the Sky Pirate which was a little harlequin'y but an enjoyable read - the characters had the opportunity for a lot more development, and the principles were only lightly steampunk - not really hitting it the way Carriger does, but an amusing way to spend a couple of hours. The main protagonist is a champ though, I would love to meet her.
Speaking of protagonists I would love to meet, 17 year old Lady Claire Trevelyan would have to be on this list. Shelly Adina's Lady of Devices is the first in her young-adult steampunk series, and this girl has got her head on straight. Adina's characters, particularly in the department of the male lead, and female opposition (opposition? you know what I mean, the person against the main person, give me a break!) still need a bit of work (a bit too cardboard stereotype at the moment), but the depths she goes to for the young people that young Claire meets and changes the lives of is fantastic - I loved the whole vibe of this piece, which had the similar sort of level as Y.S. Lee's The Agency series but without the mystery.
The last steampunk for the past 6 months, I promise, is the joint effort from Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, Pheonix Rising - A Ministry of Peculiar Occurences Novel which again was an enjoyable romp. I read this one a while ago, so I can't say I recall the literary style in great depth, but the gist is enjoyable, (particularly watching a kiwi with a bit of an antipodean chip on her shoulder fighting both the Imperial system of Victorian England, but also the attentions of the burly, loud, unpleasant Australian). I found that the mixture of the secrets with the steampunk lead to a fabulous tale on this occasion, without the neccessity of pulling out the urban fantasy elements to make for a story.
So, apart from Steampunk, what on earth have you been reading?
More Kelley Armstrong, a bit of Melissa Marr, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Kylie Chan's Heaven to Wudang,
The latest two Kate Daniels books from Wife-Husband dream team Ilona Andrews are Magic Bleeds and Magic Slays, I think I found this series through Patricia Briggs, another old favourite of the Lounge Basilisk's, and I gotta say, this vision of the post apocalyptic world where magic & technology collide is very attractive in it's chaotic-ness - the only word for Kate Daniel's life, relationships and job is messy, and it is great getting in the muck with her. A Caveat - I didn't really get/appreciate/enjoy the Andrews' "On the Edge" series, I don't know why, but I think it was the element of deperation felt by all the characters without the "stick it to the man" heart of the Kate Daniel's series.
Juliet Blackwell was another new find recently, her "Secondhand Spirits" was a really sweet mixture of hero-worshipping San Francisco (awwww, now I wanna go back!!), the do-gooding uber-powerful witch and the multiple mysterious males who may or may not sort through their issues over the coming books.
Things to look out for in the next few months:
Eye of the Tempest - Nicole Peeler
Succubus Revealed - Richelle Mead
Bloodlines - Richelle Mead
Heaps more, that currently escapes me. Anyway, that's the highlights, see you from the next random location.
LB
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