Libromancer's Apprentice

Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16)  / Jim Butcher Previously Reviewed Cold Days (Dresden Files #14) Dresden Files: War Cry (Graphic Novel) Dresden Files : Down Town (Graphic Novel) Brief Cases (Short Story Collection) OK. It's been six years  since Skin Game came out.  A lot has happened since then, both to me as a reader and to Butcher as an author.  And there's been one heck of a lot of anticipation and expectation for this book, which presents a challenge.  So this is going to be a first pass review, I intend to read and review it again closer to it's release date, hopefully in final print and not e-galley format. When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, joins the White Council’s security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago–and all he holds dear? I ...

Stars Uncharted (Series) Stars Uncharted / S.K. Dunstall Stars Beyond / S. K. Dunstall I first became aware of this series thanks to kudos from Charles Stross who provided a cover blurb.  "An absorbing Space Opera in the tradition of The Expanse and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet ."  S. K.  Dunstall, two sisters writing under a single name, provide the reader with several engaging writing and and compelling hooks right off the start.  The initial threads seem far flung, but they are skillfully braided together. Space Opera can be many things, but one thing I need from it is an expansive story and adventure, and Stars Uncharted delivers.  Some elements are recognizable genre standards, such as a notorious ship, a rag tag and fiercely loyal crew, characters with dangerous secrets, and plot that spans across the known (and unknown) universe of the setting.  Others are fresh takes on science fiction elements, such as the nature and exe...

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse   (Thorne Chronicles #1)  / K. A. Eason It turns out describing a book as "Princess Leia meets The Princess Bride" is pretty much a guaranteed way to get my interest. The tale of Rory Thorne is an utterly delightful space romp told by a smart narrator with a sardonic sense of humor.  It takes on the mantle of a familiar fairy tale (with the titular character's last name of "Thorne" it's not a hard guess) and makes something new.  We have the "fairies" with their gifts, our royal princess, a curse - but noting quite as traditionally expected. Rory's curse is not to die (nor is the amelioration to simply fall asleep), but instead she is cursed to always see the unvarnished truth of things, what people actually mean.  Considering how much of society runs due to polite fictions, that is no insignificant burden on a precocious child, particularly when among adults who may not believe in such things as...

The Library of the Unwritten (A Novel from Hell’s Library) /  A. J. Hackwith From the cover: Join the Library. Raise Hell. Well... that sure as shit hits me as a target demographic. The Library of the Unwritten  gives us a mythology infused contemporary fantasy as a Librarian and her assistants attempt to prevent a war between Heaven and Hell, and defend the library from those who would use it for their own gain. The Ensemble we follow is made up of characters that don't so much grow as are revealed and discovered.  They also exist in shades of grey, with internally conflicting needs and wants, adding depth to the story.  The span of the book is not so long in time, and the cast is new to both the reader and to each other.  The story itself makes referential use to literary tropes, but does not rely heavily on pop culture to convey ideas. Over all it was a very enjoyable read, one that I have not only recommended to friends but we have added it to ...

If 7th Sea  is a game of "What Would Errol Flynn Do?",  Thirsty Sword Lesbians is "What Would Julie d'Aubigny Do?" Confession, my first reaction to the the play test materials was "this is a game of 'What Would a Sapphic Errol Flynn Do?"  And then I remembered there was someone from history that was THE perfect fit for this game.  The swashbuckling high adventure ideals and the structure of the game built around relationships and story brought to mind the much popular game by John Wick... but for me in a much more comprehensible and to the heart package. Thirsty Sword Lesbians is a rolepaying game for telling queer stories with friends. If you love angsty disaster lesbians with swords, you have come to the right place. In this book, you’ll find: Flirting, sword-fighting, and zingers in a system designed for both narrative drama and player safety. An innovative take on the Powered by the Apocalypse family of games. Nine character types...

Dune (Deluxe Edition) / Frank Herbert Dune is one of those books I don't know where to start.  There's little about this book that was idle creation, the first novel alone containing deep and deliberate lore, born in part out of the author's own work and study in ecology and environmentalism.  I have not read more than this first book, so I do not know if the story later loses its way, it's depth, or if it loses sight of the consequences of Paul's own actions.  But I am in awe as I periodically learn more and more about the book's genesis, depth, and impact on the genre. That is not to say the book without flaw, the coding of Baron Harkonnen for example.  More that it's a significant body of work, and that flaws should be part of any higher or academic discussion of the novel.  I say academic b/c I would totally take a literature class that unpackaged  Dune . 54 years after it's initial publication, it's not an unknown novel, and most thing...

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1) / Seanan McGuire Previously reviewed: Once Broken Faith The Brightest Fell Night and Silence The Unkindest Tide Wow.  10th Anniversary edition.  You've come a long way, Toby. It's easy to forget that once Toby was not the first to run into danger, someone who was, to the best of her knowledge, so breakable and mortal.  At one point, she found the threat and then called in others to deal with it. This is Toby before she came into herself, recovering from her life being stolen from her and being dumped out of time and out of place.  This is before she discovers the truth of her heritage or takes on a squire.  This is before she builds her network of allies and friends that becomes her family. Toby is very different than the woman we've come to know and love, but the seeds are all there. In some series, going back to the beginning, to the author's first book, can be a jarring reminder of how much the author ha...