Gods in Darkness, by Karl Edward Wagner

pros: well-written; interesting worlds and characters; good example of an antihero; well-developed dark characters; realistic people mixed with extraordinary characters; inevitable results of ambition and violence aren’t glossed over; Teres; 1st novel, Bloodstone, was the best

cons: Kane was a little predictable; Kane isn’t very likeable; the three books leave you hanging; transition from 2nd book to 3rd didn’t make sense; what happened to the girl from the 2nd book – I thought she was in the tower before Kane

misc: Bloodstone; Dark Crusade; Darkness Weaves;

ISBN 189238924; 528pp; pub. 2002
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Dragonhaven, by Robin McKinley

pros: well-written; well-developed idea of what if dragons were real and how it would work out realistically; details of National Park, Native Americans’ role, and legends; believable characters and situations; complete story in one book; the dragons’ names; hero has hispanic last name but is not a stereotype, it’s just his name

cons: dragged a little; ending felt rushed; conflict details felt choppy but this may be result of first-person POV; annoying little girl was a true brat; what happened to the mother remained a mystery

misc: caves; burns; fate; walkie-talkies; radios; feds; poachers; tour busses; Smokehill National Park; Jake Mendoza; Lois (the baby dragon)

ISBN 0399246754; 272pp; pub. 2007
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The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie

pros: one of best books of 2007; great characters, situations, story; Logen Ninefingers/Bloody Nine and his little sayings; Glokta; complex plot, characters, action counterbalanced with simple elements of daily life; portrayal of wizards and wizardry; cynicism; chapter titles

cons: next 2 books in series aren’t available in US yet; ends too soon; Glokta can be hard to like; not sure where he’s going with Ardee’s storyline; Jezal’s character is unlikeable, a little inconsistent; names of lords and power players in city were confusing at times

misc: you have to be realistic; pot; blanket; Shanka/Flatheads; Dogman; Logen’s opponents; Ferro; Bayaz; Malacus Quai; Councils; Inquisitors; Arch Lector

ISBN 159102594X; 531pp; pub. 2007
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Poltergeist, by Kat Richardson

pros: good writer, good series; interesting premise, well handled; same group of characters as before, but with different emphases; noirish detective novel feel; only a hint of romance; really works in the city and its quirks and personality; coffee addiction worked in as small detail, including Starbucks

cons: not a lot gets resolved; love interest was there as a plot device; Harper’s personality and circumstances could have used more details; too long since I read first book in series

misc: Greywalker Book 2; Harper Blaine; Seattle; psychokinesis; research project; fake experiment

ISBN 0451461509; 352pp; pub. 2007
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Red Seas Under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch

pros: continuation with good, interesting characters; fast moving; complex plot; interesting new cities/states/societies; pirates; rapelling test; creepy scene in the Night Gallery; twist at the end

cons: mysterious enemies are a bit too conveniently mysterious; the Bondsmagi are more a plot device than a specific element; I liked Jean a whole lot more than Locke; jumping around from time and place didn’t work as well this time; weak plot elements – if Jean and Ezri are discussing Jean’s problems in Ezri’s room, it could easily be overheard; cliffhanger ending

misc: pirate stronghold; Zamira; Port Prodigal; Ghostways; Tal Verrar; Requin; Sinspire; Gentleman Bastards; Carousel Hazard; card cheating; Archon; Leocanto Kosta and Jerome de Ferra; Selendri; brass arm with knives; tricky chairs

ISBN 0553804685; 576pp; pub. 2007
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The Black Throne, by Fred Saberhagen and Roger Zelazny

pros: the authors; the story idea; story moves along quickly; twist on magic and parallel worlds; explanations for some of Poe’s elements in poems, like the tapping and the raven and the cask of Amontillado

cons: sketchy details; seems hastily written; not familiar with Poe’s body of work; resolution was weak

misc: Edgar Allan Poe; alcoholic; alcohol; ghost ship; sea voyage; balloon voyage; vortex; plague; dwarf; orangutang; zombie in wine box; very small wineglasses; sandcastle; alchemy
ISBN 0743435796; 288pp; pub. 2002
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The Prydain Chronicles, by Lloyd Alexander

pros: classic fantasy; great characters and world; fast, easy read; there is reality and the darkness of war and evil, but has an overall upbeat and positive feeling; Gurgi; Kaw; the magic gifts at the end of The Book of Three; Taran’s banner; the final ending

cons: repetitious elements of characters habits and sayings get a little annoying; some pat situations and solutions; a little predictable; Eilonwy was headstrong and foolish; Glew

misc: The Book of Three; The Black Cauldron; The Castle of Llyr; Taran Wanderer; The High King; Assistant Pig-Keeper; Caer Dallben; Hen Wen

ISBN: various editions and an anthology
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Territory, by Emma Bull

pros: author; well-written story with great characters; historical setting is realistic and believable and details of area and time are very good; great idea; plenty of action but still doesn’t feel like a typical fast-paced action fantasy; Chu; newspaper details

cons: ending leaves me hanging; I would have liked to see more details about Jesse’s abilities and his lessons with Chow Lung; would have liked some more details of the conflicts between the various wizard factions

misc: OK Corral; Tombstone; Wyatt Earp; Cochise County; silver mine; Chinatown; Mildred/Millie; typesetter; Nuggest; Tombstone Epitaph; cowboys; ranchers; Mexican border

ISBN 0312857357; 320pp; pub. 2007
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Nameless Magery, by Delia Marshall Turner

pros: fun story; likable heroine; good twists on old elements; fast-moving story; some great characters; interesting explanation of magic and different ways of “seeing” it

cons: Lisane makes some foolish choices that seem inconsistent with her general character; details can be sketchy and sometimes seem inconsistent; I would have likes to have more details at the end

misc: seeing magic; ller and Lle; Kahain; kings; wizards; school for mages; mage school; Detter; neck bands

ISBN 0345424301; 240pp; pub. 1998
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The Demon and the City, by Liz Williams

pros: great idea; interesting characters and plot; Chinese culture and mixture with Indian pantheon; Zhu Irzh; the badger/tea pot; the guild of dowsers; Mhara; Robin Yuan; the forgotten temple; the ultimate fate of the angry dowser and his goddess

cons: very violent; the demon’s lover is just unlikable, although a bit sympathetic; too much mayhem and collateral damage; reality is very dark and ugly; what happened to the second celestial being?

misc: Singapore 3; meridians; Chi and feng shui lines; viral drugs; wealthy society vs. working and poor; earthquakes; Celestial boat; Celestials; Jade Emperor; demoted goddess; Bad Dog City; Chinese afterlife; Detective Inspector Chen; Sergeant Ma; exorcists; sorcerors; black pill; devas; Hell money

ISBN 1597800473; 256pp; pub. 2007
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One Hex of a Wedding, by Yasmine Galenorn

pros: likable characters; believable plot; believable family issues; the way Em uses her abilities to track down the stalker; Murray and White Deer; Jimbo and his dog

cons: predictable; reads like any romantic suspense with magic thrown in; the business with the ex at the party didn’t really add to the story; the myriad of family strife details, everyday life issues, etc., don’t add to the story

misc: Chintz n’ China mystery; Emerald O’Brien mystery; crystal necklace; redheaded stalker; bustier; wedding-dress fiasco; Irish faerie and magic

ISBN 0425211177; 272pp; pub. 2006
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When True Night Falls, by C.S. Friedman

pros: good series; question of good vs. evil and if evil can ever be justified when used to combat evil and the question of redemption; the great endeavor started by the prophet shows signs of fruition; more is revealed about Tarrant’s motivation; Hesseth; Jenseny; the sea voyage; Jenseny’s solution

cons: Damien’s angst gets old fast; not enough details about the Iezu and the evil that fuels Tarrant’s magic; Hesseth’s fate and the timing of her fate; the Matria’s stranglehold on power was a little unbelievable; the troubled future, especially for the Rakh; what was the fate of the merchants?

misc: Coldfire Trilogy; Undying prince; Karril; Calesta; Siza; black lands; crystal; trees that suck the life out of you with their roots; horses; body kept alive in vat; deep dungeon in lava caverns; the “light” that Jenseny can see; “invisible” dagger

ISBN 0756403162; 560pp; pub. 2005
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Tithe, by Holly Black

pros: original heroine and viewpoint; realistic characters; good core dilemma; good question about what constitutes good or evil individually and in context; Roiben; the plot; Lutie

cons: very dark; Kaye’s life is a mess; Kaye’s family; Corny’s situation; general desperate, hopeless feel; the betrayal by the solitary fey

misc: acorn note; kelpie/puka; carousel horse; changelings; cigarettes; samhain; sacrifice; pixie: Spike; Gristle; Thistlewitch

ISBN 0689867042; 336pp; pub. 2004
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Ghost of a Chance, by Yasmine Galenorn

pros: likable charcters; well-presented “paranormal” situations; family life details; love interest; Murray; Grandmother; multicutural elements without being patronizing or using stereotypes

cons: way too many cute tea details; Em’s actions at end are just stupid, and thus situation is contrived

misc: Chintz ‘N China Mystery; Emerald O’Brien mystery

ISBN 0425191281; 272pp; pub. 2003
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Wolf Who Rules, by Wen Spencer

pros: sequel to Tinker; we learn more about Elvish society and the importance of their presence near Pittsburg; we learn a lot more about Windwolf and his household; the friction between human society and the elves; Tinker’s evolving personality; the dream elements; the dragons; the Tengu; this one is a lot more complex than Tinker; good action, believable situations and characters; Tinker’s evolving relationship with Pony and Stormsong; the political situations; the paparazzi and the elves’ reaction; Pony and Stormsong; Tinker’s reaction when watching The Wizard of Oz movie.

cons: Nathan’s fate; Esme’s role; Lain doesn’t appear very much; Tooloo’s role is in question

misc: Oni; Tengu; Riki; quantum physics; ghostland; Alice in Wonderland; Wizard of Oz; Vicereine

ISBN 1416520554; 368pp; pub. 2006
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Eccentric Circles, by Rebecca Lickiss

pros: likable characters; Grandma Dickerson; the books; the fairies; the holes in reality; the explanation of how Lord of the Rings made life so much better in fairy because Tolkein’s descriptions were better (“real” world fiction consensus of fairies/elves, etc., determines reality in fairy)

cons: felt more like an outline than a finished story; Aelvarim was a little silly; ending doesn’t work for me, it felt contrived and repetitive; the whole issue of their silly names comes up a lot but it never goes anywhere – was there a point, or was it just a way to justify a heroine named Piper Pied?

misc: Never After is much, much better; bookstore; funeral; inheritance; back door to fairy; wedding dress; wizard

ISBN 0441008283; 224pp; pub. 2001
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The Fixer, by Jon F. Merz

pros: fast-paced, fun read; lots of action; written like an old, gritty detective novel; vampire society; Zero; Lawson; Talya is an interesting, unusual tough-girl love interest

cons: some situations felt contrived; Lawson made some awfully stupid mistakes for such a hot-shot fixer; if the Council is on such fragile ground politically, then it shouldn’t have rebounded so easily at the end of the story; it’s hard to believe that just 2 fixers could solve such a huge conspiracy and then afterwards have everything run so smoothly; Council was just a convenient plot device

misc: assasins; wood-tipped bullets; martial arts; bushido; more books in series

ISBN 0786015004; 349pp; pub. 2002
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Bedlam Boys, by Ellen Guon

pros: familiar characters, tells us about Kayla’s beginning as a healer; from Baen’s free library; prequel to Bedlam’s bard series with Mercedes Lackey; Elizabet and her grandmother; the ogress and Elizabet’s explanation that follows

cons: portrayal of gang members seemed naive; Kayla had some very foolish moments; Kayla seems to forget her previously tight friends very easily

misc: Chicano gangs; LA; crystal figurines; ghosts; foster care/system

ISBN 0671721771; 304pp; pub 1993
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Black Sun Rising, by C.S. Friedman

pros: fast-paced; well-written; interesting characters and world; interesting conflicts of good vs. evil and if evil can ever be used for good; Damien; Hesseth; the way religion is presented; this feels a lot more like SF than fantasy; the fear of a world with no fae

cons: characters can be very self-absorbed; Zen’s story felt incomplete; Damien’s sort of maudlin “love” for Ciani (Cee) seems out of character and contrived as a plot device – the real story is Damien and Tarrant’s relationship, with Cee as a pivotal part of that relationship

misc: fae; dark fae; Rakh; The Hunter; Neocount; Patriarch; Calesta; the forest; worms; crossbow; holy fire; caves; Coldfire Trilogy

ISBN 0756403146; 494pp; pub. 2005

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Circle of the Moon, by Barbara Hambly

pros: author; great characters and interesting world and problems; as story develops it gets better and more interesting; Shaldis gets more attention, as does Jethan; Oryn’s relationship with his servants and lords is developed more; the Teyn; the island Sisters; the status of the genies(Djinn); Pontifer the pig; Foxfire girl

cons: characters that were self-centered and unlikable suddenly become reliable and reasonable; Mohrvine is a convenient bad guy in terms of driving the plot; Red Silk Woman

misc: glass; Dream Eater; green gas; obsidian; moon; sea; islands; jennies
ISBN 0446618179; 544pp; pub. 2006

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