May 29, 2008
Agents of Light and Darkness
By Simon R. Green
This is a fun book! I'm becoming more and more of a fan of urban fantasy, and this is a prime sample of it. A little pulpy in spots (both in the literary and the literal senses), but generally good. I am annoyed to discover it's not the first book in the series, but I'll track down the others at some point.
Book 9 in 2008.
September 19, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
By J. K. Rowling
Well, it's finally over.
Spoilers abound below. Be warned.
I've gotten really, really behind on my booklog because I have been putting off writing about this tome. I have very strong and very varied opinions on it. So, here's an inelegant summary of what I thought:
- Snape - Oh, love love love for my favorite potions master! Even if Rowling did make him a bit of a romantic wet blanket ("Always!" Feh.). It made me very, very angry that she killed him off with so little respect (nary a mention after he died!) but her writing around death is a bullet-point of its own below, so I'll let that be. I was pleased that she vindicated him entirely - one of the strengths of the Potter series is that even the good folks have flaws and (as someone has said, I forget whom) there is a marked difference in the books between being good and being nice. Snape is good. He is not nice. That's actually one of the things I love about him. I sometimes wonder what I'd be like if I didn't have the overwhelming urge to be so damn nice and desire for folks to like me. I bet I'd be a lot like him.
- Dumbledore - I was very, very happy to see Dumbledore finally get some depth, even posthumously. It's wonderful to see that his wisdom is hard-won, that he isn't always right, and that yes, he has hurt people. Yay.
- Voldie - Consummate villain to the end. Almost a tragic figure, really - absolutely brilliant, but with the tragic flaw of ambition not held in check by compassion.
- Character Deaths - I am planning to write a long, detailed essay someday about what constitutes a "good" death for a character (my classic example of a good death is Boromir's in LotR). Very few of the characters in this book got "good" deaths - they happen offscreen (Tonks, Lupin) or are handled so badly that I wanted to punch something (Dobby - a truly heroic death, important to the concept of elves being persons, and she dashes it off with very little attention. WTF.).
Then there's George. As far as I can figure, Rowling killed George and spared Percy (who, if any of the Weasleys deserves to go, is the one - he spent the last several books betraying everything his family stands for, and gets to return with nothing but "sorry! Oh, and Minister, I quit!" OMGWTFBBQARGH!) because she thought her audience would expect the opposite. That is a terrible way to plot things. A stupid way to plot things. If characters have to die, I expect them to die for a good reason. "To redeem his honor" is a good reason (Boromir). "Because he's the villain and deserves it" is a good reason (Voldie). "So he can rest in peace" is a good reason (Darth Vader). "Because you weren't expecting it!" isn't a good reason. It's a cruel reason. Hell, even Joss Whedon, whose casual attitude toward character death has finally driven me away from his work for what I hope is the last time, can come up with better reasons for his characters to die most of the time. "It makes the plot work" is a WAY better reason than "you weren't expecting it!"
- Camping - boy, howdy, did the pace drag while the trio were camping. And wtf was up with chapter after chapter containing next to nothing in terms of events? Ron being a twat, Hermione being sniffly... could've been done in fewer pages, imo.
- As an end to the series - I think this is a decent one. Ties everything up fairly well. Brings the video-game plot to a fairly good end. Finally explains wtf Dumbledore has been doing this whole time (and I love love love that he was basically using Harry. Heee!). Yay.
I think that about covers it. I'll be intrigued to see what (if anything) Rowling does next - more books in the same world? Something new?
July 24, 2007
Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan, Book 1)
By Kim Harrison
Rachel Morgan is a witch in a slightly alternate version of our world. Years ago there was a plague started by a bio-engineered tomato and many regular humans died. Like, most of them. The nonhumans - witches, vampires, and so on, were unaffected, and with their numbers more proportional to the regular humans, they decided to come out of the shadows.
Rachel starts the book as a sort of paranormal FBI agent, working for an organization which polices nonhumans. She quits, though, tired of her boss treating her like crap. Her friend Ivy, a not-quite-full-blooded vampire, quits with her and the two hole up while the agency vents its anger. They don't like broken contracts. The only way to get the agency off their backs (aside from dying) is to pay off their contracts, so Rachel and Ivy set out to bust the biggest supernatural drug dealer in town, figuring that will square them with the agency. But he's not what he seems, of course, or this would be a pretty dull book.
It's not. It's a fun romp and I'm looking forward to reading more of the series!
Book 15 in 2007.
Proven Guilty (Book Seven of The Dresden Files)
By Jim Butcher
I put off reading this book so that I wouldn't be left where I am now: desperate to read more about Harry Dresden, but unable to do so unless I shell out for the hardback of the latest book. Dammit.
"Proven Guilty" is good stuff, though a bit darker than the last few books. I won't even try to sum up the plot; suffice to say that it includes a handful of teenagers in peril, some very funny scenes at a horror movie convention (also some very creepy scenes at the same event), and Harry doing his best, as usual, to keep his head above the troubled waters of his life. Awesome.
Book 14 in 2007.
June 12, 2007
Blood Rites (Book Six of the Dresden Files)
by Jim Butcher
Black Court, and White Court, and Red Court, oh my! There are plenty of vampires to go around in this book, of different sorts. This is the first time we really get to see the White Court in action, and while they're less inhuman in appearance than the other vampires, they're no less dangerous. Harry Dresden is hired by Thomas, a White Court vampire, to investigate a series of mysterious deaths in the entourage of a pornography producer. As usual, Harry winds up in over his head - a Black Court vamp is in town and gunning for him, and before he knows what's happening he winds up embroiled in the Machiavellian politics of the White Court. Good stuff. The fight scenes in this are terriffic, and we get to meet Lt. Murphy's family, which gives a bit of insight into why she is the way she is. I can't wait to read the next book again! (I read it first by accident, but figure it'd be a good idea to keep reading the series in order. Besides, I want to postpone running out of Dresden Files as long as possible.)
Book 10 in 2007.
Death Masks (Book Five of the Dresden Files)
by Jim Butcher
Poor Harry Dresden. When it rains, it pours. There's a war going on between wizards and vampires, and he's right in the middle. Worse, a vampire assassin is convinced that if he and Harry duel, it will end the war -- which isn't so good for Harry, since he has almost no hope of winning if he accepts. Plus, the Shroud of Turin has been stolen, and Harry has been hired to find it. Harry has to call in every favor from every friend he's got to survive, and even then his odds don't look so good. This is a solid entry in the series and a lot of fun to read. Harry is never more enjoyable a character than when he's up to his ears in trouble, and "Death Masks" has that in spades. Good stuff.
Book 9 in 2007.
June 07, 2007
Summer Knight (Book Four of the Dresden Files)
By Jim Butcher
I really dig the version of Faery in Butcher's books. The fey cannot tell a lie, for example, but don't have to tell you the truth, either, which makes them very interesting characters. This book follows Dresden's efforts to figure out who killed the Summer Knight, the human champion of the Summer court of Faery, and why. He's under pressure from the Winter Court (whose queen stands suspected of the murder) to solve it, and from the White Council of Wizards to broker a deal with the Winter Queen -- they need her as an ally in the brewing war between wizards and vampires.
This is a politics-heavy book, but Butcher balances the politics with humanity very well. Dresden is a good guy who has done some bad things in his time, and he has to come to terms with them. Good stuff. I'm taking a little break from the Dresden Files - I'm halfway through the series now and don't want to rush through 'em only to find myself whining about how long Butcher is taking writing new ones.
Book 8 in 2007.
Grave Peril (Book Three of the Dresden Files)
By Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden has a knack for facing up against baddies who are way out of his league. He's a powerful wizard, sure, but he's only one guy and there are significant limitations to the magic he can do when under attack. In Grave Peril, Harry is up against very, very powerful undead forces - ghosts, vampires, you name it. He has to survive repeated attacks while figuring out what is going on, and those two goals keep him very busy.
Butcher uses some cliched techniques for keeping us interested - dropping statements at the ends of chapters so we'll keep reading, that sort of thing. But they're cliched techniques because they work. I whipped through this (like the other books in the series) and had a lot of fun. Dresden is a great character, and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
Book 7 in 2007.
Fool Moon (Book Two of the Dresden Files)
By Jim Butcher
Book Two of the Dresden Files doesn't disappoint after the promising start in Storm Front. This time, Harry is up against werewolves. And not just any sort of werewolves, either: this one is a particularly nasty, powerful sort called a loup garoux that makes the regular sort look like cute puppies. Add cranky Chicago Police and local mob boss Johnny Marcone to the mix, and our hero has quite a headache. Butcher never lets Harry off easy, and it makes for yet another page-turner in the series. Two thumbs up from me.
Storm Front (Book One of the Dresden Files)
By Jim Butcher
This is a surprisingly good debut novel. It's a real page-turner, and lays down the exposition and introductions without being too heavyhanded doing so. Harry Dresden, wizard, is more Sam Spade than Gandalf. He's a classic gumshoe who happens to have magical powers. When the Chicago Police come to him to help with a strange case, Harry finds himself facing down both an incredibly powerful magician and the incredibly powerful mob boss in town. It's a cross between hardboiled detective fiction and classic high-magic fantasy that works surprisingly well. Butcher has a great authorial tone and has created a terrific reluctant hero in Harry.
April 23, 2007
Dead Beat
by Jim Butcher
I'm a dweeb and failed to make sure I had gotten the first book in the series before I picked it up off my to-read shelf and headed for an all-day workshop. It turned out okay, though, because Butcher wrote this well enough that a newbie can do pretty well just going with the flow. I really enjoyed it a lot. The basic premise of the book is that magic is real, and the hero (Harry Dresden) is a wizard. Big staff, air elemental servitor, the works. But it's narrated in first-person, and has a very noir feel to it. Harry's a gumshoe who just happens to be a wizard too, and it works a lot better than you might think.
The plot is a bit video-game-ish: six disciples of a long-dead Evil Sorcerer are in Chicago looking for their late master's last book so they can do a big nasty ritual that will turn one of them into a god. Harry and the rest of the good guys have to stop them. That's standard fantasy stuff, but Butcher has an awesome sense of humor and pulls you through the plot by your lapels with lots of action. One of the best scenes in the book involves a zombie T-Rex rampaging around. It was a blast! I really dug "Dead Beat" and am looking forward to reading the stories leading up to it.
Book 5 in 2007.
July 11, 2006
The Golden Compass
by Philip Pullman
I've just started reading this and it's very difficult to put it back down once I've settled in! Much fun.
(Book 11 in 2006, ack. Gotta read more! Damn you, magazine subscriptions!)
October 20, 2005
Thud!
by Terry Pratchett
Wow.
Pterry's books just keep getting better. This one moved me to jaw-gaping mind-boggled suspense on several occasions and almost made me cry about three times. But then, I'm a huge sucker for Sam Vimes.
My only gripe is that he's coming perilously close to making Ankh-Morpork too techie. I suspect that a subway is in the city's future, and ... I'm with Sam, sometimes I miss the days when it was just the four men of the Watch vs. the Dragon. There was a lot more Vetinari in the books back then, for one thing.
I did very much enjoy getting to learn more about Troll culture, however. That's one thing that's been largely (heh) overlooked in the books so far. And the Dwarf creation myth! Wow! Very apt, perfectly designed for their mindset. Pterry = genius.
I was very sad when the book ended, and not just because I didn't want it to end. I want so very much to be able to write as well as Pterry. SO MUCH! But I suspect that a big part of his secret is that he's just lived and written a lot, and observed human nature close-up. One more reason to make sure I don't get hit by a bus, and to keep writing, I guess.
(Book 28 in 2005)
October 14, 2005
Sethra Lavode
by Steven Brust
I am so crushed that this ends sounding like it's the last Phoenix Guards book he will write. I seriously hope that's not the case and that there will be another book after this one.
Brust's Dumas-style high fantasy novels are a joy -- provided you like Alexandre Dumas's writing style. If you don't, the books will probably seem terribly bloated. I mean, these people talk like this:
"I do not understand what you have done me the honor of saying."
and:
"I believe we are about to have the honor of charging you."
And the narration is even more wordy. But it's a wordiness that is pleasurable, like satin sheets or rich chocolate. Brust has brought this huge, complicated world to life, and while it's the same world inhabited by the characters of his Vlad Taltos books, it's even cooler because of the way he writes about it.
And I love the characters. LOVE!
But don't start here. Get The Phoenix Guards and 500 Years After and start with them. THEN you can read the huge, multi-volumen epic that culminates with Sethra Lavode.
(Book 27 in 2005)
October 13, 2005
Anansi Boys
by Neil Gaiman
Man. I have the biggest literary crush on Neil Gaiman. Seriously. So big. The man is the god of my idolatry in the fantasy/horror novel/short story/graphic novel/comic book realm. I want to have a long, heated, passionate conversation with him and produce books that are his babies.
OK, maybe I'm slipping into hyperbole here, but believe me when I say this: Anansi Boys is an incredibly good book. It's about what happens when a god dies (Anansi the Spider, that is. Had a heart attack while singing karaoke) and his two sons have to deal with the fallout of not only his death but learning about each other. The more normal son, Fat Charlie, is brilliant - he's terminally embarassed by his father, and Gaiman writes it beautifully.
Plus, what happens when Fat Charlie gets fed up with his brother (who inherited a lot of their father's qualities and therefore upsets Charlie to no end) and tries to get rid of him is just... just... awesome. Charlie rocks. Spider, his brother, rocks. Anansi rocks.
This isn't a sequel to American Gods, but it takes place in the same world and is at least as good.
(Book 26 in 2005)
August 23, 2005
Wicked
by Gregory Maguire
Wow. I read this after seeing the musical it inspired, and that was definitely the way to go. This is a fascinating retelling of The Wizard of Oz and although I found it ultimately unsatisfying because of its anticlimactic ending, I was drawn into the amazing world Maguire created. He peopled it with fascinating characters, especially Elphaba (better known as the Wicked Witch of the West). She was wonderful, and I enjoyed reading about her.
One of the discussion questions in the back asks whether Elphaba's life is ultimately a failure or a success and it is a difficult question to answer.
Wicked
by Gregory Maguire
Wow. I read this after seeing the musical it inspired, and that was definitely the way to go. This is a fascinating retelling of The Wizard of Oz and although I found it ultimately unsatisfying because of its anticlimactic ending, I was drawn into the amazing world Maguire created. He peopled it with fascinating characters, especially Elphaba (better known as the Wicked Witch of the West). She was wonderful, and I enjoyed reading about her.
One of the discussion questions in the back asks whether Elphaba's life is ultimately a failure or a success and it is a difficult question to answer.
(book 24 in 2005)
July 26, 2005
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
by J.K. Rowling
Man. This book has generated tons of controvery among the Potter faithful, and while I'm not as outraged as some folks seem to be or as irritated as others, I'm not exactly jubilant, either, mainly because this book is not complete in and of itself, the way the others were. This book leaves us needing the next book to really understand what happened, and that annoys the hell out of me.
Don't believe the next book is necessary? Let's take a look. (spoilers ahoy)
Spoilers below! You have been warned!
No, seriously. I am giving major plot points away below, so ... yeah. BE WARNED
OK.
WTF happened when Snape offed Dumbledore, I ask you? Seriously. There are, as I see it, two options:
Option the First: Snape really was a Death Eater at heart all along, a true follower of Voldemort.
This means that Snape has fooled everyone but Harry. That Dumbledore drastically misjudged him (and Dumbledore, for once, was so incredibly sure of himself about Snape that he would not hear any discussion about the subject at all).
It also follows that when Dumbledore said "Severus, please..." he was begging for his life. Now, admittedly, Dumbledore has a lot more to offer the world and is no doubt aware of that, but he clearly places a lot of value upon Harry and considers himself less important (and even less capable after drinking the potion, since he tells Harry he's not afraid because "I'm with you"). So... that seems unlikely.
For Option the First to work, we have to assume that Dumbledore was unbearably fallable. We know he's not perfect, but he is way damn close and it seems a bit late in the series for him to turn out to have this huge blind spot. What, were he and Snape lovers or something? What could possibly have made him so blind? Surely not his love of humanity - he was suspicious of Tom Riddle, who had done a lot less harm than pre-repentance Snape, even taking his youth into account.
Option the Second: Snape really is a good guy at bottom and was following Dumbledore's orders the whole time.
This means Snape has had Voldemort fooled all along, which is possible - Voldemort is kind of an idiot in some ways and routinely sows the seeds of his own destruction. This also means that Harry, who was right about everything else in this book, was wrong about Snape (as usual!). Since Harry is usually wrong about something, this makes sense.
For Option the Second to work, though, we have to assume Dumbledore was ... what, begging Snape to kill him? Why? That seems... weird. Granted, it had become clear that Draco wasn't up to the task and Snape was going to die if he didn't take over, but does Dumbledore really consider himself worth less than Snape? Sure, he likes the guy (so much so that he never really cracks down on him for the way he treats Harry in particular and Gryffindors in general), but sheesh.
No doubt I am simplifying things immensely and The Truth will turn out to be some blend of both. We never did hear what it was that made Dumbledore trust Snape (I think Harry is out of his mind to believe that it was merely Snape's guilt over having gotten a two people he didn't even like killed - yeah, he owed James his life, but COME ON! He hated the man), nor did we hear what would have followed that "please..." from the old wizard.
So... clearly we have to wait to find out what exactly was going on there. I really, really hope that Rowling pulls it off well because otherwise she has just pulled the rug out of all of us who believed her when she told us Snape was immensely courageous and really on the side of good back in books 4 and 5.
As far as the rest of the book goes, here's a quick breakdown:
Stuff I thought was lame:
- The uncertainty around Snape and Dumbledore.
- Tonks and Lupin suddenly being in love for no apparent reason.
- The constant use of the monster metaphor for Harry's libido.
- The scene wherein Dumbledore drinks the potion. On the one hand, it was delightfully evocative and scary, but OTOH it would have been a little bit nicer if we could have know just what the potion was doing. I know the books are from Harry's POV and there was probably no real way to do it, but still.
Stuff I liked:
- All the stuff at the Burrow (even the whole Fleur/Bill thing, which was a hoot).
- Fred and George's shop.
- That delightful chapter wherein Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow. Brilliant dialog, seriously. It was very well-written. (and I know I usually bitch that Rowling isn't that good a writer, but she's very very good at dialog and this scene really showed it off)
- Aragog's funeral.
- Slughorn - one of the very few characters who has a teeny bit of grey to him rather than being All Good (tm) or All Bad (tm). FINALLY, Rowling learned how to do that with someone besides Snape (who isn't so much grey as mottled black and white.)
I think that will do for now.
(book 22 in 2005)
March 30, 2005
Hawk of May / Kingdom of Summer / In Winter's Shadow
by Gillian Bradshaw
This trilogy is a fascinating take on the Arthurian legend! The first book is from Gawain's point of view, the second from Gawain's servant's, and the third from Guinevere's. The names have been altered to more locally correct ones (Gawain is Gwalchmai, for example), and the first book is the only one with much magic. There's no Merlin, either.
But it's fascinating nonetheless. Set not long after the ROmans retreated from Britain, these books tell the story of a desperate attempt to rebuild a version of the Empire in Britain. Bradshaw also managed to make Guinevere (someone I've never much liked as adultery is a nigh-unforgivable deed in my opinion) sympathetic and likeable. I actually felt sorry for her. Good writing!
(Sorry I haven't been updating - I have a list of all the books I have been reading and will get them all up here, I promise!)
(books 10-12 in 2005)
January 31, 2005
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
by Susanna Clarke
This is an awesome book. Just awesome. Imagine if traditional fantasy magic reappeared in Napoleonic Britan and Jane Austen (or any of the great, witty 19th century novelists) wrote about it.
Notes, having finished the book:
Holy schlamoly, this is an amazing book. Not in the lease predictable, a delight from start to finish. Superlatives are insufficient. It's definitely a book for people who like both fantasy AND 19th century literature, so that's kind of a limited audience, but it's still really great.
I found the way the magic worked in the story to be fascinating, and the historical aspects of it were a delight. I sincerely hope Clarke writes more in this vein.
January 07, 2005
A Hat Full of Sky
by Terry Pratchett
Woo! This one rocked too. Yay! Tiffany Aching is back, this time serving her witchy apprenticeship under the unusual Miss Level. But Tiffany has already learned how to step outside herself and while she's out, Something steps in. Granny Weatherwax makes an appearance and helps sort things out. Much fun.
(Book 3 in 2005)
January 06, 2005
The Wee Free Men
By Terry Pratchett
OMG, this book is awsome! I swear, Pratchett is amazing. His philosophy, character building, descriptions, dialog.... everything is just amazing! This is a great book for kids, especially girls. The main character, Tiffany Aching, is only nine but she's definitely a witch in the making. I can't wait to read the sequel.
To summarize: Tiffany's little brother is stolen by the Queen of the Elves and she decides to rescue him instead of waiting for Miss Tick, a visiting witch, to go for help. With the help of the Nac Mac Feegle (aka the Wee Free Men), who are sort of like drunken Scottish brownies, and Miss Tick's talking toad, she sets out to get back her brother. Awesome.
(Book 2 in 2005)
October 26, 2004
Going Postal
by Terry Pratchett
Pratchett does it again! His books are getting more and more serious as he gets older but they speak more and more about what I will rather pretentiously call Human Truths. Good stuff.
I'd write more but I'm pressed for time, as usual.
Monstrous Regiment
by Terry Pratchett
Pratchetty goodness, this time centering on war, feminism, and what happens when people lose faith in their god and their government. Very good stuff.
June 04, 2004
Kushiel's Avatar
by Jacqueline Carey
I love these books. I can't wait for Carey to write more set in this universe! It has a beauty and darkness all its own. The mythology is delightful and I find the religious influences surprisingly moving.
May 26, 2004
Wraeththu
By Storm Constantine
This is one weird collection of novels. It contains all three Wraeththu books. I can only compare them to Moorcock's books - unreal as a dream, yet strangely compelling. The characters never seem real somehow, and yet the world Constantine creates is fascinating.
It does raise some interesting issues of messing with people's lives for their own good but never really deals with them - that's my biggest problem with it. I've always believed that it is wrong to mess with people like that (one character is torn from the live he has known and from his soulmate because the Wraeththu god wants him to be the king. Nobody asks him if he wants it, it's just done to him), and while some characters mutter about how it might be kind of wrong, it's never really hashed out.
Other than that, it's a pretty neat batch of writing.
April 03, 2004
Stardust
by Neil Gaiman
A fairytale.
This is a neat book about a young man who promises to bring his True Love a fallen star in return for "whatever he desires" (presumably her hand in marriage). Of course, finding the star (who turns out to be a young woman who glows and is really annoyed that she fell) and bringing her back turns into an oddyssey which changes his life forever.
Gaiman's descriptive, flowing prose is a joy to read as usual, and it's nice to read something by him that isn't incredibly disturbing/creepy/scary/whatever. Not that I don't adore his horror writing, but his prose is also well suited to this kind of thing.
March 30, 2004
Thief of Lives
by Barb and JC Hendee
Sequel to Dhampir, which I read before the switchover to the new server. I"ll get a link to my review of that up when I get the old entries up.
This novel is pretty good, and gives me hope in the "hey, I could've written this... I should try to get published!" way. I like the characters and the world a lot, so the fact that it's a rather workmanlike book (like the other one) doesn't bother me much. I't hard to pin down exactly why but the plotting seems clunky and at times heavy-handed. They're missing the light touch necessary to make conspiracies really work. Still, the characters and the setup are engaging.
March 09, 2004
Otherland Vol. II: The River of Blue Fire
by Tad Williams
More fantastic scifi fantasy! Tad Williams rules!
Otherland Vol. I: The City of Golden Shadow
by Tad Williams
I'm not sure if this is fantasy or sci-fi, really, because it's got a bit of both. Noe loaned me this book and it's amazing. Can't wait for the rest!
I'm not even going to try to sum it up. Let's just say it's a sprawling virtual reality fantasy epic and leave it at that, okay?
February 18, 2004
Steel Magic
by Andre Norton, Illustrated by Robin Jaques
What a charming little fantasy! Three kids go exploring in the garden and find a portal to another world... where they have to find three magical items needed in the war against evil before they can go home. It's pretty simplistic, and definitely a young adult book, but I liked it.
February 02, 2004
Mythology Abroad
by Jody Lynn Nye
What a charming little book! Nothing groundbreaking or anything, but rather fun and I'm curious to read the other books in the series.
December 31, 2003
The Paths of the Dead (The Viscount of Adrilankha, part I)
by Stephen Brust
The newest in the Phoenix Guards series! Huzzah! Dragaeran fantasy written in the French Romantic style. Think The Three Musketeers, but with sorcery. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
Wow, I can't wait to read the next one! MAN! Stephen Brust rocks my world. He really does. This was a fun and fabulous book to read, and now I want to re-read the Vlad Taltos books, too.
I was really intrigued to see how Khaavren has changed since the last book, and although it was kind of sad I thought it was really believable. I'm also (like Aerich) worried about Pel ending up on the wrong side of the big fight that HAS to be coming in the later volumes. Yikes.