A Hat Full of Sky - Terry Pratchett

   2004; 406 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 32 (out of 41) in the “Discworld” series.  Book 2 (out of 5) in the “Tiffany Aching” sub-series.  Genre : Fantasy; Humor.  Overall Rating: 8*/10.

 

    It’s time for Tiffany Aching to start her training to be a witch!  The first step is a big one—she’s going to leave home and move into her witch-tutor’s house.  This means saying goodbye to her parents for a while, even though she’s only eleven years old.

 

    Her tutor will be Miss Level.  Both of her.  We’ll explain that later.  Tiffany will also get to do a bit of socializing with other girls her age who are also training to be witches.

 

    Magic spells and flying brooms certainly sound exciting!  But keep your ears and eyes open, Tiffany.  Because there are other creatures out there who can sense when spells are being cast, and locate their sources.

 

    And not all of them have your best interests in mind.

 

What’s To Like...

    A Hat Full of Sky is the second book in a 5-volume YA coming-of-age fantasy series set in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld universe.  Book One, The Wee Free Men, introduced us to nine-year-old Tiffany, now it’s two years later.

 

    Being so young, Tiffany struggles with self-confidence and socializing with other girls, and it's fun to watch her progress in those areas over time.  She also learns that the essence of being a witch is more about caring about and rendering service to those in need in her neighborhood, not performing dazzling tricks.

 

    As with any Terry Pratchett novel, the character-building here is superb.  We are introduced to several local witches, each with their own quirks: one can’t make turns while flying on her broom; and Miss Level somehow has two simultaneous manifestations.  Oswald is a neat-freak ondageist (say what?!), and even the group of Pictsies called the Nac Mac Feegle, all have their own unique personalities.

 

    The tension in the storyline builds and leads up to a life-or-death confrontation between Tiffany and an unstoppable essence called “the hiver”, where the outcome-determining question is: how do you defeat something that is, by definition, invincible?  Things close with a festival called “The Witch Trials” where all the witches—whether they be initiates and old veteran hags alike—get to show off the tricks of their trade.  The story ends on Hogswatchday, a celebration on Discworld known as “the changing of the year”, or what you and I would call the Winter Solstice.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.8/5 based on 4,992 ratings and 598 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.32/5 based on 76,926 ratings and 2,742 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “PLN?” she said.

    “Aye,” said Rob proudly.  “We came prepared!  Look, it’s written doon.  Pee El Ner.  Plan.”

   “Er . . . how can I put this . . .” Miss Level mused.  “Ah, yes.  You came rushing all this way to save Tiffany from a creature that can’t be seen, touched, smelled, or killed.  What did you intend to do when you found it?”

    Rob Anybody scratched his head, to a general shower of objects.

    “I think mebbe you’ve put yer finger on the one weak spot, mistress,” he admitted.  (pg. 222)

 

    “I thought you might have a . . . a use for this.”

    The old woman slowly unwrapped the white paper.  The Zephyr Billow cloak unrolled itself under her fingers and filled the air like smoke.

    “It’s lovely, but I couldn’t wear it,” said Tiffany as the cloak shaped itself over the gentle currents of the clearing.  “You need gravitas to carry off a cloak like that.”

    “What’s gravitarse?” said Granny Weatherwax sharply.

    “Oh . . . dignity.  Seniority.  Wisdom.  Those sorts of things,” said Tiffany.  (pg. 396)

 

Kindle Details…

    A Hat Full of Sky sells for $13.99 at Amazon right now.  The other 40 books in the series range in price from $4.99 to $14.99, with no apparent pattern in the pricing strategy

 

It was dreadful when your own thoughts tried to gang up on you.  (pg. 308)

    A Hat Full of Sky contains zero profanity, zero gore, and zero adult situations.  The target audience is YA girls, so I expected this level of cleanliness, but if you’re not part of that target audience (and I’m not), you may find the story’s tone a bit “tame”.

 

    You might also find the pacing in the first half of the book, where Tiffany gets her first lessons in witchery, a bit slow.  But the second half of the story is vintage Pratchett storytelling, and is worth the wait.  I should also admit that I’m not reading these Tiffany Aching books in order, and I definitely got the feeling that was a mistake on my part.

 

    Although the story is set in Discworld, the only characters from the main series that play a role here are Granny Weatherwax and Death.  If your favorite character is someone like Carrot, Sam Vimes, or Rincewind, you might be a bit disappointed, although the Nac Mac Feegle do supply a fair amount of Discworld wit and hilarity to the tale.

 

    Overall, A Hat Full of Sky fully met my expectation for a Terry Pratchett YA novel, with some excellent insight for young readers about things like self-image and service to one’s fellow man.  Adults will likely find it thought-provoking as well.

 

    8 Stars.  One last thing.  When you’re given three wishes by a grateful genie or magic frog or fairy godmother, what should your third wish always be, according to Granny Weatherwax?  Answer is in the comments.

The Last Moriarty - Charles Veley

   2015; 292 pages.  Book 1 (out of 36) in the “Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery” series.  New Author? : Yes.  Genres : Historical Mystery; Thriller; Sherlock Holmes.  Overall Rating: 9*/10.

 

    Frederick Foster fell to his death from the Westminster Bridge last night.  Or maybe he jumped.  Or maybe someone pushed him.  Mr. Foster was an American.  A business card found on his body identifies him as an employee of the Standard Oil Corporation.

 

    Sherlock Holmes has been summoned rather early in the morning to come to St. Thomas Hospital to examine the corpse.  His faithful aide, Dr. Watson, is invited to come along.

 

     Several important people have also journeyed to the hospital to hear what Holmes has to say about whether this was an accident, a suicide, or a murder.  They include England’s First Lord of the Admiralty, the Lord Chancellor of Her Majesty’s courts, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner of London, and the Secretary of State for War’s chief of staff.  Oh yeah, and the Prime Minister himself, Lord Salisbury.

 

    Now why would such a bunch of high muckamucks be interested about the death of an American businessman?

 

What’s To Like...

    The Last Moriarty is set in November, 1895 in the classic setting for Sherlock Holmes stories: the greater London area.  The tale is presented the traditional way: via Dr. Watson’s journal.  A number of characters from the Arthur Conan Doyle series also show up here, including Inspector Lestrade, the Baker Street Irregulars, and my personal favorite, Mycroft Holmes.

 

    There are also lots of new people introduced: some good guys, others baddies, but all of them interesting to meet.  Two of them, Zoe Rosario and Lucy James, I feel certain will be sharing the spotlight with Holmes and Watson in future tales.

 

    I was impressed with how adeptly Charles Veley can spin a story in “Watson-esque” style.  The storyline quickly gets more complicated, and plot twists abound.  There are even several instances of Sherlock making those incredible deductions when meeting someone, with onlookers gasping at how he could do that, and Holmes then explaining what observations clued him in.  I loved those interludes in Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.

 

    Everything builds to an exciting ending.  The bad guys’ ultimate intentions are revealed and seemingly have things completely in their control.  Their nefarious plans will fail, of course, but the fun is seeing just how that somehow transpires.

    The chapters are short, with 66 of them covering 292 pages, and The Last Moriarty is both a standalone novel and part of a series.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.4/5 based on 5,461 ratings and 761 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.20/5 based on 4,030 ratings and 312 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “Moriarty was both physically unattractive—‘reptilian,’ as you have described him, Dr. Watson—and also entirely lacking in ability to perform a musical composition in the spirit intended by the composer.  Due to his mathematical gifts he was able to grasp the theoretical aspects of a composition instantly, that much is true.  But he had no feel, no heart, to understand and project the emotion of the composer, which is, of course, the sole reason for the existence of any musical performance.”  (loc. 1482)

 

    Holmes would be accused of placing a personal relationship above matters of national importance.  I recalled an ironic poem by Mr. Kipling, the gist of which was that we ordinary people frequently take an attitude of superiority to soldiers, until the shooting starts and we need them to protect us.  The critics of Holmes, I thought, would not hesitate to turn on him if he failed in his mission.  (loc. 2294)

 

Kindle Details…

    The Last Moriarty sells for $3.99 at Amazon right now.  The other e-books in this 36-book series are all priced within the $2.99-$4.99 range.

 

She appeared to be in radiant health, possibly due to the beneficial effects of frequent exposure to music.  (loc. 577)

      I didn’t note any cusswords at all in The Last Moriarty, and that always impresses me.  There’s action and intrigue aplenty, yet I don’t recall any "adult situations."

 

    A number of Sherlock Holmes series have cropped up over the last couple decades, due to the copyrights expiring on the characters in the series.  I’ve sampled several of them, and their quality ranges from “pretty good” (including one co-written by Kareem Abdul Jabbar) to “downright amateurish” (we’ll not name names).

 

    The Last Moriarty comes closer to duplicating Arthur Conan Doyle’s style of writing and storytelling than any other series I’ve read, and that's a giant plus.  Book Two, The Wilhelm Conspiracy, is on my Kindle and I’m eager to see how it compares to Book One.  Stay tuned.

 

    9 Stars.  One last thing.  I loved seeing chemistry play an important part of the storyline.  White phosphorus, chloroform, and hyoscine all crop up, much to my delight.  Okay, full disclosure, I am a career chemist, so I’m a bit prejudiced about this.  But still, when chemicals are involved in the tale, it means that the author has done a bunch of research.

Ten Big Ones - Janet Evanovich

   2004; 319 pages.  Book 10 (out of 31) in the “Stephanie Plum” series.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Crime-Humor; Women Sleuths; Beach Read.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

 

    There’s a psycho running amok in Trenton, New Jersey.  He calls himself the “Red Devil” and has held up fourteen of the city’s deli-marts.  First he robs them, then as he exits, he tosses a Molotov cocktail into the store.  Instant conflagration.

 

    Stephanie Plum accidentally interrupted his routine during his latest heist.  He got a flat tire out of it; she got a burned-to-the-ground car.  But Stephanie caught a glimpse of his face and, though it wasn’t anyone she recognized, she’d know him if she saw him again.

 

    Which, of course happened a short time later.  Unfortunately, the Red Devil also recognized her, and understood the threat when Stephanie yelled, “Hey!  Wait a minute.  I want to talk to you.”  A chaotic chase ensued, with the Red Devil getting away.

 

    It’s kind of weird when a bounty hunter and a pyromaniac robber are both driving around Trenton, teach trying to spot the other.

 

What’s To Like...

    Unsurprisingly, the Red Devil/Stephanie plotline quickly becomes more tangled.  A local gang, the Slayers, gets involved.  Then a contract killer arrives from California with a list of people he’s being paid to dispose of, and Stephanie’s one of them.

 

    Stephanie’s personal life is getting more complicated as well.  Her sister Valerie, to whom she’s lent her apartment, still hasn’t gotten a place of her own, and Stephanie’s current living situation—shacking up with her cop boyfriend, Joe Morelli—is making her feel cramped.  Her subsequent housing solution stirs things up still further.

 

    The gangs, hitmen, psycho store-robbers, and relationship issues give this book a darker-than-normal tone for a Stephanie Plum novel.  Things turn even darker when Steph and friends decide to kidnap a baddie and beat some information out of him.

 

    Fortunately, Janet Evanovich balances all this with some lighter elements.  Mary Alice still thinks she’s a horse, Grandma Mazur and Lula provide comedic embarrassment, and a new character, Sally, shows up sporting something called a “swear band”.

 

    Everything builds to an exciting, over-the-top, and nail-biting ending.  Help arrives from an unexpected source just in the nick of time.  All the “Bounty Hunter” plot threads are tied up, and all the “Love Triangle” plot threads remain enticingly unresolved.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.6/5 based on 7,994 ratings and 994 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.15/5 based on 105,382 ratings and 2,568 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “This wasn’t one of my better days,” I said to Morelli.  “My car was destroyed, I was involved in a shooting, and I just sat through a dinner from hell.”

    Morelli slung an arm around me.  “Dinner wasn’t that bad.”

    “My sister talked cuddle umpkins to Kloughn for two hours, my mother and grandmother cried every time someone mentioned the wedding, Mary Alice whinnied nonstop, and the baby threw up on you.”

    “Yeah, but aside from that. . .”

    “Not to mention, Grandma got completely snookered and passed out at the table.”

    “She was the smart one,” Morelli said.  (pg. 47)

 

    “And I suppose it’s okay for you to go after him?” I said to Morelli.

    “I’m a cop.  We go after criminals.  That’s why you called me, right?”

    “And I’m a fugitive apprehension agent.”

    “Don’t take this the wrong way,” Morelli said, “but you’re not a great apprehension agent.”

    “I get the job done.”

    “You’re a magnet for disaster.”  (pg. 180)

 

“I know a doughnut butt when I see one.”  (pg. 184)

    The profanity level in Ten Big Ones, was about normal.  I noted twenty cusswords in the first 10% of the book, which included a half-dozen f-bombs.  References to adult situations, adult toys, and anatomical organs show up later on.  This is the norm for this series.   And we won't even mention the charming transvestite character.

 

    As mentioned, the ending is exciting, but it also felt a bit hurried and too convenient.  That’s okay, though, there’s simply no way to portray a street gang in a light-hearted manner and still make them believably threatening.

 

    Ten Big Ones is another solid entry in the Stephanie Plum adventures.  If you’re looking for a series that’s funny, thrilling, heartwarming, romantic, quirky, and twisty, I highly recommend giving this bounty hunter a try.

 

    8½ Stars.  One last thing.  For those who keep count of these things:  Total cars trashed by Steph: One.  Total FTA’s rebooked by Steph: Seven.  Our protagonist is becoming an ace bounty hunter.

Brother Hermitage's Christmas Gift - Howard of Warwick

    2017; 128 pages.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Historical Satire; Christmas; Novella; Medieval Fiction.  Overall Rating: 8½*/10.

 

    December 25, 1066 CE is nigh!  It will be a day of celebration!

 

    Not only because it’s Christmas, or, as they called it back then: Christes Mass Day.  It’s also the day that Duke William of Normandy will be crowned the King of England.  That's William, the victor at the Battle of Hastings over King Harold of the Saxons.  That's the “late” King Harold.

 

    The Archbishop of Canterbury has instructed all abbeys in England to send emissaries bearing gifts to William.  It is prudent to get on the good side of the new ruler.

 

    For reasons best left untold, Abbot Athan, the head of the abbey at De’Ath’s Dingle, has chosen Brother Hermitage to attend the coronation.  Along with his wiseacre sidekick, Wat the Weaver.

 

    Have fun, Hermitage and Wat.  Paint smiles on your faces as you try to forget that you’re both Saxons, not Normans.

 

What’s To Like...

    Brother Hermitage’s Christmas Gift is a novella-length Christmas tale set in 11^th-century England, in the critical days when the Anglo-Saxon rulership ends and the Normans take over.  It has the same setting as Howard of Warwick’s Chronicles of Brother Hermitage series uses, although here the a trio of the recurring characters play a part.

 

    Unlike the regular books in the series, there is no murders or other crimes for Brother Hermitage to investigate.  Instead, the theme of the story is the nature of gift-giving.  Hermitage and Wat have polar-opposite views about that, and weeklong trek from De’Ath’s Dingle to London gives them ample time to debate it.  They also have to figure out what an appropriate gift the new king should be, and then find one, since they forgot to hit up Abbot Athan for one.

 

    I enjoyed tagging along on their 7-day journey.  Each night lodging and meals must be found, and they are introduced to some fascinating characters.  They also have to beware crossing paths with brigands and marauding Norman soldiers.  And, as is true of all books in this series, Howard of Warwick’s witty dialogue and dry humor is a royal treat.

 

    The story is written in English, not American, so you get weird spellings such as focussed, recognise, practise, and meagre.  But it wasn't distracting, and I always like reading in a foreign language.

 

    The ending is good, with a bit of excitement capping off an otherwise philosophical tale.  The gift-giving storyline has a moral to it, but it’s not what I was expecting.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.3/5 based on 448 ratings and 46 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.09/5 based on 190 ratings and 13 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    When established constructions, particularly old Roman ones, fell into disrepair the local folk would gather the fallen stones for their own homes.  De’Ath’s Dingle didn’t fall into disrepair, it jumped.  Local folks knew far better than to use material cast off by that place.  As the saying in those parts went: "The stones of De’Ath’s Dingle; for when the worst isn’t quite bad enough.”  (loc. 148)

 

    “So you expect us to travel to London in seven days?”

    “Correct.”

    “In the middle of winter, across a land not yet conquered and probably swarming with armed groups taking advantage of the chaos?”

    “That’s it.”

    “Two Saxons into an army of Normans celebrating their victory?”

    “You do ask a lot of questions.”

    “We’ll be killed.”  (loc. 276)

 

Kindle Details…

    Brother Hermitage’s Christmas Gift sells for $1.49 at Amazon right now.  It is related to Howard of Warwick’s popular Chronicles of Brother Hermitage series, which is up to 32 (soon to be 33) e-books.   The prices for those tales range from $2.99 to $4.99.

 

“Amanuesis?”  “A man who what?”  (loc. 579)

    There is zero profanity in Brother Hermitage’s Christmas Gift which seems appropriate for a Christmas story.  This is the fourth book I’ve read featuring Brother Hermitage, and so far, all of they’ve all been light on the cusswords.  I like it when an author is skilled enough to not have to overuse expletives to tell the story.

 

    For a change, the typos were also scarce.  One missing period, and one clunky wording (“Because it what…”) were all I noted.  The opening word in each chapter (chapters are called “caputs” here; and is that kewl, or what!) has an extra space in it, but I’m sure this was a formatting issue beyond the author’s control, not a typo.

 

    I can’t think of anything else to grouse about.  Brother Hermitage’s Christmas Gift was a delight to read from beginning to end, and exactly what I look for in a Christes Mass story: short and sweet, and thoughtfully upbeat.

 

    8½ Stars.  One last thing.  If you’re new to this series, you should know that Wat the Weaver is renowned for his “sophisticated” tapestries.  Quite a few of the characters here are well acquainted with his masterpieces.  Unfortunately, his craftwork probably is not appropriate as a public gift to a newly crowned monarch.

In the Heart of Darkness - Eric Flint and David Drake

   1998; 445 pages.  Book 2 (out of 6) in the “Belisarius Saga” series.  New Authors? : No.  Genres : Alternate History; Historical Fiction; India; Byzantine Empire.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

 

    The Malwa are coming!  And they’re threatening to overrun the eastern part of the (Byzantine) Roman Empire!  Quick, send somebody to give them misinformation about our armies there, to scare then by vastly overstating our strength!

 

    Not a problem, sir.  We’ll send General Belisarius to their empire in India, and have him fake becoming a turncoat.  The Malwa will never suspect they’re being duped.

 

    The traitors are coming!  Our spies say a group of plotters plan to assassinate the Emperor Justinian in Constantinople and overthrow the Roman government!  Quick, tell General Belisarius to take command of the loyal Roman armies in that area!

 

    Um, sir.  He’s already on his way to India.

 

What’s To Like...

    In the Heart of Darkness is the second book in a 6-book series co-authored by David Drake and Eric Flint.  The series is based on a historical military commander of the 6^th-century Byzantine Empire.  The authors imagine an alternate timeline wherein Belisarius is aided by an entity from the future.

 

    There are two main plot threads, as hinted at in the introduction.  The setting for the first part of the book takes is almost exclusively India, with just a few cutaways to the Empress Theodora and Belisarius’s wife Antonina, back in Constantinople.  Both those ladies are badass dudettes, neither of whom you’d want to get into a fight with.  In the second half of the book, Belisarius returns to Constantinople to deal with the coup d’etat.

 

    I enjoyed the settings in both India and the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6^th-century.  They felt real to me, and introduced me to empires and historical figures that I knew little or nothing about.  In the Heart of Darkness is an ambitious blend of Historical-Fiction and Alt-History, two of my favorite genres.

 

    Most of Belisarius’s successes are due to his own well-reasoned unpredictability, but he occasionally gets advice from “Aide”, a futuristic spirit, probably computer generated, hiding out in an amulet Belisarius wears on a chain around his neck.  Aide’s insight is valuable, but limited.  His chief contribution is gunpowder, something unknown in our 6^th-century world.  But his attempts to get Belisarius to make mechanized rocket launchers is fruitless because back then the manufacturing technology was quite limited.

 

    The ending, detailing the resolution of the coup d’etat, covers about the last quarter of the book, yet didn’t feel drawn out because it was exciting and action-packed, with the future of the Byzantine Empire hanging in the balance.  The Epilogue updates a number of plot threads, and presumably sets up the next book in the series.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

    Bolides (n., pl.) : very large meteors which explode in the atmosphere.

    Others: Talus slope (n.); Debouched (v.); Epicanthic (adj.), Dacoits (n., pl.).

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.6*/5, based on 487 ratings and 83 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.21*/5, based on 2,682 ratings and 52 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “How do you get off this foul beast?” hissed the Empress.

    “Allow me, Your Majesty,” said Maurice.  The hecatontarch came forward with a stool in his hand.  He quieted the horse with a firm hand and a few gentle words.  Then, after placing the stool, assisted the Empress in clambering down to safety.

    Once on the ground, Theodora brushed herself off angrily.

    “Gods—what a stink!  Not you, Maurice.  The filthy horse.”  The Empress glowered at her former mount.  “They eat these things during sieges, I’ve heard.”

    Maurice nodded.

    “Well, that’s something to look forward to,” she muttered.  (pg. 229)

 

    “I know that crowd, Maurice.  I grew up with them.  Forty thousand Hippodrome thugs can swamp less than a thousand soldiers—but not without suffering heavy casualties.  Especially in the front ranks.”

    She pointing (sic) toward the mob.

    “I guarantee you, Maurice, they know it as well as we do.  And every single one of that crowd, right this very moment, is making the same vow.”

    She laughed, harshly.  “‘Victory!’  is just their official battle cry.  The real one—the private, silent one—is: you first!  Anybody but me!”  (pg. 414)

 

Kindle Details…

    In the Heart of Darkness does not appear to be available as a standalone e-book, although you can purchase it as part of a 2-book bundle that includes Book One, An Oblique Approach, for $8.99.  Curiously, the other five books in the series are all available as discrete e-books, and cost $6.99 apiece.

 

“God, my husband has the worst taste in generals!”  (pg. 51)

    The use of profanity is light; just 8 instances in the first 25% of the book.  Most of those were of the milder ilk, but one was an f-bomb, which always feels out of place to me when the setting is the ancient world.  The expletive f**k simply wasn’t around until the 16^th century or so.  Other R-rated stuff includes several allusions to “adult situations”.

 

    The authors use a lot of historical technical jargon in the text, such as “negusa nagast”, a title for an Ethiopian prince.  I liked the “realism” it imparted to the text, but a glossary of historical terms would have been handy.  Typos were sparse; just a couple of plural/singular slips: introduction/introductions and resident/residents.  And there was a chase scene which went on way too long.

 

    More serious is the fact that the first half of the book (set in India) seemed completely irrelevant to the second half (set in Constantinople).  I got the feeling I was reading something that was originally conceived as two separate novellas, then got squished together to make a full-length novel.

 

    But if you like reading about diplomatic intricacies and you persevere through the never-ending chase, you’ll be treated to a great finish, replete with lots of thrills-&-spills, and where the bad guys are just as resourceful as the good guys.

 

    8 Stars.  One last thing.  I think this is one of those series where you really want to read it in order.  I didn’t.  Learn from my mistake and buy the Books-One-&-Two bundle at Amazon.