Wine of Violence - Priscilla Royal

    2004; 249 pages.  New Author? : Yes.  Genre : Murder Mystery.  Book #1 of the Medieval Mystery series.  Overall Rating : 7½*/10.

    The priory at Tyndal is a rather unusual place in 1270 AD England.  For starters it is co-ed – both monks and nuns dwell there.  Second, a prioress leads the community, not a prior.  And thirdly, someone has just killed one of the brothers, and in a most grisly fashion.

     The story opens with the passing away of the reigning prioress (the elderly Sister Felicia).  Taking her place is young, inexperienced Eleanor of Wynethorpe, who is more of a political appointment than a spiritual one.  To say the monks and nuns give her an icy reception is an understatement.  But newly-arrived Brother Thomas is kind enough to her.  Even though he seems to have ulterior motives and bears heavy personal secrets.

What’s To Like...

    Priscilla Royal strikes a nice mystery/history balance in Wine of Violence.  She also weaves several modern-day issues into the story – gays, bulimia, equal rights for women, and the various scandals confronting the Catholic Church today.  Purists might feel this detracts from the historical accuracy, but I thought it was a fresh and intriguing approach.

     There is a nice cast of characters to get to know, and Thomas, Eleanor, and the Crowner (coroner) Ralf make a good team to build a series around.  The prologue and epilogue are kewl, and clues and evidence are periodically found (albeit more by happenstance than by sleuthing), which keeps the storyline from bogging down.

     The mystery portion of the story could be done better.  I kept waiting for a “twist” and it never came.  The author overuses the word “cert”, and the historical depiction is not as compelling as in Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter’s Brother Cadfael series.   Then again, no one has the academic historical background that Pargeter did, and Priscilla Royal’s efforts to “set the scene” are more than adequate to make the tale believable.

 Kewlest New Word...

    By-Blow : A man’s illegitimate child  (British).

 Excerpts...

    ”Sister Anne’s a trial to us, I’m afraid.  What did you think of her?”
    Thomas hesitated.  “Indeed, I have not had your long experience with her, but she did seem very... perhaps direct is the word?”
    “Immodest or ill-advised are better ones.  Has an unwomanly arrogance about her, which you will learn from your work at the hospital.  Her judgement is unsound and she will not listen to those wiser than she,”    (loc. 901)

    “There can never be two lords over one land, my brother says.”
    “Surely enough time has passed to forget which family has been here longer and to whom our kin owed allegiance so long ago?  A good man is a good man whether he be Norman or English.”
    “Nay, my lady.  One man sees goodness in another only if there is trust, and trust can only exist between equals, my brother says.  My family is not on equal footing with yours.  We hold none of you in fiefdom.  Again, I believe these to be my brother’s words.”
    “So you fear us still?”
    “And you, us.  There is a lack of trust, my lady.”  (loc.2374)

Kindle Details...

    Wine of Violence sells for $9.99 at Amazon, which seems a bit steep to me.  Amazon sells the paperback for $11.10, and the  Hardcover, not available at Amazon, goes for $14.89.

 “Death cares naught for goodness, beauty, innocence nor wit.  In the end, we shall all stink just the same.”  (loc. 1175)

    This series will inevitably be compared to the Brother Cadfael books, which are mentioned in both the Amazon blurb and Priscilla Royal’s forward to Wine of Violence.  Both series are based in Medieval England, in a religious community, and have the main sleuth as a member of that order.

    But unlike the Brother Cadfael stories, Wine of Violence is not a cozy.   There is coarse language, various sexual situations (although no overt sex that I recall), and all of the players, including our heroes, struggle with some downright earthly feelings and actions.  People sensitive about such scandalous behavior among God’s chosen might find this book abrasive, but who’s to say such wasn’t the case in medieval cloisters?

 
    If you’re looking for a fresh set of Ellis Peters cozies, you’ll be disappointed in Wine of Violence.  But I’m kinda happy with Priscilla Royal giving her own treatment to Medieval Murder-Mysteries instead of copying someone else.   7½ Stars.

The Broken Sword - Joseph Robert Lewis

     2011; 262 pages. New Author? : Yes. Genre : Action-Adventure. Book #2 of the Halcyon series. Overall Rating : 7½*/10.

    Don Lorenzo Quesada de Gadir has sworn he’ll never kill again. That’s somewhat of a handicap since he is by profession a master swordsman and by reputation a hero. But all is well; he has retired from active derring-do and is now content to run a martial training academy, teaching his new, sword-of-mercy technique.

    Alas, others just won’t let him alone. His rivals send opponents to try to defeat him in duels. His friends keep showing up, on the run from the authorities. And the storytellers want their heroes to continue to perform deeds that can be twisted and sensationalized into newspaper-selling legends.

What’s To Like...
     There is a deft blending of genres, including Steampunk, Alt-History, and Fantasy. But the overlying genre is Action Adventure. Indeed, I don’t think there was a single page that didn’t have fighting, chasing, or intrigue; or at least someone plotting to do one of those.

     The world-building is both unique and satisfying. Joseph Robert Lewis gives you the 19^th-century western Mediterranean, but in a world where the Ice Age is still in full swing. So places like England and Germany are under the glaciers, and Spain, Italy and Morocco are in a temperate region where snow is not uncommon.

    An anti-killing hero is a nice change-of-pace. So are the domesticated saber-tooth tiger (Atoq) and some sort of giant walking bird (Wayra) that you can ride on at a goodly clip. The ending is decent, if not spectacular. And even though it is part of a series, The Broken Sword can be read as a standalone book. There are some back-references to Book 1 (which I haven’t read), which apparently involves a conquistador expedition to the New World. But none of the references are vital to this story.

Kewlest New Word...
    Diestro : (Spanish, noun) Literally, a matador. But here it is used to indicate someone masterful in wielding a sword. Which does apply to a matador.

Excerpt...

    Lorenzo backed away and sheathed his own sword. “Master de Medici, you can take your hilt and go in peace. But leave the blade. That’s forfeit. That’s the price of your lesson.”
Silvio stumbled upright and swallowed. “That’s it? That’s your style? That’s your vaunted philosophy of combat?”
“Yes.” Lorenzo pointed at the blade on the floor. “One less sword in the world. And maybe one wiser man in it as well.” (loc. 156)

“We’re looking for a Mazigh airship crew. The good admiral wants to have a word with their corpses.” (loc. 760)

Kindle Details...

    The Broken Sword sells for $3.99 at Amazon. At the moment, Book 1, The Burning Sky, is free. The third book in this series, The Bound Soul, is also $3.99.

“(A) man who has no loyalty to anyone is a danger to everyone.” (loc. 2636)
     There are some weaknesses. Two characters get killed for no discernible reason, having accomplished nothing critical. Why write them into the tale? The non-stop action hinders character development, although I don’t think that’s all that important in this type of story.

    More worrying are the deus ex machinas that keep cropping up. Somehow, while on the road searching for a fiery Ultimate Artifact that he’s never seen, Don Lorenzo cleverly devises a harness to capture and transport it, and it works like a charm. Atoq-the-Sabertooth shows up at some most convenient times to save Don Lorenzo’s non-violent butt. The bad guy is way too easily persuaded to give up critical items. And a single good guy swims to a floating enemy warship, boards it from a handy, unguarded, sea-level platform, sneaks through the unguarded, unlocked door, and wreaks havoc on the ship's steering system.

    But these are quibbles. The Broken Sword was a fun read from start to finish. Nothing deep or highbrow. Just an exciting tale. 7½ Stars.

The Tortilla Curtain - T.C. Boyle

    1995; 355 pages.  New Author? : Yes.  Genre : Contemporary Fiction.  Overall Rating : 2*/10.

    The Tortilla Curtain is the story of two couples dwelling in the Topanga Canyon region of greater Los Angeles.  Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher are affluent whites living in the upscale enclave called Arroyo Blanco.  Candido Rincon and his wife, America, are illegal immigrants living out in the nearby desert.

    The book begins with Candido getting run over and seriously injured by Delaney in his posh Acura.  Things turn bad for Delaney after that.  Candido’s luck was already in the gutter.  

What’s To Like...

    The writing style is good.  Delany has studied French, and that’s always a plus.  If you happen to be a member of a Tea-Bagger Book Club (is there is such a thing?), this would be an excellent book for the group.

 What’s Not To Like...

    The Tortilla Curtain may be well-written, but it’s a lousy story.  The plot never advances – bad things just keep happening to our two couples, and that’s it.

     There is crass stereotyping of unbelievable proportions.   T.C. Boyle evidently hates anyone who isn’t white, and despises all those he deems “liberal” as well.  The entire Arroyo Blanco community is liberal.  How statistically incredible!  Every “liberal” cliché is used – relaxation tapes, sushi, Kyra having a hyphenated last name, etc.  Someone taught the author about 30 words and phrases in Spanish, and he uses them over and over again.  Huaraches, gabacho, bracero, pelirrojo.  Thank goodness there’s no sequel.

    The events of the book prey upon every wing-nut’s racial fears and prejudices.  There’s a pair of Mexican toughs that somehow manage to threaten and/or accost all four main characters in separate incidents.   You can tell it’s them because one of them wears a baseball cap backwards.

Kewlest New Word...

Crepitated : making a crackling or popping sound.

 Excerpts...

    It wasn't French he was speaking, that was for sure.  And it wasn't Norwegian.  The United States didn't share a two-thousand-mile border with France - or with Norway either.  The man was Mexican, Hispanic, that's what he was, and he was speaking Spanish, a hot, crazed drumroll of a language to which Delaney's four years of high-school French gave him little access.  "Docteur?" he tried.  (pg. 8)

    "I hate granola," Jordan countered, and it was like a Noh play, timeless ritual.
    "It's good for you."
    "Yeah, sure."  Jordan made an exaggerated slurping sound, sucking the milk through his teeth.
    "Think of all the little children who have nothing to eat," Kyra said without looking up, and Jordan, sticking to the script, came right back at her: "Let's send them this."  (pg. 35)

That was the American way.  Buy something.  Feel good.  (pg. 149)
    Here’s the gist of what T.C. Boyle postulates in The Tortilla Curtain :

(01) All Southern Californians are crazy.

(02) All rich Southern Californians are naïve, liberal-humanists.
(03) All liberal-humanists are racial hypocrites.  Scratch them and they’ll discover they are bigots, just like every other white person.
(04) Most illegal Mexicans in the US are evil.  They will harass white folks and assault other Hispanics.
(05) Some illegal Mexicans are good.  But they are dumb, dirt-poor, and will eventually steal you blind.
(06)  It would be better for everyone if all illegal Mexicans went home.  And stayed there.

    I kept waiting for T.C. Boyle to give The Tortilla Curtain a boffo twist by revealing it was all a spoof.  Or giving it a positive turn as two cultures meet, learn from, and embrace each other.  Heck, I would have been satisfied with a “here’s the tea-bagger solution” ending.  Alas, none of this happened.

    There’s really very little redeeming value to this book  2 Stars.

Wintersmith - Terry Pratchett

    2006; 446 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 3 of the Tiffany Aching series.  Book 35 of the DiscWorld series.  Genre : YA; Comedic Fantasy.  Overall Rating :  8*/10.
 
    13-year-old Tiffany Aching is training to be a witch.  For her enlightenment, her mentor, Miss Treason, takes her to watch the secret Morris Dance.  It’s an interesting dance, with a compelling tempo.  The rhythm gets your toes a-tapping.  Indeed, the it makes you want to get up and join in the merriment.

    Uh-oh.

 What’s To Like...

    A slew of the DiscWorld witches are here, and that’s always a positive.  DEATH also makes a couple appearances.  There are a bunch of 6-inch-tall Smurf-spoofs called Nac Mac Feegles; you’re going to love them.  And don’t forget Horace the Cheese.

     The Feegles all speak with Scottish accents.  That can get old, but it’s better than Igors’ lisps and Vampires’ ersatz German.  Terry Pratchett uses chapters here, which is quite unusual for him.  But he doesn’t forget to include some of his always-entertaining footnotes.  There’s a nice take-off of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, and you’ll be enlightened by how important Boffo is to all witches.

    The ending is good, although not particularly twisty.  And despite being part of a series, you can read Wintersmith as a stand-alone novel.

Kewlest New Word...

Badger Sett : a badger den, usually consisting of a network of tunnels.

Excerpts...

    Witching was turning out to be mostly hard work and really short on magic of the zap!-glingle-glingle-glingle variety.  There was no schooling and nothing that was exactly a lesson.  But it wasn’t wise to try to learn witching all by yourself, especially if you had a natural talent.  If you got it wrong, you could go from ignorant to cackling in a week...  (pg. 21)

      “I was always too busy to pay attention to young men,” said Miss Treason.  “They were always for later and then later was too late.  Pay attention to your young man.”

    “Erm … I did say he’s actually not my –“ Tiffany began, feeling herself start to blush.
    “But do not become a strumpet like Mrs. Ogg,” said Miss Treason.
    “I’m not very musical,” said Tiffany uncertainly.
    Miss Treason laughed.  “You have a dictionary, I believe,” she said.  “A strange but useful thing for a girl to have.”  (pg. 172)

 "I’ve got a Cornucopia and I’m not afraid to use it!”  (pg. 349)

    It’s important to remember the target audience for the Tiffany Aching series – young teenage girls who like to read fantasy.  Adults may find the plotline a bit too straightforward, and guys may be disappointed by the lack of mayhem. But young girls won’t be bothered by the book's “DiscWorld-lite” flavor, and they'll enjoy the “first-love” undertone of the tale.

    Terry Pratchett is a master storyteller, and Wintersmith is no exception.  If you keep in mind for who he was writing this, you will find it an excellent addition to the DiscWorld series.  8 Stars.

Darling Brenda - Richard Herley

    2012; 281 pages.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Historical Romance.  Overall Rating :  8*/10.

     It’s 1955, it’s London, and Brenda Vale is looking for a rich young man to marry.  She has found romance, but unfortunately for her plans, it is in the form of a German girl named Grete.  Can she have her cake and eat it too?

     Nigel Dodd is young and will eventually be rich.  But he still lives at home with his wealthy parents, so his inheritance is a long way off.  And he is happily married.  Well, at least he’s content with it.  So he is hardly a suitable target for Brenda.

     But Fate is about to turn Nigel’s life upside-down.

 

What’s To Like…
    There is drama; there is intrigue; and there is subtle humor.  Yet at its core, Darling Brenda is a love story.  There’s not a lot of action, but Richard Herley laces the plotline with twists and gives you three characters that you will genuinely care for and worry about.  Brenda is jaded; Grete is stoically world-wise; and Nigel has the cluelessness of a Bernie Wooster without a Jeeves to look after him.  They’re all in love (although each defines it a bit differently), and you will find yourself pulling for each one.

    The book is written in “British”, and that’s always a literary treat.  There are some deep insights about same-sex relationships in the 1950’s.  It was not a good time to be (forgive the anachronism) “gay”.  You didn’t have a lot of options other than the closet.

     For me, the biggest delight about Darling Brenda  is the author’s skill in giving lush, detailed descriptions of 1950’s England. You can "sit" on the porch of the Dodd estate, and “see” the lake, the cars, and the surrounding countryside.  At one point, Herley spends a dozen sentences telling you about a pair of candlesticks that have no bearing on the story.  I ate it up.  

    Some of the nuances of the intrigue eluded me, but that’s neither here nor there.  The bad guys want money; Nigel doesn’t have it.  The rationale for why they think Nigel should pay is not important.  The consequences of failing to pay are.  The ending felt a little forced, yet it was both logical and satisfying.

Kewlest New Word...

    Doolally : Feeble-minded or deranged (Britishism.  Is that a kewl word or what?!)

 

Excerpts...

    Brenda began to wonder if she had made a mistake.  This would deflect her yet further from her ambition: to find and marry some pliable man with money.  So far she had met plenty of men, but few had been pliable, and even fewer had any money.  She liked going to bed with them, perhaps too well; but always there was something else, something better, out there, waiting for her, just as Grete had been waiting today.  (loc. 38)

    "I can't sign this," Nigel said.
    "Why not?"
    "Apart from everything else, it's not even grammatical.  Look.  'To sincerely apologise'.  Unforced split infinitive.  And why a capital letter for 'Client' or 'Purchasers' or 'Property'?  And this is pleonastic.  'Very sorry when there's a regrettable lapse'.  Besides all which, I'd rather hang myself than creep to a man like that."  (loc.1296)

Kindle Details...

    Darling Brenda is $3.99 at Amazon.  Richard Herley's books range from that price all the way down to free (The Stone Arrow), and so far I've enjoyed them all.

 

"O Nigel, you are a chump."  (loc. 3088)

    I’ll be honest; reading Romance novels is not my shtick.  But this is not some sappy Harlequin lust story (*) ; it is a powerful piece of historical drama.  And I confess that Darling Brenda was a page-turner for me.  As much for the vivid scenes of England as for finding out how both the business and the love tangles were going to be resolved.

    8 Stars.  Add another star if you actually like to read Romance.

(*) : That genre is left to my wife.  I read a line from the book she’s currently reading last night.  It went something like this : “His powerful tongue split her lips like a knife.”  Argh.

Wolves of the Calla - Stephen King

    2003; 925 freakin' pages.  Book 5 of “The Dark Tower” series.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Fantasy.  Overall Rating :  8*/10.

    The wolves are coming!  Riding horses and forcibly taking one of every set of twins in Calla Bryn Sturgis.  And when they’re done with their hostages, they return the kids to the farming town as drooling idiots.

    Since almost all births in Calla Bryn Sturgis are sets of twins, this is a dire situation.  As Luck would have it (or is it Fate?) Roland and his ka-tet are passing nearby.  Perhaps they can be persuaded to fight for the farmers.  Perhaps this time, no children have to be sacrificed.

 What’s To Like…

    As always, Stephen King spins a gripping story, filled with twists, details, and fascinating new characters.  Here, our four gunslingers become Magnificent Seven-type stand-ins, organizing the defense of the town, and training the farmers (and their wives) to show some spine.  But it’s also an opportunity for Roland’s apprentice gunslingers to do some growing.

    There are a ton of threads.  Some – such as who are the wolves, why do they only take one of the twins, and why do they lobotomize them – are answered in the story.  Some – such as Susannah getting another personality and what 19 or 99 portend – are left dangling.  Some – such as muffin balls and the commala – are just there for the reader’s enjoyment.

    The setting hops back and forth from the New York City of our world to Calla Bryn Sturgis of Roland’s.  It works smoothly.  The story builds to an exciting and satisfying climax.  Yeah, it’s also a cliffhanger ending, but that’s par for the Stephen King course in this series.

Kewlest New Word…

Anomie : A lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group.

 

Excerpts…
    (T)ime had likewise begun to soften.  There were days Eddie could have sworn were forty hours long, some of them followed by nights (like the one on which Roland had taken them to Mejis) that seemed even longer.  Then there would come an afternoon when it seemed you could almost see darkness bloom as night rushed over the horizon to meet you.  Eddie wondered if time had gotten lost.  (pgs. 45-6)

 

    Once before, the gunslinger had stood on this stage and danced the commala and won their hearts.  Did Tian doubt that Roland would win their hearts again?  In truth, Tian did not.  What he was afraid of in his heart was that this time it would be a death-dance instead of a life-dance.  Because death was what this man and his friends were about; it was their bread and wine.  It was the sherbet they took to clear their palates when the meal was done.  (pg. 784)

"(F)irst the smiles, then the lies.  Last comes gunfire."  (pg. 768)

      If Wizard and Glass (Book IV) was a humongous back-story, Wolves of The Calla (Book V) is an even longer side-story.  And as good of a tale as this is, you have to ask yourself why Roland and his ka-tet  go off on an adventurous tangent for a whole month while the fate of the Dark Tower (and the world) hangs in the balance.  Entertaining it is.  Logical it ain’t.
 

    I enjoyed Wolves of The Calla.  It kept my attention for 925 pages, and that’s a testimony to Stephen King’s storytelling skills.  But Books 6 and 7 are not on my TBR shelf, and I’m thinking it’s time for me to part ways with this series.  8 Stars if you read it as a stand-alone.  Subtract 2 stars if you were expecting to see any progress in the Great Quest.

Alt Hist Issue 2 - edited by Mark Lord

    2011; 90 pages.  New Author(s)? : Yes.  Genre : Anthology; Hist. Twist.  Full Title : Alt Hist Issue 2 : The Magazine of Historical Fiction and Alternate History.  Overall Rating : 6*/10.

    Eight short stories, plus three book reviews.  What ties them together are their historical settings, ranging in time from ancient Egypt to World War 1.  The stories vary in length, in sub-genre, and frankly in quality.  But that is to be expected in any anthology.

    The usual Hammy's Books format doesn't work well for compilations, so instead...

The Stories & Sub-Genres...
(1) Long Nights in Languedoc - Horror, Humor
(2) The Apollo Mission - Alt. History
(3) Son of Flanders - Whodunit
(4) In Cappadocia - Inner Terror
(5) The Orchid Hunters - Thriller
(6) Death in Theatre - Internal Psych
(7) The Scarab of Thutmose - Fantasy, Intrigue
(8) The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Fantasy

   All the tales qualify as Historical Fiction.  For me, (1), (2), (5), and (7) were the best of the bunch.  YMMV.

Kewlest New Word...
Doxy : a mistress or lover (pejorative)

Excerpts...
    "Sir Richard."  Tobias tried not to raise his voice.  Never show a wild beast fear, his grandfather had said.  Of course, the old codger died trampled by a boar, so maybe his wasn't the best advice.
    (...) "Look at them," Tobias said, still backing away.  "They're huge."
    "All the more glory for us when we defeat them."  Sir Richard held out a hand, blocking Tobias's retreat.  "Show some spine."
    "They'll show my spine if I stick around.  Most of my ribs, too."  (loc. 298)

    "Ooh that feels almost as good as dancing."  Seti leaned back in his ivory chair.  "I told you before I'm fed up with my duties.  What do I care about snails in the Nile that are wrecking the fishing industry?  I just want to dance like a lovely maiden and enjoy life."  Springing up he spread his arms and twirled like a top, his kilt of silk flying up around his slender thighs.
    "Indeed you have a gift for the Goddess Hathor," Amenhotep said diplomatically.  "Our lady of pleasure and drunkenness loves you."  (loc. 1444)

Kindle Details...
    Issue 2 was, and still is, a free download at Amazon.  Issues 1, 3, and 4 range in price from $3.99 to $6.99.  Issue 4 came out in late May, and it looks like the magazine is published every six months or so.  So the next issue will probably come out in October/November.

"Nobody should drink beer this morning and tumble into the Nile."  (loc. 1632)
    At 90 pages, Alt Hist Issue 2 is a very short book, made even worse by the fact that there are three book reviews at the end that you probably won't care about.  Since it's free, I have no quibble, but I don't think I'd pay several dollars for the other, equally-short issues.

    There is very little Alt History.  Yeah, I know, read the fine print in the subtitle, Hammy.  All the stories are grounded in Historical Fiction, and varying the sub-genres helped keep things interesting.  Therefore, I dub a selection of stories like this to be Historical Twists, which I'll shorten to Hist Twist for poetic reasons.

    If you like to read History, and you don't mind it blended with other genres, you will find this a worthwhile book.  If your taste is for "pure" Alt-History, however, you should probably give it a pass.

     It's always hard to rate an Anthology, since you know going in that some of the stories will resonate with you more than others.  We'll give this 6 Stars, cuz it's way too short, but there is some good stuff here.

The Earth Goddess - Richard Herley

    1984; 256 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 3 of The Pagans trilogy.  Genre : Historical Adventure.  Overall Rating : 7½*/10.

    Time marches on.  The Hunter-Gatherer tribes are no more.  Paoul, Tagart's adopted son, is taken in by the "civilized" people and is destined for the Red Priesthood.

    The Hunter-Gatherers would be appalled.  The farming and mining communities are dangerous enemies; the Flint Lord's soldiers even more so.   But the Red Priests, with their tattooed 5-pointed stars on the left hands, are said by Tagart to be the most-feared of all.  Time marches on.

What's To Like...
    The Earth Goddess has a different tone than the first two books of this series (reviewed here and here).  The focus is now on Religion, so not surprisingly, there is a lot less fighting and killing.  Indeed, after an initial spate of it, most of the subsequent bloodshed occurs offscreen.

    Richard Herley sets this third book about 8 years after Book 2.  Tagart, Fodich, and Lord Hewzane serve as a bridge between the two novels.  Rian and Ika also have lesser roles.  For the most part, we are treated to a new cast of characters, and new lands to explore.  Paoul, the hero, is not of Tagart's bloodline, and that's a nice change-of-pace.  Like Tagart, he has his flaws.

    Despite the paucity of gore, TEG is not a boring read.  The writing is strong, and the pace, with one exception (the details of the Red Priests' dogma), moves along at a nice clip.   The major characters are well-developed (maybe that's the upside to less bloodshed), and there are some deep insights about Religion in this story that are still applicable today.

    The ending seemed a bit hurried to me, but it had some neat twists and there is a kewl epilogue.  All the major plotlines (Paoul's heritage, religion, and love issues; plus Hothen's lot) are tied up,  I like this better than some other neverending series I've read (WoT, GRRM).

Kewlest New Word...
Stultifying : causing to appear foolish or absurd.

Excerpts...
    "I ... I want to know why I have been brought here.  Am I ... am I to be sacrificed?"
    The old priest looked amused.  "What gives you that idea?"
    "I once heard someone say..."
    "Say what?"
    "That children were sacrificed to the Earth Mother.  By the red priests.  By you."
    "I'm sorry to disappoint you.  Here we cut no throats at all."  (loc. 761)

    "Pagans", they were called; but who were the real heathens, the criminals who abused the greatest faculty of man?  There could be no going back to the forests.  It was too late for that.  The marvels of Tagart's age had gone.  Man was coming to another age, not of decay, as the Order so cynically had it, but of potential unfulfilled.  It never could be fulfilled if he were deprived of the single faculty on which the world's welfare hinged, the faculty indivisible from that which Paoul loved and worshipped most in Yseld: the human spirit.  (loc. 3065)

Kindle Details...
  I bought The Earth Goddess for $2.99 at Amazon.  Book 2, The Flint Lord, is also $2.99.  Book 1, The Stone Arrow, is free for the downloading.  You really can't ask for a better deal than that.

"Above all, remember Gauhm."  (loc. 1019)
    For me, the overlying theme throughout this trilogy was the merits of civilization (as we define it) versus the merits of those who we would call savages/pagans.  The first book examines farming vs. hunting as a lifestyle.  In Book 2, the focus is on the two sides' abilities in warfare.  And here, the topic is an organized religion vs. nature worship.

    In each case, the pagans acquit themselves admirably.  Yet their victories are bittersweet and Pyrrhic.  Hunter-Gatherers may survive a single encounter, but in the long run, the Agrarian way of life always wins out.

    I enjoyed The Earth Goddess, in part bacause the other reviews at Amazon alerted me to the change in tone.  For that matter, I enjoyed the trilogy as a whole.  7½ Stars for TEG; 8 Stars for the series.

The Philosophical Strangler - Eric Flint

    2001; 432 pages.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Comedic Fantasy.  Book #1 in the Joe's World series.  Overall Rating : 5½*/10.

    Make way for the foremost strangulations-for-hire enterprise in New Sfinctr : the brains & brawn duo of Ignace and Greyboar.  The latter does the deeds and the former handles the business end.

    Lately, Greyboar's been smitten by a new fancy - Philosophy.  And when you're more interested in achieving the cosmic states of Languor, Torpor, and Stupor than squeezing off breathing passages, it's bound to impact the profits.

What's To Like...
    There are a bunch of fascinating characters besides Ignace and Greyboar.  Cat is a myopic swordswoman looking to wreak vengeance on someone named Schrodinger.  Jenny and Angela are a pair of sexy, gay nymphs ("bi", actually, if Ignace is to be believed).  Hrundig is a barbarian mercenary who will remind you of Pratchett's Cohan.  Benvenuti "Benny" Piccolomini is a handsome artist, and the ex-BF of Gwendolyn, the fearsome sister of Greyboar.

    The text is rich with witty aphorisms, and there's a neat, hilarious, and totally useless  map.  The book is written in the first-person, courtesy of Ignace's cynical view of life.

    The Philosophical Strangler spoofs philosophy (natch), epic fantasy, Dante's Inferno, and even Quantum Physics.  But there are also some more serious topics, including racism (dwarf pogroms) and organized religion(s).

Kewlest New Word...
Hoyden : a boisterous, bold, and carefree girl.

Excerpts...
    Then, thankfully, my pain was eased because business hit what would have been a dry spell for us anyway, because Greyboar wouldn't have taken any of the six commissions offered to burke Amelie.  Tough cookie, Amelie.  She hired stranglers to strangle stranglers, and managed to stay unchoked for a fortnight.  But then she died of poisoning.
    The dry spell would have continued, however, because the courts ruled that the last sister on that side of the family - Arianne - was the heir.  But Arianne only lasted a day.  Committed suicide.  Stabbed herself twelve times in the back.  (pg. 142)

    I prepared for the worst.  Just about the very absolute worst I could imagine.  I'd never thought I'd die of old age in a bed, mind you.  But still!  Being devoured by an ogre in a sewer was a bit much.
    Suddenly, the monster sniffed again.  Then again.  I realized it had detected the odor of the cheese in the knapsack.  Nasty, gooey stuff, it was.  Jenny and Angela had scrounged it up just before we left.  Neither Greyboar nor I had touched the crap, after taking one look at it.  I cringed.
    "Camembert!" squealed the horror.  "And I've got just the wine for it, too!  A nice little pinot noir I've been saving!"  (pg. 353)

"Folly ever comes cloaked in opportunity," as the wise man says.  (pg. 7)
    For all its pluses, TPS lacks one key element - a plotline.  The book comes off more like a series of short stories that are all pretty much the same.  The humor gets repetitive and the only plot progression is Greyboar getting more and more choosy about what business propositions to accept, based on his "professional ethics".

    Fortunately, Eric Flint's writing skills keep things from becoming completely boring, and about 2/3 of the way through, we finally get to the Dante-esque quest, which is long enough to qualify as a plotline.  But there is a lot of meh to trudge through first.

  The Philosophical Strangler will never be considered Eric Flint's masterpiece - that would be 1632, reviewed here.  One senses that the author would agree.  He put out one sequel - Forward The Mage - then let the series grind to a halt.  5½ Stars.

Vaetra Unveiled - Daniel R. Marvello

    2012; 296 pages.  Genre : Fantasy.  Book #1 of The Vaetra Chronicles.  New Author? : Yes.  Overall Rating : 5*/10.

    Jaylan Forester has a decent life.  He's part-owner of an inn in Northtown, and a guard-for-hire with Raven Company, a local mercenary group.

    Then a cryptic note, "Need help.  Meet at inn.  Can pay." introduces him to new people and new places.  Ah, but it also reveals a terrifying self-truth.  Jaylan may have sorcery talents!

What's To Like...
    Vaetra Unveiled is comprised of three mini-quests : find a lost thief; find a lost boy; and look into a late shipment.  The setting has a "northern Canadian woodlands" feel, and that's a pleasant change-of-pace.  The chapters are a mix of first-person perspective (Jaylan's POV), and third-person (anybody else's POV), and I can't recall any other book that uses that template.

    Vaetra is Daniel Marvello's term for Magic, and we can expect it to be a central theme in the series.  But the locals, including Jaylan, view it with mistrust, something to be shunned, and if detected in oneself, something to be suppressed.  Our hero wrestles with this thoughout the story.

    Vaetra Unveiled is a very clean novel.  There is no sex, no booze, no cussing, and no drugs.  Indeed, the second mini-quest carries a strong anti-drug message. There is one incident of nudity, entirely gratuitous and unneeded.  One gets the feeling the target audience is tweener boys.

Excerpts...
    It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going to happen next.  I was starting to understand why sorcery was so widely reviled.  Powerful and manipulative people always raised my ire, but this was manipulative power taken to a new level.  Someone had to stop the Lord Thoron's (sic) of the world from preying on people who had no sorcery to defend themselves.  (loc. 2582)

    "I can see you care for him."
    Sulana blinked.  "What?  Care for him?  I... respect him.  But it's nothing more than that."
    Ebnik raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.  Daven grimaced and looked at the ground.
    Sulana looked back and forth between them.  "Really?  Why should you think that?  I hardly know him!"
    "Exactly," Daven said under his breath.
    Ebnik nodded with a knowing smirk.  "As you say."  (loc. 2983)

Kindle Details...
    Vaetra Unveiled is available at Amazon for $2.99.  This is the only book offered by Daniel Marvello, although I gather he is currently working on its sequel.

"Every goal has a price.  It's up to you to decide of the price is worth achieving the goal."  (loc. 1014)
    Regrettably, I found the writing and story-telling in Vaetra Unveiled to be pedestrian.  The action is minimal and often misplaced.  The most exciting clash involves a not-too-bright troll with a death wish, and the incident turns out to be irrelevant to the storyline.

    The mini-quests are far from epic, and each of them provided several missed opportunities for added adventure and excitement.  There are too many coincidences and too many spur-of-the-moment sentences.

    First efforts by writers are often rough around the edges, and Vaetra Unveiled is no exception.  But the world created by Daniel Marvello is too interesting to discard, and one can only speculate about how the unique role of sorcery will be handled in subsequent books in the series.  Here's hoping the author continues to hone his writing skills.

    5 Stars.  Add another 2½ stars if you're a 10-13 year-old boy who likes to read Hardy Boys mysteries.

In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner - Elizabeth George

    1999; 716 pages.  Genre : Police Procedural.  Book 10 (out of 17) of the Inspector Lynley series.  New Author? : Yes.  Overall Rating : 7*/10.

    In Derbyshire, at the Nine Sisters Henge (see book cover), the bodies of a pair of hikers are discovered.  Curiously, they were killed with different weapons and in somewhat different locations.  The young man died of multiple stab wounds, and within the circle of stones.  The young woman died from a blow to the head, about 100 yards outside the henge.

    Curiously, they didn't appear to know each other.  So, one killer or two?  Connected or not?  What are the motives, and where are the murder weapons?

What's To Like...
    In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner is a police procedural, and that's probably my favorite sub-genre of Crime Fiction.  The twist here is that there are three detectives, each strong-willed, and each with tunnel vision about his/her pet theory.  Egos clash, especially between Lynley and his former police partner, Barbara Havers.  I found this a bit overdone, but I suspect that's because I'm not reading the series in order.

    I like the setting - the moors of rural England.  Elizabeth George provides a handy map of the local area so you can find your way around.  The suspects and motives are varied and interesting; so are the cops.  It apparently is a lot easier to get a search warrant and rough up a suspect while interrogating him in the UK, compared to here.

    There is some clunkiness.  A critical piece of clothing is left in a hotel hallway, while a similar article is dumped in a trash bin.  The discovery of the former leads to the latter.  Why not just dump both in the tip?  But for the most part, the investigation unfolds logically.  Our heroes search for clues, run down false leads, and question suspects, all the while making slow but steady progress.

Kewlest New Word...
Rebarbative : repulsive, abhorrent, irritating.  (Rebarbative is the "R" word in the Abecedarian Insult, if you know what that is)

Excerpts...
    "We're richly blessed, Katie," he said to his wife as she sat at the table where Bella was inserting a carrot stick into her sister's right nostril.  Sarah screamed in protest and startled PJ.  He turned from his mother's milk and began to wail.
    Kathleen shook her head wearily.  "It's all in the definition, I dare say."   (pg. 366)

    (H)e wasn't entirely unprepared for the sight of a uniformed constable seated outside the door of Vi Nevin's room.  He was, however, completely unprepared for the appearance of the orange-haired harpy in a crumpled pantsuit who was sitting next to the cop.  She leapt to her feet and came hurtling in Martin's direction the moment she saw him.
    She shrieked, "It's 'im, it's 'im, it's 'im!"  She flew at Martin like a starving hawk with a rabbit in sight, and she sank her talons into the front of his shirt and screeched, "I'll kill you.  Bastard.  Bastard!"  (pg. 534)

"I always like to end my day with a spot of murder."  (pg. 241)
    I think this was my first 700-page whodunit.  The challenge when writing such a tome of course, is in keeping the reader's attention.

    Elizabeth George is an American writer who sets her series in England, and the book is full of Britishisms.  She doles out the clues, the twists, the red herrings, and the wit bit-by-bit, and just when you're getting tired of that routine, she spices things up with some kinky sex practices.

    I can't quite call IPofPS a page-turner, but it did hold me sufficiently intrigued.  The story kept me guessing who did it and why; and the clues are there if you're astute enough to catch them. I wasn't. The resolution of the case did not feel arbitrary, and it was fun to follow the multiple investigations, especially when they became misdirected.

    It was a long read, but worthwhile.  7 Stars.  Add 1 star if you're reading the series in order.

Timepiece - Heather Albano

    2011; 307 pages.  New Author? : Yes.  Genre : Time-Travel, Alt-History, Steampunk, ZombieMania.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    Someone has sent Elizabeth Barton a very strange watch.  Instead of a single face, it has four, one of which even has moving pictures in it (which is astounding, given that this is 1815), and none of which keep the time.

    There's a beautiful fob attached to it, and it has two stems; one on the top, one on the side.  And if you press the top stem all the way down twice, then the side one, the most amazing thing happens...

What's To Like...
    Timepiece is an ambitious mixing of a gob of genres that nevertheless works smoothly.  Most of the settings are in 19th Century England, and the historical places and lifestyle had a convincing feel.  There was also a good understanding of the Battle of Waterloo.  Time-Travel is the featured genre (hence the title), and if I counted right, there are 10 chrono-hops to and from 6 locations.  Alt-History-wise, Heather Albano is not afraid to rewrite a timeline, and that's a delight for any reader of the genre.

    Coming up with believable Time-Travel rules and mechanisms is always a challenge (what happens if I go back in time and kill my parents before I was born?), but they are well-crafted here. The only clunky part was when the novel's self-imposed "you can't be in two places at the same time" rule was broken, but maybe the author painted herself into a corner, and we'll overlook this for the sake of an exciting, coherent storyline.

    The Steampunk parts (the constructs) were very good.  The "Wellies" didn't float my boat, but I'm not big on that genre.  Any novel that has French in it gets a thumbs-up from me, even if I did wince at "de le duc de Wellington".

Kewlest New Word...
Nuncheon : a light meal taken either mid-morning or mid-afternoon, usually consisting of bread, cheese, and beer.

Excerpts...
    The pocket watch arrived on a day when nothing else was engaging Elizabeth's attention: no parties or social calls to prepare for or recover from, nothing but gardening or letter-writing to occupy a young lady's morning.  Or fancy-work, of course, but Elizabeth avoided needles and embroidery frames whenever she could.
    Truth be told, she did not much care for letter-writing either.  To her mother's despair, she had no liking at all for any occupation that required her to sit still.  (loc. 64)

    On the way back from Murchison's, she had spoken a little about her mother the opera singer, and William had heard enough to be fairly certain her plan for "after the war" had not been to settle down with Trevelyan but rather to make tracks for La Scala.
    Not that it mattered what the plan was.  She'd had one.  It was all wrong that people with future plans should die on battlefields.  Particularly when there were so many others who didn't care whether they lived or died.  (loc. 3921)

Kindle Details...
    I bought Timepiece for $0.99 at Amazon; which is still its price.  A sequel, Timekeeper, is in the works; due out late this summer.

Sand in the gears, William thought.  (loc. 4962)
    The ending is best described as adequate, but that seemed inherent due to the "sand in the gears" choice of plot resolution. Some felt it had a trite, "cliffhanger" ending, but I found it to be more like a teaser for the next book, which is fine.  The basic issue in Timepiece is dealing with the Wellies and the Constructs, and that is fully dealt with.

    The strong female lead character and the attention to historical detail reminded me of Mary Gentle's Ash series.  I very much enjoyed those books.  It's nice when the strong female lead is surrounded by also-strong males, not a bunch of wussies.

    Timepiece is a fine first-effort by a talented, up-and-coming writer.  If you're looking for a book that actually focuses on Time-Travel and Alternate History, and is not just a façade for a romance or a mystery, this tale's for you.  8 Stars.