Over a month, time for a procrastination update...
Recently Read SF/F:
The Wizard's Tale (Kurt Busiek, children's fantasy/graphic novel, Nook via Hoopla): The disappointing final heir to a long line of evil wizards, Bafflerog just can't seem to get the hang of dark magic. His magical minions look like cute critters instead of nasty demons, and his foul thunderstorms turn into gentle rains, complete with - horror of horrors - rainbows! He has but one final chance to redeem himself (and escape horrible death) at the hands of the council of evil wizards: recover the lost Book of Worse, the spellbook that contains enough evil magic to destroy the last vestiges of hope and light in the land. But Bafflerog can't help having second thoughts as he sets out on his quest...
The story arc is pretty obvious, but the illustrations are full of fun little details and the MC's the sort of lovably bumbling wizard kids should enjoy. Kind of charming and fun if you don't expect too much out of it.
All These Worlds (The Bobiverse trilogy Book 3, Dennis E. Taylor, SF, paperback): The human-turned-AI Bob and his "descendants", immortal space probes exploring the stars, continue to scatter the remnants of humanity to new worlds, even as they prepare for a final confrontation with the locustlike alien Others... but is this all the future holds for them, being glorified taxis for the squabbling "ephemerals" who constructed them?
A good conclusion to a good trilogy, it maintains the throwback sense of wonder feel that I so enjoyed about the previous installments. As generations continue to age and die, the Bobs must confront their immortality, and the fact that they're not human anymore... and maybe shouldn't keep thinking of themselves as such. Meanwhile, the relentless Others are on their way to Sol, to harvest Earth as payback for the Bobs' attack. Quite enjoyable.
William and the Lost Spirit (Gwen de Bonneval, middle-grade? fantasy/graphic novel, Nook via Hoopla): In medieval times, the death of William's heretic father leaves their mother seeking comfort (and status) with a corrupt senschal... but William's older sister insists that their father isn't dead, merely lost in the spirit world. When she runs away, he knows she's gone to find him - but does he have to courage to follow his dad's Church-defying path?
The premise had promise, and I enjoyed the imaginative illustrations, but it got a bit too preachy, with an ending that invalidated much of the earlier journey. William's also a rather dense hero. Still, if you enjoy old-school medieval-flavored fantasy - William's spirit world visit hearkens back to old traveler's tales, with tribes of headless humans and a twisted version of Prester John's fantastical kingdom - it might be worth a look.
Currently Reading SF/F:
Traitor's Blade (The Greatcoats series Book 1, Sebastien De Castell, fantasy, paperback): Falcio achieved a childhood dream when he became First Cantor of the king's legendary Greatcoats, the roving purveyors of justice... but rebellious dukes struck the man down and cast the Greatcoats into ignomy. While others lose faith in themselves, he struggles to fulfill his king's final mission in the hopes that it can restore the world he knew, and the honor he still holds dear.
A fantastical take on the Three Musketeers, it has a fun, swashbuckling flavor to it. I'm enjoying it so far, at least.
The Down Home Zombie Blues (Linnea Sinclair, romance/SF, Nook via Overdrive): When Florida cop Theo meets alien zombie-hunter Jorie, sparks fly... and monsters attack.
It looked lightweight, with a promisingly independent and strong FMC, but so far it's deteriorated terribly; the story never wastes a chance to undercut the independence of Jorie and other females and emphasize the power and dominance of males, even backwards "nil-world" males who never even knew about zombies or aliens until both fell into his life on the same night. At this point, I fear I'm largely reading just to review it as a warning to others... which is a shame, as it still has the potential to be something more than it's become.
). I'm not enjoying this book as much as I enjoyed Beauty, but it's still very good.
