2020 book 219

 Patricia McKillip's The Bell at Sealey Head

Well, this book was a DELIGHT. It has a great cast of characters—an innkeeper who only wants to read; a young woman who wants to be a writer but whose aunt is trying to get her married off to the local rich guy; a housemaid in a house where doors open to another world; a scholar coming to town in search of MAGIC in the form of a mysterious bell that rings every night at sunset, etc. It's funny and sweet and action packed and has some good mystery elements. Great stuff. A.

2020 book 218

 Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca

We're reading this for book club this month, but I feel like I need to preface my comments with a little bit of backstory. So, I've read this once before, in seventh grade English class. I believe we were doing a unit on Gothic literature and read this after Jane Eyre; I imagine this is the book where I learned what FORESHADOWING is. Sadly I did not TAKE IN said lesson on foreshadowing, because one of those awkward memories that haunts me thirty years later is of me not reading the end of this book closely and assuming they were driving into the sunset (clearly I also hadn't read the first several chapters closely, because on this read it's pretty clear that Manderley is no more). This is to say that I went into this read harboring resentful feelings toward the book. And I can guess that 12-year-old Alicia found the endless descriptions of trees or whatever super boring, and definitely skimmed the end, because forty-something Alicia also thought it was a bit dull. The problem is that I read a lot of reviews of the new Netflix movie, because they were hilariously scathing, but then all the major plot points were fresh in my head, which really lowered any suspense the story might have had. But also, everyone in this book sucks (except Beatrice—narrator lady, accept her invitation! She will set you straight and help you!). Like, the narrator sucks for being a sad sack and never having an honest conversation with her husband, Maxim sucks for marrying a girl less than half his age and not at all preparing her for Society and also not having any honest conversations with HER (and also being a murderer), Frank sucks slightly less but he could have certainly set Maxim straight about the narrator's fears, and Mrs Danvers obviously is a stone-cold bitch, but not in a fun way. Anyway this book is a classic but I didn’t like it much, my bad. I am psyched to discuss it, though! B, I guess?

2020 book 217

 Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity

I did mention the other day that reading the latest prequel just made me want to reread the original, so I did, bawling for the last several chapters. Just one of the most gutting books of all time, while also being the story of the awesome friendship between a girl spy and a girl pilot in World War II. Lots of adventure and heart etc, and a reminder that Nazis are bad.

2020 book 216

 Laura Lam and Elizabeth May's Seven Devils

I’d seen a couple of sci fi fans raving about this book, and I’m here for action packed feminist sci-fi, so picked this up. And parts of it were really fun, but a lot of it dragged. It just had too much going on and didn’t come together. Part of the problem is that there are five POV characters who all have present day stories AND flashbacks, and some of them are more effective than others. But also like, there are diminishing returns for the number of heists in a single book. It just kind of feels like it’s spinning its wheels. Also, this is the first of a duology, so the end isn’t really satisfying. A lot of this is very grim (like genocide grim) and I don’t think I’m going to bother with the second one. B/B-.

2020 book 215

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s Masquerade in Lodi

The latest Penric and Desdemona novella is actually set earlier than the last few, but while I was a little disappointed not to see Penric's family, I did like it a lot. It finds Penric, accompanied by a wry young Saint, on the trail of a possessed man. Solid plot and great characters. I always enjoy the Penric-Desdemona interchanges. A-.

2020 book 214

 Elizabeth Wein's The Enigma Game

I don’t know why Wein keeps expanding the Code Name Verity-verse, but this is a fairly strong outing in the series. It focuses on Julie's brother Jamie and her friend Ellen, stationed near each other in 1940, and a new character, Louisa, a biracial girl from Jamaica who's taken a job an an aide to an elderly woman. This is a pretty solid story full of wartime action and intrigue, code-breaking, and identity (Ellen is a Traveler, the old woman is originally from Germany, and many people are racist to Louisa). It took me a little while to buy Louisa's narrative voice (I buy that she wants to help in the war effort but her fascination with planes is just Wein being obsessed with pilot ladies, her usual MO). But eventually it all comes together to a mostly satisfying end. It just makes me want to reread Code Name Verity though. A-/B+.

2020 book 213

 Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman's The Fall of the Kings

This is kind of more depressing/more sinister than I had remembered--I think I just remembered all the academic politics, and not so much the other politics, the spies, and the creepy professor who gets too into his research on ancient (bloody, horny) rituals. I did like how things wrapped up but it does feel ripe for a fourth volume, lots left hanging.

2020 book 212

 Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword

The sequel to Swordspoint is set a few decades later, and focuses on the Mad Duke inviting his niece to live with him—and train with the sword. Obviously political intrigues and duels ensue! My favorite part of this is how all the teen girls are obsessed with a tragic romance novel, so real. And of course the triumphant ending! So good.

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Content warning for mentions of rape.

2020 book 211

 Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint

I’m glad I remembered that I own this book, because it’s just the sort of thing I was in the mood for. It’s about a young man who makes a living sword-fighting, who gets caught up in some political intrigue. It’s basically set in historical Europe, except everyone is way more gay. I recall liking the other two books in this series a lot more, though this one is also an engaging read for sure. B+.

2020 book 210

 Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle

The epitome of a comfort read! I’ve actually reread this a little bit too recently to love it as much as I ought, but obviously it’s still great. Still mad Miyazaki took out all the funny stuff with the sisters and the love interests etc.

2020 book 209

 T. Kingfisher’s Paladin's Grace

Still rereading comfort reads (necessary today more than ever), and what is more comforting than one of Ursula Vernon's cute fantasy romances? I mean, minus the severed heads and all. But the likable hero and heroine and all the entertaining secondary characters balance that out!

2020 book 208

 Victoria Goddard's The Hands of the Emperor

Did I reread this book once already this year? Yes. But is it reassuring right now to read a book about a guy working from within the government to make the world a better place for everyone? Also yes. I mean does this book need three lengthy scenes about the protagonist's family not understanding what his job actually is, no, the first two would suffice, but it is awesome to read about how everything comes together in terms of insider/outsider culture. I also like that this is about a bunch of middle aged dudes who care  about each other. Perfect thing to get lost in right now.

2020 book 207

 Sharon Shinn's Unquiet Land

Once again, I like that although there is an interesting romance in this book, the focus is on the protagonist (the spy from the last book) returning to her homeland to confront her past—and meet the daughter she gave up. I mean there is also a lot of action and intrigue, but I just really like that this series is about women figuring out what they want from life and going for it.

2020 book 206

 Sharon Shinn's Jeweled Fire

The third book in the Elemental Blessing series is right up my alley, as it involves a princess dealing with the politics of a foreign court, making friends and allies, and also maybe there's a murderer? Plus the romance is sweet and mostly on the back burner (the second POV character here is another young woman, a spy from the princess' home) while the princess tries to figure out what she wants from life. Good stuff.

2020 book 205

 Sharon Shinn's Royal Airs

The second book in this series is more of a straightforward romance, since the male love interest also becomes a POV character and has his own lil story arc. But there are still a lot of interesting politics and relationships between all the characters (very complicated intertwined families) and I enjoy spending time in this world.

2020 book 204

 Sharon Shinn's Troubled Waters

I'm rereading some gentle fantasy novels for the next couple weeks, because I just don't have the mental capacity for new books, and it's not fair to the ones I keep giving up on. This is the first in Shinn's Elemental Blessings series, set in a world where everyone is aligned with one of the five elements, and also there are blessings that have meaning regarding their fate, and there are slow building romances, but mainly the stories are of young women figuring themselves out. Satisfying all around.

2020 book 203

 Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst 

Moriarty’s latest is the third in her Kingdoms and Empires/Bronte Mettlestone series, and the protagonist/narrator here is the middle of Bronte's three girl cousins (who have a fairly terrible mother and a slightly absent minded academic father). She’s excited to start a new year at her boarding school, but there’s an odd new teacher, her best friends are both gone, there are mysterious new girls, and she's having a recurring dream about the rain. I will say that I love Moriarty and I loved how this wrapped up, but I did find parts of this to be really stressful! Poor Esther! A-.

2020 book 202

 AJ Lancaster's The Court of Mortals

This was a pretty fun read, lots of mortal politics and fairy politics and amusing relations. It does take the characters way too long to figure out who has it out for them, but otherwise I liked this one a lot. I have faith the author will wrap this up in a satisfying way (including a happy ending for the protagonist’s brother!) in the fourth book, which sadly isn’t out yet. B+.

2020 book 201

 AJ Lancaster's The Prince of Secrets

I liked this second volume a little bit less, because the love interest is added as a POV character and he’s not as interesting to me. To be fair, the book does mention that he is melodramatic, which is exactly my complaint! Things do pick up and get a lot more fun like halfway through. It looks like this series is going to be more about Fae politics than amusing squabbling relatives, which isn’t exactly what I wanted but I’ll still read the next one. B/B+.

2020 book 200

 AJ Lancaster's The Lord of Stariel

I'm still seeking out new fantasy series to read, and this one was definitely up my alley. It's set in your usual old-fashioned-version-of-England-with-magic (or anyway somewhere England-ish, I think the author is from New Zealand). Our heroine left home years ago to study magic and work in the theatre, gasp, scandalous! but now she is heading home because her father has died and a new Lord must be chosen (magically). Lots of secrets and mysteries and hijinks and a lil romance ensue, which is just how I like it. There's also a lot of good (and funny) family stuff here, which I look forward to seeing more of in the rest of the series. A-.

2020 book 199

 Jaclyn Moriarty’s A Tangle of Gold

Definitely a satisfying and charming conclusion to this series; it is a little bit of a slower start than the others, but once the plotlines start to come together, it gets great (and in the meantime, everything with Keira is a delight). And I love every single thing about the ending. So good.

2020 book 198

 Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Cracks in the Kingdom

This is such a good volume two of a trilogy—raises the stakes, answers some questions and introduces some others, has a totally great cliffhanger ending, and is also really satisfying in of itself. I really love Moriarty’s characters and their relationships, and I especially love her sense of humor. I mean, even her discussions of physics manage to be interesting! (Maybe you already like physics, even better!) This series is perfect escapism.

2020 book 197

 Jaclyn Moriarty’s A Corner of White

Just rereading one of my favorite series because I wanted to be sure I was reading something great and magical and full of mystery and friendships and family etc. Not to mention a lot of conversation about Lord Byron and Isaac Newton. And general humor and adventure and great characters. You know, an awesome book.

2020 book 196

 TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea

This book is a good example of why sometimes you need to be in the right mood or headspace to enjoy something: I got it from the library months ago and read the first few pages and felt very MEH about it for whatever reason. But I kept seeing people talk about how sweet it was, so decided to give it another shot, and this time I connected with it. It’s the story of a caseworker for the government department who deals with orphanages of magical children, and what happens when he’s sent to inspect some very special children indeed. It’s all predictable and a little bit cheesy at times, but it is also very sweet. I was partial to Talia for sure. There are some great funny moments, which help balance the sometimes heavy-handed moral lessons. B+.

2020 book 195

 Emily M. Danforth's Plain Bad Heroines

This is a pretty solidly creepy October read full of lesbians, so fairly up my alley. It’s about a girls' boarding school in 1902, where a group of girls are obsessed with the diary of an unconventional girl (apparently a real book), and where mysterious deaths start to happen. And it’s also about three young women in modern times making a movie about said school and its supposed curse. I was a little more invested in the latter plotline; the historical plotline has a lot going in and doesn’t feel fully resolved. Actually, the ending of this is kind of disappointing in general. I liked the very last scene but it felt like a whole section leading up to it got chopped. Good spooky atmosphere though, this book furthers my resolve to stay indoors as much as possible. B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on Tuesday.

2020 book 194

 Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl

I’m partway into two different perfectly fine fantasy novels, but I got volume one of the manga version of this (it's cute) which of course made me want to put those other books down and revisit this one. And it’s such a satisfying story to revisit. I really love these characters, and I think this still holds up even as fandom is much more in the public eye than it was ten years ago. I mean, a lot of people will relate to a super anxious person going to college and being freaked out even if they don’t think it’s weird she writes fic. Rainbow Rowell is one of those writers who writes nice people trying to figure out their shit, and I love it.

2020 book 193

 Victoria Goddard’s Love-in-a-Mist

I think I would have felt much more bereft about being done with the epic fantasy series I spent the last month on if I didn’t have this book to look forward to! This is the fifth Greenwing and Dart book, and it’s just as funny and full of magic and adventure (and a wee bit of romance) as its predecessors. After the events of the last book, our intrepid duo and their friends are finally heading home, when a storm finds them waylaid at a mysterious manor. There is a UNICORN! And also a MURDER! So basically everything I love in one story. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series, it looks like a lot of stuff is going to come to a head soon (and perhaps there will be a ball?). A.

2020 book 192

 Robin Hobb’s Assassin's Fate

Well, I’ve spent basically all of the last month reading this series, and here it draws to a close. And Hobb sticks the landing, bringing all of the various characters and storylines together for an epic finale. I was bawling for like the last four chapters. It was really satisfying as a conclusion and it was also really satisfying to be able to really immerse myself in another world for so long. I need more giant epic series! A.

2020 book 191

 Robin Hobb's Fool's Quest

Look, it's not like a plot summary of the 15th book in a 16 book series would make sense anyway, but this book is a lot of "hurry up and wait around." I mean obviously I still enjoyed it, as I'm super into all these characters at this point, but it takes way too long for all the inevitable stuff to happen, plus there is a lot of rape. Way too much rape. And then the last couple chapters get so good and it ends! What the hell, Robin Hobb. B/B+.

2020 book 190

 Robin Hobb’s Fool's Assassin

Sometimes even the most responsible adult gives in to the urge to stay up too late reading because you’ve just GOT to find out what happens. And the first book of the final trilogy set in this world is a doozy. I mean, I enjoy spending time with Fitz and his compatriots, but the introduction of Bee really had me hooked. (She is great, and Fitz is frustratingly stupid about her.) And then that ending! So glad I only have to wait till tomorrow to start the next one! A/A-.

2020 book 189

 Robin Hobb’s Blood of Dragons

So the conclusion to the Rain Wilds series is /pretty/ satisfying, though perhaps not as totally satisfying as I wanted. I did enjoy one hated character's demise, and the dragons are still awesome in this one. I guess the wrap up just felt a little YA-ish to me with its focus on romance (though I should note that there are some cute gay couples in this series, which is nice). Anyway, I imagine all of this will play into the FINAL TRILOGY, omg, only three books left in this world, crying emoji. B+.

2020 book 188

 Robin Hobb’s City of Dragons

This was another one that felt like the first part of a book and not a full story on its own. I was glad to see some of my favorite characters make a return, but again, there’s no conclusion here! Not satisfying, really. I do have faith the fourth book will wrap things up well, though. B/B+.

2020 book 187

 Robin Hobb’s Dragon Haven

Now, /this/ has a conclusion that’s satisfying but still makes me eager to see what will happen next! Lots of good character development, lots of awesome dragons, and a fun little side plot with the developing relationship between two messenger-bird keepers (I love an epistolary story). I really liked this one. A/A-.

2020 book 186

 Robin Hobb's Dragon Keeper

This is the start of Hobb's Rain Wilds Chronicles, a series of four books that follow on the Liveship Traders trilogy (though obviously the other trilogies are also relevant), with mainly a new cast of characters. I mean, obviously some of the earlier prominent characters make appearances, but I definitely wanted more Malta and missed Amber (AMBER) a lot. Anyway, some of the characters here are a young Rain Wilder girl, recruited to help escort the unhealthy dragons away; a Bingtown woman who wants to study the dragons (and also prove something to her cruel, secretly gay husband); her husband's secretary (and secret boyfriend); a barge captain; one of said dragons, etc. This is all pretty entertaining and interesting, but it ends super abruptly. Like I know this is a series, but normally Hobb kind of wraps things up in some way or another. I thought I was missing chapters! Well, it doesn’t really matter, as I’m obviously about to immediately start the next one. B+.

2020 book 185

 Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare

Taking a brief break from epic fantasies to slide in this month's book club book under the wire! This is sort of a romance/women’s fiction-y thing, but it’s British, and I always like those. This centers on a woman, an editor at a craft book publisher with an eclectic personal style, who has to move out of her Extremely Bad ex's apartment, and winds up flat sharing with a (male) night nurse. So they have opposite schedules and communicate via post-it notes. That part is all very cute. There’s also a whole plotline where the heroine realizes she has ptsd and deals with that, and another plotline with the nurse's brother in jail for a crime he did not commit. Much of this was a little bit too on the nose, but I think the side bits about the gay WWII vet and the crochet designer becoming an Internet celebrity help balance things out. A-/B+.

2020 book 184

Robin Hobb’s Fool's Fate

The final book in the Tawny Man trilogy does feel like an ending, except I know there are two more series left to go! Anyway, fairly satisfying stuff, though I did have some issues with the way a thirteen year old girl was portrayed. But yeah, totally great epic wrap up for sure. A-.

2020 book 183

 Robin Hobb’s The Golden Fool

The second book in the Tawny Man trilogy has a lot going on but also not much going on? Which was fine, because I enjoy reading about these characters (even though Fitz still acts like a sulky teen while being in his 30s). This one had more homophobic characters and also characters being pretty rude about a guy who I think is supposed to have Downs Syndrome, so that was somewhat unpleasant. Anyway, it’s all setting up an epic journey of adventure in book three, so I’m looking forward to that. A-.

2020 book 182

 Robin Hobb’s Fool's Errand

This is the start of another trilogy in Hobb's world, once again focused on Fitz, set fifteen years after the first trilogy. Fitz has been chilling as a hermit, but he's called upon to use his unique skills to track down a missing prince. Adventures and magic ensue, but this was overshadowed for me by the very bad timing of having to read the deaths of beloved animal companions just a week after the death of my own beloved animal companion. Sob city. SOB CITY. A-.

2020 book 181

 Robin Hobb’s Ship of Destiny

The conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy is a satisfying one, as all the story strands come together, secrets are revealed, dragons are revealed, etc. There are a lot of rape threats and an actual rape, which obviously I would have preferred to do without. This is kind of balanced by the extremely interesting and awesome women characters, who continue to have a lot of personal growth to become even more awesome. A-.

2020 book 180

 Robin Hobb's Mad Ship

More magical ship adventures ahoy. This one ramps up the political intrigue, adds more characters (including one familiar one!), has some romance and a bunch of interesting women (unfortunately it also has some rape). Gradually all the pieces are coming together and making sense in the larger context of the universe here, and I have faith Hobb can stick the landing with volume 3. A-.

2020 book 179

 Robin Hobb's Ship of Magic

This is the start of a new trilogy set in the same world as the ones about Fitz; I was psyched to start because these characters sail around on LIVING SHIPS! Yes, some boats are magically alive and have personalities and feelings!! I mean, there are also a lot of interesting humans in this one. It has a lot more POV characters—Althea, the daughter of a ship captain, stuck with a horrible sexist brother in law; her father's first mate; her nephew, in training to be a priest; various other of her relatives; an extremely unpleasant sociopath who wants to be King of the Pirates; a couple of living ships, sea serpents etc. I liked the first three and all the ships a lot but wanted someone to kill the two awful dudes. Smash the patriarchy!  Parts of this I read with dread (including the ending) and parts have me rooting for romance and friendship and happy living ships. Only two more 800 page books to go to see how it wraps up! A-.

2020 book 178

 Robin Hobb's Assassin’s Quest

While I don’t at all mind a slow paced fantasy novel, I don’t love fantasy novels with interminable road trips (or whatever the version of road trip is where a group of people is marching inexorably forward for hundreds of pages), so I was a little frustrated during this book. Still, I was invested in the characters and their relationships (even when they were being stupid), and really liked how things wrapped up. Content warning for a brief discussion of rape. A-.

2020 book 177

 Robin Hobb's Royal Assassin

This one starts a little weird, because it feels like it negates a lot of the ending of the first one, but eventually I got into it. The pace is slow, which at times I really enjoyed, and at other times was frustrated by (someone stop that bad guy already!!). Good animal pals and interesting women in this one, and I remain invested in all the various characters and their relationships. A-.

2020 book 176

 Robin Hobb's The Assassin's Apprentice

Well, I wanted more fantasy series to read, and it turns out Robin Hobb is a woman, and this series has like 16 books and thousands of pages, so let’s go! In this first one, a little boy, the bastard son of the king's heir, is growing up, mainly raised by his father's stablemaster, and then apprenticed to the king's assassin (as the title indicates). Also he can psychically talk to animals!! I really liked this, though there are some rough and heartbreaking parts. Great narrative voice, and kept me interested (I woke up this morning like “I gotta get back to reading to find out what happens to Verity!”). I’m looking forward to reading more! A/A-.

2020 book 175

 C.L. Polk's The Midnight Bargain

I love a historical fantasy, which this isn’t, because it’s explicitly set in a fantasy world (the fancy rich people are Black!), but it has a real Regency/Austen kind of feel. So our heroine is on the marriage market, but is determined to avoid marriage and use her magic to become a sorceress, because married women are prevented from using magic until menopause. Except her family reallllly needs her to marry well because they are deep in debt. And the richest guy in town is super cute and sympathetic, and his sister stole a magical book she needs, and maybe they should band together to solve their magical problems caused by patriarchal societies? I liked the relationships between the main three a lot, but did think the story spun in circles for a chapter or two too long (I love him! But I don’t want to lose my magic! Etc etc). Still a really fun read, and reminds me I’ve been meaning to check out Polk's Witchmark series. Nadi 4-eva! A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in October.

2020 book 174

 Tracy Deonn's Legendborn

This YA debut has been getting a fair amount of buzz, and I was mildly intrigued by the concept—a teenage Black girl and modern day Arthurian knights fighting demons or something—but often I find YA fantasy annoying so was planning to pass on this. And then I discovered IT IS SET IN CHAPEL HILL. The protagonist, Bree, is in an early college program at UNC! Well, of course then I was dying to read it. The author clearly went to UNC and her details are spot-on (I am not sure we needed so MANY descriptions of the campus, but obviously I was here for it). Anyway, so the deal here is, Bree's mother died in a car accident, and when she sees magic stuff at UNC, she realizes she saw magic stuff the night her mom died, so maybe it wasn’t a simple hit and run? And also Arthurian secret societies? And a cute boy? And a million queer teens! (I can’t tell if the series is setting up a love triangle or a throuple, but honestly, hardcore rooting for the latter.) Not to mention literal Black Girl Magic, laying bare some truths about racism in the South, and basically telling Julian Carr to go eff himself??? Some really powerful writing about Black pain. Y’all, I went into this a skeptic and it proved me wrong on every page. Even if it didn’t talk specifically about UNC (one of my alma maters), I would think this book was AWESOME. Freakin' A.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 15th.

2020 book 173

 K. Eason's How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge

This sequel to Rory Thorne is .... fine. I maybe would have liked to have more spaceship adventures before being thrust back into intergalactic battles and diplomacy. The non-Rory parts were a lot more interesting than the Rory parts, here. I mean, a sentient bioweapon is some good stuff. I’m not sure if the end implies a third volume is forthcoming, but if so, it needs to sound a lot more compelling. B/B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in October.

2020 book 172

 K. Eason's How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse

Rereading this because a sequel is due shortly, and also because I remembered it being fun and satisfying! And it was! It’s a fun mix of fairy tales and science fiction, with a great heroine and secondary characters. Our protagonist is the descendent of Sleeping Beauty and her prince, also gifted/cursed by fairies as a baby, and now as a royal teen has to deal with political machinations and plots and the media and maybe marriage. Great stuff, and I especially love her relationship with her bodyguards. Can’t wait to read the sequel.

2020 book 171

 Diana Wynne Jones' Dogsbody

Decided to reread some Diana Wynne Jones as a palate cleanser, but I forgot how much casual animal cruelty is in this book. People just beating on dogs (and occasionally children and cats). If you have not read this,most the story of the star Sirius, on trial for a crime he didn’t commit, sentenced to live out the lifespan of a dog on earth (and hopefully find the Macguffin that will restore him to his rightful place). Lots of excellent dogs and cats in this one, and a couple of excellent humans (mostly horrible humans though).

2020 book 170

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s Brothers in Arms

Despite all sorts of assassination attempts, this one has a slow start. I am just not interested in Miles whining about his love life. Plus, I was promised a clone, and he takes forever to show up. But once he does things get pretty interesting, lots of plots and adventure and assorted mishegas. I might take a break from these for a few books, I am starting to get burned out on Miles and his shenanigans are beginning to feel repetitive. B.

2020 book 169

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s Cetaganda

In this Vorkosigan book, Miles and his cousin go as diplomats-in-training to a planet they have an uneasy alliance with, and of course immediately get embroiled in a murder mystery/political plot. There are some really interesting women in this one, and the action and pacing are great. I liked this a lot. A-.

2020 book 168

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Vor Game

This volume deals with the start of Miles' military career, such as it is. It has some good outer space adventures and manages not to be rapey for a change. This book has a real anti-toxic masculinity vibe, which rules. I liked a lot about this, but don’t want to be spoilery, I’ll give it a solid B+.

2020 book 167

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Mountains of Mourning

God, why are these books so GRIM. In this one, Miles is sent to solve a murder—a murder of a little baby with a birth defect. It’s a novella and not really satisfying as a mystery (it’s not like there are a lot of suspects), more of a story meant to show Miles learning to take leadership and solve problems and be a good paternalistic overlord over the local people. B-.

2020 book 166

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Warrior's Apprentice

This book focuses on the teenage son of the couple from the previous books, who I gather is really the main character in the series. Because of an attack before his birth, he’s physically handicapped, but he’s determined to be an army man like his father and grandfather. I liked this character a lot (aside from his lovelorn advances to his girl friend), and it’s really fun to see him think his way out of one mess, only to find himself in a bigger mess. This was written in I think 1986, so be warned that there is some business about characters who are hermaphrodites (I have the impression Bujold was trying to be progressive with this, but she calls them “it” which is gross). The main character also has to deal with a lot of people calling him names and being rude because of his disabilities. A good and satisfying wrap-up, though. B+.

2020 book 165

 Natalie Zina Walschots' Hench

OK, I am probably the target audience for this book, but like OMG THIS BOOK!!! It's about a young (bisexual) woman who gets by doing data entry jobs for a Henchman Temp Agency, working for whatever villain comes along. And then a job goes wrong and she's badly injured--by a beloved hero. And then things really start cooking. I loved this. The narrative voice, the pacing, I could easily have read this in one sitting. I will say the ending is kind of .... unsettling .... and there are a few unresolved plot points (especially regarding the best friend character), which makes me wonder if (hope!) a sequel is in the works. This is a good companion to the Harley Quinn tv series (which I also love). A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.

2020 book 164

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s Barrayar

This is actually the seventh book in the Vorkosigan series, but since it picks up where the first one leaves off, I decided to read it second. Maybe I should have left it for later though, because I felt like there were some continuity issues (particularly with the character of the sergeant). Anyway, I still love Cordelia, and this is full of political intrigue and assassination attempts and worrying about a pregnancy on a less-scientifically-advanced planet. Also still a fair amount of discussion of rape/rapiness, like, PLEASE STOP. In retrospect this is really more of a “heroic/magical backstory to the actual main character of the series” and not necessarily “badass lady doing stuff” kind of story. I mean a badass lady does DO stuff, but    only because of her kid. On the other hand, how often does a mom get to be badass for mom reasons? Is this retrograde or not? I honestly can’t tell. B+.

2020 book 163

 Lois McMaster Bujold’s Shards of Honor

I am still seeking out series to read, and having enjoyed the author's fantasy books, decided to try out this sci-fi series of hers, which has a billion books. I liked this one a lot; it’s about a thirty-something scientist, commander of a mission to do scientific research on a planet, and what happens when she encounters a man from a much more militaristic society. I enjoyed both these characters and their interactions, lots of humor and adventure to be had. Content warning for a very unpleasant attempted rape and a lot of mentions of other rapes, which makes me downgrade this to a B+. 

2020 book 162

 Naomi Novik's A Deadly Education

 AAAAHHHHHHHH this is everything I ever WANT in a book!! I mean I assumed I would like it bc it’s by Novik, but I loooooooved it. It’s narrated by a surly girl in an extremely dangerous MAGIC SCHOOL, and she is a secretly powerful loner, but eventually she makes friends and has dangerous magical school adventures, and also the resident hero boy is hanging around. It reminded me of a less queer In Other Lands or Carry On. The protagonist is half-Indian and two prominent secondary characters are Indian and East Asian, and there's lots of diversity rep in the more minor characters. Best of all, this is the first in a series and it ends on a dramatic note that makes me very eager to see what'll happen next. Ugh, I cannot properly convey the entertaining awesomeness of this book, but I am very sad I can’t read the whole series right now.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.

2020 book 161

 Jacqueline Woodson's Harbor Me

I’ve been mainly reading books for pure escapism, but this is the book club book this month and it’s due back to the library tomorrow. I mean obviously it was great! It’s Woodson! But it’s also heartbreaking! Because Woodson! And thoughtful and gorgeous. Because . . . Woodson. Anyway, it’s the story of a group of six middle schoolers who have to get together and talk once a week, with no grownups, and it’s the story of how they become closer and more confident and it’s great and sad. But like it is a reflection on the current suckiness of America so if you can’t handle that right now, wait till you feel stronger to give this a go. A.

2020 book 160

 Corinne Duyvis' The Art of Saving the World

So when this book's protagonist was born, an interdimensional rift opened up on their family farm, and government scientists moved in to study it—and her. Now she's 16 and trying to figure out life, whether she's into girls, etc, but the rift has gone haywire and a bunch of versions of her from alternate dimensions have popped out of it. Also, a dragon. And together they have to save the world! What I liked about this: queer teens, a good depiction of anxiety, the relationships between the girls. What didn’t really work for me: the government stuff, the Powers That Be, an all-over-the-place ending. Great characters, slightly less good plotting, overall a fun read and recommended for teens. B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 15th.

2020 book 159

 Susanna Clarke's Piranesi

Clarke's first novel in yeeeeaaaars is weird, and sad, and wonderful. It’s told through the journal entries of a man in a mysterious world, about his explorations and his scientific researches with the only other person there. And I’m not going to say anything else about the plot, because I knew nothing going in and I was totally caught up in the narrative. I am just like AAAAHHHHHH about all of this. I recommend it highly! A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 15th.

2020 book 158

 Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows' My Lady Jane

One of my friends recommended this to me when I said I was looking for more sff series to read, and I hadn’t actually known this was a fantasy! I think based on a cursory reading of reviews and on the cover, I thiught this was one of those CWish “sexy” historical books. Ha. Anyway, it’s England, the main character is Lady Jane Grey (who ruled for nine days before Mary Tudor beheaded her), but instead of Protestants vs Roman Catholics, the conflict here is between people who can shapeshift into animals and those who are anti-shapeshifter. This was a super fun read, good adventure, good romance, and a good sense of humor. I’ll definitely be checking out the companion books. A-.

2029 book 157

 Micaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds

AAAHHHHHHHH I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK. I mean it was totally my jam and also EXCELLENT?!? It’s about a young (Black, bisexual) woman employed as a traverser, someone who can travel to alternate worlds, but only to worlds where no version of her exists. But she had a rough life and so only exists on like out out of over three hundred worlds. Also, she has a total crush on her handler, an uptight (rich, Japanese) lady. This book is so good on racism and classism and capitalism and power dynamics, but it’s also a totally exciting and gripping read. Romance, action, mystery, family, traveling to alternate worlds . . . this book has it all. Seriously, this is GREAT, read it now. A.

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Content warning for domestic abuse.

2020 book 156

 Juliet Marillier's A Dance with Fate

I loved the first book in this series, and there was a lot to like in this one, but it was waaaaay dark. Like, a sadistic guy torturing animals and people dark. So like . . . ugh. Still, I love the two main characters and their relationship. The brother character's storyline in this one is not as interesting, but it might get interesting? I guess I read the next one? I love Marillier's relationships. B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 1st. 

2020 book 155

 Hilary McKay's The Time of Green Magic

This middle-grade book focuses on three step-siblings with overextended parents, whose new house has some magical stuff going on. I liked the characters here a lot, but found parts of this mildly stressful to read. Still, I liked how it wrapped up, and I think this will be really popular with its intended audience. B+.

2020 book 154

 Wendy Palmer's The Frog Prince's Daughters 

Well, I liked this very much! It’s playing with fairy tale troops on a way I found to be more interesting than usual. The protagonist is the cousin of a princess descended from the famous frog prince, and they're busy waiting for her fairy tale prince to come for her—but instead, a wizard comes. Magic and adventures ensue, with great characters and some cute romance. It’s not as fluffy as it sounds; I loved the narrative voice here and also loved how things wrapped up. Perfect escapism. A/A-.

2020 book 153

 Seanan McGuire's A Killing Frost

Look, this is like the fourteenth book in this series, a plot summary won’t even begin to make sense. Suffice it to say Toby is off on one of her usual reckless quests that will somehow change the game in Faerie. Actually, that sounds more sarcastic than it should, because I actually liked where this one ended up. I do think this series needs to have an endgame planned, though, instead of spinning its wheels forever. A-/B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on September 1st.

2020 book 152

Sarah Jean Horwitz's The Dark Lord Clementine

This was a SUPER cute book about a twelve year old girl who is the daughter of a Dark Lord, and is trying her best to be a proper dark heiress. And then her father is cursed and she has to run things and it’s not exactly easy . . . I loved the characters in this and really liked the narrative voice. It’s not as funny/irreverent as say, Ursula Vernon, but it kind of scratched the same itch for me. A-.

2020 book 151

Robin Stevens' Death Sets Sail

Taking a lil break from time traveling sci fi stories to read the conclusion of one of my FAVORITE series, the Wells and Wong Detective Society books (weep weep). As the title perhaps indicates, this one is a tribute to Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile (which I have read, though it’s not at all necessary in order to enjoy this book). Anyway, Daisy and Hazel and the usual gang are all on a cruise on the Nile, but unfortunately some of the other passengers are a weird British cult pretending to be reincarnated pharaohs.  And then their head is murdered and the girls have to solve the case (with a little help, of course). The mystery itself here is fine, but I’m in this for the characters and they do not disappoint. This is the final book in this series, but Stevens is working on a new series about Hazel's irrepressible littlest sister, and I can’t wait. Also, side note, I was pretty sure I could trust Stevens, but it is a relief that I did not have to write a scathing review of this. A-.

2020 book 150

Kage Baker's The Sons of Heaven

Everything comes to a head in this eighth volume of the Company series (though there are still two more books so who knows). Several characters make a return and there are some delightful new characters (Princess Tiara Parakeet!), along with our usual crew. Things are pretty weird and occasionally uncomfortable, but I loved reading this. A-.

2020 book 149

Kage Baker's The Machine's Child

So a lot happens in this book, but also nothing really happens in this book? It goes to some frankly creepy places and I am really not sure I like where it landed. I am still invested in Mendoza, and the pirate AI, and Joseph, and Suleyman and Latif, but I am pretty worried about where things are heading. B.

2020 book 148

Kage Baker's The Children of the Company

The sixth Company book takes a break from our ongoing plotlines to fill in the backstory of a couple of minor characters, and also fill the reader in on some of the political machinations that previous books have hinted at. This one was more of a bummer, though still very engrossing, as one of the characters is an amoral human-hating mass murderer, and the other has a lot of ethical qualms but is being manipulated by various factions into doing horrible things. But we do find out the fate of the romantic Russian! And presumably all these plots and people are going to start colliding soon, which should be interesting. A-/B+.

2020 book 147

Kage Baker's Life of the World to Come

In the fifth Company book, we find out much more about Mendoza's love interest, have interesting adventures in the future (with an AI who is a PIRATE, and yall know I love supersmart and funny AIs!), see some of the Company brain trust in action, and have some metaphysical conversations. I LOVED this one and it ends on an awesome note and I am immediately starting the next one.

2020 book 146

Kage Baker's The Graveyard Game

The fourth Company novel finds Joseph and Lewis trying to uncover the mysteries of The Company in the first couple centuries of the 2000s. It’s great stuff! This series is really gripping.

2020 book 145

Kage Baker's Mendoza in Hollywood

The third Company book finds us back with the protagonist of book one, the botanist Mendoza, in 1860s California. One of her colleagues is a film buff, so there is a lot of interesting Hollywood history discussed (though I could have done without the lengthy chapter describing DW Griffith's Intolerance). Like with the first one, we know things are going to go wrong, but things don’t get intense till towards the end. Poor Mendoza. I like that we get more on Company history here, and I also really liked the young ornithologist character. This one has a rough ending but I am eager to keep reading! A-.

2020 book 144

Kage Baker's Sky Coyote

The second book in the Company series is narrated by the mentor figure from the previous book (and that protagonist is featured in a smaller role), as the group works on preserving/collecting an entire Chumash tribe and its culture before the Spanish can conquer them. There are also some interesting things about the Company itself, and some rising tensions there. And it’s funny! I am really enjoying this series!

A-.

2020 book 143

Kage Baker's In the Garden of Iden

I’m still seeking out new series to get lost in, and I think this is going to be a winner, because I really liked this first one. The series is about the Company, who invented time travel (ish) and recruit children to turn into immortal cyborgs and save arts and things from getting lost in history. Our protagonist is a young botanist, formerly a little girl caught up in the Spanish Inquisition (so note that a lot of pretty anti-Jewish sentiment is expressed, though this book is not anti-Semitic by any means), and now on her first mission in 1500s England, where she decides mortals might not be so bad when she meets a handsome dude. I loved the narrative voice here, Baker does a great job at bringing in relevant historical events, and in general this is just a really fun read (aside from...a couple of things that are foreshadowed). Can’t wait to read the next one. A/A-.

2020 book 142

Barbara Hambly's Stranger at the Wedding
This book centers on a young woman who was cast out by her father when she decided to study wizardry. But now she’s getting all sorts of weird and creepy signs, so she heads home to disrupt her little sister's wedding, even though wizards are not supposed to interfere with human affairs. I liked the sister relationship here, and liked that there was a mystery element, and really liked the main character and thought her romance was cute. Buutttttt big content warning that there is a character here who is a pedophile and is super gross. Just really unpleasant stuff that makes me knock it down a couple grades. B.

2020 book 141

Romina Garber's Lobizona
This is the start of a series that looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun AND have relevant social themes. It starts a little slow, building up the protagonist's world; as an undocumented immigrant /and/ as someone with magical-looking eyes, she has to hide twice as hard. Eventually she ends up at magic school (don't worry, they reference Harry Potter), with The Mean Girl and The Nice Activist Girl and The Love Interest, who all eventually get some interesting character development. I will say the title makes certain things obvious and so it’s frustrating that the protagonist's true identity isn’t revealed until halfway through. But then things really pick up and I was totally on board. I mean, family secrets and Argentinian folklore and magic school and magic lands and friendships and hints of rebellion— it’s a great combo! I’m psyched to see where things go next! A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on August 4th.

2020 book 140

Tamora Pierce’s Trickster's Queen
Ok, I need more books like this series, STAT. In this one, our little spy helps plan a rebellion with the local (brown) indigenous population against their (white) colonizers. Again, there are a ton of awesome ladies in this, great action, great plotting, and I was honestly here for the little bit of romance. Plus, flying horses. This book really has it all. A.

2020 book 139

Tamora Pierce’s Trickster's Choice
This is the start of a series about Alanna's daughter, who wants to be a SPY but her parents are like NO WAY. And then she gets kidnapped and sold into slavery and gets tasked with a mission from a god, and . . . ends up as a spy. Lots of good action here and GREAT women, not as much violence as the Alanna books and really the only objectionable thing is a brief and unnecessary bit of brown-face. There is also an adorable shape-shifting crow guy. I am psyched for the sequel. Lady power! A/A-.

2020 book 138

Tamora Pierce's Lioness Rampant
In the final Alanna book, our heroine makes cool new friends, continues to improve as a warrior, and deals with all the threats from the last couple books finally coming to a head. Solid. A-/B+.

2020 book 137

Tamora Pierce's The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
The third Alanna book finds our heroine hanging out with a bunch of Middle Eastern stereotypes (yikes), breaking down their societal gender roles and training up some teens. She’s also got a lot of romantic trouble. I wish Pierce used fewer exclamation points, and I say that as someone who loves the hell out of an exclamation point. Anyway, this is fine, I like this series despite its issues. B+.

2020 book 136

Tamora Pierce's In the Hand of the Goddess
The second Alanna book is still nice light reading (despite wars and evil sorcerers), though I like the narrative voice less here, because she still sounds like a twelve year old even though she's eighteen by the end of the book. Whatever, she gets a MAGICAL KITTEN so nothing else matters!

2020 book 135

T. Kingfisher’s A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
I’m feeling cruddy today, which meant I needed to read something good and fun, and luckily a new Ursula Vernon book is out today! This is one of her hilarious and dark YA books, about a fourteen year old girl who has baking magic (the best magic, in my opinion), and what happens when it seems like something is putting all the city's wizards in danger. Y’all, her sidekick is a GINGERBREAD COOKIE. There is also a timely anti-cop sentiment. This is everything I could have wanted in a book. A.

2020 book 134

Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure
I was having one of those days where I started a bunch of books and wasn’t in the mood for any of them, which means I have to reread something to reset my brain! I haven’t read this in /years/ (at least not as long as I’ve been keeping this blog) and was glad that it was still satisfying. It’s of course the archetypal story of a girl and her twin brother swapping places so she can learn to be a knight, disguised as a boy, learning knight skills and befriending squires and dukes and local thieves. I do give a little side eye to Pierce's fantasy version of the Middle East, but as she recently tweeted, all we can do it keep learning and keep trying to do better. Anyway, yay kickass girls. A/A-.

2020 book133

Alexandra Sheppard’s Oh My Gods

So this is a pretty cute YA book about a biracial teenage girl in London who is the daughter of Zeus, and has to deal with half siblings like Aphrodite and Apollo. Not to mention a new school, a crush, etc. I will say this isn’t breaking any new ground, and the protagonist is hopelessly and frustratingly naïve. But I bet some kids I know would like it a lot! B.

2020 book 132

Aimee Bender's The Butterfly Lampshade
I haven’t had the patience for literary fiction for a while now (pandemic and all), but I remember really liking Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, so figured I'd give her new one a try. It’s centered on a young woman recalling three bizarre/supernatural events of her childhood, and also remembering her journey from the time her mentally ill mother is hospitalized to when she arrives at her aunt and uncle's house to live with them and their new baby. I am not really sure how I felt about this? It’s beautifully written, but I wanted a little bit more from the conclusion, or maybe the conclusion was just right? It's a lovely and meditative (and kind of confusing) novel, which is just not where my mood is right now. B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on July 28th.

2020 book 131

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Knife Children
You’d think I’d have loved this one, as pretty much nothing happens except characters hanging out and learning to get along. But it centers on a secondary character from the last two books who isn’t particularly interesting, and what happens when he finds out his illegitimate daughter has run away AND developed powers. But it is just him getting into dad mode, and I found the bits of her story much more compelling (let me see her hanging out with horse girls!). Like you don’t get to be proud papa to a kid you didn’t acknowledge or raise for 14 years? It just ends up very treacly. Bummer. B.

2020 book 130

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Horizon
Yes, this is exactly the sort of series I like to get lost in, and this is a satisfying (if heteronormative) conclusion. (There is one more book, but it seems to be about one of the secondary characters.) Not too much else to say about this particular one without spoiling the earlier books, but I'm definitely going to check out the author's sci-fi stuff. A-.

2020 book 129

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Passage
Yeah, I am digging this series; it is perfectly engrossing escapism. This third book finds our intrepid duo taking a riverboat journey for fun, and maybe to change some hearts and minds along the way. New pals and lots of adventures (some unpleasant) ensue. That makes it sound sillier than it it, when really it’s got a lot of depth. Looking forward to the next one. A-.

2020 book 128

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Legacy
Well, the second book in the Sharing Knife series WAS more of what I liked in the first one! I mean, there is still a bit of monster-battling, but not as much, and the story is way more focused on the magic and cultures of this world, and of course the characters. I look forward to reading more of their adventures. A-.

2020 book 127

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Beguilement
I’m still trying to read gentle fantasy books, and this soooooort of fit the bill, aside from an attempted rape, violent battles with mind controlled bandits, and creepy monsters. But that’s just the first few chapters; the rest is basically a romance novel and a pretty cute one. I mean, I was not personally into the serious age difference between the characters, but I really LIKED the characters. And I liked seeing them dealing with recalcitrant relative (and sassy old lady relatives). I am hoping the second book in this series is more of THAT. B+.

2020 book 126

Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game
This book came up on LL last week, which OF COURSE made me want to reread it! It holds up so well for a middle grade book written in 1979*--solid mystery plot, GREAT characters, etc etc. It's one of those mysteries that is actually BETTER on a reread because you can see how all the pieces come together. It makes me so sad that Ellen Raskin died before she could write any more (I love her earlier books too, but obviously this is the stand-out). Anyway, I love everything about this book (except the mildly awkward epilogue). TURTLE FOREVER.

*Because it was written in 1979, there are some word choices we wouldn’t use today, but I think otherwise this has a pretty modern sensibility.

2020 book 125

T. Kingfisher's The Wonder Engine
The sequel to Clockwork Boys finds our Intrepid band of travelers unraveling a mystery, and having lots of adventures along the way. I love all these characters and their growing relationships. Of course the romance is super cute and awkward, but I especially like the character growth of Learned Edmund. And I’m super here for all the gnoles. Good stuff.

2020 book 124 (oops)

T. Kingfisher's The Clockwork Boys
I’m rereading some Ursula Vernon because a) she has a new one coming out in a couple weeks, b) comfort reading, c) they’re awesome and why not! This one involves a group of people on a suicide mission! Normally I grow weary of books about people on journeys, but Vernon makes it entertaining, full of adventure and great character interactions and a budding romance. I also love the priests and paladins in her world.

(Re blog numbering: I misnumbered/had a typo several months back and don’t want to go back and edit all those entries, so will just use correct numbering from here on out.)

2020 book 133

Nina Kiriki Hoffman's Past the Size of Dreaming
So I have actually read this book before, but that time I did not know it was a sequel, so I liked it a lot more this time around. I really liked spending more time with the characters from the first book and getting to know the rest of their friends as they reassembled their found family. I think this falls under the gentle fantasy category, and I too would like to be hugged by the house. I don’t think there are any more books in the series, which is a shame, because I really would like to see what these characters do next. A/A-.

2020 book 132

Nina Kiriki Hoffman's A Red Heart of Memories
This was a weird but great little book, about a woman who can talk to human-made objects, and what happens when a guy steps out of a wall and tells her she's his next mission. Except then they go on a road trip and she ends up helping him sort out his past instead. There's some really cool magic in here, and a very lovable car and house, but really the story is about processing trauma (content warnings for mentions of various abuses against children). I liked this a lot. A-.

2020 book 131

Jo Walton's Or What You Will

So I did like this a lot better than Walton’s last book, though she is still fascinated by Italy. This one is just more interesting all around – it’s playing with meta-textual narratives in a really fun way. The narrator is the mental muse of a successful fantasy author (a Walton-esque author), but is worried that when she dies he too will die, and so he has a plan to make them both immortal. Said plan involves a lot of Shakespeare references and magic. There are also a lot of interesting hints at a larger world (give me the story of Jessica!) Like I said, it’s fun! Walton does meta really well. A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released tomorrow.

2020 book 130

Liz Williams' Comet Weather
This is an interesting story, though I think I’d need to know more about British folklore to totally get it. It has a lot of things that are cool—sisters, talking trees, mystical star people wandering around, ghost boyfriends, etc. Parts are exciting and parts are compelling, but other parts are slow and the end was a little anti-climactic (except for one weird hinted at twist). I mean, I liked this while I was reading it, but at one point I put it down for three days and never was dying to pick it back up. Still, really cool atmosphere and characters. B+.