Book Reviews

Renegade's Magic
by Robin Hobb

Renegade's Magic concludes the Soldier Son Trilogy. Hobb brings everything full circle, and while I won't say everything works out, it's a happier ending than certain other novels of hers.

Book Reviews

A Lot Like Christmas
by Connie Willis

If you’re looking for something beyond the traditional Dickens to read this holiday season, A Lot Like Christmas may fit the bill for you. Despite a couple of the stories feeling like duds to me, I’m giving it four rockets because there are many more stories I enjoyed than not, and even a few which stand out as holiday gems.

Book Reviews

Bright of the Sky
by Kay Kenyon

Titus has entered the Entire before, but when he returned to our world it was by himself; his wife and daughter had stayed behind for reasons Titus does not remember. Upon his return, he makes it his mission to find them and to learn the reason they did not come back with him. The answer is both sad and bittersweet.

Book Reviews

Forest Mage
by Robin Hobb

Nevare is not the most likeable or heroic character Hobb has ever conceived, but I honestly felt for the guy and kept reading if only because I wanted to see his fortunes turn. More than that, though, Hobb kept me going with her usual excellent writing as she crafts a compelling story in this second novel in the Soldier Son series.

Book Reviews

Ephemera
by Paul S. Kemp

My review of Paul S. Kemp's Ephemera. A bit of a departure from Kemp's usual franchise work, this one nevertheless doesn't disappoint.

Audiobook Reviews

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
by Washington Irving

Enough cannot be said for the narration of Tom Mison, whose voice with its captivating eloquence and English accent is a treat for the ears. His having played the role of Ichabod Crane in the Sleepy Hollow television series aside, he is the perfect narrator for this story, as he captures the time period and the story’s classic language superbly.

Book Reviews

The Dragon Keeper
by Robin Hobb

A likeable, diverse cast heads this first novel in the Rain Wilds Chronicles.

Book Reviews

The Children of Hurin
by J.R.R. Tolkien

Step into the wayback machine; this tale takes place long before The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, when the First Dark Lord, Morgoth, sought dominion over all of Middle-Earth. It's an easier read than some of the other scholarly works of Tolkien and a much more enjoyable read as a result.

Book Reviews

The Alchemist's Apprentice
by Dave Duncan

Nostradamus has predicted a government official's murder and now that person has wound up dead. Did the Maestro perpetrate the crime to enhance his reputation as a soothsayer or is something more foul afoot? Mystery, intrigue, daring, and magic prevail in this debut novel in Duncan's Venice Series. As usual, Duncan does not fail to deliver.