The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe (Review & Giveaway)

At the end of January, online friend Deborah Blake hosted author Alex Bledsoe on her blog, Writing the Witchy Way.  He spoke about finding time to write when you're a stay-at-home parent.  (Geez, the mind boggles.)  Deb reciprocated by explaining the concept of maladaptive inertia to Alex's readers.  Both posts are good reads, and I would get all cute and ask you to read them while I wait for you to come back to this post. EXCEPT. I. CAN'T. WAIT. THAT. LONG.

Do not look away. Finish this post.
Click through on the links later.

Read them later.  (Seriously, it's good stuff.)

Right now, at this very moment, I need to introduce you to the best thing I learned from Deb's and Alex's posts; I need to introduce you to Eddie LaCrosse and The Sword-Edged Blonde.

You're going to be so glad I did.

See, Eddie is tough guy, a sword for hire.  Living in a place that feels a little bit Medieval Times and a little bit Tombstone, Eddie makes a living by his wits, by his word, by his weapon.  I don't want to date Eddie, and I really don't want to be Eddie, but I would love to have a guy like Eddie at my back.  When you're in a pinch, and you need someone discreet to straighten out your mess, Eddie is your guy. He's a little bit Sam Spade, little bit Harry Dresden, and whole lot of Easy Rawlins.*

*If you're unfamiliar with any of these three, we can talk later.

At this point in his life, Eddie has his own code of dos and don'ts (like those other three), and he sticks to it even when it gets awkward.  Eddie gets the job done. In The Sword-Edged Blonde, the job is to find out what happened to his best friend's wife and infant child on the night everyone thinks the wife went crazy and murdered the boy.  The fact that Eddie's best friend commands his own kingdom and hasn't spoken to Eddie in years makes the situation trickier, but it doesn't change Eddie's code. The fact that the wife doesn't remember that night nor anything that happened before the day she met the king makes things interesting, but not nearly as interesting as Eddie's belief that he's met the woman before.

This book is for the tough guy in all of us.

The Sword-Edged Blonde takes Eddie on an adventure- and memory-packed journey to find the truth about that night.  You'll find out how a guy with Eddie's sordid past becomes friends with a king, and you'll be reminded that we're often the last ones to offer ourselves forgiveness.  It's Eddie's sordid past that makes me call this book western noir. The noir part is right.  Eddie is hard-boiled. He hasn't forgiven himself, but the western part is a bit odd because everyone else calls it sword-and-sorcery fantasy. I just can't shake the feeling that Eddie would fit right in during the shootout at the OK Corral. (Once, of course, he traded in his sword for a revolver.)  I'd say western noir is for anyone who likes the idea of frontier justice, the sanctity of friends, and never letting yourself off the hook.

So, I really, really liked this book, and I want to thank Deb for introducing me to Alex's work by paying it forward.  I have a paperback copy of The Sword-Edged Blonde to give away.

Yay, free book!  Free GOOD book!

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Heartless by Gail Carriger

I'm just not sure I could give up my child for adoption to a vampire.

Even if I were only mostly pretending.

Even if our lives were in danger.

I'm working under the assumption, of course, that I, myself, am not a vampire and that this in-name-mostly adoption isn't to someone like my sister. Sarah is, after all, an extraordinary mother, but also, I assume, not a vampire.

To recap, unless I were a vampire giving my child to an extraordinary vampire relative, I just don't think I would sign away my child to a blood-sucker. I find the thought unsettling, and with this unsettling thought, Heartless by Gail Carriger, begins.

Heartless is the fourth of four books in the Parasol Protectorate series. (For those of you scoring at home, I'm back to form--pretending to review a book but really reviewing a series.) The series is based upon the premise that Queen Victoria has incorporated the supernaturals (vampires, werewolves and ghosts) into the British Empire. Werewolves, you see, make brilliant soldiers and vampires excellent diplomats. The strength of the Victorian British Empire is built upon the immortal and excessively strong shoulders of those with excess soul: the vampires, werewolves and ghosts.

Alexia, the main character, does not have the excess soul necessary to turn her into a supernatural. Instead, she is actually soulless, and when she comes into skin-to-skin contact with a supernatural, she temporarily renders the "supe" mortal. It's such skin-to-skin contact that puts Alexia into the position where she must consider allowing a vampire to adopt her unborn child. Alexia is married to a werewolf, and the vampires are quite sure that any offspring of the soulless and a werewolf will be bad news for the vampires. The vampires are willing to go to extremes, so Alexia must consider her own extreme--allowing a vampire she trusts to legally, if not practically, adopt her baby--while also trying to discover the truth about an assassination attempt on the Queen.

Alexia is a strong character, and I found her reaction to the suggestion that she hand over legal rights to her child entirely too meek to be true. Also, I have begun to suspect that the author struggles to write scenes where Alexia and her husband work together. While there are many more scenes with the couple in Heartless than in Blameless (the third book), most of the action takes place when Lord Maccon is absent. I find that unsettling as well because it would make it possible for the author to eventually write off Lord Maccon.

However, those are my only two complaints about the series and this book. I read the first book, Soulless, in January, and I devoured it. The tone of these books reminds me, in part, of the Elizabeth Peters Eqyptologist books where proper Victorian form is balanced with mystery and humor. Alexia is a force of nature who carries a loaded parasol and stands undaunted in this world of the supernatural. The supporting characters are interesting, and there is a wealth of back stories and histories that should unfold over future books.

These books are a little bit history, a little bit mystery, a little bit steam punk, and every bit lovely. I highly recommend them.

Even if I'm not willing to give up my imaginary baby for vampire adoption.

Here's more information about Heartless on amazon.com.

Blood Challenge by Eileen Wilks

It occurs to me that, with the exception of the China-related books, I'm mostly recommending a book series (or six) under the guise of reviewing individual books. I give you a bit of information about a specific book, sure, but I always reference the entire series. In most cases, I'm actually recommending an entire body of work. Apologies to any of you that would prefer more details on the individual books, but I love, love, love a good series. I love the consistent delivery of characters and creatures I already know. One of my greatest reading joys is to discover a published book series that I can jump right into, reading four or five books in a row without waiting for a new release. The thought just makes me giddy.

In regards to series, the new year was good to me. There were tidings of good cheer, sure, but there were also new releases by some of my favorite fantasy authors. There was Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh which was good. But then there was Blood Challenge by Eileen Wilks which was great. If the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs are at the tippy-top of my favorite list then the World of the Lupi books by Eileen Wilks are close behind.

The World of the Lupi books have magic and werewolves and sorcerers and dragons and whole other realms of reality. Blood Challenge is the seventh in the series. Lily Yu, our protagonist with magic all of her own, is an FBI agent in a paranormal unit, and at this time she's engaged to Rule Turner, a super sexy lupi. In this reality, the lupi are "out", and a political group called Humans First is unamused. The founder of Humans First is willing to go to suspicious extremes to push his agenda. The actions of Humans First tie into the mystery at the core of this book. Lily Yu was a police detective before she became an FBI agent, and investigative work is usually at the heart of these stories.

I loved this book, and I love this series. Lily is a strong, capable character with a complicated family and a simple desire to do her job well. Eileen Wilks has created an interesting fantasy world with multi-dimensional characters who live and love and solve crime. That's pretty much my literary trifecta--fantasy, romance and mystery!

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Don't be jealous, but in addition to keeping up with this blog and my other blog,  I'm also in a book club.  This is not just any ol' book club, mind you.  This is an online, Facebook book club with people from my high school.  That's right, the Mundelein High School Class of 1992 is so cool we have an online book club.  I repeat: Don't be jealous.

Our first selection was Life of Pi by Yann Martel which worked out great for me. I had never read it AND I needed a book to review for this blog.  We have since moved on to The Hobbit, and there are rumors we might read 1984 next, so I'll keep you posted.  Actually, if we read 1984, I'm taking a pass.  I'd hate to scratch my eyes out twice in this lifetime as a result of reading that book.

As for my review of Life of Pi, here goes:  I liked it.  A lot.  I didn't think I would based on the synopsis, but I did.  The book is divided into three parts which served me well.  I like a story that follows a neat little chronological time line.  I am already distracted enough by children and a husband needing my attention while I am trying to read, I certainly don't need the story to jump around from the past to the present and so forth.  The first part introduces you to the main character, Pi as well as to his life in India up to age 14.  The son of a zoo owner in Pondicherry and a devout Hindu, Pi enjoys a relatively rich lifestyle.  He also adopts Christianity and Islam and tries to seek a balance between all three religions. The second part deals with his family's move to Canada from India.  The boat carrying his family and their zoo animals capsizes and everyone except Pi and a few animals drown.  What follows is the story of his grueling 227 days at sea.  The third part is the retelling of his story to the Japanese maritime department as they try to ascertain why the ship sank. Sounds bizarre, and a bit disjointed, but it it works.

So what did I like about it?  For one, the author showcases the relationship between man and beast so well, it gives you whole new perspective on a simple trip to the zoo.  I have never enjoyed the zoo.  Quite simply, I pity the animals in their cages. As the son of a zoo owner, Pi sees them in a whole different light. It is this perspective and his experiences as a child growing up in a zoo that he calls on during his ordeal at sea.

Second, was the story of survival.  I marveled at the mental, emotional and physical toughness displayed by Pi. While he didn't call on any of this three chosen religions near as much as I thought he would, he showed some major fortitude to make it through.  Impressive, even for a fictional character.

Not knowing anything about the book, let alone the ending, kept me reading.  Some of my fellow book club members claimed they could put it down for days at a time and almost forget about it. Not so for me.  I found myself quickly yet cautiously approaching the end so I could digest the outcome, whatever that may be.  Oh, and the rich symbolism throughout the book makes it excellent material for a book club.  If you're lucky enough to be in one as cool as mine, that is.

Here is what Publisher's Weekly says:

A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement "a story that will make you believe in God," as one character says. The peripatetic Pi (ne the much-taunted Piscine) Patel spends a beguiling boyhood in Pondicherry, India, as the son of a zookeeper. Growing up beside the wild beasts, Pi gathers an encyclopedic knowledge of the animal world. His curious mind also makes the leap from his native Hinduism to Christianity and Islam, all three of which he practices with joyous abandon. In his 16th year, Pi sets sail with his family and some of their menagerie to start a new life in Canada. Halfway to Midway Island, the ship sinks into the Pacific, leaving Pi stranded on a life raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. After the beast dispatches the others, Pi is left to survive for 227 days with his large feline companion on the 26-foot-long raft, using all his knowledge, wits and faith to keep himself alive. The scenes flow together effortlessly, and the sharp observations of the young narrator keep the tale brisk and engaging. Martel's potentially unbelievable plot line soon demolishes the reader's defenses, cleverly set up by events of young Pi's life that almost naturally lead to his biggest ordeal. This richly patterned work, Martel's second novel, won Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. In it, Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master.

Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage

Amy says:   

My thriftiness got the better of me again and I downloaded this book for free from Barnes and Noble.  I read it to see if it was something my 9 year-old daughter might be interested in.  Being that is the first in a series of six, I was hoping to like it so she would have another go-to series to keep her busy for at least the first part of summer. She reads faster than I do so it won't last her the whole summer, but I might be able to get three or four weeks of peace out of a six book series. 

My main complaint with this book also happens to be one of my pet peeves:  words misspelled on purpose.  As evidenced in the title, magyk is misspelled  and is misspelled throughout the entire book.  In fact, most words dealing with wizardry and sorcery are as well, with no explanation given.  I should probably loosen up and just roll with it, but I can't.  Also unexplained were words in bold print for seemingly no reason.  Again, they were words dealing with the topic at hand but I found it almost overwhelming to have so  many words in bold print on EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE.  Annoying. 

I also must admit that I am a Harry Potter snob, so it was unlikely I was going to give this book a fair shake.  I tried, but I just couldn't get into it.  There were a multitude of characters, so much so that it was hard to keep them all straight.  If I had trouble, I doubt a 9-12 year-old could keep up either.  The one thing I did appreciate was the love and unity of a solid family unit around the main characters.  It was a refreshing change to see wizard characters with the support of a family to get them through their scary and sometimes deadly troubles. 

Book summary:  At birth, Septimus Heap is carried away for dead, and his father, Silas Heap, is entrusted with a baby girl.  When the villainous Supreme Custodian tries to assassinate the now 10 year-old Jenna, who, it turns out, is the daughter of the murdered queen, the girl flees to the Marram Marshes along with some family members, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and a young army guard known only as "Boy 412."  Pursued by the servants of the Necromancer DomDaniel, and aided by an engaging array of magical beings, they finally prevail in a satisfying and fairly exciting conclusion.

This Side of the Grave: A Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost

Carrie says:

I like vampire stories, but I'm not, necessarily, a fan of vampires.  In some of my favorite stories (Joss Whedon and Buffy, I'm looking right at you) vampires are evil and must be destroyed.  In some of my other favorites stories (Hi, there, Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse), vampires are contributing members of society.   It's probably more of a case of me liking a strong fantasy story with a good mythology and engaging characters than a general preference for vampires.  (No mystery why Twilight left me cold and more than a little nauseous, then.)

Having said that, when a vampire story is done right, it's so lovely.  (Super sigh.) I do love me a really good vampire story, and Jeaniene Frost always provides.  I was first drawn to Night Huntress series because the main vampire reminds me (A LOT) of Spike from Buffy and Angel fame.  I came for the resemblance, but I stayed for Bones' own merit.  Well, his merit, his looks, his accent, his powers and the bootie-kickin' company he keeps. 

This Side of the Grave is the fifth Night Huntress book, and there are two other spin-offs from the main series.  I recommend them all.  What did I say I liked?  Oh, yeah,  a strong fantasy story with a good mythology and engaging characters.  Frost delivers.  She also delivers humor and steamy romance.  One of the nice things about this being the fifth book in a series is that the characters have grown.  Cat, the Night Huntress herself, or the Red Reaper as the vampire community calls her, has gone off half-cocked in the past.  She's managed to learn a lesson or two on the way, so the reader doesn't need to suffer through her repeating her mistakes ad nauseum.

This time Cat and Bones and Company are battling a ghoul mastermind that was introduced in earlier books.  I don't think it requires a spoiler alert if I tell you that the good guys (and girls and ghouls and ghosts) win the day.

Here's what Amazon says.