reverend?

Gideon the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir

The first book of the Locked Tomb series finds Gideon Nav posing as the Cavalier Primary to Reverend Daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus as they face trials to serve the Emperor Undying.
This series is wonderful and nuts. A space fantasy with lesbian romance, gothic swordfighting and horrific undead monsters.
Filled with beautifully seeded worldbuilding and a wicked terminally online sense of humour.
I straight up loved this book.

Rating: A

investment?

The Rhesus Chart

Charles Stross

Bob Howard discovers that Vampires are a real thing through data analysis. Identifying an active cell he infiltrates a bank only to discover that leader of the cell is his former girlfriend.
Forced to bring her and her colleagues into the Laundry fold he gets caught in the middle of a tactical battle between two old and powerful vampires.
I was working my way through the Laundry Files as audiobooks and reached this one and had to switch to read the ebook instead. The banking vampires were just too annoying to listen to!
This is a pretty good Laundry book and probably the last before the Stross’ taste for bleak shit gets too much for me.

Rating: B

psongstress?

Grave Reservations

Cherie Priest

First book in a new series from the very talented Priest.
This one features a Seattle based travel agent with psychic gifts helping a homicide detective with an investigation.
It’s a very charming read. I’ve heard there will be a sequel and I’m looking forward to reading that when it comes out.

Rating: B+

graduation?

The Last Graduate

Naomi Novik

El is no longer an outcast at the Scholomance school of magic.
She has an alliance and – even better – friends.
After the events of last year everyone is enjoying a breather from attacks by the Mals.
Everyone except El!
This is a very good second installment of this series. I really hope she sticks the landing in the last book.

Rating: A-

fates?

The Belgariad

David Eddings

pawn of prophecyThis five volume series is an expertly and cynically constructed slice of epic fantasy.
Nearly every clichéd trope of the genre is trotted at one point or another but the sheer pace of storytelling stops it from becoming boring.
I’ve read this series many times but even after now I find myself enjoying some of the characters and rooting for the (inevitable) happy ending.
It’s outdated, generic as all hell but it’s one of my comfort reads.
If you’re looking for a quick, easy-to-read fantasy fix then this is an acceptable option.

Rating: C+

Continue reading “fates?”

mana?

A Deadly Education

Naomi Novik

El is an outcast at the Scholomance school of magic.
This would be bad enough in a normal boarding school but this magical school is full of monsters called Mals looking to snack on unprepared students and the outcasts are the easy marks.
Luckily El is no easy mark.

Rating: A-