Review: Cards of Grief

Cards of Grief by Jane Yolen
Originally published 1984; republished 2012 by Open Road Media
Source: borrowed from the library

Jane Yolen's award-winning story about an alien civilization forever changed by the incursion of human social scientists and a mysterious ancient prophecy

The year is 2132 when members of the Anthropologist's Guild set down on the planet Henderson's IV, or L'Lal'lor as it is known to the native population. Charged with the nonintrusive study of alien cultures, the crew discovers a society containing no love or laughter. It is, instead, centered around death—a world of aristocratic and common folk in which grieving is an art and the cornerstone of life. But the alien civilization stands on the brink of astonishing change, heralded by the discovery of Linni, the Gray Wanderer, a young woman from the countryside whose arrival has been foretold for centuries. And for Anthropologist First Class Aaron Spenser, L'Lal'lor is a place of destructive temptations, seducing him with its mysterious, sad beauty, and leading him into an unthinkable criminal act.

Told from the shifting viewpoints of characters both alien and human, and through records of local lore and transcripts of court martial proceedings, Cards of Grief is a thoughtful, lyrical, and spellbinding tale of first contact. It is a true masterwork of world building from Jane Yolen, a premier crafter of speculative fiction and fantasy.

Review: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
Published August 2015 by Mulholland Books
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

On the day he retires, Inspector Ashwin Chopra inherits two unexpected mysteries.

The first is the case of a drowned boy, whose suspicious death no one seems to want solved.

And the second is a baby elephant.

As his search for clues takes him across the teeming city of Mumbai, from its grand high rises to its sprawling slums and deep into its murky underworld, Chopra begins to suspect that there may be a great deal more to both his last case and his new ward than he thought.

And he soon learns that when the going gets tough, a determined elephant may be exactly what an honest man needs...

Review: Fires of Invention by J. Scott Savage

Fires of Invention by J. Scott Savage
Published September 2015 by Shadow Mountain Press
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and “invention” is a curse word.

Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion—an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.

Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on—and quite possibly their very lives.

Review: Fated by Sarah Fine

Fated by Sarah Fine
Published September 2015 by 47 North
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Aislin Ferry and Jason Moros have only days until they will be called to account before the Keepers of the Afterlife. Yet as they race to restore order and make their case, their worlds fall into total disarray.

Mutiny within the fractured Ferry family threatens Aislin’s hold on power and role as Charon. Meanwhile, the fearsome Lord of the Kere has family trouble of his own. Someone is unraveling the fabric of fate, and Moros suspects one of his supernatural siblings is behind the terrible bid to unleash Chaos.

Now unlikely allies, Aislin and Moros each need the other to escape the wrath of the Keepers. As the stakes rise, it becomes clear that protecting their respective empires is not the endgame. With the fate of all humanity dangling by a thread, Aislin and Moros must surrender completely to one another if they are to fight their common enemy. And as time runs out, someone must make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review: The Oncoming Storm

The Oncoming Storm by Christopher Nuttall
Published 15 September 2015 by 47 North
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

In the year 2420, war looms between the galaxy’s two most powerful empires: the tyrannical Theocracy and the protectionist Commonwealth. Caught in the middle sits the occupied outpost system Cadiz, where young officer and aristocrat Katherine “Kat” Falcone finds herself prematurely promoted at the behest of her powerful father. Against her own wishes, Kat is sent to command the Commonwealth navy’s newest warship, Lightning.

Determined to prove she has value beyond her family name, Kat struggles to earn her crew’s respect and find her footing as the youngest captain in naval history. She soon discovers the situation on Cadiz is even worse than anyone in power anticipated. War isn’t just a possibility—it is imminent. Yet the admiral in position to bolster defenses refuses to prepare for a fight. Can Kat find a way to investigate the enemy, alert the Commonwealth, and whip an entire fleet into fighting shape before the Theocracy’s war machine destroys everything she holds dear?

Review: Blanche Passes Go by Barbara Neely

Blanche Passes Go by Barbara Neely
Published August 2015 by Brash Books
Source: eGalley ARC from publisher via NetGalley

The fourth, ground-breaking mystery featuring African-American maid and amateur sleuth Blanche White by Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award winning Author Barbara Neely

Blanche White returns to Farleigh, North Carolina for the summer to help her best friend with her catering business. It’s a homecoming rich with the potential for new romance and fraught with the pain of facing the man who raped her at knife-point years ago but was never prosecuted for the crime. Shortly after Blanche arrives, a young woman is murdered and the clues point to the rapist. Blanche investigates, determined not to let him get away with another crime...nor is she willing to let his money-hungry sister marry a sweet, mentally-challenged man for his wealth. With her usual persistence, feisty wit, and indomitable spirit, her quest for the truth reveals the racism and sexism that still permeate the new south, but also the conflicts that divide her own family...and that might prevent her from accepting the love she so richly deserves.

 

My Thoughts

Review: Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer

Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer
Published July 2015 by 47 North
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

Even when finding oneself engaged in interstellar war, good form must be observed. Our story is set thousands of years after the Terran Exodus, where two powerful, planet-dominating families—the elegant House Jakabitus and the less refined Hahn Empire—have reached a critical point in their generations-long war. Master Hennik, the Hahn ruler’s only son, has been captured, and the disposition of his internment may represent a last and welcome chance for peace.

Enter Wollard, the impeccably distinguished and impossibly correct Master of Formalities for House Jakabitus. When he suggests that Master Hennik be taken in as a ward of the House, certain complications arise. Wollard believes utterly and devotedly in adhering to rules and good etiquette. But how does one inform the ruler of a planet that you are claiming his son as your own—and still create enough goodwill to deescalate an intergalactic war?

My Thoughts

Review: The Secret Abyss

The Secret Abyss by Darrell Pitt
Published July 2015 by Text Publishing Company
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

When the world's deadliest assassin, the Chameleon, escapes from prison, Jack begins his most dangerous investigation yet.

With only the scantest of clues, the team travels from London to New York, a bustling metropolis filled with airships, steam cars and exciting new ideas.

Here they uncover a terrible plot that threatens the president's life and brings the nation to the brink of civil war. Can Jack track down the Chameleon in time? And just what is the mysterious whip of fire that has the power to wreak destruction across the world?

Mini Reviews: Kris Longknife: Defender and Murder Simply Brewed

Title: Kris Longknife: Defender Author: Mike Shepherd Genre: Science Fiction Page Count: 386 Rating: 4/5 ★★★★☆

Format: eBook Source: borrowed from library via Overdrive Completed: 21 July

Kris Longknife: Defender is book 11 in Mike Shepherd's military SF series. In the previous book, Kris returns from exile and convinces her great grandfather to send her on a mission to guard the planet with the bird-like inhabitants from the marauding aliens. There's an ulterior motive here: the hostile aliens refuse to communicate and blow their own ships up if they are damaged. They fired on the life pods ejected from the ships in Kris's fleet in their first encounter. It's imperative that the aliens don't backtrack the humans to their home planets. So, Kris and her new fleet are drawing a line in space and are determined to keep the aliens from taking any more inhabited planets.

In a single novel, Kris experiences a series of rapid promotions and leads another fleet into battle against the aliens. This time they are the defending fleet and can set up ambushes to give themselves a better chance of surviving an attack by the moon-sized mother ships and the hundreds of accompanying ships of an alien advance force.

I borrowed this book from the library through the Overdrive subscription. As I mentioned in this week's Stacking the Shelves, I was surprised that the library got a copy so quickly after I requested it. I read it in just a couple of days, requested that the library get a copy of the next in the series, and it has already arrived. I'm thoroughly enjoying the books in this series and am thrilled to find out that a new volume is scheduled for October and yet another for sometime in 2016.

 

Title: Murder Simply Brewed Author: Vanetta Chapman Genre: Cozy Mystery Page Count: 358 Rating: 3/5 ★★★☆☆

Format: eBook Source: purchased May 2015 Completed: 23 July

One of the first books I received from NetGalley was Murder Tightly Knit, the second book in Vanetta Chapman's Amish Village Mystery series. Then, I received and reviewed Murder Freshly Baked, the third book. Having enjoyed both of them, I knew that I wanted to go back and see how the series started, and when I saw that Murder Simply Brewed was on sale, I immediately hit the “BUY” button.

Amber Wright is the general manager of the Amish Village and Inn, a retail complex in the small town of Middlebury, Indiana. When Ethan Gray is found dead in the coffee boutique that he runs, the police call it a heart attack—“natural causes”—and that seems to be it. Except Amber is convinced that Ethan was murdered. And, there seems to be someone who has a grudge against Amber and the Amish Village. Several acts of vandalism have gotten everyone on edge. Are they related to Ethan's death or not?

This was an engaging read. I suspect that the series will end with only three volumes. I'd love to see yet another outing for Amber, Hannah, and all the characters at the Amish Village shops. But, if that's not to happen, there are quite a number of books by Ms. Chapman that I haven't yet read.

Review: The Lost Concerto

The Lost Concerto by Helaine Mario
Published July 2015 by Oceanview Publishing
Source: eGalley ARC from NetGalley

A woman and her young son flee to a convent on a remote island off the Breton coast of France. Generations of seafarers have named the place Ile de la Brume, or Fog Island. In a chapel high on a cliff, a tragic death occurs and a terrified child vanishes into the mist.

The child’s godmother, Maggie O’Shea, haunted by the violent deaths of her husband and best friend, has withdrawn from her life as a classical pianist. But then a recording of unforgettable music and a grainy photograph surface, connecting her missing godson to a long-lost first love.

The photograph will draw Maggie inexorably into a collision course with criminal forces, decades-long secrets, stolen art and musical artifacts, and deadly terrorists. Her search will take her to the Festival de Musique, Aix-en-Provence, France, where she discovers answers to the mystery surrounding her husband’s death, an unexpected love—and a musical masterpiece lost for centuries.

A compelling blend of suspense, mystery, political intrigue, and romance, The Lost Concerto explores universal themes of loss, vengeance, courage, and love.

Review: Forgotten Suns

Forgotten Suns by Judith Tarr
Published April 2015 by Book View Cafe
Source: eGalley ARC from the publisher

I am no one. I pass from dark into dark. I hunt a track gone cold as stone.

For five thousand Earthyears, the planet called Nevermore has been empty. Its cities are deserted, with every trace of their inhabitants erased. Only a handful of nomadic tribes remain, none of whom remember the ones who went before.

An expedition from Earth has been excavating one of the planet’s many ruins, and attempting without success to find the cause of its people’s disappearance. Now the expedition is in trouble, its funding cut; unless it makes a major discovery, and soon, it will be shut down. Then the United Planets will invade Nevermore and strip it of its resources, and destroy its ancient and enigmatic treasures.

Aisha, the daughter of the chief archaeologists, tries to save the expedition by opening a sealed tomb or treasury—and manages instead to destroy it. But one treasure survives, which may be the key to the planet’s mystery. That treasure is alive, and deeply dangerous: a long-forgotten king and conqueror, sentenced to be preserved in stasis centuries before his world was abandoned.

Review: The Secret History of the Mongol Queens

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford
Published February 2010 by Random House Audio
Source: purchased from Audible.com

The Mongol queens of the thirteenth century ruled the largest empire the world has ever known. Yet sometime near the end of the century, censors cut a section from The Secret History of the Mongols, leaving a single tantalizing quote from Genghis Khan: “Let us reward our female offspring.” Only this hint of a father’s legacy for his daughters remained of a much larger story.

The queens of the Silk Route turned their father’s conquests into the world’s first truly international empire, fostering trade, education, and religion throughout their territories and creating an economic system that stretched from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. Outlandish stories of these powerful queens trickled out of the Empire, shocking the citizens of Europe and and the Islamic world.

Review: Kris Longknife

Kris Longknife: Intrepid by Mike Shepherd
Published October 2008 by Ace
Source: gift from Lemonitsa

At long last, Kris Longknife's dream of commanding a space warship has come true...in a way. The Wasp is the best warship beyond the rim of human space—actually, it's the only one—and the contract crew has its own captain. But Kris knows he'll do what she tells him when they run into trouble.

Sure enough, while hunting fo pirates beyond the Rim, Kris stumbles upon a plan to kill one of the members of the aristocratic Peterwald family. There is not love lost between the Peterwalds and the Longknives, but Kris cannot look the other way—especially when the would-be killers are setting her up as the assassin. Now Kris must lead her crew deep into Peterwald space to save a life and prevent a war between the influential families that could devastate what's left of humanity...

Kris Longknife: Undaunted by Mike Shepherd
Published October 2009 by Ace
Source: gift from Shaunesay

Kris Longknife encounters some peaceful aliens who have come to warn humanity of an unidentifiable force that is roaming the galaxy, obliterating everything in its path—a path now leading directly toward the human worlds.

 

My Thoughts

The Kris Longknife series is one that I started reading when the first books came out in 2004, but it's been 8 years since I read any of these military SF books. Having received two volumes as gifts in 2014, I was determined to resume reading and targeted this series as one that I intend to finish in 2015.

In Kris Longknife: Intrepid, Kris is in charge of a scientific and exploration mission—looking for pirates along the way. And she finds them. Arriving at the planet Pandemonium, she finds two ships in orbit and an invasion force on the ground. Kris and her Marines join forces with the residents of the planet to drive the invaders away.

Continuing the scientific and exploration mission from the previous episode, Kris comes face to face with an Iteeche envoy in Kris Longknife: Undaunted. This is the first contact between humans and Iteeche in the 80 years since a peace treaty—negotiated by her grandfather, now King Raymond I—was adopted. Demanding to speak with her grandfather, the ambassador boards Kris's ship for a trip to Wardhaven, the capital planet of the United Sentients Federation. A side trip to the planet Texarkana uncovers a band of dissidents determined to use force to bring about political change. Kris winds up in the middle.

I'm really enjoying this series. In fact, I've already purchased #9, Kris Longknife: Redoubtable and am about ½ way through it. Once I finish it, I'll probably take a short break from Kris Longknife for a week or so, but not too long as I'm simply having too much fun with Kris, computer Nelly, guard Jack, and rival Vicky Peterwald.

★★★★☆

Review: How to Fly with Broken Wings

How to Fly with Broken Wings by Jane Elson
Published March 2014 by Hachette Children's Books
Source: review copy from NetGalley

'If Finn Maison shouts jump you jump or you are dead.'

Twelve-year-old Willem has Aspergers Syndrome and two main aims in life: to fly and to make at least two friends of his own age. But all the other boys from the Beckham Estate do is make him jump off things. First his desk—and now the wall. As his toes teeter on the edge, Sasha Barton gives him a tiny little wink. Might she become his friend?

Bullied by Finn and his gang the Beckham Estate Boyz, Willem has no choice but to jump. As he flies through the air he flaps his arms, wishing he could fly and escape into the clouds. Instead he comes crashing down and breaks his ankle.

Sasha, angry with herself for not stopping Finn and his Boyz, is determined to put things right. And soon, while the gangs riot on their estate, Willem and Sasha form an unlikely friendship. Because they share a secret. Sasha longs to fly too.

And when Magic Man Archie arrives with stories of war-flying spitfires, he will change the lives of the kids on the Beckham Estate for ever. And perhaps find a way for Willem and Sasha to fly ...

Touching on themes such as friendship and bullying, this is a charming tale about overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in unlikely places.

My Thoughts

I found it interesting that the book description begins with “Twelve-year-old Willem has Aspergers Syndrome ...” and yet there's absolutely no mention of Aspergers in the book. Rather, the reader is left to recognize Willem's difference from his classmates through his behavior and his first person narrative in How to Fly with Broken Wings. And, I'd rather that the writer of the blurb had kept it to herself that Willem has Aspergers. I know that I read the blurb when I first chose the book to read and review, but I had forgotten it by the time I started reading, which allowed me to discover Willem's quirks without expectations. (One reviewer complained that Willem was “not like any asperger kids that I've ever know or read...”.)

So, with that said, what is How to Fly with Broken Wings all about? It's about Willem and his challenge to make friends with two kids his own age. It's about Sasha, a girl who becomes his first friend. It's about Finn, TJ, and Laurence, three boys who bully Willem. It's about living in low-income housing. It's about gangs and riots. And, fortunately, it's about hope.

I thoroughly enjoyed How to Fly with Broken Wings. It will be released on 5 March in the UK. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the book has been picked up by a US publisher. And that's tragic. Jane Elson's story has a message that transcends national boundaries. I know there are kids in the US who could benefit from meeting Willem and seeing the world through his eyes.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of How to Fly with Broken Wings from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: A String of Beads

A String of Beads by Thomas Perry
Published 6 January 2015
by Mysterious Press
Source: eARC from NetGalley

After two decades protecting innocent victims on the run, and a year after getting shot on a job that took a dangerous turn for the worse, Jane McKinnon, née Whitefield, has settled into the quiet life of a suburban housewife in Amherst, New York—or so she thinks.

One morning as she comes back from a long run, Jane is met by an unusual sight: all eight clan mothers, the female leaders of the Seneca clans, parked in her driveway in two black cars. A childhood friend of Jane's from the reservation, Jimmy, is wanted by the police for the murder of a local white man. But instead of turning himself in, he's fled, and no one knows where he is hiding out. At the clan mothers' request, Jane retraces a walking trip she and Jimmy took together when they were fourteen in hopes that he has gone the same way again. But it soon becomes clear that the police aren’t the only ones after him. As the chase intensifies, the number of people caught up in this twisted plot multiplies, and Jane is the only one who can protect those endangered by it. A String of Beads is an addictive, fast-paced thriller about how abandoning the past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do, even when your life—and the life of those you love—depends on it.

My Thoughts

Once upon a time, there was Jane Whitefield, a young Seneca woman who acts as a guide to help innocent people adopt new identities to escape from those who would do them harm. Think “private witness protection program”, except Jane will not take a client who is a criminal. She's the last resort for battered wives, the falsely accused, an inadvertent witness, and the innocent whistle blower.

After her marriage to Dr. Carey McKinnon, Jane goes into retirement, but after 10 years, she finds that she feels compelled to occasionally return to her previous role when she truly is the last resort. It's been a year since her last client and this time the request for her services comes from the entire group of clan mothers of her tribe—asking that she use her skills to help her childhood friend who has been framed for murder.

Having accepted a string of beads from the clan mothers as a token of the contract between them, Jane sets out to find her friend Jimmy and help him return safely home where he can surrender to the police. But, things quickly escalate when Jane discovers that it's not just the police who are seeking Jimmy. The man who framed him is determined that Jimmy not live to stand trial. In Jimmy's case, Jane isn't helping him establish a permanent identity, she's simply trying to keep him hidden enough to smoke out the bad guys who are hunting him and make it safe for Jimmy to turn himself in.

A String of Beads is the eighth book in Perry's mystery series and I enjoyed it very much. It's definitely much better than the previous book, Poison Flower. Jane is at her best as she is evading her pursuers and utilizing the alternate identities she has carefully cultivated over twenty years. As she is protecting her client, she's also instructing him on how to hide. There's lots of action with a number of close calls and a big showdown at the end. Another departure from past stories is that Jane is actively trying to solve the murder so that Jimmy doesn't have to stay hidden for the rest of his life. As usual, the book is filled with references to Seneca beliefs, customs, and history.

I strongly recommended this newest volume for fans of the series and encourage those new to Jane Whitefield to start at the very beginning with Vanishing Act. You've got quite an adventure with one of mystery's strongest female protagonists.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of A String of Beads from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: The Galaxy Game

The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord
Published 6 January 2015 by Del Rey
Source: eARC from NetGalley

On the verge of adulthood, Rafi attends the Lyceum, a school for the psionically gifted. Rafi possesses mental abilities that might benefit people . . . or control them. Some wish to help Rafi wield his powers responsibly; others see him as a threat to be contained. Rafi’s only freedom at the Lyceum is Wallrunning: a game of speed and agility played on vast vertical surfaces riddled with variable gravity fields.

Serendipity and Ntenman are also students at the Lyceum, but unlike Rafi they come from communities where such abilities are valued. Serendipity finds the Lyceum as much a prison as a school, and she yearns for a meaningful life beyond its gates. Ntenman, with his quick tongue, quicker mind, and a willingness to bend if not break the rules, has no problem fitting in. But he too has his reasons for wanting to escape.

Now the three friends are about to experience a moment of violent change as seething tensions between rival star-faring civilizations come to a head. For Serendipity, it will challenge her ideas of community and self. For Ntenman, it will open new opportunities and new dangers. And for Rafi, given a chance to train with some of the best Wallrunners in the galaxy, it will lead to the discovery that there is more to Wallrunning than he ever suspected . . . and more to himself than he ever dreamed.

My Thoughts

Rafi has been sent to the Lyceum, a school for young people with psi powers. There his skills will be assessed to determine just what they are and whether he has the appropriate discipline and control to avoid being a danger to others. If Rafi had lived on a planet other than Cygnus Beta, there'd probably be no concern at all, but on his planet, there are few psionically gifted people.

As soon as he can, Rafi removes himself from the school—and from his planet. He travels with fellow classmate Ntenman to Purnatam, a planet mostly peopled by the Ntshune and where psi usage is common. There's something extraordinary taking place in the Academes of Punartam, and Rafi discovers that he has an unexpected role to play as tensions between the rival star-faring civilizations play out.

It seemed that it was taking me a long time to read The Galaxy Game. For much of the first part of the book I felt confused. I was ⅔ of the way into the book before I discovered that it was the second book in a series! I don't know if my disorientation was due to not having read the first book or not. I do know that as I read, I had to continually reevaluate everything. I found myself lost in the universe in which it takes place, lost as to who the characters were, and lost in the story itself.

But, as I read the final portion of The Galaxy Game things suddenly shifted into place. I did go back and read the prologue again and this time it made perfect sense—no confusion at all. I then returned to my place in the book and read eagerly to the end. From this experience, I think it is likely that my initial bewilderment was due to jumping into the series in the middle. I have placed the first book, The Best of All Possible Worlds, onto my wishlist at the library. I'm taken with the universe that Ms. Lord has envisioned and hope she continues to visit it in future books.

I initially debated between 3 and 4 stars when it came to rating this book. Since I don't want to penalize the book because I hadn't read the first in the series, I've decided to rank it as 4 stars—I really liked it. I think it's important to emphasize that this book does not stand alone well. To get the most out of it, I think it would be essential to read The Best of All Possible Worlds first.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Galaxy Game from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley
Published 6 January 2015 by Delacorte Press
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Hard on the heels of the return of her mother’s body from the frozen reaches of the Himalayas, Flavia, for her indiscretions, is banished from her home at Buckshaw and shipped across the ocean to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Toronto, her mother’s alma mater, there to be inducted into a mysterious organization known as the Nide.

No sooner does she arrive, however, than a body comes crashing down out of the chimney and into her room, setting off a series of investigations into mysterious disappearances of girls from the school.

My Thoughts

I kept wavering between 4 and 5 stars for As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. I'm a real fan of Flavia de Luce, the young protagonist in Alan Bradley's series of mystery novels. The prior book was released in January 2014, and I checked it out of the library the day it arrived. In fact, I put myself on the reserve list before the library had even received their copy. I flew through that book, reading The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches in only two days.

Browsing through NetGalley, I was excited to see that a new volume in Flavia's story was due in January 2015. You can imagine how thrilled I was when my request to receive a review copy of As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust was approved. Due to business and family commitments (“life” ?) it actually took me four days to read this book and I enjoyed every minute of it. As I have time to think about it, however, I don't think this was the very best of the series, so let's settle for 4 stars.

So, what is As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust all about? Flavia has been bundled off to boarding school in Canada—the very same school that her mother had attended as a girl. In her usual style, Flavia pretty much does her own thing rather than falling in line with the schedule of school and dormitory life. Of course there's a murder and Flavia is leading the charge to identify the dead woman and determine how she died. Along the way, it is revealed that a number of students have mysteriously disappeared from the school. There is also a secret society (or two?) operating in the boarding school. More mysteries for Flavia to solve.

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust contains the usual Flavia quirks: her passion for chemistry, obsession with the processes of decay and decomposition, and application of scientific method to problems of any type. Those who have been reading the entire series will enjoy seeing Flavia mature through her new experiences. Readers will also miss the setting of Buckshaw, the village of Bishop's Lacey, and the inhabitants of both.

I said that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I did. But I found myself feeling dissatisfied—particularly in the second half of the book. For example, Flavia is very lonely and perks up a little bit when she finally gets a letter from Dogger, six weeks after leaving home. But, nowhere does the author tell us that she is sending off letter after letter to her family. No. Instead, Flavia says, “After queuing day after day at the wicket, and being turned away each time letterless, I had simply given up waiting,” concluding “...no one on this particular planet gave a rat’s whisker for Flavia de Luce.”

Fortunately, her loyal readers do care, and care deeply for Flavia. I'm hoping that this book is the launching pad for further episodes of Flavia's story.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: The Glass Magician

The Glass Magician by Charlie N Holmberg
Published 4 November 2014 by 47North
Source: NetGalley

Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

My Thoughts

The Glass Magician picks up shortly after the events of The Paper Magician. Ceony Twill is continuing her studies with Magician Thane and seems to be on track to pass her certification exams as a Folder (a magician bound to paper) after two years of apprenticeship. While on a field trip with other magician apprentices, the paper factory they are visiting is bombed by a notorious Excisioner (a practitioner of blood magic). When it becomes evident that Ceony is the target of a pair of evil magicians, her teachers rally to protect her, but Ceony resents being left out of the plans to capture them. So, she charges out to solve things on her own.

I don't even know how to begin to tell you how much I enjoyed The Glass Magician. I guess the 4-star rating tells you something. I saw reviews which criticized the fact that Ceony makes bad decisions which put her at risk, but really, that's what the book is all about—a young woman taking matters into her own hands.

I noticed that there's another book in this series due out in 2015. I hope the author doesn't plan on stopping with just three books. It seems that there's a lot to be explored in this alternate world filled with magic and emerging technology.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Glass Magician from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: The Oblate's Confession

The Oblate's Confession by William Peak
Published December 1, 2014 by Secant Publishing
Source: NetGalley

England, the 7th century. Petty Anglo-Saxon kingdoms make war upon one another and their Celtic neighbors. Christianity is a new force in the land, one whose hold remains tenuous at best. Power shifts back and forth uneasily between two forms of the new faith: a mystical Celtic Catholicism and a newer, more disciplined form of Catholicism emanating from Rome. Pagan rites as yet survive in the surrounding hills and mountains. Plague sweeps across the countryside unpredictably, its path marked by death and destruction.

In keeping with a practice common at the time, an Anglo-Saxon warrior donates his youngest child to the monastery of Redestone, in effect sentencing the boy to spend the rest of his life as a monk. This gift-child, called an oblate, will grow up in the abbey knowing little of his family or the expectations his natural father will someday place upon him, his existence haunted by vague memories of a former life and the questions those memories provoke.

Who is his father, the distant chieftain who sired him or the bishop he prays for daily? And to which father, natural or spiritual, will he owe allegiance when, at length, he is called upon to ally himself with one and destroy the other? These are the dilemmas the child faces. The answers will emerge from the years he spends in spiritual apprenticeship to a hermit who lives on the nearby mountain of Modra nect – and his choices will echo across a lifetime.

My Thoughts

The story in The Oblate's Confession is delivered in first person by Winwæd, an elderly monk, who says, “I write under obedience: Father Abbot has ordered me to give an account of the events that led up to my sin.” And thus his story begins with Winwæd's arrival at a small monastery in Northumbria. He's been delivered to the monastery as a gift from his parents. Such a gift child was referred to as an oblate, and shared the life of the monks.

William Peak has written an exquisitely crafted novel. Although set in a wild and remote area of northern Great Britain and a dark period in medieval history, it shines with the richness of detail in the seemingly unimportant daily activities in the monastery. The pace of the book is slow and thoughtful. So slow that at times I set it aside to read something else and then returned later. But as I got into the story more, I saw that the slowness was deceptive. Like a slow-moving river, there were depths to Winwæd's narrative that needed time to sink in.

The elderly oblate tells of his early years in the monastery, and eventually comes to the great sin which he committed. Along the way, we meet those who played such a prominent part in his life, especially Father Gwynedd, the hermit living on the mountain above the monastery. “Prayer and work, the monk’s simple call; but Gwynedd’s work is his prayer.” Winwæd becomes servant to Father Gwynedd, carrying supplies and prayer requests to the hermit once a week.

It is Father Gwynedd's lessons on contemplative prayer which touched me most. I kept highlighting passages that I wanted to return to later.

When you pray—when you pray as I am teaching you to pray—you must warm the wax of your mind, allow the heat to erase your thoughts, allow it to erase your thoughts one by one. And then you must wait. You must wait quietly, absently, while God writes what He will. And what He wills, of course, is Himself. What you will read, encounter, is God.

The Oblate's Confession was one of the first books which I received from NetGalley. I think one reason why it caught my eye was because I had recently discovered the Brother Cadfael Medieval mysteries and was enjoying reading about this period in English history. While totally different in tone and pace from Brother Cadfael, this book did not disappoint.

When I first finished reading The Oblate's Confession, I felt very confident that a rating of three stars was the right assessment. But as I had time to think more about the book and look back at some notes as I was writing this review, I realized that it was deserving of a stronger endorsement. I'm raising my rating to four stars.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of The Oblate's Confession from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Review: Murder Tightly Knit

Murder Tightly Knit by Vannetta Chapman
Published December 16, 2014 by Zondervan
Source Netgalley

As fall blankets the Pumpkinvine Trail with leaves of brown, gold, and orange, a local Amish man is found dead on the path. The only clues to the murderer’s identity point in two very different directions—toward the local survivalist group and toward the Amish Village—specifically the village’s knitting shop, The Cat’s Meow. The police call in a federal investigator, and he quickly puts everyone on the suspect list. Amber Bowman and Hannah Troyer know who isn’t guilty—they know this community down to the last buggy, but can they find the guilty party before someone else is in danger?

While Hannah helps Amber solve the mystery, she and Jesse Miller continue courting. But when Jesse’s prodigal brother returns to their farm, Jesse becomes distracted by family troubles. He and Hannah will have to overcome the tension in order to keep their relationship alive. And Amber and Hannah will need to work quickly to solve the murder mystery and bring harmony back to the Amish community.

Murder Tightly Knit has several things going for it. At its core, this is a cozy mystery where the author does everything right. Author Vanetta Chapman tells a wholesome story, which is to be expected coming from a publisher of Christian fiction. There are references to faith and church and the Bible and God, but it's all done with a light hand and I didn't find it the least bit intrusive. And, you might even find Murder Tightly Knit shelved with the romance novels, though the romance is a slowly simmering undercurrent to the main storyline. With all that said, read it for the mystery.

When Owen Esch is murdered on Pumpkinvine Trail near Amish Artisan Village, suspicion falls on several people in the town of Middlebury, Indiana. As police struggle to discover who committed the murder, Amber Bowman and Hannah Troyer set out to discover exactly why Owen was killed and why he was calling Mary Weaver at the Village's yarn shop just before he died. After Andrew Miller is arrested, Amber and Hannah put their heads together, following clues and using their knowledge of the both the Amish and Englischer communities to free Andrew and identify the real killer.

When I requested a review copy, I didn't realize that it is the second book in Vanetta Chapman's Amish Village Mysteries series. Although I have a very strong preference to read books in order, it turns out that this book works well enough as a stand-alone. There are references to a murder which occurred in the prior book, but the reader is not left confused or wondering about the relationships between the characters. (Which can happen when you jump into the middle of an established series.) And, since the publication date is December 16, you have plenty of time to read the first book in the series, Murder Simply Brewed, while you're waiting for this one.

★★★★☆

Note that I received a free copy of Murder Tightly Knit from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.