The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Following last year’s Court of Broken Knives I had high expectations for this book, and I have to say I was not disappointed. As with the first book in the series, The Tower of Living and Dying may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you enjoyed the first you’re going to love the second.
I’ll be honest with you, I’m not doing all that well with life right now. Just over three weeks ago I lost my primary source of income, and literally on the same day suffered a fractured elbow. I’m still in the limbo of waiting to find out if I’m eligible for benefits while I try to find another job, and it’s only thanks to the kindness of close friends that I’m able to keep the lights on, metaphorically speaking.
Anachronism by Jennifer Lee Rossman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one. The general tone and pacing make for a fun, almost frenetic read, and the main character is just adorable with her sass and attitude.
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Damn, but this book is good. It’s another one that reads like pretty much every D&D game I’ve ever played in, and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn the author worked out the plot by simply rolling on a random encounter table for every chapter.
The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having thoroughly enjoyed Jen Williams’ first trilogy, The Copper Cat, I came to this book fairly sure it was going to be an enjoyable read, and I’m pleased to say I was right about that. This is one hell of a book, and a more than excellent start to a trilogy. Unlike The Copper Cat, which consisted of three more-or-less standalone novels, this is very definitely the first in an ongoing storyline.
The Copper Promise by Jen Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a fun book. It reminded me so much of some of my earlier forays into tabletop role-playing, with the mismatched group of heroes crawling through a dungeon and inadvertently unleashing the big bad at the beginning and then going through a number of minor adventures to piece together the macguffin they need to defeat the big bad at the end of the book. I swear I could almost hear the dice clattering across the table at times.