Beth Tabler

Peace Talks, Jim Butcher's newest installment in the Dresden Files universe is the culmination of all of Harry's experiences, pain, and victories blending into one great explosion that resonates with, “I am enough.”

It has been a long, long time since I have read any new snark coming from the mouth of Harry Dresden. There is a giant hole in my TBR stack that only a Dresden book can fill. This series are books that make you smile and not take life so seriously; they are the best parts of Urban Fantasy as a genre. The series taken as a whole is half Sam Spade (trench coat and all) and half the tv show Supernatural. It is wizarding with an attitude. It is a take no bullshit, going to do what is right, Dresden is going to smite the bad guy kind of fun. It is heart and soul and so many things. Although there have been a few short stories since Butcher's last book, it has been six years since the previous full Harry novel.

But let me tell you folks; this book is worth the wait.

We return to Dresden's world very near where Skin Game left off. You can read Peace Talks singularly. However, I think readers should read Skin Game. There are many plot points that Butcher touches on that might be lost on readers if you aren't vaguely familiar with them. Harry is still a member of the council and is the Winter Knight for Queen Mab. All of these twist and turn and pull Harry's loyalty in many directions.
Complicating things is a situation with Thomas. Thomas, for some reason, does something very uncharacteristic for himself and gets in trouble.

In Peace Talks, Harry, an “every situation can be solved with a tornado” kind of wizard, is faced with something he is not known for talking and subtleties. Peace Talks is just that; it is the gathering of most of the world's significant magical forces to talk. The idea is not to jump all over each other, whip fire around, or see who is wielding the biggest magical staff. Instead, it is talking in peace amongst your peers and hammering things out. Also, Peace Talks touches on familial issues: Dresden's relationship with his brother and Grandfather play a large part in the Narrative. We are blessed with moments of Harry interacting with reoccurring characters. Butters, Karrin, Molly, and Mouse all have standout moments. Especially Mouse, that dog has single-handedly made me want a Foo dog so that I may name him Mouse. Don't tell me Foo dogs aren't real.

“Okay,” Butters said. “So... that just happened.” He regarded the ectoplasm and then me and shook his head. “Your life, Harry. What the hell?”
-Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Dresden seems more at peace with who he is in this book more than any book or short story written. He has great interactions with Karrin that exude hard-fought-for calmness and familiarity. It is lovely to read as Harry deserves some peace in his romantic life for once. There are also moments later in the book where, while battling a foe, Harry realizes that he is his own man and does not need to explain or defend it. Even to his most trusted advisors, friends, and lovers. You would think that by book 16, he would have figured this out by now. But there is a difference in knowing something and internalizing it. I believe that Harry has finally internalized that he is enough; he always been enough, and given his history and experiences, people should start believing in him.

This book is also a love letter to the idea of found family.

“Yeah, one second.” I finally found the folded-up piece of paper with the weekly passphrases on it in the depths of the gym bag. I unfolded it, shook sand off it, consulted it, and read, “All of my base are belong to me. What does that even mean?”
Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

A little back story on Harry's character. He is an orphan, both of his parents have passed away, and his grandfather had raised him. He has few people to turn to that are blood-related. So instead, he finds his people, his family. They become as dear to his heart as much as anyone who shares his blood. It is part of what makes Harry such a fun character to read. He has a certain authenticity; he genuinely loves the people he adopts as family members. Sometimes this is used to hurt him as we have seen in previous books, with his daughter used against him as leverage.

“Yer a wizard, Harry.”
Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Pacing wise, this book feels different than previous Dresden stories. I know that this is marketed as having a small procedural arc like most of the Dresden file books do, this arc then sits inside a massive ongoing series arc. But although the end of the book does come to some conclusions as expected, it does not feel whole to me. Instead, it feels like it was written as 1/2 of a story to be concluded with Butcher's next book Battleground. This might be why they are being released close together as Battleground is due to be released on September 29th of 2020. This is pure speculation; Battleground might feel very much like its own book. But I think that we are going to get a more solid feeling of closure for Peace Talks when Battleground has concluded. Either way, Butcher is blessing us readers with two Dresden stories this year.

If you take on the Dresden Files, 16+ books, it might seem overwhelming. A lot is going on. But trust that even if you haven't read the previous books, you will enjoy this one. It is full of snark and quips, great plot, pacing, and standout moments. And, if you have read the previous books, you will fully appreciate it as it almost feels like he wrote it with the fans in mind. Butcher needed to remind longtime fans why this series is so much fun, and he does that in spades. As we have Battleground set to be released this fall, it is a banner year for Dresden Fans. If Battlegrounds is anything like this one, I don't think fans will be disappointed.

I spent quite a bit of this book wondering, “what the hell is going on?” I get that it is six vignettes of the character, moon knight. But honestly aside from the grittiness, there didn't seem to be much that united the main character through the six books into an actual personality. Aside from a badass. In that respect, it was rather boring.

love excellent Horrorverse adaptations when an author takes something that is banal and twists it and gives it some bite, which is precisely what Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa did with the saccharine sweet Riverdale story. Roberto pulls out an end of the world zombie apocalypse story from the depths of pep rally games, love triangles, and high school melodrama.

I love it so much more than the original.

In this volume, the gang is on the run. There is a horde of the undead being led by a decaying and bloodthirsty Jughead. Still, within the group, there are power struggles, violent flashbacks, and murder. So there is quite a bit to read about aside from the running. Some basics still apply: Betty is a sweetheart but is slowly showing more personality, Veronica is still a bitch, and Archie is still the leader. But, we learn a bit more about Veronica and Betty's backgrounds. The only real snag about this, the artwork is stellar, and the storyline is fun is that the last two issues of this arc never saw the light of day. They have been on indefinite hold. There is no real resolution to this second story arc. I don't mind; I found it was still a fun read. But it is frustrating to some readers.

Artwise, this volume is dark and gorgeous.

All in all, a fun read. Sucks that the last issues are not out, but still worth checking it out if you are a zombie apocalypse fan.

Survival is insufficient.

In speculative fiction, I think we as readers forget that to survive humans must do more than live, humans need to thrive. Humans need to explore and challenge ourselves, to watch sunsets, be moved, and feel joy. Humans need more than to breathe. Good fiction knows this but great fiction, like Station 11, explores this.

The story of Station 11 starts with multiple endings.

A play of King Lear at a Toronto Theater where 51-year-old Arthur Leander has his final moments on stage after suffering a major heart attack. That was his end.

A man runs on to the stage and attempts to save Arthur. In this moment of heroism, his wandering has ceased. It has ended. He has found his calling.

A little girl watches the death of Arthur followed by the end of life as she knows it. Her childhood has ended.

The first cases of superflu affect people. This ends in a worldwide pandemic that decimates that human population, cities, culture, and infrastructure. This is the end of human civilization as we know it.

The world ends, not with a bang but a cough.

Of all of them there at the bar that night, the bartender was the one who survived the longest. He died three weeks later on the road out of the city.

Endings are important in fiction, they are the culmination of something. But, an ending is only a moment, a person dying on stage, a man running to save him, a little girl weeping in the wings, and the two weeks that followed. These moments are like stones dropped into a pond. It isn't so much about the stones as it is about all the ripples sent out from it. The endings are the springboards for beginnings and that in this novel is the important part.

We move forward twenty years and meet Kirsten who was the little girl who witnessed the death of Arthur. She is now a 28-year-old actor and part of the Traveling Symphony. A group of artists dedicated to performing Shakespeare and traveling around from city to city. They sing for their supper, but more than that they give a peek into something that is more than the drudgery of day to day. What in the world is more magnificent and resembles the height of human culture than Shakespeare?

I will not say any more about the plot. First, this is an intricately woven plot and surmising it any further than the blurb does the story injustice. There are too many small pieces. Second, this is a highly atmospheric novel. It is not so much about the words themselves, but the mental image the excellent storytelling it evokes. I couldn't do it justice in a paragraph about plot highlights even if I wanted to.

Here is where I think this story is brilliant and surpasses many other speculative stories and should be read. It is the celebration of art and humanities. Art is such a human thing and it shines a light on the darkness of an apocalypse. There is so much dark, and drudgery in surviving. Find food and shelter... repeat. That isn't important. It is the moments of joy and bliss that should be celebrated. Find hope amongst the shadows, find light in the dark. Celebrate that joy and write a story about that. That is what Station 11 is. It is a light on the darkness. I hope you read it and are as moved as I was.

This is a strange and lovely book. If I I judged this book entirely on illustration and panel flowing from one scene to the next, easy 5 stars. The graphics are very well done and effective. However, the stories feel almost like they are choppy. Some of the stories, specifically the ones with the worms was really good, while the others were just ok. I'd give it a chance just so you can look at the images and embrace the crazy style.

Few authors have had the effect that Raymond Feist has had on the fantasy genre. He is as synonymous with grand fantasy novels as Stephen King is with horror. As of right now, Feist has written 30+ books, most notably the Riftwar Cycle. A collection of fantasy stories that revolve around the world of Midkemia and Kelewan. However, Feist's newest series, The Firemane Saga, has the potential to be as widespread and loved as the Riftwar Cycle.

“The queen had a late child, yes . . . ,” said Daylon. He let out a long sigh. “Most likely it died during the taking of the villa. They threw babies from the cliffs to the rocks when the household was slaughtered. Perhaps he was one.”

The first book of the series, King of Ashes, details the fall of the Ithrace kingdom through great treachery. For more than a century, the five nations worked in partnership with each other to build a world of great prosperity. This is especially true of the Ithrace kingdom. They are known for the beauty of the land and a love of the arts and wealth that far exceeds the other four kingdoms. It indeed was a magnificent kingdom of milk and honey. The King of Ashes begins with a prologue after the great betrayal, and Ithrace is burning to the ground. The King of Ithrace, Steveren Langene, and his entire family are brought onto a stage and unceremoniously had their throats cut. The aim was to destroy every Firemane member and eradicate the family line.

But they missed one... and this is how a great fantasy story begins.

“So he had betrayed a man he loved like a brother to spare his people future ravages. As the priests of the One God would say, Daylon had made his pact with the Dark One; he had sold his soul.”

The last Firemane child, a baby, is spirited away from the burning city under cover of darkness to the land of the island nation of Coaltachin. Coaltachin, a secret people specialing in spying, thieving, and information gathering, is taking custody of the child until the child turns 17. From there, the Baron Daylon Dumarch will take back the child and explain to him his lineage if all goes to plan.

King of Ashes officially begins 16 years after the betrayal of Ithrace with the perspective of 16-year-old Hatu. There are a variety of viewpoints given in the story. This adds a certain roundness to the narrative and the ability to take in new perspectives. However, the majority of the viewpoints are from Hatu, Declan, and Hava. At this point, Hatu and Hava are dear friends and students at Coaltachin. At the same time, Declan is a journeyman smith finishing off his first masterpiece to claim Master smith in another town. Hatu, as a character, is young, impulsive, and angry. Although he has, through necessity, figuring out ways to calm the ever-present anger that boils inside of him, it still is there. Declan is in a lot of ways, the opposite of Hatu. Where Hatu is impulsive, Declan is steadfast. Where Hatu burns hot, Declan cools down to ice. It is ironic in the case of Declan when his life is on the line, and he must battle, he boils his mind down to a single point of action. He is ruthless, cold, and efficient. Both of the characters' lives slowly spin and swirl towards each other.

“He was content to rise or fall on his own ability, but when he failed due to lack of information, Hatu flew into a rage—often at himself for not acquiring the knowledge, or at others for not providing it. Unreliable information was what he hated most.”

The world-building of King of Ashes is thoughtful, expansive, and detailed. A well thought out world is Feist's wheelhouse. Although his stories tend to be character-based, Feist gives a perfect amount of detail to his worlds so that the reader can get a clear picture in their head. Any missing information can be filled in by imagination. The characters are highly detailed, and the dialog does not ever have a forced or static feel to it—the bane of many fantasy books. Feist's characters tend to speak like humans and have human reactions. Honestly, Raymond Feist is a master at this kind of fantasy. You would think that a lost child destined to save the world, might be a little tropey. In any other hands, it probably would be. But this is Feist, and he could write a phone book and have it be engaging.

“Declan said, “One last thing, my lord.” “Yes?” said Daylon, turning to Declan. “My master said that I needed to see you to honor his pledge.” “Who was your master?” “Edvalt Tasman.” Daylon looked at his half brother, who raised an eyebrow and gave him a short nod. Daylon was silent for a moment, then said, “He was as gifted a smith as I've ever known. I made him promise he'd send me his best apprentice. So, that would be you?” “He judged me fit to be named master,” said Declan. “I was an orphan and he was like a father to me, and so because of that, I honor his pledge to you, my lord.” Daylon was again silent, then he said, “You tell me this more from duty than from any desire to seek service.” “Truth to tell, my lord, I promised him I would do this, but my ambition is to set up my own forge and be my own man.”

Pacing-wise, this book is a slower burn. It balances giving enough information to the reader while keeping the pace moving. This isn't easy in the first book of a series. Feist does this generally very well. But at points, in the story, the pacing lags a bit, especially in the beginning. I want to get to know these characters; I want more from them. But Feist teases the readers with glimpses. One of the most interesting and I would think pivotal figures later on in the series is Baron Daylon Dumarch and his brother. The interactions these two have coupled with the political climate, and the Baron's everpresent guilt made me want to skip to his sections. His pain is almost palpable. “I seek only not to despise the man I see in the mirror,” said the Baron of Marquensas.” He betrayed his best friend and will spend what is left of his life atoning for it.

One of the other aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed is the magical system. Many fantasy books use magic as a sort of Deus ex Machinea. It can do anything, save anyone. King of Ashes is much more subtle. There is magic in this world, but its extent and how it works is not fully fleshed out at this point. I like that. It teases the reader and allows the narrative to the rest of the great dialog and characters rather than flashy magic.

King of Ashes is a bright start to a new series. It is epic in scope, detailed in character, exciting, heart wrenching, and entertaining. It is all the best parts of the fantasy genre written by a master. Much need not be explained when you say the name, Feist. Readers know that they are in the presence of something great, and King of Ashes is no different.

If you would like to read any of my other reviews please check me out on beforewegoblog.com

Two kids share a summer of moments at a lake house in Awago Beach. A yearly pastime that the family shares together. With each passing day, the pair discovers more adventures and become more aware of the fuming adult conflicts around them.

This book is a collection of smooth and quiet moments. For me when reading, not all moments have to jump off the page at you. Life isn't like that, and neither should writing about life be. It is highs and lows, of which the author has written about so well. Also, Tamaki has walked a very delicate line, she has created a book that can easily be viewed from both sides of childhood divider. Kids and teenagers can read this book and relate to the moments that Windy and Rose experience throughout a Summer: Scary movies, talking about boys, walking home at night through the scary dark, and swimming in the lake. All these moments are quintessential parts of a summer childhood experience. However, simmering in the background are very adult-like issues such as pregnancy, inability to conceive, marriage dynamics, peer dynamics, anxiety, and depression. These issues touch Windy and Rose, and they react to them with a burgeoning adult understanding. Adults can read this story and read about these adult moments from a different lens and think back to what it would have been like to be at the age on the cusp of becoming an adult. It is very well written.

Graphically this book is beautiful. The characters are rendered with care and finesse, each panel delivering just enough information to show us a scene without falling into the trap of telling the reader everything.

This is a worthy award winner and should definitely be checked out. Wholeheartedly recommend.

Dark Man is King flexing his poetic muscles. King has said that he is not much of a poet. Often, even when he writes poetry, it is of a more illustrative type of narrative that verse. It is just not how his mind works.  

Is this great? Not so much. 

But, it is a serviceable piece of literature that I read and practically studied for the sake of the King's Quest and completeness. 

Important aspects to consider when checking out The Dark Man. There are few examples of capital letters and punctuation. It gives the poem an almost run-on stream of consciousness vibe that is pretty annoying. Furthermore, it isn't great or evocative poetry. It reminds me quite a bit of something you would see at a college poetry slam. 

i have slept in glaring swampswhere musk-reek roseto mix with the sex smell of rotting cypress stumpswhere witch fire clung in sunkenpsycho spheres of baptism

Eh. It is, however, essential if you are a King-ite? Kinger? A person who reads a lot of Stephen King, as this is a poem about one of King's most titular characters, Randall Flagg. It gives you quite an impression of Flagg that helps solidify him as one of literature's great antagonists. 

The reason you should read this, and the reason why I gave it four stars is because of the graphics. The illustrator is Glenn Chadbourne, a horror artist. They are incredible. Detailed, enthralling, and in their dark ways, completely beautiful. This is the reason you read this book. Chadbourne takes you down some dark paths with his imagery, and it only makes it better if you have read a lot of King. 

It is a perfect depiction of how I imagine Flagg. If you can find a copy of this, peruse it, you will see what I mean. 

This is adorable. The author took something that usually is told as a scary tale, “Pandora's box” and turned it into something beautiful and relatable for children. The story is told in rhyming verse and the author does a great job of keeping the verse flowing. The writing is smart, but can easily be understood by a 3-4-year-old. The illustrations are beautiful and mesh so well with the rhythm of the story. The beautiful surprise at the end of the story really turns the “Pandora's Box” mythology on its head. Well worth reading to your little ones.

This book which made me laugh so many times I lost count. I either full on guffawed or chuckled; each “chapter” is a perfect bon mot on something that will make you feel all the feelings. Most of the scenarios I have felt or gone through myself. I too have a psychotic dog that wants to end the existence of all other dogs by doing a scream yodle thing.  So, this book is a weirdly relatable collection of great stories and I am not sure how comfortable I am with that. It all made me realize that I am in fact this weird. As for her actual writing, her wit is honest and open even when dealing with tough subjects such as depression. It doesn't come off as simplistic, but relatable and real. It really was such a pleasure to read. I would recommend this book to anyone.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
- Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio

Andy Weir wrote The Egg on a whim, did one editing pass, and put it up on his blog. I doubt he had any idea the movement that it would engender. The short film on youtube made about it by Kurgesagt alone has 20 million hits. Some have even adopted the views from the short story as a religion of sorts. I know that Andy just wrote a great story, and he is not styling himself like the new L. Ron Hubbard.

But I get it.

If you haven't read the short story, you should. It will take you all of five minutes, and you will see what I mean. I'll sum up. A man dies at 48 years old and meets “God.” God tells him that he has been dead and been reincarnated, “Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” You see, linear time has no meaning. That is a human concept.

According to this story, we are all the same person. We are living our lives out of order. Some further along in their progression as a soul, others further back. Human life is a bit of a classroom, and as you get wiser, you move towards the end goal of becoming a higher being.

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You're asking me for the meaning of life? Isn't that a little stereotypical?”
“Well it's a reasonable question,” you persisted.
I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”
“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”
“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”
“Just me? What about everyone else?”
“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there's just you and me.”

In the end, there is just I. I am you, and you are me. We are at different points in our learning. Our bodies are different, but we all share the same soul. It is a terrible idea for a religion; could you imagine the classism? “Your king is much further along his path. That is why he your king.” or “The poor and the hungry are further back, that is why they are poor and hungry.” Terrible.

But, as a short story and thought experiment, it is excellent and original. It gets you thinking about the nature of things. Check it out; I would love to know what you think.

I think that this is one of those important books that someone should read once in their life.

Just once.

It is too heart-rending to read more than once. This is a story of the hardness and softness of first love. How it can both shred your soul like tissue paper and leave you like a piece of hardened steel.

Le bleu est une couleur chaude Also known as Blue is the Warmest Color is about Clementine. A young girl at the start of the story, a 16-year-old junior and her fascination with Emma. Emma is everything that Clementine is not at the beginning: outgoing, sure of herself, and most importantly... out. They have instant electricity and start a sweet love affair that challenges Clementines preconceptions of herself and helps her become the person she wants to be.

Blue is the Warmest Color talks openly about the challenges of being a homosexual, and finding that love sends chills through your body. What I enjoyed and laud the author over is how she wrote the love story so openly and honestly. Oftentimes when reading about a gay or queer character it can get unauthentic and tropey. This isn't.

“I can not feel anymore. I feel like I'm carrying light in my veins. All that happens to me has a name ... Emma, ​​her name is Emma. ”


Aside from the gorgeous writing, it is stunningly drawn. The scenes are crafted carefully with a limited color palette of grays and the single color blue. Most often found in Emma's hair. Emma's hair is almost a blue flame burning through each scene. You can tell why Clementine is so attracted to her. She lights up every room. There are quite a bit of sex scenes dealt with very honestly in this story. I appreciated it and I thought that it enhanced the love story between the two of them without detracting from the overall story. Some readers might not be comfortable with that level of open sex between two consenting adults. Just know that, unlike the movie, this isn't pornlike. This is a loving depiction of a romantic couple expressing their passion for each other.

DON'T FORGET TO GET THE MILK.

Neil Gaiman is a man of whimsical and prodigious talents. He is a massive neutron star in the science fiction/fantasy/graphic novel realm. And, rightly so. He has amassed close to 2 million followers on twitter and not because of just his name. He connects with his fans and seems to generally appreciate them. Not only that, he is an authors “author.” Many authors look up to him and emulate his style. People love him and his work.

If you haven't connected with his middle-grade stories you really should. Coraline and the Graveyard Book are precise and whimsical storytelling with an edge of scary and unnerving. Not enough to be inappropriate, but enough to show kids of that age bracket that not all is sunshine and rainbows in the world. He treats kids like they have a brain, thoughts and emotions and ideas worth challenging. It is smart writing through and through.


Even when he puts random ideas in a bucket and pulls them out one at a time, he can seamlessly craft an entertaining and memorable story. Thus enters Fortunately, The Milk. The premise is simple, it is the story of what happened to dad when he went to the corner store to get milk, and why he was late. In the vein of Paul Bunyan, it is a true tall tale.

Or is it?

Examples of creatures and other awesome things found in this book:

Time traveling dinosaurs
Hot Air Balloons
Sentient Volcano
Pirates
Piranhas
Aliens
Milk

This story is the absurd, the fantastical, the amazing, and is quite possibly real.

“I mean, what if this really happened to dad?”

“He was gone a very long time.”

“Dad is an incredible guy, it could happen?”

That is the point of this story, the “what if?” Absurdly fun to read for both adults and kids. Don't miss it.

Also, as a small side note on the illustrations. If you look in the background at the pictures on the wall, and other details you can see where dad is getting his tale from. A la The Usual Suspects.

Alcoholism is a specter that wraps itself around you like a scarf. You can't see it, your neighbor, nor family can't see it, but it is there. It affects everything you do, the actions you have with your families, and who you are at your core. Samantha Church knows this. The specter of alcoholism has been a big part of her family's life. But now she needs to face this specter and her inner demons if she is going to solve this case and, in the end, save herself.

On Christmas Eve in Denver, Colorado, a young woman falls to her death. In her apartment is a large bottle of whiskey, the young woman has a history of drinking, and there is a note; all who know about the case think that the woman just succumbed to her inner demons. But Samantha Church, the women's sister, knows better. Her sister's suicide would not and could not happen on Christmas Eve.

The girls have a pact about that.

No one believes Samantha, I mean, why would she. She has a besmirched reputation; she has lost her daughter in a custody battle with her ex-husband due to her alcohol abuse, and she is a barely functional drunk most of the time. But she is also something else beyond all of it, the alcohol and family drama; she is an investigative journalist. And, she wants to get to the bottom of this question. Who killed her sister?

I can't tell you much beyond that as it would ruin the fun of the mystery, and everyone loves a good mystery.

Samantha is not a nice character, especially at the beginning of the story. But, who can be nice when they have destroyed their entire lives and are under the yoke of alcoholism. Plus, Sam is grieving. Grief permeates much of what she does and her reactions. As the story moves around, Sam seems to get more comfortable doing what she does best, figuring things out.

Sam also has to face her inner demons if she is going to survive.

The Friday Edition is a good story that keeps you guessing, and Sam is written well. It is worth the read.

Some minor spoilers are ahead. I will attempt to not ruin the story, but ye have been warned.

Scourged is the ninth and final novel in the “Iron Druid Chronicles” by Kevin Hearne. Hearne did it, he ended it, and we are sadly at the close of Atticus, Oberon, and more. At least for now. Hearne has been quoted in saying that he may visit these characters in the future, but for right now their story arc is completed. Sadly, all I can say is book nine was weak sauce. It is easily the worst of the nine.

Book nine starts with a funny conversation between Atticus and his hounds. “Yes, Food!”

“Ragnarok will begin in the next few days, and it won't end well for anyone, because apocalypses tend not to include happy endings.”
― Kevin Hearne, Scourged

They are lovingly talking about the joys of meats and gravies. Which most readers will agree with. Myself included. The almost impromptu conversations that flow between Atticus and his hounds throughout the series are Kevin Hernes's writing at its best. Oberon's commentary is a welcome addition to almost any scene in previous novels. Sadly, Oberon was sidelined for most of book nine. His missing analysis was sorely missed and the levity it brought.

Now into the meat of the story. Ragnarok is happening, and Loki is letting forth his pent-up daddy-issues upon the world. It is time to marshal the troops in opposition. The gods and goddesses of various pantheons join together for the fracas. Thus enters some pretty interesting characters we have met before: Sun Wukong who is also known as the Monkey King, Granuaile, Owen, Coyote, Flittish, Laksha, the Morrigan. Each has a specific role to play in this war, both predestined and not. Here is where I think the story begins to go off the rails. Kevin Hearne wrote this book to be single fight scenes or dialog scenes that are strewn across the world. All happening at different times with the span of a few days. Loki's actions have affected the world at large, not just small segments of it. Thus the main characters are needed in various parts of the world. These scenes feel chaotic and disjointed. Instead of exciting and climatic scenes, we get boring, unessential, and insignificant ones. The action scenes, which in previous novels where trim and concise, are so irregular and hardly understandable that it knocks the reader right out of the story. They are literally scratching their heads and saying “what the f$%?”

The denouement of some of these characters is a complete train wreck. At some point between book eight and book nine of this series, Hearne decided that a complete rewrite was needed for their personalities. It feels like he was very done with writing these characters. Especially Granuille. Her ending was ridiculous. It felt vicious, cold, and mean-spirited, in a very “kick them when they are down” kind of way. Which is out of character for her. There must have been a better way to carry out the meat of that scene without making her seem so coldhearted. Atticus made her into what she is primarily, and she kicked him while he was at the lowest point in his many centuries. I suppose there is a school of thought that says writes owe their readers something when it comes to their characters. That's not true. Writers owe their readers nothing. But it is in bad form for the author to take such a beloved character like Granuille and weirdly ruin her for many people. Bad form man, bad form.

Atticus deserved a lot of what was heaped on him, and I understand what Kevin Hearne was attempting to write regarding Atticus's end of the journey. But instead of the bittersweet ending, he was looking for, it came off as a whole lot of bitter, and absolutely nothing sweet. Except for maybe his interactions with his hounds at the end. This is a sad end for this series. It really felt like the proverbial punch in the gut.

Conclusion
I have no idea what to tell you to do. If you have loved this series as I have through all eight books and side stories, you will want to go on and finish the series. There is nothing for it, you need an end. But that ending will feel like someone dropped a load of rocks on your big toe while simultaneously stealing your wallet and telling you are ugly. If you haven't started the series yet, I still say go for it. It is a fun and wild ride till the end where you will unceremoniously have rocks dropped on your toes, your wallet stolen, and be emotionally injured with name calling. You are seriously damned if you do or don't.

Doctor Sleep, Stephen King's uber anticipated sequel to his 1977 horror novel The Shining was in almost all ways, worth the wait. Fifty pages into Dr. Sleep, my only thought was “my god, King is a maniac.” Danny, the lovable and haunted boy, son of Jack Torrance from the original novel, is all grown up now. Instead of Danny having the life all us readers wanted him to have, Danny is a drunk. A scoundrel. A mess. He spends years trying to blot and enmesh the shinning in alcohol, women, and drugs in the vain hope that he could function as a human adult. He often fails. When Danny obtains a tentative truce with his alcoholic demons via AA, Danny needs to come to terms with his “gift” and maybe, just maybe, help some people along the way.

Character-wise, even though many a King fan wanted the easy happily ever after, for Danny, god knows he has been traumatized enough, I think the direction that King went with Danny is much more solid and realistic. Danny is a mess because he came from a mess. He has had horrific childhood trauma, lost his father, been chased around by ghouls, and eventually succumbs to alcoholism. It feels like a much more real character and one that I can empathize with than say, the white picket fence and 2.5 kids. We also eventually meet Abra, who is Danny as a child minus childhood trauma. He could have been what she is, generally happy and well adjusted under different circumstances. However, childhood demons aside, both Danny and her have a core of steel that I find in most of King's protagonists. King doesn't tend to write characters that are wishy-washy or weak. These are no exception.

“There's nothing to be scared of.” Instead of taking Charlie's pulse – there was really no point – he took one of the old man's hands in his. He saw Charlie's wife pulling down a shade in the bedroom, wearing nothing but the slip of Belgian lace he'd bought her for their first anniversary; saw how the ponytail swung over one shoulder when she turned to look at him, her face lit in a smile that was all yes. He saw a Farmall tractor with a striped umbrella raised over the seat. He smelled bacon and heard Frank Sinatra singing ‘Come Fly with Me' from a cracked Motorola radio sitting on a worktable littered with tools. He saw a hubcap full of rain reflecting a red barn. He tasted blueberries and gutted a deer and fished in some distant lake whose surface was dappled by steady autumn rain. He was sixty, dancing with his wife in the American Legion hall. He was thirty, splitting wood. He was five, wearing shorts and pulling a red wagon. Then the pictures blurred together, the way cards do when they're shuffled in the hands of an expert, and the wind was blowing big snow down from the mountains, and in here was the silence and Azzie's solemn watching eyes.”

― Stephen King, Doctor Sleep

The villain, and great horror of the story, because this is Stephen King and we need to have a great villain, is a woman that is called Lady in the Hat. She is driven, mean, intelligent, and utterly sure of her position and spot in the food chain. She is a perfect nemesis for Abra and, by extension, for Danny. She was terrifying in some scenes, much like a cult leader leading her deadly flock of psychic lizard-like RV geriatrics. (This is a sentence that I never thought I would say, but there you go.) They want Abra; they need Abra's shinning and will do anything to get it.

“We are the True Knot,” they responded. “What is tied may never be untied.”

― Stephen King, Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep is a great second act to the life of Danny Torrance. At times the story is terrifying, especially in the last 30%. Other times the story meanders and takes its sweet time doling out the details to Danny's story. It turns and twists, but I don't believe the story ever lulls. It takes it's time over the almost 700 pages and gives you beauty, light, self-destruction, and self-acceptance. Is it as scary as the original? No. Nothing much is. But it doesn't have to be.

It is a worthy sequel to the classic that I highly recommend.

The Night Library of Sternendach by Jessica Lévai is a lyrically beautiful book that tells a cohesive story in long verse. That is quite a feat in itself. But what is magnificent about The Night Library is that it is so engaging.

The vampire/paranormal genre is saturated with stories. It takes on the same ideas, mostly taking the classic vampire-type story's mythos and putting a contemporary twist on it. There is a whole lot of that in the urban fantasy genre. But, I got to say I have never read a vampire story in verse. I loved the innovative nature of it.

The Night Library of Sternendach is an emotionally grand tale. It is epic in its telling in the form of a romanticist lens. There is minimal backstory and worldbuilding, and it isn't necessary. I got enough backstory from the first twenty pages to get a solid foundation for the tale. From there, it was a swirl of lyrical descriptions and dialog. I laughed; it was heartfelt and quite beautiful.

I don't think this type of story will appeal to everyone. Reading a long-form story in verse takes some getting used to, and I found it much better to take sips of the tale than gulping it all down in a single sitting. But, if you are looking for something a bit experimental, give this story a try.

It was lustrous, it was hedge-like, it was so, so very untidy. Where once a single, black and twitchy hair grew on the face of our protagonist, Dave now grows an avalanche of hirsute proportions. Stephen Collins first outre graphic novel features the weird and compelling often underappreciated affect a random occurrence such as a beard can have on a tidy community. Similarly, how the effect of a book about an unkempt beard can have on the graphic novel community.

Dave is about as average a person as someone could be in the town of Here. He is a bald fellow with a single stubborn hair on his chin that when shaved, grows right back. Dave works in a job that he doesn't understand that it is boring. Everything is boring. Imagine a life tuned to Muzak elevator music. His only differ from the norm is his penchant for voyeuristically sketching street life outside his window and listening to The Bangles Eternal Flame on repeat. (side note – I have to admit that, that is an underappreciated song.) One day something bizarre and untidy happens. Dave's feels “a roaring black fire” climb through his face. Suddenly and without provocation, Dave's beard of epic and unruly proportions is born.

Dave attempts to shave, cut, burn, pare, peel crop and slash at his beard. He cannot work or eventually move because of the torrent of beard hair pouring from his face. The community and tourists began to watch him now. He becomes an attraction. Soon the government sends in barbers and stylists to help tame the mane. Scaffolding is erected around the beard as it begins to take over his block. Soon balloons are added to the mix, lifting sections of the hair off of the ground and suspending it midair.

The beard must come from the place of Their. Their being everywhere around the Island of Here. It comes from a place of the unruly and the untidy. What will happen to our quiet community is a beard like this is allowed to exist? We must stop it! We must protect ourselves from its influence! Soon the beards presence spreads out in slow ripples. First, a man who is never late to work comes in late to work. Next, a man who has typically very tidy hair could not make it the barber, and his hair became overlong. Small ripples turn into large ripples. Things evolve.

This is a fairy tale and allegory that everyone can appreciate. It is a story of tidiness and the power of non-conformity. How a single action can cause, ripple effects felt for years and years. But more so, it is about a vast much-belied beard that is called evil when in fact it might be this communities savior.

“My name is Hadrian Blackwater.”
“Congratulations.”
“Uh ... what's yours?”
“Leave me alone.”
― Michael J. Sullivan, The Crown Tower

Please give me a strong duo any day. Give me two characters that play on each other's strengths and weaknesses, that while the pair of them are lesser together, they will become unstoppable. This is, hands down, one of my favorite tropes. In this world, there is even a word for this kind of partnership, a Riyria. And this is the idea of collaboration; this companionship and partnership is the foundation for Michael J. Sullivan's The Crown Tower.

The Crown Tower is the first book of the Riyria Chronicles series. It is our first introduction to Hadrian Blackwater's and Royce Melborn's world. The Crown Tower is a book that helps lay the foundations of Royce and Hadrian's legendary relationship. It is the origin story that helps fill in some of the gaps in the later novels.

“Hadrian reeked of death. It wasn't the sort of stench others could smell or that water could wash, but it lingered on him like sweat-saturated pores after a long night of drinking.”

Much of this novel is told from the point of view of Hadrian. Hadrian is a wandering ex-soldier, war-torn, and tired. He seems so much older than his young years. Hadrian has seen so much death and destruction in his short life that he feels done with it all. Upon hearing about his father's death, Hadrian decides to meet with his father's friend Arcadius. Arcadius lets Hadrian know that he had to perform a task for him. He needs to steal a book from a tower, and he needs to do it as the partner of Royce. Royce is a man who would kill you as soon as look at you. Where Hadrian is clumsy, Royce is stealthy. Where Hadrian is loud and boisterous, Royce is taciturn. They are entirely different and would not make great partners.

Although much of the novel is around Hadrian and Royce, we are also introduced to Gwen. Gwen might be one of the best female characters in fantasy that I have ever read. Gwen, a whore at a tavern, has been waiting for the last five years for a man bloody and broken to come walking into her life. As per her mother's dying request, Gwen must wait. But as she waits, she starves or is used and beaten by the tavern owner. Her life is unsafe, and she needs to make a choice about her future.

“Holding the metal coins was like cupping summer or sunshine.”

What starts as a quest between to of the most unlikely people changes and develops across the novel's span. This development is exciting for me as a reader, and I am in a unique position because the Riyria novels are utterly unknown to me. I have a blank slate when it comes to Hadrian and Royce. I know absolutely nothing about this world. However, I can tell you from a standing start that this is a fantastic story. Firstly, the world-building is stellar but does not overshadow the characters. You have a general sense of what things look like and how everything fits into the world's pattern. The action is intense, especially the fight scenes. Hadrian is a weapons master, he carries three swords strapped to him, and it is exciting to see how fights play out. Royce is like a spider, stealthy and invisible till he strikes. Pretty much the opposite of Hadrian. Secondly, the dialog makes this book. The bantering between Royce and Hadrian is funny and realistic.

“I'm not going to kill these people,” Hadrian said. “They're nice people.”
“How do you know?”
“I talked to them.”
“You talked to me too.”
“You're not nice people.”
“I know, I know, I have those wolf eyes that good old Sebastian warned you about. Remember him? The nice man who, along with his nice lady friend, was planning to slit your throat?”
“He was right about you at least.”

Thirdly, this story feels very solid. It feels like Sullivan is setting the stage for something grand to come next; everything reads purposefully. All the details are essential, and I know that they are building to something great.

“We've planted the seeds. All we can do now is wait and see what grows.”

As I said, I did not know this story until it was recommended to me by Justine from whispersandwonders.com. Someone I think has perfect taste in novels and has not led me wrong yet. And, let me tell you this was a fun story. I can tell it is going to fabulous as I keep reading the books.

This is a buddy story of epic proportions. I am hooked, and I can't wait to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I have to admit that I was afraid of poetry, or maybe more aptly put I didn't understand poetry. What was the big deal? I now believe I a starting to understand. There is so much more than I understood. I want to learn, to grow, and understand now. All of these essays, each one on a different poem, are based on Adam Sol's blog. If poetry scares you or fascinates you, this is a worthy read. I know I am going to go out and try and write bad poetry now.

I am a fan!

This made me giggle. Who would be the least relatable dad in the whole world? Darth Vader of course. Try to imagine Vader dealing with 16-year-old histrionics. Hilarious right? This collection doesn't have a cohesive storyline, just panel after panel of fun. Put it on the coffee table and enjoy a panel anight. You dig star wars, you will dig this.

In Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore, the lead protagonist Eric is truly a dark son-of-a-bitch.

If Dead Things is anything to go on, I would have to guess the whole series has a noir urban fantasy vibe reminiscent of Felix Castor or John Constantine. There will be obvious comparisons to Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files, but Eric is cold and ruthless, whereas Dresden is snarky. Either way, Dead Things was a gritty urban fantasy done well.

We start the story by being introduced to Eric after he is called home. His sister has been murdered, and Eric is home visiting old haunts. He is also looking for information, and the only way he can get it is by talking to the dead. Through ritual and blood, Eric speaks to the deceased. They are a swarming mass of life-sucking souls held at bay by Eric's will and attitude alone. This story does not make the paranormal world look charming. There are no hugable and misunderstood souls here. Dead Things' creatures want to tear you limb from limb and feast on the bloody bits that are left.

“Magic's like Fight Club that way. You don't talk about it. Can't have the regular folk knowing this shit's real. We might have to share.”

With the bits and pieces of information that Eric gets from the ghosts and the old friends and new enemies he meets up with along the way, Eric begins to pick apart why his sister got killed.

There is a ton of positives about this story. Firstly, Eric doesn't have a swagger. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good quip and a well-placed swagger, but it has gotten formulaic across urban fantasy. It seems like every new series I read is a clone of Harry Dresden. Not every series needs to be cheeky. Secondly, how necromancy is described hits home how dangerous and otherworldly it can be. This kind of power shouldn't be taken lightly and isn't in Dead Things. And while this is a fantasy novel, it does add a gritty realness to the story. I think fans who like their fantasy with a side of grimdark will appreciate this series.

“There's a difference. Like I'm complex, you're complicated.”

Eric is a violent person; he has no qualms about throwing down with humans or with the undead. There is a lot of violence and action scenes in the story, and they are done well. Blackmoore writes with a gritty scalpel, and he does not mince words.

Dead Things is a solid start to what looks like a dark and entertaining series for my grimdark-loving heart. I plowed through this book and can't wait to get to the second book in the series, Broken Souls.