Tag: Scott Meyer Page 1 of 2

In Audiobook, Comics, DC Smith & Kings Lake, Don Winslow, Faith Hunter, Fantasy, Fiction, Fletch, General Fiction/Literature, Gregory Mcdonald, Harry Bosch, Harry Dresden, Humor, Jim Butcher, M. W. Craven, Michael Connelly, Michael R. Underwood, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Renée Ballard, Science Fiction, Theology/Christian Living, Urban Fantasy, Washington Poe, YA/MG/Children's Books

I did this last month to catch up up to 2023, but the backlog I’d accrued last year was too big for me. So here we go again. This doesn’t get me totally cuaght up, but it’s close enough. Hopefully it’ll be years before I have to resort to this again.

I frequently mention how looming Mt. TBR is getting for me, but what’s worse is my “To Write About” pile, I know I’m never going to catch up with that properly and it bugs me to no end. But in the interest of something being better than nothing, a dash of realism, and a heavy dose of self-care, I’m cutting myself some slack. This was painful to do, I was looking forward to writing about most of these, and I have so much that I want to say. But I’m just not going to get to them—and other books are starting to pile up, too. So, in 144 characters or less, here’s me cutting myself some slack.

(Click on the cover for an official site with more info)

	If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda Not sure how helpful this was–but it was quite entertaining & interesting. Hours of Alda’s narration–it almost doesn’t matter what he said.
	The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer, read by: Marian Hussey Great idea. Okay (ish) execution. Had to push myself to keep going more than once.
	The Bittlemores by Jann Arden So strange at times. The ending made all of the “why am I bothering” parts worth it. Capital Q-quirky and emotionally effective. Give it a try.
	Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, read by: Santino Fontana Hilarious and touching. Backman seems more down-to-earth than expected–a great writer & a relatable dad. Should give this to my grandkid’s dad.
	That Old Cloak and Dagger Routine by Anne Louise Bannon Ummm…a cozy and fairly self-consciously chaste spy novel. Who knew that was possible? Wasn’t wowed, but intrigued enough to read more.
	The Deal Goes Down by Larry Beinhart A compelling, self-aware, action read. Really dug it, but not sure I’m 100% into the story’s wrap-up, but the denouement helped.
	Endangered by C.J.Box, read by: David Chandler Ehhhh…I liked this, I think. I’m not sure what to say about it (hence the months of silence from me, I guess)
	Strong Female Character by Fern Brady Funny and helpful look at one woman coming to terms with an ASD diagnosis, and how she got to it.
	Hammered by Lindsay Buroker, read by: Vivienne Leheny Good world, great protagonist/narrator. Decent introductory novel. I’ll be back for more.
	Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen Heckuva read. Words have failed me for a year with this one. The premise, execution, characters, plot–all typical Chen greatness.
	Spider-Man’s Bad Connection by Preeti Chhibber Not as good as book 1, but filled with everything I liked about it. Seemed more concerned about setting up the series arc than this book’s plot.
	Blue Like Me by Aaron Philip Clark, read by: Preston Butler III The mystery/police aspect of this series is great. The personal life material is less so. This author/narrator combo makes it worthwhile.
	Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in an antiquarian bookshop or if you like quietly charming people talk about unusual occupations…
	The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, read by: Scott Brick So sweet, so heartwarming, so charming. This novel about booksellers in love–and Firkney’s adorable daughter–will steal your heart.
	Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon Great take on vigilante serial killers. Great turns and twists.
	Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia, Art by: Gabriel Picolo Not the best in the series, but Garcia’s take on these characters is good enough to overcome that. I just wish these came out faster.
	Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs, read by: Emily Woo Zeller The problem with an impossibly smart characters is that the creators behind them aren’t that smart. The results are disappointing.
	Evil Valley by Simon Hall I like this series, I like the characters…didn’t think this was up to the author’s standards. Some great scenes and a compelling killer.
	Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern, read by: Josh Bloomberg, Dara Rosenberg, Allyson Ryan Meandering. The major reveal was a major letdown. It was just intriguing enough to keep me listening, but I wish it hadn’t been.
	The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure by Jack Handey What a waste of time (mine and the authors) and talent.
	Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog I <3 this universe. I think this case was weaker, but the character moments, growth, and magic were so great that it didn't matter. I need more.
	Posthumous Education by Drew Hayes, read by: Kirby Heyborne Good to be back in Fred’s world. Not the best collection of episodes for the Vampire Accountant, but pleasant enough.
	The Last Ranger by Peter Heller, read by: Mark Deakins Feels like a CJ Box standalone that he abandoned because he couldn’t come up with an ending. Heller couldn’t either, but called it good anyway.
	The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn, read by: Raphael Corkhill, translated by Melody Shaw Schmaltzy but pure-of-heart. One central character’s motivation makes no sense. Ignoring that, it’s a sweet celebration of books/readers.
	Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes, read by: Simon Vance, Neil Patrick Harris Possibly too clever for its own good. I vacillated between reveling in it and utter disdain. It’s a mixed-bag that won me over in the end.
	Fixit by Joe Ide IQ and Dodson are back and better than ever. Who needs to say more than that?
	Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, read by: Jennifer Blom Great prose in service of a solid modern take on Cinderella.
	Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God by Matthew J. Lynch Helpful work on Divine Violence (how to think of it, how not to think of it or avoid the idea, either) and about the conquest of Canaan.
	But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films by Kristen Lopez How can a book with this premise be so dull? And snobbish, too.
	The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma, read by: James Chen Great characters, an okay story, but the payoff wasn’t there. The ending was bad enough to make me wish I hadn’t spent the time.
	Noirville: Tales From The Dark Side by Chris McVeigh 15 of the best short stories I’ve ever read. This is how Crime Fiction should always be.
	Grand Theft Astro by Scott Meyer, read by: Elizabeth Evans The Stainless Steel Rat with a contemporary twist. Meyer is capable of better, but I had enough fun (not sure I’m sold on the ending)
	The Eternity Fund by Liz Monument Dynamite dystopian adventure. Worth the $ just for the worldbuilding. The story and characters were even better–I’d relish a sequel.
	The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, read by: Hillary Huber It took me a long time to decide what this book was really about, but I enjoyed the trip. The destination was okay, too.
	The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian See what I said about Spider-Man’s Bad Connection.
	Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, read by: Jane Oppenheimer, Christina Delaine Who doesn’t enjoy an octogenarian assassin? Who doesn’t love female assassins? A group of them out for revenge? Sure-fire fun.
	Vanished by Kat Richardson, read by: Mia Brown Good story, but felt underwhelmed by it all. I think it was me and my timing. not Richardson. I need to get back on this horse.
	She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Jen, Again by Rainbow Rowell A real winner from Rowell. I knew I should’ve started reading this series earlier. Good art, interesting arcs, & some real smiles were induced.
	How to Examine a Wolverine: More Tales from the Accidental Veterinarian by Philipp Schott, read by: Geet Arora A fun Veterinarian Memoir, with a lot of heart. James Herriot with more laughs and technology.
	The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, read by: Zach Franzen Maybe too much like Wingfeather Saga, but with rabbits instead of humans. Still, a good fantasy for the MG crowd.
	Don’t Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson, read by: Luke Arnold, Sybilla Budd I can’t do better than Mike Finn did. Go read what he said. It’s why I listened.
	How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto, read by: Lauren Fortgang Some good writing, but squandered for…I’m not sure really.
	The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, read by: Nicolette McKenzie Decent cozy with an intriguing cast of oddball slueths.
	Questland by Carrie Vaughn Jurassic Park for RPG, SF, Fantasy, etc. fans. Been a Vaughn fan for years, but don’t know that I’ve had this much fun with one of her novels.
	All Systems Red by Martha Wells, read by: Kevin R. Free Oh, wow. I understand all the fuss over this series. I shouldn’t have slept on this–or the sequels like I have.
	Self Help by Ben H. Winters, read by: Wil Wheaton, Ron Perlman Cool concept. Great cast. Entertaining but not-entirely satisfying result. Worth the time. But not much more.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: Some Overdue Audiobook Takes

By HCNewton

On April 20, 2023

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

This is a post I’d hoped to get up the first week of February, making it…very late. But here we go…

As always, I want to say that the point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Destructive Reasoning

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Authorities, #2
Publication Date: November 16, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 21 min.
Read Date: January 5-10, 2023

(the official blurb)
This sequel starts off with a sequence as silly, but slightly less cringe-worthy, as the first book before shifting to the major storyline. This one takes the team to Los Angeles to investigate a series of killings. The common thread amongst the victims is that they were playing a version of Dr. John Watson in a movie/TV series.

Not only have there been some killings, but there are three actors in the area who are currently playing Watson (or a Watson-figure), and the team has to investigate and keep them alive.

We get some mocking of the Entertainment Industry, general silliness when it comes to the team, and even a little more backstory on a couple of characters.

Overall, I didn’t like this quite as much, it felt like Meyer was trying too hard to be funny rather than tell a story in his signature way. Still, it was enjoyable enough to finish and want to see more.

Luke Daniels did his typical bang-up job. Ending the audiobook with bloopers was a fun bonus.

3 Stars

Ms. Demeanor

by Elinor Lipman, Piper Goodeve (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: December 27, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 27 min.
Read Date: January 17-18, 2023

(the official blurb)
I saw this a few times on my Libby app and decided I wasn’t that interested as cute as it sounded, but at some point, I saw a cover blurb from Richard Russo. So, why not?

Jane Morgan is under house arrest and newly unemployed thanks due to a minor crime, a nosy neighbor, and a judge wanting to make an example of her. She’s forced to try to do things to help the time bearable—including making the acquaintance of someone else in her building also under house arrest.

There’s some romantic comedy here, some self-discovery, and just some warm-hearted fun. It’s not fantastic, but it’s a good way to spend some time. It’ll keep you engaged and entertained.

3 Stars

The Wizard’s Butler

by Nathan Lowell, Tom Taylorson (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Wizard's Butler, #1
Publisher: Podium Audio
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 12 hrs., 10 min.
Read Date: January 25-27, 2023

(the official blurb)
I feel like I should have a lot to say about this one, but I don’t (which kind of bugs me). It’s the story of a man being hired to be a butler/caretaker of an older man for a year. After that year, the unscrupulous relatives that hired him will pay Roger a disgusting amount of money and will ship Joseph Perry Shackleford off to a retirement home and take control of his money and property.

What is going to make this easier is that Mr. Shackleford forward thinks he’s a wizard. Roger could use the money and likes Mr. Shackleford, so he doesn’t care what the old man thinks he is. Roger wants to help him—and he’s pretty sure that his new bosses are up to no good, maybe he can cause them some trouble.

It turns out, however, that the old man actually is a wizard. Roger gets introduced to a world he couldn’t have imagined was real if he tried.

This book was charming as all get out. I really enjoyed the story, the world, the magic system, the characters (I really enjoyed the characters), and the way that Lowell put this together—Taylorson’s narration was effective and engaging, too.

This is the slowest-paced Urban Fantasy I’ve ever read—with stakes that are so far smaller than we’re used to, which doesn’t stop it from being something that holds your attention. It could probably be safely described as Cozy UF—Fred, the Vampire Accountant books have more violence, and it’s typically tame 90% of the time. And I’m more than ready for more of this kind of story.

3 Stars

Really Good, Actually

by Monica Heisey, Julia Whelan (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: January 17,2023
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hrs., 13 min.
Read Date: January 20-25, 2023

(the official blurb)
This is a look at the ups and downs—and further downs, and deeper downs–of a young woman in the year after her divorce. It’s about grieving her relationship, friendship, dating (we’ll be generous/prudish and call it that), and accepting yourself–and accepting help.

I thought the prose and inventiveness in certain scenes were spot-on. There’s a lot of cleverness displayed throughout. But while there are some great moments, but I just didn’t think the journey was worth the destination—and I’m not that crazy about the journey, either.

It’s an utterly fine book.

3 Stars

How to Astronaut:
An Insider’s Guide to
Leaving Planet Earth

by Terry Virts

DETAILS:
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Publication Date: July 15, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 11 hrs., 23 min.
Read Date: January 27-31, 2023

(the official blurb)
This is exactly what you want in an astronaut memoir—he talks about his interest in the program and why he wanted to become an astronaut, his training–both for the Space Shuttle and ISS—actual service on both—(obviously spending more time on the ISS because he spent more time on it and there was more to talk about), as well as what it’s like after returning to Earth. It’s not glowing about NASA or any space program—he’s frank and honest about problems, his own errors, and difficulties as well as what a fantastic opportunity it was for him.

He’s witty, thoughtful, and reflective throughout (in both the writing and his audio narration). I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see myself returning to this one in the future.

3 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, my opinions are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Handful of Audiobooks

By HCNewton

On December 30, 2022

In Audiobook, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I’m really behind on posting about audiobooks, so I’m going to tackle this half-dozen in one whack. It bugs me to not to write something about half of these, but at the rate I’m going, it’s just not going to happen. As always, the point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Legends & Lattes

by Travis Baldree

DETAILS:
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: June 14, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hrs., 22 min.
Read Date: September 30-October 3, 2022

(the official blurb)
Opening a coffee shop has to be hard—period. Especially if you happen to be an ork, tired of the adventuring and killing, who wants to retire to a quiet community (instead of dying in battle). Harder still if no one in this part of the world has ever heard of coffee. But Viv’s not known for backing down, she’s going to give it her all.

This is possibly the sweetest Fantasy story ever written. It’s just pleasant—as pleasant as whiling away an hour or two in a comfy coffee shop chair with some great beverages. I’ve got nothing else to say, everything else would just be a rewording or unnecessary expansion on that.

Baldree’s narration was as good as his text—sometimes I wonder about the ego involved in an author doing their own narration, when they just shouldn’t. But Baldree absolutely should’ve.

3.5 Stars

The Old Woman with the Knife

by Gu Byeong-mo, Chi-Young Kim (Translator), Nancy Wu (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hrs., 29 min.
Read Date: October 12-13, 2022

(the official blurb)
I think I need to read this, so I can focus on some things I didn’t give enough attention to (and a couple of the names confused me a bit, so I know I missed some things while I figured out the context).

But this story about an aging assassin who might be having memory issues, and could be developing a conscience of sorts—while trying to put a young up-and-comer in their place was just great.

Every front worked—the emotional moments, the dry wit, the action and intrigue, the character development…all solidly delivered. I’d probably have rated this higher if I’d read it and could’ve been more careful in understanding. Strongly recommended.
3.5 Stars

The Vexed Generation

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Magic 2.0, #6
Publisher:  Audible Studios on Brilliance
Publication Date: June 6, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 55 min.
Read Date: October 20-24, 2022

(the official blurb)
Oh, this was just fun. Gwen and Martin’s kids are teens now, and discover the whole magic/computer thing on their own (mostly because Gwen, Martin, and Philip are in major trouble and the teens blame Philip). We get to see some magic that’s not in the medieval England or Atlantean model, and see how strange everything in the first 5 books really is through the twins’ fresh eyes.

Daniels was his typical great self; Meyers was inventive, clever, and witty (as you expect), and the story was very satisfying.

If this is the end of the road for this series, it was a great way to go. If not? I’m really going to enjoy what comes next.
3.5 Stars

Druid Vices and a Vodka

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series, #6
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: March 17, 2020
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 15 min.
Read Date: November 16-18, 2022

(the official blurb)
I’m getting a little annoyed by this series, I have to admit—I’m in it for the long-haul, make no mistake. But man…it feels like we’re just spinning our wheels with a couple of the storylines (and not in believable ways, mostly just to stretch out the drama), and Tori just refuses to learn or develop in any meaningful way (which is realistic, sure, but irritating in a fictional character after this long).

Still, I enjoy the novels, and am intrigued by some of the developments. Dukehart is fun to listen to—and the way this is interwoven with the other series ensures I’m sticking around.
3 Stars

The Mutual Friend

by Carter Bays, George Newbern (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: June 7, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 15 hrs.,  56 min.
Read Date: November 21-25, 2022

(the official blurb)
Whatever problems I have with this are not with Newbern—I really enjoyed the narration.

I also really enjoyed portions of this—I can’t say entire storylines or characters—but maybe half of each? (some of the beginnings were great and then fell apart, some ended so well that I forgot that I really didn’t want anything to do with the characters/story, and some had great middles).

I found the overall “Friend” idea that tied all these divergent stories together both a great idea, and problematic at the same time.

I really wanted to like this, and assumed going in that I was going to love it. But I think this novel has taught me a lesson I should’ve learned with his TV show—Bays has moments of brilliance, but shouldn’t be allowed too much control over a story’s ending. (but if given the chance, I’m sure I’ll give him another try)

2 1/2 Stars

Bookish People

by Susan Coll, Alexa Morden (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harper Muse
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 11 min.
Read Date: November 29-December 1, 2022

(the official blurb)
Coll tried so hard—you could feel the effort on every page. There were some truly amusing moments, and even a little sweetness here. But every storyline was entirely predictable—and not in the way that can be comfy and reassuring, but in a disappointing way. The madcap/slapstick moments felt disorganized and chaotic. The earnest parts felt like a Hallmark card.

The parts of the book that were about the ups and downs, travails and semi-triumphs, of a small bookstore made me like this enough not to resent the experience. But that’s about the best thing I can say.

2 1/2 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Out of Spite, Out of Mind (Audiobook) by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels: An Assortment of Britts

By HCNewton

On September 2, 2022

In Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction

Out of Spite, Out of Mind

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Magic 2.0, #5
Publisher:  Audible Studios on Brilliance
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 34 min.
Read Date: August 17-18, 2022

First Things First

I can’t talk about this one without spoiling the end of Fight and Flight. This entire book is built on the foundation of that last chapter. Read at your own risk.

What’s Out of Spite, Out of Mind About?

Let’s get the subplots out of the way (at least one of which is going to turn out to be important for the next book, and one will be important for this one). Gary hires a local peasant—and then several others—in a misguided, but surprisingly good-hearted, attempt to help them out. This is almost entirely a comic storyline, and I love that Meyer takes the time to do things like this.

Martin and Gwen are fighting (which happens a lot, sure)—because they both want to get married, but not right now, and things are awkward because Martin raised the subject. If that seems odd to you, imagine how poor Martin feels. It feels very sitcom-y—if the sitcom is in a later season and is trying to come up with some low-stakes conflict because the writers can’t figure out how to keep happy couples interesting. I rolled my eyes at this stuff a lot—but found it a little amusing. Where this storyline resolved, however, might end up being the most grounded, mature, and admirable thing in this series.*

* Wow, I’m supposed to keep my evaluative-powder dry in this section. Whoops. Feel free to call our Customer Service line for a full refund.

The third subplot also involves Martin (he’s our point-of-entry character for this series, so it makes sense that he gets 2 storylines)—he’s convinced that Phillip is being stalked by some sort of masked figure who keeps launching stealth-attacks at him. None of the attacks are particularly successful—especially once Martin susses them out and works to prevent them. But they’re also not at all lethal, at best they’d be impediments to his activities, irritations, distractions—ridiculously elaborate pranks, really. Phillip thinks that Martin is seeing things. Gary, Gwen, and the rest of the gang aren’t really convinced either. It’s Martin vs. the Masked Meddler.

But the main thing is this—in the last book, we learn that Britt the Elder has different memories of the events of Fight and Flight than Britt the Younger does. And we’re not talking about how two people who were at the same event recall details differently—we’re talking about different outcomes here. As Britt the Elder is—ask anyone who isn’t Phillip—the older version of the Younger, who co-exists with her younger-self in a way that only works in silly time travel stories, that should not be.

Britt spends some time pondering this and trying to get to the bottom of it and ultimately determines there’s a problem in the Code, and she’s going to need help figuring all this out. While she’s doing this pondering, she starts to develop some physical glitches as well. She’s really going to need help. Sadly, the only person she can really rely on here is Phillip—who’s dating her younger-self and really can’t spend time with the Elder without getting the Younger upset. Things get stranger and worse from here.

How was the Narration?

This is about an audiobook, so I need to say something about the work Luke Daniels put in. But…but…it’s Luke Daniels. I’ve run out of things to say about how great a narrator Luke Daniels is. I literally have no idea what to say here.

This is the best I can do—my first exposure to this series was the eBooks, and I read the initial trilogy that way, Only coming to the audiobooks as a way to review the trilogy before getting to the second trilogy. I don’t change formats for a series—if I listen to a series, I listen to a series. If I read a series, I only listen to re-read (and then not exclusively). After listening to Daniels narrate the first three, I’m not going back to the print version. I switched to audio-only for the remainder of the series (however long that is).

So, what did I think about Out of Spite, Out of Mind?

So all my complaints and concerns and whatever from the last book are gone. This might be the best book in the series since the first. Meyer and the characters brushed up against exploring the whole philosophical underpinning of the series premise—but don’t get bogged down in it. And they fully embrace—and exploit—the silliness of time-travel conceits.

Earlier in the week, I talked about Chu’s fantastic fight scenes in his new book—there’s a fight scene at the end of this book that is almost their equal in execution and description—but far surpasses them in hilarity. The only way I can think of to describe this adequately is to say: “imagine a fight scene starring Lucille Ball, magic, and medieval weapons—with a soundtrack of ‘Yakety Sax’ (but not really, because the book specifies a different soundtrack).”

We get a dangling plot point resolved (and, boy howdy, do I wish we hadn’t), we get some great comic stories, some strong emotional moments, and a good set-up for the next book (it’s not as tantalizing as the set-up for this was, but it does make the next book sound pretty appealing).

If you’re on the fence about this series after the first trilogy—get back to it. If you haven’t read the series at all (how did you make it this far in this post?)—change that, but go to the beginning or it won’t make any sense. These books are a great hybrid—Meyer got his comedy chocolate in his SF peanut butter and wrapped it in a candy-coating of Fantasy—and this is one of the more enjoyable installments in the series.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Few Words on a Few Books

By HCNewton

On May 5, 2022

In Audiobook, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I tried to write a full post on most of these, and I just wasn’t able to come up with enough to say. So, I guess it’s time for another one of these quick takes posts. The point of these is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. It wasn’t until I was well into writing this one that I realized there was a theme throughout this one. I was underwhelmed to varying degrees by all four of these books. On the plus side, my “To Write About” stack is a bit smaller.

Fight and Flight

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Magic 2.0, #4
Publisher: Audible Studios on Brilliance
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hr., 26 min.
Read Date: April 4-7, 2022

(the official blurb)
Okay, sure, this was amusing. Luke Daniels is great. I enjoyed spending time with these characters again.

But…

This was a thin excuse of a story, were this a novella, it’d probably be pretty good—but stretched out this far, it just didn’t work.

However, the last chapter made the whole thing worthwhile, and what it introduces/sets up for the future makes me pretty excited to see what Meyer has up his sleeve.
3 Stars

Goodbye, Things:
The New Japanese Minimalism

by Fumio Sasaki, Eriko Sugita (Translator), Keith Szarabajka (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: April 10, 2017
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 4 hr., 32 min.
Read Date: April 18, 2022

(the official blurb)
Ummm….yeah, so this was a thing I listened to. A friend was pretty excited about the book, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Sasaki didn’t convince me—the picture he painted of himself—as well as his readers/listeners—is of a pretty shallow person. I don’t think he is—or was, before he went through this period of self-improvement—but he sure did a lousy job of depicting a person who had any depth.

He describes an interesting way of life, but didn’t make me at all interested in trying it. I didn’t hate the book, but I can’t find anything to commend about it.

Szarabajka’s work was fine, I should add—nothing too flashy, which fits the book. I’d listen to other books he narrated.
2 Stars

Taming Demons for Beginners

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Guild Codex: Demonized, #1
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: December 30, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hr., 52 min.
Read Date: April 26-27, 2022

(the official blurb)
While I was listening to this, I said, “this protagonist is doing nothing but making foolish/stupid moves—I have to pause occasionally just to growl at her.” I’m used to protagonists making foolish mistakes, that’s not the problem. But this woman seemed to be deliberately choosing the worst thing to do at every moment.

I’m not sure that she really got past that, but at some point, it stopped being annoying. I’m not sure why. Part of it has to do with the way that this book tied into Demon Magic and a Martini—Marie’s done this before, but the way she pulled that off in this case was plenty of fun. I don’t know that I’m sold on this series, but I do want to see what happens next, and that’s good enough.

Dukehart did a fine job—maybe a little bit too close to her work in The Guild Codex: Spellbound, but it’s easy enough to get past that.
3 Stars

Rosebud

by Paul Cornell

DETAILS:
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: April 25, 2022
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 112 pg.
Read Date: May 3, 2022

(the official blurb)
I…I just don’t know what to say about this. It’s a clever premise, and Cornell (as one expects) writes well—there are some nice sentences throughout. Basically…I should be singing the praises of this one.

And yet…

I can’t. I don’t know why, but I could not convince myself that I was enjoying this. I just didn’t respond to any of it. I’ve been a fan of Cornell’s for years, this is just a blip, I’m sure, and I’ll be gung-ho about his next work. But this just wasn’t for me.
2 1/2 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.
,

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Few 2021 Books I Can’t do a Full Post About

By HCNewton

On December 30, 2021

In Audiobook, C. J. Box, Fiction, Joe Pickett, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Super Powereds: Year 1

by Drew Hayes, Kyle McCarley (Narrator)
Series: Super Powereds, #1
Unabridged Audiobooks, 26 hrs., 11 min.
Tantor Audio, 2016
Read: November 19-25, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Lander University has a program that most universities don’t. They offer a Hero Certification Program—a way for super-powered students to become qualified to be a super-hero. This book focuses on five particular students—they’re not just super-powered, they’ve got a secret, too.

As the title suggests, this book follows them over the first year—as they grow, increase in power and ability, develop bonds, and so on. The book is a nice mashup of superhero training and dumb college kids being dumb college kids.

I went into this expecting something that felt a lot like Fred, the Vampire Accountant. This was less like it than I thought possible—it’s much longer, it doesn’t feel like a collection of interconnected short stories, it’s a novel.

I was impressed at how different it is, sure. But I liked the story, world, and characters. I’m not sure I’m up for four more in this series, but I have a feeling that Hayes will change my mind.

3.5 Stars

Master of Formalities

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 14 hrs., 58 min.
Brilliance Audio, 2015
Read: November 12-17, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Thousands of years in the future, elaborate rules of honor, etiquette, and form have been imposed on the planetary governments to preserve order—even in the midst of war. We’re talking rules that Downton Abbey’s Carson would find overly elaborate and restrictive.

Two planets have been at war for decades—but things have come to a tipping point. It’s up to the two arbiters of these rules on these planets to keep things under control.

This book did something I didn’t expect—I would have admitted it was possible, but wouldn’t have expected that Scott Meyers and Luke Daniels produced something that left me frequently bored and that I had a hard time connecting with at all. It was clever, but that cleverness strayed into convolutedness in the plot. Good enough to listen to, but by a hair.

3 Stars

See Her Die

by Melinda Leigh
Series: Bree Taggert, #2
Kindle Edition, 315 pg.
Montlake, 2020
Read: September 30-October 2, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I don’t have much to say about this book, which is why it’s here, but I wish I did. There’s just something nice about this series, and I’d like to talk about it more.

This is really a follow-up to the first in the series—okay, so Bree got herself the job, what’s she going to do with it? How are the vets in the department and the community as a whole going to handle her coming in? How is she going to do with the whole parental figure for her niece and nephew? Etc. We don’t get definitive answers, but we get some good ideas.

But more importantly, there’s a creepy killer on the loose. In the end, that story is both too outlandish to buy, and I can actually imagine reading about this happening.

I’m coming back for more.

3 Stars

Cold Wind

by C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator)
Series: Joe Pickett, #11
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 13 min.
Recorded Books, 2011
Read: August 23-24, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Wow. There’s a lot going on in this one. The events of the Nate story were horrible, but Box pulled it off in a way that will be good for the character/series long-term.

Killing Missy’s husband Earl on the other hand…well, like Joe himself, I’m not crazy about any time we spend with Missy, so making her a focal point of a novel isn’t going to make me thrilled with it. But, I ended up really liking this one, too.

These books don’t inspire a lot of thought or writing from me—and maybe they should—but I do consistently enjoy them. Chandler’s narration is solid as ever. At this point, I don’t think I can switch to the print version of the series—I need his voice for Joe and the gang.

4 Stars

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses

by Kristen O’Neal
Hardcover, 379 pg.
Quirk Publishing, 2021
Read: June 2, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
It’s really bothering me that I haven’t gotten a full post out of this yet—and it’s been long enough (and I lost my notes) that anything I end up saying will be super vague and would be too much work to get a longer post.

In a Discord support for chronic illnesses, a group of people from around the world from a variety of age groups, come together to share struggles common to people with a variety of ailments and disorders. A couple of them realize they live nearby and strike up a friendship. Eventually, one of them disappears from contact for too long, so the other takes it upon herself to go try to find her friend IRL.

It turns out that this friend’s chronic illness is a case of lycanthrophy—things get strange and heartwarming from there.

A lot of this is told in modern-epistolary: texts, emails, Discord chats, tumblr posts, etc., etc. I loved the jumble of methods used to tell the story. It really captures the feel for these characters and their lives.

If you look at places like Goodreads, you’ll see a lot of controversy about elements of this book. I didn’t know about any of it until I’d read the book. 96% of what I saw doesn’t reflect the book, and seems to stem from one or two people who hadn’t read the book. Ignore it all.

This was a fun, earnest story that addresses serious things like living with chronic disease and finding your place in the world along with silly things like Lycanthropy and excessive binge-watching with friends. A nice break from reality that maybe helps you think about some things.

3 Stars

Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives

by Tim Hartford, Nicholas Guy Smith (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 45 min.
Penguin Audio, 2016
Read: December 16-17, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I think I’m going to have to make a point to listen to more Hartford books—between the time I put this on my TBR list and picking it up, I’d forgotten it was by the man behind The Data Detective.

The basic premise is this—people who are messy (not those full of utter chaos in habits or possessions), function better than those who are ruled by rigid standards—either metaphorically or literally. When rules (primarily at work) are too inflexible it hurts productivity and satisfaction in the work.

So let people organize their work and workplaces as they will, don’t impose a filing system on people who don’t want it, etc. Sure, keep things tidy, but beyond that…let the individual reign. That’s a horrible oversimplification, but to do it justice would take…well, most of this book. Just go with that as a thumbnail and read/listen to it. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and empowering.

I think this went on a bit too long—perhaps if the last couple of chapters had been excised, it would’ve been better. But I might change my mind on a re-read/re-listen.

3.5 Stars

Stuff You Should Know:
An Incomplete Compendium
of Mostly Interesting Things

by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs.
Macmillan Audio, 2020
Read: December 27-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Very little (if any) of this fits into things I should know, and I’m glad the subtitle talks about “Mostly Interesting” things. It’s a strange hodgepodge of in-depth look at topics like…the history of facial hair, Murphy beds, Mezcal, and child prodigies.

It was fine, but nothing special. Before I started it, I figured this would end up turning me into a subscriber to the podcast. It didn’t, but I can see why people would listen to it—the narrators/hosts are pretty engaging and had an interesting approach to their explanations. Maybe it was these topics, the randomness of the topics, or…I don’t know. I just didn’t see the point. It made for a good soundtrack to my workday, but within two days, I’ve pretty much forgotten everything I heard.

2 1/2 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: The Authorities; A Man With One of Those Faces; The Vigilante Game; Wild Sign

By HCNewton

On September 1, 2021

In Alpha & Omega, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Patricia Briggs, Urban Fantasy

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. I’ve had themes for most of these lately, this one really doesn’t have a theme. Just books I can’t seem to find time to write about, I guess. I really wanted to do lengthier posts about these (and have drafts started on them), but it’s just not going to happen.

The Authorities

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 49 min.
Audible Studios, 2015
Read: May 26-28, 2021

(the official blurb)
This is a comedic police procedural with a dash of SF. A beat cop who ends up featured on a very embarrassing viral video gets the opportunity to capitalize on his inadvertent fame by becoming the face of an oddball group of crime fighting experts assembled by a tech guru to revolutionize policing.

This screams TV movie as backdoor pilot to an 80s TV show. I could see this as a pretty long-running series. I’m guessing the sales weren’t there–or maybe Meyer didn’t have a second novel in him (maybe it was a stand-alone all along?)–because there hasn’t been a follow-up. With something that feels so much a kick-off to a series, the fact that there’s nothing more takes a little of the shine off the ending. Just a little.

I enjoyed this–decent mystery, great cast of suspects–great cast of characters period–fun set up, solid (and goofy) execution. Lots of fun.

The narration on this was done by Luke Daniels, who I am an unabashed fan of, I’m not going to waste anyone’s time talking about what a great job he did with this one, because it’s obvious.

A Man With One of Those Faces

by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator)
Series: The Dublin Trilogy, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 11 min.
McFori Ink Ltd, 2018
Read: May 12-17, 2021

(the official blurb)
I did a Media Res post about this audiobook, and it was as fun as it seemed at the time. It’s another comedic crime novel–there are a couple of cops running around, but the focus is on a couple of civilians who should absolutely not be the focus of a crime novel. Which is what makes it work.

Looking ahead, my least favorite character (actually, I had a hard time liking him at all) seems to be the focus of the series. It makes me reticent to carry on, but curiosity might get the better of me.

But as a stand-alone? This works so well–a solid thriller but told with wild characters. It’d be really easy to edit this just a little and remove all the humor and end up with a pretty gripping thriller novel, but with the humor? I really strongly recommend this.

The narration is really well done, although the voice choice for Bunny McGarry irritated me–and I probably would’ve disliked the character anyway but it really didn’t help.

The Vigilante Game

by Meghan Scott Molin
Series: The Golden Arrow Mysteries, #3
Kindle Edition, 267 pg.
2020
Read: March 4-8, 2021

(the official blurb)
MG has so much to accomplish in this book–she has to get her bestie out of jail, uncover the vigilante running around as The Golden Arrow, keep the Hooded Falcon movie on track, and secure her career in comics–oh, and maybe embrace adulthood and a real relationship.

It was…fine. It was enjoyable, a little mad-cap, and frequently sweet. While better than the second novel, I don’t think it achieved the levels of the first novel. I had such high hopes for this series–and I’m not saying I’m disappointed by the way it ended, because Molin wrapped up everything nicely and sent our characters off with happy endings. but I was underwhelmed. Still glad I read the series, just not as glad as I expected.

Wild Sign

by Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha and Omega, #6
Hardcover, 368 pg.
Ace, 2021
Read: March 17-22, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
My first reaction to the setup for this novel was An Answer to a Question No One Asked…

In the end, I like what the book did for the relationship between Bran and Leah (and hopefully gets rid of some of the “ew” factor from Burn Bright). It didn’t wow me, but I really enjoyed my time in this world again.

I’m sensing a trend here in the Mercy-verse, for the longest time, Vampires were the major threat, then we dabbled with the Fae, but it didn’t stick as much as it could’ve–now we’ve had a couple of novels in both series where witches are behind all/most of the trouble. I wonder what the end game is…

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Off to be the Wizard (Audiobook) by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels

By HCNewton

On November 14, 2016

In Fiction

Off to be the Wizard

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Series: Magic 2.0, #1

Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hrs, 15 min.
Brilliance Audio, 2014
Read: August 8 – 16, 2016

I’m just going to steal most of what I said about the book before and add a little bit at the end about the audiobook — and Daniels in particular.

The first thing Martin always did when he found some new data file was to search for his own name. It may seem egocentric, but Martin wasn’t worried about that. He had spent a lot of time thinking about himself, and had come to the conclusion that he was definitely not self-absorbed.

There’s a great temptation — and frequently a rush — when discussing an amusing/funny book in SF or Fantasy to compare it with, well — the name rhymes with Schmouglas Schmadams — this can be damning, because almost nothing can live up to it. So I’m going to resist even saying the name. If anything, I think you could say this was reminiscent of Schmon Schmalzi — only funnier.

Martin Banks is the rather unimpressive hero here — a college dropout, living in a poorly-furnished apartment, working in “a cubicle farm, . . . a fluorescent-lighted, beige-walled abattoir for the human spirit where he had to spend most of his time,” and doing some minor hacking on the weekends, just to amuse himself. He stumbles upon a way to manipulate reality, to change things just a little bit here and there around him. Being human, it takes very little time before he begins using that ability in a way to draw the attention of the Federal Authorities. Which is not all that comfortable, so he heads off to England in the Middle Ages where he figures he can do okay for himself, living as a wizard using these abilities.

That’s when things start to get really entertaining (and I had no complaints up to this point). Anything more I say on this front is a horrible spoiler, so we’ll just leave it with really entertaining.

This is a coming of age tale — and, as it’s about a Millennial, it’s a delayed-coming-of-age story. But Martin’s not one of those protagonists that you have to see mature before you like him — you connect with him right away (or you’re probably wasting your time reading on). He definitely doesn’t mature in your typical way, which is part of the fun. I can’t help comparing Martin to Wesley Chu’s Roen Tan. But without the stakes that Roen had to deal with (and a nicer mentor).

Most of the characters we get to know are met after Martin’s time jump — so don’t worry if you find everyone in 2012 a little shallow and undeveloped. They are, but other people won’t be.

There are several things in the book that won’t hold up to much scrutiny — like his ability to get a smartphone signal in Dover, England in 1150. Adapt the advice Joel and the ‘bots used to give us, “just repeat to yourself . . . you should really just relax.” It’s worth it.

The book is just littered with wit — from the extended jokes, the funny visuals, or little asides like: “The fact that wristwatches weren’t invented yet made it difficult to look impatient, but he managed.” On nearly every page, there’s something to make you chuckle or laugh — or at least grin. I laughed enough that it was annoying to my family — not that I cared, mind you. But it’s not just a yuk-fest, there’s a well-written story here, in a great world with some characters you want to spend time with.

Daniels scores again here — his performance didn’t really remind me of his work on the Iron Druid Chronciles, which, I have to admit I was a little worried about. I got a kick out of his voice choices for Martin and Jimmy in particular — Martin’s voice when he got excited was perfect. I’m not sure I liked his choice of voice for Philip — it reminded me too much of Douglas Reynholm from The IT Crowd (I’m probably the only person on Earth who hears that, so take it with a grain of salt), and I never got used to it. But I loved everything else he did, so who cares, right? If anything, Daniels’ narration helped the material (not that it needed it).

Meyer’s writing holds up to a second-read, even jokes/situations I knew were coming worked pretty well — more than well, actually, judging by my laughter. I enjoyed it as much the second time through as the first, so that’s a pretty good sign.

—–

4 Stars

An Unwelcome Quest by Scott Meyer

By HCNewton

On December 17, 2015

In Fiction

An Unwelcome Quest

by Scott Meyer
Series: Magic 2.0, #3
Kindle Edition, 434 pg.
47North, 2015
Read: December 3 – 4, 2015

On this dry, stony outcropping, there was a castle so Gothic it might as well have been wearing black eyeliner.

Beneath the shadow of that Phillip and three of his friends/fellow wizards have learned that they’re part of a real life video game, with real life stakes.

How’d they get there? Well, one of the first things that every wizard is told when they come back to Medieval England is that if they become a threat to the wizards way of life, they’ll be stripped of their powers and returned to their own time. In Spell or High Water, we saw one wizard find a work-around for that. Turns out, he inspired another one, Todd, to do the same. Todd’s careful, and he bides his time before revealing to anyone he’s come back so that he can cook up an elaborate revenge scheme against those that he primarily blames for his exile. They have to survive a lethal video game for a chance to battle Todd face to face.

Since Todd was sent away before Martin and Roy arrived, Todd ignored them, leaving Marvin free to go grab Brit (the Younger) and Gwen to help. Their experience in the game is a little different than the others’ — for one, Todd doesn’t realize they’re there, so what happens to them is just part of the program, there’s no interaction between Todd and them, so there’s no obstacles or challenges designed with them in mind.

Once the setup was explained, I figured there’d be a lot of satire of video games, or this would end up being a parody of some. Not at all — sure, this isn’t a particularly well-designed game, so there’s some critiquing of the game, but that’s about it. Meyer finds his humor elsewhere (phew!). Mostly, the game is pretty easy — sure, there’s some disgusting bits, some dangerous parts, but on the whole, the “players” spend a whole lot of time without much peril. Parts of the experience were almost nice:

The men also agreed that the woods were quite nice and that hiking through them might be rather pleasant if they had a choice, but they did not. Unfortunately, human nature dictated that anything, no matter how pleasant it is, can become hateful if you feel you must do it. Just ask anyone who’s ever entered a pie-eating contest.

As is the norm by now, this book is filled with Meyer’s particular brand of humor — some word play, some situational humor, some sarcasm, some character-driven humor. There’s some friendship, some romance, a little villainy, and some stupid pranks. All told in a charming, engaging way.

I do think it’s time for this series to end, but I’m going to miss these characters and their banter, this world. This book made me laugh out loud, which I don’t do often enough while reading. I’m pretty sure this was the first time I’ve chuckled at a waterboarding joke (don’t worry, it’s not offensive in context — really) — any book that can pull off that feat is worth a read.

Seeing that on the screen, that last sentence seems to be damning with faint and objectionable praise — really, it sounded good in my head.

—–

3.5 Stars

Spell or High Water by Scott Meyer

By HCNewton

On August 13, 2015

In Fiction

Spell or High Water

by Scott Meyer
Series: Magic 2.0, #2

Kindle, 443 pg.
47North, 2014
Read: August 1 – 7, 2015

“It was an act of stubbornness, not intelligence.” Vic nodded . “Sadly, I find that stubbornness often beats intelligence eventually. Stubbornness will beat anything eventually. That’s the whole point of stubbornness.” Martin didn’t like that idea. He agreed with it, but he did not like it.

This was not as impressive or surprising (or even funny, despite bits like the above) as Off to Be the Wizard. But it was probably a better novel. It’s not as fun, but it’s a better quality read.

It’s been a couple of months since Philip assumed the leadership of the wizards in Medieval England, and he’s getting bored. When the invitation to a summit of all the magic users in the world comes, he and Martin agree to represent their group. The women of Atlantis are the organizers, and they bring 2 of every group — all over the world and from all sorts of times. Turns out a lot of people have figured out how to tap into the computer program, and they’ve come up with unique ways of interacting with it. The summit is to come up with some rules to govern the use of magic (or whatever the groups call it) and how to stop/punish people like Jimmy (more on him in a bit) who abuse it. Before they can get into the meat of the summit, these two have to deal with a murder mystery, political intrigue, romance, romantic problems, and questions of free will/determinism (because who doesn’t think that sounds fun?).

Naturally, there’s a heckuva surprise waiting for them when they get back. But that’s not for me to get into.

Atlantis is run by sorceresses, and is really the only place on Earth (throughout history) that they’ve felt safe and comfortable — which is a pretty big indictment of the rest of the world, really. This is not to say it’s the land of the Amazons or anything — there are plenty of men around. Someone has to do the non-magical work around the city, right? The male culture that has arisen is the source of plenty of cheap jokes as well as a little cultural criticism for Meyer. Atlantis as a whole — the city and how it’s made, the political structures, the male/female roles, the culture — this is the best thing that this book has to offer. Meyer really had to put the thinking cap on to come up with this — and to keep it entertaining.

I realize the previous book ended with a strong indication that the vanquished foe wasn’t down for the count. But I’d hoped that we wouldn’t see too much of him anytime soon. So much for that. Jimmy, the Wizard formerly known as Merlin, was around for a major role in this book. A larger role, really, than he played last time. Now, I didn’t really like Jimmy as a character — I know we’re not supposed to “like” him because he’s the bad guy, but that’s not what I mean. As a character, he was okay enough for one book (especially a book focused on introducing us to the other characters and world), but I didn’t want/need more of him. I’m still not crazy about him, even after the events of this book that make him a better rounded character.

There’s probably fewer jokes per inch here than in its predecessor. But those that are there were solid, the voice of the narration is light and humorous enough that you don’t miss jokes. I’m not saying there aren’t jokes — there are entire scenes that are little more than extended jokes (most of them worth it). Like its predecessor, there are bits of this book that are just great, are worth going through the whole book for, even if the book isn’t your thing. For example, the conversation that Martin has with Gilbert and Sid, who are magic users who make a living doing stage magic. That conversation hits a sweet spot for me that little else can. You may not react that way to that conversation, but there’ll be similar moments for you (that don’t work that way for me). Actually, almost every conversation between Gilbert, Sid and Martin are pretty good, particularly where the former two explain to Martin why they don’t get along.

It’s the same world as Off to Be — same kooky guys, unique magic system and plenty of chuckles; but with a richer, better developed plot, and a more expanded world. Fans of the first will definitely want to check this one out.

And, hey, learning who it was on the grassy knoll? You can’t pass that up.

—–

3 Stars