Superb Steam!

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Reviewed by Jason Koivu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic fun! Packed with Wodehousian humor!

Whip-smart author Gail Carriger kicks off a diabolically clever girl's school espionage series in style!

Whereas Austen prodded the society she was associated with, Etiquette & Espionage pokes fun at the Regency, early Victorian and Industrial Age manners and dress in a way that brands it with a slap on the ass!...a loving one though. It's clear that Carriger has an affinity for the period.

Set in a steampunk world, the book is all gussied up in the sort of lavish detail that evokes a magical world. The addition of supernatural creatures and the fantastical school makes one leap to make Harry Potter parallels, but actually the overall tone of this is more like Jonathan Stroud's wonderful Bartimaeus triology.

Clever, funny, and flat out fun!



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The Darker Side of Trey Grey

Tara Spears
T.O.S.O.L. Books
Reviewed by Nancy
3 out of 5 stars

Summary

No one told Trey Grey that life could be dark and unpredictable. With the death of his father when he was eight, his mother’s departure from Earth on a syringe full of Heroin and the brutal abuse of his stepfather, Trey learned these lessons all too well on his own.

Now at twenty years of age, he is nearing the completion of his accounting degree and can finally glimpse the end of his life as a prostitute, the only profession he has ever known.

Wracked by nightmares of Willie’s years of abuse, and controlled by severe obsessive-compulsive disorders as a result, he seems to have a tentative handle on his own life. That is, as long as he keeps a death-grip and no one touches his Camaro, kitten.

But even the best laid plans can be torn to gory bits.

His savior comes in the unlikely form of a spiky-haired blond named Justin, after a night of drunken debauchery that neither of them seems able to forget. Justin might just need Trey as much as Trey needs him.

Trey travels through his fearscapes and begins to find his own forgiveness, but at what cost to the manic-depressive Justin? Will they be able to live through the trauma of each other’s lives and find their own version of normal?

My Review

First off, I really hope that the author sent me an uncorrected review copy and this was not the final published version. I would have been very annoyed if I had paid $3.99 for it. Though my tolerance is higher for errors in self-published books, there were so many here that they threw me out of the story on many occasions. Typos I can handle, but constant misuse and abuse of words was much harder to put up with.

“too” instead of “to”

The club was roué, fashionable and raunchy all at once.

She has a reprobation toward sex.

My hips thrust fallaciously…
And it goes on…

The woman-hating that goes on in the m/m romance genre is so prevalent, that it wasn’t a surprise to me here. It’s OK to include well-developed, interesting, intelligent female characters with full lives in stories that focus on men’s relationships. Women are part of men’s lives too, if not as lovers, then certainly as mothers, sisters, friends, or co-workers. They don’t all have to be bitchy, bitter, lonely, gossipy, or meddlesome.

There were inconsistencies in this story that were a little off-putting. Halfway in, Trey and Justin knew each other for a week. 232 pages later, they knew each other only 3 days. In either case, they fell in love just a little too quickly for my liking, particularly considering Trey’s history of physical and emotional abuse, his mental illness, and his years working as a prostitute. Justin, like Trey, has difficulty with relationships. He is also deeply insecure and suffers from depression. Even though this is Trey’s story, I wish Justin’s mental illness was portrayed a little more convincingly. He was a very strong character while supporting Trey and didn’t show evidence of his depression. Other times, he was needy and insecure.

Some of the medical and psychological aspects didn’t ring true either. I’m far from an expert, but I would think if you stab yourself with a 3-inch wide butcher knife, you would do more damage than just nick your diaphragm. Trey’s suicide attempts and self-harming behavior were treated far too casually. Realistically, he would have had to be evaluated by a psychiatrist and receive extensive treatment, or even hospitalization, if he was determined to be a risk to himself.

Trey’s physical, sexual and emotional abuse by his stepfather was shown in flashbacks. He had recurring nightmares, and difficulty enjoying sex, until Justin entered his life. Despite the inconsistencies and inaccuracies here, I felt the author realistically portrayed the effects of severe child abuse on adult survivors and created two broken but strong characters that were very easy to care about.

I enjoyed being a part of Trey’s and Justin’s lives as they handle their struggles and cope with life’s challenges. Their strength drew me in and kept me involved right up to the very end.

Flaws notwithstanding, I am very much looking forward to the sequel.

Gates of the Dead

Gates of the Dead by James A. Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The gods were defied and demanded the men who defied them to be their sacrifices. Then one of the gods brethren were struck down and the gods determined to wipe the world clean and start over. They want Brogan McTyre dead, but he has powerful help and other plans. Plans to end the gods that murdered his entire family.

Gates of the Dead was an enjoyable conclusion to The Tides of War trilogy. Brogan has had one goal since partway through the first book of the series, to kill the gods who killed his family. He's been fortunate to have trustworthy friends and unlikely allies. It helps that the gods indiscriminately try to kill everyone because of the choice of a few individuals. They are truly a petty bunch.

This book had reasonable explanations to the series questions which were largely provided by the Galeans. The gods told Galea much about the world and their nature including the truth about the demons and gods themselves. The Galeans didn't know or understand everything, but they had substantial knowledge of the world and unveiled it to Brogan and his allies.

The gods were honestly just massive pricks. I guess becoming an unquestioned power could make anyone arrogant and dismissive, but they and their servants the He-Kisshi took it to another level. I seldom have wanted a group to be destroyed as badly as the gods and their servants.

Gates of the Dead was a fun revenge tale told on a massive world altering scale.

4 out of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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An Admirable Western

The Quick and the Dead by Louis L'Amour
Reviewed by Jason Koivu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shakespeare this ain't, but boy howdy The Quick and the Dead is a damn good time!

Yeah, dialogue is often stilted and the character of Con Vallian sometimes comes off as a deus ex machina kind of guardian angel. However, there's still a lot to like here, such as some of the characters' development as the book progresses. A strong female is always a pleasant addition to westerns. The story's pacing is good with a solid amount of action, balanced with timely introspection.

For such a short book, Louis L'Amour manages to pack in plenty of punch. Recommended for western fans!



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The Trouble With Tony

Eli Easton
Dreamspinner Press
Reviewed by Nancy
4 out of 5 stars

Summary

As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under cover with one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them?

My Review

I generally like dark, gritty stories that are troubling, unsettling and reveal human nature in all its beauty and wickedness. Every once in a while, though, I need a break and enjoy a light, humorous and warm-hearted story that makes me smile and love humanity for at least a few minutes. After glancing at the cover and title, I just knew that The Trouble With Tony would be a lot of fun.

Tony DeMarco is an ex-cop turned P.I. hired by the parents of a young woman who died of a drug overdose. Further investigation reveals that Marilyn White received treatment at Seattle’s Expanded Horizons, a sex therapy clinic that not only treats sexual dysfunction, but also specializes in surrogacy.

Dr. Jack Halloran, an ex-combat surgeon who was seriously wounded and suffers PTSD, is one of the suspects. The doctor respects his patients’ rights to confidentiality, so it is tough to get any kind of information from him. Tony decides the only way to solve this case is to become Jack’s patient. Since Jack doesn't believe Tony’s story about being a sex addict, Tony decides to tell him the truth – that he is unable to find Mr. Right and has only ever enjoyed sex with four guys, the last relationship being two years ago.

First, the doctor has to rule out physical causes and conducts an examination.

“Five minutes, it’ll be over. Five minutes, it’ll be over. Yeah, but during those five minutes, a murder suspect is going to be looking at my dick. How did that happen?”

Now, Tony’s “picky dick” is at attention whenever Jack is around, leading him to think that Jack will be number five.

The mystery was lightweight and predictable, but it is the relationship that develops between Jack and Tony that is the focus of this story. Serious issues, like Jack’s PTSD and previous injuries take a back seat to the humorous banter and hot sexy times.

This story was warm, funny, entertaining, and made me feel all sunny inside. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Black Bolt, Vol. 2: Home Free

Black Bolt, Vol. 2: Home Free by Saladin Ahmed
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Black Bolt travels back to Earth.

He seeks to set things right as much as he can.

Home Free and the entire Black Bolt series was pretty forgettable. Nothing of any real importance happens and it's all one big set up for Black Bolt to take a hard look at himself and to try to make things better. It just seemed unnecessary and only moderately entertaining.

2.5 out of 5 stars

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NIGHTWOOD BY DJUNA BARNES

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

”’You know what man really desires?’ inquired the doctor, grinning into the immobile face of the Baron. ‘One of two things: to find someone who is so stupid that he can lie to her, or to love someone so much that she can lie to him.’”



Baron Felix is a man of pretenses. He is not really a baron at all, but his father had perpetrated the deception his whole life so Felix’s filial legacy is to carry on the social duplicity. ”He kept a valet and a cook; the one because he looked like Louis the Fourteenth and the other because she resembled Queen Victoria, Victoria in another cheaper material, cut to the poor man’s purse.” Notice there is no mention about how good a valet he is or how good a cook she is. It is all about how they look and, when looked upon, what value they convey to the people whom the “Baron” needs to impress.

I am left wondering if his Victoria is the young Victoria, more in the vein of Jenna Coleman from Masterpiece, or the older Victoria, as portrayed by Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown. Louis the Fourteenth, we can only hope, looks as dashing as George Blagden from the Ovation show Versailles.

The theatrical production of the Baron’s life is maintained by his own performances, but also by the supporting cast with which he chooses to surround himself.

Baron Felix becomes enamored with a beautiful American named Robin Vote. It is best that, if your life is a sham, you do not allow yourself the indulgence of love, exploitation yes, but love...never.

If Felix were observing more carefully and not blinded by the aurora borealis of infatuation, he may have noticed that Robin is not really interested in anything but having a good time. Raising children, being a supportive wife, or being faithful to a husband are, by definition, selfless acts, and she is incapable of performing any of those roles with any level of believability. Felix needs to make a new casting call.

Robin bounces from Felix’s bed into the arms of Nora Flood, who wants to take care of Robin, but Robin wants the world collectively to take care of Robin. Jenny Petherbridge, a woman incapable of creating her own happiness, has made a life of looting other’s happiness. She soon has Robin, at least temporarily, under her control.

Robin leaves in her wake not a satisfied audience, no tears brimming at the corners of their eyes, fond memories, or even brilliant soliloquies to explain her behavior. She follows the brightest star until it dims in comparison to another.

We could generalize that everyone in this novel is horrid to everyone else. Jenny stealing Robin from Nora could be seen as inducing unhappiness in another, but frankly can any of us steal someone from someone else? Doesn’t a foot, an elbow, quite possibly a heart already have to be out the door before a lover can be absconded with? Baron Felix is a charlatan who makes a living out of contrived theatrics. It is hard to feel sympathy for him, but at the same time he is left nearly shattered by Robin leaving him. It isn’t even so much that Robin leaves, but she just seems to drift away.

Robin is the truly destructive force in the novel, whose beauty is a ”sort of fluid blue under skin, as if the hide of time had been stripped from her, and with it, all transactions with knowledge.” She could be a stand in for any of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. That might be a job she could stick with.

And who is there to pick up the pieces of each of these fractured relationships? The doctor, Matthew O’Connor, a man uncomfortable in his own skin, but who seems to somehow induce trust in those around him. ”Why do they all tell me everything then expect it to lie hushed in me, like a rabbit gone home to die?”

One character refers to the doctor as a ”valuable liar,” but he does seem to be the most honest with himself of anyone in the novel. He has desires he can only indulge in private, but he doesn’t deny any revelations about himself. He is, almost universally, the most liked person in the novel. Even T. S. Eliot, in the forward, feels the novel drags until the appearance of the doctor. I admit there is no tale of any relevance without the doctor, but there are some fascinating passages in the early pages that, despite how discombobulated I felt with the plot, are still rife with intricate sentences I enjoyed reading and reading again.

Djuna Barnes has a discerning eye and a flair for bold sentences. Some critics have said that only poets can truly enjoy Nightwood. I think that what is required of the reader is some patience. If you are confused, it might be that Barnes has you right where she wants you. Read on; do not let her scare you away. You will experience some descriptions or thoughts that you have never read before. Do not indulge in cannabis or go beyond a two drink minimum while reading this book. You will need your wits about you; maybe this book is better served with a cuppa and a piece of dark comforting chocolate.

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Picturesque Wales in the '50s

Testimonies by Patrick O'Brian
Reviewed by Jason Koivu
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Almost 200 pages into a 224 paged book and now something finally happens?! Jeez Louise! The only reason I muscled through all that nothing is because I love Patrick O'Brian's work. I was sure there would be a payoff, and there was, but it came in the third to last chapter with no preamble, no teasing along, not even the tiniest of tidbits to make a reader's hope linger.

Testimonies is O'Brian's first adult novel. He had written a few as a boy and made a name for himself. That name must have been somewhat deflated by these meandering pages of character sketches and setting description.

Since the book is set in the hilly wilds of Wales and because O'Brian is an expert scene describer, these pages often make for gorgeous reading. His prose flows like a breeze over grassy downs, occasionally whipping through a craggy pass atop some barren rise. Truly, you will say, this is a master wordsmith.

However, at this point in his writing career O'Brian seemingly hadn't discovered plot yet . The book is not entirely directionless, but the point of it all is elusive at best. I can't recommend this, except to O'Brian fans looking to read his complete works, but neither can I claim this to be an outright failure. The characters are so very real - he did after all create them from his time spent in Wales - that one does grow an attachment to them. All the same, one wishes they'd do something.

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A Biography of Patrick O'Brian

Patrick O'Brian: A Life Revealed by Dean King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Patrick O'Brian is the Irish writer of the Master & Commander series, who isn't Irish.

Patrick O'Brian had nothing to do with World War II...except he was a spy.

Patrick O'Brian isn't Patrick O'Brian.

There is a great deal of secrecy and veiled history for such a seemingly benign author of such a pleasant literary series of polite manners and seafaring adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars. I fell in love with that "Aubrey/Maturin" series years ago, read it over numerous times and moved on to other works by the author. At some point I wanted to know more. Dean King, who has written a number of books about O'Brian and his work, clearly also fell in love with the author. You really feel it in his approach.

I'm glad he made the attempt at this difficult task. It couldn't have been easy. So little is known about the man, because the man wanted little to be known about himself. In an effort to distance himself from a less than ideal upbringing, family and flawed marriage, he moved overseas and took on a new personae and detested anyone who defied it, even his loving brother. This seems to have rubbed off on some of his fans, who have not taken kindly to King's intrusion and revelations about their favorite author.

Patrick O'Brian: A Life Revealed does a fantastic job keeping the timeline in order and moving along. A parallel was made to O'Brian's books and especially the series he's known for. Almost all of the books are given a little synopsis and imbued with historical significance as relates to the author. In fact, it took me as long as it did to read this because I found myself setting it aside to read other O'Brian books that I hadn't gotten to yet. That was fun, but it did make this lengthy tome seem even longer. I'd imagine it would probably seem a chore to anyone other than an O'Brian fan, but for the hardcore among us this is highly recommended!

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Hard Fall

James Buchanan
MLR Press
Reviewed by Nancy
5 out of 5 stars

Summary

Deputy Joe Peterson is Mormon and in the closet. Then ex-con Kabe Varghese lands in town on parole. When a tourist falls off the mountain, Joe finds he needs the help of this cliff climbing adrenaline junky to solve the case. Will Kabe tear him apart or does Joe need to fall hard before he can start living?

My Review

I was looking for a light, sweet romance. Hard Fall was definitely the wrong choice. There is the death of a tourist to be solved, a cop trying to reconcile his religious faith with his desire for men, and a young mountain climber with a tight body who's run afoul of the law and worms his way into the cop's heart.

The relationship between Deputy Sheriff Joe Peterson, a Mormon, and Kabe Varghese, an ex-con who is staying with relatives while serving his parole, starts off slowly and gradually builds up intensity when Kabe’s help is enlisted to investigate a climbing accident involving a German tourist.

The mystery was rather disappointing, since it was obvious early on who the killer was. What I really enjoyed about this story was the relationship between two very different men, the interaction with a variety of people in the community, some supportive of their relationship and some not, and the issues Joe and Kabe have to deal with when their relationship comes in conflict with church teachings.

Hard Fall is told in the first person, from Joe’s point of view. His character is extremely well drawn, even though I had some difficulty in the beginning getting used to his country dialect. Joe is strong, smart, and faithful. Kabe has an attitude and a smart mouth, but Joe makes him feel safe. These guys are so different, yet so perfect together.

The sex is hot and intense, not gratuitous, and the mountain climbing scenes were breathtaking and realistic.

Great story!