Saturday, February 29, 2020
Skin Game
by Jim Butcher
I didn't like this one at first, but it grew on me as the story progressed. It's book eleventy-something of The Dresden Files and began with a lot of references to past adventures—people and events I had either forgotten or only hazily recalled. The scenario is that Harry Dresden, the wizard who is currently the Winter Knight sworn to serve the Faerie Queen Mab, has been lent out to an archdemon to help him rob the vault of Hades. Strike two. Harry Dresden has never been a paragon of virtue, but the thought of him making even more compromises with the forces of evil was unpleasant. However, Mr. Butcher managed to surprise me and pull a number of light moments into a dark situation.
Check it out.
LibraryThing link
I didn't like this one at first, but it grew on me as the story progressed. It's book eleventy-something of The Dresden Files and began with a lot of references to past adventures—people and events I had either forgotten or only hazily recalled. The scenario is that Harry Dresden, the wizard who is currently the Winter Knight sworn to serve the Faerie Queen Mab, has been lent out to an archdemon to help him rob the vault of Hades. Strike two. Harry Dresden has never been a paragon of virtue, but the thought of him making even more compromises with the forces of evil was unpleasant. However, Mr. Butcher managed to surprise me and pull a number of light moments into a dark situation.
Check it out.
LibraryThing link
Labels: CheckItOut, DresdenFiles, JimButcher
Saturday, February 22, 2020
The Bishop of Mars
by Steven Charleston
This book is set in the far future--over 2700 years after the Drought? What was the drought? I'm not sure. But one can get clues from references to the Dry Lands in the middle of North America and the Med Marsh between Africa and Europe. Anyway, the powers that be at that time are the Twin Empires: China and Russia. They lead a peaceful coexistence with each other and the African Free States. They are also the joint rulers of Mars, where terraforming has allowed a number of colonies to thrive. The Western hemisphere of Earth—West Hem—is run by a consortium called The Vegas. They provide, er, entertainment to the citizens of the Twin Empires, and they're looking to build their first establishment on Mars. Bishop Anthony, newly appointed bishop to the Martian diocese of the Common Prayer Church, finds himself in their way. The Vegas doesn't like people who get in their way.
I found The Bishop of Mars to be a very enjoyable read. In some ways, it was a dystopian novel, with much of the familiar elements of our world either taken away or twisted. But it was also a dystopia where humanity has adapted and moved on to build a new normal. Secondly, I also found it refreshing that it was a science fiction milieu where religion was part of everyday life rather than a scorned remnant of the past or an evil to be exorcised. It's a book I want to keep on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
This book is set in the far future--over 2700 years after the Drought? What was the drought? I'm not sure. But one can get clues from references to the Dry Lands in the middle of North America and the Med Marsh between Africa and Europe. Anyway, the powers that be at that time are the Twin Empires: China and Russia. They lead a peaceful coexistence with each other and the African Free States. They are also the joint rulers of Mars, where terraforming has allowed a number of colonies to thrive. The Western hemisphere of Earth—West Hem—is run by a consortium called The Vegas. They provide, er, entertainment to the citizens of the Twin Empires, and they're looking to build their first establishment on Mars. Bishop Anthony, newly appointed bishop to the Martian diocese of the Common Prayer Church, finds himself in their way. The Vegas doesn't like people who get in their way.
I found The Bishop of Mars to be a very enjoyable read. In some ways, it was a dystopian novel, with much of the familiar elements of our world either taken away or twisted. But it was also a dystopia where humanity has adapted and moved on to build a new normal. Secondly, I also found it refreshing that it was a science fiction milieu where religion was part of everyday life rather than a scorned remnant of the past or an evil to be exorcised. It's a book I want to keep on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
Labels: OnMyShelf
Friday, February 14, 2020
The Wet Side of the Mountains
by Bill Speidel
First published in 1974 as a travel guide (of sorts) to Western Washington, this used tome has now become a double history book. The first history is the background information and historical anecdotes that Mr. Speidel originally penned for each region and community. The second is the description of the places and recommendations of things to see and do that were current in the 1970s. If I had all the time in the world, I'd be tempted to hop in the car and find out how much of that second history remains after almost fifty years. Still, it was fun to read a witty celebration of this region of the world.
Check it out.
LibraryThing link
First published in 1974 as a travel guide (of sorts) to Western Washington, this used tome has now become a double history book. The first history is the background information and historical anecdotes that Mr. Speidel originally penned for each region and community. The second is the description of the places and recommendations of things to see and do that were current in the 1970s. If I had all the time in the world, I'd be tempted to hop in the car and find out how much of that second history remains after almost fifty years. Still, it was fun to read a witty celebration of this region of the world.
Check it out.
LibraryThing link
Labels: CheckItOut, WilliamSpeidel
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