Weekend Tales

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Art, currently reading, Disa_M, dog, dragons, fae, Georgian, historical, Jane Austen, magic, Nora Roberts

Before I get to the books, I want to talk about a localish news item that happened this week. (To skip my rant, scroll down to the dragon art.) Last month, the city council in Fremont, Nebraska voted to allow parents to request that a book be moved from the children’s section to the adult section of the city’s public library, if they find that book offensive. The policy stemmed from a controversy about a book called Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg.

The book blurb says “….Sex Is a Funny Word is an essential resource about bodies, gender, and sexuality for children ages 8 to 10 as well as their parents and caregivers.” This book, like so many others in the children’s section, is a book that is meant to be shared between parents and children — together.

The councilmember that originally proposed the policy wrote in an email, “It seems straightforward that a taxpayer-funded organization would respect the rights of parents to control what their children see and read and take steps to ensure that is the case.”

I’ve heard this argument many, many times. My response to that argument is actually a question: Which parents have that right to determine what all kids can or cannot read? I think it unlikely that every parent of every child that goes to a library is going to agree on an approved reading list. So, I have two suggestions: 1) let librarians do their job. Librarians are guided by training, collection development policies, reviews and by the demand of their patrons when they decide which books deserve to be added to a collection. Are parents equally guided? 2) Parents absolutely can take steps to control what their children see and read. They can do this by going to the library with their children. Librarians love it when parents and children visit the library together. When I see this, I rejoice in seeing parents foster a love of books and reading in their kids.

Allowing only certain people to decide what everyone should read, is undeniable censorship. The good thing is, this week, the Fremont city council voted 6-2 to strike last month’s ill-conceived policy, citing vagueness and possible discrimination as reasons. While I see the issue as much bigger than lack of clear definitions, I am extremely pleased to see that some lawmakers can make rational decisions.

This is a huge win for intellectual freedom!

(News source: KETV news https://www.ketv.com/article/nebraska-fremont-city-council-library-policy/43317903)

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And now, on to the books I am currently reading or listening to. If you feel so inclined, please share the books you are reading by posting in the comments at the end.

Lonely Dragon by Disa M

Clicking on the book covers below will take you to Amazon. Use of these links supports this blog and is very much appreciated. I also recommended checking with your library (if you want to save some $$$).

On my Kindle, I am reading Pride and Prejudice) by Jane Austen. Last week I mentioned that my library’s book club is going to read Jane Austin’s original and variations next month. So I thought I should read the original. Have you read it? I now know why I have never read it. This story could have been told far fewer pages! So many words describing so little substance! Thank heavens, language and writing styles have changed (drastically) over the years. I can’t truly say that I like it, but I am glad to be reading it considering all the screen adaptations and book variations I have enjoyed. This very particular version is sprinkled with not a few less than engaging side notes and explanations about the historical setting, observations of characters thoughts and actions and details about the author’s life, in order to add interest to an otherwise not very exciting story. (Note: I just tried, quite unsuccessfully, to write a sentence in the style of Jane Austen.)

About Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is at once a deeply felt love story, a deft romantic comedy, and a sharp exploration of social life and manners in Georgian England. With Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Jane Austen created two characters whose battles over love have entertained and delighted millions of readers and moviegoers. 

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My current audiobook is The Choice, the final book in Nora Roberts’ Dragon Heart Legacy series. This one was released last November, and I have been on the waiting list since then. But based on the first two books, I feel the wait will have been worth it. Humans and fae meet in a magical world parallel to our own to fight evil, ride dragons, and find love. Plus, there is a dog!

About The Choice

Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen―for now.

With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she’s never experienced before. It’s also a time for celebrations―of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births―and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love.

It’s Keegan who’s at her side when the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks―and her courage…

Tell me! What are you reading?

Shadows of the Past (Fae Files, #5) by Cecilia Dominic – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, Cecilia Dominic, fae, gargoyles, paranormal, romance, series, urban fantasy

Review of Shadows of the Past

The fifth book in The Fae Files delves into Reine’s past.  Let me start by saying Reine is fae.  (Fae Queen to be precise.) Anyone that expects her past to be without imperfections is just plain misguided.  Everyone knows that fae are selfish, fickle and tricky.  Reine’s banishment from Faerie means that the human world had tempered her fae personality….to the better.  

No longer banished, but back in the human world to ‘tie up loose ends’, Reine embarks on mission to find some friends.  On route, she is waylaid by unknown players.  She and her friends are stranded in a time bubble in an unknown time for an unknown reason.  While using her fae powers to determine a way out, Reine will end up witnessing events in her past.   The events Reine relives are not entirely new to the story, but do add more complexity to the story of Reine and her brother Rhys.

Meanwhile, Reine’s love interest, gargoyle Lawrence, is dealing with his own problems.  The top issues are 1) intrigue at the PBI (Paranormal Bureau of Investigations, 2) being apart from Reine, and 3) dealing with the young Kestrel who is considering leaving the world of paranormals.  In doing so, they meet a very elusive paranormal.  I’m not going to say what/who, but certain cryptologists will be very interested!

Some aspects to the story will eventually be tied together.  Reine will meet Lawrence in the dream world.   And she will end up in Faerie to face her enemy and her past.   

Other aspects of the story will not be resolved.  This book, more than any others in the series, seemed to ignore loose ends.  Many loose ends.  And a cliffhanger ending had me groaning.  Cliffhangers are evil!

Despite the incomplete story, Shadows of the Past does nicely enhance the overall story arc of The Fae Files.  This book is best read as part of that series.  

Thanks to the author who sent me a copy of her book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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About Shadows of the Past

No good deed goes unpunished. As for Fae deeds, well, those get a bit more complicated…

I thought I came to Scotland to rescue friends who disappeared under mysterious circumstances connected to the Fae. However, a deadly attack on the highway drives me and my allies into the woods and straight into my history.

History I’ve tried to forget. I’d avoided the witch’s cottage since the fateful night my brother Rhys and I were exiled from Faerie, and I soon discover the supposed sanctuary hides its own deadly secret.

To escape the trap, I need to confront the deeds of my past, which will require me to risk my own and the others’ futures. Can I figure out the puzzle in time to save us all, or will I have to sacrifice everything, including my gargoyle lover, to make amends for my mistakes?

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If you haven’t read The Fae Files, now is a great time to start the series. The Shadow Project is currently on sale for 99 cents!

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Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs – Series Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Darynda Jones, fae, fantasy, Geroge Newbern, goblins, Lorelei King, Patricia Briggs, romance, series, trolls, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies

The World of Mercy Thompson

Mercedes is a Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. Her Native American heritage has gifted her with the ability to take the form of a coyote at will. She’s surrounded by far more powerful supernatural beings, including werewolves, vampires and an assortment of fae. 

Series summary from Patricia Briggs’ website.

Review

Before November of 2021, the only Patricia Briggs works I had read were a book called Dragon Bones and the awesome Alpha and Omega series, which is set in the same world as Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series.  With the Alpha and Omega series, there were enough references to Mercy Thompson to make me curious.  So last fall, I finally started the series.

The entire series was available through my library’s digital collection.  I was able to listen to most of the series on audiobook, with just two exceptions.

The audiobooks are read by Lorelei King, who is one of the most talented narrators out there.  I had previously listed to her read Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series, which made things a bit confusing at first.  I had so associated the voice of Lorelei King with Charley Davidson, that at first, I experienced some small difficulty getting my mind to realize that Mercy Thompson was the main character. 

By the end of the first book, I had made the shift in my mind and enjoyed the story enough to go for book 2 and 3.  Now, here is where I knew I was hooked on the series. 

I often find that authors adopt a formula to build each story in a series, leading to predictability and, at the very least, a need to take a break between books.  With Mercy Thompson, each book was entirely unique, and the story kept evolving.  I could discern no obvious pattern or formula.  This kept me fully engaged with the developing story.  So, I kept forging onward with the series, pausing only when I had to wait for the book to become available from the library. 

So, between November and last week, I listened to or read the first 12 books of the Mercy Thomson series plus one additional anthology set in the same world. The entire series is quality storytelling.  Let me tell you why.

Note: The summary I shared at the beginning of this post is very simplistic, but contains no spoilers.  What I share with you now may contain spoilers, but will, hopefully, not prevent you from enjoying the books anyway.

1. Mercy, as a coyote shifter, was raised, in part, by Bran Cornick, the Marrock – ruler of all the North American werewolves, who I first met in the Alpha and Omega series.  Bran is scary powerful, but for the good.  That Mercy often got the upper hand with Bran, is delightful, but also shows that their relationship was special and a good thing for both of them.
2. In addition to humans, so many of the typical urban fantasy paranormal types are present throughout the series.  Werewolves, vampires, sorcerers, fae, witches (white, grey and black), trolls, goblins, guayota (volcano god), zombies, ghosts, Coyote Trickster (and other Native American beings), Baba Yaga, the Golem of Prague, and walkers (which is what Mercy is).  Also, possible: combinations of any of the above.
3. The Columbia Basin werewolf pack is one big happy family.  Okay, not always happy.  But big and very much like family.  The Alpha, Adam, rules absolutely and the pack has a hierarchical structure.  Mercy’s role in the pack evolves over the series, but since she becomes the mate of the Alpha, she will be redefining the status quo.
4. The werewolves and other ‘monsters’ must interact with humans.  In a world where the werewolves have come out, Adam has become something of a celebrity.  His daughter Jessie, and Mercy’s employee Gabriel and one or two other humans help the wolves understand what it means to be human.
5. Mercy Thompson is a kind, compassionate woman that can get along with just about everyone she meets, as long as they don’t want to immediately kill her.  This is true whether they are fated to be friends, foes, or something inbetween.  (Okay, there is one exception, but husband’s ex-wives are fair game for a bit of spite.)  Since the stories are from Mercy’s viewpoint, this means the reader is able to connect with just about every character and care about them as much as Mery does.  This trait also puts her (and the pack) smack dab in the middle of trouble because Mercy needs to help.
6. Mercy’s infatuation with VW’s.
7. Mercy sees dead people.
8. Pack bonds/mate bonds.
9. A trip to Europe.
10. A fae artifact that, despite being returned the fae, always ends up near Mercy when she needs it. Called a walking stick, but rarely acts like one.
11. Bran, Charles and Samuel (from the Alpha and Omega series).
12. Zee (Siebold Adelbertsmiter) and Tad – Fae father and half-fae son. Zee is the original owner of Mercy’s garage. Both father and son continue to a) help Mercy in the garage and b) come to Mercy’s aid when she if fighting monsters.
13. Coyote Trickster – who is Mercy’s father, but not Mercy’s father.
14. Stephan – the vampire who loves Mercy.
15. Adam – who gets his own point of view in Silence Fallen – perhaps my favorite of the series. (In the audiobook, George Newbern narrates those chapters.)   Adam is handsome, powerful, protective, and loving. Also, Adam does not like to use foul language, which is adorable refreshing.

I really enjoyed ‘binge’ reading/listening to the first 12 books – plus Shifting Shadows, a collection short stories from the Mercyverse.  Shifting Shadows stories takes place throughout the Mercy Thompson timeline. Read after Night Broken to avoid spoilers. There are also a couple of Mercy-related graphic novels that I will have to track down.  I’ll have to wait for any future books, but I will be watching for them.  If you are an urban fantasy reader who has not been introduced to Mercy Thompson, I recommend you check this series out. 

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