The floor next to my bed
Aaron Bergman
my lack of bookshelves:
_Shadowfall_ James Clemens
The best thing that can be said about this book is that it has none of
those damn apostrophes. This isn't damning with faint praise; I really,
really hated those apostrophes. The book is pretty par for the course
fantasy. It has some reasonably nongeneric elements, but it's not
particularly enthralling. It at times seems as if Clemens really wants
to gross the reader out, but what he comes up just isn't that exciting.
I'll buy the next in paperback.
_Matriarch_ Karen Traviss
The further adventures of now-immortal bad-ass Shane Farkland. I feel
sometimes that this is the sort of book that sf needs more of. It's not
particuarly deep or original, but it's entertaining and stays away from
the most of what I find annoying in modern sf. It tells a good story,
but the series does feel as if it's being drawn out. I'll buy the next
in paperback, but I hope things conclude soon.
_Firestorm_ Rachel Caine
Speaking of being drawn out, I don't feel as if these books are going
anywhere, and they're starting to feel pretty generic.
_Talyn_ Holly Lisle
Akin to much of Lisle's output. Worthwhile and competent, but not
brilliant (I seem to be saying that a lot.) It kept me entertained and
it even tried at times to say a little more than it needed to. I'm not
sure I completely bought into the plot, but still a definite buy in
paperback.
_Proven Guilty_ Jim Butcher
Butcher's writing has definitely improved with the umpteenth Harry
Dresden story. I'm not sure there was even an instance in this story
where I felt the urge to beat Dresden over the head with blunt
instrument. The books are significantly darker than the undistinguished
television series which is too their credit. I'm worried that we're nine
books into the series and it's not clear that there's an end in sight.
There are threads of an overarching plot woven in the novels, but
without some coalescence soon, I'm going to start getting annoyed.
Still, I'm thinking about upping to hardcover for the next one. We'll
see.
_Academ's Fury_ Jim Butcher
Undistinguished. Has few if any of the charms of Butcher's other series.
It'll pass the time, though, and that's good enough for me to keep up in
paperback.
_Seeker_ Jack McDevitt
Serious yawn. I really, really liked _A Talent for War_ and some of
McDevitt's other early books, but his recent books just don't seem offer
much to me. Long on spectacle, short on plot. (And fireworks?
Seriously?) I'll pick up another in paperback only if desperate or if
someone recommends one.
_Shapers of Darkness_ David Coe
Insert review of _Shadowfall_ and _Academ's Fury_ here. Actually, the
next one promises to be the last, so I might just upgrade to hc. Depends
on how desperately I need something to read. It'll be back to pb for the
next series, though.
_Capacity_ Tony Ballantyne
The sort of book sf needs less of. See rant in another thread.
_The Last Mortal Man_ Syne Mitchell
Can't say I remember much about this one. As I recall, it was a nanotech
story that didn't really hit anything that Nagata or Goonan haven't done
earlier and better. Not unentertaining, though.
_Voice of the Gods_ Trudi Canavan
See previous generic fantasy reviews. For reasons I can't quite put my
finger on, I was quite fond of Canavan's previous series, but whatever
that aspect was, this series lacked it, so stack it with the generics.
_Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
(to various extents) heroines. I'd consider hc, but the series is
happily being released in pb first.
_The Righteous Blade_ Stan Nicholls
Generic, yadda yadda.
_Greywalker_ Kat Richardson
More urban fantasy. Not bad, but the plot never seemed to come together
for me. I'll check out the next one, but I'm hoping for some improvement.
_Cartomancy_ Michael Stackpole
The first book in this series was entertaining, but I found this one a
chore to get through.
_The Singer's Crown_ Elaine Isaak
Could get more than a few chapters in. Boring.
_Valley of the Soul_ Tamara Siler Jones
The atmosphere is the most attractive aspect of this series of dark
fantasy forensic mysteries. The mystery aspect of this particular volume
was rather transparent, but the worldbuilding kept things entertaining.
I'm curious if this series is building to something (there are enough
clues to the postapocolyptic nature of the world that there could be
something there), but it works just fine as a serial.
_Sir Thursday_ Garth Nix
This series is rather lacking in comparison to the trilogy of _Sabriel_,
_Lirael_ and _Abhorsen_. I get the feeling that it's aimed at younger
readers. It has some nice Nixian touches, but it might just be a bit too
young for me.
_Warrior and Witch_ Marie Brennan
Generic, yadda yadda.
_Spellbinder_ Melanie Rawn
I picked this up against my better instincts because I have a remembered
fondness for her earlier books. I now distrust those memories. This is
an awful book about a brilliant red-haired wealthy writer witch who
drops Gaelic phrases into random conversations and a tall, gorgeous
lower class "Mick cop". They fall in love, have amazing sex, have a
fight where their Irish tempers flare up or whatever, and make up and
have amazing sex. I think there was a plot somewhere in there, but the
book was little more than the incredible adventures of perfect people in
love. Avoid.
_Mistborn_ Brandon Sanderson
I debated whether to buy this in hardcover, but I don't regret this.
There's nothing spectacular about this book, except that it was a lot of
fun. I like that. Will probably buy the next in hc.
_The Lies of Locke Lamora_ Scott Lynch
Not quite as good as _Mistborn_, but most of the same adjectives apply.
What I think these books show, for my taste at least, is that it's a lot
less important to try hard to find some new setting that no one's ever
done before than to just tell a good, entertaining story.
_Magic Study_ Maria Snyder
Deeply generic. I remember liking the first in the series, this didn't
do much for me and would rank below thr various other generic fantasies
I've mentioned so far.
_The Cracked Throne_ Joshua Palmatier
_The Skewed Throne_ was an entertaining debut novel that overcame its
generic setting, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I've read this
book many, many times before. The book just couldn't escape from the
tiresome familiarity of the invading ancient evil from across the sea. A
disappointing followup.
_Feast of Souls_ CS Friedman
The best Friedman book in years. I'm sure this idea for a magic system
has been done before (probably lots of times), and god knows the gender
stuff isn't particularly original, but I was consistently entertained by
the characters, the setting and the story. Unlike the Palmatier,
Friedman transcended her tropes and setting aside for the cop-out at the
end, has written one of the better fantasy books this year. Recommended.
_Scar Night_ Alan Campbell
This book never quite lived up to its setting of a city suspended on
chains above a pit containing a fallen god, but that setting was a lot
to live up to. Apparently the author wrote video games before tackling
novels, and I think some of that kitchen sink quality shows up in the
writing. Still, an auspicious debut.
_The Privilege of the Sword_ Ellen Kushner
Apparently I have stepped into the middle of a series I don't know much
about that. As it was, it didn't do much more me.
_The Jennifer Morgue_ Charlie Stross
Much of Stross's writing to me is undermined by my feeling that he's not
nearly as clever as he thinks it is. Nonetheless, the "Laundry" books
are the best of his output, and this kept me entertained up until it
fell apart at the ending. Other that the surfeit of IT in-jokes, I quite
like the setting of these novels. I think the books would be much
improved if the "cleverness" were toned down a lot, however.
and, finally, not new but:
_Sunshine_ Robin McKinley
This was a reread for me. You should read it too.
And even though it's been put away for a while now, I'll throw in a plug
for Michelle Sagara (West)'s _Cast in ..._ series. I love the setting
and the mood in these books. I recall trying West's bricklike fantasy a
few years back and not getting anywhere, but these books feel fresh and
interesting. Easily the best of the recent Luna forays into the fantasy
market that I've read.
Aaron
robo
>
> _Capacity_ Tony Ballantyne
>
> The sort of book sf needs less of. See rant in another thread.
I thought your comments regarding nihilistic futility as a trend in
contemporary sf was spot on. I've tried to read all of Ballantyne's novels
and I've yet to complete one. I kept think of Colin Wilson's essays on the
strength of SF when compared to mainstream post war lit. Wilson used the
examples of Camus, Sartre et. al. where we find wonderful depicitions of
humanity defeated, mired in futility and absurdity. By contrast, golden age
output ran completely counter to literary existentialism. It's funny that
for so many years there was a sense that sf needed/deserved to be considered
as literature.... well somewhere along the way it looks it has become just
that.
Best,
Robo
PS Again your remarks about Stross were well taken. I tried several of his
books the smarmy cleverness grates too much.
Konrad Gaertner
>
> _Proven Guilty_ Jim Butcher
>
> Still, I'm thinking about upping to hardcover for the next one. We'll
> see.
Still one of my favorite series.
> _Academ's Fury_ Jim Butcher
>
> Undistinguished. Has few if any of the charms of Butcher's other series.
> It'll pass the time, though, and that's good enough for me to keep up in
> paperback.
I fell in love with the magic system in the first book. Unfortunately,
what we learn about it in the next two books rather lowers my opinion
of it. And all the cliches in the characters and plot don't help.
> _Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
>
> By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
> (to various extents) heroines. I'd consider hc, but the series is
> happily being released in pb first.
Oh yes, definitely recommended for urban fantasy fans.
> _Greywalker_ Kat Richardson
>
> More urban fantasy. Not bad, but the plot never seemed to come together
> for me. I'll check out the next one, but I'm hoping for some improvement.
I liked this better than you, and I may post some spoiler questions
later.
> _The Singer's Crown_ Elaine Isaak
>
> Could get more than a few chapters in. Boring.
AOL.
> _Valley of the Soul_ Tamara Siler Jones
>
> The atmosphere is the most attractive aspect of this series of dark
> fantasy forensic mysteries. The mystery aspect of this particular volume
> was rather transparent, but the worldbuilding kept things entertaining.
I read the first, and the worldbuilding was the part I least liked.
> _Sir Thursday_ Garth Nix
>
> This series is rather lacking in comparison to the trilogy of _Sabriel_,
> _Lirael_ and _Abhorsen_. I get the feeling that it's aimed at younger
> readers. It has some nice Nixian touches, but it might just be a bit too
> young for me.
I bounced off _Grim Tuesday_; it just seemed that he was trying too
hard for sensawunda. I'd really love to see him do more Old Kingdom
stories, or at least something in that style.
> _Mistborn_ Brandon Sanderson
>
> There's nothing spectacular about this book, except that it was a lot of
> fun. I like that.
>
> _The Lies of Locke Lamora_ Scott Lynch
>
> Not quite as good as _Mistborn_, but most of the same adjectives apply.
> What I think these books show, for my taste at least, is that it's a lot
> less important to try hard to find some new setting that no one's ever
> done before than to just tell a good, entertaining story.
That's curious, since one of the things I liked about both books was
the unusual settings (especially the magic systems). But both
authors are also good with plot and characters.
> _Magic Study_ Maria Snyder
>
> Deeply generic. I remember liking the first in the series, this didn't
> do much for me and would rank below thr various other generic fantasies
> I've mentioned so far.
Yeah, definitely taking the series in the wrong direction.
> _Scar Night_ Alan Campbell
>
> This book never quite lived up to its setting of a city suspended on
> chains above a pit containing a fallen god, but that setting was a lot
> to live up to.
I couldn't stand the protagonist.
> _The Privilege of the Sword_ Ellen Kushner
>
> Apparently I have stepped into the middle of a series I don't know much
> about that. As it was, it didn't do much more me.
I've read _Swordspoint_ and bounced off of _Fall of the Kings_, and
well, they're not really my thing.
> _The Jennifer Morgue_ Charlie Stross
>
> Much of Stross's writing to me is undermined by my feeling that he's not
> nearly as clever as he thinks it is. Nonetheless, the "Laundry" books
> are the best of his output,
I've only read his Family Trade series (which started well, but the
latest was disappointing). I should pick up this series too.
> And even though it's been put away for a while now, I'll throw in a plug
> for Michelle Sagara (West)'s _Cast in ..._ series. I love the setting
> and the mood in these books.
I mentioned in another thread that the title of the second one caught
my eye earlier this week, so I'll be trying these soon.
--
Konrad Gaertner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - email: gae...@aol.com
http://kgbooklog.livejournal.com/
"I don't mind hidden depths but I insist that there be a surface."
-- James Nicoll
Andrew Plotkin
> Short reviews of recently read books that are still being victimized by
> my lack of bookshelves:
>
> _Shadowfall_ James Clemens
>
Ditto.
> _Firestorm_ Rachel Caine
>
> Speaking of being drawn out, I don't feel as if these books are going
> anywhere, and they're starting to feel pretty generic.
I do feel like there is plot progress. i would have been happier if
this much progress had been made in two books instead of five.
> _Proven Guilty_ Jim Butcher
I'm buying these in paperback too. Not because I think they're
mediocre; I just don't want to start collecting an open-ended series
in hardcover.
(I don't expect there to be an end in sight on this series. I guess
Butcher is entertaining me more than Caine.)
The TV series is doing okay, although it's not as immediately charming
or energetic as (say) "Eureka". They seem to be aiming at "Harry
Dresden: supernatural sweetie-pie" rather than dark. That's better
than bland. And maybe they'll change gears at some point.
> _Capacity_ Tony Ballantyne
>
> The sort of book sf needs less of. See rant in another thread.
Didn't see the other thread, but I picked up his first book and in the
first chapter I wanted to slap everybody and send them to their rooms
without dinner. Feh.
> _Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
>
> By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
> (to various extents) heroines.
Better or worse than _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_? I haven't hit that
one yet, and I don't know if it's worth it.
> _Greywalker_ Kat Richardson
>
> More urban fantasy. Not bad, but the plot never seemed to come together
> for me. I'll check out the next one, but I'm hoping for some improvement.
Same here. (Sorry -- I know the author is a regular here.) I had
problems with the pacing. The character kept jumping from one location
to another to the spoooky Grey and then to lunch without much sense of
transition. Or maybe, without much sense of what she wanted and why.
> _Sir Thursday_ Garth Nix
>
> This series is rather lacking in comparison to the trilogy of _Sabriel_,
> _Lirael_ and _Abhorsen_. I get the feeling that it's aimed at younger
> readers. It has some nice Nixian touches, but it might just be a bit too
> young for me.
Definitely young, but gobs of atmosphere. I can live with that.
> _Mistborn_ Brandon Sanderson
>
> I debated whether to buy this in hardcover, but I don't regret this.
> There's nothing spectacular about this book, except that it was a lot of
> fun. I like that.
Yes indeed.
> And even though it's been put away for a while now, I'll throw in a plug
> for Michelle Sagara (West)'s _Cast in ..._ series. I love the setting
> and the mood in these books. I recall trying West's bricklike fantasy a
> few years back and not getting anywhere, but these books feel fresh and
> interesting. Easily the best of the recent Luna forays into the fantasy
> market that I've read.
Will look for these. (Also for _Scar Night_.) But I have to read down
my own stack first; Boskone did me some damage...
--Z
--
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
Making a saint out of Reagan is sad. Making an idol out of Nixon ("If the
President does it then it's legal") is contemptible.
Rob St. Amant
> Short reviews of recently read books that are still being victimized by
> my lack of bookshelves:
(snippage)
Nice reviews; thanks. My second thought on seeing the title of the
thread was that I'd be happy to buy a book or story called "The floor
next to my bed", given the right author.
art...@yahoo.com
The floor next to my bed. Sometimes I think it is the ceiling. It's
hard to tell sometimes in Zero G. Especially when I only think I am in
the rocket.
>From "The Floor Next to My Bed," by Philip Dick
Konrad Gaertner
>
> Here, Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
>
> > _Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
> >
> > By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
> > (to various extents) heroines.
>
> Better or worse than _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_? I haven't hit that
> one yet, and I don't know if it's worth it.
I'd say they're about the same quality; I'm collecting both series.
Aaron Bergman
Konrad Gaertner <kgae...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Aaron Bergman wrote:
> > _Valley of the Soul_ Tamara Siler Jones
> >
> > The atmosphere is the most attractive aspect of this series of dark
> > fantasy forensic mysteries. The mystery aspect of this particular volume
> > was rather transparent, but the worldbuilding kept things entertaining.
>
> I read the first, and the worldbuilding was the part I least liked.
You don't find out much about the world in the first two except for a
few random remarks that make it pretty clear it's actually set in a
post-apocalyptic future. It was really the atmosphere in those books
that I liked. This book fills in a lot of the backstory.
> > _Mistborn_ Brandon Sanderson
> > _The Lies of Locke Lamora_ Scott Lynch
> That's curious, since one of the things I liked about both books was
> the unusual settings (especially the magic systems). But both
> authors are also good with plot and characters.
Unusual settings? Really? The latter especially felt like very standard
fantasy city to me.
[...]
> > _Scar Night_ Alan Campbell
> >
> > This book never quite lived up to its setting of a city suspended on
> > chains above a pit containing a fallen god, but that setting was a lot
> > to live up to.
>
> I couldn't stand the protagonist.
There was a protagonist?
Aaron
Aaron Bergman
Andrew Plotkin <erky...@eblong.com> wrote:
> Here, Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
> > _Capacity_ Tony Ballantyne
> >
> > The sort of book sf needs less of. See rant in another thread.
>
> Didn't see the other thread, but I picked up his first book and in the
> first chapter I wanted to slap everybody and send them to their rooms
> without dinner. Feh.
<abergman-0EE107...@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>
or, if it's gone from the server,
<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.written/msg/775f1f7c0ba3d5ba?
dmode=source>
If I have the time and energy, I might try to turn it into something
more coherent, and a little less deliberately unfair.
> > _Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
> >
> > By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
> > (to various extents) heroines.
>
> Better or worse than _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_? I haven't hit that
> one yet, and I don't know if it's worth it.
Never read those. There's a ton in that genre that I never make it past
the cover copy on, perhaps unfairly. Pretty much anything that smacks of
the Melanie Rawn book, really.
Aaron
James Nicoll
The Emo Angel?
--
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/
http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll
http://www.cafepress.com/jdnicoll (For all your "The problem with
defending the English language [...]" T-shirt, cup and tote-bag needs)
Konrad Gaertner
>
> Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
> > Konrad Gaertner <kgae...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> > _Scar Night_ Alan Campbell
> >> >
> >> > This book never quite lived up to its setting of a city suspended on
> >> > chains above a pit containing a fallen god, but that setting was a lot
> >> > to live up to.
> >>
> >> I couldn't stand the protagonist.
> >
> >There was a protagonist?
>
> The Emo Angel?
Yeah, that idiot. He spends his entire life dreaming about the
role only he can fill, and when he actually is allowed to fill it,
he is incapable of focussing on it for more than 10 seconds.
Andrew Wheeler
>
> In article <abergman-39D2FC...@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>,
> Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
> >In article <45DDC433...@worldnet.att.net>,
> > Konrad Gaertner <kgae...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> > _Scar Night_ Alan Campbell
> >> >
> >> > This book never quite lived up to its setting of a city suspended on
> >> > chains above a pit containing a fallen god, but that setting was a lot
> >> > to live up to.
> >>
> >> I couldn't stand the protagonist.
> >
> >There was a protagonist?
> >
>
> The Emo Angel?
Semi-seriously: I thought _Scar Night_ had essentially three
protagonists -- the young, whiny angel; the old, blood-spattered angel;
and the grumpy, young assassin. (And I can see disliking any or all of
them, though I didn't.)
Frivolously: of course, in SFF, the young man nearest the center of the
plot *must* be the protagonist...anything else would smack of girliness.
--
Andrew Wheeler: Professional Editor, Amateur Wise-Acre
--
If you enjoyed this post, try my blog at
http://antickmusings.blogspot.com
If you hated this post, you probably have bad taste anyway.
Konrad Gaertner
> James Nicoll wrote:
> > > Konrad Gaertner <kgae...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >> > _Scar Night_ Alan Campbell
> > >> >
> > >> > This book never quite lived up to its setting of a city suspended on
> > >> > chains above a pit containing a fallen god, but that setting was a lot
> > >> > to live up to.
> > >>
> > >> I couldn't stand the protagonist.
> >
>
> Semi-seriously: I thought _Scar Night_ had essentially three
> protagonists -- the young, whiny angel; the old, blood-spattered angel;
> and the grumpy, young assassin. (And I can see disliking any or all of
> them, though I didn't.)
I didn't read far enough to see much of the other two; the whining
was just too much for me.
William George Ferguson
<kgae...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>Andrew Plotkin wrote:
>>
>> Here, Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
>>
>> > _Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
>> >
>> > By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
>> > (to various extents) heroines.
>>
>> Better or worse than _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_? I haven't hit that
>> one yet, and I don't know if it's worth it.
>
>I'd say they're about the same quality; I'm collecting both series.
I'd say that they'rw neither better nor worse than each other, but, while
falling in the same general genre, they have very different feels to them.
The Mercy Thompson books fall very definitely into the 'Luna' style, even
though they're published by Ace. The romance tropes are strong, and the
heroine is rough and tough. Kitty, by comparison prefers to avoid direct
physical confrontation (not always as successfully as she'd like) and
prefers to talk rather than fight (the scene in the cage in Kitty Goes To
Washington is a classic, especially after she shifts). Also, while Kitty
is as hormonal as the next heroine, there is no on-going Studly Beefcake so
far (the bounty-hunter doesn't count, he's no more a Studly Beefcake than
Edward in the Anita Blake books). Mercy, on the other hand, is full to
over-flowing with Studly Beefcakes.
--
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
(Bene Gesserit)
John Duncan Yoyo
<erky...@eblong.com> wrote:
>Here, Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
>> _Proven Guilty_ Jim Butcher
>
>I'm buying these in paperback too. Not because I think they're
>mediocre; I just don't want to start collecting an open-ended series
>in hardcover.
>
I've been getting the Hardback from the Library for these. I'm 17 on
the waiting list for next one, _White Knight_, that should hit the
stacks in April.
>
>The TV series is doing okay, although it's not as immediately charming
>or energetic as (say) "Eureka". They seem to be aiming at "Harry
>Dresden: supernatural sweetie-pie" rather than dark. That's better
>than bland. And maybe they'll change gears at some point.
>
I expect it to kick into gear in an episode or two. They just needed
to lay down lots of ground work. Too bad sci-fi only ordered 11.
--
John Duncan Yoyo
------------------------------o)
Brought to you by the Binks for Senate campaign comittee.
Coruscant is far, far away from wesa on Naboo.
Michael Hellwig
> Short reviews of recently read books that are still being victimized by
> my lack of bookshelves:
>
>
> Much of Stross's writing to me is undermined by my feeling that he's not
> nearly as clever as he thinks it is. Nonetheless, the "Laundry" books
> are the best of his output, and this kept me entertained up until it
> fell apart at the ending. Other that the surfeit of IT in-jokes, I quite
> like the setting of these novels. I think the books would be much
> improved if the "cleverness" were toned down a lot, however.
>
well apart from the laundry-novels I have only read Accelerando, and I
kinda liked it even though it is kindof singularity-ish, which normally
I don't like. So there.
But as for the Laundry-novels, I just totally adore them, and,
personally, I think Mr Stross is quite clever enough.
Aaron Bergman
> Here, Aaron Bergman <aber...@physics.utexas.edu> wrote:
> > _Blood Bound_ Patricia Briggs
> >
> > By far the best of the recent spate of urban fantasy with ass-kicking
> > (to various extents) heroines.
>
> Better or worse than _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_? I haven't hit that
> one yet, and I don't know if it's worth it.
Having now read _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_, definitely better. Briggs
has been in the writing game a lot longer than Vaughn as best I can
tell, and she's just a more accomplished writer. The Vaughn book was
very uneven. On the other hand, the Briggs series does suffer from a bit
of the all the handsome men love the protagonist syndrome, but it
doesn't get in the way.
Aaron
Stephen Graham
> Having now read _Kitty and the Midnight Hour_, definitely better. Briggs
> has been in the writing game a lot longer than Vaughn as best I can
> tell, and she's just a more accomplished writer. The Vaughn book was
> very uneven.
As someone in my book group pointed out last night, parts of the book
were originally short stories and it shows. It also lacks a sense of
place; it may be set in Denver but what in the story really shows that?
On the other hand, it did a good job with the talk radio portion of the
story line, conveying what that sounds like and what it can be like to
be a DJ.
Personally, my reaction was "meh" but I'm not a particular fan of the
vampire/werewolf genre.