Books of February (and early March)

Prador Moon by Neal Asher: another in his series about The Polity, this one is set well before any of his other novels. It's really a long novella and therefore comes across as a bit choppy, but since Mr. Asher usually tends to be overly prolix, I found it refreshing. (U-cap... stands for Up Close and Personal) As with all Neal Asher novels, this is only recommended to those who like their SF brisk and bloody.

Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking: I can fall for a marketing ploy just as quickly as the next book-obsessed person armed with an E-reader. Truthfully, I'm glad I didn't pay $7.99 per book for each of the trilogy; I think I shelled out a total of $8.50 and that felt about right. The series could have used a more vigilant editor, but Ms. Hocking is a great story-teller. I definitely plan to try her vampire and zombie series the next time I need some light reading.

A Sleeping Life by Ruth Rendell: a gentle mystery with confusions, misdirections, and many meditations upon a woman's place in the world. I guessed the ending pretty early on, but my mind was already trending in that direction for other reasons, so I think this was still a good novel.

Harbinger of the Storm by Aliette de Bodard: sequel to Servant of the Underworld, and not quite as good. The focus moves off the main character's family and into the political arena; while it's still well-told and nicely paced, I just wasn't as concerned with the fate of the Mexica Empire as I had been with the fate of the man's brother and sister.

Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom: I read this book as a favor to a friend, who is friends with the author. I thought the book was moving and captivating, but I really wish it had been longer. It's a memoir of a young boy who goes from illiterate Ethiopian refugee to Harvard graduate.

Dark Mirrors by Jo Putney: a very nice YA fantasy, half of it set in 1803 and the other half in 1940. I know two sequels are in the works and I plan to read both of them as they arrive.

And that's my round-up for the recent past! I'm currently half-way through another Neal Asher book and I have a pile of other fantasies waiting to be read.