Peter

Another brilliant book in this world

Revisado: 10-28-22

The first two books in the series were so beautifully crafted that it was hard to imagine where the author could take the story to continue them. And once again, he's set a whole new story - a whole new KIND of story - in the same world, in the same secret society, but from a whole new angle with (almost) all new characters, and does it so well that I was captured all over again.

And Moira Quirk manages to be the perfect narrator for all these new characters. She's a treasure.

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Nailed it yet again!

Revisado: 05-01-22

So far, I've loved every installment of this series, all the short stories, and the spin off series. This one fits beautifully into the mix.

If you haven't read any of the St. Mary's books, this would NOT be one I'd recommend starting with. One of the joys of the series is the characters, and how sometimes an individual character is central to the plot, and sometimes they just drift through for a cameo. If you don't know them, then a lot of what goes on won't really make much sense.

But the good news is that starting at the beginning and working your way through it all is absolutely worth it. This is one of my all-time favorite series in a lifetime of reading, especially science fiction and fantasy.

And whoever picked Zara Ramm for the voice of Jodi Taylor's books should get a sainthood. Or a knighthood. Some wonderful sort of hood, at least. She's brilliant. Her range of voices, and the consistency with which she picks up a character from 3 books ago who shows up for 3 pages would be breathtaking if it weren't so seamless that you barely notice how brilliant she is - I'd compare this to James Dale juggling a half-million Harry Potter characters. Add to that the fact that some of the characters intentionally put on different accents now and again - and you STILL know who's talking, and how well they're succeeding at the accent they're trying for - just makes it mind-boggling.

Like all the St. Mary's books, there is a plot. There really is. And it ties into the overall arc of the whole series - more so than usual, because this one dusts off some plot points from ages ago and puts a whole new meaning to some of them. But the joy of the series is the moments. The individual situations, whether in the past, the future, or the present, are the real meat of the series, with the plot being more or less the excuse for the characters to find themselves in them.

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Another excellent addition to the series!

Revisado: 08-11-21

I've loved every entry in this series. The writing is excellent, the reader is perfect.

I definitely wouldn't recommend this to someone as the first title in the series to listen to - while it isn't a direct continuation of previous stories, you really would benefit from knowing the characters from other stories before getting to this one. But it is a complete adventure in itself, and the author does make sure new readers would catch up if they did read/listen to this one first.

It's also one of those stories where it's all about the journey and not about the destination. Anyone hoping to have it end in some completely unforeseen and unexpected way is likely to be disappointed. But oh, the path to getting there! Enough plot twists and surprise detours, and some wonderful new characters who turn out to be "not what you first expected" as well as the surprising and fun returns of some previous characters (both significant to the plot and not), make the whole thing a joy. And while it all wraps up satisfyingly, it also opens up a lot of new potential for future adventures.

And like all the others in this series (and most of her other writing), Bujold injects a lot of delightful humor into it, without any of it being forced or unearned. And she makes it look easy.

If you liked any of the previous entries in this series, I'd be surprised if you didn't love this one. If you've tried any of the others and didn't care for them, well, you'll feel the same way about this one.

One of the things I absolutely love about this series is the extremely clever way that Bujold manages to subvert the extremely common "our hero, the magician, somehow manages to know every possible magic spell for every possible situation, and just waves their hands and it all comes easily" trope. The combination of a relatively inexperienced hero - though by this time in his life, Penric certainly has earned his expertise - and having a dozen other "voices in his head" with 200 collective years of experience (though Desdemona also has her own quirks and failings), make it all work in a unique, refreshing, and ultimately satisfying way.

Another home run from Bujold. And from the reader, Grover Gardner, who never disappoints.

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I need six stars!

Revisado: 10-11-20

This was an outstanding book, and James Marsters surpassed himself reading it.

I've been a fan since the first book and through all the short stories. This one was absolutely one of the best in the series. And it required Marsters to not only juggle all the characters and keep their voices consistent across the book and all the past books, but required an emotional range that he absolutely nailed. Kidos to the director, too, who I'm sure had a part in that. He's done an exceptional job with the whole series and deserves five stars for all of them - which is why I think I need a sixth star for this one!

I get what some reviewers are saying about repetitive detail, especially in some of the descriptions, but I didn't feel it was any more than other authors do in long series where they can't know whether readers have read (or listened to) previous books, or how long it's been since they did. I had a few "Yeah, yeah I know that" moments, but I understood why they were there, and they didn't bother me.

No spoliers, beyond saying that there were some major character developments and pivotal plot points. Some of which had me shouting NO! and some of which had me saying, "Holy crap, how's he going to handle THAT in the next book?" I know some reviews felt some of them were unnecessary or gratuitous, but I didn't feel that way at all.

Harry Dresden is a supremely human character, and he doesn't always make the best choices, and some of his choices come back to haunt him. That's been true since the beginning, and I didn't see any of them as gratuitous, even when I was essentially hopping up and down hoping Harry would catch on to something that seemed obvious to me.

If you're new to Harry Dresden, do NOT start with this book. A lot of it won't make sense, and you really do need the context of some of the previous books - especially for some of the more emotional elements. Besides, if you're new to Harry Dresden, you owe it to yourself to start at the beginning and enjoy the whole series! On top of all that, this book is essentially "Peace Talks Part 2" and needs to be read as such. But believe me, it's worth it!

Loved it!

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Fleshes out Number of the Beast

Revisado: 07-12-20

When I first read Number of the Beast, the shift to grafting it into the whole Lazarus Long mythos seemed forced. It didn't feel at all like where the story was going, and as a result, the way the story wrapped up was unsatisfying. I still enjoyed it at the time, and count it as one of my Heinlein favorites, but narratively, it really didn't work.

Now I know why. It wasn't supposed to be that way, and at some point, Heinlein decided to ditch the original ending in favor of that change.

Is it dated? Of course. Are the female characters poorly written by today's standards? Of course - anyone who knows Heinlein would probably be shocked to find otherwise. Do the clear attempts at being sexually enlightened for his age fall flat half a century later? Duh. Should this be someone's first experience with Heinlein? Likely not.

But seen through the lens of already being a fan, and as a window into an already favorite book, it's a joy. I can't help but fantasize a "supercut" edition that includes all of what's in Pursuit of the Pankera that then transitions into Number of the Beast's ending (leaving out the incest in Number of the Beast, by personal preference). Or better yet, especially since by then Heinlein was essentially publishing a serialized universe, a sequel of its own.

The extended scenes in Oz and the whole delving into Barsoom were wonderful - and shouldn't have been cut from Number of the Beast, though it would have made that version ridiculously long. This version made much better use of the multiverse. And while I have no doubt someone who took more time than I care to might find continuity errors between the two, there's really no major reason not to see this as an extended version of the middle of Number of the Beast, and picking that book up where this one ends to continue the story - if you squint a bit. It doesn't detract from Number of the Beast in any meaningful way.

I'll agree with the people who found the shift in narrators a bit jarring, but I didn't have much trouble keeping track of which character was speaking at any given time. All of the narrators gave excellent performances given the text they had to work with, and I think doing the whole thing as a mult-cast drama with each narrator speaking individual characters would have been more distracting. There was a bit of an internal shift each time the narrator changed, but then I was on track again.

Is this the best novel ever? No. But it was an unexpected joy to have it turn up so unexpectedly and polished up so beautifully.

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Don't think too hard. Enjoy the ride.

Revisado: 07-11-20

Don't start the series here. Just don't.

If you enjoyed the previous books, this one is a good continuation of the series. I agree with the reviewers that the plot is unusually thin, and I kept waiting for some sort of plot twist that would make the otherwise fairly obvious conclusion turn on its ear in some sort of exciting way. Never happened.

There's a certain type of mystery story (also applies to some heist stories and so on), where everything is carefully crafted and actually works, but which rely so heavily on all of the other characters being exactly where they had to be at exactly the right moments, not pay attention to things that seriously, at least one person should have noticed, and frankly, acting like idiots in the face of obvious danger. So much so that there's no way the villain could possibly plan what happens or make it happen on cue at the necessary times to make things work out. Looking BACK, sure, it all works. But from any point in the middle of the story looking forward, it's flatly impossible.

Sometimes the author can get away with it, especially if the characters have no reason to behave otherwise (though, really, please.) But when your main character has superhuman senses and an established level of paranoia about everything, which is the joy of Ishmael Jones, it really strains credulity to the breaking point. The first mysterious disappearance might come as a surprise. The rest? What was he, napping?

So, it you're engaging these books - especially this one - with the idea of experiencing an intricately plotted believable mystery, you're likely to throw something against the wall when it's over. Of all of the books so far in the series (including the ones that come after this one), this is probably last in the list.

But oh, the ride. If you enjoyed the previous books for the characters, and if you enjoy the "mystery" of trying to figure out whether there's a supernatural element in this particular story or not - one of the things I love about the series, since THAT is always up for grabs and always DOES have those twists and turns and clues in both directions - then this one is a pretty serviceable entry in the series.

I enjoyed it. I recommend it. But it won't hurt the continuity of the rest of the series if you skip it, either.

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Great book in a great series

Revisado: 01-15-20

One thing to know about this book is that it's officially the second book in the series, and is the second book originally published, in the internal chronology of the series, the events fall well before those of the first book - "Burning Water."

I think it works well that way. Characters who were briefly mentioned in the first book get a backstory that lets you go "Oh, THAT'S why that character was so important to her!" without in any way being needed to understand the first book.

And seeing Diana as a fully formed, experienced, fully empowered person in the first book probably gives a better ride, so that seeing her here, younger, more uncertain, and still finding her feet, but knowing who she's going to grow into probably makes this one more powerful. I'd recommend reading it second. But if you're a stickler for chronological order, there's no reason not to read/listen to them with this book first and Burning Water second. They both stand alone perfectly well, as does the third in the series.

And it's not an "origin story" - Diana is capable and trained and experienced, with a past as well as the future we find in the other books. She's learning and growing, but she's definitely not just starting out and finding her way, though that part of her life is touched on in places.

The reader does a great job. She nails the main characters voices, and has the perfect tone and pacing for the story. The story is classic Lackey - detailed enough that you feel drawn into the world and get a sense of the richness of the world she's building, but not so mired in detail that it drags at all. There's enough suspense to wonder what comes next without so many plot twists that it's hard to follow.

I read it when it was first published, and enjoy it all over again as an audiobook.

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Clever idea, well executed

Revisado: 08-13-19

It's a fun listen, and definitely a potentially great start to a fun series.

Most variations on the Sherlock Holmes idea - the world's greatest detective, who notices everything and effortlessly puts it all together into a coherent analysis that "regular people" have no hope of managing - generally suffers from trying to deal with the fact that such a superhuman intellect wouldn't actually need a Watson, much less anyone else.

Putting the twist on that that the main character has such an ability, but only for a few minutes at a time and is largely non-functional in any meaningful way, requiring not just a sidekick, but a keeper, and then adding the fact of how he got the abilities and putting extremely high stakes on keeping him alive in a plot that endangers all of humanity makes it all work.

And, in classic Drew Hayes style, it's fun, funny, and a wild ride full of twists and turns. Don't expect a new Classic of Modern Literature, but it's a genuinely diverting story, extremely well performed, that keeps you interested right until the end, including a good hook for future stories without leaving this one unresolved. Well worth a listen!

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Another triumph for Jodi Taylor!

Revisado: 03-22-19

Don't even try to start this series with this installment! But if you are already a fan of St. Mary's, this one will not disappoint!

It's "Something Completely Different" because it focuses as the primary characters on some characters we've met before, and Our Heroes appear in important, but ultimately, secondary roles while still being completely true to character. It's also not really a "Christmas story" like so many of the shorts are, but trust me, nothing is lost in the process.

Like every other installment of the series, it's a romp. Taylor manages to keep the series fresh every single time.

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Another triumph for Jodi Taylor!

Revisado: 03-22-19

Don't even try to start this series with this installment! But if you are already a fan of St. Mary's, this one will not disappoint!

It's "Something Completely Different" because it focuses as the primary characters on some characters we've met before, and Our Heroes appear in important, but ultimately, secondary roles while still being completely true to character. It's also not really a "Christmas story" like so many of the shorts are, but trust me, nothing is lost in the process.

Like every other installment of the series, it's a romp. Taylor manages to keep the series fresh every single time.

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