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indiana_jWell, the Monkey is setting sail tomorrow and since I don't know what my access is going to be, I'm going to post the books I'm bringing with me. I might not finish all of them but at least the descriptions will be up before I head out so I can link and review when I get back.
Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez
The wizard Margle the Horrendous takes special pride in never killing his enemies. Instead, he transforms them into various accursed forms and locks them away in his castle. His halls are filled with his collection of fallen heroes and defeated villains, along with a few ordinary folk who were just unfortunate enough to draw Margle's attention.
It's Nessy's duty to tend to this castle. It's a lot of work, but she manages, taking pride in housekeeping talents that keep the castle from collapsing into chaos. But when Margle suddenly dies, everything begins to unravel. Nessy finds herself surrounded by monsters, curses, a door that should never be opend, and one very deadly dark wizardess.
Nessy doesn't have might or magic on her side; she's just a kobold: short, furry, and sensible. Her allies aren't much better: a voice without a body, an angry fruit bat, a monster under her bed, a wizard in a jar (or some of him, anyway), and a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater. It would be smarter to walk away, but taking care of the castle is Nessy's job, and that's just what she intends to do.
If only she could find time to polish the silver while beating back the forces of darkness.
Other books by Martinez: Gil's All Fright Diner, In the Company of Ogres, The Automatic Detective, and A Nameless Witch
Initial Reaction: The cover is catchy - very horror inspiring, which amuses me considering the underlying humor in everything this author does. Not much more than that. I really rather enjoyed Witch and the glance I gave the diner one looks just as interesting, so I've got high hopes.
The Alchemy of Stone (A novel of automated anarchy & clockwork lust) by Ekaterina Sedia
Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict betwen the gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets - secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. This doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart - literally.
Other books by Sedia: The Secret History of Moscow
Initial Reaction: ...well. Talk about eye catching covers. A quote on the back claims this is steampunkish in nature, which always catches my interest and it looks like it might have some horror elements. Another one I'm looking forward to.
Madhouse by Rob Thurman
Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, aren't exactly prospering with their preternatural detective agency. Who could have guessed that business would dry up in New York City, where vampires, trolls, and other creepy crawlies are all over the place?
But now there's a new arrival in the Big Apple. A malevolent evil with ancient powers, dead set on making history with an orgy of blood and murder, is picking off humans like shep. And for Cal and Niko, this is one paycheck they're going to have to earn ... if they live long enough to collect it.
Other books by Thurman: Nightlife, Moonshine
Initial Reaction: The third book in what's starting to become a well loved series for me - urban fantasy, with a guy lead, and an incredibly interesting supporting cast. The cover is what I've come to expect from this series - fits the series very well.
The Cipher: A Novel of Crosspointe by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Welcome to Crosspointe, the hub of the Inland Sea, wher gold runs like water, and the balance of politics shifts uneasily betwen the monarchy, the majicars, and the Merchants' Guilds -- a land where dangerous majick courses through the black waters.
A member of the royal Rampling family, Lucy Trenton possesses a most unique talent: the ability to detect majick and those who wield it. She has kept her ability a secret all her life to avoid bringing scandal to her family, but lately Lucy has grown careless. When she recklessly uses her gift to locate a valuable and treacherous majickal cipher, she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous intrigue that threatens her life - and the life of every person in Crosspointe.
And to make her troubles worse, she's also kept her secret from a most persistent suitor, dashing and mysterious ship captain Marten Thorpe. And now she desperately needs his help...
Other books by Francis: Path of Blood, Path of Honor, Path of Fate
Initial reaction: I just picked this one up because I wanted another book on the cruise - Patricia Briggs said it was a darn good read and, hey, I like her stuff. I'm not mostly into high fantasy anymore but I made an exception for this one.
Gensis of Shannara: The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks
Eighty years into the future, the United States is a no-man's-land: its landscape blighted by chemical warfare, pollution, and plague; its government collapsed; its citizens adrift, desperate, fighting to stay alive. In fortified compounds, survivors hold the line against wandering predators, rogue militias, and hideous mutations spawned from the toxic environment, while against them all stands an enemy neither mortal nor mericful: demons and their minions ben on slaughtering and subjugating the last of humankind.
But from around the country, allies of good unite to challenge the rampaging evil. Logan Tom, wielding the magic staff of a Knight of the Word, has a promise to keep - protecting the world's only hope of salvation - and a score to settle with the demon that massacred his family. Angel Perez, Logan's fellow Knight, has risked her life to aid the elvish race, whose peaceful, hidden realm is marked for estermination by the forces of the Void. Kirisin Belloruus, a young elf entrusted with an ancient magic, must deliver his entire civilization from a monstrous army. And Hawk, the rootless boy who is nothing less than destiny's instrument, must lead the last of humanity to a latter-day promised land before the final darkness falls.
The Gypsy Morph is an epic saga of a world in flux as the mortal realm yields to a magical one; as the champions of the Word and the Void clash for the last time to decide what will be and what must cease; and as, from the remnants of a doomed age, something altogether extraordinary rises.
Other books by Brooks: ...ahahah, lots. The entire Shannara series and the Magic Kingdom, plus others.
Initial Reaction: Okay, I first read Brooks back when I was ... 10? It was my dad's copy from when he was 17 and I fell in love. I don't care what people say, I love this series and I was thrilled when I realized (and proven right!) that the Word and the Void series was what started the Shannara one. There's a chance I'll hate this one. But I've stuck with this guy through around 25 books, so I highly doubt it.
Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez
The wizard Margle the Horrendous takes special pride in never killing his enemies. Instead, he transforms them into various accursed forms and locks them away in his castle. His halls are filled with his collection of fallen heroes and defeated villains, along with a few ordinary folk who were just unfortunate enough to draw Margle's attention.
It's Nessy's duty to tend to this castle. It's a lot of work, but she manages, taking pride in housekeeping talents that keep the castle from collapsing into chaos. But when Margle suddenly dies, everything begins to unravel. Nessy finds herself surrounded by monsters, curses, a door that should never be opend, and one very deadly dark wizardess.
Nessy doesn't have might or magic on her side; she's just a kobold: short, furry, and sensible. Her allies aren't much better: a voice without a body, an angry fruit bat, a monster under her bed, a wizard in a jar (or some of him, anyway), and a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater. It would be smarter to walk away, but taking care of the castle is Nessy's job, and that's just what she intends to do.
If only she could find time to polish the silver while beating back the forces of darkness.
Other books by Martinez: Gil's All Fright Diner, In the Company of Ogres, The Automatic Detective, and A Nameless Witch
Initial Reaction: The cover is catchy - very horror inspiring, which amuses me considering the underlying humor in everything this author does. Not much more than that. I really rather enjoyed Witch and the glance I gave the diner one looks just as interesting, so I've got high hopes.
The Alchemy of Stone (A novel of automated anarchy & clockwork lust) by Ekaterina Sedia
Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict betwen the gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets - secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. This doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart - literally.
Other books by Sedia: The Secret History of Moscow
Initial Reaction: ...well. Talk about eye catching covers. A quote on the back claims this is steampunkish in nature, which always catches my interest and it looks like it might have some horror elements. Another one I'm looking forward to.
Madhouse by Rob Thurman
Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, aren't exactly prospering with their preternatural detective agency. Who could have guessed that business would dry up in New York City, where vampires, trolls, and other creepy crawlies are all over the place?
But now there's a new arrival in the Big Apple. A malevolent evil with ancient powers, dead set on making history with an orgy of blood and murder, is picking off humans like shep. And for Cal and Niko, this is one paycheck they're going to have to earn ... if they live long enough to collect it.
Other books by Thurman: Nightlife, Moonshine
Initial Reaction: The third book in what's starting to become a well loved series for me - urban fantasy, with a guy lead, and an incredibly interesting supporting cast. The cover is what I've come to expect from this series - fits the series very well.
The Cipher: A Novel of Crosspointe by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Welcome to Crosspointe, the hub of the Inland Sea, wher gold runs like water, and the balance of politics shifts uneasily betwen the monarchy, the majicars, and the Merchants' Guilds -- a land where dangerous majick courses through the black waters.
A member of the royal Rampling family, Lucy Trenton possesses a most unique talent: the ability to detect majick and those who wield it. She has kept her ability a secret all her life to avoid bringing scandal to her family, but lately Lucy has grown careless. When she recklessly uses her gift to locate a valuable and treacherous majickal cipher, she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous intrigue that threatens her life - and the life of every person in Crosspointe.
And to make her troubles worse, she's also kept her secret from a most persistent suitor, dashing and mysterious ship captain Marten Thorpe. And now she desperately needs his help...
Other books by Francis: Path of Blood, Path of Honor, Path of Fate
Initial reaction: I just picked this one up because I wanted another book on the cruise - Patricia Briggs said it was a darn good read and, hey, I like her stuff. I'm not mostly into high fantasy anymore but I made an exception for this one.
Gensis of Shannara: The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks
Eighty years into the future, the United States is a no-man's-land: its landscape blighted by chemical warfare, pollution, and plague; its government collapsed; its citizens adrift, desperate, fighting to stay alive. In fortified compounds, survivors hold the line against wandering predators, rogue militias, and hideous mutations spawned from the toxic environment, while against them all stands an enemy neither mortal nor mericful: demons and their minions ben on slaughtering and subjugating the last of humankind.
But from around the country, allies of good unite to challenge the rampaging evil. Logan Tom, wielding the magic staff of a Knight of the Word, has a promise to keep - protecting the world's only hope of salvation - and a score to settle with the demon that massacred his family. Angel Perez, Logan's fellow Knight, has risked her life to aid the elvish race, whose peaceful, hidden realm is marked for estermination by the forces of the Void. Kirisin Belloruus, a young elf entrusted with an ancient magic, must deliver his entire civilization from a monstrous army. And Hawk, the rootless boy who is nothing less than destiny's instrument, must lead the last of humanity to a latter-day promised land before the final darkness falls.
The Gypsy Morph is an epic saga of a world in flux as the mortal realm yields to a magical one; as the champions of the Word and the Void clash for the last time to decide what will be and what must cease; and as, from the remnants of a doomed age, something altogether extraordinary rises.
Other books by Brooks: ...ahahah, lots. The entire Shannara series and the Magic Kingdom, plus others.
Initial Reaction: Okay, I first read Brooks back when I was ... 10? It was my dad's copy from when he was 17 and I fell in love. I don't care what people say, I love this series and I was thrilled when I realized (and proven right!) that the Word and the Void series was what started the Shannara one. There's a chance I'll hate this one. But I've stuck with this guy through around 25 books, so I highly doubt it.