Wolfy's wanderings with the written word (2023 edition)

For this year I think I might try and catch up a little with old friends by concentrating on some of the many series I have ongoing. Maybe even finish a few if possible or at least bring some up to date. It won't be my only reading though as I'll still be picking off the odd stand-alone book from my tbr shelves or get distracted by the shiny & new.

Quick links to previous year's reading adventures just in case I (or anyone else) want to look back.
2011 Edition
2012 Edition
2013 Edition
2014 Edition
2015 Edition
2016 Edition
2017 Edition
2018 Edition
2019 Edition
2020 Edition
2022 Edition

As usual, comments, discussion, recommendations and general ramblings all welcomed.

2023 Reading List

1. Lamentation by C. J. Sansom (msg3) 4★'s
2. The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross (msg4) 4★'s
3. Tiamat's Wrath by James S. A. Corey (msg18) 4★'s
4. This Charming Man by C. K. McDonnell (msg18) 4★'s
5. A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry (msg28) 4★'s
6. Maine Man: The Tony Book Story by Tony Book & David Clayton (msg29) 3½★'s
7. Anything For You by Saul Black (msg29) 4★'s
8. Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch (msg32) 3½★'s
9. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (msg34) 4★'s
10. Slow Horses by Mick Herron (msg36) 4★'s
11. This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong (msg38) 4★'s
12. Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey (msg39) 3½★'s
13. Cursed by Benedict Jacka (msg40 3½★'s
14. City of Silk and Steel by Mike Carey (msg40) 3½★'s
15. Blue Blood: The Mike Doyle Story by Mike Doyle (msg40) 3★'s
16. Tombland by C. J. Sansom (msg40) 3½★'s
17. For the Win by Cory Doctorow (msg40) 3½★'s
18. The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig (msg42) 4★'s
19. The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre (msg42) 3★'s
20. The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross (msg44) 3½★'s
21. Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card (msg44) 3★'s
22. Absolute Sandman Overture by Neil Gaiman (msg44) 4★'s
23. Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis (msg44) 4★'s
24. The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami (msg44) 3½★'s
25. Every Dead Thing by John Connolly (msg44) 3½★'s
26. The Dark Heart of the Nightside by Simon R. Green (msg45) 3★'s
27. Iron Gold by Pierce Brown (msg46) 3½★'s
28. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby (msg47) 3½★'s
29. Bandits by Elmore Leonard (msg47) 3★'s
30. Tithe by Holly Black (msg47) unrated
31. Sergio Kun Aguero: Born to Rise: My Story by Sergio Aguero (msg47) 3½★'s
32. Love Will Tear Us Apart by C. K. McDonnell (msg47) 4★'s
33. Silesian Station by David Downing (msg47) 4★'s
34. Stettin Station by David Downing (msg47) 4★'s
35. Potsdam Station by David Downing (msg47) 4★'s

Lamentation by C. J. Sansom

Sixth book in the Shardlake series of historical mysteries. Everybody’s favourite hunch-backed lawyer once again finds himself embroiled in court intrigue when Catherine Parr asks him to find a book she’d rather not see the light of day. Stolen from a locked box to which only she has a key and the title page having been found clutched in the hand of a murdered printer Shardlake is tasked with finding the book and why it’s not yet seen the light of day. For if it does she would most likely follow the path of Henry’s previous wives and supporters of the Protestant faith that currently hold sway would be discredited at a time crucial to the future of the kingdom as the king draws near death.

The fictitious mystery is cleverly woven in with actual events of the time being set in the time of Anne Askew’s burning and includes mostly real people. Weighing in at over 700 pages this is another brick but there is hardly any let up in the suspense as the mystery unfolds. Although I’d guessed part of the ending I didn’t quite get to all of it. Another quality entry into a very good series. One more book to go! 4★'s

The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross

After surviving his first couple of adventures as a Laundry Files field agent, Bob Howard has been promoted to SSO and has been tasked with attending a joint-liaison meeting in Germany with other EU agencies which perform similar tasks to his own organisation. Things quickly head sideways though when after arriving at his hotel he meets Ramona, an American assassin who also happens to be a succubus who works for the Black Chamber, and they’re supposed to be working together. Firstly to disrupt what’s about to go down and then to stop an evil genius who is about to raise something from the sea floor which shouldn’t be seeing the light of day. If this was the mission all along then why wasn’t he briefed?

James Bond meets H. P. Lovecraft with a dollop of geekdom thrown in for good measure make this an enjoyable continuation of this urban fantasy series. Bob & Ramona are great characters who play off each other really well and when you add Mo to the mix it really ramps up the ante. The villain is suitably Bondian through necessity as it’s all plot-driven and the author really exploits all the foibles you usually find in that franchise.

As with the first book there is also a short story with Bob back in the office with HR on his back. This time around he gets lumbered with an intern who does exactly what Bob tells him not to do and ends up trapped in an MMORPG. Unfortunately for Bob this particular intern got the position through nepotism and if he wants to avoid some nasty repercussions then he’s going to have to rescue him.

The way the series has started it could be a rival to the Dresden books for my favourite of the genre. 4★'s

>4 AHS-Wolfy: Stross is one of those people I've heard of but not tried. This might finally get me to do it.

Happy reading in 2023!

Have a great reading year in 2023.

More good wishes for happy reading!

Happy new thread, and best wishes for your reading year.

Happy new year! I hope it is a good one for you in books and in RL.

A few days ago (6) it seems like I managed to miss my 17th Thingaversary. No way I can justify adding 18 books to my library all at once but I have managed to bring in 6 new books so far this year. I might even be taking a trip around the local(ish) charity shops sometime next week so who knows, might even reach that total after all. Today's new intake featured the star buy, a signed copy of This Charming Man as apparently the author had been in the shop a few days before.

>11 AHS-Wolfy: Happy Thingaversary! I liked the first in that series, congrats on finding the signed copy!

>11 AHS-Wolfy: Happy Thingaversary! Lovely to find a signed copy! This sort of thing never happens in my little town.

Happy new thread! I hope you have a good reading year.

>4 AHS-Wolfy: The recommendations for the Laundry Files are piling up, I may have to give one a try this year.

Happy reading in 2023!

Interestingly enough, I just started on the Laundry Files and had some difficulty getting into book 1. It sounds like book 2 may be better. Hmmm.

>15 Narilka: I'd say it depends on what you didn't particularly like about book 1. Whether it was mixing the humour with the horror or because the writing style isn't quite as polished as Stross becomes the more he writes. The Atrocity Archives was quite an early book for him I believe. Although I've classed the series as urban fantasy it doesn't exactly fit under that umbrella as there is no magic really involved but to me it has that kind of feel to it. I think my own enjoyment is also helped as I worked in IT for quite a while so maybe it connects a little more on that score too.

ETA: Having seen your post about it I'd say it was still a little info-dumpy and full of techno-babble though it is a little more polished.

Happy new thread and happy thingaversary!

Tiamat’s Wrath by James S. A. Corey

Eighth and penultimate book of The Expanse series sees the crew of the Rocinante and other major players being moved into position for the finale. If you’ve got this far into the series then you don’t really need me to tell you how good it’s been up to now If you haven’t tried it yet and enjoy epic space opera then give this a try (but start with book 1) as it’s been of a consistently good standard throughout and this instalment is no different. Just a shame there was no Chrisjen Avisarala in this one though. 4★'s

This Charming Man by C. K. McDonnell

Second book in The Stranger Times urban fantasy series set in Manchester. Assistant editor Hannah returns from trying to sort out her divorce to find trouble in the office with Banecroft having fired the builders that were installing the new bathroom to accommodate the new living arrangements (read book 1). While explanations for this are underway they get interrupted by Doctor Carter requesting that they look into the death of a man who had burst into flame after jumping in front of a truck. He had pointed & very sharp over-developed incisors, was of pale skin, had elongated fingernails and was dressed in black. Seeing as vampires don’t exist, she wants to know where he came from.

A ragtag bunch of characters return for their second outing continue to provide a lightness of touch in what would otherwise be quite a dark story. Hopefully a couple more become series regulars with future cameos from Cogs and Zeke wouldn’t go amiss. While you do lose the freshness of getting to know a new set of characters in a second book, the author does a great job of bringing in some fresh blood (see what I did there?) while also bringing greater depth to the existing bunch. The humour is also a high point throughout the story and the occasional pages written for Stranger Times paper are still a delight. Fans of the Rivers of London series should find a happy home with this one too and this book even seems to have an homage to Aaronovitch’s world. An excellent sophomore entry to a fine new series and I’m looking forward to the third. 4★'s

>18 AHS-Wolfy:
I enjoyed the Expanse screen adaptation but have not tried the books yet.

I will finish This Charming Man before reading your review. (Thanks to you I am checking the touchstone before pressing “Post message“. )

>18 AHS-Wolfy: I found it amusing that vampires don't exist in an urban fantasy novel. I am eagerly awaiting his next book, which I ordered from Book Depository.

I'm happy to say that The Stranger Times is available on OverDrive. I am confused about the use of his initials and not his first name, though. (I skimmed the review to avoid spoilers.)

>21 clamairy: I think it's to differentiate between his mystery series & urban fantasy. Makes it easier for the reader to judge what they're getting while still knowing who the author is. I know that some write different genres and use totally different names which I find more confusing.

Oh, forgot to mention that you can sign up for a newsletter and receive a free ebook of short stories in the Stranger Times universe.

You can do that here if you feel like it

>18 AHS-Wolfy: Interesting, why the Tiamat reference?

>24 Karlstar: Didn't have a scoobie so looked it up. Seems to be a couple of options. Either the character of Winston Duarte setting himself up as a godlike figure in creating a universe that unifies humanity as a reference to the Babylonian goddess Tiamat who took part in the creation of the universe. Alternatively it refers to the original species who designed the protomolecule being the same Tiamat whose wrath is incrrued when Duarte provokes it/them. I think I prefer the second one.

>22 AHS-Wolfy: Much like Iain M. Banks writing science-fiction, but dropping the middle initial when writing not science-fiction, eh?

>23 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks for this! Sign me up!

A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry

Third in a series of historical mysteries set around the medical community of Edinburgh in the 1850’s. Sarah Fisher returns to Queen Street after an unsuccessful trip abroad and immediately finds herself embroiled in a baby trafficking mystery. Her usual investigative partner, Dr. Will Raven, seems pre-occupied with a new love that has sprung up in her absence so she might have to go it alone on this occasion. Meanwhile, Raven’s new love seeks his help for a childhood friend who stands accused of the murder of his father, one of the most prominent philanthropists around. Will their investigations cross paths and can they help each other out when they inevitably do?

The story combines real events and people and blends the fictitious parts in well to create an atmospheric tale that draws the reader in. It showcases a time and place where inequalities of class and sex were rife, where squalor was just around the corner from wealth and women were treated as inferior and were meant to know their place. The mystery elements are more than competently handled also with clues and red herrings inserted appropriately. A good continuation to the series. 4★'s

Maine Man: The Tony Book Story by Tony Book and David Clayton

Autobiography of the former Manchester City player, manager, coach and pretty much everything in between. Details his life from a short time in India as a child (father was an army man) through his initial beginnings of a football career playing for his local miners team before moving on to non-league Batch City, eventually getting his break at Plymouth before cracking the big time at the age of 32 with Manchester City. This is a pretty straight forward account with no juicy tidbits scattered within. Skip, as he is affectionately known, isn’t that sort of guy. 3½★'s

Anything For You by Saul Black*

Third book in the Valerie Hart series sees the homicide detective is on the trail of what seems an easy open and shut case. A prominent DA, Adam Grant, has been murdered and his wife left with wounds that require surgery. There’s plenty of evidence at the scene pointing to a former felon who Grant prosecuted and who has now been released. The problem is that he’s disappeared completely. The investigation gets a little more complicated when it appears that victim and suspect have a woman in common and she doesn’t really fit in with either of their lives.

The opening of the book is quite sexually explicit but is nothing out of the ordinary for this author. While it probably could have been written around it’s not out of place for a book like this. There are two timelines to the story with one following the investigation from Valerie’s end and the other from an unnamed woman leading up to the event itself. Chapter headings give dates to help keep track. While this is a self-contained story and you don’t need to have read the previous books in the series I think they would help to understand Valerie’s character and relationships a lot more if you have done. 4★'s

*A pseudonym of Glen Duncan

>28 AHS-Wolfy: Have you read the bulk of the titles in this particular series? Or was this your first one? I like the setting (19th century, Edinburgh) but haven't quite worked my way up to reading any by this particular author.

>30 jillmwo: I've read and enjoyed all 3. I wasn't chronicling my reading when I read the 1st but my review for the 2nd can be found on my thread from last year or on the book page. The author is a combined name for the husband and wife team of Christopher Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman who is a consultant anaesthetist of 20 years experience. Their research is very good and while the mystery element is fictitious the events surrounding them are drawn from actual occurrences and feature real people. For example, Raven works for Dr. James Simpson who is credited with the the discovery of chlorofrorm. The authors also provide a historical note at the end of the book to describe how they have changed things to fit with the mystery.

Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch

The ninth book in the urban fantasy/police procedural series finds DC Peter Grant getting ready to become a dad but a new case arrives for the Folly to deal with before he goes on paternity leave. A murder has been committed at the London Silver Vaults and there are enough oddities about it to call in the Special Assessment Unit. Despite being a highly surveilled area the murderer has vanished without a trace and nobody around the scene seems to know what happened. Investigations lead Peter and the team to Manchester and Derbyshire before returning back to London but can they solve the crime before the twins arrive?

Always nice to spend time in the company of familiar characters and that’s what Peter and the gang have become. The re-appearance of Leslie May doesn’t hinder either and helps lift a fairly average mystery that little bit higher. This feels very much like a transitional book for what is to follow in the series, especially with Nightingale’s pronouncement at the end. Will be interesting to see where it heads and also offers opportunities for more spin-off novella’s. Not the best book in the series but it keeps me invested. 3½★'s

>32 AHS-Wolfy: I really need to get back to that series. I'm up to Lies Sleeping

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Having been fired from his tech start-up job and the pandemic just starting to take hold, Jamie finds himself having to take up the option of becoming a deliverer for the very service he was just laid off from. But when that company goes on to get sold it’s lucky for him that one of his last deliveries is to an old acquaintance who’s looking for a body to join his team working for an animal rights organisation who look after some very large animals. After passing his medical and receiving his inoculations (that was a lot of needles) he’s ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

The author describes this novel as a pop song, light and catchy and hopefully leaving a smile on the reader’s face when they’re done and that pretty much sums it up for me. There is definitely more than just an element of nerdiness/geekdom involved in the story and there’s some science explanation necessary at times too but it never overwhelms the ongoing action. There is enough humour to keep that smile plastered in place even when things get tough for our hero and his new friends. While it was never going to win any of the major literary awards this book does exactly what it was meant to do and it certainly hit that spot for me. 4★'s

>34 AHS-Wolfy: I really do need to read this one. So many people have mentioned enjoying it.

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

A slow horse is the epithet assigned to the detritus of MI5 who get tasked to work at Slough House. To be sent there you either have to be monumentally bad at your job or have royally cocked things up. It’s basically a punishment detail given out in hopes that the recipient will quit thus avoiding having to actually fire them. So when a young man has been kidnapped and scheduled for execution live on the internet just for the colour of his skin the slow horses are not exactly who you’d hope for as the best option for the rescue.

I picked up this book because I recently watched and thoroughly enjoyed the TV show that was adapted from it. I probably should have given it a bit more time between watching and reading as the show is quite a faithful adaptation of the story so I knew what was about to happen the whole time. While this took away the suspense the story and, in particular, the characters more than carried me through what was a very good spy thriller. 4★'s

>35 jillmwo: & >34 AHS-Wolfy: It definitely hit the spot for me. There's lots of humor, lots of Kaiju and just enough science to make it almost plausible.

This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong

I finally got around to reading the sequel to John Dies at the End. Only took me 9 years. I have no idea why I waited so long as I acquired Spiders not long after finishing the first book which I quite enjoyed reading. David & John, the two stoners, are back and along with Amy, David’s girlfriend, and a few other helpful souls need to save the world from things the normal world cannot see. Again!

All the elements of the first book are there in this sequel. Horror mixed with (very) black humour as well as some more of the light-hearted variety on occasion blends well so you’re never too grossed out. The pace starts out fast and never lets up so while weighing in at almost 500 pages it’s still a quick read as we pass through the viewpoints of David, John & Amy depending on where the action is. Hopefully it’s not another 9 years until I come back to this series. 4★'s

Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey

Got there at last. The final volume of The Expanse series barring the short story collection. A changed Duarte revives and believes he’s been thinking on too small a scale so sets off to rectify that. A special forces agent is sent after him to bring him back and restore the Laconian empire whatever it takes. The crew of the Rocinante decide that a ship in the middle of a galactic war is no place for a young girl so plan to drop Teresa off with a distant relative but find someone waiting who wants to put her to other use. Elvi Okoye uses what she has at her disposal to delve the archive in hopes of finding something to stop the old aliens from just wiping everyone out… again!

I felt a little underwhelmed by the ending but I don’t think there’s much that could have been different to keep it cogent and consistent with what had come before. Not particularly liking one of the new viewpoint characters probably also played a part. It does wrap things up nicely though and if you’ve read this far you will want to read this. To me it just felt as though the authors had reached a certain point and thought “We’d better end this now” and so they did. I’d been entertained by the series as a whole and still enjoyed spending more time with the ongoing characters which is an accomplishment in itself when you consider the length of it. Going over this review it reads quite negatively but shouldn’t be taken as an indictment of either this instalment or the series as a whole. I think I’d just become so invested in the tale and those who inhabit it that it just felt a little anticlimactic. 3½★'s

Got a bit behind in my thread updates so here's the first of the catch-up posts:

Cursed by Benedict Jacka

Second book in the Alex Verus urban fantasy series with the unaligned diviner trying to keep a low profile after events from the first book. This proves somewhat impossible though when he finds out someone may have resurrected an old ritual that drains the magical energy from creatures to increase the power of the enactor with a side effect of leaving the creature dead. Seeing as he has friends that may be in trouble Alex joins the investigation to find who is behind this forbidden act. Can he find the person(s) responsible without putting his friends in danger and why are the signs pointing towards some old acquaintances being responsible?

A decent continuation of the series with recurring characters who are developing nicely. As is the setting and magic system which provides enough distance from the normal flash/bang type of wizard who just throws fireballs around. Not that this book is bereft of the action scenes and there should be enough to satisfy regular devotee’s of the genre. 3½★'s

City of Silk and Steel by Mike, Linda & Louise Carey

Matriarchal society set up in a fabled Middle Eastern Kingdom after a religious coup leads to the death of a city ruler and the banishment of his harem. Led by a former assassin and one of the older wives of the deceased and aided by a seer the group become more than they ever thought possible.

A much under-used setting in Western literature is brought to life with a varied cast of characters. Told in a similar manner to the tales of Scheherazade with occasional diversions from the main tale with back-story interjections for the leading participants. 3½★'s

Blue Blood: The Mike Doyle Story by Mike Doyle & David Clayton

Autobiography for former Manchester City player Mike Doyle. Fairly mundane run-down of his playing career and subsequent business adventures when that had ended. Fairly bland and not too revelatory. 3★'s

Tombland by C. J. Sansom

Seventh in the historical mystery series featuring the hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake. After the death of Henry VIII he’s now working for Lady Elizabeth in a mainly conveyancing role but she has a different job in mind for him when Shardlake is sent to Norwich to investigate the accusation of murder by a distant relative in the Boleyn line. But the investigation is forced to take a back seat when Matthew & his assistant Nicholas (along with Jack Barak who is there for the assizes) are swept up in Kett’s rebellion.

A little overlong but otherwise another fine instalment in the series. Perhaps not hitting the heights of some of the others but offers up an insight into an often overlooked part of English history. 3½★'s

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

Economics lesson in the guise of a story about workers & gamers rights. Gold farmers & factory workers unite against slave labour techniques in both industries.

A fun, sad, educational, political tale that provides an entertaining YA read that can be enjoyed by an older generation too. 3½★'s

Good to see you posting. I hope all is well. I REALLY need to get back into that C. J. Sansom series. They are pretty dark, though.

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

Nate wants nothing to do with his terminally ill abusive father but reluctantly accepts the deal he is offered to buy the house he grew up in for $1 for the health and welfare benefits this will bring to his own family. Away from the big city his overly empathetic son will have a less trauma inducing environment to cope with, his wife will have the space for her artistic creations and truth be told he won’t miss the violence in his life in leaving the Philadelphia cop’s life behind. After his father’s death and they move in it seems like a good move for all involved but then, as these things often do, events start to take a strange turn for all 3 of the family members with the past coming back to haunt them.

Another excellent read from an author I’m getting to like quite a lot. This one strays more into outright horror story than the previous ones of his that I’ve read but still retains some fantastical elements to get to grips with. If you’re looking for a book to fill the gap between Stephen King releases then this could fit the bill. 4★'s

The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre

An exclusive Scottish Island retreat is utilised for a hen party for old and new friends of a bride-to-be. Apart from their host and the chef they’ve hired for the weekend then the seven women should be alone and out of touch from the outside world for 72 hours. Seems like a good idea at the time but when a body is discovered and another member of their party is kidnapped they may have wished they’d stayed at home. Especially when they receive the ransom video saying that the kidnapped member will die unless a terrible secret is revealed because each of them has a secret they’d rather not be known. They must each decide if it’s worth letting someone die to keep it.

The last solo Brookmyre book that I read wasn’t his best and this one continues the trend (does 2 books constitute a trend?) in downward quality. Even though the characters are well drawn I just couldn’t care if they all made it off the island or not by the end of the book. The secrets are revealed slowly as the tale unfolds with alternating viewpoints and this may be some of the problem I had with the book. It’s sometimes easy to forget who’s who so there’s no real investment. The story itself is not a bad one but having read all his previous books I know the author can do better. 3★'s

>42 AHS-Wolfy: I have The book of accidents waiting to be read on my kindle. Your review makes me think I should get to it sooner rather than later.

Time once again for another of those catchup posts.

The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross

The continuing adventures of Bob Howard, IT Specialist and field agent for the British Secret Service section dealing in the occult. This time around there’s some very cultish behaviour for Bb & the gang to deal with and we get to to learn some back-story to a supporting character as well as Mo’s violin. Get the feeling there’s going to be some fallout from this instalment further along in the series. 3½★'s

Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card

4th book in the Ender’s Game series continues in an interesting way but is not a great story. There’s a mix of credible science mixed with the more fantastical and the author seems to shy away from the questions this work could be asking. I still intend to get to the Shadow series at some point. 3★'s

Absolute Sandman Overture by Neil Gaiman

This collection brings together the 6 volumes of the Sandman prequel series about what happened to Dream of the Endless to leave him in the state where he could be captured and bound by a human at the start of the main series. As well as cameo’s from his siblings we also get to meet mummy & daddy this time along.

Packaged in faux leather binding and the oversize pages showcase the art of J. H. Williams, III beautifully with some even displayed on 4-page spreads. Additional material provided includes: The Artist’s Edition, every age of Williams’ painted artwork before the addition of final colouring and digital effects. Script for issue 1, Interviews with the principals involved in making this book, variant covers and other artwork and short biographies. 4★'s

Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis

Having read some of the authors comic books I thought it was time to see how he transitioned to the novel form. It translates into a gritty, dark, crude and depraved look at the seedier side of life by way of a private detective searching for a book for the Vice-President of the United States which could help turn the tide of moral decay spreading in the country and worldwide. His search starts of with macroherpetophilia (don’t look this one up in work) and gets progressively worse with each step. For me, it was a helluva lot of fun. 4★'s

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami

Collection of short stories ranging from the opening chapter of a novel to little snippets of ordinary lives. A lot of these deal with the sense of loneliness that can creep into the everyday life. Well written as ever from the author but short stories are just not my favourite form of prose. 3½★'s

Every Dead Thing by John Connolly

Dark and grisly thriller with a touch of the supernatural about it. Opens with a brutal murder which sends the main character, Charlie Parker, into a spiral into darkness. Quits his job on the police force so that he can follow any lead no matter how tenuous and do the things that cops aren’t supposed to be able to do to find any scrap of information that will eventually lead him to the killer. To try and end his descent a former colleague and friend asks Parker to look into the disappearance of a young woman with links to a charitable trust.

There is a lot of violence in this book and it’s usually described quite graphically. It features mutilation, flayed victims and other traumatic scenes throughout. It’s also very much a first book and not without some of the problems that can occur. The dialogue is a bit clunk, it’s a book very much of it’s time and I doubt very much it would pass the Bechdel test as although there is a strong female character she is used primarily as a love interest/plot device. Some of the other background characters are interesting though and hopefully they recur in later books of the series. It’s not often that you get a gay black couple who are both strong and capable people in their own right. Yes, that does mean I intend to continue with the series as, despite it’s faults, this was an enjoyable read. 3½★'s

The Dark Heart of the Nightside by Simon R. Green

Omnibus edition which contains books 5 & 6 of the series.

Paths Not Taken is the first of these and continues pretty much from where the previous one ended. Now that John Taylor, the Nightside’s resident private detective, has discovered who his mother is and seen a future devastation that she causes John decides he needs more information and plans a trip back in time to the very creation of the hidden city within a city. He knows such a journey won’t be easy so enlists some help to deal with the perils that are bound to occur. Shotgun Suzie is again along for the ride and they are accompanied by Tommy Oblivion, an existential detective. After dealing with some local unpleasantness they’re off to see Father Time to see if he’ll be willing to send them on their way and that’s when the fun really begins.

Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth is the 2nd part of this duology and deals with the consequences of what they found in the first and concludes the Lilith arc in an epic confrontation.

Despite being so far into the series I still have no real affinity for the characters. The lead is still pretty much the same person he was at the outset despite all that’s happened to him and the supporting cast are almost just cardboard cut-outs to use as cannon fodder or bounce plot points off. The stories themselves are okay though with plenty of action and imaginative use of varying magical implementations to get through some sticky situations. This is probably the end of this series for me though as I’m not looking to seek out the next book and it’s as good a place as any to leave. 3★'s

Guess my reviewing attempts have fallen by the wayside again after all. To finish the year off here's one I mostly had written and I'll add a list afterwards of the other books read since my last update.

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Continuation of the Red Rising saga set 10 years later. Darrow/Reaper is in trouble. In an attempt to bring an end to the war against the Golds that are still holding out he has disobeyed an order from the senate and although it brought him a great victory it was at a high cost. Only the Ash Lord remains to stand against the new democratic order but will Darrow remain free to see the turmoil brought to a close?

Although this is not the best book in the series I do quite like some of the new characters. This is much more of an ensemble piece than the previous books and has several viewpoints, as we not only follow Darrow but also Lysander (the former emperor’s grandson), Lyra (a young Red who starts off languishing in a freedom camp) and Ephraim (a thief who may have got in over his head). While the original trilogy started out as YA I think this is aimed at a more adult reader. Still enjoyable enough to stick with the series and will pick up the next book(s) at some point. 3½★'s

Reading to finish the year. Will maybe add a few thoughts at some point.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
A very good account of what it meant to be a fan of the beautiful game (football (soccer)) through the trials and tribulations of supporting a team through the good times and the bad. 3½★'s

Bandits by Elmore Leonard
Not the author's best work but enjoyable enough. Where an ex-con joins the cause of an avenging angel. 3★'s

Tithe by Holly Black
My first work from the author will probably also be my last. I'm just not the intended audience and so will not give this book a rating.

Sergio Kun Aguero: Born to Rise: My Story by Sergio Aguero
Autobiography of a footballer that goes into prolific detail about his parents struggles and junior football in Argentina. Covers up to the 2012/13 season. 3½★'s

Love Will Tear Us Apart by C. K. McDonnell
Continuation of the Stranger Times urban fantasy series. Not my favourite of the 3 books so far but still very enjoyable. 4★'s

Silesian Station by David Downing
Stettin Station by David Downing
Potsdam Station by David Downing
It had been a while since I'd read the first book in this series but had no trouble in getting back in to it. It's not often that I'll binge read a series so that goes to show how much I enjoyed these books. While each book is a stand-alone read they follow on so closely that it almost felt like reading 1 book. Follows the life and adventures of an English born journalist living in Germany from just before the 2nd World War to it's conclusion with the protagonist becoming invollved with various intelligence services while trying to keep himself and his loved ones safe. 4★'s for each

I'll also add an update on a summary and stats post in the not too distant future.

Happy New Year to you, may your reading and life bring you much pleasure in this year of 2024.

Year end stats and summary:

Total books read: 35

Primary Tag:
Mystery/Thriller 12
Urban Fantasy 8
Science Fiction 6
Non-Fiction 4
Fantasy 3
Horror 2

Original Language:
English 33
Japanese 1
Spanish 1

Author Gender: (repeats not counted, multiple authors counted separately)
Male 28
Female 4

Ratings:
4★'s 16
3½★'s 13
3★'s 5
Unrated 1

Least favourite book of the year
Tithe by Holly Black – Not a terrible book, just not the intended audience.

Favourite book of the year
No real standouts but plenty of very good books read regardless

Was hoping to reach around the 40 mark so I’m not too far off. Very disappointed in the diversity of my reading though this year with both gender and nationality being far too wide of a gap and I must do better in this respect for next year. In mitigation, I do think that dedicating most of this year to books in series had a lot to do with this.

Thanks to everyone for visiting and contributing to my haphazardly updated thread and I wish you all a very Happy New Year