Guards of Haven

I'm racing through the Simon R. Green series Hawk and Fisher. Guards of Haven covers the next 3 adventures of the City Guard duo. More adventures, more interesting and amazing characters. Really, a whole lot of fun.

One of my favorite characters from the Nightside series made an appearance. I was giddy with excitement. (How sad is that?)

Anyway, Mr. Green has yet to disappoint me. He's a marvelously imaginative author.

Vampire Hunter D

So, Jay recommended Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi. This is a fresh and fun story. I'm glad there are several more in the series.

D is a vampire hunter in a world many thousands of years into the future. Technology is both astoundingly advanced but life seems surprisingly primitive. Small old world like villages and farming communities, make up D's world but with ultra advanced farming gadgets, iron horses, and many other interesting things.

Fantastic creatures exist to haunt and terrify. The most devious and cruel being the Nobility, the vampires. Many of the villages exist under the shadow of a great Nobility Lord.
And it is D that tries to free the people from the vampire's tyranny.

Taltos

Taltos by Steven Brust is the first in his Vlad Taltos series chronologically. It's confusing, but good. He published the story in a different order so some of the confusion exists only because things are explained as they were written. By the time he got to Taltos he had already described many of the things in previous releases. Because this is a made up world he uses creatures and characters unfamiliar with our real world.

But really, it's not a problem and doesn't take away from the story. The story moves quickly and is very entertaining. Vlad is an assassin and crime boss. He also has skills in both sorcery and witchcraft. Political intrigue abound in the stories. I'm glad my brother told me about these books. They are a great deal of fun to read.

The Mercy of Thin Air

So I am taking a break from the Sci Fi and the vampires and going for ghosts. The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue has been on my list of books to read. The main character is a ghost that haunts a young couple. Her story and theirs is interwoven. This is a marvelous story of love and loss and all of the life in between.

Something from the Nightside

Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green is book one in a growing series that is currently up to #6. I LOVED this series. It was very entertaining, funny, and hands down one of the most creative concepts I have ever encountered. He gives life to ideas, expressions, and emotions. It's very interesting. And fun to wrap your brain around. Imagine if Lady Luck was a real person. What would she be like. What would happen around her. These are the kinds of things he does in this series. And I absolutely love it. A friend gave them to me and I read them each in about a day. I passed them on to anther friend and he was reading a book every couple of bus rides. So they are fast reads. Strap yourself in and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is Simon R. Green.

Swords of Haven

Swords of Haven which is a three in one by Simon R. Green. It's a composite of the first three books in the Hawk and Fisher adventures. I love Green's style of writing. I don't know how to describe it other than it is warm and fuzzy. Not in a mushy good way, his stories are rather dark and violent. But rather his writing style is easy and breezy, warm and fuzzy. The words just slide past your brain and into your imagination. He is a fabulous writer. Hawk and Fisher are partners in the City Guard. They patrol the seediest parts of the town of Haven. They are also husband and wife. And they get themselves involved in some pretty baffling cases. This is all around fun reading.

Of Saints and Shadows

Of Saints and Shadows by Christopher Golden
I have always liked vampire stories. I read the Anne Rice series and have been searching for similar stories. I've read a large number by women authors that tend toward the erotic. And they are ok but it gets a little old. I also get tired of the strong female character that puts Superman to shame. I can only take so much Buff and slutty Buffy's. I've gotten to the point with some of the characters that I find my self saying "Oh come on now, that's just taking it a titch too far."

In this story there is a war between the "Saints" from the Vatican and the "Shadows" who are the vampires. This is a marvelous tale that I couldn't read fast enough. The Vatican Priests have developed the powers of black magic. And with that magic they set out to destroy the vampires. Though supposedly men of god they call up demons from hell to aid in the battle against the shadows. In this story the "Shadows" are clearly the good guys. This is the first of several in the series. And I am looking very forward to the next book.

Dhampir, Last Days of Summer, and Shantaram - 3 for one book review special

Dhampir by Barb and J.C. Hendee
This is a cool story. It was described as a Lord of the Rings meets Buffy. And I guess that is a good way to describe it.

Basically it's about three companions, a woman, a half-elf, and a dog. They were travelers that would con villages out of money by getting rid of their vampire problems. But Magiere the female in the group wants an end to their lifestyle so she buys a tavern in a little town by the seaside. Unbenownst to her a family of real vampires also inhabit the town. And it becomes Magiere's job to rid her new little hamlet of these creatures.



Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

One of the best books I have ever read. It was laugh out loud funny, delightfully entertaining, and of course made me shed a tear or two. Or actually a whole rivers worth but that's ok. A friend of my dad's gave it to him to read and then dad told me I had to read it which of course I did. This is one of those rare stories that I won't forget anytime soon. And I have told everyone I know about it.

It's the story of a lost little boy whose father all but abandons him for a new life. The boy starts up a pen pal relationship with a baseball player. The story is told through letters, report cards, news paper clippings, and telegrams. There is no actual story text in the book. And as choppy as you would think it would be moving only from letter to letter and clipping to clipping this story flows surprising well. And the characters are well developed. This is a very fast and wonderful must read!



Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
I blogged on this one a lot while I was reading it. Because I could gush about this book for hours I will simply say that it is in my top 5 favorite books of all time. This is the story of an escaped convict who settles in India. While there he opens a free medical clinic within the slums. This book is honest, it is harsh, violent, and incredibly moving at the same time. There are sentences and even whole paragraphs that took my breath away.