Updated 2016-04-13

This post has been redacted because of personal conviction. I would appreciate if you say a prayer for me. 

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. 
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, 
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, 
thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, 
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. 
Amen.

Hawk - Steven Brust - Vlad Taltos Book 14

Hawk
Vlad Taltos Book 14
Steven Brust
TOR
ISBN 9780765324443
eISBN 9781429944823

Quick review. Wow! After 14 books and Vlad is still getting better! Stayed up way to late but read it in one sitting, literally could not put it down. Vlad is back and making more waves than ever!

Full review. There were some wonderful elements in this story, specifically Vlad being forced to take a few days to mend and during that time he recalls a few different conversations which separately would not mean much to almost anyone. But as we know Vlad is not anyone. He thinks he has found a way to get right with the organization, to get the monumental price taken off his head. And all he needs to do is borrow a magic lock pick, a device that prevents sleep, an enchanted musical instrument, a magical egg, the help of a few friends and more than a little luck. But as we have watched Vlad grow over the years and the two things he almost always has going for him is good friends and luck.

The majority of this story is set back in Adrilankha with a short visit to Dzur Mountain. As we know because of the Phoenix stones that Vlad wears in an amulet that no eastern magic nor sorcery can be used against him or to detect him. Because of the stones there is a lot of walking. Someone has made the price on Vlad's head personal, and the number of attacks and their brute force is getting increasingly dangerous. While recovering from one of these, Clad has a spark moment and comes up with a plan. Pulling together memories from his grandfather's fencing lessons, drinking sessions with Kiera the their and Daymar. Vlad asks a favor and sets up a base of operations in his old offices with Kragars and the help of many others he just might be able to pull it off again.

This was a wonderfully written novel. With ever novel by Steven Brust I read I appreciate his skill as a writer more. I have been reading his books for over 30 years now and eagerly anticipate each new one and as of yet none have failed to entertain. This one was addictive; I did not sleep in order to stay up reading. It is one of the best of the Vlad books. An amazing book in a great series!

Books by Steven Brust:
Vlad Taltos Publishing Order:

Jhereg (1983)
Yendi (1984)
Teckla (1987)
Taltos (1988)
Phoenix (1990)
Athyra (1993)
Orca (1996)
Dragon (1998)
Issola (2001)
Dzur (2006)
Jhegaala (2008)
Iorich (2010)
Tiassa (2011)
Hawk (2014)
Vallista (2017)

Tsalmoth (2023)
Lyorn (2024)
...

Vlad Taltos: Chronological Order:
Taltos (1988)
Dragon, main chapters (1998)
Yendi (1984)

Tsalmoth (2023)
Dragon, interludes (1998)
Tiassa, section 1 (2011)
Jhereg (1983)
Teckla (1987)
Phoenix (1990)
Jhegaala (2008)
Athyra (1993)
Orca (1996)
Issola (2001)
Dzur (2006)
Tiassa, section 2 (2011)
Iorich (2010)
Tiassa, section 3 (2011)
Hawk (2014)
Vallista (2017)

Lyorn (2024)
...

The Khaavren Romances:

The Phoenix Guards (1991)

Five Hundred Years After (1994)

The Viscount of Adrilankha, published in three volumes:

The Paths of the Dead (2002)

The Lord of Castle Black (2003)

Sethra Lavode (2004)

Other Books:

Brokedown Palace (1986)

To Reign in Hell (1984)

The Sun, the Moon & the Stars (1987)

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille (1990)

Agyar (1993)

My Own Kind of Freedom (2008)
Good Guys (2018)

Co Written:

The Gypsy (1992) with Megan Lindholm

Freedom & Necessity (1997) with Emma Bull

Incrementalist (with Skyler White):

The Incrementalists

The Skill of our Hands

Incrementalist Short Stories

Fireworks in the Rain - Steven Brust

Strongest Conjuration - Skyler White

Short Stories:

An Act of Contrition - Liavek (1985)

An Act of Trust - Liavek: The Players of Luck (1986)

A Dream of Passion - in the convention chapbook for Ad Astra (1986)

An Act of Mercy - Liavek: Wizard's Row (1987, with Megan Lindholm)

An Act of Love - Liavek: Spells of Binding (1988, with Gregory Frost and Megan Lindholm)

Csucskári - Excerpt from The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: First Annual Collection (1988)

A Hot Night at Cheeky's - Liavek: Festival Week (1990)

Looking Forward: Excerpt from Athyra in Amazing Stories, March (1993)

Attention Shoppers - Xanadu (1993)

Abduction from the Harem - in Timewalker Issue 14 (October 1996)

Drift - Space Opera (1996)

Valóság and Élet - in Sandman: Book of Dreams (1996)

Calling Pittsburgh - in Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny (1998)

When the Bow Breaks - The Essential Bordertown (1998)

The Man From Shemhaza - in Thieves' World: Enemies of Fortune (2004), reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 5 (2005)

Klava with Honey - Eeriecon Convention Chapbook #4 (2005)

Chapter One - in Eeriecon Convention Chapbook #6 (2007)

The Desecrator - on tor.com (2011)

Fireworks in the Rain - on tor.com (2013)

Nylon Angel - Marianne de Pierres - Parrish Plessis Book I

Nylon Angel
Parrish Plessis Book I
Marianne de Pierres
Orbit
ISBN 9780451460370
ASIN B00GW4ROCA

When I finished this book my first thoughts were that it is a dark, gritty first novel with lots of bite! In part it feels like a cross between Mad Max and Ultraviolet. And I could easily picture Milla Jovovichas Parrish. This story has a lot of violence, some assault, and lots of abuse. It is set in the future where there are two worlds, those who live in protected walled cities and are those who live beyond the control of law in the poisoned wastelands outside the cities. Parrish chose to leave the cities and take the chances in the Tert a toxic strip of land outside the city limits, with a poisoned environment and poisoned people.

She starts working as a body guard and makes the mistake of being hired out by Jamon Hondo, now he life is a living hell again. And she would do almost anything to get out of it. Including taking really huge risks. Parrish Plessis is now living between a rock and a hard place and the space to move just keeps getting tighter. Parrish makes a deal with one of Jamon's rivals and things just keep going from bad to worse. She is being chanced by the gangs in the tert with a huge price on her head, but the authorities for the murder of a media sweet heart Razz Retribution. But the one thing Parrish knows better than anything else it is how to survive, and no matter the ods against her she keeps pushing on!

This book had a lot more violence than I normally read. But like a great action movie, it fits in the story. It is well written and was a great read. It is the second book by Marianne de Pierres that I have read but it will defiantly not be the last. If you want a dark gritty read with a strong female lead this ia a book for you - Think a female Mad Max!

Books by Marianne de Pierres:
Peacemaker series:
Peacemaker
Mythmaker

Parrish Plessis series:
Nylon Angel
Code Noir
Crash Deluxe

Sentients of Orion series:
Dark Space
Chaos Space
Mirror Space
Transformation Space

Burn Bright YA series:
Burn Bright
Angel Arias
Shine Light

Other books:
Glitter Rose 
Serious Sas and Messy Megda

Books as Marianne Delacourt:
Sharp Shooter
Sharp Turn
Stage Fright

The Incrementalist - Steven Brust and Skyler White

The Incrementalist
Steven Brust and Skyler White
Tor
ISBN 9780765334220
eISBN 9781466809314

To begin with I have loved Steven Brust's books since they first started coming out. I have read all of them more than once. But for some reason I never got around to this book, maybe it was because it was co-written by Skyler White, who at the time was unknown by me. Then I read the short story Fireworks in the Rain and before I had even finished the short story I was starting to read this book. Both the short story and the book amazed me. Incredible concept, great execution and wonderful writing!

But first some back story. The incrementalists are a secret society, but there goal is to help stabilize society and improve life for the most part. They want to make the world better, but do so a little bit at a time. But like all organizations, especially one loosely run by committee they do not always agree on how to do that. They have personal memories that go back thousands of years. They can cheat death and share lives, they can pass there essence to a new host and in the passing will either remain dominant or the new host will. Phil is the longest standing personality in the group going back over 2000 years as a primary, he has loved Celeste and they have been together nearly 400 years. Celeste is dead and they must choose a new second for her.

Ren is chosen as Celeste's new host. But things do not go exactly as expected. And soon Phil, Ren and the rest of the leadership team are in Las Vegas to figure things out. Those things get a lot messier before they get better.

The story is written in alternate chapters told by either Ren or Phil. The story is compelling, it is a true page turner. The concept was sublime and the execution excellent. It is a great book and I hope we will get more stories set in this world. I really wish I had read it sooner so give it a try!

Books by Steven Brust:
Vlad Taltos Publishing Order:

Jhereg (1983)
Yendi (1984)
Teckla (1987)
Taltos (1988)
Phoenix (1990)
Athyra (1993)
Orca (1996)
Dragon (1998)
Issola (2001)
Dzur (2006)
Jhegaala (2008)
Iorich (2010)
Tiassa (2011)
Hawk (2014)
Vallista (2017)

Tsalmoth (2023)
Lyorn (2024)
...

Vlad Taltos: Chronological Order:
Taltos (1988)
Dragon, main chapters (1998)
Yendi (1984)

Tsalmoth (2023)
Dragon, interludes (1998)
Tiassa, section 1 (2011)
Jhereg (1983)
Teckla (1987)
Phoenix (1990)
Jhegaala (2008)
Athyra (1993)
Orca (1996)
Issola (2001)
Dzur (2006)
Tiassa, section 2 (2011)
Iorich (2010)
Tiassa, section 3 (2011)
Hawk (2014)
Vallista (2017)

Lyorn (2024)
...

The Khaavren Romances:

The Phoenix Guards (1991)

Five Hundred Years After (1994)

The Viscount of Adrilankha, published in three volumes:

The Paths of the Dead (2002)

The Lord of Castle Black (2003)

Sethra Lavode (2004)

Other Books:

Brokedown Palace (1986)

To Reign in Hell (1984)

The Sun, the Moon & the Stars (1987)

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille (1990)

Agyar (1993)

My Own Kind of Freedom (2008)
Good Guys (2018)

Co Written:

The Gypsy (1992) with Megan Lindholm

Freedom & Necessity (1997) with Emma Bull

Incrementalist (with Skyler White):

The Incrementalists

The Skill of our Hands

Incrementalist Short Stories

Fireworks in the Rain - Steven Brust

Strongest Conjuration - Skyler White

Short Stories:

An Act of Contrition - Liavek (1985)

An Act of Trust - Liavek: The Players of Luck (1986)

A Dream of Passion - in the convention chapbook for Ad Astra (1986)

An Act of Mercy - Liavek: Wizard's Row (1987, with Megan Lindholm)

An Act of Love - Liavek: Spells of Binding (1988, with Gregory Frost and Megan Lindholm)

Csucskári - Excerpt from The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: First Annual Collection (1988)

A Hot Night at Cheeky's - Liavek: Festival Week (1990)

Looking Forward: Excerpt from Athyra in Amazing Stories, March (1993)

Attention Shoppers - Xanadu (1993)

Abduction from the Harem - in Timewalker Issue 14 (October 1996)

Drift - Space Opera (1996)

Valóság and Élet - in Sandman: Book of Dreams (1996)

Calling Pittsburgh - in Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny (1998)

When the Bow Breaks - The Essential Bordertown (1998)

The Man From Shemhaza - in Thieves' World: Enemies of Fortune (2004), reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 5 (2005)

Klava with Honey - Eeriecon Convention Chapbook #4 (2005)

Chapter One - in Eeriecon Convention Chapbook #6 (2007)

The Desecrator - on tor.com (2011)

Fireworks in the Rain - on tor.com (2013)

Other Stories and Nothing But Time - Gerard Brennan

Other Stories and Nothing But Time
Gerard Brennan
Blasted Heath Books
ASIN B00A84ZZNA

This is a collection of 5 short stories. As I was reading them I knew almost nothing about the author or his other works. It was just a collection someone I know thought I would like. While reading it I felt like it had a Chuck Palahniuk or Irvine Welsh feel too it but in some ways like it was trying too hard to be that. The stories are good and well written but there was just something missing. The stories in this collection are:

Bouncer
Hard Rock
Nothing But Time
Day-Tripping
Swing

They are set in Northern Ireland and have a gritty edge to them. After finishing this collection I immediately read another is his works Wee Danny a novella it was very well done and seemed to overcome what I found lacking in this collection. If you are a fan of his other works I am sure you will love these stories. If you have yet to sample his writings and are looking for a shorter work, I would suggest Wee Danny. These stories were good enough that I have given another a try and I am really glad I did. And I am already reading a third now. Bouncer was by far the most powerful offering in this collection. It is about a big tough Irish Catholic bouncer trying to figure out how to interact with his gay son. These stories have a mix of sex, drugs, are definitely about some of the seedier aspects of life. They are raw and realistic.

Books by Gerard Brennan:
Wee Rockets
Wee Danny
The Point
Breaking Point
FireProof
Undercover
Other Stories and Nothing But Time
Welcome to the Octagon

Books Contributed to:
Requiems for the Departed
Streets of Shadows
Twelve Mad Men
The Tabacco-Stained Sky
True Brit Grit

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014

Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014

First I must state the last few years have seen serious changes in my reading habits and volume, but it did pick up again this quarter. Some of the changes if that now I have three children ages 8, 6 and 3. Some if it is ever new and expanding responsibilities at work and the volume of training involved with that. This quarter I only read 29 books and all but one was fiction. You can see the list of all books read here, and favourite books here. There is even a favourite list of authors each year here. 

Fiction:
1. Blood of my Blood - I Hunt Killers #3 - Barry Lyga
2. Stone in the Sky - Cecil Castellucci - Tin Star Book 2
3. The Iron Trial - Magisterium Book 1 - Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
4. The I Hunt Killers Short Stories - Barry Lyga
Lucky Day - Career Day - Neutral Mask - Blood Boy
5. We Have Always Lived on Mars - Cecil Castellucci

7. Brother Prince Snake - Cecil Castellucci
8. Strongest Conjuration - Skyler White - An Incrementalist Short Story
9. When Gods and Vampires Roamed Miami - Goddess War 0.5 - Kendare Blake
10. Wee Danny - Gerard Brennan

Non-Fiction
6. The Big Picture: 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life - Tony Horton

So another good 3 months and some great books. Four of these authors contributed to Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd an anthology I read a few years back. I have since read books by almost all the contributors and almost all of the books by some of them. It was an amazing collection and will introduce you to some incredible authors. The books I read this quarter were, Blood of My Blood by Barry Lyga's Page the final book in the Jasper Dent series and it was incredible. The Second book I read The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black it is the first book in a new series Magisterium and if the next 4 are as good it will be another great series. The final book I am currently read was Stone in the Sky the sequel to Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci also an incredible read it is weeks later and I am still mulling it over. But it all stemed from reading Geektastic. The other contributors to that collection are:
Tracy Lynn
Scott Westerfeld
M.T. Anderson
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Greg Leitich Smith
David Levithan
Garth Nix
Lisa Yee
Kelly Link
John Green
Sara Zarrm
Wendy Mass
Libba Bray.


Relates Posts: 
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Reading Goals for 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2010
Top 10 Fiction Books 4th Quarter 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2010 - Recap
Top 10 Fiction Books 2010
Top 10 Picture Books of 2010
Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010
Top 10 Graphic Novels for 2010
Top Ten Reading Goals For 2011 
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals for 2011 Update 
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2011 
Top Ten Fictions Books 4th Quarter 2011
Top Ten Fiction Books 2011
Top Ten Reading Goals 2011 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 3rd Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books  4th Quarter 2012
Top Ten Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2012
Top Ten Reading Goals 2012 - Recap
Top Ten Reading Goals 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 1st Quarter 2013
Top 10 Fiction Books 2nd Quarter 2013
Top 10 Books Second Half 2013
Top Ten Fiction Books 2013
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2013 
Top Ten Books First Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2014
Top Ten Books Fourth Quarter 2014
Top Ten Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Non-Fiction Books 2014
Top Ten Books Second Quarter 2015
Top Ten Books Third Quarter 2015

All Top Ten Lists on Book Reviews and More  

Statistics Books Read By Year:
92 - 2014 - January-September
88 -  2013
176 - 2012 
163 - 2011
302 - 2010
142 - 2009
98 - 2008
83 - 2007
191 - 2006
151 - 2005
60 - 2004
52 - 2003
97 - 2002
50 - 2001
41 - 2000
71 - 1999
73 - 1998
131 - 1997
101 - 1996

Blood Boy - Barry Lyga - An I Hunt Killers Prequel

Blood Boy
An I Hunt Killers Prequel
Barry Lyga
ISBN 9780990659426
ASIN B00N1YFY76

I will be completely honest with you. I Hunt Killers, the Jasper Dent series is one of my favorite series in years. It is comprised of a trilogy of books, I Hunt Killers, Game and Blood of My Blood, and now 4 short stories of Novella's. They are: Lucky Day, Career Day, Neutral Mask and Blood Boy.  This is the last of the short stories to be released.

Blood Boy is told primarily from Howie's perspective and shows some of the ways he tries to deal with his hemophilia. It recounts a Halloween night after Billy Dent is in Jail and about a year before the events in I Hunt Killers. Howie has convinced Jasper (Jazz) and Connie to meet at a Halloween party out of town. He has a number of reasons for this, some of them he is open about and so not so much. So come for a ride inside Howie's mind and spend an evening with the best friend of a the world's most famous serial killer's son. 

It is a great little short story, and for fans of the series give some great insight into Howie and his friendship with Jazz. It was a fun read and great prep for the final book in the series. 

On a side note, Barry Lyga is donating his profits from this story to the Adam Lynch Award, a scholarship established by the Hemophilia Association of New York. Well done Barry well done.

Books by Barry Lyga:
I Hunt Killers:
I Hunt Killers (2012)
Game - I Hunt Killers #2 (2013)
Blood of My Blood - I Hunt Killers # 3 (2014)

Every Hunter is Hunter (2026)

…

I Hunt Killers Short Stories:
Down Time (2018)
Lucky Day (2014)
Career Day (2012)
Neutral Mask (2013)
Blood Boy (2014)

…

Before the Hunt (2025)

…

Brookdale High:
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (2006)
Boy Toy (2007)
Hero Type (2008)
Goth Girl Rising (2009)
Bang (2017)

...

Archvillian:
Archvillain #1 (2010)
The Mad Mask - Archvillian #2 (2011)
Yesterday Again - Archvillian #3 (2013)

...

The Flash Series:
Hocus Pocus (2017)
Johnny Quick (2018)
Tornado Twins (2018)

…

Crossover Crisis Series:

Green Arrow's Perfect Shot (2019)

Supergirl's Sacrifice (2020)

The Legends of Forever (2021)

…

Other Books By Barry Lyga:
Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A definitive Guide (with Alison A.W. Lyga - 2004)
Wolverine: Worst Day Ever (2009)
MangaMan (with Colleen Dorren 2011)
Unsoul'd (2013)
After The Red Rain (2015)
The Secret Sea (2016)
Thanos Titan Consumed (2018)
The Hive (2019)

...

Short Story Project 2017
The Ghosts at 95
Loving The University
The Ideas of March
Four Minutes
Pulse vs. the Killing Fiend
Her Decade
The Life Cycle of Stars (Ignition)
Bobby
Trading Worlds
When I Die
The Autopsying of Michael Edward Morgan
Meet Me Tonight
...

Contributed to:
Geektastic (2009)
Who Done It? (2013)

Author Profile and Interview with Barry Lyga
Author Profile and Interview with Randall Banner