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Anne & Todd McCaffrey - Dragon's Kin (Pern)<br/>
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I am not particularly thrilled with the inclusion of Todd McCaffrey into the writing honors for this series, but on the other hand, you can not expect something really new from this world. The main storyline has been finished. It is the same as with the Valdemar books and other endless series (with the Diskworld as a notable exception). It is a coat that fits and keeps you warm. Nothing new and thrilling, but it is what you expected. This book explores two sides of the world, that have only been glanced at, the watch-whers and the coal mining operations. I will certainly read the next installments of the series, but if the mantle does not fit the new shoulders, I will let it hang out to dry...</p>
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<p>Piers Anthony - Cube Route &, Currant Events (Xanth, the 27th and 28th)<br/>
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</strong>What I've said about "Dragon's Kin" also features for the Xanth novels. You know what to expect, but you keep coming back non-the-less. It is nearly impossible to keep track of the myriad of characters in the Xanth novels, but its puns and general tone of innocent naughtiness put together with the quest and some subtle changes to the overall environment brings me back again and again. If you want to begin reading the Xanth novels, start at the beginning "A Spell for Chameleon", a wonderful book, but do not try to read too many Xanth books after each other (no more than 6), because it will become too repetitive for you.</p>
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<p>Robert Asprin - Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. (M.Y.T.H. No. 12)<br/>
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</strong>Another new installment in a long series. This one brings all the storylines from the previous five books together and brings the series to sort of a closure.... well, you can't think that a wonderful series like the books about Skeeve and Aahz would be left finished, would you?... well... since I phrase it this way...</p>
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<p><strong>Robert Asprin &, Jody Lynn Nye - Myth-Told Tales, Myth Alliances, Myth-Taken Identity (Myth No. 13-15)</strong><br/>
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If something gets over your head, try it with a helping hand... Robert Asprin takes up Jody Lynn Nye, herself an accomplished author and well versed in collaborations. What worked for him with Peter J. Heck for the "Phule's Company" novels, fits way better here. It is a fresh wind coming to the characters and some very nice ideas being explored. This collaboration is a good one that invigorates the series. The books cannot reach the heights of the first 6 novels, but they are still very very funny.</p>
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<p><strong>Mercedes Lackey - Oathbound, Oathbreakers (Vows and Honors vol. 1 and 2)</strong><br/>
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While the first book is a "novelization" of several stories of the two heroines, the second is a real page turner. The tales of Kethryn and Tarma (with Warrl) are really really good. The stories have some unconventional endings. And the novel is a real gem. Which brings us to the next installment...</p>
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<p><strong>Mercedes Lackey - By The Sword<br/>
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</strong>While this one is a stand-alone novel it, tells many different tales.... it builds a bridge from the Oath-books to the modern era of Queen Selenay, the story about Kerowyn the mercenary captain is a thrilling one, really really good (Misty at her best). The tale of the Arrow novels continues and builds seamless into the next trilogy...</p>
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<p><strong>Mercedes Lackey - Winds of Fate, Winds of Change, Winds of Fury (Mage Winds Trilogy)<br/>
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</strong>Some good stuff and some bad... the first novel is one of the best novels this series can offer, but the qualitiy wanes with the further installments. What really took me aback was, that the characters show their dilemmas for hundreds of pages and the resolution of the story arc only takes 50 pages... this starts with the second book, but the third one is even more abrupt. I thought the conflict would be resolved in the next trilogy and Wham! Bang!... everything is over...next Peril please.</p>
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<p><strong>Mercedes Lackey / Larry Dixon - Black Gryphon, White Gryphon, Silver Gryphon (Mage Wars Trilogy)<br/>
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</strong>Some good stuff and some bad... the first novel is very very good and offers many answers to questions, that came up during the first novels. These books are not necessarily a real trilogy, but three novels featuring the same characters. I really disliked the last book what so ever. The adversaries presented where not really gripping, and a story about jungle survival was done better in movies like "Predator". At the end the "Old Heroes" stand side by side with their offspring and save the day...wellll... this is not really a novel about the "Changing of the Guard", if the oldtimers have to come to the rescue. The threat introduced in this novel is genuine, but I thought it would be taken up in some later installment. Nope. Basically the third installment reeks like she had to find a story due to contractual obligations, but suffered from near-burn-out during the tale...</p>
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<p><strong>Mercedes Lackey - Storm Warning, Storm Rising, ,Storm Breaking ,(Mage Storms Trilogy)<br/>
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</strong>These novels left me a bit torn apart. I really wanted to like them as they present the culmination of the story lines from the earlier novels. The new characters are also a breath of fresh air. I suspect Misty was worn out from working double shifts, as the Gryphon books and the Storm books were issued in the same three year span. Both trilogies started out really well, but the workload took its toll and the finish is not really a climax but more of a welcome end. Still... I keep on reading. Friends of mine say I have a very high "pain threshold" regarding those things. That may be true, but the novels also feature some genuinely nice scenes. I don't want to mention them, because I do not want to spoil anything.</p>
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<p><strong>Mercedes Lackey (ed.) - Swords Of Ice</strong><br/>
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An anthology about Valdemar. Some really good stories, some mediocre ones, but very enjoyable.</p>
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<p><strong>Neil Stephenson - Cryptonomicon</strong><br/>
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This is a great one, not only in terms of size (at 1150 pages it is really a monster of a book). It features several adventures during WW2 and the present, all somehow connected to each other. The story developes parallel in the two timelines. Brilliant language. Highest possible recommendation.</p>
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<p><strong>Walter Moers - Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher (The City of the Dreaming Books)</strong><br/>
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Wonderful, plain wonderful book. Joan k. Rowling, eat your heart out. The amount of new ideas presented in this tome is so dense. Masterfully done, even better than its predecessor 'The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear'. This one I read in german, as I do not know if any English translations are available. Brilliant stuff.</p>
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<p><strong>Dan Brown - Angels & Demons, Da Vinci Code (The Robert Langdon novels)</strong><br/>
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My judgment on these two books is a bit torn. On the one hand, the language is very simple and the motivation of the characters is simple, there is no real development in their views. On the other hand, these pages are oozing pure suspense. I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. That is no small feat as I am a regular reader of lots of books. Some elements of the plot are getting clear quite early on (especially in the 'Da Vinci Code' - I will discuss these things in its respective threads in order to not spoil anything important), but other plot elements came to me as a complete surprise. Very good build up to a satisfying climax.</p>
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<p><strong>Orson Scott Card - Shadow of the Hegemon (Ender's Shadow 4)<br/>
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</strong>I really love this series. The Ender and Bean novels have been among the best books I've ever read, though he got a bit preachy in the later installments of the Ender books (Xenocide and Children of the Mind). This book forms a bridge for me between the first Ender books plus the contiunuing history of Earth and the "later" books featuring Ender. The final sequence between the two brothers really got me to tears. It tries to come full circle, but in doing so lags a bit in the suspense department for the novel itself. Either way, I can't wait for new fiction about these characters. More, more, more.</p>
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“Darkness Weaves” by Karl Edward Wagner
I believe that this was the first novel featuring Wagner’s immortal (and amoral) swordsman and sorcerer Kane. Kane is enlisted by an inhuman queen in her bid for revenge against the king that maimed her and cast her out of their home.
Night Winds by Karl Edward Wagner
Various short stories featuring more of the adventures of Kane.
Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher.
The latest in the Dresden Files. Harry Dresden battles monsters from the movies brought to life and also battles to save the life a close friend’s daughter.
Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell
This was Gemmell’s (who sadly passed away on July 28th of this year) story of the time just before the events of the Iliad. Odysseus is a minor character and Hector makes a cameo at the end of the book. From what I understand, he had completed a sequel to this book at the time of his death which will be released some time next year.
Diablo: Legacy of Blood by Mel Odom.
Good mindless fun. I had fun reading this. A near middle-aged warrior becomes possessed by the Armor of the Baron of Blood and is chased by a mercenary prince that wants the armor for himself.
Diablo: The Black Road by Richard Knaak.
More mindless fun. A hero must confront a false prophet that is corrupting the people of a major city.
“Age of Conan: Scion of the Serpent” by J. Steven York.
Skip it. I guess that I liked enough to pick up the sequal.
“Age of Conan: Heretic of Set” by J. Steven York.
Skip it.