Crime, crooks, conmen, and capers
So, it's been almost a quarter year since I've posted one of these; and it looks like that everything I can remember reading in the past few months (aside from all the review books) has been very much of a theme. I don't even want to speculate about what's up with that.
Fiction
The Only Gold by Tamara Allan.
Well, I tried Downtime and was less than enthralled, but the writing still impressed me. And this straight-up historical romance was far more to my taste, and the characters much more appealing - the uptight repressed banker and the just-on-the-edge-of-respectable rogue push all of my buttons. The setting (turn of the century New York, among the lower middle class) was unusual and beautifully realized. But the plot… I suppose if one could make hunting Jack the Ripper in the last book rather boring, it's no surprise that armed bank robbery wasn't much more enthralling. Still, I imagine I'll try the rest of her books as well. B+
Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews.
Oh, caper novels, how do I love thee? And with a fine romance tossed in - although I loved both the con-artist protagonists separately, and the sparks that flew between them certainly ignited the pages, I was never quite convinced of their sincere commitment to each other - I wouldn't have been a bit surprised to learn that both had cheated and betrayed the other the minute I closed the book. But the secondary characters just *made* the book. I do hope that the next one will feature the inconspicuous assassin Erwin; and I can hardly wait for Jack and George to grow up. This series just keeps getting better and better. A-
Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
While reviewing a Persuasion retelling, I felt a desperate need to cleanse my brain with the Real Thing. And once I had finished, the others were sitting Right Next to me... I don't have to really review these, do I? A, A+ and A+
The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe.
First in a series in the increasingly popular mash-up genre of Fantasy Noir. Free-lance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse thought that he was only taking on the case of a runaway randy princess, but soon he finds himself up to his eyeballs in a shocking royal murder, the secrets of the gods, and the most painful secrets of a past he had long left behind. Dragons, derring-do, hard-boiled, and heartbreak, this pretty much delivers on everything it promises; but not a single inch more. C+
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook.
Steampunk adventure with a lady pirate and a treasure-hunting beta hero? Oh, I am so all over that - until I realized that for this author, "beta hero" means "does not actually rape the heroine." Ah well, Archimedes Fox is a fine dashing rogue, and despite my distaste for "kickass heroines", I was fond enough of Yasmeen - she made me think of a slightly saner Bangladesh Dupree. I bought that the two of them might be good friends, even friends-with-benefits, but their romance wasn't even slightly convincing; it seemed to exist only by authorial fiat. Nonetheless, I'm still charmed by her alternate universe of the Iron Seas: Airships! Zombies! Nanotech! Giant war machines! and it was nice to have a steampunk that revolved around events in Africa and Central Asia as much as Europe. B-
In for a Penny by Rose Lerner
I picked up Lerner's romances because the reviews promised lovely prose, complicated characters, and a fresh take on tired Regency tropes. This re-working of the classic "Convenient Marriage" scenario (aristocrat whose family excesses had left him destitute marries a wealthy merchant's daughter to stay out of debtor's prison) almost made convinced me that such a situation could happen to two likeable people, and that they could make such a relationship work. Unfortunately, Lerner tried too hard to shovel in all her research, and left me with a climactic rapprochement between the classes that I simply couldn't believe if she showed me the documents to prove it. B-
A Lily Among Thorns by Rose Lerner.
Obviously, I wasn't discouraged enough not to try an even more preposterous premise - the unlikely romance between a noblewoman turned common prostitute turned uncommon tavern proprietor, and a tailor with aristocratic connections. No, I didn't buy it for a minute, but it sure was different; and the writing was gorgeous, the hero compassionate and admirable, the secondary romance sweet (if utterly impossible), all sufficient to make up for the fact that the heroine was a stone-cold piece of work. Yes, Lerner, I'll be back for more. C
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen.
Did I enjoy it? Oh, enormously. How could any fan of Megan Whalen Turner not love this tale of thieves, lies, assassinations, intrigues, plots, thrones, and a touch of romance? Was I surprised by any of the twists and turns? Hardly. How could any fan of Megan Whalen Turner not be three steps ahead of the story the whole time? Nonetheless, huge buckets of fun. B+
The Rook by Daniel O'Malley.
Dear You: The body you are wearing used to be mine. If you're the sort of person who couldn't resist this opening line, you will be more than hooked by the trials and tribulations of Myfanwy Thomas and her thrilling, twisty, macabre, and occasionally hilarious adventures with the ultra-ultra-secret British Ministry of the Chequy. Too say much more would be a spoiler; but anyone who likes Stross's Laundry Files will find this a trip and a half. A
Non-fiction
Just My Type by Simon Garfield.
Not really a history or survey, but a series of semi-independent essays about various font families, famous type designers (some surprisingly scandalous), technological innovations in typesetting, and the broad category of "and so forth." There's even criminal tie-ins! The sort of thing you'll like if you like that sort of thing - and I do. B+
Graphic Novels
Hana-Kimi Vols 7 - 24 by Hisaya Nakajo.
Aack, how embarrassing is this one? But once I started, I simply could not stop. It isn't the main love story that's so addictive, but all the many distinctive, endearing, delightful side characters that I found myself caring so much about. Funny, charming, bittersweet, with a Crowning Moment of Awesome for all the most unlikely suspects. Indeed, when I learned there was a final epilog volume that had never been published in English, I did what I never do, and actually hunted down the scanlation - I simply could not bear to let these characters go. A+
@ Full Moon Vols. 1-2 by Sanami Matoh.
A sequel to the well-loved Until the Full Moon, with a roughly similar sorta-plot. David and Marlo are now married; some other supernatural beastie develops a crush on and kidnaps Marlo, and David comes to the rescue. Another creature develops a crush on and kidnaps David, and Marlo comes to the rescue. Marlo and David bring a quarrelling couple to the realization that they truly love each other. And so on. This isn't one to read for the plot, but for the adorable character byplay, particularly David's absolute and unconditional devotion to Marlo, and the way that Marlo, grumpy and embarrassed, nonetheless returns faith and trust in full measure. The artwork is considerably more refined and "cute" than first series (than Fake either, for that matter), but is still lovely to look at. A-
The Earl & The Fairy Vol. 1 by Ayuko and Mizue Tani.
*This* is one of the "most anticipated new manga releases of 2012"? Oy. It's pretty enough, I suppose, in a style reminiscent of Mick Takeuchi, but the storyline (something about a "fairy doctor" and a petty thief masquerading as a nobleman in order to claim the throne of a fairy kingdom - no, it made no sense to me either) is incomprehensible and the protagonists - a dishwater stereotypical "good girl" shojo heroine and a "bad boy" who is more of a nasty abusive jerk - completely unlikeable. D+
A Devil and Her Love Song Vols. 1- 2 by Miyoshi Tomori.
Another of the purported hot new manga titles of the year, and it looks like it's going to be a grim one. Um, I think this is supposed to be a romantic comedy, with a girl trying to choose between the nice-acting guy who is secretly selfish, and the sullen guy who's a closeted sweetie. The girl in question is also supposed to be exceptionally talented at judging peoples' true natures, and incapable of not being honest about what she sees. But none of this informed characterization appears in the actual story, which is mostly the main trio acting incomprehensible and stupid, and every single other character being a despicable jerk. Perhaps they're all just depressed because they are portrayed with such ugly, muddy art. D-.
Audio Books
Nixonland: the rise of a president and the fracturing of America by Rick Perstein, read by Stephen Thorne.
Talking about crooks, conmen, and thieves, they aren't quite so funny when you find them in real life. This exhaustively documented history of Nixon's pre-presidential career, set against the cultural upheaval of the Fifties and Sixties, is astonishingly (and depressingly) pertinent to our current political dysfunction. Others might find it dry and too dependent on excessive minutiae, but I found it riveting. A
Get Real by Donald Westlake, narrated by William Dufris.
Well, if you're looking for a caper novel, nobody does it better than Westlake's Dortmunder books. But it took a heartfelt recommendation from a fellow fan to get me to try it. Not only does it not sound like a Dortmunder plot - c'mon, the gang does reality tv? - but it's the LAST Dortmunder book. As in, after this one, there ain't a-gonna be any more. But I should have had more faith. John and the gang pull it off with style and panache and their usual mixed luck, and Dufris' wry narration catches every last nuance. A
Fiction
The Only Gold by Tamara Allan.
Well, I tried Downtime and was less than enthralled, but the writing still impressed me. And this straight-up historical romance was far more to my taste, and the characters much more appealing - the uptight repressed banker and the just-on-the-edge-of-respectable rogue push all of my buttons. The setting (turn of the century New York, among the lower middle class) was unusual and beautifully realized. But the plot… I suppose if one could make hunting Jack the Ripper in the last book rather boring, it's no surprise that armed bank robbery wasn't much more enthralling. Still, I imagine I'll try the rest of her books as well. B+
Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews.
Oh, caper novels, how do I love thee? And with a fine romance tossed in - although I loved both the con-artist protagonists separately, and the sparks that flew between them certainly ignited the pages, I was never quite convinced of their sincere commitment to each other - I wouldn't have been a bit surprised to learn that both had cheated and betrayed the other the minute I closed the book. But the secondary characters just *made* the book. I do hope that the next one will feature the inconspicuous assassin Erwin; and I can hardly wait for Jack and George to grow up. This series just keeps getting better and better. A-
Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
While reviewing a Persuasion retelling, I felt a desperate need to cleanse my brain with the Real Thing. And once I had finished, the others were sitting Right Next to me... I don't have to really review these, do I? A, A+ and A+
The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe.
First in a series in the increasingly popular mash-up genre of Fantasy Noir. Free-lance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse thought that he was only taking on the case of a runaway randy princess, but soon he finds himself up to his eyeballs in a shocking royal murder, the secrets of the gods, and the most painful secrets of a past he had long left behind. Dragons, derring-do, hard-boiled, and heartbreak, this pretty much delivers on everything it promises; but not a single inch more. C+
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook.
Steampunk adventure with a lady pirate and a treasure-hunting beta hero? Oh, I am so all over that - until I realized that for this author, "beta hero" means "does not actually rape the heroine." Ah well, Archimedes Fox is a fine dashing rogue, and despite my distaste for "kickass heroines", I was fond enough of Yasmeen - she made me think of a slightly saner Bangladesh Dupree. I bought that the two of them might be good friends, even friends-with-benefits, but their romance wasn't even slightly convincing; it seemed to exist only by authorial fiat. Nonetheless, I'm still charmed by her alternate universe of the Iron Seas: Airships! Zombies! Nanotech! Giant war machines! and it was nice to have a steampunk that revolved around events in Africa and Central Asia as much as Europe. B-
In for a Penny by Rose Lerner
I picked up Lerner's romances because the reviews promised lovely prose, complicated characters, and a fresh take on tired Regency tropes. This re-working of the classic "Convenient Marriage" scenario (aristocrat whose family excesses had left him destitute marries a wealthy merchant's daughter to stay out of debtor's prison) almost made convinced me that such a situation could happen to two likeable people, and that they could make such a relationship work. Unfortunately, Lerner tried too hard to shovel in all her research, and left me with a climactic rapprochement between the classes that I simply couldn't believe if she showed me the documents to prove it. B-
A Lily Among Thorns by Rose Lerner.
Obviously, I wasn't discouraged enough not to try an even more preposterous premise - the unlikely romance between a noblewoman turned common prostitute turned uncommon tavern proprietor, and a tailor with aristocratic connections. No, I didn't buy it for a minute, but it sure was different; and the writing was gorgeous, the hero compassionate and admirable, the secondary romance sweet (if utterly impossible), all sufficient to make up for the fact that the heroine was a stone-cold piece of work. Yes, Lerner, I'll be back for more. C
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen.
Did I enjoy it? Oh, enormously. How could any fan of Megan Whalen Turner not love this tale of thieves, lies, assassinations, intrigues, plots, thrones, and a touch of romance? Was I surprised by any of the twists and turns? Hardly. How could any fan of Megan Whalen Turner not be three steps ahead of the story the whole time? Nonetheless, huge buckets of fun. B+
The Rook by Daniel O'Malley.
Dear You: The body you are wearing used to be mine. If you're the sort of person who couldn't resist this opening line, you will be more than hooked by the trials and tribulations of Myfanwy Thomas and her thrilling, twisty, macabre, and occasionally hilarious adventures with the ultra-ultra-secret British Ministry of the Chequy. Too say much more would be a spoiler; but anyone who likes Stross's Laundry Files will find this a trip and a half. A
Non-fiction
Just My Type by Simon Garfield.
Not really a history or survey, but a series of semi-independent essays about various font families, famous type designers (some surprisingly scandalous), technological innovations in typesetting, and the broad category of "and so forth." There's even criminal tie-ins! The sort of thing you'll like if you like that sort of thing - and I do. B+
Graphic Novels
Hana-Kimi Vols 7 - 24 by Hisaya Nakajo.
Aack, how embarrassing is this one? But once I started, I simply could not stop. It isn't the main love story that's so addictive, but all the many distinctive, endearing, delightful side characters that I found myself caring so much about. Funny, charming, bittersweet, with a Crowning Moment of Awesome for all the most unlikely suspects. Indeed, when I learned there was a final epilog volume that had never been published in English, I did what I never do, and actually hunted down the scanlation - I simply could not bear to let these characters go. A+
@ Full Moon Vols. 1-2 by Sanami Matoh.
A sequel to the well-loved Until the Full Moon, with a roughly similar sorta-plot. David and Marlo are now married; some other supernatural beastie develops a crush on and kidnaps Marlo, and David comes to the rescue. Another creature develops a crush on and kidnaps David, and Marlo comes to the rescue. Marlo and David bring a quarrelling couple to the realization that they truly love each other. And so on. This isn't one to read for the plot, but for the adorable character byplay, particularly David's absolute and unconditional devotion to Marlo, and the way that Marlo, grumpy and embarrassed, nonetheless returns faith and trust in full measure. The artwork is considerably more refined and "cute" than first series (than Fake either, for that matter), but is still lovely to look at. A-
The Earl & The Fairy Vol. 1 by Ayuko and Mizue Tani.
*This* is one of the "most anticipated new manga releases of 2012"? Oy. It's pretty enough, I suppose, in a style reminiscent of Mick Takeuchi, but the storyline (something about a "fairy doctor" and a petty thief masquerading as a nobleman in order to claim the throne of a fairy kingdom - no, it made no sense to me either) is incomprehensible and the protagonists - a dishwater stereotypical "good girl" shojo heroine and a "bad boy" who is more of a nasty abusive jerk - completely unlikeable. D+
A Devil and Her Love Song Vols. 1- 2 by Miyoshi Tomori.
Another of the purported hot new manga titles of the year, and it looks like it's going to be a grim one. Um, I think this is supposed to be a romantic comedy, with a girl trying to choose between the nice-acting guy who is secretly selfish, and the sullen guy who's a closeted sweetie. The girl in question is also supposed to be exceptionally talented at judging peoples' true natures, and incapable of not being honest about what she sees. But none of this informed characterization appears in the actual story, which is mostly the main trio acting incomprehensible and stupid, and every single other character being a despicable jerk. Perhaps they're all just depressed because they are portrayed with such ugly, muddy art. D-.
Audio Books
Nixonland: the rise of a president and the fracturing of America by Rick Perstein, read by Stephen Thorne.
Talking about crooks, conmen, and thieves, they aren't quite so funny when you find them in real life. This exhaustively documented history of Nixon's pre-presidential career, set against the cultural upheaval of the Fifties and Sixties, is astonishingly (and depressingly) pertinent to our current political dysfunction. Others might find it dry and too dependent on excessive minutiae, but I found it riveting. A
Get Real by Donald Westlake, narrated by William Dufris.
Well, if you're looking for a caper novel, nobody does it better than Westlake's Dortmunder books. But it took a heartfelt recommendation from a fellow fan to get me to try it. Not only does it not sound like a Dortmunder plot - c'mon, the gang does reality tv? - but it's the LAST Dortmunder book. As in, after this one, there ain't a-gonna be any more. But I should have had more faith. John and the gang pull it off with style and panache and their usual mixed luck, and Dufris' wry narration catches every last nuance. A