reading update
78. 
Midnight Mayor by Kate Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Griffin continues the story of Matthew Swift with just as much spark and drama as what was in the first book. The book opens with Swift being knocked down - left for dead, really - when he picks up a randomly ringing phone on a streetcorner in London. One would think a greater sense of self-preservation would prevail over the electric blue angels in the matter of answer phones, but...
And before he can really figure out what is going on, he has spectres after him, the city Alderman accusing him of murdering the Midnight Mayor, and apparently, has been made the Midnight Mayor himself. Much to his surprise and the obviously disappointment of the Alderman and pretty much everyone else in the city. And all of this because he chose to walk in the shoes of a missing kid. Swift just wanted to find the kid, and help his mother, who he viewed as a friend.
Griffin once again weaves a fantastic and complex story that captures how alive a city can be - and just how much power such living brings with it. This story also begins to explore a bit more how the sorcerer names Matthew Swift has begun to make piece the electric blue angels that also lives in his body, and how he not only has an appreciation of the power they bring, but also the price that he pays for that power.
This series and its weavings around what makes London leave and breathe really brings a whole new layer of urban to the genre of urban supernatural.
79.
An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How many ways to Bablyon?
The exploration of childrens' rhymes, old myths, and songs having truth and power to them in literature - particularly when it comes to the fae - is not new. But I can not remember any story that weaved that theme into a dark tale quite this well.
Toby, changeling PI and Knight, knew it was going to be a bad day when her own Fetch showed up at her doorstep. I mean, its not like any of the tales her mother ever told her really explained the etiquette of dealing with the being that is supposed to walk you through the Neverlands when you die, did they?
Then when she finds out in quick order that fae children have gone missing through the night, and it is clear that they were taken to ride the Hunt - it seems pretty clear that this one assignment that she will not come back from.
It is with the help of one of the FirstBorn - the fearsome seawitch herself that still promises to kill her - and a candle that Toby must make it to the realm of the Lord of Hunt. It is her faith, and recall of childrens' rules and games that will let her win the children of fae back. For the Lord of the Hunt, Blind Michael, rules in the realm of children, and uses their terror against them. Most difficult for Toby, she must learn that the rules that she learned as a child may not apply for her, because she is only an adult playing their games. She must do the hardest thing of all for her - relying on those that love her on the other side of the fae realms.
This book picks and tears at childhood fears, and challenges readers to remember what seemed to protect you as a child and keep you from harm.
This series has been, from the start, a well crafted series that introduces the fae realm in a modern setting a very fresh and interesting way. It fantastic to see that as the series progresses, layers of depth and growth keep getting added to it, instead the characters getting stagnant.
View all my reviews
Midnight Mayor by Kate Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Griffin continues the story of Matthew Swift with just as much spark and drama as what was in the first book. The book opens with Swift being knocked down - left for dead, really - when he picks up a randomly ringing phone on a streetcorner in London. One would think a greater sense of self-preservation would prevail over the electric blue angels in the matter of answer phones, but...
And before he can really figure out what is going on, he has spectres after him, the city Alderman accusing him of murdering the Midnight Mayor, and apparently, has been made the Midnight Mayor himself. Much to his surprise and the obviously disappointment of the Alderman and pretty much everyone else in the city. And all of this because he chose to walk in the shoes of a missing kid. Swift just wanted to find the kid, and help his mother, who he viewed as a friend.
Griffin once again weaves a fantastic and complex story that captures how alive a city can be - and just how much power such living brings with it. This story also begins to explore a bit more how the sorcerer names Matthew Swift has begun to make piece the electric blue angels that also lives in his body, and how he not only has an appreciation of the power they bring, but also the price that he pays for that power.
This series and its weavings around what makes London leave and breathe really brings a whole new layer of urban to the genre of urban supernatural.
79.
An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How many ways to Bablyon?
The exploration of childrens' rhymes, old myths, and songs having truth and power to them in literature - particularly when it comes to the fae - is not new. But I can not remember any story that weaved that theme into a dark tale quite this well.
Toby, changeling PI and Knight, knew it was going to be a bad day when her own Fetch showed up at her doorstep. I mean, its not like any of the tales her mother ever told her really explained the etiquette of dealing with the being that is supposed to walk you through the Neverlands when you die, did they?
Then when she finds out in quick order that fae children have gone missing through the night, and it is clear that they were taken to ride the Hunt - it seems pretty clear that this one assignment that she will not come back from.
It is with the help of one of the FirstBorn - the fearsome seawitch herself that still promises to kill her - and a candle that Toby must make it to the realm of the Lord of Hunt. It is her faith, and recall of childrens' rules and games that will let her win the children of fae back. For the Lord of the Hunt, Blind Michael, rules in the realm of children, and uses their terror against them. Most difficult for Toby, she must learn that the rules that she learned as a child may not apply for her, because she is only an adult playing their games. She must do the hardest thing of all for her - relying on those that love her on the other side of the fae realms.
This book picks and tears at childhood fears, and challenges readers to remember what seemed to protect you as a child and keep you from harm.
This series has been, from the start, a well crafted series that introduces the fae realm in a modern setting a very fresh and interesting way. It fantastic to see that as the series progresses, layers of depth and growth keep getting added to it, instead the characters getting stagnant.
View all my reviews