Tempest Rising by Nicole PeelerJane True is the community outcast of Rockabill, Maine. She lives with and takes care of her aging father (her mother having disappeared one day as mysteriously as she appeared), works in the bookstore with its lesbian couple owners (Tracy Gregory and former(?) pornstar Grizelda Montague (formerly professionally ( Read more... )

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. HinesI have, as a general rule, been avoiding Jim Hines' work. His previous series, about goblins, looked like it was trying to go for humorous by way of twee, if you get what I mean. A second problem is this kind of "revisionist fairytale" thing. Done wrong, it's really annoying, and it's usually done wrong. ( Read more... )