The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler

The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: This book is volume 4 in a projected 5-volume military fantasy series set in a world similar to Europe in the Napoleonic era. In previous books, the more "fantastic" elements of the story (mostly people who have gained powers by speaking the names of various demons) have balanced themselves with the reality of life on the march in a large army. This volume ratchets up the magical action, however, as tactical genius Janus bet Vhalnich sends his army to defeat the "Priests of the Black" he believes have been threatening the world from the shadows. But their country is not so easily taken, and even within Janus's army, not everyone is sure he's trustworthy - not even his own Queen.

What I Thought: In previous volumes of this series, I'd figured out fairly quickly that Wexler was retelling French history in a fantasy world: previous plot points include a brilliant general, a domestic Reign of Terror, and an immensely successful campaign against a desert country. The previous volume had also ended with Janus assuming more power than any general had in his nation's history. I thought, therefore, that I knew where this story was going.

But if a story draws its cues from actual history, it's easy to surprise the audience by diverging from that history. That's exactly what happens here. And it's excellent.

With The Guns of Empire, Wexler takes his story completely on its own path, making clever use of the magical elements that separate his world from ours. He's already toyed with history in various ways - his Queen character is unlike anyone in the French aristocracy, and not just because she happens to be immortal - but here he both nods to historical fact (do not invade Russia in the winter, for example) and points out all the ways magic subverts it (if they have demons on their side, it does not matter what time of year you invade Russia). Wexler using my expectations against me made reading this book a delight.

He also ties up most of the subplots he's included in previous books so that the final volume can focus on the main conflict. While this does make this book serve as setup for the finale, it's also very satisfying. Like George R.R. Martin's popular A Song of Ice and Fire, Wexler switches between multiple characters' points of view when telling his story. Each of those characters has their own story and motivations and desires, and in The Guns of Empire, many of those stories are concluded (though not necessarily with death). Having followed these characters through several long volumes, I was happy to see their stories resolved. Wexler is very good at creating flawed people it's still easy to root for, with an emphasis on talented yet complicated female characters.

His best character, however, is absolutely Winter Ihernglass, the young woman who'd disguised herself as a man to join the army and now serves as one of Janus's generals. She's also the closest thing this series has to an actual main character, and so it's fitting that of all the stories in this series, hers is the one most closely tied to the conflict he's set up for Book 5. She also, I was happy to note, gets to start a new romance in this book - normally I don't really care for too much romance, but Winter prefers women. A lesbian whose previous relationship ends badly, and then is allowed the chance to be happy with someone new, is a rare duck indeed in fiction (unfortunately). I am rooting for Winter to save the world, get the girl, and maybe finally let her old flame go. They care for each other, but they just aren't compatible anymore.

If Wexler manages to bend history to his will some more in the meantime, however, I will not say no.

Readalikes: Cold Iron by Stina Leicht, for more "flintlock fantasy"

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne; based on characters by J.K. Rowling

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Albus Potter, son of Harry Potter, is miserable. He doesn't feel his famous father understands him, he got sorted into Slytherin - a House he hates - and his only friend Scorpius is rumored to be the son of the Dark Lord. When the two boys hear of something they can do to try and change their world for the better, they seize the moment, but may in fact be making things worse...

What I Thought: Despite being the eighth installment in the Harry Potter series, this screenplay would have worked better as a standalone story about a boy growing up with a famous father. As-is, it's written itself into a corner: the plot hinges on young Albus Potter's frustrations at living in his father's shadow, but it's not allowed to ever fully become Albus's story - the title isn't Albus Potter and the Cursed Child for good reason. The climax of the story hinges completely on Harry's personal trauma, and events from Harry's life are frequently revisited (sometimes physically) by the characters.

The plot and many of the characterizations also read like fan fiction: full of cameos, trivia, full redemption arcs for fan-favorite characters, and a villainness with a completely unbelievable backstory. The moral of the story, that "anyone can become anything if circumstances were different", also flies completely in the face of the Harry Potter novels' focus on personal choice. This is not a Harry Potter story. It's an anti-Harry Potter story starring the cast of Harry Potter.

All of which is unfortunate, because the two new protagonists, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, are delightful. Both sound very believably like teenagers - their banter is great - and the "anyone can become anything" theme isn't a bad idea in and of itself, just one at odds with the world of Harry Potter in the novels. The screenplay is also very good at "show, don't tell" for evoking how miserable Albus is: its use of short vignettes to show time passing is very powerful, as incident upon incident piles on Albus until he reaches a breaking point. I would very, very happily read a seven-novel series about Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy. Just maybe not one with this plot. Or where Albus's dad still manages to get his name in the title.

Recommended, ironically enough, more for casual fans of Harry Potter than diehard ones.

Readalikes: The Magicians by Lev Grossman, for more "gritty" fantasy; Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, for a pair of main characters that should appeal to fans of Albus and Scorpius.

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Blameless by Gail Carriger

Blameless by Gail Carriger

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Blameless by Gail Carriger

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Lady Alexia Maccon is a "preternatural", a woman born without a soul who can turn supernatural creatures mortal just by touching them. This is the third book of her adventures in a tongue-in-cheek, alternate version of the Victorian era, centering primarily upon an announcement of her pregnancy in the London gossip columns. Such rumormongering would be embarrassing enough on its own - Alexia shouldn't be capable of having a child with her husband, a werewolf, who refuses to believe the child is his - but the vampires of London fear what powers the baby might possess and are, as a result, out to kill her. Alexia may even have to flee as far as Italy, where she hears they drink (horror upon horrors!) coffee instead of tea.

What I Thought: In case the summary doesn't make it clear enough, this is not a book - or a universe - that takes itself seriously. Characters stand on propriety even when engaged in the most outlandishly swashbuckling feats, a carriage is attacked by a swarm of homicidal mechanical ladybugs, and a running gag develops where Alexia discovers a fondness for pesto (which is useful for repelling both vampires and werewolves - the garlic for the vampires, the basil for the werewolves). The humor is also, however, the primary reason to read the book: the dissonance between being placed in mortal peril and wishing one's opponents would politely state their murderous intentions, for example, makes action scenes laugh-out-loud funny instead of just thrilling, and everyone's fixation on tea is a fun parody of what's come to be seen as Victorian mores and manners. The characters also endear themselves immediately if you're in the mood for whimsy - Alexia is a thickset woman who wields a modified parasol as her weapon of choice, for example. There's a lot to like here if you're looking for beach reading.

Unfortunately, though everyone is amusing and charismatic, they're also (by and large) stereotypes. The foppish gay vampire may be hiding a brilliant mind behind that ridiculous facade, and may care deeply for each of the young men he's cultivated as "drones", but he's still both flamboyant and polygamous; the German scientist who studies preternaturals like Alexia may own a ridiculous, yappy, tiny dog, but he's still ultimately a mad scientist who treats his subjects as specimens and not as people. Carriger does a good enough job of making everybody likable (even the villains, usually through the use of more well-timed humor) for this not to grate as much as it might in other books, but it's present. A few notable characters buck conventions, however: Lord Maccon may be the brawny, proud Alpha of his werewolf pack, but his Beta is a compassionate, diplomatic "professor" who breeds sheep in his spare time. Overall, I'd recommend this book to fans of historical and comedic fantasy - especially those who prefer their supernatural creatures banding witty quips about instead of brooding.

Readalikes: The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, for more humorous fantasy; the Immortal Empire series by Kate Locke, for more funny (if more gruesome) supernatural antics in Victorian England.

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Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins

Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Luz and Ray are squatting in an abandoned mansion in Southern California after a natural disaster has wiped out most of the water supply. They're free yet aimless, and when they find themselves responsible for a toddler they've rescued from an abusive situation, staying put no longer seems feasible. Yet many obstacles - natural, man-made, and internal - stand between them and a better, wetter world...

What I Thought: Gold Fame Citrus is a book you read for its words and its world - surreal and mythological, punctuated by short stories that flesh out the mysterious sea of sand encroaching on what had been Los Angeles. The barren beauty of the prose matches the setting well, and the book's metaphorical components work both as symbols and as fun bits of weirdness in and of themselves. Watkins' two main characters also feel pleasingly real; I could relate to both Luz and Ray even when they succumbed to their own individual weaknesses.

The second half of the book, however, is much weaker than the first, relying more heavily on cliches and tropes from post-apocalyptic fiction. Watkins has done an amazing job setting up her world, but once she gets down to populating it with people other than her central trio (Luz, Ray, and baby "Ig") she doesn't seem quite certain where to go from there. That impression might be my own expectations betraying me, however - I was expecting more of a travel story/Odyssey once Luz and Ray set out on their journey, and when the second half of the book ended up centering around just one stop, in a cult headed by a mystic who claims to be a dowser capable of finding water in the sand dunes, I was disappointed. Gold Fame Citrus did a terrific job at evoking a mood, however, and for that I still recommend it to anyone who wants to be transported to a world both strange and familiar.

Readalikes: Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block, for more survivors of a ruined, poetic world; The Water Knife by Paolo Bachigalupi, for more fiction about the Southwest and its coming water crisis

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Falling from Horses by Molly Gloss

Falling from Horses by Molly Gloss

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Falling from Horses by Molly Gloss

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: 19-year-old Bud Frazer moves to California after a family tragedy to try his hand at stunt riding in the heyday of Western movies. But although he knows a lot about horses, he has no experience with the less glamorous world behind the cameras, where spurs are made of rubber but plenty of dangers await both horses and the men atop them. Falling from Horses is the One Book Yuma selection for 2016; author Molly Gloss will be visiting Yuma on March 3 & 4.

What I Thought: Falling from Horses is a novel that reads like a memoir. Most of the book is told from Bud's point of view, and his first-person narration feels very natural; as you read, you get the sense that you're sitting there alongside a much older Bud, listening to him telling his life's story. (Listen to the author read an excerpt of Bud's narration here!) Other portions of the book are told in third person and detail the lives of Bud's parents, to better provide context for some of the events Bud talks about in his story, but the switch between the two voices never seems jarring.

The story, entertaining in its own right as both a coming of age and a "fish out of water" story, also provides a look "behind the scenes" during an era before moviemakers had to guarantee that no animals were harmed in the making of their films. Bud's adventures and misadventures in the film industry are sometimes amusing and sometimes extremely difficult to read - directors and handlers alike could be hard on horses (and actors), with plenty of animals dying in pursuit of the perfect shot.

It's this cruelty (among other things) that drives Bud away from the movies, but during his time in California he also fosters a friendship with an aspiring screenwriter, Lily, who teaches him film theory and thinks critically about the pictures that Bud, until he came to work for them, had taken for granted. Falling from Horses is therefore both an expose of and love letter to the old-time film industry, for those interested in the history of movies, horrors and all.

It's also a lovely bildungsroman, so please don't hesitate: check out a copy of Falling from Horses at your local library and come see Molly Gloss when she visits Yuma next month!

Voices in the Ocean by Susan Casey

Voices in the Ocean by Susan Casey

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins by Susan Casey

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: After encountering a pod of wild dolphins while swimming, Casey, a journalist, felt captivated and healed by these unique and mysterious sea creatures. She set about traveling the world to learn as much as she could about the dolphins themselves, the people who love them, and the ways the human and marine worlds interact.

What I Thought: I picked up this book because I was looking for something "different" to read and realized that I, like Casey at the beginning of the book, knew very little about dolphins. There's certainly plenty of marine biology in this book, but its standout feature is how Casey makes a point of tracking down and interviewing all kinds of people whose lives intersect with the dolphins'. Keeping an open mind and always wanting to hear a person's side of the story in their own worlds, she visits everywhere from an infamous marine theme park in Canada to an Irish village "adopted" by a wild dolphin to the Japanese town featured in the award-winning documentary The Cove, where much of the population's income is derived from the killing (and live selling) of the local dolphin population. She consorts with millionaire and New Age mystics - and tags along to plenty of protests.

This is not an easy book to read. Humans are only just beginning to understand how much we don't understand about dolphins, and this ignorance has led to the torture and death of dolphins even at the hands of scientists passionate about the species. Collateral damage from the various activities humanity carries out in the sea - everything from commercial fishing to military sonar testing - has taken its toll as well. Casey, though sympathetic to the dolphins' plight, is careful not to outwardly demonize many of the humans she sees inadvertently causing dolphins harm; she simply wishes they would be more considerate. Her true horror's reserved for the mass slaughter of dolphins and their inhumane treatment at unscrupulous theme parks.

If anything, I still wish there were more actual stories of dolphins in this book; it's much easier to track down and talk to people who care about dolphins than it is to find wild dolphins themselves. But that makes this book an excellent introduction to the subject - it left me wanting more. I'll probably check out a more scientific book on dolphins next, but as a primer, and as an overview of how humans and dolphins interact, this was an excellent "first read".

Readalikes: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner, for another travel memoir based around a specific subject; Chrysalis by Kim Todd, for another accessible story of natural science & scientists

Or look this book up on NoveList!

Idol Dreams. vol. 1 by Arina Tanemura

Idol Dreams. vol. 1 by Arina Tanemura

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Idol Dreams vol. 1 by Arina Tanemura

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Office worker Chikage Deguchi is having an early midlife crisis. Her coworkers gossip about her behind her back and her high school reunion, at which she'd hoped to be reunited with her old crush, goes disastrously. She's about to give up on everything when she's offered a miracle drug that will return her to her 15-year-old self for a few hours at a time. Chikage begins trying to "do over" the last 15 years of her life, but ends up scouted by a talent agency. Now she's going to reinvent herself in many more ways than she'd originally planned.

What I Thought: Like Chikage, this manga has an identity crisis. It's clearly aimed at women around Chikage's age, who grew up on these wish-fulfillment stories ("girl gets a magic ___ that lets her become a singer/grow up temporarily/become a heroine" is a popular genre in Japan) and are now looking to put that magic back into their own lives. But it just can't quite agree on a tone. A magic drug that turns somebody younger is a cute, silly plot device that'd be right at home in one of those kids' comics - but feels out of place when the protagonist just debated committing suicide (which itself seemed rather abrupt). The whole first chapter of the manga feels rushed and disjointed as a result.

Once the first chapter has established the premise, though, the story finds its footing. It's still a very silly story and it still relies on familiar tropes for anyone who's read any one of these "magically transform and change one's life" series before, but Chikage becomes an appealing mixture of awkward and endearing and both of her apparent love interests, an old classmate and a fellow musician, are more likable than the domineering male leads of many girls' manga. Hibiki in particular (the 15-year-old superstar) stood out to me: instead of being a Jerk With A Heart of Gold, he's just a very talented young man who doesn't have the life experience yet to realize that things that come easily to him don't always go as well for others. This puts Chikage in a position to inspire and teach him because she's (secretly) older - maybe her life up to this point hasn't been such a supposed "waste", after all.

Not all plot points go down smoothly in this manga - I for one would be thrilled to never see a man attempt to kiss a sleeping woman again - but overall Idol Dreams volume 1 felt like discovering this genre for the first time. Feel-good, fluffy, and all-around fun for people who, like Chikage, want to rediscover their inner teen.

Readalikes: Absolute Boyfriend by Yu Watase for similar romantic triangle dymanics; Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura for another comedy set in the world of Japanese showbiz.

Or look this book up on NoveList!

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Private investigator Kinsey Millhone is hired to track down a woman's missing sister - and then subsequently fired when she begins making progress. The deeper she digs, however, the more Kinsey begins to suspect the missing woman didn't vanish of her own accord...especially when she learns a botched burglary led to a fire in the same neighborhood.

What I Thought: I've been a fan of mystery novels for years, but this was my first time "meeting" Kinsey. She won me over by the end of the second chapter. Although Grafton's super-simple writing style takes some getting used to - when just listing facts, she has a bad habit of starting all her sentences with the subject - it fits her sleuth's matter-of-fact personality and sparse lifestyle, so it doesn't clash with the content of the book. More importantly, she straddles the cozy and hardboiled mystery genres with ease. Kinsey is introspective and faces down the ugly, atmospheric side of life just as well as any square-jawed sleuth from the pulps - but she's also compassionate, second-guesses herself when she irrationally dislikes people, and has a small community of quirky friends and associates that any cozy amateur gumshoe would be proud to call their own. She even makes sure she finds out what happened to the missing woman's cat!

The mystery itself in B is for Burglar may be easier for people who are used to the mystery genre to unravel (spend enough time with the same tropes and you begin to get good at guessing what's going to happen), but although I did figure out "whodunnit" in broad strokes, a bunch of key details eluded me. Rumor has it that Grafton manages to never write a novel with the same plot twice, so I'm looking forward to working through the rest of the alphabet.

Readalikes: The Lew Archer mysteries by Ross Macdonald, for another detective who looks at the seedy side of life with sympathy; the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich, for a more humorous take on the same genre. (Stephanie, like Kinsey, has an equally quirky set of acquaintances.)

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Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly

Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Ex-spy James Asher comes home one evening to find his entire household asleep and a foreign gentleman standing over his wife Lydia. The stranger, Don Simon Ysidro, claims to be a vampire interested in hiring Asher to solve a serial murder case - someone has been killing the vampires of Victorian London, and if Asher manages to discover whodunnit, Ysidro (probably) won't kill Lydia.

What I Thought: This book was the first in an ongoing series about Asher, his wife Lydia, and their relationship to the vampire Ysidro; the series at large stands out for being intelligent, thoughtfully-written vampire fiction, and this first novel is no exception. Hambly's vampires have a clearly-defined set of strengths and weaknesses that feels completely "believable" - no turning into mist or sparkling in sunlight here - and she's put a lot of thought into what might happen to a person's personality after spending hundreds of years as a nocturnal predator (Ysidro, for instance, barely ever seems to exert effort or express emotion- he simply does not care after hundreds of years in undeath). Her vampires therefore become both sympathetic - being a vampire sounds horrible - and genuinely creepy. Even their pathos might be a trap.

The humans hold their own pretty well, however. Asher has seen his share of horrors himself - he quit working as a spy after becoming disillusioned - and he's refreshingly forthright with Lydia about Ysidro's request. Lydia is a treat: she went to medical school at a time in which ladies simply Did Not Do such things, so her first reaction to learning that the undead exist is a desire to dissect one. She's also brilliant and an excellent researcher whose contributions solve the case. There's an ongoing current of unease as Europe prepares for World War I; the evils men can do even without turning into vampires is a constant theme and threat throughout the series.

Oddly enough, Hambly's plots suffer because her leads are so intelligent and methodical: she's admitted herself in interviews that she has to keep having unexpected issues pop up out of nowhere since otherwise Asher and Lydia would see every threat coming. The result can feel disjointed, and Those Who Hunt the Night's "big reveal" disappointed me: yes, Hambly'd alluded to the characters responsible, but not in any context that would give a hint they were connected to the case. The murderer in a mystery novel should be unexpected, but having them seem completely peripheral until the climax felt unfair to the reader.

Plotting difficulties aside, however, Those Who Hunt the Night is highly recommended to anyone who likes spooky, threatening vampires - or who wants intelligence from their speculative fiction. World War I is looming in the story's timeline, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see whether that shoe has dropped yet, and how Asher, Lydia, and Ysidro become involved when it does.

Readalikes: Bram Stoker's Dracula, for the classic vampire story (and one with which Hambly's characters are familiar); Gail Carriger's Soulless, for another original (if far more humorous) take on vampires.

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The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: The Amazing Arden won fame as a female illusionist by cutting a man in half on stage. When her husband's body is found in the wings of her latest venue, split just like the men in her tricks, police jump to Arden as the prime subject. Captured by an officer but not yet turned in, Arden pleads her innocence, but claims explaining will involve revealing her entire life story. Which she does - but is she telling the truth?

What I Thought: Like Arden's magic acts, this book spans genres - one part 1,001 Nights, one part historical thriller, and one part commentary on women's rights, with a little magical realism thrown in for good measure. To Macallister's credit, the book doesn't feel stitched together: no one element of the story outweighs the other, and alternating between Arden's life story and what's happening to her in the present ratchets up the tension in both narratives while also allowing Arden to "misdirect" both her in-book audience and the reader: a crucial part of any illusion. It helps that she's telling a harrowing tale: a major character in the book is so overtly evil he nearly becomes a stereotype, but he's also so convincingly creepy and slimy that instead of rolling my eyes, I shuddered and awaited the day he'd be out of Arden's life for good.

Aside from a few clunkily-ominous pieces of foreshadowing on Arden's part, the prose flows smoothly, and there's several clever metaphors contrasting Arden and her captor. Whether the book can pull off those metaphors convincingly, making this illusion act more than just a trick of the light, is for each reader to decide - but I was diverted, and I'll definitely be attending Greer Macallister's next "show".

Readalikes: The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman, for more historical fiction about women making the best of bad situations; Madam by Cari Lynn, for the same - except laced with magic.

Or look this book up on NoveList!

Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie

Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Rodeo Garnet is a man with an old dog. He's also a private investigator who prefers to live in an area of Arizona known to locals as "the Hole", and he's just come home from vacation to find a dead body down the street from his house. The local sheriff has his hands full with a string of seemingly-unrelated murders in the area, but it's none of Rodeo's business until one of the victims' grandmothers asks him to find out who killed her grandson. Rodeo slowly begins to realize that all of the bad things happening in this bad country are interrelated - and hit closer to home than he'd thought.

What I Thought: This book is an excellent example of noir fiction - a story that paints the world as simultaneously bleak and beautiful (there is a sense of poetry in all the run-down, dried-up scenery - and people - that Rodeo meets). It's not a tearjerker, but it's unsettling, haunting, and frequently very funny. Rodeo makes an ideal noir/hardboiled detective, in that he plays his cards close to his chest and is a good person without being a nice one. His relationship with his dog also humanizes him, often through small details; Rodeo's own diet consists primarily of spoonfuls of whiskey and Spaghetti-Os, but he makes sure his dog takes its medications on time. McKenzie spends a lot of time on this attention to detail. Sometimes this works against him, as he has a habit of listing every single object, including their brand names, when Rodeo packs his bags, but for the most part it makes the Southwest setting come alive.

The main whodunit - "if these are serial murders, who's the culprit?" - is a bit underwhelming, and once the culprit's identity is revealed, that plotline feels more like a nod to noir tropes than anything else. But even the mystery of what happened to Rodeo's client's grandson takes a backseat to evoking a sense of place. Rodeo encounters people from all walks of life in his investigation, and while none of them are traditional paragons of virtue (this is a hardboiled detective novel), and McKenzie falls into tropes several times, the novel refuses to judge its characters' lifestyles, preferring to let each of the characters judge themselves. Reading this book feels like driving through the Arizona desert. Don't read it to beat the Yuma heat - but do read it for a thoughtful musing on an area much like this one, both the good and the bad.

Readalikes: Anything by Raymond Chandler, as an obligatory mention of noir fiction; Bill Pronzini's Nameless Detective novels, for the same sense of bleakness evoked in Rodeo's world.

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The Bad Miss Bennet by Jean Burnett

The Bad Miss Bennet by Jean Burnett

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: The Bad Miss Bennet by Jean Burnett

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: After her husband's death in the Battle of Waterloo, Lydia Wickham (of Pride & Prejudice infamy) determines to make her own way in the world instead of obeying her stuffy brother-in-law, Mr. Darcy. Misadventures dog her heels across the European continent, however, as she finds herself entangled in a matter of international diplomacy - and encounters a singularly attractive, if roguish, highwayman.

What I Thought: Aside from matching Lydia's narrative style to the way she speaks in the original Pride & Prejudice, Burnett chooses to put her own spin on this unofficial "sequel": Lydia tells the story in first person, gets up to all sorts of explicit romantic misadventures, and spends as little time as possible with the original Pride & Prejudice cast. This works in Burnett's favor, since of the rest of the cast, only Darcy ends up sounding remotely like himself - as seen through Lydia's eyes, granted, which makes for some of the most humorous scenes in the book. Burnett even manages to parody the infamous "pond scene" from the A&E miniseries; the reference was self-indulgent, but I laughed anyway.

The plot itself resembles one of the "sensation" novels Lydia loves so much (likely on purpose - a nice way to nod to the period while matching the plot to its heroine's character). Lydia falls victim to a highwayman's charms, is embroiled in the theft of some royal jewels, nearly ends up a "kept woman", and remains blissfully unaware that her attempts to live "independently" really just put her at the beck and call of others. The book even reads like a serial novel, with several standalone episodes taking Lydia all over both England and Europe before loosely wrapping up towards the end. Since so many of these escapades were predictable, however, I can't honestly say I read this book for the plot.

Lydia herself, though, makes a wonderful storyteller. She's sprightly and honest with herself about what she wants (especially when those priorities are shallow); she just has no idea how to go about getting it without also getting into trouble. But because her perspective is unique and unreliable, she makes an engaging first-person narrator. Lydia may never learn from her mistakes, and I wouldn't want to be her friend - but I'd happily listen to her tell stories at parties.

Readalikes: Anything by Georgette Heyer, for more Regency-era romance; Longbourn by Jo Baker, for a much bleaker take on the Pride & Prejudice story. (And Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James, if you just can't get enough of stories where Wickham dies.)

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Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans

Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Written by a former professional ballerina, this comprehensive work covers the entire history of ballet, from its beginnings to what the author sees as a present-day stagnation. Each country's approach to ballet is given an equal amount of attention, with special emphasis placed on how the dance's forms reflected and shaped the culture of that country at the time. The book therefore becomes not just a history of dance, but of how cultures borrow and modify each other's content to create something they believe reflects their individual national characters - and of how any art form must evolve over time if it's to survive.

What I Thought: I knew nothing about ballet before beginning this book - I'd picked it up in the hopes of learning the plots to famous ballets - but Homans's passion and precision shone through every page. The book worked just as well as a comprehensive history of Europe as it did as a ballet book; I ended up checking out more history books after finishing this one because I wanted to find out more about the events she was only able to allude to here. The bigger questions Homans asks about art also remain relevant: does codifying art stifle it? Is it necessarily bad when things change? How do people remake and reinterpret existing stories (or dances) in their own images? This book made me think, but the lively cast of dancers and directors - including Louis XIV the "Sun King" of France, himself, who used to dance as Apollo in court ballets - and Homans's writing style also kept me engaged.

Readalikes: Chasing Venus by Andrea Wulf, for more well-told history with a twist; From Splendor to Revolution by Julia P. Gelardi, for more opulence (and anyone particularly interested in the Russian chapters)

Or look this book up on NoveList!

Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber

Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber

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Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Part history of fashion and part biography, this book traces records of Marie Antoinette's clothing from her childhood in Austria up to her execution in the French Revolution. Although the ill-fated Queen of France is usually remembered as a spendthrift, frivolous woman, Weber argues that Marie Antoinette attempted to carve out a sphere of power for herself by setting fashion trends - even inspiring those who sought her downfall.

What I Thought:  This book started heavy-handed but quickly fascinated me. Weber's attempts to "prove" her unprovable thesis - we can't know for certain what a historical figure had thought or intended - sometimes seem far-fetched, yet she's also an excellent storyteller, with both an eye for detail and the ability to weave those details into a story without veering off on tangents. She also includes plenty of historical context, immersing the reader in a society where the clothes really did make the man (or woman, as the case may be). This book is highly recommended to anyone who likes clothes, is interested in new approaches to familiar history, or just wants to see a picture of a woman wearing a miniature ship on her head.

Readalikes: The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser, for more history from a woman's perspective; Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran, for this same period (and focus) retold as a novel.

Or look this book up on NoveList!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Adjusting to a new life in 19th-century New York is difficult enough for immigrants in the Jewish and Syrian communities, who nonetheless form close-knit neighborhoods and support each other. It's even more difficult for Chava and Ahmad, who aren't even human. Their cultures and outlooks on life are different, but a chance meeting helps them form an unlikely, and sometimes uneasy, friendship.

What I Thought: This was an absolutely lovely book. The writing was poignant and evocative without being overwrought, creating a sense of quiet melancholy that suited the two protagonists well. Side characters were drawn with color and sympathy, and a more suspenseful plot kicks in towards the middle that made the book addicting - but the real attractions in this novel are the setting and the protagonists themselves. Both the Jewish and Syrian-American communities are depicted in a way that made me feel I was really living among these people, and historical details flowed so naturally in the descriptions that the narrator never had to relate to exposition to provide context for the story. Chava and Ahmad both felt suitably inhuman - they are, after all, magical creatures - but this didn't keep them from being sympathetic. They're also excellent foils for each other (Chava, a golem made of earth, is brand-new to the world and humble - while Ahmad, a jinni made of fire, is millennia old and proud of his erstwhile power). I'd recommend this book even to people who don't usually enjoy fantasy; it's not a full fantasy so much as "magical realism", a historical novel that happens to highlight the experience of feeling like the world's slipping away by making its protagonists the ultimate outsiders.

Readalikes: The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, for more melancholy-laced historical fiction that immerses you in the setting; The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters, for more bestselling fiction fraught with quiet tension

Or look this book up on NoveList!

World Trigger vol. 1 by Daisuke Ashihara

World Trigger vol. 1 by Daisuke Ashihara

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: World Trigger, vol. 1 by Daisuke Ashihara

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Osamu lives in a town periodically attacked by monsters from a parallel dimension called "Neighbors". Life continues mostly as normal, however, thanks to an organization called "Border" that protects the city and fights the Neighbors. Osamu himself is a Border trainee, but even he couldn't expect that the transfer student in his class was a humanoid Neighbor...or that this Neighbor wants to be his friend.

What I Thought: Manga tend to be over-the-top, so World Trigger excels by being refreshingly matter-of-fact. Key plot points unfold organically instead of in dramatic monologues, and the characters are all just quirky enough to keep from being one-note stereotypes - especially Yuma the deadpan, violent, yet naive and humorous Neighbor whose reactions to human folly are amusingly inhuman. The clean, basic art matches the story well; Ashihara has a particular knack for using panel progression to tell jokes, making use of silence and restraint where other manga bombard the reader. Recommended for those new to manga and curious - or for the jaded reader who wants a reminder of why they fell in love with this "genre" in the first place.

Readalikes: Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama, for more super-popular manga about humanity fighting back against inhuman monsters; Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato, for more intelligently-written action manga with a focus on character development.

Or look this book up on NoveList!

Wouldn't It Be Deadly by D.E. Ireland

Wouldn't It Be Deadly by D.E. Ireland

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Wouldn't It Be Deadly by D.E. Ireland

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Picking up not long after George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion left off, this homage/sequel finds Eliza Doolittle employed as a speech instructor by her former teacher Henry Higgins's chief rival. Higgins launches a smear campaign in retaliation - but he never expects the man to end up dead, with himself as the chief suspect. He and Eliza have to work together again in order to help the police crack the case.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Locke Lamora is the head of a group of thieves called the Gentlemen Bastards, who steal from the rich despite a secret agreement between the government and the city of Camorr's underworld. When he starts being used as the pawn in other people's political games, he has to play the biggest cons of his life in order to stay alive - and maybe save the whole city in the process.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, volume 1 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, volume 1 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Mobile Suit Gundam: the Origin volume 1 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: In the futuristic Universal Century Year 0079, fifteen-year old mechanics junkie Amuro Ray and his friends get swept up in a war when their space colony is attacked by the rebelling Principality of Zeon. On the run from Zeon's finest, including ace pilot and strategist Char "The Red Comet" Aznable, they get semi-drafted into the military - and Amuro discovers he's a natural at piloting the new secret weapon, a man-shaped machine called a "Gundam".

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Becky Brendel

What I Read: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: Tsukuru Tazaki's close-knit group of friends abruptly cut him out of their lives nearly twenty years ago. He never asked why. Now he's finally feeling ready for a relationship with someone else, but she believes he needs to track down his former friends for closure.