Booklog 47/2023: T Kingfisher: Illuminations

Rosa Mandolini is the 10 year old daughter of a household of painters of magical illuminations, images that hold specific spells from keeping milk fresh to protecting the city. He hopes to pain magical illuminations one day but at the moment all she seems to be able to paint are radishes with fangs. Looking for a way to help her family she finds an old box in the cellar, an illumination of a crow on its lid. Opening the box, the crow illustration comes to life, but not in time to stop her from opening the box and releasing the Scarling, a vicious illumination obsessed with wiping out the Mandolini family by unmaking their magical illuminations and plunging the city into chaos. With the help of the crow and her former best friend, Rosa must stop the Scarling. T. Kingfisher is one of my favourite authors. This book borders on middle grade and the younger end of YA, but it's a perfectly fine adult read, too.

Booklog 48/2023: Martha Wells: Compulsory – Murderbot Diaries 0.5

A short story set on a mining asteroid in the world of Murderbot, a sentient, near-homicidal android who has hacked its own system and gained autonomy, though mostly it would rather download and watch its favourite TV series than do anything constructive. Even so, when Murderbot is faced with effecting a rescue against company orders, it has to make a tough decision.

Booklog 49/2023: Martin Duffy: Peg Leg Gus

Augustus (Gus) was once a world class showjumper, but now grumpy, old and lame he ignores Flo, a young girl trying to befriend him. The only creature he'll talk to is his lifelong friend, the magpie. The magpie reminds him of his youth and his long-forgotten burning ambition to fly. Each time he jumped he hoped he would fly, but he never did. Gradually Flo wins him over, though the ending is a little bit sad, though poignant.

Booklog 50/2023 Juliet E McKenna: The Green Man’s Quarry – Green Man #6

Dan Mackmain, son of a dryad and a mortal man has one foot in the real world and one in the magical. He can see things normal humans cannot and ion previous Green Man books he’s been called by the Green Man to sort out supernatural problems before they imping on the human world, usually with the help of his girlfriend, Fin, who happens to be a swan-maiden. This time there are sightings of a black panther-like cat which has already killed. No, it’s not a zoo escapee, so Dan and friends have to find it before it draws attention to the magical world, and before it kills again. Daniel’s knowledge of the supernatural world and his place within it grows with each book. Juliet McKenna is a writer at the top of her game, well versed in the folklore of the British Isles. I heartily recommend this book, though if you’ve never read any of Ms McKenna’s Green Man books, you could start at the beginning with The Green Man’s Heir. You’ll be glad you did.

Booklog 51/2023: Lois McMaster Bujold: The Warrior’s Apprentice – Vorkosiverse #3

Yet another re-reading of one of my favourite books. Miles Vorkosigan at his chaotic best. He flunks out of Military academy by breaking both legs in a rash jump on the physical test, gets sent to stay with his Betan grandmother, takes on an obsolete cargo freighter and its near obsolete jump pilot, attempts to smuggle arms into a war zone and accidentally ends up running a mercenary fleet in his alter ego personality as Admiral Miles Naismith. Miles is a great character to read about, though if he were mine in real life, I’d probably want to strangle him. The fact that he is so real to me is testament to Lois McMaster Bujold’s excellent writing. Science fiction or fantasy, I heartily recommend everything she writes. This is the third book in the Vorkosigan series. The first two are about Miles’ parents. This is the first Miles book, so it’s one of the good starting points for the whole series. Read them all. You won’t be sorry.