Books I’ve Read
by
Some books I’ve recently read and enjoyed! As always, none of this comes close to anything like a review, because reviewing isn’t a thing I’m good at.
Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw
Dr. Greta Helsing (yes, she’s related) specializes in treating London’s supernatural denizens–people whose safety might be at risk if most Londoners knew they existed, and who might not get any sort of healthcare otherwise. It’s not going to make her rich, and it’s difficult enough with her small practice to care for vampires, mummies, ghouls, and…other sorts of creatures, without someone going around trying to kill her patients.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and am looking forward to the next installment. You can read the first chapter here.
Ack Ack Macaque by Gareth Powell
It took me way too long to read this, but that gives you some idea of how out of control my TBR stack is. Back in 2014 I was absolutely tickled when Ack Ack Macaque tied with Ancillary Justice for the Best Novel BSFA, and I was really glad to be able to meet Gareth in person at Worldcon later that year. Now I’ve finally read this! It was a lot of fun. In the wake of WW2, France and Britain have unified–look, just go with it, ok?–and a hundred years later there are nuclear powered airships, and actual monkey Ack Ack Macaque is the central character of an amazingly popular online multiplayer game. In the non-game real world, murders and skulduggery are happening and the very survival of everyone on Earth is at stake. This book is great fun, a quick, compelling read. I’m putting the sequels on my ever-growing TBR pile.
The Course of Honour by Avoliot
Okay, this one is kind of a bonus. As in, it’s free! You can click that link and find the Download button (up there in the righthand corner) and nab a copy in your favorite ebook format. Or, you know, you can read a chapter right here on your screen, and then click on to the next at whatever pace.
I want to thank Liz Bourke for tweeting about this, because I wouldn’t have known about it otherwise, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I’ve said before that I’m not much for category romance (though I do enjoy them now and again), but the fact is I’m a sucker for a good Arranged Marriage/Fake Marriage plot. And this was a good one! Jainan was married to Prince Taam of Iskat–a marriage arranged for political reasons, and when Taam suddenly dies [ahem] accidentally, the Emperor of Iskat declares that party-loving Prince Kiem will step up. And…look, I’ll just paste in the “additional tags” here, so you’ll see what you’re getting into:
Romance, Slow Burn, Arranged Marriage, Pining, past abusive relationship, space princes, Court Politics, Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Space princes. I mean. Seriously. Give it a look, and maybe leave some kudos if you like it.
I just read The Course of Honor at your suggestion, and it is absolutely delightful! Thank you so much for pointing us at it.
Oooh, M/M arranged marriage is so much my jam.
I read a really excellent piece set in an Alt-Post-WWII-Japan on Fictionpress a few years back, but the author had abandoned it and dropped off the rader. I was terribly disappointed.
This looks excellent! And a proper length!
I was very tired at work today – based on you recommendation, I downloaded ‘The Course of Honor’ as my bedtime reading last night. I ended up reading it straight through finishing at 3.30am this morning. I want more! (In particular I was left wondering just how the society worked and how the gender of participants in a treaty marriage was determined and whether their personal preference played a role.)
I’d certainly read much more by this author if I knew of it.