Friday, May 31, 2024

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 6

Changing the World (Tales of Valdemar, #5)

Changing the World edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 7 stories in this anthology.

“For Want of a Nail” by Rosemary Edghill and Denise McCune: Okay, so first, Mercedes Lackey has retconned details concerning Kordas and his sons and what actually happened during the flight from the Iron Throne in Beyond and Into the West. That’s fine, this story was written before those were and details can be fuzzy through retellings so… yep.

And there’s the Companions I was wondering about… and maybe we don’t need a third Kordas book, thanks to this story. I would have liked to see the first Companions Choosing through Kordas, but getting this Navar story was good.

Navar is interesting. Got a war of hope and experience going on where the experience takes over.

“Softly Fallen Snow” by Elizabeth A. Vaughn: Kind of adorable. Nice little overview of Elspeth the Peacemaker’s personality.

“The Last Part of the Way” by Brenda Cooper: A maudlin tale of grief. Made me tear up.

“The One Left Behind” by Mercedes Lackey: Pretty long tale of a weaver who got taken advantage of by a fake Herald and basically her revenge on him. Also a tale of a renewal of faith in Heralds and a finding of herself. Liked it well enough.

“Midwinter Gifts” by Stephanie D. Shaver: Kinda fun getting a little Leila/Wil doing a detective-thing together. Enjoyed it well enough.

“Be Careful What You Wish For” by Nancy Asire: Ehhh… not super fond of this. Mostly just back-and-forths between characters and not super interesting.

“Defending the Heart” by Kate Paulk: Was alright. The Empire seems to be breaking off into littler pieces now that magic’s all wonky.

“Matters of the Heart” by Sarah A. Hoyt: Oh yay, Garrad’s son has returned and has many issues with Ree, not least of which that Ree and Jem might be a couple. Gag me with a spoon.

Of course it all worked out in the end, and yay for representation.


Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar (Tales of Valdemar #6)

Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 5 stories from this anthology.

“Songs of a Certain Sort” by Brenda Cooper: Rhiannon rescues a group of women while suffering little herself. Nice to know Valdemar’s got some real-world problems like women trafficking to deal with - and I am being sarcastic here.

“Unintened Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: I’m very amused at the assumption that Alberich’s an executioner. This one was short and sweet.

“Otherwise Engaged” by Stephanie Shaver: Was honestly a tad confused by this one.

“Heart’s Choice” by Kate Paulk: Originally thought that was going somewhere COMPLETELY different. But hey, now we got a little queer family of humans and hobgoblins.

“Heart’s Own” by Sarah A. Hoyt: I’m enjoying the continuation of Jem and Ree’s story. Completely understand the complications of raising a little boy who’s only part human. 

In Other News

I finished an OviPets project! This one is Babydmon, a Digimon based project. This one took me exactly 5 months to complete.

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 5

No True Way (Tales of Valdemar, #8)

No True Way edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 7 stories from this anthology.

“Vixen” by Mercedes Lackey: I quite liked this one. Hadn’t thought Animal Mindspeech might be a totally separate thing from regular Mindspeech, but it makes sense. I liked Healer Vixen, too. She’s very relatable, as one who was bullied in early childhood and sometimes feels like a disappointment. Interesting to have a giant spider critter around and glad this wasn’t illustrated. Lol.

“Written in the Wind” by Jennifer Brozek: Well that was dark. Hella heartbreaking, too.

”A Brand from the Burning” by Rosemary Edghill and Rebecca Fox: Ah, the intrigues around choosing a new Pope. Oh, sorry, Son of the Sun. I knew Solaris was familiar! I remember her from later on… or a snippet from the wiki, more probably. But yay for setup.

“Weavings” by Diana L. Paxson: Joy, giant spider. Another lady who loved a Herald and essentially lost him.

“Beyond the Fires” by Louisa Swann: I liked it. Pretty cool story.

“Consequences Unforseen” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: Lady Cera settling into her new lands and learning what there is to learn about them. It was alright, if not particularly exciting.

”Spun Magic” by Kristin Schwengel: The way Stardance works magic reminds me a lot of Sandry from Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic series. I have the feeling we were supposed to see some kind of attachment formed between Stardance and her father, but there was literally nothing in the text to make me feel any sort of attachment to him or their rekindled? relationship. Honestly, the human relationships here leave much to be desired. The magic, though, is very well detailed and definitely feels like Sandry’s style to me.

 

 

Under the Vale and Other Tales of ValdemarUnder the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 6 stories from this anthology.

“Slow and Steady” by Brenda Cooper: Kinda cute. Not a whole lot of substance to it, but it’s alright.

“Fog of War” by Ben Ohlander: I feel as foggy as this title, reading this. A good chunk of it is a detailed rehashing of the Tedrel battle. Not gonna lie, I skimmed it. Danilla and Gonwyn are alright as characters. I didn’t really have interest in this story, even the parts that weren’t battle related.

“In an Instant” by Elizabeth A. Vaughn: This is on the list of things I didn’t know I needed. Selenay and Daren are just adorable. I think I like Jasen quite a lot, too.

“A Healer’s Work” by Daniel Shull: Nice little story. Nice to know Gifts have similar ways of channeling into a person.

“Heart’s Peril” by Kate Paulk: Alright little story. Meren’s slowly growing up and figuring out some abilities.

“Heart’s Place” by Sarah A. Hoyt: I’m sorry, Ree randomly knowing about law things that not even Lenar remembers is SOD breaking, even after there’s a backpedal to try to explain why that is. Ugh. Other than that, pretty standard and kinda boring, honestly.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 4

Tempest (Tales of Valdemar, #10)

Tempest edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 6 stories from this anthology.

“The Apprentice and the Stable Master” by Brenda Cooper: So, might be because I’m reading the Rhiannon and Dionne stories all at once, but… it really seems like Cooper’s fond of putting her female characters in situations with brutal men to instantly incur sympathy. We’re pretty instantly ingratiated to Marala and Kris due to Lord Daving’s habit of having his servants beaten. It’s really not a bad little story, just, ya know, I’m noticing a trend.

“Unimagined Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: A semi-cute continuation of Lady Cera’s adventures at Stonebriar.

“Dawn of a New Age” by Dylan Birtolo: This was alright. Bassyl isn’t at all in the center of things, so we don’t actually get to see Vkandis choose Solaris, but yeah. Just alright.

“Harmless as Serpents” by Rosemary Edghill and Rebecca Fox: Interesting to get a story from a Companion’s POV. So… other than that, I guess that was interesting. I’m not entirely sure how they all ended up in Iftel, of all places, but okay. Literally looked at the map and was like “What? How? How? Hokay.”

“Feathers in Flight” by Jennifer Brozek: Kinda cute. Hadara and Kitha getting used to each other and their abilities together.

“A Tangle of Truths” by Angela Penrose: Interesting little tale of intrigue.
 

 

Crucible (Tales of Valdemar, #9)Crucible edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read four stories from this anthology.

“Vexed Vixen” by Mercedes Lackey: Pretty enjoyable. Vixen is really clever with the use of her abilities.

“Unresolved Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: Basically Lady Cera’s still working through getting her lands all in order and has a triggering experience.

“Feathers in Need” by Jennifer Brozek: I think I like Hadara and Kitha. This beginning of their story was good, at least.

“Ghosts of the Past” by Angela Penrose: This one was neat. Love me some supernatural stuff.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 3

Choices (Tales of Valdemar #12)

Choices edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read five stories from this anthology.

“Woman’s Need Calls Me” by Mercedes Lackey: This one was interesting. I was not expecting trans representation, but there it was. I liked this little adventure.

“Moving On” by Diana L. Paxson: Same main character as “Weavings” from the No True Way anthology. Basically the story of how Diera and Selaine ended up going to Haven. It was alright. I knew right off “Master Abolon” was a fraud.

“Unceasing Consqeunces” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: I really enjoyed this one. Lady Cera is further dealing with Sandbriar’s issues and her own. She handled Lord Cition like a pro.

“Of Crows and Karsites” by Kristin Schwengel: I really enjoyed this one. It’s a good mix of action and a bit of sneaker-y. Liked the inclusion of a Tayledras Bond Bird and the tiny bit of Karse.

“Feathers in Deed” by Jennifer Brozek: Kind of “meh” on this one. Hadara and Kitha arrive at Bolthaven and do some stuff.
 

 

Pathways (Tales of Valdemar #11)Pathways edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 5 stories from this anthology.

“Reborn” by Jennifer Brozek: Interesting little tale of literal rebirth. Interesting and a bit funny that even Companions have a “oh, you’re not old enough yet” thing. Amused me.

“To Catch a Thief” by Mercedes Lackey: A light little mystery. Enjoyable.

“Trust Your Instincts” by Dylan Birtolo: I like getting a peek into Rethwellan. The Valdemar world is so much bigger than just Valdemar, so peeks outside are fun. Not that this is much of an actual peek; it’s more of an piecing-things-together piece. Not bad but a little depressing.

”Ordinary Miracles” by Rebecca Fox: I liked it. Nice little tale of a Karsite Kip and his cat Spot meeting a Companion inadvertently. Clearly a precurser to stuff to come.

“Patterns” by Diana L. Paxton: Another Deira tale. Spinning magic yarn protection for Haven. Interesting… little Alberich cameo here, too. I kind of hate it though. Too rushed and just… meh. The yarn element makes no sense as an actual deterrent of anything and too much like actual magic to actually work during this time period.

“Unexpected Consequences” by Elziabeth A. Vaughan: That Withen/Emerson meet cute tho. I liked this one. I like that Cera decided to distract the bandits, even if it wasn’t really needed.

Monday, May 27, 2024

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 2

Passages (Tales of Valdemar, #14)

Passages edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I only read three stories from this anthology.

“Temper” by Mercedes Lackey: Kind of a cute little tale of Kerowyn’s first couple weeks with the Skybolts. It was alright.

“Expected Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: I do believe Cera and Jebren are going to end up being an item. Nice continuation of Cera’s tale.

“Tables Turned” by Kristin Schewengel: Cute little tale of what happened in Valdemar when the k’Sheyna Heartstone’s power jumped to Haven… at least concerning one Herald.
 

 

Seasons (Tales of Valdemar, #13)Seasons edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read five stories from this anthology.

“A Midnight Clear” by Mercedes Lackey: Another cute little tale of Van and Vixen and monster spiders. I definitely noticed that “Vixen” and “A Midnight Clear” share Lackey’s exact descriptions of Kettleford and Matya’s home. Anyway, it was definitely cute. Not sure if dressing up spiders in wool makes them more or less terrifying…

“Going Home” by Louisa Swann: Liana from another short story was only 14-15?!!! Frigging Tedrels. I’m very glad she essentially got revenge on her abuser.

“Unknowable Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: Makes me happy that Emerson’s parents are accepting of who he is and of his and Withen’s (yes, spelled how it was in the original Lady Cera story he appeared in) burgeoning relationship. I also quite enjoy Xenos and Jebren as a pair. Overall a nice little continuation to Lady Cera’s tale.

“A Midwinter’s Gift” by Kristin Schwengel: About as boring as the plot of Closer to Home, what with a young lady almost ruining her reputation for some ne’er do well… but hey, new spy acquired, I guess. Not the same characters.

“One Town at a Time” by Jennifer Brozek: It’s usually a good thing to have the status quo questioned every once in a while. Not super great when it’s someone like Wendel, though. Reiterating what Heralds are essentially for, even if just among themselves, isn’t bad either. This was the first story of the anthology, too, so extra awesome time to reexplain Heralds briefly.

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Valdemar Anthologies Batch 1

Boundaries (Tales of Valdemar #15)

Boundaries edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I only read two stories from this anthology.

“The Gift of Twins” by Brenda Cooper: I liked this one alright. Untrained Bard vs Trained Bard. I doubt Lisue was evil, but yeah, definitely had issues, that one.

“Final Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: Lady Cera finally has herself all settled, with an heir and a husband. Good finish to a nice little miniseries.
 

 

Sword of Ice (Valdemar Anthologies Book 1)Sword of Ice edited by Mercedes Lackey

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I read 6 stories from this anthology.

“Sword of Ice” by Mercedes Lackey and John Yezeguielian: A pretty basic story of Savil gaining the trust of the Tayledras k’Treva clan. Not really anything deep here.

“Chance” by Mark Shepherd: I guess it was kinda cute. Not the best story but not the worst.

“A Song for No One’s Mourning” by Gary A. Braunbeck: That was… uh… a thing. Very abstract. Not sure how to feel about it.

“In the Forest of Sorrows” by John Helfers: Nice to get another adventure with Van and Yfandes. Also interesting to see how they might manifest in the forest. World-building is always fun.

“…Another Successful Attempt” by Lawrence Schimel: Herald trainee invents Polo and all the people who were butthurt about Kerball being invented in Collegium Chronicles also had a field day with this, I presume.

“Vkandis’ Own” by Ben Ohlander: Meh. Pretty much just a battle and some philosophizing involving Solaris. It was meh.

“The School Up the Hill” by Elisabeth Waters: Cute little story involving a new mage.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Owlsight (Owl Mage Trilogy, #2)

Overall, I enjoyed Owlsight. It was mostly a chill, slice of life kind of thing. We learned a lot more about Tayledras culture, got to see a wedding, and solved the looming “barbarian” problem. Speaking of… there’ll be a bit of a rant about that later. I was surprised and annoyed at the Valdemar/Tayledras side of things… but yeah. Owlsight was nice and chill.

Keisha is an introvert after my own heart. She does have a bit of “not like other girls” syndrome going on… though that could just be the neurodivergent-ness of her talking. She’s definitely that. Of course that partially turns out to be her Gift, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the entirety of her neurodivergent-ness. I like Keisha a lot.

Kind of love Keisha’s parents for pointing out to their boys that they need to learn how to take care of the house. Definitely would have liked it better if they’d been doing it from the start, but this was funnier. It’s a small thing, in the grander scheme of things, but I enjoyed it.

Finally get to see tervardi. I’d for some reason thought they used Mind Speech like the dyheli due to a lack of lips… but apparently not. Good to know.

The following paragraph is a slight spoiler. Recording for posterity: 57% in and I’m pretty dang sure Darian’s Healing Adept teacher is Firesong. Has not been revealed yet, but all signs point to him. — I was correct! It is very clear that Firesong has done some growing up since the Mage Storms. All for the better. I think I might like him better now, for all he’s not swanning around like a prat anymore.

I like that Darian’s able to give Val a realistic view of battle. Sounded like Val desperately needed a wake up call. I think anyone who reads this should take Darian’s explanation to heart, even if we’re far from the ages of swordplay being the main thrust of warfare.

Here’s that rant-y bit about the end. I find it really weird that the Valdemarans don’t try sending an envoy to the “barbarians.” They opt instead for a big show of intimidation. Seems a weird way to foster a peaceful relationship with someone. I understand the last time they encountered the “barbarians” was a bad time for all parties, but the Ghost Cat Clan are super visibly different than the last. *much sighing and head shaking* Coulda just talked to them but nooooooo. Like seriously, I’m surprised Eldan didn’t push that approach more. I also thought Kero was smarter than that. Like, come on, guys, just have Ghost Cat appoint a person to receive the language and start negotiating! Ugh!!

As the rant above implies, I was satisfied with the ending, just wish it had gone that was earlier. Other than that, I found Owlsight a pleasant read.

Favorite Lines

"People can try, but if you refuse to respond to their name for you, it's considered good manners not to persist. You know the proverb -- 'It isn't what you call me, it's what I answer to that counts.'" - Firefrost

"Someplace in the middle of nowhere -- very nice nowhere you have here, by the way. I love what you've done with the place." - Firesong

"It's when we stop feeling responsible for each other, for the people we know we can affect, that we become barbarians. " - Firesong

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman

Trick of the Light (Trickster, #1)

Trick of the Light is pretty good, if rather meandering at times. The pacing is quite quick, though the pace at which I read it probably drew out those meandering moments so it felt longer than it was. That's on me, though. I remember I really loved it on my first read. Trixa is probably my favorite of Thurman's female characters, though. So definite plus to that.

Trixa spends the entire book being jerked around by The Light and the factions that want it. She doesn't take an crap from any of them, though, which is fun. She also keeps her motivations out there, but her past close to her chest. For example: even her apparent age isn't revealed until the end. You can kind of guess, given the time frames mentioned, but yeah. Trixa's a fun mix of tough-as-nails and sensuality that's not toned down at all, which I appreciate. Completely no nonsense on both counts.

Thurman's world of angels and demons is well fleshed out. I like that both have "true forms" that don't resemble each other. Speaks to God cursing the demons with more "oomph" than just a slap on the wrist. There's also an actual explanation of the existence of peris at the end, though I won't say more than that. I liked the differences between Solomon and Eligos. Figures that demons would have as much range in personality as humans do. Oriphiel gives me some early-seasons Castiel vibes, even if he's way over what even Cas was at that point. Interesting that the angels chose to make their human forms resemble Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)... or even Pegasus (Yugi-oh).

I also won't spoil the twist -- that there is a twist is spoiled on the dang cover, don't come at me about it -- but I remember really loving it the first time. Second time, though, I think it suffers a bit from second-time-through syndrome. Couldn't exactly remember what happened or when, just that stuff did happen and I was waiting for it. It does include more lore-dumping, which I'm a sucker for, so there's that.

I really like Griffin and Zeke. They are very distinct from each other, as they should be. I came to the realization upon writing this review that what I have to say about Griffin and Zeke is too wrapped up in spoiler territory, so I won't go there. Suffice to say they fit together really nicely and I think they're cute.

Trick of the Light made a nice break from the honestly more dour Cal Leandros series. I'm trying to read these things in chronological order and Trickster definitely fits in the chronology but it's not official as to where... so publication order it is. Trick of the Light is also a really solid first book of a series. The world, though obviously already formed, is definitely different from what came before, with clear explanations as to why. I did really enjoy it, even if I didn't devour it like I did the first time.

Favorite Lines

"But there's no denying you've always liked the bad boys. Robin, for example, he couldn't keep it in his pants if an alligator was undoing the zipper." - Leo

"The dead should be dead... immediately. No hanging around snapping like ill-tempered, satanic Chihuahuas." - Trixa Iktomi

"If I want food of the damned, I'll just microwave a Hot Pocket." - Trixa Iktomi

"Excessive violence doesn't go well with the footy pajamas. It's a behavioral and fashion faux pas all rolled into one." - Eligos

"Mama said never hold a grudge against a man; hold his balls instead and yank them off. Saved the both of you time." - Trixa Iktomi

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Deathwish by Rob Thurman

Deathwish (Cal Leandros, #4)

I honestly don’t know what it was about Deathwish that made it so hard for me to get through. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, because it was enjoyable enough. I liked the addition of new characters and “critters.” I think it’s the baddies in this one that drag it down. The Auphe are attacking at random, as they do. Oshossi is doing the same for largely vague reasons. Just bleh. The stakes are there, they’re just random and mostly boring.

The difference in narration between Cal and Niko is very distinct. Niko is introspective in ways Cal is not. He’s very, very insular. He expects everyone but Cal, it seems, to live up to his ideals of trust. I very much agree that Cherish, at least, was a huge thing for Promise to have left out, but I also understand her reasons for not saying anything about her… sort of. Tell your partners about your kids, full stop.

The cat distribution system works from beyond the grave, apparently.

“Females could be Alphas, unlike in genuine wolf packs.” -Niko - So… we talking wolves don’t actually have Alphas or being stupid about gender in the Alpha BS way? Cuz… dumb, either way. The “Alpha” pair lead the pack, not just one or the other in genuine wolf packs. I will harp on this until the end of time. That “Alpha, Beta” BS is BS.

Seamus has got a case of the friendzone apparently. Well, he’s also Promise’s Ex, so there’s some of that mixed in there. Fun times all around. In comes Cherish, to shake things up between Niko and Promise more. It doesn’t quite track to me that Promise wouldn’t have told Niko about Cherish, but… ehhhhh. Promise has been a bit too perfect up until now.

I like the addition of the Vigil. It’s always nice to have some kind of in-the-know human organization doing something to keep the supernatural community secret from the masses in these kinds of worlds.

Honestly, Deathwish is very introspective. Shit happens that makes the Leandros boys examine their lives and their relationships with the people they’ve let in. Both Niko and Cal relive memories from what passed as their childhood. It’s mostly whatever, though. We’ve always known things weren’t great, but now we have details.

I think I’m overall satisfied with how Deathwish ended, however… it took a while ending. Deathwish really feels like it wants to be the last book in the series with how long it took to properly end and how much it tied up. Definitely not my favorite book of the series, not by a long shot.

Favorite Lines

"But there's no such thing as the best. There's good enough, though. Sometimes." - Cal Leandros

"Death by Auphe or MSG; both are too hideous to contemplate." - Robin Goodfellow

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Owlflight (Owl Mage Trilogy, #1)

Compared to other Valdemar books, Owlflight takes place over a relatively short amount of time. Just a couple of weeks, as opposed to the months of the others. This is by no means a bad thing, and I think helps with the character work a lot. There is a lot of focus on Darian and the trauma and recovery he goes through. I enjoyed the journey.

Just noticing that Mercedes Lackey’s orphan characters never seem to end up in families that want them. They always have some form of “you’re lucky we’re providing for you” attached to them. First Mags, then Skif, and now Darian.

I like getting the perspective on how dyheli think. There’s definitely a distinct way of seeing the world than humans don’t have, which is good. Dyheli aren’t human and live differently than we do. In fact, having more perspective on dyheli is pretty awesome. I’ve been waiting for dyheli and tervadi to be more fleshed out for a while.

I did like that everyone in the Tayledras mini-Vale treated Darian like a person and not just “a child.” He’s clearly more mature than other children his age, if the children from Errold’s Grove were anything to go by. He deserved to be treated that way and I was happy to see it. He was given tasks that were important but useful and not just an excuse to get him out of the way.

Anyway, I liked Owlflight. It’s definitely a lot smaller story than most of the Valdemar books are. It’s good to have a perspective other than the “global” ones seen in the other books.

Favorite Lines

"Half of being clever is making certain you are not being stupid." - Shin'a'in proverb

     "If someone cooks food I do not care for and offers it to me when they know I am not hungry, should I be grateful to them?"
     "Some people would think so," Darian replied, but his spirits seemed a little higher.
     He shrugged. "Then some people are foolish, and that is their problem, not mine, not should it be yours." - Snowfire k'Vala

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Madhouse by Rob Thurman

Madhouse (Cal Leandros, #3)

I literally had zero clue as to what was going on in the first chapter. The Black Annis critters apparently ate the Lamia the boys were there to negotiate for… but then where do the fish people come in? What? I’m so confused. Literally just the first chapter and largely not relevant to the rest of the book, but still.

I do love me a universe populated with all sorts of paranormal/mythological/preternatural “critters.” This book does not disappoint in that regard. Madhouse actually leans more into the folklore/legends than the types of “critters,” which I also appreciate. I did look up Sawney’s legend this time around and it’s pretty much what Robin tells Cal and Niko.

That first Sawney fight grabbed me and wouldn’t let go until Niko stepped in. So captivating. Not gonna lie, my brain spaced a lot during the rest of the fight scenes. But that first one… chef’s kiss.

Cal’s coming to grips with actually having more people to care about than just Niko is interesting. I like his relationship with Promise, it’s kinda cute. Robin’s relationship with the boys is also fun. Part brotherly, part fatherly, part dirty-uncle. Dunno what he was thinking with the water nymph, though… that was just silly.

Robin’s whole thing this book is interesting, especially how it turns out. I knew it had something to do with his former god-hood, but I’d completely forgotten what exactly the issue was. I do have to say though, those people are frigging insane to have persisted as long as they did… seriously. I mean… I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised, given how long-lived our religions are, but still… crazy.

Madhouse was, I think, largely a lot of running around. Parts were fun, but I felt like it did meander a bit longer than needed. Altogether, quite good, but definitely not my favorite. 

Favorite Lines

"Demons are everywhere. They're us." - Cal Leandros

"Sunup is not morning. It's hell and not fit for any human being..." - Cal Leandros