Book review: Truth-Teller's Tale and Dream-Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn

Truth-Teller's Tale and Dream-Maker's Magic are Sharon Shinn's second and third books in the trilogy that began with Safe-Keeper's Secret. Truth is about twins (very well written mirror twins), one ends up being a Safe-Keeper and the storyteller becomes a Truth-Teller. Wonderful but slightly predictable to this veteran reader of fairy tales (I'm not saying this is a bad thing). As one reviewer quoted on the book said, readers who liked Robin McKinley's Beauty would like these. And I'd add readers who liked Patricia Wrede's Dragon fantasies, too. Cozy fantasies and comforting fairy tales with happy endings.

Dream-Maker's Magic wraps up the trilogy, with the tale of a broken boy and the girl-raised-as-a-boy narrator who cares about him. It's good but almost too heavy with Significance To Modern Society.

The world is quiet and cozy and all the world-building is behind the scenes as it generally is in fantasies. I liked these books, but it's the first one that I'll reread most often.

Recommended.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/The-Truth-Tellers-Tale-Sharon-Shinn/9780142407844-item.html?ikwid=sharon+shinn&ikwsec=Home

and

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Dream-Makers-Magic-Sharon-Shinn/9780670060702-item.html?ikwid=sharon+shinn+dream&ikwsec=Home

Book review: Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

P.D. James has written a Jane Austen sequel in which Wickham is up on murder charges for a death on the grounds of Pemberley. I am not a great fan of Austen (yes, sacrilege, I know), although I like Mansfield Park, and liked the films: both Pride and Prejudices (Colin Firth and Kiera Knightly versions, however different) and Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson) and the various Persuasions. However there is a life in Austen's characters (dislike them as I often do) that P.D. James doesn't quite seem to catch. Elizabeth and Darcy walk through this book at a remove, with caring but little spirit. I confess I ended up skipping ahead to the end to see Who Done It, because this is a Mystery first and foremost, and I prefer my mysteries to be character-driven, not plot driven. This is very plot driven.

It is, however, original and true to Austen's characters, unlike many of the other modern versions using Austen's books as a starting point.

If you like plot-driven mysteries, and adore Elizabeth and Darcy (and want to learn a lot more about Darcy's childhood and why he is who is), you'll probably like this.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Death-Comes-To-Pemberley-P-d-James/9780307362032-item.html?ikwid=death+pemberely&ikwsec=Books

Book review: Broken Blade by Kelly McCullough

Kelly McCullough wrote the fascinating Web Mythos series that wrapped up last year. This is a new series, called "A Fallen Blade Novel" that once again touches on gods and their interference in human lives. In Broken Blade, Aral is a former priest/assassin whose goddess was slain and he is now homeless and lost and working as a small time courier and thief. He's marvelous and sympathetic and you like him immediately.

Highly recommended. In fact, it's better even than the Web Mythos series and I can hardly wait until the next books emerge from McCullough's pen. Definitely get this one while you can, because you'll want it later when the next books come out and you'll wish you'd read this one.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Broken-Blade-Kelly-McCullough/9781937007089-item.html?ikwid=broken+blade&ikwsec=Books