Courting Dragons starts the King’s Fool mystery series. It’s set in the court of Henry
VIII and takes plase in the early sixteenth century. The main character, King’s fool Will Sommers, is based on a real
jester there.
This was a fairly
good book with a lot going on. The author weaved historical events and people into
the mix, in this case the courtship of Henry and Anne Boleyn, which served as a
background and occasionally took over from the murder mystery. The mystery
itself was interesting, even if the solution and motivations were rater lame,
after promises of spies and intrigue.
Historical
facts were well researched, and there were a lot of them, which made for a
heavy reading, especially in the beginning. However, I had trouble immersing
myself in the historical world. Mostly, I think, because of the first-person
narrative that constantly pulled me back to the present. The language was a bit
too contrived as well in its attempt to sound historical.
Will was an
interesting character. He could go about as he pleased, had the ear of
important persons, and could talk himself out of all kinds of situations. His
jests weren’t terribly funny though. His personal life was colourful with many
lovers, men and women alike, even if he only loved his Marion. He wasn’t much
of a sleuth, however, even though he got there in the end, but if you like
historical mysteries, give this a try.
I received
a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
City of Last Chances is the kind of fantasy I currently like best:
compact in scope yet telling a large story. Ilmar is a city occupied by Palleseen
invaders, a people obsessed with perfection, be it language, thoughts, or
behaviour. Religion or magic aren’t allowed—gods don’t
exist in their world view—and dissidents
are submitted to correction, i.e. hangings.
Unfortunately
for them, Ilmar is a messy city, with a forest that is a portal to unknown
worlds filled with monsters and protected by mysterious people; a district full
of ghosts that take over the living; many magical systems, and demons powering
the factories. There are several resistance factions waffling about, crime
lords and aristocrats that have their own ideas of how to get rid of the
occupiers, and seditious ideas spreading among the university students.
Seemingly
random events spark a revolution—or try to. People are swept into
events they have no control over, with no one knowing what’s really happening
or if these actions are wise. When the dust settles, nothing has changed.
The story
is told through a large cast of characters. Some play a greater role in the
events—or rather, are impacted more by them—some appear briefly, only to
instantly die. Many of them have their own agendas and all are powerless to
influence the world around them. Some rise above their selfishness, but no one
emerges as the hero of the day.
With such a
large cast, no one becomes the main character, which for me was the weakness of
the book. When a new character after another was introduced, with most of them
not driving the narrative in any way, it was difficult to take interest in
them. The few that reappeared several times were great, complex characters, and
the story would’ve been sharper and more impactful if the story had
concentrated only on them.
My
favourite was Yasnic, a priest and only follower of an exacting god. He starts
as a downtrodden and weak, but manages to carve out a slightly better life for
him and his god in the end—the only character with some sort of
growth arc. I could’ve read a whole book from his point of view. Other
characters were either tragic, or cunning enough to be able to return to their
earlier lives after the upheavals.
The pace
was slow. Descriptions of even minor characters are detailed, and the narrator directs
the story rather bluntly at times. Everything is duplicated. There are two
mysterious districts, two McGuffins—the revolution and a protective amulet—every character has their parallel or counterpart, and even some events,
like hangings, are repeated.
Small,
random events don’t so much cause the revolution as they give the characters a
reason to take part in it, even if it’s not in their interest. A tighter
narrative concentrating on the few main characters would’ve made a better
reading experience. But the ending was satisfying, which made up for the
slowness of the book. If you like character-driven fantasy, this is for you.
A Hard Day for a Hangover ends the great Sunshine Vicram trilogy—and all too soon. The mystery series of a small-town
serif and her family, friends, and ever-growing staff of uniquely talented deputies
has just found its legs and should really continue.
The last
book picks up a couple of days after the previous ended, with the
characters still recovering from the injuries they’d sustained. A lot is going
on from the start, but the main story revolves around a young woman who’s found
badly injured, which leads to the trace of similar cases.
It’s a dual
point of view investigation, as Sunshine’s daughter Auri adds her skills and
enthusiasm in the game. The two POVs were better balanced than in the previous
book, with neither dominating, and the mother-daughter duo worked well together.
The ongoing
issue with Levi and his uncle was concluded, though rather easily, considering
it’s been the main issue throughout the trilogy. The storyline likely fell
victim of the abrupt ending of the series and had to be given any kind of
closure.
The when-will-they
romance between Sun and Levi progressed in lightspeed too. Not that the readers
haven’t waited for it, but with a couple of more books, it could’ve progressed
more naturally. Also, Auri wasn’t given much time to digest the news of who her
father really is. In the end, there wasn’t enough room for romance. Levi
remained a distant character, more talked about by Sun than seen. He would’ve
needed his own point of view chapters to really make his story work.
There were many
great storylines left hanging too, like Quincy’s romance and the Dangerous
Daughters, both of which were just getting started. The series still has a lot going
for it and I hope the author will continue it after all. As things stand,
I enjoyed the book greatly. It was fun and the mystery was intriguing. And in
the end, it gave me the satisfying and emotional closure that I needed.
