Well, that was depressing. Which is good.

When Orson Scott Card says ""This is the golden age of fantasy, with a dozen masters doing their best work. Then along comes Ken Scholes, with his amazing clarity, power, and invention, and shows us all how it's done.... I wish all five volumes of this series were already published so I could read them now", you expect something astounding. Well, Schole's "Lamentation" almost fully lives up to Card's high praise. The writing is excellent to the point where even when you know what may happen to characters down the road since they are archetypes, you don't care, since they are written so well. What keeps the book from "New Classic" status? Well, maybe because it is a book about the destruction of a city in a world where humanity is already recovering from a whole mess of apocalypsing. Or maybe its hard to love a book so filled with scheming characters and haunted heroes. And the book's style, which involved jumping from character to character was something I found kind of jarring. But it is a book you can dive into very easily- and a strong ending that leaves you knowing a sequel is coming. Solid. 28.5/42 Richmans.

So what is it? and ... Imager #3

There's no magic involved. Aristocrats and schisms, yes. And yes, there is a faith very close to Christianity and a setting very close to western Europe. Medieval facets of life, such as a Doge and a Jewish Ghetto are part of the landscape. But no wizards, no powers- aside from talents for violence and political disaster. So, not exactly historical fiction, nor fantasy, "The Left Hand of God" by Paul Hoffman manages to be a damn fine read regardless. Given gruesome surroundings at the start, young Thomas Cale is a hero with a skill for battle- and a few other things. I'm saying nothing else about the plot here, but the writing is descriptive, with bits of narration peppering a tight and descriptive flow. Worth reading? Yes, with a firm 29/42 Richmans standing behind it.

L. E. Modesitt's "Imager" series is also set in a world that echoes medieval Europe. With this third volume, "Imager's Intrigue," our hero is thrust ever deeper into a lethal world of politics and... hey, this book is a lot like the first two. There's suspense, threats to the nation and the life of the hero Rhenn, and of course, now he's married to his long-time love. In this volume, the stakes are raised as are Rhenn's responsibilities. While perhaps not as thunderous in it's conclusion, it still is a solid read, with 28/42 Richmans. If you were a fan of the first two of the "Imager" series, this one will still be quite satisfying. Probably.

Geinies and Heven: Two bits of summer reading

First, let's be honest: Mark L. Van Name's name has got to be one of those few that gets you to look at the book twice. Wait- his name is Van Name? Really? And then there is his third entry in "Jon & Lobo" series, where interplanetary trouble keeps finding the skilled mercenary Jon, a man from the forbidden planet pinkleponker (yes, that's right). He is of course teamed up with the Lobo, the obnoxious self-aware space-craft, and once again they are blowing up everything in sight to get to the really, really bad guy in "Overthrowing Heaven." For it's blend of unusual planets, real characters, and of course, good dashes of wit, it earns 26.5/42 Richmans.

Next up: " Master of None" by first time author Sonya Bateman. A thief who is bad at what he is and a djinn who wants nothing more than to have nothing to do with said thief are the duo at the hart of this book about stealing artifacts, honor among thieves, and of course, Genies. There are some seriously creative ideas here, and a tempo that moves the book along very quickly, but things do get a bit gory. Reading it made me wish the "here's what a djinn really can do" lasted a bit longer, but others may find the book dragged in other sections. I can't put a finger on it, but something was off in this book that kept it from really wowing me. A strong first showing and worth a read at 24/42 Richmans.

Out of Print. Out of this world? Why, yes.

So, as I mentioned on vacation, Piers Anthony wrote a sci-fi series in the early 1980's that was not only a grand solar system epic but also very... adult, enough to shock most Xanth saga fans. But that 's what Bio of a Space Tyrant, a five volume series now out of print, is: grand sci-fi with adult themes- lots of politics, lots of planets, lots of space sex. What's not to like?

Used copies are worth tracking down. I'm leaving this set unrated since I read it over 20 years ago, but I remember liking it a great deal- and not just for the naughty bits. You can read a nice wiki entry about it here.

Warded Man, Desert Spear.

I walked past the book The Warded Man at least six different occasions, and each time thought "enh, maybe next time I'm at the library." Finally, I grabbed it. Peter V. Brett's book is called "The Painted Man" outside the US for some reason, but regardless of which version, it's a solid fantasy novel. Always key with good fantasy is a magical system that can be followed, but is not completely revealed (keeping it magical, if you will). Both the sequel, The Desert Spear, and the first book have such a system and the many other qualities needed in a good fantasy. Almost epic, the first book really has three stages, feeling a bit like YA reading at first, like solid YA fantasy in the middle, and shifting to an almost "Tarran Wanderer" feel for the end. The second book lags a bit when working through its secondary plot line, and the anti-hero aspects of the hero are a bit annoying, but even with those problems the book is a page-turner with plenty of oomph.

Rating for "The Warded Man" and its sequel: 33/42 and 29/42Richmans. Solid!

Well now, this sounds like fun.

I know you've read Scalzi's "Whatever" blog now and then, and his "Big Idea" posts are a real kindness to both readers (ooooh! something new!) and authors (oooooh! read my book!). Not everything posted there grabs my attention, but Discord's Apple, by Carrie Vaughn, seems to be a solid work just waiting to be consumed.

Scalzi's entry is here. The first chapter of the book is here.