Highlights and Lowlights - January 2026

I am slow getting this out - February has been very busy. Still
pondering if/how to change things up for this monthly report moving
forward, but for now, same old same old (mostly). Moving on?

Books are rated using a very primitive rating system:
?+? are good, and more ?+? are better
?-? are not good, and more ?-? are worse

I?m happy to answer questions about anything here.

Highlight: Twelve Months - Butcher [Harry Dresden #18]

Lowlight: The Lies Arcana - Stewart [Starship?s Mage #17]

January 2026
( +++ ) Twelve Months - Butcher [Harry Dresden #18]
( ++ 1/2 ) The Year of the Quiet Sun - Tucker
( ++ - ) The Lies Arcana - Stewart [Starship?s Mage #17]
( ++ 1/2 - ) A Judgement of Powers - Jacka [Inheritance of Magic #3]
( ++ 1/2 ) Brigands & Breadknives - Baldree [Legends & Lattes #3]
( +++ ) Carousel Sun - Lee [Archer?s Beach #2]

Now Reading:
Long work - The Dragon Never Sleeps - Cook [Re-read Project #5]
Collection - A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol 4 - Lee & Miller

===========================================
January 2026
( +++ ) Twelve Months - Butcher [Harry Dresden #18]
Nice to read Harry Dresden again. This one is similar to the rest, with
one exception:
This one covers a time span of 12 months, while Harry slowly pulls out
of PTSD and depression following the battle that took up most of the
previous book. It?s well done; it?s not all depression all the time;
important things happen along the way. A lot of them. As Harry gets
pulled ever-deeper into Mab?s plans, he also makes progress on many
fronts. Here?s hoping #19 comes out within the next year or two.

( ++ 1/2 ) The Year of the Quiet Sun - Tucker
****Very special thanks to the rasfw participant who sent me their copy
of this book. Much appreciated.
Interesting time travel story focused on 3 protagonists and the current political scene (national and international). Government-funded
researchers created a device that can take one person into the future,
where they can spend 50 hours, and then return to the present 61 seconds
later than they left. This is thoughtful, well-written, and ? along the
way ? the author?s literary deconstruction/explanation of an ancient
text translated by a protagonist was really well done. Not surprisingly,
it?s a bit dated (published 1970), but not horribly so.

( ++ - ) The Lies Arcana - Stewart [Starship?s Mage #17]
Completely focused on Ambassador Connor O?Hannagain and spyship pilot
Mike Kelzin. There?s zero Roslyn here (even after the situation she was
in the middle of at the end of the previous book), and very little
Damien. And nearly this entire book was about diplomacy and a stealth reconnaissance mission, with a battle tossed in at the end. Yawn.

( ++ 1/2 - ) A Judgement of Powers - Jacka [Inheritance of Magic #3]
( ++ 1/2 ) Brigands & Breadknives - Baldree [Legends & Lattes #3]
The above are two books I read in January 2026. I can say more about
them if someone is curious. I anticipate reading the next book in both
series.

( +++ ) Carousel Sun - Lee [Archer?s Beach #2]
This picks up a few weeks after #1, with Kate Archer getting the
carousel ready for Early Season at the amusement park, and also fretting
about her wakened-and-thriving Gran, her returned-but-weak mother, and
her friend-maybe-more Borgan, who is missing, but who is hopefully
healing in the sea. In addition to these worries, Kate is also trying to
adapt to her new powers and to her role as guardian of Archer?s Beach. I
will read the next entry.

Now Reading:
Long work - The Dragon Never Sleeps - Cook [Re-read Project #5]
Collection - A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol 4 - Lee & Miller

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 3/3/26 12:08 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

In article <10nqe6a$1v6f9$1@dont-email.me>,
Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:

Highlights and Lowlights - January 2026

Thanks for this!

And thank you for yours - not only do I enjoy them, I've also found new
things to read from them.

I was waiting to get my thouhts on the Butcher down
before responding.

===========================================
January 2026
( +++ ) Twelve Months - Butcher [Harry Dresden #18]
Nice to read Harry Dresden again. This one is similar to the rest, with
one exception:
This one covers a time span of 12 months, while Harry slowly pulls out
of PTSD and depression following the battle that took up most of the
previous book. It?s well done; it?s not all depression all the time;
important things happen along the way. A lot of them. As Harry gets
pulled ever-deeper into Mab?s plans, he also makes progress on many
fronts. Here?s hoping #19 comes out within the next year or two.

I agree. I was afraid at first that it would be too much Mopey Harry
(the way we got too much Mopey Valkyrie over in Skulduggery Pleasant), but Butcher pulls off something that comes across as realistic without
wallowing in it.

Yeah, I was initially concerned that we would have way too much angsty
mopey Harry, but that was not the case. Really well done by Butcher.

( ++ 1/2 ) The Year of the Quiet Sun - Tucker

This is something I have always meant to get to someday. That's
still the case...

( ++ - ) The Lies Arcana - Stewart [Starship?s Mage #17]

I plan to get back to his Duchy Of Terry series at some point

It's funny - your reviews of Duchy led me to start the Starship's Mage
series. But I haven't read any Duchy of Terra (yet).

which
I left off at everybody about to die. It's enjoyable though comically
woke at times.

Yeah, that happens in places in Starship's Mage series too.

( ++ 1/2 - ) A Judgement of Powers - Jacka [Inheritance of Magic #3]

Somehow I was unaware that Jacka had started a new series. I really
liked Alex Varus, I will have to check it out.

To Jacka's credit (and skill), this has a different feel from the Verus
books. And it's coming along nicely - looking forward to the next one.
By the way, the minus in my rating isn't of the troubling sort: the
young protagonist tends to over-react to certain specific authority
figures (who, to be fair, are massive jerks so far), when he would learn
far more if he would just shut up and listen. That's surely by Jacka's
design, and I'm fully expecting the protagonist will get better at it.

( +++ ) Carousel Sun - Lee [Archer?s Beach #2]

Another series I keep meaning to try.

It's good. Not Liaden-good, of course, but good.

Now Reading:
Long work - The Dragon Never Sleeps - Cook [Re-read Project #5]
Collection - A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol 4 - Lee & Miller

Don't know the Cook, but the Lee & Miller is good as usual.

I was impressed (again) with the Cook, and the Lee & Miller was great.
Tony, who is once again behind on getting a monthly summary posted



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)