Highlights and Lowlights - June 2026

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: Knot of Shadows - Bujold [Penric & Desdemona novella]

Lowlight: Claimed by Shadow - Chance [Cassie Palmer #2]

June 2026
( + - - ) Claimed by Shadow - Chance [Cassie Palmer #2]
( +++ - ) Elysium Fire - Reynolds [Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies #2]
( ++ - ) Deadline - Blackstream [Blood Trails #1]
( ++ 1/2) Out Law - Butcher [Harry Dresden novella]
( +++ ) Knot of Shadows - Bujold [Penric & Desdemona novella]
( ++ 1/2 ) The Compleat Traveler in Black - Brunner [Re-Read Project #9]


Now Reading:
Long work - Dragon - Brust [Vlad Taltos #8, Re-read Project #10]
Collection - A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol. 3 - Lee & Miller
[Liaden Universe]

===========================================
June 2026
( + - - ) Claimed by Shadow - Chance [Cassie Palmer #2]
I recently mentioned elsewhere that my problem with the first two Rachel
Caine Weather Warden books was my inability to turn off my critical
thinking and just enjoy the ride. Same thing here, but this one was
worse. Looking at my notes of Cassie Palmer #1, I was hesitant about continuing, but would give it a try eventually. Well, there I was at a
used book store, and #2 was sitting right there. This was worse than #1,
or at least repeated a lot of the same issues, including multiple book-hit-wall moments, and way too frequently making crap up on the fly
to excuse the protagonist from doing the smart thing, or the right
thing, or any sensible thing. There?s a lot here that is worth while,
but until I can learn to strengthen my WSOD and turn down my critical thinking, I?m putting this series on pause. A long pause.

( +++ - ) Elysium Fire - Reynolds [Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies #2]
This was good - almost as good as the first one, the main difference
boiling down to my own personal preferences that intensely disliked the parallel (and converging) plot involving two spoiled evil children and
their spoiled evil father and his spoiled evil plans in their spoiled
evil environment. But I digress. Otherwise, very good Reynolds, very
much in line with #1, and I will definitely read #3, which I believe is
the final volume (for now?) in this sub-series of the Revelation Space universe.

( ++ - ) Deadline - Blackstream [Blood Trails #1]
First in a series, but it appears that she had written a dozen books
before this one. I say that because there are parts of this one that
very much read like a first novel ? and it?s not. Imagine something very similar to Harry Dresden?s character and setting***, except the
protagonist is a newly-trained witch, based in rural small town Ohio,
about 100 miles south of Cleveland. This has a real kitchen-sink feel to
it, most likely because it?s first in a series. The main plotline is
resolved, and a ton of other threads are introduced. I?ll read #2 for
sure, and then decide from there.

***Yes, the author is married to Jim Butcher, but I believe this was publilshed long before they married, and quite possibly before they were seeing each other. And yes, the protagonist is living in Dresden, Ohio,
but that's a real place, and the author was living there while writing
some (or all) of this book. I didn't dig any deeper because I don't
really care.

( ++ 1/2) Out Law - Butcher [Harry Dresden novella]
Because Harry owes Marcone a big favor, Harry (and his current cronies - Valkyrie Bear & apprentice Fitz, mostly) reluctantly agrees to help one
of Marcone?s thugs redeem himself and ?go straight?. The thug (Tripp) is sincere in his intentions, but he is very ignorant and will need a lot
of help. As often happens, even with Harry being as wary as he always
is, this gets really tangled up, partly due to Tripp?s prior activities,
and partly due to his current ones (e.g. establishing a charity in his
current life (yay), but with funds illegally obtained in his prior life (oops)). And, oh yeah, of course, some of Harry?s previous enemies are
trying to kill him. Good stuff.

( +++ ) Knot of Shadows - Bujold [Penric & Desdemona novella]
Great writing, very interesting plot and characters and development (to
which, in my head, I say ?of course - it?s Bujold?). A mystery falls
into Penric?s lap when he discovers that a patient in the physician?s
temple is actually an animated corpse, anonymously possessed by
someone?s soul. In this world, that means death magic, which very much highlights the importance of whose soul is possessing/animating the
corpse, and how did they get there. Penric & his demon Des end up
entangled in many threads as they investigate this one.

( ++ 1/2 ) The Compleat Traveler in Black - Brunner [Re-Read Project #9]
?As you wish, so be it.? Thus says the Traveler, who has a singular
nature, and (usually) woe to those he utters it to. Individually, these stories are about ?be careful what you wish for?, but there is a longer
arc (which is apparent from the start), and each story is very well
done. When you read several in a row, they get a bit same-y, but
obviously, Brunner wrote these over many years. It was very enjoyable.
My copy of ?The Compleat?? is really the regular initial collection
?There Traveler in Black? plus the one additional story that came after
(?The Things That Are Gods?), which I had somewhere else.


Now Reading:
Long work - Dragon - Brust [Vlad Taltos #8, Re-read Project #10]
Collection - A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol. 3 - Lee & Miller
[Liaden Universe]

Tony

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