Book Review: Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold

Baen

339 pp.

 In Cryoburn, Miles is set on a mission to Kibou-daini, a world where cryo stasisis big business. Large insurance companies provide stasis for the elderly and those with incurable diseases with the promise of being awakened when the cure for the client’s disease is found A large cryo corporation is attempting to get a foot hold on Komarr. Mile’s mission is to investigate the corporation.

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Book Review: Gilded Latten Bones, by Glen Cook

Roc

361

Garrett is attempting to settle down with his fiancé Tinnie Tate, but there is a problem. Tinnie, in the pursuit of an “ordinary life” had forbidden Garrett to visit his friends, especially friends of the female persuasion. Garrett is doing his best to placate Tinnie, but his attempts do not ease the strain or Tinnie’s insecurity. In addition, most of what Garret is doing by way of business is security work for Max Weider, and does not provide much of a challenge.

Book Review: Shades of Milk and Honey, by Mary Robinette Kowal

Tor

302 pp.

  I had been looking for this book for a while,and finally tried to put it on hold at my library. Apparently, it had been hiding in the romance section. (You cannot always tell where a librarian will put a fantasy novel. They will end up in the sf/f section, the fiction section or the romance section because of “supernatural romance” novels.)

Book Review: The Collegium Chronicles: Intrigues, by Mercedes Lackey

DAW
328 pp.

In the sequel to Foundation, Mags is a little more confident in some ways, but less in other ways. His determination to do everything correctly and certain reactions to perceived hostility has caused his fellow students to believe that he’s trying to “suck up” to the teachers. There’s also a significant problem involved with him continuing to live in the room above the Companion’s stables, and resulting in stories claiming that Mags has “something wrong” with him. It’s gotten to the point where various adults are trying to engage in a little psychological pressure to get him to move into student quarters. (It does not work; Mags does not seem to be very socially aware, which causes him a lot of trouble.)

Book Review: Breaking the Wall: Five Odd Honors by Jane Lindskold

Tor

367 pp.

The previous book had some marginal successes and victories, and the possibility of something Very Big and Very Bad happening in the Orphan’s previous homeland,and they have made allies of their counterparts from the Lands Born of Smoke and Sacrifice.  Five Odd Honors begins with the discovery of the treachery of the previous Tiger, Thundering Heaven, who has managed to trick the Monkey, Bent Bamboo. He declares that he will only allow them to talk to the Monkey to ask him to join them in going back to the Lands Born of Smoke and Sacrifice if his daughter Pearl (the current Tiger) steps down from her position. The other Orphans are less than enthused by this option, and Pearl resolves the situation by having a duel with her father. (When they finally get into contact with Bent Bamboo, he is immediately agreeable to the plan, and is upset that Thundering Heaven had tricked him.

Book Review: Cruel Zinc Melodies, by Glen Cook

Roc

405pp.

In Cruel Zinc Melodies, our favorite gumshoe with a notable distaste for actually working on cases is accosted by a small horde of young well to do ladies (among them sometime girlfriend who might be something more serious than “girlfriend,” Tinnie Tate) bring him the offer of a job. Alyx Weider, the daughter of  Max Weider, the biggest brewer in town would like him to investigate a possible haunting at a very large theater the Weiders have decided to build. He takes the job after a great deal of argument, and a talk with Max Weider who believes the problem is actually vandalism or rivalry from other businesses in TunFaire.

Book Review: The Collegium Chronicles: Foundation, by Mercedes Lackey

DAW
340 pp

Foundation is the beginning of a new Valdemar series dealing with an era several hundred years before the “current” era, at the point where the education system for Heralds was beginning to change from “a mentor with a handful of Trainees” to and actual “Collegium” due to a sudden influx of Chosen. This creates quite a controversy among the active Heralds, many of whom are convinced that the “old ways” are superior to the new system.