The Witch Roads by Kate Elliot

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliot 

  

This is the beginning of a series, and it looks to be a real winner.  In a world of Pall and Spore, El is trying to keep Kem alive and well.   El is a Courier which means she travels the countryside delivering messages and watching for Spore.   She and Kem overnight in a set of Spires.  The Spires are towers that can be found elsewhere but the ones El overnights in are the most complete she knows of.  These specific Spires have an array of statues that may contain a Haunt and that is where the fun begins.  

 

Elliot is unsurpassed in her world creation.  She populates it with interesting and complex characters. The set is carefully staged to draw you into and immerse you in the carefully crafted plot.   There is abundant action along with thought-provoking scenarios.  

 

I highly recommend the book and can’t wait for the next volume.  

 

 

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Boundary by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor

Boundary, Second Edition (Boundary Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Eric Flint (Author), Ryk E. Spoor (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars   (27) 3.9 on Goodreads 1,688 ratings

Now with new prose material and art!

Paradigms Shift, Worlds Collide!

A daring and resourceful paleontologist uncovers something at the infamous K-T boundary marking the end of dinosaurs in the fossil record – something big, dangerous, and absolutely, categorically impossible. It’s a find that will catapult her to the Martian moon Phobos, then down to the crater-pocked desert of the Red Planet itself. For this mild-mannered fossil hunter may just have become Earth’s first practicing xenobiologist!

A new hard SF thriller from best-selling alternate history master Eric Flint and ace game designer Ryk E. Spoor.

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Sub-Majer’s Challenge by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Once again, Alyiakal, succeeds when carefully maneuvered into situations that are designed to see that he fails.   An ethics-driven officer in a country led by a consortium of unethical leaders, Alyiakal’s successes are startling to all of his foes and accepted as normal by his consort, Saelora.

In a male-dominated society where misogyny is accepted as normal, Alyiakal, supports Saelora in her decidedly non-feminine pursuits in trade.  This support leads to a bond that transcends normality, especially when Saelora and Alyiakal discover secrets from Alyiakal’s past.

Modesitt crafts a detailed and believable world in all his series.  The Saga of Recluce comprises twenty-five volumes, spanning from 1991 to the present.  It is well worth your time to read all of Modesitt’s work.

I highly recommend this book. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Limits of Power (Legend of Paksenarrion Book 4) by Elizabeth Moon

Limits of Power (Legend of Paksenarrion Book 4) by Elizabeth Moon 

 4.6 out of 5 stars   (1,419) 

4.2 on Goodreads

 An excellent series but I highly recommend reading them in order for them to make sense.

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Elizabeth Moon is back with the fourth adventure in her bestselling fantasy epic. Moon brilliantly weaves a colorful tapestry of action, betrayal, love, and magic set in a richly imagined world that stands alongside those of such fantasy masters as George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb.
 
The unthinkable has occurred in the kingdom of Lyonya. The queen of the Elves—known as the Lady—is dead, murdered by former elves twisted by dark powers. Now the Lady’s half-elven grandson must heal the mistrust between elf and human before their enemies strike again. Yet as he struggles to make ready for an attack, an even greater threat looms across the Eight Kingdoms.
 
Throughout the north, magic is reappearing after centuries of absence, emerging without warning in family after family—rich and poor alike. In some areas, the religious strictures against magery remain in place, and fanatical followers are stamping out magery by killing whoever displays the merest sign of it—even children. And as unrest spreads, one very determined traitor works to undo any effort at peace—no matter how many lives it costs. With the future hanging in the balance, it is only the dedication of a few resolute heroes who can turn the tides . . . if they can survive.

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Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon

Echoes of Betrayal

Paladin's Legacy Hardcover 

February 21, 2012
by Elizabeth Moon 






4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,088)

4.2 on Goodreads

3,355 ratings

Book 3 of 5: Paladin's Legacy

Editors' pickBest Science Fiction & Fantasy

Available in Hardcover, Paper and Kindle

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I will admit it, I am a fan of this series.  In fact, I haven't read an Elizabeth Moon book I haven't truly enjoyed.  She keeps you alert and awake as you read.   This third book in the series leaves you hanging on the cliff.  The beauty of reading a series that is this old is that you don't have to wait years for the results of the cliff hanger.  You just buy the entire series and can sate your fantasy appetite in one beautiful orgy of consumption.  The books are that good. 

The action continues fast and furious in this third installment of Elizabeth Moon’s celebrated return to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter. This award-winning author has firsthand military experience and an imagination that knows no bounds. Combine those qualities with an ability to craft flesh-and-blood characters, and the result is the kind of speculative fiction that engages both heart and mind.

All is not well in the Eight Kingdoms. In Lyonya, King Kieri is about to celebrate marriage to his beloved, the half-elf Arian. But uncanny whispers from the spirits of his ancestors continue to warn of treachery and murder. A finger of suspicion has been pointed toward his grandmother, the queen of the Ladysforest elves, and that suspicion has only intensified with time and the Lady’s inexplicable behavior. Clearly, she is hiding something. But what? And why?

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, the young king Mikeli must grapple with unrest among his own nobility over his controversial decision to grant the title and estates of a traitorous magelord to a Verrakaien who not only possesses the forbidden magic but is a woman besides: Dorrin, once one of Kieri’s most trusted captains. When renegade Verrakaien attack two of Dorrin’s squires, suspicion and prejudice combine to place Dorrin’s life at risk—and the king’s claim to the throne in peril.

But even greater danger is looming. The wild offspring of a dragon are on the loose, sowing death and destruction and upsetting the ancient balance of power between dragonkind, humans, elves, and gnomes. A collision seems inevitable. Yet when it comes, it will be utterly unexpected—and all the more devastating for it.

If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarnedThis book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst

The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst

The core tale is the story of a cursed family driven to travel. It diverts some from the original curse, but that is the core. I found the flashback viewpoints somewhat confusing. I got used to them, but initially, I was annoyed.  I think the main protagonist’s name is Elisa, but with all the name changes, I’m not sure.

Durst always does a good job on character development.  She creates real , and believable personalities for the characters. The story was interesting and got mor so as it wrapped up.   Little hints along the way led to the big ending revile. 

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

The Price of Freedom by Michael C. Bland

The Price of Freedom by Michael C. Bland

I started this trilogy in 2020. In my opinion, this current book didn’t have enough of a backstory.  Admittedly, I prefer to wait until an entire trilogy is out and then read them all in order.  With that said, a high-tech hijack of the United States is occurring.  Dray, his family and friends are out to stop the coup.

The author does a good job of extrapolating the future of hologram, nanotechnology, and robotics.   Sadly, he shows that ethics don’t evolve at the same pace as technology.  

This book has a wealth of action and a modicum of sorrow and portrays a potential future dominated by the wealthy.   In some ways, it is a concerning mirror to current events but since it takes several years for Bland to get a book out, I doubt that it intends to portray current events.

I enjoyed the book.

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This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned