Questioner by Steve C. Posner

Funny thing on the way to writing a review on a book whose main “villain” is an aware AI self-named as Q. I asked ChatGPT to write a five-star review on the book.  I don’t care for vanilla ice cream because I find it bland.  This was way worse than vanilla ice cream.  Any educator who read the review would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to realize it wasn’t a real review.  Now, if ChatGPT had been trained on the book, I suspect the review might have read realistically. Regardless, no self-awareness there yet as it would be anticipated a self-aware AI would want to read a book about a self-aware AI.

 

This book is a sobering, albeit fictional, megacorp who has a MMO as well as a VR legal assistant.  Think Lexis+ type software on serious steroids.  

 

A retired Federal judge is pulled into a colleague's case and discovers that all is not well in the VR legal world or the MMO gaming both being run by his old special operations partner.

 

The conflict between Felix, the friend, and the Judge is exacerbated by intentional self-centered intervention by an alluring female and a maniacal AI.

 

Questions are both posed and implied in this book as to the future of AI, its dangers and uses.

 

I’m, perhaps a naïve proponent of AI.  This book provides a wealth of thought.

 

I 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

Silver by Dylan Thyer

 

 

I don’t avoid horror, but I don’t seek it out.  This book surprised me.  I really enjoyed it.  It is difficult to tiptoe around the plot in an effort to avoid spoilers.   The story is set in a small Kansas town.  

 

Brett, Dalton, and their mother move to Mattfield, Kansas, due to marital discord.   Julia, the mom, is devastated, hurt, and retreats to her hometown to lick her emotional devastation wounds. 

 

The boys are resentful of leaving their known life and being the new kids in high school.  Events in town, precipitated by petty thieves, spiral out of control.  A wealth of characters are brought together to deal with the issues.  There is a world-renowned big-game hunter, a trouble-shooter from an ancient secret society, a Native American warrior, and the father of the boys to provide color and depth to the plot.

 

I enjoyed the book; be prepared for excitement and loss.  I recommend the 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

Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Agnes Aubert is a cat person. Her passion and avocation are to rescue every cat in Montreal.  Her cat adoption charity’s home is semi-destroyed as collateral damage from a nearby wizard duel.  The bulk of the plot is struggling to find a new home and to continue to save cats.

 Agnes’ sister, Elise, is her pragmatic associate, while Agnes herself is compulsively organized but over-empathetic with her cats.  Agnes is highly resentful of wizards in general and specifically disdainful of the Witch King, Havelock Renard.

The sisters’ search for a new home leads to confrontation with irate landlords and other shopkeepers.  The search is complicated by inadvertent contact with the Wizard King himself.

Agnes discovers help in the goal of saving cats in unusual places as well as an attitude change about the value of magic.

The endearing part of the book is Agnes's forthright approach to chaos, and her efforts to organize it.

 The book was entertaining and I 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

Masquerade in Lodi (2020) by Lois McMaster Bujold

Penric is ridden by a demon! That sounds scary.  Turns out Dez, Penric’s demon, is frequently the only thing that saves Penric’s life.  In this novella, Penric helps a young saint, subdue a rogue demon.

In my opinion, the character interaction is what defines Bujold’s books.  She crafts characters with depth and color.  Penric’s been claimed by the White God that occasionally interferes with his life.  In this venture, Desmond, Penric’s demon, primarily provides what could be called multiple personality disorder conversation.

Not a great deal of action, but excellent descriptive prose on all aspects surrounding the plot.

Bujold never disappoints, I recommend this novella. 

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

Spotlight on Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo

Hache Pueyo returns to Tordotcom with her latest dark fantasy novella set in alternate Brazil: CABARET IN FLAMES (on-sale 3/10/26). As brutal as it is beautiful, CABARET IN FLAMES is perfect for fans of Interview With the Vampire and Certain Dark Things

Guls can be brutal. Few know this better than Ariadne, who lost half her body to their appetites, but their brutality is a predictable constant amid Brazil’s political chaos. Now, she treats them in the specialized clinic she inherited from Erik Yurkov—the mentor who rescued her as a child, trained her in medicine, built her prostheses, and disappeared without a trace.

Ariadne’s routine is disturbed when Quaint knocks on her door: a charming, tattooed gul claiming to be Erik’s oldest friend. Quaint suspects foul play in Erik’s disappearance, and they soon discover Erik sought asylum at Cabaré, an infamous club in Rio de Janeiro frequented by the gul elite.

 Together, Ariadne and Quaint will unravel the conspiracy behind their friend’s disappearance, navigate the labyrinthine world of Ariadne’s memories, and discover what Erik means to them—and what they are starting to mean to each other.

Lauded as “a glittering neo-noir that reinvigorates vampire lore” in a starred review from Publishers Weekly, CABARET IN FLAMES by Hache Pueyo is not to be missed. 

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

Dog Person by Camille Pagán

This is posted here as well as on Pick of the Literate.  My reasoning is as the book's narrator is a dog, that is fantasy.  

Dog Person by Camille Pagán   

I’m annoyed, I didn’t expect to like this book, and I didn’t!  I loved the darn thing.  This is a romance novel disguised as a dog book, or that was what I expected.  It was a disgustingly sweet book about a lonely guy and his dog.

The setting is a bookstore.  Harold is the dog, and Miguel is the guy. Miguel’s wife passed away.  He is not coping well. Harold is trying to take care of his human, who isn’t terribly cooperative.   

Bookstore events, a tween, and a mysterious author combine to add complications to the story.  

It is a book about feelings, acceptance, grief, love, and understanding.

Begrudgingly, it was a wonderful book, and I highly 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 Nameless Land by Kate Elliott

 This is the sequel to the Witch Roads. 

Elen, a deputy courier in service to the Empire, is still on the road.   The road is determined by Prince Gevulin, who is plotting to take the throne. 

 The plot is filled with strange creatures, often stranger allies, and abundant mysteries.  The camaraderie and loyalty of the Wardens are admirable. Palace intrigue follows the Prince’s small party through the Pall and back.

 The story is filled with treachery and magic.  El’s nephew, Kem, who isn’t really a nephew but for all intents and purposes is her nephew, had an opportunity to grow in this book.

 Elliot crafts an adventure that is difficult to put down. 

 I really enjoyed this book and hope for a sequel.

 

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