I’ve spent most of my posts on this blog talking about the art of writing but I have yet to touch on the other side of the equation – reading. I think every writer should be a voracious reader and I try to live up to that goal myself. I thought I’d take this week’s post to share my thoughts on some of what I’ve been reading over the last few days and would love to hear your thoughts on the same.
Here’s a smattering of some of the books I’ve enjoyed lately:
The Electric Church by Jeff Somers
I really enjoyed this futuristic techno-thriller about an assassin for hire working out of Old New York. There was a good deal of action and gunfire, two things I like this kind of novel, and Somers did a nice job with the world building and history behind it all. His Monks – cyborgs with human brains and enhanced robotic bodies eager to convert you to the faith – were creepy in the way that good villains always are, giving his main character, Avery Cates, a decent adversary to deal with throughout.
The Black Sun’s Daughter Series by M.L.N. Hanover
Unclean Spirits and Darker Angels
I read these books pretty much back to back and thought the main character, Jayne Heller, to be a refreshing change from a lot of the urban fantasy heroines that have appeared on the scene lately. Jayne doesn’t have it all together and she makes enough mistakes to add a nice touch of realism to a setting that is full of the same kind of creatures and arcane mysticism that inhabits my own fiction.
M.L.N Hanover is a pen name for epic fantasy writer Daniel Abraham and I give him high marks for switching genres without missing a beat. I’m looking forward to more in the series.
Street Magic by Cailtin Kittredge
A good mix of mystery and magic that brought out the dark side of London, this was my first introduction to the work of Kittredge. I knew she had written several other urban fantasy novels as part of her Nocturne City series, and I always meant to get around to reading them, so when I saw this one on the shelf I thought I’d give it a try. I was pleased with the characters and could see the larger landscape that she was starting to put together with this series opener, so I think I’ll be back for more of this one too.
