72:100 Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Hugh D'Ambry has been tossed out by Roland.  Roland who commanded him and was his entire universe.  Now he doesn't know what to do with himself so he drinks to keep it from hurting as much.  Then some of his lieutenants find him and tell him that his Iron Dogs are being hunted down by the necromancers of Roland.  This is probably the only thing that could shake Hugh out of his funk and start bringing him back to a semblance of his old life.

Elara has found an abandoned sanctuary and has created a safe haven for her people.  Elara has been called The Abomination for a long time but not by those in her keeping.  She has strange powers but she uses them for their good but now there is something strange and strong coming for them and she is not strong enough to save them from it.  So when Hugh and his people come along offering protection in exchange for room and board.  To make it more believable, their people negotiate a marriage between them which is not something that Hugh and Elara would have gone for normally but needs must when the devil is coming.

Nice to get backstory on Hugh.  It doesn't really make him a sympathetic character but it makes him more understandable and this is his start at redemption.  Elara is a good new character, compassionate but takes no shit while still being able to listen and learn.  While not technically a Kate Daniels book, you do need to read it before reading Magic Triumphs.  However, it's a great installment to the series and I'm hoping we do see some more stories with Hugh and Elara.

Page count: 380p/12,801p ytd/304,817p lifetime

71:100 Prudence by Gail Carriger

Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) has lived an unusual life even among the supernatural community. The daughter of Lord Maccon (a werewolf) and Lady Alexia Maccron (soulless) and adopted daughter of Lord Akeldama (vampire) was always going to something special but even more since she is a metanatural (steals supernatural powers for a brief period turning them normal).  Lord Akeldama has been training her, of course, and has now given her a dirigible of her own which of course she promptly has painted red with black spots and named the "Spotted Custard".

Now she has a crew including her best friend Primrose, her brother Percy, and Quensel.  Primrose's entire job seems to be making sure Rue has clothes to thrown on after she has ruined her latest outfit.  Quesnel seems to be decent at keeping the engines running and flirting.  Percy makes the most sense as he taught himself to navigate, is incredibly learned, and speaks several languages.  Lord Akeldama charges Rue to go to India to see about a new tea.  However, it looks like there is much much more going on of which Rue is completely unaware.

Rue stumbles through the story, not ever really realizing what is going on around her.  While it is set in India, we see very little of that culture or the people throughout the story and what there is, is done very problematically in that it is not respectful of the culture.  I LOVED the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series but this one was just not as much fun and really was kind of a slog to get through. Some of the side characters were interesting and some of it was fun so I bumped it up to the three stars.  I'm going to read the next book and hope it gets better.


Page count: 357p/12,421p ytd/304,437p lifetime

70:100 Saga Vol. 8 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

During a violent jump, Alana was thrown against a wall and her baby has died.  They have to find a way to remove the dead child before it kills her but finding someone to perform the procedure with as far along as she is and under their fugitive conditions will not be easy.  It has also had the unexpected side effect of giving Alana some Wreath magic abilities including being able to conjure up a ghost version of their son that is visible to the whole family. Unfortunately, that may just kill her if they don't do something soon.

The Will has been kidnapped by the fiance of someone he killed and they are looking to kill everyone he ever loved before finishing him off.  It didn't take long before they found out about Gwyn, Sophie, and Lying Cat.

Prince Robot needs to get back home to Squire and after his behavior with Alana, he is left of find his own way but ends up coming back and then...

Well, you just need to read it.


Page count: 146p/12,064p ytd/304,080p lifetime

69:100 Saga Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

The ship needs fuel and the family needs a rest so they manage one last jump to a comet named Phang to try and get both while Alana continues along with her new pregnancy.  However, The March is a new freelancer trying to find them for all the different parties who want them all dead and their new home is scheduled for termination.  Now might be a good time to try and get off Phang.

The Will has reunited briefly with Gwyn and Sophie but only to try and get Lying Cat back and pick up Sophie to train her to be a freelancer like he was until he was fired but Sophie decides to stay with Gwyn and Lying Cat decides to stay with Sophie so The Will walks off into the sunset.  Pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him.

More gradual plot development in this one which was a nice change of pace after the totally action packed previous one.

Page count: 152p/11,918p ytd/303,934p lifetime

68:100 The Early Human World by Peter Robertshaw & Jill Rubalcaba

Middle-School Ancient History by Oxford Press, part of "The World In Ancient Times" series.  This is my third time reading it.  This was my previous review from 2009:

This is the first in the series of The World in Ancient Times that we are using for Matthew's Ancient History class this year and was recommended by one of his friends who is 2yrs older. I really like the format of the books. They are told in a definite story form rather than a dry "here are the facts" that so many history books do. They keep it light, interesting, and entertaining while getting the information across. They pack lots of fun little facts in which help to keep it interesting as well. I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed it and even better, so did Matthew. I think that right there is the best compliment is when the 6th grader is happy to do history when it's not normally one of his favorite subjects.

And from 2013:

Well, now I'm using it for Jonathan who is in 7th grade (we did US History for 5th & 6th since that was better for him rather than breaking it up).  He's enjoying it as much as he can any history which is about as far from his favorite subject as you can get.  I'm enjoying reading it again as there is a lot that I have forgotten since so much of it is just not something that I have to deal with in my day-to-day life.  Maybe by the time the last one reads it in a few years, I'll actually be able to retain more of it.  In the meantime, forgetting large chunks means it's a fun read when it's that time again. *big grin*

Page count: 176p/11,766p ytd/303,784p lifetime

67:100 Saga Vol. 6 by Brian Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Marko and Alana are reunited but Hazel and Klara have been taken to a detention center on Landfall.  Prince Robot has his son back but is a fugitive from his own family so is hanging out with Gus and Friendo on their planet, teaching his son the old ways.  Gwyn and Sophie have save The Will but at the cost of his sister's life for which he can't forgive them or himself. But now with her dead, the reporters who had been forced to stop working on the story of Alana, Marko, and Hazel are free to get back to it.

Alana and Marko need to get Hazel and Klara back but the only person they can think of to help them is Prince Robot.  He joins them, reluctantly, leaving his son behind with Gus.

Hazel lets her teacher know just how very special she is (being half-wing/half-horn) and her teacher understands just how much danger she is in and works out an escape plan that coincidentally, happens just as Marko, Alana, and Prince Robot show up to rescue her and Klara, but when Klara doesn't want to go, another prisoner, Petrichor, jumps through the gate.

The reporters follow the leads and end up bumping into The Will who is searching for Prince Robot to get revenge for his killing of The Stalk whom he loved.  They then lead him to the planet where Gus is watching the Princeling.

Gotta read more!

Page count: 152p/11,590p ytd/303,608p lifetime

66:100 The Wish Factor by Yasmine Galenorn

Prequel to the Bewitching Bedlam series, this is Bubba's origin story. 

Cjinn are born without knowing their name and without their magic.  As they grow, their magic does and when it is strong enough and they have control of it, they find their name.  This has yet to happen to Younger Son and he is the only one of his litter still without his name.  His mother tells him to have patience but it's so hard and now father has said they are to move to a new world.  When that happens though, what will happen to Younger Son if he does not have enough magic to know his name?

A cute little story that gives not just Bubba's origins but also more about cjinn themselves. 



Page count: 25p/11,438p ytd/303,456p lifetime