The StepSister Scheme by Jim C. Hines

The Stepsister Scheme 

By: Jim C. Hines






The Stepsister Scheme is a different take on the classic Cinderella story we all know.  The story we all know still happened it's just that Cinderella didn't settle down to a perfect boring princess life afterwards.  As is the case with anyone who is noticed by the mysterious powers of the universe, being special attracts attention, and much of it is bad.  This story is not what you would expect from Cinderella, but that is what makes it awesome.  The book is a fast paced adventure novel with magic, secret passages, dangerous trips to a Fairy land that is every bit as treacherous as the actual legends imply, and some princesses that kick ass.  I cant really think of anything that I didn't like about this book except that I wish it had been longer and that I had been able to put it down at times.

Skinwalker by Faith Hunter Book Review

Skinwalker 

By: Faith Hunter






Skinwalker is a fast paced paranormal adventure novel.  The book takes place in a world that is a step away from our own.  The cities and settings are almost the same as our world, with the major distinction being that Vampires, Were-Creatures, and witches are not only real but publicly acknowledged.  Faith Hunter does an excellent job of creating this world that is at once so close and so different from our own.  In particular this book explores some of the societal changes from having vampires exist in the light as it were.  For example master vampires will pay for vampire hunters to take care of rogue vampires in their territories.  Jane Yellowrock, the main Character of the story, is one of these rouge vampire hunters, and you find yourself drawn in to her own unique heritage.  She is a Skinwalker ( a native american shapeshifter) and shares her body and soul with a mountain lion known as Beast.  This allows her to hunt down rouge vampires for the bounty on their heads and survive, but not everything in this world is out in the open and she would rather her powers remain in the shadows.

Hounded(The Iron Druid Chronicles Book1) by Kevin Hearne Book Review

Endless Blue 

By: Kevin Hearne






Hounded is a funny story about an immortal Irish druid, who goes by the name of Atticus O'Sullivan, in the American Southwest.  The story has gods, monsters, talking dogs, and special herbal elixirs.  I found this book hard to put down in part because of the wit of the main character.  The other part is that the story is awesome.  You are not only introduced to the immortal irishman but an entire community of supernatural beings that he exists within.  He may be the last of the old line of druids still alive, but he has plenty of company when it comes to magical power.  The best way to describe this book is funny, and exciting.

There were a few things that bothered me about the story at first but they ended up being plot points.  Basically it was a bit unnerving the casual way that he treated most of the Celtic gods in the story, and the way they treated him in return.  The book makes it clear however that the Iron Druid, as Atticus is known, has powers that they respect.  In the story the gods and Atticus see themselves as more equals than deity and worshiper though he does keep his original faith.  Overall this is one of the best modern fantasy books that I have read recently, and I think most people would enjoy it.

Darkship Renegades by Sarah A. Hoyt Book Review

Darkship Renegades 

By: Sarah A. Hoyt






Darkship Renegades is the Sequel to Darkship Thieves, and It continues the story of Athena and Kit from the first book.  The book is a bit slow to start, but picks up speed after the first couple of chapters.  The tone of this book is a bit less nonstop action adventure, and a bit more political and technological exploration oriented than the first book was.  The social structure of both the future Earth and Eden are explored much more in depth in this book than they were in the first one.  I really got the feeling that the author was trying to emphasize the extreme freedom of Eden vs the tyranny of earth in this book.

I found a few issues with this book as opposed to the first one.  For me the first part of the book was really slogging, and Athena does some things that would be out of character for her in the first book.  My impression from the story is that the author is trying to show that she is exploring the softer side of her emotions, but in my opinion she goes a bit too far with it.  The narrative in this book is also much more political than the first book and the author is a bit heavy handed with it. Since the author does a good job of contrasting the two very different worlds the story takes place on some political discussion is required, but the story would be better if there were less time spent on political philosophy. Despite this I do recommend this book because after the first few chapters the action speeds up, and between that and the dramatic tension in the book it becomes difficult to put down.

Pyramid Power by Eric Flint and Dave Freer Book Review

Pyramid Power 

BBy: Dave Freer and Eric Flint






Pyramid Power is the sequel to Pyramid Scheme, and for the most part just as fun and lighthearted as the first book.  This one takes a look at Norse Mythology, and has fun playing with the underdogs there.  It is very entertaining with the sort of humor you would expect if you read the first book.  If you didn't read the first book I suggest you do so before finishing this review since I will probably be giving away some plot points to make my summary here make sense.  If you haven't seen the review I did for that one yet check it out here: Pyramid Scheme.   You have been warned.

Pyramid Scheme by David Freer and Eric Flint

Pyramid Scheme 

By: David Freer and Eric Flint






Pyramid Scheme is a fun and irreverent story that revolves around the myths and legends of both Greece and Ancient Egypt.  I cant really decide if this story is Fantasyish Science Fiction or Science Fictionish fantasy.  It is a little bit of both since the main protaganists end up in "Mythworlds" where there are gods, monsters, and magic but they are sent there by what amounts to an alien probe.  However you classify it though, it is a very entertaining read with clever hero's who team up with the underdogs of both Greek and Egyptian legend.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Book Review

The Lightning Thief 

By: Rick Riordan






This book is a fun ride through a landscape of Greek myths and legends in the modern world.  The Greek gods are very much alive and well, and still up to their old tricks including having children with mortals.  Most  modern people never see this world, or rather they see it but they rationalize it away.  This is helped by the fact that most demigods and monsters use the aura of awe and confusion around them to keep hidden.  The book is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and does a good job of introducing the world.  The book is intended for young adults, but anyone who can get over the fact that many of the characters are very young has a good chance of enjoying this book.