Bea Reviews I Have Strong Opinions by Laura Anne Gilman

Publisher: Faery Cat Press
Source: Purchased
Release Date: February 15th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books* | Kobo
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Wisdom may be in holding your opinions close, but there’s definite freedom in letting them fly. I HAVE STRONG OPINIONS is a collection of twenty-five no-holds-barred rants from award-winning author Laura Anne Gilman on the everyday frustrations and irritations of life in the 21st century, from Facebook to fireworks, sex ed to snow tires.

"So, go on the journey. Buckle up. Get ready for some salt. You’re in good hands. You’re in an expert’s hands" - from the Introduction by Chuck Wendig.

Friday Memes: I Have Strong Opinions by Laura Anne Gilman

I'm participating in two Friday book memes, Book Beginnings On Fridays, hosted by Rose City Reader, and The Friday 56, hosted by Freda's Voice.

Every Friday, share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

For the Friday 56, grab a book, any book. Turn to Page 56, or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that's okay. Find a snippet, short and sweet. Post it, and add the url to your post at the link here.

Giveaway! The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman

The Cold Eye is the second book in the Devil's West trilogy and it was fantastic. The trade paperback has just been released and the author is giving away a copy to a US reader. But there's a twist! Laura Anne wanted to do something a little different so I came up with what I hope I will be something fun.

To enter, you will need to have read either The Cold Eye or the first book, Silver on the Road. Why? Well, in order to enter, you will need to write a poem, any style, or song lyrics inspired by or based on one of the books or the series so far. Pick a character, an event, an image, anything from the books that appeals or calls to you. Nor do you need to write something long, it can be short. Now, the winning entry will NOT be judged on quality. Have fun with this, don't stress. I'll use random.org to pick the winning entry. Put your work in the comments below and leave a way for me to contact you if you win.

The giveaway ends March 28th at 11:59PM Eastern time. US only. No purchase necessary. VOID where prohibited. Please read my Giveaway Policy and Privacy Policy. The winning comment will be chosen by random.org.

Go wild! Have fun!

Blurb ~

In the anticipated sequel to Silver on the Road, Isobel is riding circuit through the Territory as the Devil's Left Hand. But when she responds to a natural disaster, she learns the limits of her power and the growing danger of something mysterious that is threatening not just her life, but the whole Territory.

Isobel is the left hand of the old man of the Territory, the Boss—better known as the Devil. Along with her mentor, Gabriel, she is traveling circuit through Flood to represent the power of the Devil and uphold the agreement he made with the people to protect them. Here in the Territory, magic exists—sometimes wild and perilous.

But there is a growing danger in the bones of the land that is killing livestock, threatening souls, and weakening the power of magic. In the next installment of the Devil’s West series, Isobel and Gabriel are in over their heads as they find what’s happening and try to stop the people behind it before it unravels the Territory.

Early Review: The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman

Series: The Devil's West #2
Publisher: Saga Press
Source: the author and the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 10th, 2017
Challenges: Finishing the Series Reading Challenge | NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

In the anticipated sequel to Silver on the Road, Isobel is riding circuit through the Territory as the Devil's Left Hand. But when she responds to a natural disaster, she learns the limits of her power and the growing danger of something mysterious that is threatening not just her life, but the whole Territory.

Isobel is the left hand of the old man of the Territory, the Boss—better known as the Devil. Along with her mentor, Gabriel, she is traveling circuit through Flood to represent the power of the Devil and uphold the agreement he made with the people to protect them. Here in the Territory, magic exists—sometimes wild and perilous.

But there is a growing danger in the bones of the land that is killing livestock, threatening souls, and weakening the power of magic. In the next installment of the Devil’s West series, Isobel and Gabriel are in over their heads as they find what’s happening and try to stop the people behind it before it unravels the Territory. (less)

Excerpt: Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman, an Alternative History Novel

This book came out last year in hardcover and now it's releasing in paper back. I enjoyed it so much that I asked the author, Laura Anne, if I could do an excerpt. isn't that a gorgeous cover? You can check out my review here then go down and read the excerpt. Book two, "The Cold Eye", comes out in January and I'll be reviewing it in December.

Laura Anne Gilman is the author of the popular Cosa Nostradamus urban fantasy series of novels and novellas, and the Nebula award-nominated The Vineart War trilogy. Her newest project is the Devil’s West series from Saga / Simon & Schuster, beginning with 2015’s Locus-bestseller SILVER ON THE ROAD, and continuing with THE COLD EYE.

Review & Giveaway: Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman

Publisher: Saga Press
Series: The Devil's West #1
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A heroic fantasy by an award-winning author about a young woman who is trained in the art of the sinister hand of magic, but at what price?

Isobelle, upon her sixteenth birthday, makes the choice to work for the devil in his territory west of the Mississippi. But this is not the devil you know. This is a being who deals fairly with immense—but not unlimited—power, who offers opportunities to people who want to make a deal, and they always get what they deserve. But his land is a wild west that needs a human touch, and that’s where Izzy comes in. Inadvertently trained by him to see the clues in and manipulations of human desire, Izzy is raised to be his left hand and travel circuit through the territory. As we all know, where there is magic there is chaos…and death.

Interview with Laura Anne Gilman & A Giveaway

I am delighted to have author Laura Anne Gilman here today. She kindly sat down and answered some questions for me and she's giving away an ARC of her forthcoming book, "Silver on the Road". I've been reading her for years, enjoying her epic fantasy, her urban fantasy, her PNR (under the name Anna Leonard), and her mysteries (under the name L.A. Kornestsky).

By the time she was fourteen, Laura Anne Gilman knew she would be an editor, a teacher, or a writer.

By thirty, she was all three. She's a little focused that way (when not being distracted by -oooh shiny!).

After fifteen years working in NY publishing, Laura Anne became a full-time writer, with more than twenty novels under her various bylines, including the SILVER ON THE ROAD, the Nebula Award-nominated Vineart War trilogy, and the 10-book, 4-novella Cosa Nostradamus series. She is also a serial short fiction writer, but her friends seem to like her anyway...

She's also the mystery writer L.A. Kornetsky.

ARC Review of "Tricks of the Trade" by Laura Anne Gilman

Publisher: Luna

Release Date: Nov. 29, 2011

 Series: #3 Paranormal Scene Investigations

Buying Links:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads): *Contains spoilers for the previous books*

WHEN MAGIC GOES WRONG, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL? 

The name’s Torres, Bonnie Torres, and I’m a paranormal scene investigator—rooting out the truth about crimes of magic. It’s dangerous and boring and scary and fascinating. Though not everyone in the Cosa Nostradamus is happy we’re around, which can make things…tricky. 


Working two cases—looking into a murder for the NYPD, and a rich man’s break-in—should be well within our abilities. But when things start getting weird in the Electric Apple, Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations is stretched to the limits, trying to keep one step ahead and out of trouble. Add in rumors of a powerful creature gunning for us and it’s not just our rep on the line this time—if we don’t solve this case, everyone will suffer.

Fortunately, around here, when the going gets weird, the weird hire us.

Teaser:

Don't look, it whispered. Go away.

I so very much dislike being manipulated. It wanted me to stay away? I'd touch it.

And yeah, I knew that was dumb. I wasn't going to mock horror-movie heroines anymore.

My Thoughts: *May contain spoilers for the previous books*

Although this book starts with two mysteries, it doesn't take long for the focus to shift to Bonnie and Venec. They are trying to deal with the Merge, each in their own ways. Bonnie, not surprisingly, favors denial; Venec is trying to control it. The Merge becomes critical to the storyline in this book and there's fallout for both Bonnie and Venec. I enjoyed seeing Bonnie and Venec deal with it and I really enjoyed that we get to spend more time in Venec's head, thus getting to know him better. I had some concerns about the Merge when it was first introduced, it has potential to be a very handy, catch all talent but Gilman isn't going that route. I'm still not convinced of Bonnie and Venec as a couple but I'm slowly warming up to it.

There's also a new pup, Lou. I was uncertain about her at first, she seemed unnecessary but Gilman proved me wrong. I could definitely get to like her. The pups have been a team now for about a year and they have really come together, they work well together professionally and personally:

If I let them, the team would ply me with drinks and do their best to console me on whatever they thought was wrong, distract me with bad jokes or horrible stories, maybe try to fix me up with someone they knew who would be perfect...and normally I'd let them, accepting their own odd ways of showing they cared. But suddenly, my skin was too raw, my nerves too exposed, and I just needed to be by myself.

 
The Roblin, a mischief imp, has come to town in the midst of their caseload. After playing tricks here and there around the city, he discovers the pups and zeroes in on several of them. At first, the pups are inclined to blow off The Roblin; he's annoying but doesn't seem to be a threat and no one is paying them to investigate or stop him. However, when he turns his attention to the pups, he begins to cause problems for them, both personally and professionally. Among other things, he gets Bonnie evicted from her apartment. While that's inconvenient, Bonnie had already discovered an apartment building that she really liked and where Wren Valere (from the Retrievers series,of which this series is a spin off) lives. Not all of The Roblin's mischief is so benign but neither was he quite the force of chaos that he was initially made out to be. To be honest, I thought that his trouble making reputation was overblown, but he does tie in to the overall storyline and helps move things along. I'd been waiting for the time lines between the two series to sync up more closely and I was very happy that we got to see Wren, however briefly. I also imagine that we'll see more of the unrest that occurs in the Retriever series. After all, that's prime breeding ground for the work that the pups do.

The Roblin is not the only new player in town. An Old One is around and involved in one of their cases. I like Gilman's use of fairy tales and fairy tale creatures. While she doesn't use any specific fairy tales in her books, she draws heavily from them for atmosphere, for ideas, and for beings. Her fey, or Fatae as she call them, are very much the fey from the old stories - tricky, sly, yet rule bound, generally not good or bad per se but different from humans in ways that we perceive as good and bad.

Gilman writes a tight story, though I would have liked to see a more definitive conclusion to the case that they are working for the NYPD.The case with the break-in was occasionally confusing as references were made to a woman who died and her son who was missing then suddenly they were both missing, no only one was missing. Gilman wasn't consistent in her descriptions of their statuses. In the end, the pups determined the actual status of both mother and son but in the meantime, there was a lot of confusion on the author's part about who was missing and who was dead. The other thing that bothered me, and it's a small niggle overall but it's one of my pet peeves, were the medical inaccuracies. There's a scene where a character is having what appears to be a seizure and a pup tries to insert their fingers in the patients mouth. Years ago, it was commonly believed that you should insert something in a seizing person's mouth to keep them from swallowing their tongue, but medical science debunked that a while ago and showed that doing so caused more harm than just leaving the mouth alone. Standard medical practice now calls for not doing anything with a seizing person's mouth, but you should turn them on their side, in case of vomiting. Something the pups failed to do. The other medical inaccuracy involved rabies shots. When a character is badly bitten by a dog, the doctors at the hospital immediately administer a rabies shot. Wrong. It's a series of shots and it is NOT routinely administered right away. First, they try to determine if the attacking animal had rabies, or if a domestic animal, has proof of a rabies vaccination. Then, the doctor and patient may start the series of shots for rabies, if there seems to be a need. Still, none of the inaccuracies affect the overall storyline; I just hate seeing inaccurate medical information, whether in a book or on screen.

Overall, it's a well done urban fantasy mystery, with good characterization, good writing, solid world building and fun, likable characters.

I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Winners of The Iron Elves & The Shattered Vine Giveaways

The winner of The Shattered Vine by Laura Anne Gilman is Leigh Ann. Congrats!

The winner of The Iron Elves Trilogy by Chris Evans is Amanda!

Congratulations to the winners. I hope you enjoy the books.

Giveaway of The Shattered Vine, Book 3 of The Vineart War Trilogy by Laura Anne Gilman

We made it! Week three of The Vineart War Trilogy, by Laura Anne Gilman. The Shattered Vine releases tomorrow, Tuesday the 18th. I reviewed it on Saturday, if you want to see my thoughts on it.

Book Blurb:

An island nation has vanished. Men of honor and magic have died unnatural deaths. Slaves flee in terror. . . . Are the silent gods beginning to speak? Or is another force at work in the Lands Vin? Laura Anne Gilman’s critically acclaimed, Nebula Award–nominated Flesh and Fire introduced a brilliantly imagined world where the grapevine—cultivated by the Vinearts who know the secrets of wine magic—holds together disparate lands. Now, confusion, violence, and terror are sweeping over the Lands Vin. And four people are at the center of a storm.

Jerzy, Vineart apprentice and former slave, was sent by his master to investigate strange happenings—and found himself the target of betrayal. Now he must set out on his own journey, to find the source of the foul taint that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. By Jerzy’s side are Ao, who lives for commerce and the art of the deal; Mahault, stoic and wise, risking death in flight from her homeland; and Kaïnam, once Named-Heir of an island principality, whose father has fallen into a magic-tangled madness that endangers them all.

These four companions will travel far from the earth and the soul of the vine, sailing along coastlines aflame with fear, confronting sea creatures summoned by darkness, and following winds imbued with malice. Their journey will take them to the very limits of the Sin Washer’s reach . . . and into a battle for the soul of the Lands Vin. For two millennia the Sin Washer’s Commandment has kept these lands in order: Those of magic shall hold no power over men and those princes of power shall hold no magic. Now, that law has given way. And a hidden force seeks the havoc of revenge.

An adventure through an unforgettable realm conjured by breathtaking imagination, Laura Anne Gilman’s saga of the Vineart War is a "dramatic, authentic, and potent" (Publishers Weekly) literary delight.

Want to win it? Follow the directions below. Sorry, it's only open to US residents.

Review of "The Shattered Vine" by Laura Anne Gilman

Publisher: Gallery


Release Date: October 18, 2011

Series: #3 The Vineart Trilogy

Buying Links:   Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

An island nation has vanished. Men of honor and magic have died unnatural deaths. Slaves flee in terror. . . . Are the silent gods beginning to speak? Or is another force at work in the Lands Vin? 

Laura Anne Gilman’s critically acclaimed, Nebula Award–nominated Flesh and Fire introduced a brilliantly imagined world where the grapevine—cultivated by the Vinearts who know the secrets of wine magic—holds together disparate lands. Now, confusion, violence, and terror are sweeping over the Lands Vin. And four people are at the center of a storm.


Jerzy, Vineart apprentice and former slave, was sent by his master to investigate strange happenings—and found himself the target of betrayal. Now he must set out on his own journey, to find the source of the foul taint that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. By Jerzy’s side are Ao, who lives for commerce and the art of the deal; Mahault, stoic and wise, risking death in flight from her homeland; and Kaïnam, once Named-Heir of an island principality, whose father has fallen into a magic-tangled madness that endangers them all.  
 
These four companions will travel far from the earth and the soul of the vine, sailing along coastlines aflame with fear, confronting sea creatures summoned by darkness, and following winds imbued with malice. Their journey will take them to the very limits of the Sin Washer’s reach . . . and into a battle for the soul of the Lands Vin. For two millennia the Sin Washer’s Commandment has kept these lands in order: Those of magic shall hold no power over men and those princes of power shall hold no magic. Now, that law has given way. And a hidden force seeks the havoc of revenge.

An adventure through an unforgettable realm conjured by breathtaking imagination, Laura Anne Gilman’s saga of the Vineart War is a "dramatic, authentic, and potent" (Publishers Weekly) literary delight.

Teaser:

It happened so fast, nobody, not even the solitaire, could react in time.

From a nearly frozen tableau, the hound released Mahault's hands and lurched forward, knocking her backward onto the flagstone floor, her head making a hard thunk as it hit. Her hands, released, came up, but even as Kainam was reaching for his blade to kill the beast, Jerzy had his hand on the hilt, stopping him. The Vineart didn't remember moving, had not taken his eyes off Mahault long enough to see the princeling move, and yet his gesture had been unerring.

My Thoughts:

I admit, I like Laura Anne Gilman's writing. I'm a big fan. She writes clearly, intelligently, with depth and a keen eye. Her characters, whether Talent (magic) workers in contemporary New York City, or magic wielding vineyard masters, feel real and are always complex. I always learn something when I read a Gilman story and they usually make me think but they are enjoyable too. 

"The Shattered Vine" is no exception. The final book in her Vineart War trilogy takes the story threads and plot lines from the first two books and gradually brings them to a thought provoking, tightly written conclusion. In the process, she looks at tradition, history, religion, magic, and politics. Few of her characters are are all good or all bad but fall everywhere in between, which helps to make them feel real. This was particularly true of the Washers, the religious group responsible for ensuring separation of magic and politics. She could have taken the lazy way and made them all evil, stupid, or incompetent and in the first book it seems she might, but she veers and instead gives them depth.

The main characters, Jerzy, Mahault, Kainam, and Ao grow and change over the course of the series and in this book we get to see who they become and how that influences the outcome of the war for the Lands Vin. We spend time in each of their heads though Ao is the one who, despite dealing with what occurred in book two, has the least page time. I missed him.The ending wasn't quite what I expected but I was mostly satisfied. Mostly because I want to know what happens next - does Kainam's family regain their kingdom? What does Mahault do, stay at House Malech or move on? How about Ao, does he return to trading? What about the Vin Lands, what happens now? I wish that we could get a wrap up story but looking at Gilman's to do list on her blog, I don't think that will happen.

The beginning was occasionally slow but the book picked up speed and built to a the climactic battle. If you like a traditionally inspired fantasy story minus faeries, elves, etc., but with an original, complex magic system; if you like a smart, well written story with depth and complexity, with characters who are both realistic and likable; if you appreciate detailed world building, then you will like this story.

I received the hardcover from the publisher for review.

Winners, Winners, Winners!

There are three winners, one for each of the giveaways.

The winner of book 2 of The Vineart Trilogy, "Weight of Stone" by Laura Anne Gilman is Traci Goodwin!

The winner of"The Kingdom of Childhood" by Rebecca Coleman is Melissa (Sat Oct 08 2011)

and, finally, the winner of the "Sleeper's Run" t-shirt is  Melissa Roma!

Congratulations everyone. I've emailed you, remember that I need to hear back from you within 72 hours or I draw a new winner.

Giveaway! Weight of Stone by Laura Anne Gilman

"Weight of Stone" is the second book in Gilman's The Vineart Trilogy. Last week I gave away book one, courtesy of Gallery Books. This week we are giving away a paperback copy of  "Weight of Stone".I'll have a review of the third and final book, The Shattered Vine, on Saturday, October 15th.

To enter, follow the directions below. Good luck!

Flesh and Fire Winner

Congratulations to Alison, rafflecopter chose her name as the winner. Please email me with your name and mailing address so I can pass the information on to the publisher. They will mail you the book.

The responses to the giveaway question were interesting. Coffee, tea, and juice predominated the answers. I love iced coffee and iced tea, I drink them all year long. I was positively giddy when Dunkin Donuts started carrying iced coffee year round. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! I'm also partial to Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino, mmmm. Really, it's more dessert than drink. :)

Stay tuned for the next giveaway, book two, "Weight of Stone". It starts on Monday October 10th.

Giveaway!! Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman

Nebula Award nominee Laura Anne Gilman’s novels of vine, earth, and deceit have been hailed as a “dramatic, authentic, and potent” (Publishers Weekly) fantasy series.  Now, with THE SHATTERED VINE: BOOK THREE OF THE VINEART WAR, releasing October 18th, two opposing forces are drawn into a duel of magic and will…

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, I am a doing a three week giveaway, one book each week. This week is a paperback copy of "Flesh and Fire", next week will be book two, "Weight of Stone", in paperback, and the third week, publication week, "The Shattered Vine", in hardcover. 

Book Blurb (from goodreads): 

From acclaimed bestselling author Laura Anne Gilman comes a unique and enthralling new story of fantasy and adventure, wine and magic, danger and hope....

Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power. 

But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft offers a hint of greater magics within — magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed. 

In Flesh and Fire, first in a spellbinding new trilogy, Laura Anne Gilman conjures a story as powerful as magic itself, as intoxicating as the finest of wines, and as timeless as the greatest legends ever told.
 

The giveaway is open until Saturday, October 8th, 2011 11:59PM EST.  

Simon & Schuster will ship the book directly to the winner. Sorry, but the giveaway is only open to US addresses.

Please read my Giveaway Policy. 

  

Good luck! 

Review of Pack of Lies by Laura Anne Gilman

Publisher: Luna
Release date: January 18, 2011
Series: #2 in the Paranormal Scene Investigators series
More Info: Amazon


Book Blurb:

My name is Bonita Torres, and eight months ago I was an unemployed college graduate without a plan. Now I'm an investigator with the Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations team of New York. Pretty awesome, right?

The Cosa Nostradamus, the magical community, isn't quick to give up its secrets, though. Not even to fellow members. Not even when it's in their best interests. So we've been busting our tails, perfecting our forensic skills, working to gain acceptance. The team's tight… but we have our quirks, too. And our Big Dog, Benjamin Venec…well, he's a special case, all right.

But we can't give up. We're needed, especially when a case comes along that threatens to pit human against fatae. But one wrong move could cost us everything we've worked for….

My Thoughts:

"Pack of Lies" begins a few months after Hard Magic; the PUPI's are hard at work training and still fighting for recognition in the Talented community. It's action packed right and grabs you from the first paragraph. I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Gilman read from the first chapter at Arisia in January and I kept hearing her voice in my head, all through the book.

The story moves quickly but doesn't short change character development. It moves fast, there is plenty of drama, but also insight into the characters, and the potential for a soul mate, one of my least fave tropes, but Gilman has a different take on it, and neither character involved is acting as if anything is written in stone.

The job this time is an attempted rape and and the damage that the would-be victim inflicts on her alleged attacker. The rape bothers Bonita on for a couple of reasons: first, she's very open and free about her sexuality, she enjoys sex and is comfortable with herself as a sexual being, and she can't understand how some people can use sex to hurt. In some respects she is a bit sheltered. For a while, she becomes paranoid around men, whether they friends or strangers, and that bothers her too. She finds herself flinching away from even casual contact with a male. By the end of the book, she has mostly worked through it and has regained her confidence. Second, it seems like a simple open-and-shut case, one that could help improve their standing with other Talents, but it quickly becomes increasingly complex. Bonnie has to overcome her natural sympathy for the victim to step back and look at the case objectively. Things start getting ugly between Talent and Fatae and they have to solve the case before things escalate even further. The story line in this book ties in with the Retriever series but it can be read independently.

The book also has some mythological beasts rarely seen in urban fantasy, but more commonly found in traditional fantasy - a unicorn (though called by a different name) and a dragon. They are two of my favorite mythological beings so I was happy that Gilman was able to incorporate them and she did it very smoothly. The unicorn, in fact, and his actions or lack thereof, is a major figure in the story.

Gilman does the unexpected all throughout the story and there are many twists and turns. The story is solid, with snappy dialogue, deft characterization, and some thought provoking looks at racial tensions, sexual assault, and the choices people make.


**This is an edited, revised version of the review that was originally published**

This eARC was provided by NetGalley.

Adventures at Arisia, part 2 Kelley Armstrong, Laura Anne Gilman & Seanan McGuire

     So when last we met, I had stopped just as Kelley, avangyline and I made plans for dinner. Now, as excited as I was about seeing Kelley and possibly spending time with her, and as awesome as the con panels sounded, Saturday was as much about spending time with avangyline and Just X as it was the other stuff. Hanging with them was first priority. avangyline was all excited and nervous about meeting Kelley. What all that means was, we were perfectly willing to blow off any and all workshops and panels for the chance to hang with one of our favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong.

     I had contacted Kelley previously on the board to ask about the possibility of getting together, thinking maybe a few minutes over a cup of coffee. At book signings and other conventions Kelley has often gotten together after hours with any attending board members and I was hopeful that would hold true for Arisia. She suggested that I catch up to her after one of her panels and we'd work something out. So when avangyline and I approached her and she asked if we had dinner plans, we were both like "Nope! We're free!" :D As I said, we were both willing to blow off any panel in favor of some Kelley time. Hmmm, that sounds a little...needy. :P I had met Kelley before and knew she was a lot of fun; avangyline had not met her. Anyway, we arranged to meet later that afternoon.

     By this time we were hungry but didn't want to pay hotel prices so Just X used his cell phone to find a Dunkin Donuts within walking distance. Once we got there we realized that South Station, which had a food court, was 2 blocks over, so we went there. While we were eating Just X had to head home to tend to the dog but he was back in time for dinner. :)

     After our meal, avangyline and I split up for different panels but agreed to meet and hunt up Kelley for dinner afterwards. (LOL, that makes us sound cannibalistic) We hooked up with Kelley and decided, for simplicity's sake, to eat in the hotel as there were three restaurants on the premises and it was frigging cold outside. (Winter in New England, blargh) The first one we tried was closed for a private party, the next had a wait and the last could take us right away. We ate there but honestly, I don't remember much about the food. Dinner was fun and relaxing; speaking just for myself it was low key, relaxed and comfortable. We chatted, discussed books (not just Kelley's) and of course, discussed writing. avangyline and Just X both write (neither is currently published) and they are part of the writers group on Kelley's board. I enjoyed sitting there, listening to them discuss problems they were having and suggestions for working out those problems, writing processes, etc.Afterwards, we took some pics then avangyline, Just X and I headed for the metro to go home.

     The next day, Sunday, the three of us got a later start to the day. I got there first (taking the easy metro route this time) and attended a very lively panel on sexuality in SF/F which quickly turned into a discussion of erotica and sex in SF/F. Although it wandered off track ocasionally, there was some good discussion. The next workshop was on retelling fairy tales and was a wonderful look at the use of fairy tales in fantasy and sci fi. avangyline arrived towards the end of it and we went to a workshop on writing reviews. The attendance was small but those of us who attended had lots to say and it was fascinating to hear the panelists talk. They were a nice mix of people who review books, movies and tv, all of whom work for a major publisher in their field. They all had different approaches, partly due to professional constraints and partly due to their own personal styles. It was fascinating and gave me lots to think about. You may see some gradual changes in how I do my reviews as I decide what to incorporate and then see what works.
 
     avangyline and I split up after this, she went for coffee and I took my pile of books off to where Kelley was signing books. I was surprised, but pleased,to see that the line was short. Kelley gave a little laugh when she saw me in line and I joked that I just couldn't stay away. As always she was pleasant and we chatted for a few minutes before I moved on so the next person could go. I wandered around the dealer area for a bit and madly texted avangyline to come rescue me before I spent all of my money. Fortunately I was able to hold onto my money until I met up with her again. Just X had arrived by now and we made plans. He went off to watch some trailers for upcoming movies and tv shows and we went to hear Laura Anne Gilman read from her newest book, released just this week.

     As we walked into the signing, we were talking about possibly going to a book release party which was scheduled to start during the reading. We joked about sitting near the door and one of the authors scheduled to read gently ragged on us for planning to duck out. It was a small group in attendance in a small room so there was no sneaking out. :P Gilman also teased about us about planning to escape so we chose seats far away from the door :D Despite having a cold, Gilman did a very nice job of reading and I appreciated the sneak peak at the book. All of the authors did a nice job of reading and we ended up staying for the whole thing.

     By now it was almost eight in the evening and we were starting to drag. However, next on our agenda was the comedy team of Seanan McGuire and Cat Valente. Ok, ok, technically they are authors not a comedy team. However, they are very good friends and when together have a schtick they do; it's a free for all question and answer period, fopr adults only. Here's the description from the program: "

Seanan McGuire Talks With Catherynne Valente — 1hr 15min — Burroughs (3E)

Seanan McGuire and Catherynne M. Valente bring their popular Q & A show to Arisia! It's like "An Evening With Kevin Smith", with twice the fantasy authors and ten times the random literary references. You bring the questions and these authors of fantasy and horror will bring their wit and banter for this off-the-cuff, take-no-prisoners monster of spec fic punk rock snarkapalooza. Warning: will contain adult language, adult concepts, concepts, language, and very odd people. Seanan McGuire, Catherynne M. Valente"

The description did not do it justice. They are two incredibly funny, snarky, smart-mouthed ladies who seemed willing to tackle anything. When avangyline and I walked in, I almost crashed into avangyline as she stopped suddenly upon seeing Kelley Armstrong in the audience. When I saw her, I got all embarrassed and silly. I had joked earlier about "stalking " Kelley at the con but seeing her there made me feel as if we really were! As we stood at the back, trying to hide behind each other, Kelley saw us and gestured for us to some sit with her. Despite our embarrassment, we did. Towards the end of the show, someone asked Seanan and Cat to list their 5 favorite authors. Seanan named Kelley as one. :) I looked at Kelley but her face was unreadable. After Cat and Seanan were done, we said goodbyes again and avangyline, Just X, and I headed out to go home.

    Overall, I really enjoyed Arisia. It had so much to offer, there really was something for everyone. Just X, avangyline and I have tentative plans to go again next year but rent a room together at the hotel so we can fully partake of the offerings. Kelley won't be there but I think we'd have fun anyway.

Adventures at Arisia with Kelley Armstrong Part 1 Saturday

     I enjoy fantasy, and the occasional sci-fi.  I'm a long-time Star Trek fan, I watched it as a very little girl and have watched all of it's incarnations. I started attending SF/F conventions in college, primarily because of my interest in ST. Over the years, I've attended eensy weensy itty bitty ones and lots of medium-sized ones. Arisia is neither of those. It's  huge. It also is near me, in Boston MA in the US so when one of my very favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong, posted that she would be attending as the Guest of Honor, I immediately went to their site. Now, I found their site a nuisance to navigate; it took me several tries and multiple clicks on what looked like the right links to find the information on cost and registration. Now, in my opinion, that is very basic info and should be plainly and clearly posted. I ended up finding it with the help of another Kelley Armstrong board member, avangyline. Now avangyline happens to live in the Boston area also, though we'd never met. We chatted and made tentative plans to get together at the con if we both ended up going. So, last week we spoke and made plans to go on opening night, Friday night. Here in the US, it was a three-day weekend due to the Monday holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and the con was running from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon. We ended up going Saturday, not Friday which worked well for me as I wasn't feeling well.

     So, during the week last week, I looked at their site, trying to see what the schedule was, what panels and workshops there were, etc. Again, this information is buried; you click on one link which takes you to another link which takes you to another and eventually you get what you are looking for. Now, the website for the 2011 Arisia is very large and contains a lot of information. Unfortunately, you have to work at finding the information that you want or need. It was kind of like a treasure hunt. Since I have limited computer and internet access, a treasure hunt was NOT what I needed. Nonetheless, I finally found both the schedule and the program descriptions and began plotting what to attend. I found myslef in serious want of quick and easy cloning as just about every time frame had at least two panels or workshops that I wanted to attend; there was one time period where there were FOUR that I wanted to attend **cries**. They also had some workshops that started late at night, at 11PM. That struck me as odd until it occurred to me that the con was being held at a hotel and it was the hotel that they'd arranged for discounts for attendees who stayed there. Then it made perfect sense.

     I didn't attend any of the late night ones, although there were several that I wanted. Although I live within driving distance, I hate driving in Boston. I was going to take public transpo, primarily the metro. Because I was doing public transpo, I had to work within their time constraints.  Then I looked at the site, and compared their driving directions to their metro directions and decided to chance driving. Arisia folks - next time, have a local write up the directions, ok? Please? And it if it was a local who wrote them this year, shoot them ASAP. I naturally made a wrong turn driving in but accidentally found myself at South Station, which I recalled from the directions as being a hop, skip and a jump from the hotel so I parked.

     The site directions said that South Station was within walking distance of the hotel so I activated my cell phone's GPS system. Yeah, that didn't work so well. :P It kept telling me to go to the street that I was already on and when I would walk down that street, the street the hotel was on (if I could just find it!), it would tell me, snarkily, that it was re-calculating my route. I surrendered, went back to South Station, and took the T to the hotel. Sigh. As I was waiting for my train, I looked at the metro map and discovered that my initial plan was in fact the better one. The T directions were a whole lot less complicated than the Arisia site had said and it would have been basically a straight shot for me. Double sigh.

      Eventually I arrived. avangyline and I had been texting each other throughout the morning and we found each other fairly quickly., Her husband, Just X, also a Kelley board member, was there too. avangyline and I squealed and hugged; Just X and I said "hello". :D 

     After the greetings, we sorted out what we wanted to attend. Never a cloning machine around when you need one. :P Just X wandered off and avangyline and I went to a panel on vampires and sexuality. Kelley was on the panel. It wasn't bad but I found myself checking my email during it. Afterwards, we spoke to Kelley and made arrangements to meet for dinner that night. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm, I have talked way more than I expected and I need to head out so, To Be Continued! :D