Book Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Series: Liaden Universe Constellation
Publication: Baen Books (May 5, 2026)

Description: A constellation of shining stories set in the vastly diverse space opera world of the Liaden series

The sixth Constellation collects eleven stories set in Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s vast, versatile, and beloved Liaden Universe®. Themes range from military to western to found family, and include discovery stories and novel outtakes. All showcase Lee and Miller’s deft touch with characterization and their acclaimed world-building skill. Also included in this volume is the text of Sharon Lee’s speech accepting the Robert A. Heinlein Award for outstanding published works in science fiction literature, which was presented at the 59th Baltimore Science Fiction Convention.

Stories included in this collection are: “Standing Orders,” “Gadreel’s Folly,” “The Last Train to Clarkesville,” “Wise Child,” “Songs of the Fathers,” “From Every Storm a Rainbow,” “Our Lady of Benevolence,” “Chimera,” “Neutral Ground,” “Mother’s Love,” and “Core Values,” plus a foreword from the author, original to this volume.

My Thoughts: This sixth collection of Liaden stories includes mostly stories written in 2025. However, Chimera was published on Baen.com in 2015 and then just slipped through the cracks. Wise Child and Standing Orders were published in 2016 and 2021 but never collected in earlier constellations.

These stores all fit into the Liaden Universe though some like The Last Train to Clarksville are really out there and nowhere close to the main lines of the novels. Clarksville is the authors' take on a Western complete with animals that are the equivalent of buffalo and beef cattle. It even includes a posse chasing after the hero who manages to rescue two sweet young things when their vehicle is stuck on a train track with the train coming. 

A number of the stories are what is known as origin stories. One is Tollance Berik-Jones's story as he manages to escape from the Lyre Institute one more time. His job is to mentor self-aware machine intelligences. He appears in a few of the later mainline novels. A second origin story is that of Geritsi slentAlin who is one of the Haosa on Colemeno. 

Two of the stories give different takes on Torin and Vaiza Xinrood who are orphans sent from Civilization to the Haosa to get them out of the way. Neither story is canon since there is still a third telling of Torin and Viaza's story in one of the Colemeno books. 

Perhaps the story I enjoyed the most was the one that told what happened to Lomar Fasholt and her family after they were forced to flee from their home world. We first met her in one of the very earliest Liaden books because she was a trade partner with Shan yos'Galan before the Department of the Interior totally disrupted things for Clan Korval.

All in all, the stories were engaging and good at filling in some blank spots or exploring new settings within the Liaden Universe. 

I bought this one May 10. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Challenges by David Weber

Challenges
Author: David Weber et al.
Series: Honor Harrington - Worlds of Honor (Book 8)
Publication: Baen Books (November 4, 2025)

Description: THE HOTTEST MILITARY SCIENCE FICTION SERIES OF ALL TIME CONTINUES WITH A COLLECTION OF TALES SET IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE STAR KINGDOM OF DAVID WEBER’S NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING HONORVERSE

In Honor Harrington’s day, the Star Kingdom of Manticore is the wealthiest star nation on a per capita basis in the entire galaxy. It is home to magnificent cities. Its planets’ oceans and seas—and skies—are open to its people, yet they have maintained the beauty and the magnificence of their natural habitats.

But that was not always true. Pioneers, especially interstellar pioneers, must be tough, smart, and self-reliant, and the people who built the Star Kingdom knew that. They prepared carefully for their enormous voyage, incorporated every measure they could think of, and even so, their new worlds did their best to kill them all. They very nearly succeeded, as the Plague Years pushed the human interlopers to the very brink of survival, forcing them to grow and change in ways they never could have anticipated.

In the process, they became the people who could one day produce Honor Harrington, Elizabeth Winton, and the remarkable people willing to stand in the path of the People’s Republic of Haven’s insatiable advance . . . and then to ally with the Republic, when both of them learned who their true enemy was. In many ways, that fortitude was the inevitable result of a star nation that learned early on that what truly matters is the way one faces the challenges the universe throws at one.These are the stories of people who learned that lesson, and met—and triumphed—over every challenge of their new homes.

All original stories by: David Weber, Marisa Wolf, Jacob Holo, Dan Butler, Thomas Pope, and Jane Lindskold.

My Thoughts: This eighth collection in the Worlds of Honor series includes five stories by a variety of authors who play around in the world created by David Weber including Weber himself.

One Controllable Step by Marisa Wolf -- In the very earliest years of settlement on Manticore a plague nearly wipes out the population. This is the story of some of the doctors sent from the planet of Beowulf who need to find a cure.

Deadly Delusions by Jane Lindskold -- This story also occurs early in Manticore's history. Stephanie Harrington has bonded with her treecat and another young woman is jealous of her and wants a treecat of her own. She and her sister play dangerous pranks at a nearby research station with different goals. The older sister is angry that they fired her after getting the plant set up; the younger believes the station is interfering with her beloved treecats. 

The Great Condiment Caper by Jacob Holo and Thomas Pope -- Even the greatest heroes of Manticore's history are ensigns at one time. This is the story of Ensign Edward Saganami on his first tour. He's assigned to Stores and needs to track down a missing case of barbecue sauce before Chicken Finger Friday is ruined. 

XO by Daniel Allen Butler -- This is another story about the younger days of a character seen later in the series. Lieutenant Commander D'Orville assumes command of a ship when her captain is disabled by a medical emergency. The mission is to keep track of bad actors in nearby systems. When she spots pirates attacking a slaver, she has to decide which orders to follow - the ones she swore an oath to when she was commissioned, or the ones given her by the politically driven command. 

Crystal Singer's Song by David Weber - This is also a story from the earliest years. In the early days of the Forest Service, a young woman is tasked with bringing emergency supplies to a remote homestead during a storm. Her ship goes off course and crashes into a remote island. There she discovers treecats and calls them treefoxes. She is marooned but not alone since the treecats befriend her. She spends the rest of her life there teaching the treecats to make effective tools, plant gardens, net fish and fire pottery. She would be lost to history if one of treecats' memory singers didn't recover that deeply buried memory and share it with Lady Dame Honor Alexander-Harrington, Duchess and Steadholder Harrington.

All of the stories were excellent. Crystal Singer's Song brought me to tears.

I bought this one November 4. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Mary Russell's War by Laurie R. King

Mary Russell's War
Author: Laurie R. King
Narrator: Jenny Sterlin
Series: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
Publication: Recorded Books (October 13, 2016)
Length: 9 hours and 57 minutes

Description: Laurie R. King illuminates the hidden corners of her beloved Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series in this dynamic story collection.

In nine short stories, seven of which have never previously been available in print, and one brand-new, never-before-seen Sherlock Holmes mystery - available together for the first time - Laurie R. King blends her long-running brand of crime fiction with historical treats and narrative sleight of hand. At the heart of the collection is a prequel novella that begins with England's declaration of war in 1914. As told in Mary Russell's teenage diaries, the whip-smart girl investigates familial mysteries, tracks German spies through San Francisco, and generally delights with her extraordinary mind - until an unimaginable tragedy strikes.

Here, too, is the case of a professor killed by a swarm of bees; Mrs. Hudson's investigation of a string of disappearing household items - and a lifelong secret; a revealing anecdote about a character integral to The God of the Hive; the story of Mary's beloved uncle Jake and a monumental hand of cards; and a series of postcards in which Mary searches for her missing husband, Sherlock Holmes.

Last but not least, fans will be especially thrilled by Mary's account of her decision, at age 92, to publish her memoirs - and how she concluded that Ms. King should be the one to introduce her voice to the world.

My Thoughts: MARY RUSSELL'S WAR was a collection of short stories adding depth and exploring various events that complement the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes stories by the author. 

All of the stories were entertaining. I particularly liked Mary's diary written when she was a child of fourteen living in San Francisco with her family. It includes her searching for German spies with mixed results. It definitely paints Mary as a very intelligent and determined characters. 

I enjoyed the story of Mary and Sherlock's wedding as they sneak into a chapel at Sherlock's family home. 

I also really enjoyed the last two pieces detailing how Laurie R. King was chosen to be the one who presented Mary's journals to the world. The first is told in Mary's voice about how she and her husband Sherlock outwitted Sherlockians who were trying to break their piece. The 92-year-old Mary and her even older husband Sherlock led them on a chase from Sussex to Oxford and back again. The final story is told in a series of letters and postcards as Mary hunts for the missing Sherlock after they managed to get away from the Sherlockians. 

The variety of narrators all brought the characters to vivid life. Listening to it has made me eager to listen to all the novels again. 

I bought this one June 22, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Feuds edited by Mercedes Lackey

Feuds
Author: Mercedes Lackey (Editor)
Series: Valdemar Anthologies (Book 18)
Publication: DAW (November 26, 2024)

Description: This 18th anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar high fantasy universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new novella from Mercedes Lackey.

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, twenty-two authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to the beloved land of Valdemar, where feuds—large and small, devastating and comic, longstanding and fresh—are brewing. Familiar faces await: in her brand-new novella Mercedes Lackey brings fan-favorite Vanyel back to the page, along with his aunt, the indomitable Herald Savil. So come explore Valdemar in these fantastical tales where:

Vanyel is enlisted in a clandestine mission, but when his investigation into two squabbling noble families reveals a pair of lifebonded lovers, he and Savil find themselves scrambling to prevent an all-out war—and the King himself is watching…

A duel between two small town bards abruptly crosses a line, and their battle of wits explodes beyond verbal showmanship…

A student of the Bardic college is increasingly frustrated by a peer’s insistence that she’s seeing ghosts, but as her visions escalate she begins to wonder and to worry…

My Thoughts: The eighteenth Valdemar anthology is centered around the theme of feuds. There are twenty-two stories including a new novella by Mercedes Lackey. Many of the other authors are frequent contributors to the Valdemar anthologies. 

The stories take place in a wide variety of places and have a wide variety of main characters. From heralds to bards and even one story starring a kyree, glimpses are seen from all over Lackey's fantasy world. 

All of the stories were enjoyable. Some made me feel that I was entering an established set of characters and situations which I found to be accurate as I was reading the author's brief biographies at the end of the book. 

I have not read all of the previous anthologies though I own most of them. I'm not a huge fan of short stories since I find that I want to know more than a short story can fit in. I felt that way about a number of the stories in this anthology. I wanted more information and more adventures for the main characters.  I did enjoy Lackey's new novella starring Vanyel and Savil. That one felt long enough to satisfy me. 

After the first few stories, I felt that the theme of feuds was too repetitive but later stories expanded the idea of feuds to one-sided ones and other varieties. Fans of the previous anthologies and those just hungry for another look into Lackey's Valdemar will enjoy these stories. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Gift by Nora Roberts

The Gift
Author: Nora Roberts
Publication: Silhouette; Reissue edition (October 25, 2011) - originally published 2004

Description: Home for Christmas

After years spent abroad, reporter Jason Law returned home determined to win back the heart of the girl he left behind. It would take all his skills—and then some—to convince Faith Monroe that he was the man for her. But this time, nothing would stand in his way. All he needed was a little faith!

All I Want for Christmas

Identical twin boys Zeke and Zach wished for only one gift from Santa this year: a new mom! But convincing their love-wary dad that their music teacher, Miss Davis, was his destiny and part of Santa's plan wasn't as easy as they'd hoped….

Gabriel's Angel

All Gabriel Bradley wanted was solitude. But when a very pregnant—and very beautiful—woman ended up at his remote cabin during a blizzard, desperate, alone and on the run, the modern-day Scrooge couldn't turn her away. For Laura brought him the gifts of passion, hope and life—he needed only the courage to reach for it.

My Thoughts: The hardcover has only the first two stories while the paperback adds Gabriel's Angel.

Home for Christmas is a classic secret-baby story set at Christmas time. Jason Law left at eighteen to pursue a career in journalism not knowing that he left a pregnant girlfriend behind. Now Jason is back home to find that Faith Monroe is divorced, running a doll store, and raising a ten-year-old daughter. She's afraid to start anything with him because she fears he will just leave them again. This was a lovely, touching story about taking a chance on love.

All I Want for Christmas tells the story of a man who is raising his twin sons alone after his wife abandoned them and a woman who is making a new start as a music teacher in town. His six-year-old twin sons have asked Santa for "the mom" for Christmas and think that Miss Davis is a perfect candidate. But their father will have to learn how to trust his heart and take a chance on love for everyone to get their Christmas wishes.

Gabriel's Angel pairs a pregnant woman on the run and a reclusive artist. Laura's running from the parents of her abusive ex who want to take her baby from her now that the father is dead. Gabe Bradley has come to the Colorado mountains to try to get over the guilt he feels about the death of his younger brother. He finds a woman who needs him, and she finds a man she can trust.

These older stories were all very entertaining. The only thing that shouted to me that they were older stories was the fact that Gabe smoked. I'm not used to that in contemporary romances anymore. I also noticed that the viewpoint shift between the main characters was less smooth than in Roberts' more recent stories. Sometimes the viewpoint would shift a couple of time within one paragraph which could be a little confusing. 

Favorite Quote:

"Dad makes the best brownies in the whole world." Zack told her, holding up his offering.

Nell took one and bit in. "You may be right," she was forced to admit, her mouth full. "And I know my brownies."

"Can you make cookies?" Zeke wanted to know.

"I happen to be known far and wide for my chocolate chip." Her smile became puzzled as the boys eyed each other and nodded.

I bought this one probably in 2004. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Gift by Nora Roberts

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

So much can change in ten years. He was prepared for it.

Friday 56:

Quiet valley bustled with Christmas energy. From a jerry-rigged loudspeaker on top of the hardware store roof carols rang out.

This week I am spotlighting The Gift by Nora Roberts. This is the last book in my LibraryThing account that I added in 2008 and hadn't read. It is a collection of three Christmas themed novellas. Here's the description from Amazon:

Home for Christmas

After years spent abroad, reporter Jason Law returned home determined to win back the heart of the girl he left behind. It would take all his skills—and then some—to convince Faith Monroe that he was the man for her. But this time, nothing would stand in his way. All he needed was a little faith!

All I Want for Christmas

Identical twin boys Zeke and Zach wished for only one gift from Santa this year: a new mom! But convincing their love-wary dad that their music teacher, Miss Davis, was his destiny and part of Santa's plan wasn't as easy as they'd hoped….

Gabriel's Angel

All Gabriel Bradley wanted was solitude. But when a very pregnant—and very beautiful—woman ended up at his remote cabin during a blizzard, desperate, alone and on the run, the modern-day Scrooge couldn't turn her away. For Laura brought him the gifts of passion, hope and life—he needed only the courage to reach for it.

Audiobook Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 4 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation, Volume 4
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Narrator: Kevin T. Collins
Series: Liaden Universe Constellation
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (July 16, 2015); Tantor Audio (July 26, 2022)
Length: 416 p.; 15 hours and 4 minutes

Description: BOOK 3 in the multivolume Liaden Universe ® short fiction collection. Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans.

A dozen recent Liaden Universe short works are added to the collection in the third volume of A Liaden Universe Constellation. Ranging from comic to cosmic, only one of these works was first published before 2011. These welcome new additions bring the collected Constellation of Lee & Miller Liaden short stories to 45 works in three mega-volumes.

The nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action.

Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. Contains all new entries published after 2011.

My Thoughts: This collection includes twelve stories of varying length. Together the stories tell more about favorite characters and/or illuminate different part of the massive Liaden Universe.

Code of Honor is Tommy Lee's story and tells about his life with the mercenaries and what happens when he is called home.

Guaranteed Delivery tells about Aelliana and Daav's fourth courier assignment.

Intelligent Design tells how Jeeves came to be Korval's butler.

Out of True tells about when Clay and Squithy meet the norbears and take them out into the greater galaxy,

Roving Gambler is a Quin story.

King of the Cats is a crossover, non-canon story about Kinzel calling Val Con to his world to help him rescue some cats.

Kin Ties tells what happens when Ren Zel dea'Juden and Anthora go back to Cassiaport on Korval's business and meet a woman bent on her grandfather's revenge.

Eleutherios tells the story of one Bedel on a strange and damage world.

The Rifle's First Wife is the story about how Diglon Rifle came to marry a Liaden Scout. 

The Space at Tinsori Light tells about Jen Sin yos'Phelium, pilot of Korval, who, injured, finds his way to Tinsori Light.

Landed Alien tells what happened to Kara ven'Arith after Theo was expelled from the Academy and before they met again on Codrescu Station.

Moon's Honor is a Lute and Moonhawk story. In this one, she becomes his apprentice when the Head of her Circle sends her out to get some experience of the world outside of Temple.

All of these stories were entertaining. They include stories that tell us more about characters who appear in the main line stories. They also include stories from other parts of the wide Liaden Universe. I especially enjoyed Out of True this time because I've now met the characters again in the Jethri novels.

It is good to have all the stories collected in one volume since they were originally published in a variety of places from chapbooks to the Baen website.

Favorite Quote:

Whoever had come, whoever had heard, and heeded his call. That one he would serve, as well as he was able, for as long as he could.

I bought this one. The Kindle copy in 2015 and the audiobook in 2022. You can buy your copiy here.

ARC Review: Touchstones: A Collection by Stephanie Burgis

Touchstones: A Collection
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Publication: Self-Published (July 11, 2022)

Description: The glass molded to my foot as neatly—and as chillingly—as if it had been made for me

“This,” I said, “is a most unfortunate coincidence…”

From tongue-in-cheek fairy tale reframings to forbidden Victorian-era romance and contemporary ghosts, dive into an immersive world of magic.

Touchstones is a collection of sparkling short fantasy fiction from Stephanie Burgis, including two new stories as well as fourteen short stories and novelettes that have been previously published in magazines and anthologies.

This collection includes The Wrong Foot, Undead Philosophy 101, A Cup of Comfort, Dreaming Harry, Offerings, Dancing in the Dark, The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain, The Wildness Inside, The Art of Deception, Midnight, Clasp Hands, Crow, True Names, Good Neighbors, Love, Your Flatmate, and House of Secrets.

My Thoughts: TOUCHSTONES was an entertaining assortment of fantasy stories. I liked that some of the stories take place in a fantasy world and have a fairy tale feel, while others take part in our real world but with a lovely taste of magic. 

Many of the stories were new to me. I had read before others before. They range in tone from humorous to mildly creepy. I liked that the main characters all had agency and unexpected depths. I liked that some of the stories include some romance too. 

I recommend this collection which gives a nice taste of the author's writing style. 

Favorite Quote:

My father's house is full of secrets. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from the author. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 1 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation, Volume 1
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Narrator: Kevin T. Collins
Series: Liaden Universe Collection (Book 1)
Publication: Baen Books (December 8, 2013); Tantor Audio (June 7, 2022)
Length: 522 p.; 18 hours and 55 minutes

Description: Thirty-three shorter tales of the Liaden Universe brought together for the first time in two mega-volumes. Seventeen tales to start with in Volume One!

The nationally bestselling Liaden Universe novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action.

Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe with the excitement, action, and romance that listeners of the hit series have come to adore.

My Thoughts: This is a collection of seventeen stories set in the Liaden Universe. This is the first time that I have listened to the stories. They aren't new to me. I read them first in chapbooks published by the authors and again when they were collected and published by Baen.

There are a wide variety of stories. Quite a few of them are origin stories that provide more depth on the characters who are stars in the main series. We learn how Val Con meets Edger and becomes his brother. We learn how Ren Zel came to be clanless and a pilot on the Dutiful Passage. There are a couple of stories that star Pat Rin and a couple more that tell the backstory of Priscilla Mendoza and how she came to leave Sintia.

There are a few stories that star Moonhawk and Lute and give more of their history. There is a story about Er Thom and Daav when they are first separated sending Daav to the Scouts and Er Thom to his mother to learn to be a trader. Still another story tells what happens when Daav saves the day when Nev'Lorn is attacked by the Department of the Interior.

The stories were all wonderful as stories, but for fans, filling in some of what happened outside of the main stories adds a whole bunch of depth and richness to an already complex and intriguing Liaden Universe.

Favorite Quote:

One of the questions that readers often ask writers is, "Where do you get your ideas?"

There are a couple of ways to reply to this, depending on your writer. In general, answers range from Harlan Ellison's now-classic, "I get my ideas from a post office box in Schenectady," to the more factual, and most often disbelieved, "Ideas are easy," to the in-your-face, "Do you mean to say that you don't have ideas? For God's sake, tell me how to make them stop."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Series: Phryne Fisher Mysteries
Publication: Poisoned Pen Press (May 17, 2022)

Description: "The 15 1920s-era stories in this welcome collection from Australian author Greenwood will delight fans of Miss Phryne Fisher, who indulges in 'Sherlockery' for Melbourne's citizenry when she's not indulging her passion for 'food, sleep, intellectual puzzles, clothes and beautiful young men'...This volume is a fine companion to the 21 novels featuring this dashing protagonist." ―Publishers Weekly

In The Lady with Gun Asks the Questions, Kerry Greenwood distills the Phryne of her books and imagination. For those fans looking for greater character depth, a richer historical context of the twenties, and Phryne as her truest, freest self, Greenwood has curated just the right stories from her 21 novels and added four brand-new ones so we may meet the real fabulous Miss Fisher.

My Thoughts: This collection of 15 stories all show Phryne Fisher at her best. She's a bright, fashionable, free-spirit who is very wealthy and of high social class. She is also very good at solving puzzles which means that her career as a private investigator keeps her busy with intriguing cases. 

All of the cases in this collection were short with a tight focus on Phryne. They all also seem focused on Phryne's powers of observation rather than any sort of physical detecting. I liked all the period detail in fashion and mores. 

I found the stories all pretty similar. I would have liked a wider variety of kinds of cases that Phryne was called in to solve. 

Favorite Quote:

"You've probably read one of his pamphlets? The wages of sin is death, he reckons."

"So is the salary of virtue," murmured Phryne. "And at least the wicked have a good time."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Changer of Worlds by David Weber

Changer of Worlds
Author: David Weber & Eric Flint
Series: Honor Harrington Anthologies Book 3
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (December 4, 2013)

Description: Lady Dame Honor Harrington—starship captain, admiral, Steadholder, and Duchess—has spent decades defending the Star Kingdom of Manticore against all comers. Along the way, she has become the legend known as "the Salamander" from her habit of always being where the fire is hottest . . . and also a national bestseller (Ashes of Victory: #7, The Wall Street Journal).

But it's a big universe, and Honor's actions affect a lot of lives, not all of them human. And their actions affect her—a lesson "Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington" learns years before rising to command rank when a desperate battle against "pirates" who aren't quite what they seem begins her brilliant career.

Closer to home, in "Changer of Worlds," a secret that the alien treecats have kept from their human friends for hundreds of years is about to come out . . . and completely change the relationship between the two species forever.

Meanwhile, Eric Flint weighs in with "From the Highlands." Honor can't be everywhere, so when the People's Republic of Haven tries to stage a political assassination on Earth, Anton Zilwicki—husband of one of the Star Kingdom's most revered military martyrs, and father of a young woman who is clearly a chip off the old block—steps into the breach . . . and takes the opportunity to settle some old scores along the way.

And finally, Esther McQueen and Oscar Saint-Just square off for their final confrontation in Noveau Paris in "Nightfall."

My Thoughts: Ever since I started reading the Honorverse novels, I had been feeling that there were stories that had to be told. There were many references to incidents in characters' backstories that weren't told in the novels. 

I was particularly intrigued by Helen Ziwicki's past and the incident that happened in Old Chicago when she was a young teen. I finally found that story in this anthology. "From the Highlands" by Eric Flint finally filled in the missing details about that adventure. I liked it very much and I especially liked seeing a very young and inexperienced Victor Cachat. This incident also begins Berry Zilwicki's story which is told in much more detail in other books. 

This anthology also contains the story that begins Honor Harrington's military career when she goes on her snotty cruise to hunt pirates in Silesia. She encounters bad officers who are out to get her and excellent officers who set her feet on the correct path. The story was filled with adventure and excitement.

"Changer of Words" was told almost completely from the treecat's point of view and talks about their decision to let the two-legs know all about their abilities and potentials. I liked the references back to the story told in A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP.

The final story was my least favorite since it is set on Haven and has a lot to do with political maneuvering among the Peeps.

These stories were wonderful at filling in some background that I had been curious about. I don't think they would stand alone particularly well unless they worked as teasers to get readers into the whole Honor Harrington series. But this devoted fan loved knowing more about some beloved characters. 

Favorite Quote:

Lieutenant Santino had the watch, and he sat in the command chair at the center of the bridge looking for all the world like a competent naval officer. His forearms rested squarely upon the command chairs arm rests. His squared shoulders rested firmly against the chair's upright back, his manly profile was evident as he held his head erect, and there was an almost terrifying lack of intelligence in his eyes.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Changer of Worlds by David Weber

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

"That looks like your snotty, Senior Chief."

Friday 56: 

In fact, the tradition of sending snotties to do the scut work was one of the Navy's long-standing traditions, part of the semi-hazing which was part and parcel of initiating midshipmen into the tribal wisdom, and Honor didn't really mind it particularly. For the most part, at least.

This week I am spotlighting one of the anthologies in David Weber's Honorverse. I chose Changer of Worlds which is the third anthology. Here is the description from Amazon:

Lady Dame Honor Harrington—starship captain, admiral, Steadholder, and Duchess—has spent decades defending the Star Kingdom of Manticore against all comers. Along the way, she has become the legend known as "the Salamander" from her habit of always being where the fire is hottest . . . and also a national bestseller (Ashes of Victory: #7, The Wall Street Journal).

But it's a big universe, and Honor's actions affect a lot of lives, not all of them human. And their actions affect her—a lesson "Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington" learns years before rising to command rank when a desperate battle against "pirates" who aren't quite what they seem begins her brilliant career.

Closer to home, in "Changer of Worlds," a secret that the alien treecats have kept from their human friends for hundreds of years is about to come out . . . and completely change the relationship between the two species forever.

Meanwhile, Eric Flint weighs in with "From the Highlands." Honor can't be everywhere, so when the People's Republic of Haven tries to stage a political assassination on Earth, Anton Zilwicki—husband of one of the Star Kingdom's most revered military martyrs, and father of a young woman who is clearly a chip off the old block—steps into the breach . . . and takes the opportunity to settle some old scores along the way.

And finally, Esther McQueen and Oscar Saint-Just square off for their final confrontation in Noveau Paris in "Nightfall."

ARC Review: The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley et al.

The Deadly Hours
Author: Susanna Kearsley, C. S. Harris. Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent
Publication: Poisoned Pen Press (September 1, 2020)

Description: A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. The characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all.

From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.

My Thoughts: This is a collection of four novellas by well-known authors of historical mysteries all featuring a cursed pocket watch.

In "Weapon of Choice" by Susanna Kearsley, the pocket watch finds itself in a supporting role in a plot to murder a relative of the exiled King James. The story is also a romance between recently married Hugh MacPherson and Mary Dundas who are apparently characters featured in another of the author's stories.

"In a Fevered Hour" by Anna Lee Huber moves the story one hundred years to 1831 and brings the cursed watch to Edinburgh where Lady Darby and her new husband Simon Gage are tasked with finding it by Bonnie Brock Kincaid since it seems to be causing problems for him. 

"A Pocket Full of Death" by Christine Trent takes place in 1870 where Violet Harper is an undertaker who is reburying a newly made Viscount's ancestors into a new family graveyard and discovers the pocket watch in the grave of the man being moved. 

"Siren's Call" by C. S. Harris moves the story to 1944 and brings the story of the cursed watch to a conclusion. It also tells the story of life in wartime Britain and the search for possible German spies. There is also a romance in this one.

I enjoyed all of the stories but liked "Weapon of Choice" the least probably because I felt like I should have known more about the main characters in the story. I've solved that one by purchasing A Desperate Fortune which tells the fuller story of those characters. I liked "Siren's Call" the best both because of the time period and because of the strength of the mystery.

Favorite Quote:

This was what he'd been trained to do, after all: peer at the mangled bodies of the dead and chase down their killers.

It had always struck Jude as a damned unpleasant way to spend your life.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol. 3 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol. 3
Author: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Series: Liaden Universe
Publication: Baen Books; 1 edition (July 16, 2015)

Description: BOOK 3 in the multivolume Liaden Universe ® short fiction collection. Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans.

A dozen recent Liaden Universe short works are added to the collection in the third volume of A Liaden Universe Constellation. Ranging from comic to cosmic, only one of these works was first published before 2011. These welcome new additions bring the collected Constellation of Lee & Miller Liaden short stories to 45 works in three mega-volumes.

The nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action.

Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. Contains all new entries published after 2011.

My Thoughts: This is the third collection of Liaden short stories and novellas in the series called Liaden Universe Constellation. It contains twelve stories and, surprising to me since I thought I never missed a story, had a couple of stories that I hadn't read before.

I liked Intelligent Design which tells the story of how an AI former war machine came to be the butler for Korval. There was also a story which starred the Bedel on a world other than Surebleak. I liked Roving Gambler which stars Quin and tells us a lot more about him than we learned in other stories where he appeared. I also enjoyed King of the Cats which combined two of the authors' fantasy worlds by combining Val Con and Kinzel on Kinzel's world. 

This collection also included Moon's Honor which is another Lady Moon Hawk and Lute story and talks about their meeting. I thought it gave quite a different take on them than Crystal Dragon - the novel where they also make appearances. I prefer their appearances in the short story and wish that novel starring them could have sold and therefore been written.

All in all, it was an enjoyable collection. I'm glad to have a convenient source of all of the stories on my Kindle. 

Favorite Quote:

Whoever had come, whoever had heard, and heeded his call. That one he would serve, as well as he was able, for as long as he could.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Blood Shot: Stories from the Blood 'Verse by Tanya Huff

Blood Shot 
Author: Tanya Huff
Series: Blood Series
Publication: JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc. (May 14, 2020)

Description: Tanya Huff’s darkly thrilling Blood novels introduced readers to vampiric P.I. Victoria Nelson and her life amongst the paranormal. Here are some of Tanya’s best short stories featuring Vicki and other unforgettable characters from her world…

In Quid Pro Quo, Vicki’s policeman lover, Mike, has been kidnapped by a man who wants her to turn him into a vampire. But she’s about to show him just how terrifying that can be…

In Songs Sung Red, Vicki finds herself contending with a seductive and savage siren in a case that may lead her into the middle of a murder being investigated by Mike…

Vicki tries to help a young woman being tormented by a malevolent jinn who is granting her wishes with some very deadly consequences in If Wishes Were…

In No Matter Where You Go, Vicki finds herself in a lethal realm of nightmarish creatures when some reckless teens open a portal to another dimension—with no way of getting back…

Blood Wrapped follows young wizard Tony Foster and vampire author Henry Fitzroy as they search for a missing little girl—and try to figure out just how to deal with Vicki’s upcoming birthday….

Sniping sisters Ashley and Brianna Bane uncover some strange goings on at their school when the walls start speaking—and Bri decides to test her wizarding skills against this unknown foe in After School Specials…

And in See Me, Tony investigates when an elderly man is found dead in an alley with no identification, leading to a seriously awkward situation involving a lady of the night who may have designs on Tony’s boyfriend…

Full of action, passion, heart, and humor, these short stories deliver all Tanya Huff’s fans have come to expect.

My Thoughts: It has been many years since I read the Blood books and met former cop turned vampire Vicki Nelson. It was nice to revisit and make a few stops in her world. I have also read the Smoke series too and enjoyed them. It was also nice to revisit Henry and Tony and the other characters.

There were four Vicki/Tony stories and three Tony stories. The stories were all action-packed and entertaining. I liked the variety of themes of the stories.

All of the stories were entertaining and all were previously published in a wide variety of anthologies. It is nice to have them all in one convenient location.

Favorite Quote:

Never growing old had lost a little of its shine as she watched Mike's hair grey and the lines around his eyes deepen, but being stronger and faster, being able to deal with the human and not-quite-human things that haunted the nights of a big city seemed a fair trade for being helpless between sunrise and sunset.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Orczy

The Old Man in the Corner
Author: Baroness Orczy
Series: The Teahouse Detective (Volume 1)
Publication: Pushkin Vertigo (June 11, 2019)

Description: A classic collection of mysteries from the Golden Age of British crime writing, by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Mysteries! There is no such thing as a mystery in connection with any crime, provided intelligence is brought to bear upon its investigation.

So says a rather down-at-heel elderly gentleman to young Polly Burton of the Evening Observer, in the corner of the ABC teashop on Norfolk Street one afternoon. Once she has forgiven him for distracting her from her newspaper and luncheon, Miss Burton discovers that her interlocutor is as brilliantly gifted as he is eccentric - able to solve mysteries that have made headlines and baffled the finest minds of the police without once leaving his seat in the teahouse.

The Old Man in the Corner is a classic collection of mysteries featuring the Teahouse Detective - a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes, with a brilliant mind and waspish temperament to match that of Conan Doyle's creation.

My Thoughts: This was an interesting reading experience. It is compared to Sherlock Holmes which is why I chose to read it, but I was disappointed. The book is a collection of mysteries that all follow the same pattern. Young reporter Polly Burton meets an elderly man at the teashop where she routinely goes for lunch and he gives her the solution to a number of criminal cases that have made headlines and baffled the police.

My main problem with this is that the nameless man never feels any need to share his conclusions with the police and, in fact, seems to admire those criminals who have managed to get away with their crimes. In addition, he solves all of his cases purely in terms of logical evaluations of the circumstances of the crime with no need to bother with pesky details like evidence or proof.

I also found the book rampant with prejudices that would make them impossible to publish in our more sensitive time. I think feminists would be up in arms to read that the detective believes that only a woman would stab a man in the back since no Englishman would ever do so. These stories had it all from classism to sexism and probably any number of other isms.

People curious about mystery fiction from the early 1900s may enjoy this collection.

Favorite Quote:

When I read the account of the murder--the knife! stabbing!--bah! Don't I know enough of English crime not to be certain at once that no Englishman, be he ruffian from the gutter or be he Duke's son, ever stabs his victim in the back. Italians, French, Spaniards do it, if you will, and women of most nations. An Englishman's instinct is to strike and not to stab. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Twilight's Dawn by Anne Bishop

Twilight's Dawn
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: Black Jewels (Book 9)
Publication: Roc (March 1, 2011)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels novels have enthralled readers and critics alike. Now, in Twilight’s Dawn, she returns to the Blood realm with four captivating novellas...

WINSOL GIFTS

Daemon is settling into his first year of married life with his Witch Queen Jaenelle. But as the celebration of Winsol draws near, he finds himself pulled in multiple directions playing host to his formidable family.

SHADES OF HONOR

When wounded Surreal returns to Ebon Rih, her former lover Falonar ruthlessly challenges the rule of her family, testing Surreal’s resolve not to succumb to the darkness burning inside her.

FAMILY

When someone lays a vicious trap for Queen Sylvia and her sons, the ruling family of Dhemlan must uncover the identity of a vicious warlord before he returns to finish what he started.

THE HIGH LORD'S DAUGHTER

After losing two important people in his life, Daemon has built a wall around his heart. But when he inadvertently forges a new connection, will it be enough to free him from his loveless existence?

My Thoughts: The ninth book in the Black Jewels series contains four wonderful stories. WINSOL GIFTS is a great slice of life story that lets us see old favorite characters and experience the winter holidays the way the SaDiablo family does.

SHADES OF HONOR fills in the details about whatever happened to Falonar after he broke Surreal's heart.

FAMILY is the story of a betrayal and what the SaDiablo's do when someone messes with their family. Saetan's love Queen Sylvia is essentially ambushed when she goes on a simple family visit to a manor near Little Terreille. Her death needs to be avenged, her children protected, and the villain eliminated before he can do any more damage.

THE HIGH LORD'S DAUGHTER made me cry. It tells the story, centered around Daemon, after the love of his life - the woman he waited for for 1700 years - dies and leaves him to pick up his life and start again. There are a number of heart-wrenching losses in this one but lots of new children born too.

Favorite Quote:

"She throws herself at the world and is confident the world will catch her. And maybe it always will."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop

Dreams Made Flesh
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: Black Jewels, Book 5
Publication: Roc; Reprint edition (February 7, 2006)

Description: The Black Jewels Trilogy established Anne Bishop as an author whose “sublime skill...blend[s] the darkly macabre with spine-tingling emotional intensity”(SF Site). Now, the saga continues in this collection that includes four more adventures of Jaenelle and her kindred…

Jaenelle is the most powerful Witch ever known, centuries of hopes and dreams made flesh at last. She has forged ties with three of the realm’s mightiest Blood warriors: Saetan, the High Lord of Hell, who trains Jaenelle in magic and adopts her as his daughter; Lucivar, the winged Eyrien warlord who becomes her protector; and the near-immortal Daemon, born to be Witch’s lover. Jaenelle has assumed her rightful place as Queen of the Darkness and restored order and peace to the realms, but at a terrible cost.

Collected here are the beguiling stories about the origin of the mystical Jewels, the forbidden passion between Lucivar and a simple hearth witch, the clash between Saetan and a Priestess, and the choice Jaenelle must make, between her magic and happiness with Daemon...

My Thoughts: This anthology contains four stories set in the Black Jewels universe.

Weaver of Dreams tells how spiders learned from a dying dragon how to weave webs that can hold or create lives.

The Prince of Ebon Rih takes place after the events of Heir to the Shadows and tells the story of Lucivar's courtship of Marian.

Zuulaman tells a story from Saetan's past when he was married to Hekatah and the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan. A country called Zuulaman tries to get the best of his country, aided by the 100 families of Hyall and Hekatah, and Saetan shows them just what a black-jeweled warlord prince can do.

Kaeleer's Heart tells what happens after the events of Queen of the Darkness when Jaenelle heals quite changed and Daemon wonders if she doesn't love him anymore. Their relationship is complicated by someone who wants to ruin Daemon's reputation and wreck his relationship with Jaenelle so that he will turn to her. He shows everyone why he was nicknamed the Sadist while he was a pleasure slave in Terreille.

All of these stories were great at providing more about the fascinating Black Jewels world. The Prince of Ebon Rih and Kaeleer's Heart were also wonderful romances.

Favorite Quote:

"Moon's blood only throws me offstride three days out of a month. A cock makes a man potentially stupid at any hour of any day."

"You have such faith in the male gender," he said blandly.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: In the Mood Fur Love by Eve Langlais et al.

In the Mood Fur Love
Author: Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, Kate Baxter
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (October 2, 2018)

Description: Three hot stories about sexy shifters from a trio of today's hottest paranormal romance authors, headlined by bestselling authors Eve Langlais and Milly Taiden!

Bearing His Touch by Eve Langlais
When Becka manages to escape her kidnapper, she finds herself asking help of the man with the nice brown eyes. Stavros can’t say no, not when he knows Becka is his mate, but he does have one dilemma when it comes to claiming her. He'll have to find a way for her to bear his touch.

Fake Mated to the Wolf by Milly Taiden
Looking for a mate to bring to a party? Wedding? Holiday gathering? Mates Fur Hire is right for you? But what happens when your fake mate ends up being your real one, from New York Times bestselling author Milly Taiden!

The Witch, The Werewolf and The Waitress by Kate Baxter
For centuries, Lowman, Idaho has been Ellie Curtis's prison. A vengeful witch cursed her with immortality and locked her within the confines of Lowman's borders, sealing Ellie off from most of civilization for eternity. She's learned to make the most of it. But when she meets a cocky werewolf who's part of the elite supernatural law enforcement group, all bets are off...

Colin instantly knew that Ellie was his mate, but when he discovers her secret, he's determined to help set her free. But in doing so, he might just lose the one thing he knows he can't live without...

My Thoughts: Anthologies are a great way to sample the work of authors who are unfamiliar. These authors are all new to me. These all have heroes meeting their destined mates but are quite different in other plot points although all do have nicely spicy scenes. I liked the variety of these stories. All of the characters were interesting and as well-developed as characters can be given the novella length format. My favorite story was by Langlais because I liked the humor. I liked Shawna from Milly Taiden's story because she has some body issues that she is dealing with.

Bearing His Touch by Eve Langlais - Bekah has been kidnapped by someone who wants her for her rare blood type. She escapes and finds herself rescued by Stavros who happens to be a bear shifter. She's worried that she will bring trouble to him. He says "Bring it on" since Bekah is obviously his mate. Convincing her to let him help and let him love her isn't easy.

Fake Mated to the Wolf by Milly Taiden -- Shawna is a computer programmer who is responsible for the matchmaking software used by her company. However, she is working for a chauvinistic, sexual harassing boss who fires her for no good reason. She needs the money to help her mother and stepbrothers pay off debts incurred to a gang. When Hawke, who owns the company and who is Shawna's mate, finds out about this, he rushes to the rescue. But doesn't mention that she's his mate which adds confusion to a situation that is already complicated.

The Witch, The Werewolf, and The Waitress by Kate Baxter -- Ellie has been curse with immortality and the inability to leave the confines of the small town of Lowman, Utah. Colin is a werewolf who stops for breakfast on his way to a job interview and immediately recognizes she's his mate. BEfore they can find their happily ever after, Colin has to find a way to break the curse. But once Ellie is fee to explore the world, will she want to stay with Colin? And what if breaking the curse causes Ellie to die from the accumulation of the all years that have passed?

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Pathways edited by Mercedes Lackey

Pathways
Author: Mercedes Lackey (editor)
Series: Valdemar (Book 11)
Publication: DAW (December 5, 2017)

Description: The eleventh anthology of short stories set in Mercedes Lackey's beloved Valdemar universe features stories by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.

Join Janny Wurts, Elisabeth Waters, Michele Lang, Fiona Patton, and others in twenty-four original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, all set in Valdemar, where:

A young woman without any of the Heralds’ Gifts must see a Companion safely delivered to Haven....

A Herald must revisit the mysteries of his childhood to save his own young family and combat a threat at the very heart of Valdemar....

A Hawkbrother flees for his life, trailed by a mysterious bird that prophesizes a dire future....

A mage must choose whether to steal a priceless artifact and be branded a thief and traitor, or let his country fall to magic that could prove far more deadly....

My Thoughts: PATHWAYS gathers stories from all over Valdemar in this eleventh collection. Many of the authors have contributed to some of the earlier anthologies too. All of the stories were entertaining and well written. My only complaint is that they were too short. I would have been eager to read longer stories with the same characters.

I especially enjoyed the stories that included Companions because I'm a fan of white horse-like creatures with silver hooves and blue eyes. I also enjoyed the stories that took place away from Haven from the Pelagris Hills to Karse.

Readers who want to go on a quick tour of Valdemar won't want to miss this anthology.

Favorite Quote:

 "Why did you ask about peacocks?" she asked the King. "Are you getting some?"

"I've lost some," the King replied, "and they were a gift from our newest Council member, so I do need to get them back."

"How did you lose them?" Lena asked, "And just how ostentatious was your loss?"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.