Erekos by A.M. Tuomala
I can happily say I have never read a book quite like this. It unfolds as each page is turned, pulling you further in with every new paragraph. You aren’t introduced to people and places, you are immersed in them.
This is a fantasy for those who like their books with a more literary feel. This is not the classic epic story style, and part of the book’s elegance comes from this deviation. What first appears as meandering between people and places weaves together a fascinating, horrifying world peopled with flawed, wonderful individuals. Gods walk amidst mortals, swamp witches raise the dead, and a war is pulling at the seams of civilization.
Achane has always taken care of her sister, and even after her sister’s death, is determined to make things right. She raises her sister from the dead, but the results were not as anticipated. And her actions catch the eye of a worn king who thinks he may have discovered the way to turn the tide of war in his favor…
This is an author who has a definite way with weaving lush, beautiful pictures with deceptively unhurried prose. I am looking forward to reading more in the future! If you are looking for something wonderfully different to read, give Erekos a try.
CryoBurn by Lois McMaster Bujold
Every now and then I somehow forget how much I love the character of Miles Vorkosigan. The wonderful thing is this never lasts for long.
Cryoburn was an unexpected present. I knew it was out, and I knew I was going to enjoy it just as much as the rest of the series, but seeing as I picked up The Warrior’s Apprentice back when I was just starting high school it was more like getting back in touch with an old friend then reading another book in a series. I grew up, in all the important adult decisions sort of way, on this fellow. I may not have accidentally ended up owning a mercenary fleet, but there were experience parallels.
I didn’t know what to expect from Cryoburn. So much has happened and changed throughout the series. What I read was perfect. It is quintessential Miles- manic and brilliant. There are kidnappings, misplaced bodies, dirty politics and sketchy economics. The whole of the book may have taken place planet-side, but as with everything that involves Miles, it feels so much bigger. And the ending was executed flawlessly. I am ever fascinated with a series that manages to come to a natural end. Cryoburn settles everything- not neat and tied with a bow- but there is enough resolution that when I finished the last page I was utterly content with how things were.
Now, I need to go grab my copy of Shards of Honor and merrily start the annual reread.
So Many Books, So Little Time 