Mid to Late February books--Stross, Wells, Huff, Wrede

[melita66]

I had a short trip in the middle of February. I find that I often have trouble reading new books while traveling. The journey itself is occupying my brain so I prefer reading newspapers or books that I've already read. 

I did take Charlie Stross's The Atrocity Archives with me and managed about half of it. I've like other books by Stross and do plan to finish this one, but at some later date. In this world, certain mathematics can open a hold between worlds/dimensions and let, well, demons and monsters in. The main character works for a British governmental organization that tries to minimize or stop these incursions. Bob Howard has been working there as an inside agent, but wants to become a field agent. Of course, the 'easy' missions he is assigned don't exactly go as planned. The series is humorous--I appreciate the (as) horrifying look into British health and safety regulations and bureaucracy. There are several sequels.

While away, I re-read Martha Wells's Wheel of the Infinite. It's mainly set on an alternate world in a culture that has a south Asian feel. Narration switches between Maskelle, the Voice of the Adversary, and Rian, a kjardin, or personal bodyguard, from a 'barbarian' society set on the edge of Maskelle's Celestial Empire. For a change, the main character is 'middle-aged', somewhere in her 40s. Rian is younger is probably around 30. Maskelle was exiled from the Empire after seeing visions of its destruction if her son takes the throne and leading a failed rebellion. Stripped of her secular power and the ability to contact the Adversary, she is being chased by dark powers and demons. The destruction of the Empire didn't come to pass so she believes that she misinterpreted the visions and "the fault was in her."

She has been summoned back by the supreme religious authority. She saves Rian along the way from river pirates, or perhaps they save each other. Rian immediately decides that she's a person worth following. Huh, I just thought about the very general similarity to Cherryh's Morgaine and Vanye. Unlike Rian, Vanye is coerced into pledging to Morgaine, but over time becomes completely committed to Morgaine and her destiny. Rian immediately throws his lot in with Maskelle, much to her bemusement.

One thing that I love about Wells's characters is that they're smart and just a touch snarky. Here's the opening lines:

     Maskelle had been asking the Ancestors to stop the rain three days running now and, as usual, they weren't listening.

Hee!

I then read some short stories spread across two anthologies and one collection.

Tanya Huff's Valor's Choice popped out from the to-read bookcase. I've enjoyed other books by Huff, in particular, the Vicki Nelson series, and thought a mil-SF book fit my mood. Torin Kerr is female human staff sergeant in an intergalactic confederation that is being threatened by another alien race/empire. Most of the races in the confederation are pacifist, but faced with the Others, have recruited several younger races to provide military forces. A new 2nd Lieutenant is assigned to Torin's division and they're given the light duty of ceremonial attendance upon Confederation diplomats who want to recruit a newly found race.  As you might imagine the ceremonial duties soon turn into active military action.

I liked Torin and some of the other characters, but not enough to buy the rest of the series right now. I may pick up the other books when I'm again in the mood for some mil-SF.

I was waiting for Tortall and Other Tales from Tamora Pierce so decided to re-read Patricia Wrede's charming pair of young adult novels, Mairelon the Magician and Magician's Ward. I originally read MW first, and because MM was out of print, had to hunt pretty hard to find a copy that wasn't outrageously priced. The books have been republished since and an omnibus version was published last year. Kim is an orphan turned street thief who is hired to check out Mairelon's wagon. He is in disguise as a travelling magician while investigating some stolen magical artifacts--the theft of which he was framed several years earlier. It's the time of the regency and the Corsican has been defeated. Although stated to be unrelated, they have a similar feel as a series of books by Wrede and Stevermer that start with Sorcery and Cecelia.

I started Kage Baker's Empress of Mars, but am not really in the mood for it; I'll come back to it.