A review of Undeath and taxes by Drew Hayes

 Disclaimer Undeath and taxes is the second book in the series about Fred the vampire accountant and his friends and this review will contain spoilers. I wrote a review about the first book, so read that and maybe the book first. 

Plot

In the last book mild mannered accountant Fred got turned into a vampire. This opens the door to a whole new world of different creatures and people but also friends. 

Having learned that the Parahuman (supernatural) community is rather more organized than he had anticipated. Fred has spent the time between the books learning about the parahuman tax code. Getting his diploma his first job is for Richard Alderson head of the local therians (werecreatures). 

While trying to make sense of the mess that is Richards receipts he is interrupted by kidnappers. They are there for Richards daughter Sally and thinking Fred is her bodyguard they take him as well. Taking advantage of both Richard being in a meeting and Gideon (Sally's ancient dragon playmate) being away Fred is feeling very much out of his depth.

My thoughts

Again this is a collection of short stories the plot section only talks about the first of them. If the first book was about Fred getting friends this one focuses more on world-building. Specifically we learn about the agents. We meet some of Krystal's coworkers and learn some of how it operates. 

Fred acclimatizes to violence and adventure very fast. This is a bit of a double edged sword, the book telling us he avoids confrontation but never shoving it. But I have a preference for active characters so if he had taken the outs he is given and left others to die it would have made for a worse story. 

Though considering this is all written as a memoir by Fred there is the possibilities that this is just him having a negative self image. An image that doesn't necessarily reflect the person he has become but rather the one he was in the beginning of the first book (when he did try to run away and leave people to die). 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Undeath.

Review of A Master of Djinn by P. Djéli Clark

Plot

In an alternate 1912, Egypt has risen to prominence in the fifty or so years since the mystic Al-Jahiz opened the world to magic. Having embraced magic and the Djinn that came with it has allowed them to not become a colony and instead become a major player on the world stage. Al-Jahzi meanwhile disappeared shortly after this. 

Fatma, is one of the few female agents of the Ministry of alchemy, enchantments and supernatural entities, gets called to help the police when the murder of the members of a secret brotherhood shows clear signs of being made with magic. The victims being various rich and well respected Englishmen dedicated to the memory of Al-Jahzi does not make it easier.

Fatma however is distracted by first getting assigned a partner in the young and enthusiastic Hadia and then by the return of Siti. Her girlfriend/informant who has a tendency to show up and disappear as the mood takes her. She is also one of a rising number of people devoted to the old pharaonic gods.  

Then just days before a world peace summit is about to start in Cairo someone claiming to be al-jahiz is starting demonstrations. Showing the inequalities that despite the prosperity still exist causing riots and vandalism. 

My thoughts

So I feel I should warn that this is not the first book in this series, there is both a novella and a novelette that take place before this. I, when reading this book, did not know this and hadn't looked since this is described as the authors debut. This means that I was terribly annoyed by the frequent references to the things that had happened before and the general sequel feel of it. 

It's rare to see fantasy that's not western. At just a glance id say that at least a third of my books takes place in Britain or USA. This is an impressive bit of world-building both the alternate history bit of an rich and powerful Egypt, but also the humans and djinn living side by side. It also takes the time to show many sides of the society. The poor flocking to "Al-Jahzi", the kings at the piece summit, regular people and regular djinn. As well as the religious differences shown a bit in the contrast between the devoutly Muslim Hadia though she is still part of a feminist group, the secular Muslim Fatma, and Siti following Sekhmet which apparently gives one powers or something.  

The summit is a nice touch giving a sense of urgency in calming down the public and capturing the impostor. The insinuation is that all it's a lead up to the first world war and a lot suggests that while the magic might change things it wont stop it. 

My main complaint is mostly, does Siti need to be there all the time. Because she is. She shows up everywhere and I don't like her nearly as much as the author does. It's not even that she is a bad character it's just routinely showing up in the middle of police investigations will make you be considered a suspect not a welcome addition.

There is of course a mystery about who the Al-Jahzi impostor is and I can happily announce that I was wrong. However it wasn't contrived. I have a weird thing about being able to predict things in books, while I like figuring things out before the characters I don't like things to feel predictable this one straddles that nicely. 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Djinn.

A review of Ember knight By Hwandaeng

In my late teens I used to watch a lot of anime and read a lot of manga. Then I stopped. There wasn't really any reason for it it but the manga got replaced with fanfiction and anime with other videos.

But one was recommended on Drawfee a youtube channel I follow. The person recommending it was the same that recommended Gideon the Ninth so I'm inclined to trust it. Also you can read it for free on webtoons so why not.

Plot

Nagyunn is weak. Well he's a normal person surrounded by people with anime powers. The kind where someone gets thrown into a stone wall the wall will take most of the damage. His identical twin brother Najin is a prodigy and training to be a knight. Until one day Najin is killed by a group of masked people.

Nagyunn seeking revenge decides to take his brothers place in knight training hoping that once the masked people hears that Najin is still alive they will show themselves. Except he's still weaker than everyone else and can't actually win against them. He solves this by outsmarting them. Predict their movement and creating strategies to win. All while keeping his secrets, and finding out more about this group their tragic backstory and why they targeted Najin (so far all I know is they have a history but it's unclear). 

There's also a war brewing with the eastern continent, mages doing... something and a variety of groups who wants to destroy the knights as an organization. All of various intelligence and with different levels of intricate plans.

My thoughts

This was everything I expected. It has fights, auras of murderous intent, weird weapons (spears, swords, oversize swords, an umbrella and more). There are people wearing bandages for no apparent reason and named fighting moves. It's every manga cliche ever and I can't stop reading. I wan't to to figure out the evermore complex wed of secrets, lies and people trying to outsmart each other. 

As downsides it has a very large cast of characters and several of them are introduced at once. This makes it hard to keep track of who is who and to get any feel for them. Most of the apprentices are a bit of a blur for me. Which is a shame because they clearly aren't meant to be. They all have unique looks, abilities and slowly revealed backstories same as everyone else. I just have a difficult time connecting faces to names.

The bigger problem is that I've now reached the end of the uploaded episodes and will have top wait a whole week for the next.

Review of A marvellous light by Freya Marske

Only days after I decided to buy less new books I went out and bought this one. The rule would be not buy anything by an author that I haven't read before. Unless I couldn't get it through a library. This decision mostly came after cleaning out my bookshelf and seeing how many bad purchases I have made made.

Anyway less than a week after this decision I brought this one, mostly because it was recommended in the bookstore. But I can't say I regret it, quite the opposite. 

Plot

Turn of the century London and the young baronet Robin Blyth starts his new job in an unknown office of the government. Taking over after his predecessor Reggie Gattling disappeared (he dies in the prologue but they don't know that) he only accepts to help his family's financial situation. At least until he, on the first day meets Edwin Courcey and finds out what the job is actually about. Acting as liaison between the the British government and the magical society in their midst. Edwin being the Liaison for the magical assembly.

But Reggie took his secrets to the grave and his killers aren't giving up. Assuming Robin knows anything about this they curse him to make him find what Reggie had hid. Instead Robin enlists Edwin for help and the two of them leave London for Edwin ancestral home and the magical library there. Leaving Robins work in the hands of his Secretary the excellent Miss Morrissey who unlike Robin actually knows what shes doing.

It doesn't take long for feelings to develop between the outgoing and athletic Robin and the bookish and closed of Edwin. As they working together to break the increasingly painful curse and find out what Reggie had gotten himself involved with it becomes clear that the assailants are not far behind. 

My thought

 I like the characters a lot Edwin hiding in the library using precision and knowledge to make up for his comparative lack of magic. But mostly just hiding to avoid his thoughtlessly mean sister and his deliberately cruel brother. being standoffish and pushing people away to protect himself from hurt. And yes this does cause trouble with his budding relationship with Robin. 

There is a bit of a theme in the book about low-or non magical people in a magical world and how they handle it and the pitying scorn form the rest. How having a non magical person in the family is seen as a source of embarrassment. Even when Reggie is found to be dead his family doesn't seem to care that much. It is also heavily implied that Edwins father did nothing to stop Walter (his brother) from bullying him because Walter had so much more magic.  

There is also Flora Sutton who for being a woman was also denied formal magical education and responded by creating a whole other system of magic in secret. All these and many other characters all responds in different but all very believable ways.

Robin too but as a newcomer is mostly...not indifferent but doesn't see it as a lack in himself. To him its more like a nice parlor trick they can do but feels no need to emulate them. He's generally secure in his identity. Athletic, social and good at being the person others want to see. Something he developed as a response to his narcissistic parents. 

The plot is quite good even if more focus is given to the characters and slowly revealing the magic system. That being said it's not obvious who the antagonists are before they are revealed, expect from a meta perspective there are only so many named characters. Then again they were more focused on solving the curse rather than figure out who put it there. There are magical police in this world and it's assumed that they are solving the murder though we never hear from them. Why they didn't bring the cures to them on the other hand is never clear.

The book takes place at the very beginning of the suffragette movement, and has a number of excellent female characters. Many but not all chafing under the lack of opportunities but doing things anyway. Along with the insistence that women really shouldn't be taught magic. Most of this weight is carried by Robins younger sister Maud who are running a persuasion campaign on Robin to be allowed to go to university. 

That people with little or no magic gets looked down on and yet women supposed to be taught any more than the most basic of magic, does sound like a contradiction. But it's not in a way that feels unbelievable. 

As for Robins and Edwins relationship, it's good they complement each other well and bring some emotional support that they both clearly need. Edwin more than Robin but I feel he made the most character growth in the story. The inevitable end of second act argument is convincing. It stems from something that Edwin actually planned to do and was made worse by their respective insecurities. They also even in the argument doesn't try to hurt one another and does attempt to work through the issues. It doesn't work but an attempt was made. I have realized that as a reader for me to like a book the characters needs to try to solve things, they don't have to succeed but they have to make the effort.

There are sex scenes in the book but only three. They are a bit long for my taste but they had enough character development or exposition woven in that I didn't feel the need to skip them. Also not so spicy that I was uncomfortable reading the book in public.

All told I'm definitely going to read the next in the series even if, from what I understand, Edwin and Robin wont be the main characters. Also I'll probably reread this one someday. 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Marvellous on Amazon.

The utterly uninteresting and unadventurous tales of Fred the vampire accountant by Drew Hayes

 Plot

 Recently turned vampire Fred Fletcher is disappointed to realize how little how little this changes things. He can no longer go out into the sun or touch silver he is also still socially awkward and scared of any kind of conflict. 
For lack of anything better to do he also keeps his job as a accountant though now freelance since nine to five isn't an option. 
Dismayed by how mundane his unlife is he decides to take a risk and go to his high school reunion.   
The reunion goes bad his former bullies are there and he didn't actually have any friends back then to reconnect with, even fellow former social outcasts Krystal disappears on him after a few minutes of conversation. It's not looking great and then it gets worse as the light cuts out, the doors are looked and the party is attacked by werewolves. 

But this is the start of a whole new unlife for Fred filled with wereponies, LARPing mages and jovial zombies but most importantly friends.

My thoughts.

Written as a memoir by the titular Fred the book contains five chronological stories. The plot part above mostly just describes the first of them the rest is mostly him getting dragged into trouble by mostly Krystal. Forcing him to get out of his shell and be a bit more social.
Sounds harsh but its good for him. 

Although I described him as as scared of conflict he also doesn't back down even when faced with opponents a lot stronger than himself as long as its to help someone. I was going to say to help his friends but its more friends of friends or strangers he just meet. This does help to make him more likable at least for me.

It's a clever book most of the solution to the trouble facing Fred gets solved not by force but by thinking outside the box and being clever, which I like. It's also an interesting mix of the fantastical and the mundane. In a way that's very refreshing, there aren't many uncool vampires in fiction which clearly is a shame. 

The book is a very quick read. This is partially down to it being several short stories. I like stopping at the next chapter and even more so at the end of a story. Also you are never more than 50 pages from a climax so that too helps. 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Utterly.

Review of The Scum Villain's Self-saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu part two

Readers be warned this review contains spoilers for the first book and also doesn't make much sense without it so go read my review of part one and maybe the book before reading this. 

 Plot

The scum villain is back in this part two of the series.

It starts about a year after the end of the first book Shen Quingqui has spent the last three years mourning his student Lou Binghe (who Shen stabbed before pushing him into the demon realm during a competition) but also enjoying his freedom from the system. 

Shen and others sect leaders are having a meeting (this is truly the most thrilling of settings) when a  messenger arrives. They are told about a city being completely isolated except one man managed to escape explained that there is a plague in the city before dying. Since then various sects has sent in healers to try and help but no one has come out again. Shen, Liu Quigge and Mu Quingfang decides to go to a city in order to investigate the plague and hopefully curing it. However once they have snuck in Shen discovered that it is in fact not a plague but rather caused by demons. While chasing a demon he instead runs into Lou who is back from the demon realm. Except he is two years earlier than in the original novel and his proximity is turning the system back online (it makes sense if you've read the first one). He has in fact been back for some time and has become the premiere apprentice to Huan Hua Palace and rumors abound about what really happened at the competition. Many are quick to point fingers at Shen (not undeserved) since clearly Lou is not dead like Shen said. As accusations pile up from demons and Huan hua palace apprentices alike and an old flame of Shens show up and things are looking dark. 

My thoughts

Unsurprisingly my thoughts are mostly the same as the last one. Shens frustration with the system are still funny and the plot is interesting and exiting. There is a thing though the Chinese original was a web series when they divided them into books it got odd. I noticed this in the first novel too after the climax of the competition the story should have ended instead there is another chapter of Shen finding mushrooms and a snake person. the same happens in this where Shen dies (he gets better) which should have been a cliffhanger ending but instead happens in the middle of the book.

Last book it was clear that while Shen saw Lou through the lens of what he would one day do and was unaware of Lous affection for him which were obvious to the reader, now it's different. I honestly don't know what Lou is thinking. Shen is convinced Lou hates him and is angry and is going to do all the horrible things he did in the original work, specifically the things Lou did to him. The system on the other hand claims Lou is merely annoyed And I honestly don't know what he's thinking does he love him, hate him? Lou is obsessed though sometimes he feels more hurt and confused. If it's not clear this is a good thing I prefer my books to not be predictable.

And finally after much ado he has realize what we have all known. That the longer it goes the less help  he'll have of his knowledge of the original work. Shen's not the sharpest when it comes to interpersonal relationships and is of course horrified to realize Lou is no longer a peak masculine stereotype. Wondering what the fans will think about the harem of 300 ladies not happening and Lou having feelings for his teacher, obsessive and necrophilic though they may be.

All in all I'm definitely going to continue reading the series but I might not post about the rest. 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Scum villain.

Review of Vox Machina origins by Matthew Mercer

For the last year or so I have had an interest in dungeons and dragons. Not with playing it but watching other people play.

Going from Dimension 20 to critical role and since I'm a bit of a completionist I decided to start at the beginning. Which brought me to the legend of vox machina which started airing on twitch 2017.

114 three hour episodes later and I'm still not ready to leave these characters and in considering getting an amazon prime account to watch the animated series version. But I managed to restrain myself and didn't immediately re-watch the same adventure but turned instead to the prequel comic book. 

I tend to get very excited about a single topic at the time and try to read everything about it.

Plot

Twins Vax (Rogue) and Vex (ranger) are in the swamp town of Stillben investigating a curse that is killing the people. Getting attacked by fishpeople but are helped by Keyleth (druid) who is also investigating the deaths but reveals that the cause is poison and not a curse. They thank her and leaves to continue their investigation. Asking the local alchemist about poisons are immediately attacked again this time by shadowy assassins. 

Meanwhile Scanlan (bard) and Grog (barbarian) is also in Stillben along with their party investigating a temple cult thing belonging to a frog god. After a fight and while looting the temple they find a mysterious potion. Taking it to the alchemist to be identified they find his shop filled with shadowy assassins. Killing them they head to a bar to discuss their plans their companions are all for leaving but Scanlan is approached by Tiberius (sorcerer) who is investigating the curse/poison along with Keyleth on behalf of a criminal syndicate. Revealing that the potion found is the poison he has been looking for and buys the potion. Scanlan convinces grog to look into what's happening in the town thinking it would make a better story then if they just left.

The six of them then continues investigating getting in the way of the others until they reluctantly agrees to team up.

My thoughts

It suffers a bit from being just the story and somewhat condensed. In the stream they tend to get side tracked a lot. I also missed the ridiculous banter between players and seeing the other players reaction to what the others are doing. Also my favorite character (Percy) doesn't appear until the next installment and yes I have read that one to.

Apart from that it was what I expected and hoped. It had the characters I like, the random plans and shenanigans all with some very pretty artwork. And I think most fans of the show would like it.

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Vox machina or if you haven't seen the videos then this is the first episode. 

The Mad Lancers by Brian McClellan

It's a prequel to the Gods of blood and powder series and... well I don't really know where in the timeline it is with the powder mage trilogy. I could probably look it up but I don't want to and it doesn't really matter anyway. It's also short, it's just a novella and only 90 pages long so the plot is rather straightforward.

Ben Sykes who is big, strong and seemingly immune to all injuries. to the point where I thought the twist of GOBAP would be that he was secretly some kind of god. if you have read either series then you understand that this isn't as far fetched as it sounds. 

It takes place before the Fatrastan rebellion or rather during the events leading up to it. Where tension are rising between the paolo, the settlers and the distant Kez government. Sykes is at this point an officer in the Fatrastan militia (I have already forgotten the specifics) garrisoned at a small town. A Kez regiment is passing through and staying for the night. In the morning Sykes stops their drunk colonel from beating the local innkeeper (he was asking them to pay for the drinks they'd had the night before) breaking both his arms in the process. A few hours later the colonel returns, along with his brother (who is the governor). And then things escalate from there. 

This and the rest of he series are for people who likes military things. If reading about cavalry charges and infantry flanking maneuvers doesn't interest you then this isn't the book for you. I personally quite like the battle strategy parts but did in general like powder mage trilogy better. Mainly because I find Sykes and his anger management issues slightly annoying. Not so much in this one but in GOBAP he could avoid a lot of trouble if he just showed some patience. 

All in all it's a nice and short little book mainly for fans of the other series. 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Mad Lancers

Unnatural Magic by C.M Waggoner

Onna is a young mathematical prodigy and in a world where math and magic is intrinsically linked going to magical university is a dream of hers.

But although she aced the entrance exams she still doesn't get accepted (mostly due to classism and sexism in this quasi Victorian world). She instead goes to Hexos an island nation renowned for its magic. But Trolls are being murdered in the streets of Hexos and in the countryside of Draeslundic and Onna quickly finds herself as part of the investigation.

It also follows Jeckran a down on his luck nobleman and military officer sent to stop the brewing conflict between humans and trolls. Instead he finds himself rescued by Tsira a half troll living on the outskirts of both human and troll society. Setting out to make their fortune together they do quite well for themselves until a personal tragedy drags them into the murder investigation. 

My thoughts

There's a lot of lost potential in this book. The idea of a high functioning troll society side by side with a human one is interesting. But you only get to see either the poor clans at the border or the enclaves within human cities. And constantly being told their magic is a lot more advanced than humans is not the same.

I also had trouble engaging with the characters. Onna she's a bit to perfect, sure she is a prodigy but even a highschool prodigy shouldn't easily beat someone at university level.  

The investigating murders plot mostly meanders around. With Onna occasionally accusing various people of murder based on mostly circumstance. 

This part could be a lot better if more time had been devoted to it but unfortunately most of the book is taken up by Tsira, Jeckran and their love story. I don't like them and I certainly don't like their relationship. They feel more like two people taking advantage of each other. Jeckran for money and protection, Tsira for status. It doesn't help that Tsira almost never refers to him by his name or that Tsira is violent and willing to attack or threaten anyone who even looks at them weird. With Trolls being significantly larger and stronger than humans that is a problem.

And they don't really contribute much to the murder plot. 

All in all it's not a book that I'll be reading again.

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you despite this wants to try it then it can be bought here Unnatural.

The Scum Villain's Self-saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

This is a meta story about a person being transported into the plot of a book he's read.

Shen Yuan has a love hate relationship with the immensely popular web-novel series "Immortal demon way". Having just finished the last book and upset about the unresolved plot threads, the cliche plot and bland side characters he dies. Only to find himself waking up inside the book. Not as the male power fantasy protagonist Lou Binghe but rather as his horrible teacher Shen Qingqiu. Who routinely encourages the other students to bully Bingue and will in later parts of the series try to kill him. 

He will also (as Yuan knows) later be gruesomely killed by the protagonist. Something Yuan (since he is in Qingqiu body wants to stop). Using his knowledge of the books, Qingqius magical powers and along with the unhelpful system (a google translate voice that only Yuan can hear that arbitrarily assigns him points and quests) he must set out to fix the plotholes and avoid his fate of death by protagonist. Except until that feature is unlocked he can't act too out of character.  

My thoughts

I like it a lot. Yuan arguing with the system is very funny and I like him although he is a bit slow to realize that his actions has consequences for the plot going forward. Also that Bingues respect for him as a teacher becomes hero worship once he is shown the least bit of kindness and self sacrifice. 

Although not getting murdered is one of the reasons for Yuan wanting to change the plot it is mostly just that Yuan is a mostly decent person and seeing a child bullied is just wrong. 

Unfortunately it doesn't have the best view on women. the female characters are mostly there to be saved by Binghe and then ignored. Which isn't surprising considering that the story is supposed to be a male power fantasy (In the Original book Bingue ends with a harem of 300 women) but it's also not questioned by Shen. Hopefully that will change in the later books. 

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Scum Villain

I've written a book!! Untold City by Me

Starting in 2019 I have been working on writing a novel. The writing took about a year the proof reading, rewriting, publishing and procrastination took far longer. Long enough that the sequel is also written though that one is till a long way from being published.

It's been lots of fun and very rewarding though at times frustrating. A lesson to be learned from this is to not set your story in the real world unless it is a place you are intimately familiar with. Which considering I've never been to the united states I'm certainly not. So I had to spend so much time googling about massachusetts. But it's done and soon also the sequel so let me tell you about it.

Something strange is happening in Arkham. And this time it might be more than just the usual rumors surrounding the isolated town. Detective Matt Lynch of Boston PD is sent to investigate. But when his new colleagues are keeping secrets and unsubtly encouraging him to leave that might be harder than he thought it would be. But as the old secrets are reluctantly revealed, new questions emerge. When local politics cause riots in the streets and the delicate balance of Arkham is threatened Matt must decide if he should keep up the status quo or join the fight against the things hiding in the dark corners and cemeteries of Arkham.

And yes I did just copy the blurb but basically it's a lovecraft inspired detective novel set in a modern day Arkham.

If you want to buy it then it can be so here. 

Kindle

Google play

Adlibris 

It's just as an ebook so far, who knows maybe I will get around to putting up a physical copy but I wouldn't hold my breath this blogpost has been sitting unpublished for six months. 

Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir

 So far three books has been published in this series Gideon, Harrow and Nona the ninth and we are awaiting Alecto the ninth that is supposed to end the series. I'm mostly going to write about the first two partially to avoid spoilers but mostly because the books get weirder as you go and I don't think i can explain Nona in a way that makes sense.

Gideon the ninth

Ten thousand years from now humanity is spread out into space divided into and controlled by the nine necromantic houses. Sort of, the first house is mostly the emperor and god and his immortal lyctoral saints and the ninth house is a dying cult desperately trying to keep up appearances.

There's also a war happening but its not relevant to the plot and so its not explained, as in after three books I'm still not entirely sure who they are fighting. this book takes an unusual approach to exposition as in there are none figure it out from context.

Anyhow several of the lyctors have died and in order to fill out the ranks the emperor has called on the nine houses to each send a necromancer and their cavalier (swordfighter) to become new lyctors. the ninth house sending the Reverant daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus (this is not the weirdest name in this series) and her cavalier Gideon Nav. They are chosen because they are literally the only people in the ninth house below retirement age. They arrive at the mostly empty planet and the research facility there the past lyctors worked were given access to their labs and told to figure it out. 

Then one by one the other chevaliers and necromancers are found dead. 

Harrow the ninth 

After the events of the first book Harrow isn't doing too well. She is a lyctor living with the emperor on his space station and being taught by the older lyctors. But her powers doesn't work the way they should and she keeps having flashbacks to the events of the first book. Except the flashbacks doesn't show the events as they happened. Most notable Gideon isn't there and having been replaced by Ortus as Harrows cavalier.

Don't remember Ortus? He died off screen in the beginning of the first book while harrow and Gideon were fighting.

To make matters worse Ortus is trying to kill her. Not flashback Ortus, there's a lyctor that's also named Ortus. Though the Emperor treats it all with exasperation so it's probably not too serious. Plot-wise we find out that there is something called resurrection beasts. These are mile long Lovecraftian horrors that they have spent the last 10 000 years fighting. The reason new lyctors were needed was that the others had all died fighting them and now one is approaching.

Also the Emperor undying and Necrolord prime is a nice if weird man named Jon and Harrow can't wrap her head around her god being a person.

What do I think

Do I like it? I don't know, I mostly spend most of the book trying to figure out what is even happening.

Will I read the next one? Definitely, these are the most unique books I've read in a long time and I plan on rereading them, hopefully by then I'll understand something.

An interesting part of Harrow the ninth is Jon and his remaining three lyctors. It explores the long term effect of immortality. They are all somewhat disconnected from time, they speak of things that happened thousands of years ago as if it happened last week and keep rehashing the same arguments again and again.

It's a very good and interesting series, I like both Gideon and Harrow as characters and I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy. But it's not an easy series, you can't just sit back and relax. You need to actually pay attention if you want to figure it out.

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Locked Tomb.

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

 Having left her old job when her boss turned out to be a creep Evie Sage now needs a new one. Even more so since she needs to provide for her younger sister and ailing father. On the way home from a job fair she runs into The Villain hiding from the king's soldiers. Finding him to be nothing like the grotesque caricatures on the wanted posters she accept his offer to become his assistant. But there is something rotten in the office and it's not just the severed heads decorating the entryway. Someone is ruining the villains carefully laid plans. 

There's a spy in the office. 

My thoughts

I don't really know what I think about this book. Reading the blurb and looking at the cover I assumed that it would be set in modern times. The word villain leading me to think it of super heroes or James Bond. In hindsight the swords and spears on the cover should have been a clue that it is in fact set in a vaguely medieval, fairytalesqe period. But I didn't catch that and was somewhat disappointed when I started to read it. Until I had read a few chapters and realized that the historic setting is only thinnest veneer. Yes there are kings and dragons and swords and magic, but there is also Evies ongoing feud with Becky from HR, large amounts of coffee and interns. And just because The Villain (that's what he's called for most of the book) occasionally shoots arrows at them does not change the fact that interns was not a thing in medieval times.

It's basically a modern workplace drama about people working for the villain, which I suppose is what I thought it would be. But I'm still disappointed.

When it comes to the spy plot I was happy to find that my guess turned out to be wrong (it would have been too predictable if I was right). I think maybe they should have worried about it more at least after the assassination attempt. Maybe not worried because they do but there should be more descriptions of them doing countermeasures to trap the spy. Then again I like clever people competing in a game of wits and this is a romance first and spy thriller maybe third. But all in all a fairy decent plot until the end when the spy is revealed turned out to be cartoonishly evil. 

This is the part I was interested in but there was also the romantic main plot. I don't care much for  romance as a genre and I didn't really care that much about their ongoing lovestory. I mostly don't really see why they would be interested in each other, apart from him being hot and her not being afraid of him. Which is really no basis for a relationship. But it didn't impede the spy plot that much so it's fine.    

All in all its a nice book but probably better for someone who likes romance.

If you have read it what did you think? Leave a comment. If you haven't read it you can check it out here Assistant.