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I’ve Got News!

I’ve Got News!

There’s been so much going on here at the House of Weeds that I haven’t gotten a chance to talk about. I’ve barely had time to catch my breath. Here’s a quick catch-up of the major things. First, I have a collection of holiday stories 

Book Report! The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Book Report! The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

This book had a rough beginning for me. All my own fault, of course. I picked it up after being intrigued by the description. The book begins with a pronunciation guide and then a list of characters, places, things and gods. I was feeling a 

Book Report! Shadow and Bone: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo

Book Report! Shadow and Bone: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo

This isn’t the first book by Leigh Bardugo that I’ve read. I also read Six of Crows, which absolutely forced me to buy it several years ago. I came across the book at Costco and was seduced by the cover and the black page edges. Absolutely stunning packaging. And I loved the book when I finally got around to reading it.

I started Shadow and Bone, which had been languishing on my kindle for years, just after watching the first episode of the Netflix series. I was thrilled by the world, the costumes and the visual style of their production and couldn’t wait for the next installment.

So I began reading the book. And finished the book just before I saw all of the first season of the series.

The novel begins with a flashback to Alina and Mal’s childhood and eases you into the fantasy world of the Grisha. The Grisha are magicians or witches, depending on whose point of view you believe in.

The first chapter lands us in the action of an army on the march to the Shadow Fold. Mal is a tracker and Alina a surveyor in the army, which is about to cross the Fold.

The Shadow Fold is a darkness covering a stretch of land that was created by an evil magician and is occupied by volcra. The volcra are giant winged creatures that prey on anyone who enters the Fold.

The world Bardugo creates here is based on Eastern European culture with a bit of steampunk tossed in. It’s a very detailed world and she’s worked to create class systems, a detailed history and other complexities.

The magic is varied and Alina’s powers have never been seen before. No one Grisha is all powerful and there are limits to what each of them can do.

The novel is a slightly different story from the Netflix series, which has some plot from her other books threaded through the story of Shadow and Bone. For the most part though, the first season is faithful to the book.

I loved both of them equally and was ready to move on to the second book in the series. I haven’t done so only because it’s been a wild spring and summer.

So, if you’re looking for a wonderful read, click on over and check it out.

Amazon

Happy Summer Solstice!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Life here at The House of Weeds is coming off the rails. Last week was the Spousal Unit’s birthday, the Teen’s high school graduation and Father’s day. It was also the end of school and I was amazed at how many possible events graduation entailed. 

Book Report! Chosen: The Warrior Chronicles, Book 1 by K.F. Breene

Book Report! Chosen: The Warrior Chronicles, Book 1 by K.F. Breene

This novel is the first in series of six. It begins with Shanti waking from a nightmare of a raid which happened when she was a child. It took me a chapter or two to figure out what was happening in the story and that 

I’ve got News!

I’ve got News!

The pandemic project I’ve been working on with two other writers is finally out! I’m thrilled with this beautiful anthology of novellas. My novella is the first part of a series that I’m still working on. Each one will be about a different character in the long story. Which I’ll be publishing throughout the year and probably into the next.

Witches, vampires, demons and more stalk the pages of this anthology. A collaboration between three very different fantasy writers, these novellas delight, entertain and thrill.

In Blight of Blood spells combine with science to create something completely new and dangerous. 

In Coven’s Spark, a swarm of witches and healers take on an age-old threat to their city.

In Extreme Cosplay, a vampire and a werewolf want to trade places for just a day. Complications arise.

Pick up Witch Magic today and escape to another world.

Amazon

 

In other news, I’m busy writing a slew of short stories to fulfill anthology commitments I’ve made to myself. Once those are done, I’ll finish the last novella in the series.

And bookselling events are happening again! I’ve already gone to one and it was fun, although exhausting. I’m out of shape socially. I obviously need to exercise that muscle. When I get a chance, I’ll update the event tab with what’s coming up.

Out in the garden, I’m running way behind.

I’ve been driving myself and the teen to get vaccinated – twice. We were on different timelines, so that involved four trips. And switching doctors, which always means lots of visits to accomplish tests and everything else. And dentist appointments and eye doctor appointments. Whew.

Everything has been opening up in this area and my social life has gone from zero to a hundred in less than a week. I just want to stay home and plant all the numerous plants I’ve been buying. And there’s nine more arriving this week or next.

Here’s a few of the beauties shimmering in the garden right now:

Rosa chinensis ‘Serratipetala’, the first rose to bloom here.
Epimedium ‘Spritzer’ showing its speckles.
Peony ‘White and Red Phoenix’ floofing away.
Book Report! The City of Brass: The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty

Book Report! The City of Brass: The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass: The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty I decided to read this one after a friend raved about it. It’s mostly set in a fictional country called Daevastana located vaguely northwest of India. The book revolves around mythology that’s absolutely 

Over the Rapids!

Over the Rapids!

This month continues to be a wild ride. For weeks now I’ve felt like I was pushing the river, trying to make it change course, in order to make anything happen. For the past several days, it’s apparent that the river is now pushing me 

Book Report! A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Book Report! A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the title. Earlier in my life I spent a decade or more making my living as a baker at several different places in Seattle.

I knew from the first paragraph that I was in for a treat. This story is told by fourteen-year old Mona, the baker and wizard of the title. She has a gift for snark.

Mona’s story begins with a dead body, first thing in the morning. She’s up early to bake for the townspeople’s breakfasts and discovers a dead girl in the bakery.

We learn over the course of the novel that she does magic and her familiar is a sourdough starter called Bob. Although Mona’s abilities appear to be limited to working with dough and perhaps some frosting, the girl’s got surprises up her sleeve.

The world the author creates here is a fairly standard post-medieval world, with twists. The Duchess is seemingly in charge of this particular city. Mona is hauled before the Duchess by Inquisitor Oberon, an officious man who insists Mona is guilty of murder.

Throughout the story, Mona and her friends try to solve the mystery of missing magickers. Have they been murdered or simply left town? The city’s under threat of invasion and could really use some magic.

Mona’s a strong and inventive character, as are her friends. She finds innovative ways to work within her limitations.

The magic in the book is equally inventive and clever. And so much fun.

I was looking for something to read that would entertain and wasn’t too heavy. Life’s been feeling overwhelming lately. This was the perfect antidote and a delight to read.

The book has been nominated for the Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction for 2020. The awards will be voted on in June of this year. The author also writes children’s books and weird comics under the name of Ursula Vernon and has won many awards for her other work.

You’ll want to go check this one out!

Amazon

Five Days Till Spring!

Five Days Till Spring!

I hope the coming change of season finds you filled with renewed hope. Spring always feels hopeful to me. I walk around the garden and see tender new shoots of returning plants poking out of the soil. It’s like reconnecting with old friends. The season