So what did I read in March. Okay, so the image gives it away. I read some great books, but I didn’t read as much as I normally would. March, for many reason, was not great for reading. I’m still suffering from an ear infection, which makes my concentration pretty poor. Luckily, what I did read was so good, it pulled me through it.
I Spit Myself Out
I started Tracy Fahey’s brilliant collection I Spit Myself Out at the end of February. It was one of those collections where for each new story, I thought I’d found a new favourite. It’s a collection with multiple highpoints. There are so many stories that will stick with you here, deeply haunting images, characters that experience true horror every day, over and again. Fahey has a real gift for leaving the story at the moment when it has the most power to stay with you.
Later
This is Stephen King doing what Stephen King does. The Hard Case Crime series gives him licence to play things a little differently, so the “I see dead people” story collides with a cop who becomes increasing more desperate. It works incredibly well, even if you do get the feeling that King could churn it out in his sleep. Sometimes, it’s like he’s playing homage to himself.
I don’t read a lot of other world fantasy, but Slinde quickly made me feel comfortable in his world with his great mix of characters and engaging plot. It’s fantasy with a liberal splash of western and steampunk, and it works. Were quickly introduced to Esther, a Peacekeeper assigned her first mission, to take down a weather wizard who’s causing chaos in a distant colony. But the mission is never simple, getting off to the worst possible start when their airship comes crashing down – courtesy of that troublesome weather wizard. Slinde creates a world full of fascinating creatures (including some absolute horrors) and his actions scenes are incredibly engaging, with some brutal battles in there too. The plot kept me surprised as it build towards the larger story in the ‘Sins of the Elders’ series, and it’s certainly got me intrigued.
Dark Hilarity
I’m a little over half way through Dark Hilarity by Joseph Sale, but there’s a lot to enjoy. I won’t give too much away, but I’ll leave you with a question: What I those fantastical places depicted on the covers of 80s metal albums were real, and there was a way to access those worlds? It’s inventive and lives up to everything that question stimulates.