What I’m Reading

Been awhile since I updated this page, and in that time I’ve read quite a bit! I devoured Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, then read BEST SERVED COLD, the first in the World of the First Law trilogy. I needed a break from all that grimdark and decided to move onto Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries. Currently on this one, and it’s been fun so far!

I spent the past few weeks devouring all six of JCM Berne’s fantastically fun super-hero space opera series, The Hybrid Helix. Never thought I’d read a super-hero story (comics, absolutely, but never novelized tales), but these were great reads with a ton of wonderful pop culture references. Looking forward to whenever book 7 is published so I can continue the adventure!

Back from a galaxy-spanning adventure, my holiday reading kicks it up another notch with This Inevitable Ruin!

After sheathing my claws, I moved on to two new reads. Cosmic Widow is the third installment in the Agent Renault galactic spy thriller series. And it didn’t disappoint!

While I await the next installment in The Dungeon Crawler Carl series, my very talented author friend Douglas Lumsden just released Book 1 in a new series set in the world of his urban noir fantasy Alexander Southerland, P.I. This should be a good ‘un.

Fresh off the amazing The Expanse series, I’ve moved on to some truly pulpy fantasy fun!

I’m six books into The Expanse, with plans to watch the show once I’m finished with them. What a fun series!

After the emotional rollercoaster that is The Green Bone Saga, it was time to move on to the debut novel of my dear friend Adrian Gibson. And MUSHROOM BLUES does not disappoint! I devoured the story in a week. Highly recommended!

With the first Percy Jackson series finished, it was high time for me to get back to the incredibly gritty, yet beautiful world of Janloon, and Fonda Lee’s epic Jade series.

Both my boys and my wife have read the entire series, and now that the show is out and I’ve given it a watch, it’s my turn to see what all the hype is about. So far, so good!

After reading the first three (completed story arc) of Pierce Brown’s epic Red Rising Trilogy (I may pick up the next installments, but wanted a break), I’ve moved on to the fourth and final book in the Mennik Thorn series.

10/16/23

I finished the War for the Rose Throne. An excellent series! Hopping on the bandwagon, I’ve decided to check out this series. At about 70% in, the story doesn’t disappoint.

9/10/23

Slacking off like I usually do, it’s been 7 months since I updated this page. My apologies for my three fans who read this site! So, what have I been reading during that time? Quite a bit actually. I’ve dug through the first 9 novels in Derek Landy’s SKULLDUGGERY PLEASANT series. Took a break from that to devour Douglas Lumsden’s sixth book THE BLOODMOON FEEDS ON MY DREAMS, and Tom Bruno’s stand-alone (for now!) delightful sci-fi romp DOWN BELOW BEYOND.

From there, I’ve fallen in love with Peter McLean’s brilliant grimdark fantasy “Peaky Blinders meets Game of Thrones” series War for the Rose Throne. Tomas Piety’s voice is arguably one of the strongest I’ve come across in story to date. You should read all of these wonderful stories!

2/15/23

Back to space I go! Jonathan Nevair’s stand-alone spy-fi adventure is both fun and poetic (and for anyone who’s read or reading it, you get the “poetic” bit).

1/15/23

My favorite urban fantasy series returns with the above new offering, and I couldn’t be more excited to dive into it!

11/4/22

Back to this wonderful series, and the freshly-released Book 2! I really love the world Skies has created, and her characters are fun to read!

10/6/22

Fresh from a quick Mennik Thorn read, I now turn to the VERY dark NORYLSKA GROANS, which might be the most sinister and depressing book I’ve ever road, and I’m only a few chapters in!

10/3/22

Was caught up reading an ARC for a fellow writer which took me away from the third (albeit short) novel in the Mennik Thorn series.

9/1/22

I absolutely LOVED the first Mennik Thorn book! He reminded me of my own MC Tom Holliday. Just a brilliant story. So I’ve decided I need to read the next two in the series.

8/30/22

Mysteries and mages. Sounds like fun!

8/15/22

I devoured THE THIRTEENTH HOUR and decided to stick with some fantasy for a bit. Enter PATERNUS, whose tagline “Even myths have legends” grabbed me from the get-go.

8/12/22

After traveling to the far off world of Kamaria and devouring the epic conclusion to T.A. Bruno’s Song of Kamaria series, it was “time” for me to go in a different direction – gaslamp fantasy. I haven’t read much gaslamp before, but I’ve heard a lot of great things about this story.

The epic conclusion to the Song of Kamaria series! Tom Bruno is a wonderful creative, and his first two books didn’t disappoint. Now, it’s time to finish the story started by IN THE ORBIT OF SIRENS, a top ten semi-finalist in the inaugural Self-Published Science Fiction contest!

This book I’ve been waiting on for quite some time. The very first indie pubbed story I ever read was The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz by Peter James Martin. This was a collection of paranormal vignettes from Brennan’s perspective, and they were filled with local lore of the British countryside. They were such a delight, I became an immediate fan! Peter writes with a whimsical style that I enjoy. His lead character Brennan is a relatable sort–nerd, paranormal investigator, down-on-his-luck (usually) with a heart of gold. I’m a sucker for that kind of hero. And his partner Riz, a talking rat, is the right kind of irascible, foul-mouthed counter to Bren’s do-gooderness. So when the author announced he was writing an origin story, I knew I had to get it!

After devouring The Demon’s Dagger, I’ve moved on to Jonathan Nevair’s climactic conclusion to his epic space opera The Wind Tide series!

A recent and surprisingly long reading hiatus is finally over. Today, I started Douglas Lumsden’s novella The Demon’s Dagger. Set in his urban fantasy world of Alexander Southerland P. I., this should be a fun little treat!

After the cerebral and chilling tour through the vampiric dark side, I’m sticking with even more urban fantasy. This time, my friend and writing critique partner Patricia A. Jackson has served up what appears to be some tasty four horsemen kind of mayhem.

Now that P.I. Alexander Southerland has solved another mystery, I decided to go dark. Recommended by Douglas Lumsden, the author of said P.I. stories, I discovered The Long Nights. Atmospheric, twisted and compelling (although in need of a line editor), this story definitely has my attention.

Time to get back to Yerba City and the fantastic urban noir that is Alexander Southerland, P.I. written by Douglas Lumsden!

After a quick jaunt through the frigid cold of Titanshade, I’m back in Janloon and all the epic goodness that is Fonda Lee’s Jade series!

Still reeling from the emotional brilliance crafted by the incredibly talented Fonda Lee, I chose to move to Dan Stout’s phenomenal buddy-cop urban fantasy world of Titanshade as a palette cleanser. I actually met Dan in a critique group. He made a guest appearance, and was gracious with his insightful commentary about chapter 1 of The Devil’s Share! Just an all-around great guy, and a gifted writer. I’ll be flip-flopping between his series and Fonda Lee’s trilogy for the foreseeable future.

I have heard so much about this series that I had to dive into it. And five chapters in, all I can say is the hype doesn’t do it justice. I wish I could write like this!

10/24/2021

With the “epic” recounting of a “slain” dragon out of the way, I’m back to Douglas Lumsden’s urban fantasy about a hard-boiled detective and the crazy cases he takes on!

10/20/2021

With Kamaria in my rear-view mirror, it was time to move on to some truly epic satire. I’d recently listened to Fiction Fans Podcast where they showcased and broke down the story. So to the TBR it went!

10/4/2021

With my high fantasy adventuring out of the way, it’s time to travel back to the stunning science fiction world of Kamaria!

9/25/2021

Heading back to some good ole fashion high fantasy with Jeff Speight’s yarn about a half-orc and his mercenary band going up against some classic bad guys!

8/25/2021

Jumping back into the Wind Tide series by Jonathan Nevair. This book has been described as Ocean’s Eleven meets The Fifth Element, so you know I’m stoked to read it!

8/14/2021

Moving right along to the second book in this series. The first one was hilarious and well done! What’s cooler? I’ve connected with Douglas Lumsden on Twitter, and he’s going to read BLOODLINES! Hopefully he enjoys mine as much as I enjoyed his.

8/8/2021

Fresh off my sci-fi adventure, I decided to go back to some urban fantasy. Magic, murder, mayhem with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek flair.

8/3/2021

Back to some sci-fi I go! After I finished the thoroughly entertaining misadventures of Kinch Na Shannack, I had to check out T. A. Bruno’s IN THE ORBIT OF SIRENS, a critically-acclaimed indie that is out of this world.

7/8/2021

It’s been an awfully busy couple of weeks since I finished DRAGON MAGE. Free promo of BLOODLINES, then release of the sequel PIECES OF EIGHT, then I have to work in-between all that, oh and Gilder to frame for it.

However, I did finish Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (delightful, intriguing, but not nearly as good as The Martian), and now I’ve moved back to some fantasy with THE BLACKTONGUE THIEF. I’ve read lots of good pub for this one, and I’m hopeful that my enjoyment of the first few paragraphs from the sample chapter I downloaded don’t taper off as the book continues. We shall see!

6/21/2021

With my interstellar Greek tragedy completed, I’ve moved on to an epic fantasy tale in Rivenworld. Several book bloggers that I follow gave this rave reviews, and after reading the prologue, I was intrigued.

6/16/2021

After finally finishing the edits on PIECES OF EIGHT, as well as a quick beta read for a writer friend, I’m back to published novels. Taking a break from the planet Earth brings me to the blue sands of Kol 2, and Jonathan Nevair’s science fiction debut. I’ve read several excellent reviews about this character-driven story, and look forward to hurtling across the galaxy to discover a new world.

5/12/2021

While on the hunt for The Faceless Man and other Little Crocodiles, PC Grant comes across a serial killer who might just be a magic-wielding serial killer. What could possibly go wrong?

4/28/2021

Fresh off facing off against the Faceless Man, I’m back for the next case starring apprentice wizard Peter Grant. This time, PC Grant is spelunking a haunted subway. What could possibly go wrong?

4/13/2021

On to some magic and smooth (yet killer) jazz. I am so impressed by Aaronovitch’s descriptions, local knowledge and consistent wit and humor as apprentice wizard Peter Grant chases a murderer who somehow employs music to end its victims!

4/9/2021

After the smart and witty inaugural case for apprentice wizard Peter Grant, I decided to go dark and gritty with Paul Cornell’s London Falling. Three coppers and an analyst face off against the terrible supernatural forces of London, using their unasked-for Sight to overcome the impossible. Sound familiar? I enjoyed the parallels between this story and my own, but Cornell’s diverged significantly in a lot of twisty (and sometimes gruesome) ways. I’m going to switch off between this series and Rivers of London until I finish both.

3/31/2021

I’d heard great things about Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series, and finally got started on Midnight Riot. One chapter in, and I’m absolutely hooked!

3/10/2021

After a quick adventure against an endless legion of Wyatts and the mysterious Hotel, it was time to read what all the fuss was about for Krystle Matar’s Legacy of the Brightwash. And this dark gas-lamp fantasy hasn’t disappointed so far. Matar’s style and vision are clear, the characters are rife with depth and personality, the setting is well-thought out, and the story itself is excellent.

2/28/2021

After finishing the delightfully fun Gideon the Ninth, I’ve moved on to The Hotel at the End of Time, by Canadian indie author Michael James. An off-beat romp of an adventure full of pop culture quips, people with unusual powers, and quirky humor that is a hallmark of this author. Oh, and let’s not forget the terribly mysterious Hotel itself! A recommended read for anyone who likes their parallel universe stories with just the right amount of snark and goofiness.

2/4/2021

So, what do I enjoy reading?

Glad you asked!

I mainly read science fantasy, high fantasy, crime / police procedurals, and urban fantasy. Favorite traditional authors include (in no particular order) George R.R. Martin, Terry Brooks, Michael Connelly, Jim Butcher, Michael Moorcock, Weiss and Hickman, Eddings and, of course, Tolkien.

Then tack on some great indie authors, including Peter James Martin, A.R. Pearson, Zack Brooks, Leigh Grissom, Nicholas Eames and Deck Matthews.

With today’s book market chock full of new and innovative storytellers, my TBR pile fills up quickly. Right now, I’m on GIDEON THE NINTH, a fantastically woven tale of science fantasy that is equal parts delicious and profane. Tamsyn Muir’s prose is brilliant. Her words flow and wander. Every sentence is thick with imagery, emotion and grit. I’m constantly amazed by each successive chapter, and I was hooked from the start.

While I do write reviews for the books I read, they’re typically short and sweet. I’m not much of a reviewer, but you never know what might happen down the road.