Dead and Blonde by Jean Marcy

Dead and Blonde by Jean Marcy
New Victoria Publishers, 1998

Overview: After their brief but torrid love affair in Cemetery Murders, things have cooled off somewhat between private investigator Meg Darcy and police detective and Norwegian Ice Queen Sarah Lindstrom. Or so Meg thinks until a late night call from Lindstrom; someone has brutally murdered Lindstrom's ex-lover in Lindstrom's bed. Who would dare murder someone right in a cop's house? And maybe more importantly, why was Viv staying with Lindstrom in the first place? As the murder investigation throws Meg back with the woman who drives her mad, she must find a way to balance her conflicting feelings while tracking down a dangerous killer who might be out to murder them both.

My Reaction: While an overall decent mystery, Dead and Blonde did not quite live up to the precedent set in Cemetery Murders. I think it had a lot to do with the slightly less coherent plot and Meg constantly hashing and rehashing her relationship with Lindstrom. Having just lived through a very traumatic experience, both our protagonists are understandably on edge, but not in a way that seemed to move the story along; much of the book felt bogged-down with Meg's internal conflicts and intense sexual frustration, at the risk of eclipsing the mystery. And while relationships and sexual frustration are fun in small doses, the mystery really should be the heart of the story. Dead and Blonde is not Ghost Motel bad (thank God), but it's not rip-roarin' fun either. I'll probably read the next in the series, since it won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery in 2001, but don't feel like you're missing much unless you want to see how Meg and Lindstrom's story progresses.

Meg Darcy Mysteries
Cemetery Murders, 1997
Dead and Blonde, 1998
Mommy Deadest, 2000
A Cold Case of Murder, 2003

Dance of Knives by Donna McMahon

Dance of Knives by Donna McMahon

A Tor Book, 2001.

Overview: In 2108, Klale, which she tells us rhymes with "daily," is a young woman who has run away from the Fisher's Guild to start a new life in Vancouver's Downtown, an island full of "Guildless" people who have neither the duties or protection of citizenship. She finds the KlonDyke, a strip club/bar whose name raised my hopes way too high, and proceeds to be a glowing beacon of naïveté to her newfound friend Toni, the "'Dyke's" bartender with a secret past. She also takes the risk of trusting Blade, a "tool": he was sold as a child to be neurologically twisted into a  blackmailer's slave. Since he is strong enough to kill anyone easily, and also, due to his "training," liable to go berserk under certain circumstances, this is a greater risk than most people would take! While a gang war is in the offing (spoiler--there seem to be more gangsters/corrupt police in the bar than lesbians), most of the book revolves around learning more about the mysterious pasts of Blade and Toni.

My reaction:

I have to say this upfront: one lesbian sex scene, with no real lesbian romance, with one participant  described as “lean[ing] het” by her partner afterwards PLUS more page-time devoted to (disturbing, in my opinion) hetero sex, and the only front-and-center (i.e., plot-driving) weird-but-probably-qualifies-as-romance romance being hetero, does not "lesbian" novel make. (To be fair to whoever tagged it as such on NoveList, there was a lesbian relationship in the backstory, and a supporting character was nominally in a lesbian relationship, but her partner is such a minor character I forgot it for a minute.) Additional disclaimer: I was really rubbed the wrong way by the description of Klale's introduction to Bracken, who self-identifies herself as a "hermy." While Klale initially reads her as a young woman, when she catches a glimpse of what's underneath some sequined panties, she immediately thinks, "She was a he. Well...maybe," and then launches into an analysis of Bracken's body, and "she/he" and "his or her"s for a couple of pages despite a pretty femme presentation. Ultimately, Bracken says either she or he is fine, but then Klale settles on she because Bracken has larger breasts than her! Ugh, moving on.

All that said, as you might have surmised from the overview, I found Klale really too stupid to be interesting. Thankfully, Toni's story is much more compelling, and is delved into over the course of many blissfully Klale-free pages. 

I have to admit that some of Klale's stupidity paid off in a few situations, but it was hard for me to root for her regardless. 

I idly wondered more than once if a lot of my annoyance with Klale had to do with her name; while her legal name is Margaret, she chose Klale because it apparently means "blue" in Chinook, and was a joke about her hair. I still think my original, pre-pronunciation guide pronunciation is more apt: Klale rhymes with "flail." 

Besides these quarrels, I have to say that McMahon is a better writer technically speaking than many of my "meh" books. I just had a hard time with the inconsistent level of world-building (lots of vocabulary didn't entirely distract me from wanting a few more details about what Klale had run from), some creepy sex (let's just say I'm not into seeing anyone get it on with someone who is a mental age of 12), and Klale. 

 

Slow River by Nicola Griffith

Slow River by Nicola Griffith
Ballantine Books, 1995.

Overview: Slow River, winner of a Lambda Literary Award in 1996, follows the life of Lore van de Oest, a young woman whose pedigree means that she is absurdly wealthy and educated in her family’s “bioremediation” technology. After barely surviving a kidnapping, she is taken in by Spanner, a woman who is perfectly content making a living through crime. While the book begins with Lore’s decision to go “straight” (don’t worry, she still loves ladies, though that is not a huge focus of the book), it constantly flips between the four distinct phases of her life: childhood, the kidnapping, her years with Spanner, and her ongoing attempt to start earning an honest living, albeit under an assumed identity.

My reaction: I feel compelled to start this off with a warning to potential readers that a major part of the story is sexual abuse and rape. It’s not an easy read, to be sure, but putting aside the rape and abuse for a moment, it’s got a lot of my favorite scifi elements: start with a dystopic world that doesn’t seem too far-fetched (i.e., each citizen has an identity chip inserted in the web between their thumb and forefinger), add a mystery, political intrigue, interesting technology (Griffith really goes to town with this one, as she describes in great detail the waste treatment technology that the van de Oest family essentially has a monopoly on), and make it a female protagonist (if she’s a lesbian, bonus points!).

I was pleasantly surprised by how elegantly the plotlines intersected, although I really shouldn’t have been, given that I appreciated Griffith’s skill with story in her other two books (The Blue Place and Ammonite) before picking up Slow River. Her supporting characters felt a little two-dimensional at times, but that could be a manifestation of having a character who was afraid to really engage with them. That said, it didn't keep me from turning the pages and counting the minutes to my lunch break so I could read more. (A review on Ammonite is forthcoming--I loved it, but was too lazy to write a review, and now it's been so long I feel like I should reread it.) Ultimately, however, I think it falls into the high end of my decent category for science fiction, especially when I compare it to Ammonite, which I will definitely recommend. 

More on the rating:  I'm finding that it's much easier to find high quality lesbian science fiction and fantasy than mystery, which is why I gave Griffith's mystery The Blue Place a rating of recommended when I read it. It was a hard decision not to extend the same leeway to Slow River, but in the end, the characters (with the exception of Lore) were just not as real to me as the whole cast of Ammonite.

 

The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith

The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith
Avon Books, 1998.

Overview: Suave Norwegian-American ex-police detective Aud Torvingen literally runs into trouble on a dark and stormy night. (Well, Griffith is too good of a writer to use that phrase, but it's night and there's a bad storm). The trouble she runs into takes the form of a sexy art dealer named Julia Lyons-Bennet, who is running from the scene of a murder. The victim was a friend and colleague, and she is determined to find those responsible. She enlists Aud's help, and Aud takes on the challenge without quite knowing why. (It can't hurt that Julia is sexy, though...) As the case unfolds, the reader also gets to learn more about the reasons for the hardened ex-cop's emotional and physical defenses.

My reaction: Griffith somehow manages to make a gripping story based around a character that on the surface seemed to be a very familiar one. Sure, her attitude vis-a-vis her wealth rubbed me the wrong way sometimes, and her willingness to bend rules about mistreating suspects when she was a cop (and encouraging rookie cops to follow in her footsteps) made me really uncomfortable, but I felt like her gradually emerging backstory made me understand both of those things, even if I didn't like them.

That said, I really enjoyed the mystery at the center of the case. Refreshingly, Griffith didn't cycle through suspects ad nauseum; instead, she keeps the reader's interest by having Aud deal with dangerous henchmen, while all the while wondering what she's missing. 

While I had mixed feelings about the conclusion, I would recommend this book--I'd even venture to say that those mixed feelings are one of the reasons I'd recommend it! The Blue Place held my attention even through the occasional eye-roll, and stands out both in terms of writing quality and character complexity in the genre. Go read it! (PS: the cover art is exactly how I imagine Aud--pretty impressive!) One caveat: I think that Griffith's Ammonite is a stronger book, but when I compare Blue Place to some truly terrible companions in the lesbian detective genre, I decided it does deserve a "recommended" rating.

The More I Owe You by Michael Sledge

The More I Owe You by Michael Sledge
Counterpoint, 2010.

Overview: The More I Owe You is centered around American poet Elizabeth Bishop's tumultuous decades in Brazil. She falls in love with Lota de Macedo Soares, an influential Brazilian, and with the country itself, although she cannot bear the dysfunctional politics which completely consume her lover. The romance of turning what was supposed to be a two week holiday into a seventeen year long stay is not entirely lost despite the detailed account of how the fiercely the lovers clashed over Elizabeth's alcoholism and Lota's dangerous involvement with politics, because somehow all the anger in the world is not enough to completely extinguish their love.

My reaction: This was beautifully done. I kept wondering which parts had been drawn from Bishop's extensive correspondence and which were Sledge's imagination, but toward the end I just let myself appreciate the story. And cry. I definitely cried at the end of this one! 

It definitely makes me want to go read all 70 of her published poems (I had no idea there were so few!)! 

Sledge also brings Brazil's politics to life through Lota's involvement with Carlos Lacerda and her struggle to create Flamengo Park. I was pretty uninformed about Brazilian politics, and so getting some of that background was an added bonus. It was so interesting to see how the evolution of the political situation affected the life of one American expat and the people she lived with: it started as political debate at dinner parties and progressed until Lota was advising Carlos and he was in and out of hiding as a result of assassination attempts. 

All told, this was a fascinating and moving portrait of Elizabeth Bishop, and I highly recommend it!

Wolfsbane Winter by Jane Fletcher

Wolfsbane Winter by Jane Fletcher
Bold Strokes Books, 2010.

Overview: In the land of Galvonia, we meet Deryn, a female mercenary (a.k.a. an Iron Wolf) who has serious attachment issues due to her tragic past, and Alana, a member of the demon-spawn nobility with a semi-legitimate fear of starting a romantic relationship with a commoner. (Yes, I’m serious—demon-spawn.) Deryn and Alana’s paths cross about 100 pages into the 254 page book, and the rest of the book details their struggles to maintain their defenses in the face of extreme sexual attraction.

My reaction: While this was definitely as ridiculous as I was expecting a paperback romance to be, it was a quick and enjoyable read. There were plot points that pushed my ability to suspend my disbelief to the limit, demon-spawn politics fell into the unfortunate category of “Too-fleshed-out-to-be-forgotten-yet-too-spare-to-be-anything-more-than-semi-annoying-and/or-tantalizing.” I guess that I got a kick out of seeing how little the nobility’s antics affected commoners, but that made the slimy king’s counselor’s machinations pretty irrelevant. The sex scenes are kind of absurd and remarkably scarce, considering that the first sentence of the blurb on the back cover is “The Iron Wolf mercenaries who guard travelers on the Misery Trail are notorious for their quick and casual sex lives.” However, they’re perfect for a good read-aloud/laugh, and I will give Fletcher credit—I actually wanted Deryn and Alana together, and genuinely rooted for them through my laughter. 

She Rises by Kate Worsley

She Rises by Kate Worsley

Bloomsbury, 2013.

Overview: Louise Fletcher is a young dairymaid who is suddenly sent to the “big” port city of Harwich to be a lady’s maid to a captain’s daughter, Rebecca Handley. Before she leaves, her mother asks her to find out what happened to her brother, Luke, who was presumably press-ganged into service to the British navy. The story follows both Louise and Luke’s struggles, but Louise’s attraction to her mistress is what drives her story forward.

My reaction: This book was very well done. After finishing it, I was not surprised to read that Sarah Waters, one of my favorite authors (who I reviewed here and here, and the Lesbrarian here and here), actually mentored Kate Worsley, as She Rises has a similar attention to historical detail (albeit in a century and a half earlier than the majority of Waters’ oeuvre), a delicately balanced dual plot-line, and a CRAZY plot twist. Like in Waters’ Affinity, I did catch multiple hints of said CRAZY plot twist as I read, but when it was confirmed, my mind was still blown. I wish I could get into a whole discussion about that, but I will resist the urge to spoil it! 

To give you fair warning, She Rises is not an easy read. It definitely is no modern lesbian romance dropped into Harwich, c. 1740, which led to some serious discomfort for me more than once.  The internalized misogyny and gender norms in particular made me think; I realized that it was much more realistic to write the story like that, but a little part of me wished that the characters had been able to free themselves of society’s more repellant mores. 

That said, I could write a paper on the ways that class and gender and sexuality intersect in this novel, and it’s always a pleasure for me to read a book that not only has a compelling storyline, but real substance.

Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill

Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill

Bella Books, 2006

Overview: Jackie never intended to return to Pine Springs, not after her parents sent her away on a bus after she came out to them. And she never intended to act on her feelings for her best friend Kay, feelings that were her first sign that she was gay all those years ago. But now, upon her father's death, she has no choice bu to return to her childhood home and come face to face with the past she tried so hard to leave behind.

My Reaction: Behind the Pine Curtain has a pretty classic plot: our heroine falls in love with the girl next door and finds that first love is always the best. However, despite some skepticism about the writing (telling us that Kay "stopped breathing" seemed to be one of the author's ticks), I was drawn right into the story, hopeless romantic that I am. If you are a fan of the longing look, a la Jane Austen, there are plenty of those to go around, as well as enough electric touches and colliding eyeballs to keep you guessing when they'll FINALLY KISS ALREADY. Despite a major plot hole/implausible backstory, I still found Hill's book enjoyable. A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.

Calling Dr. Laura by Nicole J. Georges

Calling Dr. Laura: a Graphic Memoir by Nicole J. Georges

Mariner Books, 2013.

Overview: I know this was in the non-fiction section, but it was so good that I’m going to include it here anyway. (Besides, it comes with the caveat that the author “has tried to remain as truthful as possible, but has taken the liberty of melting together certain individuals in order to protect the innocent and not bore readers,” so there’s a little fiction?!) Calling Dr. Laura is a graphic memoir about the author’s life, which delves into the emotional effects of growing up not only without her birth father, but with a couple of terrible stepfathers, her complicated relationship with her mother. While Georges reveals that she was essentially incapable of “lesbian processing” during her young adulthood, this book is proof that she has the knack of it now (in a good way!). Along the way, a massive family secret is unearthed piece by piece, and Nicole has to decide how this new knowledge will affect her life.

My reaction: I really enjoyed this book!  Georges’ sense of humor (for example, comparing herself to a fainting goat re: her emotional response to her mother) made it much more comfortable to read her very personal narrative, but did not keep me from being amazed at the enormity of what she had to deal with. She uses her visual medium to great effect as well— the tension and awkward silences were palpable, and what memoir can’t be improved by adorable drawings of pet chickens and dogs? I’ll definitely check out her other stuff! 

Beautiful Journey by Kenna White

Beautiful Journey by Kenna White

Bella Books, 2008

Overview: World War two is in full swing and Kit Anderson has moved from her Kansas hometown to England to fly as part of the Women's Air Transport Auxiliary. Though she is fearless in the air, braving enemy fire and severe weather, can she find the courage to face her feelings for feisty British school teacher Emily Mills?

My Reaction: I wanted this book to be good, but unfortunately it just wasn't. While I appreciated the history lesson - I would be interested to read more about the Air Transport Auxiliary - the story and characters were one dimensional and even the the action sequences lacked any sense of excitement. Most notable, perhaps, was the quite inventive use of vagina metaphors during a couple of laugh-out-loud sex scenes. "Honey path?" Is that a thing? 

On top of the questionable writing, the ending was just silly; a classic romance trope in which the one of the heroine's friends dies, making her realize she doesn't want to lose her relationship, but with a bizarre sequence involving spanking. If you like WWII history or airplanes, this books has some fun detail to offer, but if you just want a romance, I'd skip it.

Note: For more information about female pilots in WWII, try this list of recommended books from the British Air Transport Auxiliary website. The site is run by former ATA pilots - I definitely recommend checking it out!

Our Apologies

We will return next week with more reviews!

Back next week...

Becka's Song by Frankie J. Jones

Becka's Song by Frankie J. Jones

Bella Books, 2008

Overview: Lee Dresher enjoys her quiet life running a successful art gallery in Christmas, Arkansas, where tourists flock every holiday season as the town makes itself over into a Victorian wonderland. She is even happy being single until she meets Becka James who, despite a mysterious and troubled past, might prove too compelling for Lee to ignore.

My Reaction:I was sold on Becka's Song when it opened with Lee hiding in the woods in the early morning, trying to photograph a shy twelve-point buck. Any character that likes nature that much is fine by me. Though the ending fell victim to a few too many cheesy lines, my overall impression of the book confirmed my initial judgment; Becka's Song is a solidly plotted romance with a beautiful setting - a very enjoyable read.

Often, one of my biggest complaints about romances is the lack of convincing characters or plot lines. Here, Jones drew a three-dimensional protagonist, and while the love plot is certainly the center of the book, other occurrences don't feel like they are only there to carry the characters from one sex scene to another. What with Becka's mysterious past and other unsettling events around town, it almost reads like a mystery. A perfect book for a snow day (it is set in Christmas after all, where the holiday season lasts three months), though it works just as well for Christmas in July!

Sticky Fingers by Morgan Hunt

Sticky Fingers by Morgan Hunt

Alyson Books, 2007

Overview: When Tess Camillo finds a rattlesnake in her bedroom, she knows it isn't there by accident, especially after another San Diego-area lesbian dies mysteriously of snake bites only a few days later. Convinced that others may be in danger, Tess begins to investigate the case, despite her own better judgment and that of those around her.

My Reaction: Sticky Fingers is one of those books that is just okay - not engrossing, not off-putting, not the inspiration for any particular emotional response. It has good qualities, including a discussion of breast cancer (the author is a survivor), a fast-paced mystery and a mostly likable lead sleuth. The writing is okay, and got better as the book progressed. If the whole thing contained REALLY BAD similes such as "the snake's tail vibrated like a cicada with Parkinson's" (2), I probably would have put it down. If you want a quick read requiring little investment of emotion or time (it took me less that four hours), you could do a lot worse. I will likely read the other two in the series, since they are also short, to see if they get any better (the third book won a 2009 Indie Excellence Award, for what it's worth).

Tess Camillo Mysteries

Sticky Fingers, 2007

Fool on the Hill, 2008

Blinded by the Light, 2009

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Riverhead Books, 2002

Overview: Orphan Sue Trinder agrees, at the urging of the woman who raised her, to pose as a servant in order to cheat the heiress Maud Lilly out of her inheritance, but finds herself increasingly attracted to her victim.

My Reaction: If you like a book that keeps you guessing what will happen next, I have good news for you: Fingersmith has enough plot twists to make Dickens proud. As The Bookwhisperer can attest, our apartment was often filled with my outraged exclamations or squeaks of surprise as I slowly made my way through this most excellent novel. I say slowly for a reason, though, since it's not easy going. Perhaps I am particularly sensitive, but I often had difficulty getting past the excess of human suffering and unfairness of the world that Sue and Maud inhabit and had to put the book down to recover for a while. We had planned to do a "Sarah Waters Week" last week, but I couldn't get through my contribution in time - we'll have to make it a two week celebration, which is what this talented author deserves anyway.

Despite the sometimes overwhelming plot, I can't help but recommend this book for its beautiful writing and strong sense of place that is present in all of Waters' other work.

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Riverhead Books, 2000.

Overview: Affinity is a story told through the diaries of  two Victorian women: Margaret Prior, who becomes a "Lady Visitor" at the women's "gaol" at Millbank Prison in Chelsea, and Selina Dawes, a young spirit medium who is one of its prisoners. Two major plotlines unfurl and inform each other, as we wait with bated breath to see where Margaret's clear attraction toward Selina will lead, as well as to discover who--or what--committed the crime for which Selina is imprisoned.

My reaction: This one was a real treat! It was much different in tone than The Night Watch since it was set about 70 years earlier, but it was just as compelling. Waters delicately balances the major story arcs, and finishes with such a stunning ending that I had to sit on it for hours before writing this review. Like The Night Watch, Affinity comes to life as much through historical detail as it does from its complex and enigmatic protagonists. While trying to slog through Foucault's Surveiller et Punir (Discipline and Punish) in a college French class was quite a challenge, I finally reaped the reward here; Millbank has some essential elements of a Panopticon with its main watch tower and radial floor plan, and disciplinary habits designed to create "docile bodies." Waters' descriptions of prison architecture and routines made me feel claustrophobic, and seemed to be an appropriate background for the stories of two women who were constrained by their circumstances. In particular, Margaret's simultaneous revulsion and attraction to prison life made sense given her station as a well-bred lady in Victorian England. She is not free to love whom she will, or even to be very independent. As she is a spinster (her word, not mine!), her mother insists that her place is in the home with her; it is ironic that the greatest freedom Margaret is allowed is to go to a prison of her choosing. 

This is an amazing story to follow, and while it was often a devastating (though beautiful) read, the upside is that it made me feel so lucky to be living in the 21st century!! 

Forged in Fire by J.A. Pitts

Forged in Fire by J.A. Pitts

A Tor Book published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 2012.

Overview: Sarah Beauhall continues to deal with the fall-out of the dragon-slaying she accomplished in Black Blade Blues, picking up right where Honeyed Words left off. A bloodthirsty necromancer is on the loose, and while he has taken a distressing interest in killing off Sarah's acquaintances, he is definitely trying to achieve something even more terrible.

My reaction: Forged in Fire thankfully moves much faster and with more direction than Honeyed Words, but it did not quite equal Black Blade Blues for me. Since we jump right into an action sequence in the first pages, I thought it was going to really show off Sarah's skill with a hammer and sword. Unfortunately, a lot of the action remains on the periphery of her life, and it began to irk me. In my book, if some of your favorite acquaintances are brutally slaughtered for the express purpose of finding out more information from you, AND you have the battle skills to do something about it, YOU TRY TO FIND THE EVIL NECROMANCER. On the whole, though, I was mostly engaged as I enjoyed Katie coming into her own as a heroine herself, and speculating at how Sarah's association with a dragon was going to work out. While I didn't see any hint of another installment coming on his website (which was last updated before Forged in Fire was released!), there were some major loose ends that I anticipate will be taken up if there is one. (Based on the interval between the first three, it shouldn't be too much longer.) I have to admit that I hope there is one, despite the mixed bag of its predecessors, as those loose ends have the potential to be a really good story. 

Cemetery Murders by Jean Marcy

Cemetery Murders by Jean Marcy
New Victoria Publishers, 1997

Overview: A serial killer is at large in St. Louis who targets homeless women and stages their bodies in graveyards. When P.I. Meg Darcy's friend finds her own family caught up in the serial murders, Meg agrees to investigate the case, especially since it means she will get to work with her old army flame, police detective Sarah Lindstrom.

My Reaction: At first I thought Cemetery Murders was going to be a hard-boiled detective novel, along the lines of something by Raymond Chandler, just starring a tomboy lesbian PI. Meg Darcy is perhaps not as hard-boiled as the tone of the first chapter suggests (she only pretends to drink a rum and coke and never wakes up with a hangover), but the book was fun anyway. The mystery kept me guessing and I enjoyed Meg's enthusiastic crush on the mostly aloof Lindstrom. I also suspect someone with greater familiarity with St. Louis than I would enjoy the place specific details scattered throughout the story. I certainly plan on checking out later titles in the series.

On a side note completely unrelated to the quality of the book (but which probably had undue influence over my enjoyment of it), Cemetery Murders was written by the most adorable couple. According to the back:

"Jean Marcy is the combined pen name for Jean Hutchinson [...] and Marcy Jacobs [...]. Partners for nine years, this is the first joint writing endeavor of one who leans towards purple prose and another who sees herself as a minimalist. They live in Illinois"

And here is a picture:

D'awwww

Meg Darcy Mysteries
Cemetery Murders, 1997
Dead and Blonde, 1998
Mommy Deadest, 2000
A Cold Case of Murder, 2003

Honeyed Words by J.A. Pitts (2nd book in the Sarah Beauhall series)

Honeyed Words by J.A. Pitts

Tor Books, 2011. 

Overview: At the beginning of Honeyed Words, Sarah and her friends are only a few months removed from the traumatic battle with a dragon and his minions, and are struggling to forgive themselves and each other for the deaths of their comrades. When an acquaintance is kidnapped by dwarves, Sarah is alerted to the unrest in Vancouver, the former domain of the dragon she slew. While she assesses the new threats to the safety of her circle, Sarah must also find a way to reconcile with friends and enemies alike. 

My reaction: I was really disappointed in this one overall. While the first one had some plot holes, the story was generally moving fast enough for me to not really care; Honeyed Words moved about as fast as molasses until at least halfway in. Part of that was because of  excessive summarization of Black Blade Blues, but I also couldn't really get invested in the kidnapping arc. I didn't miss it when it got dropped (well, as in Sarah wasn't actively trying to rescue him) for most of the book in favor of focusing on a more interesting new character's problems, and the unlikely alliances that Sarah forges to help her. Like Sarah, I was relieved when there was something for her to do about the situation. Unfortunately, that took a little too long for it to be as rewarding as Black Blade Blues.

I wanted to finish the next book, Forged in Fire, to balance out this review, since the 58 pages I've read so far are much better, but I didn't have the time. I hope that it maintains its fast pace, since I'll feel better about sticking with Honeyed Words if there is a payoff in Forged.

(I was tempted by the end to give this a "decent," but I think that's more a reflection on the relative quality of its companions than on its own merits.)

Ghost Motel by Jackie Manthorne

Ghost Motel by Jackie Manthorne

Gynergy Books, 1994

Overview: When Harriet (Harry) stops for the night at a deserted looking motel on her way down Cape Cod, she doesn't expect to be the last to see the enigmatic owner, Gertie, alive. After reading about Gertie's death two days later, Harry feels compelled to return to the motel to discover what really happened.

My Reaction: It's the rare book that makes me say this, but Ghost Motel is bad. Really bad - and not even in the ridiculous way that still might make it enjoyable reading. On top of being one of the most thoroughly un-mysterious mysteries I have ever read and lacking any kind of detection on Harry's part, it has one of the most cliché rocky relationship story arcs imaginable.  At one point, Harry's lover Judy actually says "it's not you, it's me" and "please realize I'm not trying to hurt you" AND "I have to do this for myself" within the space of the same page. One of the cardinal rules of the mystery genre states that while other subplots, such as a love interest, a relationship or a leaky basement can enter into the narrative, none should overshadow the investigation. No such luck here - more than half of this 174 page book passed before Harry even got back to the motel to "investigate" Gertie's death (which consisted of one late-night foray to the scene of the crime; the rest of the mystery was solved by others telling her what happened). And don't even get me started on all the mist-filled dreams that Harry has about Gertie. Leave no cliché unturned, I suppose!

In short, Ghost Motel, it's not me, it's you.

Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts

Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts

Tor Books, 2010.

No, she does not wear belly shirts in the book!

Overview: Sarah Beauhall, a Seattle blacksmith and part-time prop manager for a low-budget movie, is happy to spend her free time with her friends in the Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval re-enactment group), going to auctions to pick up antique weapons, and dating her girlfriend of a year, Katie. When she comes into possession of a sword straight out of Norse myth, Sarah is forced to recognize that dragons, giants, and trolls are real, and that she must fight them. 

My reaction: When I found this in the library, I thought it was too good to be true! Tamora Pierce's Daja Kisubo, a female blacksmith who (spoiler alert!) is eventually revealed to be attracted to the ladies, was the beginning of my love for lesbian smiths, and Laurie J. Marks' Karis rekindled it. With Black Blade Blues, I hoped to find another kickass smith to be a fan of. For the most part, Sarah did not disappoint! She is a skilled smith and warrior (she's proficient in tae kwon do as well as sword and hammer), and while she is a skeptic at first, she commits herself to saving the day when her friends are in danger. 

The culminating battle was a thrill to read, and I'm definitely planning to read the other two books in the series, Honeyed Words and Forged in Fire.

My main issue was Sarah's trouble dealing with a really homophobic upbringing. It wasn't her shit-ton of internalized homophobia going on that grated as much as the fact that she recognized it, and hadn't taken constructive steps to deal with it even as it sabotaged her relationship with the woman of her dreams. When it got too much, I'd skim just slow enough to comprehend, but fast enough that my annoyance was minimized. 

Since this was my first urban fantasy read featuring a lesbian blacksmith in the Pacific Northwest, and I was really enjoying my reintroduction to the genre after a long time spent reading mysteries, I brushed aside any number of plot holes without caring too much. It actually wasn't until I was looking up the publishing information for the book on Goodreads--and subsequently gave into the temptation to read negative reviews--that I realized just how thoroughly I had glossed  them over by the end because DRAGONS and HARROWING ENCOUNTERS and oh, yeah, a LESBIAN BLACKSMITH. Sure, there are things that don't make sense, but you know what? I enjoyed it anyway. Yell at the characters a little if you have to (I'm sure you will--I did!), skim a little if you have to, but because my overall enjoyment factor was so high, I'm recommending this one!

The Annunciate by Severna Park

The Annunciate by Severna Park

Avon Books, 1999. 

Overview: In The Annunciate, the reader is thrown into the worlds, plural, of ThreeSys, a system of three suns and their planets. "Propagats," which are some sort of bioform, are the basis for a class system. The Meshed, of which our protagonist, Eve, is a member, have a one-time injection so they can access all the knowledge about their physical environment AND create a personalized virtual environment in which to spend time and use for self defense. The Jacked are able to access the Mesh with the help of a port in their wrist, and the unlucky Jackless can't access it at all. While the Meshed were nearly wiped out for being elitist douchecanoes, the few remaining survivors addicted a gigantic percentage of the Jacked and Jackless to Staze, a drug that sends people to a pretty and calm virtual environment for  12 hours a day, and conveniently makes them dependent on the few Meshed they didn't massacre. Add to that a bit of mythology that is basically Genesis with spaceships and no God, and you've got the beginnings of an interstellar trip.

My reaction: First thing I did when I finished the book was drop it (lightly!) to the ground and say, "That was weird!" While it was largely an enjoyable read, I grew frustrated with the fact that my disbelief had not been completely suspended. I couldn't figure out why just anyone couldn't find a syringe and shoot themselves up with propagats, and while it was eventually hinted that that wouldn't work, I didn't see why it wouldn't. Maybe I missed something. Anyway, I also couldn't get super invested in the liaison between Eve and the Jacked, Staze-addicted Naverdi. That was particularly disappointing, since Eve is recalling sex they had in the first line of the book.  Sadly, that was not foreshadowing for lots of sex, or even a real romantic relationship--any chance of that was poisoned by Naverdi's addiction. There is some pretty interesting virtual world collision that goes on, and I also enjoyed how the mythology played out in the struggle for survival on "Paradise," a planet that was the analogue of the Garden of Eden in Park's version, but I couldn't quite give it a "decent"  since I couldn't stop questioning some of the fundamentals of the story. (Come on, Eve, you're 21--maybe be a little more repentant that you're partially responsible for addicting all those people to a really bad drug?) 

Nora and Liz by Nancy Garden

Nora and Liz by Nancy Garden

Bella Books, 2002

Overview: Nora is reasonably happy with her quiet life in rural Rhode Island, until city girl Liz shows up at her front door with a flat tire and she begins to see the possibilities outside her limited country existence.

My Reaction: I had high hopes for this book, since it's by the famed Nancy Garden, author of Annie on My Mind, one of the most influential (and frequently banned) LGBT young adult novels written in the 20th century. Nora and Liz is Garden's first adult romance, and for me, it fell flat. Before I go into the many issues I had with it, I'll admit that the sappy part of me enjoyed rooting for Liz and Nora to live happily ever after. If you want a sweet, gentle romance (the kind of gentle where the lovebirds take hands, walk up the stairs, and close the bedroom door behind them), I think you'll enjoy this book, despite its flaws.

The critical part of me had difficultly suspending enough disbelief to get into the story. I found Nora especially hard to understand. She is nearly forty, lives in a house with no electricity, running water or phone, and doesn't even drive because her misogynistic dad doesn't think women are capable. Maybe I could understand her lack of rebellion if she lived in isolation, but she is surrounded by women who drive, and has never once thought to question her father's judgement until Liz comes along. I am all for the transformative power of love, but I have a hard time believing that a forty-year-old woman doesn't have the ovaries to stand up to her ageing father for probably twenty years, then suddenly gets the nerve to completely change her life over the course of one summer. Actually, I had a hard time believing that either character was forty - they just didn't seem mature enough. I often felt they had the over-emotional quality found in so many young adult novels that I identified with so well as a teenager, but that now seems a like a little too much to handle. Garden IS primarily a YA author, after all, and I think it shows.

I had a hard time deciding which rating to give Nora and Liz , since my reactions to it were so mixed. I decided on a "meh," not because it's poorly written on a technical level, but because I couldn't identify with the characters. Yes, I wanted them to be happy, but I couldn't see myself in them, and isn't that what reading a romance should be all about?

Seven Moves by Carol Anshaw

Seven Moves by Carol Anshaw

Mariner Books, 1997

Overview: Chris and her lover Taylor have built a comfortable life for themselves, with a dog, a house, and a mostly solid four-year relationship. Chris works as a psychologist, Taylor as a photographer who is often abroad completing a series of feminist travel guides. But after a seemingly inconsequential argument, Taylor disappears, forcing Chris to reexamine her own life and the picture she has constructed of the woman she loves.

My Reaction: If you are looking for a feel-good, happy-go-lucky love story, this book is not for you. I'll be the first to admit that I struggled at points, trying not to get bogged down in Chris' dark, emotional journey. Sometimes, reading felt like a fast-paced slog through a swamp, like I had to wade through the story as quickly as possible to find some relief on the other side, even if I still ended covered with mud. I think this is exactly what Anshaw, master of the beautifully-written downer, wanted the reader to experience.

Reading Seven Moves was also a little like eavesdropping on someone else's therapy session. Chris is a psychologist, goes to see a psychologist, and does a lot of self- examination. Her moods, up and down, felt real and wholly described, continuously evolving as the novel progressed. Anshaw has a talent for making the most mundane occurrences, like cleaning a flooded basement and taking a shower, significant and interesting, pieces of a larger puzzle. Maybe because I recently read it and it's fresh in my mind, I think Seven Moves has many of the same appeals as Gone Girl by Gilliam Flynn; a person goes missing, and the story draws the reader along by slowly revealing the characters until we are left with a completely transformed picture of them at the novel's conclusion (though Chris and Taylor are certainly not sociopaths along the lines of Nick and Amy, and I felt the author chose the narrative style not so much to trick the reader, but to show the way in which the characters trick themselves). The novel left me feeling emotionally drained, but not in a way that made me regret reading it - a kind of cleansing catharsis.

I have a hard time saying that I liked Seven Moves, but if you feel up to an emotional read, you would be hard-pressed to find a psychological suspense novel that deals with difficult feelings more authentically and compassionately.