reverancepavane | words on a page; songs in an ear (Reply)

It's been a while, but here is a collection of new books I've read recently:

Small Favor by Jim Butcher is the latest of The Dresden Files series about the wizard Harry Dresden in modern Chicago. I wasn't that happy with the previous book (White Nights) for a number of reasons, but this one returns to the old style which made The Dresden Files such good reading. Very enjoyable. Halfway through I hoped that my favourite character (who had died in the previous book) was possibly still around, but that hope was dashed at the very end. Harry is forced to do a small favour for an otherworldly entity that he incurred a debt to in a previous book, and that puts him up against old enemies. However it does introduce a new possible friend for Harry to balance the scales. And it also made me want a baked donut with white icing and multi-coloured sprinkles. Read the series.

Caliphate by Tom Kratman is part of my Webscription order – it's not a book I'd contemplate buying otherwise. But I do have to admit, seeing as I've got it, that I did want to read it to see how bad it was. And it's bad. Really bad. It's pro-American anti-Islamic crap (the sort that is apparently giving Baen a really bad name recently in some bookstores). It doesn't even have the redeeming tongue-in-cheek wish-fulfillment of similiar John Ringo's books; it takes itself seriously. I wonder if anyone else could.

1635: Cannon Law continues one of the 1632 series by Eric Flint. These universe (now split into at least three series with many short stories) is based on a West Virginia coal-mining town being hurled back to 17th Century Germany. The main series had some interesting events, especially when the Americans discover that simply because people are historical doesn't mean that they are stupid, but relies on the ideal American folk heroes for it to work. This series is the second dealing with an embassy to the Italian States (including, in this case the Papal State of Rome). Readable, tending to average.

Off Armageddon Reef is the start of a new series by David Weber, but there is little that is new in the book. He combines his love of sailing, historical wargaming, and "Conneticut Yankeeness" in creating another world with an artificially imposed anti-technological bias (again maintained by a corrupt priesthood) infilitrated by the high-tech libertarian willing to put society back "how it should be." Sound like any of his other novels? Very average. If you want to read a very good novel with a similiar them (but entirely different feel), try Helm by Stephen Gould. Lots better.

I find MySpace very useful for doing music searches. If you like a band go to the band's site and look at some of their close friends. Odds on you'll find some interesting music. Occaisionally you muight even get a friends request from a band seeking to raise its profile. This is what happened with Russian band Caprice, and I'm glad they did it. I've just picked up their latest Kwyitt!! Kwyitt!! and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am to pick up some of their earlier, Tolkein inspired, works next month.

Also on the music list this month was Film Noir World, which was a thoroughly accidental discovery whilst looking for some classic film noir music. I enjoyed their MySpace sample music enough to search for a way to get their music. Unfortunately they only release MP3 version via download, and most of the useable MP3 download services are geographically restricted to the US, even though they are English. However after jumping through a few hoops I was able to obtain copies of their albums Dark Earth and It's Here. It was worth the effort.

Rounding out the month was finally getting hold of my favourite Texan neo-medieval hurdy-gurdy band Unto Ashes album Empty Into White. I love their music, and this leaves only Saturn Return and Moon Oppose Moon to go. Love their stuff. This one features a nice version of Witches Rune.