David Gillon

Barrayar,
Ethan of Athos
Memory
Diplomatic Immunity, Lois McMaster Bujold

I seem to have accidentally slipped into a Vorkosigan re-read. Memory I still like, Diplomatic Immunity is okay, but I have deep problems with "I've cured Miles' disabilities, lets give him a new one, and then another one". Ethan of Athos has possibly weathered better than it deserves, the whole concept of a planet of men and no (evil) women bar ovarian cultures pumping out egg cells (the replacement of which is the plot driver) seems deeply awkward in this time of mens rights activists, pick-up artists and incels. It helps that Elli Quinn is an aggressively over-competent foil to Ethan's naiivete. It's Barrayar, with Cordelia as protagonist, that I still like unreservedly.

The Dark Archive, Genevieve Cogman

Librarian Irene Winters is back, along with her former apprentice turned lover Kai the Dragon Prince and new apprentice Catherine, who is labouring under the slight disadvantage that no Fey has ever been able to enter the Library. Irene doesn't have a perilous mission for once, the whole being the Library's treaty representative is sparing her that, but complicating things are that someone seems to be trying to kill them, and can that be connected to the new kingpin of London crime their friend Vale suspects exists? Things are further complicated by the arrival of Kai's brother, but their fey support, Lord Silver and Sterrington are pretty much put on a bus. I have to give this points for the setpiece that sees a jetcar crashed through the stained-glass window of the Sagrada Familia, but it mostly feels like its clicking the plot arc on a few necessary points - we finally get a revelation we've known is coming since the first or second book (this is book 7 IIRC). Definitely not one to start with.

The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar, Seana Kelly

The Slaughtered Lamb caters to San Francisco's supernatural community, and is the kind of place where Megaera the Fury can share a quiet table with Horus. Bar owner Sam Quinn is a werewolf, but tries to steer clear of other werewolves because of the way she was turned. Her pursuit of a quiet life comes to a grinding halt when a dead werewolf with a matching set of scars to hers washes up outside the bar, and then the attempts on her life start. Fortunately she was a few good friends to come to her aid. Gay barkeep Owen is a witch (incomprehensibly spelt wicche), while short order (and short tempered) cook Dave is a demon, and the Vampire Master of the City Clive* seems prepared to go to any length to protect her. I enjoyed this, and I'm planning to pick up the next two books, but it does have problems. Sam is incredibly naiive, not just around her personal life, but also about the community she lives in, which she manages to combine with being dangerously impulsive, if not irresponsible. She eventually levels up, but I'm not sure that naiivete rings true for someone who has as traumatic a background as Sam does. And thinking about her relationship with Clive in any depth brings you up against the fact he's a five hundred year old vampire who's been pursuing her since she was 17.

I'm not sure if this is a first novel, but it feels like one.

* Clive is British, after a couple of chapters I just gave up and started picturing him as Clive Owen.

Conspiracy In Death, J D Robb

(Re-read) Someone is stealing organs from streetsleepers and prostitutes and Eve Dallas is on the case. Eve latches onto the idea that the killer is a doctor early and she never wavers from it. She's not wrong of course, but I really wasn't convinced by the logic that got her there.

Webcomics

This may count as the most ominous thing I've ever seen from a webcomic, Requiem has added a 'Casualties' page to its website. It already has eight entries (that's just in the past month or so).