[HarryT]

Books read in 2015:

"When the Lion Feeds" by Wilbur Smith. Completed 2/1/15.

The first book in the "Courtney" series.

WHEN THE LIONS FEEDS is the story of South Africa at the burgeoning time of the gold rush in the 1890s. Sean Courtney was raised in cattle country, accidently maimed his twin brother Garry as a boy. In inflicting weakness, Sean came to despise weakness in all. This, plus his own strength, was to dictate Sean's iron resolve to win, no matter how much the gamble cost.

After a stint fighting the Zulu tribes, Sean trys his luck in the gold fields. Venturing an impossible claim which miraculously proves out, Sean gains wealth beyond counting and power. Power that was unmanageable without cunning. But cunning was an art he was to learn the hard way.

An extremely enjoyable adventure story. Highly recommended.


"The Hub: Dangerous Territory" by James H. Schmitz. Completed 7/1/15.

I originally bought this from Baen in May 2001.

This is the fourth and final volume of the collected "Hub Federation" stories of Schmitz and, to my mid, far and away the best volume in the series. A truly excellent collection of short (and not-so-short) stories which I'd highly recommend. It can be read in isolation, although characters do appear in it who showed up in earlier books in the series.


"Wool" by Hugh Howey. Completed 10/1/15.

Excellent "distopian" SF about people living in a "silo" - an underground city - in the US, centuries after what appears to have been a nuclear or chemical warfare attack. Speculating about the outside world or expressing a desire to leave is strictly forbidden, the punishment being expulsion from the silo into the toxic outside world where life expectancy is only minutes. Very, very good indeed. Extremely highly recommended!


"Stars Over Stars" by K.D. Wentworth. Completed 11/1/15.

I bought this from Baen in 2001. A sequel to the earlier "Black on Black". Baen description:

Raised by a human, Heyoka Blackeagle thinks like a human, even if he is a typical hrinn—seven feet tall, covered with fur, retractable claws. In the war against the insectlike flek, Heyoka distinguished himself in the Ranger Corps. Now, on a planet from which the flek have been driven, he's leading a group of humans and hrinn, trying to prove that hrinn can make proficient rangers in spite of their disdain for following orders.

Then a hidden, fully functional flek stargate is found, ready to transport flek hordes. And word comes of a flek advance. The planet must be evacuated, but rather than abandon his team in the jungle, Heyoka stays behind, only to find that his human partner Mitsu, once a flek POW, is hallucinating, seeing nonexistent flek. And then the real flek arrive. . . .

Excellent, although I'd recommend reading "Black on Black" first.


"The Sound of Thunder" by Wilbur Smith. Completed 14/1/15

The second book in the "Courtney" saga, set in early 20th century South Africa. Very enjoyable.


"March Upcountry" by David Weber and John Ringo. Completed 18/1/15.

First book in the "Empire of Man" series. Prince Roger, a spoilt brat, is marooned with the company of Imperial Marines whose duty it is to protect him, on a hostile planet, and they start the long march to get him safely home. Great military SF.


"The League of Frightened Men" by Rex Stout. Completed 24/1/15.

The second Nero Wolfe book. Good detective story.


"The Philosophical Strangler" by Eric Flint. Completed 28/1/15.

Excellent fantasy. Bought from Baen in May 2001. Recommended.


"March to the Sea" by David Weber and John Ringo. Completed 31/1/15.

The second book in the "Empire of Man" series . Extremely good military SF which I originally bought from Baen in 2001.


"March to the Stars" by David Weber and John Ringo, Completed 4/2/14.

The third book in the "Empire of Man" military SF series . Excellent, just as the first two books in the series were. Now on to the final book, "We Few", which unlike the first three, I haven't previously read. Looking forward very much to the conclusion of this excellent story.


"We Few" by David Weber and John Ringo. Completed 7/2/14.

The fourth book in the "Empire of Man" military SF series. A very good ending to the series as it stands so far, although I was left feeling slightly "short changed" because I had thought it was the end of the series entirely, which it plainly is not. Given that it's 10 years since it was published, I wonder if the series will be be completed? Even so, highly recommended.


"A Sparrow Falls", by Wilbur Smith. Completed 10/2/15.

This is the final book in what was originally intended to be a trilogy of African adventure stories, but went on to become a considerably longer series (currently standing at 13 books). The earlier two books in the series concentrated on Sean Courtney, a South African man who fought in the Zulu and Boer wars, before going on to gain and then lose a fortune in a gold mine, become a big game hunter, and ultimately a politician involved in South Africa's struggle to gain independence from Britain.

This current book opens in the middle of the First World War, with General Sean Courtney, now a respected "elder statesman", coming across a young sniper called Mark Anders. At the end of the war Anders returns to his home in South Africa only to discover that his grandfather, with whom he lived, has died in mysterious circumstances closely connected to the business interests of Sean Courtney's estranged son, Dirk. The book goes on to describe Mark Anders' quest to uncover the truth of what happened to his grandfather, and prove that Dirk Courtney was responsible for his death, and also the background to the creation of the first National Park in South Africa.

A wonderful trilogy of books (the first two are "When the Lion Feeds" and "The Sound of Thunder"), which I'd thoroughly recommend. Wilbur Smith is a worthy successor to the Victorian writers of African adventure stories such as Sir Henry Rider Haggard.


"Quincey Morris, Vampire" by P.N. Elrod. Completed 18/2/15.

I bought this from Baen in May 2001. This is a direct sequel to Bram Stoker's "Dracula" in which, at the end of the book, Texan adventurer Quincey Morris kills, and is in turn killed by, Dracula. In this book he reawakens to find that he himself has become a vampire (but a nice vampire, not a nasty one like Dracula ) and the book tells the story of how he gets back to England and tries to tell his friends (who all believe him to be dead) what happened to him.

A very good book indeed, but I'd recommend reading "Dracula" first, if you haven'r already done so.


"Tutankhamen" by Joyce Tyldesley. Completed 22/2/15.

A very good account of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen, with information about the king himself, and what the objects found in his tomb have taught us.


"The Burning Shore" by Wilbur Smith. Completed 1/7/15.

The 4th book in the "Courtney" saga. Enjoyable African adventure.


"The Misenchanted Sword", by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Completed 7/3/15.

I bought this a very, very long time ago - I forget where and when, but it was probably from Fictionwise around 2000 or so.

An extremely enjoyable fantasy novel. Valder, a young scout in the army of Ethshar, comes across an old wizard while trying to evade capture by soldiers of the Northern Empire. The wizard puts a spell on Valder's sword, to aid him in finding his way back to his base, but the spells are cast in difficult circumstances, and Valder finds himself the owner of a sword he can't get rid of, which has extremely inconvenient magical properties (saying more would be a spoiler).

Very good indeed. I look forward to reading more from this author.

"Soldiers" by John Dalmas. An excellent military SF novel about how a pacifist human civilisation in the 30th century reacts to an alien invasion whose sole aim is the complete extinction of the human race. Really, really good. I thoroughly recommend this; it's the best book I've read in a long time.

"The Rubber Band" by Rex Stout. The 3rd Nero Wolfe novel. Wolfe takes on the case of a group of people trying to retrieve money promised to them many years ago from a man whose life they saved. Very enjoyable, as are all the Nero Wolfe books.

"Sidhe-Devil" by Aaron Alston. Very good fantasy. A down-and-out kick-boxer is accidentally transported to the "fair world" where he helps defeat a master criminal who is intent of wreaking destruction both in that world and ours. Very good.

"Crocodile on the Sandbank" by Elizabeth Peters. The first book in the "Amelia Peabody" series and a re-read of an old favourite. A book I had to read when I was in Egypt, since that is where it's set. Very good.

"Doc Sidhe" by Aaron Allston. A direct sequel to "Sidhe Devil" and a very enjoyable fantasy.

"Power of the Sword" by Wilbur Smith. Completed 2/4/15.

The 5th book (or, to be more strictly correct, the 2nd book in the 2nd trilogy) in the "Courtney" saga. The 5th book ended with Centaine Courtney discovering an area of rich diamond deposits in South Africa shortly after the end of the First World War, and this next book moves forward into the 1930s, with the growing threat of Nazi Germany. As always, an excellent African adventure with strong characters and interesting characters. Recommended.

"Ranks of Bronze" by David Drake. Completed 3/4/15.

Bought a very long time ago from Baen. A defeated Roman legion in the 1st century BCE is sold as mercenaries to a trading house in a galactic federation whose laws prohibit the use of advanced technology on primitive planets, and fight a series of battles against various opponents, all the while planning how they might be able to get back home again. Excellent military SF. Recommended.

"Curse of the Pharaohs" by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 8/4/15.

A re-read of the second book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological whodunnits by Elizabeth Peters (the pen-name of the American Egyptologist Barbara Mertz). Radliffe Emerson is asked by Lady Baskerville to take over the work of excavating a tomb in the Valley of the Kings following the mysterious death of her husband, Lord Baskerville, but a series of deaths ensue. Is the curse put on the tomb by its ancient owner to blame?

Very, very good.

"Foreign Legions" by David Drake. Completed 10/4/15.

A volume of short (and some not-so-short) stories by various authors set in the same universe as his original short story (and subsequent novel), "Ranks of Bronze", which is about a Roman Legion sold by their Parthian captors as mercenaries to an alien trading guild whose laws require them to fight battles using only the level of technology appropriate to the planet they are operating on.

Excellent. I particularly enjoyed the novella "Carthago Delenda Est" by Eric Flint, which is the longest story in the book, and a direct sequel to "Ranks of Bronze". I'm also pleased that Flint assumes his readers have some knowledge of Roman history, and so doesn't waste time explaining what the title of the story actually means!

"The Mummy Case" by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 11/4/15.

The third book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. A re-read, and good as ever.

"Balshazzar's Serpent" by Jack L. Chalker. Completed 14/4/15.

Bought from Baen many years ago. This is the first book in the "Three Kings" trilogy.

Earth has expanded out into the galaxy via artificial wormholes, which has led to an explosion of religious sects, each occupying its own planet. In an event known as the "Great Silence", however, all the wormholes leading back to Earth stopped working, for unknown reasons, cutting off the colony worlds, which has gradually led to technological civilisations failing, due to Earth's policy of keeping the colonies dependent on Earth for high technology, ship-building, etc.

Several centuries after the Great Silence, a scout ship from the Roman Catholic world of "Vaticanus" discovers a fabulous solar system called the "Three Kings", where three habitable planets are in orbit around an immense gas giant, and strange alien artefacts litter their surface, but the scout fails to report their location. The quest for the "Three Kings" has become a kind of interstellar search for "El Dorado".

The leader of the missionary ship "The Mountain" learns the location of the "Three Kings", and the book tells the story of how he attempts to get there.

This is the first of Chalker's books I've read, although I have many of them in my library, and I'm very impressed. He's an excellent story-teller, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Highly recommended!

"Lion in the Valley" by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 17/4/15.

The 4th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series. Very enjoyable, as always.

"Melchior's Fire" by Jack L. Chalker, Completed 19/4/15.

The 2nd book in the "Three Kings" trilogy. Eighty years after the disappearance of Dr Karl Woodward's mission to find the legendary "Three Kings" - three habitable planets in orbit around a gas giant - a wealthy entertainment producer hires a group of salvage experts who are down on their luck after a failed mission to try to follow Woodward and bring back some of the legendary treasures of the Three Kings.

A very enjoyable SF adventure story. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.


"The Deeds of the Disturber" by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 21/4/15.

The 5th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series. Great fun.


"Kasper's Box" by Jack L. Chalker. Completed 23/4/15.

The final book in the "Three Kings" trilogy. A slightly disappointing end to a previously good series.


"The Last Camel Died at Noon", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 27/4/15.

The 6th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series. As Peters says in the introduction, this book is an unabashed homage to the "Lost Civilisation" fantasies of Sir Henry Rider Haggard, one of Peters' (and my!) favourite authors.

A mysterious message suggests that an explorer who vanished 14 years previously in Sudan and was assumed dead, may still be alive. Emerson and Amelia, accompanied by their 10-year-old son Ramses, set off into the unexplored desert on his trail.

Completely improbable and enormous fun. One of my favourite books in this excellent series.


"The Veil of Years" by L. Warren Douglas. Completed 4/5/15.

The second book in a trilogy (also called "The Veil of Years") and the sequel to "The Sacred Pool", although it's not essential to have read this first - each book in the trilogy is a self-contained story. I bought this in 2001 from Baen.

Baen description:

The young apprentice mage, Pierette, discovers that the pages in the history books are fading away. Like stars going behind a passing cloud, the events that define the sunny world she loves are winking out one by one, and the shadows of ancient headless Gauls—souls of the dead whose heads once adorned the pillars of the city of Provence—are seen by night . . .

Is the Black Time coming, when evil will reign supreme The answer lies in the long ago, when Provence was a Roman camp, and Pierette must brave the otherworld to journey there.

Excellent and thought-provoking fantasy, based on mediaeval French legends. It probably won't appeal to everyone, but personally I think this is a wonderful series.


"The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog", by Elizabeth Peter. Completed 8/5/15.

The 7th book is the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. An attack of Amelia's husband, Professor Emerson, leaves him with amnesia, and no memory of his marriage to her. Amelia takes him back to Amarma, the place where they originally met, to try restore his memory, but a series of mysterious events ensure. Excellent and great fun, as always in this series. Very highly recommended!


"Star Guard" by Andre Norton. Completed 12/5/15.

This is the first half of the "Star Soldiers" omnibus. Originally bought from Baen a very long time ago. Norton's books tend to be rather formulaic, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, which tells the story of a group of human mercenaries on an alien world. Recommended.


"The Crime at Black Dudley" by Margery Allingham. Completed 15/5/15.

I've been waiting for the ebook release of this first book in the "Campion" series for years, because I always like to read a series in order, and it was worth the wait. A thoroughly-enjoyable classic "English Country House" murder mystery. Campion only appears as a fairly minor character in this book, whose "detective" is a pathologist, Dr George Abbershaw, who is a guest at the house party. Highly recommended.


"Star Ranger" by Andre Norton. Completed 17/5/15.

This is the second half of a Baen Omnibus edition called "Star Soldiers", which I bought in 2001 or so. In the dying days of the Galactic Empire, one of the last ships of the Stellar Patrol, which has been the force of law and order for a thousand years, makes a crash landing on an obscure planet so far from the centre of the Empire that it's not on any star chart. The survivors of the crew explore the planet and make some surprising discoveries. Pretty good SF. Moderately recommended.


"The Hippopotamus Pool" by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 19/5/15.

The 8th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series. Great fun as always. Amelia and Emerson discover the almost undisturbed tomb of Queen Tetisheri at Luxor, but the lure of the treasure in the tomb soon attracts those who want it for themselves... Very highly recommended!


"Thrice Bound", by Roberta Gellis. Completed 22/5/15.

I bought this from Baen sometime around 2001. A truly excellent fantasy novel, set in the same universe as her previous book, "Bull God", in which the gods of ancient Olympus are people with magical gifts and powers. I enjoyed "Bull God", but "Thrice Bound" is even better.

Baen description:

Hekate's father is the most powerful mage in Ka'anan, so when he commands her to murder the queen of Byblos and marry the king, she must obey or flee. When she learns from the seer Dionysos, whom she had bound herself to protect when he was an infant, that her father has summoned an otherworldly being to bespell her, she flees to the Caves of the Dead. There her father's magic is powerless.

But the Caves are barred by a spell of terror and revulsion. Enraged by her agony, Hekate swears she will punish her father - and is twice bound.

Before despair destroys her, Kabeiros rescues her by breaking the terrible spell, but Hekate cannot remain in the Caves. Unsatisfied, her bindings will kill her, and she must learn new magic far from her father's influence to loose them. Yet when she learns that Kabeiros cannot accompany her because he changes into a black dog if he leaves the Caves, Hekate swears to free him from his curse - and is thrice bound.

"Seeing a Large Cat", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 24/5/15.

The 9th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. Amelia and Emerson get involved in (yet another) murder investigation when they find a (recent) body in an ancient Egyptian tomb. Tremendous fun, as always with this series. Highly recommended!


"The Lark and the Wren", by Mercedes Lackey. Completed 26/5/15.

Bought from Baen in August 2001. A lightweight but enjoyable fantasy about a peasant girl's attempts to fulfil her dream of becoming a bard. Like all (that I've read, at least) of Lackey's work, it involves no great mental effort to read, but it's a pleasant enough way to fill a few hours. Recommended.


"The Ape Who Guards the Balance", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 28/5/15.

The 10th book in the Amelia Peabody series, and one of the best so far. Extremely enjoyable.


"The Honor of the Regiment", by Keith Laumer. Completed 28/5/15.

The first volume in his collected "Bolo" stories, published by Baen. I bought this in 2001. In case anyone isn't familiar with the series, Bolos are the successors to today's tanks: gigantic war machines with sentient, self-aware AIs. They have a detailed knowledge of the totality of human military history, and often solve problems in surprising ways. Very good military SF.


"The Falcon at the Portal", by Elizabeth Peter. Completed 30/5/15.

The 11th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. The series skips forward several years from the previous book in the series. From Wikipedia:

The 1911 season finds the Emersons planning to excavate at Zawyet el'Aryan, south of the great pyramids of Giza. David Todros has just been married to Lia, the daughter of Walter and Evelyn Emerson, and the happy couple will be joining the expedition after their honeymoon. The family's happiness is dimmed, however, by allegations that David has been making and selling fake antiquities under the guise of his late grandfather Abdullah's legacy. Ramses and Nefret take on the task of ferreting out the source of the rumors - and the fakes - with fears that the Master Criminal is behind it.

Very good indeed, as always with this series.


"The Triumphant", by Keith Laumer. Completed 31/5/15.

The third anthology in Baen's collected "Bolo" stories originally created by Keith Laumer. The book contains stories by several authors, most of "novella" length, and is excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys military SF. I did ignore the length "fake history" info-dump which comprises the last 20% of the book, though. I'm sure there must be people who are interested in the precise difference between a Mark XXIII and XXIV Bolo and what their respective weapons capabilities are, but I'm not one of them .


"He Shall Thunder in the Sky", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 3/6/15.

The 12th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. The First World War has broken out, and Cairo is a chaos, with rumours of a Turkish invasion and an uprising by agitators for Egyptian independence. Largely against their wishes, the Emerson family get caught up in the intrigue. Extremely good and highly recommended.


"Callahan's Lady", by Spider Robinson. Completed 4/6/15.

Baen SF bought in 2001, although the SF elements in this particular book are fairly minor. The narrator of the book is a Brooklyn prostitute who unexpectedly finds herself working in "Lady Sally's" brothel, which attracts an unlikely range of customers. Good, but don't read it if fairly explicit sexual references would cause you offence.


"Lord of the Silent", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 6/6/15.

The 13th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series. The First World War continues, and Egypt (annexed by Britain at the outbreak of war) is a hotbed of intrigue, with nobody knowing who may be an agent for what country. The chaos of war, with government inspectors otherwise engaged, is a golden opportunity for tomb robbers to carry out their work almost unchallenged. Soon rumours start spreading that "Sethos", the shadowy figure previously at the head of the criminal underworld, may have returned and once again be controlling the illegal trade in antiquities. The Emerson family investigate.

Absolutely excellent. Highly recommended!


"Bolo Strike", by William H. Keith Jr. Completed 7/6/15.

Bought from Baen in September 2001. Baen description:

TO THE VICTOR GO THE SPOILS ....

And this Victor is fully capable of raking them in, a Bolo Mark XXXIII of the 4th Regiment, Second Brigade, First Confederation Mobile Army Corps, in the vanguard of an all-out Bolo strike against the planet Caern. The enemy is the Aetryx, shadowy, unknown beings who enslave other species with nothing less than the promise of immortality. As a savage, interstellar war begins, Colonel Jon Streicher prepares to lead Victor and the rest of his regiment in that most difficult of tactical evolutions—planetary invasion.

But D-Day turns into a disaster, and Caern is a deadly trap. Colonel Streicher and his command team find themselves stranded on the target planet, desperately attempting to survive the hellfire chaos of modern warfare, as Bolo faces Bolo/human hybrid in a cataclysmic showdown that will uncover unexpected truths, reveal hidden secrets, and even call into question the loyalty of the Dinochrome Brigade itself.

For just what will happen if the Aetryx aren't slavers after all, but literal gods who can make good on their promise of eternal life?

The Dinochromes are about to find out.

Excellent military SF. Highly recommended.


"The Golden One", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 9/6/15.

The 14th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series. This is a book of two halves (or rather, of two quarters, and a half ); the first and last quarter of the book are the type of "Egyptological mystery" that were the mainstay of most of the earlier books in the series, while the central half of the book is a spy story, with Ramses Emerson travelling to Gaza in Palestine on behalf of British Intelligence to find out whether or not the stories about his uncle Sethos having become a Turkish agent have any truth to them. Very good indeed, but this really is a series you need to read in order - don't jump in at this book!


"Pyramid Scheme", by Dave Freer and Eric Flint. Completed 10/6/15.

Originally bought from Baen in 2001. Excellent SF of what I guess I'd call the "humorous military" variety.

An alien probe lands in the middle of Chicago and people in its immediate vicinity start vanishing. Any attempt to attack the probe simply makes it larger. A group of the people abducted by the probe find themselves in a world in which the Greek myths are true, and have to try to survive and attempt to get back home.

Very, very good indeed. Highly recommended.


"Children of the Storm", by Elizabeth Peter. Completed 11/6/15.

This is the 15th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries.

The Great War is over, and the Emerson family are gathered in Luxor for what they hope will be an uninterrupted season of excavation. A series of attacks on their extended family and friends, though, makes them suspect that perhaps one of the many criminals they have brought to justice in the past is out for revenge upon them. Extremely good, as always.


"Martian Knightlife", by James P. Hogan. Completed 13/6/15.

Bought from Baen in 2001. Pretty good SF. The book consists of two intertwined short stories featuring private eye Kieran Thane. In the first of them, the theme of matter transmission has a twist: a scientist has invented a matter transmitter and tested it on himself. The process involves "scanning" a person and then sending their genetic code and memory patterns to a receiver which "rebuilds" the person. The idea is then that the original person (put into suspended animation during the transmission process) is destroyed, but what if he gets scared prior to the experiment and decides that he doesn't want to die even if his existence does continue in another person? A very good story indeed. In the second story, Thane gets involved with a group who has discovered remnants of an ancient civilisation on Mars, but the site is owned by an industrial conglomerate who wants to build a spaceport on the site. Not as good as the first half of the book, but still worth reading.

Recommended.


"Guardian of the Horizon", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 16/6/15.

The 16th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. This story jumps back to the year 1907 (the previous book in the series was set in 1919) and tells the story of the Emersons' return to the "Lost Oasis", which they visited in the book "The Last Camel Died at Noon". Excellent.


"The Puppet Master", by John Dalmas. Completed 18/6/15.

Bought from Baen in 2001. Excellent near-future SF set in a slightly alternate world in which a "gravitic drive" was invented in the 1990s which transformed society, followed by a plague in 2000 which killed a billion people world-wide. This is an omnibus containing the main novel (called "The Puppet Master") with a novella before it, and a short story after it. All are detective stories, featuring a private investigator in LA working on a variety of interlinked cases.

Very good indeed. Highly recommended.


"The Serpent on the Crown", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 23/6/15.

The 17th book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. It's now 1922, and the Emerson family are approached by a lady novelist of cheap sensationalist books who claims that a golden statue her collector husband had bought was cursed, and the cause of his death. This novel is basically setting the scene for the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb the following year by Howard Carter, the events of which are described in the next book in the series. Very good indeed.


"Fiddler Fair", by Mercedes Lackey. Completed 24/6/15.

A quick read, originally bought from Baen in October 2001. A lightweight but enjoyable collection of SF and fantasy tales originally published in various magazines and anthologies. Recommended.


"Tomb of the Golden Bird", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 25/6/15.

The 18th and penultimate book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. This book tells the story of the events surrounding the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, with the (unreported!) aid of the Emerson family. Great fun, and I'll be sad to finish this series - it's an old friend.


"Wizardry Compiled", by Rick Cook. Completed 26/6/15.

Originally bought from Baen in 2001. When Cupertino programmer William Irving Zumwalt, "Wiz" to his friends, was brought to another world and used his programming skills to become a great wizard (as told in "Wizard's Bane") he thought his troubles were over, but he's made some powerful enemies who are out to kill him. Excellent fantasy, particularly if one understands the computer programming jokes! Recommended.


"A River in the Sky", by Elizabeth Peters. Completed 28/6/15.

The 19th and final book in the "Amelia Peabody" series of Egyptological mysteries. This book goes back in time to 1910 to describe the events when the Emersons spent the excavating season in Palestine, rather than their beloved Egypt. Extremely enjoyable. I'm really sad to have reached the end of this series, although slightly consoled by the thought that a final posthumous book, "The Painted Queen", is being released in July next year. I don't know if Elizabeth Peters finished it before her death, or if it's been completed by someone else.


"The Wizardry Cursed", by Rick Cook. Completed 29/6/15.

The third book in the "Wiz Biz" series, and the first half of Baen's "Cursed and Consulted" omnibus. Very good indeed.


"Mystery Mile", by Margery Allingham. Completed 1/7/15.

The 2nd book in the "Campion" series (actually the first book proper: Campion was a minor character in the first book, "The Crime at Black Dudley").

Crossing the Atlantic on the luxurious liner Elephantine are an American judge, Crowdy Lobbett, and his children. A number of people around Judge Lobbett have been murdered, and he is said to be fleeing to England for safety. Apparent buffoon Albert Campion offers the family sanctuary with his friends in remote Suffolk, but a local commits suicide, the Judge vanishes, and another disappearance follows soon after. What is the Judge's mysterious secret? How was he kidnapped from a remote maze? Can Campion and his friends get to the bottom of things before it's too late?

More of an adventure story than a detective novel in the "classical" tradition. Very enjoyable.


"The Wizardry Consulted", by Rick Cook. Completed 3/7/15.

Originally bought from Baen in 2001. This is the fourth book in the "Wiz Biz" series, and forms the second half of the "Cursed and Consulted" Baen omnibus. Tremendous fun, as is the rest of the series. Highly recommended.


"Artifact", by Gregory Benford. Completed 3/7/15.

Excellent hard SF. An American archaeological expedition uncovers a mysterious black cube in a Mycenaean tomb in Greece. The book describes the scientific examinations which uncover the mysterious properties of the cube, and the process of deduction which leads to an understanding what it is, and does, set against a background of international intrigue. Very good indeed.


"Agent of Vega and Other Stories", by James H. Schmitz. Completed 6/7/15.

Originally bought from Baen in 2001. A collection of all the SF stories of Schmitz that aren't set in his "Hub Federation" universe. An excellent collection: my particular favourite was a story called "Gone Fishing". Highly recommended!


"Cosm", by Gregory Benford. Completed 7/7/15.

A particle physicist running an experiment in a particle accelerator unexpectedly creates a strange artefact which turns out to be a wormhole leading to a newly created universe. Excellent hard SF - I've not read a book of Benford's that I've not thoroughly enjoyed. Thoroughly recommended.


"Down in the Bottomlands", by Harry Turtledove. Completed 9/7/15.

I bought this from Baen in 2001. A trio of "alternate history" novellas, the genre that Mr Turtledove excels at. The first part of the book, and the one which gives the book its title, is a murder mystery set in a world where the Mediterranean sea, blocked off from the Atlantic Ocean by a range of mountains (as has indeed happened at various times in geological history), is a wildlife preserve, rather like the Grand Canyon, but much larger and much deeper. The second two stories are set in a world where a man from our world finds himself in a version of North America ruled by the descendants of Vikings, where southern Europe is an Arab state. An excellent collection. Highly recommended.


"Look to the Lady", by Margery Allingham. Completed 10/7/15.

This is the third book in the "Campion" series of detective stories.

Campion is hired by a Suffolk family who have a hereditary duty to protect a state treasure - an ancient chalice - on behalf of the crown. They fear that the chalice will be stolen, a view which is reinforced when a female member of the family is found dead in mysterious circumstances.

A wildly improbable story, but an excellent read. I'm coming to the conclusion that the "Campion" series is more a series of adventure stories than detective stories in the traditional sense, but they're nonetheless extremely enjoyable. Recommended.


"The Excalibur Alternative", by David Weber. Completed 11/7/15.

Bought from Baen in Jan 2002. A 14th century English army is captured by a galactic trading consortium for use as mercenaries on low-technology planets where high-tech weapons are outlawed. Set in the same universe as David Drake's "Ranks of Bronze". Very good military SF. Recommended.


"Timescape", by Gregory Benford. Completed 14/7/15.

A scientist in the world of 1998, which is on the verge of ecological catastrophe, tries to stave off disaster by sending a warning back in time to 1963. Meanwhile, in 1963, another scientist tries to make sense of the extremely puzzling results he's getting in his experiments.

This is one of Benford's early novels, originally published in 1980, and it is a little rough around the edges, but still very good hard SF. Recommended.


"Man-Kzin Wars IX", by various authors. Completed 16/7/15.

An anthology of stories by various authors, set in Larry Niven's "Known Space" universe. Originally bought from Baen in 2002, and all very enjoyable. Recommended.


"Police at the Funeral", by Margery Allingham. Completed 19/7/15.

The 4th book in the "Campion" series, and very enjoyable. Campion is asked for help by a family in Cambridge whose members are being systematically killed. An good story with some interesting characters and unexpected plot twists. Very good.


"Retief!", by Keith Laumer. Completed 22/7/15.

Originally bought from Baen in 2002, this is a collection of all of Laumer's "Retief" stories, about a diplomat in a future galactic federation who solves problems by unorthodox methods. Excellent.

"The Time Machine", by H.G. Wells. Completed 26/7/15.

A quick re-read of this in preparation for...


"The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter. Completed 28/7/15.

An authorised sequel to "The Time Machine" and follows on directly from it. An excellent hard-SF time-travel extravaganza with enough twists and paradoxes to satisfy the most devoted lover of time-travel stories. Absolutely excellent, but do make sure that you read "The Time Machine" before it to set the scene.


"Emperor of Dawn", by Steve White. Completed 31/7/15.

Originally purchased from Baen in 2002. Baen description: "The Empire is in danger, with a weak sybarite on the throne and rebellion rising in outlying regions of the Galaxy and on Earth itself. Then the Emperor is assassinated, and General Ivar Brady-Schiovana is forced to declare himself Emperor. But hope appears in the persons of two men and a woman who are rumored to be legendary heroes."

Excellent space opera / military SF. Highly recommended.


"Armada", by Ernest Cline. Completed 1/8/15.

Gamers help to fend off an alien invasion.

After reading his excellent previous book, "Ready, Player One" I had high hopes for this, but it was a big disappointment. The storyline was, I felt, weak, and the plot (which is basically the idea that the government has secretly been using video games for the last 40 years to train people for combat against a coming alien invasion) a cliched idea that's been done a lot better elsewhere (eg in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game"). The novel ends with a "deus ex machina" plot device which is very disappointing. Not recommended.


"Storm Over Warlock", by Andre Norton. Completed 2/8/15.

The first third of the "Warlock" omnibus, which I bought from Baen in 2002. Two humans have to try to survive on an alien planet after their exploration base is destroyed by the beetle-like "Throgs". Typical Andre Norton - OK but nothing exceptional. Moderately recommended.


"Sweet Danger", by Margery Allingham. Completed 4/8/15.

The 5th book in the "Campion" series. Campion is employed by the British government to try to find the ancient heirlooms which will prove the British Sovereignty of the tiny (and fictitious) Balkan state of "Averna", which has suddenly become important in world affairs due to a fortuitous earthquake suddenly providing the previously land-locked state with a coastline and a natural harbour (improbable plot-lines, anyone? ). Tremendous fun, and highly recommended.


"Ordeal in Otherwhere", by Andre Norton. Completed 6/8/15.

This is the middle third of the "Warlock" omnibus, published by Baen, which I believe I bought in 2002. Baen description: "Charis Nordholm was sold into slavery by the outlaw colony on the planet Demeter. The trader, Jogon, who holds her contract, was on his way to Warlock to trade with the Wyvern. But the alien witches had ominous plans of their own, and both Charis and Shann Lantee found themselves fighting for their lives . . . "

Typical Norton. OK, but not outstanding. Moderately recommended.


"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", by Stieg Larsson. Completed 9/8/15.

I've had this for years, but only just got around to reading it. I can honestly say that this is the best book that I've read in a very, very long time. It starts off fairly slowly, but once the story gets going, then wow - it's a roller-coaster ride. Extremely highly recommended.


"Forerunner Foray", by Andre Norton. Completed 9/8/15.

This is the final third of the "Warlock" omnibus, which I bought from Baen in 2002. Baen description: "Ziantho's mental powers had made her a valuable asset to the interstellar criminals she worked for. Then she encountered a gem of ancient power, an artefact made by the vanished prehistoric race known as the Forerunners, and stole it. Pursued both by the stone's owners and the agents of the Patrol, she fled across the galaxy and encountered Ris Lantee, a man from the planet Warlock, who alone could solve the powerful gem's mystery .... "

The above synopsis is, however, inaccurate. The main theme of the book is actually about Ziantho being taken back (mentally, rather than physically) to occupy the bodies of previous owners of the gem, and Ris Lantee makes only the most fleeting appearance in the final few pages of the book, and does not solve any mysteries at all .

I did not enjoy this book, and struggled to get through it. I didn't find the story to be at all engaging, and I can't recommend it.


"The Girl Who Played with Fire", by Stieg Larsson. Completed 10/8/15.

The second book in the Millennium Trilogy. Excellent, as was the first. In this book we learn a lot more about the background of the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander. Really looking forward to reading the final book.

Two books recently completed:


"Pandora's Legions", by Christopher Anvil. Completed 14/08/15.

Bought from Baen in 2002. A mixture of military and comedic SF. After Earth is annexed by the benevolent Centran Empire, humans spread out throughout the Empire, with disastrous results for the Empire! Also contains interludes about the battles fought by a human "special forces" unit recruited by the Centrans to taggle situations they are unable to handle. Pretty good.


"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest", by Stieg Larsson. Completed 19/8/15.

The third and final book in the "Millennium" trilogy. An excellent end to the trilogy which nicely tied up most of the loose ends. Very highly recommended!

One thing one immediately notices when reading the Millennium trilogy is that the word "coffee" is used amazingly often - characters in the books are unable to take any action without making, buying, or drinking it, it appears. For interests sake I used the Kindle's search facility to find out how many times the word was used in the book I've just read: it appears 104 times .


"Waking in Dreamland", by Jody Lynn Nye. Completed 22/8/15.

The first book in her "Dreamland" fantasy series, bough from Baen in 2001. The Dreamland is a world which is created by the dreams of people in the "Waking World" (ie our world), and everything in it is in a constant state of flux as a result.

Baen description:

In a strange realm, Roan was the strangest of all -- because he always looked the same: normal. Dreamland was the place where sleepers in the "real" world went when they dreamed, and the permanent residents might change their form without warning. In dreams, there's nothing unusual about talking to a giant rabbit who suddenly turns into a living fire hydrant without missing a beat in the conversation. But Roan was always...Roan. And that was very bizarre.

But something sinister is going on in Dreamland. Their constantly changing world is created by the Seven Sleepers, and will continue to exist so long as at least one of the Sleepers is asleep and dreaming. Now someone is out to destroy Dreamland by eliminating them. And unless the nightmare plot is foiled, Dreamland and its inhabitants will vanish like a blown-out candle flame, bringing an end to all dreams....

Highly original and excellent fantasy. Highly recommended.


"Lifeboat", by Harry Harrison and Gordon R. Dickson. Completed 24/8/15.

Moderately decent SF about a group of people on board a poorly-equipped lifeboat following a disaster on a starship. I wouldn't particularly recommend it.


"School of Light", by Jody Lynn Nye. Completed 29/8/15.

The second book in the "Dreamland" series. Baen description:

Juele is the youngest and most promising new student to enter the strange new world of the School of Light. At this legendary institution, she will learn how to master illusion, the highest form of art in the Dreamland. Her talent has excited the interest of many of the senior students, the professors, but most important of all, the Idealists. They are the elite of the Illusionists, a tightly knit group of talents who admit Juele to their mysterious circle in the Ivory Tower.

Her mentor, an Idealist named Rutaro, has embarked upon a project to surround the Castle of Dreams with an image of perfection, in which Juele will play a key role. But other students who are jealous of Juele's good fortune set out to pervert Rutaro's design. What they have in mind bears no resemblance to reality. The worst part is that no one, not Rutaro, nor the King, the ministers, or even Roan, the King's Investigator, seems to notice that the government of the Dreamland is plunging into deadly chaos. Juele is faced with having to find the reality within the fantasy with the only skill she has at hand: illusion.

Very different to the first book in the series, but equally good. Highly recommended.


"The Hammer of Eden", by Ken Follett. Completed 30/8/15.

Thriller about a group of environmentalists who hold the state of California to ransom by threatening to trigger earthquakes. Enjoyable nonsense.


"The Grand Tour", by Jody Lynn Nye. Completed 1/9/15.

This is the third (and so far the final) book in the "Dreamland" series, which I bought from Baen around 2001 or 2002. Baen description:

Where does your mind go when you fall asleep?

To the Dreamland, where seven Sleepers dream the ever-changing landscape drawn by the trillions of sleeping minds from the Waking World. Where form follows function, so a hovel today may be a castle or a cave tomorrow. Where the people battle nightmares with only the strength of their will and sanity.

Chuck Meadows is a Visitor from the Waking World, on an astral vision quest around the Dreamland. He has come on this arduous and dangerous journey to the Dreamland in hope of discovering the reason for the deep misery of his soul. With the aid of his spirit guide, Keir, the other members of the group, and the Dreamlanders he will meet along the way, he has to solve the puzzle before it literally tears him apart.

But not all Dreamlanders are eager to assist Chuck on his quest. There is an element lurking throughout the land that resents the Visitors and all they stand for. They hate the intrusion by Waking minds into their realm. They are furious that Visitors wield almost limitless influence while they have nothing. They intend to send a message back to the Waking world to leave them alone forever. The leader of the conspiracy is waiting only for the right moment to strike. He has a secret weapon that no one, Dreamlanders or Waking Worlders, can withstand. Chuck and his companions are unaware of the doom that awaits them—but they have unseen allies as well as enemies. Chuck must learn the truth about them and about himself before it is too late.

Excellent fantasy. Highly recommended, but I would suggest reading the series in order, even though each book is completely standalone. The previous two books in the series are "Waking in Dreamland" and "School of Light".


"Death of a Ghost", by Margery Allingham. Completed 6/9/15.

The 6th book in the "Campion" series, originally published in 1934.

At the former home of John Lafcadio, the great painter dead some 18 years, the annual ceremony to unveil a painting he left behind to keep his memory alive is interrupted by a murder. Suspicion falls on a family member, but with no proof the police are baffled. When murder once again visits "Little Venice", Albert Campion must exercise all his powers to bring the killer to justice...

An excellent book; for me, by far the best of the series thus far. Highly recommended.


"The Shadow of the Lion" by Mercedes Lackey et al. Completed 14/9/15.

First book in the "Heirs of Alexendria" fantasy / alternate history series published by Baen. Excellent fantasy set in 16th century Venice, where various supernatural forces are vying for control of the city due to its control over the trading routines between Europe and the Far East. Highly recommended.


"Split Second" by David Baldacci. Completed 17/9/15.

This is the first book I've read by Baldacci and I enjoyed in very much. A thriller in which a former secret-service agent whose assigned protectee was killed when he took his eyes off him for a second (hence the title) teams up with another agent whose protectee has been kidnapped. Very good. I shall definitely read more books by this author.


"Forward the Mage" by Richard Roach and Eric Flint. Completed 25/9/15.

A loose sequel to "The Philosophical Strangler", both of which are published by Baen. Very good and amusing fantasy. Again recommended.


"Flowers for the Judge" by Margery Allingham. Completed 2/10/15.

The 7th book in the "Campion" series. Campion steps in when a partner in a publishing firm is accused of murdering one of the other partners with whose wife he was having an affair. Very enjoyable detective story.


"Odyssey" by Keith Laumer. Completed 7/10/15.

Very good collection of SF stories by an author who deserves to be much better known than his is. I particularly enjoyed the time-travel novel which forms the last portion of this large omnibus.


"Hyperion" by Dan Simmons. Completed 10/10/15.

I've been intending to read this SF masterpiece for years, but somehow never got around to it. Big mistake to have delayed so long - this is a simply outstanding novel. Not an easy read, but it more than repays the effort it takes.

I can do no better than to quote this excellent Amazon review of the book:

This classic work has so much to recommend it that it’s difficult to know where to start. Its overall reference to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – in that seven pilgrims each tell their tale as they journey toward their goal – is only one facet of a novel rich with literary reference and wryly judged future historical perspective.
At one point, Martin Silenus the poet tells of his great work ‘The Dying Earth’ the title of which, he points out, was taken from an old earth novel. In the same section his literary agent tells of the realities of book-marketing in the Twenty-Ninth Century. Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ she tells him, is permanently in print, although no-one actually reads it. The poet blithely asks who Hitler was.
No doubt Jack Vance, and many other readers who picked up on the reference to his Nineteen Fifties novel, will be amused at the idea of Vance novels being remembered in an age where Hitler is a name known only to those in the rarefied strata of academia.
The pilgrims have been chosen by the Church of the Shrike to make the pilgrimage to the Time Tombs of Hyperion and petition the Shrike, an alien godlike creature bristling with metal horns and claws.
Each pilgrim tells his tale of why they think they were chosen to take the pilgrimage and in doing so, slowly fill in the backstory of this Hegemony of Worlds, of Hyperion itself and the mysterious Shrike.
Each tale fills in a piece of the jigsaw puzzle depicting complex galactic politics in which it is difficult to judge who are the players and who are the pawns.
A cabal of AIs form the Technocore which seceded from human control centuries ago, although they still manage the web of farcaster portals which link the worlds of the Hegemony, and the Allthing which is, in essence, a futuristic internet. The AIs have their own reasons for being very interested in Hyperion, its network of alien labyrinths and the Time Tombs, to which they believe something is travelling back in time from the future.
Structurally, thematically, stylistically this book is a marvel. Each tale has a distinct voice and its own magic, and each is tied into a seamless whole.

Highly, highly recommended!


"When the Devil Dances", by John Ringo. Completed 12/10/15.

The third book in the "Posleen War" series. I bought this from Baen in 2002. This was the time at which Ringo was still writing enjoyable military SF rather than political diatribes, and I really enjoyed re-reading this.


"Finding Davey" by Jonathan Gash. Completed 13/10/15.

A very unusual and worthwhile thriller. When a young British boy is abducted while on holiday with his parents in the US, and the police get nowhere in tracking down his abductors, his grandfather decides to try to find him using a very unusual method. Davey used to invent stories about a fantasy world with his grandfather, and so his grandfather sets out to publish these stories as children's books, and then set a competition in which only Davey will know the correct answers.

Excellent, but I should warn that one of the characters in the books is an astoundingly foul-mouthed teenage girl, so don't read this if bad language is likely to cause offence.

Very highly recommended.


"Midnight at the Well of Souls", by Jack L. Chalker. Completed 14/10/15.

Bought from Baen in 2002. This regularly makes lists of "the best SF novels" and it's easy to see why. Excellent SF.


"Eye of the Storm", by Jack Higgins. Completed 16/10/15.

This is the first of his lengthy series of thrillers whose protagonist is the hit man Sean Dillon. In this book Dillon is hired by Saddam Hussein to assassinate the Prime Minister of Britain. Good book, but obviously somewhat dated politically, being originally published in 1992. Recommended.


"Chicks 'Chained Males", edited by Esther Friesner. Completed 29/10/15.

Compilation of fantasy stories involving women. Very enjoyable. Bought from Baen in 2002.


"Death at the President's Lodging", by Michael Innes. Completed 21/10/15.

A new author for me. Excellent detective story set in a college in an English university town modelled after (but not) Oxford or Cambridge. An interesting cast of characters and very well-written. A long series of books to look forward to!


"The Warmasters", by David Weber, Eric Flint, and David Drake. Completed 22/10/15.

Again bought from Baen in 2002. Three short novellas by good authors. David Weber's contribution is the best, I though: a story about Honor Harrington on her initial Midshipman's assignment to a starship. Then a "Belisarius" story by Eric Flint, but, unlike the others, this was simply an extract from the published novels, hence I'd read it before. Finally a story from the "Hammer's Slammers" universe of David Drake, which was extremely enjoyable. All in all, extremely good.


"Cocaine Blues", by Kerry Greenwood. Completed 23/10/15.

The first book in the "Phryne Fisher" detective series. I found this to be mediocre at best, with (for me) far too much time devoted to minute and pointless descriptions of what people were wearing. I also found the behaviour of the protagonist to be unrealistic - casual sex is more the attitude of a 21st century young woman than one of the 1920s. Perhaps the book would appeal more to a female reader, but it's not my cup of tea at all. Disappointing.


"The Warslayer", by Rosemary Edghill. Completed 25/10/15.

I bought this from Baen in 2002. The star of a TV show called "The Incredibly True Adventures of Vixen the Slayer", a sort of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" set in Elizabethan times, is brought by magic to another world to help defeat their enemies, in the belief that she really is the character portrayed in the TV show. Hardly an original idea ("Galaxy Quest", anyone?) but well executed nonetheless, and well aware of its derivative nature, with a lot of self-referential jokes about TV. A light but amusing read. Recommended.


"Hell's Foundations Quiver", by David Weber. Completed 28/10/15.

The newly-released 8th book in the "Safehold" series. I know this series isn't to everyone's taste, but it's one of my favourites, and the release of a new book is a highlight. Yes, it's a slow-paced, in-depth story, but I like that a lot; I like being a "fly on the wall" at decision-making meetings and understanding why people make the decisions that they do. Excellent.


"The Lighter Side", by Keith Laumer. Completed 1/11/15.

Bought from Baen in 2002. Enjoyable, but not great; I'm not a big fan of humorous fiction, and I far prefer Laumer's more serious work.


"The Case of the Late Pig", by Margery Allingham. Completed 2/11/15.

The 8th book in the "Campion" series. Campion is called in by a police officer who is his friend to help investigate the curious affair of a man who is found murdered, despite having supposedly died and been buried six months earlier. An excellent story. Allingham changes her writing style in this book to be a first person narration by Campion, rather than the third person of the previous books in the series, and it works very well. Highly recommended.


"The Complete Hammer's Slammers, Volume 1", by David Drake. Completed 12/11/15.

The first of three Baen volumes which collect together all the "Hammer's Slammers" stories, novellas, and novels written by Drake. I bought this when it first came out in 2009, and I'm reading it in place of one of its constituent parts that I originally bought in 2002. I'm sure that most people will be aware of what this series is, and either love it or not; it's a grimly realistic portrayal of future armoured warfare, based on Drake's experience of tank warfare in Viet Nam. Recommended if you like good military SF.


"Mission of Gravity", by Hal Clement. Completed 13/11/15.

In an omnibus called "Heavy Planet", containing Clement's collected "Mesklin" books and stories.

This is an SF classic. Mesklin is a planet with a hydrogen atmosphere and methane oceans on which the surface gravity at the poles is 700 times that of Earth, and is, therefore, inaccessible to humans. When a scientific spacecraft sent to the planet to conduct gravity research that can't be done elsewhere fails to take off again, the scientists seek the aid of one of the local inhabitants, a centipede-like being who is a sea-captain in a civilisation with a mediaeval level of technology. Excellent "hard SF". I think I've read this before, but it was many years (more likely decades) ago. Highly recommended.


"Cold Steel", by Keith Laumer. Completed 15/11/15.

The 6th book in Baen's collection of Laumer's "Bolo" stories and novels. This book consists of a novella and a full-length novel, both set on a valuable mining colony on which the human colonists are being attacked by stone-age natives who are being armed with modern weapons by an unknown outside source which has persuaded the natives that it is a god, and the humans devils who must be exterminated.

Excellent military SF, but a lot more than military SF, too. Engaging characters and an excellent plot. Highly recommended, and there's no requirement to have read any of the other "Bolo" books first.


"Dancers in Mourning", by Margery Allingham. Completed 19/11/15.

The 9th book in the Campion series, and enjoyable as always. Campion is called in by a friend whose book has been produced as a stage play, when the star of the show starts experiencing a campaign of petty but annoying, attacks. The inevitable murder soon occurs, though, and Campion has to solve it. Very enjoyable.


"Howard Carter and the Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun", by H.V.F. Winstone. Completed 28/11/15.

An excellent biography of Howard Carter by a historian renowned for his biographies of archaeologists. Very readable and highly recommended if anyone has an interest in the subject matter. This was a paper book.


"The Keys of Egypt", by Lesley and Roy Adkins. Completed 14/12/15.

A paper book which doesn't seem to be available as an eBook. An excellent biography of Jean-François Champollion and the story of the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the subject.


"For King and Country", by Robert Asprin and Linda Evans. Completed 16/12/15.

Bought from Baen in 2002. An historical novel loosely disguised as time-travel SF. An SAS officer goes back to 6th century Britain in pursuit of an Irish terrorist who is determined to change history, and finds himself aiding the historical figure whom later history would call "King Arthur", a British chieftain trying to hold together the remains of his people's Roman civilisation and stave off the inevitable decline into barbarism about a century after Rome's withdrawal from the British Isles. A slow start, but really picked up about halfway through and became a pretty good book.


"The Fashion in Shrouds", by Margery Allingham. Completed 20/12/15.

This is the 10th book in the "Campion" series, and was originally published in 1938. Campion gets involved in the world of fashion to try to solve the mystery of the mysterious disappearance of the husband of a famous actress. An extremely enjoyable book, as is all this series, but I was somewhat startled by some of the dialogue.


"1633", by Eric Flint and David Webber. Completed 22/12/15.

Sequel to "1632". Very good "Alternate History" SF.


"Deja Dead", by Kathy Reichs. Completed 24/12/15.

The first book in the "Temprance Brennan" series of forensic mysteries. My first experience of this author, and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll definitely read more books in the series.


"Med Ship", by Murray Leinster. Completed 25/12/15.

Baen anthology bought in 2002. Good, although rather dated, SF.


"Stone Spring", by Stephen Baxter. Completed 29/12/15.

The first book in his "Northland" alternate history series. Enjoyable.

Total: 121



Books Created or edited for the MR library in 2015

"Room 13" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 6/1/5.
"The Mind of Mr J. G. Reeder" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 28/1/15.
"Terror Keep" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 6/2/15.
"Red Aces" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 15/2/15.
"Mr J. G. Reeder Returns" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 21/2/15.
"The Gov'nor" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 24/2/15.
"The Man Who Passed" by Edgar Wallace. Completed 27/2/15.


Total: 7


Grand total of books read and created: 128