Nicholas Bruner
Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Young Adult Author
Winter Murderland Out Now!
Saint Nick and Mrs. Claus are ready for a holiday away from, well, the holiday! Their destination? Las Vegas!
But you know what they say about best laid plans, heh.
See, some genius came up with a great idea… a new casino hotel shaped like, of course, a Christmas tree. Santa’s escaped the North Pole, only to get stuck viewing this eyesore called Christmasland from his hotel window.
Can’t a guy catch a break?
And to make matters worse, the whole thing is just an offensive caricature of the holiday he’s in charge of. How dare these greedy people exploit Christmas for purely commercial ends?
But when Saint Nick learns who is operating the place… well, things get downright hilarious as he and the missus try to save the day.
What I’m Reading: The Witch of Shadowmarsh
I didn’t realize when I picked up The Witch of Shadowmarsh that I had previously read another fantasy book by author Sara C. Roethle–Tree of Ages. I found that book to be a “moody, Celtic-influenced fantasy” with an intriguing premise, but was turned off by the fact that the book ended on a literal cliffhanger, keeping it from feeling like a complete story. Still, there was nothing wrong with the writing–far from it, the writing was superb–so I wasn’t sorry to return to this author.
The book opens in the hold of a pirate ship where several women have been taken captive, undoubtedly to be sold into slavery. Elmerah is an Arthali witch with magical powers, and she knows if she can only get her hands free she can beat the pirates. What’s more, she also has some pins hidden in her hair that could release her shackles. But she can’t do it alone. She spots a Faerune elf who is also being held, and believes that with her delicate hands, the Faerune elf may be able to free them from their bonds.
What I’m Reading: Muse
Muse, by LCW Allingham, is a horror novella about the art world in New York. Mr. Green is a scout for up-and-coming artists, Mr. Silver is a gallery owner, and Mr. Black is an art critic. Together, they dominate the New York art scene and control the careers of all the top artists in the city.
Two of the young artists under the wings of the three men are Cedric Fleck and Dana Glonciel. They enjoy prestigious showings at Mr. Silver’s gallery and the galleries of several of his connections, command high prices for their works, and take the purest and most expensive drugs at the lavish, decadent parties the three men throw.
But something’s wrong, and the artists know it. Despite their success, they feel run down. The endless rounds of parties and gallery showings takes its toll, of course, as well as the recovery from the drug and alcohol hangovers. But more than that, they feel like something is eating away inside them, maybe at their very souls. And the three art patrons just might have something to do with it.
Sister Honey Out Now!
Three people on a hunt for missing women uncover a hive of mysteries and a potent honey hiding a dark secret.
Tua, a former hero turned rope-maker, spends his days working and his evenings drinking himself to oblivion on alcoholic thornmilk. He wakes one night to discover a teen-aged thief named Komo breaking into his home.
Komo is on a mission to save her sister. She needs money, but finds a friend willing to help her with her cause instead.
But Komo works alone, and gives Tua the slip. Her search for her sister and his search for her lead them to the treacherous Puzzled Jungle. Little do they know that someone else is also trying to unravel the mysteries they’re determined to solve. And when they all bump into each other deep in the jungle, things get interesting. As alliances shift like shadows, they must fight to uncover the truth behind the disappearances and the power of a sacred honey.
Will the truth be their salvation or their undoing? The hive awaits.
What I’m Reading: Missing by Moonlight
After reviewing the first book in this series last month, Silver and Shadow, I’ve moved on to the second, Missing by Moonlight. The series, by Melissa McShane, follow the adventures of a lady paladin, Ginnevra, and a guy werewolf, Eodan, who are partners–both romantically and in the fight against evil.
What I’m Reading: Silver and Shadow
I decided to start a new indie fantasy series and Silver and Shadow, by Melissa McShane, caught my eye. I’m glad it did! This is a fun and fast-paced book with a lady paladin and a guy werewolf who become friends…and more? It’s also as much a mystery novel as a fantasy novel, as we’ll see.
What I’m Reading: Tower and Grave
Tower and Grave is the fourth book in the Guilds of Ilbrea series by Megan O’Russell. I have previously read and reviewed the first one, Inker and Crown, the second one, Myth and Storm, and the third, Viper and Steel. The series follows the Karron clan, six natural and adopted children of Lord Karron who grew up together and have remained close now that they are in their late teens or early twenties and members of the various guilds in the city of Ilara, capital of Ilbrea.
What I’m Reading: Embassytown
I mentioned in my review of The Left Hand of Darkness a few years ago that it took an anthropological approach to science fiction. Indeed, the main character in that book was an anthropologist who comes to another planet with humans that have been separated from other humans for centuries and have evolved subtle but definite cultural and biological differences from humans on other planets. This anthropological approach allowed a deeper exploration of culture and custom than one usually reads in science fiction books.
Embassytown, by China Mieville, takes this even a level further. One of the main characters, Scile, is a linguist (which if I recall my college courses correctly, is one of anthropology’s four sub-specialties). Scile has married the narrator, Avice, and is excited to return to her native world, a distant, backwater planet where an alien race named the Ariekei live and tolerate the presence of a small human city named Embassytown. Scile is eager because the Ariekei speak a language unlike any other language known in the universe, and he wants to study it.
