My Favorite Books of 2024. Part 2

     There are 5 books in continuing series that went beyond the trilogy model.  I was surprised when Michael J, Sullivan decided to return to his Literary Character Duo of Royce and Hadrian in Drumindor.  Released in November of 2024, and I really needed a return of old friends in light of November's events. Dennis E Taylor returned to the Bobiverse series with Not Til We Are Lost. Again, this installment had all the elements that makes this series so good, Humor, plot and thought-provoking dilemmas with Pop culture shout outs sprinkled throughout. If you are a fan of Douglas Adams and Andy Weir you will like Dennis E Taylor.

Finally, Christan Cameron came out with his 6th book in his Historical Fiction Chivalry series, Emperor's Sword. William Gold is the main character of this series, a person who gets 2 mentions in the Historical Records, once in a gaining his Knighthood on the battlefield and again decades later receiving some lands for rendered service, Cameron uses the empty spaces in the story to have Willian Gold turn up in all the struggles in Middle Age Italy, France and England. Nice to read and learn at the same time. There was 2 long running novella series that I was happy they got new installments. Penric & Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold saw Penic and the Bandit added to the story of the Learned Penric. Anthony Ryan added Sword of Storms, the 6th novella in his Seven Sword series, if you are a fan of talking swords, you need to add this novella series. 

     I found four books starting new series that I found to be outstanding. Tide of the Black Steel by Anthony Ryan, and Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, both who are authors I am a big fan of, came out with solid entertaining starts to new series. There were two new authors I found that had excellent starts to a new series. Silverblood Promise by James Logan and Mai Corland's Five Broken Blades had starling different settings but what they had in common was a quest plot with the gathering of the misfit characters to accomplish the long-arc goal, it is a literary trope I absolutely love. Both books pull off their quest trope in fine style.

     Finally, a shout out to the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which I found in 2024 thanks to the Buzz. I was resistant to the hype at first because I am not a gamer, and I had a feeling I would miss a lot. I could not be more wrong. Believe the hype, it is well deserved.  

My Favorite Books That Came Out in 2024, I am sure I missed some. Part 1

     As a reading year, 2024 was very, very good to me. 2024 saw the return of one of my favorite tandem authors. I was rewarded with a few trilogies that got their concluding chapters. Others had the second book in the series that held on to the promise of the first book. And I had a few First in the series that knock my socks off. 

  My absolute favorite book of 2024 is the return of James SA Corey with a new series, I been waiting patiently for Dan & Ty's new series as their previous Expanse Series became my favorite Science Fiction series of the 21st Century, at least so far. Mercy of Gods deliver the goods, great characters, plot and pacing, 

     There were 3 series that came to an end in 2024 that left me well satisfied. Shauna Lawless concluded her Gael Song series with Land of the Living & the Dead. reads like Ancient Ireland Historical Fiction with Fantasy elements, Lawless imagines an obscure Irish historical figure as one infused with M powers from Irish Mythologies. It all works to keep a reader like me who likes the blend of Historical Fiction and Fantasy genre. Claire North Finished her Songs of Penelope series with Last Song of Penelope, a brilliant retelling of the Odysseus story which focus in on the women and goddesses mentioned but not expanded upon. Claire North took these brief mentions of Penelope in the Odysseus and gave her a more meaningful role in saving Ithaca. from the machinations of the suitors. John Gwynne finished his Norse inspired series The Bloodswore with Fury of the Gods. John Gwynne is one of the finest Epic fantasy writers around. All these writers have become favorites of mine and I look forward to whatever comes next. 

    I also had 4 novels of 2024 that continued the promise shown in the first in the series. My favorite book of 2023 was Mark Lawrence's Book That Wouldn't Burn and the second book in the Library series was just as good. The Book that Broke the World had everything I wanted in a second book. fleshed out the world. moved the plot along with adding some delicious twists. David Wragg's Company of the Wolf was the second book in the Tales of the Plaines series. It was Wragg's book cover that first led me to this author, who, for the life of me, I don't know why he is not more popular. If you are a fan of Joe Abercrombie, you should put Davis Wragg on your to be read list in 2025. M.R. Carey came out with his second book in the Pandominion series. I thought I was done with Quantum timelines, but Mr. Carey dragged me back in. This is the 3rd time Mr. Carey has done this, written a series in a sub-genre I thought had run out of new ideas. Another book I really liked in 2021 was Jay Kristoff's Enpire of the Vampire and in 2024 the second book in the series came out., Empire of the Damned did what a good second book should do, make me want the next book as soon as possible. 

Drumindor By Michael J. Sullivan

 

     So nice to be reunited with one of the best Literary Duo in the Fantasy Genre. I think my brain is wired to enjoy the pairing of characters, from my earliest days of reading with the Hardy Boy Mysteries to Pizza Nights at the local Shakey's which ran Laurel and Hardy film shorts, reading a good character pairing hits the pleasure zones of my brain. 

     This book almost seemed like MJS was attempting to get some of that Fantasy Rom, or is it Rom Fantasy, quick cash. I will never fault a writer for trying to make more money. It starts off with two romantic sub-plots, Royce and Gwen. both who had inner thoughts of not being good enough for a long-term relationship, and Hadrian's attraction to a club singer. But I came for the Royce & Hadrian Adventure and the last 30 percent of the book save it for me. I did not mind the romance aspect of the tale, how Royce and Gwen finally got together. It was a sweet tale. Hadrian too got bit by the Love Bug which blinded him to the obvious. Been there, done that. 

     However, it was when the fate of the city rested on the actions of Hadrian and Royce that the book took the turn I wanted.  From the very first book, Theft of Swords, I was a fan of Royce and Hadrian and MJS. It has been a great reading journey for me, all of MJS books are in my pantheon of Great Fantasy Reads. 

The Land of the Living and The Dead by Shauna Lawless

      An excellent use of History and Mythology to produce a fabulously rich read. I love both the genres of Historical Fiction and Fantasy, and this series hits my wheelhouse. 

      Shauna Lawless has taken Ancient Irish History, late 10th century and early 11th century, added the Irish Mythologies of the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorian to the battles of the Irish King Brian Boru. King Brian attempt to unified Ireland and defeat the Danes aka the Vikings, at the same time. There were battles that historian have had a hard time figuring out who won. A really messy period of Ancient Ireland. 

    Shauna Lawless has reimagined the enigmatic historical figure Gormflaith, making her one of the main POVs in the story. Gormflaith was the wife of King Brian Boru, though Brian was her third husband. Lawless portrays Gormflaith as a Fomorian at war with the Tuatha De Danann, as seen through the POV of Fodla. The Tuatha De Danann face a division: some wish to retreat from the world, while others desire to aid humanity despite its imperfections. This group consists of Druids, warriors, healers, and seers. 

      Shauna Lawless use of the literary creation of Gormflaith as a member of the Fomorian gives another reason for Gormflaith actions as guided by an attempt to defeat the Tuatha De Danann and create a ruling class of the magical inclined Fomorians over the humans. 

      It is a fascinating trilogy that has moved into one of my all-time great reads.  This book's ending had all the feels, plus gives hope that there might be more stories to tell. I certainly hope so.

If you like Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you need to discover Dennis E Taylor

  

     One of my favorite Science Fictionle tome is Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy. It is one of those must reads in the SF genre. In fact, if you claim to be an aficionado of the genre and have not read this masterpiece, I suggest you turn in your Fan Club card.  Written in 1979, is there an author today that can touch Douglas Adams' writing talent?  I believe there is, and his name is Dennis E Taylor. Taylor has that same sense of humor, referencing pop culture callbacks and thought-provoking dilemmas. 

     His main series is the Bobiverse.  Yes, I know, the series name does not embolden confidence that this series will be really, really good. But it is. Bob sells his company and now had more money than he knows what to do with. So, he has his brain scanned, because that is what rich people do. And then, crossing a street in Las Vegas, Bob gets hit by a bus, He wakes up as the AI of a space probe, The series takes off from there. It is a blast to follow as Bob clones himself multiple times into other ships.

    If you want to do a test run of Mr. Taylor, I suggest the standalone novel Roadkill. In this tale First Contact put the emphasis on contact. Or try his two book series Quantum Earth,  The super volcano in Yellowstone begins erupting at the same time some University students accidently create a portal to a different dimension and an alternative earth timeline. 

     Another reason you should read Dennis E Taylor is that he is a self-published author whose book are very much on the inexpensive side of the ledger. Now the self-publishing sector has in the past 15 years have undergone a huge improvement in all aspects of the process. It is now possible to get professional editing, cover art and marketing strategies that rival anything a big publishing house can offer. Many authors now choose to go the Self-Publishing. I have been closely watching the Fantasy side of self-publishing thanks to the SPFBO contest ( Self-Publishing Fantasy Blog Off) which is in its 10th year. Each year each contest get stronger in regard to the quality of the books entered. 

     So if you are looking for a series which will remind you of Douglas Adams, take the dive into Dennis E Taylors books.  

Finished my 3rd year in Thailand and still in Love.

 

Steven in Thai on my Starbuck's Carmel Frappuccino.  

    

     I have to admit, this last year blew by and finishing a 3rd year in Thailand really snuck up on me. I am still enchanted by Thailand and its people. My original plan was to leave Thailand this year and return to America, but those plans went astray. I am 25 LBS overweight for my original plan of flying straight to Georgia and begin hiking the Appalachian Trail. And a sizable portion of the USA have lost the ability to do any Critical Thinking. The fact that after Jan 6th and the failure to do a Peaceful Transfer of Power for the first time EVER because of one DJT and he is still the GOPs candidate for President and may actually win boggles my mind,  I hope this is momentary bit of madness that will go away when DJT loses, but I have a feeling this flirtation with the Totalitarian Cult of Personality may be a lasting effect for decades to come. 

     But enough of what I am not going to do, what am I going to do now?  For one, stay in Thailand until I am 70 and still healthy. Right now, I am taking Thai language class on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour and a half just like my CSULB days. At first when I first got the textbook, I was intimidated to no end. But the Teacher is fabulous, and she makes the class and learning fun. The Thai language is super hard for me, mostly for the 5 tone marks that I can't hear. So " Mai" can have 5 different meanings because of five different tones. Reading it I can figure it out, but I miss it listening to it, I am far and away the dumbest student in the class, But I still have the ability to crack the class up, so I don't feel too bad. Life has not beaten the funny out of me yet. 

    I also took the class to chart where my brain is in regard to my hereditary decline in mental fitness. Dementia runs in the family. I can hope it skips a generation, but with my luck it is better to prepare for the demise, rather than to deny it will come.  But so far, everything seems fine. I can remember, for the most part, a book I read a year ago when the 2nd book in the series is released. 

     What do I most days?  During Baseball season it is always watching baseball in the mornings. I watch just about every Dodger game and another if the pitching matchup is intriguing, Then I either work out at the Condo Gym or swim in the Condo pool.  After that an hour of studying Thai Language puts the day, about 3 pm.  I go out for late lunch or early dinner. I hop on the BTS Skytrain, the transportation system that runs thru the heart of Bangkok, I have a Rabbit Card, which is like most tap systems in the USA. I pretty much have an idea of the area of Bangkok I want to explore, or sometimes I will just wing it. Look out the window until a street strikes my fancy. I will walk around for an hour or two just looking around and exploring. There is always something that will surprise me. 

     Nighttime is watching TV or reading a book. Right now, the only TV series I am watching is Rings of Power on Prime TV which I like better than most critics. I have HBO, Netflix, Disney and Prime. For about a 3rd of the price I use to pay in the USA. I also forgot to cancel my NFL package from DNZN which is $36 a month. I normally skip the regular season and just get the playoffs and Superbowl, but I messed up. 

    Two Thursdays a month I go out and hit the Bangkok's famous or infamous nightlife. I like Thursdays cause most of the clubs are not as crowded as on the weekends. Mostly I hit the clubs with the live music. It has gotten to the point all the bands know me by sight now, as I always tip the band. I get hammered on SangSom and Soda. which is Thai rum and soda water.  Again, most of the help at the bars know me and my drink. And my tip. The minimum wage here in Thailand is about $7 a day, So I like to tip knowing that I can cover 1 meal tomorrow for the worker, I do it all for the Thai economy, at least that is what I use to rationalize my behavior.  

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

  

   Despite the words in the author's forward that this is not a work of Fantasy, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. Now I know some authors do not like to be pigeonholed into the genre of Fantasy.  Imagine the horror of having to promote your book at those terrible Fantasy Cons, where there might be the chance to run into people dressed up as your characters. The horror!!!!   

      The book has a multi-POV narration, and the always dependable trope of the gang of misfits coming together to do a job that is high risk.  Low magic, but it is magic. There is also, a large predator bird that has feathers are impervious to arrows and swords with the ability to hunt down your extended family if you piss it off. These are all elements that can be found in Fantasy tales.

       Loved the pace of the story, and the characters. It always a good thing to have the author hook you into the story right from the get-go.  Looking forward to the next book in the series.