Book Babblings

The Janus Affair (A Ministry of Peculiar Affairs) by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris 

The Nitty Gritty: A snappy gent with spectacles and a Colonial Pepperpot are playing the heros again in this second installment of the Ministry of Peculiar Affairs series. This time their adventure starts when a fellow suffragist is snatched off a hypersteam train by a lightening storm.

Someone in London is kidnapping the country's leading suffragist  and Eliza, never a girl to be held back by a simple demotion jumps on the case whether her partner Wellington is willing to come along for the ride of not.

A blast from Eliza's past threatens to derail her investigation however, and if Wellington has anything to say about it he will send the chap packing. London is hardly ready for the full force of Eliza's gunslinging and Wellington's tinkering.

Opening Line: "It was the smell-the smell of metal baking under a summer sun-that alerted Lena to the terrible fact that her getaway had been a failure." 

What's the 411: At first glance I didn't really get into this series. I picked it up Phoenix Rising at the library and returned it without reading it. Now before you tar and feather me understand that I have on an average 30 books checked out at a time, and I read three to four books at the same time. Occasionally to my dismay I return books without reading them.

So I read Phoenix and liked it. I had misgivings about continuing the series though. I'm not a sci-fi reader myself though I am a sci-fi watcher. I mean I'm a Whovian (though I would call Doctor Who fantasy somehow its been tagged a sci-fo show) and aTrekkie after all.

Well a long business trip to Chicago convinced me I didn't have anything better to do than sit and read. I put on my big girl panties and picked up The Janus Affair and I am so glad that I did. Thank you Windy City and Lou Mal Nauties deep dish pizza. The Janus Affair has sealed with the deal with me.

And I have to say that I think I like Wellington a little more than Eliza. Don;t get me wrong Eliza is my sort of woman. Tough, independent and altogether badass for no other reason than she can me. But sometimes she just tries a little too hard to be strong. Sometimes its ok to be rescued, and I;m not just saying that because she is a woman. I would say the same thing about a man, and that is what I really like about Wellington. He has no problem whatsoever letting someone else do the heavy lifting though he is more than capable of taking care of himself and his fellow agent. Wellington is like ever nerd girl's wet dream. He is a geek through and through, but he knows his way around a fight. Its like the jock and the captain of the debate team had a baby and Wellington was the result, and to top it off he's a gentlemen and totally hot.

I am in nerdvana with Wellington Thornhill Books.

The first tale had Braun and Books on the tail of a secret society who dabbled in the dark sexual arts when it tickled their fancy. I always find it comical that men that are on just the right side of ugly are the ones that always want to play those sexual swapping games. I'm not making a judgement on anyone in that lifestyle nor the lifestyle itself. I am just making an observation on fiction. I loved the clandestine nature of the case they worked on in the first book but I loved the lightening kidnapping aspect of the Janus Affair.

We got to peek into Eliza's past this go around, and I for one wasn't shocked that it centered around a man. Not that I think Eliza's is promiscuous or anything, but she is a beautiful woman and you know she has left a few broken hearted men scattered around the globe. I was questioning whether Douglas was in on the caper or not. His behavior was suspect from the word go for me. It was odd little things. Like giving the Ministry Seven a bag of lollies, which meant that he was watching Eliza's house, then giving Chris that Crocodile Dundee knife, making Welly feel bad about Serena getting hurt as if Books wasn't feeling bad already, showing up at Diamond Dotties house to rescue Eliza, as if she needed the help. I couldn't figure out if he was honestly trying to help Eliza because he was confusing her with the young whelp she had been in New Zealand or if he was trying to be a monkey wrench in the works to keep the kidnappings going. After getting to the end of the book I can say that I am glad he is gone. Not gone in the six feet under sense, but just gone as in his story has ended, gone.

Without a doubt I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Good: The dance between Eliza and Wellington. We could see the budding romance between the Ministry agents. We even rooted for them, but I like that it wasn't a spontaneous occurrence. There was a build up. A seductive dance that held my attention from page one. I blush here, a stolen glance there. It was a real life progression of a love affair in a fictional novel. I like my fantasy to be fantasy but I really want my romance to be more real life and less Twilight porn. If you're a Twilight fan please don't bother trying to defend that garbage to me. Finally getting to that kiss was the best sort of foreplay. I;m on the edge of my seat to see how they get on in America after the kiss heard round the Archives.

I like that the author is exploring different characters. I mean they are characters that are feasible for the United Kingdom at that time, but it would have been easy for them to just overlook the Indian population and just keep it strictly white. I hope they keep up the trend. As a minority myself I always root for the minorities in books. Even if they are the villainess.

The bursts of action are spaced at a pace that makes for a great read. Not that fast paced books aren;t just as good, but I feel like sometimes its hard to catch your breath as you leap from one action scene to another. I mean I know I miss things when I am just going non-stop through the action. I feel like I'm in a sugar induced coma while sitting in a sensory tank and my brain is going to explode. I guess it doesn't help that I read three or four books at a time.

The Maestro is really starting to get under my skin. His end game is still a murky lake and I don't like being in the dark. Don't get me wrong being in the dark with a book series is where I want to be. It means the author is good at teasing and keeping me interested for eleven or twelve books, but it means I'm in the dark for about 4 or 5 years lol. That is a tough place to be for someone who likes all her cards front and center where she can see them.

At this point I am of the opinion that Wellington's father needs to be a character in his own right. His voice is getting more and more forceful and frequent. I don't know how Welly stands it I'm going mad hearing his voice in my own head. Which maybe more telling about my frame of mind that Wellington's.

I often find that a lot of female writers fall under the Badass chick Spell. Every female character in their book is either completely badass or completely frail. There are plenty of male writers that do the same thing, but since I fancy myself a lady I am only going to speak about female authors right now lol. I love that Ballantine's females run the total gambit.

Sophie del Morte is a world class assassin who has taken the lives of men and women in all corners of the world, but she quickly bows and scraps before the almighty Maestro without question. Chanda is a properly bred Indian Brit with the style and grace to make Miranda Priestly stand up and pay attention, but the chick is beyond wickedly smart and a right nutter.

Kate Sheppard is part Barack Obama, JFK and Muhammad Ali all rolled into one, but she acknowledges that even she needs a bodyguard every once and awhile. Mrs. Shillingworth is a beautiful woman who isn't easily swayed by honeyed words for a cute guy, she loves her job and the perks of carrying a machine gun with the situation calls for it aren't too shabby either.

I love that Ballantine's female characters are fully realized and fleshed out, but there is still room for them to grow if the situation calls for it.

The Bad: As a feminist and a minority some of the sexiest and separatists themes in the book irritate me, but not to the point where they make the book less enjoyable. I guess it is a sign of the times. this book is set in the United Kingdom in 1899.

Eliza's teasing is borderline bullying. Now, now I know what you are saying. Its just harmless fun and no one is getting hurt, but as someone who was bullied from elementary school till I was in college bullying starts off innocent enough. However Eliza's remorse at her ribbing of Wellington does give me hope.

My Hopes for the Series: I hope the next book isn't all about Eliza and Welly snogging by the Thames. I don't think Eliza is that sort of girl and I don't want them to make her one. I want the Ministry Seven to be taken in by the couple and Serena to become their daughter.

My Final Say: If lightening and explosions and Italian assassins get your juices going then get ready to slip and slide!

Book Babblings

The Queen is Dead by Kate Locke


The Nitty Gritty: The Queen is Dead is the literary version of 5 Hour Energy drink with a Redbull chaser.

In her sophomore outting Alexander Varden as been fired from the Royal Guards. Only "halvies" can be Royal Guards and since William outed her during her knighting ceremony everyone knows she is The Goblin Queen. Even if Xandra doesn't.

During this tale Xandra's older brother Val has disappeared In the midst of a trail of vanishing patrons from the devilishly funhouse circus, Freak Show. Its up to Xandra to find her brother while wrestling with the fact that her world and her life has been tossed into a blender and set on high.

Opening Line: "There was a dead rat nailed to my door."

What's The 411: If goblins and Drag Queens get you hot under the collar well then look no further than The Queen is Dead. The pulse pounding sequel to God Save the Queen will leave you panting for more. Weather its for a certain Alpha wolf or his mate the Goblin Queen is up to you. I opt for hte wolf, but that is just me.

The Queen is Dead is a wonderful followup to God Save The Queen. Locke seemed more sure of herself and the storyline in this book. There was a sense of convection beween the pages. Locke was critized for hailing God Save the Queen as a steampunk urband fantasy when the only thing steampunk was the bustles and corsets. Well ladies and gents she took the criticism to heart and managed to flip everyone the bird while weaving in more steampunk into The Queen is Dead. London is another character in this book. There are few authors who can use their story setting so masterfully that it becomes a living part of the story, but Locke manages to accomplish that swiftly and soundly in this book.

All the while she managed to give us a female lead that is both vulnerable and able to kick butt and take names with the best of them. Now Xandra does whine. She is after all trying to come to terms with finding it she is the queen of the things of nightmares. I mean everyone fears the goblins, and for good reason. Xandra quibbles about "gobbing" out and eating a human heart, but she doesn't skip a heartbeat in protecting the humans of her neighborhood. Even as they nail rats to her door and cry out for her head.

As badass as Xandra is, enough that her sister likes to keep a gun within reach when Xandra is around, she feel fear. True gut wrenching fear. Fear for her family, fear for her Alpha and fear of the warmongering humans hell bent on getting her head. Its refreshing to see this side of the warrior woman archetype.

The Good: As an avid urban fantasy reader I am pleasantly surprised that Locke fades to black on the sex scenes. I think writers are using it as a writing crutch instead of focusing on a great story. Yes there is sex in the book, but do we ever see it? Nope. Does it make the sex seems any less hot and steamy? Nope. I used my cheap little hand fan a few times reading this book. I think the not knowing it a lot hotter than reading about Vex pulling on the little blue strings between Xandra's legs. *puke* Thanks E.L. James for that horrifying experience....

Xandra seems to be less whiny in this book which I think is wonderful. God Save the Queen seemed to be a YA book with a fake ID card trying to buy a six pack. Xandra was so wrapped up in angst I was afraid Bella Swan was going to swoop through the pages and dance the Stanky Leg. However Locke shows us the evolution of Xanrda. She finally steps into her own and finds the proper voice for the character.

I am loving the relationship between Xandra and Vex. Its great to see a functioning leading man that doesn't have any glaring character flaws like he was beaten as a child or a friend of his mother's tied him up in her Red Room of Pain (I just finished 50 shades of grey on a dare :( my brain cells are still pissed at me about that), anyways. I like that Vex is letting Xandra be who she wants to be or not be. He is taking her as he can get her and he is giving her all of him. He's also just loving her without expecting anything in return. He is letting her have her own space when she needs it, but he is her anchor when she needs it.

As a woman of color I am often dismayed at the lack of colorful characters in fantasy books. So I am enjoying the different characters that Locke is introducing in her story. They don't always have to be African American, but it would be nice. The God is Dead gives us We have her lesbian sister Avery in a wonderful relationship with a great girl, Emma. And we finally get more of Penny Dreadful. A delight vixen drag queen with a flare for the sexy and dramatic. I would give anything to hang out with her at Freak Show. I am a total Rupal's Drag Race fangirl and I hope that we get to see more of Penny in the coming books. I don't think enough authors are taking the risk to introduce the public to different characters as they should be. Not everyone in the world is a straight white man or a straight white woman, and we would like to see ourselves reflected back at us in our literature.

The scenes with the goblins are exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. We get to see their fierce loyalty and their utter savagery. And somehow that waxes poetic about their nobility. They aren't out to kill for sport or for fun, but they do enjoy the simple things in life like a good shag and a proper smoke. I love that Locke is giving is little slices of life from the goblins and the more we learn about them the more I like that Locke choice to use one of the red headed stepchildren of the fantasy world. Everyone is so quick to jump on the elves, vampires, werewolves and leave it at that. Fantasy is supposed to be no holds barred and anything goes and I like that the goblins are keen on taking us on a fantastic voyage.

As a political science minor at UNCG I do love the political maneuvering and backstabbing going on in this book. Its just enough to have you shouting at the book in frustration and glee, but not enough to confuse you into praying for an appendix just to keep up. Though I love George R.R. Martin for giving us one. I wouldn't have made it though a Game of Thrones without it.

The Bad: It seems like every adult in Xandra's life made it their personal mission to screw her over. Chuchhill was trying to mold her into the perfect machine. To be used for what we may never know since the goblins made a buffet of his offals. Her stepmother makes Cinderalls' stepmom seem like Mrs. Brady, and her father just stands by while the aristos use his children as their genetic playground.

My Wish for this series: I am really looking forward to a Xandra/Victoria showdown. I hope that Vex and Xandra's relationship continues to develop. It doesn't seem like Vex is going to let anything get in his way when it comes to Xandra, but I have a feeling she might try to be noble and break up with him to keep him from harm.


My Final say: Get yourself a copy of this book! Long may she Reign!