Lacking Natural Simplicity

Cry Wolf, “An Alpha and Omega Novel”, by Patricia Briggs, copyright 2008 by Hurog, Inc.; Ace/The Berkley Publishing Group/The Penguin Group/Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; Ace mass market edition August 2008, 1st printing; ISBN-13: 978-0-441-01615-0.

This is a spin-off from Brigg's Mercy Thompson series, and judging from the “An Alpha and Omega Novel” it's the start of a new series. I'll be looking for further volumes.

Jhegaala, by Steven Brust, copyright 2008; Tor/Tom Doherty Associates, LLC; First Edition: July 2008, 1st printing; ISBN-13: 978-0-7653-0147-5; ISBN-10: 0-7653-0147-4.

Visiting with an old friend is always a treat. I think I've reread the whole “Vlad Taltos” series and all the “Khaavren Romances” and Brokedown Palace within the last couple of years. (I ought ought check.) It's interesting to see how varied the “Taltos” novels are, despite mostly having one main character, how consistent the voice of the “Khaavren Romances” is, and how different from the others Brokedown Palace is. If I ever get my library out of boxes I really need to reread all his other books.

The “Vlad Taltos” books are good individually, but even better as a whole, much like Kenneth Bulmer's “Dray Prescot” books, which I only really began to appreciate once I had the whole run and could read them in sequence.