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Iðunn is trying to find out why she's struggling so much and is constantly feeling fatigued. She rotates through doctors, feeling hopeful when she finds a younger, female doctor who doesn't relate her problem with 'female' troubles. But no matter what she tries, from changing her diet, to getting more exercise, to vitamins and sleeping pills. Nothing seems to be helping her and no one is able to make a diagnosis that makes sense. One night Iðunn wakes up after having fallen asleep with her smart watch on and discovers that somehow she put on 40,000 steps. She keeps this to herself but tries setting different traps and notes to see if she's actually doing something at night. Nothing she does reveals what's happening at night, but increasingly she wakes up to discover some unsettling things about her - bloodied face, black eyes, her body covered in dirt. It gets to the point where she fears going to sleep and won't allow herself a social life, until she meet o

 Wow.  Really, just ... wow. Author Lev Grossman (of The Magicians fame) takes on a classic legend with his new look at King Arthur, the knights of the roundtable, and all the usual, familiar characters whom we've read about in other versions of the legends. Grossman brings us into the story with a new knight, Collum of the Out Isles. Collum is a wide-eyed teenager, a bastard child who comes from nothing and thus has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Skilled with a sword he sets out to join King Arthur and, hopefully, become a knight of the Roundtable. He needs to prove his skill along the way, taking his first life, which is disturbing to him, but he did everything he could (he feels) to avoid the situation and in the name of Arthur he did what he had to do. But when he arrives to King Arthur's court, Collum discovers a kingdom in ruins and Arthur himself dead, with the few surviving knights (names Collum once thought of with respect and awe) lost and floundering, tryin

 Why do I not do a better job of reading Mary Robinette Kowal? Of the three novels I've read by her, I've given two of them 4-1/2 star ratings (a solid five stars [as opposed to a rounded-up five stars] is pretty rare from me). This collection of short stories really showcases Kowal's writing talent and creativity. This collection really shines and reminds me that I need to be more aware of her work when it is coming out. This is a strong collection of short works.  Typically, any collection of short stories will have one or two that don't have the impact or don't seem as strong as the whole.  Though a collection by one author is generally stronger than an anthology of different authors (if the reader likes the author in question). All of these stories were strong and enjoyable.  A couple stood out for me as being particularly enjoyable. First was "Body Language" - a talented puppeteer works with a good AI to help resolve a kidnapping. I'm definitely p

After returning from Vietnam, now looking for work, Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear take a job in Alaska working for an oil company, riding shotgun with researchers and oilmen. They come upon a monster of a polar bear who appears to be badly injured, likely making him even more of a threat than a 'normal' polar bear. About the same time they encounter the bear, a storm approaches and their journey back to the safety of a base is in danger if they don't get moving.  But the death of one of the party, from the dangerous ursus creates the delay they'd hoped to avoid. From the storm, an old, abandoned ship, stuck in the ice flow, appears.  At first it seems like a godsend - a place for shelter and refuge - it also happens to be filled with highly valuable furs from ages past - but Walt and Henry's party aren't the only ones taking shelter from the storm in the ship. When Henry goes missing, Walt's mission takes on a whole new importance, but he's way o

I only just learned, as I went to grab the cover of the book to post on the blog, that this book is a follow-up to another volume ( The Lemon Man ). This definitely explains some of the questions I had (or at least I hope the previous volume would explain some of my questions). But as to what, exactly, he does, is addressed pretty directly. Patrick Callen is a hitman.   Every year the prisons release a dozen or so killers back onto the streets. The average life sentence is about eighteen years. Not much of a life sentence. That’s where I come in. I get paid to kill these scumbags. I’ve been a hit man for ten years and that’s what pays the bills. It’s no nine-to-five job, far from it, but I’m the best in the country at it. Now, ask yourself the question, if someone close to you got hurt, abused, or murdered by some lowlife, wouldn’t you want them dead? Good at what he does, with no emotional tie to those he bumps off (or tortures), he gets around by bicycle and, because of his OCD, make

The descendants of God's fallen angels still live among us, though they've managed to keep a low profile and their heritage out of the public eye for a millennia. But now someone has discovered their secret - and not just anyone ... a notorious serial killer knows who they are and has selected them as his next targets. A series of grisly murders brings the FBI (Agent Michael Childs) to New York, but the oddest thing about the murders might not be what ties the victims together ... that they all have twelve fingers and twelve toes ... it might be that one of their best leads is a Marine Sniper ...who was killed in Syria. Or perhaps it's what Michael Childs learns about himself. This is one of the more original fantasy/mysteries that I've read in quite a long time.  It is books like this that really had me enjoying reading whatever Angry Robot published for a few years. Author Patricia A. Jackson hooks us right from the start, jumping right into the surface mystery (the i