Wow! For the King Arthur Popularity Poll, Britt Arthurs had a runaway win, consisting of 163 votes! Second came Merlin with 131 votes, and Kay trailing just behind him with 116 votes. Next came Sir Gawain (38 votes) Nymue (27 votes) and Morgan (26 votes). You can check out the rest of the results in the post below, but I’m thrilled that Britt is such a resounding favorite! (She got nearly 30% of the votes. You go girl!)
So far this month I’ve managed to close out a few projects and get a few edits live. I’ve also been able to catch up on some reading, so I thought I would share a few of the books I’ve found.
Jackaby: I got this gem at the local library, it’s a historical, paranormal, mystery. It might sound like an odd mash-up, but it’s absolutely delightful! It follows the heroine who is in desperate need of employment and ends up serving as the assistant for Jackaby–investigator of the paranormal.
If you are a fan of fantasy and Sherlock Holmes, this book is meant for you. Because I know it’s a concern for some of you, I need to say it can be bloody–although not to the levels of thriller-gore as it is a YA book. It’s got more blood and death than I usually read, but the characters are so brilliant and the dialogue is fun and snappy!
Frederica: I bought myself a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I devoured a lot of Georgette Heyer’s books. This is a sweet historical novel with a touch of romance that is guaranteed to keep you laughing! The story follows our Frederica and her efforts to launch her younger sister into London society with the help of her reluctant-bachelor-guardian-who-isn’t-really-her-guardian.
I felt like the last fourth of the book dragged a little because there was less humor and a little more drama, but it was still a charming book with clean romance and a lot of laughter.
The Emperor’s Edge: Wow, just, wow. This book can be picked up for free on Amazon (it’s the first in the series) and it is an absolute treasure. The characters in the book are hysterical and unique, and the plot is gripping. This book follows Amaranthe, one of the few female enforcers (police) in her fantasy/steam-punk world. Through a series of unfortunate events, Amaranthe is marked for death by the commanding general–who also happens to be guilty of drugging and manipulating the young emperor. For the good of the country, Amaranthe must get the general cast out of favor, rescue the emperor, and hopefully restore her honor with the help of her unlikely, motley crew.
Like Jackaby, it had more blood than I usually go for–one of the main characters is an assassin, so you can imagine how much carnage he causes–but these characters! They do the funniest things and they have some of the best conversations! I don’t know if I can give the rest of the series my stamp of approval (I’m reading book two, and so far it hasn’t been as funny, its had a few crude lines as you see the motley crew without Amaranthe there to civilize them, and it is a little worse gore-wise, although the plot is just as inventive and dynamic) but book one is definitely worth the download. (Note, for you romance lovers King’s Edge has only the tiniest smidgen, so don’t enter into it expecting a love story. The author says the romance builds as the series progresses.)
So that’s what I’ve read recently. How about you guys?