The Temple at Landfall by Jane Fletcher

The Temple at Landfall by Jane Fletcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book stars Kim Ramon, the heretic, and Lynn NoLastNameAllowed, the holy-chosen-beloved-of-Celaeno aka slave of the Sisterhood.

This book is both the first and third book in the series. Published first, in 1999 and called ‘The World Celaeno Chose’, it is also the third book chronologically in the series. And that does actually matter. The chronological thing – because the books do build upon themselves. It’s true the main characters in the ‘first’ book, chronologically, don’t matter a hill of beans in the series, the side characters matter in later books, and many of the other characters pop up in the other books as well as the books advance. Quite frankly, I’ve no clue how anyone could read this series in the disjointed way it was published (on one level it’s ‘worse’ than James Fennimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking series – where the first book chronologically was the last book published (though that happened here as well, it’s just I think that was the only book out of order in the Cooper series; here the books jump all of the place (chronologically with publish order in (): 1st Shadow of the Knife (5), 2nd Rangers at Roadsend (3), 3rd The Temple at Landfall (1), 4th The Walls of Westernfort (2), 5th Dynasty of Rogues (4).

Right, but this book was/is about Lynn and Kim. Not the series as a whole. Lynn was around 12 when her family took her to be tested (as is done). She had shown some ‘healing’ abilities. She was tested and found to have so much ‘power’ as to be an Imprinter – therefore she was immediately forced to go with the Sisterhood and begin training. Imprinters are the ones who are able to create new human babies – important on a world on which only women number among the population. As such they are held in much awe and esteem – they have been the ‘chosen’ ones of the Goddess Celaeno (otherwise known as the spaceship/colony ship that brought the humans across the stars to this planet – yes, you have a world that has, for 500 years, worshiped a starship – and it’s not even one that had an A.I. to talk with (well, one hasn’t been mentioned) it’s just a hunk of metal). Despite being held in such a position – you know, that ‘chosen one’ thingie – they are basically the slaves of the Sisterhood. Forced to be celibate (the sisters are supposed to be as well, but they are corrupt) and continuously ‘create babies’ (the Sisters are quite eager for that – because they collect fees for the imprinting – the sisters do, the Imprinters get nothing.

Well – Lynn has shown signs of being quite . . . good at her job and rumors of this ability has reached one of the sisters wiggling piously and corruptly for higher and higher position at the Temple. So this Sister has gone out to collect Lynn, and bring her back to Landfall. The book follows Lynn and three sisters on their journey. Traveling in a carriage, zooming along, encountering worse and worse conditions. Until finally their journey has to make detour after detour. Until they find themselves in a specific town. If they go over a mountain pass they’ll get to Landfall before the Landfall celebrations. If they don’t, they won’t. Everything is set in motion but . . . news comes of big cats bouncing around up there. Everyone urges the sisters and party to go a different route. The main evil bitchy sister demands her chosen route be the one to follow.

Into this comes the 23rd Rangers Squadron. There to take care of the cats. One thing leads to another, and now the squadron is doing escort duty over the pass.

Eventually . . . well, I don’t want to give everything away, and I haven’t really progressed the story much as it is so I’ll stop before I go too far.

Interesting story. More and more of the backstory is revealed, leading this from being a purely fantasy world to one that’s science – fantasy, or a mix of the two (science fiction and fantasy).

Rating: 4.25

December 23 2016




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Rangers at Roadsend by Jane Fletcher

Rangers at Roadsend by Jane Fletcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Two years before being published as ‘Rangers at Roadsend’ via Bold Strokes Books, this book had been published under the title ‘The Wrong Trail Knife’ via Fortitude Press, Inc. I mention this specific factoid for one specific reason – the book description for ‘Wrong Knife’ is either written somewhat poorly, or if accurate, then implies that the book followed a different plot-line than the one I read in ‘Rangers’ (either more straight forward with less flashbacks, or . . . well ‘[Chip] knows trouble is on the way; [b]ut Chip wasn’t expecting murder’ implies murder will occur, not that a long ago murder was revealed).

I’m traveling down this specific path for the simple reason that I probably would have liked this book better if it had followed a more straight forward plot line. Instead the book, in part one, presents us, the readers, with Sergeant Chip Coppeli accepting a new private, Katryn Nagata, into the 23rd Ranger squadron as her underling. Then shows us them circling each other, getting close, darting back, getting close, then . . .. Then, suddenly in Part Two, we are way back in time when Katryn Nagata first joined the Rangers and the 12th Ranger squadron (the same squad that was in ‘Shadow of the Knife’). And I personally found myself accidentally skimming. Because I didn’t care – I already ‘knew’ Katryn had a fucked up existence in her first posting, had been accused of murder, had the accusation dropped but left in a way that rumors still follow her, etc. etc. I’d already learned of that in part one. I wanted to ‘rush forward’ back to the present. I didn’t want to cover ground that had already been covered. Except . . . the flash back was really really long. And more that Part One was a foreshadowing of Part Two . . . or something like that. Foreshadowing isn’t the right word. Hmms. No matter.

Right. So.

(view spoiler)[Katryn Nagata was a member of the Militia on this vaguely fantasy/science fiction planet of only women. She had a partner, Allison, and a good job (Sergeant in said Militia). Then her sister fucked her partner, and Katryn fled to the Rangers. Except she entered a long time after others did – most apply the first day of eligibility. Katryn applied 9 years after having been in the Militia – after having risen up to Sergeant – a position she’d have lost if she transferred over to another military service (the Rangers).

Katryn then, after a hard training regime, joined the 12th Squadron as a really old new recruit. Had a very crappy hard ass, borderline insane sergeant as her ‘boss’. Then that boss was murdered. And everyone thinks that Katryn did it. ‘They’, as in the Militia as the Captain of the squad turned over the investigation to the militia, couldn’t line up the evidence in a way that would find Katryn guilty (there were very important reasons why). But the captain couldn’t leave her in the squad, so had her transferred. (This part here was told in Part Two).

Where-upon Katryn arrived as a transfer really old Private to the 23rd Squadron. 1) she’s really really old to be a) a private (promotion to the next level up is basically automatic except in rare cases); b) and a transfer; 2) looks both despairing and fearful. ‘Obviously’ she was court-martialed to end up being ‘demoted’ to Private. She must have fucked up – at least that’s what her new Sergeant and those above her assume/suspect. (This part here was told in Part One).

Then in Part Three – Sergeant Chip investigates the mystery of ‘who murdered Katryn’s Sergeant’. Hampered by the fact that 99.9% of the people who came into contact with Sergeant Ellis hated her and wanted her dead, plus almost everyone had alibis. (hide spoiler)]

Interesting story. The investigation/mystery that unfolded, the mystery of the murdered sergeant, was quite interesting to watch unfold. The fact that the actual murderer was blindingly obvious (so much so that I knew who the murderer was even before the murder occurred), and that ‘everyone’ had trouble putting the facts together is not as irritating as it might have been (I knew because I saw things unfold; the people investigating didn’t have the facts I did until much later and didn’t normally investigate murders (not sure how often Militia lieutenant’s investigate murders, I know she did a bit of investigative work in the Shadow of the Knife book, but not a murder investigation – also she kind of got things wrong in that investigation (to a certain extent . . . arguably . . . ).

Rating: 4.24

December 21 2016




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The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody

The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My third reread of the month (after Welcome to Your Afterlife, and This is Devin Jones).

Still a funny humorous book. Doesn't join another of Moody's books on the top shelf, though, mostly due to the crude humor and the super nasty dickish agent. But still. Enjoyable book.



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Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner

Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is another of those occasions when, late at night, I decided to see what I'd read the next day. And accidentally read an entire story. Namely this one here.

When Diana was four she 'wrote' a letter to Santa via her aunt. She asked for a soul-mate, she wanted what her parents (now dead) had had. Naturally . . . . well 1) Santa's real and he grants children's wishes (just 1 per child if I read right), though only those wishes of children, not adults; 2) it's 30 years after Diana had written that letter, and that wish has still not been granted (it got lost in the lining of a bag), though now that Santa and company know about this wish, they decide to try to do something about it.

Santa and 'Him' come to an agreement, since Santa isn't really supposed to be helping/granting wishes of adults. Santa has learned that Diana will be, or is supposed to be attending three Christmas parties, and so Santa is going to send an elf with magical mistletoe to be used at each party. The mistletoe will give a nudge, not create something that isn't there.

Diana is an unemployed former prison officer (she had been a prison teacher, but that position got removed so she moved over to prison officer, but learned she didn't really like being a guard). She is going to these three parties because her friend, who I believe is named Gloria, needs to go to these parties - is required to go to them. They are three company parties for the three different divisions at the law-firm she works at.

Division 1 and party one is lead by an asshole of a man, and let me stress that again - he is a really huge asshole. His division handles criminal matters, so his party, filled as it is by clients, is filled with 'criminals' and their barely clothed, surgically altered, and probably ex-prostitute 'girlfriends'. Also present at the party are the law firm employees, including the heads of the other two divisions, and that ‘plus one’ – Diana.

Diana enters and is immediately annoyed that she agreed to go. Based on seeing the party guests and being sexually molested by Thad Falgen’s eyeballs (I don’t actually remember the asshole’s name, but ‘Thad Falgen’ works for me). Thad is quite taken with Diana and begins to make some moves. Showing that it is clearly power and money that would cause him to ever get laid. Diana’s not interested, and not because she’s a lesbian (as far as she knows, she’s straight – yeah, I’d forgotten this was that type of story).

Recall, if you will, that there’s this elf that is supposed to be flinging mistletoes at people (okay, hanging one up). Well he arrives and is very tiny, invisible, and partakes of the food and drink. While waiting for his moment. For some odd reason he thinks that Diana’s ‘soul mate’ might be ‘Thad’ so he sets things up. Thad, super drunk, won’t let Diana leave when she wants to do so, so Diana is saved by one of the other law firm division heads – Jamison – the individual who Diana had actually spent some interesting time with talking to at the party. Saves with a kiss in a ‘now she’s been kissed, get out of the way’ way.

Jamison meant for a three second thing, at most, but there ended up being more than 3 seconds. And Jamison doesn’t know how Diana felt about the issue, because Diana immediately left after the kiss.

Division 2 and party 2 are hosted by ‘Lillian Willbourgh’ (again, I’m not actually sure about the name). ‘Lillian’ handles divorces, and only ever takes the side of the men. Also she is a very huge and very forceful bigot and homophobic individual. She also really really loves Christmas decorations and her party looks look . . . well, . hmm. Like 18 Christmas stores were raided for all products, and dumped inside her place. Also there’s like 800 tons of potpourri stinking up the place. Which causes massive issues to Jamison, but both Jamison and Diana had been looking forward to seeing each other again, so Jamison stuck it out.

And so. Two people circling each other. Spending but moments together. And one having to deal with the idea that they might actually be a lesbian, despite not previously realizing that possibility, and both dealing with massive waves of lust/love for the other based on like 4 minutes of being near each other.

Massaging the ending, and cutting most of the epilogue would make this a great perfect story. The epilogue was way too heavy-handed and sappy, though. (view spoiler)[firstly – party three ended with the two woman fucking; epilogue opens moments later to find . . . much time has passed, but the first scene has them fucking again; secondly – there was way too much sappy speechifying about just how totally awesome, the best people ever, going on about Diana and Jamison. Thirdly, what-the-fuck? (view spoiler)[Naming your son Jamison? That’s . . .. Sure, Jamison, the woman/mother, goes by Jamie most of the time, but still. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Second time I’ve read this story.

Rating: 4.65

December 19 2016



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Shadow of the Knife by Jane Fletcher

Shadow of the Knife by Jane Fletcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a good introduction to this author and this series universe. Quite 'deep' and detailed universe. Solid characters. Good bit of action/mystery/etc. Someone looking for romance should look elsewhere, though there's a bit of that mixed in.

I was quite happy with the story, at least I was until I suddenly realized that I rather liked how everything turned out. Then realized there was somewhere between 30 to 40% more of the book to read. That's . . . almost never a good sign, heh. And yeah, things turned . . . well, turned. Things rapidly shifted into a new angle and a bit of torture and the like invaded the land.

Still, I enjoyed the book. Felt like a solid 4 star book up to that point, and was so after that bit of nastiness.

I already own the rest of the books in the series, and nothing I read will keep me from reading the next.

December 17 2016



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