Illusion by Paula Volsky

Illusion by Paula Volsky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of my very favorite comfort books. It's a retelling of the French Revolution, but with magic, and it's really well done on top of that. Lots of authors, in writing in historical or historically-based settings (I'm looking at you, Phillipa Gregory...) cheat on making their main characters likable by setting aside any and all inconvenient beliefs of the day. The hero or heroine is the Lone Voice of Morality, somehow living in a culture and never adopting ANY of its beliefs that might be unpalatable to a modern reader. Paula Volsky resists that urge, and Eliste is exactly a product of her upbringing and her culture. The lessons it takes to bring her around, to help her grow up, are the central story of the book. It's a story that couldn't be told if Eliste were already in possession of modern morality; it would be a BORING story.

But in this case, we get to watch this character change and grow as her refined society falls apart, crushed by the weight of its inherent injustice. It's a fascinating rendering. Highly recommended.


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Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is pretty much exactly the kind of book I expected Richard Castle to write. It's funny, it's short, and it has many sentences that start with "And." It also has more name dropping of consumer items--perfume, booze, etc--than any book I've read in recent memory.

That said, this book was an incredibly fast read, and I enjoyed the whole thing. It did prompt me to wonder, though, if I were Kate Beckett, and I read this book, how on earth would I face Richard Castle at work the next day? It's like finding out your work buddy writes slash about you that he posts on the Internet. :)

I'm not sure I would recommend anyone buy it, but to check out from the library or borrow from a friend? Sure!


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