Angel Cats: Divine Messengers of Comfort by Allen & Linda Anderson

Review by McGuffyAnn M. (nightprose)

This is a spirituality book written specifically for cat lovers. The authors are the founders of The Angel Animals Network. They offer newsletters, are inspirational speakers, and clergy.

In this book, there are a variety of true accounts of cat messengers. These cats offer divine intervention of comfort and encouragement from beyond The Rainbow Bridge. There are photos of the cats in each story. In addition, at the end of each account is a meditation, by Cuddles the cat.

Each cat brings a message, something important to impart on its human left behind. Whether it is Alpha the cat, whose message was one of deep unconditional love, or Shadow who taught trust, each cat had a purpose in life and in death.

One particular story that illustrates the bond between cats and their people is the story of the cat who watched over her little girl through the Holocaust. Anne Frank even mentions the comfort of Peter’s cat, Mouschi, in hiding. Perhaps this was the way the cat she was forced to leave behind, Moortje, looked over Anne.

I know there have been times when my own cats have comforted me through times of stress, tragedy, or illness. I have had times when I came across a photo, or a toy that had belonged to one who had crossed that Rainbow Bridge. Even those little things are a comfort, just knowing they are there.

All cat lovers know the pleasure of a warm furry body with a comforting purr. This book goes beyond the Bridge to show that “Angel Cats” remain by our side, not only in our hearts. I am one of those who believe that animals do go to Heaven. It just wouldn’t be Heaven without them. Love surpasses death.

Behind that Curtain by Earl Derr Biggers

Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)  

This novel is the third Charlie Chan mystery.  San Francisco is evocatively described so we readers can enjoy the vivid sense of place Biggers put across in the first two Chan outings. He handled the setting of Hawaii beautifully in the first one The House Without a Key (1925) and described the Mojave desert country in the second The Chinese Parrot (1926).

Like all the other Chan novels, this was originally published as a serial in the magazine The Saturday Evening Post, so some chapters end with cliffhangers. The plot is intricate, involving murders committed years apart and a woman who changes identities at the drop of a hat. Or in this case, the drop of a pair of Chinese slippers, which is the only clue that ties the two killings together.

Another plus is Biggers’ understated sense of comedy. His stand-in who gets off witty observations, Barry Kirk, is a rich bon-vivant who has funny exchanges with his society matron grandmother and his would-be girl friend, an assistant district attorney named Miss Morrow. Biggers is sensitive to the career obstacles faced by working women, though he will often refer to Miss Morrow as “the girl.” Biggers was born in 1885, after all.

Activists and critics nowadays disrespect poor Charlie Chan for his inscrutability, servility, dainty walk, sing-song voice, and unidiomatic English (in Behind That Curtain, he says, “The facts must be upearthed”). Writer Gish Jen even dismisses Chan’s astute intelligence, designating him as “the original Asian whiz kid.” I wonder sometimes if nowadays critics are annoyed with Chan less because of the novels but more because of the movies which had Caucasian actors playing Chan and period stereotypes of blacks, Asians, and women.

For what it’s worth, I think in both the novels and movies Charlie Chan is wise, courageous, modest, patient, devoted to his family, and loyal to his friends. Like many non-native speakers, he uses English in his own unique way that, as a speaker of broken Japanese, I can’t help but respect him for the time and effort that he put in to get fluent in a second language as an adult. The Chan novels overturn Chinese stereotypes because Chan was playing the role of the Good Guy, whereas most Chinese characters in fiction back then were villains.  Generally speaking, I like detective fiction from 1920s and 1930s.  As formulaic as it is, I like the atmosphere, characterization, and narrative push. I like it that violence happens off stage. There is little or no moral relativism, film noir-ish nihilism or sociopathic tough-mindedness.  I must not be alone in this preference – for once  – since the Chan novels never stay out of print and are available on these new-fangled contraptions like Kindle.

Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe

Review byBowden P. (Trey)

Sword of the Lictor was interesting, if only for some of the contrasts. The quiet of Severian wandering the sculpted mountains of the Andes and his time with his adopted son. And the conflicts with an ancient tyrant and then his one companion. Its also some very fine writing and makes me wonder how the Book of the New Sun will wrap up.

The novel opens with Severian and Dorcas in Thrax and Severian thriving in his new position. He’s reformed the local prison and carrying out his trade. Dorcas, however, isn’t doing as well. She’s no longer Severian’s council and aide there, and her memories are returning. This leads to her going missing with Severian seeking her out (and giving us the reader a walking tour of Thrax). After finding her and making sure she’s safe, Severian returns home. There, the archon asks him to a party and carry out a commission. Naturally, Severian assents.

At the party, he meets a woman who he thinks is a Pelerine (remember The Shadow of the Torturer?) and plans to give her the Claw. She thinks he’s a torturer in truth and faints. After she recovers, we get the Tale of the Library which gives us a very abstract view of the history of humanity and its expansion to the stars and how it came to its current state.

Of course, the woman he meets is his commission…

From there, its a tale of Severian the fugitive as he salves his conscience with the Claw and flees the city into the mountains.

And that is as far as I want to go. Even though the book is almost thirty years old, I don’t want to spoil it for new readers.

Its also notable for Severian being philosophical, whether its in his walking tour of Thrax, or as the captive of sorcerers before a magical duel. And for what its worth, as a fan of stage magic and sleight of hand, the capture and duel with the sorcerers was worth the price of admission alone.

The tale of “The Boy Called Frog” is also a wonderful confabulation of the myth Romulus and Remus and the Jungle Book, making me periodically wish that Wolfe had written children’s stories. I think if he had, he would have been great at it.

So, what makes it good? Severian is interesting, but not all that sympathetic. However, he is very human and aware of his faults, more so than most. That makes him unique. And for all his faults, he’s not that unlikable.

Another thing that makes it good is wondering what Wolfe will steal from, or twist a trope in an unique way. “The Boy Called Frog” is an excellent example of that. As are some of Severian’s confrontations with the past. Wolfe also plays with the reader’s expectations. When Dr. Talos opens a door for Severian, its a bit surprising. Finding out Dr. Talos’ role is even moreso, just as Severian’s conversation with the Cacogens reveals more about life at the end of history and their role in it.

In short, its a interesting well drawn character and a sense of discovery paired with a desire to see what happens next.

Likes: Severian, because he’s human; The walking tour of Thrax and Severian’s musings on people; Capture and magical duel; The final battle of Lake Diuturna; Wolfe’s confabulation of disparate myths and stories into something unique; His play with language and knowledge of history and cultures.

Dislikes: That for all of Severian’s humanity, he does get repetitive; Fate of Little Severian; Loss of Terminus Est.

Suggested for: Gene Wolfe fans, fans of the Dying Earth sub-genre, folks who like a challenging read.

Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford

Review by Cyn C. (Cyn-Sama)

I’m always thrilled when I buy a book on impulse, and end up falling in love with an authors writing.

See, I’m a sucker for a pretty cover, and that leads me into picking up some rather dreadful books.

I’m also a sucker for stories with Asian characters, but usually end up throwing them against the wall in disgust.

I enjoy Asian characters.  It stems from my background studying Japanese culture, and listening to Asian pop/rock music.

Many times an author falls into what I term ‘fangirl/fanboy’ mode, where the author thinks that by throwing in a ton of foreign words and pop culture, it will make their writing feel more authentic.

This usually ends up in having me cringing and groaning, because it reads to me like a fourteen year old who’s just discovered an awesomely shiny new thing, and want to show everyone how awesome this awesomely shiny new thing is.

Now, someone who has never been exposed to this shiny new thing may think it’s fantastic, but if you’ve been thoroughly entrenched in the shiny, it gets annoying.

Thankfully, Ford does not fall into this trap.

Reading Ford’s writing just makes me want to believe in their characters.

The book revolves around Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, an ex-cop and PI who is of Japanese/Irish heritage. Cole is still grieving over the death of his lover, an attack that left Cole with physical and mental wounds, and precipitated his retirement from the police force.

In his position as a PI, Cole just expects to handle run of the mill cases.  Nothing funny, just checking on cheating spouses mostly, until his brother asks him to check on a suicide of a prominent businessman’s son.

During the investigation, Cole runs into Kim Jae-Min, cousin to the deceased.

This brings Cole and Jae into a dangerous world of sex clubs and murder.  With all the danger and mistrust, it seems that their budding romance is doomed to failure.

Add in a demonic cat and some truly colorful characters, and this book was truly a delight to read.

Blood Trail by Gardner Fox

Review by Chris C. (chrisnsally)

Do you know Gardner Fox? He is the man who scripted an estimated 4000 comics during his career at DC comics where he was employed from the mid 1930s until 1968. I hope the recently released Green Lantern movie had a credit Mr. Fox because he created The Flash, Hawkman, the Justice Society of America and co-created Sandman.

As if his contributions to the comic book industry were not occupation enough, Mr. Fox was also a prolific producer of Pulp Fiction novels in genres across the board.

I acquired his Western novel Blood Trail through PaperBackSwap and enjoyed it as much as anything I have read by Mr. Fox.

Blood Trail is the story of a hired gun named Abel Kinniston who attempted to reform his days as an outlaw. Kinniston, along with his plan, was gunned down while he was attempting to implement it, now he is hunting the men who’ve interfered with his lawful intent. Like a true cowboy and frontiersman, Kinniston plays many roles during his tale; he is an outlaw hired gun, a lone wolf outlaw, a ranch hand and lastly a ramrod for community action.

The plot of Blood Trail is rather vague about the location where the actions are played out.   But, at the beginning of the tale Kinnistion has been on the trail of three men for three years. Fox mentions the Wyoming Territories and the Rio Grande in the same sentence as if these locations where a day’s ride down the trail from one another. Three years is certainly plenty of time to ride the expanse of the Western Territories but I admire Fox’s talent of using time to distort space. This places the actions of Blood Trail into a mythological “Old West” inhabited by generic towns named; Dodge, Carbine and Wardance.

Blood Trail has a romantic theme too. Early in the plot Kinniston is briefly diverted from his man hunt to save a damsel in distress. The damsel, Fay Mercer, becomes part of the main plot as the romantic interest for a man who is normally, to barrow a modern term, “a one man wolf pack.” When the outlaws burn down the Mercer family ranch the lone wolf must play nursemaid to a she wolf with a bullet wound. Kinniston was injured by the fire too so he and Fay are forced to hideout in the mountains around Carbine until they can recover from their injuries. The brief hideout provides time for Ms. Mercer and the old wolf to become more acquainted in the innocent manner of traditional Old West novels and programs.

This is as good a Western as I have ever read. Often, while reading this novel, I felt I was reading the screenplay to an old film or television show.  It, like most Westerns, is “G” rated except for the implied violence of the gunfights. The good guys win all the gun fights so, in this case, killin’s okay too.

I recommend Blood Trail for fans of the Western genre or any readers just looking for a relaxing read.

On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony

Review by Jennifer (mywolfalways)

When Zane’s latest scheme to get money fails, he decides that it’s time to surrender early to the inevitable.  Unfortunately, his plan is interrupted by the intervention of Fate and  Zane unexpectedly finds himself inheriting the job of the Incarnation of Death.

With the help of the death steed, Mortis, and the intermittent assistance of the other Incarnations, he quickly learns his job.  The job is intimidating at first, but he quickly gets used to the simple task of retrieving balanced souls and determining whether they should go to heaven or hell.

As he learns more about how people’s souls are weighed however, he starts to have second thoughts.  Despite risking his own immortal soul to hell by breaking the rules, Zane decides to start relegating the souls to the realms he sees fit and even extending some people’s lives to give them a second chance at improving their status.

Everything seems to be going fine until Satan, the prince of evil, schedules Zane’s girlfriend for early termination.  Conflicted between his duty as death and his love for Luna, Zane makes the decision to challenge Satan.  Will the Incarnation be able to defeat the ultimate evil or will the entire world fall into Satan’s hands?

Anthony introduces an imaginative world that is a mix of fantasy, myth, and futuristic present that will satisfy a variety of palates.  While Death has his classic scythe, he has many other tools, such as a watch, balancing stones, and even a computer.  People on earth drive cars and ride magic carpets all while passing billboards advertising both magical and technological items.

While this novel can be read as just a fun fantasy read, I think many readers will find themselves challenged by Zane’s moral struggle to do his job properly versus what he thinks is right.  It’s a problem that most people experience almost every day.  Zane develops from a self-loathing character to a person who truly cares about his clients.  Many of the scenarios Zane faces with his clients are heart-wrenching and readers may consider what they would do in his place.  As they continue reading, some readers may even find themselves uncomfortable as they question their own preconceived notions of life, death, and the choices that they and others make.

I enjoyed this novel the first time I read it in High School and I enjoyed it the second time around as an adult with more life experiences to draw from.  A few years from now, I know I’ll be reading it again, just to see how my point of view has changed.