Leslie Moïse

Dragons are creatures of archetypal beauty and ferocity that fill all who meet them with awe. Sintara, the blue dragon in Robin Hobb’s Dragon Haven, second in the Rain Wilds Chronicles, certainly considers herself awe-inspiring. But 16-year-old Thymara, her keeper, finds Sintara difficult, nasty-tempered and deformed, with stunted wings.

Girl and dragon are part of an assortment of humans and ill-formed dragons on a quest to discover Kelsingra. The legendary city once housed a culture of dragons and Elderlings, their bizarrely beautiful companions. Natural disasters, personality clashes, passions, greed, conspiracies, blackmail and murder challenge the members of the assembly on their expedition. Some stretch and grow to meet each trial and catastrophe. Others fail; some die. All are forever changed before they reach journey’s end.

As in each of Hobb’s excellent books, characters are varied, fully realized beings, never simply good or bad. Sintara’s fellow dragons range from lowly creatures barely able to function to the large, aggressive Kalo and Mercor, a wise, golden dragon.

The humans are equally unique. They include Alise, a self-taught dragon scholar fleeing the stifled existence of her loveless marriage, and Sedric, her husband’s secretary, tortured by secrets and longings rooted in the past. Unlike those two city-dwellers, Thymara and all but one of the young people chosen to serve as dragon keepers bear the marks of their strange land, with its acidic river and treetop towns. Some keepers have scales instead of hair; Thymara has claws instead of nails. Her odd traits make her an exceptional hunter and gatherer. She must learn to develop the same self-assurance in her interactions with other group members.

The oldest keeper, Greft, attempts to change society’s rules and create ones more to his power-starved liking. In contrast with him are shy Sylve, only 12 years old, and the ebullient Rapskal. One creature is neither human nor dragon, but a living ship named Tarman, capable of making his own decisions, who plays an active role in the mission. Leftrin, a tough Rain Wilds native with an unexpectedly tender heart, captains the liveship.

The Rain Wilds Chronicles are set in the same world as a number of the noted author’s successful and popular series, though the primary characters and setting are different. Readers will have no trouble keeping up with who’s who or what is going on, since Hobb provides sufficient background on events in the previous book, Dragon Keeper. Like the best fantasy novels—or the best in any genre—Dragon Haven delivers not only page-turning entertainment, but subtle perspectives on prejudice, courage, compassion and love—in all its forms.

Leslie Moïse, biblio-omnivore, novelist and memoirist, lives and writes in Louisville, Kentucky.

Sassy New York actress Esther Diamond finds herself unemployed when the mediocre musical she is in closes without warning. Esther hears about a juicy guest role on a popular television series, but needs income to pay her bills in the meantime, so she reluctantly falls back on her job as a singing waitress at popular mob hangout, Bella Stella. etective Connor Lopez adds to Esther’s frustration. Despite some hot, sexy moments, they cannot seem to move their relationship past the lunch date phase. To increase the tension, Lopez thinks Esther’s friend Max Zadok is a dangerous lunatic. Esther knows Max is actually an ancient sorcerer keeping New York safe from evil, but cannot explain that to Lopez since the hunky detective is a non-believer when it comes to magic.

Lopez is equally upset about Esther’s job at Bella Stella, a sentiment Esther can’t argue with when capo Chubby Charlie is murdered right in front of her. With the help of a semi-retired mob hitman named Lucky, Esther realizes that someone is creating perfect doubles of gangsters from different mob families; soon after each wiseguy meets his “doppelgangster,” he dies. While Lopez tries to solve the mystery using police logic, Esther and Lucky enlist Max’s mystical assistance and it soon becomes clear that someone is using magic in order to start a mob war. As the list of victims grows, so does the danger to Esther and her friends.

The newest in Laura Resnick’s series featuring Esther Diamond, Doppelgangster is unexpectedly light-hearted and funny. Max’s formal diction, magical outlook and old-fashioned sensibilities provide hilarious contrast with Lucky’s blunt approach and Esther’s exotic lifestyle. Conflict and humor arise naturally thanks to the differences between the older men, as well as Lopez and Esther herself, while the sexual chemistry between the couple sizzles more strongly every time they meet. The suspense increases steadily as Esther’s search for clues takes her from various crime scenes to Max’s musty antiquarian bookstore with its cellar laboratory and to a neighborhood church badly in need of renovation. This novel is certain to please anyone who enjoys fantasy blended with suspense, and savors romance with a good dash of wit. 

Leslie Moise lives and writes in Louisville, Kentucky.

Second in L. Jagi Lamplighter’s series tracing the convoluted relationships of the Family Prospero, their magical allies, enemies and servants, Prospero in Hell centers on the continued efforts of the magician’s daughter Miranda to find her father. A chain of clues implicates at least one member of her essentially immortal family. Suspects also include an Elven lord who fathered the spirits of air presently under Miranda’s command, as well as other more overtly sinister forces. As the title implies, indications point to Prospero being held captive in hell.

Eldest of a dozen siblings, Miranda is in charge of the family business, Prospero, Inc. Caught between dealing with company, personal and global crises, Miranda balances rescuing Prospero while ascending her spiritual path as devotee of a goddess. To reach that pinnacle she may need to relinquish one of her most prized magical possessions and abilities—and place the world at risk. Suspicion engulfs her; treachery surrounds her. By novel’s end, Miranda must reunite her shattered family, and cope with some of the greatest losses she has ever feared.

Miranda lives on an Earth where all mythical realities, divinities and creatures coexist. Beings as diverse as angels, demons, elementals and elves assist or hinder her on her interconnected quests. Gods and goddesses from many pantheons, fairies, Santa Claus, familiars and flying carpets, even relics of Christian significance, each have parts to play. Lamplighter’s writing is intricate and full of lovely (or terrifying) descriptions of landscapes, interiors and characters. The action moves briskly, suspenseful whether Miranda is soaring above a frozen landscape, facing a perversely seductive incubus or battling an evil djinn or genie—and even deadlier creatures. As she learns more about the provenance of her beloved flute and Prospero’s disturbing secret history, the story’s tension ratchets higher.

Lamplighter creates a daring pastiche of Shakespeare, giving Miranda a courageous attitude toward physical, mystical or sexual perils. At the same time, the character’s knowledge of magic and use of arcane tools like her staff-flute, metaphysical texts and ancient, esoteric weaponry make her five centuries of life believable. Readers who favor series saturated with sophistication and interlocking mythologies will eagerly consume this newest lap on Miranda’s race to save Prospero and the world.