Be My Enemy-Ian McDonald

Be My Enemy


Ian McDonald

PYR, Sep 4 2012, $16.95

ISBN: 9781616146788



In London brilliant fourteen year old Everett Singh witnessed the kidnapping of his father quantum physicist Tejendra by thugs. Soon afterwards the math prodigy obtained the Infundibulum complex digital map, which enables the user to plot an infinite number of alternate worlds. He learns the leaders of the Ten Known Worlds alliance abducted his dad to gain control of the Infundibulum. Everett outwitted Charlotte Villiers and the Order (see Planesrunner), but she still pursues him as do others like Everett M, from a parallel Earth.



The airship Everness piloted by Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth and his adopted daughter Sen with Everett on board has jumped to a frozen Earth far beyond the Plenitude to make plans to rescue his dad lost in one of the parallels. Forced to leap to another earth they meet the Thryn Sentiency who landed on the moon in 1964 and dead earth where the few human survivors in London battle a losing fight against nanotechnology led by Nahn.



The second Everness science fiction tale is a great thriller as the teen hero outthinks his opponents who continually underestimate him due to his age. The entertaining storyline is loaded with current science inside of a fabulous thriller. Filled with vivid alternate realms, plenty of humor, and a precocious teen hero, fans will want to join Everett and the crew of the Everness as they traverse the parallel earths.



Harriet Klausner

Journeys on the Silk Road: A Desert Explorer, Buddha's Secret Library, and the Unearthing of the World's Oldest Printed Book

Journeys on the Silk Road: A Desert Explorer, Buddha's Secret Library, and the Unearthing of the World's Oldest Printed Book


Joyce Morgan and Conrad Walters

Lyons Press, Sep 4 2012, $24.95

www.lyonspress.com

ISBN: 9780762782970



Inside the cave buried over a millennium ago by the Gobi Desert lie Buddhist manuscripts including the oldest known printed book The Diamond Sutra circa 868. With the sands receding, in 1900, a Monk finds the grotto containing Buddha's Secret Library. In 1907 Hungarian archeologist Aurel Stein and his terrier Dash journey to the remote cave, a depository of ancient Buddhist scrolls. The Monk guarding the trove allows Stein entrance and to leave with some document’s including a printed copy of the Diamond Sutra. In the twentieth century the Diamond Sutra travels to the British Museum and Wales.



This is an exciting historical account of two journeys: that of Stein to and from the cave, and that of the Diamond Sutra from the cave. Readers will feel they are traveling with the brave archeologist on the Silk Road and later accompanying the prized manuscript on its twentieth century trek to include moving to Wales for safekeeping from the Nazis. This is a winner as Joyce Morgan and Conrad Walters provides the vivid travels within the larger context of the major events that shaped the first half of the twentieth century.



Harriet Klausner

The Bloodletter's Daughter-Linda Lafferty

The Bloodletter's Daughter


Linda Lafferty

Amazon Publishing, Sep 4 2012, $14.95

ISBN: 9781612184654



In 1606, King Rudolph II is concerned with the violent depraved behavior of his illegitimate offspring Don “Giuglio” Julius. At first ignoring his son’s destructiveness as youthful foolishness, the monarch finally takes action at controlling his offspring’s madness for fear Giuglio’s scandalous behavior will foment rebellion. Thus the King exiles Giuglio from Prague to an isolated castle in Bohemia, and assigns priests and physicians to cure the lad or face punishment for failure.



In Cescky Kreumlov, Marketa Pichlerova works at the bathhouse she loathes. When her father barber-surgeon Zigmund is sent to bleed the ill humors from prince Giuglio, Marketa joins him. Giuglio is stunned by Marketa as she looks similar to an illustration in the Book of Wonder that the mad royal uses as his link to sanity. He must have her.



Based on a true murder that shook the Hapsburg Dynasty, The Bloodletter's Daughter is a fascinating look at the reign of King Rudolph II as his patronage for science and intellectual thinking (by supporting Kepler and Brahe) is contrasted with the limitations of a teenage female in a remote village. The storyline reads like two novels that never gels as the plot rotates focus between Marketa and the prince, and Matthias’ revolt. The inclusion of the mysterious coded Book of Wonder (The Voynich Manuscript) enhances this engaging historical fiction.



Harriet Klausner

Journal of a Schoolyard Bully: Cyberbully-Farley Katz

Journal of a Schoolyard Bully: Cyberbully


Farley Katz

St. Martin’s Griffin, Sep 4 2012, $12.99

ISBN: 9780312606589



In Boulder egotistical, obese bully Niko Kayler attends a reform school until God the ultimate bully transfers his mom to Boulder. Thus he transfers into the Organic School for Local Children as a new student. He takes a day to recon the land seeking the means to pick on others and not just students without repercussions. Though he rejects calming medicine as he insists his psychic is perfect, he does keep the journal as prescribed by his mom.



Niko works at Radio Shack for cellphones that he uses to send terrorist attacks on his victims. Staying current, Niko next turns to the Internet to bully anonymously, but his sibling Alex turns his cruel brother’s efforts into a video that goes viral.



Reverting back to bullying form (see Journal of a Schoolyard Bully: Notes on Noogies, Wet Willies, and Wedgies), Niko is an intriguing adolescent as he comes across as mean and sad at the same time; his journal entries with line drawings seem insightful and genuine. When the satire focuses on the serious impact of bullying by discern looks into the psyche of the antagonist and his victims, the storyline is super; when the plot tries to be comedic, it mostly deters from a fascinating look at a born again bully.



Harriet Klausner

The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets-Kathleen Alcott

The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets


Kathleen Alcott

Other Press, Sep 11 2012, $14.95

www.otherpress.com

ISBN: 9781590515297



In California Ida grew up surrounded by two J’s, her neighbors the brothers Jackson and James. The trio is very close to each other since they were infants as if she is their sister I to their J. They do everything together even communicate silently as a family would and she encourages Jackson to sleep-chats with James while she listens.



As an adult, Jackson struggles to sleep as the night frightens him. His sleepwalking turns violent while James increasingly is turning insane. I fears her idyllic family is falling apart and feels helpless as she realizes that there is nothing she can do to prevent the demise.



The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets is a fascinating but not easy to read drama that focuses on what a “family” is. The three protagonists are fully developed characters with their interrelationships complex and convoluted but loving. Readers who appreciate something different will enjoy the relational triangle of I, J, and J.



Harriet Klausner

A Fistful of Collars-Spencer Quinn

A Fistful of Collars


Spencer Quinn

Atria, Sep 11 2012, $25.00

ISBN: 9781451665161



Valley Mayor Trimble establishes the Millennial Cultural Initiative to attract Hollywood money. Trimble succeeds in getting the producers of the next Thad Perry blockbuster action flick to use his town as the location for the shoot. He hires the Little Detective Agency to watch over Perry known for his bad boy excesses.



Little Detective Agency investigators Bernie Little and his associate Chet the canine meet Perry who challenges the human to a fight and Brando the feline who challenges the dog. As the location filming begins, murder occurs. Thus the private detectives keep a vigil on Perry and Brando while also investigating the homicides, which they wonder if the killings connect to the secret that ties Thad to the Valley.



The latest Chet and Bernie Mystery (see The Dog Who Knew Too Much) is a terrific whodunit. Chet narrates the investigation enhanced by his wry asides on his relationships with his human sidekick and his species war with Brando. Although the villain seems obvious, fans will appreciate this sleuthing partnership as Hollywood goes Valley.



Harriet Klausner

Desire the Night-Amanda Ashley

Desire the Night


Amanda Ashley

Zebra, Sep 4 2012, $7.99

ISBN 9781420121346



Verah the witch incarcerated Gideon Marquet with silver chains. She uses his blood as a fountain of youth and forces her slave to kill innocent women for his sustenance by starving him until he cannot control his basic need.



Verah’s latest female prisoner is Kiya “Kay” Alissano, daughter of the Shadow Pack werewolf alpha. The werewolf and the vampire plot to escape the witch’s captive when the full moon enables her to change if she lives that long. As they work together on their escape, they fall in love but she is the intended of nasty Victor Rinaldi, son of a rival pack alpha. Thus Verah and two packs pursue these escaped star-crossed lovers.



Desire the Night is an entertaining paranormal romance starring two intrepid warriors falling in forbidden love. Fast-paced, fans will enjoy the escapades of the heroic lead couple though the villains are one dimensional and a spousal “forced” rape seems trivialized. Still the vampire and werewolf make for an engaging romantic thriller as seemingly the world chases them.



Harriet Klausner