The Shattered Vine by Laura Anne Gilman
The final volume of Gilman’s Vineart War trilogy is both compulsively readable and full of complicated characterization… The constraints of Jerzy’s world become apparent as the story builds to a climax, which is both unexpected and utter perfection. — Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars
Available today : Weight of Stone (Book 2) in paperback.
Pack of Lies
Gilman’s second Paranormal Scene Investigations is a fast, compelling read. Following Bonnie’s POV is fantastic, and the secondary characters are equally well drawn, especially Pietr and Sharon. Bonnie’s intelligence and perceptiveness really make this book go and readers will root for her and the team to solve their investigation. Gilman handles an extremely sensitive subject with grace and compassion.
Bonnie Torres and the rest of the PUPI team have been called out to the scene of a horrific crime – a ki-rin’s human companion was attacked, and the attackers ended up dead or gravely injured by the ki-rin (a unicorn-like creature, with the attendant purity requirement). Things are always more complicated than they appear on the surface, especially with tensions between the human and fatae heating up. Also heating up is the relationship between Bonnie and her boss, Benjamin Venec – and since he’s her boss, that may not be exactly the brightest idea either of them has ever had. — Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars, Top Pick
Pack of Lies
Gilman follows 2010′s Hard Magic
Weight of Stone: Book Two of the Vineart War
Gilman’s second Vineart War offering is a fast-paced and tightly plotted tale that picks up right where the first book left off. Jerzy is a complex and likable hero who is loyal and intelligent. The magical system is highly original. Adventure fantasy fans will enjoy this series.
Vineart apprentice and former slave Jerzy is on the run after being accused of apostasy by the Washers, the religious sect of the Vin Lands. Accompanied by runaway noble Mahault, novice trader Ao, and Kainam, the named heir of the vanished island of Atakus, Jerzy has only begun to trace the source of the taint when he is called home to account for his actions. Unbeknownst to Jerzy and his friends, this is just the beginning of the fight for the soul of the Vin Lands.
–Romantic Times, 4 Stars
Available in paperback: Flesh and Fire: Book One of The Vineart War
Hard Magic
This is a strong start to a new series. Bonnie is an interesting narrator — more naïve than some of Gilman’s other protagonists, but just as capable and intelligent. The supporting cast is also fascinating. The plot is engaging and compelling, but remains a smidge unresolved, perhaps purposefully. Fans of Gilman’s other novels in this setting will definitely enjoy this volume, while new readers may find some of the worldbuilding confusing, though not overly so. Using the same setting as her Retrievers novels, Gilman looks at the world of Talent from a different perspective, this time through the eyes of Bonnie Torres, an investigator with the fledgling PUPI — Private, Unaffiliated, Private Investigators — organization. Bonnie and the team are new to the world of forensic investigation involving Talent, and their first case will stretch them and their Talents to their limits. After an apparent double suicide, the victims’ daughter hires PUPI to find the truth — no matter what it may be. –Romantic Times, 4 Stars
