“Can you tell how the mood is from here? How the journey went?”

 

“I won’t know how it went until I see Father’s face,” she said. “And see if he smiles or frowns?”

 

“No. And see if his smile is glad or wicked.” Her father would be smiling in any case.

That right there? That's the line that sold me, I love that take on Robin Hood—between screen and print, all you can find lately is earnest, serious, Robin Hood as populist rebel with almost all the fun sucked out of it. Vaughn's Locksley contains those elements, sure—but he's also the outlaw in search of adventure, who enjoyed what he was doing. Always smiling--it's just a matter of what kind of smile he wore.

We rejoin the Earl after the signing of the Magna Carta (which he was instrumental in getting that rascal King John to sign). He's had to do the unthinkable—bowing the knee to John after Richard's death—in order to protect his lands, his friends, and his wife. With Marian's help to contain his impulses*, he's become a responsible member of the nobility, doting father, and law abiding citizen.

* To be fair, Marian misses the adventures, too. But she's not at that stage in her life anymore.

All that other stuff? Well, he's content to leave that to the bards and storytellers. So much so that his own children aren't sure how much to believe, "Everything about Father is stories."

At least, that's what his eldest daughter, Mary, says. But after she and her siblings are kidnapped, they'll all get a better idea just what their father is capable of.

That's all I'm going to say about that. This is very much a "pilot episode" of a novella. We meet the kids—Mary, John, and Eleanor—catch up with a couple of the Merry Men, see where Robin and Marian are in their lives and so on. Vaughn balances that with the kidnapping story.

The kidnapping is a quick and almost-too-neat story solely because of the space she has to tell it. If Vaughn hadn't had to establish so much in these 112 pages, you get the feeling that the kidnapping wouldn't have been resolved quite as neatly.

My sole complaint—and it's a big one—is that this is a novella, and not a collection of novellas/short stories. I just needed more of everything—the kids, Robin, Marian, the other members of Robin's band. This is a great introduction to this world and these characters, with a little bit of drama. But having been introduced, I want to read the next one. Or, the next five or so.

But no. Tor is making me wait until August for the second one. Which is simply unfair.

While my tongue is firmly in my cheek above, there is a kernel of truth to my gripe—I'm 97% sure that this thing has legs and that I'm in for several more (even if it's currently slated to be a duology, but I'm hoping that changes), but I'm going to have to wait to really commit until August when The Heirs of Locksley is scheduled to be released. But in the meantime? This was a quick and fun read, full of promise, and one I heartily recommend.

I've been trying to get this out for over a week now (it was published last week), but I couldn't seem to be able to—I'm a little surprised I've had the energy to post anything since I started telecommuting (odd that not going anywhere tires me out more than going to work does). Finally, with apologies to the publisher for getting this post up late.
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I've been a fan of the Kitty Norville series since the debut in 2005, and one of the supporting characters that fans seem most enamored of—and are given the least information about—is Kitty's vampire ally, Rick (the Master of Denver).

For those (like me) who need a little brushing up on some of what went on toward the end of the series, Rick leaves Denver for a while in order to explore a different way to take on Dux Bellorum (the series' Big Bad).

This book gives the reader some insight into what Rick was up to during this time. The book stitches together four short stories about Rick's origin (some previously published, some not) while Rick introduces himself to the Order of Saint Lazarus.

I'd already read the first story, "Conquistador de la Noche," in the collection <b>Kitty's Greatest Hits</b>—but it worked really well in this setting, too—this sets the stage for the rest of Rick's history and tells about him becoming a vampire. The next two stories show what happens when he first encounters the Vampire sub-culture and is first exposed to the rules (most) Vampires live by and how Rick skirts the edges of those rules and starts to make both a name for himself and build his different kind of power base.

The fourth story is my favorite detailing what happens when Rick meets a legendary Old West character. It was just a great story with an element of fun. It's also something the reader is told that Rick's never told anyone about before. It's precisely the kind of thing that Kitty would kill to hear, she's constantly asking vampires and other supernatural types for stories like this. That Rick would go out of his way to deprive her of this story (but we get to read it) was a little extra dash of fun.

I don't know that this gave me a much better picture of Rick—the novels had pretty much done that. We know his character, we may not understand his past and what he was—but we know who he <i>is</i>. But this book rounds out our understanding of the man and gives the reader a little hope for his future.

Once I cottoned on to what Vaughn was doing—stitching together short stories—I was a little skeptical of the format. But I came around pretty quickly and decided it worked really well. It's better than a simple short story collection, essentially giving us a bonus story. The stories (including the framing device) feel different from the Kitty series, but not so much that it doesn't feel like the same world.

A cool bonus of this—you can read it totally independent of the Kitty Norville series. It's not dependent <i>at all</i> on the events or people of the series (there are references to certain antagonists, but not in any way that makes familiarity with the series necessary for understanding).

I do have to wonder about the timing of this—the series ended almost five years ago, so I'm not sure I get why we're getting this material in this format now. But that's just me being curious, not complaining. Did I (or the series) need <b>The Immortal Conquistador</b>? No. But I'm very glad I got it.

<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> I received this eARC from Tachyon Publications via NetGalley in exchange for this post —thanks to both for the opportunity.</i>

Well, its werewolves because I'm a dog person.  And there are flea collars.

Zombies - I don't get zombies one some levels.  I know there is a link between Zombies in American culture and slavery.  I get that zombies are undead, but I have so many questions.  To wit:

1. Wouldn't you smell them coming?

2. If a zombie is a decayed corpse wouldn't, well, bugs and stiff be there eating it?  So really, how long would a zombie be around considering the amount of pests? So couldn't you just get a whole bunch of those beetles that they use to eat the meat off of bones?

3. If a zombie is  a corpse, where does the food go?  How does the biology work, for instance?  Does a zombie poo?  Is there zombie poop?  Does zombie poop crawl?

So, yeah not zombies.

Vampires, well to me vampires are more the apex predator.  And while would you want someone who think your body smells good and tasty.  I mean, you're just a food source.  Additionally, I am so tired of vampire politics in urban fantasy, and vampires always knowing everything.  There are ones that I love - the Count St Germain for example, but he is more the traditional incubus based vampire.  And  I like those.  But these sensitive soul vampire, yeah no.  Tanya Huff created a vampire who wrote romance books, but he was not sensitive and kicked ass.  I like those vampires.

But werewolves - well, they are dogs.  Give them a full food bowl, take them for walkies, get them a flea collar.  Easy.

This reader's personal opinion, ©2018, all rights reserved, not to be quoted, clipped or used in any way by goodreads, Google Play, amazon.com or other commercial booksellers* 

I have no idea how to review this.

It's a reboot of a teenage favorite (Podkayne of Mars - Robert A. Heinlein) by a favorite author -- and I think that's colored both my expectations and my reading experience.

Overall, a well written book.  Most sources say is a standalone.  I doubt it.  The ending was finally pretty decent but clearly there's a series there. 

If a series, I may chance the next book because of potentially interesting plot/worldbuilding.  I never warmed up to any of the characters -- a big issue for me.  But, from the standpoint of good science fiction -- a lot of interest and very well done.

Some things I think were too much of a switch for me -- the mother being cold, uptight, unyielding, self-involved politician using the kids.  The now-a-twin-aged brother acting so adult and authoritarian.  Instead of curious explorer headed out with fave uncle to earth and stalling on Venus, the Martian kids sent straight to earth and into the special academy trope.

Most of the book was "special academy" with the formulaic mean girls, bullies, etc.  Way, way too much of the book.  Without it being a reboot, I'm not sure (despite decent writing) I would have been interested enough to finish.

Poddy ... er, now she's "Polly" ... came across as very TSTL and pretty much a juvenile delinquent always superciliously whining internally and verbally about how superior all things Martian were.  Unlike original where she was a very compassionate, caring, eager person.

*©2018.  All rights reserved except permission is granted to author or publisher (except Penumbra Publishing) to reprint/quote in whole or in part. I may also have cross-posted on Libib, LibraryThing, and other sites including retailers like kobo and Barnes and Noble. Posting on any site does not grant that site permission to share with any third parties or indicate release of copyright.  

Ratings scale used in absence of a booklikes suggested rating scale:

★★★★★ = All Time Favorite
★★★★½ = Extraordinary Book. Really Loved It.
★★★★☆ = Loved It.
★★★½☆ = Really Liked.
★★★☆☆ = Liked.
★★½☆☆ = Liked parts; parts only okay. Would read more by author.
★★☆☆☆ = Average. Okay.
★½☆☆☆ = Disliked or meh? but kept reading in hopes would improve.
★☆☆☆☆ = Loathed It. Possibly DNF and a torturous read.
½☆☆☆☆ = So vile was a DNF or should have been. Cannot imagine anyone liking. (Might also be just an "uploaded" word spew or collection that should not be dignified by calling itself a "published book." If author is going batshit crazy in the blogosphere over reviews -- I now know why they are getting bad reviews. Or maybe author should take remedial classes for language written in until basic concepts like using sentences sink in. Is author even old enough to sign a publishing contract or do they need a legal guardian to sign for them?)

"Especially considering the gravity situation. I would have thought underground would be easier. Not as far to fall as from those tall buildings. But apparently they liked that sunshine thing. Wimps...

 

I still felt naked without my breathing mask. What if the air ran out? However much my brain knew it wouldn’t, my gut wasn’t so sure."