Book source ~ Home library

This anthology introduces the Witcher named Geralt of Rivia. I think I figured out that the passages titled The Voice of Reason are when Geralt is healing at the temple after dealing with a striga and the other chapters are short stories involving his monster hunting.  It’s all a bit confusing. I’m not sure if it’s the translation or if the original text is like this, but it tends to go on and on and on and not in a good way. The way people talk is confusing and tedious a lot of the time, but if you can wade through it there are great stories here. Love the world and Geralt.

The Voice of Reason 1

The Witcher ~ Geralt takes on a striga.

The Voice of Reason 2

A Grain of Truth ~ So, there’s a bruxa and a cursed man in this one.

The Voice of Reason 3

The Lesser Evil ~ This is the story of Renfri and how Geralt became known as the Butcher of Blaviken. Also, Stregobor is in this.

The Voice of Reason 4

A Question of Price ~ Queen Calanthe of Cintra holds a betrothal feast for her daughter and I learn about the Law of Surprise.

The Voice of Reason 5

The Edge of the World ~ A town says there is a devil plaguing them. Also, Geralt and Dandelion are taken by elves.

The Voice of Reason 6

The Last Wish ~ Geralt and Dandelion discover a djinn and end up meeting Yennefer.

The Voice of Reason 7

Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library

Tori Dawson has lost yet another waitressing job due to her quick temper. To make matters worse, her reputation has spread so that she’s unlikely to find a job anywhere downtown. As she’s leaving a café after being turned away, a sheet of paper with three job listings blows right into her face. The first two jobs aren’t appealing, but the third job is for a bartender. Not something she’s ever done, but at least she’s familiar with how to do it. It’s in a not so great part of town, but no too deeply into the bad side so she goes to apply. And is hired. Unfortunately, she has no idea that the Crow and Hammer isn’t just a bar. It’s a guild. For magic users. And that’s when Tori’s life gets very interesting.

Omg, what fun this book is! Tori is a great character and the people she meets are just as interesting. The world is fascinating, the plot decent, and there’s humor, too. I totally enjoyed myself with this one. So much so that I went and gorged myself on all the books in the series as well as the two off-shoots connected to it. So be prepared for many more reviews for this new-to-me author and this world of magic, humor, and danger.

Lucy Swift is an American transplant in Oxford, running the wool shop she inherited from her dead grandma. And by dead I mean vampire. Lucy spends her days running the shop and solving the occasional murder. At night she hangs out with her vampire friends while they knit at tremendous speeds or learning to control the witchcraft she also inherited from her grandma. Hanging out with her vampire friends is much more fun. When her friends Alice and Charlie (Charlie owns the bookstore across the street and Alice is his assistant) get married she’s prepared to enjoy her friends’ lovely day. Until there’s a murder right in the church. What the hecka?!

Now, in between running her shop and taking broom flying lessons, Lucy and her amateur sleuthing vampire friends need to find out who the murderer is before someone else dies. It’s just another uneventful day in Oxford.

I love this series so much. Each book is easy to read and even with the sadness of a murder (or two) it’s a light and often humorous way to pass a few hours. There’s mystery, humor, paranormal elements, great characters, and even some romance sprinkled in. This is book 8 and I’m not even close to being tired of the Oxford shenanigans. Bring on book 9!

Anyone who hasn’t heard of the Greek gods or the myths associated with them must have been hiding out in a barren wasteland. I’m no stranger to them having learned about them in school and then reading all kinds of books about them over the years. But this book by Stephen Fry is not only comprehensive from the very beginning of their reign onwards, but it’s funny as fuck, too. Because, you know, Stephen Fry.

I had no idea how often Zeus stuck his dick in gods and mortals alike. Sweet Baby Jane, that guy was a Class A Horndog. But you know who else was? Poseidon and Hermes. But do you ever hear about their wild debauchery? Noooooooo. You know who the stand up guy was? Hades. Go figure, right? Anyway, there were a fuckton of offspring from these gods and it all gets a bit confusing. I don’t know how anyone could keep them all straight, but Stephen Fry lays it all out and covers it all with a warm fuzzy blanket of humor. I recommend this book to anyone who has even the slightest interest in Greek Mythology.

Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library

Lucy Swift is really loving living in Oxford, running her grandma’s wool shop, and solving the occasional murder. Ok, she may not actually be loving the murders, but it sure livens things up. So to speak. So also really loves her knitting vampire friends who live under her shop. She’s even getting a little bit of magic practice in and not creating any disasters. On top of all that, a tv show is going to be filmed in her shop! It’s so exciting! Until…you guessed it. A murder happens. Disaster! And she can’t even blame her witchy powers because she wasn’t using them! She and her amateur vampire sleuths need to solve this murder and quick because her business is on the line.

Nancy Warren hits another one out of the park. I love this whole world. Cozy and quaint Oxford and it’s shops, knitting galore, vampires from all eras, and murders to solve. There’s paranormal elements (I mentioned the vampires and Lucy is a witch) and humor. Plus, Lucy is being wooed now by a really old vampire. She’s not exactly sure she knows where it’s heading, but she’s really enjoying the journey. If you’re looking for a fast easy read that has a murder to solve (no gore, I promise), vampires (also no gore), humor, and a sprinkling of romance then I can’t recommend this story (and all the others that came before it) enough.