Mythological SMUT!

 So, I got Neon Gods by Katee Robert out of the library, mainly because I read the back of the sequel at work, and the premise amused me. What I didn't catch is that it's erotic fiction. Which certainly opened my eyes in a few passages.

The premise here is that Olympus is a fairly large city with mortals filling leadership roles in the city under titles taken from Greek mythology. Most of the 13 are in the Upper City, with Hades living in the Lower City across the River Styx. 

We open on Persephone, here again a daughter of Demeter, and her sisters Psyche, Eurydice, and Callisto. They're kind of like Kardassians, with Demeter playing Kris Jenner. Difference being here, Demeter promises Persephone to Zeus for marriage (a bad idea, since this Zeus has been through 3 Hera, all of whom wound up dead by his hand). Persephone flees Zeus and winds up crossing the Styx and being semi rescued by Hades. 

Hades and Persephone make a deal, wherein they'll pretend to be in a relationship to get Zeus to back off. Which mainly serves to write some really elaborate adult scenes of Hades deflowering Persephone. 

There are some nice allusions to the myths this came out of, like Persephone's safe word being "Pomegranate", and their adoption of 3 puppies (Cerberus, Scylla, and Charybdis). I kind of like the female Hermes and her oddball partnership with Dionysus (I'd love to read a book centered on them.) I enjoyed that Persephone kept her autonomy throughout, not sublimating her identity into Hades. (Indeed, her persona is one of a Brat, which seems to be a rarity in these things.) I enjoyed that there was a plot in there, and the focus wasn't completely on the scenes. (Also a rarity, I've found.) I thoroughly laughed at exactly how ruthless Demeter turned out to be.

I do wish there was more of an exploration of the setting, as to whether or not the 13 are maybe descended from the Gods themselves, or how Olympus came about. 

While this is not something I'd normally seek out, it did capture and keep my attention, and leave me wanting to see what happens next.

Everything comes to an end.

 Book 12 of Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series turns out to be the final volume in the series, and oh wow does he end it well. 

Risen picks up not long after the end of the previous volume, as Anne (possessed by a MArid) has kidnapped Vari and begins her invasion of Sagash's shadow realm. Richard Drakh joins forces with the Council of Light Mages and Alex to stop her. 

What follows is a large game of cat and mouse as every story line in the series gets tied up slowly.

I can't get too deep into the plot here for fear of spoilers, but let's just say that unlike a few other series that have ended, this one seemed much more satisfying in its resolution. Towards the end, Alex has faced down who he was and who he has become and is able to face his Mentor as an equal finally. 

Well written, and while we may not return to Alex as a central character, his world remains, waiting for another story.

Women in Space!

 As I wanted to do after finishing Barrayar, I finally got my hands on Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold, which is the book preceding the former. 

While many of the events contained within are discussed in that volume, it really was better fleshed out reading this. 

Cordelia Naismith, a Beta Colony officer is on a survey mission when the team gets attacked by Barrayans. One of whom happens to be Aral Vorkosigan, who got abandoned on the planet due to political backstabbing. She, Aral, and one of her subordinates who is severely injured wind up making their way to a supply depot where they eventually do get back to space, after clearing up some political murders. 

They meet again during Barrayar's attempted invasion of Escobar, as Cordelia gets captured again by crazy Barrayans while running weaponry to Escobar. 

After the war is settled, Cordelia attempts to return to Beta Colony, only to find that politics there, while not quite as murderous, are just as treacherous. We eventually end as Cordelia marries Aral, and Aral becomes regent to the young prince of Barrayar as the Emperor lies dying. 

I mean, most of this story is known when the actual saga begins, but her three Cordelia books are wonderful reads.

Elves on Wheels

 Bit delayed in posting this due to the modem dying. 

Recently picked up Mercedes Lackey's The Chrome Borne, which collects volumes 1 and 4 of her SERRAted Edge series, which center around the mage Tannim. Tannim drives a much loved and souped up Mustang, and works for Kevin Silverhair and his elven racing association. 

In the first half, we deal with a common topic in LAckey's urban fantasy, that of exploited runaways. In this case, the child predators are Unseeleigh elves, and only two of the children get saved, but...

In the second book, we find out about the romance between Tannim's dragon mentor Charliss and Lady Ako, a 9 tail kitsune. Seems Lady Ako slept with Charliss's old foe Charcoal, and the resulting child became Tannim's mirror. Except for the fact that they end up falling in love driving the Mustang around underhill. 

It's all fun, even if the tonal changes between books is a bit jarring. (The first half is set mainly in what passes for the "real world", the second spends much of its time elsewhere.) And many of the themes repeat across the setting, which will come in handy when I start rereading Bedlam's Bard. Eventually. When I get through the library TBR pile.