The Morning Star – A Review

The Morning Star by Robin Bridges
New York: Delacorte Press, 2013
Hardcover, 276.

Katerina Alexandrova has been focusing on her medical studies rather than abilities as a necromancer.  While she still has not been able to attend medical school, Katerina has been studying with the Tibetan physician, Dr. Badmaev, and she hopes to find a cure for the mysterious illness afflicting Grand Duke Georgre Romanov, the young man she loves.  However, once again Katerina finds herself swept up in supernatural matters with the fate of Russia at stake.  Kidnapped and taken to Egypt, Katerina must both figure out a way to outwit her captors and acquire the Morning Star, a magical weapon that may be the only hope finally defeating the lich tsar once and for all.

The third and finale installment of this trilogy ties up the loose ends left by the other books as well as gives a good showcase of how Katerina has changed.  While her romance does get wrapped up by the end, most of the book deals with Katerina’s quest to find the Morning Star and escape her kidnappers.  There is a good combination of action and adventures as well as a little bit of romance.  Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion to the story and tied up the loose ends nicely.  The Morning Star gets three out of five stars.

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Favorite Star Wars Novels

As any Star Wars fan knows, there are a lot of novels out there set a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.  However, not all of them hit the spot and fulfill the need for more adventures in that universe.  Below you will find what I think are the best of the Star Wars novels out there.

Dark Forces Trilogy: Soldier for the Empire, Rebel Agent, Jedi Knight by William C. Dietz.  Illustrated by Dean Williams.  Kyle Kartan is a fresh graduate from the Imperial Academy when he meets Jan Ors.  Kyle’s just learned that his father’s been killed.  According to the commandant at the Academy, Kyle’s father was killed by the Rebel Alliance.  Jan, however, has a different story.  As Kyle starts to look in to his father’s murder, he finds that choosing where he stands in the midst of everything may make far more of a difference than he ever imagined.  These three novellas are a great glimpse into what else is going on during the Star Wars movies.  Kyle starts off as a fairly ordinary person caught up in the galactic struggle, and his experience is an interesting one.  Both Kyle and Jan are great characters, and while the books are short, they definitely leave the reader feeling satisfied.

X-Wing Series: Rogue Squadron, Wedge’s Gamble, The Kryptos Trap, The Bacta War by Michael Stackpole, Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist, Solo Command by Aaron Allston, Isard’s Revenge by Michael Stackpole, Starfighters of Adumar by Aaron Allston.  Wedge Antilles is most at home in the cockpit of an X-Wing starfighter.  He’s one of the few pilots to have survived the battles of both Death Stars and the battle of Hoth, and the squadron he commands is well known for doing the impossible.  Which is a good thing because they are going to need to pull off the impossible.  The Rebel Alliance might have won some major victories, but they still have a ways to go before they win the far.  Wedge has new recruits to train, a conspiracy to deal with, and several impossible missions to pull off, and hopefully, he can manage all that.  This series is probably an all time favorite Star Wars series.  Wedge is a great character, and he has quite an interesting supporting cast.  The combination of action, humor, and adventure moves things along at a great pace and really feels like the Star War movies.  The camaraderie between Wedge and his squadron is great, and overall, the series is one fun ride after another.

Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command by Timothy Zahn.  Nine years after the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance is the New Republic, and the power in the galaxy has shifted.  Of course, any new government is going to have struggles.  Luke is working on trying to figure out his place in the universe as the last Jedi while Han and Leia are expecting twins.  On top of all of that, a new threat has arisen.  Grand Admiral Thrawn is the greatest threat that the New Republic has faced, and it seems like he could be the end of the New Republic.  With great new characters and our favorite heroes, this trilogy is packed with action and intrigue.  It so strongly feels like the original trilogy that sometime’s it is hard to believe you aren’t watching a movie.  Zahn does a great job of both recreating and expanding the world, and the trilogy makes for a great read.

Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future by Timothy Zhan.  Ten years after Grand Admiral Thrawn’s defeat, things have changed both for the better and for the worse.  As the New Republic finds itself on the brink of civil war, some old enemies offer overtures of peace while others have suddenly reappeared.  Han, Luke, and Leia find themselves once again caught up in trying to save everything they’ve worked to create.  But this time it may be far more difficult than just blowing up a Death Star.  Taking place ten years after Zahn’s Star Wars trilogy, this duology brings back old favorite characters while also introducing some new ones.  It really feels like a great book end and a believable future for the universe.  Like Zahn’s other trilogy, there is a good mix of action and intrigue, and it is great to see how character have grown and changed over the intervening ten years.  The duology is definitely a great read and a wonderful place to finish a read through the Star Wars universe.

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The Girl in the Steel Corset – A Review

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Don Mills: HarlequinTeen, 2011
Paperback, 476.

Findley Jayne is not a normal servant.  For all that she looks like any other pretty girl, Findley is stronger and faster than most men.  But her abilities come with a price.  She has a dark side that takes over at times who seems to enjoy violence.  It’s gotten her fired from three jobs so far.  And when she ends up defending herself from the son of her current employer, Findley finds her path crossing with Griffin King, the Duke of Greythorne, and his band of strange teenagers.  Griffin claims that he can help her, and Findley hopes that he can.  Because she is beginning to lose time to her other personality, and she’s afraid of what she might do during those blackouts.  But in order to get that sorted out, Findley may learn things about her past that she didn’t expect as well as get entangled in a plot against Queen Victoria.

The Girl in the Steel Corset is a great read both for those who enjoy steampunk and for those who are new to the genre.  Findley is a great character, and her world immediately draws the reader in.  There is a great combination of mystery and intrigue with a hint of romance, and the story moves along at a good clip.  Over all, it’s a great read, and it gets four out of five stars.

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