Books I've Read: November 2025
Dec. 31st, 2025 06:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hrjNovember was a relatively skimpy month, though only in comparison to the surrounding months.
Raised for the Sword by Aimée -- (text) Aimée’s Raised for the Sword immerses the reader in the religious wars of 16th century France, when people at all levels of society were split between the majority Catholics and the protestant Huguenots. The story follows three central characters between the courts of France, Navarre, and England as their lives are buffeted by politics and violence. This is something of a slice-of-life tale, where the plot is supplied by the tide of history. The historical details are meticulously accurate, as are the varied depictions of how same-sex romances could find a place in the era and the logistics of long-term gender disguise. The several plot-threads are braided together tightly and resolve in as happy an ending as the times allow. The title, perhaps, implies more swashbuckling than the book delivers. The martial action is more gritty and realistic than picturesquely heroic, as is the depiction of gender politics. This book will appeal to those who want an emphasis on the “historical” side of historical fiction. (Disclaimer: The author of Raised for the Sword was the French translator for one of my novels. I was provided with an advance review copy at no obligation.)
The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott -- (audio) I like when a book plunges me into the world without too much explanation, but I did have to scramble a bit at the beginning to figure out the basics. Once it got going I was thoroughly sucked in. Secondary-world fantasy where the world has been devastated by a lingering magic, but most people are fixated on everyday social politics. Then a figure out of the magical past shows up and makes things very complicated for the protagonist. Ends at a point that is both a resolution and a cliff-hanger.
A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo (audio) Definitly on the horror side, similar to the previous book in the series. The plot concerns what famine does to social rules. Part of the Singing Hills Cycle.
System Collapse by Martha Wells -- (audio) This brings me up to date with the Murderbot series. We're back to "lots of action language, not so much character interactions and plot."
Raised for the Sword by Aimée -- (text) Aimée’s Raised for the Sword immerses the reader in the religious wars of 16th century France, when people at all levels of society were split between the majority Catholics and the protestant Huguenots. The story follows three central characters between the courts of France, Navarre, and England as their lives are buffeted by politics and violence. This is something of a slice-of-life tale, where the plot is supplied by the tide of history. The historical details are meticulously accurate, as are the varied depictions of how same-sex romances could find a place in the era and the logistics of long-term gender disguise. The several plot-threads are braided together tightly and resolve in as happy an ending as the times allow. The title, perhaps, implies more swashbuckling than the book delivers. The martial action is more gritty and realistic than picturesquely heroic, as is the depiction of gender politics. This book will appeal to those who want an emphasis on the “historical” side of historical fiction. (Disclaimer: The author of Raised for the Sword was the French translator for one of my novels. I was provided with an advance review copy at no obligation.)
The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott -- (audio) I like when a book plunges me into the world without too much explanation, but I did have to scramble a bit at the beginning to figure out the basics. Once it got going I was thoroughly sucked in. Secondary-world fantasy where the world has been devastated by a lingering magic, but most people are fixated on everyday social politics. Then a figure out of the magical past shows up and makes things very complicated for the protagonist. Ends at a point that is both a resolution and a cliff-hanger.
A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo (audio) Definitly on the horror side, similar to the previous book in the series. The plot concerns what famine does to social rules. Part of the Singing Hills Cycle.
System Collapse by Martha Wells -- (audio) This brings me up to date with the Murderbot series. We're back to "lots of action language, not so much character interactions and plot."
