Good Reads & Views

The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
Fiction

What it’s about: In a fantasy world where humans have retreated to Spires far above the deadly surface, Merchant Captain Grimm flies his merchant ship Predator for Spire Albion until he is tapped to lead a team of agents on a secret mission.

Why you might like it: The cast of characters is large yet  nonetheless fully realized. Humor is mixed equally with suspense. The main characters are fundamentally good people caught up in an epic battle. It is the first in a series, and a lot of the world is yet to be explored by the characters.

You might also like: The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis another steampunk world with airships.

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The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland
Fiction

The locations are Portugal and Iceland in the 16^th century, and the Inquisition is in full swing. Isabela’s father, the Royal Falconer, is imprisoned on false charges and only the procurement of two rare white falcons from Iceland will free him. Isabela has one year to make the trip to Iceland and return with the two falcons, but there are forces at play that don’t want her to succeed and many obstacles are put in her way. Maitland does a beautiful job describing the harsh life and barren landscape of Iceland in this dark and brooding tale which contains a strong touch of the supernatural. Gloomy, but less so than the author's other books.