Highlights and Lowlights - March 2025

Highlights and Lowlights - March 2025
Neat - this is a high quality string of books this month.
Books are rated using a very primitive rating system:
“+” are good, and more “+” are better
“-” are not good, and more “-” are worse
I’m happy to answer questions about anything here.
Highlight - Salvage Right - Lee & Miller [Liaden #25]
Lowlight - nothing really qualifies
March 2025
( +++ ) The Emperor’s Wolves - Sagara [Wolves of Elantra #1]
( +++ ) Sweep With Me - Andrews [Innkeeper Chronicles Novella - maybe entry “4.5”?]
( ++ 1/2) The Planet Explorer (aka Colonial Survey) - Leinster (part of his Planets of Adventure collection)
( ++ 1/2) Replay - Grimwood
( +++ ) Legends & Lattes - Baldree
( +++ 1/2) Salvage Right - Lee & Miller [Liaden #25]
( +++ ) Cast in Eternity - Sagara [Elantra #17]
Now Reading:
Long work - On the Steel Breeze - Reynolds [Poseidon’s Children #2]
Collection - Planets of Adventure - Leinster
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March 2025
( +++ ) The Emperor’s Wolves - Sagara [Wolves of Elantra #1]
This is a very interesting prequel showing how Severn became one of the Emperor’s Wolves, including that it illuminates how Severn gained a lot of his knowledge and skills. It is set around the time that Kaylin first crossed the Ablayne and got involved with the Hawks. While it answers some questions about Severn and fills in some of his background for us (such as how he had already met some of the significant main series characters by the time we see him in the main series), it also brings up a lot questions about his abilities, his potential abilities, and where they come from. This is very Severn focused - Kaylin, Teela, Tain, Marcus, Nightshade and others are almost completely off-stage - none of them even have a speaking part.
( +++ ) Sweep With Me - Andrews [Innkeeper Chronicles Novella - maybe entry “4.5”?]
Fun like the others in this series, this one is set on Earth at the Gertrude Hunt Inn, featuring Dina and Sean and some of the other regular characters. Sean is now a co-Innkeeper with Dina. As with most of these stories, powerful/dangerous guests arrive with various agendas and bring various difficulties with them, and Dina and Sean have to use a combination of power, perceptiveness, knowledge, and cleverness to keep everyone safe. This is not to imply these stories all feel the same - the Andrews team is excellent at introducing new characters, races, twists, problems, etc.
( ++ 1/2) The Planet Explorer (aka Colonial Survey) - Leinster (part of his Planets of Adventure collection)
Originally 4 separate stories, they were rewritten to feature the same protagonist and then (originally) packaged as the fix-up novel “Colonial Survey”. Here in the Planets of Adventure collection, it is titled “The Planet Explorer”. Two of the four stories are also known under alternate names — “Solar Constant” was originally “Critical Difference”, and “Combat Team” was originally “Exploration Team”. Classic stories, very well done.
( ++ 1/2) Replay - Grimwood
A very interesting take on the idea that some people die and then relive their lives. Very well thought out. I found the first half to be excellent, and the second half slightly less so, where “half” is marked by when Jeff and Pamela meet the crazy guy.
( +++ ) Legends & Lattes - Baldree
This was delightful…slight, direct, and fun. Our protagonist orc Viv retires from hired “blood work” to open a coffee shop in a multi-species city that has never heard of coffee. Great characterizations, fun supporting cast. I will read the next one (which I gather is a prequel, which is not something I usually pursue, but I’ll try this one).
( +++ 1/2) Salvage Right - Lee & Miller [Liaden #25]
This one is totally focused on Jen Sin and the Tensori Light station that had crept into our universe to enslave and destroy. Tocohl and other AIs also have huge roles, as do Tolly & Haz, Anthora & Ren Zel, and Theo & co. The main mission is to refurbish the station, make sure there are no remnants of the original Tensori Light in any of the programming, and open up the station as a Liaden trading post in a region that sorely needs it. Very interesting twists and turns throughout.
( +++ ) Cast in Eternity - Sagara [Elantra #17]
An (apparently) lonely and dotty old lady consistently visits the Hawks’ front desk to report on ghosts that nobody else has seen. A specific offhand remark she makes about Severn leads Kaylin to investigate. Of course, the ghosts are real, as are the lady’s reports, and as Kaylin pulls on the threads, the entire situation becomes far more serious and threatening. Along the way, we learn more about Hope, Spike, ghosts, and True Words, and we are introduced to two new entities that will surely be important moving forward.
Now Reading:
Long work - On the Steel Breeze - Reynolds [Poseidon’s Children #2]
Collection - Planets of Adventure - Leinster
Tony