Galaxies Dance to the Death

This image  from the Hubble Space Telescope was so striking, I could not resist sharing it with you.



These two galaxies (NGC 3808A on the right and NGC 3808B on the left) are distorted ("peculiar") by the massive gravitational tides of a near encounter. The one on the right shows areas of new star formation as a result. Eventually, they will merge into a single galaxy. The bridge between them is made up of gas, dust, and stars.

I wonder what the night sky looks like from a planet in either one -- delicious fodder for a science fiction story! Or a fantasy? What will the two galaxies look like in a billion years? Computer modeling can give us a fascinating peek. Meanwhile, (thank you yet again, Hubble!) we get to enjoy this beautiful, dramatic image.

Short Book Reviews: Gods and Monsters in a Kansas City Pub

Nectar and Ambrosia (An Amaranthine Inheritance Novel) by E. M. Hamill

Gods and monsters meeting for a drink in a Kansas City pub – how great is that as a premise? Callie stumbles on the place, which apparently only those gifted with rare abilities can see, and into a world of mythology come to life. Soon she’s working as the new server, fending off lustful Pan, matching wits with Puck, managing a lugubriously drunk Zeus, and using her Classics major knowledge to sort everything out. There’s a love interest, the pub owner Florian, sentenced to the confines of the place, and the slow burn attraction has the flavor of romance without dominating the plot.

The book’s strengths are the originality of its premise and plot twists, plus a likeable and capable heroine. For me, these more than overcame its shortcomings and kept me reading. I found it to be at times overwritten, burdened by repetition and belaboring things that I had already figured out. The blend of action-driven plot with romance sensibilities such as long, repeated descriptions of the physical reactions of Callie and Florian to one another, without the centerpiece of their relationship, was at times uneasy. On the whole, however, I found it a quick and enjoyable read.

Rosh Hashanah thoughts

 

Short Book Reviews: Physician to the Fae Plague

The Memory of Water (Magorian & Jones Book 1), by Taylen Carver (Stories Rule Press, 2020)

Despite a confusing and completely unnecessary prolog, this book drew me in. A plague has swept the world, killing most of its victims but transforming the survivors into creatures such as goblins, angels, sirens, and dragons. Feared and reviled by the human remnant, these “Errata” are hunted and corralled into reservations. In one such sanctuary, Michael Jones, a physician, devotes himself to treating the plague victims through the all-too-often-fatal metamorphosis. This is despite or perhaps because of the death of his family at the hands of the early Errata. The struggle is often futile, so Jones ends up teaming up with Ben Magorian, an honest-to-goodness wizard, although not the most easy-going person. Despite their incompatible beliefs, Jones’s entrenched skepticism, and Magorian’s antisocial attitudes, the two team up to thwart an even deadlier menace.

Once the story got going, I kept turning the pages. I loved the idea of medical approach to an essentially magical transformation. The various Errata races and their abilities, as well as the individual struggles (or not) to retain their humanity not only fascinated me but raise questions of ethics and compassion. I had a little trouble accepting that most people would so strongly reject their neighbors and family members for getting sick, or would not be curious, eager to have conversations with mythic-appearing creatures or to exploit them in movies, promotions, and the like (human greed at work). That’s my primary criticism, yet I was able to take such rejection and prejudice as a given in this world and go along with the story. I’m a sucker for wounded, conflicted heroes, and Jones was just that. This is the first of a series of the “Magorian and Jones” novels.

 

Deborah Reads from "Eagle's Beak and Wings of Bronze, or Something Unusual Happens to Allis"

 Hope you enjoy this snippet:

When sweet, slow-witted Alis gets shipped off to be the bride of the Duke’s son, she isn’t quite sure what to make of her situation, especially the changes that happen to her during the full moon. Soon she’s holding her own in conversation with a sonnet-composing dragon and a contentious two-headed roc. Is she cursed to become a were-gryphon or is the world finally making sense?

Release date is September 1. Pre-order it from Amazon; or Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Overdrive, and other vendors.