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Sep. 29th, 2026 11:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aurumcalendulaStranger at the Wedding by Barbara Hambly:
Set in a vaguely Regency-ish fantasy world, a wizard returns home to her estranged family on the eve of her little sister's wedding to prevent the ominous visions of death from coming true.
I like how sensible Kyra is throughout and I liked the romance subplot. I thought the plot twist/reveal was effectively done and I kinda want to reread it now that I know the context behind her first mentor's death.
Highlight for spoilers! *The consensus from most of the characters is that Tibbeth was framed for what he was charged with (and executed for). Which is in fact true. What doesn't get revealed to readers until late in the book is Kyra suggested it to her father once she discovered Tibbeth was grooming her little sister Alix and compelling her with magic.*
I was disappointed to find out there's no sequels (it's apparently related to The Wildrose Chronicles, but mostly in that they're set in the same universe) - I want to read more about Kyra.
I think either Search the Seven Hills, Bride of the Rat God, or The Ladies of Mandrigyn (which apparently has a lesbian side couple) is going to be next on my to-read list of her works.
On the audiodrama side of things, I'm not sure the most recent Big Finish Thirteenth Doctor Adventures installment is quite as strong as some of the earlier ones, but I still enjoyed it.
Set in a vaguely Regency-ish fantasy world, a wizard returns home to her estranged family on the eve of her little sister's wedding to prevent the ominous visions of death from coming true.
I like how sensible Kyra is throughout and I liked the romance subplot. I thought the plot twist/reveal was effectively done and I kinda want to reread it now that I know the context behind her first mentor's death.
Highlight for spoilers! *The consensus from most of the characters is that Tibbeth was framed for what he was charged with (and executed for). Which is in fact true. What doesn't get revealed to readers until late in the book is Kyra suggested it to her father once she discovered Tibbeth was grooming her little sister Alix and compelling her with magic.*
I was disappointed to find out there's no sequels (it's apparently related to The Wildrose Chronicles, but mostly in that they're set in the same universe) - I want to read more about Kyra.
I think either Search the Seven Hills, Bride of the Rat God, or The Ladies of Mandrigyn (which apparently has a lesbian side couple) is going to be next on my to-read list of her works.
On the audiodrama side of things, I'm not sure the most recent Big Finish Thirteenth Doctor Adventures installment is quite as strong as some of the earlier ones, but I still enjoyed it.
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Date: 2026-09-30 04:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-30 03:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-30 05:41 am (UTC)May I ask which ones you have listened to and what they are like?
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Date: 2026-09-30 03:24 pm (UTC)1x01: Vampire Weekend - Yaz is back in the UK for a friend's bachelorette party in a manor house, but things aren't going as planned and one of the Doctor's ancient enemies is there too. imho this is a strong start to the season and I thought the manor house mystery worked well.
1x02: The Return of the Doctor - After the end of an adventure saving a planet from an alien threat, Yaz convinces the Doctor to return and check up on it, only to find that something has gone horrible wrong. I liked Yaz calling the Doctor out about her tendency to run away from stuff and how instrumental Yaz's kindness is.
1x03: Lionesses in Winter - Doctor Who's riff on Lion in Winter. I kinda wish Phillip II of France was in this (there is a Phillip, but he appears to be inspired by a different person). I did really like the focus Alys got and I thought the horror elements were well done.
1x04: Ride or Die - A mysterious message of coordinates leads the Doctor and Yaz to a number of disappearances and a war-torn world. I have mixed feeling about the character death in the episode and I'm sure all the plot hangs together, but I loved how much the Doctor cares about Yaz.
1x05: The Violet Hour - Aiming for a different location in the 1920s, Yaz and the Doctor end up in London's East End investigating the deaths of mediums. I really enjoyed this and was delighted by how Yaz ends up reviving the Doctor at one point.
1x06: Aegis - The Doctor and Yaz infiltrate an interplanetary defence expo with the help of a previous antagonist in an effort to find out about the mysterious Tourist. I love that the Doctor can immediately tell something's up with Yaz and I'm very curious how the Tourist's story will play out.
1x07: The Hallamshire Incident - The Doctor, Yaz, and Superintendent Menzies deal with a dangerous crashed spaceship. This is complicated by the appearance of Yaz's sister. I like how they figure out what the actual circumstances surounding the crashed ship are and I enjoyed Yaz and Sonya's interactions.
1x08: The Greatest Train Robbery - Yaz and the Doctor end up on a space train and in the middle of a heist that could effect the entire Maelin system. I liked this, but felt the writing could be stronger and wonder if it might've worked better if I hadn't been slightly spoiled for a twist.
I think Vampire Weekend and The Violet Hour are my favorites at the moment. So far each episode is a complete story, although there's some plots that carry through from previous ones (imho Vampire Weekend, The Return of the Doctor, Lionesses in Winter, and The Hallamshire Incident are the most standalone).
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Date: 2026-09-30 04:03 pm (UTC)Cool! Thank you. I am biased toward the setting, but The Violet Hour sounds great.
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Date: 2026-09-30 06:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2026-10-01 05:23 pm (UTC)Of the three books you list, I'd go for Bride of the Rat God next. I haven't reread Search the Seven Hills in ages, but I did recently reread the Sunwolf/Starhawk series, and it was more rapey/unpleasant than I remembered. I do think the first one is the best, though.