Life, Interrupted

Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Return to Archers Beach, Maine, which is part of The Changing Land (last, and some say least, of the Six Worlds.) Sometimes magic works there and sometimes it doesn’t—but always, magic Changes things. Kate Archer is the current Guardian and also keeper of the carousel, which is the portal to the other worlds and until recently was also the prison for the worst of criminals. The Wise sentenced them in hopes of Changing them for the better. The swirl of magic that was packed into Carousel Sun broke those bindings, freeing the criminals to die, flee, or hide.

Now Kate and her friends and neighbors must deal with one of the hidden, a powerful sea goddess who has designs on Kate’s boyfriend Borgan, the Guardian of the Gulf of Maine, and also on the Gulf. But this plotting injures the Sea herself—and when the Sea grieves, everything is at risk. Once again Lee gives us her atmospheric, densely woven story filled with curious, quirky, and very believable creatures from Beyond. There are also slow-moving romances and swift dangers, cats with agency, and a lesson in just how strong and subtle the least of the magic worlds may be. Kate has made both powerful friends and dangerous enemies, and the bindings she has made must take her into the future.

Recommended. I think you can read this as a stand-alone, but I recommend starting with Carousel Tides. Why not take the entire journey?




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Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Finally! The book I have been waiting for since...whoa, since War for the Oaks or the last Charles DeLint I got my hands on (Someplace to Be, I think.) Come with me to Archers Beach, a tiny Maine coastal village which has barely hung on during the tourist season the past ten years or so. It’s an old place, full of fog and three-story, peeling tupelo wood cottages that once held large families and now are partitioned for multiple renters and small stores. There’s a pier that seasonally runs rides and games of chance, with a roller coaster shaped like a dragon and a carousel that could do guest appearances in a Ray Bradbury story.
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If you love contemporary fantasy, if you can’t get enough of Charles DeLint’s work, if you’ve been waiting for another great fantasy – this one is for you.
I can't wait to read it again!


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Publishers Weekly gives Laura Anne Gilman's fourth Retrievers novel a nice review. Here's a link through her agent's blog:

http://arcaedia.livejournal.com/113763.html

Go, team! (Hope this makes Paris sweeter, girlfriend -- )