"Magic Bleeds" and "A Questionable Client" by Ilona Andrews (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)

Official Ilona Andrews Website
Order Magic Bleeds HERE
Order Dark and Stormy Knights (anthology containing A Questionable Client) HERE
Read an Excerpt from the Novel
Read FBC Review of Magic Bites and Magic Burns

Read FBC Review of Magic Strikes and Magic Mourns

Read FBC Interview with Ilona Andrews

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Ilona Andrews is the Pseudonym for the maverick husband-wife writing pair of Ilona Gordon & Andrew Gordon. They currently live in Oregon & have 2 series ongoing namely the dark urban Fantasy "Kate Daniels" series and the Paranormal romance "Edge" series.

BOOK BLURB: Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it rose.

Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community. When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…

FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 349 pages divided over twenty-seven chapters with a prologue & an epilogue. For all the books narration is in the first person and features Kate Daniels as the sole voice. Again "Magic Bleeds" has a self-contained plot however this is the 4th book in the series and by now majority of the series plot arc has set in. Readers who jump in with this book could understand it however it wouldn’t be advisable as there will be many situations and characters that are mentioned from the previous books.

May 25, 2010 marked the North American paperback publication of "Magic Bleeds" via Ace Books.

ANALYSIS: In “Magic Bleeds” we see the fall out of the climax of “Magic Strikes”, while Kate has been recuperating from her ordeal at the Midnight Games, she also happened to lose a certain bet which has dastardly consequences for her in terms of Curran's plans. Though Curran has given her a time and date for the event to occur, secretly it seems Kate is looking forward to the same event as well. However due to certain events occurring with the Pack, a huge misunderstanding is created, leaving our favorite couple jumping back to their earlier status quo.

Nearly eleven weeks have passed since the events of Midnight games & Kate is called to investigate a weird breakout fight in a bar which shares boundaries with the People & the Pack. At the bar Kate finds out that there was a person/ group who caused the fight by their presence however no one can remember anything about him besides his cape. What’s more there’s supposedly a monster trapped in the cellar that turns out to be a big surprise for everyone and launches a very funny sub-plot within the tale. The main turn of events leads Kate to check for mythological origins of a disease spreading entity which she does narrow down and therein begins the plot for this book.

Also around the same time, this entity keeps on hitting other spots as well, thereby escalating the tension felt through Atlanta & shapeshifters seem to be mortally terrified around the entity’s presence. Another sub plot sees the return of Saiman who wishes to get one up on Curran for his (alleged) humiliation in the previous volume however he fails to reason with Curran’s wild love for Kate & the situation he puts both of them in. Kate also has her own ax to grind with Curran over their date fiasco and this causes a terrific confrontation. With these various subplots ongoing, Ilona Andrews really ratchet up the tension as the series arc is finally coming into play. We see a person from Kate’s mysterious past & that person doesn’t seem to have any fondness for reunions & this means even bigger trouble for Kate.

This is another standout book from the authors as after last year’s volume which was so action packed and moved the series into a new way, we get another salvo in the similar direction and this one is even more forceful. The actions of this book will have far-fetched repercussions for both Kate & Curran, who at the end of the book go through a powerful change in status. Not only is Kate’s past laid bare to Curran, he also gets an inkling as to what he and the Pack might be up against. The climax of this book is its highlight as Kate has to fend off a variety of attacks on herself and her status and basically revert back to mercenary days while at the same time retaining her dignity.

Similar to Magic Strikes, the entire cast is featured nicely with the exception of Derek. [The authors noted this and so we’ll get to see more of him in Book 5]. Now with all the set pieces rolled up I can’t wait to see what Ilona & Andrew have in store for us in Magic Slays which will see the evolution of Kate & Curran’s relationship & also possibly the first appearance of Roland (Kate’s nemesis).



Last year also saw the release of the P.N. Elrod Anthology “Dark and Stormy Knights”, in which we got a prequel story “A Questionable Client” which introduces us to the event wherein Saiman and Kate got acquainted with each other. The short story is 45 pages long however readers need not despair, there’s enough action, humour and “Kate-Saiman banter” to satiate the fans of the series.

This story is set before the events of the first book “Magic bites” and we get to see Kate as she was a mercenary who’s doing the best to survive and hide from her blood past. She gets a job offer in which the pay is more than fabulous however the job seems too easy. It involves babysitting a client in his own home however there’s a slight catch, a couple of other mercs have had a go at it and were unsuccessful. Kate takes up on it and then proceeds to Atlanta’s sole surviving skyscraper which is magically enthused to make it a part of the magic waves. Herein she meets Saiman who is an awkward position to say the least and will not say why or who is attacking him.

Kate has her hands full when the apartment is attacked by mages of Russian Lore who seem to be hell bent on recovering a person. What they do not know is, that specific person was an impersonator and ultimately Saiman wanted his hands on a specific artifact to help him in his unholy quest to gather knowledge of the arcane sorts.

The story then veers off as Kate struggles to fight the mages and Saiman’s obfuscatory explanations. The ending is perhaps a bit anticlimactic however doesn’t detract from the entire reading experience. It also gives the main reason as to Saiman’s apparent fascination with Kate and why he gives her a discount to his services. All in all a very nice prequel addition to the ever expanding world of Kate Daniels and it only serves to heighten the anticipation for this year’s book “Magic Slays”.

Top Reads of 2010 By Mihir

Akin to last year, presented here are my top picks amongst all the books I read this year. Most of the reviews are from the FBC site done by Liviu, Cindy or me, and similar to last year I have linked a couple of reviews of books which I loved but could not review over here. [The reviews are from a site which I regularly visit and whose reviews resonate with me]. And so without further adieu, here are my choices.

TOP 10 novels 2010

1. The Folding Knife by K. J. Parker – This book was by far one of the best books I have read in many years, combining an alternate historical world with fantastical characters and political intrigue K. J. Parker has shot to the top of my reading lists. What made this book extra special; was the main character Basso and his struggles in the political arena. K. J. Parker combined her trademark style with fine characters and hence emerged this book which I believe can be made into an excellent TV series ala “Dexter”.

2. Changes by Jim Butcher – Jim Butcher is another constant topper amongst my reading lists and this year was no different however this book utterly changed the series equation and now proclaims a dark future for next year’s entry. The cliffhanger-ish ending also makes one want to get one’s hands on the arc of Ghost story as early as possible.

3. Edge by Jeffrey Deaver – While Jeffrey Deaver is another top favourite of mine, his last year’s book wasn’t upto his standards, this year however was a whole different story, JD returned to his standalone novels with EDGE which can be easily counted as one of his best. It is also one of the best thrillers ever written. A cat & mouse story between 2 adversaries and with Deaver’s trademark twists and multiple endings. This book was a complete winner from the current thriller maestro.

4. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews – Magic Strikes is the third book in the Kate Daniels series and is the first book wherein the actual potential of the series which was showcased by the earlier 2 books but never fully realized, was resoundingly seen. Part dark fantasy, part thriller and a whole gamut of other things. This was the book which made me a through and through fan of this wonderful pair.

5. Inside Out by Barry Eisler – Inside Out is the second book in the Ben Traven series and is a vast improvement than the first one. This book can be picked up as a standalone and even though the main protagonist is hardly likeable. The best part about this book is its storyline and the political subtext which is written by the author, Barry Eisler is an intelligent man and herein he showcases how to write a good thriller whilst also putting forward a specific viewpoint without it being disruptive to the storyline. A brilliant political thriller and has a unpredictable conclusion with pointers towards the next book which could see a reunion of his earlier beloved characters from the John Rain series.

6. The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett – The Desert Spear was the highly anticipated sequel to PVB’s debut the Painted Man & while that book has become an alltime favourite of mine. TDS had a pretty difficult mountain to overcome its predecessor’s expectations. While it did succeed on most fronts, it also left a lingering taste of being a setup up in terms of events for the 3rd book & hence climbs down a few notches from its veritable position in the top three.

7. The Silver Skull by Mark Chadbourn – The Silver Skull was Mark Chadbourn’s opening Salvo in the Will Swyfte Alternate Hist-Fantasy series. It was a much darker re-imagining of Victorian England and its battle with the Fey court who are as devious as legends foretell and deadlier than the human imagination. Bringing together a cast of characters and a quick paced plot MC fascinatingly showcases bits and pieces of history mingled with a fast paced storyline to give jaded readers a new series to follow and cheer for.

8. The Palace of Impossible dreams by Jennifer Fallon – The POID is the penultimate chapter in the Tide Lords saga & it is still a mystery to me as to how this exciting series is yet unheard of amongst many fantasy readers. Combining epic fantasy twists with political upheavals and also featuring a very varied cast of characters. Jennifer Fallon has written a most exhilarating storyline which still manages to surprise the reader at the climax of the 3rd book and now features a most world-deafening climax uniting all of the Tide lords.

9. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott – Cold Magic was a different kind of book for Kate Elliot, usually featuring a large cast of characters and a varied world. She chose to write in a more compact manner and utilized a first person POV to give an alternate world afflicted by ice and a tightly focused story. A vastly different read from her previous Crossroads trilogy, I look forward to the sequel Cold Steel which would reveal further about this character cast and world.

10. Procession of the Dead by D. B. Shan – POTD was a huge surprise for me, not having any idea about the book and the author’s style. Part noir thriller, part urban fantasy and wholly an interesting read. D.B. Shan’s take on a city filled with mystery and redemption was a exhilarating read and a fresh one as well, making its sequel a must read for me.


TOP 10 DEBUT NOVELS

1) A Devil in the details by K. A. Stewart - This book was the debut of the year for me, an urban fantasy focusing upon a samurai warrior fighting demons is not quite original however the way Kari Stewart dwelled into the mind of J.J. Dawson creating an atmosphere for the reader which was exciting as well as familiar. Kari Stewart drew inspiration from her idol Jim Butcher and managed to surprise a variety of UF readers and drawing strong comparison with other UF greats. A very erstwhile debut with the promise of more mayhem to come, this book is what truly shone in the field of UF.

2) Shadow’s Sun by Jon Sprunk - This book was another winner from Pyr who are fast becoming a stable for new fascinating authors. Jon Sprunk debuted with his tale of an assassin with a semblance of a conscience and a unique-ish partner. This tale was very fast paced and in spite of utilizing tropes it managed to give the readers a fresh feel. This book was my nomination for The David Gemmell Legend Award as I feel it best encapsulates DG’s book themes

3) The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron - The Spirit Thief was a left field entry for me, totally unexpected and a whole amount of fun to read as well. It introduced a world wherein every inanimate object has a soul. Eli Monpress is the main protagonist and along with his band of followers who are unique and face further unique problems of their own. A light caper fantasy book though its sequels managed to add the darkness within the world. This book was a fun read and heralded the debut of a good writer.

4) Buddha’s Thunderbolt by Jacob Asher Michael – Buddha’s Thunderbolt is quite possibly the most understated book of the year featuring a storyline combing the Arthurian mythology with Buddhism. Author J.A. Michael has to be venerated for taking this difficult journey and giving us a rather unique storyline which while being a take on a very popular subject manages to come across a vastly different story due to the addition of certain unique elements.

5) Magic bites by Ilona Andrews – This book was admittedly not the author duo’s best effort and they would be the first to admit it, however it did introduce the world of Atlanta and Kate Daniels to us readers. With a decent plotline and some remarkable characters Ilona Andrews have come up with a decent debut and as shown in the future books, the series has blossomed nicely as well

6) Raiders from the North by Alex Rutherford – Raider from the North was a historical fiction book tracing the rise of the Mughal empire in India. The husband-wife duo had clearly done their research as they showcased a world wherein Babur amassed his kingdom and founded an empire. Its usually very hard to hinge one’s plot on just a single character but turns out very well for RFTN as this book also made its sequel Brothers at War a must read!

7) Dante’s Journey by J. C. Marino – This book was a bit of an oddity again as it was based on Dante’s literary work and updated to today’s current standards, coupled with the author’s vibrant imagination made this into a book which was really hard to define but a very good one to read.

8) I am not a serial Killer by Dan Wells – IANASK was Dan Wells’s debut and it instantaneously drew comparisons to the Dexter series of novels by Jeff Lindsay and its corresponding TV series due to its subject matter. What was thoroughly refreshing about this book was while the book featured a serial killer as its protagonist, the author has given the protagonist an anchor for his activities & by including the supernatural in his world. Wells definitely upped his ante and gave us a character who while a killer by heart, definitely had us rooting for him.

9) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin – The 100K kingdoms is a book which though appearing to be a simple fantasy book is much more. N.K. Jemisin nuanced writing makes this tale a worthy one and gives us a world wherein Gods rule and interfere directly in the lives of inhabitants. The writing was crisp and the setting was engaging as well. A debut which heralded talent as well as an author who would be entertaining readers with her books for a long time hopefully.

10) Mob Rules by Cameron Haley – Mob rules made it on this list solely on two facts namely its settings in an urban LA and secondly because of its Parker-lite protagonist. Cameron Haley has a fair distance to go but there’s definitely a spark shown in this series debut which will have me waiting for the sequel in May.


New Authors to look out for:

Every year I’m on the lookout for newer authors who match my reading interests. Last year’s I got introduced to wonderful books by Tim Marquitz and Peter V Brett .This year was a very good one as I found five more, so here they are in random order:

Ilona & Andrew Gordon- Their “Kate Daniels” is one the best UF series and whilst it has the traditional tropes in it, the best part about them is the witty writing and the full blooded characters and to top it off an apocalyptic world setting which acts as a fascinating character in itself due to its unpredictable nature as well.

Kari A. Stewart – Kari Stewart debuted with Jesse J. Dawson and presented the readers with something which felt fresh and beloved at the same time. Her UF take on samurai culture and a warrior fighting demons for human souls wasn’t truly original, but what was refreshing was her writing and the characters. The JJD series is another new series which I’ll be looking out for in the future and the sequels when released will be must-reads for me.

John Rector – John Rector had a quiet-ish debut with his two books this year but make no mistake this dude is seriously talented, try his book “The Grove” one of the best dark thrillers I have ever read and one which will make every reader cringe and yet want more at the same time. I’ll be reviewing it soon and whatever John comes out with next

Dan Wells – Dan Wells surprised a lot of folks with his books and hopefully will be giving a fitting conclusion to the Cleaver series in this year’s “I Don’t Want to Kill You”. Superb characterization and an active imagination have made Dan a writer to look out for. Also keep an eye out for his next possible book called “Pain of Glass” and to learn more about it head over here and read the last Question.

Rachel Aaron – And Lastly the mantle falls to Rachel Aaron who with her quirky but addictive books has proven that you really don’t need to write what’s currently popular but give the readers a funny story paced with good writing and you have a winner, her Spirit books make for light classical fantasy but she has enough surprises loaded along the way for jaded fantasy readers to jump in and not cringe at the thought of another 5 book series. With the first 3 books coming out in quick succession, the Spirit saga has won me over and I look forward to its conclusion this year & for whatever Ms. Aaron has to offer in the future.

Red High Heel Pumps and seamed Stockings

My friend wearing my 4.5 inch red high heel pumps, seamed stockings, a black garter belt and a black mini skirt. As she has the same shoe-size like I have, we sometimes just wear the shoes of the other one ;). And, I must say the red stilettos really fit her nice shaped legs very well. With their red glossy leather they are really eyecatchers. Everyone looks at the heels first.
Lucky you she had french nail polish on so I took a photo of her toes (as some of you recently mentioned that you wanna see some toes in stockings). Please excuse the poor quality of these high heels pix but it was a very spontaneous photosession just before going out.
High heeled greetings and kisses
- Vivian

"The Sea Watch" by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

Official Shadows of the Apt Website
Order "The Sea Watch" HERE or HERE (ebook)
Read FBC Review of "Empire in Black and Gold"
Read FBC Review of "Dragonfly Falling"
Read FBC Review of "Blood of the Mantis"
Read FBC Review of "Salute the Dark"
Read FBC Review of "The Scarab Path"
Read FBC Interview with Adrian Tchaikovsky

INTRODUCTION: There is no secret that in the past three years the Shadows of the Apt has become my favorite ongoing fantasy series for its combination of superb world building, great characters and extreme inventiveness. Salute the Dark ended quite emphatically the first part of the series dealing with the war between the Collegium and the Empire in Black and Gold, while The Scarab Path, a standalone withing the larger series context, has been my personal favorite to date and I rated it the best fantasy of 2010.

I strongly recommend to go and get those five books and read them before proceeding further here, though I will try to keep the spoilers to the minimum possible. Be warned that even the blurb of The Sea Watch consists of huge spoilers for the ending of the first part.

After reading The Scarab Path and the synopsis of The Sea Watch which had spoilers about the previous books, but little illumination about its content, I was quite intrigued to see where the author will take us next. And as the title hints The Sea Watch goes indeed to the sea, though in the authors' ingenious world building, a large part of it actually takes place in underwater landscapes and it reads like sense of wonder sf on say Mars of yore.

"A shadow is falling over Collegium. Despite the tenuous peace, Stenwold Maker knows that the Empire will return for his city. Even as he tries to prepare for the resurgence of the black and gold, a hidden threat is steadily working against his people. Ships that sail from Collegium's harbour are being attacked, sunk by pirates. Some just go missing ..."

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: After the superb The Scarab Path, Mr. Tchaikovsky switches characters, setting and gears in The Sea Watch. Starting essentially with the return of the Khanaphes mission and the election for the new speaker which Jordy Drillen, Stennwold ally is favored to win partly due to the success of that mission, partly due to Stenwold's backing, the novel switches soon into high gear when conspirators appear with unclear but ominous plans, while Stenwold finally is compelled to check allegations that someone is targeting Collegium's shipping which has expanded due to the war with the Empire and the corresponding reduction in the traditional land commerce.

The Sea Watch is all Stenwold and Teornis with supporting action from a lot of new characters, most notably fly-kinden Laszlo, a young factor from a pirate crew who wants to move legit and whose boss Tomasso agrees to help Stenwold find out who is attacking Collegium ships, while from the under-the-sea kinden, mercenary Wys and Paladrya whom we first see in the prologue set some years earlier are the most important, though we meet a large cast of unforgettable characters.

And of course the usual Collegium cast like Jordy Drillen, Arianna, the wasp ambassadors and their minions, Marius and Acius, the Vekken returned from Khanaphes and some of their Kes rivals, as well as a few other known characters which I do not want to spoil also appear, though Tynissa is still missing, Stenwold is fuming when he gets Che's letter and the news about her new companion, while Teornis returns to prominence as wheeler and dealer and favorite adoptive son of the Collegium...

The second important aspect of the Sea Watch is the large expansion of its universe. Among many goodies, I will mention: kinden bonding with and traveling in animals like sea-horses and huge jellyfish or riding octopuses and crabs; seagods, prophecies, dart-cavalry, but also Aptness, submersibles, engines in a no-fire world based on springs and siphons, accretion of materials and more; there are also mysterious kinden like the builders and the savage echinoi, while more familiar ones like the spider analogue, the krakind, and their servants/followers, and the huge crab-like warriors that grace the cover, the onychoi, and their followers, appear too.

The tone of the novel is back to the expansive non-stop action of the first four volumes, as opposed to the more intimate Scarab Path. While there are some superb personal scenes including a restatement of one of the best and most chilling moments in Salute the Dark, The Sea Watch is first and foremost action oriented, taking the reader on a page-turning ride to its superb finale...

The Sea Watch has a clear beginning and ending - ending that is another for the ages - though despite its completeness, I felt quite sad when it ended since I really wanted more; August and volume 7 "Heirs of the Blade" cannot come soon enough, though to be honest I have no real idea how the author's hint of another partial tie-up as in Salute the Dark will happen since for now I see no clear main direction away from the regular power play of the series universe - Collegium vs Wasps vs Spiders...

I had the highest expectations for The Sea Watch (A++) and it delivered everything I came to expect from the series and consolidating its front-runner status in my fantasy reading. To end this review here is one of the best lines of the book that makes one want Heirs of the Blade asap...

‘There will come a tomorrow, ...., when we shall speak again. Remember that."

"Home Fires" by Gene Wolfe (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

Order "Home Fires" HERE
Gene Wolfe at Wikipedia
Read FBC Review of The Sorcerer's House

INTRODUCTION: After last year's super fun The Sorcerer's House, I was very excited about the announcement for Home Fires, though the blurb below made me a bit unsure if we will get an entertaining mind-bender like last year or a mess like An Evil Guest which I found unreadable.

"Gene Wolfe takes us to a future North America at once familiar and utterly strange. A young man and woman, Skip and Chelle, fall in love in college and marry, but she is enlisted in the military, there is a war on, and she must serve her tour of duty before they can settle down. But the military is fighting a war with aliens in distant solar systems, and her months in the service will be years in relative time on Earth. Chelle returns to recuperate from severe injuries, after months of service, still a young woman but not necessarily the same person—while Skip is in his forties and a wealthy businessman, but eager for her return. Still in love (somewhat to his surprise and delight), they go on a Caribbean cruise to resume their marriage. Their vacation rapidly becomes a complex series of challenges, not the least of which are spies, aliens, and battles with pirates who capture the ship for ransom. There is no writer in SF like Gene Wolfe and no SF novel like Home Fires."

For anyone interested in collecting books, UK boutique PS Publishing has come up with some awesome-looking editions of both The Sorcerer's House and Home Fires and I have to include their cover of Home Fires here since it is much more suggestive than the bland US cover released for the general market, while in the US, Subterranean is also selling the PS editions in limited quantities.


OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: "Home Fires" turned out to be a very entertaining mind-bender from Gene Wolfe that ultimately made full sense, though for a long while it kept me guessing while adding new twists every page.

The world building while scant in some ways, is sketched perfectly for the needs of the book since we get all the little details we need about this future Earth split into several not-so-friendly blocks - NAU, EU, Greater Eastasia, Third World - which faces a war in space with the mysterious Os over habitable planets with no real inkling about the technology involved. A familiar but also strange future in which the author drops his little bombshells - sometimes in a literal sense too - quite often.

The structure of the novel is also interesting - and not dissimilar with The Sorcerer's House except that here there is more conventional 3rd person action plus first person interludes rather than letters. The main storyline of the book is followed by interludes narrated - except once - by the main hero, Skip Grisom, a 49 year old managing partner of a succesful law firm who keeps telling us he wants only one thing - that his "contracta" - civil law wife - master-gunner Chelle Blue coming back a bit earlier from space due to injuries - earlier being relative as 20+ years have passed on Earth, while only several for her - stays with him, age difference and all.

So he has a plan to woo her including "resurrecting" her deceased mother Vanessa - whom actually Chelle has "divorced" before enlisting but to whom she turns when back on Earth as a familiar presence since after all Vanessa now still looks near the 40's she was when Chelle left Earth, while Skip at 49 is not instantly recognizable to his chagrin. The "wooing over" includes taking Chelle on a cruise, while dumping Susan, his secretary and longtime lover, in the process too, though of course things start going wrong soon, but Skip is nothing but inventive.

One of the narrative devices that confounded me in the beginning was that the introspective interludes in which we learn a lot about this future world and about Skip, are followed by forward jumps in the main action that pass over quite important happenings that are then mentioned. So, at least to start with, I was like: "Oh, this happened? When and how could I miss it?", only to realize that actually what we get now is everything we will know. So lots of space for misdirection, clues and disorientation, but done so well that the pages turn by themselves.

There is quite a lot of action with occasional unforgettable moments are just. The main draw of the novel is Skip Grissom who is one of the most compelling and unusual for the sff genre characterized by "young guns and old mentors" - sfnal characters in recent memory, with Vanessa also stealing the show in all her appearances. Chelle remains mostly an enigma though we get to see a little of her "true self" at some point.

Adding to the above we have a remarkable secondary cast, including the aforementioned Susan, the handless beggar Achille - a refugee from Sharia law EU with hands cut for stealing - who attaches himself to Skip, various other returning comrades of Chelle, cruise ship officers, hijackers, Skip's junior partner Mick and more...

Home Fires has also a great ending - which in many ways it was the only one reasonable to boot - and you want to parse it carefully when reading it the first time, followed by an immediate reread to see what you missed earlier. The title has also an interesting connotation, being explicitly linked to the situation of Skip (remained on Earth to "keep the home fires" going) and Chelle (went to fight in space to preserve humanity at great costs for her and her loved ones - and here there is this nice touch too, of the reversal of the usual sex roles), but also to the quite unsettled situation on Earth that is glimpsed in the action of the novel and the reminiscences of Skip.

All in all, Home Fires (A+/A++) is another winner for Gene Wolfe and mind-bending sf-without-gadgets/superscience at its best.