Review: The Innkeeper Series
Sep. 3rd, 2024 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatFinished The Innkeeper Chronicles by Illona Andrews - the The Graphic Audio Dramatization of the Series free via credits on Audible.
(Well not entirely free - I have an Audible subscription. But I only pay $9.99 a month for the equivalent of $20-50 audio books.) I think you can also get audio books free via electronic libraries.
The Innkeeper Chronicles are a kind of sci-fantasy hybrid, and the most innovative universe I've seen in a while.
Here's the author's description of their work: "Earth is the Atlanta Airport of the Galaxy. Situated on the crossroads of wormholes and dimensional gateways, it caters to the variety of visitors from the Great Beyond looking for a rest stop on the way to elsewhere. They arrive in secret and stay in specialized inns, where innkeepers endowed with extraordinary powers cater to their every need. In return for hosting these travelers, Earth enjoys a protected status. It can’t be conquered, it can’t be enslaved, and the unsuspecting humanity is allowed to develop as it sees fit.
Dina DeMille is such an innkeeper. Her inn is a living entity that defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. Then there are practical matters of space vampire knights, elite werewolf soldiers, and philosopher space chickens.
But have no fear. The safety of her guests is Dina’s first priority. Welcome to Gertrude Hunt."
It's an on-going series, and sometime within the next three years we should get the next book in the series which may end up being two books. There's large gaps between books though, because the authors are busy. It's written by a wife and husband writing team, Illona and Gordon Andrews. She's a Russian Immigrant and he's an ex-US Army Sergeant. So the books tend to be a mix of Russian, Eastern European, and East Asian folklore and culture, and Military Strategizing.
The Inns are sentient magical botanical symbotic organisms that bond with the Innkeepers. They act as gateways to various areas in the Universe. There's a lot of detailed world building in these books - but it is done rather well, and threaded through plotting, dialogue and characterization. Also, they kind of subvert or go around various urban fantasy cliches in their depictions of Werewolves and Vampires - as alien creatures.
The writers imbue their stories with a wry and somewhat snarky absurdist sense of humor, and don't take themselves too seriously. Also, they like complex and somewhat anti-hero characters. (The lead characters aren't anti-heroes, just some of the supporting.)
There is a lot of action sequences or "fights" - not a lot of sex. And the books are rather violent, with graphic depictions of violence. There is, however, no sexual violence - none at all. Only the type of violence you might find in warfare or military conflicts.
Like all their stories - there is a heavy military or solider aspect to the novels, you can tell one of the writers was in the military, since they bring their extensive knowledge and sensibility to the books. But it is tempered with humor, magic, and folklore. And I'd say Illona, the Russian Folklorist, takes the lead here.
Of the books, the best was probably Book 3 - One Fell Sweep (which introduces the key characters). Book 4 is the romance between Dina's sister Maud and the Vampire Arland. Book 5 has two plots, and suffers a little from juggling both. I would recommend reading/listening to them in order - since you'd get lost otherwise. The Andrews, try as they might to do otherwise, are serial writers.
Best to go in blind - like I did, with no more information than what I've laid out above. Assuming an urban fantasy/sci-fi hybrid is your thing. I like off the beaten path fantasy that is kind of subversive. Traditional fantasy doesn't quite work for me any longer.
(Well not entirely free - I have an Audible subscription. But I only pay $9.99 a month for the equivalent of $20-50 audio books.) I think you can also get audio books free via electronic libraries.
The Innkeeper Chronicles are a kind of sci-fantasy hybrid, and the most innovative universe I've seen in a while.
Here's the author's description of their work: "Earth is the Atlanta Airport of the Galaxy. Situated on the crossroads of wormholes and dimensional gateways, it caters to the variety of visitors from the Great Beyond looking for a rest stop on the way to elsewhere. They arrive in secret and stay in specialized inns, where innkeepers endowed with extraordinary powers cater to their every need. In return for hosting these travelers, Earth enjoys a protected status. It can’t be conquered, it can’t be enslaved, and the unsuspecting humanity is allowed to develop as it sees fit.
Dina DeMille is such an innkeeper. Her inn is a living entity that defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. Then there are practical matters of space vampire knights, elite werewolf soldiers, and philosopher space chickens.
But have no fear. The safety of her guests is Dina’s first priority. Welcome to Gertrude Hunt."
It's an on-going series, and sometime within the next three years we should get the next book in the series which may end up being two books. There's large gaps between books though, because the authors are busy. It's written by a wife and husband writing team, Illona and Gordon Andrews. She's a Russian Immigrant and he's an ex-US Army Sergeant. So the books tend to be a mix of Russian, Eastern European, and East Asian folklore and culture, and Military Strategizing.
The Inns are sentient magical botanical symbotic organisms that bond with the Innkeepers. They act as gateways to various areas in the Universe. There's a lot of detailed world building in these books - but it is done rather well, and threaded through plotting, dialogue and characterization. Also, they kind of subvert or go around various urban fantasy cliches in their depictions of Werewolves and Vampires - as alien creatures.
The writers imbue their stories with a wry and somewhat snarky absurdist sense of humor, and don't take themselves too seriously. Also, they like complex and somewhat anti-hero characters. (The lead characters aren't anti-heroes, just some of the supporting.)
There is a lot of action sequences or "fights" - not a lot of sex. And the books are rather violent, with graphic depictions of violence. There is, however, no sexual violence - none at all. Only the type of violence you might find in warfare or military conflicts.
Like all their stories - there is a heavy military or solider aspect to the novels, you can tell one of the writers was in the military, since they bring their extensive knowledge and sensibility to the books. But it is tempered with humor, magic, and folklore. And I'd say Illona, the Russian Folklorist, takes the lead here.
Of the books, the best was probably Book 3 - One Fell Sweep (which introduces the key characters). Book 4 is the romance between Dina's sister Maud and the Vampire Arland. Book 5 has two plots, and suffers a little from juggling both. I would recommend reading/listening to them in order - since you'd get lost otherwise. The Andrews, try as they might to do otherwise, are serial writers.
Best to go in blind - like I did, with no more information than what I've laid out above. Assuming an urban fantasy/sci-fi hybrid is your thing. I like off the beaten path fantasy that is kind of subversive. Traditional fantasy doesn't quite work for me any longer.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-03 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-03 09:24 pm (UTC)I fell in love with the series - it's so well done. The Kate Daniels series is also rather well done.
They've kind of ruined me for urban fantasy.
To date there are five books, and one novella. None are that long apparently - since they are self-published, and high word counts are expensive.
I have to keep looking them up because I forget the titles:
1. Clean Sweep
2. Sweep in Peace
3. One Fell Sweep
4. Sweep of the Blade
4.5 Sweep with Me (this may also be 3.5 - it's the novella)
5. Sweep of the Heart
Book 6 hasn't been released yet. There is also free fiction on their site: "I Will Explain Everything" - Klaus explaining to Maud what is going on - takes place at the end of Sweep of the Blade. And a snippet of a prelude about Gerard and Helen's first meeting.
What works for me with Andrews - is their books come with a lot of intriguing back story, which unfolds slowly through each story - the mystery is the back story.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-04 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-05 12:54 am (UTC)I like the Daniels series better - because of the wry sense of humor, and complicated characterization. Also it has better banter. But admittedly the military/violence and dystopian nature of it - could be wearing. And the writers have a thing for characters with an enormous amount of power.
But I also read the Daniels series first, and am addicted to it - I've only listened to the Innkeeper series on Graphic Audio.
I don't like their third series - which has maybe six books (three are Nevada, and three are Catalina or Arabella, can't remember which), and I find kind of annoying in regards to world building. It's about family corporations running the world with "powers".
Haven't tried the "On the Edge" yet, have that in Graphic Audio as well.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-05 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-05 12:42 pm (UTC)I've discovered Graphic Audio - which is more of a full cast dramatization of the books. Kind of like a radio play?
I didn't like audio books until the pandemic, and I found I couldn't focus on reading books for pleasure or focus on them - so I tried audio, and I could focus on the audio. I live alone. So I will listen to them while making dinner, meals, cleaning, or walking or at lunch at work. It may not work as well for someone who doesn't live alone and isn't in that situation.
I tend to read on subways and trains, or on a commute or before bed. Only real time I have for it. I work full time and have an hour and fifteen minute commute both ways. Plus my job is a lot of reading, analyzing and writing.