'Branded by Fire' by Nalini Singh

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This is the latest in Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling paranormal romance series, which I think have thoroughly been reviewed in the earlier books, but no one other than me seems to be actually reading their entire way through. I know a few earlier reviewers have rather been put off by a lot of the alpha male dynamics that Nalini Singh is very fond of. I see where they are coming from, but have kept going, in part for the world building (which is really interesting and original) and in part for the meta-plot which has been a constant thread throughout all the books and just keeps getting better and more convoluted.

This last book actually made me wonder if Nalini Singh wasn't actually a secret sf-fantasy author, who just learnt early on that the way to get published was to throw in a Mills & Boon stule romance on top. ( Review follows with mild spoilers )

'Incomparable World' by SI Martin

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I reviewed 'Jupiter Williams', a historical novel about an African boy in 18th century London, a while ago, and having liked it decided to try an adult historical novel by the same writer, 'Incomparable World'. I think 'Incomparable World' is the first novel that SI Martin had published (although I could be wrong) and if it is, it sort of shows.

It's not a bad novel at all - in fact, I really enjoyed it. It's the story of a small group of Black men in 18th century London, who were brought over in the aftermath of the American War of Independence, when a number of slaves fought for the British in return for their freedom. In a really weird way it actually reminded me of a number of other novels I've read about the aftermath of the Vietnam War - one chapter, which was a flashback to the chaos of the British departure from New York, with people scrabbling to get on to the last boats, reminded me vividly of similar scenes about the evacuation of the American Embassy in Saigon. I've no idea if it was intentional or not, but it did strike me quite vividly.

The novel follows these men - Buckram, William, Georgie and Neville - through a meticulously described 18th century London. It's really interesting to see that side of London, its brutality, and its diversity.

It does, however, lack some of 'Jupiter Williams' structure and pacing. The story sort of ambles along, and the ending left me feeling oddly unsatisfied. The book seemed to dribble away, after ambling along, and somehow never quite picked up pace.

I'm glad I read it, and if you've read the 'Jupiter' books, and enjoyed them, then it's definitely worth giving this a go, but if you only have the time to read one of Si Martin's books, I wouldn't say this is the best one to be getting on with.