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Book Review: Sairō’s Claw, by Virginia McClain

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I received a copy of Virginia McClain‘s Sairō’s Claw as part of Storytellers On Tour‘s book tour when it was promoed on Sadie’s Spotlight.

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Sairō’s Claw
by Virginia McClain
Series: Gensokai Kaigai (#1), Chronicles of Gensokai (#3)
Published: May 7, 2021
Genre: Fantasy, Action-Adventure, LGBTQ, Seafaring Adventure Fantasy,
Samurai-inspired Fantasy
Pages: 471
CW: Violence

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Blurb:

An action-adventure fantasy romp featuring sword lesbians, sea battles, and a grumpy wolf spirit.

Torako has done many things to protect the valley that she calls home, but she’s never looted a corpse before. So when the katana she steals off the still-cooling body of a bandit turns out to be possessed by a grumpy wolf kami, she can only assume it’s because she’s somehow angered the spirits. An impression that’s only reinforced when she returns home to find her wife abducted and her daughter in hiding. But angry spirits or no, Torako isn’t about to let bandits run off with the love of her life, even if it means taking their 3 year old on a rescue mission.

In all Kaiyo’s years as Captain of the Wind Serpent she has never once questioned her admiral’s orders. So when she receives the command to abduct a civilian scribe with the help of fifteen felons, she registers her objections, but does as she is bid. Yet, as the mission unfolds, Kaiyo finds herself questioning everything from her loyalties to her convictions.

As Torako and Kaiyo’s fates cross like dueling blades, their persistence is matched only by their fury, until they uncover a series of truths they may never be ready to accept.

Goodreads / Amazon /
Bookshop (Hardcover) / Bookshop (Paperback)

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My Review:

I generally enjoyed this and have many good things to say about it. But let me get the grumble out of the way first. This is labeled (Gensokai Kaigai #1). But what it very clearly is is book one of a spin-off of Chronicles of Gensokai. I say “clearly,” not only because I’ve looked it up and know, but because the book felt, almost start to finish, like a spin-off of something else.

I don’t actually think this was meant to be hidden knowledge (which I do sometimes think when I find myself in this position), but I mention it because I would not suggest reading this without having read the Chronicles of Gensokai first. It’s followable, but I definitely feel like I missed something because I did.

sairos clawOk, with that out of the way, lets get to all of the ways I loved this book. McClain can write. I mean really write. The text is clean and easy to read from the first page to the last. The characters are fun and there’s quite a lot of subtle humor involved. If I had any talent at drawing I would create fan art of Torako and Tanaka. Plus, the book is just fun and full of a fairly diverse cast.

I did think the child needed to be a little older than 3-years-old to be believable, five maybe. She’s too articulate and focused for a 3yo, even an exceptionally talented one. The two arcs of the story are such that the book feels like two separate stories, rather than two parts of the same one. The book basically starts with Kaiyo’s character. But Torako, who is the first person named in the blurb (who’s name is, in fact, the first word of the blurb) doesn’t show up until page 129. That’s a long time to go before meeting a main character. The book felt like Kaiyo’s book up until that point. Then it felt like Torako’s for a while, and then Kaiyos. Both plots were interesting, but they didn’t feel like part of the same work until near the very end.

I liked the book, though I was confused at times due to not having read Blade’s Edge and Traitor’s Hope. I’d be interested in going back and reading them and I think I accidentally own one other unrelated McClain book. Since I now know I like her writing style, I might just move it up the TBR.

Author Info:

Virginia McClain is an author who masqueraded as a language teacher for a decade or so. When she’s not reading or writing she can generally be found playing outside with her four legged adventure buddy and the tiny human she helped to build from scratch. She enjoys climbing to the top of tall rocks, running through deserts, mountains, and woodlands, and carrying a foldable home on her back whenever she gets a chance. She’s also fond of word games, and writing descriptions of herself that are needlessly vague.

Virginia McClain
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Book Review: Death Opens a Window, by Mikel J. Wilson

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Some time ago, I won copies of Mikel J. Wilson‘s Murder on the Lake of Fire and  Death Opens a Window (Mourning Dove Mysteries, #1 & 2) on Instagram. I read and reviewed book one, Murder on the Lake of Fire, last year, but never got around to Death Opens a Window. However, with book 3 soon to come out, the series  was promoed on Sadie’s Spotlight recently, which reminded me Death Opens a Window was buried on my shelf. So, I pulled it out.

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As he struggles with the consequences of his last case, Emory must unravel the inexplicable death of a federal employee in a Knoxville high-rise. But while the reticent investigator is mired in a deep pool of suspects – from an old mountain witch to the powerful Tennessee Valley Authority – he misses a greater danger creeping from the shadows. The man in the ski mask returns to reveal himself, and the shocking crime of someone close is unearthed.

my review

I quite enjoyed this. I like Emory as a main character and Jeff is possibly the most abrasive partner ever. But they make a good straight man / wise guy duo. I didn’t even guess the murderer. I’d started to suspect, but I wasn’t sure and that’s a pleasant rarity for me. The editing is clean and writing is sharp. I thought the use of names or endearments in dialogue cropped up on occasion, but not too often and mostly with the same characters. So, maybe it’s just supposed to be a speech pattern of them in particular. Then that reveal at the end…well, I guess I need book three now.

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Psycop

Book Reviews: Psycops #3 – 7, by Jordan Castillo Price

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It’s been several years since I read Among the Living and Criss Cross (books 1 and 2 of the Psycop series, by Jordan Castillo Price). But I did enjoy them at the time. I’ll just go ahead and link my 2015 reviews here for easy reference. In rereading the reviews, I feel like they’re maybe a little dated, but they are several years old.

Book Review of Partners (PsyCop #1-2), by Jordan Castillo Price

I’ve been holding on to audio copies of books 3 – 9 for a while, afraid to pick the series up again because it’d been so long since I started it. Some of these I picked up freebie codes for and some I laid out money for and bought. They’re narrated by Gomez Pugh, who did an awesome job.

Turned out the 5 year gap is not insurmountable. I was able to dive right back in without issue. I’m only going to post small reviews for these latter books though, being as I’m getting so far into the series. Below are reviews for books 3-7, which is as far as I got before I felt like I needed a break from so many books from the same series in a row.

body & soulThanksgiving can’t end too soon for Victor Bayne, who’s finding Jacob’s family hard to swallow. Luckily, he’s called back to work to track down a high-profile missing person.

Meanwhile, Jacob tries to find a home they can move into that’s not infested – with either cockroaches or ghosts. As if the house-hunting isn’t stressful enough, Vic’s new partner Bob Zigler doesn’t seem to think he can do anything right. A deceased junkie with a bone to pick leads Vic and Zig on a wild chase that ends in a basement full of horrors.

Review of Body & Soul:

I quite enjoyed this. Victor is a sarcastic curmudgeon that I can relate to. I appreciate that he’s a little older than the normal hero and a lot less shiny. I thought the sex was oddly perfunctory. Probably because the relationship is already established, so there’s no real romance to go with it. But also because Jacob plays so little role in the story otherwise. He literally shows up, shags Victor on occasion and wanders off muttering about condos. I really did wish he played a more active role, though I enjoyed seeing Victor adjusting to a new partner.

secrets jordan castillo priceVictor Bayne’s job as a PsyCop involves tracking down dead people and getting them to spill their guts about their final moments. It’s never been fun, per se. But it’s not usually this annoying.

Vic has just moved in with his boyfriend Jacob, he can’t figure out where anything’s packed, and his co-worker is pressuring him to have a housewarming party. Can’t a guy catch a break?

On a more sinister note, Vic discovers there’s absolutely no trace of him online. No trace of anyone else who trained at “Camp Hell,” either. Everyone Vic knows has signed a mysterious set of papers to ensure his “privacy.” The contracts are so confidential that even Vic has never heard of them. But Jacob might have.

What other secrets has Jacob been keeping?

Review of Secrets:

What I found interesting about Secrets is that we really get to see how very naive Victor has been about himself and his situation. It’s not that I don’t understand why, but it’s nice to see him getting clean(ish) and seeing with clearer eyes. The mystery in the story is really secondary to the realities of living with Psyop abilities, which made for some interesting considerations. I was glad to see Jacob play a bigger role than in the last book. I still feel like he’s a bit of a sexy, growling, biting, place-holder compared to the first books. Though I still adore him. But I’m hoping he’ll come back into more detail as the series progresses.

camp hell, jordan castillo priceVictor Bayne honed his dubious psychic skills at one of the first psych training facilities in the country, Heliotrope Station, otherwise known as Camp Hell to the psychics who’ve been guests behind its razorwire fence.

Vic discovered that none of the people he remembers from Camp Hell can be found online, and there’s no mention of Heliotrope Station itself, either. Someone’s gone through a lot of trouble to bury the past. But who?

Review of Camp Hell:

I think maybe this was my favorite so far. Maybe because it’s longer than the others, so a more fleshed out story, but also I feel like Victor grew a lot during it. There were also some interesting developments for Jacob and Zig played a bigger role, both of which I appreciated. I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here!

ghosttvFor the past dozen years, Victor Bayne has solved numerous murders by interrogating witnesses only he can see—dead witnesses. But when his best friend Lisa goes missing from the sunny California campus of PsyTrain, the last thing he wants to find there is her spirit.

Disappearing without a trace in a school full of psychics? That’s some trick. But somehow both Lisa and her roommate have vanished into thin air. A group of fanatics called Five Faith has been sniffing around, and Lisa’s email is compromised.

Time is running out, and with no ghosts to cross-examine, Vic can’t afford to turn down any offers of help. An old enemy can provide an innovative way to track Vic’s missing friend, and he enters into an uneasy alliance—even though its ultimate cost will ensnare him in a debt he may never manage to settle.

Review of GhostTV:

I swear this series is getting better as it goes. The books are also getting longer, which I appreciate. Though, I have to admit, once you get this far into a series, there’s not a lot left to review. I like the characters and the series in general. Otherwise, I wouldn’t keep reading. Here I enjoyed seeing Vic become progressively more competent, Jacob become more of a help-mate, and getting to know the enigmatic Dreyfuss. I’m off to listen to the next one.

spook squadEveryone enjoys peace and tranquility, and Victor Bayne is no exception. He goes to great lengths to maintain a harmonious home with his partner, Jacob. Although the cannery is huge, it’s grown difficult to avoid the elephant in the room…the elephant with the letters FPMP scrawled on its hide.

Once Jacob surrendered his PsyCop badge, he infiltrated the Federal Psychic Monitoring Program. In his typical restrained fashion, he hasn’t been sharing much about what he actually does behind its vigilantly guarded doors. And true to form, Vic hasn’t asked. In fact, he would prefer not to think about the FPMP at all, since he’s owed Director Dreyfuss an exorcism since their private flight to PsyTrain.

While Vic has successfully avoided FPMP entanglement for several months, now his debt has finally come due.

Review of Spook Squad:

I enjoyed this, just not as much as the last couple in the series. I thought the answer to the mystery was glaringly obvious. So obvious, in fact, that I felt it would be the first thing a medium would think of, as opposed to something no one considered. And I thought the whole thing kind of sagged in the middle a bit. But I still loved Vic and Jacob (though Jacob is largely in the background), enjoyed getting to know Dreyfuss and the FPMP crew, and still look forward to more.