The Map of Chaos

by Félix J. Palma
570 pgs  (Map of Time trilogy #3)

In each book in Félix J. Palma's Map of Time trilogy, the famous works of author H. G. Wells come to life. In The Map of Time, it was The Time Machine, in The Map of the Sky, it was The War of the Worlds, and in this concluding book, it's The Invisible Man. Each time, events take place that mirror Wells's stories and threaten to destroy the world.

This time around Wells is not alone as he tries to save everything. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lewis Carroll are there to assist him, and it's not just this earth that is threatened, it's the whole multiverse that is brought to the brink of annihilation.

Trying to explain this book is not an easy task--so I'm not going to even attempt it. Instead, I'll just say that it was a very satisfying conclusion to a fantastic series.

Now that all three books are finished, and the story can be looked at as a whole, Palma's accomplishment is pretty remarkable. These books are incredibly imaginative, full of exciting action, and they offer everything you'd want in books honoring one of the founding fathers of their genre. The books can be read independently from one another, but there is a lot that will be missed out on, if they're not read as a complete story.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Bands of Mourning

by Brandon Sanderson
447 pgs  (Mistborn: Era 2 #3)

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series is steadily growing and developing into a truly epic fantasy series. I assumed it w as over after the first three books were complete, but they weren't. Those books represented the First Era in the series. The last two books, The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self represent the Second Era, and take place hundreds of years later. There will be one more book, The Lost Metal, which will complete the Second Era, and then Sanderson will leap forward a few hundred years again, and begin a new set of books, representing a whole new era. I'm looking forward to several more books to come over the next several years.

The Bands of Mourning are the legendary metalminds that were created by the Lord Ruler long before the events of any of the books began. It's believed that the person who wears them will possess all of the Powers that he had. Images of the Bands have been discovered and Waxillium is recruited to travel to the city of New Seran to investigate whether they've been found. Wax, Wayne, and their companions travel south to New Seran and uncover plans that the mysterious organization the Set have implemented in order to take over control of Elendel.

The Bands of Mourning is a great installment in a series that is among the elite in the genre.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Dexter is Dead

by Jeff Lindsay
286 pgs  (Dexter series #8)

"Jeff Lindsay isn't really going to kill Dexter Morgan, is he?"That was my panicked first thought when I saw the title of what I knew was the last book in his series. i knew Dexter didn't die at the end of the television series (but if he had, it would have been an improvement over the way that ended). But I really didn't want to believe that it would happen. Ive really enjoyed the Dexter books. He's a fantastic character. And while the television series suffered as it progressed, the books never did. I could have happily read many more books featuring the Miami-Dade Police Department's blood-splatter analyst who has a darkside he lets out when someone really needs to die. But I resigned myself to the idea of this being the last book. But still...he wasn't really going to die was he?

The book picks up a short tie after Dexter's Final Cut ended. Dexter is in jail, ironically, for murders that he didn't commit. Detective Anderson has done everything in his power to frame Dexter for the murders, and Deb, his sister, has abandoned him and left him to rot there in jail. It's Dexter's brother Brian who comes to Dexter's rescue. But it's a short-lived rescue, since the money he used to pay for the highest-profile attorney in Miami to represent Dexter, was stolen from a man named Raul, a Mexican drug kingpin. It's out of the frying pan and into the fire. Now Dexter has to find a way to prove his innocence (for the murders he's accused of), deal with Detective Anderson, and keep Brian and himself safe from the Cartel.

I'll admit that the plot of this one leaves a little to be desired. There might have been a little bit of a fatigue factor involved for Lindsay. But needing to know what happens at the end, and whether Dexter does in fact die, or is only presumed to be killed, or maybe it's just his "dark passenger" that dies, I had a tough time putting the book down.

Goodbye darkly-dreaming, dearly-devoted, dastardly-devious Dexter. It was an exciting and enjoyable ride.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆