Two more fantasy novels

[ellarien]

The Hidden Family, Charles Stross

More trading and skulduggery across parallel universes, ending with a couple of surprises -- one nice, one not so nice. There's been some discussion on rasfw of the Britishisms that have crept into these American-set books, and I remember noticing that the Boston in The Family Trade, in spite of the very recognizable Copley Center, felt oddly like Nottingham. The one that leapt out and hit me in this one was 'cooker' for 'stove'. The author dropped a hint in the newsgroup that the Britishisms may not be completely inadvertent, so I'll reserve judgement for now. I know it's hard; it's relatively easy for a Brit to pick up on the straight substitutions -- car park/parking lot, flat/apartment, pavement/sidewalk -- but it's also easy to miss the things that Americans don't say at all, and the more subtle incongruencies like diary/calendar.

New Spring, Robert Jordan

I nearly didn't buy this at all; I don't regret waiting for the paperback, but it was worth reading for the extra details of life in the pre-breaking White Tower, and the inside view of the test for the shawl. No braid-tugging, but arms do get crossed beneath breasts, and there are plenty of embroidered dresses. The thing that disturbs me is that, though I'd read the novella some years ago, I'd completely forgotten all the plot details, right down to who turned out to be on the side of Shadow.