Sally Bend's Blog, page 23
June 21, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
June 14, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
June 11, 2024
Book Review: Disobedience by Daniel Sarah Karasik (sci-fi)
Author: Daniel Sarah Karasik
Publication Date: May 21, 2024 by Book*hug Press
Genres: Science Fiction
Protagonist Gender: Between
A transfeminine protagonist and an insurrectionist love interest risking everything to escape a vast prison camp for the unknown ‘freedom’ of a world ravaged by centuries of warfare and environmental catastrophe. Disobedience was one of those reads that captured my attention from the first paragraph of the cover blurb.
The problem is, all of that is largely explored within the first few chapters, serving more as background, a reason to move the story forward, rather than a story in and of itself. I was so curious about Shael, so hopeful that their love for Coe would blossom as the story progressed, but they end up settling for the role of narrator, never embracing that of protagonist. For a story in which so much can happen, and so much can change, Shael does nothing to advance it. The story happens around them, carrying them along, but I’m hard-pressed to think of even one instance where they make something happen.
That very same cover blurb ended with talk about redressing harm, violence, healing, compassion, and justice, promising alternative forms of connection and power, and that sounded fascinating. I knew this was going to be a work that would operate on two levels, but Daniel Sarah Karasik seemed to have big things to say, and I was fascinated.
As weak as I felt this was as a novel, it was as equally strong as a book of ideas. It’s a story of gender and sexuality, of being other or between, with queer progress very much backsliding into the closet. Themes of oppression and control are rife throughout, with our introduction to Shael and Coe coming through forbidden sexual play that makes a BDSM kink out of violent correction. Although the plot points around them are fuzzy, at best, class warfare, capitalism, slavery, and conformity are all key themes that are explored very well. You don’t always (I’d even say often) understand that world, but you feel it, and that’s what idea-driven speculative fiction should do.
Where imagination and idea intersect, however, is a murky sort of middle ground that’s as problematic as the world-building. The writing itself is both dense and clipped, creating a supremely uncomfortable reading experience. Perhaps that’s intentional, a reflection of Shael’s thoughts and emotions, but it made Disobedience a difficult novel to stick with. As I mentioned earlier, there’s not a lot of plot to the book, and what little we have is told, not shown. In fact, much of the book is just talking, and without excitement to color it, without narrative depth to give it meaning, talk is . . . well, cheap.
My heart and my head are divided on this, with one wanting to give it 4 stars for ideas and the other 2 stars for entertainment, one wanting to give it 5 stars for the concept and the other 1 star for the execution, so I’ll settle for a solid 3 stars.
Rating: 
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2024
Book Review: How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler (fantasy)
Author: Django Wexler
Publication Date: 432 pages by Orbit
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
Even though I tend to find humorous fantasy . . . well, not hit-or-miss, but perhaps middling-or-miss, since so very very authors manage to nail the balance, I had high hopes for this because I enjoyed Django Wexler’s Burningblade & Silvereye trilogy. I mean, who doesn’t want to read about an oft-defeated hero of legend basically saying “screw it, if you can’t beat him, become them” and switching sides from good to evil.
The problem is that without all the prophecies and chosen-one tropes, moral injustices to rail against, social or political betrayals to avenge, or any of the other staples of the genre, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying just feels selfish and insignificant. It’s a fun read, equal parts silly and sordid, crass and clever, but it’s hardly the kind of fantasy you find yourself getting lost in. It relies heavily on the novelty of the premise to carry the story, but that novelty wears thin before the fantasy pays off.
That’s not to say this was a bad read. I did enjoy it, sometimes immensely, but it spent a long time lingering in the middle of the currently-reading pile. Wexler does some things very well here, including humanizing the monsters and undermining the black-and-white good-versus-evil simplicity of the genre. There aren’t a lot of well-developed characters, but I was rather fond of Tsav, sexy bald orc lady and Most Valuable Minion; Amitsugu, cunning fox-wilder and minion-with-benefits; and Droff, the droll and direct stone eater.
He also does a good job of layering in the humor. Where I generally chafe against footnotes, especially when they’re so numerous that they become a distraction, and only serve to pull in pop culture meta references, I actually found them an enjoyable addition here. Combined with Davi’s narrative, it forces a ‘modern’ layer onto the story, and that made for an entertaining read, even if not an immersive one.
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for me was that there’s always an ‘out’ or a narrative ‘reset’ to the story, where death doesn’t mean the end of the story, just a chance at a do-over. That robs the story of any tension, and while it lends itself to an air of mystery, wondering when the next reset might occur, the resulting lack of stakes is what kept me at more of a distance than I’d like.
Rating:
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
June 5, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Arkangel: A SIGMA Force Novel by James Rollins (adventure)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week is a return to action and adventure from James Rollins featuring ancient myths, a lost continent, the Golden Library of Tsars, and a war between churches.
Arkangel: A SIGMA Force Novel
by James Rollins
Action & Adventure
528 pages, Hardcover
August 06, 2024 by William Morrow & Company
From the #1 New York Times master of international thrillers comes the story of a hunt across the globe, pitting nation against nation, as ancient myths of a lost continent prove all too real.
The execution of a Vatican archivist within the shadow of the Kremlin exposes a conspiracy going back three centuries–to the bloody era of the Russian Tsars. Before his murder, he manages to dispatch a coded message, a warning of a terrifying threat, one tied to a secret buried within the Golden Library of Tsars, a vast and treasured archive that had vanished into history.
As combative forces race for the truth behind this death and alarming discovery, Sigma Force is summoned to aid in the search–not only for this missing trove of ancient books, but to follow a trail far into the Arctic, to search for the truth about a lost continent and a revelation that could ignite a global war. But Sigma Force has its own difficulties at home after an explosive attack on the National Mall–one aimed at the heart of their covert agency–has left them vulnerable and exposed.
The growing conflict–both on Russian soil and deep in the Arctic–will reignite a centuries-old war between the newly resurgent Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican, while sabers rattle across the nations of the Arctic Circle, threatening to turn those icy seas into a fiery conflagration.
Facing enemies on all sides, it will be up to Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force to unravel a mystery going back millennia–and uncover the truth about a lost civilization and an arcane treasure that could save the planet…or destroy it.
June 3, 2024
Book Review: Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (science fiction)
Author: Christopher Ruocchio
Publication Date: September 19, 2023 by Daw Books
Genres: Science Fiction
Protagonist Gender: Male
Empire of Silence is a book that only came to my attention because Ashes of Man (book 5 of The Sun Eater) caught my eye when searching for a vacation read back in February. I was tempted, but this Hadrian Marlowe guy didn’t excite me as much as this witch named Valka, and I couldn’t see the space opera element I was so desperately craving, so I decided to pass at the time.
A month later, having come home from vacation, I began to see all these book bloggers binging the first 3 books, and suddenly I was curious once again. So I broke down and ordered a copy. The first few chapters were rather cold and sterile, making it hard to get into the story, and the fantasy elements were so oddly intertwined in the story that I found myself once again doubting if it was the story for me. And then, just when it started getting good, promising to take us to the stars, it crashed and burned into another more fantasy settings and tropes, just on a different world.
I paused for a bit, catching up on other reads, but eventually found my way back. It was still more fantasy than sci-fi, but I started to connect with the characters, both on the streets and in the arena, and that kept me going. It was still a secondary read, one I only picked up between other books, but then we got into talk of the strange ruins and my curiosity picked up a notch . . . and then came the heretical talk of the Quiet, and suddenly I was hooked.
That’s a rather long-winded way of saying Empire of Silence is a slow-burn of a book, but Christopher Ruocchio has so much history and culture to be established, so many political and religious structures to be established, that he really needs that time – and we need that background to appreciate just how significant Hadrian’s thoughts and deeds are. The last hundred or so pages are amazing, exciting, and gut-wrenching at the same time. I was hoping we’d get to “the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky” in this volume, but clearly that’s far down the road ahead. Instead, we get a sort of delayed resolution to an earlier plot thread, one that wraps things up on a thoughtful, even happy note.
Now that I know both Hadrian and Valka, I’m 100% invested in where this goes next. It requires patience, but if you’re willing to invest the time, it more than pays off in the end.
Rating:
May 31, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
May 29, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: No Road Home by John Fram (horror)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week is a Gothic locked-room thriller featuring a young father, his queer son, the murder of his wealthy new wife’s televangelist grandfather, and a spectral figure in a black suit.
No Road Home
by John Fram
Thrillers – Supernatural
416 pages, Hardcover
July 23, 2024 by Atria Books
A young father must clear his name and protect his queer son when his wealthy new wife’s televangelist grandfather is found murdered in this unputdownable locked-room thriller from the acclaimed author of The Bright Lands–perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Paul Tremblay, and Alex North.
For years, single father Toby Tucker has done his best to keep his sensitive young son, Luca, safe from the bigotry of the world. But when Toby marries Alyssa Wright–the granddaughter of a famed televangelist known for his grandiose, Old Testament preaching–he can’t imagine the world of religion, wealth, and hate that he and Luca are about to enter.
A trip to the Wright family’s compound in sun-scorched Texas soon turns hellish when Toby realizes that Alyssa and the rest of her brood might have some very strange plans for Toby and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed through the heart on the roof of the family’s mansion.
Suspicion immediately turns to Toby, but when his son starts describing a spectral figure in a black suit lurking around the house with unfinished business in mind, Toby realizes this family has more than murder to be afraid of. And as the Wrights close in on Luca, no one is prepared for the lengths Toby will go in the fight to clear his name and protect his son.
May 24, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
