L.R. Braden's Blog, page 9

Review: Calling on Dragons

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This third installment to the Enchanted Forest series is told from the narrative perspective of the witch Morwen. This added an amusing dimension because she can speak to her cats, which were quite entertaining characters. Other than Morwen, the characters of Cimorene, Mendenbar, Telemain, and Kazul returned. They were joined by a rabbit named Killer who, due to a habit of eating things he shouldn't, was under a ridiculous number of enchantments that combined to turn him into a six-foot flying blue donkey with oversize wings. Killer's main character traits we're that he whined a lot about everything and was constantly hungry.

There was something nagging me the whole time I was reading this book, and I think I've finally put my finger on what it is. It's the voice, not of this story in particular, but of the series as a whole.
Imagine a funny story told by someone with no sense of humor. The story itself makes you laugh, but there is no laughter in the story. The characters never crack their brusque, no-nonsense attitudes no matter how ridiculous the situation. This is particularly exemplified by the character of Cimorene.
A joke told with a straight face can be hilarious, but when the entire story is a straight-man skit it begins to lose it's charm. It's like listening to a song with one wrong note played in the chorus. No matter how much you're enjoying the song, you'll cringe every time that chorus comes around even if you don't know why.
It's worth pointing out that this did not bother me as a kid, I thought these books were hilarious, and it does not seem to bother my daughter who loves these books and can't wait to read the next one. It is only now, reading these stories again as an adult, that I've found this weird disconnect in the humor.

The pacing of this story was good, but the conclusion was a little lack-luster. This book was basically just a setup for the next, and final, book in the series and so did not stand on its own very well. While the heroes did manage to address the main story goal, there was no real resolution. The best part of this book was definitely the attitude of the cats.

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Review: Droplets of Magic

Droplets of Magic by Emily Bybee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Droplets of Magic is the forth book in the Unstable Magic series, but I didn't have any trouble diving right in and following along. There were references to events that clearly happened in earlier books, but those only added to the feeling of the story being set in a wider, more intricate world.

This book is a love-at-first-sight story--a trope that I don't tend to like because it often forces the characters into an emotional intimacy that I have trouble believing--but the character interactions in this book were still believable and the romance played second-fiddle to the main plot, so I won't hold that against it.

The main character is a Defect--a witch who can't use magic in the usual way. In Kira's case, she can only manipulate water, and not always well. If she gets upset, she's likely to cause a downpour. Since Defects are hunted by the magic council as a threat to the secrecy of witch society, Kira has been on the run and in hiding for most of her life. After losing her mother to cancer, she's been on her own and has some definite trust issues. I think Kira was portrayed well, and her internal (and external) conflicts were quite believable. As I mentioned above, insta-attraction tends to bother me, but at least Kira didn't let her hormones override her judgement.

There were a few issues that threw me momentarily out of the story, but none so badly that I had any problem diving back in. One was the sheer number of times Kira popped her knuckles. I get that it was a character affectation, but sometimes she did it two or three times in the space of a single dialogue exchange. I'm not sure it's even physically possible to crack joints that much.

Another issue I had was with Kira finding her "element." This was a real head-scratcher for me because my first thought was, "Well duh, her element is water." But no, it turns out they were referring to the word in a more scientific sense, as in the periodic table of elements. I also didn't understand why she only had a couple of elements to pick from. The periodic table is huge. So that's one place that I definitely floundered. I hope those issues were explained in earlier books, but even if they were previously covered it would have been nice to drop a note in this one with a quick explanation. Maybe even have Kira have the same element = water moment that I did as a first-time reader.

The final trip up I had will be hard to explain without spoilers, but I'll do my best. At one point Kira and friends are stuck in a magical minefield, literally. The mines react to magic, and anyone magical, which they know because a magically charged pebble sets one off. At this point I figured, "Just charge some more pebbles and toss them to find the mines. You already know that works." Yeah, they didn't do that. I love the way they eventually ended up getting out of the minefield, but the first few missteps were pretty painful and I just wanted to slap them for ignoring the obvious.

Those three things aside, the rest of the book was pretty smooth sailing, with a fast pace, engaging characters, and wonderfully expressive writing. I'm excited to read the 5th book in the series, and will definitely go back to check out the previous three. ;)

Note: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Angel Fire East

Angel Fire East by Terry Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Angel Fire East is the third book in Terry Brooks' Word and Void series, and the conclusion of the trilogy. It is not a stand-alone book, so don't start here. Read Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word first.

This story picks up ten years after the second book (fifteen since the first). We're back in Hopewell, Illinois with Nest Freemark, and demons have come knocking. This story describes the third and final time she and John Ross cross paths. While John is a central character, this is very much Nest's story with him acting mostly as a catalyst. I found myself getting pretty annoyed with John at times for being useless.

Along with the carry-over characters of Pick, Josie, and Two Bears, we see the adult versions of Nest's childhood friends Robert Heppler and Bennett Scott, along with some new additions. The cast on the side of the void is expanded as well, with two central demons and two backups, each with distinct traits and personalities.

Trigger warning: Like the second book in the series addressed the topic of homelessness, this one tackles drug addiction and the potential fallout of that lifestyle.

It took me a while to get into the book because the pacing was pretty slow. There was a lot of overly-descriptive exposition and "sit-and-think" moments. There's a nice twist at the end for Nest, though not so nice for anyone else. The book, and therefore the series, ended on a hopeful but rather melancholy note.

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Review: Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road

The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road by Max Brallier
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Skeleton Road is book 6 in the Last Kids on Earth series. These books really need to be read in order, so I'm going to assume that if you've gotten this far you've already read the first five books and I don't need to cover things like basic character introductions in this review. The one character note that I will mention is that I enjoyed getting to know Dirk a little better and hearing some of his backstory.

While this story provided a fun adventure, and the characters continued to be engaging, I was a little disappointed with this installment. This was very much a "middle" book -- meaning it didn't feel in any way self-contained. As I mentioned, the books need to be read in order, so it's safe to say you will have the "beginning" of the story, but this book also lacked a satisfying conclusion. Spoiler alert: The book starts out with the team heading out on an epic road trip to find Thrull's tower, but the end has come and gone and they never made it to the tower. Don't get me wrong, the road trip was entertaining... it just isn't over. At the end of the book the kids are still in transit.

The writing continues to be engaging, told from the perspective of self-proclaimed post-apocalyptic action hero Jack Sullivan. The pace is quick and the action punchy. There were, however, several instances of a lack of consistency in the descriptions during said action scenes. I kept getting knocked out of the story because what was happening didn't match up with what had come before. Things like people suddenly being in a different place or position without any transition. These issues were jarring and broke the flow of the story. That said, I didn't have any trouble diving back in after these hiccups and enjoying the rest of the story.

This series continues to be a favorite family bedtime book, and we're looking forward to reading the next installment to finally hear how this road trip ends.

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Wicked Wishes: A Fiction Atlas Anthology

I'm thrilled to announce my inclusion in the upcoming charity anthology Wicked Wishes, which will be published by Fiction Atlas Press on May 4th!

All proceeds from sales will be donated to the World Literacy Foundation - a global non-profit organization striving to ensure that every child, regardless of geographic location, has the opportunity to acquire literacy skills and books to reach their full potential. Check out their website to read more about their work at https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/

Preorder your copy of the anthology today at books2read.com/wickedwishes
This is a great collection of stories benefiting a great cause, and to whet your appetite here are a few previews, including the blurb for my very own "Soul Tea." A wish, once granted, can never be undone.
Whoever said “ignorance is bliss” never met Tristan Mallory. The discredited stockbroker turned conman-and-thief has finally crawled out of the ruin of his old life, and he’s determined never to let a lack of knowledge get the better of him again. When he accidentally calls forth a jinn from an antique teapot during a run-of-the-mill robbery, he gets a chance to rewrite the world as he sees fit. He’s about to get everything he’s ever wanted...

L.R. Braden is the bestselling author of the Magicsmith urban fantasy series, the standalone novel Demon Riding Shotgun, and several works of short fiction. Her writing has won the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Sci-fi/Fantasy, the First Horizon Award for debut authors, and the Imadjinn Award for Best Urban Fantasy Novel. She was also honored to be a finalist for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2021 Writer of the Year award. She and her family live in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies, where she spends her time writing, playing, enjoying the outdoors, and weaving metal into intricate chainmail jewelry that she sells in her Etsy shop, WimsiDesign. Astrid loves to read. Astrid made a wish. Now Astrid's stuck in a book.
Cue the evil kelpie. The Armageddon. The feral troll army. (What's this cute boy doing here?)
The fantasy realm of fiction is everything Astrid ever hoped for. Except it's probably going to take her life. Astrid needs non-fictional guts, determination, and sheer will to survive before she can return to the real world. But will she even want to?

S. R. Breaker lives in New Zealand with her husband and two kids. She writes offbeat, easy reading young adult science fiction and fantasy books. Suburban mum by day and author by night, she loves to live vicariously through her characters. They don’t have to vacuum all day long and are almost always guaranteed to survive any fantastical or thrilling incidents, no matter how treacherous she writes them. She likes binge-watching TV shows and reading books that take her to far enough unknown worlds—but then still have enough time to wash the dishes after. True wishes, the ones made by a witch as she comes into her power, always have a cost . . .
Before I became the Amber Witch, I was just Amber. I lived with my father and brother under the shadow of the growing Mist. With plants failing, and sunlight fading, we struggled to survive along with the rest of our dying town. But what choice did we have? When a devastating blow strikes our town, I know what choice I have. It’s dangerous, and it’s one no other person here can make, because I’m the witch with a wish to grant. One wish will awaken my magic, but will it spell salvation or will my wish spell the end? Can humanity finally shake off the shackles of our past and become a perfect race? Or are we doomed to live in a world where we are held prisoner by our own flaws?
Peter Pallister believes in change. He believes that we are hindered by our own history, born into a world where prejudice and hatred have existed for millennia. The only way to stop the cycle from repeating would be to start fresh, with a complete reset of the human race. Peter wishes for this to happen, but when his wish comes true and the world is turned into a seemingly perfect Utopia, Peter finds the world is still full of the same old problems.
Tabula Rasa is a science fiction story of hope, futility, and the endless possibilities of human kind.

Paul Eagle was born in England, but has made Canada his home since 2008. He spends his winters living on a Ski Resort in British Columbia with his wife, and they spend their summers working at a children’s summer camp in Vermont, USA. Paul loves seasonal work, as it gives him the chance to enjoy different jobs in different places. Over the last fifteen years Paul has worked as a cleaner in France, a teacher in Korea, a supervisor at an Olympic games and a rugby world cup, and a photographer in a national park. Paul has a degree in English, a love for Korean food, and a passion for travel. Some wishes should never have been made.
It was the lowest point in Claire’s life so when she came upon a strange wishing well in the woods, she hoped her life was changing for the better. She should have walked away… Eunice was disappointed when nothing happened with the toss of her coin, but then her wish was granted.
Wishers beware.

Melissa E. Beckwith is a science fiction and fantasy author living in southern Indiana with her husband, Shih Tzu, and two kitties. Her hobbies include spending time with her grandsons, painting, reading, yoga, camping, gardening, and making YouTube videos. She is a practicing pagan and an aspiring homesteader. Will Alexis' hungry desire for clout and attention get her more than she bargained for?
Alexis Day wants nothing more than to become an influencer on Shutter, the social media platform that’s trending all over the world. But despite her perfect hair, perfect selfies, and shamelessly asking others to share her content, she still finds herself pulling in lower and lower numbers with each passing day. Until she receives a mysterious message from a user known as DreamComeTrue, who claims to know who she is, and most importantly, believes he can make Alexis famous! And all it takes are a few drops of a glittery gold concoction that he’s willingly handing over to her.
Will Alexis finally get what she wants and become a famous influencer?

Viola Tempest is a dystopian fantasy and paranormal romance author who yearns to expose the truth of those in the modern world: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Her inspiration primarily stems from life experiences, those who annoy her, ex-boyfriends, and the crazy dreams that pop into her head every once in a while.

Game Review: Doomlings

Doomlings is "A quirky card game for 2-6 players, ages 10+." I bought the game as a Christmas present for my brother's girlfriend at the tail end of their incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, but I was so taken with the fun concept and adorable art that I bought a second game for my family. Unfortunatly, the boxes didn't arrive in time for Christmas. So here we are three months later, and I can finally tell you about playing this game! The game takes place over several rounds, and players take turns playing cards during each round. Cards have a variety of effects, like stealing from other players, protecting yourself, increasing your hand limit, or just stockpiling points. The mechanics are fairly straightforward and fast to learn. My favorite part of this game, and the reason I bought it, is the creativity put into the cards. Each card includes an amusing illustration, flavor text, point value, and an explanation of any special effect it produces. For example the card "Vampirism" is worth three points, lets you steal a trait card from an opponent and use the stolen card's action, and comes with the flavor text "I vant to sock your blahhhd." The "Warm Blood" card--"Are you trying to boil my blood?"--is worth negative points, but adds 2 to your gene pool (hand limit). "Legendary" is flavored with the description "Everything you've heard about me is true. Well, maybe just the good stuff," and is worth a whopping 8 points but forces you to discard your entire hande, while the one-point "Selfish" card lets you steal a red trait from an opponent's pile and bears the simple flavor text "Mine!" There are three stages to the game, called eras, each composed of multipe ages which are drawn from a randomized deck that determines the length of the game as well as extra rules that are in effect during a given round. The current era ends when a catastrophe is drawn, which then spawns the next age or, in the case of the final catastrophe, ends the world. The goal of the game is to produce the most successful species by the time the world ends--determined by the player's score at the end. There are already several expansion sets to the game. Since I bought the "Gold Box" edition it came with Dual Colors, Techlings, Dinolings, and Mythlings. Each of these are a collection of special cards that are mixed in with the regular game. There's also a "Meaning of Life" expansion that gives each player a secret goal to strive for that will affect the way they play. If they manage to accomplish their secret goal they are awarded bonus points at the end of the game. You can also buy playmats (like the central one seen in my first picture in this post as well as individual player mats), but those are in no way required to play the game. Final Thoughts:

This is a fast, fun game great for groups that want a good laugh. Bear in mind that it's a competitive game, so you will be trying to screw over the other players as much as trying to boost your own chances of winning. That was a little hard for my daughter since it can come across as "mean." My family has also added a final step to the game which is to describe (and even draw if you're feeling artistic) the species you ended up creating. They can turn out really hilarious! That also gives everyone a chance to feel like they were successful no matter their score. ;)
As a comparison, this game reminded me a bit of the card game Smash Up.

Review: Searching for Dragons

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I think Ms. Wrede really found her stride with this book. I liked it even better than its predecessor in the series, Dealing with Dragons.

The world building is convincing, though a little light on detail. With a setting as rich as the enchanted forest I would have liked to see a little bit more.

One detail that I did love was how much care Wrede put into the magic system. Specifically the way Mendanbar accesses magic, which seems to be unique. I loved the descriptions of how Mendanbar used the threads of magic that filled the enchanted forest to cast his spells, and the way those threads got twisted and tangled around the wizards' staffs. His locator spell was particularly fun. :)

The characters were definitely the stars in this book. While Princess Cimorene, the MC from the first book, is present as a key character, the narrative voice belongs to Mendanbar, king of the enchanted forest. Mendanbar is laid back and practical with a strong sense of duty, but he also brings humor, kindness, and a clever mind into the mix. He's a great match for Cimorene as they quest together in order to save both Cimorene's dragon friend, Kazul, and Mendanbar's kingdom from the machinations of the Society of Wizards.

Another carry-over character from book one is the no-nonsense witch Morwen, who joins the party along with a couple of her cats. There's also a magician, not to be confused with a wizard, named Telemain who has an almost obsessive curiosity about how magic works. Each character in the story is distinct and brings something fun to the group, and even those with the smallest roles tie into the larger plot in a satisfying way.

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Review: The Adventurer's Guide to Dragons (and Why They Keep Biting Me)

The Adventurer's Guide to Dragons (and Why They Keep Biting Me) by Wade Albert White
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I grabbed this book for my daughter not realizing that it was the second in a series. That said, we were a little thrown off when it picked up by mentioning a bunch of stuff that happened in another (unread) book. Still, it wasn't too hard to follow along.

The main driving force behind this book was the humor. The best bits were the excerpts from Ann's adventurer's guide that showed up between chapters. Most of those were hilarious. That humor was carried through the whole story, though the execution didn't always carry over as well. The overall experience was sort of like watching a stand-up comedian on improve night. Some of the jokes hit gold while others fell flat.

There was a good deal of adventure and some fun action scenes. I wasn't super invested in the characters. Maybe that comes from jumping in at book 2? If I was to pick one thing that bothered me most it would probably be the character interactions. There were a few too many times when I was thrown out of the story and found myself thinking, "No one would ever act like that." I think the idea was to make the interactions funny, but the author often slipped from silly to ridiculous. (But maybe White was aiming for ridiculous. *shrug* Just know it's there so you're forewarned.)

The writing itself was fairly straightforward, which is good for a middle grade book. There were a few plot twists that seemed like a bit of a stretch, but we glided past them easily with a healthy suspension of disbelief. My daughter enjoyed the book enough that when we finished she begged my to buy the first one, which I did. Since she's in the target age range, I'd say that's recommendation enough. ;)

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Review: The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time Book 1)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Eye of the World is book 1 in Robert Jordans epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, and EPIC is definitely the right word for it. This book, while having a distinct beginning, middle, and end, is not what I would call self-contained. It was very clearly written as the beginning of a much larger story, and the end is just a stepping stone to the next book. So long as you are aware of that fact going in, I don't think fans of classic fantasy will be disappointed. This story hinges on the familiar premise of the eternal war between light and dark, good and evil, and the stakes are nothing less than the entire world and the souls of everyone who ever lived.

Jordan did a terrific job of creating a lush, rich world filled with places, cultures, and history, though I occasionally had to laugh at his method of naming things. Shai'tan instead of Satan. Ogier instead of Ogre. Trolloc instead of Troll. Draghkar instead of dragon. The Mountains of Dhoom. Each was very clearly a callback to a more familiar term with just the slightest variance, similar to oliphants and elephants by Tolkien. That said, the world he created was detailed enough to live in, certainly enough for a reader to get lost in. It was also large enough that I really did need the maps to have any sense of direction as the adventure progressed.

The magic system in Jordan's world centers around a single Source of power that is split into two halves that can only be accesses by a single gender, so men use the male half of the power and women use the female half. If you have strong feelings about gender segregation you may find the overarching themes of male vs. female roles in this story a bit off-putting.

Jordan's world is populated with a great many characters, some of which only played small roles but that I hope will reappear in later books. The main group consisted of Rand, Mat, and Perrin, the three boys marked and hunted by the dark one; Moiraine and Lan, an Aes Sedai and her Warder; Egwene and Nynaeve, two Source-sensitive young women with the power to become Aes Sedai themselves; Thom, a Gleeman; and Loial, an Ogier. While all of the characters were distinct, I found many of them to be a bit flat. This may be a side effect of this being the first book in such a long series that was never designed to stand on its own. I think, as the series continues, the characters will become more three dimensional.

Rand appears to be the main character of this book. He is the narrative voice for the first half and most of the other chapters as well. Unfortunately he was also the least developed of the characters in my opinion. Perhaps this was intentional, setting up for a lot of growth later, but the effect on *this* book was that Rand felt almost like a non-character to me, just a window through which I could see the story unfold. Not once through the whole book did he ever seem to make an actual decision, but skated by on instinct, luck, and the actions of others. It was difficult for me to care too much about what happened to him. The other two boys were a bit more interesting to me, though still not thoroughly developed. Mat was a bit of an ass, the kind of class clown personality who finds joy in making others uncomfortable. The characterization was well-written, but I've never cared for that type of person. Perrin was one of my favorite characters in the first half of the book. He got quite withdrawn and seemed to fade a bit into the background in the second half, losing his voice despite becoming more interesting as a character.

Lan and Moiraine were both well written. Despite being stereotypes of the noble lady and the strong, silent protector, they were also among the most interesting characters in the book. We got a bit of a look at some of Lan's backstory, which served to reinforce his stoicism, but also got a tiny glimpse of a possible gentler side. Moiraine was the most level headed female in the story, and her lack of detail actually helped to enhance the aura of secrecy and aloofness around her. The other two women were fairly indistinct from one another. Both were childish and short-tempered, though I liked Nynaeve considerably more than Egwene. I confess, I got the impression that Jordan had a rather low opinion of women in general and wrote most of them to be manipulative, argumentative, and shallow. The two remaining companions, Thom and Loial, were more interesting than the main cast. Thom had a deep and mysterious past that I really hope is developed in future books. Loial is unique in that he is the only non-human character among the protagonists, so he brings an entirely different culture and sentiment to each situation.

Overall, I'm looking forward to continuing the series and have high hopes for the development of the characters.

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Review: Dealing with Dragons

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dealing with Dragons is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. I first read this series as a child and it stuck with me; not the details so much, but the feeling of the story. I'm now so excited to be reading it again with my daughter. :)

This book focuses on a character named Cimorene. She is a princess from a very traditional kingdom who is bored out of her mind with the role she's been born to. As a result, she decides to run away. This is a pretty standard trope of the rebel princess who seeks adventure and personal fulfillment over politics and power. Along the way she befriends a dragon named Kazul who agrees to "capture" her, another princess whose practicality outweighs her primness, and a very down-to-earth witch named Morwen.

The highlight of this story is the charming way in which it's written. Each situation is approached in such an absurd way, yet with such a "straight face" as it were, that you can't help but laugh. My only complaint is that Cimorene's attitude can come off a bit blase at times, making even the most climactic situations seem a bit trivial. Still, if you like dry wit, poking fun at classic fantasy tropes, and lighthearted adventure fit for kids and adults alike, this is a fun, fast read.

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