Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 64

The Great Self-published Fantasy Blog-off | Update

I feel a little behind with this, but my past few weeks have been very, very busy. I have uploaded all of my books onto my kindle (Wait, not all of them. I have to change some files into .mobis so I can read them. Then I will have all of them on my Kindle).

For those who are interested, here’s the breakdown of the challenge, all of our lists, and various updates as they happen.

My list of twenty-five books is as follows: 

Tony Barrett – Stranger’s Descent
Ben Galley – Blood Rush
Jesse Jack Jones – The Darkness Undivided
Sean Rodden – Whispers of War
Scott Marlowe – The Five Elements
Matt Waldram – Monsters of Elsewhere
Eve Peters – Children of the Fallen
Kip Manley – City of Roses: Autumn into Winter
Jeff Haas – Searching for Nada
Paul Kleynhans – Dark Legion
Ioana Visan – The Impaler Legacy Omnibus
Jay Flynn – The Fivefold Prophecy
Pauline M Ross – The Plains of Kallanash
Greg Mahan – A Touch of Magic
Matt Karlov – The Unbound Man
Ted Cross – The Shard
Shawn – The Lonely Man : The Witch’s Price
Diana Peach – The Bone Wall
Felix Hartmann – Dark Age
Bryan Henderson – Tales of Ordegron
G. R. Matthews – The Stone Road
Jonathan Ashman – Black Cross
Holly Blackstone – A World Away
M.S Verish – Dawning
Emily McNeely – Leaving Bisht
Luke Matthews – Construct
Patricia Burroughs – The Crumbling Pageant

I’ve already had one person withdraw due to a book deal, which really just proves that anything can happen with this competition. Congratulations to Claire Frank, by the way. That’s fantastic for her!

I got my list, and I sat here for about a day wondering how I was going to break all of this down so it wouldn’t overwhelm me. Our first deadline is September 1 to have all of these books read. I will also be having a baby in August, so I needed to figure out a way to break this into digestible bites that would help me get through them faster without feeling rushed, if that makes sense.

I decided to break them into groups of five. I will pick my favorite book out of each of those five, and then when it gets to be time I will pick my favorite book out of my top five. I think only focusing on five books at a time, rather than twenty-five books at a time, will help me tackle this project, and keep it fun at the same time. Maybe that only makes sense to me.

I sent all of my books to my Kindle (well, almost, as mentioned above), and due to the internet they didn’t come in the order I sent them, so my first five randomly picked books are the first five that arrived on my kindle in their random order. They are:

The Stone Road by G. R. Matthews

Magic and Martial Arts meet head on in a war that will change the world. “This is fantasy in a very different setting – as traditional sword and sorcery meets the House of Flying Daggers.” – Amazon Review

Zhou is a diplomat, on a mission to bring peace between his city and the city of Yaart. A mission that will, if successful, end the war that has lasted thirty years. But, not everyone on his team wants peace at any cost. There are scores to be settled that could jeopardise the treaty and plunge the two cities into another thirty years of bloody conflict.

Haung has no family but the army that raised him. Peace could prevent him from reaching the heights of glory he desires. But then comes an offer from an unexpected source and Haung must train to be a Jiin-Wei; a master swordsman, magician and spy. He will find that life as a spy is a lot more complicated than that of a soldier, and his loyalties will be tested to the full.

Deception is a weapon that all sides wield with skill. Behind it all, an Emperor is readying the land for a war against a new enemy. One that he knows too little about.

—

 

A Touch of Magic – Gregory L. Mahan

What’s a young mage to do in a land where magic is illegal, and the penalty is death?

At the age of fourteen, Randall Miller is surprised to learn that he has the talent–for magic! Tricked into apprenticeship by a powerful Mage, Randall is forced to leave everything he knows behind.

When his mentor is killed by Aiden, head of the secret police, he flees for his life, stumbling from one misadventure into another. Teaming up with a trio of greedy traders and a capricious imp along the way, Randall must learn to master his budding power, or die at the hands of the Rooks!

—

The Unbound Man – Matt Karlov

“Satisfying yet surprising, THE UNBOUND MAN is quality comfort food for fantasy fans.” – Hugo and Nebula finalist Saladin Ahmed

In a land of merchant companies, printing presses, gunpowder and sorcery, Arandras Kanthesi once worked alongside the gifted and powerful, hunting down artefacts of the glorious past and teasing out their secrets. Then an unknown assailant murdered his wife, and his world fell apart.

Now, at last, he has a lead.

But pursuing his quarry means joining forces with the Quill, the order of sorcerers and scholars Arandras abandoned after his wife’s death. And the Quill’s help never comes without a price.

In his hunt for the killer, Arandras stumbles across a relic of a long-dead empire, one that could lead to a weapon of enormous power. Caught between his former colleagues and his wife’s murderer in a race for the lost weapon, Arandras must decide what he values most: revenge, the lives of those he once called friends, or the fate of a world he no longer cares for.

By turns gritty, reflective, and intense, THE UNBOUND MAN is a powerful debut from a compelling new voice in fantasy.

—

The Shard – Ted Cross

A dying king. A mysterious invader. The seer’s vision was clear: find the lost shard from the Spire of Peace or the realm would drown in blood.

The problem: eight hundred years ago the elven hero Kathkalan took the shard with him into the lair of the most vicious dragon ever known to mankind…and he never returned.

Reluctantly drafted to lead the quest is the minor noble Midas, torn between his duty to the realm and the desire to protect his sons. With an unlikely band of heroes, including two elderly rangers and a young tinker’s son, Midas must risk losing everything he loves if he is to locate the shard and save the Known Lands.

—

This Crumbling Pageant – Patricia Burroughs

Get ready to be swept away into a dark fantasy series that combines swashbuckling adventure, heart-pounding romance and plot-twisting suspense in equal measures.

Expect to hear more about Persephone Fury.

A lot more.

England, 1809. As fashionable Society streams toward London for the start of a new social season, they are unaware of a hidden magical England existing alongside. The Magi cathedrals are temples to the old gods. Reigning on their throne is not poor mad George, but the ailing King Pellinore of the House of Pendragon. But their wars are no less deadly.

The Furys are known for their extraordinary music, their powerful magic, and their historic role as kingmakers. But the Furys have their secrets as well, none so dangerous as the daughter whose Shadow magic spills from her, unchecked. Unless her powers are concealed, she’s not only ruined in Society, but marked as a target for those who would use and abuse her magic.

Persephone Fury is the Dark daughter, the one they hide.

But desperate times call for desperate measures, and a good marriage for this frightening daughter is desperately needed. On the night of her debut, her world comes crumbling down around her when she is abducted from the man she loves by the man she most loathes.

Evil powers circle, calling her to the destiny foretold at the moment of her birth, drawing her to the source of her power, to the one place she can finally be free.

By embracing the Shadows.

Persephone is ruthless, devious, and clever, but when confronted with the truth, she must make horrifying choices.

Can she defy destiny and seize her own fate?

So when the last and dreadful hour

This crumbling pageant shall devour,

The trumpet shall be heard on high,

The dead shall live, the living die,

And music shall untune the sky.

John Dryden, 1687

—

I will post reviews as I read, and I’ll also post my top pick out of this group of five after I read them all. I’m thrilled to be part of this project, and I’m very, very excited to see what literary awesomeness has come my way.

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline

About the Book

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved — that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt — among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life — and love — in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.

A quest for the ultimate prize.

Are you ready?

372 pages (paperback)

Published on August 16, 2011

Published by Broadway Books

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

—

I had absolutely no intention of ever reading Ready Player One.

Ever.

Despite all the good things I’ve heard about it, I just had no intention of reading it. Not because I thought I’d hate it, but because I have absolutely no interest in gaming. Actually, “no interest” is probably an overstatement. If interest could be measured in the negatives, mine would probably be so far in that hole we wouldn’t be able to mentally compute it.

However, my husband read this book, and he’s not a reader. He’s a gamer, and he loved it. He couldn’t stop talking about it. So I figured I should give it a try. If the guy who doesn’t like to read loved it, then I felt obligated to see what the fuss was about.

Ready Player One is all about gaming, and virtual worlds, and all of that, but it’s also a lot more than that. In fact, the world building was one of the best parts of the book. Oasis, the virtual reality that Wade (our protagonist) spends most of his time in, is absolutely fantastically built. While there isn’t a lot of depth and detail given to it, it’s not really necessary. Wade’s perspective really immerses readers in the culture of this virtual world, giving readers just enough to make it real, but not enough to bog down the plot. Furthermore, the gaming aspects, the levels and all that are watered down enough that someone who knows absolutely zero about gaming, and cares even less than that, gets it.

Aside from Oasis, the real world is highlighted a lot less, though when it is talked about, and when Wade is aware of it, there is a lot of details that Cline gives readers in a short amount of time that make this messy, futuristic, almost dystopia world of ours feel real. There are social issues that are touched on briefly, but are all the more compelling for it, and class and cultural issues that also work well in that form. Cline knows how to give his readers just enough, without ever giving them too much, and he gives his readers a lot to chew on and digest in the process. This form of world building gives the book a lot of depth, but also keeps things parsed down enough to allow the plot to flow quickly, and easily.

Essentially, this book is all about a quest. There is a big, huge trophy, and basically the entire world (that matters to Wade) is focused on it. Wade is a young character, a high schooler, but he doesn’t act like one. A huge reason for that is because he’s been forced to grow up fast. His rather adult voice, but his youthful exuberance is rather addicting. However, because this is a videogame centered book, and most of it takes place in a virtual reality, the quest takes on a very different context and tone than I’ve ever really experienced before. At its heart, Ready Player One is both thoughtful, and a ton of fun. The quest is fantastically well done, and it kept me guessing throughout, which was appreciated. The details and tidbits added through world building kept me thinking about complex issues, like population control. It’s a unique marriage, but it’s a marriage that absolutely works.

The ending, and a lot of the events leading to it, felt rather formulaic and predictable, but honestly, it didn’t bother me at all. Ready Player One is fun and thoughtful, but it’s not really that surprising. That’s okay. This book has a lot to chew on and a lot to enjoy, the surprise isn’t necessary for the process. All of the threads of the plot tie together nicely, and the ending is absolutely perfect for the journey that took characters (and readers) there. It’s fun to see how the relationships between characters grow and develop throughout the book, and Wade grows in leaps and bounds.

If I was going to nag on a few things, it would be a bit of the predictability, while not essential to the enjoyment of the book, I would have liked a bit more “WTF?!” on my end. At times the plot felt a bit paint-by-numbers (despite the fantastic execution). Also, the tragedy that surrounds part of the plot around the halfway mark (vague due to spoilers), I felt that Wade perhaps got over it way too fast, even if he wasn’t close to those people. There was a brief paragraph or three about his feelings and then, basically nothing.

Those are small potatoes in the scheme of things. Ready Player One is a book I was pretty set to hate, and ended up really enjoying it. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close. As I said above, this book is an interesting marriage. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also pretty thought provoking. It works, and I’m really, really glad that I gave it a try. Cline’s passion is obvious with this book he’s written. The pages are infused with it. It’s absolutely addicting.

4/5 stars

The Magician King – Lev Grossman

About the Book

Return to Fillory in the riveting sequel to The New York Times bestseller and literary phenomenon of 2009–The Magicians.

The Magicians was praised as a triumph by readers and critics of both mainstream and fantasy literature. Now Grossman takes us back to Fillory, where the Brakebills graduates have fled the sorrows of the mundane world, only to face terrifying new challenges.

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall. After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom. Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent’s house in Chesterton, Massachusetts. And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them.

The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. It also introduces a powerful new voice, that of Julia, whose angry genius is thrilling. Once again Grossman proves that he is the cutting edge of literary fantasy.

400 pages (paperback)

Published on August 9, 2011

Published by Viking

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

—

It’s hard for me to believe that it took two tries for me to decide to give The Magicians a go. The first two times I, faded out for various reasons. The third time was the charm. I devoured that book, and learned that Lev Grossman has some incredible talent for writing. His books are just as exciting to read due to the prose as they are exciting due to the plot.

I just finished the audiobook version of The Magician King today, and I’m wondering why I put off reading (or listening) to it for so long.

The Magician King takes off about a few years after The Magicians end. Quentin and company are kings and queens of Fillory, but not all is bliss. Quentin is bored, and in search of a quest and some heroism to spice things up. That’s really the crux of the whole book, and the drive that really keeps things going.

In a lot of ways, this is a Quentin and Julia book. The book flips between Julia’s story of how she became who she’s becoming, and Quentin’s current adventure. They juxtapose each other quite well, and it’s interesting to see how the two storylines impact each other in some quite profound, and sometimes rather subtle (and not so subtle) ways. It also adds some nice context to their relationship, and their experiences in Fillory.

The Magician King is, at its heart, the traditional epic fantasy quest novel. There’s the hero, and his band of buddies, and they are all going off into the unknown to find the golden keys that will save the world(s). It’s all very fantastic, and works well to remind me of the things that attracted me to fantasy in the first place. Quests aren’t really done so much in our genre anymore, but it’s nice to see occasionally, especially when it is well done. Grossman does it really, really well.

The quest is compelling, and the relationship and background aspects I mentioned above really propel it into another realm of interesting. However, it’s the world building that really shines. The world of Fillory expands by orders of magnitude, and it’s full of lands and people that, if readers only learn about them in passing, are no less interesting for it. It’s quite amazing the kind of thought and effort Grossman put into creating a compelling, dynamic, and interesting secondary world.

As always, Lev Grossman could probably write a grocery list and I’d love to read it. He has a way with words, and world and character building that just does it for me. Plus, his plot is relentless, not just moving forward, but the past aspects as well. It’s compelling in just about every respect.

So what’s going to keep this from being a five-star read?

The ending didn’t really work for me, and I’m afraid to say more due to spoilers. Suffice it to say, I’m not exactly sure how they saved the world. That part of the ending felt more like a means to an end rather than something that actually made any logical sense to me. It was disappointing to get that far, and not be able to understand what exactly the keys were for, and how (insert spoilers here) worked. It felt more like a show that got characters to go from point A to point B.

The character evolution in that ending is absolutely fantastic. The group splits up. There’s a twist I didn’t expect (that confused me, but I’m pretty sure that’s where I’m supposed to be right now), and Quentin ends up, well, different than I expected him to end up. Grossman threw all the pieces in the air, and I honestly have no idea how they will land.

But that’s the thrill with this series. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I didn’t really expect anything that happened in The Magician King, and that’s what I loved. It’s rare that I find a book that endlessly surprises me these days. I just read too much, and I couldn’t really anticipate anything in this book. It was gripping, absorbing, relentless, and full of twists and intricacies that really impressed me.

Lev Grossman is a hell of an author, and this series is quite incredible.

 

4/5 stars

 

P.S. This audiobook is absolutely wonderful to listen to, probably one of the best that I’ve listened to.

Finn Fancy Necromancy – Randy Henderson

About the Book

Writers of the Future grand prize winner Randy Henderson presents a dark and quirky debut in Finn Fancy Necromancy.

Finn Gramaraye was framed for the crime of dark necromancy at the age of 15, and exiled to the Other Realm for twenty five years.  But now that he’s free, someone—probably the same someone—is trying to get him sent back.  Finn has only a few days to discover who is so desperate to keep him out of the mortal world, and find evidence to prove it to the Arcane Enforcers.  They are going to be very hard to convince, since he’s already been convicted of trying to kill someone with dark magic.

But Finn has his family: His brother Mort who is running the family necrotorium business now, his brother Pete who believes he’s a werewolf, though he is not, and his sister Samantha who is, unfortunately, allergic to magic.  And he’s got Zeke, a fellow exile and former enforcer, who doesn’t really believe in Finn’s innocence but is willing to follow along in hopes of getting his old job back.

368 pages (hardcover)

Published on February 10, 2015

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

Buy the book 

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

I have to admit, I had a hard time taking this book seriously based on the title. I put off reading it for a while. Then, when I was trying to organize my TBR pile, I ran across this one and realized that the book isn’t really supposed to be taken seriously. I mean, it is, but there’s a ton of humor in it, and that humor is reflected in the title.

Finn Fancy Necromancy is a humorous book, which can either be hit or miss depending on your sense of humor and the mood you’re in. If you want to read something epic and full of carnage, this probably isn’t the book you want to read.

Finn is a character that I loved instantly. He was sent into another realm for punishment and has spent the past twenty-five years there. The book starts when his release gets botched and things kind of snowball from there. Finn is determined to figure out who sent him to the Other Realm, and that’s really the crux of the matter, as that person is apparently trying to send him back there again.

Finn left the world in the 80’s, when he was fifteen, and he’s rejoining it during our time. It’s quite funny to see him cope with all the cultural and technological changes that have taken place in the time he’s been gone. Henderson deals with that quite well, and while Finn does adjust, it’s a lot of fun to watch him slip up, get confused, and slowly integrate into his new world.

Finn’s family is quite diverse, and incredibly colorful. They all have their own perspectives and points of view. Some of them you can trust easily, others you can’t, and some are just… weird. It’s fantastic and they add a wonderful juxtaposition to Finn’s voice, and the mystery and strain he’s wrapped up in.

In fact, much of Finn’s adventure, and all the humor and fun of it, is covering up just how tense, confused, and worried Finn really is. It’s easy to forget that, but there are moments when Finn’s voice stops being light and fun, and starts been deep and dark, and reminds readers that his adventure isn’t just an adventure, but he really is wrapped up in something deep, dark, and full of intense atmosphere.

The mystery is well done. I had my guesses as to the guilty party, but Henderson kept me from being certain until he did his ultimate reveal. The journey, however, pleased me more than the ending. Finn Fancy Necromancy is fast moving, exciting, and never really lets up.

Nothing is perfect, and Finn Fancy Necromancy could have used a bit more world building on the fantasy side of things. I would have liked more depth, detail, and information as to the magic system and the culture in that hidden world. Sometimes Henderson gets a little too excited about his terminology, and that can create some speed bumps in the work overall. Some of the humor felt forced, and sometimes it was a bit too much.

This is an easy book to read, and the prose is tight and flowing. The plot never lets up, and the humor is absolutely fantastic. Barring a few minor issues, this book was a lot of fun to read, and that surprised me. I’m not usually a person who is too into humor, but this time it worked. Henderson managed to keep it interesting, and keep me laughing and guessing at the same time.

Finn Fancy Necromancy felt like a homage to humor, a reminder to speculative fiction readers that not everything great needs to be absolutely, incredibly serious. It’s odd, different, weird, off-the-wall, but that’s part of its charm. Is there room for improvement? Yes, but if you’re in the mood for light, fun, quick urban fantasy, then make sure you check this one out.

 

3/5 stars

The Self-Published Blogger Challenge

First things first, it’s not me hosting this. It’s author Mark Lawrence.

This weekend, Mark contacted me and bounced his idea off of me regarding this self-published author/blogger challenge. We toyed with it back and forth a bit, and he, of course, perfected it. I volunteered right off the bat because it sounded like an amazing opportunity. In reality, I really want to read more self-published books, but it’s hard with all the books I get, unless I set specific time aside to read self-published books and make room for them.

Which is exactly what this project is going to do for me. I will get to read self-published books. I will get to give deserving authors some much needed attention, all attached to the powerhouse name Mark Lawrence. That’s exactly what I like to do. It’s why I keep this website working. It’s a win/win in a lot of respects.

This is definitely a project people should pay attention to.

Right now, Mark has received 165 books. He’s going to close off submissions on March 6. To read more about this project, click here. To read more about submissions, click here.

Self-published authors, in a lot of ways, face an uphill battle. I think Mark’s project is a valiant one, and I sincerely hope it will help those who have worked so hard and have submitted their works.

Rapid Reviews – The Pass/Fail Version

I’m behind on my reviewing, so in an effort to catch up I’m going to do a few rapid reviews of random books that I haven’t had time to talk about yet.

Remember in college when you could take a class and opt to either pass or fail it? No letter grade, just pass/fail. Well, that’s the idea here. A “Pass” is a book that’s worth reading (consider this a grade C or above – or in book terms, a 3-5 star read). A “Fail” is… well, you get the idea.

-–

Inside a Silver Box – Walter Mosely

Buy the book

This is my first attempt at a book written by this author. The writing is solid, and the idea is unique, but it just didn’t grip me. It felt pretty disjointed, and the long philosophical diatribes made this short book feel a lot longer than I expected it to feel, often overwhelming the plot. On its own, I would have probably enjoyed this book, but the tedium of it left me underwhelmed.

Grade: Fail

—

Armageddon Rules – J.C. Nelson

Buy the Book

This is the second book in the Grimm Agency series, and I have no idea why, but so far this series just doesn’t hit me right. It’s funny, light, with the right amount of mystery and tension. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this novel flawlessly balances a lot of elements in urban fantasy. The thing is, this series is based on a really fun premise, a world basically run by fairy godparents, complete with indentured servitude, class issues and more. So what doesn’t work for me? I don’t even know. Some books just don’t work for a person, and apparently this series is one of those for me.

Grade: Objectively, Pass.

Personally, Fail. 

—

Echo 8 – Sharon Lynn Fisher

Buy the book

Oddly enough, I’ve started to really enjoy Fisher’s take on science fiction romance. When I want to read something a little fluffier, she’s an author I turn to because I know the quality will always be excellent. Echo 8 is the third book of hers that I read, and it’s is a lot of fun while lacking some of the pizzazz of previous novels. Fisher keeps the novel moving forward at a good clip, the tension is thick, and the romance angle(s) is/are really well done in the framework of the world that Fisher has created. Perhaps the only downside to all of this is the fact that this book is a bit more romance heavy than her previous novels. That’s not really a bad thing, though. Fisher just keeps getting better and better.

Grade: Pass

—

The Whispering Swarm – Michael Moorcock

Buy the book

This is the first novel I’ve read by this author and it left me quite underwhelmed. The premise was wonderful, but the execution left me more frustrated than impressed. The writing felt disjointed, the plot felt fragmented, and the semi-autobiographical nature of the book left me feeling a bit… well, wanting something else. It’s not that Moorcock isn’t interesting, but I think I went into this expecting more of an easy flow, a plot that clicked a bit better than this did, and a novel that was more fantasy feeling. It took a while for this one to take off, and while the interest will manage to pull readers in, it takes some effort.

Grade: Pass

—

Housewitch – Katie Schickel

Buy the book

You know, I started this one not expecting to like it at all, and ended up far more enthralled than I thought I’d be. Yes, it is kind of campy. The magic is a little woo-woo, and the social structure felt surreal and unbelievable, and yes, the actual “mystery” of who is doing what is easy to figure out. It’s not those elements I loved. It was the kinship, family elements, and the general loving ties that pulled our protagonist through her trials that really got me. In some ways, the mother in me could absolutely relate to a lot of what Allison felt, and while I didn’t love a lot of this book, I really loved the heart that Schickel put into it.

Grade: Pass (which surprised me!)

—

Maplecroft – Cherie Priest

Buy the book

I loved this book.

Loved. It.

LOVED IT.

Grade: Pass (with flying colors. GIVE ME MORE!) 

—

 

Vision in Silver – Anne Bishop

About the Book

The Others freed the cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

400 pages (hardcover)

Published by Penguin

Published on March 3

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

Buy Murder of Crows

Buy Written in Red

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

The Others is a series that flew onto my radar a few years ago, and each installment seems to only make me a bigger fan. Vision in Silver was a book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, and I was thrilled when the publisher kindly sent me a copy to read and review early.

Before I continue, I should say that it is absolutely necessary for you to read the previous two books in the series before you read this one. Yes, it’s an investment of your time, but you’ll realize it is completely worth your time.

Vision in Silver takes off a little after Murder of Crows ends. Things seem to be hitting a little bit of an equilibrium at the Courtyard, but in an attempt to control her cutting, Meg decides to make a controlled cut. Of course she has a vision. At first, none of what she sees makes sense, but soon the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, which is half the thrill.

Vision in Silver has a bit of a different tone from the previous novels. Meg stops being the darling of the courtyard and starts making mistakes. The others that she lives with don’t know how to handle her. There’s a murder, which causes the humans to take a much, much larger role in the novel than they have in previous books, and the politics are intense, and almost overwhelming.

Furthermore, readers will learn a lot more about the cassandra sangue, as Meg starts to really explore what makes her tick. The pressure that the others, and the Intuits feel from taking in these women who have been lost, kicked out, and confused, adds another layer of pressure and heartbreak to an already tense situation.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, Vision in Silver is incredibly atmospheric, and absolutely packed with tension and layers for readers to explore. There are very few authors who can make me feel happy, and heartbroken in the same sentence, and Bishop is one of them. She pulls out all the tricks, and absolutely infuses her book with all of the emotions that she can possibly muster.

This book is a bit more political and personal than the previous books. Meg really has to explore who she is and how she works in an effort to help all of the other women who have been basically abandoned from their very sheltered (and abusive) lives. It’s heartbreaking to see the struggle that these women go through, and it’s incredibly humanizing, empowering, and heartbreaking to see Meg push herself so far, and so hard, to help women that she doesn’t even really know.

The struggle between the others and the humans is getting kicked up another notch. It’s obvious that Bishop is working toward something quite incredible in future books in the series. She’s spent the past two books really moving her players around, and ramping up the tension. The ending of Vision of Silver left me incredibly anxious to see what, exactly, she’s working toward. While I have my ideas, Bishop has quickly proven to me that she has a tendency to turn left when I expect her to turn right. Anything can happen, and with her ability to fill her books with so many layers, plots, and character intricacies really causes future happenings to be anyone’s guess.

But oh, will I love the surprise.

The character development works perfectly along with the political developments. Both seem to fuel the other, and push characters in some uncomfortable situations that forces them to grow and develop in unexpected ways. Meg was a powerful character before, but Vision in Silver humanizes her. Now she’s not just powerful, but she’s also fallible.

The mystery at the core of the novel is well done, and has a result that managed to surprise me despite myself. Though, to be honest, the mystery wasn’t the most compelling part of the book. It did, however, give humans a much bigger role than they have previously had, and gives the political conflicts between humans and others a more personal, and emotional ground.

Vision in Silver was quite a surprise. I loved the first two books in the series, but this one really shows just what a powerful author Bishop is. She flawlessly weaves together more plot threads than I thought possible, manages to keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats, and moves the plot toward…. something incredible, I’m sure.

 

5/5 stars

A Note for Publishers/Authors/Those who care | No More Netgalley

The title says it all. If you’re a publisher or an author who likes to send me Netgalley links, I won’t be using them anymore. Due to unending account issues, and my absolute frustration, I’m done with that system. I’m not going to be making new accounts, because it’ll just keep happening. I’m not willing to tinker with things – I’ve already done that. I’m done. Finished. It’s over. It was fun while it lasted but, all things must end.

So, no more Netgalley for Bookworm Blues.

I will still accept .mobi files, but you’ll have to actually send me the file because – no more Netgalley. As always, I will also be thrilled to get books in the mail.

There you go, folks. If you care, then make note.

Touch – Claire North

About the Book

Kepler had never meant to die this way — viciously beaten to death by a stinking vagrant in a dark back alley. But when reaching out to the murderer for salvation in those last dying moments, a sudden switch takes place.

Now Kepler is looking out through the eyes of the killer himself, staring down at a broken and ruined body lying in the dirt of the alley.

Instead of dying, Kepler has gained the ability to roam from one body to another, to jump into another person’s skin and see through their eyes, live their life — be it for a few minutes, a few months or a lifetime.

Kepler means these host bodies no harm — and even comes to cherish them intimately like lovers. But when one host, Josephine Cebula, is brutally assassinated, Kepler embarks on a mission to seek the truth — and avenge Josephine’s death.

432 pages (hardcover)

Published on February 24, 2015

Published by Orbit

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

Touch by Claire North is riveting.

Really, that’s all you need to know. This book will fascinate you. The plot is interesting, the world and mythology (I guess you can kind of call it “mythology”) is thought provoking. The characters are all so incredibly morally gray that readers like me, those who love those delicious gray areas, will fall in love instantly.

And oh, the nonstop action.

I blew through Touch in about a day because I simply could not put it down. I read it while I was recovering from surgery. If I hadn’t already been off work while I was reading it, I probably would have really, really thought about staying home to read that day.

Touch is based on the idea that ghosts continue living by taking over people’s bodies, flitting from one to the other. This causes some really interesting moral quandaries, not to mention some rather thoughtful sexual dimensions as well. What makes us who we are? In some very real ways these “ghosts” are individual people who transcend their bodies, but they also take on bits of everyone who hosts them. It’s a fascinating puzzle that North presents her readers. These individuals are not only fluid and changing, but dynamic and almost grotesquely driven to survive no matter what.

Our protagonist, Kepler, isn’t really male or female. Kepler’s gender and sexuality varies depending on which body he/she is inhabiting at the time, and while many of Kepler’s personality traits remain the same, there are parts of him that change depending on whose body he/she is inhabiting at the time. Kepler seems like a pretty nice entity – he tends to treat his hosts with courtesy, often offering them money or something else to better their circumstances.

Kepler is an easy person to love. However, it doesn’t take long for North to strip away all those things that makes Kepler look so good to readers. Kepler has done bad things in his/her past, and does some bad things in the present, as well, and he’s not ashamed of any of it. Kepler is incredibly morally gray, and how couldn’t he/she be? Kepler is an entity that survives purely because he is borrowing time, and some lifespan from (sometimes) perfect strangers.

And when you get to read the backstory, and meet some of the other characters that are in Kepler’s same situation, it’s easy to feel both sympathy for their plight, and absolute horror for how they survive and just how they impact lives.

That, right there, is the center of the whole book. On one hand, it’s survival. Grotesque survival, but still survival. On the other hand, it is the greatest form of theft. Who is right and who is wrong? It’s impossible to say. Even after reading the book I’m not sure where I stand on all of the questions that North poses readers. I can say that it is making me think, even after all this time.

Touch is a mystery. It starts out with a murder at a train station, and continues on with a wild high-stakes chase. Through much of the first half of the book, readers won’t really be sure what is going on. Much of that time is spent getting used to Kepler’s life and history, and the tension and strain of the current situation, often flipping between past and present. Until you get used to how the story is told, you might find yourself confused, but it quickly sorts itself out.

Half of the thrill is the plot as it unwinds, and the other half is trying to puzzle out Kepler and those like him, and just how they fit into the world we live in. It’s quite an intricate dance that North has created, an she strikes the balance perfectly. The plot is quick moving, and so full of atmosphere and tension that you’ll be on the edge of your seat. The book might start kind of slow, but it’s no less interesting and absorbing for it. This is a very complex work, and it takes time to build up all the nuances and details. That attention to detail really pays off in the end.

Touch is absolutely phenomenal. It is an intricate, edge-of-your-seat book that is unforgettable. It is thought provoking in ways that I never really expected or anticipated, ad toys with that moral gray area that I love so much. This is one of those books that I’ll want to read again pretty soon to catch all of the nuances that I might have missed before.

My final thoughts:

Read this book. Read it now.

 

5/5 stars

Infinity Bell – Devon Monk

About the Book

Return to national bestselling author Devon Monk’s heartpounding House Immortal series, where eleven powerful Houses control the world and all its resources. But now, the treaty between them has been broken, and no one—not even the immortal galvanized—is safe….

Matilda Case isn’t normal. Normal people aren’t stitched together, inhumanly strong, and ageless, as she and the other galvanized are. Normal people’s bodies don’t hold the secret to immortality—something the powerful Houses will kill to possess. And normal people don’t know that they’re going to die in a few days.

Matilda’s fight to protect the people she loves triggered a chaotic war between the Houses and shattered the world’s peace. On the run, she must find a way to stop the repeat of the ancient time experiment that gifted her and the other galvanized with immortality. Because this time, it will destroy her and everything she holds dear.

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of lies, betrayal, and unseen foes, Matilda must fight to save the world from utter destruction. But time itself is her enemy, and every second brings her one step closer to disaster….

368 pages (paperback)

To be published on March 3, 2015

Published by Roc

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

Buy House Immortal

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

Devon Monk has quickly turned into one of my favorite urban fantasy authors. In fact, I think within a year I’ve read almost all of her books, and she’s on my instant-read list. Every time a new book by Monk is released, I’m there. She’s a hell of a writer, and has a knack for creating deep, interesting characters that grab you and refuse to let go.

Infinity Bell is the second book in Monk’s House Immortal series. It will be published on March 3, which gives new readers enough time to pick up the first book in the series, which is called House Immortal, before starting this one. Trust me, you’ll want to move right on to Infinity Bell without stopping.

Infinity Bell starts off a bare hiccup of time after House Immortal ends. Matilda and company are licking their wounds, trying to find somewhere to hide, and trying to figure out how things from the previous book worked out and how they will fix their immediate dilemma, which involves saving all of the galvanized from their impending deaths.

It’s a lot to have on anyone’s plate, and Matilda shoulders most of the burden to keep those she loves free from her worry and stress. While it doesn’t really work out that way, it’s interesting to see her really grow into herself, and become a strong, capable, and powerful woman despite the political, mental, physical, and emotional odds she’s facing.

If there’s something that sets Infinity Bell apart from House Immortal, it’s the depth and complexity of emotion. This book deals with huge wells of grief, distrust, friendship, love, and fear. The relationships are just about as interesting as the plot itself. Furthermore, the relationships work well toward giving readers new and well-rounded insights into who these people really are.

The plot moves incredibly quickly. It’s quite edge-of-your-seat, and Monk flawlessly keeps all of the parts of this intricate political and personal dance moving forward like a well-oiled machine. There’s a lot of action, and a constant level of tension that will keep you from being able to put the book down. Society is explored, and the political tensions are just half of it. We are introduced to a vast and sprawling black market and underground that gives the world Monk has created a lot more dynamic and appeal. Things aren’t one-dimensional. They never really were, but Infinity Bell absolutely pushes this world into new and fascinating territory.

The ending left me reeling, and I’m incredibly disappointed that I’ll have to wait to see what happens next. That being said, what Matilda has to do to get to that ending felt a bit rushed. So much of the book was buildup for that, and the whole climactic drama only lasted a few pages. They were good pages, but all that buildup for just a few pages left me feeling a bit unbalanced.

And that really is the part of the book that disappointed me the most. So much happened to get to that ending thing (which I can’t really get into because I don’t want to give anything away), and then that ending thing didn’t last that long. The book itself felt like it was exactly the right length, but it did feel a bit unbalanced.

However, that shouldn’t keep you from reading this series. The first book was wonderful, but this book really set its own pace, and made this world and these characters something wholly unique. The pace is breakneck, and the plot is twisted, full of emotions and betrayals. It’ll keep you guessing, and then the ending will leave you reeling.

Devon Monk has done it again. I think it is impossible for this author to do anything but impress me.

 

4/5 stars