C.A. Gray's Blog, page 42
January 29, 2021
Review of Broken Veil
I’m so glad I finished this series after all! As before, I can’t really review this book without spoilers, so be forewarned…
While I understand that Prism Cloud had to perpetuate the conflict if the series was not completely over, I REALLY didn’t like the conflict it created, and it led me to believe that my favorite character was hopelessly irredeemable. Thankfully that was not the case: it did not take very long for Cettie to become disillusioned and for the proverbial scales to fall from her eyes in this book. But because she had betrayed so many while she was still deceived, she felt that she could never truly be forgiven, which created a new conflict that lasted until the end of this book. This was a conflict I could bear much better, though. I loved how Cettie’s story also intersected with some of the main characters from the Kingfountain series, and how, like Trynne, she too becomes an Oath Maiden. I’m so glad Cettie’s power and skills are fully realized and put in service of goodness.
While Sera does get to marry Trevon, they are separated before they can consummate the marriage, and it looks as though all hope is lost for them as well, even as she takes on her role as Empress. She also learns at the end of Prism Cloud that she has been the subject of a dreadful prophecy, that she will do something which will essentially trigger the apocalypse. This raises the always fascinating question of whether or not one has true free will, when a prophecy foretells what one will do? In this case, it is resolved in a very interesting and rather unexpected way, and what transpires appears to be more or less a retelling of parts of the biblical book of Revelation.
That said–the story ends with a happily ever after for everyone involved, at least “for now.” I fully expect another series from Wheeler, set in the same world, but about 1000 years in the future for the final installment!
My rating: *****
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Violence: fantasy only
Political content: fantasy only
The post Review of Broken Veil appeared first on C.A. Gray.
Grant by Ron Chernow
Today’s podcast comes from this blog review of Grant by Ron Chernow.
The post Grant by Ron Chernow appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 22, 2021
Prism Cloud by Jeff Wheeler
Today’s podcast comes from this blog review of Prism Cloud by Jeff Wheeler.
The post Prism Cloud by Jeff Wheeler appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 20, 2021
Review of The Ickabog
I’m so happy JK Rowling wrote something else in the children’s fantasy genre!
This reads like an allegory, and for the first 2/3 of the book I was nearly sure it was a morality tale about current political events. The Ickabog is (supposedly) a fictional creature from bedtime stories. But then political schemers decide that it would behoove them to convince the people that it is real–so that they can control the people by fear, and impose a tax that impoverishes a once prosperous nation. Those dissenters who bring forth evidence that the Ickabog does not exist are mocked, shunned, threatened, and murdered– and then their deaths are blamed on the Ickabog.
(At this point I had to stop and google when she wrote this. While it came out in 2020, I found an interview in which she said she wrote it 10 years ago, and for some reason sat on it until this year, when she finally published. She specifically stated that it is not meant to parallel anything happening today.)
The very end of the story takes a different turn. One of the primary rules of literature is (I think) that if the reader is set up to expect one thing for almost the entire story, you can’t just deliver what they will expect. You need to subvert their expectations, or they will consider the ending a let-down. While the ending is still predictable, particularly for those who enjoyed “Fantastic Creatures” and who are familiar with Hagrid’s fascination with such creatures in “Harry Potter,” it’s different than the setup for most of the story.
Many reviews I read said that this isn’t a children’s story, and I agree. The narrative voice is very young, but the subject matter is dark and grisly. I’d say it’s suitable for older kids than the narrative voice might suggest. Definitely entertaining, though: I finished it very quickly.
My rating: ****
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Violence: lots of murder and cruelty, though it could be more graphic than it is
Political content: questionable? I’m not sure I believe publication this year is total coincidence.
The post Review of The Ickabog appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 15, 2021
Iron Garland by Jeff Wheeler
This week’s podcast review comes from this blog review of Iron Garland.
The post Iron Garland by Jeff Wheeler appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 12, 2021
Review of Grant
Wow. This book was truly incredible. It was so long that I feel like Grant is my friend now, and I miss him! An amazing portrait of a great man. Grant, as portrayed by Chernow, was such a humble, likable, good person. His biggest flaw was that he was too trusting, and this was the reason that his presidency was embroiled in scandal, even though he himself was involved in none of it. He believed the best of everyone, to a fault. His early life was very unassuming, and it’s rather stunning that he went from obscurity and poverty to being the most famous man in the country for a season. I really enjoyed watching how a guy like him handled his sudden fame. He wore it so well.
I also really loved the portrayal of his relationship with Lincoln, even though of course that necessarily ended about halfway through the book. They had a genuine friendship, and Lincoln too had such a heart of gold. The scenes of his funeral moved me to tears.
I am particularly glad that I read “Grant” at this time, when there is so much chaos happening in the present political arena. It serves as a good reminder that we as a nation have been in far worse times than we are now, and come through them well, at least ultimately. It puts things in perspective.
One big down side of reading a biography, though, is that it necessarily ends in death, if it covers the person’s entire life. I don’t care to read excruciating details of illness, and always avoid such endings in fiction if I can.
My rating: *****
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Violence: there are descriptions of war that are rather graphic, and descriptions of cancer at the end. But it tells only what it must.
Political content: historical only
The post Review of Grant appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 8, 2021
Kenley Davidson: Author of the Andari Chronicles
Kenley Davidson is a fantasy and science fiction author who loves to write clean romance, complex characters, and surprising plot twists. Her worlds (both real and imagined) are largely fueled by coffee, more coffee, and books (plus the occasional cup of tea). She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband, two kids and two dogs, and believes everything is better with dragons.
Kenley is the author of The Andari Chronicles, Conclave Worlds, and Legends of Abreia, her brand new fantasy romance series.
She also writes sweet contemporary romance under the pseudonym Kacey Linden.
Find out more about her at kenleydavidson.com
The post Kenley Davidson: Author of the Andari Chronicles appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 7, 2021
Review of Prism Cloud
Sigh… I was afraid of this. If I kept reading, the happy ending from book 3 would be reversed, since it wasn’t the end of the series, and Jeff Wheeler doesn’t necessarily go for happily ever afters. This isn’t the end of the series either, and yet, now I’m afraid to read on. I might actually read spoiler reviews just to help me decide whether or not to waste my time and my emotional energy!
There were lots of curve balls in this one. (Skip to avoid spoilers, as I really don’t know how to review this book without spoilers.) Cettie learns that she is the natural daughter of Lady Corinne, which is quite predictable once one realizes that we’re reading a semi-retelling of “Bleak House.” Lady Corinne also brainwashes her to come over to the dark side more or less, which is the WORST. I understand that stories need tension, but there are certain kinds of tension that I just cannot abide. One is misunderstandings between characters that drive a wedge in otherwise good relationships. Another is deception causing a good character to turn bad. Only in this case, it’s not entirely clear that she’s gone bad… suddenly in this story, we’re led to believe that the Kishion and the Hatayra, both of whom had seemed unequivocally “evil” up until this point, perhaps aren’t as bad as they seemed. I can handle mitigating circumstances that lend sympathy to a villain, but not a complete reversal like this. Suddenly Cettie, who had been my favorite character and who started her early life completely alone, is again isolated from everyone who has ever loved her–but sort of by her own choice, even though it appears that she’s been deceived. She believes that the Knowing (essentially God in this story) has forsaken her, and so she chooses to side with what she once considered to be the enemy. I don’t know where Wheeler is going with this, but even if she comes to realize she was deceived, it seems she’s driven an irrevocable wedge between herself and everyone who loves her. And she actually told Adam she didn’t want to be with him anymore, after loving him all her life! I had worried that Adam would somehow end up with Anna after all, and now I’m pretty sure that’s where this is going. Cettie will end up alone. I HATE that, and I won’t read on if the reviews suggest to me that this is what happens.
Sera, meanwhile, finds her life in a complete reversal as well–but in a good way. At first I thought Cettie was set up to marry Sera’s true love instead, and if that happened I’d have stopped listening in the middle of the story. But fortunately at least that did not materialize! Sera gets everything she ever wanted, except not at all under the circumstances she wanted. She finds herself married to Trevon, and empress, but in the middle of a war with Kingfountain against her new husband. And Lady Corinne is behind it all.
I do want to see Lady Corinne get hers, but not enough to watch Cettie lose everything she’s ever loved. So I may or may not continue to read.
My rating: ***
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Violence: fantasy only
Political content: fantasy only
The post Review of Prism Cloud appeared first on C.A. Gray.
January 1, 2021
Mirror Gate
This week’s podcast review comes from this blog review of Mirror Gate.
The post Mirror Gate appeared first on C.A. Gray.
December 31, 2020
Review of Iron Garland
Ah! This one was so satisfying, I almost wish it was the last in the series (even though it didn’t all get wrapped up yet).
The stories of Sera and Cettie continue, though this story follows more quickly on the heels of the previous one–they are still young women, about the same age as in the last book. Sera is no longer in the running as empress, and her father has been named. She may have the chance of being “rehabilitated” after her fall from grace and reinstated into the line of succession after her father–but he is courting the powerful and newly widowed Lady Corinne. Sera realizes that if he has another heir, he will not want her in the picture complicating matters. So he tries to send her to Kingfountain to form an alliance with their prince. I love how the Prince of Kingfountain comes into the story, though: it’s the BEST. I was immediately rooting for the two of them, which was surprising since this is exactly what Sera’s evil father wants.
Meanwhile, Cettie continues to grow in her powers. It turns out that she is the Harbinger, or the one who gets visions of the future which she passes along to her almost-father Fitzroy, the head of the Ministry of Wind. When she reveals this to her family, her visions help to guide her family through trials as they cling to the promise that things are not always what they seem. She also meets a very rude young man named Rand from a nearby manor who has a traumatic backstory, and I pegged him as a romantic interest for Cettie as soon as he came on the scene and groaned inwardly. One thing about Wheeler’s stories: you can’t always bank on a happily ever after the way you expect it to turn out. More often than not he throws curve balls. I really wanted Cettie to end up with Adam Creigh, despite the love triangle with her almost-sister Anna. As Rand grew increasingly sympathetic, I started to resign myself… and though I want to avoid spoilers, I’ll just say I did not see coming what happened next. But it was fantastic.
Also, as I read this book, I was reminded on multiple occasions of “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens. Sure enough, the afterword confirmed that Wheeler intended this to be a loose retelling! I felt very special. 
