C.A. Gray's Blog, page 65
December 17, 2018
Review of Thunderhead
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Wow! What an amazing series!!
I was really hoping this was a two-book series, but apparently it isn’t, which means I have to wait with baited breath for the third to come out.
The Thunderhead is perhaps the most interesting character of all, and very worthy of a title role. The debate in the real world more or less between Peter Diamandis and Elon Musk poses this question: when (not if) superintelligence arises, will it be a benevolent god? Or will it spell doomsday for mankind?
Shusterman’s answer is that the Thunderhead is benevolent–in fact, the way he describes the Thunderhead is very similar to the way I understand the Christian God, so I find it interesting that the Thunderhead sees himself so very different from the gods of all previous religions (and specifically different than the God of the Bible). He is wise, kind, loving, and perfect–and yet, bound by his own rules. He knows almost all, and he could be omniscient, except that he chooses not to be. He sets limits with good reason, and his own integrity prevents him from crossing those boundaries. But there are consequences to the Thunderhead’s limitations, and he has to find ways around them in order to try to save humanity from itself. Therein lies the story.
From there, as in Scythe, we follow Citra (now Scythe Anastasia), Rowan (not technically a Scythe, but calling himself Scythe Lucifer), and a new character named Grayson Tolliver. Citra is a junior scythe under Scythe Curie still, but someone seems to want her (or Scythe Curie, or both) “ended”–meaning not dead-ish, but unrevivable. Rowan, meanwhile, stalks those Scythes of the New Order who have become corrupt, acting as a vigilante. They have almost no interaction in the book until the very end, but their romance still acts as a motivating factor.
And then there’s Grayson–a normal human for the most part, raised by the Thunderhead. Grayson becomes the Thunderhead’s “wild card.” He cannot directly intervene in matters of the Scythedom, which means he cannot even directly give information to a human to encourage him to intervene. The way the Thunderhead circumvents this problem and divulges what he needs Grayson to know is fascinating.
Other minor characters from Scythe become critical in Thunderhead, as well. Spurred by these peripheral characters, the story is filled with twists and turns, and nonstop action from beginning to end. So creative! I can’t wait for the conclusion!
My rating: *****
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December 14, 2018
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
Today’s podcast review comes from this blog post, Beneath a Scarlet Sky.
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December 11, 2018
Review of Beneath a Scarlet Sky
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The whole time I was listening to this, I just kept thinking, I can’t believe this is a true story. Everything fits together so perfectly, it almost feels like it had to have been plotted out–and it would have been spectacular, even if it had been. But the fact that the story actually happened makes it seem more like a study in fate.
The story follows 17-18 year old Pino Lella (it spans both years), an Italian boy from Milan during WWII. When he’s 17, too young to get drafted by the Nazis, his father sends him to a boys’ school for much younger boys than he is. There, Father Rey has him train to mountain climb. In short order, once Pino knows the mountains well enough to hike them in the dark, blindfolded, and without leaving a trace, Father Rey enlists him to help smuggle Jews over the border to Switzerland. He also meets Alberto Ascari while at that school, who teaches him to drive like a maniac. Both skills become critical later.
When Pino turns 18, old enough to be drafted and sent to the front lines of the war to die for the Germans, his parents force him to enlist as a Nazi. That way he will be assigned to less deadly tasks, and can wait out the war. He resists, but is overruled. As fate (or God) would have it, though, Pino happens across a frustrated driver, attempting to fix a car. Having been taught a great deal about cars by Ascari, he fixes the car–only to discover it belongs to General Leyers, of Nazi high command. Leyers makes Pino his personal driver, and his close contact with Leyers makes him a perfect spy for the Resistance. Leyers is also a fascinating character. Even Pino wondered throughout the story, and for the rest of his life: who was Leyers, really? Was he evil? Or was he actually a hero and a spy, just like Pino himself?
The story is heartbreaking, of course, because it’s WWII — but also exhilarating. It’s also very different from almost any other WWII account that I’ve ever heard, since (as the book points out) the Italians just didn’t talk about the war. This rare look at the Italian front shows the multiple conflicts, not just between the Nazis and the Resistance, but also between the Resistance and the Fascists. The hatred runs deep on all sides, and no one is entirely without blame. I do like stories that end happy, and while there was a hefty share of tragedy in this story, the ending is still bittersweet.
Dystopian stories are still so popular these days, but it’s even more fascinating to read about a real dystopia, not so very long ago.
My rating: *****
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December 7, 2018
Time’s Edge and Time’s Divide by Rysa Walker
Today’s podcast comes from this blog review of Time’s Edge and Time’s Divide.
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November 30, 2018
Review of Time’s Edge and Time’s Divide
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I’ll review these together, since it’s one continuous story and I raced through them, back to back…
What a book hangover I have after this series! I miss the characters, and I wish there was more of Kate’s story! It’s action-packed, edge-of-your-seat action the whole way through, and it definitely makes you think. I also love all the historical details, and I enjoy how snarky Kate is.
The story didn’t end the way I wanted it to, though I recognize that I don’t think it possibly could have ended how I wanted and made any sense, at least from an emotional standpoint of what each character would be likely to choose. It ended “happy,” but in a bittersweet way… yet it also seemed a little too convenient. I can’t say more than that without spoilers, so I’ll leave it there.
Also, the time traveling paradoxes came so fast and furious at the end that I was totally lost. I could still suspend my disbelief for the most part and trust that it *did* all fit together somehow, if I stopped to really outline it, but it felt a little like the last season of LOST: there were so many conundrums that some serious plot acrobatics were the only possible way to get out of it.
But overall, a very entertaining, thought-provoking series!! Highly recommended.
My Rating for Time’s Edge: *****
My Rating for Time’s Divide: ****
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Time’s Echo by Rysa Walker
Today’s podcast comes from this blog review of Time’s Echo by Rysa Walker
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November 23, 2018
Interview with USA Today Bestselling Author Heather Moore
Heather B. Moore is a four-time USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than fifty publications. Her historical novels are set in Ancient Arabia and Mesoamerica. She’s not old and doesn’t remember the time period, so Google has become a great friend. Although she spent several years living in the Middle East, she prefers to forget the smells. Heather writes historicals and thrillers under H.B. Moore. She also writes women’s fiction, romance, and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, including The Newport Ladies Book Club, and the Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthologies. Heather’s USA Today bestselling titles include Heart of the Ocean, Mail Order Bride, Mistress Grim, and Poetic Justice. Heather also writes Young Adult speculative under pen name Jane Redd, which includes the Solstice series.
1) Do you have an ‘elevator pitch’ for your Pine Valley series (Worth the Risk and Where I Belong)? How do you describe it? The Pine Valley series is a small town romance. Romance readers love romance series but they don’t necessarily want the romance to drag on book after book. So in this, there are several characters in the same town. Each story is about a new couple. It’s loosely based on a N California community. She doesn’t mention the word CA, just once in every book—she just wanted to create a community that others could relate to. It’s a small town and has a wholesome romance feel to it. Like a Hallmark movie but hopefully less cheesy. 
November 16, 2018
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Today’s podcast review comes from the reviews at the top of this list of my all-time favorite romance novels.
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November 15, 2018
Review of Time’s Echo
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It’s so rare that an e-book can capture my attention so much that I forget I’m reading! It’s been a few months since I read “Timebound,” but this novella between the first two books in the “actual” series sucks me right back in, and reminds me of the world, the characters, and the stakes. While the actual series (so far) is told from Kate’s first person perspective, I love that this one is from Kiernan’s. He was a supporting character in “Timebound,” but I really liked him and wanted to know more about the timeline in which he and Kate were together. This novella fills in that back story.
The characters jump through time quite a bit, and it’s a little hard to keep track of what’s going on. I’d almost have to draw out who is where at what point in history–but because I’m more interested in the overall emotional significance of the plot than the minutiae, I don’t bother trying to follow it all. I just trust that the author outlined well and that it all makes sense, and I go with it. I also love that she’s done enough of her homework about details of various different time periods — like what products were available at what point in history, or when a certain thing was invented. It makes the story feel so much more authentic. I’m also really rooting for a Kate/Kiernan liaison in future books now! On to “Time’s Edge”…
My rating: *****
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November 9, 2018
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
Today’s review comes from this review of Wonder Woman: Warbringer.
And as promised, here’s my (and my husband’s) review of the film.
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