Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 227

11 Literary Sidekicks to Enjoy on DR. Watson’s Birthday

We all know the hero of the story isn’t always the one who is the qualified leader of the pack. Those under-appreciated sidekicks like Samwise and Hermione often hold the story together like glue, and barely ever receive the praise they deserve.  We all know there would be no Frodo without Samwise. No Harry without Ron, and certainly no Sherlock without Watson. We can’t live without their witty humor, ridiculous stunts, and unconditional love (or hate) for the hero. They, more often than not, make the story great.On this momentous occasion of one of literatures most well-known and down trodden sidekick, I’ve put together a list of my favorite comrades in arms for your reading enjoyment.Who are your favorite sidekicks? share them with me in the comments below.  1.       Sherlock Holmes – Dr. John Watson. 2.       Harry Potter (any and all of them) – Ron and Hermione 3.       Percy Jackson and the lightning thief – Grover 4.       Lord of the Rings – Samwise Gamgee 5.       Princess Bride – Inigo Montoya 6.       A Court of Thorns and Roses – Rhysand 7.       Outlander – Jamie Frasier 8.       Sabriel – Mogget the cat 9.       Amber Sky – Sawyer 10.   Garden of Thorns – Rayce 11.   Divergent - Four  


 

#BookReview | Indigo by Charlaine Harris

Title: IndigoBy: Charlaine Harris Genre: Paranormal Pages: 352Release Date: June 20th,2017Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Audience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Investigative reporter Nora Hesper spends her nights cloaked in shadows. As Indigo, she's become an urban myth, a brutal vigilante who can forge darkness into weapons and travel across the city by slipping from one patch of shadow to another. Her primary focus both as Nora and as Indigo has become a murderous criminal cult called the Children of Phonos. Children are being murdered in New York, and Nora is determined to make it stop, even if that means Indigo must eliminate every member. But in the aftermath of a bloody battle, a dying cultist makes claims that cause Indigo to question her own origin and memories.

Nora's parents were killed when she was nineteen years old. She took the life insurance money and went off to explore the world, leading to her becoming a student of meditation and strange magic in a mountaintop monastery in Nepal...a history that many would realize sounds suspiciously like the origins of several comic book characters. As Nora starts to pick apart her memory, it begins to unravel. Her parents are dead, but the rest is a series of lies. Where did she get the power inside her?

In a brilliant collaboration by New York Times and critically acclaimed coauthors Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Kelley Armstrong, Jonathan Maberry, Kat Richardson, Seanan McGuire, Tim Lebbon, Cherie Priest, James Moore, and Mark Morris join forces to bring you a crime-solving novel like you've never read before.
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Review: There was a lot going on with this book. It was written by multiple writers, hence the story had multiple ways of being told. I liked the story though. A girl who has a demon living inside of her that makes her turn into a killer. Awesome! At times I had a hard time following the story. There was so much action and things going on. It was like a new story every chapter. With that being said, I was involved in the story the whole time and enjoyed the read. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black

Title: Ninth City BurningBy: J. Patrick BlackGenre: FantasyPages: 482Release Date: September 6th, 2016Publisher: AceAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Centuries of war with aliens threaten the future of human civilization on earth in this gripping, epic science fiction debut...We never saw them coming.Entire cities disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but dust and rubble. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it—until we discovered we could wield the power too.Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. The talented few capable of bending thelemity to their will are trained in elite military academies, destined for the front lines. Those who refused to support the war have been exiled to the wilds of a ruined Earth.But the enemy's tactics are changing, and Earth's defenders are about to discover this centuries-old war has only just begun. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back.  Add on Goodreads

Review: I'm sorry, but sometimes a book just doesn't so it for me. I couldn't get through this one. I felt so ran down by all the talk about war tactics that I couldn't even make it half way through. It might be that I was having a hard time concentrating today, or the fact that I'm kind of in a book slump. This one just didn't do it. I'm going to put it on my DNF list and try it again at a later date.

#AuthorInterview with Anthony Ryan @writer_anthony

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Anthony Ryan author of The Legion of Flame. Hi Anthony, thank you for agreeing to this interview. So, what have you written? 
The Waking Fire - The Draconis Memoria Book I The Legion of Flame - The Draconis Memoria Book I 
Blood Song - Raven's Shadow Book I  Tower Lord - Raven’s Shadow Book II Queen of Fire - Raven’s Shadow Book III  The Lord Collector - A Raven’s Shadow Novella The Lady of Crows - A Raven’s Shadow Novella A Duel of Evils - A Raven’s Shadow Short Story 
Slab City Blues  (Slab City Blues Vol. I) A Song for Madame Choi (Slab City Blues Vol. II) A Hymn to Gods Long Dead  (Slab City Blues Vol. III) The Ballad of Bad Jack  (Slab City Blues Vol. IV) An Aria for Ragnarok  (Slab City Blues Vol. V) 
I've had the opportunity to read The Waking Fire and The Legion of Flame. I can't wait to dive into your other series.
Where can we buy or see them?  Links to where to buy any of my books are on my website: anthonyryan.net. 
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? My current series has an ensemble cast but most readers seem to like Lizanne Lethridge the most. She's an industrial espionage agent who gains magic powers by drinking dragon blood.  
I'm super into magic and dragons. I think that's why I loved this series so much.
What are you working on at the moment? I'm currently enjoying some downtime after finishing the third and final book in the Draconis Memoria series. I'll soon be starting work on another novella set in my Raven's Shadow world. 
I can't wait to get my hands on both of these.
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book? I think Emily Blunt would make a great Lizanne. 
I can see that. Love Emily Blunt.
When did you decide to become a writer? As soon as I found out it was an actual job. I think I was about eight. 
If this book is part of a series, tell us a little about it? The Draconis Memoria is a secondary world fantasy set in a world at a mid-19th century level of development where a select number of people gain magical powers by drinking dragon blood.  
Do you read much and  if so, who are your favorite authors? I read a lot, though not as much as I used to, probably an age thing. I read a variety of genres, David Gemmell being my favourite fantasy author. I also enjoy the crime novels of James Ellroy, the sci-fi of William Gibson, amongst many others. 
What book/s are you reading at present? I'm currently reading 'The Great Ordeal' by R. Scott Bakker. 
What advice would you give to your younger self? Stop distracting yourself and write more. 
I love this. Maybe I should tattoo this on my forehead.
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? The Lord of the Rings, I'd never need to work again. 
Agreed.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?  Concentrate on finishing your stories rather than fixating on daily word counts. Also, read a lot and remember that every writer you ever heard of is someone who chose not to give up. 
How can readers discover more about you and you work? They can visit my website or follow me on Twitter: @writer_anthony 
Thank you Anthony for stopping by Confessions. I've enjoyed reading your responses to my questions and am really excited to pick up some of your other reads. 

#BookReview | The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Title: The Bedlam Stacks
By: Natasha PulleyGenre: Historical FictionPages: 336Release Date: August 1st, 2017Publisher:  Bloomsbury USAAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: In 1859, ex-East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne is trapped at home in Cornwall after sustaining an injury that almost cost him his leg and something is wrong; a statue moves, his grandfather’s pines explode, and his brother accuses him of madness.
When the India Office recruits Merrick for an expedition to fetch quinine—essential for the treatment of malaria—from deep within Peru, he knows it’s a terrible idea. Nearly every able-bodied expeditionary who’s made the attempt has died, and he can barely walk. But Merrick is desperate to escape everything at home, so he sets off, against his better judgment, for a tiny mission colony on the edge of the Amazon where a salt line on the ground separates town from forest. Anyone who crosses is killed by something that watches from the trees, but somewhere beyond the salt are the quinine woods, and the way around is blocked.

Surrounded by local stories of lost time, cursed woods, and living rock, Merrick must separate truth from fairytale and find out what befell the last expeditions; why the villagers are forbidden to go into the forest; and what is happening to Raphael, the young priest who seems to have known Merrick’s grandfather, who visited Peru many decades before. The Bedlam Stacks is the story of a profound friendship that grows in a place that seems just this side of magical. 
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Review: My first impression of this book was that it was slow, almost like walking through mud, but it quickly turned around. Natasha Pulley pulls you into a into an old world full of adventure and wonder. I loved how Peru became so real to me. Absolutely loved it.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Halls of Law by V.M. Escalada

Title: Halls of LawBy: V.M. EscaladaGenre: FantasyPages: ?Release Date: August 1st, 2017Publisher: Daw BooksAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: The Faraman Polity was created by the first Luqs, and has been ruled for generations by those of the Luqs bloodline. It is a burgeoning empire maintained by the combined efforts of the standing military force and the Talents of the Halls of Law. While the military preserves and protects, it is the Halls' Talents—those gifted from birth with magical abilities—who serve as the agents and judges of the Law. For no one can successfully lie to a Talent. Not only can they read people by the briefest of physical contacts, but they can also read objects, able to find information about anyone who has ever come into direct contact with that object. Thanks to the Talents and the career military, the Polity has long remained a stable and successful society. But all that is about to change.

Seventeen-year-old Kerida Nast has always wanted a career in the military, just like the rest of her family. So when her Talent is discovered, and she knows she'll have to spend the rest of her life as a psychic for the Halls of Law, Ker isn't happy about it. Anyone entering the Halls must give up all personal connection with the outside world, losing their family and friends permanently. Just as Kerida is beginning to reconcile herself to her new role, the Polity is invaded by strangers from Halia, who begin a systematic campaign of destruction against the Halls, killing every last Talent they can find.

Kerida manages to escape, falling in with Tel Cursar, a young soldier fleeing the battle, which saw the deaths of the royal family. Having no obvious heir to the throne, no new ruler to rally behind, the military leaders will be divided, unable to act quickly enough to save the empire. And with the Halls being burned to the ground, and the Talents slaughtered, the Rule of Law will be shattered. 

To avoid the invaders, Kerida and Tel are forced to enter old mining tunnels in a desperate attempt to carry word of the invaders to Halls and military posts that have not yet been attacked. But the tunnels hide a dangerous secret, a long-hidden colony of Feelers—paranormal outcasts shut away from the world for so long they are considered mythical. These traditional enemies of the Halls of Law welcome Kerida, believing she fulfills a Prophecy they were given centuries before by the lost race of griffins. With the help of these new allies, Kerida and Tel stand a chance of outdistancing the invaders and reaching their own troops. However, that is only the start of what will become a frantic mission to learn whether any heir to the throne remains, no matter how distant in the bloodline. Should they discover such a person, they will have to find the heir before the Halian invaders do. For if the Halians capture the future Luqs, it will spell the end of the Faraman Polity and the Rule of Law.
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Review: When I pick up a new fantasy novel, I really want it to stand out. With this book, it was good, but nothing I hadn't read before. I loved the whole Halls of Law vibe. It reminded me of Robert Jordan's A New Spring, with all the classes of magic and how they have to learn to wield their power. I also enjoyed the characters. They showed a lot of depth and class through the whole story. I gave the book three stars because I was entertained through the whole book, but I was hoping for something more.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Wild Zoo Train by Carmela LaVigna Coyle

Title: Wild Zoo TrainBy: Carmela LaVigna CoyleGenre: Picture BookPages: 16Release Date: November 1st, 2017Publisher: Muddy BootsAudience: Children
Summary from Goodreads: The next classic for your adventurous child's library! A zoo train full of children takes a mysterious turn into the wilds. As each train trip becomes more and more wild, curious children observe the whimsical world around them! Written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, the bestselling author of the Do Princesses... series, and illustrated by Steve Gray, of There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed A Flea fame, Wild Zoo Train takes readers on a wild, animal-filled adventure through canyons, jungles, the arctic poles, and more! 
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Review: This book was so fun, my three year old wanted me to read it over and over again. The story was entertaining, with a mix of rhyme and verse. My favorite part was the art. Loved the penguins and the sloth. This book was really well done and I'm sure my son will be begging me to read it all summer. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#WeeklyMenu Week 204

Happy July! I can't believe its the first week of July already. I probably say that every month, but its true. 
We survived the first two weeks of summer break and only have like ten more to go. The boys haven't killed each other yet, but I can feel it coming.
No new news on the writing front. I've been working on and off, on my new manuscripts. There hasn't been a lot of time lately, but I'll get there.
Enjoy this weeks menu!
Monday- One Pot Beef Stroganoff
Tuesday- 4th of July BBQ
Wednesday- Meatball Parmesan Bake
Thursday- Tomato Basil Tortellini 
Friday- Grilled Chicken Tacos 
Saturday- Doritos Taco Salad
Sunday
- Tuna Sandwiches

#BookReview | The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louis Murphy

Title: The True Story of Hansel and GretelBy: Louis MurphyGenre: Historical FictionPages: 320Release Date: July 29th, 2003Publisher: Penguin BooksAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: In the last months of the Nazi occupation of Poland, two children are left by their father and stepmother to find safety in a dense forest. Because their real names will reveal their Jewishness, they are renamed "Hansel" and "Gretel." They wander in the woods until they are taken in by Magda, an eccentric and stubborn old woman called "witch" by the nearby villagers. Magda is determined to save them, even as a German officer arrives in the village with his own plans for the children. Combining classic themes of fairy tales and war literature, this haunting novel of journey and survival, of redemption and memory, powerfully depicts how war is experienced by families and especially by children, and tells a resonant, riveting story.
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Review: This was another book recommended to my by a friend and another great read. My friend is now 2 for 2. 
In this touching world war two fiction, we follow the lives of two young children who are forced to change their names to Hansel and Gretel so the Germans wont kill them for being Jews. There are so many characters in this book who help the children, hiding them from the Nazis. 
I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book. You feel for the characters and cringe at the atrocities they had to go through during the war. Even though this is a fictional story, it sad to think that these kinds of things actually went on. 
The only thing I have to complain about is that at the end of the story, when the children can't remember their real names and they have the chance to learn them, the author doesn't tell you what they are. You only know that they learned them. WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES!? I want to know. Ahh!
This story was so touching, I gave it four stars.

#BookReview | Virgins by Diana Gabaldon (An Outlander Novella)

Title: Virgins By: Diana GabaldonGenre: Historical FantasyPages: 86Release Date: April 18th, 2016Publisher: DellAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: A young Jamie Fraser learns what it really means to become a man in this Outlander prequel novella. Featuring all the trademark suspense, adventure, and history of Diana Gabaldon’s #1 bestselling novels and the Starz original series, Virgins is now available for the first time as a standalone ebook. 
Mourning the death of his father and gravely injured at the hands of the English, Jamie Fraser finds himself running with a band of mercenaries in the French countryside, where he reconnects with his old friend Ian Murray. Both are nursing wounds; both have good reason to stay out of Scotland; and both are still virgins, despite several opportunities to remedy that deplorable situation with ladies of easy virtue. But Jamie’s love life becomes infinitely more complicated—and dangerous—when fate brings the young men into the service of Dr. Hasdi, a Jewish gentleman who hires them to escort two priceless treasures to Paris. One is an old Torah; the other is the doctor’s beautiful daughter, Rebekah, destined for an arranged marriage. Both Jamie and Ian are instantly drawn to the bride-to-be—but they might be more cautious if they had any idea who they’re truly dealing with.
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Review: Although this wasn't a story about Jamie and Claire, it was still a fun tromp through the wilds of the 18th century. We follow young Jamie as he and his friend Ian attempt to escort two young women to Paris. There is a lot of adventure in the usual Highland way, and a little bit of touchy feely going on. It was a fun short read.