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| 1732030715
| 9781732030718
| 4.65
| 23
| unknown
| Oct 12, 2019
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it was amazing
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Oh lord, friends, where do I begin? Firstly, with a plea for you to read the first book, “Imber”, in this epic series first and foremost. You have to
Oh lord, friends, where do I begin? Firstly, with a plea for you to read the first book, “Imber”, in this epic series first and foremost. You have to or nothing else will make sense, but it's worth it, so, so worth it. Once you do that, come back, sit down next to me, and let me tell you about all the heart strings that “Tellus” is going to pull, because it will pull them and pull them, break some, but then give you more because there are moments so achingly sweet mixed in with the pain our dear heroes face. What kind of pain? Oh, just the fate of the world, no biggie. “Tellus” picks up pretty seamlessly from where “Imber” left off: Nat has failed to retrieve one of the Scepters that is keeping the Titans locked away. There are 2 more left, but they don’t know where they are, or who could be conspiring against them, keeping Nat from her throne and risking the life of her family—by blood or no. I had the pleasure of beta reading “Tellus” prior to its release, so I knew what was in store for me—I knew and it still didn’t help. What Natalyia goes through, her fear, anxiety, desire to save her people, to sacrifice herself to make life easier for others, are all so real and tangible that even though she is a queen, you can completely connect to her as a real person, and you feel FOR her. The same can be said of Camion who, when he’s with Nat, is just so sweet sometimes it made my teeth ache. Like I’m sure I have a few cavities now, thanks, Hackett! But even with knowing what was going to go down, one of my favorite things about this story, nay, this series is the friendships and the banter between the cast of characters the author has introduced us to. I want to be part of their circle, that’s how well they’re crafted, how funny they can be, and how loyal they are to one another. For a fantasy series, all the characters are well rounded, their struggles so real, that this is an inspiring read. One you want to share with young adults who are struggling to find their place in the larger world, and who need to know that even if you fall sometimes, if you fight for what you love, for what you believe in, you can accomplish great things—though it does help to have an Elf and witch bestie on your side, just saying. “Tellus”, much like its predecessor, is a steady read. It’s not super-fast, not slow, but this wonderful blend of both to where you are given time to absorb the world Hackett is presenting; you get to see the lushness of it, experience the magic and feel like you really understand it, before moving on to the next area. The action is heart pounding, the hints teased with remarkable subtly that you are kept wondering, and guessing as to who is really after them, what will happen next; one secret revealed with a dozen more to take its place. I was never bored during this read, never felt like this was a typical second book in a series where it’s just a place holder to the climax—this was a fun and inspiring adventure to be a part of in its own right. But here’s the thing, remember those heart strings I told you about? Prepare to have them snapped with the ending! Even with knowing what was going to happen, part of me wished it wasn’t going that way. That the cliffhanger wouldn’t be quite the cliff it was, and it wasn’t compared to the original version, but still! It still kind of was AND HOW DARE YOU HACKETT?! I say this mainly because I am devastated in a good way, but also because I know some people have mixed feelings about books with cliffhangers. I’m hoping if you know it’s there ahead of time you won’t throw your book/Kindle across the floor and do some voodoo magic on this lovely author. She really is a master of the gentle touch though, so pay attention to what unfolds because she does give you the answers, but you will miss them in the incredible world and character building Hackett presents if you don’t read closely. This is a wonderful series full of meticulous world building, wonderful characters with incredible friendships, slow burn romances, and no cheesy love triangles! The topics can be heavy at times, like, real heavy—so this is still probably better for a more mature YA reader, but there is no gory violence or super sexy scenes, so rest assured. And even with the cliffhanger shattering my heart, it’s shattered in the way I most love: with a desperate desire to dive back into this world as soon as possible. Even though I did beta read this novel early on, I’d still give it 5 stars (4.5 if I want to get salty about that ending tho) because I feel like the main character’s struggles and the deeper issues this book tackles head on is far more important than any saltiness about the ending. Seriously, this is a wonderful fantasy series full of heart, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here! ...more |
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1
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Sep 19, 2019
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Oct 07, 2019
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Sep 05, 2019
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| 125004443X
| 9781250044433
| 4.03
| 150,505
| Jun 04, 2013
| Jun 17, 2017
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liked it
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If you haven’t read “Shadow and Bone” yet then, 1. I don’t know why you are reading reviews for “Siege and Storm” and 2. Stop reading this review now
If you haven’t read “Shadow and Bone” yet then, 1. I don’t know why you are reading reviews for “Siege and Storm” and 2. Stop reading this review now because, while I’ll do my best to avoid all the spoilers, inevitably there will be some in here that will pertain to the first book in the trilogy, but not this book in particular. So, if you’ve read the first book, then I welcome you! Come, sit next to me while I tell you my thoughts on this dark YA fantasy. So, book 2 starts pretty much right where the first book left off, with Mal and Alina on the run, trying to find safety in far off shores, away from Ravka, and the Grisha and the Darkling who Alina abandoned to the Fold. But within the first few chapters, the safety Alina thinks she has is shattered, and she’s plunged back to where she was before, struggling to free herself of the Darkling’s physical and mental hold on her, and to save Ravka from the tide of darkness the Darkling will bring with him. But, in order to do that, Alina will need more power, and that makes Mal pout CONSTANTLY. Like, seriously, can we be done with Mal yet? I’m going to get this out of the way first because, honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to talk about all the good in this book if I don’t start with the “bad” and that’s namely Mal. I disliked Mal in the first book. It really, really bothered me that lonely little Alina loved him so completely, and he didn’t even notice her until her waif like presence was gone from him, until she became powerful, and others coveted her. His affections always felt disingenuous to me, and that continues in the second book. He is honestly the worst! Alina is trying to save her people, and he resents her for it, he resents that someone, anyone with power actually, gives Alina a second glance but has no problem flirting with his hot Grisha ex. His hypocrisy rubs me all kinds of wrong, and I struggle to understand why Alina doesn’t kick him to the curb. Especially when she meets Nikolai, who is all kinds of amazing. It seemed like we got a lot more of the characters you—as in I—didn’t like from the first story and not enough of the fun ones. I needed more of the Shu twins, I always, ALWAYS need more Nikolai, and I didn’t get enough Genya, whose arc in this story was so heartbreaking and tragic. Instead, I get Mal and Zoya. I’m waiting for the day when I am supposed to like Zoya (or Mal), because I know she pops up and plays a big role in later books, but right now, I’d like to hold her pretty head under water until she stops being such an elitist prat. Because, honestly, her only reason for abandoning the Darkling seems to be that he didn't give her a heads up about expanding the Fold so she could warn her family to get out of there. If he had? I'm fairly sure Zoya would have had 0 problem with all the other people who died. Whew, glad I got that out of my system. Those characters aside, my only other issue with the story was pacing. The first quarter of the book with Alina and the Darkling hunting the second amplifier is wonderfully tense and fast-paced. Full of intrigue and danger and introduces us to delightful new characters and makes you nervous for Alina, while also drawing you right back into the Darkling’s charm, even though he is one seriously dangerous and bad guy. But then they achieve their goals and Alina is whisked away to “safety” and then we get mired in half the book spent with Alina kind of sulking and learning how to function in the royal court while organizing the remaining Grisha into an army that is supposed to withstand the Darkling’s creepy, dark horde. Compared to that first quarter, the next half is really slow, and could be a bit of a slog to get through as Bardugo repeats the same issues over and over, between Mal’s jealousy, Alina’s reservations about Nikolai, and her trying to embrace her power while battling her loneliness. Poor Alina will forever be lonely, I’ve decided. I did like most of this book more than the first one in the trilogy. I still prefer the Darkling to most of the characters in the book, even though his role is more behind the scenes in this story—until the end, then holy cow! I missed Genya, and when she did return, my heart was shattered for what was done to her, and what she did to Alina. I need more Nikolai, I will never have enough of him and his witty charm, his roguish ways, and how he’s lost himself to the political game, but is trying to carve out who the real Nikolai is. Alina is a bit better in this book, too. Her arc with struggling to not be seen as saintly but her drive to rectify her mistakes and protect her country makes your heart twinge, now if only we could keep her from interacting with Mal, or thinking about him for most of the book, that’d be great. I even like how David redeems himself for his part in shackling Alina in the first book. But for as much as I really liked certain parts and characters in this story, my annoyance at others is still simmering. I was debating between 3 and 4 stars for this book pretty much the whole time. But ultimately, I think I’ll lean toward that 3.5 rating because of how quickly Alina got the second amplifier and then did very little about getting the final one, taking an otherwise heart pounding, fun paced story to a grinding halt. I just can’t get over Mal, who looks like he should be a great love interest based on his backstory, but the execution means he’s always the center of an undeserved pity party, and it takes up too much page time. And then there’s his interactions with Zoya… I certainly enjoyed the book enough to continue on with the series, mainly because I know I HAVE to in order to get more Nikolai and Genya. I’m invested in the struggle between Alina and the Darkling and need to know how that final conflict gets resolved. But what I don’t need is more slow political intrigues laced with moping, and I definitely need less Mal, please and thank you. ...more |
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none
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1
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Jun 30, 2019
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Jul 17, 2019
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Jun 30, 2019
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Paperback
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| 1099620937
| 9781099620935
| 5.00
| 4
| unknown
| May 24, 2019
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it was amazing
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The Wrath of Silence, my dear friends, is a culmination of years of hard work, countless late nights, buckets of tears wondering if this is good
The Wrath of Silence, my dear friends, is a culmination of years of hard work, countless late nights, buckets of tears wondering if this is good enough, followed by days of: am I good enough? Will they hate me for doing that? Did I tell it right? I don't think I have an answer for those questions, but I hope you do come the final page. I will always love Tallis and her bravery, her steadfastness to do the right thing despite not wanting the responsibility. I will forever cherish Tomas's brilliance, his kindness, his unwavering love. I will endlessly admire Rosslyn's wit, her unconquerable spirit, her jokes and ability to drink most people under the table. It was a joy to write Colben's innocence, Chrandrelle's wise - and crass - metaphors, and to always have Donovan around in some capacity. But, I am not a fan of things that never end, and so this is the end. Which I know sounds terribly ominous and I'm sorry but, well, you'll see. This is a series that is always going to be dear to me, but I have grown as a writer so, SO much since The Duality of Nature was born. I have learned more of the craft, been taught and mentored by wonderful editors, some of which are no longer with us but whose guiding hand I still turn to. My voice as a writer has grown and evolved, and that means that things are not the same as they were when I first started shaping the land of Selkirk four books ago, and I hope that's ok. Selkirk the place has not changed, I promise, but my characters have grown up, as have I. I can't express how happy and humbled I am that you have come with me this far. Congratulations! We did it! I am beyond proud of the work I have put out into the world, and I hope you enjoyed it! I hope I did all my characters justice come the last page and that I, indeed, "told it right". ...more |
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none
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1
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Jun 04, 2019
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Jun 06, 2019
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Jun 04, 2019
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Paperback
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| B07LFRPXCK
| 5.00
| 4
| unknown
| Jan 01, 2019
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it was amazing
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None
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none
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1
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not set
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not set
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Mar 28, 2019
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Kindle Edition
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| 1250027438
| 9781250027436
| 4.03
| 242,852
| Jun 05, 2012
| Jun 2017
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liked it
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I’m not sure how to write this review mainly because I wasn’t expecting to be this conflicted about so many things. “Shadow and Bone” is an engaging
I’m not sure how to write this review mainly because I wasn’t expecting to be this conflicted about so many things. “Shadow and Bone” is an engaging read, so let me throw that out there first, how about that? We follow Alina, the painfully stereotypical rags-to-riches redemption story of a girl everyone overlooks, who is unimportant and unremarkable and ugly, until she suddenly becomes one of the most powerful and important people in her war torn country. In a land with serious Russian vibes, and a well-defined magic system for everyone but Alina and the Darkling, Alina holds the key for bringing her country out of the dark (ha) and into the light (ha). Those aren’t exactly metaphors, either. So, yeah, I really liked the book, but you can kind of see where I’m going with my qualms, right? Alina is the ugly/pretty girl who, once she steps into her power, literally blossoms and finds herself in a world of intrigue that she thought she’d always be denied because of how sickly she always appeared. She has one friend, Mal, who is handsome and amazing and of course she likes him but he never notices her, and then you have the nearly ageless and mysterious—and powerful—Darkling who everyone feels an allure to (yours truly included), and Alina is drawn to him (obviously) because she feels like this man is the first person to truly see her and want her. It’s sad and tragic, and also pretty on point for all things YA tropes. I liked the Darkling best as a character; his complexity and the desires he has for his country are superb. He is all the right kinds of richly dark and mysteriousness I like in characters. I did not care for Mal. He’s a sweet guy and easy to like, sure, but the trope… ugh it just never felt genuine and too forced and just too… obvious? Let’s go with that. Alina is just fine to me as a main character, she’s pretty inoffensive and her sass can be endearing at times, but my eye did twitch a ton with her when it came to her backstory and how pathetic we are supposed to find her, and then root for her because she is such, SUCH an underdog. I don’t like feeling as if I am being dictated to about how to feel or view certain characters, and I felt that way with Mal and Alina pretty much the whole book. Genya, however, is an utter delight. That aside, I honestly couldn’t put this book down. The story was exciting and intriguing, even if the magic system has a serious blind spot to Alina and the Darkling in terms of where they fit into the Small Science. I don’t know what it is about Bardugo’s writing, but it is always fun to read and even when I’m not loving certain things, I still love how she tells stories. That being said, her voice really hits its stride in Six of Crows. It was just so much better, and because I read that duology first, this books’ issues are much more apparent. But you still kind of have to read this series first to really appreciate, and just get, all the finer details of those later books so it’s a tough position to be in. This book was good, I enjoyed it, and the world building Bardugo does is just masterful, but Six of Crows is way better in my opinion. Who knows, maybe I’d feel differently if I had read this first but eh, I didn’t so here we are. So how do/did I rate this book? Bardugo is a fabulous writer, I love the intricacies of her worlds and how fleshed out they are, and just the sheer amount of subtle details she can pack into a book to create such a wonderful atmospheric vibe when reading. Outside of the Darkling and Genya, though, I didn’t like the characters all that much, and all the check boxes for YA tropes… I was just not a fan—I seriously hate the ugly/pretty girl that everyone ignored until they woke up one day and were important, it makes everyone feel false, even if they are supposed to have a redemption arc. Plus, when I compare it to her later works, which granted, may not be fair of me, this just falls a bit flat, and that may be because it’s written in 1st person? I don’t know! I’m so conflicted! I am honestly a very gut reaction book reviewer/rater sometimes, and this is one of those times. I’m just not in love here, guys. I like the series, I love the GrishaVerse Bardugo has crafted, so I am sticking with it and continuing on, because I KNOW it all gets better. But this is a 3.5 star read for me. Please don’t hate me… ...more |
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none
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1
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Feb 10, 2019
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Feb 26, 2019
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Feb 10, 2019
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Paperback
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| 9780463082683
| unknown
| 4.86
| 7
| unknown
| Nov 20, 2018
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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none
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1
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not set
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not set
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Jan 22, 2019
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ebook
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| 172674714X
| 9781726747141
| 4.91
| 11
| Oct 16, 2018
| Oct 16, 2018
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Dec 06, 2018
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Dec 07, 2018
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Dec 06, 2018
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Paperback
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| 9780463274842
| unknown
| 4.00
| 1
| unknown
| Aug 29, 2018
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really liked it
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“The Guardians Crest” is the third book in the “Guardians of Zion” series, and like the previous book, this particular volume makes the most sense if
“The Guardians Crest” is the third book in the “Guardians of Zion” series, and like the previous book, this particular volume makes the most sense if read in order, so you know the players etc. If you haven’t read the first two books, go do that now and then come back to this review, as there might be some mild spoilers for those books lurking in this review. Now, as is customary, the author starts the book with an introduction that 1. Kind of reminds the reader where the heroes left off and 2. Tells you a bit more of what this book is about and a little reasoning as to why Chrobak choose to start the novel the way he did: going back to when Thomas was first discovering his faith and powers. This time, however, we’re focusing on his little sister’s experiences, and the author also explains why he chose to include some of the demons this time. Normally, I’m not a fan of introductions like that because I don’t want someone to tell me what I’m about to read, but, for this book, I appreciated it because it was necessary for one very important reason: we don’t visit Thomas and where book two left off until about half way through this novel. I know there will be mixed reactions to something like that, not following up on a major cliffhanger until much later in a book, but Chrobak really hits his stride when he’s writing the demons that plague Julianna. The characters, the tension… Chrobak sets all that up wonderfully this time around. Plus, it finally provides a bit of insight as to why Thomas and his super powered Guardians are important to begin with. All of which comes together at the end, setting up the framework for what is going to happen and why it’s so vital come the fourth book. So while at times this felt more like reading the “slow” book that comes in the middle of a trilogy in terms of set up and backstory, there was a great deal more action keeping it far from a slow read! But, it is true that most of the book is still focused on things covered, even if but peripherally, from the previous books rather than moving the central plot of the series as a whole forward. That being said, when the central plot does pick up again, it moves forward with a bang! Thomas, Gemma, and Theresa know they need to find the rest of the Guardians—there will be 12 in all—in order to be ready to face the final battle: Good vs. Evil, Heaven vs. Hell. And man, do they find the Guardians! Not to spoil anything, but the 3 spring to 11 (or 11.5 since they know who the last member is) in the span of a chapter or two! Suddenly, the quest to find the missing members is over, and all is left is to figure out what they can all do and what spiritual gift their powers are tied to. It was a surprising twist, one I wasn’t expecting given it took two books for us to find the first 3 Guardians, but it does make the book more interesting—skipping forward to the exciting bits, as it were. Would I have liked more build up and for the new team members to seem a bit more surprised by these newly awakened powers? Sure. But at the same time, it will/does keep an otherwise fast-paced series from lagging. As odd as it may sound, seeing the world through the demons perspective was probably my favorite part. The imagery and how the demons twist things was a lot of fun to read! And, as is becoming the hallmark of this author, this book is packed with positive messages not just about the Christian faith, but also dealing with life in general. Even with all the craziness that these teens are dealing with, the book as a whole is incredibly uplifting and I believe that, if you’re in a reading slump because life has you down, you’ll find something positive that may just help you deal with those issues within Chrobak’s words. But, also in true Chrobak fashion, “Guardian’s Crest” ends on the biggest cliffhanger ever! I, once more, have mixed feelings on this, but I won’t say why because it can get a tad spoiler-y. That being said, this was a fun read and very uplifting—even if you aren’t that religious. Even with how all the Guardians were found feeling a bit overly convenient for my tastes, spending so much time in-between where the second book left off and picking that plot line up again, and my minor qualms with the ending, this is a solid 4 stars for me. Seriously, my personal tastes aside, Chrobak writes lovely YA fiction that is perfect for teens—either those struggling with their faith or just the pressures of life. If you haven’t already, be sure to give this series a read, and thanks to the author for being awesome and providing me with a copy for review! ...more |
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none
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1
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Nov 16, 2018
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Dec 07, 2018
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Sep 05, 2018
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ebook
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| B07DVBGS8P
| 4.19
| 68
| unknown
| Jul 02, 2018
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liked it
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“Truth Seer” feels like you’re reading the fantasy love child of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. In it, Moody creates a world where people now have,
“Truth Seer” feels like you’re reading the fantasy love child of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. In it, Moody creates a world where people now have, essentially, a super power that they can learn to use and hone to perfection to help them in a future career. Everything from tasting the weather, to feeling wounds in order to heal them with something more than a doctors touch, to seeing people’s emotions, including if they are telling the truth. Enter the main character Imara, a truth seer who uses her ability—or hila—to see when someone is lying. She wants to use her gift to help the police during interrogations, and she is THIS CLOSE to getting her dream job, when a terrorist organization, based in her hila school’s city of Egypt, crashes the graduation party and takes several people hostage—including Imara’s older sister Naki. Now Imara must use her hila to see through the lies—the illusions—that are keeping her away from her sister before anyone gets hurt. Moody creates a really interesting world and I loved the fresh take on science-fantasy with hila’s being a form of evolution, plus I really liked that this took place in Africa. Granted, this isn’t an “own voices” book, but I still appreciated that the setting wasn’t European and that the author included so many diverse characters in her novel. Honestly, if you enjoy a kind of dungeon crawl vibe as Imara and her team of rescuers go through the catacombs, disabling traps and narrowly avoiding danger (although not always) then this is 100% the book for you. But that’s also what the vast majority of the book is: going through the catacombs and facing different illusions and puzzles. Sure, along the way there is interpersonal conflict between Imara and the people she’s with, when you can see everyone’s emotions it’s impossible for that to NOT lead to problems. But the pacing of the book could have been so much faster and so much more tense had some of the illusions been removed so the meat of the plot and story could have been gotten to faster. Additionally, there is a lot of dialogue vs. exposition in the book—and lots of pulling of the neck hair on Imara’s part (lol). This made the characters feel a bit flat and put a lot of pressure on the dialogue to be spectacular, and it wasn’t always there. There are decent character arcs, but it got frustrating at times as it took close to 80% mark of the book for the “true colors” of the characters to present themselves. Then things wrapped up really quickly, again through maybe one or two conversations between a character, and I felt like those resolutions needed more time. In fact, it takes until about the 60% mark for the book to get really interesting, which is a shame because, again, the uniqueness of the world and the different hilas was so well thought out that I wanted more of that and less dungeon crawling. Now, all that being said, once things got moving in “Truth Seer”, they really got moving and I enjoyed the book, which is why I’m frustrated by the things I previously mentioned. I enjoyed the end so much more than the first half of the story. Still, overall, I did enjoy “Truth Seer” and I would absolutely continue on in the series. I mean, I HAVE to know what happens next to Imara and if she and her love interest will make it. There is some violence and the romance is very tame, but cute, so this book is on point for a YA audience, especially if they like a bit of science with their fantasy. The first book is a complete story while setting up the next books in the series rather nicely, and I appreciated that the author managed to do that. Still, with how much the reader is told about the characters rather than shown, the slow pacing through the first half, and my frustration around some of the character arcs and dialogue, I’m giving this book a 3.5 star rating. I really did enjoy the book, don’t get me wrong! There were just some things that kept me from truly adoring it. But thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review! ...more |
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none
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1
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Aug 09, 2018
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Oct 25, 2018
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Aug 09, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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| 0999519905
| 9780999519905
| 4.00
| 1
| unknown
| Mar 02, 2018
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really liked it
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I am trying to be better about reviewing middle grade books as my niece and nephew are getting to the age where they are voracious readers, and I want
I am trying to be better about reviewing middle grade books as my niece and nephew are getting to the age where they are voracious readers, and I want to be able to talk to them about their books. So here goes! “Keepers of the Flame” is the story of seven kids (all 13 years old) embarking on their birthright. This birthright states that all first born children are to become Keepers of the Flame: an order dedicated to protecting, serving, and bettering their communities by offering religious guidance. Over the decades, many people have gotten away from this birthright through taxes, or they join the order but aren’t true to their god—Jaoal. This has allowed something dark and vile to grow strong on the mountain where the young Keepers are trained, and by the time our main characters get there, the battle between good and evil is about to begin. There are so many important themes that are touched upon in this book that it’s definitely one of the ones I’ll be sharing with the young kids in my family! The writing of the book is simple and easy to follow, however the names of the characters and locations can be rather complex, especially for younger readers. There is a name guide in the book, but be aware that they may need help getting a firm grasp on some of the names. The only thing I think kids may get a little lost with is the sheer number of characters. There are a lot of people to keep track of and the POV sometimes shifts between them from paragraph to paragraph, so the reader does need to pay a little more attention or they may lose track of which character they are following at that moment. Additionally, there are some dark—and a bit disturbing—themes and imagery in the book; namely: not everyone makes it to the end. Nothing is graphic, but if your youngster is a sensitive reader then perhaps hold off on reading this just before bed so you can talk about those instances when they occur (most happen well past the half-way point). But the story is otherwise fine and easy to follow along with some truly lovely fantasy elements so the reader won’t get lost in any complex plotlines. There are also some adorable sketches included in the book that I, personally, liked looking at and absorbing the details of! Now, as for the content of the story itself, while this is a religious allegory and sticks true to some of the classic bible stories, it wasn’t so overt that if, for some reason, you want to avoid something blatantly Christian, this is a great book for that. It is obvious if you know what to look for and are familiar with the tales already, but if not, it reads more like a cute adventure story where these seven kids are training to be an order that essentially protects people across the land. In fact, the kids spend most of their time helping one another, overcoming adversity, building friendships, handling bullying in a healthy way, and training for an Olympic style game tournament at the end of their first year of joining the order. I found the subtlety of the lessons touched upon to be refreshing for the Christian genre, for I never once felt preached to or that anyone was “lesser” because their faith wasn’t as strong—initially—as some of the others. So yes, while the plot centers on faith and the conflict between God and the devil, it’s mainly about the power of faith, love, and friendship, which is such a great message for young kids, especially in our world’s current tumultuous climate. So while I may not be the best reviewer for middle grade books as that isn’t the genre that gets me out of bed in the morning, I found “Keepers of the Flame” to be rather cute, charming, and a great free read book for a child who could use something with a positive message. But since the names, number of characters, and the POV jumps may be a little confusing for young readers, this is a 4 star for me. That being said, as my nephew is in the fifth grade (my niece in the third), I can’t wait to give this book to them for Christmas! And thanks to the author for providing me a copy for review and generally being a wonderful human being! ...more |
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1
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Jul 31, 2018
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Aug 14, 2018
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Jul 31, 2018
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Paperback
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| 1732030723
| 9781732030725
| 4.30
| 60
| unknown
| Jun 12, 2018
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really liked it
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It’s not very often you stumble across an epic fantasy that undertakes changing so many “accepted” norms and turning them on their heads as “Imber”
It’s not very often you stumble across an epic fantasy that undertakes changing so many “accepted” norms and turning them on their heads as “Imber” does. From the get-go this entire story is in first person, and just in the main character’s POV! That so rarely happens in fantasy that from the onset I found myself grinning. It may seem small, but it’s something Hackett does very well and is so different from the other fantasy books I read that I wanted to mention it up front. But anyway, “Imber” is a story of a young woman who steps into the role of queen under less than favorable circumstances: many of her citizens feel she is too young to rule. Despite that, Nat is determined to be the ruler they deserve, filling her beloved mother and father’s shoes. Her Council demands she prove that she’s ready to be queen, leaving Nat to fill her days with copious amounts of studying, and that’s on top of her learning how to wield a sword and fire a bow. None of these things come easily to her, but she tries nonetheless. But when rumblings that old rumors about ancient enemies might be more than just campfire stories begin resurfacing, swiftly followed by tragedy, Nat acts without hesitation. It may be an extremely impulsive decision, but never let it be said that Nat sends others to do jobs she wouldn’t herself do. So let me back it up to those small details I was mentioning that make “Imber” different from your run of the mill epic fantasy. 1. Most fantasies have multiple POV’s. We only ever get Nat’s perspective, which is lovely as it leaves the reader second guessing as to what the other characters truly think and feel, much like Nat herself does. Nothing is ever spoiled chapter by chapter by another character’s POV revealing any hidden secrets. 2. There are elves in this story, Jyn, but they aren’t your standard Lord of the Rings elves. Jyn isn’t some regal snob who won’t get his hands dirty, plus, he actually has a personality, which is nice. 3. Nat has crazy anxiety and fear of crowds/public speaking. How awesome is that? A queen who has panic attacks each time she has to go in front of her people? It’s a weird thing to like, but I loved that struggle. I loved that her own nerves were her biggest enemy and she had to really work at a problem that so many people struggle with. Hackett’s description of what Nat goes through is so spot on, that I was often worried for the author (I’m here if you need me!). 4. Jyn and Nat’s relationship is 100% platonic. That’s not a spoiler, either. You hardly ever see a male and female character that are purely friends, who love each other but only as friends. Most of the time, there is this sexual tension between every male character for the female lead, but not so here and I love LOVE that Hackett did that. There’s also this great line Jyn has towards the end about that, which I won’t share because of spoilers. But needless to say, there was a lot of tropes the author took and flipped on their head, so kudos! Jyn ended up being my spirit animal for a lot of the book. There were several instances where Nat does something where I ended up asking myself: “Why? Why are you doing this now? This is a really bad time. Nat, chill, think this through.” And then a chapter later, Jyn brought up all my concerns and gave them a voice. Not that Nat listens, but then it becomes something intentional, not just an easy way to move the plot along. AND! Nat’s impulse decisions totally bite her in the butt and she owns up to that. It’s not often that a main character accepts that something is their fault, that something is a failure and takes responsibility. Things do not go well on this hastily planned mission to save her kingdom from something that isn’t a true threat yet, and Nat realizes that. She never once brushes it off so her despair, her feelings of worthlessness when it comes to the lives she put in danger, hits the reader all the harder. Or it did me because I tended to be over in the corner with Jyn mumbling things like: “You totally called it Jyn. High five?” As is the case with most first books in an epic fantasy trilogy, this book starts off slow, so know that ahead of time. Hackett takes her time showing us Nat, her struggles, and her world so that all the action that comes at the half way mark is that much more impactful. Nat may be queen, but she isn’t inherently the best at anything. She has to learn those skills, so the first half of the book is very much her training montage as she takes the time to learn how to be awesome at something, just like most of us! Once you get past that though, the book flies and becomes hard to put down, so prepare yourselves. Once Nat and crew head forth on their journey, the tone of the book takes on some serious Dungeons&Dragons vibes as Nat, Jyn, Meryn, and Camion find themselves assailed by all manner of beasties. Hackett’s creatures are just amazing and she shows off such a wide range of them that it’s rather harrowing to think that so many nasty things live so close to her peaceful little kingdom. My only issue with the book comes in wanting to see more of certain things, never less (unless it’s Lucian, and then that’s for an entirely different reason). I wanted to see more of why Nat’s mother was so beloved, I wanted more of Meryn and seeing her doing fantastic magic, heck, I wanted to see more magic period. It’s clear the author knows her magic system so well that it comes second nature to her, because when it is present in the book, it all follows certain rules, but you just see so little of the magic that it’s hard to know the different types, how it functions, how certain people get their magic—or lose it—and why, what are its strengths or limitations, things like that. The descriptions used for the magic—and all the creatures, really—are just lovely so I get the impression that to see arcane magic in action is just all kinds of awe-inspiring. But that’s the thing, it was only just an impression and I’m still a bit confused as to how one character got their magic to begin with. This is a super solid first book in what is shaping to be a thrilling trilogy. It has tender romance, loyal friendships, fantastic creatures, colorful magic (literally), and a main character who—despite her royal birth—is incredibly realistic and down to earth. Additionally, this book actually has an ending! It wasn’t a cheap cliff-hanger, although it does leave things clearly open for the sequel. The thing the characters set out to do gets accomplished—so to speak, dundundun!—and they figure out what needs to be done next, which will be what the next book focuses on. So while there is still plenty to be done, it didn’t end at the start of the action, either. I can’t wait for the next book as I’m sure all the things that were kind of missing this time around will be there in full force, so I’m giving this a well-deserved 4 stars and will end with a plea for Hackett to, sure, take your time and all, but hurry up with the next book! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book and for generally being an awesome human. ...more |
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1
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Jun 13, 2018
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Jul 07, 2018
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Apr 25, 2018
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Paperback
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| 9781946501097
| 3.69
| 243
| unknown
| Jul 10, 2018
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liked it
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“The Gorgon Bride” is a whimsical story about a whirlwind romance and trying to discover if that romance is the real deal, or just a passing fling. As
“The Gorgon Bride” is a whimsical story about a whirlwind romance and trying to discover if that romance is the real deal, or just a passing fling. As someone who adores Greek Mythology, I was instantly intrigued by this book, and for the most part, the author does a nice job of touching upon a great number of myths and portrays the Greek gods well enough to where you don’t necessarily need to know all the stories for the various people who make cameo’s in the book, but it certainly does help. The reader follows Alex, though, a modern day man who finds himself suddenly dead, the Greek gods are suddenly back from their centuries long hiatus, and that Athena has taken an interest in Alex in particular. Why Alex? That’s never really explained…. In the very first chapter, Athena drops a whale on Alex’s head and kills him. How does he know it’s Athena? Because Hermes makes him sign for it like a package. Why has Athena picked Alex to have a whale dropped on him? Then let’s slip that she was told this mortal will eventually piss her off so he’ll owe her a favor? Post-whale smooshing, mind you. I still have no clue. Maybe I missed it, but this question was bothering me the whole time. Because everything that happens next, and everything Alex tries to prove, is all because Athena claims to have been wronged by Alex’s arrogance when he meets her in the Underworld. But, excuse me, Athena started it with the whole whale thing! Doesn’t she owe him, not the other way around? But I digress. Why the whale is there to begin with gets explained, which was kind of funny, just not why Alex of all people. Regardless, Alex is then tasked with finding Eurayle, the gorgon, her true love for all eternity. And surprise, surprise, it’s not surprising who that turns out to be. How someone can see past the snakes for hair and form an insta-love to an actual monster that fast, I have no clue but there it is. The sad thing is, the story didn't even need that instant attraction! You'll find out what I mean if you read the book, but suffice it to say, it became rather pointless early on. Unfortunately, while the writing is very clever and witty, Alex and Jessica are both rather flat in terms of character depth and felt too similar to me. I never connected much with Alex and never had a very clear view of him in my mind’s eye, making it personally hard for me to be invested in his trials. That being said, the gods interactions were by far my favorite. Ares interacting with Athena—or pretty much Ares interactions with anyone for that matter—was very well done, and I found myself chuckling on occasion. I also really enjoyed Kharon and Alex’s first encounter. It’s clear the author knows his mythology but, given the stories focus lay elsewhere, the gods did feel a bit stereotypical at times. But I believe this was done for the benefit of a reader who, like Alex, doesn’t know their mythology. I wanted to like this book a lot more because of the mythology aspect and how well the author writes. The plot, at its core, is clever and I highly enjoyed the witticism and snark of the characters and writing when it was present. Surlak-Ramsey is clearly a very talented writer who can tell fun, light-hearted tales succinctly without letting the flow and action of a novel lag. However, that thing with the whale, the human characters being so two dimensional and kind of dumb in my opinion, plus Eurayle is barely in the book, and my dislike of insta-love and romances in general, made this book pretty hard to rate. I was wavering between two and three stars the whole time, but the action at the end and the book’s conclusion as a whole has me rounding up, because it is pretty fun and cute. All in all, this is a light and entertaining read, I’d even say it was a good middle-grade book as those plot holes probably wouldn’t bother younger readers as much—plus, while Alex goes through some pretty dire tasks, the violence is fleeting and not permanent because Alex is already dead, the love is all pretty innocent, and there’s no graphic language. But I was just expecting something… more, or just different from “The Gorgon Bride”, so I’m giving it 2.75 stars but am rounding up because it is a light read all other issues aside. And thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy for review! ...more |
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none
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1
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Apr 23, 2018
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Jul 25, 2018
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Apr 23, 2018
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Paperback
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| B079Z6XX8M
| 4.06
| 16
| unknown
| Feb 21, 2018
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liked it
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“The Streets of Nottingham” is a quick little fantasy adventure novella that follows the story of a young boy as he races to bring his childhood
“The Streets of Nottingham” is a quick little fantasy adventure novella that follows the story of a young boy as he races to bring his childhood sweetheart back from the dead. Along the way, he meets the paranormal god-like figures that have given shape to his village/world, and struggles to get to the place that is foretold in all the ancient scrolls, and yet no one has ever been to in order to save his friend… It’s a titillating premise and Simwinga has a lovely talent for being able to craft a story that feels like an ancient folk tale mixed with some wonderful fantasy elements. But, as is sometimes the case with novellas, I found the length of this story to be the biggest detriment to it, for the author can tell a fun, almost lyrical story, but I always found myself wanting a bit more. It takes “The Streets of Nottingham” a minute to really find its groove, the first chapter was a bit confusing as the reader is shoved right into the action with no world building, and then from there it reads a little like a dream state/stream of consciousness as the reader is introduced to the god-king and his daughter Rain, or “mother”. And while our main character, Adam, is focused on bringing back his sweetheart, we are also told the struggle between the gods and the “breaking of the world”. These two events are linked a little, but felt a bit too separate, so the novella format may not have been the best in order to present this history rich world to the reader and have them both understand the gods relationship with each other and the village, as well as the rules and customs of the village itself and why the main character struggles to fit in, and save his lady love at the same time. I know I was struggling a bit to really get immersed in the world because of this. That and I kept thinking of the real Nottingham in England which has absolutely no relation to the Nottingham Adam tries to get to, but that was very, very minor all things considered, but is still something to keep in mind. I really did like the vibe this story had; it had some beautifully dark elements that I tend to enjoy in fantasy, I also enjoyed the folk tale elements of the god-king and his contentious relationship with his other god-like brethren and their relationship to the world. I just wish there had been more world building so I could get a better sense of it all and then the twist of Adam and his role in the village and what he’s able to accomplish would have been all the more satisfying. It’s just the tricky thing with writing a fantasy in such a short format, if you try to do too much, the world and even the characters and story itself don’t feel as robust as they should. That’s also why this is one of my shortest reviews, there’s just not a lot for me to say without spoiling anything. Simwinga is a very talented writer though, and even though this is a 3.5 star for me because I just needed more from this story to truly get it, I will be watching the author closely; you can just tell he’s got more great stories to tell! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review! ...more |
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1
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Mar 16, 2018
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Dec 18, 2018
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Mar 16, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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| B074C638S1
| 4.50
| 42
| Jul 22, 2017
| Jul 22, 2017
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really liked it
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I am a big fan of ancient historical fiction. Some of my favorite historical fiction books are the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell mainly because it
I am a big fan of ancient historical fiction. Some of my favorite historical fiction books are the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell mainly because it helps me feel like I am learning about a time long forgotten and being supremely entertained at the same time—don’t yell at me, I know historical fiction is Fiction with that capital “F” and lots of liberties are being taken, but a good historical fiction will inspire you, me, and maybe your mom too, to go out and then learn more about that time, or at least Google it for the next two days. That’s what “The Silver Horn Echoes: A Song of Roland” did for me. You see, I was 0% familiar with “La Chanson de Roland”, the epic poem/story this novel is based on. It’s the story of the most honorable of knights in the Christian Frank Kingdom as he protects his king and country from the Emir of Saragossa. Who is Roland’s king that he becomes the champion for? That he’ll stand against countless waves of enemies for, and uncover murder plots for? Oh, just the guy who later becomes known as Charlemagne, maybe you’ve heard of him? If you’re a fan of Arthurian fantasies with a sprinkling of a Romeo and Juliet vibes, I have found your next read! Both Roland and King Arthur fall into this “too good to be true” type of camp. Both are honorable to a fault, desperately love their leading ladies, and both show this classic, chivalrous idea of knighthood. But where the end of King Arthur’s stories herald the start of the Dark Ages with his bright light being put out, the end of Roland’s story signals the start of the Renascence period, at least according to history. So there’s more a sense of hope then what Arthurian fantasies may leave you with. The way the story is written also captures that feel of the epic poem it was based off of, everything from how the characters speak to how the locations both feel very real but larger than life at the same time. Like, they seem to get across most of Europe pretty quickly, but when they are fighting at the gates of the city, you can practically smell the burning walls. The book is also wonderfully campy. I do mean that as a compliment, because you have these amazing heroes that can stand against literal hordes of enemies, and they prevail against nearly impossible odds. It’s almost impossible not to be swept up by Roland’s flowing golden locks as he triumphs against superior numbers and always seems to arrive in the nick of time to save his king. He’s got a loyal best friend where the two of them have a lovely bromance together, and he also has a barbarian Saxon sidekick who pledges loyalty to him after Roland bested him in combat. I mean, really, how do you not laugh at and also love a main character like that? Plus, Roland’s lady love braves her own foes and races across the country to warn her husband of danger; she never appears to be the stereotypical damsel all too common for these kinds of stories, and I loved that! Honestly, my only complaint is that the book, while full of exciting combat and courtly intrigue, felt a bit slow at times. You have multiple POV’s so who the traitor is in the king’s court is never a secret, his plans are never hidden from the reader, which diminishes some of the suspense that may have made this novel read more like a page turner. Plus, there is a really uncomfortable relationship between the king and his daughter that never sat well with me—I don’t think it’s supposed to, but I question why it was included to the degree it was because it made me never really like the king, either. And this is where the downside of being swept up in historical fiction comes in. Because of that really bad relationship, I went down the Google rabbit hole to see if that was true. It might have been? But what is more accepted is that Charlemagne, aka Charles the Great, had a thing for his sister, Roland's mom. So it is far more likely that Roland's dad was also his uncle... Got to love those perverse royal practices! Anyway, I didn't know that before reading this book, and probably would have never cared enough to learn more if it weren't for this book, so yay? Regardless, this was a fun historical fiction told in a unique voice which inspired me to look more into the history surrounding Roland, which is what a good historical fiction should do! So I’m giving this book a delightful 4 stars, and thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review. ...more |
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none
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1
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Feb 21, 2018
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Oct 16, 2019
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Feb 21, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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| B078KKWKJT
| 4.00
| 2
| unknown
| Dec 21, 2017
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really liked it
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We’ve all heard the tale of King Arthur. How his Knights of the Round Table fought against Morgana le Fey and her army of darkness. Arthur eventually
We’ve all heard the tale of King Arthur. How his Knights of the Round Table fought against Morgana le Fey and her army of darkness. Arthur eventually perished, becoming a legend of what chivalry was supposed to look like, how knights were to behave, and the romanticized version of Camelot was born. Now meet Judy Avery: an incredibly young—as in 19 years-old—PhD candidate who has based her dissertation on the fact that the fairy tale has some truth to it. Watch as she presents this dissertation to her own father, who is a scientist to the core, who uses—you guessed it—science to dispel things like Arthur and his Camelot. Judy faces disappointment, is told she needs to rethink her direction, and as a kind of weird joke, is sent to the place where Camelot is meant to be, but is now a cheesy tourist trap. Cue that it’s anything but, and Judy is in for a big surprise. I really love Arthurian fantasy retellings, I love that this was a gender reversal for who is “king”, but I had a hard time connecting to Judy. It could be that I have several very close friends who just passed their dissertations, but I found Judy hard to believe and connect with. Which, I know, is weird when you consider that this is a book about finding Camelot again and its famous knights, who are all alive and thousands of years old, and fighting dragons and gargoyle monsters. She is incredibly young to be a PhD candidate, but that aside, she kind of abandons the research she spent years building when her father—who has made no secret of disapproving myth as fact—doesn’t accept her dissertation. I get she’s disappointed, but she also shouldn’t be surprised. Also she walks away from her passion pretty easily saying it’s all fake, and it’s her adversary in the academic world that tries to bolster her faith back in the Arthur legends? Who full on leans into them well before Judy comes back around? Her enemy-to-friend, Percy, does this big flip, and while I like where he ends (well, kind of, but I won’t say more for spoilers), neither felt as defined as other characters like Lancelot and Morgana. I loved the transition those characters make to becoming theme park owners in order to survive in this new world while maintaining what they can of Camelot. If the PhD thing had been dropped and replaced with a young girl told to give up her childish fantasies I don’t think the core of the story would change at all, it may have even felt a bit more organic, but as it was, I just had the hardest time connecting to Judy. That being said, I really liked the growth of King Arthur’s sort-of-former knights, and I really liked the creepiness of Morgana’s little beasties. While the first half of the novella was a tad slow, the second half flew by and had such a wonderful, bitter sweet ending. Clow did a great job weaving in the twists and turns, the reveals, and teasing out the secrets the knights had been harboring for such a long time. I mentioned Lancelot was my favorite, right? Good, because he was. I love the tragedy that is his life until Judy comes along, and how pissed that makes him, until he finds himself again. It’s very sweet and well done, which is why it’s so sad I didn’t like Judy more! This was a clever little novella, a fun ride with a unique twist on a tale nearly as old as time. If you like Arthurian Fantasy and enjoy a good gender swap story, I say give this quick, mostly-fast-paced book a try! But given my (and it is a me thing) inability to connect to Judy, and how the narrative voice could be a bit confusing at times given you have 19 year-olds talking to thousand year old men in a kind of omniscient first person narrative, this is a 4 star read for me. But thanks to the author for providing a copy for an honest review! ...more |
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1
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Feb 21, 2018
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Aug 23, 2019
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Feb 21, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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| 0999697714
| 9780999697719
| 4.47
| 19
| unknown
| Mar 22, 2018
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liked it
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“The Pariah Child and the Ever-Giving Stone” is the tale of young Sarafina (or Sarah to her friends) whose imaginary fairy friends aren’t all that
“The Pariah Child and the Ever-Giving Stone” is the tale of young Sarafina (or Sarah to her friends) whose imaginary fairy friends aren’t all that imaginary, despite her strict mother’s best wishes. Threatened by her mother to abandon her fantasies of mythical talking friends or she’d be sent to an asylum, Sarah does her best to comply, until she is attacked by a not so ordinary pack of wolves. The “imaginary” friends she thought she banished have returned, begging for Sarah to help them save their world by returning something vital to it, or more nasty creatures will come to Sarah’s world, and destroy the magical place known as Lyrica. Sarah doesn’t fit in back home, and yet these magical creatures immediately offer her acceptance. Spurned by her small town, Sarah agrees to the task they have placed at her feet (she’s thirteen, it’s a lot of pressure for a young kid) and travels to Lyrica, not knowing anything about the place, its inhabitants, how it’s dying, or what she can do about it. She’s not entirely alone though, with the help of a few friends (not all magical), Sarah decides she’s not going to be afraid anymore, that she wants to help, at any cost. Oh man, there is so much in this book! Magical creatures of every kind, a dying world, a child of prophecy, a sweet coming-of-age story, an epic quest, and lots of action and adventure. This story was quite the roller-coaster, and I loved parts of it, but I think it was also trying to pack too much into just under 300 hundred pages of book. I liked Sarah early on in the story. Her shyness, her fear that others will see her as crazy, her desire to be liked, the innocence of her crush on the one boy who’s nice to her, she’s an endearing character and I instantly fell in love with her. I liked her best when she was on Earth and struggling to stand on her own feet, though. That was the Sarah that felt the most real to me. Not that I didn’t enjoy her transformation as the book progressed, but the depth of feeling that I had for Sarah began to evaporate as the author introduces us to more and more characters and gives us their POV. All the characters she introduces the reader to have interesting pasts or abilities, but I wasn’t as emotionally invested in them mainly because this wasn’t their story. We don’t get to see how they became the things they were/are, how they live in Lyrica (the only exception to this is the vampire Alexander, I’ll get to him in a moment), heck, we don’t even get to see much of Lyrica to get a sense of how it’s supposedly dying, we’re just told it is. As Sarah comes into her own, she loses some of the charm she had early on, and it almost feels like she’s not the same person, as in, maybe a lot of time passed for the author in-between sections and Sarah’s thirteen year-old country-girl vibe was hard to capture again? I’m not sure, but I found myself yearning to feel the way I did for Sarah in the first 40% of the book that I did with the last 60%. She’s still a great character that does amazing things, but some of her shine wore off for me. I mentioned vampires, right? Ok good because there are vampires. And there are witches. And there are fairies. And there are dragons. And there are elves. And there are dwarves. And there are cursed wolves. And there are nymphs. And you see where I’m going with this, right? There are A LOT of creatures in this book, and Sarah spends a bit of time with most of those races. Perhaps too brief a time, in my humble opinion. The author took great pains to fill her fantasy world with every fantasy creature there was, but I struggled with the sheer amount of them, and trying to understand why some were on Sarah’s side, and why some weren’t, because their reasoning isn’t explained. Perhaps those things were left on the editing room floor, I’m not sure. But it felt like big chunks of backstory were cut because the reader is just given brief glimpses that, ultimately, left me a bit confused as to how Lyrica functioned as a world, which included the magic system, and, again, just how it came to be dying in the first place. Was one of the many mythical races responsible? Why are the vampires and the elves the only fantasy races we get to spend any great deal of time with? Why is Sarah the child of legend? And just what is the deal with Serwa and Jacob? Why is Sarah's mom so freaked out about a four year-old having imaginary friends? These were the questions I had by the end of the book, and, I feel that some of these could have been answered if the author spent more time building Lyrica rather than just name dropping the creatures who inhabited it. My lingering confusion and questions aside, I thought this book would have been great for young readers. Sarah and Jacob’s age, plus their awkward just entering puberty interactions, along with all the fantastic creatures would have made this book wonderful for middle school readers. Except the vampire scene. I’ll avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say, the violence that came with all the action scenes was relatively tame and wasn’t discussed in great detail, until Sarah visits Alexander’s people. That whole section felt so out of place in terms of the sudden graphic violence (ok, it probably wasn’t that bad, but given there was really nothing bad in the book until then, it felt bigger) would make me leery of giving this book to a thirteen year-old. Which is too bad, because you want the age of you main character to appeal to the audience you want, and I felt Sarah is most appealing to a younger audience given her struggles instead of the young-adult crowd. Lane has an amazing imagination. The fact that she crafted a world inhabited by so many creatures and created an epic quest that felt a bit like the journey to Mordor at the end (there’s a mountain with a volcano and a thing that must be delivered to it, but I’ll say no more) is a testament to all the stories the author has bubbling up in her just yearning to be told. At the end of the day, I think that’s what happened with “The Pariah and the Ever-Giving Stone”. There was just so much that needed to be explored further, that needed more world building, or just page time, that didn’t get the attention it needed in this book. I’m not sure if this will turn into a series, if we’ve seen the last of Sarah, Jacob, and Lyrica, or if there’s more to come. Part of me hopes there is more because there was so much left unanswered, and I still feel a bit upset with what happened between Sarah and Jacob at the end, but the main story, the main quest, does get wrapped up in this book so I’m not sure where any of them will go from here. Still, this is a cute story with an endearing female lead by an author whose imagination knows no bounds, so I’m giving it a 3.5 stars and encourage you all to give the book a read so we can discuss it. Thanks to the author for providing me a copy for review! ...more |
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none
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1
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Feb 21, 2018
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Mar 22, 2018
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Feb 21, 2018
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Paperback
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| 0999087916
| 9780999087916
| 4.32
| 19
| unknown
| Jan 22, 2018
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it was ok
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“War World” is one of those books that’s hard to define. It starts off as a science fiction, with secretive science/tech facilities run by the world’s
“War World” is one of those books that’s hard to define. It starts off as a science fiction, with secretive science/tech facilities run by the world’s top men and women finding cures to cancer and studying deep space. Then it switches modes and the science begins to evaporate real fast and turns into pure fantasy. THAT’S WHEN THINGS GET WEIRD. I know, you kind of expect weird just reading the synopsis—gnome assassins, wizards, and wormholes, oh my! But these top scientists need their high school children to come and rescue them when their expedition to a galaxy far, far away goes awry? Hmm… But honestly, that’s kind of fun so I’ll ship it. While Spence does a good job of blending science fiction with Terry Brooks levels of fantasy, that’s not the same for his main characters… First let me talk about the good stuff. Spence is great with pacing. There was always something happening which propelled this story along. His writing and descriptions for the alien planets and the strange things the characters encounter is smooth even in the ARC version I have. I wouldn’t call this book science fiction as little of the science is explained, so most of the time the reader is just told to “go with it”. I mean their ride to a far off world is glossed over as just being a portal. A portal that can teleport people pretty instantaneously across all the galaxies without much explanation. It’s cool, so yes, I will just “go with it”, because, as I said, the author does a good job of writing those scenarios. But that, coupled with the alien races that turn into classic fantasy creatures the longer the reader stays on this new planet makes this science-fantasy, but mostly fantasy. Which I liked! But I feel this is important to know going into the book, because if you’re expecting more on the science side, it’s not going to be there. It’s still fun, but treat this more of a fantasy on a far off planet, and you’ll be good to go. Now, bear with me here, because I have to take a moment (or several) to talk about the cast of characters we’re introduced to in “War World”. Good lord! There are a lot of people in this book, all of which you get a POV from at some point. Obviously we spend the most time with the main-main character, Jeremy. Who is a stereotypical jock / black sheep of his family as he’s the only one who’s not brilliant. But we also get the POV of all the other teenagers that go with Jeremy. There are 5 of those kids. Plus, we get introduced to several of the TerraGen scientists, their security heads, some government type people, even an alien here and there, AND YOU GET TO BE IN ALL THEIR HEADS! It got very hard to keep some of these dudes apart (also, they are mainly guys, so there’s that). This becomes especially problematic for the government people, the security detail, and the TerraGen scientists. We get little flashes of them at random points all throughout the novel that you only ever get a brief sense of them, and a lot of their motives are duplicitous so that makes it doubly hard to keep track of who’s on who’s side, who is pretending to be good, and who is actually trying to help these kids out. You also get so little of each of them that I was never able to develop any sort of feelings for them—good or otherwise. They just felt “there”, their purpose flimsy, and their personalities tended to blend with one another. Often I wondered why we had so many of those characters instead of just one we got to know well who embodied the things we needed to know or feel towards these organizations. And then there are the teenagers, all of whom feel kind of trope-y in that stereotypical high school way. Like the jocks (outside of Jeremy) are classic bullies, the nerds are unfit outcasts… that kind of thing. Most of them fall into the same trap as the adults, where so many of them are poorly fleshed out that I wondered why we needed their POV to begin with. Unfortunately, this is especially true for the two girls. This was actually my biggest issue. To avoid spoilers, I won’t use character names, but let’s just say one girl has her period specifically so they can say “oh no, the aliens can smell my menstrual cycle and are tracking us!” Plus her sudden cramps make her lag behind so the boys have to risk themselves to save her. Never mind that one of the guys with her is an out of shape nerd. Does he get a cramp or anything? Nope. Definitely not. Something similar happens with the other girl. She’s running after her two male “friends”, one is a jock, one is a skinny nerd, and she can’t keep up with them to save her life, literally (also, the nerd has no problem matching the jock step for step). As she struggles to run, she ruminates that her father had always wanted a son, so she wishes she had been born a guy so she could, essentially, be more athletic. That’s on top of her being a painfully stereotypical girl who only cares about fashion and is generally portrayed as an air headed damsel. Yeah… I have so, so many issues with this that it still makes me mad! The book tends to be kind of sexist in that regard. There are several places where the metaphors used are things like (and I’m paraphrasing): “He held on like a petite woman at a Black Friday shoe sale” and “his coach said he had the arm to be quarter back, if his aim wasn’t as bad as a dyslexic 7-year-old-girl.” I'm going to let you marinate on that last one for a moment... Now, if those metaphors had been on their own, ok, I can say the author was trying to be cheeky in a way he thought meat heads would be, but that coupled with how he writes his female characters… It doesn’t feel like a coincidence to me. Granted, I did have an advanced reader copy of the book so all of this may have been corrected by the time the book was released, but I can only go off what was in the copy I read. Honestly, if it weren’t for the characters, I’d rate this book higher. While I may not enjoy how the teenagers are written, others may have no problem with it, as is the nature of opinions in book reviews. Still, as a woman who plays a lot of sports, is also a video game nerd, smart, and also cares about clothes and make-up, I couldn’t enjoy these characters, regardless of how much they did (or don’t, as the case may be) resemble real people. Spence has a wonderful imagination when it comes to envisioning the planet the characters find themselves on, and I really liked the comic book-like illustrations at the start of each chapter, but characters are key for me. If you’re a fan of science-fantasy, like the Shannara Chronicles, and identify as a young man (there’s no swearing, but sometimes the violence can be graphic), then you’ll probably like “War World” more than I did. For me, this is just an ok read when I distance myself from my personal annoyance. So I’m giving it a 2.5 stars despite the awesome looking cover. Thanks to the author for providing a copy of the book for me to review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Jan 26, 2018
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Feb 05, 2018
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Jan 26, 2018
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Paperback
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| 154344492X
| 9781543444926
| 4.25
| 4
| unknown
| Sep 12, 2017
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liked it
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Reading “Beyond the Amarathine Veil” often had me believing I was reading a fan fiction of The Witcher video game series—which isn’t a bad thing, I
Reading “Beyond the Amarathine Veil” often had me believing I was reading a fan fiction of The Witcher video game series—which isn’t a bad thing, I love those games—mixed in with some classic sword & sorcery and Dungeons and Dragons. Our main character, Tristan, is a former Templar, once bound to protect a brilliant sorceress. Now, he’s a monster/bounty hunter sporting two swords—silver for monsters and steel for people—and keeps company with a charming bard, smart tongued rogue, and a gruff knight. Seriously, it has all the makings of some of my favorite types of games. Tristan, who commands a small amount of magic himself, has now been tasked to bring peace to his kingdom by marrying a noblewoman from its rival kingdom. An uncertain arranged marriage soon blossoms into more as Tristan does his best to keep his bride-to-be safe, and ensure peace between their nations. With stakes that high, you just know it’s a recipe for disaster. Which I normally love! But this wasn’t as fast paced as I generally like for these kinds of stories. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of action in this book. Tristan goes on several “side quests” with his crew to go monster hunting, and their encounters with other sorcerers is often dizzying. Where the book is slow, and why it was hard for me to get through in a timely fashion, was the central plot. Really, the main goal of the characters’ is to survive to the wedding and dodge the various assassins and other obstacles thrown at them. Which, you know, is fine, except the pacing was off between those side quests and the central plot. The book spends a lot of time on things that I think are going to be much bigger issues—like void stones and forcing the Blessing on others to make more magical types—that never truly materializes in this book, and why the various kingdoms are at odds is never really made clear? Other than there’s this prejudice against magical people and creatures, kind of. We see a lot of Tristan and his betrothed getting to know one another and care for one another, we see some character development between the side characters, and learn that Tristan has a soft spot for adopting all the orphans, and also monster hunting, which Tristan is very, very good at. But while we spend a lot of time on those points, when the book focuses back in on the main story, it kind of hand waves what’s happening on that front, and why, and who’s involved, AND WHY, away. Come the end of the book, there’s this huge twist and suddenly Tristan is on the run and I couldn’t really figure out what the heck just happened, or why anyone would think Tristan was responsible. Then, the story ends there and I’m assuming there’s meant to be a sequel at some point, but this wasn’t the kind of cliffhanger I personally enjoy. Too much felt like it was introduced late, and then left unanswered, to where I mainly just felt a bit… confused? Yes, confused. Let me be clear, there’s a lot going for this book, and the world Bullen builds as a whole. His world is complex with multiple factions and belief systems. Tristan and his family are well crafted and their rich backstories come across well in their actions making the characters all feel distinct from one another. Bullen truly shines when he throws Tristan into combat of some kind making those action scenes some of my favorites in the book. I enjoyed the Witcher-like lore that came into play with the monsters and how Tristan has to handle them; Bullen clearly put a lot of time and effort into building the world and landscape the characters inhabit! I think if you’re a fan of those kinds of games and books that feel like your reading a D&D story then you’re truly going to love “Beyond the Amarathine Veil”. At the end of the day, while the synopsis sounds gripping and, on paper, this is 100% the kind of book I love, it just didn’t completely grab me the way I was expecting. If the central plot’s pacing had read more like Tristan’s battles and I walked away feeling like I understood the motivations of the villains so the cliffhanger didn’t leave me with so many questions and leave me feeling like I’m missing something huge—I’m not, I went back and checked—then this book would have been perfect, but this wasn’t what I was expecting, which is fine! Like I said, if you love this kind of epic fantasy, then give this book a try, but for me, this is a pretty solid 3 stars. But thanks to the author for sending me a copy for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Jan 12, 2018
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Jan 08, 2019
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Jan 12, 2018
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Paperback
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| 1976102197
| 9781976102196
| 4.33
| 9
| unknown
| Dec 04, 2017
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really liked it
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This book has Jason Bourne vibes all over it: the best “gun for hire” out there suddenly finds himself on the other side of the sniper’s scope. He
This book has Jason Bourne vibes all over it: the best “gun for hire” out there suddenly finds himself on the other side of the sniper’s scope. He doesn’t know who put the contract out on him or for what offense—he’s a legend in his field, so the list of people who want our main character dead is pretty long. If Eidolon—also known as John, which, admittedly, is less intimidating—wants to stay alive, he has to figure out who put the contract out on him, and make them remove the hit, and hopefully before the people who have unexpectedly gotten close to him get hurt. This is a killer with some morals, after all. And, ultimately, if you like military action books with a Bourne and a sort of spy vs. spy vibe, then this is going to be a fast paced, fun read for you. But there are some trigger warnings! It really should go without saying that the book is pretty violent because you have a bunch of assassins trying to kill each other. But there’s one bad guy in the group that’s pretty excessive with the murder and torture. It’s part of his character, and since he’s one of the big baddie’s John has to confront, it makes sense, but his scenes are pretty disturbing. But, also, there are lots of mentions of rape, and sexual assault against children, especially in the beginning so be forewarned. It’s part of a few characters back stories but I personally wasn’t a huge fan of their inclusion just because they weren’t handled with the kind of sensitivity or intention I prefer, but that’s also not necessarily the point of the book. This is an action story, and the characters go through some pretty seedy places, but it felt a bit forced where every female character—no matter her own lethality—was always threatened with rape. Anyway, I just like putting it out there, later in the book it hardly comes up again so it’s predominantly a fast paced action ride, never fear. That being said, the author is very detailed oriented, especially with the weapons and the way John has to get out of the various binds he finds himself in as he and his female companion race across the world following lead after lead on who wants them dead. It was a lot of fun to watch John get out of these nearly impossible situations, and to do it almost without detection! Honestly, this is where most of my vibes for Bourne come from—just without the memory loss backstory—but it also feels a bit like the show Burn Notice, as that character (and show) also were very good of telling the reader/audience why what they were doing was superior, or clever, and I tend to enjoy that kind of thing a great deal. It shows a level of dedication to a plot line that is all too easy to wave away, it also adds a level of believability that makes something that sounds impossible just a tad more plausible, and therefore enjoyable in my opinion. In fact, my only issue with the story was with John’s arrogance, especially early on. He just comes off as super cocky, and I get it, he is someone to be feared, but it feels undeserved early on, especially when he lacks any other kind of remember-able personality. Which ultimately meant that it took me a long time to like him as a character, and while he has standards with who he kills, he’s still an assassin so, you know, he’s no saint to begin with even with a tragic backstory. If you are a fan of easy to follow military action books that star assassin’s and covert government agencies with a bit of a mystery thrown in, and don’t mind a lot of violence, definitely pick up “Son of a Gun”! It was a really fast read (don’t let my pace fool you, I purposely put this book down for a bit because I was behind on others) and even for someone who knows next to nothing about military tech or firearms, I found it easy to follow. I liked how John/Eidolon tells the reader why he uses certain weapons or goes about a mission in a certain way, even if it slows down the action a tad, I appreciated the explanations. Ultimately, I just wish I liked the main character more from the onset—though I do love Debs from the moment she’s introduced! So this is a very enjoyable 4 star read for me, and thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Dec 13, 2017
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Jun 10, 2019
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Dec 13, 2017
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Paperback
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| 1101994762
| 9781101994764
| 3.93
| 11,266
| Aug 30, 2016
| Aug 30, 2016
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really liked it
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“Furthermore” feels like a mesh between The Secret Garden and an Alice in Wonderland retelling, something only compounded by the main character being
“Furthermore” feels like a mesh between The Secret Garden and an Alice in Wonderland retelling, something only compounded by the main character being named Alice, as well. In the land of Ferenwood, everyone is blessed with an abundance of bright colors, from their eyes, to their hair, to their skin, and the more color they have, the more magic they can command. Alice is almost completely white, except for a bit of brown around her eyes. She has always hated this; hated that she wasn’t as colorful as everyone else. And when her father vanishes (three years ago from the story's start) she hates her lack of color and her talents even more. With a mother who ignores her and seems to not like her, and with a town that rejects the talent she offers them, Alice runs away with her “friend” Oliver to bring the only person who ever understood her and loved her just as she was back: Father. Mafi’s writing in “Furthermore” is incredibly charming, taking on the role of a classic narrator retelling the story of Alice and Oliver as if the characters had told the story to her themselves. It’s sweet and fun and full of personality; watching these two young characters race through amazing, but also richly dark, lands is a treat. Mafi is able to not just write cute characters and a brightly unique world, but she is also able to impart some wonderful lessons in her story for young readers: the importance of acceptance and loving yourself, of embracing the things that make you different and seeing it as something that makes you special, rather than an outcast. She is also able to write some incredibly deep and painful scenes as Alice and Oliver experience loss and despair while they struggle through the land of Furthermore hunting for Alice’s father. It gets pretty dark at times—extreme bodily harm, threats of cannibalism, hints of drug use, plus just the sadness that comes with a child thinking she’s unwanted—which makes me think this isn’t actually a book suitable for true MG readers. Alice is 12, but she doesn’t really act her age. That, coupled with the rather adult themes that I mentioned and just the maturity with which Mafi writes—even if it is a fun narrative voice—make me waffle on this book as an actual MG read, which it is marketed as. I’m sure with the whimsy and silliness that is inherently part of Ferenwood that this book felt better placed in the MG category rather than YA, but I have mixed feelings about this… The recommended age for this book is between 9-12, or grades 4-7, and I frankly don’t think that’s true. When I read MG, it’s specifically for the purpose of finding new books for my niece and nephews (shhh, let me have this lie) who range from 2-11. Obviously, the youngest doesn’t really count right now because he can’t read yet, but I still read this wondering how children will enjoy the story. Will they enjoy “Furthermore”? Parts, absolutely. But I’m an adult and there were parts that just broke my heart, and not in a way where a kid may gloss over it but an adult will see it for what it is. There were also parts that had me literally going “well, that escalated quickly!” While I’m not a fan of the idea that kids’ books can only be light and fluffy, I do think darker themes need to be presented in a way that won’t freak out nine 9 year olds. Also, while the writing is beautiful, after a while it did feel as if the story was just lagging, purposely making the journey longer for Alice and Oliver with no real purpose. This is a long book for a kid, and I’m not entirely convinced it needed to be. Overall, “Furthermore” is a colorful—in every sense of the word—read. Most of its messages are great and Mafi had me feeling all the things: joy, whimsy, loss, heartbreak. I loved the narrative voice; it was refreshing and just a lot of fun. I will be giving this book to my niece and nephew to read, but with a caution that parts may be scary and potentially to read it when they are ready to sit down with something that will take them a bit of time to digest. Ultimately, that’s why I have a hard time giving this book 5 stars; I don’t think it’s all that appropriate for the young readers it’s marketed to. I liked it and will definitely be reading more of Mafi’s work, but this is isn’t quite the 5 star read I was hoping for… But it is a very high 4 stars! I’d say if you have an older and more mature MG reader, that this book would be perfect for them, and probably the adults in your life, too. ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Dec 2018
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Dec 21, 2018
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Nov 29, 2017
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| B076C6WR1K
| 3.83
| 35
| Mar 15, 2017
| Nov 15, 2017
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liked it
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I haven’t really read a YA fantasy that is written in an experimental present tense narrative before. It makes “Curses of Scale” read a bit like a
I haven’t really read a YA fantasy that is written in an experimental present tense narrative before. It makes “Curses of Scale” read a bit like a dreamscape, or like a stream of consciousness, especially as it’s also a bit of a reverse timeline. Allow me to explain: the main character is Niena, or Squirrel, but we don’t meet her until about 14% into the book. That first part of the book is spent on her future husband as he races toward saving Neina from her destiny, 15 years in the future. Then, we get snapped back to our MC and her grandfather and see that she really just wants to learn how to be a bard. Then a dragon shows up and things go from bad to worse pretty quickly, especially when a meddling fairy brings Neina’s husband to the past. Why the dragon shows up and what it’s after isn’t really clear until just past the 70% mark, unless you go back and read the synopsis. Then you know that Neina is cursed to become the dragon if she kills it, but will lose those she loves if she doesn’t. It’s an interesting premise that is dark and harrowing because of the stakes and all the action that takes place, but is hampered by the narrative style. A first person present tense narrative is really tricky, it’s one of those styles that you either love or, well, you don’t. I wasn’t adequately prepared for the narrative style based on the synopsis, so it took me a really long time to get into the story, let alone figure out what was happening, the locations, or feel any kind of connection to the main characters. Kudos to the author for tackling such a challenging narrative style, but it is one of preference where this style was just not working for me. However, if this is the kind of style you enjoy, I say give this book a try as the author creates an intriguing land and the story is otherwise fast paced where the characters are constantly trying to out run the dragon that has risen to destroy their empire. Once you get into the story though and kind of figure out what’s going on, and the present tense doesn’t yank you out of the story, Reeves writes some truly lovely and clever prose. There are several scenarios and instances where the subtly and the double meanings that are in the narrative are really clever and well done, that’s not an easy thing to pull off without coming across as heavy handed! I also enjoyed how Oberon was written into the story. He’s this clever but playful old fey that you can see slipping into madness. His dialogue and interactions with the characters always made me smile, even if he made life harder for all those he interacted with. On paper, this sounded like my perfect book: a strong female lead with a difficult choice to make, who squares off with a dragon all while trying to carve her own path in the world. But I never could get into the flow of the story and be swept up in the characters or locations. A present tense experimental narrative is just not something that I enjoy it turns out. It left me confused as to what was happening and even now I only have a vague idea of what was going on. But Reeves is a talented writer and has a lot of potential as a story teller. So he is definitely someone to watch, and if this kind of narrative style is your jam, I say you should definitely give this book a try! Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me so I’m giving it 3 stars since I’m still not entirely sure what happened? But the author does have a real knack for prose! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Nov 08, 2017
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Apr 23, 2019
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Nov 08, 2017
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
| B076KPD425
| 3.32
| 22
| unknown
| Jan 11, 2018
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it was ok
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I find myself reading a lot of fantasy lately that feel like they were taken directly from a dungeon master’s manifest for a Dungeons&Dragons game
I find myself reading a lot of fantasy lately that feel like they were taken directly from a dungeon master’s manifest for a Dungeons&Dragons game between friends. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m just not really sure how I ended up reading so many books with that same feel over the course of a relatively short time. But I digress. “Road of the Lost”, you guessed it, is a fantasy sword and sorcery book that follows three characters as they battle against dark elves and their Ogre warriors in an attempt to recover the fabled crystals that will save the forest. You’ve got Templars and Sylvan Elves, and Dark Elves, the Seelie Court, and a bunch of gods all invested in this trio and moving them about like chess pieces from one battle to the next all while the author builds a world for a long standing series. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the primary focus of this first book: build the world and they will come. The author takes on an audacious task: create a rich fantasy realm with intricate politics and a long history of war where gods once walked the world, while setting up the different heroes who fought and shaped the land the reader now finds themselves in. It’s obvious early on that Russell has spent a great deal of time building out his world and the forest of Miradep, and crafting its rich history and populating it with classic fantasy creatures. But I think that’s where the story also loses its way. Instead of following a strong story line, we spend a great deal of what is a relatively quick read learning about the history of this world—which will probably make the sequels more enjoyable, but still. We are introduced to a plethora of characters whose only job is to relay backstory to the reader, which takes page time away from the three main characters we are supposed to care most about. The POV jumps paragraph to paragraph between Gratas, Jerah, and Reslo to the point where the bro-like Templars felt indistinguishable at times for me, and made Reslo’s annoyance at these humans feel all the more jarring. It made connecting to them hard because the organization of when those POV shifts came never allowed me to feel like I got to know them as individuals, only how they were as a whole—a kind of odd couple trio as they go about their quest. The focus of this book is so much on the immense world, that the plot feels lackluster by comparison: find crystals to keep the forest from dying—which also saves the world?—and maybe find a lost Templar and his sword along the way. I will say one of the best things about this novel is the fight scenes. Each time the Templars find themselves in a bind, Russell delivers a crisp, clear, and exciting battle. I had no problem visualizing what these characters were doing, and the blows they were enduring in return. Having their magic tied to the Templars god’s blessing them in certain instances was a nice twist, as was Reslo’s flaming sword and his skill with a bow—he’s an elf, so of course he’s awesome with a bow. I also enjoyed the dialogue between the Seelie Court inhabitants as they felt like the cute fairy-like creatures I envisioned them to be. Russell has built an immense world with a great deal of potential, but the story of this particular book in his series, and my difficulty connecting to the three main characters, really held me back from enjoying this book as much as I wanted to, which is too bad because I love all things fantasy and elvish! I’d still say to give this book a try if you are a fan of traditional Dungeons&Dragons like stories, or a firm lover of sword and sorcery fantasy reads, as it is quick and the fight scenes were a joy to get lost in. But characters and a strong story line are key for me and this book just didn’t scratch that itch, making this a 2.5 star for me. But like I said, this series has great potential and because so much world building was taken care of in this first book, I’m confident the subsequent books in the series can, and will, focus more on those plotlines and building out the main characters because the rest of the ground work has already been established. I just wish I could have gotten immersed in this particular story more… but thanks to the author for sending me a copy for review! ...more |
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1
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Nov 08, 2017
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Feb 23, 2019
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Nov 08, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| 1976223350
| 9781976223358
| 3.80
| 20
| unknown
| Oct 05, 2017
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liked it
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“The Elf and the Amulet” is a charming fantasy-adventure story with the makings of a coming-of-age tale as our three main characters age throughout
“The Elf and the Amulet” is a charming fantasy-adventure story with the makings of a coming-of-age tale as our three main characters age throughout the series. Often, this book had me thinking of the journey in “The Hobbit” where it starts as just a fun adventure on something that sounds like a grand quest, only to show early on just how in over their heads the characters have become, and how much they underestimated the perils of their journey. Well, everyone seemed to underestimate the perils, because, after all, these are kids and the adults send them into the world with pretty much nothing. This seems to be a hallmark of a lot of MG books; a vague prophecy is shared and then adults are told a group of children are the only ones capable of fulfilling a quest. No one questions this because of the person who gives the proclamation, so no one feels like they have a choice in the matter. Except they kind of do. Just because Nita, Chassy, and Andrev are the ones who need to recover an amulet for a wizard, it doesn’t mean their parents can’t accompany them, or give them money or something so they can buy food or lodgings along the way. But, as that seems to be the trope of MG, I’ll let it go, especially as with how the adventure reads, and how the characters interact with one another, kids in middle-school and even elementary school would enjoy the journey the author takes her readers on. The writing is easy to follow, and none of the characters are overly complex to where a younger reader would overlook certain nuances. The task and journey are straight forward: recover the amulet and deliver it to its final destination. While there is action in the form of bandit ambushes and raids, none of the violence, language, or even the mild romance, has any mature content to it, so younger readers shouldn’t find it overly intense. Another element that makes this book good for a Middle Grade audiences, more-so than YA, is how the magic and world building is presented. A lot of the world-building is only present as necessary. So, while, for me as an older reader, it came off feeling as if certain elements that get introduce late are just convenient ways to avoid plot holes, for a younger reader, this may come as more of a fun twist. Either way, it’s just something to consider when you're debating which story, with a classic journey vibe, to read next. In fact, what’s keeping me from rating this book higher, as I do think it could be a lot of fun for younger readers, as the journey is pretty fast paced and all the characters feel distinct from one another, is that I simply did not like Nita. Which is odd, because I normally love all no-nonsense, tough, female characters. But her aggression and general mean attitude just had her being rather unlikeable for me, especially as I considered if I’d want a young reader to think some of her reactions, especially towards her friends and family, was an appropriate response—which it isn’t. I was also getting a bit frustrated towards the end because I didn’t feel as if the bigger prophecy was addressed. I never got the sense that things were starting to become clear and the three characters were moving towards their foretold path. Not a great deal was accomplished and then the story just kind of … ends with several characters motivations for doing the things they did left unclear, potentially to be answered at a later time. There will be a sequel, which is great as so much still needs to be addressed—maybe too much? So while I do like this book for a younger audience, I didn’t love it and I am still left a bit confused as to what, exactly, is supposed to happen now/next, or why, which is why this is a 3 star for me. Still, if you are looking for a fun, innocent, and fast paced read for a younger reader, give “The Elf and the Amulet” a go! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review. ...more |
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1
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Oct 19, 2017
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Sep 22, 2018
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Oct 19, 2017
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Paperback
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| 9781922061584
| 4.33
| 3
| unknown
| Nov 10, 2017
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really liked it
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This is a surprisingly cute and interesting take on a dystopian fantasy that is almost perfect for MG readers. I say almost because with the
This is a surprisingly cute and interesting take on a dystopian fantasy that is almost perfect for MG readers. I say almost because with the characters ages, I believe the author wanted this to be a YA fantasy, but with how the main character, Franklin, views the world and just the sheer whimsy of the mages, warlocks, oceanus, were-panthers, and how the limitations of the magic system and classes aren’t well defined, and are kind of left up to the gods, I think this makes for a much better middle grade book, so that’s how I’m rating it. “Zarmina and the Book of Oceans” is the first in the series, so it spends a good portion of the book introducing the reader to this new world, and why humans live on the star-side—aka, in the frozen dark—of this planet, and why the evil warlock, Javan, has banished them to such a harsh place. This coming-of-age tale centers on Franklin and a prophecy that a legendary mage-warrior race will return to Zarmina and end Javan’s tyranny. In the process, they will return balance and peace to Zarmina, with humans returning to the sun-side of the planet, or that’s the hope, anyway. Franklin has grown up completely isolated from others of his race, so when his parents are murdered, he finds himself adrift in a strange land where everything is new and complicated to young Franklin. Despite how the story starts and a few instances of battles, the violence is pretty minor and not overly graphic, so I don’t think a younger reader would be troubled by it. There is also no swearing, and the romance is both sweet and very innocent. The people and characters Franklin meets all have their unique quirks—especially the professor—that I think a younger reader would have a blast getting to know them, but perhaps not so much a YA reader for it may come off as just kind of silly. Still, I found the world and creatures, as well as the plight humankind finds themselves to be in, to be rather original and I enjoyed the world of Zarmina and how Franklin experiences it for pretty much the first time. My biggest issue with the book, and why I didn’t rate it higher, was because of where the first book ends. Don’t get me wrong, plenty was accomplished, but the main thing they set out to do will have to wait until the next book(s)—which I won’t specify to avoid spoilers. There are also some very big moments that get kind of glossed over and I would have enjoyed having those conflicts given more of the attention they deserved, instead of spending time watching Franklin learn, essentially, the game of hockey. Additionally, the version I had contained several consistent errors. Normally I wouldn’t mention it, but as they were numerous enough to really notice, and I do think the core story is great for younger readers, I don’t want them to pick up some bad writing habits. The errors aren’t all that bad all things considered, but the amount of them—again, at least in my version—was a little disheartening. Additionally, while the romance is rather cute, it moves really, really fast. I’d have enjoyed more build up, but, again, that may make this a much more enjoyable read for an MG audience, especially as Franklin feels, and acts, so much younger than 16 even with growing up in isolation. Despite the errors and my issues with the ending and how some of the larger conflicts were handled, I did really enjoy this book. I thought the adventure, and how Franklin grows and evolves over the course of the story was a lot of fun, and I thought the approach Anderson took with world building was fresh in a crowded fantasy market. So, even though I am giving this book 3.5 stars, I’m happily rounding up and can’t wait to see where Franklin goes from here! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review. ...more |
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1
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Oct 19, 2017
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Oct 12, 2018
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Oct 19, 2017
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ebook
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| 1978019637
| 3.97
| 38
| unknown
| Oct 06, 2017
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liked it
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This book was a wild ride where the action never stops. Each chapter, or two, in “Of Flesh and Fire” read like an episode of a supernatural college
This book was a wild ride where the action never stops. Each chapter, or two, in “Of Flesh and Fire” read like an episode of a supernatural college sitcom. Which makes sense as, I believe, that was how this was originally written—as episodic serials to be consumed like crack riddled popcorn. Like, seriously the action never stops from pretty much the moment we meet Nym. The girl is literally on fire when we meet her, and things spiral out of control from that moment on. Honestly, if you like binge-worthy, fast (both in pacing and length), occasionally sweet, stories with magic and vampires, you’ll probably enjoy this book. There are some new elements that I enjoyed, as they aren’t present in most supernatural books when it covers this kind of subject material, but there are other tropes that felt a little too unnecessary for the story. Also, while the book is incredibly fast and easy to knock out during a lazy vacation, there are so many interesting and, frankly, big things going on that I felt like “Of Flesh and Fire” was about 5 books crammed into one very short one. Firstly, I did enjoy this book. It was a crazy ride, but it was easy to get into and lose myself in. It’s a story line I’m familiar with, but with enough twists to keep me from boredom. I really enjoyed Rowan’s spunk and her interactions with Nym, and I think having a magical college is a great idea because Harry Potter only goes so far. There is something massive happening in every chapter, whether it’s Nym learning that there’s magic and vampires to begin with, to being hunted down by crazy ex’s (both hers and her new boyfriends), to almost being killed on multiple occasions by other magic types, to trying to figure out who to trust while also trying to get a handle on this whole prophecy she’s at the center of in order to keep even more bad things from happening… See what I mean about there being a lot going on? We are given these little yummy bits and then they get wrapped in a chapter or two and we are moving on to the next thing, which negated so much tension each time a new challenge was presented. I really wanted to slow down for a bit and get to know this new world Nym found herself in. Heck, most of those things I mentioned, when they appear in the book, could have very well been their own novel or novella! That’s how much potential there is in each of those segments that just never gets unpacked. The entire book takes place in less than a week’s time span. That’s a lot to throw at Nym, and the reader. Did I have fun reading this book? Absolutely! I was always engaged for one reason or another, which is why I wanted more. I wanted to spend more time on certain things, which may have lessened some of the tropes that are in the book. Like the unknowing all powerful savior (Nym), the ancient vampire falling for the young adult (honestly, my least favorite trope, but I get the appeal), and mustache twirling villains. If more world and character building had been established, whether in this book or spread out over others, there wouldn't have been this disconnect for me where certain things felt overly obvious, and some characters felt thrown in last minute, or changed in order to make things move in the right direction. But—even in spite of some of the issues I had—I didn’t want to stop reading. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next, even if I already had a pretty good idea of where things were going and how it was all going to end. The author has a great grasp of keeping flow and writing chapter endings in a way that always leaves you saying “one more chapter!” If you’re one of those readers that just wants all things supernatural with magic, vampires, werewolves, dragons, and—apparently—a mermaid or two, this book will not disappoint you. It checks off all those boxes rather nicely. And while I had a lot of fun reading Cross’ work, it was the length that kept me from absolutely adoring it. Cramming so many cataclysmic events into just a week for your characters felt like overkill and kept me from feeling like I got to know the characters, or made me believe Nym could actually handle all the stuff being thrown at her. That and, as a pure matter of taste, the sheer amount of internal conversations became overdone and I’d have preferred her to actually speak to the people around her, but that’s just me. But also partially why this book is a 3.25 stars for me. Given how this book ended, I’m not sure how Cross is going to top things, but I’m really interested to see where things go from here for Nym, Rowan, and Marcus! And thanks to the author for providing me a copy for review. ...more |
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1
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Oct 19, 2017
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Aug 10, 2018
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Oct 19, 2017
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Paperback
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| B073S1MH9P
| unknown
| 4.50
| 2
| unknown
| Jul 06, 2017
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really liked it
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I don’t really know where to begin with “The Adventures of Warren Steadmill”, which isn’t a bad thing, but rating a book that’s written as a type of
I don’t really know where to begin with “The Adventures of Warren Steadmill”, which isn’t a bad thing, but rating a book that’s written as a type of parody to classic folktales is just hard! Rosenberg has a distinct style of witty and sarcastic writing that reminds me a great deal of the late Sir Terry Pratchett, even down to the occasional footnote. Everything is whimsical, and silly, and also vaguely serious with some rather dark undertones. But Warren’s tale is a simple one: one of a family growing closer, finding purpose in life, and growing up. Warren falls for a girl and to impress her, he gives up his life of unproductive luxury to become a table maker and win his fair lady’s adoration. But, of course, none of that really works out for him and Warren, poor, sweet, innocent and often dumb, Warren, is left to bumble through an adventure he barely understands that will eventually leave him a hero. Kind of? The plot itself follows very similar folktale/adventure tropes of boy meets girl, boy goes on adventure to prove his manliness to said girl, bad things happen and girl is captured, boy must fight to save her and win her plus a kingdom because those things tend to go hand-in-hand. All of those points are there but Rosenberg’s clever writing flips those tropes on their head just enough to craft a tale that is both unique from the tried and true, but also left me in awe of just how good the writing is and how well Rosenberg uses both subtle satire and overt snarkiness to show that Warren is, in fact, not a hero. But I won’t say more because I don’t want to accidentally give anything away. In fact, the one thing that really worked against this otherwise light, quirky, and humorous tale, was its length. It took me forever to get through this book because, like Pratchett, there are a lot of little side tangents that the characters and author go on to kind of show you how silly Warren, Birdcastle, and everyone on Fortune Island really is. But, unlike Pratchett, those tangents and asides just went on far too long sometimes and made the story seriously lag for me. I mean, if your own characters make the comment that something a character takes 45 minutes (in kindle format) to explain that another does in less than 30 seconds, then that’s actually not funny, and is a bad thing because it lost its charm for me rather quickly. I wanted this to be the fast past, silly and yet somehow poignant, story that Pratchett’s Discworld series is, and it could have been! It absolutely could have been if some of those chapters and sections had been cut back a bit. Warren, his ambitions, and even all the colorful characters he meets (like pirates, mercenary actors, and witches) makes for a sweet coming-of-age young adult tale that could almost, ALMOST be suitable for middle-grade readers as well, as the heroes journey and just the overall silliness would probably be well suited for younger readers. Except Rosenberg uses some wonderfully complex vocabulary, and a few choice four letter words on occasion that would make this—plus the slow parts—unfortunately unsuitable for those readers, which is kind of too bad because I think they’d get a kick out of the story and enjoy its core, simple plot a great deal more than a young-adult reader. Still, if you know a middle-grader who is mature and can tackle the vocabulary, I say go for it! There aren’t any real frightening or overly violent scenes in the book, and each time sex comes up it’s very much a vague and almost fade-to-black type thing where an adult can fill in the blanks and maybe chuckle about it, but a young reader wouldn’t be able to really grasp it in a significant way. To be honest, I struggled with this book when I shouldn’t have. The pacing and it’s very long chapters just kind of ground this book to a halt for me on many occasions, which is too bad because Rosenberg is such a talented writer! This is his first novel and while that shows a bit in those lags, you’d otherwise never know with how well written the humor and the characters are. Warren’s transition from this air-headed good for (and at) nothing son—at the start of the book—to the man he ends up being is handled exceptionally well. So, if you can handle the very slow pacing of the plot—the last 20% of the book really picks up, though—I’d highly recommend you read this book! But given I just had such a hard time getting through this at a reasonable pace, I’m giving it 3.75 stars but am rounding up and will be keeping my eye on the author’s future projects! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 04, 2017
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Aug 03, 2018
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Oct 04, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| B074PD12C3
| 4.30
| 851
| Aug 08, 2017
| Aug 08, 2017
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really liked it
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I’ve been astounded lately with the talent of the fantasy indie writer community, and the latest book on that list is a truly epic and wonderfully
I’ve been astounded lately with the talent of the fantasy indie writer community, and the latest book on that list is a truly epic and wonderfully crafted grimdark fantasy, “Kings of Paradise”. This book is so massive and complex, it’s hard to summarize, but suffice it to say, this is mainly the story of Kale and Ruka (but kind of Dala, too), two young men from countries that don’t seem connected to one another at all. Ruka hails from a cold place with a rich lore and mythos that feels very Norse—except that women are in charge over, well, pretty much everything and this causes no end of pain for Ruka. And Kale comes from an island nation that feels very French Polynesian with it’s culture and way of life. I loved that contrast! I loved how both these young men start off as bullied and tormented souls trying to find their peaceful place in the world, and then having that shattered and then burned for good measure. This is a cruel, cruel world and Nell never once shies away from that, something I greatly enjoyed. In fact, there’s only one thing about this book that keeps me from giving it all the stars. Let’s start with Ruka. Ruka is disfigured, which in his home land, mean’s he’s cursed by the gods and should have been killed at birth. His mother chooses to spare him, and thus makes them outcasts. His mother loves Ruka unconditionally, and tries to teach him to be a good man, to make something positive of his life, but when she is no longer in the picture, all his crazy smart intellect can’t save him from the conniving priestesses who hold slights as deadly grudges. You can see how these terrible events make Ruka into more than just the figurative monster he pretends to be, and you feel badly for him! Despite him doing some pretty messed up things, because we see how he was formed and shaped, and Nell brings us deep into his mind and beliefs, you kind of want Ruka to succeed. Until a line gets crossed and then you’re like: “No, Ruka, nooooo!” But I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers. Then there’s Kale, whose rich, and vibrant homeland, and his character arc were by far my favorites. We watch Kale grow from an unimportant last-born prince who doesn’t understand the politics he’s involved with, and resents his father for sending him to the navy, to the equivalent of a “peace loving hippie” with some truly awesome powers. It’s a truly marvelous transition and its done so gradually, so in character, that it’s one of the best character arcs I’ve seen in this kind of fantasy series, and this is just the first book! Kale is everything you expect of a pampered prince who gets thrust into the “real world”, but instead of that making him unlikeable, it makes him endearing as he tries to prove everyone wrong about him. One set back after another—and a few truly terrifying scenes where I worried for Kale’s safety—makes Kale so deserving of the reward he is eventually given. Though his extreme peace-and-love attitude towards the end started to irk me only because I wanted him to really tear sh*t up, but that’s just my personal preference. But you see how distinct these characters are from one another? How far apart in temperament, religion, and region they are? That was a reoccurring issue for me. You see, I kept waiting and waiting to see how Kale and Ruka’s story intersected. How they were connected. Why we needed both their perspectives to make this a whole story. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the ride Nell took me on, but that little thing in the back of my head just kept nagging me, kept asking me: “Where is this going?” Dala and Ruka make sense and it’s obvious how those two characters stories and goals intersected, and I loved seeing the different ways Dala and Ruka went about essentially achieving the same goal. But Kale didn’t fit in with them. Even though I liked his sections the best, I struggled to know how his story was at all remotely tied into Ruka’s. It’s not until about 80-85% into the book that you finally see how Ruka and Kale are connected and one of them finally starts closing the literal and figurative distance to the other. EIGHTY PERCENT! That made this amazing, epic fantasy pretty much the longest prologue I’ve ever read. Normally, I’d absolutely loathe that, but Nell is such a talented writer and so great at world building that I ain’t even mad. Ok, well, maybe just a little. Keep in mind, this is very much a grimdark fantasy. What does that mean? That there’s a ton of mature content in it and it’s generally, well, dark both in atmosphere and subject matter. Nell does not shy away from graphic violence, sex, or language, so this is definitely not a YA fantasy (on a side note: I love that there are more adult fantasies not pretending to be YA just for more readership. Adults love fantasies too, just saying), but if that’s not your thing, I understand. That aside, should you read this book? HECK YES! Despite the female characters being rather weak (in more ways than one), and that it takes so long to begin tying everything together, Nell does manage to do it a lot faster—and sometimes better—than such similar authors as George R. R. Martin, so there’s that. But I think that some of the character POVs could have been cut to help the reader get to the central point that much faster, which is why I am giving it a 4.5 star rating. Still, this was a truly amazing first book for a fantasy series and I CANNOT WAIT for book 2! Trust me, with how the first book ended, the second one is going to be truly spectacular! And thanks to the author for providing me a copy for review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 04, 2017
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Jun 02, 2018
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Oct 04, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| 0983935181
| 9780983935186
| 4.00
| 37
| Mar 09, 2012
| Apr 23, 2017
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liked it
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I’m hoping that if you’re reading this, that you’ve read the first book in the Primal Patterns series, because “The Goblin Rebellion” isn’t going to
I’m hoping that if you’re reading this, that you’ve read the first book in the Primal Patterns series, because “The Goblin Rebellion” isn’t going to make sense unless you do. The story picks up pretty much where the first book left off with only a brief recap that doesn’t help if you haven’t read book one, because you won’t understand the complexities of the world Jameson has created, and it’s seriously complicated. This is a dark epic fantasy meets hard science fiction tale with a little bit of a creation myth retelling thrown in—all these elements are present in the first book except the creation myth bit. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book, but I will say that some of my problems with the first installment were addressed appropriately, but other problems remained, and others—that were present—became all the more overt in “The Goblin Rebellion”. Basically, at the end of the last book, Lucifer is given a teddy bear for his son that includes a powerful tool that is capable of destroying planets and creating universes. Why you’d give this to a child, I have no good reasoning for, but it happens. During the hand-off, Lucifer accidentally presses the wrong button and destroys a planet inhabited by elves, killing millions. Yes, it was an accident, but that’s a pretty costly one and some are not happy about it, for good reason. They decide to devote the rest of their immortal lives to tearing down Lucifer for killing their families, and they feel the best way to do that is by partnering with Jehovah—who is pissed he failed to destroy Lucifer’s primal pattern and now decides taking the elves pattern is the next best thing. Honestly, it felt a bit similar to book one but with Lucifer and Routan’s positions flipped. I did like that Lucifer and Sariel seemed to mature in this book, though. They felt more like the ancient beings I wanted from the first book, ones who were responsible for their pattern and needed to be accountable for all its people. Lucifer’s growth and compassion makes him a more endearing character this time around, and I felt myself wanting him to succeed and get his son back much more than I did by the conclusion of the previous book. Even though the characters show some growth and the dialogue is better in the second book, the problem with mixing this kind of fantasy with hard science fiction remains. There’s a lot going on and it was getting hard for me to switch between the science fiction part and the fantasy elements. Jameson likes explaining the space travel and how space in general affects the time and how the magic works, and I appreciate that. But it got to be a bit of an overload, especially as the book can be rather slow at times with little action and just long periods of political maneuvering and scheming. All the ages and time differentials and light years started to turn to a number overload and I felt was ultimately meaningless as the characters are immortal and the passage of time is so immense that I question why it needed to be stated so often, or at all really. But the hardest part is marrying that with the fantasy that has more overt tones of Christian creation myth stories in “The Goblin Rebellion” then it did previously. In the previous book, if you kind of ignored the names and the idea that “angels” and “demons” were fighting, this might have been easier to get into for you, but that wasn’t the case for me. Honestly, Jameson’s demons and angels just feel like winged creatures rather than anything demonic or angelic as their abilities are the same and the demons aren’t after anyone’s souls, so to speak. The classic lore of what an angel and demon is, is completely absent in Jameson’s novels. Normally, I’d adore flipping this on its head, but it wasn’t done in a clever way to where I felt it was a unique retelling, it was just too far removed for that. I’d have loved to just ignore all that, but when Jameson also gives us a brief retelling of Noah’s Ark (which I did enjoy how that was brought about and delivered as it felt the most thought out to me) it’s hard to view the rest of the characters as just a coincidence used for naming conventions. This is made even more difficult by the elven race, who outside of their pointed ears, technology, hive mind capabilities, and lack of wings, didn’t feel far enough removed from the angels or demons, and yet were supposed to be a unique take on what an elf has been established as. Oh, and remember, elves are also the goblins here, it’s just a derogatory term for them. Yeah, like I said, this is a complex series with a ton of things going on in each book that may be hard for a reader to keep track of and have their mind switch back and forth between the fantasy and science at the drop of a hat. Or it was for me, in any event. My personal issues with getting into the story due to the clashing genres aside, perhaps my biggest qualm this time around was with how the women in this book were portrayed. In the first book, a lot of these tones were sort of presented, but they weren’t as overt because you had Anne, Lucifer’s wife, who had a bit more substance to her then the women in “The Goblin Rebellion”. Without her, all you have is a cast of one dimensional female characters who are boiled down to their physical sex appeal and desire to sleep with the various male characters and have their babies. Honestly, pretty much all the named female characters in this book are first introduced by how sexy the main male characters find them. When you have a world where women are supposed to be as formidable as the men, fighting in wars and being assassins and all that, it was disheartening to have them being portrayed in such a manner and with so little substance to them. I wanted to give this series another chance because Jameson has a truly expansive imagination and is clearly a smart writer when it comes to science fiction. The idea to flip how we view Lucifer and Jehovah and creation myths on their head is pretty interesting, but coupling that with the sheer amount of characters and themes and genres just got too much for me and made it hard for me to connect with any of the characters or their patterns, or the story as a whole. Because of the complexities of this novel (and series) along with the violence, language, and sexual themes, I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone under 16 or 17, and even then they’d have to be very dedicated readers. Even though I had issues with the characters, portrayal of women, and plot, the world building is better in this book, as is the dialogue and the character arcs of Lucifer and Sariel (the only characters I ended up caring about). Like I said, Jameson has to be admired for his creativity, even if I could not applaud his delivery. Overall, I liked this book a bit more than the first in the series, but not a great deal more, so this is going to be a 3 star rating for me (I gave the first book 2.5). And thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy! ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Sep 28, 2017
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Mar 06, 2018
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Sep 28, 2017
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Paperback
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| B073SFF1YM
| 4.20
| 5
| unknown
| Jul 06, 2017
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really liked it
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“Soul In Ashes” was originally created as four short novellas, but what I read was the first four “seasons”, and I must say, it’s much better to read
“Soul In Ashes” was originally created as four short novellas, but what I read was the first four “seasons”, and I must say, it’s much better to read these stories together instead of as short one off episodes. But, given the structure of how this book was crafted from these stories all revolving around one character and her struggles with an evil magic and vengeful / ignorant populace, it makes it an instant page turner. The reader follows along as Alswyn attempts to rebuild her life. Crippled after renouncing her evil ash magic and exiled by her people, she seeks sanctuary with a group of peaceful healers who have forsaken all violence. Only in their protective embrace can Alswyn heal, but there are bigger forces at play, forces that draw Alswyn back to the magic she has forsaken, the people who abandoned her, and the king of the rival country she grew up hating. It’s a compelling story, one that doesn’t start out with the goal of saving the world, but instead healing one princess, but that one good deed sets up a fun adventure all the way through each episode. I don’t want to go too much into the plot of each episode just in case you want to read just one at a time instead of all four in one sitting. But as each “season” ends on a cliff hanger that gets picked up right off the bat in the next installment, you’re going to want to read these back to back. Alswyn is immediately sympathetic and it was refreshing to have a character who is cripple, who is struggling with learning how to function again, all while trying to atone for her mistakes. The reader instantly is rooting for Alswyn, and wanting her to succeed is made even easier because she seems to be surrounded by bastards who don’t believe her, trust her, or who just want her to suffer for eternity—this sometimes includes her own sister! Very few people seem to care for Alwysn, and each time she does something good, there is always just a little something bad in it that—believably—has those who didn’t trust her finding even more of a reason to dislike her. The author does a great job crafting her main character, and as it’s told in first person, that’s a good thing! Can you imagine hating the main character who told their tale in first person? Not fun… My only issue with this quick read was in the world building and magic system. The world feels very small as we only ever get a small glimpse of it, and all the big players, the kings, their champions, their betrothed, are all related to one another or know one another, which makes the world feel even smaller. This also extends to the magic systems. The magic used isn’t well defined and you only see small parts of it. There is this whole backstory to the goddesses that oversee this world and bestow magic on their favored people, but you never see the true extent or limitations of those different magics. The author doesn’t take the time to really show the reader why ash magic is bad, it just is and apparently cannot be used for good like the other two magic types. Not slowing down the pacing of the book by world building is all right for a time, because I did really enjoy how quickly this book was to read and how invested I became in the main character, but I still wish Black had given us more of Alswyn’s world and defined her magic systems more. That aside, given there was no real violence, no bad language, and no graphic scenes of any kind or overly complicated language, this is a great read for readers as young as 13, as long as they enjoy fantasy with strong female leads! (And who doesn't love those?) By the end of the fourth “season” I was yearning for more. The way it all ended… goodness! I want to know what happens next! I want to know what will become of Alswyn, King Ghalad, Koen, King Talroc, and Alswyn’s sister. I want to know if she succeeds at the quest she is given come the end of the book and if she’ll finally catch a break! Unfortunately, Black hasn’t listed the next compilation of “Soul In Ashes” yet, so I am forced to wait. But I hope it isn’t for long! But despite how much I want to continue on in this series, because of the mild world and magic building, I’m giving this fun book 4 stars and plead with the author to hurry up and get the next seasons out there. And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy to review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Sep 28, 2017
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Mar 2018
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Sep 28, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| B071XFTVHV
| 4.50
| 4
| unknown
| Jun 15, 2017
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really liked it
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“The Devil’s Backbone” is a crazy, delightful blend of science fiction, action adventure, psycho-thriller, and epic Western fantasy with some of the
“The Devil’s Backbone” is a crazy, delightful blend of science fiction, action adventure, psycho-thriller, and epic Western fantasy with some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a while from an indie author. Holy cow, did I enjoy myself on this wild ride! We follow Sadie Bishop, who is recovering from a massive trauma, as she embarks on a dangerous jaunt through the Badlands of a futuristic America. In this world, only Citizens (basically people who pay off all their debts and remain good little worker bees) can reap the benefits of society—good food, medicine, and the best technology the world can offer. Gaskill has crafted a world that felt so natural to where our current society might be headed, and I LOVED the social commentary that was tied to that. He does a great job of presenting it “as is” rather than beating the reader over the head with a message that is best left as a tumultuous undertone to this futuristic land. Anyhoo, Sadie is plagued by something deep in her urging her to forgo the comforts of Citizen life and head out into the treacherous no-man’s land, where those dangerous men and women who lost their Citizenship now scrape by in a new Wild, Wild, West. Why does Sadie feel such a compulsion to go out there? She doesn’t know, but she can’t ignore the call, either. While that point got a little murky as the story progressed, I really can’t say enough good things about Gaskill’s novel! I usually shy away from Western’s, cowboys just don’t appeal to me. But never fear, there are no such horse riding vigilante’s in “The Devil’s Backbone”. Instead, this wasteland felt more like a Mad Max landscape, with daring escapes via old junker cars and drivers whose sanity is suspect, at best. We are shown an arid world where those in the Badlands are struggling to fight back against the system that has stripped them of their rights because they had debts they couldn’t pay (student loans, anyone?). The world, despite its dystopian feel, felt full and rich. Gaskill clearly spent time figuring out every inch of this futuristic America before sitting down to breathe life into our two main characters, Sadie and Jude, and it shows! That, coupled with the banter between these two women, often left me unable to put this book down. Jude and Sadie have such fun, unique voices, and engage in some of the best and natural feeling dialogue I’ve read, that it became some of my favorite parts of the book. This dialogue holds true to every single character in the book, too. Everyone felt distinct and whole, even if they only occupied a few pages before Sadie and Jude moved on. So kudos for Gaskill for crafting such great characters. The one thing that got a bit muddled in this action packed ride, was the psycho-thriller aspects of the book. Without spoiling anything, Sadie’s reasons for being out in the Badlands feel a little flimsy, and become pretty coincidental as she starts meeting the people who are entangled with the very reason this force deep within her has inspired her to “go out West”. For as rich as everything else felt, the coincidences stood out, and pulled me out of the story. A few times I literally said, “Well, wasn’t that convenient” with an eye roll. The author even has his characters talk about what great luck it was that they found so-and-so, but just because you call out such instances, doesn’t mean that they are excused. It’s pretty small all things considered, but again, because the characters, world building, dialogue, hell, this BOOK was so strong otherwise, it was disappointing when those coincidences started piling up, especially towards the end. As this book uses a great deal of adult language, the violence can be pretty graphic, the plot can be a bit hard to follow at times, and the social commentary requires someone a bit older to appreciate it, this book is best for a more mature, and socially aware reader. If there hadn’t been those few instances where the plot got a bit murky with the overabundance of flukes this book would easily be 5 stars, as I loved the world, characters, and their banter just that much. Still, this gets a very strong 4.5 stars instead, and I encourage everyone to give it a read so we can all go on the crazy ride that will assuredly be the sequel! Thank you to the author for providing me a copy for review! ...more |
Notes are private!
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none
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1
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Aug 04, 2017
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Jan 16, 2018
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Aug 04, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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my rating |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 4.65
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 07, 2019
|
Sep 05, 2019
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|
| 4.03
|
liked it
|
Jul 17, 2019
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Jun 30, 2019
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| 5.00
|
it was amazing
|
Jun 06, 2019
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Jun 04, 2019
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| 5.00
|
it was amazing
|
not set
|
Mar 28, 2019
| |||||
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| 4.03
|
liked it
|
Feb 26, 2019
|
Feb 10, 2019
| |||||
|
| 4.86
|
it was amazing
|
not set
|
Jan 22, 2019
| |||||
|
| 4.91
|
it was amazing
|
Dec 07, 2018
|
Dec 06, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.00
|
really liked it
|
Dec 07, 2018
|
Sep 05, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.19
|
liked it
|
Oct 25, 2018
|
Aug 09, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.00
|
really liked it
|
Aug 14, 2018
|
Jul 31, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.30
|
really liked it
|
Jul 07, 2018
|
Apr 25, 2018
| |||||
|
| 3.69
|
liked it
|
Jul 25, 2018
|
Apr 23, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.06
|
liked it
|
Dec 18, 2018
|
Mar 16, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.50
|
really liked it
|
Oct 16, 2019
|
Feb 21, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.00
|
really liked it
|
Aug 23, 2019
|
Feb 21, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.47
|
liked it
|
Mar 22, 2018
|
Feb 21, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.32
|
it was ok
|
Feb 05, 2018
|
Jan 26, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.25
|
liked it
|
Jan 08, 2019
|
Jan 12, 2018
| |||||
|
| 4.33
|
really liked it
|
Jun 10, 2019
|
Dec 13, 2017
| |||||
|
| 3.93
|
really liked it
|
Dec 21, 2018
|
Nov 29, 2017
| |||||
|
| 3.83
|
liked it
|
Apr 23, 2019
|
Nov 08, 2017
| |||||
|
| 3.32
|
it was ok
|
Feb 23, 2019
|
Nov 08, 2017
| |||||
|
| 3.80
|
liked it
|
Sep 22, 2018
|
Oct 19, 2017
| |||||
|
| 4.33
|
really liked it
|
Oct 12, 2018
|
Oct 19, 2017
| |||||
|
| 3.97
|
liked it
|
Aug 10, 2018
|
Oct 19, 2017
| |||||
|
| 4.50
|
really liked it
|
Aug 03, 2018
|
Oct 04, 2017
| |||||
|
| 4.30
|
really liked it
|
Jun 02, 2018
|
Oct 04, 2017
| |||||
|
| 4.00
|
liked it
|
Mar 06, 2018
|
Sep 28, 2017
| |||||
|
| 4.20
|
really liked it
|
Mar 2018
|
Sep 28, 2017
| |||||
|
| 4.50
|
really liked it
|
Jan 16, 2018
|
Aug 04, 2017
|
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