Month: January 2020

The Summoned Ones: Flight to Bericea by Darryl A. Woods

Image result for the summoned ones by darryl a. woodsFor nine long fighting seasons, General Darnon and his men battled the same foe. Once a mere upstart, Zybaro was now a powerful enemy. He raided village after village in Malabrim, conscripting the most able-bodied into his army. Almost all of the Western Realm was now under Zybaro’s control, his forces ready to challenge Bericea’s army in the Eastern Realm. Darnon faced a difficult decision. Should he listen to the clerics, controllers of magic, and risk more lives? The clerics believed the Summoned Ones of prophecy could save the realms and unite their tribes and kingdoms. Unfortunately, the magic platform the clerics needed to call forth these beings was located deep in Malabrim. The journey to deliver the clerics into enemy territory and bring the Summoned Ones safely back to Bericea would be a dangerous one. And Darnon knew the odds were not in their favor.

Join the Summoned Ones, college-aged friends from a small Kentucky town transported to a chaotic world dominated by magic and war. Their epic journey will push them to the limits of their endurance. This unlikely group will discover truths about themselves and experience another world beyond their imagination. (taken from Amazon)

                         Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available to purchase now.

Ah, the portal to another world kind of story! I’ve always loved that idea. Who wouldn’t want to walk into a wardrobe (or a cave, in this case) and discover a new world? As long as that new world is survivable, that is. In this particular book, four friends are transported to Bericea, a place torn by war. They are the Summoned Ones, part of a prophecy that marks them as saviors.

These friends are college buddies who have come together to carry the ashes of a common friend to his final resting place. Their friend had requested that his ashes be brought to an out-of-the-way cave, one that not many even know about. As the friends arrive at the cave, they find themselves thrust into a war in a strange place.

There were both things I loved about this book, and things that I didn’t. I loved that the Summoned Ones were college-aged, not children. It made it easier to relate to them. I also enjoyed the reason they were in the cave in the first place. A trip taken to honor a deceased friend was a creative idea.

The introduction to the main characters was a bit slow. There was so much information that my attention wandered a bit. It was very obvious that the author had put a ton of time into coming up with, not only the characteristics of each person, but their backstories, habits, likes and dislikes, etc. It made each character very three-dimensional, but I do wish the information had been delivered more throughout the book than all at once. Once they made it to the magical world, however, things quickly picked up.

The battle scenes were incredibly well-done. In fact, the entire world was well-developed and interesting. I’m a big fan of fantasy worlds in general, even more so when it’s in the midst of conflict (I’m kind of a horrible person like that), because it adds a sense of urgency that is fun to read.

I think Kail was my favorite character, a brilliant soldier in General Darnon’s army. He was brave and smart, and a lot of fun to read about. I also liked Pattie, one of the original friends. She was one of two female characters from Kentucky. The other- Gloria- bugged me to no end. She complained a lot and was very entitled. Thankfully, Pattie was pretty much the polar opposite.

This book is the beginning of a series that has definite potential. I’m excited to see what happens next.

Have you read this? What did you think?

If…Then: In Which You Get a Terrifying Glimpse Into How I Come Up With Book Suggestions

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you might have noticed that my train of thought often jumps its tracks. Usually (but not always) these random jumps make perfect sense, but only if you’ve had a rather terrifying look into my thought process. Seeing as that can get a bit hairy, I suggest you proceed carefully, as I’m about to give suggestions of books to read next, based on books recently enjoyed. I will try my hardest to explain why, but…yeah.

If you enjoyed: The Starless Sea

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Find my review here

Then read: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

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Find my review here

The reason I suggest The Ten Thousand Doors of January is that both Alix E. Harrow and Erin Morgenstern have an incredible way with words. Their prose is so gorgeous, it’s like enjoying a decadent treat. If you enjoy one of these two books, definitely read the other. Of course, other than that, the books are completely different. They make sense together to me, though. In fact, I seem to think that Alix and Erin went on a book tour together? All I know, is they didn’t come to a bookstore near me. Sad, sad, sad.

If you enjoyed: The Wheel of Time series

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Then read: The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

Find my review here

The reason behind this recommendation is that they have a similar feel. Both are high fantasy, both have complicated characters, both take you on epic adventures. Both will keep you guessing. If you enjoy one, then you’ll like the other. Actually, this thought process kind of makes sense.

If you enjoy: The Invisible Library

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Then read: Jackaby

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Find my review here

Here’s where my brain goes a little wonky. I have no idea why The Invisible Library series makes me think of the Jackaby series. Jackaby himself channels a Doctor Who-meets- Sherlock type of vibe. At any rate, it’s really good and I think readers who enjoy The Invisible Library need to check this one out. Incidentally, readers who enjoy Jackaby should absolutely read The Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters! Both Jackaby and The Crocodile on the Sandbank feature intelligent, incorrigibly curious female characters.

If you enjoy: City of Ghosts

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Find my review here

Then read: Anna Dressed in Blood

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The thing with both of these books is that they have a bit of a “fun ghost story” feel to them. Neither of them is actually spooky (although both of them would scare the living daylights out of my middle-grade reader), but they come across as Supernatural light.

If you enjoy: The Name of the Wind

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Then read: Master of Sorrows

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Find my review here

Justin T. Call is a wordsmith, the kind that only comes around once in a while. Just like Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind, Master of Sorrows drew me in immediately. This book is excellent, and definitely needs to be read by everyone.

There are several others that I’m not including because the way I’ve likened them will make absolutely no sense to anyone sober. Hopefully, the connections for these make pretty decent sense. Enjoy!

City of Ghosts and Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

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Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn’t like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.

So things are already pretty strange. But they’re about to get much stranger.

When Cass’s parents start hosting a TV show about the world’s most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her “gift,” she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil — and herself. (taken from Amazon)

                          I’ve read some excellent reviews for these books lately, so when I saw them at the library, I had to snag them. After reading them, I can see why both books are so popular. Victoria Schwab is an excellent writer, and is able to effortlessly suck the reader into the world she’s created.

These books follow Cassidy, a girl who sort-of briefly died. She was saved by a ghost who has become her best friend. Now she can see ghosts and is able to cross the veil between the living and the dead. Her parents, who oddly enough host a ghost-hunting show despite not believing in ghosts, have decided to travel to “most haunted places,” with Cassidy, her ghostly bff, and their cranky cat in tow.

In the first book, they go to Edinburgh. There, Cassidy meets a girl named Lara who has the same ability she does. Lara informs Cassidy that they have a responsibility to reap the ghosts, basically sending them “on.” Cassidy unfortunately catches the attention of a very powerful and extremely angry ghost. Will she survive the encounter? Or will she end up truly dead?

I quite enjoyed the book. It felt like the first few episodes of that show Supernatural. It was episodic and a very good introduction to both the characters and the world the author has created. I found it highly entertaining, though lacking in some details I would have loved to had. For example, the Big Bad wasn’t as fleshed out (pun intended) as I was hoping. I loved the idea behind the villain and would have loved a bit more detail. However, Cassidy is a likable main character, and there’s a lot of potential in her ghostly buddy.

The sequel, Tunnel of Bones, started to see a bit more of a storyline. The foil in this book had more of a background, and this book focused more on solving the mystery behind all the ghastly, ghostly activity. I liked that aspect. Adding a bit of a mystery to the book made it much more interesting to me. Tunnel of Bones takes place in Paris, and the author made good use of the Catacombs. The final surprise has me very interested in seeing what comes next.

The best way I can describe these books is as Supernatural light. They’re entertaining, quick reads, that make for fun weekend reading.

The Rome of Fall by Chad Alan Gibbs- ARC Review

Image result for the rome of fall by chad alan gibbsAfter leaving mysteriously two decades ago, financial ruin and his dying mother have brought Marcus Brinks back to his hometown of Rome, Alabama. Brinks, the former lead singer of ’90s indie-rock band Dear Brutus, takes a job teaching at his old school, where years ago, he and his friend Jackson conspired to get Deacon, the starting quarterback, and resident school jerk, kicked off the football team. Now it’s Jackson, head coach of Rome, who rules the school like Caesar, while Deacon plots his demise. This time Brinks refuses to get involved, opting instead for a quiet life with his high school crush, Becca. But will dreams of domestic bliss go up in flames when repercussions from the past meet the lying, cheating, and blackmail of the present? (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on March 15th.

GOAL!!!! Chad Alan Gibbs majorly scored in this nostalgia-inducing book, that is an excellent follow-up to the delightful Two Like Me and You (you can read my review of that book here). This book effortlessly alternated between funny and heartwarming.

The plot of the book is fairly simple. Marcus Brinks moves to a tiny town during his senior year. He quickly discovers a few things: there’s not too much to do on a Saturday night, the entire town is way too obsessed with high school football, and the girl of his dreams is dating the star quarterback. Of course, the quarterback is a huge jerk (is there a reason this trope is so common?), which Marcus and his buddies cite as their reason to take him down.

This tale unfolds partially in 1994, during Marcus’ senior year, and partially in 2017 when Marcus, now a has-been rockstar, moves back to said small town only to discover that: the town is still overly obsessed with football, and most of the main players from high school still live there. This includes the one. As Marcus settles back in, he realizes that there’s a football-field sized bundle of messed-up going on. From there, things go in some unexpected directions.

The great thing about this book is that, while the general storyline isn’t all that new, the characters are likable and easy to relate to. Silas, Marcus’ rap lyrics-spouting friend, made me smile. I’m pretty sure I knew that kid in high school. Then there was Jackson, who was third-string on the ridiculously huge football team. And of course, Deacon, the quarterback a-hole. If left alone, these characters could easily have been paper cutouts of every 90’s teen movie, but instead Gibbs infused them with humor and originality.

At times I felt sorry for Marcus, and at other times I really wanted to yell, “DUDE! Open your eyes!,” so obviously I became very invested in this book. While ostensibly a cute little romance, this book is much more than that. In fact, the romantic aspect ends up being less important than pretty much everything else, which I love. It’s a catalyst for everything after.

I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say that it was perfect. If the book had ended any other way, I would have been very disappointed, but I shouldn’t have worried. Chad Alan Gibbs is an excellent writer, and I hope he has many more books up his sleeve.

Now, I’m off to listen to Weezer and happily sink in the 90’s nostalgia that this highly entertaining book inspired.

Giveaway: here

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold- ARC Review

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Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.
I’m Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me:
1. Sobriety costs extra.2. My services are confidential.3. I don’t work for humans.
It’s nothing personal–I’m human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it’s not the humans who need my help. (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on February 25th.

This book is noir-fantasy at its finest. It has all the trademarks of a good, gritty noir, with a dash of the fantastical thrown in for good measure. A hard-boiled P.I with a penchant for getting drunk? Check. A tragic backstory? Check. A talent for stirring up trouble and making everyone mad? Double check.

Fetch is an ex-soldier in a war that was basically humans vs. all things magical. He’s not proud of what he did during the war, or who it turned him into. He’s now a semi-talented P.I., who will take pretty much any case, as long as it pays and he’s not working for a human.

At the beginning of the book, he is hired to find a missing vampire, dead or, um…alive (?). Less dead? I honestly don’t know how to word that. Huh. Moving on. In Sunder City, either state of being is equally likely. Of course, things are brought to light that certain parties prefer stay hidden, and chaos ensues.

Now, on to the setting. Sunder City is a slum, but what a slum! The amount of detail the author put into it is astounding. I could easily picture the entire city, could hear rain drizzling, and could smell the “breakfast” being served at a certain restaurant.

Another thing I loved about the book is Fetch’s internal dialogue. It’s so deliciously old-school detective. He was perfect, the setting was perfect, the storyline was perfect. Basically, the entire book was phenomenal. The only beef I have: I have to wait to see what happens in the next book.

This one would be perfect for fans of the Dresden Files or Breaking Lore. I can’t recommend this one enough.

Blood of the Fae by Tom Mohan

Image result for blood of the fae by tom mohan                                Liza McCarthy has never known the love she so desperately craves. The illegitimate child of a broken marriage, the identity of her father and her heritage are a well-kept secret. When she receives a call from a mysterious woman claiming her life is in danger, she manages to flee just before two men break into her home.

She soon finds herself in the tiny midwestern town of Halden’s Mill. There she is taken in by the Finns, a mysterious family who claim to guard the entrance to the fabled land of the faerie.

Liza is slowly drawn into a world of monsters, dark magic and a host of peculiar townsfolk. Now she must rethink everything she’s ever known and seek her destiny before two worlds collide with a force that could mean the end of the human race. (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

I’m rather apathetic about this book, to be honest. The description immediately interested me: weird doings in a weird town? Talk of the fae? I’m down. However, the book didn’t really go anywhere.

I spent this first third of the book really confused. Things seemed very choppy to me. I couldn’t connect with Liza at all. For example: at the beginning she gets a call to an unplugged landline phone where a stranger predicts a break-in and leads her out of the house safely. It’s all very Matrix. But Liza spends much less time being completely weirded out than I could believe. Another thing that felt odd, is that there didn’t seem to be a sense of urgency at all. I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of the characters or what happened to them.

That’s not to say the book didn’t have its strengths. I liked the darker tones throughout the book, and it seemed that the storyline was always on the verge of going somewhere really cool. Unfortunately, it just didn’t seem to get there.

Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go: Books with Incredible Settings

One of the many things I love about reading is a book’s ability to take the reader somewhere new, different, or completely imagined. I’ve been to so many amazing places, and I haven’t had to sit on a plane with strangers for hours on end. I win!

Here are a few books that have stood out to me, in terms of settings.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: When I think of creative settings, I picture the Night Circus. Those black and white tents, with magic inside waiting to be discovered. The gorgeous clock. The midnight dinners. One of the things I love about Erin Morgenstern is her ability to evoke not just sight and sound, but smell and taste. It’s magical. She casts the same spell with her second novel, The Starless Sea.

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: I think one of the reasons this odd little book has stood the test of time is the unapologetic weirdness of both the characters and the setting. I recently read this book to my children. My toddler loved it. My oldest thought it was “too weird”. That’s okay, I love him anyway (Ha ha!).

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Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman: I really love the Inn of the Last Home, and the town of Solace in general. It’s such a cool idea, and it’s done so very well. It’s such a homey place. I’d love to visit the Inn of the Last Home and eat some of Otik’s spiced potatoes. Yum!

Mass Market Paperback Dragons of Autumn Twilight Book

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Of course this series made the list. Rowling’s Wizarding World is so well-conceived that it’s very easy to picture. Oddly enough, it’s the Burrow that really stands out to me in terms of setting, though.

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The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold: I’m still in the middle of this book, but Sunder City is so well described that I had to include it in this post. A fantasy-slum town, it’s easily seen in my mind’s eye.

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Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card: The enemy’s gate is down. Also, everything is so well-conceived and described that I never felt lost or disconnected from Ender’s world when reading this book, despite that being a slight issue I run into with sci-fi books.

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I’m a sucker for books with beautifully described settings. What about you? What books come to mind when you think of a good setting?

Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau- ARC Review

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub

Image result for dreamland by nancy bilyeauThe year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.

The invitation to Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder. (taken from Amazon)

Thank…

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Thornhill by Pam Smy

Image result for thornhill by pam smyParallel stories set in different times, one told in prose and one in pictures, converge as a girl unravels the mystery of the abandoned Thornhill Institute next door.

1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it’s shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.

2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill’s shadowy past.

Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines—Mary’s through intimate diary entries and Ella’s in bold, striking art—Pam Smy’s Thornhill is a haunting exploration of human connection, filled with suspense. (taken from Amazon)

I am so proud of myself! I struggle with reading anything that could be even remotely considered a graphic novel. I think it’s because of my epilepsy; my brain just doesn’t process that setup well. However, I was able to read this book no problem. Yay!

This book was interesting in that two stories were being melded into each other. One was told through a diary; the other, in pictures. The story told through diary entries is that of Mary, a lonely orphan who lives in Thornhill Institute in the early 80’s, right as it is closing its doors. She doesn’t speak, and has no friends, but she is extremely talented in making dolls and puppets. Because of her quirks, she’s horribly bullied by the other residents in the institute, and by one girl in particular.

As her story continues, we see illustrated pages scattered throughout. The illustrations tell the story of Ella, who has moved in next door. Ella’s story takes place in 2017, and seeing the two tales meet was pretty cool. They begin to merge slowly, as Ella finds some damaged dolls that belonged to Mary years ago. From there, a mystery unfolds: what happened to Mary? And how will it relate to Ella?

The prose was striking in its simplicity, and the illustrations were evocative of isolation and the need for human connection. While at its heart this short story is eerie, it’s also very sad.

This book is very short and I was able to read it in about an hour. That doesn’t lessen its effect though; this one will stay with me. It’s very thought-provoking (plus-those dolls are creepy!)

I recommend this book to those who like their (light) horror stories with a bit of mystery thrown in.

Paris Adrift by E.J Swift

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Paris was supposed to save Hallie. Now… well, let’s just say Paris has other ideas.

She’s linked to a hole in time and chosen by fate to prevent a terrible war. Tumbling through Paris’ turbulent past and future, Hallie changes the world—and falls in love.

But with every trip, she loses a little of herself, and every change she makes ripples through time, until the future she’s trying to save suddenly looks nothing like what she hoped for… (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on February 4th.

What first interested me in this book was its comparison to Midnight in Paris, a movie that I love. I can’t say I see much of a resemblance, aside from the obvious (they both involve Paris), but I’m grateful for that blurb because otherwise this book might have passed me by.

Hallie is our main character, a woman who feels out of place in her own skin. She’s decided to travel to Paris, more to run away from something than to run toward anything. There, she gets a job at a bar and joins an eclectic group of friends. She finds a sense of family, a boyfriend, and-oh yeah- a time anomaly in a taproom. Soon, Hallie is traveling through both the past and future, making changes. Whether she’s fixing things, or causing irreparable damage remains to be seen.

On the surface, my description probably makes this book sound like a lighthearted romp. It isn’t at all. It explores the idea of small changes having big impacts, discusses problems in our present, and touches on themes of self-acceptance and change. It does all that in a fast-moving, unique way. I loved it.

There were several things that set this book apart from other time-traveling books. There wasn’t nonstop action, the futuristic gadgetry wasn’t everywhere, and a good chunk of time spent was actually traveling to the past as opposed to the future. I tend to shy away from books involving time travel because it’s hard for me to handle the problems that tend to arise when writing about that subject. This book handles those stumbling blocks with aplomb.

I liked the bohemian feel of the group of friends, how they were all dissatisfied with how the world works and desperately wanted to affect change, but were unsure how to start. I think many people can relate to that (and no, I’m not going to start a religious or political argument, I promise). I actually think the conversations Hallie had with her friends were some of the most interesting parts of the book. You know a writer is talented when the musings and dialogue are just as interesting as any action scene, if not more so.

While there was a climax of events, what I most enjoyed was how things got there. The ending, while good, almost didn’t matter because the meat of the story was so well done. I definitely recommend reading this one.