Book Review: The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

Posted on January 14, 2021 21 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Rook & Rose

Publisher: Orbit (January 19, 2021)

Length: 672 pages

Author Information: Twitter

I’m a big fan of Marie Brennan and I’ve always wanted to read Alyc Helms, so when I found out about their collaboration on The Mask of Mirrors in which they would be writing together under the joint pen name of M.A. Carrick, I had some pretty high hopes. Hopes that weren’t completely realized, as it turned out—and I’ll go into them a bit later—but it also wasn’t a total loss, as there were certain aspects I thoroughly enjoyed.

First, the gist of the story: our main protagonist is a con artist named Ren who has come to the city of Nadežra to pull off her biggest grift yet. With her sister’s help, Ren has created and assumed the identity of a noblewoman, using it to trick her way into being accepted by House Traementis by posing to be a long-lost cousin. However, as her deception grows deeper, so too do her ties to the family she had set out to swindle. As their problems swiftly become Ren’s problems, our protagonist realizes for the first time the extent of the aristocracy’s role in the degeneration of the city.

Ren also quickly discovers that she is not the only one putting on a false show. Enter the Rook, a self-styled masked vigilante in the same vein as Zorro or Robin Hood—a champion of the poor and downtrodden. Certainly, for the real Ren, who had grown up in poverty far away from the swells of Nadežra, the Rook was the hero of every child. Unfortunately, a chance meeting with him while in the midst of her masquerade complicates things, as Ren becomes more entangled in the shady and nebulous affairs of the nobility.

Like I said, there were parts of the story I really enjoyed, and The Mask of Mirrors also contained some of my favorite fantasy tropes which had made me excited to read this book in the first place. I find it nearly impossible to say no to a con artist or a thief protagonist, for example, nor can I resist a richly layered world full of culture and magic, one that felt very reminiscent of The Lies of Locke Lamora at times. I’m also a big fan of strong, smart and capable female characters, and we have a shining example in Ren, whose mind proves to be her greatest weapon. Armed with a powerful memory and a careful eye for detail, she manages to sell her false identity to House Traementis, then proceeds to use her wits to outsmart or outplay them when they become suspicious.

But clocking in at almost 700 pages, this book also felt overly long, which wasn’t helped by the fact this story goes nowhere fast. To be fair, perhaps this was simply a negative but inevitable consequence of a plot revolving around a long con, which by definition necessitates more patience, planning, and a longer time to execute. That said, it’s still a pretty big ask for readers to persist through a prolonged intro in which nothing of much import happens, while the authors tediously describe in detail more than you would ever want or need to know about the world. It’s a common problem when it comes to debuts, so I was surprised to see it here, but then again, it might also be a case of two seasoned authors who both love world-building letting their enthusiasm get away from them, with no mediating force to pull them back.

The good news is, the later parts of the book fare much better, as the pacing improves and more conflicts are introduced to the plot. Quite some time would have been invested by the reader at this point though, and while the payoff was worth it, there are plenty of similar fantasy stories out there that don’t require such endurance and blind faith.

Bottom line, I think some collaborations need more time in establishing a groove and balance than others, and The Mask of Mirrors appears to be still finding its feet, but we also see a lot of progress made by the end of the book. For now, I have tentative plans to pick up the next novel, but I hope the storytelling will tighter and provide a smoother, more engaging reading experience.

Waiting on Wednesday 01/13/21

Posted on January 13, 2021 18 Comments

Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy’s Pick

Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep (July 6th, 2021 by HarperVoyager)

Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards ended last year, but that doesn’t mean the stories are over. That was the first series I ever read by the author, and I’m definitely up for more. That’s why I’m excited for an all-new trilogy set in the same world, starting with Capture the Crown, the first novel of A Gargoyle Queen.

“Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy.

Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier—and a spy.

Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta—her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle.

Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre.

The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne…”

Audiobook Review: In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Posted on January 11, 2021 33 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Penguin Audio (January 19, 2021)

Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrators: Natalie Naudus, Stacey Glemboski

Last year, one of my favorite discoveries was Camilla Bruce’s You Let Me In, her debut that impressed me so much that I would read anything else she writes, sight unseen. Because of that, I was totally unprepared for what awaited me when I picked up In the Garden of Spite, her new novel about the most notorious female serial killer in American history.

Oh man, this book was so messed up. So brilliantly twisted. This nightmare-inducing historical is a fictionalized account of Belle Gunness, known as “the Black Widow of the Midwest” who is thought to have murdered at least fourteen and quite possibly up to forty people between the years of 1884 and 1908. But before she became a notorious killer, she was Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, a young girl born into a family of poor farmhands in Selbu, Norway. In Bruce’s reconstruction of Brynhild’s backstory, our protagonist becomes pregnant at seventeen, but when she demands the father to marry her, the young man tries to kill her instead.

After she loses the baby in the attack, Brynhild makes plans to leave Norway and travel to America to stay with her older sister Nellie and her family in Chicago. But before her departure, Brynhild makes sure to get revenge by fatally poisoning her ex-lover, thus beginning her journey and lifelong obsession with spite. Once in Chicago, she changes her name to Belle, vowing to leave her old identity behind with her poverty-stricken life. Instead of helping Nellie with her children and work around their apartment, Belle sets her sights on finding a husband of means, eventually marrying Mads Sorensen, who was able to satisfy her expensive appetites—at least for a time. Once someone ceases to become useful to her, they have a tendency to drop dead, something her sister Nellie notices first with Mads and then with Belle’s second husband, Peter Gunness. They say blood is thicker than water, and to Nellie, Belle will always be “Little Brynhild,” a scared girl held in her arms. But as the body count rises, and Nellie’s suspicions grow stronger by the day, how long before her loyalty to her sister runs out?

What really got to me was how plausible this novel was, despite the author’s afterword explaining how she blended truth and fiction. Yes, there were a lot of embellishments, but a lot of it was rooted in fact too, integrating what is known about Belle Gunness and her heinous crimes. After reading this book, I went and did some reading of my own into her life, which gave me the heebie-jeebies all over again, but also an even greater appreciation for what Camilla Bruce achieved here.

Not surprisingly, the highlight of the book was her portrayal of Belle’s state of mind. Most monsters don’t feel that they’re monsters, but on some level, our protagonist does recognize something broken within her. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of her character is how she feels justified in being the monster, rationalizing her degeneracy and why she must do what she does. She is also ruthlessly persistent; once she puts her mind to a goal, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop her from achieving it. What’s even more complicated is the background Bruce has constructed for Belle, designed to establish sympathy—which worked to an extent. Eventually though, Belle’s thirst for blood—for spite—becomes simply too extreme, but of course by this point the story has become so fascinating that putting it down is impossible.

Still, even without any sympathy for Belle, I found myself incredulously reading on, addicted to her voice. She was so vile and chilling, and yet I was completely engrossed, wanting to know more. As she became increasingly emboldened, not just in committing murder but also in her cold calculating way of taking in children and fooling the world into believing they are her own, the depravity reaches a whole other level, not to mention the gruesomeness and violence. Only Nellie’s chapters, scattered among Belle’s, helped keep the terror manageable by injecting a bit of sanity into this disturbing read. That said, the story still remained a nerve-wracking head trip as Nellie realizes the depth of Belle’s hunger, agonizing over what to do because in spite of herself, she still loves her little sister.

Ultimately, In the Garden of Spite is an intensely compulsive read, comprising a sharp concoction of historical fiction, psychological thriller, and of course, horror. Certainly if the latter is what you are looking for, your cravings will be answered, though there’s also much here for fans of historicals and true crime. I highly recommend this book, as well as the audio format that I reviewed. Narrators Natalie Naudus and Stacey Glemboski performed the parts of Belle and Nellie perfectly, giving voice to all the complex emotions that made the characters in this book feel so incredibly, scarily real.

Book Review: The Effort by Claire Holroyde

Posted on January 10, 2021 28 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Effort by Claire Holroyde

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Apocalyptic

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 12, 2021)

Length: 368 pages

Author Information: Website

The Effort is a book about a killer asteroid hurtling towards the Earth, threatening to wipe out the entire human race. Now, a team of scientists have assembled in order to find a way to blow it off course. But if you’re heading into this book expecting a big, noisy, hyper-jaunty high-octane action thriller like Armageddon, this isn’t that kind of story. Nor is it quite like the feel-good, inspirational and heartwarming kind of apocalyptic tale that brings humanity together. It’s pretty depressing, actually. And a lot of it isn’t even about the asteroid.

The plot begins with an introduction to our main characters, all from disparate parts of the world but are united in one goal: to stop UD3, the large comet spotted near Jupiter’s orbit that is estimated to impact Earth in less than a year. Codenamed “The Effort”, the mission is headed by Dr. Ben Schwartz of NASA, who travels to French Guiana with his girlfriend Amy Kowalski to meet up with the rest of the team which includes China’s Dr. Zhen Liu and UN interpreter Love Mwangi. Try as they might to keep the operation a secret though, the news of the comet is eventually leaked, causing widespread panic across the globe.

Meanwhile, aboard a Coast Guard polar icebreaker heading north, photographer Jack Campbell travels with Mara Gutiérrez and her fellow marine biologists to study and document the natural beauty of Arctic. Also on board is Gustavo Wayãpi, a Nobel Laureate poet from Brazil who has come for inspiration, but instead finds his mind troubled with thoughts of his recently murdered brother. As news of UD3 reach them, however, the passengers wonder what this would mean for the chances of survival now that chaos worldwide has cut them off from civilization and help. Questions abound about the uncertain fate of loved ones, especially in cities where the mass hysteria has caused the greatest damage. In New York, we get to see some of this fear and confusion unfold on the ground through the eyes off a woman named Rivka, facing the dangers alone while her girlfriend is away, helping The Effort save the world.

Similar to books like Station Eleven, The Space Between the Stars, or Good Morning, Midnight, this one uses sci-fi themes as a device to explore the intricacies of human nature rather than being interested in the actual sci-fi elements themselves. As someone not entirely prepared for a story like this, I think I was left a bit disappointed. This is Claire Holroyde’s debut so I don’t want to nitpick too much, but at times The Effort feels more like a generic mainstream fiction novel dressed up just enough with talk of spaceships and comets to qualify it for the science fiction category, helping it stand out. Fans of more traditional sci-fi, however, will probably find it lacking, and some might even find it boring.

Personally, I found some sections of this novel tedious. There are no groundbreaking ideas here, just a collection of character studies and personal stories that rely on emotional appeal to carry the premise, and it is pretty heavy-handed on that front. That said, I don’t want to sell this book short. While none of it was really all that resonating or swept me off my feet, there’s still a decent story here. Once you realize where the author is going, it’s easier to get on board with the overall tone and style of the narrative. There’s a lot of flashback, as each character’s background is gradually developed and teased apart. Holroyde also wanted to show how different groups of people would react in different ways to the incoming comet, but this will be mostly going through the motions if you’re accustomed to reading apocalyptic fiction, though several of the characters’ experiences and scenarios were quite fascinating.

The best parts by far were from the perspective of those key players behind The Effort. It honestly wouldn’t break my heart if everything else was cut. With UD3 practically on Earth’s doorstep, and the deadline for anything to be done fast approaching, some of the novel’s most intense moments involved the game of diplomacy and negotiations on the world stage, struggling to keep a lid on the biggest secret in history while trying to convince other countries to cooperate at the same time. As impact day draws nearer, the team working around the clock become worn down by fatigue and stress, leaving the fate of the Earth’s with little hope.

Like I said, this is not a sunshine and rainbows kind of read. Leaving aside the news of the killer asteroid and the global unrest that follows—the food shortages, the killing and burning and looting—there are also themes of political strife, of living under bitter and violent conditions in places where human rights are practically nonexistent. The book might have been stronger if all these various threads had come together more coherently, but in the end, I think the push to have so many characters and the insistence to develop each of them equally turned out to be the book’s ultimate downfall. The threads got out of hand anyway, and I can’t say I felt all that satisfied even with the hammy epilogue.

Bottom line, this is not a sci-fi thriller and I would pass if you’re into more traditional escapism SFF, though the intimate human stories and the personal stakes make The Effort worth checking out—just don’t expect anything unprecedented as it treads more or less the same ground as similar apocalyptic novels.

Bookshelf Roundup 01/09/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on January 9, 2021 35 Comments

Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.

Received for Review

My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!

A few weeks ago, I received a surprise copy of the second book of The Endling series and I lamented about not having read the first book, so I probably should track it down because the premise sounded pretty interesting. Well, lo and behold, earlier this week a copy of Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate showed up out of the blue! Looks like someone at the publisher was looking out for me! Thank you, HarperCollins!

Thanks also to Grand Central Publishing for a finished copy of The Effort by Claire Holroyde, which actually turned out to be really serendipitous because the audio copy I downloaded had some problems. I recently finished this one, and my review should be posted soon.

Also huge thanks to Orbit Books for We Lie with Death by Devin Madson, the second novel of The Reborn Empire. Great timing, as I just finished the first book and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

In the digital pile, a big haul from the awesome team at Penguin Random House Audio. First a couple of thrillers: The Push by Ashley Audrain, a psychological thriller with hints of horror, as well as The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous, who also wrote The Au Pair which I so enjoyed last year. I also picked up a listening copy of In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce after her debut You Let Me In was one of my favorite books of 2020. At the time of this writing, I’m only about a few chapters in, but already I’m hooked. And with great excitement, I snagged a copy of Star Wars: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, the highly anticipated first novel of The High Republic publishing campaign whose launch was pushed back because of the pandemic, but now it’s finally here! Finally, from their YA imprint Listening Library I picked up City of the Uncommon Thief by Lynne Bertrand and Don’t Tell A Soul by Kirsten Miller. Starting the new year off with a couple of YA books I’ve got my eye on, hope they’ll be good.

Reviews

We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson (4 of 5 stars)
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (3.5 of 5 stars)

This Week’s Reads

Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!

Friday Face-Off: “Moon” In The Title

Posted on January 8, 2021 18 Comments

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.

This week’s theme is:

~ a cover of a book with “MOON” IN THE TITLE

Mogsy’s Pick:

Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira

Gunpowder Moon is not just another one of your simple murder mysteries, and the main protagonist is not your typical detective. It is the year 2072, and Caden Dechert is a former Marine heading up a US mining operation on moon. When an explosion occurs, killing one of his young miners, no one believes it to be an accident, and sure enough, an investigation finds clear signs of sabotage. There are plenty of suspects to go around, but the top brass arriving from Earth are quick to point fingers at the Chinese, who run a rival mining company near the Americans’ base of operations on the edge of the Sea of Serenity. Dechert, however, is not so sure. He knows tensions between the countries are already on edge, with both sides itching for a fight. Unwilling to jump to conclusions—and hoping to avoid an all-out war—he launches his own investigation in search for evidence.

Let’s take a look at the covers:

From left to right:
HarperVoyager (2018) – German Edition (2018)

Russian Edition (2019) – French Edition (2019)

Winner

So glad to see more covers for this book now since the last time I checked, but in spite of that, my favorite is still the US Harper Voyager edition, the one that I own. It’s just so ominous, especially when the more you look, the more details you spot, like the reflection in the cracked visor.

But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?

Audiobook Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Posted on January 7, 2021 22 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (January 5, 2021)

Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins

Author Information: Website

The Wife Upstairs is one of the most buzzed about thrillers of 2021, and you might be wondering why. Well, to start, one doesn’t often find a hook as tantalizing as a modern retelling of Jane Eyre set in Alabama, teasing an atmosphere of gothic mystery meets southern charm.

In the story, our main protagonist Jane is a dog walker for the wealthy residents of Thornfield Estates, one of the most exclusive gated communities in Birmingham. Flat broke and on the run from a dark secret in her past, she came to this southern city to lie low while she decided her next steps. What she did not expect, however, was to meet the charming and handsome Eddie Rochester, a recent widower who lives in the same upmarket neighborhood where she works. Experiencing an immediate spark, Jane is thrilled when Eddie buys a puppy and becomes a client. Pretty soon, one thing leads to another, the two begin seeing each other romantically, and not long after that, Eddie asks her to move in.

And just like that, Jane hatches a new plan. Tired of surviving on odd jobs, petty thievery and running smalltime cons, she sets her sights on making Eddie hers. Inheriting his dead wife’s successful southern lifestyle company has made him fabulously wealthy, and with all that money, Jane could simply make her past problems disappear. It also doesn’t hurt that she is developing some very real feelings for Eddie. So, when he finally gets around to proposing to her, it doesn’t even feel like a lie.

Still, lately Jane has been learning more about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Eddie’s wife, Bea. The late Mrs. Rochester had been presumed drowned along with her best friend Blanche after the two of them disappeared in a tragic boating accident. But then the friend’s body is eventually found with new disturbing evidence, and Jane can’t help but become suspicious. After all, she’s no stranger to doling out lies and deceit. Might Eddie be more like her than she would like to admit?

Before I continue, I must confess to not having read Jane Eyre, though I am familiar enough with the story. Still, at the end of the day, I’m not sure it matters. There are certainly parallels and similarities to the original, most notably in some of the names of characters and places, but the bulk of the twists and turns are Rachel Hawkins’ own creation. The Wife Upstairs is a mystery about hidden agendas, secret identities, and concealed pasts. Jane shares a similar background as her namesake in the classic—orphaned, growing up in a miserable foster home, abused and neglected until she aged out of the system. However, she is also upfront about Jane not being her real name and candid about her contempt for the rich ladies she works for, relishing in stealing from them. We’re dealing with some pretty unpleasant characters here, and it’s a wonder Hawkins was able to drum up any sympathy at all for her protagonist—perhaps just enough. It helps that she may have met her match in Eddie Rochester. Of all the characters in the book, I enjoyed the spin on him the most. Jane’s certainly not the only player in this game of wits, and the questions surrounding Eddie just makes the stakes feel higher.

I also thought the setting was clever, particularly the integration of southern society into the mystery plot. The people are rich, beautiful, perfect, and none more so than Eddie’s late wife. No matter what Jane does or who she marries, she knows she will never be accepted by the other ladies or be a match for Bea’s elegance and success. Despite the novel’s Jane Eyre inspiration, comparisons to Rebecca are also apt here, and incidentally, the treatment of the original source and writing style reminded me very much of The Winters by Lisa Gabriele, another reimagining of a classic. The Wife Upstairs definitely falls in the same family of retellings, so if you enjoy that kind of novel, this one might also be worth checking out.

However, by its very nature, the book’s strengths are also some of its weaknesses, among them the predictability of the story and its unavoidable clichés. While most of Hawkins’ new takes are fresh and interesting, a few of them are also awkward and don’t work too well, especially towards the ending. It just seemed like things should have ended with more of a bang, or with a better twist and a more consequential conclusion.

That said, I would still recommend The Wife Upstairs if you’re into thrillers and are curious about its hook, especially since Jane Eyre retellings are somewhat rare. The audiobook was also an enjoyable listen. There’s a lot of talent in the narration, with Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne, and Lauren Fortgang (of whom I am a big fan!) all delivering fantastic performances.

Waiting on Wednesday 01/06/21

Posted on January 6, 2021 20 Comments

Mogsy’s Pick

Survive the Night by Riley Sager (June 29th, 2021 by Dutton)

I read my first Riley Sager book last year, promised myself it wouldn’t be my last. This next one of his is going to be a 90s horror thriller, I can definitely get on board with that!

“It’s November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana’s in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she’s named after, Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t seem to want Charlie to see inside the car’s trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there’s nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing—survive the night.”

Most Anticipated Releases of 2021: January to March

Posted on January 5, 2021 33 Comments

Happy 2021! As we get ready to begin another year, it’s time to look ahead to the Science Fiction and Fantasy reads I’m most excited about. Not only is it fun to organize my reading and to make lists, they also have the added benefit of focusing my attention to the highly anticipated releases that I’d like to check out. Every quarter I’ll be putting together a post of my “must reads”, and while I’m under no illusions that I’ll be able to read them all, hopefully I can get to most of them (and also put some new books on people’s radars)!

So here are the books I’m really excited for in early 2021. What are some of yours?

January

January 5 – Star Wars: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, Persephone Station by Stina Leicht

January 12 – Tales From the Hinterland by Melissa Albert, Doors of Sleep by Tim Pratt

January 19 – The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick, The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson, Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long, In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

January 26 – Brother Red by Adrian Selby

February

February 2 – A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel, Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell, A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong, Star Wars: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray

February 9 – The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor, The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec, The Power Couple by Alex Berenson, The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa

February 16 – The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, Black Coral by Andrew Mayne, The Black Coast by Mike Brooks

February 23 – The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris

March

March 2 – The Councillor by E.J. Beaton, Dead Space by Kali Wallace, Forget Me Not by Alexandra Oliva

March 9 – Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine, The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst

March 23 – The Unbroken by C.L. Clark, The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers, The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell, Red Widow by Alma Katsu, Girls with Rebel Souls by Suzanne Young, The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Book Review: We Ride The Storm by Devin Madson

Posted on January 4, 2021 25 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

We Ride The Storm by Devin Madson

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of The Reborn Empire

Publisher: Orbit (June 23, 2020)

Length: 528 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson was a great read, with a pretty inspiring story behind it too! Originally self-published, the book was vaulted into the spotlight following its success in Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, where it advanced into the finals. The competition has helped many other authors and their work achieve recognition, and in this case it was well deserved. Inspired by Asian cultures, this slow-burn fantasy epic has plenty to offer.

The story focuses on three central characters. Miko Ts’ai is a princess and potential heir to the Crimson Throne of the Empire of Kisia, a realm ravaged by a recent coup by her stepfather. Under close watch at all times, she is practically a prisoner in her own castle, her life in constant danger. Then there’s Captain Rah, a warrior in exile with the remnants of his Levanti clan who struggle to survive on the borderlands where the fierce fighting forces them to choose sides. To keep his people safe, the tribesmen find they can no longer refuse to be a part of the conflict. And finally, there is Cassandra Marius, an assassin with a mysterious magical voice in her head. Used to moving in shady circles, she knows her game and plays it well, but when confronted with a possible cure to her affliction, she has no choice but to accept a dangerous contract that may lead to the fall of the empire.

Our main characters start off unconnected, and their backgrounds couldn’t be any more different. However, all three are bound by circumstance. They are also each trapped in their own situations, simply trying to keep from drowning in the chaos around them. Soon, their paths will intersect as the political tensions between the divided factions come to boiling point, weaving together the fates of a princess, a warrior, and an assassin.

As I alluded to earlier, this was a slow-burn fantasy, and admittedly it took a while for me to settle into a comfortable rhythm with the cycle of perspective chapters. The introduction does a decent job familiarizing you with our three main characters, but it took a bulk of the novel’s first half to give a good sense of who they really are. The story’s take off was a little bumpy as a result, though the pacing remained strong and never felt like a slog, and things smoothed out once we had everything in place. If you read a lot of epic fantasy, the multiple POV format will be pretty old hat, and even though the plot may take its sweet time, we eventually get to a point where each thread generates enough steam to keep interest high.

For avid fantasy fans, reading this will also feel rather routine, I think. We Ride the Storm contains a number of genre tropes, though to her credit, Madson tackles them in an engaging way that doesn’t feel too clichéd. She doesn’t delve too deeply into the world-building either, but that’s actually a good thing. There’s been a whole raft of Asian-inspired fantasy releases as of late, and keeping things somewhat vague works in the book’s favor by allowing the setting to develop its own identity in the reader’s mind. The various cultures of this world have extremely unique spiritual customs and practices, for example, and we get to appreciate them without a million other ideas and details to distract. As much as I enjoy a well-developed world, it’s better not to overwhelm the reader with description, especially at this stage, when you want your characters to take precedence.

And believe me, it’s Miko, Rah, and Cassandra you’ll want to read about. A story may be packed to the gills with everything from court intrigue to pitched battles, but without the characters giving the content its heart and soul, it would be meaningless. It’s here that all the buildup in the first half finally pays off, as the plot gains momentum and rockets towards a stunning climax and conclusion. All of the relationships, the entanglements, the bargains and the compromises, they all come to fruition at a critical moment as motives are finally made clear.

Yet despite this enjoyable finish, the final pages tease even more still, and it’s the perfect kind of ending to leave you satisfied but also hungering for more. I’m so jazzed to read the sequel now, as you can imagine, as I think anyone would be following such an epic journey of discovery, intrigue, and adventure. All in all, We Ride the Storm is a masterful opener to The Reborn Empire series and is an excellent reflection of what the fantasy genre should strive for. Absolutely worth checking out.