Book Review: Automatic Reload by Ferrett Steinmetz
Posted on August 18, 2020 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.
Automatic Reload by Ferrett Steinmetz
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1/Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Books (July 28, 2020)
Length: 304 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
After a string of disappointing reads, I was in desperate need of a certain kind of fast-paced, action-packed frivolity—the kind I was certain Ferrett Steinmetz could provide, if my experience with his ‘Mancer series was anything to go on. And I was right. While on the surface, Automatic Reload might have been a novel of pure mindless escapism, it was also the perfect remedy to lift me out of my reading funk.
The story takes place in the near-future, and we are following protagonist Mat, a former soldier turned freelance mercenary who now works the black market. In a world dominated by tech and automation, the more of it you have, the more powerful you are, which makes Mat one of the top dogs in his field, having decked himself out in the most advanced weaponry, replacing his limbs with military-grade armaments.
But the reality is, beneath his more-machine-than-man exterior, Mat’s still a big softie. He’s a professional who will do the job he’s paid to do, but he’ll also try not to cause more pain and death than is necessary, which is tough sometimes, considering the explosive and violent nature of his work. On his latest mission, however, he is tasked to protect a highly valuable asset in transit. As it turns out though, the cargo is actually a woman named Silvia, and she, as Mat soon learns, is not your typical charge. She’s a genetically engineered super assassin, created and ruthlessly experimented on by an unethical shadowy corporation. Recognizing something of himself in her traumatic experiences and torment, Mat makes the choice to rescue her, betraying his employer whose agents will now come at him with everything they’ve got in order to get Silvia back.
What can I say, but Automatic Reload was just plain fun. It’s quirky, it’s adventurous, and the story moves at breakneck speed. There’s also healthy dose of humor, and if you’ve read the author before, you’re probably already familiar with the unabashed geek pride that he shows off in his books. It’s also the perfect sci-fi novel for non-sci-fi fans. If you’ve ever wanted to try cyberpunk but was intimidated by the hard science, emotional gravity and social intricacies of the genre, you should give this one a look. Sure, Steinmetz can sometimes go a little overboard with his descriptions of advanced tech and weaponry (you can tell he’s enthusiastic about both) but on the whole the book is highly accessible with lots of mass appeal. Action, comedy and even romance all find a place in Automatic Reload.
The only trade-off here is the memorability and questionable impact. I believe the narrative intended to do and say a lot more, especially with regards to mental health issues like anxiety, self-esteem and post-traumatic stress disorders. I’ve got to give the book credit for that, though any message it tries to send is somewhat awkward and simplistic in its delivery and is often overshadowed by the unsubtle deluge of geeky pop culture references and movie in-jokes. The romance, albeit sweet, was also a tad flimsy. While they may be delightful and fun, Mat and Silvia are not exactly what I would call deep or multidimensional characters, which is why their love story fell a bit flat. There’s hardly any build-up, with the expectation the two of them were simply meant to be because they made an instant connection. I mean, I get that Steinmetz had to keep things snappy, given that this is more of an action-oriented book, but insta-love in any form just doesn’t really fly with me.
Still, I needed a good escapist book, and I got a good escapist book. At the very least, the enjoyment I got from Automatic Reload was surely worth its few minor hiccups. Ultimately it was a blast to read, even if it could have used a bit more depth, and although its value was mostly in its ability to provide punchy entertainment, I nevertheless found a lot more to it than I expected.
Book Review: The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea
Posted on August 17, 2020 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 Suicide House by Charlie Donlea
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Book 2 of Rory Moore/Lane Philips
Publisher: Kensington Publishing (July 28, 2020)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’m a sucker for forensics. So when I found out about Charlie Donlea’s The Suicide House, a mystery thriller featuring a crime solving forensic reconstructionist and psychologist duo, I knew I had to check it out. No worries that this is actually the second book in a series; I jumped on board and was pleased to find it can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Situated in the lush picturesque forests of Indiana, Westmont Preparatory High School is an elite institution that demands excellence from its students. However, the school’s impeccable reputation has been recently marred by the grisly murder of two of its students. The murderer, a teacher who tried to throw himself in front of a train afterward, was ultimately charged and convicted after the failed suicide attempt left him in a vegetative state. But now, a year later, Westmont Prep is making headlines once more with a disturbing string of cases involving students suddenly and inexplicably killing themselves. Even more unnerving, all those involved were witnesses from the night of the murders, and they all ended their lives by throwing themselves in front of a train.
The story has since been seized upon by true crime podcasts and bloggers, especially when one of them, Ryder Hillier, unwittingly captures one of the suicides on video. However, it is her rival Mark Carter who ends up stealing the story, sending his popularity soaring, while she is slapped with a lawsuit. But the media coverage has also caught the attention of forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore, who has a fascination with unexplained deaths. When her boyfriend, former FBI psychologist Lane Philips is called to Indiana to investigate the Westmont Prep suicides, she decides to show up and surprise him—only to find him and the podcast host Mark Carter trapped inside a burning home. With Lane put out of commission by his recovery from the fire, Rory all but takes over the case, uncovering clues and other details which might shine some light on the night of the murders and subsequent suicides.
Meanwhile, we also have Gwen, one of the remaining witnesses left alive after all her other friends have killed themselves. She and five other students were together when two of their number were murdered, and the gruesome memories from that night still haunt her…especially when it appears she may know more than she lets on. Hidden behind the high expectations and rigorous curriculum at Westmont Prep is a dangerous and toxic culture, one that involves hazing, a secret late-night hangout in the woods, and a sinister game known as the Man in the Mirror.
As someone new to the series, all I knew before heading into The Suicide House was that Rory Moore and Lane Philips were supposed to be the protagonists—their names are in the series title, after all. Therefore, I was a little surprised to find they did not feature as prominently as I expected. The story was filled with so many character POVs that the two of them ended up sharing the page time equally with others or were mostly relegated to the background. In some ways, this felt more like Ryder or Gwen’s story, with Rory playing the role of piecing the mystery together while Lane cheers from the sidelines. On the face of it, there’s nothing wrong with this setup, other than the initial confusion of keeping track of so many moving parts. Because on top of the all the character perspectives, the narrative also plays out through multiple timelines and it’s not always clear when we are, or even who we’re reading about, because those facts are deliberately obfuscated by the author in order to preserve the mystery.
I also appreciated the touch of occult spookiness. As if the idea of a bunch of kids all drawn back to the same place to commit suicide isn’t creepy enough, there is the element of prep school secret societies and the ritual with the Man in the Mirror. It’s the stuff of teen horror movies: a group of misguided high school students partake in a Bloody Mary-type game, thinking it’s all harmless fun…until one of them winds up brutally impaled on a wrought iron fence.
Normally, I think I would be more critical of a book that had such a scattered focus and tried to do too much. But The Suicide House gets a pass because although it took a while for all the connections to come to light, everything made so much sense once they came together. I doubt this story could have been told any other way. I also enjoyed reading about Rory and Lane, for the amount of time I got to spend with them. Rory is on the autism spectrum and has some OCD tendencies, but her disorders do not define her character. However, I am sure they will present some interesting opportunities to explore her relationship with Lane, as the feelings between them deepen in future installments.
With that said, I am definitely on board to read more of this series, and maybe even go back to read the first book. The Suicide House also ends on a scene that opens the door to limitless possibilities, and I want to be there when Rory and Lane take on their next case.
Book Review: Driftwood by Marie Brennan
Posted on August 16, 2020 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.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1/Stand Alone
Publisher: Paperback: Tachyon Publications | Audiobook: Tantor (August 14, 2020)
Length: PB: 240 pages | Audio: 5 hrs and 34 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Welcome to Driftwood. It’s a place where worlds go to die. When a world approaches the end of its lifespan, they are enveloped by the Mist, where they will slowly fade away to nothing as they are gradually pulled towards a central zone called the Crush. But while this is happening, neighboring worlds are also experiencing the same slow creep towards oblivion, and so are brought together in a clash of cultures and geographies.
In the middle of all this is a character called Last, known for being Driftwood’s most enduring survivor, who saw his own world disappear a long time ago. People like to gather around and tell stories about him, for his reputation is legendary. Some say he is immortal; others desperately seek his guidance or try to learn his secrets and follow in his footsteps.
And thus, we have the book Driftwood, a collection of these tales, all linked together by the remarkable figure named Last. At the same time though, it’s not your typical anthology, as evidenced by the strange setting, the subject matter. Each story comes from a different viewpoint and reveals one of many faces of Last, whom we come to realize is a complicated character.
As a huge fan of Marie Brennan’s The Memoirs of Lady Trent series, I’ll read anything this amazing lady writes. Needless to say though, Driftwood is a completely different beast. You won’t be getting a linear or focused narrative here, as there’s absolutely nothing conventional about it, with its abstract premise and complex themes. The individual tales are more like short vignettes connected to each other by only a few tenuous threads, with little rhyme or rhythm to them otherwise. And because of its nontraditional format, there is an overall feeling of disjointedness.
I’ll admit, while these types of books aren’t typically my cup of tea, there’s just something so artful and charming about this one that I just couldn’t help but be drawn in. Granted, I think knowing the storytelling style beforehand helped a lot, as I was braced for a weird and possibility confusing read. As it turned out, I liked Driftwood more than I expected, and much of it has to do with the breathtaking world Brennan has created. Driftwood the world as a concept is an achievement of creativity and challenges the imagination. The notion is expansive, but at the same time easy to visualize and understand. Against the odds, I found myself enjoying the hodge-podge feel of multiple worlds and peoples colliding, co-existing.
Of course, the gorgeous writing didn’t hurt. Brennan takes difficult concepts, presents them clearly and concisely, and has time to ponder some significant questions about social malaise, belief systems, and the inevitability of fate besides.
My only complaint? This probably won’t be too surprising, but at a mere 240 pages, there simply was not enough room to capture the entire book’s potential, especially given its fragmented structure. Furthermore, not all the tales are created equal, and some of the transitions are jarring. The world of Driftwood is an odd place and to a great extent you are expected to go with the flow, and so if you are the kind of readers to expect explanations and answers, you are likely to be left unsatisfied.
As you can probably tell, in the end I’m of two minds about Driftwood. On the one hand I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it had been more to my tastes, but I was also pleasantly surprised at how readable it was, not to mention how quickly I took to it considering the lack of a traditional plot structure, central characters or a clear focus. I only wish there had been a little more “oomph” to some of the vignettes, a little more reason to care about the people and their stories. Nevertheless, Marie Brennan has created something special here, and it’s worth reading if you don’t mind trying something different.
Bookshelf Roundup 08/15/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on August 15, 2020 27 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!
With many thanks to the kind folks at Blink and Kaye Publicity, I received this pair of gorgeous hardcovers: Twin Daggers by Marcykate Connolly and Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard! I think I will start the latter first, and have plans to get to it soon.
Also thank you to Subterranean Press for surprising me earlier this week with an ARC of Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis. It’s a Christmas novella due out at the end of November, right in time for the holidays!
I also received some ALCs from Harper Audio at the beginning of the month, including Final Cut by S.J. Watson, the new thriller from the author who brought us Before I Go to Sleep; Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks, a domestic suspense of family secrets and drama and more; as well as the terrifyingly titled Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare, a YA slasher horror that’s pretty self-explanatory.
And I guess I must have missed the release of this one last month, but with thanks to Penguin Audio I was able to snag a listening copy of He Started It by Samantha Downing. I loved her debut My Lovely Wife last year, and I can’t wait to dive into this one. While I was checking out the publisher’s new releases, Blood World by Chris Mooney also caught my eye, and I requested the audio since I’ve been hearing a lot of intriguing things about it lately. And finally, from Listening Library I received Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis, because while I may be a lot pickier when it comes to my YA reads these days, I still find it hard to resist a creepy horror story.
Reviews
The Living Dead by George A. Romero and Daniel Kraus (4 of 5 stars)
Every Sky A Grave by Jay Posey (4 of 5 stars)
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin (4 of 5 stars
The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
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: Glasses
Posted on August 14, 2020 12 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:
“One could mention many lovable traits in Smee. For instance, after killing, it was his spectacles he wiped instead of his weapon.”
~ a cover featuring GLASSES
Mogsy’s Pick:
Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough
This week’s topic was a challenging one! I probably could have come up with more options if I’d had more time to pore over my shelves, but today I give you a straightforward head-to-head featuring a recent book I read by one of my favorite authors.
William Morrow (2020) vs. HarperCollins (2020)
Winner:
A tough call this week, as I love both covers! Even though they’re very different, I feel that each one does a fantastic job capturing an element of the story. While the William Morrow edition perfectly encapsulates the “Southern Gothic” mystery vibes, the HarperCollins cover simply screams “Summer thriller.”
In the end, mood and visual appeal won out. There’s just something about the image of a sparkling swimming pool that makes me want to dive right in.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: The Living Dead by George A. Romero & Daniel Kraus
Posted on August 13, 2020 32 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 Living Dead by George A. Romero and Daniel Kraus
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Books (August 4, 2020)
Length: 656 pages
Author Information: George A. Romero | Daniel Kraus
In 2017, the man known as the father of the zombie film George A. Romero passed away from lung cancer, leaving his novel unfinished. But thanks to the efforts of his estate and co-author Daniel Kraus, this final project, the 700-page opus that is The Living Dead was able to find its way into readers’ hands.
Like so many big things, this book’s story started out small: with a single death. On the night of October 23, like any other night, medical examiner Dr. Luis Accocola and his assistant Charlene “Charlie” Rutkowski headed in to work at the morgue to see to a John Doe who was brought in earlier in the evening. But as it turns out, there is something wrong with this particular body—namely, the fact that it isn’t exactly…well, dead.
Soon, this crisis of the dead coming back to life begins spreading across the globe, with the reanimated corpses relentlessly targeted the living, adding to their numbers. In Washington DC, a statistician and researcher named Etta Hoffman receives news of patient zero and, recognizing it as the spark that creates a wildfire, begins to put together a detailed timeline documenting what is the beginning of the end of the world. Meanwhile, in a trailer park in Missouri, teenager Greer Morgan steps out her door on the way to school, only to find a scene of nightmare unfolding on her front steps. As her neighbors tear each other apart, she barely manages to escape. Elsewhere, in a newsroom in Atlanta, anchorman Chuck Corso is barely holding it together as he watches the complete destruction of the country happening right in front his eyes, but undead hordes be damned, he resolves to continue broadcasting the news as it comes in, even if doesn’t know whether his reports will reach anyone. And finally, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, US Navy officer Karl Nishimura also watches in horror as he and his crew aboard the aircraft carrier Olympia become overrun by zombies, leading to a complete breakdown of the chain of command.
Although there are many more viewpoints scattered here and there to flesh out the narrative, most of the novel’s sprawling scope is provided by this handful of main characters. From the way you are made to care about them, to the way we’re allowed to witness the undead apocalypse from its beginning to its aftermath, I was somewhat reminded of Stephen King’s The Stand in terms of the story’s sheer scale and complexity. And the more I thought about it, the fact that this book was written by two authors, with Kraus completing what Romero started, became more and more impressive. For the most part, things flowed well with far fewer hiccups than you would expect from a project published posthumously after the main creator’s death. While Kraus is no stranger to collaborations, this one must have presented unique challenges, the least of them being to decide what Romero might have intended for the direction of his novel. Because of this, the author’s note at the end was a fascinating read into the process.
As for my thoughts on The Living Dead, I am one of course to enjoy a good zombie story every now and then, but what I loved most about this one was the way it felt so personal. Sure, with regards to the amount of blood and gore we have our share of both and more, but what I also delighted in was the intimate treatment of the individual characters and moments spent with them in their quieter, more introspective moments. This is a story about how our society might react to a horrible crisis, but it also explores actions and motivations of the individual. The result is a fuller experience with a book that’s as much about people as it is the zombie apocalypse, and if you’ve ever watched a zombie film wishing there had been more of that balance, then this is most certainly for you.
In terms of criticisms, well, there’s no getting around the fact that this is a long book, and as with most veritable tomes following an ensemble cast, you inevitably run into issues with pacing and maybe a few time jumps that don’t go so swimmingly. To be fair, many of these issues also stem from the novel’s structure, which is both a strength and a weakness. Comprised of multiple parts, it reads like a retrospective chronicling of events long past, allowing for the level of attention to detail I enjoyed, though it also robs the storytelling of a sense of urgency. While some of these problems can’t be helped, a few sections didn’t even feel like they had much of a plot, floating around like lost little islands in a great narrative sea (though I did wonder if this might just be an unavoidable side effect trying to put together a whole from unfinished pieces) and when you follow so many characters, some of them will also start to feel more interesting than others.
Still, I always try to evaluate a book as a whole, and I think there’s a beauty to the way all these disparate threads ultimately came together for the climax. The ending is raw, bitter, harsh…and in my opinion, completely apt. Plus, it’s not difficult to overlook a few faults when the overall the novel is so diligently put together and epic.
All in all, even in the face of its hefty length, The Living Dead was a worthwhile read and a must-have for every zombie enthusiast and George A. Romero fan, which probably doesn’t need to be said. Offering a deeper, more expansive and intricate story than anything you could show on a movie screen, this novel represents an incredible effort by Daniel Kraus to interpret and consolidate Romero’s ideas, which culminated in a final product that lives up to the legendary filmmaker’s vision.
Waiting on Wednesday 08/12/20
Posted on August 12, 2020 19 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
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (February 9, 2021 by Ace Books)
A witchy book that’s a mix of magic, mythology, and history…this one was tailor-made for me!
“When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this fierce, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse myth.
Angrboda’s story begins where most witch’s tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to give him knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him grows reluctantly into a deep and abiding love.
Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who she is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life–and possibly all of existence–is in danger.
Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family…or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales, this novel forges a story of love, loss and hope for the modern age.”
Book Review: The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Posted on August 11, 2020 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 Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Series: Book 1 of The Blackwood Tapes
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (August 4, 2020)
Length: 480 pages
Author Information: Guillermo del Toro | Chuck Hogan
The Hollow Ones by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan follows a rookie FBI agent named Odessa Hardwicke as she investigates a string of mass murders after she herself survives one of the horrific attacks. At the end of a terrifying hunt for a rampaging killer on the loose, she was forced to shoot her own partner and mentor Walt Leppo after the older agent inexplicably became violent and turned on her. While the shooting was ruled as self-defense, Odessa was nonetheless put on desk duty, traumatized and filled with guilt over what she had to do. She also could not get the moment of Walt’s death out of her mind, when she thought she witnessed a shadowy entity leave his body, though she knew it sounded too crazy for anyone to believe.
Tasked with clearing out the office of a retired agent, Odessa meets Earl Solomon when she brings his belongings to him in the hospital. An old man now, Earl was one of the FBI’s first African American agents who worked on a strange case in Mississippi during in the early 1960s, where he also had his initial fateful encounter with an enigmatic British gentleman named Hugo Blackwood. Threaded through the novel is this secondary timeline in which Earl and Blackwood reluctantly join forces to investigate paranormal activity in the area, kicking off what would be a lifelong working relationship. Back in the present though, Earl recognizes disturbing similarities between Odessa’s story and his own, instantly recognizing that she needs help.
This is how Odessa is introduced to Blackwood, a mysterious figure who seemed to have stepped out of time, looking not a day older than when Earl first met him. As the story follows their desperate race to stop a demon from unleashing more of its evil and chaos, a third timeline takes us to the 16th century delving into Blackwood’s history, explaining his apparent immortality and how the doors of the mortal realm were opened to an invasion of malicious spirits.
As you can probably tell, there are a lot of elements to tease apart here, and not least of them is the acknowledgment mentioned in the book’s foreword regarding the character of John Silence and the “occult detective” subgenre as a whole, credited to famed classic horror writer Algernon Blackwood. The Hollow Ones can thus be regarded as something of a tribute to his work, which is clear from the way Del Toro and Hogan named their own detective protagonist. This undoubtedly gave their book a certain homage feel, though the authors also talked about how they created something completely new out of their inspiration. As John Silence is a character I know of by name only, I don’t feel equipped to make comparisons so I’ll just focus my review on what I enjoyed and what I didn’t.
First, what I liked: There’s a definite cinematic quality to the storytelling, which would be no surprise to anyone familiar with the authors’ work in film or their horror trilogy The Strain. However, I was also all over the urban fantasy vibe I got from The Hollow Ones, speaking as a fan of paranormal crime mysteries. In addition, the book started off in the most intense way, drawing me right into the action. As for the characters, I enjoyed following Odessa, Earl, and Blackwood in their respective POVs, but for me the icing on the cake was the dialogue, filled with clever and pithy banter. Del Toro and Hogan have clearly worked with each other long enough to know what works, and the first half of the novel flowed smoothly, keeping me enthralled with its constant action and mystery.
Now, for what I didn’t like so much. As I said, there’s a lot going on here, with three separate timelines. While the connections between them are eventually revealed, we lose a lot of steam in the meantime because of the split attention. I definitely felt less invested emotionally as the story moved into the second half, when the opposite effect should have been the case. It got just a little too overwhelming, I think, and at the same time, the answers which were finally provided in the end failed to make the impact I’d hoped for.
That said, The Hollow Ones still ended up being better than I expected. While not the most original, the ideas in this book have certainly piqued my interest for more. I’m a big fan of this subgenre, and though the second half was not a strong as the first, I feel there’s potential for future installments to explore more horror and paranormal mysteries, not to mention I would love to see some of these characters in action again.
Audiobook Review: Every Sky A Grave by Jay Posey
Posted on August 10, 2020 24 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Every Sky A Grave by Jay Posey
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of The Ascendance Series
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (July 7, 2020)
Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
It felt great to be reading Jay Posey again with Every Sky A Grave, and what a high-flying, super massive, electrifyingly ambitious novel it was. It’s no exaggeration to say there’s a bit of something for everyone in here, from epic adventures in space to daring feats of survival.
In this story, we follow Elyth, an agent of the galaxy’s peace-keeping order, the First House of the Ascendance. They’re also the custodians of great power, the Deep Language which was understood to control everything. And when a planet stepped out of line? That’s when the Ascendance would step in and rectify that.
When the book starts, Elyth has just been dispatched on a secret mission to a system to quash a threat of insurgence. A true believer of the Ascendance and their creed, she carried out her task, which is to use the magic of the Deep Language to essentially cause the planet’s untimely death. Pleased with her work, Elyth’s superiors next send her to Qel, where she will put her skills of subterfuge to good use, investigating a mysterious phenomenon that shouldn’t be possible.
Unfortunately for Elyth, nothing goes as planned. Her mission is compromised from the start as her ship crashes on the planet, and our protagonist is forced to get creative and improvise. The longer she persists, however, the more she begins to realize there is a lot to the Ascendance she has never thought to question before, while the strange presence on Qel continues to perturb her.
First and foremost, I have to say I was completely blown away by the world building. Posey has pulled out all the stops when it comes to creating this universe where an all-powerful Deep Language forms the basis of everything that exists. While Every Sky A Grave is classified as science-fiction, there is a spellbinding quality to this concept that I think will make even fantasy readers feel at at home. And then there’s the sheer scope of the galaxy and the idea of a vast system of planets at your fingertips. The First House of the Ascendance, an all-female organization made up of agents like Elyth—experts in combat, stealth and manipulation—are both the arbiters and warriors of this network, bringing peace and stability throughout its reaches, no matter the cost.
And speaking of our protagonist, I was also intrigued by her evolution of her character. She’s fiercely independent and headstrong, beginning this story as a loyal agent of the Ascendance, completely devoted to her order and Paragon, its supreme matriarch. Elyth’s journey is thus an interesting one, and even when she is at her most stubborn and misguided, she remains a sympathetic lead. There’s also no denying her resourcefulness and quick thinking; this is someone who can make a quick grasp of a situation and act with urgency and confidence.
That said, I think as the story progressed, I wish we had a better understanding of the ways of the First House of the Ascendance as well as more about the Deep Language, particularly as the plot began involving more of its inner political conflicts and tensions. It grew a little confusing, causing the pace to slow considerably in certain sections in later parts of the book. It’s a shame, because I think greater clarity would have made bolstered many of Elyth’s decisions, or at the very least, given more weight to her gradual change of heart.
Still, I had a great time with Every Sky A Grave, despite some fogginess in the second half where the story suffered a bit of fraying at the ends. The world building and character development remained strong throughout, however, and overall I’m impressed with this solid opener to Jay Posey’s new Ascendance series. I look forward to the more with interest!
Audiobook Comments: I enjoyed passing the hours with the audiobook edition, narrated by Laurel Lefkow. I thought her reading gave energy and life to the prose, and her voice was also a good match for Elyth’s dialogue and inner thoughts. All in all, a good book that was easy and fun to listen to.
Book Review: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
Posted on August 9, 2020 20 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 Night Swim by Megan Goldin
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (August 4, 2020)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin will haunt you, but in a good way. After my first spin with the author’s The Escape Room last year, I think I expected something similarly twisted, irreverently over-the-top and just off-the-wall insane and unpredictable when I picked this one up. But instead, what I got was a mystery-thriller that was much more introspective, resonating, and heartbreaking.
The protagonist of the book is Rachel Krall, creator and host of “Guilty or Not Guilty”, a true crime podcast that has taken the country by storm and catapulted her name to instant fame. In spite of that though, Rachel tries to keep a low profile, avoiding public appearances and having her photo in the media. Which is why, upon her arrival in the small town of Neapolis, she is surprised to find she is recognized, by someone who leaves an anonymous letter on her car windshield, begging Rachel to use her podcast to help.
Having come to Neapolis to report on a notorious rape trial that has received national attention, Rachel nevertheless becomes intrigued by the mysterious note’s author and contents. While everyone in town is focused on the trial involving local college student and swim prodigy Scott Blair and his alleged rape of a teenage girl, Rachel begins doing another investigation of her own, unable to ignore the desperate pleas of the anonymous notes that just keep on coming. Further research leads her to the case of another sexual assault victim named Jenny Stills, whose body was found off the Neapolis pier twenty-five years ago. Although the police reports all say cause of death was accidental drowning, the writer of the notes who claims to be Jenny’s younger sister insists that she was murdered.
As the present timeline continues forward chronicling Rachel’s coverage of the Scott Blair trial, another perspective provided by Jenny’s sister through her letters gives us a look back into the events of the past. In this way, the traumatic experiences of two abused young women, separated by a quarter of a century, are revealed to us through Rachel’s tireless investigations on both cases, which also uncovers startling parallels and more difficult questions. After both the prosecution and defense teams finish laying out their convincing arguments in the courtroom, what will be the verdict? And while many in town still remember Jenny Stills, why are they all so reluctant to talk about her? Finally, who is Jenny’s sister, and why won’t she agree to meet Rachel face-to-face?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Night Swim, a novel that is one-part mystery and one-part court drama, with a slight bit of thriller thrown in. As I said, the story felt very different from my one and only other experience with Goldin’s work, the completely ridiculous yet entertaining romp that was The Escape Room. While my enjoyment of that book was entirely predicated on my ability to suspend my disbelief, this one, in contrast, did not exhibit the same kind of cheeky, throwaway quality. And whereas The Escape Room succeeded because you were never meant to take the premise all that seriously, The Night Swim on the other hand is deadly serious, tackling themes that are darker, heavier, and meant to stay with you for a long time.
After all, few topics are more timely or relevant in today’s society than some of the ones addressed in this book. Foremost of these is the subject of rape and the silent suffering of victims, particularly those who are young and vulnerable, singled out for discreditation and are powerless to speak out against their abusers. It is heavily implied the only reason there even is a trial in Neapolis is because the victim’s grandfather was the chief of police, and the sentiment is split regarding the accused, who is the town darling and an Olympic hopeful. Meanwhile, despite privacy laws protecting minors, everyone already knows the identity of the victim. Unfortunately, secrets are hard to keep in a small town, but there’s always plenty of gossip and rumor, and readers know with a dread that no matter what the jury decides in the end, a young girl’s life is going to be destroyed forever.
I also liked the character of Rachel Krall, who is motivated by the search for truth as well as a genuine desire to help others. At first, believing she had failed someone in overlooking her previous requests for help, Rachel is driven by a sense of responsibility, but then becomes more and more entrenched in the mystery surrounding the circumstances of Jenny’s death as more information comes to light. All I can say is my heart broke for the Stills girls, and there are things in this book that will leave you feeling raw from the inside out.
The thrills are actually quite minimal, mostly coming into play in the end. In general though, I would classify The Night Swim as more of a mystery with a good dose of gripping courtroom trial-related suspense. There are some surprises, but ultimately what this book delivers is an unflinchingly searing look into the way many rape cases are perceived. All told, Megan Goldin has created this emotional crime thriller from the seamless integration of two stories separated by a generation, and at its heart is a determined heroine who ties it all together.
The BiblioSanctum 