2020 Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag/Mid-Year Roundup
Posted on July 21, 2020 13 Comments
I’m not really in the habit of doing book tags (too many reviews to write, too little time!) but for this one I decided to make an exception. For one thing, I think it serve as a great jumping off point for a mid-year roundup post, featuring some pretty interesting categories that are fun to think about.
So here we go!
Best Books I’ve Read So Far
Oof, this is a tough one. I’m limiting each category to three books, so I’ve narrowed it down to these…
Best Sequels I’ve Read So Far
…and good thing I can spread the love by giving sequels their own category!
New Releases I Haven’t Read (But Want To)
Ha, take your pick from my huuuuge list of new books I want to read but haven’t gotten to yet! So I’m just going to pull the top three from the past month or so.
Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year
Another tough category! Using the UK Rhythm of War cover as a placeholder until Tor releases theirs.
Biggest Disappointments
This is a list I never like to make, but I can’t deny there were more than few books this year that didn’t live up to my expectations.
Biggest Surprises
On the flip side, these are some of the books I didn’t have many expectations for, but they ended up blowing me away!
Favorite New Authors
Some more authors to add to my must-read list.
Favorite Characters
Since I don’t do fictional crushes, I’ve changed these next two questions to favorite characters/least favorite characters. Favorite new characters: Roberto from Cries From the Lost Island, and Noemí Taboada from Mexican Gothic, Alessandra from The Shadows Between Us.
Least Favorite Characters
Least favorite new characters: Jelt from Deeplight, Frances from The Age of Witches, and Audrey from Follow Me (great book, but the protagonist was an annoying idiot).
Saddest/Emotionally Heavy Books
This category was originally “Books The Made Me Cry” but since nothing has met the requirement so far this year, I modified it slightly.
Authors With a Great Sense of Humor
Again, this category was modified from “Books That Made Me Happy” because I don’t think anything this year I’ve read can be classified pure “happy happy joy joy” books. But the following authors have a great sense of humor, and you see a lot of that energy transferred to their books as well.
Media Tie-Ins/Books I’d Love To See Made Into Movies
This category is originally “Best Book To Film Adaptation”, but I don’t get to watch TV or go to the movies as much as I would like to these days…but I do read a crap ton of media tie-ins and there are quite a few books I’d like to see adapted.
Favorite Post
Hmm, I mostly write reviews on this blog, along with the odd meme and update, so I don’t know if I really have a favorite post. I did, however, have a lot of fun putting together those “A-Z” type lists! Here’s Favorite Books A-Z, Favorite Science Fiction A-Z for Sci-Fi Month, and also Top Ten Tuesday: One to Ten!
Prettiest Books I Received This Year
Feast your eyes!
Books I Need to Read By the End of the Year
A lot! Too many to name here, really. But if you want to see a complete list of 2020 must-read releases I’ve got my eye on, you can always check out my “Most Anticipated” posts. Here’s the one from January to March, the one from April to June, and the one from July to September. I do plan on trying to read most of them! 😛
Overall it’s been a good first half of 2020, considering. I’m glad I got to highlight a lot of books!
Audiobook Review: Obliteration by James S. Murray with Darren Wearmouth
Posted on July 20, 2020 11 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Obliteration by James S. Murray with Darren Wearmouth
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
Series: Book 3 of Awakened
Publisher: HarperAudio (June 23, 2020)
Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
Author Information: James S. Murray | Darren Wearmouth
Narrator: James S. Murray
Although I’m glad I got to finish the Awakened trilogy, it is unfortunate to see the quality go down with each book. To be fair, the authors probably weren’t aiming for anything more than a mindless action-packed thriller, but still, when you compare the first book with Obliteration, the differences between the two are quite telling. Gone is any attempt at creating suspense or atmosphere, as the focus shifts entirely to cramming as much action into as little time possible.
In terms of the plot, Obliteration picks up shortly after the end of The Brink. To get the most out of it, you do have to be caught up with the previous books, so be aware there may be possible spoilers in this review for what came before. As the story begins, our big baddie Albert Van Ness has been stopped and is currently serving time in a high-security prison for his murderous crimes against humanity. It was only thanks to the efforts of Tom Cafferty that millions more did not die in the name of Van Ness’ fanatical crusade against the ancient bloodthirsty creatures that have emerged from their underground nests. The world can finally catch its breath and begin rebuilding, now that it’s safe from both monster attacks and total nuclear annihilation by a madman.
But is it really over? Tom isn’t so sure. He knows there are more creature nests still out there, and he won’t rest until he finds and destroys them all. On his latest mission with his team out in the Nevada desert though, he is shocked to arrive on the scene of a purported creature stronghold to find it completely empty. Realizing too late what it means, Tom races back up to the surface to find the world in chaos. Across the globe, cities are being overrun by the monsters who have emerged from their lairs to launch a coordinated attack all at once, killing everything in their path. Within moments, the United States loses every single one of its major urban centers, including Washington DC. Left with no choice, the President orders Tom to turn to his archnemesis, Albert Van Ness. He may be an evil maniac, but Van Ness has also dedicated his entire life to annihilating these creatures, and if anyone knows what to do now, it would be him.
This was a fun book, perfect for a bit of escapism. And had I not known the authors are capable of so much more, that would have been perfectly fine. Except I have read this series starting from Awakened, and the difference going to this one reminds me of when movies get straight-to-TV sequels. While Obliteration still delivers rapid-fire cinematic action, it does smack of going through the motions. The plot is all flash and no substance, all bloodbath and no subtlety. An army of super-soldiers just appearing out of nowhere? Hey, whatever, it’s not like the audience actually cares about explanations!
Well, except I kind of care. At the very least, I wanted more development of these characters I’ve spent three books following. What we get is pretty shallow at best, though, and it’s even more lacking for the new POVs presented. I’m also disappointed that the atmosphere was a casualty in the trade-off for more action and thrills. Looking back at my review for Awakened, I praised the book for giving me serious flashbacks to the Alien movies, as well as for its claustrophobia-inducing intensity and edge-of-your-seat suspense. That’s all been thrown to the wayside apparently, and it’s actually been happening since The Brink, sad to say.
Overall, I guess there’s something to be said about the entertainment value in a book like Obliteration, but can’t say I really enjoyed myself all that much. That said, I’m glad I saw this series through to the end, even if I can’t it remaining in my memory too long. It’s a shame, because the first book started out quite strong, but unfortunately the rest of the trilogy just wasn’t able to continue the same levels of interest or momentum.
Audiobook Comments: To his credit, James “Murr” Murray once again did a great job narrating his own book. He’s clearly experienced from his TV work, and being intimately familiar with the story and characters also helped. While I wasn’t too crazy about the book itself, I thought the narration and audio production values were well done.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Awakened (Book 1)
Review of The Brink (Book 2)
Audiobook Review: Night Train by David Quantick
Posted on July 19, 2020 12 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: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Eilidh Beaton
It’s interesting that on the cover of this one there is a blurb from Neil Gaiman, because Night Train actually feels like a story Gaiman could have written and that his fans would like. And I definitely mean that as a compliment.
However, despite the wildly imaginative concepts in this darkly eccentric horror, the style was simply not for me. To put it plainly, this book was just straight-up weird. So weird, I wouldn’t even know how I would go about summarizing the story, but here goes nothing. As the novel opens, a young woman wakes up on a train surrounded by corpses. She can’t remember who she is or how she got there, but decides to adopt the name Garland based on the name patch stitched to the uniform-like clothing she finds herself wearing.
As the train continues to hurtle through a nightmarish alien landscape, Garland soon discovers the presence of other passengers, who are just as frightened and confused as she is. As a group, they all decide to work together to make sense of their situation, beginning their exploration of the train by going from car to car. But instead of answers, they only find more strangeness, like bizarre creatures and pocket worlds of surreal and impossible environments. There is no rhyme or reason to the things they experience, as everything on their mysterious train seems to defy the laws of the real world.
I think I realized fairly early on that Night Train wasn’t for me, but I persisted anyway, hoping the story would start making sense. And in a very surface-level way, a rough framework of a plot did begin emerging after a certain point, but unfortunately, the disjointed and abstract structure of the book didn’t change one bit. Needless to say, I felt untethered and lost amidst all this ambiguity, and I struggled as a result.
That said, I will give this book some major points for humor, which was an element I did not expect in this strange dark tale. Clearly, the author used the laughs to emphasize the surrealism of it all, and I have to say he did with great effect. We mostly have the characters to thank for this, as well as the crackling dynamics that resulted from throwing together a group of confused strangers on a train from hell. The characters themselves were well-written, even the couple of those with personalities that were deliberately exaggerated or over-the-top. It made for some hilarious dialogue and lighter moments that left me howling.
But while the humor might have alleviated some of the frustration I felt from the confusing storyline, I couldn’t say I really enjoyed the book overall. In addition to the muddled plot, the overall mystery also dragged somewhat, ironically because the author kept ramping up the chaos by dropping our characters into increasingly crazy and nonsensical situations without giving up any solid answers. Bottom line, I can only put up with being left in the dark and going in circles for so long until I begin to lose my shit.
Ultimately, Night Train was not the book I expected, though I’m glad I plowed on if nothing else to experience the humor. But as a story, it simply felt too fragmented and confusing, leaving me lost for most of the time. That being said, I’m sure the book will find an audience. If you’re a fan of postmodern dark horror with a good dose of the weird and surreal, you may enjoy this.
Audiobook Comments: The narrator has a rather strong accent, one which made me listen the audio of Night Train on a slower speed setting than normal, at least until I could get used to her voice and pronunciations. But other than that, I found no issues with narration or production, had a good listen.
Bookshelf Roundup 07/18/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 18, 2020 11 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.
Hey everyone, I hope you’re all having a great summer and staying safe! Before I continue on to my usual roundup, I actually have a few updates. Tomorrow I’ll be off on a family trip and I have no idea if I’ll have reliable internet or time to get online, so for the next week I probably won’t be as regular in visiting your blogs or replying to comments. That said, I’ve left a bunch of posts scheduled in advance so the blog will still have content, but next Saturday might be roundup-less depending on when I get back. Either way, I look forward to catching up on everything upon my return!
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!
I think a lot of publishers are resuming their regular mailings again, because activity in my mailbox has been picking up. With thanks to Saga Press, I received a finished copy of Savage Legion by Matt Wallace. I’ve read and enjoyed some of his Sin du Jour novellas, which makes me super excited for this! The publisher also sent along this beautiful hardcover of Live to Tell the Tale by Keith Ammann, who also authored The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, a compilation of villainous battle plans from his Dungeons & Dragons blog. This one can be seen as the players’ answer to that, providing them the tools they need to fight back!
Next, I’d also like to thank Orbit Books for sending me a finished copy of Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler. I started this one a few days ago, and even though reading has kind of stalled, I’m actually enjoying it a lot. The epic fantasy genre being what it is though, the story is just really rich and dense, and unfortunately my concentration this week has been all over the place. I’ve been alternating in some quicker reads in the meantime, but will definitely be done with this one by the end of the month and will hopefully have a review up soon after.
My thanks also to Subterranean Press, from whom I received a box earlier in the week containing these lovely gems. Dying With Her Cheer Pants On by Seanan McGuire sounds like a total blast, a collection of stories about the physical challenges and dangers of cheerleading starring the supernatural members of the Fighting Pumpkins squad. Next is The Best of Michael Marshall Smith, a mammoth anthology containing the author’s classic tales as well as his previously uncollected fiction. And finally, Comes A Pale Rider by Caitlín R. Kiernan is the second collection of short stories featuring Dancy Flammarion, considered to be one of the author’s most enduring creations. Readers will follow the character across the country as she continues to battle monsters in her never-ending holy war against darkness and evil.
Some exciting new audiobooks in this digital haul this week. With thanks to Harper Audio, I received listening copies of Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay and The Bright Lands by John Fram. My TBR has certainly been seeing an influx of horror titles lately!
From Simon & Schuster Audio, I also received a review copy of Every Sky A Grave by Jay Posey. It’s been years since I read his book Three, and I’m so excited to dive into his newest project.
I was also thrilled to receive a listening copy of Incursion by Mitchell Hogan. Huge thanks to the author for offering me the opportunity! This book is also a contestant in this year’s SPFBO, so I’ve been seeing it around a lot and wanting to check it out!
Reviews
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters (4.5 of 5 stars)
Malorie by Josh Malerman (4 of 5 stars)
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim (4 of 5 stars)
The Half-Sister by Sandie Jones (3.5 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
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: Holding An Object
Posted on July 17, 2020 13 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:
HOLDING AN OBJECT
Mogsy’s Pick:
City of Lies by Sam Hawke
City of Lies might not have completely won over my heart, but I do have to give it credit for a most intriguing opening line: “I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me,” begins our protagonist Jovan, whose family the Oromanis have long been entrusted to serve a sacred duty. Their job can be likened to that of Secret Service, keeping Chancellor Caslav and his nephew Tain safe from unseen threats, though recognizing signs of poison is their specialty. From a young age, both Jovan and his sister Kalina have been trained by their uncle, the spymaster Etan, to identify all kinds of harmful substances, which sometimes involved being poisoned themselves in order to learn and become inured to their effects. But one day, the unthinkable happens. Caslav falls to a powerful poison, one that is unknown even to Jovan and his extensive records of poisonous substances. Tain is called upon to take up his uncle’s mantle, despite the heir being young and untried. The Oromani siblings subsequently pledge to become his protectors, all three of them stepping dutifully into their new roles.
Only two covers to go head-to-head today, but both feature an object being held:
Tor Books (2018) vs. Bantam Press (2018)
Winner:
I’m going with the Bantam Press edition for this one. The Tor edition is nice too, but it’s also pretty generic, as “holding a weapon” covers are pretty ubiquitous in fantasy. In my opinion, the Bantam Press cover also has more to do with the story, what with the focus on poisons and all, plus the colors are just so rich and gorgeous I can’t help but be drawn to it.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Thriller Thursday Audio: The Half-Sister by Sandie Jones
Posted on July 16, 2020 12 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 Half-Sister by Sandie Jones
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (June 16, 2020)
Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Kristin Atherton
Sure, The Half-Sister might feel more like a family drama with some mystery and excitement rather than a true psychological thriller, but I still had a great time with it. In fact, Despite it being less pulse-pounding and breathtaking as the last Sandie Jones novel I read (The First Mistake), I might have actually enjoyed this one more, because nothing makes me turn the pages than juicy lies, gossip, and scandal.
The story alternates between the POVs of two sisters, Kate and Lauren. Older by a couple years, Lauren is more down-to-earth, introverted, and practical—even more so ever since getting married and having three kids. In contrast, Kate is bolder, more hot-headed and ambitious, which has served her well in her career as an investigative reporter always hunting for the next big story. However, Kate also has a secret pain: for years now, she and her husband Matt have been desperately trying to have a baby, but without success. She envies her sister and her big happy family. Despite her lucrative job and glamorous life, Kate would give it all up if it meant being able to hold her own child in her arms.
But what Kate doesn’t know, is that that her sister is actually deeply unhappy. Lauren is married to Simon, a total cad who has become more abusive and controlling as the years go by. She had to put her own career on hold in order to take care of their three children, and wishes her life was as carefree and glitzy as Kate’s. Needless to say, the sisters don’t really have the best relationship. In fact, they haven’t been close since they were children, and the gulf has only widened since their father Harry died a few months ago. Kate, who was especially close to him, took his death hard. Still, the two sisters decided to continue keeping the tradition of meeting at their mom’s house every Sunday for dinner. Except during their most recent get-together, their meal was interrupted by an unexpected visitor. A young woman, introducing herself as Jess, claims to be Harry’s daughter and Lauren and Kate’s half-sister. Plus, she insists she has the DNA evidence to prove it.
Ever loyal to their father, Kate refuses to believe he could have fathered a secret child outside of his marriage. She thinks Jess must be mistaken, or trying to pull some scam on them. But Lauren, who doesn’t remember Harry through rose-colored glasses like her sister does, actually thinks it could be possible. While she might not have been as close to their father, Lauren knew things about him no one else did—and what he was capable of.
Although I enjoyed this one, I can see it not working out for a lot of thriller fans. Truth be told, calling it a thriller might even be a stretch. The pacing wasn’t fast (though to be fair, it wasn’t slow either) and I think the overall mystery was a bit forced, considering the matter could have been put to rest with a simple solution. The characters’ actions also felt contrived, written to create conflict rather than to reflect their actual personalities.
Still, the book was fun to read. And fast, despite sections of repetitiveness watching Kate and Lauren go back and forth on what to do about Jess. It’s a mystery that sucked me in as well, I confess. Kate is an especially talented sleuth, putting her investigative journalism skills to good use digging up anything she can find on the woman claiming to be her half-sister. She’s definitely the stronger of our two POVs, both in terms of personality and her storyline. In contrast, most of the interest in Lauren’s POV felt manufactured, like her chance encounter with an old flame, or her surreptitious outings with Jess.
But one thing I will say for the story is that it ended well. While it may have been sudden, for what the resolution required, I think it wrapped up with just the right tone. Sorry for being vague, but that’s the nature of the genre.
In conclusion, The Half-Sister is not without its flaws, but it did its job. If what you’re looking for is true thriller, it might not be as satisfying, but as a gripping tale about one family coming to terms with its dark history of secrets and lies, it kept me entertained.
Waiting on Wednesday 07/15/20
Posted on July 15, 2020 12 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
Persephone Station by Stina Leicht (January 5, 2021 by Gallery/Saga Press)
All right, I’ll admit it, I’m a bit obsessed with anything to do with The Mandalorian, so when I saw the blurb for this I automatically took notice. And I mean, who doesn’t love a space Western? I’ve also been curious about Leicht’s work for a long time, so maybe I’ll finally be able to give her a try.
“Hugo award–nominated author Stina Leicht has created a take on space opera for fans of The Mandalorian and Cowboy Bebop in this high-stakes adventure.
Persephone Station, a seemingly backwater planet that has largely been ignored by the United Republic of Worlds becomes the focus for the Serrao-Orlov Corporation as the planet has a few secrets the corporation tenaciously wants to exploit.
Rosie–owner of Monk’s Bar, in the corporate town of West Brynner, caters to wannabe criminals and rich Earther tourists, of a sort, at the front bar. However, exactly two types of people drank at Monk’s back bar: members of a rather exclusive criminal class and those who sought to employ them.
Angel–ex-marine and head of a semi-organized band of beneficent criminals, wayward assassins, and washed up mercenaries with a penchant for doing the honorable thing is asked to perform a job for Rosie. What this job reveals will effect Persephone and put Angel and her squad up against an army. Despite the odds, they are rearing for a fight with the Serrao-Orlov Corporation. For Angel, she knows that once honor is lost, there is no regaining it. That doesn’t mean she can’t damned well try.”
Audiobook Review: The Dead Girl’s Club by Damien Angelica Walters
Posted on July 14, 2020 13 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 Dead Girl’s Club by Damien Angelica Walters
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tantor Audio (June 30, 2020)
Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I know, I know, I should have read this book a long time ago, but it had fallen off my radar and only popped back on it recently when the audiobook was released. And I’m so glad! Thinking it was going to be your typical run-of-the-mill thriller suspense mystery, I picked up The Dead Girls Club for some reliable entertainment but discovered it to be about so much more.
Like so many other novels of its kind that I’ve read lately, the story is told via dual timelines. In the present, our protagonist Heather Cole has a successful career helping troubled teens and is happily married to the love of her life. But one day, she receives a mysterious package that suddenly brings all the chilling memories of her past rushing back. Inside the innocuous envelope is an item she knows well from her childhood: a cheap metal half-heart pendant friendship necklace which used to hang around the neck of her best friend Becca, and that was also where Heather saw it last—the day the other girl died, almost thirty years ago. Unnerved, Heather tries to convince herself that it must be some sick prank. Might it even be possible the perpetrator is Becca’s mother, who was convicted for murdering her daughter? The woman did recently get released from prison, after all. Surely, no one else but Heather knows what really happened that night?
In the second timeline, we find out exactly what happened to Heather and Becca that fateful summer when they were both twelve years old. Following them and two other friends, Gia and Rachel, who together made up the Dead Girls Club—so named because the four of them would get together every week in an abandoned old house to share stories about true crime and serial killers—we flash back to 1991, when everything between them was still easy and carefree. But the trouble begins when Becca shows up to a meeting one day wanting to tell a very different kind of story. Through her reading, Becca claims to have found a record of a woman known as the Red Lady, executed centuries ago by her village on suspicion of witchcraft. Fascinated, the other girls demand to know more, thinking it is just a story, but Becca seems to believe the Red Lady was real, and not only that, her spirit also still haunts the real world and speaks to those who want to make contact. As Becca sinks deeper into her obsession, a crack develops between her and Heather’s friendship, becoming wider by the day as the stories about the Red Lady become increasingly more disturbing, growing wildly out of hand.
What began as a suspenseful mystery with eerie undertones ultimately transformed into full-blown horror as things got underway. And yet, I think the book did a good job maintaining that hybrid balance, featuring plenty of thrills along with the creeping supernatural dread. It’s hard to decide which timeline I enjoyed more; they both brought their strengths to the plot, keeping momentum and interest high as we alternated between the two threads. In the present, Heather is stricken with fear and paranoia as the ominous arrival of the friendship necklace is followed by other surprises in the mail, along with signs that she may be being stalked. Gradually, readers also get to learn the reason for Heather’s anxiety, as her past unfolds the “Then” timeline—revealing that our protagonist isn’t exactly the innocent victim she appeared to be. The paranormal element is also stronger in this past timeline, making you question what’s real and what’s not. It doesn’t help that Becca likes to play mind tricks, getting into the other girls’ heads. In addition, Heather is not the most reliable of narrators, especially in the present, where it is unclear if she is experiencing fugue states and her memory is repeatedly questioned.
Unfortunately, this resulted in some holes in the story that didn’t make sense—not big ones, but they were enough to prevent the book from getting the full five stars. Ironically, I think the author may have tried too hard to definitively tie everything together with explanations when leaving some vagaries out there may have been more advantageous, allowing readers to use their imaginations and draw their own conclusions.
However, this doesn’t change my positive impression of Damien Angelica Walters. While I’ve had her books on my TBR for ages, this is the first time I’ve actually read her work. And I will say right now, it will most definitely not be the last. I just love her style and the way her prose hooks you from the very start. And on a personal note, I also discovered while reading this book that she is a local author, from the way she incorporated the areas of central and northeast Maryland in her setting. I had a chuckle at the way she described the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, because it is just so darn true, and it also felt pretty neat to recognize a lot of the cities and towns mentioned, being able to say, “Hey, I know where she’s talking about” as the character traveled from place to place.
Overall, I’m excited to finally say I’ve read Damien Angelica Walters, considering how often her horror has been recommended to me and how long I’ve had her work on my reading list. The Dead Girls Club ended up being a screaming good time and an absolute spine-tingling joy to read!
Audiobook Comments: Fantastic performance by Devon Sorvari, who gave Heather a realistic down-to-earth voice while still keeping a high level of tension in the tone of her narration, keeping me on my toes at all times.
Book Review: Malorie by Josh Malerman
Posted on July 13, 2020 23 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: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Del Rey (July 21, 2020)
Length: 240 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’ve read several of Josh Malerman’s books before (with mixed results), but never Bird Box, the predecessor to Malorie. However, following the recommendation of several bloggers who assured me I should be fine jumping into this sequel without having the first book under my belt, I decided to go for it (though I did watch the Netflix movie).
And yes, for all intents and purposes, Malorie can be read as a standalone. That said, there are some key points about the setting readers need to know first, but the book catches you up with all that rather quickly. Around seventeen years ago, the world was invaded by creatures that suddenly appeared, and the mere sight of one is enough to drive a person to suicidal and/or homicidal madness. Cue death, the apocalypse and all that jazz. The use of blindfolds was swiftly adopted in order to prevent a person from losing their mind, and although it was a strategy that worked, it meant having to bring the whole world to a standstill and plunging people’s lives into darkness.
In the first book, our titular character Malorie spent the early years of this chaos trying to find a safe haven for herself and her two children, before winding up at a place she thought they could finally call home. Obviously, that didn’t last. When this book opens, our protagonist and her now teenage children Tom and Olympia are on their own again. A terrible incident at their last place of refuge has broken all the trust she has in the human race. The only person she can rely on is herself, and to that end, she has forbidden Tom and Olympia to ever have contact with outsiders and has instructed them to never ever take their blindfolds off.
But teens will be teens, especially Tom, who has a rebellious streak. He has never known a world without creatures, doesn’t really understand Malorie’s fear, and resents the isolation and strict rules she has imposed. Then one day, a man claiming to be a census taker visits them at their lonely abode, leaving behind a report which turns Malorie’s world upside down. Weighing the significance of the news she has just received, she decides it is worth the risk to venture out once more with the children, blindfolded, and make the journey to discover if the information is true. And for Tom, their new mission is also a secret hope at an opportunity—a chance to break free of Malorie’s hold and see the world for himself.
By far, Malorie is the best book I’ve read by Malerman, probably because it is so straightforward. He has an incredible imagination and seems to like experimenting with different styles, so admittedly, a couple of his books have been too strange for my tastes. Yet this one I enjoyed it a lot because the story was quick and entertaining, plain and simple. Malorie, Tom, and Olympia go on a quest, and we find out in the end whether they get to fulfill what they’d hoped to achieve, and while following them, we get to see them learn a few lessons about themselves and each other.
One thing that struck me though, was the prescient nature of this book. Reading Malorie in the midst of this pandemic has made me see some of its themes in a whole different light. It’s hard not to draw parallels between the unfathomable creatures and an invisible, little-understood virus. Blindfolds can easily be seen as an analogy to masks. And like all polarizing issues, there are extreme views on each side. “Live by the fold” Malorie represents irrational fear, paranoia, and over-protectiveness, even if they do come from a place of good intentions. Tom has a more positive, realistic, and proactive outlook on the situation, but he is also reckless, inexperienced, and lacking knowledge in his youth. That said, I don’t think there’s intent of any strong message here, other than the fact the right way forward in dealing with a world full of creatures probably lies somewhere between the two characters’ views (and, of course, the inescapable truth that the parent-child bond is forever and always going to be frustrating and complicated).
Probably my one complaint would be the pacing. I loved how quickly the plot moved, but I wish more time had been spent on the ending. When the climax hit, I looked skeptically at how close I was to the end and thought to myself, “No way this is going to wrap up satisfactorily with so few pages left in the book.” And I was right. Don’t get me wrong, I thought what actually happened did a good job providing closure, but there’s no doubt those events could have been a lot more emotional, rewarding and meaningful had the ending not felt like it was tied up with a perfunctory bow, and then let’s kick it out the door and be done with it.
But overall, while Josh Malerman’s books have been mixed bag for me in the past, I enjoyed Malorie unequivocally. He’s definitely an author I will continue to read no matter what, because you just never know what unique and imaginative stories he will have to tell.
YA Weekend: Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
Posted on July 12, 2020 17 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 2 of The Blood of Stars
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (July 7, 2020)
Length: 416 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I know I can be pretty picky when it comes to YA, but last year Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim was one of the handful that impressed me, and as soon as the details for Unravel the Dusk was revealed, I knew I needed to get my hands on this sequel.
By the way, since this book is the second half of a duology, readers should be caught up first and be advised that this review may reveal possible spoilers for the previous novel. To recap, our protagonist Maia Tamarin is a girl from a family of tailors who had to take on the duties of caring for her family after her mother died, her father grew sick, and the war took away one of her brothers and left the other maimed. In order to win the prestigious role of royal tailor, Maia disguised herself as a boy and entered a competition at the palace, with the judged being the emperor’s bride-to-be, Lady Sarnai. However, the challenges of the contest were difficult, with some bordering on the impossible. Still, with a little help from her family magic as well as a court enchanter named Edan, Maia was able to succeed and win.
Now though, the true test of wills begins. Despite all her hard work to keep the empire from descending into total war, Maia returns from her perilous journey to find everything in chaos. The emperor’s marriage, which was supposed to bring the peace that was promised, is now in jeopardy, causing the kingdoms to again mobilize their troops. Edan, with whom Maia had grown close to and fallen in love is unfortunately far from her and unable to help. To stave off the violence for as long as possible, Maia devises a dangerous plan which would require her to don a disguise once more—this time, as the emperor’s own fiancée, Lady Sarnai. But believe it or not, pulling off this deception is the least of her worries. For within Maia, a malevolent force has been fighting for release ever since she was touched by a demon and tainted with its essence. With each passing day, she fears that she will finally lose the battle, destroying herself and putting her friends and loved ones at risk.
Unravel the Dusk continues to deliver the goods, offering magic, intrigue, and adventure. The scope of the plot has also exploded to become something much bigger—and not just in terms of intricacy and detail. Compared to the previous book, which mostly focused on Maia’s personal challenges and her own goals, everything she does in this one affects so much more than herself. It is not an exaggeration to say the entire empire now rests on her ability to impersonate Lady Sarnai, a harsh and caustic woman so very different from earnest and kind-hearted Maia. Readers will also want to root for our protagonist to conquer the demon that threatens to devour her from within, not only because good needs to overcome evil, but because there is just so much wrongness to see such a pure soul corrupted.
Speaking of which, this sequel brought a lot of changes to our characters—mostly good ones. I think some will be disappointed that we don’t get as of Edan in this book, especially given the tender and passionate way their romance developed in the first one. Personally though, I didn’t mind his absence too much. I felt it gave Maia a chance to work things out on her own, making me appreciate her independence and strength all the more. Besides, Edan does show up again later on, and believe me, you’ll end up getting your fill of swoon. We also see changes in the dynamics between Maia and other characters, including Ammi, a servant girl at the palace whom she befriended, as well as Lady Sarnai, who I was surprised to find I didn’t hate as much this time around.
As for criticisms, I don’t have any major ones, but the pacing for certain parts of the story felt a bit off. The intro, for example, felt like it flew by in a blur, leaving me with questions and confusion. Of course, while feeling rushed is still far better than the opposite, which is feeling bored because of slow pacing, there should be a balance. When comparing the first few chapters to the rest of the novel, the difference is clear. The sections after Maia and Ammi go on the run are given much more attention than everything that came before, and considering how the latter provides the setup, I think the beginning should have been more fleshed out.
But all told, I have to say The Blood of Stars duology is one of the most well-written and outstanding YA books I’ve read in years and I think Elizabeth Lim is well on her way to making a name for herself. I look forward to her future projects.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Spin the Dawn (Book 1)
The BiblioSanctum 