Friday Face-Off: Silhouette

Posted on May 29, 2020 24 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:

“An island, a person, anything you like”
~ any cover featuring a SILHOUETTE

Mogsy’s Pick:

The Girl In Red by Christina Henry

A head-to-head today, and I already have a feeling picking a winner will be tough because all of Christina Henry’s dark fairy tale retellings have the BEST covers. For The Girl in Red, both the US and UK editions feature silhouettes, which is why I chose it to feature this week:

Berkley (2019) vs. Titan Books (2019)

Winner:

It’s close, and I’m sure I’ll change my mind again depending on the time of the day, but I’m going to go with the Titan edition for now. The “double silhouette” concept is clever, and I think the image of the howling wolf is much more dramatic and powerful.

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

Excerpt: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Posted on May 28, 2020 12 Comments

Today, the BiblioSanctum is excited to be participating in a blog event for To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, the highly anticipated adult novel debut by acclaimed Eragon author Christopher Paolini. This epic tale of first contact and alien wonders and space battles is coming out later this year on September 15 but we are celebrating this week with a special multi-part excerpt reveal as part of a publisher campaign to give readers a sneak peek! Below you’ll find our snippet as well as the links to the other participating blogs, but be sure to come back tomorrow where we’ll also be posting the completed excerpt section in all its glory!

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Kira Navárez dreamed of finding life on new worlds.

Now she has awakened a nightmare.

While exploring a distant planet, she discovers an alien relic that thrusts her into an epic journey of transformation and discovery.

Her odyssey will carry her to the far reaches of the galaxy.

Earth and her colonies are on the brink of annihilation.

One woman.

The will to survive.

The hope of humanity.

This epic novel follows Kira Navárez, who, during a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, finds an alien relic that thrusts her into the wonders and the nightmares of first contact. Epic space battles for the fate of humanity take her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and, in the process, transform not only her ― but the entire course of history.

Excerpt

“Jesus, someone help her,” Alan cried.

“Watch out!” shouted Seppo. “That thing on the floor is moving! Shi—”

“Sickbay,” said Fizel. “Get her to sickbay. Now! Pick her up. Pick—”

The walls swam around her as they lifted her. Kira felt like she was being strangled. She tried to inhale, but her muscles were too cramped. Red sparks gathered around the edges of her vision as Alan and the others carried her down the hallway. She felt as if she were floating; everything seemed insubstantial except the pain and her fear.

A jolt as they dropped her onto Fizel’s exam table. Her abdomen relaxed for a second, just long enough for Kira to steal a breath before her muscles locked back up.

“Close the door! Keep that thing out!” A thunk as the sickbay pressure lock engaged.

“What’s happening?” said Alan. “Is—”

“Move!” shouted Fizel. Another hypo pressed against Kira’s neck.

As if in response, the pain tripled, something she wouldn’t have believed possible. A low groan escaped her, and she jerked, unable to control the motion. She could feel foam gathering in her mouth, clogging her throat. She gagged and convulsed.

“Shit. Get me an injector. Other drawer. No, other drawer!”

“Doc—”

“Not now!”

“Doc, she isn’t breathing!”

Equipment clattered, and then fingers forced Kira’s jaw apart, and someone jammed a tube into her mouth, down her throat. She gagged again. A moment later, sweet, precious air poured into her lungs, sweeping aside the curtain darkening her vision.

Alan was hovering over her, his face contorted with worry.

Kira tried to talk. But the only sound she could make was an inarticulate groan.

“You’re going to be okay,” said Alan. “Just hold on. Fizel’s going to help you.” He looked as if he were about to cry.

Kira had never been so afraid. Something was wrong inside her, and it was getting worse.

Run, she thought. Run! Get away from here before—

Dark lines shot across her skin: black lightning bolts that twisted and squirmed as if alive. Then they froze in place, and where each one lay, her skin split and tore, like the carapace of a molting insect.

Kira’s fear overflowed, filling her with a feeling of utter and inescapable doom. If she could have screamed, her cry would have reached the stars.

About the Author

Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of 19, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide. This is his first adult novel.

Visit the other participating blogs:

Waiting on Wednesday 05/27/20

Posted on May 27, 2020 27 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 Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill (November 17, 2020 by Berkley)

To celebrate Wyrd and Wonder, I’ll be featuring fantasy/paranormal-related picks for my Waiting on Wednesday posts for the whole month of May! For our final W&W installment, this is a book whose cover was just revealed last week, and it is stunning! I’ve only read Chloe Neill’s paranormal/UF before this, so The Bright and Breaking Sea should be a bit of a change for me, but the description sounds so good and I am always up for a maritime fantasy adventure!

“Chloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery.

Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles’ Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte’s fleet. Her ship is small, but she’s fast–in part because of Kit’s magical affinity to the sea. But the waters become perilous when the queen sends Kit on a special mission with a partner she never asked for.

Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, may be a veteran of the Continental war, but Kit doesn’t know him or his motives–and she’s dealt with one too many members of the Beau Monde. But Kit has her orders, and the queen has commanded they journey to a dangerous pirate quay and rescue a spy who’s been gathering intelligence on the exiled emperor of Gallia.

Kit can lead her ship and clever crew on her own, but with the fate of queen and country at stake, Kit and Rian must learn to trust each other, or else the Isles will fall….”

Book Review: Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik

Posted on May 26, 2020 15 Comments

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

Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction

Series: Book 3 of Consortium Rebellion

Publisher: Harper Voyager (May 19, 2020)

Length: 416 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

With Chaos Rising comes the story of Catarina, the youngest daughter of the Von Hasenberg high house, as well as the epic conclusion to the Consortium Rebellion trilogy that exquisitely combines the sci-fi thrills of a space opera and the heated passions of a sultry romance.

As the baby of the family, Cat is used to being underestimated. In fact, she uses it to her advantage, masking her true self behind a mask of flightiness and frivolity. But the truth is, she has lived a troubled life, growing up secretly experimented on by her father because he had wanted to mold her into a super soldier. Using deception and her cunning, however, Cat managed to make everyone believe that the experiments had failed, and that she is now nothing more than your typical spoiled princess of the Consortium. Not even those closest to her are aware that she still possesses the super strength and powerful abilities the tests had given her.

Of course, this also makes her the perfect spy for her family, and Cat wants to do her part by going undercover at an upcoming gala held by a rival high house to gather information. Unfortunately, her overprotective older sister Bianca is about to ruin all those plans. Having guessed what Cat is about to do, Bianca has planted two of her most trusted operatives on our protagonist’s ship so that she would have others to help her on the mission. It’s a complication for sure, but nothing Cat can’t handle—except one of the agents, Alexander Stirling, is proving to be a dangerous distraction. Handsome and charming, her newest bodyguard is also going to be doing double duty as her date to the party. Despite knowing that it’s all for show, Cat can’t help but be drawn to Alex and regrets that they couldn’t have met under different circumstances. But when an unexpected attack on the Consortium causes all hell to break loose, the two of them are brought closer together as they work to find the culprits and restore order.

I think it’s safe to say that if you enjoyed the first two books, you’ll enjoy Chaos Reigning. The story unfolds and is written in roughly the same vein, except the author has really pulled out all the stops for this one. The stakes are higher, plot developments are much more consequential, and the overall action is more intense. Not surprisingly, the romance is dialed up several notches as well, without losing any of its cheesiness. Truth be told, it might even be over the top. Everything was all NEED and HEAT and BURNING, if things got any hotter this book would have spontaneously combusted in my hands. I’m not going pretend and say it didn’t get ridiculous after a while, but it’s par for the course with this series and the reason why I can only take it in small doses. Could I read books like this back to back without wanting to tear my hair out? No. But doing so once in a while? They can be great escape.

Jessie Mihalik has also saved the best for last. The crux of Chaos Reigning involves an event that rocks the Consortium, altering the fates of Cat and her siblings forever. For me, it gave this book slightly more weight than the others which I suppose is appropriate for the final installment, and it also helped me see past a lot of the story’s flaws. After three books, it’s clear that the series’ biggest weaknesses are the men—our heroines’ love interests. To be frank, Loch, Ian, Alexander—they’re really all variations of the same type: domineering alpha males who are supremely full of themselves. To be fair, Alex might fare slightly better in this respect because his and Cat’s romance could arguably be considered slow-burn, plus he’s sweet and charming. That said, it didn’t help that he fell into the “fake boyfriend” cliché for so much of the story so that when his profession of love finally came, it felt rather sudden and unconvincing. As a result, there wasn’t much about his character that stood out.

So really, for me it was all about Cat. She’s independent and determined like all the von Hasenberg women, but can kick so much more ass—even more so than Ada. Furthermore, I felt Cat was also the best at leadership, which was ironic considering how desperately she didn’t want to end up the head of her house. Given the responsibilities dumped on her though, I thought she handled herself marvelously well and showed more agency and motivation in her choices than her sisters. It’s just a shame that the conflict in this book was resolve so abruptly—and a little too neatly—because I would have loved to see more of Cat in action.

And so, the Consortium Rebellion has come to an end. Romance is not typically a genre I read, but I won’t lie, I had a lot of fun with this one. Cat and Alexander’s relationship might not have been as satisfying, but the action and suspense definitely made up for it, and ultimately Chaos Reigning ended on a finale-worthy note.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Polaris Rising (Book 1)
Review of Aurora Blazing (Book 2)

Book Review: Sunshield by Emily B. Martin

Posted on May 25, 2020 29 Comments

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

Sunshield by Emily B. Martin

Mogsy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1

Publisher: Harper Voyager (May 26, 2020)

Length: 432 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Desolate canyons. A lawless wilderness. Bands of outlaws roaming the frontier and attacking traveling wagons. All this in the publisher’s description for Sunshield should have clued me in to what I was in for, but I was still pleasantly surprised when I started this novel to find a fantasy western. Lark is our protagonist, known to the world as the Sunshield Bandit because of her shining mirrored buckler and the reflected sunlight she uses as a weapon. Her targets are the slave caravans that move across the desert, fueling so much of the human misery and injustice in Alcoro. After killing the slavers and stealing their money, Lark also does her best to return the captives to their rightful homes, but the care of so many people requires a lot of resources—resources that she doesn’t have, and that the dusty plains can’t provide. Lark and her own crew are barely surviving as it is.

Meanwhile, far away in the Moquoian court, things couldn’t be any more different. A shining palace of luxury stands amidst a lush forested land, all built upon the backs of slavery and human trafficking. Veran is a young ambassador who has traveled to Moquoia on a mission of diplomacy to negotiate better labor practices on behalf of his people, but to his dismay finds little cooperation from the nobles, least of all the prince, who even seems visibly upset at his presence for some reason. Whether the monarchy likes it or not, however, great change is on the horizon. As the kingdom comes under attack by a nefarious plot to overthrow the crown, Veran is thrust into a precarious alliance with none other than the Sunshield Bandit herself, the two of them forced to work together to resolve a mysterious abduction.

Sunshield certainly wasn’t bad, but it did suffer from a few issues that made me look up the book and author to see if it was a debut (it is not). Namely it was the uneven pacing that made parts of the story a struggle, especially in the first half where the plot took such a long time to take off or even get interesting. The exhausting amount of exposition slows things down further still, such as the lengthy paragraphs of Lark waxing poetic about her many tattoos, describing and reminiscing over each and every one of them in great detail. While I can certainly appreciate the sentiment, moments such as these were ultimately distracting and unnecessary, given the priority in your intro should be quickly establishing a hook. But unfortunately, I’d say this novel didn’t even pick up in earnest until well into its later sections, when Lark and Veran’s story lines finally converged.

Speaking of which, I found the characters to be interesting and well-written, though perhaps not so unique when you strip away surface-level features. Personality-wise, Lark is your typical rebel female heroine, often too proud to do the most logical and sensible thing even when it would benefit a whole lot more people than herself. Considering how long she’d lived her life independently, having to take care of herself and others under constantly changing circumstances, it is also shocking how incapable she is of flexibility or controlling her own emotions. Then there’s Veran, who is genuinely likeable and sweet, though his naivete makes his chapters at court very difficult to read. Constantly second-guessing and repeatedly beating himself up for his stupid mistakes got old after a while, especially since he just kept stumbling into the same traps without learning a thing. And finally, there’s Tamsin, a third POV who’s perhaps the most frustrating of all because her role doesn’t become significant until close to the end of the book. This made her early sections somewhat tedious, knowing little about her situation at that point other than she is being held captive and treated very poorly. To be honest, I skimmed many of her chapters, and seeing as they were kept deliberately short and vague anyhow, I didn’t feel like I missed much.

Still, my love for fantasy westerns absolutely helped. The world-building was fantastic, and the novel’s setting alone made this venture worth it in my eyes, since I have such a soft spot for frontier wilderness landscapes and tales involving outlaws and rebels. Of course, I still wish I had enjoyed Sunshield a bit more, but certain character flaws coupled with the unbalanced pacing of the story held me back from embracing this one fully. The cliffhanger ending was also a point of aggravation because it drops a major revelation for the characters while doing little to resolve their emotions afterwards, resulting in a conclusion that feels interrupted rather than complete. While I’m still open to the possibility of reading the next book, I think I will need to know that certain issues will be ironed out.

YA Weekend: The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala

Posted on May 24, 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.

The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Book 2 of The Tiger at Midnight Trilogy

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 26, 2020)

Length: 449 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I adored the first book, The Tiger at Midnight, and thought it was an incredible intro to the gorgeous, resplendent world created by Swati Teerdhala. Inspired by the culture of ancient India and Hindu mythology, this story takes readers to a kingdom in rebellion, and at the heart of the conflict are two characters—once at odds—who are now slowly becoming friends and perhaps something more.

Esha, known as “The Viper”, is an assassin for the rebels. Kunal was a soldier for the empire, tasked to hunt her down. However, fate had other ideas, and now they find themselves on the same side, fighting to retrieve a long-lost princess from the clutches of her captors. The Archer at Dawn picks up where the first book left off, with our characters planning a daring mission to infiltrate the Sun Mela, an event that is both a celebration and a competition of wills held at the grand palace. Kunal’s experience in the Senap Guard puts him in position to be the perfect spy; he will return and take up his old post, providing security during the festivities while keeping his eyes and ears open for news of Princess Reha. Esha, on the other hand, will don a disguise and play advisor to Prince Harun, who needs to make a visible presence at the Sun Mela to recruit more allies to the resistance.

Unfortunately, problems arise not long after their operation begins. Esha discovers that those who murdered her family are in attendance and is overcome with the desire for revenge, even though it will jeopardize the rebels’ mission. As well, they are not the only faction with a hidden agenda, as the Crescent Blades learn of other players pulling the strings in this deadly game. Kunal also returns to the guard and finds that things are no longer the same between him and his former comrades now that his eyes have been opened to the truth of his commanders as well as rebellion’s cause. Not to mention, as the situation between him, Esha, and Harun grows more complicated, difficult questions are raised and loyalties are tested.

All told, The Archer at Dawn was a proficient sequel, though I feel it is quite common for second books to struggle to maintain the same momentum. This one doesn’t suffer the same way, per se, but I did find it just a shade less engaging as The Tiger at Midnight. The storytelling wasn’t as tight this time around, nor was it as exciting, though given how significant the theme of subterfuge was for the premise, perhaps that’s understandable. Admittedly, I was also a tad annoyed with the love triangle that was being teased here. Granted, it wasn’t overpowering, and I appreciated the author’s attempt to make it subtle. Still, it begs the question, then why bother have it at all? The plot would have been perfectly fine without it, and we wouldn’t have had to put up with Esha’s constant whining about her tortured feelings for Harun as she and Kunal grew closer. It just seemed like an unnecessary point of drama.

That piece of criticism aside though, I enjoyed seeing our characters continue to grow and find themselves. Kunal probably went through the most drastic change here; he has so much honor and discipline, but his time with Esha and the rebels has made him see that things are not so simple. Although he has a new reason to fight, there are still ties to his past that can’t be forgotten so easily, especially when he finds himself back in his old life trying to play at being the loyal soldier. Esha also continues to grow on me, despite her hemming and hawing over her relationships issues. We knew from the start the romance between her and Kunal would be a journey fraught with obstacles, but it was definitely handled better in the first book when it was a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse replete with innuendo and sexual tension. I do enjoy the progress they’ve made in their relationship, but at the same time I don’t want this tug-o-war of emotions to get too stale.

Still, there’s so much to get excited about. The world-building is superb as always, and we’re showered with even more historical and mythological elements in this sequel. The Sun Mela celebrations and games provided many opportunities to showcase the people and cultures of the world, and Teerdhala deftly weaves magic and wonder into the mix. There were also some rather cool revelations towards the end, which certainly ratcheted up the pacing and interest in the next installment.

Bottom line, if you were a fan of the first book, you owe it to yourself to pick up The Archer at Dawn to find out how the story continues. I found myself amazed and delighted, even though this novel took the series in a slightly different direction by emphasizing subterfuge and political intrigue. Ultimately, it was done in a clever and compelling way, and I am eager to see how the trilogy will wrap up in the next book.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Tiger at Midnight (Book 1

Bookshelf Roundup 05/23/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on May 23, 2020 31 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.

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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 surprise arrivals this week. First was a package from the kind folks at St. Martin’s Press containing an ARC of Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis, who was a Hugo nominee in 2019 for best-related work. I’ve had my eye on her sci-fi debut for a while, so receiving this was a real treat. Next up, with thanks to Titan Books I received Hope Island by Tim Major, who always seems to have the coolest covers for his books! I’m curious to check this one out too. And the most awesome surprise of all came courtesy of Orbit and their friends at Redhook, from whom I received an ARC of The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I really enjoyed her last novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so I’m quite looking forward to this one.

Things aren’t too crazy in the digital pile this week. From Edelweiss, I was really excited to see The House of Whispers by Laura Purcell available for download because I’m a huge fan of her Gothic horror. Although I’m a bit perplexed by the drastic change in title for the US edition (in the UK, it’s known as Bone China), I’m happy enough the book is finally coming stateside. From Listening Library, I also grabbed just one advanced listening copy: The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant. And from the amazing team at Kaye Publicity I also received digital galleys to a couple of highly-anticipated titles coming soon from new HarperCollins YA imprint Blink, including Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly and Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard. Can’t wait to check out both of these.

Reviews

Network Effect by Martha Wells (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne (4 of 5 stars)
If It Bleeds by Stephen King (4 of 5 stars)
Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen (3 of 5 stars)

Roundup Highlights:

This Week’s Reads

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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: Sorrow

Posted on May 22, 2020 26 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“Sorrow”
~ any cover that makes you SAD

Mogsy’s Pick:

The Drowning Girl by Caitlín R. Kiernan

When I saw the topic for this week, my mind immediately went to the Roc cover of The Drowning Girl, whose subject matter and colors have always gives me a deep sense of melancholy. When I looked to see if the novel had any other editions, I was delighted to find more than fit the theme. Let’s take a look at them now:

From left to right:
Roc (2012) – German Edition (2019) – Polish Edition (2014)

Spanish Edition (2014) – Portuguese Edition A (2014) – Portuguese Edition B (2015)

Turkish Edition (2014) – French Edition (2014) – Romanian Edition (2015)

Winner:

Covers like the Portuguese editions just make want to shout at publishers PLEASE STOP PUTTING YOUR FUGLY STICKERS ON YOUR MARKETING IMAGES! I’m not a huge fan of any of the ones for this week in any case, all the images of drowning girls are too disturbing. If I had to choose, I guess my pick would be the German edition because at least in that one the woman looks peaceful.

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

Thriller Thursday Audio: The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne

Posted on May 21, 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 Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Book 1 of Underwater Investigation Unit

Publisher: Brilliance Audio (May 1, 2020)

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Susannah Jones

Well, it’s not The Naturalist, but still so good! What’s also pretty awesome is that last summer I caught the author on the Discovery Channel Shark Week special Andrew Mayne: Ghost Diver, and now I can’t help but wonder how much of his experience doing for that show had ended up influencing this book. Plus I believe I read somewhere that Mayne grew up among scuba divers and law enforcement, so when I first learned about The Girl Beneath the Sea, I became curious to see how he would incorporate those ideas and concepts into this new thriller.

As the opening volume to a new series, The Girl Beneath the Sea begins by whisking readers off to the south Florida coast where protagonist Sloan McPherseon works for the Lauderdale Shores police department as an evidence recovery diver. On a routine dive in the canal one day, she comes across a recently dead body in the water—a woman who must have been killed and dumped not moments before Sloan got there. Unfortunately, that timing was just a coincidence too great for the police to ignore, landing Sloan on their suspects list. Of course, it also doesn’t help that she comes from family of eccentric treasure hunters and drug smugglers, with an uncle who’s in prison. Then comes an even greater shock—it turns out that the dead woman had a connection to Sloan’s past, making the authorities even more suspicious.

Now the only one who can help her is the McPhersons’ greatest enemy. George Solar is the DEA agent whose testimony had been pivotal in putting Sloan’s uncle behind bars all those years ago, and the memories of how that had devastated her family are still fresh in her mind. Solar’s history, however, has also been known to be rather shady, which means he may have the knowledge and connections to help Sloan out of her mess, leaving her with no choice but to trust him. As the two of them team up to investigate the murder though, they stumble into a vast conspiracy brewing amidst widespread corruption, and the deeper they dig, the more they may be putting both themselves and their loved ones in possible peril.

While it’s definitely tempting to compare The Girl Beneath the Sea with Mayne’s Naturalist series, I realize it’s not that simple. The two are very different, for one, and quite honestly I think that’s a good thing. Ultimately, I would love to see Underwater Investigation Unit establish its own identity as a series and stand on its own merits, and based on this first installment, I think it’s off to a great start. The good news is that we also don’t sacrifice any of the over-the-top action and thrills that are the hallmarks of the author’s books, though the difference is, The Girl Beneath the Sea reads more like a police procedural in its structure and pacing, emphasizing law enforcement and interagency detective work. The storytelling style itself is very similar to the crime dramas you might see on primetime TV.

Since it’s Florida, there are also gators, sharks, and the drug war. Sloan and Solar’s battle with the cartels and corruption among the ranks might not prove as thrilling for some, but to me the plot was fast-paced and exciting. As well, Sloan is a great character, maybe a bit rough around the edges. Like many of the author’s protagonists, her greatest fault seems to be her impulsivity and tendency to act quickly with little consideration of the consequences (but hey, that’s what makes his books so fun, right?) I ended up liking Sloan, despite the fact she’s a bit of a maverick and one hell of a troublemaker, mainly due to her courageous spirit and her big heart which makes up for her shortcomings. She’s also a single mom in a family with a lot of quirky members and complicated relationships, as you might imagine given the McPhersons’ history with the law and Sloan’s career with the police. Throw in her prickly situation with Solar as well, and you just know there will be no end to the surprises.

What all this means is, if you’re into Andrew Mayne’s clever, funny, and over-the-top style, I think you will also enjoy The Girl Beneath the Sea. In a way, I think the novel’s premise actually makes it more plausible than many of his other works (relatively), but the approach he takes to the crime drama procedural is certainly still unique and very interesting. Bottom line, this was an entertaining adventure and I had a hell of time. It also looks like the sequel Black Coral already has a cover, synopsis, and release date, so I guess I’ll be circling my calendar and waiting not so patiently!

Audiobook Comments: I listened to the audiobook edition, a decision I don’t regret at all. I often find that thrillers are more effective in this format especially when you have a good narrator, and Susannah Jones completely nailed it. Everything about her performance was outstanding, from her voices to her timing. She kept me hanging on every word, ending up making me stay up way past my usual bedtime so I could find out how the book ended. So if you’re considering The Girl Beneath the Sea, I do highly recommend this one in audio.

Waiting on Wednesday 05/20/20

Posted on May 20, 2020 15 Comments

Mogsy’s Pick

The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson (January 19, 2021 by DAW Books)

To celebrate Wyrd and Wonder, I’ll be featuring fantasy/paranormal-related picks for my Waiting on Wednesday posts for the whole month of May! This was a book that I just found out about recently, and I love the idea of an “environmental epic fantasy.” The cover is gorgeous too!

“The first book in a new environmental epic fantasy series set in a world where ships kept afloat by magical hearthfires sail an endless grass sea.

On the never-ending, miles-high expanse of prairie grasses known as the Forever Sea, Kindred Greyreach, hearthfire keeper and sailor aboard harvesting vessel The Errant, is just beginning to fit in with the crew of her new ship when she receives devastating news. Her grandmother–The Marchess, legendary captain and hearthfire keeper–has stepped from her vessel and disappeared into the sea.

But the note she leaves Kindred suggests this was not an act of suicide. Something waits in the depths, and the Marchess has set out to find it.

To follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Kindred must embroil herself in conflicts bigger than she could imagine: a water war simmering below the surface of two cultures; the politics of a mythic pirate city floating beyond the edges of safe seas; battles against beasts of the deep, driven to the brink of madness; and the elusive promise of a world below the waves.

Kindred finds that she will sacrifice almost everything–ship, crew, and a life sailing in the sun–to discover the truth of the darkness that waits below the Forever Sea.”