Book Review: Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst

Posted on May 4, 2020 47 Comments

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

Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Harper Voyager (April 21, 2020)

Length: 544 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I’d be shocked if Race the Sands doesn’t end up topping my list of favorite reads at the end of the year. I mean, I’ve been following Sarah Beth Durst for a while and I love her work, but wow, she’s certainly outdone herself this time. There’s literally nothing I disliked about this book, a spectacular effusion of excitement, adventure, and really wild things!

Welcome to Becar, a world where reincarnation exists. While those with good, clean souls can be rewarded by being reborn as humans, only the purest of the pure can become augurs, gifted with the ability to read the auras of others and determine their fate. Individuals with flawed auras can expect to reincarnate as animals—a jackal, a turtle, or a bird perhaps—and those whose souls are more corrupted might even end up a slug. All you can do is hope that your next life will give you a better chance at changing your fate.

That said, for the evildoers whose crimes are so unforgivable that their spirits are forever tainted, there is no redemption. These wretched men and women are cursed to come back as kehoks—chimeric monsters whose forms combine the traits of many different aniemals—and forever after, they will never be reborn as anything else. Their only chance at breaking this cycle is a special charm, created by the augurs and gifted to the champion of the kehok races that all of Becar flock to see each year. While it is impossible to completely tame a kehok, gutsy individuals who are bold and determined enough can impose their wills on these beasts long enough to ride them and compete in th races, earning fame and fortune too if they win.

Tamra Verlas used to be one these champion riders, her name known to every fan. Although she is now retired from the racing scene, she still trains riders for the money to put her young daughter through the expensive augur training at the temple. However, an unfortunate incident with one of her students last season has all but ruined Tamra’s reputation, forcing her to scout her own rider and kehok to enter in the races. She ends up finding both at the market—a fearsome lion-like kehok, freshly captured by a hunter, as well as Raia, a young runaway who needs a place to lie low from her abusive parents. Raia has never ridden a kehok before, but she is desperate for a job, and Tamra is also desperate for a new student.

Meanwhile, an undercurrent of anxiety threatens the future of the realm as the royal augurs have thus far been unable to locate the reincarnated soul of their late emperor, resulting in the delay of his successor’s coronation. Without a leader, Becar is vulnerable to attack from its enemies, who are even now readying their armies to invade. But while it may be unthinkable, and sacrilegious to even suggest it, there could be another explanation why the palace has been having trouble finding the emperor’s current incarnation. After all, while the augurs can be thorough in surveying all creatures, they would never look to a kehok for the soul of their illustrious emperor, whose aura should not have been so corrupted. In the end, only one courageous augur named Yorbel is willing to go against the grain and put a theory to the test.

Truly, my absolute love for this book cannot be contained! I’ll start with the premise and the world-building, which made this book so delightful and captivating. While familiar tropes abound in Race the Sands, Durst’s talent is to write them in a way that made it all feel new and fresh. Racing motifs feature prominently, obviously, but there is also the theme of the disgraced trainer who needs to make a champion out of an inexperienced rookie, as well as a good dash of the sort of creature/rider bonding trope you would find in Temeraire or How to Train your Dragon. Set to the backdrop of the desert world of Becar and the spiritual beliefs of its people though, these ideas and concepts are given new life. The author also adds a few twists of her own so that the direction of this tale as well as its resolution will contain plenty of surprises.

Speaking of which, the storytelling was superb. I’ve always appreciated the crossover appeal of Durst’s books, and Race the Sands also has that same quality, written in an easy flowing style that will make YA fans feel right at home while not turning off readers of adult fantasy. Of course, the novel’s characters also help with this, since we have one protagonist in her teens, and another in her middle-aged years who is a mother to boot. Both are well-written and impressively developed, portrayed with their individual motivations, genuine personalities, and in-depth backstories. In particular, I want to give a nod to the way the author depicts motherhood, and in her books I’ve read that feature mom protagonists (the Queen of Renthia series, for example), they are always strong, ferociously protective and loving women who would go to the ends of the earth for their children. Tamra has a young daughter but she also takes Raia under her wing in this one, and this amazing woman is just so solid, competent and badass that it is no wonder that she was my favorite.

Other noteworthy characters include Lady Evara (you will see why once you read this and meet her), who surprised me on several occasions, and Yorbel with his gentle demeanor and wisdom. A few others also added interest and depth to the story with their roles, such as Prince Dar and the Ranir ambassador giving insight into Becar’s political troubles. And of course, who can forget Raia’s magnificent lion? While he may be a monstrous creature with no spoken lines or POV, his indomitable presence can still be felt throughout the novel, and overall I adored the concept of kehoks and the way they come in so many different shapes and sizes.

And yet, I still feel words aren’t enough to express just how much I loved this book! All I can say is, you really must try it to see for yourself. My expectations were already sky-high considering how much I’ve enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst’s other novels in the past, but she still managed to blow them all away with this one. Truly, her characterization, storytelling skills and world-building ideas are unparalleled, and with Race the Sands, she has pretty much raised the bar for all the books I’ll read for the rest of the year.

Book Review: Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

Posted on May 3, 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.

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Legacy Trilogy

Publisher: Orbit (April 9, 2020)

Length: 800 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Reading-wise, this has been a month of ups and downs, with plenty of surprises but also some disappointments. Then there are books like Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward which fell somewhere in the middle, making it a tough one to rate. You know how it is with epic fantasies—especially debuts. Often they are highly ambitious, full-hearted, and brimming with potential, but at the same time, you just can’t but feel there’s something holding them back. Sometimes it’s easy to put your finger on why exactly, but other times the problem is harder to spot because it may be a combination of little things compounded. I suspect this might be the case here, for while I was unable to find any major fault with this novel, I never really found myself hooked by it either.

Of course, the story’s scope may be a factor. Boiling it all down into a couple paragraphs for this review is going to be tough, but for context, the main conflict at the heart of Legacy of Ash is a rivalry between two factions. On one side of this dispute is the Tressian Republic and its champion Victor Akadra, trying his best to keep the peace within his realm, and on the other side is the Southshires, represented by Josiri and his younger sister Calenne. As the last two remaining heirs of Phoenix, who headed the insurrection against Tressia fifteen years ago, the siblings are political figureheads of a sort, doing their best to keep their heads down while trying to honor their mother’s memory and cause. But Josiri isn’t sure how long he can keep toeing the line as he comes under more and more pressure to rise up against the true authority in the south, held by the very man who killed his mother and crushed her rebellion.

However, few are aware just how tenuous Viktor’s position truly is. Although he is hailed as a hero, he harbors a dark secret, and knows how quickly the tides would turn against him if it is discovered. He is also a warrior and not a diplomat, the council’s politicking often leaving him out of his depth. Meanwhile, a new threat looms on the horizon in the form of an invading army from the Hadari Empire. Beset with enemies within and without, the Tressian Republic will need every single one of its defenders, even if it means old foes will need to set aside generations of animosity and hatred to work together.

Putting it that way, the premise behind Legacy of Ash seems pretty straightforward—even simple, almost. In reality though, many more characters and minor plot arcs are threaded through this main framework, fleshing out the novel. We’re offered a glimpse into every part of the world and a voice for each side of the conflict, thanks to the sheer number of characters and their perspectives. Here, Ward’s extensive background as a world designer and architect of tabletop games makes itself obvious; you can feel his passion for world-building and character and story development behind every detail and plot point. As a lover of RPGs, I definitely appreciated his effort to put together this robust setting and craft a sense of place right down to the smallest detail.

Still, what works for a tabletop campaign might not be ideal when it comes to an epic fantasy novel. You want to provide all the right elements in the right amounts without overwhelming the reader, and finding that balance can be tricky. If your story is going to be told through multiple POVs, for example, you’ll also need to develop each one fully so that their personalities resonate, and on this point, Legacy of Ash suffers a bit. Simply put, I felt myself inundated with POVs from the get-go, and they just kept coming. While following along wasn’t a problem—I’ve had enough experience with this genre—I found myself struggling to care about or feel invested in any of these characters. To be fair, I think effort was clearly made to balance page time and attention between all of them, but it wasn’t enough. There was no emotional attachment, interest in their relationships or concern over the outcome of their fates. As characters are what usually motivates me to keep reading, perhaps it’s no surprise that some parts presented a struggle.

Legacy of Ash left feeling torn as a result. After all, the technical aspects are strong, including the skill of the writing, tightness in the plotting and details of the world-building. What it lacked though, was something that’s maybe more personal, which left me feeling cold and neither here nor there, unable to tell if I truly enjoyed myself or not. That said, I do place high importance on characters, and when I can’t get into them, that tends to impact my experience heavily. My opinion is in the minority here though, with plenty of others having loved this book, so don’t let my review sway you from checking it out if you’re looking to try a new epic fantasy and the synopsis intrigues you. Despite the flaws I found it, it’s a decent and well-written debut that would appeal to the right audience.

Bookshelf Roundup 05/02/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on May 2, 2020 20 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!

Books are still trickling in, at a slower rate than before the world shutdown of course, but finding these little surprises in my mailbox always makes my day. Earlier this week I received The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala, the sequel to The Tiger at Midnight – which was an amazing book, by the way. I’m so excited to continue the series. Thank you so much to Katherine Tegen Books and Wunderkind PR for the ARC.

I was also beyond thrilled when a package from Simon & Schuster arrived, containing a couple of ARCs. Savage Legion by Matt Wallace is the first book of a new fantasy series by the author of the delightful Sin du Jour novellas, and The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis is one I’ve had my eye on, an opening volume to a new science fiction trilogy that has been described as Red Rising meets The Handmaid’s Tale in space. Yep, just give it to me! My thanks to Saga Press and Skybound/Gallery Books.

I also picked up a few new audiobooks this week, with thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for Minecraft: The Voyage by Jason Fry, the latest book in the official series based on the hit game, as well as Stealing Thunder Alina Boyden, the first book of an epic fantasy series inspired by the Mughal Empire. Courtesy Macmillan Audio I also picked up Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen, the sequel to Dark Shores which I really enjoyed, as well as The Split by Sharon Bolton, a suspense thriller I’ve had my eye on for a while now. With thanks to Hachette Audio, I also snagged the highly anticipated sci-fi dystopian Goldilocks by Laura Lam, and with thanks to Harper Audio I received The Guest List by Lucy Foley, the mystery novel that everyone’s been talking about!

And this last one’s not a new release, but it’s still a big deal – because Under Ordshaw by Phil Williams is finally in audio! I’ve been waiting for the audiobook release ever since the author told me last year it was in the works. Big thanks to Phil for supplying me a review copy, I can’t wait to get started!

Reviews

Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan (4 of 5 stars)
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown (4 of 5 stars)
Looking Glass by Christina Henry (3.5 of 5 stars)

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: Dog

Posted on May 1, 2020 20 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:

“And then there were cats, thought Dog”
~ a cover that features a DOG

Mogsy’s Pick:

The Secret Life of Souls by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee

The Secret Life of Souls is a heart-wrenching family drama combined with horror and just a touch of the paranormal. It follows Delia Cross, a talented child actress who has become so successful that, at eleven years old, she has already become the sole breadwinner for her family. This leaves her dad Bart free to do nothing all day but work on his muscle cars in the garage, while her mom Pat, a former drama student, is happily living a life of stardom vicariously through her daughter. Meanwhile, Delia’s twin brother Robbie is simply content o let his sister take all the attention.

But beneath the surface is a festering bitterness, and everyone around Delia is too self-absorbed or in denial to see the truth. The only one who seems to have any clue what’s going on is Caity, the Crosses’ two-year-old Queensland Heeler. This special dog is Delia’s best friend and confidante, the only member of her family who doesn’t expect anything from her. Caity also comes to play a big role in the book, so not surprisingly, she is featured on a couple of these covers.

From left to right:
Pegasus Books (2016) – German Edition (2017) – French Edition (2016)

Winner:

No contest this week. I love the Pegasus edition, with the starry silhouette of Caity superimposed on a background in which you can just make out the close-up figure of Delia amidst the rippling shades of blue. I really appreciate the little details here, from the dog’s perky ears to the symbolic way she appears to be standing sentinel over the girl, protecting her mind and her spirit.

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

May is Wyrd & Wonder: A Fantastical Month Of Fantasy

Posted on April 30, 2020 26 Comments

May is right around the corner, so you know what that means–Wyrd & Wonder is back! Hosted by imyril, Lisa and Jorie, this month-long event invites everyone to celebrate all things fantasy. While this will be its third year running, The BiblioSanctum is actually participating for the first time and I couldn’t be more excited!

All are welcome to join, and if you’d like to jump on board, you can sign up at the link above anytime. The idea behind the event is simple: focus on fantasy books, movies, TV shows, video games, or whatever medium you love that fall into the genre, and just have fun!

That said, here on the blog, we certainly won’t stop covering other genres, and I also promise you’ll continue to see coverage of our usual book reviews, weekly memes, spotlights and features. The difference though, is that you’ll be seeing a lot more fantasy-themed posts and these will be marked with the banner you see above.

Speaking of which, I already have a few fantasy reviews lined up, as well as a tentative Wyrd & Wonder TBR I’m hoping to tackle next month. This year, with the world on lockdown and the release dates of many spring releases delayed, I might actually have some extra time to hit up the backlist and catch up with some fantasy books I might have missed! So, in addition to my must-reads for May, I’m also hoping to get to the following, which includes some series catch-up titles and a few others I was unable to from previous years:

So what you are waiting for? Grab a banner and button and dive right in! Credit goes to Sujono Sujono for these gorgeous visuals!

Waiting on Wednesday 04/29/20

Posted on April 29, 2020 30 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

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher (September 29, 2020 by Ace)

Hot on the heels of Peace Talks, which is due out in July, the seventeenth Dresden Files book will be releasing this fall. Now, I don’t usually feature sequels for Waiting on Wednesday unless I’m caught up with the series, but I think we can make an exception for this one because I pretty much devour Jim Butcher’s books as soon as I get my hands on them.

“THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET SERIOUS FOR HARRY DRESDEN, CHICAGO’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL WIZARD, in the next entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files.

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.”

Book Review: The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan

Posted on April 28, 2020 26 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 Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Redhook (April 7, 2020)

Length: 448 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

The Age of Witches is the third of Louisa Morgan’s historical supernatural standalone novels about witches, and once more we are treated to a journey of incredible depth and magic led by strong female characters. In this one, readers are spirited away to the late 1800s where seventeen-year-old protagonist Annis lives in New York with her wealthy father and stepmother. But while other upper-class girls her age are concerning themselves with marrying well and being proper, Annis instead has dreams of becoming a horse breeder one day, starting a new line with her beloved stallion Black Satin.

What our protagonist does not realize though, is that she is actually descended from a long line of magical women. But at some point in the past, there was a disagreement in ideology which split the family. Now Annis finds herself in the middle of a secret war of wills between two formidable witches: Harriet Bishop, her great aunt who believes that their powers should be used ethically; and Frances Allington, her stepmother who has thrown her lot in with black magic. Frances had ensorcelled Annis’ father to become the wife of one of New York’s richest and most prominent businessmen, but it’s not enough—chasing a noble title, Frances now wants to drag Annis across the ocean to England where she knows that the Marquess of Rosefield is almost broke and is looking to wed a wealthy young heiress.

Annis is furious upon learning about Frances’ plans but has no choice but to acquiesce when her father threatens to sell Black Satin. Reluctantly, she agrees to travel to England and meet the Marquess, but the truth is she has no desire to ever get married. Frances, however, has a secret trick up her sleeve. Using the same type of magic she used on Annis’ father, she concocts a spell to force an engagement between her stepdaughter and the young lord. Fortunately, Harriet is well aware of the depths Frances could sink to in order to get what she wants. Catching up with Annis, Harriet reveals everything about their lineage to the young woman. Together, they work to foil Frances’ agenda while protecting James, the strait-laced but kind-hearted Marquess of Rosefield, whom Annis has decided isn’t actually all that bad.

What I love about Louisa Morgan’s novels about witches is that they each stand out individually, despite sharing many genre elements and motifs. Thematically, they all have a historical component with a focus on multiple generations, not to mention a strong feminist message championed by female characters who chafe against the expectations of their respective societies. In a way, this makes Annis quite typical of the author’s protagonists, but she also sets herself apart with the force of her personality and unique passions. She’s fiercely independent, for one, and can be single-minded to the point of exasperation. This girl also loves horses—and I mean, loves them—to the point where it pretty much drives every single aspect of her life.

But of course, there’s also the magic that shapes Annis. I liked how The Age of Witches was probably the “witchiest” of the author’s books so far, packed with all manner of spells, cantrips and charms. The conflict of “good magic” versus “bad magic” was also explored in an interesting way, pitting family members on two sides of an age-old rift against each other. Still, like the previous books, I felt some of the feminist messages came through a bit muddled. In A Secret History of Witches, for example, it was the frustrating way the women boasted of their powerful magic but seemed only to ever use it to put men under their spell and get them pregnant. Here, Harriet is constantly expounding on the importance of using magic responsibly, yet she and Annis always seem to have a ready excuse for using it to take away someone’s free will—just because it’s minor influence or payback against some prejudiced idiot shouldn’t make it okay.

Still, I think we’ve made great strides in the characters in this one. While her women are always written extremely well, the author’s male characters in her other books have always struck me as overdone to the extreme with regards to their oppressiveness and abuse, so that they come across like caricatures rather than real people. Compared to them, James in this book was like a breath of fresh air, as he seemed to be written in a way to address those problems. And really, he was a perfect match for Annis, who came to realize that while there are plenty of terrible men like her father in the world, there are also kind souls like James with whom she can build a happy and healthy marriage.

There were some downers in this book, such as what ultimately becomes of a certain character, but I did appreciate how Morgan was able to make readers feel sympathy for someone who probably doesn’t deserve it, and that’s a clear mark of a skilled writer. But overall, I would say the tone of The Age of Witches is generally lighter, and my heart melted at the happy ending which reminded me somewhat of a regency romance. At the end of the day, I had a very enjoyable time with this novel and would not hesitate to recommend it to fans of the author’s previous novels or if you are keen to try a historical fantasy about magic and witches.

Book Review: Looking Glass by Christina Henry

Posted on April 27, 2020 16 Comments

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

Looking Glass by Christina Henry

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Retellings

Series: The Chronicles of Alice

Publisher: Ace Books (April 21, 2020)

Length: 304 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Novellas and anthologies? Typically not my thing. But since this collection was not only written by Christina Henry but is also part of her incredible Chronicles of Alice world, I knew I would make an exception. Looking Glass features four new stories set in the same universe as Alice and Red Queen, which reimagines Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland through a dark horror lens. It is not a sequel per se, but seeing as this grim quartet of interlinked short tales serves as a continuation of the saga, it would be helpful to have read the previous novels.

Lovely Creature – 4 stars

This opening story was my favorite of the bunch. It follows a young girl named Elizabeth who lives with her family in New City. The first time she heard the name “Alice” spoken in their house was after the news came that the asylum burned down, and Elizabeth was perplexed by the reaction. Her father was quick to dismiss it, while her mother seemed heartbroken, and it wasn’t until later that Elizabeth learned the truth: Alice was the name of an older sister she never knew, and it was because everyone thought she was mad so she was sent away.

Clearly though, the memory of Alice stayed. Everyone says Elizabeth reminds them of her, and she’s sick of hearing it…especially from the voices in her own head. The thing is, what nobody knows is that Elizabeth has magic. And though it has helped her get out of trouble in the past, now having the talent also draws danger to her.

This story was a great one to lead with, for several reasons, and not least because it was one of the stronger ones. Elizabeth was a charming character, full of the innocence and delight of a small child. But while she may be sheltered, she’s no dummy—she knows her world is not a nice place, and there are plenty of bad folk out there who would harm little girls…bad folk like Cheshire, Caterpillar, and the Rabbit. This story also introduces the harsh world of the Chronicles of Alice, and the wealth disparity seen between New and Old City. Elizabeth is thrown into a situation where everything is new to her, and none of it is pleasant. But by using her magic and her wits, she not only manages to teach the villains a lesson, she also proves she is clever and can save herself.

Girl in Amber – 3 stars

Alice wakes up from a dream about her little sister at the beginning of this story, and we find out that she and Hatcher are between homes at the moment, looking for a place to settle down and put down roots. But before they can get too far, winter sets in and the two of them find themselves stranded in the middle of a blizzard. They decide to have Hatcher shift into his wolf form in order to scout ahead, though that does mean Alice will have to continue alone for a while. Freezing, she has no choice but to take shelter in an abandoned house full of strange horrors.

This story was probably my least favorite in the collection. For lack of a better term, it just seemed pointless—most of it was about Alice stumbling around in the snow and in the dark. Once inside the creepy house of horrors, it felt like this story was simply throwing any and all kinds of unsettling experiences at her, from scary visions to monstrous creatures, but the truth was none of it was actually all that frightening. I get what message Henry was trying to send here, but I wish she’d gone about it in a more memorable way.

When I First Came to Town – 3.5 stars

Before Alice, Hatcher had a very different life. His name was Nicholas, for one, and he also had a wife and child. When I First Came to Town is a story about how he met his beloved Hattie, flashing back to his teenage years working at a fight club trying to make enough money to get out of Old City. So when his boss sets him up to fight the hulking man known as Grinder—called that because he always leaves his opponents dead or injured so badly they never fight again—Nicholas has little choice but to accept, because the money was just too good. Luckily for Nicholas though, he has a trick or two up his sleeve. He realizes he has magic, which will give him an advantage in the ring, but will it be enough to keep in alive?

I love the character of Hatcher, and it was interesting to get this glimpse into this past, though it is difficult to reconcile the teenager in this story to the broken man he is now, since the two are so different. However, we certainly got to see where his gentle and caring side came from, and the way it led him to Hattie. Still, even in his youthful heart, Nicholas also had a steely resolve in him, which helped him face up to the pure evil in this tale.

The Mercy Seat – 3.5 stars

This final tale was all right, not the best or worst of the collection, but I do feel it deserves special attention because of the way it brings closure to the series. Chronologically, it takes place shortly after Girl in Amber, following the harsh winter in which Alice and Hatcher finally finds shelter with a kind witch named Olivia. At the beginning of this story, Alice makes a startling discovery, and knows it’s a sign they must leave to find a permanent place to settle down.

But once more, Alice and Hatcher’s journey is fraught with peril. They come upon a seemingly peaceful village, only to find out that beneath its idyllic surface, a terrible secret is what keeps everyone in line. As the two of them fight to protect each other, Alice and Hatcher realize what they truly mean to one another, and what they both want out of this life. Given this, the central conflict in this tale seems almost incidental in light of the more significant revelations and other major themes at play here, but it does end on a happy note, which I think is ultimately what readers will latch onto. After all, these characters have been through hell and then some, and it’s high time they deserve some peace. The Mercy Seat, while short, gives Alice and Hatcher their perfect ending, and so as a collection, Looking Glass earns a thumbs up from me.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Alice (Book 1)
Review of Red Queen (Book 2)

Audiobook Review: Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Posted on April 26, 2020 18 Comments

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

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

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

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Random House Audio (April 21, 2020)

Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrators: Julia Whelan, Lauren Fortgang, and Hillary Huber

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown was a very different thriller than I expected, and in fact, I would even hesitate to describe the overall story as “thrilling” in the traditional sense, though it was still plenty suspenseful and full of twists.

One of the reasons for this is the unconventional way the novel unfolds. As much of it takes place in the present as in the past, revealed in flashbacks. We have Nina Ross, a con artist, though she had dreams of becoming more once. Life had different plans for her, however, and rather than a respectable career, she instead followed in her mother’s footsteps. After all, Mama Ross was the original grifter, who taught her daughter everything she knows. Still, Nina wouldn’t have needed to do this if she weren’t so desperate. Ever since her mom got sick, she’s been struggling to pay her astronomical medical bills on top of her rent and student loans. And in any case, Nina has decided together with Lachlan, her on-again-off-again boyfriend and partner in crime, that they only steal from those who can afford it.

Enter Vanessa Liebling, heiress to a vast fortune—and Nina and Lachlan’s next target. Vanessa’s father has just passed away, leaving behind Stonehaven, the Liebling family mansion on the shore of Lake Tahoe. It is here where Vanessa has retreated, to deal with her grief and find peace away from her glitzy yet shallow life as an Instagram influencer. What Vanessa doesn’t know though, is that she and Nina share a past connection, and Nina and Lachlan would like to keep things that way, in order for their scam to work.

Plus, not only is Nina going after Vanessa’s money, she’s doing this for payback. Posing as a couple taking an extended break from their city lives, Nina and Lachlan move into a rustic-style cottage on Stonehaven grounds and begin working on Vanessa. The plan is the befriend her and gain her trust, so that they can gain access to the mansion, whose halls Nina actually knows intimately. Somewhere deep inside is a safe containing the answer to all her problems, and yet everything could still fall apart if she cannot keep up the charade. Being back in that massive house, surrounded by its secrets and memories is affecting Nina in ways she had not expected, but she knows if she can’t hold it together, it will cost her everything.

As I alluded to before though, this story doesn’t always feel like a thriller, and it certainly doesn’t begin like one. In fact, so much of the first half was slow developing, but I do want to emphasize this does not mean it was slow-moving, because the truth is Brown was able to keep things very interesting. It’s true we have plenty of flashbacks, but it soon becomes clear that these sections delving into the past will become as, if not more, important than the events taking place in the present. We do this first with Nina, and then with Vanessa, before all will be revealed. And then, mwahahahaha! The real fun begins.

What impressed me was how cinematic this one felt to read, and when I found out earlier this month that it had been picked up by Amazon for a series adaptation, it didn’t really surprise me at all. In many ways, Pretty Things seemed made for the screen, featuring a deadly game of secrets and lies between two brilliant but broken women. You even have a gorgeous and decadent old mansion set against the scenic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains to complete the picture. And though I thought the mystery element was somewhat lacking, as there were quite a few “twists” I predicted well ahead of time, there were still a good number of surprises left in store, and of course no one can deny the moments of intense suspense especially once the ball starts rolling on Nina and Lachlan’s big con.

The characters are also fascinating, developed in great detail. After all, without this aspect, the premise would not have worked nearly as well, nor would the crux of it have come to fruition the way it did. I won’t go into any more detail than that, in order to preserve the mystery, but suffice it to say I found this to be an entertaining read featuring with great characters and a heist plot that won’t go in the direction that you think!

Audiobook Comments: I loved that this audiobook featured some of the finest voice talent in the industry. Julia Whelan, Lauren Fortgang, and Hillary Huber are all powerhouse narrators and needless to say their performances were amazing. Each reader portrayed their character to perfection, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Pretty Things in audio.

Bookshelf Roundup 04/25/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on April 25, 2020 32 Comments

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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!

This was a super light week, though I did recently receive a few mailing alerts which could mean more books coming my way soon, so maybe it’s a good thing I’m getting a little breather. I got another package from the awesome team at Subterranean Press this week, and I’m excited about both these books that were in it: Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard and A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong! I was also very excited that my copy of Eden by Tim Lebbon finally arrived! Thank you, Titan Books!

I only made a few audiobook requests this week since I already have quite a backlog to go through, so there’s not much in the digital pile either. I did, however, snagged a couple of YA titles with thanks to Listening Library: Forged in Fire and Stars by Andrea Robertson because it sounded interesting, as well as Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff because it’s the second book in the Aurora Cycle and I loved the first one. I also finally bit the bullet and requested the audiobook of The Last Emperox by John Scalzi, with thanks to Audible Studios. I was close to skipping this one because of my disappointment in the previous book, but some of the positive reviews from my fellow bloggers convinced me that I should give it a chance. And since it’s the last book in the trilogy, I figure I might as well just finish it.