Audiobook Review: Twilight of the Gods by Scott Oden

Posted on March 23, 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.

Twilight of the Gods by Scott Oden

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of Grimnir

Publisher: Audible Studios (February 25, 2020)

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Paul Woodson

A few years ago, I read a terrific book called A Gathering of Ravens, a fantasy epic which wove together the flowing threads of myth and time. Its protagonist, Grimnir, was called orcnéas—an Orc—but regardless of the names they gave him, all saw him as a monster. Readers, however, soon saw that he was much, much more.

Now in this sequel, aptly titled Twilight of the Gods, our story with Grimnir picks up again in the early thirteen century, a time where only a few still follow the old ways while Christianity continues to spread across the world. The Raven-Geats are one such people, a northern clan which holds deep beliefs in their Asgardian gods even as they pay tribute to the Christian King. Still, it is a tenuous situation, one that cannot last forever, and sure enough, soon the stirrings of a new crusade emerges, led by a warrior who vows to purge Norse heresy from the lands.

But lucky for the Raven-Geats, they have Grimnir, their ancient guardian and secret weapon. For generations, their village has relied upon his protection, communicating with him through a Priestess of the Hooded One. With the death of the old priestess though, a new one has been chosen, a young woman named Dísa, who is understandably shocked when she sees the true face of their protector for the very first time. He’s a harsh teacher, but gradually, Grimnir hones his new student into a weapon as powerful as himself. Leading an army of warriors against the oncoming crusaders, Dísa will do anything to save the Raven-Geats and their sacred land.

While there are some themes in Twilight of the Gods that mirrored A Gathering of Ravens, on the whole they are very different books. However, one thing this sequel has in common with the previous volume is that I loved it just as much. War plays a big role in this one, resulting in darker, grimmer and more violent vibes, but the protagonists are once more stellar and truly shine. You can certainly read this as a standalone if you wish, but for a deeper understanding of Grimnir’s character, I would highly recommend starting at the beginning. He is the last of his kind, and no ordinary or traditional hero. Most of the time he isn’t even likeable. But even in his brutality and, for lack of a better term, his sheer “orcness”, there is humanity in him—the part that values honor, loyalty and duty to those he has sworn to protect. That said, you have to earn his respect. He is not gentle nor is he kind, and when you read about his style, you definitely think “tough love.” A Gathering of Ravens is a fantastic introduction to all this, especially when it comes to his relationship with Étaín, and you can also see some of it here in his relationship with Dísa.

And then of course, there’s the atmosphere. Author Scott Oden did a magnificent job bringing the setting to life in the first book, and the trend continues. This is a world of orcs, gods, magic and monsters, but the story itself is rooted in history, unfolding in a time of enormous cultural upheaval. The Norse clans are being threatened by the crusaders, as well as by weak leadership from within. Meanwhile, Dísa has to prove herself amidst the power struggle and rally the people. The tension is sharper and more present in this sequel, the story more action driven with plenty of conflict and breathtaking battle sequences.

The result is a delectable historical fantasy with an intriguing mix of adventure, mythology, and action which put me in mind of an old school sword and sorcery. And so, even though I really enjoyed A Gathering of Ravens, I actually think Twilight of the Gods may have surpassed it in some areas, in terms of pacing—which is faster and punchier, given the themes of war—and in the characters, because I really enjoyed reading about Dísa. Believe me, it’s hard to stand out when your costar is someone like Grimnir, but she managed to hold her own, and I loved her story arc and the growth of her character over time.

So bravo, Scott Oden! Clearly, his talents have only grown in the years since A Gathering of Ravens, because Twilight of the Gods flowed beautifully and never had to fight to keep my interest. It was a nice return to an unforgettable character, and I loved the way this sequel expanded his legend. Highly recommended, and I’m also beyond thrilled that this series has finally gotten audio editions. Paul Woodson is a skilled narrator who brings this epic tale to vivid life, and I’m glad I got to have this listening experience.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
A Gathering of Ravens (Book 1)

Audiobook Review: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Posted on March 22, 2020 28 Comments

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

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Penguin Audio (February 18, 2020)

Length: 11 hrs

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrators: Brittany Pressley, Kirsten Potter

I’ve had a really good run of thriller audiobooks lately, and the most recent one to blow my mind is the highly anticipated The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, which I can tell you right now is worth all the hype. This book robbed me of a good night’s sleep because I stayed up late to finish it, and then I spent more time lying awake thinking about it some more. It had that way of getting under your skin.

Thirty-five years ago, a young woman named Viv Delaney went missing from the small, dwindling town of Fell, New York. She was a night clerk working at the local Sun Down Motel, a seedy establishment where somehow persisted while other businesses closed down or moved away, when one day she failed to show up for work. Her disappearance was widely reported in the news at the time, as she was not the first woman to have vanished or met a tragic end in Fell. In spite of this, no trace of Viv was ever found, and with the town’s reluctance to talk about its missing girls, her case was soon forgotten. Until now.

Fast forward to today, college student Carly Kirk has put her studies on hold because she wanted to know the truth about Viv Delaney—her aunt. Desperate to find out more about the tragedy that so affected her mother’s life, Carly moves to Fell and, surprising even herself, decides to answer a job posting for a night shift position at the Sun Down Motel. As ghoulish as it may seem, the chance to have this one connection with her aunt was too hard to resist, and Carly also hopes that being in the place where Viv worked before she disappeared would help shake loose some answers. Soon enough though, it’s clear there’s something not quite right with the motel. For one thing, not all its guests are alive.

Told via two timelines, the story alternate between Viv and Carly’s perspectives, gradually filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle. I know that descriptions like “page-turner” have been repeated to death, but in this case, it is very true and appropriate. I’m not always a fan of multiple timelines as you might know, so I was surprised how quickly I took to The Sun Down Motel. All credit goes to the author, who was able to create such an intense, dynamic atmosphere that wouldn’t let up. It was the perfect blend of mystery and spoooooooky…

I won’t say much more about the plot because that would be spoiling the fun, but I will talk a bit about the two POV characters, who are both so well written. Viv especially surprised me. Introduced at the start of the book as the young woman who goes missing, even as the horrible scenarios started swirling around my brain about what might have happened, Viv’s chapters swiftly showed me my mistake of assuming she’s just another unfortunate victim. Both she and Carly are truth seekers trying to find answers, and while their goals are very different and separated by more than three decades, in the end, each thread leads to a stunning finale. Usually when a book has duo perspectives like this, I tend to gravitate towards one, preferring it over the other. But in this case, I really can’t decide whose timeline I enjoyed reading more, they were both fantastic.

Finally, if you like a touch of the paranormal in your mystery-thrillers, then this one’s for you! On the flip side, if you prefer them to be more realistic and grounded, then you might not take as well to the fantastical aspects and ghostly business, though I personally loved how these added a horror element to the story.

So yeah, in case you can’t tell, I loved this book. it. It always kills me to write reviews for thrillers I really enjoyed, because most of the time I can’t talk about the things in it that I liked without ruining the plot. But just take it from me, this was a great read and I would highly recommend it. And also, this gets the full five starsbecause I listened to the audio, which was absolutely brilliant, with fantastic performances by narrators Brittany Pressley and Kirsten Potter. I’ll be keeping my eye out for audiobooks narrated by them in the future, and also for more books by Simone St. James.

Bookshelf Roundup 03/21/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on March 21, 2020 33 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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First off, I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy during these uncertain times! Like most of the country, my family and I are practicing social distancing and staying home if there’s no reason to go out. Since I work from home already, my schedule hasn’t changed all that much except now that school is also closed for two weeks, my cooped up kids have been predictably distracting! Add to that, my workload hasn’t really gone down as expected, and there were actually a couple days this week that got super busy, so I haven’t even gotten any extra down time to enjoy more reading, unfortunately. I am woefully behind on reviews but I did start this week with quite a few scheduled in advance, so we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, guess I’ll just keep plugging away at things one day at a time.

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!

The books are still coming in, with thanks to Orbit for finished copies of some highly anticipated books for this fall. The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey is of course high on the list, the first of a trilogy about a young boy’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world. Next is A Time of Courage by John Gwynn, book three of the Of Blood and Bone series. I’m a little behind, but I plan to read book two and catch up posthaste. From the publisher’s sister imprint Redhook, I also received The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan. I loved her last book, so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Up next, my thanks to Tor for sending me an ARC of The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison. You might recall that I featured this book on an earlier Waiting on Wednesday, and I am a huge fan of her novel The Goblin Emperor so I’m excited to see what this one will bring. Earlier this month I also scored a copy of The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag from a LibraryThing giveaway, so that was pretty awesome! I’ve been hearing some mixed things about it, but I’m still very curious. From the kind folks at Viking Books for Young Readers, I also received a surprise copy of A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell, described as a collection of stories that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic. Well, you know me and anthologies, but I do like the sound of this and will try to check it out if I can.

Ace/Roc/DAW also treated me very well earlier this week, sending along a couple of surprise ARCs. When Jackals Storm the Walls by Bradley P. Beaulieu is book five in The Song of the Shattered Sands series which I am very behind on, and at this point I’m not sure I’ll ever catch up the way the author keeps churning ’em out! However, I’m pretty jazzed about The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson, a fantasy horror debut that has been compared to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, so heck yeah I’m all over this. And finally, big thanks to Del Rey for sending along a finished hardcover of The Last Human by Zack Jordan. I’m planning on starting this one very soon.

Only a few new additions in the digital haul, even though it took every ounce of willpower I had not to go nuts clicking a whole bunch of stuff in my auto-approval lists in NetGalley, but I only ended up with The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher because I loved her book The Twisted Ones so much, and I was also sent a widget invitation for Driftwood by Marie Brennan, another highly anticipated release from one of my favorite authors. With thanks to Saga Press and Tachyon Publications, respectively. And late in the week, an advance listening copy of The City We Became by N.K. Jemison became available, so I quickly snagged that one too, and that is my only addition to the audio pile this week with thanks to Hachette Audio!

Reviews

Cries from the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear (4 of 5 stars)
Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack (4 of 5 stars)
Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs (4 of 5 stars)
Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold (1.5 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: Brown

Posted on March 20, 2020 25 Comments

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

This week’s theme is:

~ a cover that is BROWN

Mogsy’s Pick:

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Today’s theme was challenging. Finding covers that are brown wasn’t as much the problem as finding ones that were actually interesting and not so dull and drab. But I think I found a good choice in The Dead House, a YA horror written in the epistolary style and presented as a beautiful visual collection of materials that included diary entries, interview transcripts, news articles, emails, descriptions of video footage, etc. I thought the covers available were pretty cool too:

From left to right:
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2015) – Orion Children’s Books (2015) – French Edition (2020)

Winner:

Dawn Kurtagich’s books tend to have very different covers between the US and UK editions (and sometimes even different titles) and The Dead House is no exception. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that a new French edition had come out recently, and it’s quite nice too. But at the end of the day, my favorite is probably the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers edition. It’s eerie and atmospheric, and I love the imagery of the veinous looking tree branches behind the girl or whatever they are.

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

Audiobook Review: Cries From the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

Posted on March 19, 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.

Cries From the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

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

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1/Stand Alone

Publisher: Tantor Audio (March 10, 2020)

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Author Information: Website

Narrator: Charlie Thurston

So I’m pretty sure this is my background in anthropology talking, but I really enjoyed this. Coupled with my general interest in ancient Rome and Ptolemaic Egypt, it made Cries from the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear a delightful escape for this archaeology and history nerd.

The protagonist of this story is sixteen-year-old Halloran Stevens, a smart but socially awkward high school student. His only friends are Roberto, grungy biker and self-proclaimed witch extraordinaire, and Cleo Mallawi, who moved to Colorado to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents were killed in the revolution that rocked Egypt a few years ago. Hal has never met anyone like Cleo before. Intelligent, cultured, and a bit of a social outcast just like him, Cleo comes from a family of scholars and archaeologists, and has a deep knowledge of her country’s history and mythology. She also claims to be the reincarnation of Queen Cleopatra, and that she had killed her first demon with her father’s pistol at the age of ten. Everyone else thinks she’s not quite right in the head, her delusions caused by the trauma of losing her parents. But to Hal, Cleo was the most fascinating and beautiful girl who had ever lived. And despite himself, he believed in all her stories.

Then one day, a frightened and distraught Cleo comes to Hal asking for his help, convinced that more demons are after her. She shows him an ancient medallion that her father had uncovered in a dig site in Egypt and given to her before he died. Hal was the only one Cleo could trust, and she needed him to keep the medallion safe, and let no one—especially her aunt and uncle—get their hands on it. But not long after that, tragedy strikes, and Cleo is found murdered in the woods near her home. A grief-stricken Hal then starts having visions and hearing voices that he is sure belonged to Cleo, even though it should be impossible…unless everything she had told him was the truth. Now his next step is to return the medallion to Egypt, so that the spirit of Cleopatra can finally rest in everlasting peace with the love of her life, Marc Antony. And Hal knows just how he can pull it off. Together with his best friend Roberto, the two of them decide to go along with the pretense of being students traveling abroad with Cleo’s uncle, the famed archaeologist Dr. James Moriarity—the very man who had tried to take away her medallion. The professor claims he only wants to help, but Hal knows better than to trust anyone with the quest he had been given. After all, the soul of Cleopatra depends on it.

As much as I enjoyed Cries from the Lost Island, I will say this: the book’s not perfect and it has a lot of flaws. The first thing I noticed was that it had very strong young adult vibes. I didn’t mind, but others heading into this under the impression this would have a more mature feel are going to be disappointed. Hal is sixteen, and to the author’s credit, his character is written to act and sound his age. Prose is dialogue heavy, and conversations between Hal and Roberto are packed with the usual teen banter you’d expect. This is also less of an action-adventure novel in the style of Indiana Jones and more of an adventurous mystery steeped in historical intrigue. If you’re not too interested in Egyptian mythology and history or the minutiae of the archaeological process, the middle sections of the novel will likely pose a struggle. But if you’re into that kind of stuff, you’ll have a much better time.

Granted, the plot was a bit scattered and pacing could have been better. The beginning of the book is a flurry of activity, from Cleo’s murder to the boys’ journey to Egypt. It’s when they arrive at Moriarity’s dig site where the momentum stalls, and here Hal seems to spin his wheels waiting something for something to happen, rather than take control of his own quest. An author should also balance the need to provide background knowledge to the reader without going overboard. Admittedly, there are times when Gear comes dangerously close to info dumping, and here is where my own personal experiences, education, and interests might have shielded me and made me a lot more tolerant to it.

Without Roberto, I also don’t think I would’ve had nearly as much fun with this book. Hands down, one of the best characters I’ve read so far this year. He’s completely irreverent, politically incorrect, and full of shit half the time, but he brought energy and humor to the story, especially when things dragged and needed an extra boost. The protagonist might have ben Hal, but Roberto definitely stole the show.

All told, Cries from the Lost Island can be a great read if you are into its premise and subjects. It not, it can be a little tougher. There’s a good story here though, if you forgive some of its minor missteps like pacing and some plot meandering, and in any case, it makes up for these with its fascinating historical fiction and paranormal elements, plenty of quippy dialogue, and moments of adventure and humor. If you’re interested in archaeology and Egypt, it’s worth giving it a shot.

Audiobook Comments: Great narration by Charlie Thurston. The story called for a lot of different voices, accents and speaking styles, and I think he did them all very well. A solid performance, and an enjoyable audiobook overall.

Waiting on Wednesday 03/18/20

Posted on March 18, 2020 22 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

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (September 29, 2020 by Del Rey Books)

Who all is excited about this one with me! I love Naomi Novik’s work, but after feeling so-so about Spinning Silver, I’m looking forward to see how this one will go, especially since it sounds pretty dark.

“From the New York Times bestselling author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.

I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.

Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans.

I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.

At least, that’s what the world expects me to do. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school itself certainly does.

But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.

Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.

With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a heroine for the ages—a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come.”

Book Review: Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack

Posted on March 17, 2020 21 Comments

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

Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In

Series: Star Trek: Picard

Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek (February 11, 2020)

Length: 336 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Confession: I haven’t started watching the new Star Trek: Picard TV series yet. I’m a big Star Trek fan, but I mustered up all the self-restraint I had and held off after being alerted that I would be receiving a review copy of The Last Best Hope, for the same finicky reasons I read Star Wars: Catalyst before watching Rogue One or Durotan by Christie Golden before the Warcraft movie. I’m something of a media tie-in addict, and prequel novels are particularly irresistible to me. While these books rarely add anything critical to the plotline for those who don’t read them, I nevertheless appreciate the way they flesh out the stories and provide background information.

From what I’ve seen though, having this novel under your belt before watching the show actually sounds quite helpful. Covering the period between the discovery of the Romulan supernova to the start of Star Trek: Picard, The Last Best Hope gives the backstory for the major players like Jean Luc Picard, Raffi Musiker, Bruce Maddox and others, chronicling the events surrounding the Romulan evacuation and the fallout which ultimately led to the resignation of the titular character from his beloved Starfleet.

As the story begins, Picard is promoted to Admiral and given the enormous, arguably impossible task of overseeing the transport and relocation of Romulan refugees before their planet is swallowed up by an exploding star. Not only is time running out, the demands of such a monumental mission is going to cost a lot in terms of funds and manpower—neither of which the Federation really has enough to give. Resources will have to be siphoned from already struggling worlds, leading to dissatisfaction from those community leaders as well as scientists who are upset that their own research will be put on hold, not to mention the general skepticism from certain corners expressing concern over helping a former enemy. To make matters worse, the Romulans are a proud people who don’t always seem to appreciate the Federation’s offer of goodwill. Already, there have been many cases of deliberate miscommunication and cultural clashes.

First off, let me say that I’m a big fan of Una McCormack’s work. She is no stranger to media tie-ins, having written novels for Star Trek in the past as well as Doctor Who, which I have enjoyed. She’s indubitably the right person to tap for The Last Best Hope, with her ability to convey the solemnity and emotional impact behind a lot of the events in this book. She also has a talent for exploring the human side of things with a focus on individual character motivations and their interpersonal relationships, all of which are important to the understanding the story’s subjects and themes. As a franchise, Star Trek has always drawn on real-world issues and topical matters in our society for inspiration, and this novel is no different. Just as you’d expect, it’s complicated. Nothing is ever black and white, and sometimes there simply aren’t clear solutions to the questions asked.

That, in essence, is what I think makes this book so fascinating. The author presents the situation from all sides, and whether or not you agree with the any of the characters involved, each point-of-view is a fully realized and sympathetic position. I’ve read a great many media tie-in novels in my years as a reviewer, and The Last Best Hope might be one of the deeper, more thought-provoking ones I’ve come across. It’s also a bit heartbreaking. If you have even the slightest inkling of the premise behind Star Trek: Picard, you already know the character and Starfleet had parted ways for reasons never made public by either party. The circumstances behind that split are revealed at the end of this book, not sparing any of the painful and unpleasant details, so in some ways, knowing that it’s coming made this one a heavy read from the start.

Still, I imagine that’s where the show will come in, an uplifting force to counteract the gloom, hence why I am doubly glad I decided to read this before watching the series. While The Last Best Hope reads perfectly fine as a standalone, I have no doubt it will also make the experience of watching Star Trek: Picard feel fuller and more rewarding. You will also get the backstories for a lot of the key characters, which is personally the biggest motivator for me to pick up any tie-in novel. Bottom line, if you’re a fan of the show, I would highly recommend picking this up to complement the experience.

Book Review: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Posted on March 16, 2020 21 Comments

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

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 12 of Mercy Thompson

Publisher: Ace (March 17, 2020)

Length: 368 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Along with the Dresden Files, the Mercy Thompson series is one of the longest-running urban fantasy series I’m currently following right now, and I gotta say, at twelve books it’s still going strong. Granted, we’ve had some ups and downs with the last few installments, but Smoke Bitten puts us back on track with some intense paranormal action and good old-fashioned intrigue.

Of course, we have Underhill to thank for most of that. Obviously, if you haven’t read all the books up to this point, you might want to catch up before proceeding with this review as it may contain spoilers for the previous volumes, and Underhill definitely counts as one of these major plot developments. Also known as the fae realm, Underhill has opened one of her gateways quite literally into Mercy’s backyard, letting through a lot of strange types—and strange vibes. Not that Mercy needs any more complications in her already drama-filled life. Her relationship with Adam has been quite strained lately, thanks to the meddling by his manipulative ex-wife. After one particularly heated conversation, Mercy decides to take a brisk walk to cool her temper, and that’s when she hears the gunshots.

To her shock, she finds two of her neighbors dead from an apparent murder-suicide. But something about the situation feels very wrong, and as usual, Mercy’s suspicions prove correct. This tragedy had the mark of Underhill all over it, a place where only the deadliest, trickiest creatures have managed to survive in the aftermath of the great fae exodus, which left the realm lawless and unguarded. Now something malicious has passed through its gates into this world, something capable of taking the form of anyone it chooses. Worse, it can also seize control of anyone it bites, stealing their memories and knowledge. And unfortunately, its rampage has just begun.

After the rather stagnant feel of the previous books, it’s nice to see Smoke Bitten return the series to fine form. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a fan of Mercy Thompson for a long time and that’s not about to change. Still, we’re talking about a series that encompasses a dozen novels, not to mention all the spin-offs and anthologies it has spawned. All these stories add up, and thus you end up with the difficult challenge of balancing years of history along with the repercussions, while trying to come up with new ideas to keep things fresh. I certainly don’t envy this part of the author’s job, considering how she’s also been juggling the Alpha & Omega series, so on some level, it’s really no surprise that pack drama and supernatural politics take up a lot of page time in her books.

Still, it can get tiring, which is why I personally found Smoke Bitten so revitalizing. Compared to Storm Cursed, which I had described as being too unfocused and bogged down by useless posturing and talk, this book saw Mercy plunge right back into the action, taking charge and kicking ass. I guess if there’s one positive thing about the previous installment feeling too much like a “bridge book” is that it ultimately led to plenty of compelling developments in this one. I do so enjoy the way Mercy gets the other werewolves to follow her lead, as well as stand on even footing with Adam. As a coyote shifter, she’s part of the pack but not bound by the strict rules of their magic, and I think it’s important that she never allows anyone to forget she is her own person.

And speaking of Adam, there are some marriage woes in Smoke Bitten, and I’m still of two minds about it. On the one hand, I adore the passion between Mercy and Adam, as well as the strength of the love they have for each other. It honestly pained me to read about the problems in their relationship. Yet on the other hand, given how Adam’s issues were a direct consequence of certain events that happened in Storm Cursed, they weren’t completely unexpected and hence Briggs can’t really be faulted for throwing in unnecessary drama. I don’t want to go into any more detail than that for fear of spoilers, but what I will say is that the issues Mercy and Adam faced here were very unique and, if nothing else, an interesting way to test their bond. At the end of the day, I believe they are an even stronger couple now for having weathered through it.

Bottom line, I will always love the Mercy Thompson books. While some are going to be better than others, it frankly amazes me that we are on book twelve and I still find the series as fun and engaging as the day I first picked up Moon Called years ago. The world only gets richer and more vivid with time, with the characters feeling deeper and more alive and rewarding to follow.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Reread of River Marked (Book 6)
Review of Night Broken (Book 8)
Review of Fire Touched (Book 9)
Review of Silence Fallen (Book 10)
Review of Storm Cursed (Book 11)
Review of Shifting Shadows (Anthology)

YA Weekend Audio: Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

Posted on March 15, 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.

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 1.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Harper Audio (February 25, 2020)

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Bisou was just a little girl when her mother was murdered. After that, she came under the care of her grandmother, Mémé, moving to live with her in the Pacific Northwest. There, she grew into a teenager, went to high school, starting dating James, a popular boy on the basketball team. Then, on the night of the homecoming dance, she gets her first period—while in a very intimate situation with James in his car. Shocked, panicked, and embarrassed, Bisou flees for home, taking a route through the dark woods. It was then that the wolf attacked, drawn to the scent of her blood. Fighting for her life, Bisou manages to drive a stick through the vicious wolf’s eye and force it, in its blinded rage, to slam into a tree with its momentum and break its neck.

The next day dawns with normalcy, with Bisou shaken but unharmed, having kept her night’s encounter with the wolf a secret. But at school, dire news has unsettled the student body. Early in the morning, the naked body of Tucker, a star basketball player, had been found in the woods, his neck broken and his eye ruined. Even though she knows that it should be impossible, that stories of boys transforming into beasts is the stuff of fairy tales, Bisou understands deep down that Tucker had to have been the wolf in the woods last night. And she had killed him.

Now everyone is asking difficult questions, from the local police to Keisha, Bisou’s inquisitive classmate on the school newspaper. Apparently, the town has seen something like this before a generation or two ago, and whatever it was seems to be happening again. Sure enough, a month later, Keisha is attacked by another wolf, though this time, Bisou knew what to expect and was ready. Still, it is a mystery why boys are inexplicably turning into wolves, and why somehow the danger in the woods always seems to call to Bisou when the moon is full and she is on her menstrual cycle. Thankfully, Mémé may have some answers to that.

Before I start, I feel I should make it clear that I am reviewing the audiobook edition of Red Hood, which may have greatly affected my enjoyment—or the lack of it. I find that the audio format tends to accentuate certain quirks in the writing, making things like purple prose or unique stylist choices more obvious, and this was most definitely the case with this novel, which was written almost entirely in the second person. This narrative mode is tricky to begin with, and it’s incredibly awkward when done poorly. Any weaknesses in the prose are very obvious when you listen to it being read aloud, and that can be incredibly jarring. So with that being said, I absolutely hated the second person perspective in this, to the point where listening to it actually pained me, like a toothache that never went away and that you couldn’t ignore. While I believe it’s a bold choice for any author to attempt to write in the second person, unfortunately I just don’t think Elana K. Arnold was able to pull it off. Again, I stress that my experience might be due to the format; the second person narrative mode will likely feel different or better reading this book in print, but in audio it was distracting to the extreme.

Also, I’m not sure the themes in the story helped. I think the line between a book delivering a good message versus being preachy is very thin, and at times Red Hood falls on the wrong side of it because it is very open about its agenda. This is not an issue in and of itself, and I think it’s wonderful that there’s a market right now for feminist activism in YA fantasy and how some stories choose to send those messages in a way that’s loud, clear, and unashamed. Personally though, I prefer my books—especially my fiction—to be a little more perceptive and subtle. But from the violent themes of resistance to a character who was very clearly a mouthpiece for the author’s own views, the female empowerment message is ever present but often comes across muddled or misguided, not to mention how poorly some of its components are integrated into the plot. As well, let’s not forget James, the only good representation of masculinity, whose portrayal was as hollow and sincere as a plastic bucket. And finally, there was the over-sensationalism. Though I doubt it was Arnold’s intent (or at least, I hope it wasn’t), some of the more graphic descriptions of sexual acts and the messy realities of menstruation did not work for me, feeling less like a brave celebration of femaleness and more like exploitation of it for shock value’s sake, which was saddening and a disappointment.

Bottom line, I think Red Hood is a novel you will either embrace or reject, depending on your expectations. It’s also likely that readers who have the print version (or audio listeners who aren’t as picky as I am) will have a better time with it. January LaVoy did the narration for the audiobook, and even though I love her work, not even her solid performance could overcome the more distracting elements in the writing. All in all, sadly I can’t say this book was my cup of tea.

Bookshelf Roundup 03/14/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on March 14, 2020 27 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!

First a huge thanks to Saga Press for this trio of ARCs I received last week: The Down Days by Ilze Hugo is a magical realism debut, The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell a high fantasy novel of magic and political intrigue, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones is a described as a creeping supernatural horror. Really looking forward to diving into these beauties, which all have release dates in May.

With thanks also to Orbit books for We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson which was a surprise arrival, but a very welcome one. This book was a finalist in the fourth SPFBO and I’ve been curious about it ever since it started racking up all these high marks from every judge in the competition.

Also thank you to Tor.com for sending along finished copies of The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo and Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine. I hope to knock at least one of both of these off my TBR before the end of the month!

And a special shout out to Flame Tree Press and Smith Publicity for sending along an ARC of The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell, a horror novel of the occult which has been on my radar for a while. As a bonus, a review copy of The Garden of Bewitchment by Catherine Cavendish was also enclosed because of my interest in atmospheric Gothic horror, as well as a copy of Slash by Hunter Shea because I had made a comment about how long I’ve wanted to try his work. I was incredibly touched by the kind gesture, and also by the inclusion of this cool hardcover journal, which will definitely come in handy when I do my reading notes.

In the digital pile, I was so happy to pick up an advance listening copy of Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa from Harper Audio. I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this epic YA trilogy.