Novella Review: The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

Posted on October 12, 2019 21 Comments

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

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor.com (September 24, 2019)

Length: 160 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

This is probably going to be one of my shorter reviews, because as much as I wanted to love The Monster of Elendhaven, unfortunately that just didn’t happen. That said, neither did I dislike it. Once more, as it so often tends to happen with me and novellas, I’m left with a sense of coldness and indecision when it comes to my feelings on this book.

Things started well enough. In the beginning, readers are introduced to the grimy city of Elendhaven, a foul setting of darkness and evil founded upon a bloody battlefield corrupted by magic and violence. In other words, the perfect place for a monster to make its home.

That monster’s name is Johann. He can’t remember where he came from, but he knows he’s unnatural. Natural men can be hurt and die, but he can’t. He also discovers he has a talent and taste for killing. And thanks to his immortality, nothing can stop him as he stalks the streets of Elendhaven, preying on his victims and growing in power.

But then he meets Florian Leickenbloom. Florian is a sorcerer, and Johann realizes that by working. together they can unleash even more chaos and devastation upon the unsuspecting masses of the city.

Any way you look at it, The Monster of Elendhaven is one dark and gloomy book. And I think for me, that was part of the problem. Don’t get me wrong; I certainly don’t mind at all when my stories are grim and dreary, but still, I need to know why I care. The issue with Elendhaven is that author Jennifer Giesbrecht has so successfully painted such a wretched and irredeemable place, that I really couldn’t have given two hoots if the surrounding seas had opened up and swallowed the city and everything within it whole.

Then there were the characters. Neither Johann or Florian had any personality to speak of, and I believe when your book stars such despicable protagonists, they’d damned well better have a spark of charisma, however small, for me to connect with them. Unfortunately, while each had their own unique quirks and fascinating modes of speech and behavior, that simply made them eccentric, not real.

To be fair though, Florian had a compelling backstory, which proved to be one of the stronger aspects of this tale. The other interesting element was the romance, if you can even call it that. I love unconventional takes on relationships, and this one was most definitely on the strange and twisted side. That said—and I think this becoming a common refrain—when it comes to romance, I prefer that it not become the dominating factor of a non-romance genre book, and I felt that in some respects it received too much focus here, to the point of distraction.

And speaking of common refrains, here’s another one: I wish this novella had been just a tad longer. I think it would have addressed many of the issues, including building the setting and the characters up to be more sympathetic and interesting. On the whole, I also think the author made a few faulty judgment calls, being too concerned with being edgy when her focus should have bene on developing more pertinent aspects of the story.

In sum, The Monster of Elendhaven will probably work well for many, but it didn’t for me. I did enjoy the concept of the novella, but sadly I just wasn’t a fan of the execution, and all in all, the story and characters lacked the hook I look for in a book.

Friday Face-Off: Inn

Posted on October 11, 2019 30 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, though there should be a world of difference between the smile of a man and the bared fangs of a wolf, with Joss Merlyn they were one and the same.”
~ a cover featuring an INN

Mogsy’s Pick:

The Shining by Stephen King

Halloween is almost here! To celebrate, I’ll be featuring the classics on Friday Face-Off for the full month of October. This week, we shine the spotlight one of the most infamous haunted hotels to have graced the horror genre and the big screen. Here’s a selection of some of the more interesting covers, many of which I chose because they featured interiors and exterior scenes of the Overlook:

From left to right:
New English Library (1980) – Random House Mondadori (2001) – Hodder & Stoughton (2011)

Anchor (2008) – Cemetery Dance Publications (2017) – Subterranean Press (2013)

Hodder (2007) – Portuguese Edition (2009) – Hungarian Edition (2018)

Romanian Edition (2019) – Russian Edition A (2012) – German Edition (1985)

Swedish Edition (2014) – Chinese Edition (2012) – French Edition (2000)

Thai Edition (2015) – Danish Edition (2006) – Dutch Edition (2012)

Winner:

I have a clear favorite this week: I just love the Swedish edition! Not only is it visually arresting, it calls to mind one of the scenes from The Shining movie.

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

Book Review: The True Bastards by Jonathan French + Series Giveaway

Posted on October 10, 2019 29 Comments

***The giveaway is now over, thank you to everyone who entered!***

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

The True Bastards by Jonathan French

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of The Lot Lands

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (October 8, 2019)

Length: 592 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Jonathan French takes readers back in the saddle again, with the follow-up to his explosive debut The Grey Bastards which was the winner of 2016’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off hosted by Mark Lawrence, in which yours truly had the distinct privilege of being a blogger on the judging panel. Short version, I and a bunch of others adored the novel, which ended up being snapped up by a traditional publisher following its well-deserved victory, and the rest was history. And so, you can probably imagine the sheer giddiness I felt when I found out about The True Bastards, and the fact that it was going to star one of my favorite characters from the first book. The anticipation was practically unreal.

Featuring a new protagonist, The True Bastards can probably be read as a standalone sequel. But honestly, why would you deprive yourself the amazing experience of reading the first book? Having The Grey Bastards under your belt will also help orientate you to the incredible universe of the Lot Lands series, which has orcs, elves, halflings, centaurs, and more. But don’t make the mistake of imagining a Middle Earth inspired world and Tolkien’s brand of heroic high fantasy! Instead, what we’ve got is a wasteland in which all of its resident creatures must struggle to eke out a harsh, miserable, and violent existence. It’s difficult to say who has it the worst under such circumstances, but the half-orcs might have a legitimate claim. Hated and shunned by all the other races, the various groups of former half-orc slaves, called hoofs, are left to fend for themselves. And the last time we saw the Grey Bastards hoof, the clan at the center of these books, their home was utterly destroyed by the orc invasion, and Jackal, the main character from the previous novel, has left on a journey to track down the dastardly wizard who betrayed them.

This leaves a new chief to take up the reins of a newly found hoof called the True Bastards, as well as to tell this tale, and it is none other than Fetching, who was one of the most memorable and endearing characters for me from the first book. As the only female rider in the Lot Lands, winning her position certainly did not come easy for Fetch, and even now she has to prove herself every day to the other half-orc chieftains who doubt and scorn her. Unfortunately, in the year since taking up the mantle, her hoof has not fared too well either. Finding enough resources for her growing clan of misfits, mercenaries, and foundling orphans has become a problem, and new foes also seem to be cropping up at every turn, encroaching upon the Lot Lands and threatening the half-orcs. Fetch knows she must take drastic action—and soon—if she and her people are to survive.

The True Bastards feels slightly different in tone and style from the first book, which roughly follows a quest narrative complete with magical mysteries to discover and obstacles to overcome. The Grey Bastards was not a light story by any means, but still, it did offer a fair bit of adventure. This sequel, in contrast, is feels vastly more oppressive, serious, and bleak. Poor Fetch can’t seem to catch a break! For the entirely of this novel, she’s besieged with problems on all sides and her troubles never let up. In addition, this volume feels like a more personal character study, delving into the history and background of our protagonist. Expanding upon the world-building and adding to our understanding of half-orc society, French reveals a lot more about the magic and lore of the world that we did not know before. Some of it is very complex, and at times disturbing.

Speaking of which, the author holds nothing back when it comes to portraying the brutality and grimness of life in the Lot Lands. Expect a lot of explicit language and unrestrained violence and death, though if you’ve read the first book, none of this should be a surprise. With Fetch at the helm, there’s also a shift in the types of issues the story deals with, including vulgar names and crude comments aimed at our protagonist because of her sex. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this isn’t a series for the fainthearted.

But on the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing this new adventure from Fetch’s point of view. She’s a lot more prudent than Jackal, which makes her lack a lot of his spontaneity as well as a certain fun spark. However, this reflects what I love best about these books—the fact that each half-orc character possesses a special and unique personality. Like Jackal, Fetch is a product of her own background and individual experiences, and they’ve shaped the way she views the world and deals with challenges thrown her way. There’s more darkness in her, but that’s okay; her tale is another piece of the puzzle that help us understand the life and ways of the Lot Lands.

All told, The True Bastards is a fantastic sequel, full of action, intrigue, and surprises. I think if you enjoyed the first book you will find lots to love about this one too. I had a great time returning to the world of this series, and Jonathan French continues to impress and lead the charge when it comes to dark and gritty epic fantasy. I hope we’ll be seeing more from the Lot Lands.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Grey Bastards (Book 1)

The Lot Lands Series Giveaway

Hopefully, I’ve been able to pique your interest in The Lot Lands because I have a couple extra books in my stash that I would love to put in your hands. One lucky winner will win both a paperback copy of The Grey Bastards and a hardcover copy of The True Bastards, so this is an amazing chance if you want to catch up with the series. With my sincerest apologies to our international readers, due to the high costs of shipping, I can open this giveaway to addresses/residents in the US only. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your name and valid mailing address using the subject line “THE LOT LANDS” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 and we’ll take care of the rest.

Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends, all entry emails will be deleted.

So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! And remember: Live in the saddle, die on the hog! Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday 10/09/19

Posted on October 9, 2019 26 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 Book of Koli by M.R. Carey (April 14, 2020 by Orbit)

What’s this? A new book coming out by M.R. Carey? Well, you know that’s going straight onto the TBR!

“The first in a gripping new trilogy, The Book of Koli charts the journey of one unforgettable young boy struggling to find his place in a chilling post-apocalyptic world. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and Annihilation.

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable world. A world where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly vines and seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don’t get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will.

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He knows the first rule of survival is that you don’t venture beyond the walls.

What he doesn’t know is — what happens when you aren’t given a choice?”

Review: Violet by Scott Thomas

Posted on October 8, 2019 14 Comments

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

Violet by Scott Thomas

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

Genre: Horror, Mystery,

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Inkshares | Audible Studios (September 24, 2019)

Length: 448 pages | 16 hrs and 45 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Two years ago, Scott Thomas thrilled and chilled me with Kill Creek, which has become one of my favorite books about haunted houses. Now he has a new novel out, in which he’s whisking readers off to yet another creepy and rundown old home, this time on the placid shores of Lost Lake in rural Pacington, Kansas. Compared to his first novel, Violet is definitely more of a moody affair, toning down the blood and violence in favor of a more psychological horror and paranormal vibe. The result is a slower and more measured approach to storytelling, which requires a fair amount of patience, but the second half makes up for it by regaining momentum with a fast and furious comeback.

As the story opens on the quiet lake town of Pacington, we are introduced to a small community that guards its secrets closely. After all, with the economy already killing the tourism industry, the last thing its residents want is to air their grief. Still, for Kris Barlow, who experienced her own tragedy when she was a little girl in the summer of 1988 at her family’s cottage on Lost Lake where she said goodbye to her mother who died of cancer, the town still holds a sense of beauty and nostalgia. Now, thirty years later, a terrible loss has struck Kris once again, and she has decided to return to Pacington with her 8-year-old daughter Sadie for several months in order to heal from the trauma of what happened. Kris’ father had never sold their property there before he died, and she figured a summer spent by the lake would be the perfect place to escape her problems for a while.

Upon arrival, however, Kris is shocked to see the cottage in a state of neglect and disrepair. Her father had always been such a practical and fastidious man, but for some reason, just prior to his death, he had given strict instructions to the property manager to stop all maintenance on the house and simply let it rot away. Frustrated, Kris decides to fix up the place herself, making it her project for the summer. But soon, she starts hearing disturbing rumors around town, and people seem to act uncomfortable around her especially when they find out she has a young daughter. Sadie herself is as withdrawn as ever, still coming to terms with grief. If anything, coming to Pacington has made her even more guarded and distant, and Kris has started catching her daughter talking aloud to herself, or responding to a voice that isn’t there…

So, while Violet is technically a book with several acts, in essence it really boils down to two distinct halves—the first, dragging half where nothing much happens; and the second, more intense half where suddenly, everything becomes insane. As usual with such cases, I just wish there had been a better balance. For the first two hundred pages or so, the narrative revolved around the minutiae of moving to a new town and more detail than you could ever want about fixing up a decrepit old house. I got the feeling Scott Thomas badly wanted to give Pacington and the cottage at Lost Lake a sense of place, making the setting as much a main character as the novel’s human protagonists, but unfortunately it didn’t really work out that way. Instead, we got all the particulars but that not much substance. While I understood the purpose of showing the state of the town and of the house, the level of description carried things well past this point into frustration territory. I mean, there’s only so much of the trivialities of deck sanding, house cleaning, or yard work that I can take.

That said, the second half of the book was another story—and I mean that in every sense. The plot finally got down to the business of making things happen, and instead of focusing on the house, we got to learn more about the characters themselves. For one thing, we found out why Kris’ childhood at Lost Lake mattered, as well as how some of her past experiences paralleled Sadie’s. More detail was also revealed about why mother and daughter escaped their home in Colorado in order to hide out at Pacington in the first place. All this was juicy information I wish the author had introduced a little earlier, as it would have improved the earlier sections of the book. The second half of Violet was amazing, however. Thomas delivered all the mystery and terror that was promised, and while I still can’t understand why he took so long, I’m glad the late revelations and strong ending made this novel all worth it.

Audiobook Comments: Any long-time audiobook listener would have probably heard of Cassandra Campbell, but it has been a while since I’ve listened to something she narrated and Violet reminded me all the reasons why I love her voices. Her variety of tones and accents makes the town of Pacington feel alive with different people, and she’s also definitely got her “horror movie little girl voice” down! All told, I’m pleased I also got to experience this story in audio because the format added quite a bit of depth and immersion. Recommended.

Book Review: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Posted on October 7, 2019 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.

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 1, 2019)

Length: 720 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

So, wow, lots to unpack with this one. I’ve never read Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower which was the book that really put him on the map, but I’m familiar enough with it to know Imaginary Friend is quite a departure. Like everyone else, I dove into this one with no clue as to what to expect, though the synopsis gave some hints.

It’s a horror story, obviously. Mostly following central characters Kate Reese and her son Christopher, Imaginary Friend begins with the two of them settling in the small town of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. Kate has been on the run for a long time; after the death of her husband, she fell into a relationship with a man who turned out to be abusive and has been trying to get away from him since. It is her hope that Mill Grove would be the start of a new life for both her and seven-year-old Christopher.

But then came a nightmare for any parent. Christopher goes missing, and for one terrifying week, Kate is beside herself with fear and worry. Against all odds though, the boy is eventually found alive and well, describing a harrowing escape that was only made possible by a nice man he met in the woods. While this mysterious man was never found, the only thing that mattered to Kate was that her son was back safe and sound. And miraculously, he seemed even better than before. Christopher begins excelling in school, making a lot of new friends. Kate also wins the lottery, allowing her to move them into a new house and pay off her debts. Life was as good as it could be.

However, unbeknownst to Kate, Christopher has been going through a lot of changes. There are the headaches, which he seems to get all the time now. And then there are the thoughts that just come to him, allowing him to know things he shouldn’t know, or to do things that shouldn’t be possible. He also starts seeing an “imaginary friend” in the woods where he was found after his disappearance, telling him to do things. And one of his friend’s first instructions to Christopher? Build an elaborate treehouse, right there in the middle of the woods, and it is of utmost importance that it is completed before Christmas, or else bad things will come to everyone Christopher knows and loves.

Based on many of the themes found in Imaginary Friend—like that of the power of boyhood friendships or the presence of skewed religious allusions, creeping plague, small town paranoia and hysteria, and a cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil—it seems rather clear to me that Chbosky was influenced heavily by the work of Stephen King. But I had to wonder, did he really have to emulate the man’s tendency for wordiness as well? Sitting at over 700 pages, a novel of such length is certain to cause me to give it the old side-eye, leaving me skeptical that the story actually has to be this long. And sure enough, by 25% I knew was one I’d have to tag team with the audiobook, as it was proving much too long-winded for me to cope with and I didn’t want to spend weeks forcing myself to pick it up. By 50%, I was starting to feel the brunt of the fatigue, even when tackling it in both print and audio formats. And at 75% I was asking myself holy fucking crap why isn’t this damn thing over yet?

Let’s be clear, this wasn’t a wholly bad novel, but man, if I had been the editor, I would’ve taken a chainsaw to this bad boy and hacked away all the repetition and extraneous, unnecessary detail to get it down to a more reasonable and readable length. Still, if you’re possessed of a strong mental resolve and iron determination, you should be able to disregard the blatant overwriting and enjoy some of the book’s more memorable moments and highlights. Yes, parts of it are actually pretty good, and those who picked up this book for the mystery and paranormal creep factor will also get a good dose of both. Yet for the most part, its cumbersome length and the rambling nature of the story severely impacted my enjoyment. It seemed the more the author added to the plot, the more complicated and chaotic it became, without delivering any real answers.

I hate being so negative, because Chbosky plainly put a lot of his heart and effort into writing Imaginary Friend, and there are enough strong points for me not to pan it completely. But on the whole, this simply came across as an overblown, very self-indulgent novel that could have been edited down—by a lot. In fact, that’s my biggest regret after reading this—that without the tedious, confusing and dragging parts, this book could have been great and needn’t have been such a chore to read. I say check out the novel if you’re a horror buff or if you’re curious to see what it’s all about, but just be prepared for the patience and time investment it demands.

YA Weekend Audio: The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Posted on October 6, 2019 25 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 Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

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

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Book 1 of The Beautiful

Publisher: Listening Library (October 8, 2019)

Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Lauren Ezzo

While I’m no stranger to Renée Ahdieh’s work, having read The Wrath and the Dawn and Flame in the Mist, neither book enticed enough to pick up the rest of the series, so when I first heard about her new novel The Beautiful— a vampire book, no less—I was understandably skeptical. But I guess as they say, third time’s a charm. I was a little nervous going into it, considering how early reviews were mixed, but I ultimately enjoyed it quite a lot.

The Beautiful takes us to 1872 New Orleans, where we meet our protagonist Celine Rousseau, who is newly arrived from Paris. Forced to flee Europe because of a secret in her past, Celine has come to live in the Ursuline convent along with half a dozen other girls taken in by the strict Mother Superior. But life among the nuns has not softened Celine’s spirit or her natural curiosity, which leads her to explore the historical and cultural wonders of New Orleans. She soon catches the attention of Sébastien, the nephew and scion to one of the most powerful men in the city, Count Nicodemus Saint Germain. Sébastien is the leader of his own underground club, which operates out of their glitzy hideout La Cour des Lions, and it isn’t long before Celine finds herself deeply involved in their activities.

But at night, the streets of New Orleans are not the safest place to be. A killer has been terrorizing the city, leaving behind corpses completely drained of blood. When one of the victims, a girl from the Ursuline convent, is found inside La Cours des Lions, Celine has reason to suspect the club charming and glamorous proprietor, even as she finds herself falling for him. Sébastien is handsome and beguiling, but she also can’t deny there’s a darkness in him that she can’t figure out. And when the latest murder brings the attention of the city police down on them all, the investigation threatens to expose Celine’s own terrible past.

When it boils down to it, The Beautiful is pretty derivative as far as vampire fiction goes—for example, even now I can’t say for sure why this story had to be a historical fiction set in New Orleans, other than the obvious reason of being a call back to Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. Whether this or other references are intended to be a homage to Rice or other authors, Ahdieh was clearly influenced by popular vampire fiction. She borrows heavily from the greats, employing tropes that I think will be familiar with many readers.

But I started seeing the book from another perspective once I stopped thinking of it as a vampire book, but instead began considering it as a mystery. In fact, you could probably do away with the vampire aspect and the story would have still been as provocative and intriguing—bad news for vampire aficionados, perhaps, but perfectly fine for a historical mystery fan like myself. The plot is well-paced, capturing a certain Victorian gothic vibe. Sprinkled in is also a good dose of forbidden romance, which wasn’t the most prominent theme in the book, but it did help add some zing to the mystery narrative whenever it threatened to grow stale.

Best of all, for the first time I noticed that the author has improved her writing and mostly refrained from using overly flowery descriptions and purple prose. As this was a huge problem for me in both The Wrath and the Dawn and Flame in the Mist, I was happy to see Ahdieh is finally learning to lay off the melodrama and overwrought metaphors. Of course, there are still some issues, like insufficient world-building and the conspicuous absence of adults, but to be fair, I feel those are problems in YA as a whole and not particular to The Beautiful. Seriously, who’s going to believe the New Orleans police force is going to put a teenager at the head of one of their biggest murder cases of the century? We all know why Michael is young and hot, and it certainly isn’t because he’s a brilliant detective.

Unlike a lot of YA these days though, The Beautiful kept me engaged from beginning to end. I think it’s my favorite book by Renée Ahdieh to date, and upon finishing it, I actually felt motivated enough to want to continue with the series, and not just because the open ending. I’ll be watching for the sequel.

Audiobook Comments: The audio version of The Beautiful was narrated expressively by Lauren Ezzo, whose varied accents and voices conjured up the time period and the people and places described in the book. I didn’t care for a couple of her male character voices, which sounded awkward and rough like she was talking around a mouthful of rocks, but thankfully those instances were few and far between. I would recommend this audiobook overall.

Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on October 5, 2019 42 Comments

Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other 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 round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.

Received for Review

My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!

With thanks to Wunderkind and Katherine Tegan Books, I received a finished copy of Angel Mage by Garth Nix. This is one I’m highly anticipating, so that was a nice surprise! Also thanks to Tor Books for sending me an ARC of The Bard’s Blade by Brian D. Anderson, which I had just featured in a recent Waiting on Wednesday post, as well as a finished copy of The Warrior Moon by K. Arsenault Rivera. My goodness, the covers for this series are all so gorgeous. Now that the third book has come out, I really should binge the entire trilogy.

Thank you also to Titan books for sending me this beautiful hardcover of Hex Life edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering. I don’t normally get so excited over an anthology, but I’m simply blown away by that author lineup, including Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, Ania Ahlborn, Kat Howard, Alma Katsu and more. Also thanks to Subterranean Press for an ARC of The Burglar in Short Order by Lawrence Block, a book collecting all the stories in which the author’s nimble-fingered thief Bernie Rhodenbarr has appeared. And also huge thanks to Crown Publishing for sending me a finished copy of The True Bastards by Jonathan French! I can’t wait to get to this book.

Thank you also to Orbit for sending me a finished copy of The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson. I am loving this strange little trilogy and I think the final book will be a nice one to tackle this month. And finally, thanks to Pocket Books for the following surprise arrivals: Star Trek: Collateral Damage by David Mack and Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Gene Roddenberry! I’m a Trekker, so these were a real treat!

And in the digital pile, I received a bunch of audiobooks this week: from Hachette Audio, The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones; from Macmillan Audio, The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, and Interference by Sue Burke; from Tantor Audio, System Failure by Joe Zieja and The Queen’s Advantage by Jessie Mihalik; and from Listening Library, Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao.

And from NetGalley, I snagged an eARC of The Night Country by Melissa Albert, with thanks to Flatiron Books, as well as Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman with thanks to Ballantine Books!

Reviews

A quick summary of my reviews posted since the last update:

A Golden Grave by Erin Lindsey (4 of 5 stars)
The Bone Ships by RJ Barker (4 of 5 stars)
The Anomaly by Michael Rutger (4 of 5 stars)
Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw (4 of 5 stars)
Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy (3 of 5 stars)

What I’ve Read Since the Last Update

Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR mountain since the last update, which isn’t as much as usual because Imaginary Friend was just so damn long! Anyway, stay tuned – more reviews coming your way soon.

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: 60s Horror

Posted on October 4, 2019 30 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“Feed me Seymour”
~ a cover featuring 60’s HORROR

Mogsy’s Pick:

Psycho by Robert Bloch

Halloween is almost here! To celebrate, I’ll be featuring the classics on Friday Face-Off for the full month of October. First up, it’s everyone’s favorite murderous mama’s boy! Here’s a selection of some of the more interesting covers:

From left to right:
Robert Hale Limited (1960) – Fawcett Publications (1960) – Robert Hale (1975)

Portuguese Edition (1961) – Turkish Edition (1962) – Corgi (1977)

Warner Books (1982) – Dutch Edition (1982) – Pocket (1989)

Bloomsbury Publishing (1997) – Polish Edition (2008) – Spanish Edition (2010)

The Murder Room (2014) – Portuguese Edition (2015) – Georgian Edition (2016)

Winner:

It was tempting to choose a cover with the infamous shower scene, but in the end I decided to go with the 1961 Portuguese edition because its classic horror/thriller film noir visual style is so iconic. I really like its simplicity as well as the use of the extreme close-up angle on the female character’s terrified face, which seems to be a popular design trope of the times.

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

Audiobook Review: The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy

Posted on October 3, 2019 13 Comments

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

The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: Book 1 of Forgotten Empires

Publisher: Tantor Audio (September 24, 2019)

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Elizabeth Brook

I don’t usually read books like The Orchid Throne, so I think that’s why I struggled with some aspects of it. But I had found myself craving a little romance with my SFF, and since I’ve heard such great things about Jeffe Kennedy, I decided I would give the first book of her new fantasy series Forgotten Empires a try.

In a world ruled by a tyrant, only the island nation of Calanthe remains unbowed. But now its ruler, Queen Euthalia, is under pressure to marry the bloodthirsty emperor, and while she is willing to do anything to protect her people, that doesn’t mean she is content to go meekly to that fate. Following the guidance of her magical ring that was gifted to her by her father, Euthalia seeks to play a dangerous political game in order to avoid the marriage.

However, threatening her plans is Conrí, the former Crown Prince of the destroyed kingdom of Oriel who is now known as the Slave King. He is no fan of the brutal emperor either, but instead of scheming in the shadows, Conrí makes his intent to overthrow the empire quite clear by building an army for his rebellion. To succeed though, he will need the help of a powerful artifact known as the Abiding Ring—the very ring Euthalia relies upon to guide her actions and to save her people.

Still, neither of them can deny that their goals are aligned. And when the two rulers eventually meet face-to-face, more than just their passions for rebellion are inflamed. Euthalia and Conrí know that they will need to work together in order to safeguard the future of their kingdoms, even if it means putting duty before emotion.

Told in chapters that alternate between the two protagonists’ perspectives, the plot takes us through multiple stages starting with the initial setup of the world and its history. The first half of the book is admittedly very slow as the narrative meanders back and forth between Euthalia and Conrí’s POVs, taking a very lackadaisical approach to establishing the story. I also had a hard time getting used to the writing style, which was very stark and to-the-point. The opening chapters from Euthalia, where she lays out her plans to outwit the emperor’s emissary, read more like a directive rather than anything coming from the character’s heart. I suspect the reason for this might be the fact she spends so much time scheming and thinking to herself, whereas Conrí’s chapters fared a little better, due in part to the strong, interesting companions he has by his side, like Ambrose and Sondra.

I was also surprised how long it took for two protagonists to finally meet. When it happened though, that was when the story really picked up, which was good, because by then I’d been prepared to write the entire novel off as a total borefest. Euthalia got to be a more engaging character once she had Conrí to play off of, and their personalities meshed well in a way that created opportunities for fascinating conversation, not to mention lots of delicious tension. I also finally got to see why Jeffe Kennedy is so beloved for her romance. She certainly does have a knack for developing a sexy and sensual love story, where character emotions come across as genuine and convincing.

Still, on the whole, I didn’t enjoy The Orchid Throne as much as I expected. I was surprised how dull it was for much of the first half, especially since I’d been anticipating a lighter romantic fantasy, and given the genre, this one took an inordinately long time to get off the ground. Still, the second half went a long way in making up for it once the romance entered the picture, jazzing up the political intrigue and subterfuge. I also liked that the ending hinted at a lot more to come. While I’ll probably adopt a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the sequel, I think if you end up enjoying the characters and world-building, this series will be worth continuing.

Audiobook Comments: Although Elizabeth Brook did a fine job with narrating The Orchid Throne, I couldn’t help but feel this was a missed opportunity to bring in a second narrator for Conrí’s chapters. Not only would this have made the audiobook more immersive, it would have made it less confusing because it wasn’t always clear whose POV we were following after each chapter transition, because they could be quite abrupt. Still, I think Elizabeth Brook managed a great performance in spite of this, delivering fantastic voices and accents.