Book Review: Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh
Posted on August 13, 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.
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Saga Press (August 13, 2019)
Length: 544 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Not that such a great book deserves to be pigeonholed in any way, but Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh is a bit of a tough one to categorize. Like its title, there’s an element of the illusory, a pensive quality about it that inspires wonderment and hope, loses you in thought. Yes, it is a space adventure, but one that emphasizes the human drama rather than the action, though the plot also features a space disaster twist towards the end. In addition, despite the central characters being all in their early twenties and the tone of the novel giving off strong young adult vibes, the story tackles mature themes in a thoughtful, eloquent manner, increasing its cross-genre appeal. Whatever it is, something about this book just really spoke to me, because I loved it.
Set in a more technologically advanced version of our present world, the novel follows six young candidates for a highly competitive British space exploration program to establish a colony on far-flung Terra-Two, a pristine Earth-like planet possessing ideal conditions for life. Having spent years studying at the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science since they were preteens, our six astronaut hopefuls have trained their hearts out for the opportunity, beating out millions of others across the country. But just days before the launch of their space vessel Damocles, a sudden tragedy strikes, altering the course of the mission forever. At the last moment, a backup candidate named Jesse is tapped to be the hydroponics replacement on the program, joining five other exceptional prodigies: Harry, pilot extraordinaire and commander-in-training; Poppy, language expert and a natural spokeswoman for the group; Eliot, a budding engineer; and sisters Astrid and Juno, two extremely talented and brilliant young women who have worked their entire lives for Terra-Two, though for very different reasons. Along with a few adjustments to the command crew which consists of a team of older and more experienced astronauts, the mission is saved and allowed to move forward as planned.
However, with emotions already raw from having to leave their loved ones behind and knowing that they will all be living within the tight confines of a spaceship for the next twenty-three years, the original five young candidates aren’t feeling particularly welcome towards the newcomer, resenting him for the way he joined their program. With such a long journey ahead of them, Jesse hopes that he will eventually be accepted, though getting used to life aboard Damocles is proving to be a rough process, with homesickness, self-doubt, depression and other personal fears plaguing each of them in turn.
As you can probably tell, Do You Dream of Terra-Two is a story more about relationships and the human experience than it is about space travel, even though most of it takes place aboard a spaceship. Admittedly, the science fiction elements are on the lighter side, glossing over much of the physics and specific details as it relates to Terra-Two—including how scientists learned so much about such a distant world and the technology to reach it—by simply providing the explanation that science has come a lot further in a much shorter period time in this universe than in ours. It also doesn’t explore the implications of this on other aspects of culture and society, leaving those areas hazy and indistinct.
At the same time, there’s an element of the mystical surrounding Terra-Two, going back to the namesake of our characters’ prestigious academy, Tessa Dalton. Long before anyone even knew to look for the planet, Tessa had visions of this untouched utopia in her dreams, and later when scientists found Terra-Two, they couldn’t help but notice the uncanny similarities to her descriptions. Consequently, some called Tessa a prophet, while others chalked her clairvoyance up to nothing more than mere coincidence and a chemical imbalance in the brain. But this background knowledge also sets a precedent for the dreams and visions our characters experience in this book, leaving readers speculating why it is happening and what it could mean.
But like I said, the focus is mainly on the dynamics between the six young adults of our crew, all of them starry-eyed, lacking in self-discipline and life experience, barely out of their late teens—what could go wrong? Except, of course, all these developments make for a fascinating, engaging read. The book addresses a number of topics including the yearning for social acceptance, dealing with feelings of inadequacy, mental health issues as a result of crushing expectations, relationship woes, and fears of the unknown. True, all of these are relatively common themes in coming-of-age fiction, but to the author’s credit, she tackles these conflicts in a way that doesn’t trivialize or overplay very real problems for the sake of sensationalism. The members of our young crew are all phenomenally fleshed out and fully realized, each one of them a complex individual with his or her own unique dreams, desires, and motivations. Just when you think they start to fall into predictable patterns, you learn something new about them that makes you change your perspective and view them in a whole new light.
As you know, stories that are first and foremost concerned with characters are very much my cup of tea, so despite some of its more vague and unconvincing aspects, I still felt a deep and irresistible connection to this novel. I also think it’s important to look at the big picture and recognize the kind of story Temi Oh wanted to tell. After finishing this book, I believe the concept of Terra-Two and the premise of traveling there was merely a backdrop for what truly mattered—the people and the lessons they learn about themselves.
And so, it’s probably no surprise that I, being a huge fan of books devoted to telling human stories, absolutely adored Do You Dream of Terra-Two? If you enjoy character-oriented tales with interesting relationships dynamics and lots of personal growth, then this is one you can’t afford to miss. A genuinely beautiful, emotional, and inspiring novel, this one moved me deeply and kept me riveted from beginning to end.
Book Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North
Posted on August 12, 2019 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.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Celadon Books (August 20, 2019)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Crime mysteries are another subgenre of thrillers that I’ve been checking out lately, and since stories about cold cases and serial killers are my jam, I knew I had to check out The Whisper Man by Alex North. This book has been getting a ton of attention lately, with lots of hype around it surrounding it and even a movie deal, so who can blame me for being curious.
In the small town of Featherbank in Britain, terrorized residents thought they could finally move forward and feel safe again after Frank Carter also known as “The Whisper Man” was caught and put behind bars. In the years he was active, the notorious child killer kidnapped and murdered five little boys. That was more than ten years ago, and life was just starting to return to normal there when the unthinkable suddenly happens—one evening, the parents of 6-year-old Neil Spencer realize that their son never made it back home after a short walk. But with Frank Carter in prison, it couldn’t be The Whisper Man this time, could it? Or is the town under threat from another serial killer, possibly a copycat or an accomplice of Carter’s who has remained on the loose after all this time?
Meanwhile, Tom Kennedy is a recently widowed author who has just moved to Featherbank, hoping to start a new life with his young son Jake. Seven years old and gifted with a vivid imagination, Jake has become even more reserved after his mother’s death, struggling with bullies and retreating into conversations with imaginary friends. But instead of getting better, Jake remains troubled at school and in the eerie old house they’ve moved into, telling Tom about the whispering he hears in the dark. After a frightening incident in the middle of the night, the police who are called are immediately alerted to some of the warning signs in Jake’s story. For Detective Inspector Pete Willis, the details are especially disturbing, for he was the one who worked on The Whisper Man case. One of the victims has never been found, and to this day Willis is still trying to persuade Frank Carter to reveal the location of the remains. Now in light of the disappearance of Neil Spencer and Jake’s terrifying encounter, it’s become even more imperative for the detective to solve the connections and catch the culprit.
If you’re looking for a nice atmospheric thriller, The Whisper Man will certainly deliver. But after reading it, do I think it’s worth the hype? Well, I think that would depend on the kind of reader you are. This past year I’ve been cutting my teeth on similarly themed books by C.J. Tudor, Lesley Kara and many others, so after a while you start to spot some of the same tonal patterns and plot elements—killer in a small town, difficult parent-child relationships, the imaginary friend angle, a dark thread of the supernatural lurking beneath the surface, etc., etc., etc. That is to say, at a certain point the novelty starts to wear off, and I think I’ve reached that place. I mean, I found nothing inherently nothing wrong this novel; it was well written, well plotted, and well presented. And yet, the story didn’t grip me like I thought it would. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but I found the overall plot of The Whisper Man to be fairly predictable (I saw at least two of the major twists coming a mile away) and subsequently, it’s hard not to feel underwhelmed.
Though of course, your mileage may vary. Obviously, seeing clichés everywhere and being able to predict certain outcomes caused me to enjoy this one a bit less, but there’s still a lot to love here. Alex North uses multiple perspectives to craft this tale, threading them together so they form a tight, cohesive narrative that is spot on with timing. I wouldn’t call this fast-paced exactly, but the story never feels slow because there’s always something interesting happening on the page. Character development is layered on gradually, as the events unfold. Clues are also doled out meticulously at just the right times. I also enjoyed the thick and moody atmosphere, which is so important for a story like this, and the supernatural element was also a welcome touch. Like I said, I have no complaints at all regarding the technical aspects of this book; North is clearly no stranger to the craft of writing, having previously written more crime novels under a different name according to his publisher profile, and I do like his style.
If only The Whisper Man had held more surprises for me, I probably would have adored this book. That said, I didn’t think it was bad at all, even if I don’t love it enough to gush about it. For a crime mystery, it had its interesting moments and provided an entertaining journey, and I had a good time. I can definitely see this one being a hit for many.
YA Weekend Audio: Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
Posted on August 11, 2019 27 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 2 of Shadow of the Fox
Publisher: Harlequin Audio (June 18, 2019)
Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Joy Osmanski, Brian Nishii, Emily Woo Zeller
Shadow of the Fox was one of those rare YA novels that lived up to all my expectations and incredibly, its sequel was even better. Soul of the Sword expands upon its predecessor in all respects, including some of my favorite features like the world-building and the exciting quest narrative.
Picking up from the end of the first book, the story returns to our characters continuing their mission to deliver the Dragon Scroll safely to the Steel Feather temple to prevent their foes from possessing its great powers. But now, there’s hitch in their plans. Without spoiling too much from the previous novel, let’s just say that our half-kitsune protagonist, Yumeko, has her own task at hand, one involving a new enemy, the demon Hakaimono who has possessed the soul of Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. To save her dearest friend, Yumeko must find a way to protect the scroll and drive Hakaimono back into the sword in which the demon had been imprisoned for centuries.
Meanwhile, poor Tatsumi watches helplessly as Hakaimono leaves a trail of death and destruction all the way to the Forest of a Thousand Eyes, where lurks another source of great evil. The Master of Demons will do anything to get his hands on the Dragon Scroll, including making a few unsavory alliances if it means being granted a powerful wish—an opportunity that happens only once every thousand years.
Soul of the Sword is the best kind of sequel, the ones that introduce many more conflicts and drive the stakes up even higher. The book is organized into several parts, with the first picking up from the Shadow of the Fox without missing a beat, drawing readers back into the magic and allure of this fascinating world inspired by Japanese mythology. I also found the plot to be more streamlined and less scattered, which gave a boost to the overall momentum.
But although I enjoyed the first part immensely, the second part was where things really took off. I make it no secret that I loved the quest narrative aspect from the previous novel, and I was thrilled when I realized that Soul of the Sword was going to run with this theme in earnest. Sure, I had fun with those little “side adventures” in Shadow the Fox, but with this sequel, you get the feeling that things are getting real. In addition to taking a more focused approach, the story also carries a more serious tone this time around, with the themes becoming darker and more mature. And yes, this includes more action but also more violence, and the author is certainly hot holding back when it comes to the graphic depictions of bloody death and gore.
And then there are the characters. While I had a good time with Okame, Reika, Daisuke and all the others here, for me it has always been and always will be Yumeko that’s my favorite. Her character has come a long way from the first book, where she started off as a sheltered acolyte who has spent her whole life in a temple raised by monks. She has learned a lot more about life’s realities since then, and I loved seeing her kitsune side shine through on occasion whenever she plays her little tricks. And yet, it also fills my heart with warmth that she has retained a lot of her innocence and the sincere, impassioned way she views the world. I admire how she gets the importance of the big picture, as well as her fierce loyalty to her friends.
Of course, I would also be remiss to end this review without mentioning the world-building, which was wonderful. Once again, Julie Kagawa has delivered an enchanting blend of high fantasy and Japanese cultural and historical elements. I especially enjoyed the mythological aspects, the way this book packs even more tales of creatures and demons of legend into the mix. Yumeko also got to display more of her powers, which I was happy to see, because I felt that was one big that that was lacking from the first book. So, if you’ve been hoping for more kitsune or shapeshifter action, you’ll be pleased!
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the way Soul of the Sword turned out; it was everything I wanted in a sequel and more. As well, I was fortunate enough to listen to an audio review copy, which was also the format I received for Shadow of the Fox. I was quite impressed with the performances by narrators Brian Nishii, Joy Osmanksi, and Emily Woo Zeller from the first book, so I was glad they all returned to reprise their roles. This one wouldn’t have been half as immersive if it weren’t for their brilliant performances, so kudos to the three of them!
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Shadow of the Fox (Book 1)
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on August 10, 2019 22 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!
First a huge thanks to Orbit for sending me a big box of books! The Last Astronaut by David Wellington is a horror-tinged space thriller that I’ve already read and reviewed, and you can check out my thoughts here. Next up comes a parade of sequels, and I really need to catch up with all these series: Jade War by Fonda Lee is the follow up to Jade City, Reticence by Gail Carriger is the fourth book of the Custard Protocol, The House of Sacrifice by Anna Smith Spark closes out her Empires of Dust trilogy, and The Spider by Leo Carew is the sequel to The Wolf. I also received an ARC of Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri. I enjoyed the previous book Empire of Sand despite some doubts so I’m really looking forward to this sequel to expand things.
With thanks to Berkley Books, I was also excited to receive a copy of The Passengers by John Marrs, a thriller about self-driving cars. It’s interesting how I recently read a book based on this very topic (Three Laws Lethal) so I’m intrigued to see how this one will tackle the idea. Also thanks to Crown Publishing for sending me a finished copy of The Warehouse by Rob Hart! I’ll probably be starting this one real soon.
Thank you also to the kind folks at Tor Books for sending me the following: a finished copy of Kingmaker by Margaret Weiz and Robert Krammes, the conclusion to the Dragon Corsairs series; Earth by Ben Bova, the latest novel in his Grand Tour sequence; and ARC of Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade, first book of a new epic fantasy adventure series called The Shroud of Prophecy; and from the publisher’s YA imprint Tor Teen I also received In the Woods by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel. This is a book that’s been on my radar for a while, so I was thrilled to receive a surprise finished copy!
In the digital haul, with thanks to Macmillan Audio for listening copies of Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund and Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff. Courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio, I also received a listening copy of The Perfect Son by Lauren North, which looks like an interesting thriller, as well as Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee. And from Hachette Audio, I received Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton, which sounds really unique and hilarious!
Also from NetGalley, I snagged a couple of eARCs of books I’m very excited about! First up from Thomas & Mercer is Dark Pattern by Andrew Mayne, the next Theo Cray mystery – I just love this series! And I’m also quite curious to try The Deep by Alma Katsu, after the good time I had with her previous book The Hunger. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for approving my request! And finally from Edelweiss, with thanks to Swoon Reads I also downloaded a digital galley of The King’s Questioner by Nikki Katz. I know it’s not something I typically go for, but this one’s synopsis did catch my eye and I hope it will be as good as it sounds.
Reviews
Here is a quick summary of my reviews posted since the last update:
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (4 of 5 stars)
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (4 of 5 stars)
Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman (4 of 5 stars)
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (3.5 of 5 stars)
Minecraft: The Lost Journals by Mur Lafferty (3 of 5 stars)
The Escape Room by Megan Goldin (3 of 5 stars)
The Toll by Cherie Priest (3 of 5 stars)
Cry Pilot by Joel Dane (2 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR since the last update. More reviews coming 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: Pirates
Posted on August 9, 2019 24 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request.”
~ a cover that features PIRATES
Mogsy’s Pick:
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
I thought I would have a much easier time finding a book to feature this week; after all, I have a whole shelf on Goodreads labeled “Pirates”. Unfortunately many of them didn’t pan out so I decided to go with trusty Michael Crichton and his posthumously published Pirate Latitudes – not exactly his best, but it does have many editions and lots of great pirate-y covers, arrr! So let’s look at them now:
From left to right:
Harper (2009) – HarperCollins (2009) – HarperTorch (2010)
Harper Paperbacks (2016) – Recorded Books (2009) – Chinese Edition (2010)
Italian Edition (2018) – Danish Edition (2012) – German Edition (2011)
Dutch Edition A (2010) – Dutch Edition B (2012) – Spanish Edition (2010)
Indonesian Edition (2013) – Czech Edition (2011) – Russian Edition (2013)
Winner:
Many of these covers are great, but there were two that really stood out for me and I can’t choose between them so I think we have a tie today! My favorites are the German 2011 edition and the Dutch 2012 edition.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: Cry Pilot by Joel Dane
Posted on August 8, 2019 27 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of Cry Pilot
Publisher: Ace Books (August 6, 2019)
Length: 416 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I wanted to like Cry Pilot, I really did. It’s been getting a ton of praise from other reviewers though, so I’m just going to be chalking this one up to another case of “it’s not the book, it’s me.” After all, military sci-fi can be such a tricky genre, and there were certain aspects of this one that that failed to make this one my cup of tea.
The novel transports readers to a bleak, future Earth devastated by large-scale war fought by dangerous, high-tech bioweapons. However, in order to terraform the planet in the wake of such appalling destruction, the clean-up process has also reawakened these biological horrors, now gone rogue. In response to this threat, the corporate military has turned to churning out legions of soldiers including a “cry pilots”, a specialized class of fighter trained to control AI-operated mecha-like machines designed to combat a new foe known as lampreys. It’s extremely dangerous, and casualty rates are high.
Our protagonist Maseo Kaytu is a cry pilot. Due to his past status as a refugee he is barred from joining the military, but being resourceful, he manages to find a way. Assigned to Group Aleph for basic training, he joins a squad of other outsiders and misfits as they prepare to be deployed for the battle to come. Living, training, and fighting together, Kaytu starts to grow close to his teammates in spite of himself, finding it more and more difficult to hide the truth of his past from them. But if they don’t survive the coming storm, none of it is going to matter anyway.
I’ll give the novel this—the story actually took a bunch of tired and overused futuristic dystopian tropes and turned it into something that had a fresh feel to it. I certainly loved the idea of ruined Earth littered with rogue bioweapons delaying the reconstructive efforts to save the planet. So, with such a cool and interesting premise, what went wrong? Well, I tend to be a “Characters First” kind of reader, so a lot comes down to the protagonist and whether or not I find them engaging. Maseo Kaytu was not, unfortunately. I was indifferent to his voice, which I found rather dry and depthless. Something also felt off about his relationships with his squad mates, but I can’t really put my finger on why. Although their interactions read fine on paper, often the relationships themselves felt lukewarm or forced and I was indifferent as to whether any of the characters will survive to the end of the book, which is always a bad sign.
Maybe the author’s style has something to do with it. He clearly has the writing chops and experience, Joel Dane being a pseudonym for a full-time author of more than twenty books according to the publisher profile. Personally though, I found his prose challenging and clunky, bogged down by military jargon and repetition. Dane never passes on a chance to describe in great detail (and at great length) any time a new piece of high-tech weaponry is brought up, which I’m sure hardcore military sci-fi fans would probably appreciate but it just made my eyes glaze over. I also have nothing against military academy stories and tropes, but I thought the basic training section dragged on for too long in this case. A good chunk of the book was over by the time we got to see any real action, and that was just a bit too much to take.
So to break things down, the positives of Cry Pilot included the heart-pounding action sequences and the battle scenes, impressive world-building, and a truly fascinating conflict involving some of the most unique and terrifying foes I’ve ever seen. But the negatives included the mediocre character development and a repetitive, drawn-out plotline that often struggled to hold my full attention. Bottom line, the bad outweighed the good, so unfortunately this will have to be relegated to the “not for me” pile. That said, I have a strong feeling this one will work a whole lot better for voracious fans of military science fiction, so if the premise sounds appealing, I would definitely recommend taking a closer look.
Waiting on Wednesday 08/07/19
Posted on August 7, 2019 25 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
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch (November 19, 2019 by DAW)
Not only was I ecstatic when I found out there will be an eighth Rivers of London book, I was even more excited by the release date which would be in 2019 – let’s hope it won’t get pushed back the way it was with some of the previous books because I don’t think I can handle a long wait. As usual, we have a brilliant cover, even if the color choice is a bit unusual for this series!
“Now in hardcover, the eighth book of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.
Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner’s brand new London start up—the Serious Cybernetics Company.
Drawn into the orbit of Old Street’s famous ‘silicon roundabout’, Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant’s favourite son.
Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological—and just as dangerous.”
Book Review: The Toll by Cherie Priest
Posted on August 6, 2019 24 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor (July 9, 2019)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Toll by Cherie Priest is a disturbingly dark tale of the supernatural, tinged with gothic horror and eldritch elements. The story takes us to a tiny backwater town on the edge of the Okenfenokee Swamp in Georgia called Staywater, where every thirteen years or so, someone always goes missing. Their disappearance is usually preceded by reported sightings of a mysterious seventh bridge along the west-to-east route on State Road 177, though of course, only six bridges exist according to any map. Spooky!
On an unusually cool spring day, Titus and his wife Melanie are driving along 177 towards the state park where they will be spending their honeymoon, when they come across a one-lane rickety bridge leading into the swampy darkness. The next thing Titus knows, he is waking up on the side of the road, his SUV behind him is empty with its doors flung open, and Melanie is nowhere to be found. After calling for help and being told by the police that they’re doing all they can to find his wife, Titus accepts a ride to the nearby town of Staywater to find room and board. Filled with worries and unable to sleep, he heads to the dive bar down the street in order to drown his sorrows. There, the locals tell him not to worry, that most likely his wife simply lost her way in the swamp while trying to look for help. It happens often enough to the tourists and campers who come out this way, after all, and the police will certainly make sure Melanie comes home safe.
But in their hearts, the residents of Staywater know better. They all sensed the shift in reality when it happened, the first time in thirteen years. The swamp keeps what it takes, or rather, the thing that lives there does. The bridge has helped it claim another victim, and Titus will probably never see his wife again. No one knows this better than Claire and Daisy, two elderly cousins who have lived in Staywater their entire lives, watching it crumble and slowly die over the years. They thought they had put a stop to whatever was terrorizing the town, but apparently its connection to their world was too strong. And now, the cousins have even more to lose. The two of them have been raising a teenage boy named Cameron, who was left on their doorstep as a baby. No one knows where he came from, but Claire and Daisy knows that the thing in the swamp likes to take outsiders. All they want is for Cameron to grow up and one day escape Staywater, but until the problem in the swamp is taken care of once in for all, they know that things can never be safe.
To tell the truth, even though I thought The Toll was a decent read, it’s hard not to feel slightly let down by some of its incongruencies and flaws, especially in light of how much I adored Priest’s last novel The Family Plot. I can’t help but wonder though, if some of the constraints mentioned in the author’s acknowledgements—that she worked on the book in stages over a hectic period in her life or the fact that the manuscript had multiple editors—could have played into the novel’s overall sense of incompleteness and certain elements in it that felt out of place. For instance, despite its floundering status, Staywater is a town full of quirky idiosyncrasies that I would have loved to know more about: its resident ghosts, the old department store where the mannequins apparently come to life in the night, or the old blind dog in the tree. At the end of the day though, all these things felt like they were thrown willy-nilly into the story, with no intention to ever go back and explore them. Likewise, I felt the same way about the teases about Cameron’s origins, the real deal with the cousins, or what is truly going on with Jess. And those are just a few examples; scattered across this novel are a lot more of these poor orphaned threads that don’t seem to go anywhere or aren’t sufficiently explained. Like I said, it’s just disappointing.
The ending also felt a bit rushed, and failed to live up to the long and suspenseful build-up. To be sure, there’s a strong element of horror to The Toll, but at the same time I wouldn’t say it was particularly scary. Most of the story reads like a mystery, steadily paced while dropping delicious clues about the phantom bridge and what might have happened to Melanie. And I suppose that is also why the last section of the book felt so random when it switches tack and goes full tilt on horror and thrills, which made for some great reading. However, in terms of satisfaction, the ending might have missed its mark. To put it bluntly, it felt like a copout, with too many questions and conflicts left unresolved.
Bottom line? I didn’t love this, but I didn’t hate it either. My experience with Cherie Priest’s work has always been hit or miss in the past, but I still get that flutter of excitement in my chest whenever I find out she’s writing a new book. I went into The Toll with rather high expectations because of the story’s intriguing premise, but while it was well written and entertaining enough, in the end something felt missing. I guess I just expected a little more in terms of answers, cohesion, and horror.
Book Review: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Posted on August 5, 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.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Del Rey (July 23, 2019)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’ve become a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia in recent years, with books like Certain Dark Things and The Beautiful Ones. I just love her imagination and vision, and so when I first heard about her new book set in the Jazz Age, my curiosity was immediately piqued. Then I found out that it was going to be a fairy tale-like story steeped in Mayan mythology, and I was officially excited!
Gods of Jade and Shadow takes place in a small town in southern Mexico in the 1920s, following young Casiopea Tun who spends her days working as a servant at her wealthy grandfather’s estate. Between running her tedious errands and being tormented by her infuriating cousin Martin, Casiopea has about had enough with the status quo around the place. Dreaming of one day leaving her rural little town and tired of being ordered around, she decides to break the rules and open the wooden chest in her grandfather’s room that he keeps locked up at all times. Expecting the old man to have squirreled away gold or something equally valuable, Casiopea is instead surprised to crack open the box and find a dusty pile of bones.
But little did she know, she had just freed the spirit of Hun-Kame, the Mayan God of Death, from his prison. He informs Casiopea that he was a victim of treachery from his own twin brother, who killed him years ago and trapped his spirit in a locked box with the help of her grandfather. Now Hun-Kame is determined to take back his throne, but to do that, he’ll need help. To Casiopea, he makes an offer to make all her dreams come true, if she would agree to accompany him on his journey across Mexico to gather his resources and enact his revenge. Even though the costs of failure are high and the road ahead is unknown, Casiopea agrees after only a slight reluctance for she knows this is her chance to see the world. Not that she has much of a choice. Thanks to a small shard of Hun-Kame’s bone embedded in her skin, their two fates have become inextricably linked.
And so, a peasant girl and a Mayan god embark on a road trip across the country. And yes, this is as fun as it sounds. I loved traveling to new places experiencing the sights and sounds, meeting all manner of vibrant characters, both earthly and supernatural. The easy and smooth style of the writing also made the time period come to life on the page so that you could practically feel the energy in the air and in the bustling crowds around you, or see the colors of the clothing people are wearing and smell the food scents wafting in the breeze. Moreno-Garcia is just so good at transporting her readers to new times and places, which is why I love her books.
I also enjoyed the dynamic between Casiopea and Hun-Kame. She’s a simple girl from a simple village, he’s a death lord of Xibalba, and you think to yourself, heck, this will either be a train wreck or totally awesome. Happily, it was the latter. Considering how many things could have gone wrong with this premise and all its moving parts, it’s even more impressive how the author has managed to bring it all together. Casiopea is a delightful protagonist, innocent in her youthfulness and sheltered life but definitely not fragile. She’s a force to be reckoned with, holding her own against a proud and broody god who doesn’t always seem to know what to make of his traveling companion. Compared to everything Casiopea has had to go through, poor cousin Martin didn’t even stand a chance, despite the lengths he goes to try and stop her and Hun-Kame.
There’s really not that much more left to say, not only because I think I’ve made my love for this book clear, but also because I don’t want to spill any more of the story’s secrets. I had high hopes Gods of Jade and Shadow and Silvia Moreno-Garcia surely did not disappoint, her creativity and writing talents as ever phenomenal. Dazzling, evocative and passionate, this novel is definitely best experienced firsthand, so if you’re a fan of irresistible characters, grand adventures, and mythological fantasy, don’t wait to pick this one up.
YA Weekend: Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
Posted on August 4, 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.
Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: jimmy patterson (August 6th 2019)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I first discovered the talents of Derek Milman with his debut Scream All Night, a YA contemporary dramedy portraying its protagonist’s complicated relationship with his quirky family. So when I heard that he had another book coming out, I was immediately intrigued, though of course Swipe Right for Murder is something of a different beast. It’s a straight up thriller, it complete with edge-of-your-seat suspense and action.
The book stars Aidan, a gay teen visiting New York City with his friends while on holiday from his boarding school. Bored and restless, while at his posh hotel he uses a hookup app to meet up with an older man. But soon after, Aidan wakes up next to the man’s dead body, seemingly assassinated by a sniper bullet through the window while he was sleeping. In a panic and trying to figure out what’s going on, Aidan looks around and discovers a huge sum of cash in the dead’s guy’s bag. And then there was also the phone call, which turns Aidan’s life upside down.
Suddenly, our protagonist finds himself on the run, not knowing who to trust. All he knows is that someone is after him, but he’s not who they think he is. In a case of mistaken identity gone horribly awry, Aidan now has a target on his back, and he has also become a person of interest to the FBI, who think he is member of a group called the Swans, an extremist LBGT group targeting anti-gay politicians. People are dying in these acts of terrorism and Aidan is trying to convince everyone that he has nothing to do with them, yet the Swans have somehow managed to trap him in their murderous schemes, making him an unwilling pawn. They believe he is holding onto a key piece of information necessary to pull off their next attack, leaving Aidan with no choice but to go undercover for the FBI in the hopes of putting a stop to whatever the Swans have planned.
For all this book reads like an unputdownable thriller, I was also excited to find a similar emotional poignancy and character depth I found in Scream All Night. Those are traits I’ve been associating with Milman’s writing and storytelling style, and I’m glad that’s not going to change anytime soon. Still, it took a while for this aspect to emerge, for when we first open the story with an introduction to Aidan with his friends, we’re treated to a heavy dose of self-absorbed, obnoxious teenage sass. Not gonna lie, I didn’t find the protagonist likeable at all when I first met him; he was annoyingly snide, shallow, and in short, a bit of a jerk. But as events unfolded, we’re also given occasional glimpses into Aidan’s mind, learning his background and what makes him tick. And I have to say the more I found out, the more he endeared himself to me.
As you know, I always appreciate a book about LGBT characters that go beyond identity labels to explore them as genuine and fully realized individuals. Deftly, the author balances this character development with elements of mystery and intrigue, creating a fast-paced thriller with a lot of heart. In between all the hectic action like the shootouts and chaotic car chases we still find time to get to really know Aidan and discover why he is so dismissive, aloof and full of self-doubt. The traumas go beyond growing up gay in a family and a society that’s not always ready to accept him, with roots also in his personal history involving a death of a brother as well as a tragic affair with a friend’s father that ended very badly. These events still haunt Aidan, making him feel lonely and directionless. Add to that the conflicted feelings he has about the Swans and their movement and you have yourself a very complex situation and a protagonist you can sympathize with deeply, and truly I did not expect a YA thriller to have so much profundity and heavy themes to chew on.
Speaking of the themes, Swipe Right for Murder deals with a lot of moral questions, including the costs of political and social change and the issue of extremist ideology. Aidan is put in a difficult situation where he despises the violence and death and yet he can’t help but sympathize a little with the Swans’ agenda. And then there’s the raw and emotional coming-of-age aspect of Aidan’s journey to come to terms with his identity, sexuality and matters of love. Suicide, depression, drug use, an underage affair—all these topics and more are touched upon via an unflinching approach. But rest assured, it’s not all somber angst and grit; as I said, the narrative is full of compelling thrills and plot twists, not to mention a healthy dose of humor and witty pop culture references to keep things light and flowing. I must have read the entire second half of the book in one session because I could barely tear myself away from its pages, and the ending practically reads like an action movie.
In short, Swipe Right for Murder was a fantastic read. I would recommend it for fans of thrillers, though I believe novel’s diverse cast of characters as well as its heartfelt themes will appeal to all readers no matter who you are. Derek Milman has impressed me once again, and with this novel he has cemented his status as a rising star in the world of YA fiction.
The BiblioSanctum 