Book Review: Atlas Alone by Emma Newman

Posted on June 9, 2019 18 Comments

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

Atlas Alone by Emma Newman

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Book 4 of Planetfall

Publisher: Ace (April 16, 2019)

Length: 320 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

So far, I’ve been really enjoying Emma Newman’s Planetfall series, but I have to say this latest one was a bit of a miss for me. At least compared to the last two books, the premise and story of Atlas Alone did not feel quite as captivating to my imagination, which is a shame. After all, I am such a sucker for books with a video game angle, and I had been greatly looking forward to this one’s unique take on immersive gaming.

Like all the rest of the books in the series, Atlas Alone is a stand-alone story. This time, the focus shifts to follow Dee, one of the passengers aboard the colony ship headed to a new planet after a nuclear apocalypse decimated Earth. Six months have passed since the ship set off, but Dee is still struggling with the trauma of witnessing all the death and destruction. To cope, she and her friends Travis and Carl escape into “mersives”, or highly realistic virtual games that immerse the user completely into its environments, but lately, her addiction to these games has been having an adverse effect on her socially and mentally. Paranoid and jittery, she is also beginning to question the circumstances around the nuclear strike that destroyed Earth, and vows to make those responsible pay.

Utilizing the tools she knows best, Dee throws herself into mersives to try to understand the ship’s hierarchical structure. One of these games, however, is like nothing she has ever played before. While testing the mersive for its designer, she becomes rattled by the realism of the game’s environments and situations, and the fact that the in-game intelligence seems to know a lot more than it should. During one of these sessions, Dee’s character kills another, and when she emerges back into “meat space”, she is shocked to discover that a man, bearing a striking resemblance to the one she’d killed in-game, had in fact also died in real life. Knowing that it can’t be a coincidence, Dee continues to search for more information in her quest to figure out how everything is connected.

Unfortunately, this was probably my least favorite book in the series so far. Granted, I had pretty high expectations before I started, considering the high bar set by the other sequels like After Atlas and Before Mars, but objectively, I also felt that Atlas Alone was not as well written or put together. For one thing, the info dumps. Boy, did they get tiresome. If the narrative wasn’t expounding on the characteristics and technicalities of gaming, it was going on and on about the psychological profile of Dee’s personality and behavior. Like, please, I got it. Enough already.

Worse, once you subtract all that, what’s left of the story is decidedly thin. To its credit, I thought the mystery plot itself was overall compulsive and very intriguing, and it didn’t bother me that it was on the simplistic side. However, I did mind that it was made more complicated than it had to be. It felt intrusive and distracting, messing with the pacing as well as taking away from Newman’s usually smooth writing style. Even the gaming aspect of the story did not really help; in fact, it eventually grew exasperating for me every time Dee entered into yet another mersive, because it often meant we were in for a long stretch where not much really happens.

Then there was the matter of Dee. So far, all the books in the Planetfall series have featured main characters who fall outside social norms, with mental health being a recurring theme. Many of them have also experienced issues with trauma, or are dealing with symptoms of depression, guilt, or anxiety. Up until Atlas Alone, I’ve always been impressed with the author’s ability to make all the protagonists in this series feel genuine and relatable, thus making it possible to connect with their personal stories, though this time, I think she might have missed the mark. Simply put, Dee didn’t feel like a fully realized character to me, almost like Neman herself was unsure of where to go with her personality. For instance, some of Dee’s thought processes and behaviors didn’t mesh well at all with what we’re supposed to know about her, and many of her decisions in the second half of the book left me scratching my head and wondering if I had missed something.

In the end, I give this book a 3 out of 5—and just barely. I enjoyed it to an extent, though unlike a couple of the Planetfall books that came before which were full of meaning and emotion, Atlas Alone left me feeling ambivalent and cold. The ending also felt rushed and forced, which robbed it of a lot of its impact. Nevertheless, I’m chalking this installment up to a fluke, as the other books in the series have been so enjoyable. I’m still looking forward to more, and given the way this book ended, here’s hoping there will be at least another volume.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Planetfall (Book 1)
Review of After Atlas (Book 2)
Review of Before Mars (Book 3)

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

Posted on June 8, 2019 37 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.

black line

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!

Thank you to Tachyon Books for an ARC of Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein, a new-to-me arrival. After reading the synopsis, certain elements from it remind me of The Hazel Wood with its light fairy tale vibes (as well as a character whose relative is a famous author of a fantasy classic that has garnered a legion of obsessed fans) which definitely makes me want to check it out.

And a big thanks also to Penguin Books for sending along a finished copy of The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell. Holy crap, this book was amazing. I became a fan of the author after reading her book The Silent Companions, and I think this one is even better. My review is scheduled for release week and I cannot wait to share it with all of you.

Thank you also to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister, a crime thriller about two grown sisters whose bond is tested when one of them is accused of the horrible crime of murdering the other’s child. I’m looking forward to reading this one when I’m in the mood for a dark mystery.

And a big shout out to the PR team at Kaye Publicity who sent me finished copies of a couple of highly anticipated titles from Pyr: The Fall by Tracy Townsend is the sequel to her brilliant debut, The Nine, and Three Laws Lethal by David Walton is a near-future sci-fi novel about the deadly consequences of relying too much on superintelligent AI.

Earlier this week I also received a surprise in the form of the The Haunted by Danielle Vega. This was a book I reviewed already in audio format, but I have to say receiving a finished copy was nice, especially since it’s got this really cool lenticular cover!

Up next, a big thanks to Redhook for the unexpected gem of The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, a book I’m really looking forward to reading. The cover is so beautiful too, and when it came out of the package, my ARC was presented with a ribbon and gift tag along with a lovely key charm I’m hoping to make into a bookmark at some point!

Courtesy of the wonderful folks at Ace/Roc/DAW, I also received the following ARCs: The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith is a fantasy mystery about a librarian of the afterlife’s Library of Unwritten Books who is assigned to track down a missing codex; and How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason is a quirky fantasy/sci-fi mashup that re-imagines fairy tale tropes within a space opera. I hadn’t known about either of these books before they arrived, but they sound interesting!

Also thank you to Tor for sending me a finished copy of Starship Repo by Patrick S. Tomlinson. I loved his book Gate Crashers, but apparently the humor is a lot more over-the-top and the author’s politics and messages are way more in-your-face and unsubtle in this one, which makes me think I will probably struggle with it. I guess I’ll still want to try this book at some point, maybe if I have some extra time this summer.

From LibraryThing, I also also excited to score an ARC of After the Flood by Kassandra Montag last month. Publishing in the fall from William Morrow, it’s a post-apocalyptic dystopian that has been compared to Station Eleven. I’m already enchanted by the gorgeous cover and the intriguing synopsis!

And with thanks to Harper Voyager, I received a surprise ARC of Boundless by R.A. Salvatore, which is part of the author’s Legend of Drizzt saga. However, it’s also the second book of a trilogy, and since I don’t think I’ve ever read a Drizzt book in my life (or if I had, it was so long ago that I don’t recall), something tells me it might not be possible for me to just jump into this one without being all kinds of lost, ha.

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books, I also received this shiny (literally) finished hardcover of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. It was a complete surprise, but since I’ve read and enjoyed the author’s previous book An Enchantment of Ravens, I think I will read this one too!

With thanks also to DAW Books for a finished copy of A Sword Named Truth by Sherwood Smith. I’ve never read the author, but I’m looking forward to diving in with this first book of a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the same world of her popular Inda series. Even though it picks up certain threads from the previous books, I’ve heard this can be a good jumping on point, so I’m pretty excited.

And finally, thank you to Del Rey for sending me a finished copy of The Soul of Power by Callie Bates, the final book of The Waking Land trilogy. In case you missed it, I reviewed this book earlier in the week, and you can check it out by finding it in the review links below.

On to the digital haul, it doesn’t seem like I’ve shown much self-restraint when it comes to requests these last two weeks! In the NetGalley pile alone, I received: Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence, the sequel to One Word Kill, with thanks to 47North; The Grace Year by Kim Liggett after I was sent an email from Wednesday Books informing me that the eARC was Read Now for a limited time, so I jumped on it because I am a fan of the author; The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters courtesy of Crooked Lane Books after learning about it from Tammy at Books, Bones & Buffy; The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy after I received an invitational widget from the wonderful folks at St. Martin’s Press, because I’ve always wanted to read the author; and The Whisper Man by Alex North, a compelling mystery thriller that has been on my radar for a while, with thanks to Celadon Books. Whew! At least most of these don’t come out until later in the year, plenty of time to plan out my reading and catch up.

From Edelweiss, I also picked up a couple digital galleys. With thanks to Pamela Dorman Books for Someone We Know by Shari Lapena, and Tu Books for The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas. Both are titles I’ve featured on Waiting on Wednesday, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to received them.

Just a couple titles in the audiobook haul this book, and they’re both thrillers. Thanks once again to Tammy for introducing me to Deception Cove by Owen Laukkanen, which sounds awesome, and I also downloaded a listening copy of Cari Mora by Thomas Harris of Silence of the Lambs fame. With thanks to Hachette Audio for the opportunity.

Reviews

Here is a quick summary of my reviews posted since the last update:

Beautiful by Juliet Marillier (4 of 5 stars)
Warlock Holmes: The Sign of Nine by G.S. Denning (4 of 5 stars)
Shark Beach by Chris Jameson (4 of 5 stars)
Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher (3.5 of 5 stars)
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Soul of Power by Callie Bates (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Queen’s Gambit by Jessie Mihalik (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden (2.5 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. Stay tuned for more reviews!

black line

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: Summer

Posted on June 7, 2019 29 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:

“One swallow does not make a summer”
~ a cover that makes you think of SUMMER

Mogsy’s Pick:

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

When I think of summer, I think of warm sunshine, pristine beaches, stretches of white sand and the pounding surf. Tropical retreats like the island paradise of Bora Bora. It’s the last place you’d expect trouble to find you, which is why domestic thrillers like Something in the Water can be so effective. Just a few weeks ago, our protagonists Erin, a young up-and-coming documentary filmmaker, and her husband Mark, an investment banker, were celebrating their honeymoon in the South Pacific when their boat suddenly bumped up against something in the water. And what they found in those crystal blue depths changed everything in their lives.

Let’s take a look at some of the covers:

From left to right:
Ballantine (2018) – Simon & Schuster UK Hardcover (2018) – Simon & Schuster UK Paperback (2019)

Romanian Edition (2019) – Bulgarian Edition (2018) – Serbian Edition (2018)

Dutch Edition (2019) – Estonian Edition (2018) – Persian Edition (2018)

Italian Edition (2019) – Spanish Edition (2018) – Greek Edition (2018)

Winner:

Admit it, several of these covers made you squint extra hard to try and see if you could make out anything in the water which would give you some clues as to what this book is about. Of course, I’ve read it and I know what it was that Erin and Mark found, but I’m not gonna tell, muahahahaha! Anyway, my favorite this week is probably the Dutch edition, which manages to be “summery” and “ominous” at the same time.

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

Audiobook Review: Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher

Posted on June 6, 2019 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.

Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher

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

Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Media Tie-in

Series: Book 2 of Stranger Things

Publisher: Random House Audio (May 28, 2019)

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: David Pittu

Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher is the second official Stranger Things novel in a series exploring other side stories set in the world of the show. These stand-alone books are great for fans who will no doubt appreciate a lot of the references and Easter eggs scattered about the story, but technically you don’t need any prior knowledge to jump right in and enjoy it either. This time, we’re flashing back to events taking place in the summer of 1977, told as a frame story by Hawkins police chief Jim Hopper, who has just adopted Eleven.

As the novel opens, it is the first Christmas for our little found family, and Hopper is feeling a little out of his depth but still trying his hardest to be a good father to the 11-year-old girl, now called Jane “El” Hopper. Over the holidays though, El has been exploring, digging an old cardboard box simply labeled “New York” out of the basement. Full of questions, El brings the box’s contents to Hopper and asks her new dad for a story. What did he do in New York before he decided to return to his sleepy hometown of Hawkins, Indiana? And why did he leave here in the first place? How come he never talks about his past?

Reluctant to tell El everything she wants to know, Hopper nonetheless knows that being honest and sharing information about himself would go a long way in reinforcing their relationship. The question is, how much to share? Tentatively, Hopper decides to begin with his return to the United States after serving in Vietnam. Looking for a change of pace and more career prospects, he decides to join the NYPD, starting life with his young family in New York City. Soon, he is busy enough working tough cases that frequently take time away with his wife Diane and daughter Sara, but in spite of this, they are happy. That is, until some shady federal agents start showing up, removing the NYPD from their latest case involving a series of bizarre cultish murders and confiscating all the files related to it. However, Hopper isn’t the kind of man to just let these things go, and unfortunately for him, his doggedness has not gone unnoticed.

So far, I’ve been enjoying these new Stranger Things novels and the character backstories that they provide. The first book, Suspicious Minds, was more of a prequel to the show, featuring Eleven’s mother Terry Ives and the story of how she ended up being a test subject in the government’s research into the supernatural and paranormal. Despite being mostly told in flashback, Darkness on the Edge of Town brings us closer to the events as they happen on the show, beginning shortly after the end of season two when Hopper officially adopts Eleven as his daughter Jane. And to be completely honest, while they only made up a tiny portion of the book, these little glimpses into their time together as were some of the best moments. There are so many heartwarming details worked in here and there, especially given what we know of Hopper’s life and what happened to his daughter Sara. He’s always been my favorite character in the show, and reading about his love for El here in this book—and seeing him try so hard for her—made him even more endearing to me.

Still, the main bulk of the story, i.e. the flashback sections to 1977, read more like your typical police procedural involving murder cases and violent gangs. Light allusions to the occult notwithstanding, there really wasn’t much paranormal activity in his one, in contrast to Suspicious Minds, which featured it more heavily. Where Darkness on the Edge of Town wins though, is in the action. The overarching mystery is also intensified by the suspense of Hopper going undercover, as well as the thrills of other genre trappings like car chases and shootouts. It’s entertaining stuff, if a bit standard. That said, I enjoyed the setting as the author takes us back to the 70’s, referencing things like the Star Wars release, Son of Sam, and even incorporating the New York City blackout of 1977 into the main plot.

But at the end of the day, much like Suspicious Minds, I would mostly recommend Darkness on the Edge of Town to fans of the show, and even then, it’s probably not essential. But if you’re impatiently waiting for the new season and want to read something fun in the meantime, this one is sure to tide you over until July and get you in the mood for more Stranger Things.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Suspicious Minds (Book 1)

Waiting on Wednesday 06/05/19

Posted on June 5, 2019 20 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

Dark Pattern by Andrew Mayne (October 15, 2019 by Thomas & Mercer)

With great excitement, I saw that this cover finally showed up on Amazon this week. Theo Cray is returning in October, baby! And it sounds like he’s off another off-the-wall mission to catch a dangerous killer.

Dr. Theo Cray is on the hunt for a killer nurse, and redemption, in a mind-bending psychological thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

Dr. Theo Cray has a legendary mathematical knack for catching serial killers. Until his exposure to a mind-altering pathogen knocks him off his game. It has upended an investigation, destroyed his reputation, and left him to question his own sanity. One person still trusts him to finish the job. His former professor Amanda Paulson is helping point Cray down a logical path to his prey: a nomadic health-care worker whose murder spree stretches back decades and whose victims number in the hundreds.

Never more desperate to save innocent lives, and to save himself, Cray follows each new lead around the world. But with his own grip on reality slipping away, Cray knows that to follow the pattern of an elusive killer, he must also confront his own dark side. In those dangerous shadows, he can find what he’s hunting. For Cray, venturing into a world without reason is going to be the most frightening journey of his life.

Book Review: The Soul of Power by Callie Bates

Posted on June 4, 2019 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.

The Soul of Power by Callie Bates

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 3 of The Waking Land

Publisher: Del Rey (June 4, 2019)

Length: 480 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I think it’s always a challenge whenever the books in a series follow a new POV with each volume, because you never know whether you will enjoy the new character or how you would adjust to their perspective. Case in point, my own personal experience with this series has been complicated, for while I loved The Waking Land which featured Lady Elanna Valtai, I was less pleased with the protagonist of the next book, Jahan Korakides in The Memory of Fire. In fact, one of the biggest motivators for me to read this third novel, The Soul of Power, was knowing that once again we will be shifting the focus to a new character who I was curious to know more about.

The illegitimate daughter of an exiled king, Sophy Dunbarron now has the opportunity to claim the throne that had eluded her father, ruling over both the lands of Eren and Caeris. Unfortunately, it would be very difficult for her to hold on to power. For one thing, she has no support from the Eren nobles, who vehemently oppose her rule. For another, she is secretly with child, and the father is a man she loves but can never marry, due to his lack of status and political connection.

Despite all these obstacles, however, Sophy is determined to make it work. She has worked her whole life to fulfill this role, not to mention how much her mother had sacrificed for her. But as the world is thrown in turmoil in the wake of Elanna Valtai’s revolution, the political landscape has become unstable and treacherous to navigate. As anti-magic sentiment grows, those with talent in sorcery are also pouring into Sophy’s territory, hoping to find refuge within her nation’s borders, though with resources already stretched to the limit due to the war, her own citizens are growing disgruntled with the influx of more mouths to feed—and of course, the nobles in Sophy’s court who want to see her deposed are quick to use that negative sentiment to their advantage. It seems that everywhere she turns is another conflict, another fire to put out. And as if that weren’t enough, more and more people are inexplicably manifesting magical powers by the day.

Then comes the devastating news that Elanna has been captured by Paladis and their witchhunters. Sophy is left on her own to find the way, trying to figure out the political climate and predict the next moves of her enemies while keeping the secret of her pregnancy from those who will attempt to use it to ruin her.

I have to admit, I couldn’t really recall much about Sophy’s character from the first book, both because Elanna was such a larger-than-life personality and also because the supporting cast received so little attention. As a result, it was easy to overlook everything that wasn’t about Elanna, which I suppose is why the author decided to focus on different characters in the sequels, expanding her world with their unique perspectives. To my relief, I enjoyed reading about Sophy much more than I enjoyed reading about Jahan in the previous volume, which helped immensely to get me into the story—and a good thing too, because the plot turned out to be rather heavy on the political conflict and intrigue. Relative to the previous books, it is also lighter on the magical aspects. So if you don’t enjoy reading fantasy stories that are mostly about political maneuvering, or if you’re not a fan of discussions surrounding the spectacle and intricacies of nation-building, then it’s pretty safe to say this book won’t be for you.

That said, I found the overall premise of The Soul of Power engrossing, and I enjoyed following Sophy’s growth over the course of the story. And of course, it helped that there was as much personal conflict as there is political conflict. As a character, Sophy was fascinating and I found her journey more compelling than Elanna or Jahan’s, given the complexities of her back story and the romantic drama in her life. Fighting for her crown was more than just a plot mechanism to drive suspense and uncertainty; it was also for Sophy to learn more about herself and figure out her priorities, like how much does being queen mean to her and what is she willing to sacrifice for power. As well, her impending motherhood was a thread that featured strongly throughout the entirety of the novel, and a constant reminder that as much as she had to gain, she also had the most to lose.

All in all, The Soul of Power was a solid, well-written novel—maybe not as magical or imposing as The Waking Land, but definitely a step up from The Memory of Fire for me. It was also inspiring in its own way, starring a genuinely sympathetic heroine who is introspective and kind-hearted. It was a satisfying, uplifting conclusion to Callie Bates’ debut trilogy, and I look forward to what she does next after this!

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Waking Land (Book 1)
Review of The Memory of Fire (Book 2)

Book Review: Warlock Holmes: The Sign of Nine by G.S. Denning

Posted on June 3, 2019 29 Comments

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

Warlock Holmes: The Sign of Nine by G.S. Denning

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 4 of Warlock Holmes

Publisher: Titan Books (May 21, 2019)

Length: 400 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

The fourth Warlock Holmes book kind of snuck up on me, but it was met with welcome joy because of how much I love this series. I can always count on G.S. Denning’s sense of humor to make me laugh, and I was definitely not disappointed! The Sign of Nine might be my favorite since A Study in Brimstone, and even just the first chapter had rolling with laughter.

But first, a quick crash course for the uninitiated: Warlock Holmes is a creative reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, as you might have already guessed, cleverly injecting paranormal elements into the classic literary tales about the beloved detective character. However, what makes this series different—and why you should check it out—is its satirical spin, for in Denning’s retelling, Holmes is less of a brilliant deductive mastermind and more of a bumbling, incompetent idiot. For all that he can cast spells, read dreams, and commune with demons, on most days Warlock can hardly be counted upon to conduct his own business or even make his own tea without burning the house down around him. The truth is, the real genius living at 221B Baker Street is John Watson, Warlock’s more sensible and capable partner who helps keeps everyone in line and the place running smoothly.

But in the wake of My Grave Ritual, Watson has become seriously incapacitated by illness, his bloodstream having been contaminated by the essence of a sorcerer mummy which now gives him the power of prophetic dreams. In addition, he cannot seem to stop thinking about Irene Adler, the femme fatale who has become his latest obsession. This has caused Warlock Holmes no small amount of consternation and guilt, believing himself to be the cause of his partner’s injuries and misfortunes. Stepping up to become a better person, Holmes also attempts to distance himself from Watson in order to protect him from further harm.

Watson, however, would have none of it. Like the previous volumes, The Sign of Nine is presented as a series of short tales chronicling the adventures of the two men, as told from Watson’s point-of-view. Needless to say, the sudden reversal in their roles has made him cranky and indignant. Four books in though, it’s heartening to see how much their relationship has developed, and I’m also enjoying this fresh take on their usual dynamic. Watson, who has always prided himself on his intelligence and sophistication, is now shocked to find he has become the slovenly and unstable one. Holmes, on the other hand, has become the caregiver, looking out for Watson and making sure he doesn’t leave the house without putting on pants.

Fortunately, these changes have not affected the rhythm or tone of the humor, merely shifted it in a different direction so we can appreciate it from another angle. Watson is as witty as ever, and if anything, he’s even funnier in this book with a more sardonic and snarkier edge to his humor. Likewise, Warlock Holmes is still a loveable, blundering weirdo. Also, while I found the comedy in last couple of volumes to be slightly more slapstick, this one returns to a more balanced state between the subtle and the unsubtle, very similar to the way it was in A Study in Brimstone. Thing is, I don’t typically do well with too much silliness or juvenile humor, which is why, unsurprisingly, my favorite part of the book was all the clever wisecracks and rejoinders in the dialogue, not to mention how it was mostly the story’s satirical components that made me laugh. That said, Denning does silliness and slapstick in such a genuine, passionate and down-to-earth way that it’s hard to fault him too much, even when he’s pushing things over the top.

Speaking of which, the source material for Warlock Holmes is clearly just as important to the author as his creations, because he goes to great lengths to try and incorporate elements the original tales into this world in which Holmes is a warlock, Inspector Lestrade is a vampire, and Tobias Gregson is Torg Grogsson, an ogre. You can tell Denning is having a blast writing these books because a lot of that enthusiasm is transferred to the reader, explaining why even the shorter and less eventful tales were so enjoyable to read.

Here’s hoping that there will be more Warlock Holmes books in the future, especially with the larger series plot arc with Moriarty still unresolved. I’ve come to care a lot about these characters, and I can’t wait for another adventure with them.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of A Study in Brimstone (Book 1)
Review of The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles (Book 2)
Review of My Grave Ritual (Book 3)

Audiobook Review: The Queen’s Gambit by Jessie Mihalik

Posted on June 2, 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 Queen’s Gambit by Jessie Mihalik

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

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction

Series: Book 1 of Rogue Queen

Publisher: Tantor Audio (May 31, 2019)

Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Rachel Dulude

Sometimes you just need a break with something fun. Earlier this year, I had a great time with Jessie Mihalik’s Polaris Rising, a sci-fi romance featuring fast-paced action and political intrigue with just the right amount of hot, sexy passion. Needless to say, when an opportunity came up to check out the audiobook of The Queen’s Gambit—a novella which began life as a free serialized project on the author’s website but is now available in a single collected volume—I leaped at the chance. After falling into a bit of a reading slump this past week, I was also in the mood for something lighter to pick me up, and this looked like it would do the trick.

It all began with a rescue mission. Or at least, that had been the original plan. Samara is a young queen who had until recently kept her Rogue Coalition out of the greater conflict in the war between the Quint Confederacy and the Kos Empire, preferring to stay out of the fight in order to protect her people. But with both sides refusing to trade with neutral sectors, the new conditions have forced Samara to consider more drastic action, or else the entire Coalition will starve.

Knowing that the Kos emperor is currently being held in Quint custody and that his people will pay handsomely to get him back, Samara devises a bold and dangerous plan to break him out. But infiltrating the Quint mercenary forces wouldn’t be easy. And as it turns out, the emperor, the handsome and charismatic Valentin Kos, isn’t anything she expected either. For one thing, he’s not the cold and callous tyrant he is purported to be, making it difficult for Samara to do what must be done to save her people.

Having now read both Polaris Rising and The Queen’s Gambit, I can definitely see similar elements of the author’s style in each story, and the books also feature many of the same themes and ideas. Samara is a headstrong, kick-ass heroine who isn’t afraid to risk her life for the causes and people she cares about. She also has a good heart, offering her Rogue Coalition as a haven for all the galaxy’s unwanted. Does this make her character a little too hokey and unrealistic, a bit of a “Mary Sue” sometimes? Sure. But for a light, jaunty read like this, I wasn’t going to be too picky. Likewise, Valentin Kos was an interesting and likeable romantic interest for Samara, if at times also just a tad too idealistic, but at least their romance didn’t overwhelm the rest of the plot, and I liked that it didn’t distract too much from the action.

Due to the short length of this story, I also wasn’t expecting too much depth from the plot. All I wanted was something light and entertaining, and in these areas, The Queen’s Gambit most certainly delivered. That said, there were moments that surprised me. World-building was more detailed and developed than expected, for instance. As well, I was impressed with the complexities of the political conflict at the center of the plot. Mihalik could have simply made this one a pure action novel, and done away with the rest. The fact that she didn’t says volumes about her passion for her writing, and I respected the hell out of her decision to flesh out her world with these extra details.

All in all, I found The Queen’s Gambit to be highly entertaining, perfect if you’re looking for a bite-sized adventure you can devour in a single afternoon. It’s pure action and intrigue with a good dose of romance, super-trimmed down for maximum pacing and readability. As a result, I wouldn’t expect anything too deep, but Jessie Mihalik has created a fun universe with compelling characters to hold your attention rapt. If a fluffy sci-fi tale is what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed.

Audiobook Comments: The narrator for the audiobook of The Queens Gambit, Rachel Dulude, is one of my favorites and I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, especially on Becky Chamber’s Wayfarers series. She has a great voice for sci-fi as well as strong, independent female characters, giving Samara a realistic and punchy personality!

Audiobook Review: The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden

Posted on June 1, 2019 15 Comments

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

The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Series: Book 2 of Ben Walker

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (April 23, 2019)

Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Amber Benson

Well, unfortunately this one didn’t really work for me. While I wasn’t completely blown away by Ararat, when I saw that it had a quasi-sequel called The Pandora Room coming out, I thought I might give Christopher Golden and this world another try. Sad to say though, I think I ended up even less taken with this new installment.

And it’s a pity, because I thought the book’s description sounded so intriguing. Just days before packing it in on her dig site in Northern Iraq, archaeologist Sophie Durand makes a stunning discovery in the underground city her expedition has been in the process of excavating. Uncovered in a hidden chamber, an ancient jar may hold the secrets to the origin of Pandora’s Box, the mythological vessel that is said to have unleashed all the sickness, evil, and death upon the world. As the news of this discovery spread, governments around the world are taking notice, given the artifact’s provenance. Once again, this is where Ben Walker enters the picture. Disguised as a representative of the National Science Foundation, he is in fact a secret DARPA agent who is dispatched to the region in order to investigate Sophie and her team’s find.

At first, his role seemed pretty straightforward—ensure that all protocols are followed properly in the jar’s containment process, and then somehow extract the artifact on behalf of his employers for further study. However, not long after his arrival, political instability and insurgents in the region swiftly put an end to those plans. Worse, following a procedural breach by a rogue researcher, it appears contamination has occurred when several of the team members are sickened by an unknown pathogen. Trapped in the haunted underground labyrinthine city surrounded by armed terrorists and a quarantine, Ben Walker finds himself in yet another fight for his life.

With such an incredible premise, I was surprised to find The Pandora Room disappointingly lacking in both the action and thrills department, especially in the first half of the book. While listening to this in audio, I actually found myself struggling not to fall asleep! Part of the reason for this is the slow setup; there are a ton of characters to establish at the dig site, and Ben Walker himself doesn’t show up until later. I’m also not sure why the story needed such a long introduction to get started, but the beginning was definitely bogged down by a ton of extraneous detail about the political situation in the region as well as a whole lot of character background information that could have waited until later. Then there was the handwringing and bureaucratic nonsense about what to do with the jar when, in another couple of chapters, it all turned out to be moot anyway.

Thankfully, the pacing improved significantly following the “Oh shit!” moment that finally got the ball rolling on this paranormal thriller. When it turns out the seal on the jar has been cracked, several people start exhibiting signs of an unknown and quite possibly pre-biblical plague. My hat’s off to Golden, at least he knows how to ramp up the suspense by including in his descriptions of the victims a wide assortment of terrifying and gruesome symptoms. And then there are the jihadi military forces on Sophie and Ben’s doorstep, trying to infiltrate the archeological dig site and kill everyone within. Some of the sick have also started reporting hallucinations, claiming to hear and see things that shouldn’t be possible or don’t make sense. But are these just more signs of the mysterious illness, or are there in fact preternatural elements at play here? Like my thoughts on Ararat, I just loved the resulting vibes of uncertainty and the overall feeling of claustrophobia.

Still, while I enjoyed these horror aspects, I just didn’t think there were enough. The plot struggled to maintain its momentum and hence my interest, and with the exception of Ben Walker, none of the other characters were really that engaging or likeable. At times, the book also seemed confused as to whether it wanted to a paranormal horror or an action thriller, and ultimately this whole wishy-washy not-quite-sure-how-to-fulfill-either goal scenario simply didn’t work for me at all.

In sum, The Pandora Room had potential, but it ended up falling short of expectations. What could have been an atmospheric and slow-burn chiller became more or less a pedestrian action-adventure novel sprinkled here and there with supernatural elements. Sure, it wasn’t all bad, but there’s not much I found too memorable about this one either. Hence an ambivalent 2.5 rating when it comes to this one.

Audiobook Comments: It probably wasn’t for the lack of trying, but not even Amber Benson, a great actress and normally an effective narrator, could save this one for me. I’ve listened to and enjoyed a few of her audiobook performances in the past, but for some reason things didn’t quite click this time. She didn’t even really sound like herself, though granted that could have been caused by the writing style.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Ararat (Book 1)

Friday Face-Off: Favorite Fantasy Cover

Posted on May 31, 2019 36 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“Simples”
~ a cover featuring A FAVORITE FANTASY COVER

Mogsy’s Pick:

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I’m glad for the easy topic this week, because it means a chance for me to feature a great book as well as many of its beautiful covers I’ve always admired!

While The Lies of Locke Lamora has many editions, today’s theme wants us to focus on our favorites, hence I’ve chosen to put forth only the best ones for the face-off:

From left to right:
Spectra (2006) – Bantam Spectra (2007) – Subterranean Press (2007)

Gollancz (2006) – Gollancz PB (2007) – Gollancz 10th Year Anniversary Ed (2016)

Finnish Edition (2007) – Swedish Edition (2007) – Polish Edition (2007)

French Edition A (2013) – French Edition B (2013) – Italian Edition (2007)

Thai Edition (2017) – Romanian Edition (2011) – Bulgarian Edition (2008)

Winner:

Well, this book was certainly blessed by the cover gods. Even after the culling, we have more than a dozen strong contenders. It was extremely difficult to choose this week, but at the end of the day I’m going to have to go with the Gollancz paperback, as this has always been the one closest to my impressions of what the world of Gentleman Bastard and Camorr should look and feel like.

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