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
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:
“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?
Audiobook Review: Beautiful by Juliet Marillier
Posted on May 30, 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.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Audible Studios (May 30, 2019)
Length:7 hrs and 18 mins
Author Information: Website
Narrator: Gemma Dawson
Juliet Marillier’s Beautiful, aptly titled, is a gorgeous three-part narrative about a very special young woman who embarks upon an adventure to find herself and save her people. A standalone novel expanded from the author’s novella of the same name, this story is currently available only as an Audible Original, which means it is an audiobook exclusive until print and ebook editions come out at a much later date. I would like to thank Audible Studios for providing me with an advance listening copy for review purposes, and the following is my honest opinion.
But first, a bit of background. I have not read the original tale upon which this book was based, but one would be able to find it in the collection Aurum: A Golden Anthology of Original Australian Fantasy edited by Russell B. Farr from Ticonderoga Publications. From what I’ve gathered in my research though, it would appear that this version of Beautiful is a lot more detailed at approximately 77,000 words, which is almost five times the length of its inspiration, itself a retelling of a Norwegian fairy tale called East of the Sun and West of the Moon about a young woman who marries a prince trapped in the form of a white bear. In it, the heroine must free her beloved from a terrible curse, and in order to do that, she undertakes a perilous journey to the ends of the earth where the Troll Queen has imprisoned him in her castle. The heroine then uses her wits to defy all kinds of odds, saving her man from marrying the Troll Queen’s daughter.
However, the star of Beautiful is a very different kind of protagonist. Hulde is what you would call the bit-parter, the forgotten one. Not the bold and indomitable heroine, nor the girl who gets the guy, she is in fact the troll princess, the quiet and unassuming daughter of the power-hungry Troll Queen. Marillier has described Hulde as “rather hard done by” in the original tale, so her novel was a chance to explore the character and her viewpoint in more detail. The first part of Beautiful tells of her childhood high in the mountain castle, growing up under the thumb of her temperamental and ambitious mother. Hulde is told that when she reaches age sixteen, she will be married to the most handsome prince in the land, though having been sheltered and isolated all her life, our protagonist isn’t really sure what to make of that. Her only friend—and the only one she’s ever had those kinds of feelings for—is Rune, the kindly white bear who only visits the castle every three years.
Well, knowing the gist of the original fairy tale, you can probably guess what became of that relationship and how Hulde took it. Hard done by, indeed. After the introduction, I began to better understand the author’s fascination for the forgotten troll princess’ role in the story as well as her motivation to come up with the next chapter for her character, and I was glad to see that parts two and three of Beautiful did just that. Following Hulde after she finally steps out from the shadow of her mother, this book chronicles the epic journey of her self-discovery. Along the way, we have action and adventure, challenges and pain, love and friendships as our protagonist learns about the world and where she fits in it. What we have here is the best kind of fairy tale-inspired fantasy featuring an evocative setting full of magic and enchantment, as well as an incredibly deep message behind our heroine’s quest to overcome her insecurities and blaze her own trail.
Speaking of which, Marillier is in her element writing about Hulde, a compelling protagonist I found irresistible and endearing. Growing up as she did with her overbearing and manipulative mother, Hulde has a rather unconventional personality for a fantasy heroine, but this only made her even more interesting to me. Not to mention, her upbringing also made her later relationships feel even more significant and poignant, especially when she realizes she is not as alone as she thought, that she friends and supporters in her corner. I also loved the bond she had with her very special dog, cat, and bird!
The three parts of the book are also very distinct, each engaging in its own themes and following its own structure. That said, the way they fit together is perfection, and the transitions make sense as each section sees Hulde reaching another stage of her development. This self-realization theme is tightly woven into every aspect of the novel, making Beautiful a joy to read if you love character studies and stories that focus on characters first.
Once again, I am reminded of why Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors, and why I think her books are absolutely required reading if you enjoy these types of stories. While she may be a master at writing the tragically beautiful story arc, her main characters often do overcome their hardships in heartfelt, meaningful endings. Beautiful was no exception. Read with feeling and eloquence by narrator Gemma Dawson who gave vitality and charm to Hulde, this is an audiobook I would highly recommend.
Waiting on Wednesday 05/29/19
Posted on May 29, 2019 17 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
Someone We Know by Shari Lapena (July 30, 2019 by Pamela Dorman Books)
Psychological thrillers and suspenseful mysteries have become regular genres in my rotation lately, and sure enough, since the beginning of the year I have added a bunch of them to my highly anticipated list. After reading An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena last year, I’m curious to try more by the author!
“The new domestic suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, Shari Lapena
Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .
“This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out.”
In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses–and into the owners’ computers as well–learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.
Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they’re telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?
In this neighborhood, it’s not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .
You never really know what people are capable of.”
Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years
Posted on May 28, 2019 51 Comments
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish, a weekly meme that now resides at That Artsy Reader Girl. The meme first came about because of a love of lists. Who doesn’t love lists? The original creators also wanted their lists to be shared with fellow book lovers and to ask that we in turn share ours with them and connect with other book bloggers. To learn more about participating, stop by their page dedicated to it and dive in!
This week’s topic: Ten Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years
What a fun topic for this week! If there’s one thing I love just as much as making lists, it’s reminiscing and taking a retrospective look back at my favorite books. So without further ado, let’s start counting down…
2018
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
(May 1st 2018 by Harper Voyager)
It hasn’t really been that long since 2018 ended, so a lot of great books I read last year are still fresh on my mind. It made choosing my favorite somewhat harder, but in the end this was the book my mind kept coming back to, the one that stood out above the rest.
2017
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
(November 14th 2017 by Tor Books)
No contest. And if you’ve read the two previous volumes in the Stormlight Archive, you’d probably understand; this series is simply epic, and this third installment once again transported us back to the stunning world of Roshar and its amazing characters.
2016
City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett
(January 26th 2016 by Broadway Books)
2016 was tougher to judge. This was an excellent year for speculative fiction releases (also the year I read the most books) and I ended it with a lot of 5 star reads. In the end, I decided to go with the one that made the most impact, which was this second novel of Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Divine Cities.
2015
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey
(June 2nd 2015 by Orbit)
Nemesis Games had 2015 in the bag. This book was where I felt the series really took off, and three Expanse volumes later, it’s still my favorite.
2014
Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
(November 4th 2014 by Roc)
2014 was the year I finally discovered Juliet Marillier, and honestly, I had no idea why it took me so long. Dreamer’s Pool held a very special place in my heart that year, and I know it will continue to resonate with me for a long, long time.
2013
Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh
(June 11th 2013 by Orbit)
This book messed me up for days after reading it, but in a good way. There were probably bigger, more prominent releases I also gave 5 stars to this year, but in terms of having the most profound impact on me, no other book even came close.
2012
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
(October 11th 2012 by Tachyon Publications)
Come on, you can’t really be that surprised to see Sanderson again on this list. There’s a reason why he’s my favorite author. Whether his books are 1000 pages or 100, they’re always a joy to read, not to mention creative as hell. As you know, I’m really not a short fiction kind of person, but I think The Emperor’s Soul is the only novella I’ve ever given 5 stars to, that’s how much it blew my mind.
2011
Tie:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (August 16th 2011 by Crown)
11/22/63 by Stephen King (November 8th 2011 by Scribner)
Okay, I know I’m cheating a little by listing two books for this year, but they both released in 2011 and I really couldn’t bring myself to go with one over the other. I love both books, and for very different reasons.
2010
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
(August 31st 2010 by Tor Books)
Seriously, Sanderson a third time? Ah, but what did you expect? 2010 was the year I started getting into reading again (before this I had several dry years where I just didn’t have time) and it was also the year I starting dipping my toes into the fantasy genre, and you might say The Way of Kings was sort of an awakening for me. Of course, it also made me think all epic fantasy was going to be this amazing, but needless to say I’ve certainly gained a lot more experience and insight into the genre since then. Now nearly a decade later with hundreds of fantasy novels under my belt though, this book has still held up remarkably well in my esteem.
As I said, I read very little for a stretch of many years prior to 2010 so I won’t be going back any further, but since I listed two books for 2011 anyway, I have my ten books. Have you read any of these, and if so, what did you think? And if not, do you plan on reading any of them? What were some of your favorite books each year?
Book Review: Shark Beach by Chris Jameson
Posted on May 27, 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.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (May 28, 2019)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website
When it comes to books, most readers have a guilty pleasure read or particular genres they go to for pure escapism, and for me, it’s books like Shark Beach. Sometimes you just have to say screw it and indulge in a little fun every once in a while, whether it be a trashy romance, the fripperies of an angsty teen drama, or in my case, bloody shark porn. And what I like most about Chris Jameson’s shark books is that they somehow manage to perfectly straddle that fine line between the believable and the completely ludicrous.
Still, compared to the author’s previous books Shark Island and Devil Sharks, Shark Beach arguably does take things a little bit over the top, what with the secret government labs and genetically engineered sharks modified to have heightened aggression levels which are then inevitably unleashed upon the unsuspecting public. The story takes place on dreamy Captiva Island, located in Florida just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of its isolation and small size, it’s the perfect destination for tourists desiring a tropical vacation away from all the hustle and bustle, but of course, as the book starts with the news that a monster hurricane about to hit the gulf, the mood on the island is anything but peaceful.
Typical of most thrillers, Shark Beach bounces between a number of POVs, but its main focus is the Scully family—Rick and Corinne and their daughters Emma and Kelsey—along with their friends Matti and Jenn Hautala and their son Jesse. The two families have been close for years, with their kids practically having grown up as siblings, but only this spring have they all finally managed to get together to rent a vacation home on Captiva. As frequent visitors to the island, the Scullys are excited to show their friends what they love about the place, though that elation is somewhat dampened by Rick and Corrine’s troubled marriage, not to mention the looming threat of Hurricane Juliet, which may or may not make landfall in Florida. The governor has thus far only issued a voluntary evacuation order, which many vacationers are choosing to ignore for now, including the Scullys, the Hautalas, and the rowdy spring breakers in the beach house next door.
In the midst of all this uncertainty, the staff at a clandestine maritime research facility on neighboring Sanibel Island are doing their own fretting and prepping, taking steps to protect their top-secret work and the valuable contents in their massive state-of-the-art aquarium tanks. In case the hurricane does hit, they’ll need backup power and security on-site to make sure nothing will go wrong. They did not, however, consider the possibility that a security breach would occur within—a mistake that would later prove costly in both blood and human lives.
Like Jameson’s other shark novels, there’s plenty of shark action and all the horror and thrills you could hope for. After the missteps in Devil Sharks, I was also glad to see that Shark Beach returned to a more character-focused approach. As a result of the narrative limiting the number of people we followed, as well as the beefing up of relationship and personality development, I felt I was better able to engage with the characters and actually cared whether they survived or ended up being shark food.
Which brings me to the tension in this one, which was insane. Several times I practically had to restrain myself from committing the reader’s sin of skipping to the end of a page or chapter just to find out what happens in order to get some quick relief from the terror and suspense. In a word, the pacing and intensity of Shark Beach was relentless. Between the chaos of the hurricane and the awful dread of being out on the water, you could never predict what would happen or trust that anyone would be safe. Ironically, despite the ridiculous premise involving weaponized sharks, I also experienced a fear reading this one that I didn’t with Shark Island or Devil Sharks, probably because the others featured scenarios I felt far removed from. But at the center of this novel is an average family doing what all average families do when they are taking a beach vacation, which mostly involves being out on the water. In recent years, we’ve also witnessed the magnitude of destruction that powerful hurricanes can do to the area. In the blink of an eye, a sudden force of nature can turn paradise into a nightmare, and for some reason, the situation in the novel just felt too real for me. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be swimming in the ocean or getting into any small boats in the foreseeable future.
My only criticism is that the ending felt too abrupt. Jameson did a great job with characters in this one, but I also wished he had carried some of the ideas a little further. For example, what was the conflict that caused the falling out between Marianna, Simone, and Nadia? The story touched lightly upon this, but the question was never answered. And what happened to the relationship between the Scullys and the Hautalas in the end, given all that happened to the two families? Again, we are only left to speculate. I just think that if an author’s going to build up these little dramas, we should get some of them resolved.
Still, if you’re looking for your shark fiction fix this summer, these books can’t be beat when it comes to campy good fun. I hope Chris Jameson will keep them coming!
YA Weekend: Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Posted on May 26, 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.
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Dark Shores
Publisher: Tor Teen (May 7, 2019)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’ll be honest, I almost didn’t want to read this. After the way Danielle L. Jensen’s first series ended, which left a horrible taste in my mouth that has lingered even after all this time, I’ve learned to be cautious of anything else she writes. However, because the description of Dark Shores sounded so enticing with its promise of sea-faring adventures and pirates, ultimately I decided it might be worth a shot.
Fortunately, in the end, the book gave me no cause to regret that decision. But still, the first quarter or so of this was a little rough. Granted, there was a lot to set up for the premise, which features a setting inspired by Ancient Rome, a fractured empire rife with infighting and rebellion, characters from both sides of the divide including a mariner princess and a soldier of the legion. In this world, conquest is the name of the game, and the Celendor Empire means to win it. Ruled by a corrupt and power-hungry senate, the Cel have long a long history of subjugating nations and their peoples in the name of bringing in more wealth for themselves. Now the only places they have left to conquer are the seas and Dark Shores, the near mythical land on the other side of the world.
But the sea also has its own protectors to guard its secrets. Teriana is heir to the Maarin Triumvirate, a culture of sailors and traders belonging to no land and whose livelihoods depend on the sea. But the election of Lucius Cassius to the head of the Celendor Empire now threatens everything Teriana holds dear. A ruthless tyrant, Cassius is determined to plunder the riches of Dark Shores, ordering his forces to put pressure on the Maarin because they alone possess the knowledge on how to get there. Forced to reveal her people’s secret to the Cel as part of a bargain to spare the lives of her crew and family, Teriana is placed under the authority of Marcus, the commander of the notorious Thirty-Seventh legion. Forsaken for her betrayal, Teriana has no choice but to pray she chose the lesser evil, trusting in Marcus to do the right thing.
Thankfully, the story picks up significantly in terms of pacing and interest beyond this point. Dark Shores was definitely a book that needed to grow on me, and I’m glad I persevered because both the plot and characters got better once the main journey got underway. It’s perhaps no coincidence that this was also when our two protagonists finally connected on a deeper level, reaching an understanding between themselves which went beyond simply acknowledging each other—sure, an alliance of convenience at this point, but I liked how it was nuanced by the weight of the political impact behind their choices. And of course, it also planted the seeds of their romance that came later, making the relationship more believable and convincing.
As to my feelings for the individual characters though, unfortunately I never really warmed towards Teriana. She came across as immature and needlessly belligerent, and very often her behavior or some of the childish things she would say would pull me right out of immersion. In some ways, she reminds me a lot of V.E. Schwab’s female characters—having an attitude for the sake of having an attitude, which grew tiresome after a while. Thankfully, Marcus fared better. He at least had the bearing of a commanding officer, though I felt at times his character was too idealized and seemingly adored by everyone. Unfortunately, the author seems to have a tendency to oversell her protagonists, making their positive attributes feel forced. Though to her credit, some of the best characters and my favorite people in the book come from the supporting cast, many of whom come across more natural and realistic.
I also mentioned some issues with pacing at the beginning, which happily ironed themselves out as the story progressed so that much of the majority of the book actually ended up being an entertaining and quick read. The ending, however, felt way too abrupt. I think part of this also had to do with some of the unnecessary drama in the romance, which just didn’t feel too organic. Still, I want to stress that despite my complaints, I had fun with this book. I wouldn’t have thought Teriana and Marcus would have worked that well based on their contrasting personalities, but they ended up having a great dynamic on the page.
Bottom line, I had a good time with Dark Shores, which in itself isn’t too surprising considering how much I also enjoyed the author’s Malediction trilogy right up until the final chapter of the third book where she blindsided me with a cruel parting shot. So far, this novel is showing some excellent potential, and so long as Jensen doesn’t rip my heart out and stomp it to pieces like that again, I think this new series and I will get along just fine.
The BiblioSanctum 