Top Ten Tuesday: Thinking of Trying Audiobooks? Ten Tips for New Listeners
Posted on March 26, 2019 50 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: Top Ten Tips for New Audiobook Listeners
Today’s topic is an audio freebie, and while I had thought about doing a list of my favorite listens (hey, I still might!) I thought tips for readers thinking of making the leap to audiobooks might make a better topic. After all, audiobooks are becoming very popular, and the last few years saw huge growth in sales as well as a massive increase of audiobook titles being published. Over the last month, I’ve also been involved in several discussions with people about trying audiobooks, so clearly the interest is there.
As someone who loves the audio format and can never pass up a chance to sing its praises, I figured I could share some of my experiences and advice to those who are still on the fence about trying audiobooks. Or maybe you’ve already tried and think that the format’s not for you, but in truth there may be some other reason preventing you from getting into audiobooks, and it is my hope that this post will help you figure it out.
1. There Are Lots of Good Places to Find Audiobooks
Listening to audiobooks doesn’t have to break the bank. Sure, there are online vendors like Audible and Downpour out there, but if you’re new to audiobooks and don’t know yet if the format will be for you, maybe you don’t want to commit to a subscription or put down too much money (though many of these sites also offer free trials). My advice, the best place to start is your local library. I personally began my audiobook journey by plundering my library’s online Overdrive collection, where I was able to download available titles for free right away, with just a click of a button. Now that I also review audiobooks on my blog, I find that many publishers with audio imprints are also happy to reach out with listening copies.
2. Find A Good Audiobook Player
Many places offering downloadable audiobooks for loan or purchase also have their own players, like Audible or Libby, Overdrive’s app for library ebooks and audiobooks. Most of these are pretty decent, but if you’re like me, you’ll want a player that fits all your needs, and luckily there are plenty of free and paid options out there. It might take a while, but over time you’ll probably identify a list of must-have features that will help you get into the format or make your listening experience as enjoyable as possible. All players come with the standard controls, but you would be surprised how many consider a lot of what I think are basic features to be “extras” (like bookmarks, FFS). Other options that are musts for me are playback speed adjustments and a sleep timer, which is why I didn’t mind paying for the full version of the audiobook player app I have in order to unlock all its functionality (the one I have is called Smart Audiobook Player for Android, and I love it).
3. Experiment with Different Playback Speeds
People always ask me, how do you finish an audiobook so quickly? Aren’t many of them usually like 10+ hours? Well, yes, if you listen to audiobooks on regular 1.0x speed. Honestly though? I hardly know anyone who listens to audiobooks on 1.0x speed. 1.0x just sounds way too slow for me, which makes my mind start to wander. Depending on the audiobook, I always set mine between 2.0x to 2.5x as that sounds the closest to normal “talking speed” to me, making the narration more engaging, but everyone will have their own preference – hence why playback speed adjustment is such an essential feature of any audiobook player.
4. Consider Shorter Audiobooks to Start
I personally like to tackle longer books in audio because I tend to get through them more easily that way, but someone new to the format might not want to wet their feet with a 20-hour book. Luckily, with so many titles made available in audio these days, you have lots of shorter options – short stories, novellas, and even serials! The publisher Serial Box, which specializes in stories released in episodes like a TV show, offers an audiobook version for all their titles, for example. You can also ease yourself into the format with audio dramas, which tend to clock in at moderate lengths. As a bonus, these are often performed by a full cast with music and sound effects, making them very immersive, leading to many to describe them as a movie in your mind.
5. Before Taking the Plunge, Listen to Samples
I do this whenever I come across a new narrator I don’t recognize, because you can often tell right away if they will be good or not. You’ll be listening to the same voice reading to you for hours, so if a sample is available, why not give it a try to make sure it’s a narrator you’ll like?
6. Ready to Start? Choose a Good Book for your First Listen
This might seem intuitive, but choosing the right book to begin your audiobook journey can actually be more challenging than you think. Not all great books also make great audiobooks, and sometimes vice versa. Some people also think starting with their favorite genre or something by their favorite author will be a surefire way to get them into the format, but I’ve found that that’s not always the case either. For example, I love epic fantasy, but the genre is also notorious for huge chunks of exposition or world-building descriptions that result in sections in the audiobook version where it’s easy for my attention to drift off. To readers new to audiobooks, I often recommend starting with a good thriller, if the genre is what they’re into, because those typically make for compelling and hard-to-stop listens.
7. Choose a Good Narrator for your First Listen
This is why it’s important to listen to samples. A lot of times you’ll see audiobook fans gushing about certain narrators, and that’s because we know they always deliver incredible performances no matter what book they’re narrating. A narrator can make or break a story, something I learned for myself when I first started listening to audiobooks. Believe it or not, I actually had trouble getting into the format right away, until I realized I just wasn’t choosing the right books for my earliest listens because they didn’t have the best narrators. What eventually got me hooked was the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, narrated by the very awesome, very talented Lorelei King. Paired with her voice, these were the books that helped turn me from a “Oh, I don’t think I could ever get into audibooks” person into a diehard audiophile.
For further reading, here are some lists we’ve made in the past of narrators we love! Part I | Part II | Part III
8. Find and Make Opportunities to Listen
Here’s some great advice from my co-blogger Wendy, back when we still regularly did our Sanctum Sanctorum feature. If you’re not sure audiobooks are for you because you don’t know if you’ll have many opportunities to listen, she writes, “Consider what moments in your day might work well with a verbal soundtrack,” and I can’t agree more! A lot of people end up turning to audiobooks because they find they are too busy or their minds are too tired after a long day to concentrate on reading, but they’re also popular with multi-taskers. I for one love being able to make some progress on my ever-expanding TBR while working on something else, whether it be chores like vacuuming or hobbies like crocheting. You’d be surprised how many opportunities you can find. For me, any kind of activity that requires my hands but not a lot of brain power is prime time for audiobook listening!
9. Try Listening with Someone Else
A lot of things are better when enjoyed with another person, and if you find you’re struggling to get into audiobooks, maybe try listening to one with a friend, your spouse, or your children. A friend of mine has “story time” at her house where the whole family will chill in the living room while their Amazon Echo plays an audiobook. My husband and I often listen to audiobooks together on road trips, and I find I’m less likely to zone out on the story when I know I’m sharing the experience with someone else. I just love speculating on a book’s plot with him, or laughing at the funny scenes together.
10. Don’t Give Up
If your first listen doesn’t work out, don’t be afraid to abandon it because things rarely get better when you’re forcing yourself. Some stories just don’t work as well in audio and that’s okay. Or maybe you just struck out with a terrible narrator. But if you really want to give this audiobook thing a fair shot, try again! Like I said, my first few tries with audiobooks were disasters. As a newcomer to the format, it was just plain difficult to go from reading physical books to an auditory experience. I had to keep going back in my audiobook multiple times because my attention kept drifting off and I would get lost. I told myself audiobooks weren’t for me because I just can’t seem to concentrate long enough to finish a book. Over time though, I ended up learning what worked for me and what didn’t. There were plenty of tweaks to my routine, as well as experimenting with things like playback speed. I tried a ton of different genres and and narrators. And now, audiobooks have become an invaluable way for me to enjoy books. It’s how I can chew through my reading lists. Whenever I’m stuck doing a mundane task like mowing the lawn or folding the laundry, it goes so much quicker because I always have an audiobook in my ear. I simply can’t imagine life without audiobooks now!
Book Review: The Song of All by Tina LeCount Myers
Posted on March 25, 2019 22 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 Song of All by Tina LeCount Myers
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Legacy of the Heavens
Publisher: Night Shade Books (February 20, 2018)
Length: 452 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Song of All by Tina LeCount Myers is a book that has been on my radar for a while, and with the release of the sequel, recently my interest has been sparked again, which is why I am so grateful for the team at Wunderkind and Night Shade Books for the opportunity to check out this series!
Imagine a world steeped in myth and ancient legend, where the conflicts of gods and mortals have played out over a harsh, icy landscape for time immemorial. Inspired by Scandinavian culture and folklore, the setting of The Legacy of the Heavens transports readers to the wild fringes of the tundra, where Irjan, a reindeer herder, lives with his young family among his wife’s people.
But Irjan had not always lived such an unassuming, quiet life. Before he became a farmer and settled down, he was known as one of the most ruthless and skilled warriors among the Brethren of Hunters, an order that trains its members to kill Jápmemeahttun—a race of immortals that have been warring with humans for centuries. But killing was never in Irjan’s nature. Eventually, he got tired of the endless bloodshed and turned his back on the Hunters and his oath, retreating to a peaceful village where he got married and had a child. He has kept his past a closely guarded secret ever since, not even confiding in his wife.
But soon, Irjan will find that his past is not so easily left behind. A nosy priest in the village whose ambitions know no bounds has caught wind of what Irjan used to be. In his treachery, the scheming priest destroys everything the former Hunter has worked so hard to build, taking everything he holds dear. Not knowing the truth of what happened, Irjan believes he is being punished by the gods for forsaking his oath and embarks on a journey that will not only determine his own fate, but that of his son as well as the entire world and its peoples.
There’s a lot to unpack here. And in doing so, there might be a danger of becoming mired in the details, but once you get into the meat of the story and the larger picture is revealed, it gets easier to see what it is all about. At the beginning though, it helps to focus on the central character of Irjan, taking in his backstory and the implications of his decision to walk away from the Brethren of Hunters. His former comrades are not the kind to take defection lightly, and a terrible tragedy occurs within the first handful of chapters, one that I did not expect so early on.
However, this event sets the stage for the rest of the novel. What follows next is a clear push to get as much information to the reader as possible, and the result is a strange feeling of being simultaneously hustled through the motions while also being encouraged to slow down to take in other threads explored by the book. One of these threads belongs to Aillun, a Japmea woman whom Irjan comes across in the wilderness. With the introduction of her character, we’re allowed a glimpse into the lives and traditions of the immortals. They are a unique and fascinating people, whose life cycles involve a series of transitional stages and changes, and of course, special mention must also be made to the Song of All, the song which all Jápmemeahttun are tapped into as a form of collective consciousness. Meanwhile, another thread continues to follow through on the machinations of the priest and his acolyte in the village, as well as their dealings with the Hunters. Both these storylines are woven into Irjan’s, and together they form a rich narrative that is the summation of all the characters’ motivations and actions.
With all this going on, admittedly things are bit shaky at first. Once the story finds its footing though, it quickly becomes immensely enjoyable. This is the way epics are created, slowly and gradually, building increasingly complex layers upon a solid foundation, proving that a little patience early on can go a long way. In her author’s note, Tina LeCount Myers also writes that her novel’s world was influenced by the northern cultures of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and extreme northwestern Russia. She draws heavily upon the various Saami languages spoken in these regions, which can be seen in a lot of the terms and names. There are also the occasional verse breaks where the Song of All will feature. All of this might seem a bit jarring initially, but again, they’re part of the unique collection of attributes that make this novel special, and the reading experience gets easier once you gain a handle on the rhythm and style of the writing.
Like a lot of epic sagas, The Song of All is a slow burn, but ultimately builds to an action-packed and suspenseful ending. Fantasy fans will be no stranger to this pattern, though the first half of the book may require a bit of effort to get into, as well as time investment on the reader’s part. The payoff is worth it though, and I look forward to reading the next book especially given all that happens in the final chapters.
Book Review: The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper
Posted on March 24, 2019 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Suspense, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 26, 2019)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I had such high hopes for The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper, the author one of my favorite horror novels, The Damned. Unfortunately, this book only left me with disappointment as well as an incredulous disbelief at how such a great premise could turn out to be such a mess. And it’s a real shame, because the beginning showed so much promise.
Our story begins in the isolated vastness of the Pacific Northwest rainforest as a limo carries surgeon Aaron Quinlan and his teenage sister Bridge to an undisclosed location, where a lawyer will be waiting to read the final last will and testament of their late father, Raymond. Soon, Aaron and Bridge are joined by their sister Franny and their mother Eleanor. In life, Raymond Quinlan had been a mostly absent father, leaving his wife and kids alone for months at a time while doing business for his mysterious employers, but apparently, the man had even more secrets than his family thought. They are all surprised when they discover that their drivers have brought them to a place called Belfountain, a sprawling estate nestled deep in the forest, exposing the extent of Raymond’s hidden wealth. And now all his assets including the property will belong to the surviving Quinlans—but with just one catch. As stipulated in the will, for Eleanor, Aaron, Franny and Bridge to claim their inheritance, each of them must remain at Belfountain for thirty days without any contact with the outside world, starting immediately. That means no phones and no internet. No supplies beyond the clothes on their back, since they had not been allowed to pack before leaving. Arrangements have been made with the people they know to explain for their month-long absence, or so the lawyer says. Food will be provided via regular deliveries.
Despite their misgivings about the situation, the four of them agree to the terms. Any time one of them wants to bow out, the lawyer has assured them that a satellite phone would be available at the gates to call for a ride. Of course, anyone who takes a step off the property will forfeit their part of the inheritance, worth many millions, but Aaron tells himself that he’s not staying for the money—or not just the money anyway. He wants to know what other secrets Raymond Quinlan had been hiding when he was alive, and why his father concocted this strange scenario to bring his surviving family members together. Above all, he also wants to keep Bridge safe. But when night falls, Belfountain becomes a different place. Aaron and his sisters start having the same disturbing dream, and they start to catch glimpses of strangers among the trees, watching them. What’s more, the next day, a new group of visitors show up. And when Aaron discovers who they are, that’s when he realizes just what a twisted man his father was.
All this takes place in the early sections of the book, and I have to say I enjoyed everything up to the end of this point. The mystery of Belfountain was compelling, and the way Aaron, his mother and his sisters were brought together by Raymond Quinlan’s will was simply too irresistible not to keep reading! Was this some kind of bizarre team building exercise? Some hidden camera reality TV show? I wanted to know! And then there were the shared nightmares and the scary people in the woods, giving this book the delicious eerie vibes that I love.
I was also intrigued by the characters. While none of them were immediately likeable, on some level I understood that this was by design. The Quinlans are all flawed people, damaged by the emotionally and physically absent Raymond. Eleanor never felt like she was in a real marriage, with her husband gone more than half the time without ever telling her why. Aaron always felt like he needed to prove himself to his father, even long after it was clear the elder Quinlan didn’t care. Franny turned to drugs and became an addict. And Bridge grew up looking up to Aaron as her father figure instead. Because of this, the two of them are extremely close, even with the age difference. In fact, their special sibling bond was something that touched me deeply even from the very beginning.
But then, something happened after the first quarter of the book. All the mystery and intrigue that was painstakingly developed became lost in a confusing story that neither establishes a convincing explanation for everything that happens nor conveys much suspense or excitement. Even the character relationships became immaterial because of the so-called “answers” we were provided, and with that, the last saving grace of this novel went down the tubes. And then there was the political stuff, which was so completely irrelevant and unnecessary to the plot that it stuck out like shiny red hotpants at a funeral. I don’t mind message fiction, but when it’s so unexpectedly, blatantly, awkwardly, and NEEDLESSLY shoehorned into a story like this, it annoys the hell out of me.
Regrettably, I can’t say much more or rant about a lot more other stuff that didn’t work for me without revealing spoilers, but to sum it all up, this book just didn’t feel like it was that well thought out. There were more holes in the plot than Swiss cheese, and the ending did not provide any satisfying answers. This is the sort of novel that demands the reader to suspend their disbelief, but even for me, it was simply asking way too much. I finished this book with even more questions than I had at the beginning, but by then I confess I was feeling too disconnected to the characters or story to care much at all. It’s just too bad. The Homecoming had so much potential when it started, but sadly it failed to follow through in every way.
YA Weekend: Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
Posted on March 23, 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.
Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Retelling, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Once & Future
Publisher: jimmy patterson (March 26, 2019)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Amy Rose Capetta | Cori McCarthy
Lots of interesting and unique ideas are happening in young adult sci-fi and fantasy right now, and when the author can pull them off while being diversity-minded and still nail the trifecta of characters, story, and world-building, it can be incredible thing to see. However, I’ve also found these cases to be extremely rare. To wit, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve come across a book with amazing representation and great ideas, only to have everything else be a convoluted and fractured mess. And it pains me greatly to admit that this was similar to what I found with Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy.
Credit where credit is due though, I have to say this was one of the most ambitious YA novels I’ve read in years. When I first heard about a gender-bending queer retelling of the King Arthur legend in space, I knew I had to read it, but I was also curious to see how it would be done. As it turns out, the answer is a doomed cycle and some nebulous form of reincarnation. In a nutshell, this means that all the characters of the Arthurian legend have come back again and again in one form or another, ever since the time of the first Arthur.
So now far into the future, in a universe ruled by an evil megacorp called Mercer, we get to meet our 42nd reincarnation of the great king, who is a determined teenage girl name Ari. Cut off from her home planet of Ketchan, which has been barricaded off by Mercer, Ari finds herself constantly on the run with her brother Kay to avoid being captured. Then one day, she crash-lands on Old Earth and finds an ancient sword among its ruins. You know the rest of the story: the chosen one, awakened when the world is at its greatest need for heroes. In due course, Ari rallies a group of loyal knights to her cause, including Lam, Val, and Jordan, and even finds her queen Gwen, the ruler of the medieval recreation planet Lionel.
Of course, we also mustn’t forget Merlin, the man of myth and magic. And here’s where things get a little weirder. Cursed to age backwards reliving the tragic story of King Arthur over and over, this iteration of Merlin emerges from his crystal cave the moment Ari draws the old sword, looking younger than ever before. Fearing what would happen if he fails his liege this time, Merlin places his last desperate hopes on Ari, who granted isn’t the Arthur he expected, but might turn out be the one to finally break the vicious cycle.
I’ll give Once & Future this: considering all the elements the authors had to pull together to make this work, the ideas behind the book are surprisingly well realized and great fun. I also didn’t think I would enjoy the style of humor, but I did. Offbeat but not too silly, the jokes and playful banter actually helped make this novel a smoother ride and more enjoyable.
That said though, I found most of everything else to be a struggle, especially the story. Despite the high stakes, there’s a distinct lack of depth to any of our characters’ actions because all the plot points involved are so shallow and simplistic. In a way, I suspect this might in fact be a side effect of the world-building, which I also felt was flimsy and superficial and even a bit goofy—though on this point, I am less sure whether or not this is by design. We seem to be constantly waffling back and forth between a serious space opera in which our characters deal with some pretty grave matters versus an over-the-top sci-fi comedy where the lines between retelling and straight-up parody are being blurred. As a reader, I found this split incredibly jarring and difficult to engage with.
Furthermore, after the first quarter of the book, we started to run out of things to feel excited about. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the refreshing diversity of our characters and the representation in the novel, but like I always say, a gesture like this is diminished if everything else—story, characters, world-building, etc.—isn’t tightly written. And indeed, a lot of these elements fell a bit short. The pacing was haphazard, with examples like our characters becoming best buds in an eyeblink, or time jumps being handled less than ideally. The plot, which started off being so promising and chockful of all these wildly creative ideas became progressively less interesting as the story retreated back to more familiar territory with regards to aspects of the King Arthur legend.
Ironically, I think it’s the reincarnation angle that’s the most intriguing but also the most restrictive feature of this story. Here is a retelling of the Arthurian legend in space where the possibilities are essentially limitless. However, because of the direction the authors have chosen, we’re locked into the same patterns that we’ve seen countless times before, superimposed upon a typical YA dystopian tale of oppression and resistance, reskinned with a sci-fi setting with planets and spaceships.
Ultimately, I believe Once & Future was a case of many well-developed ideas and themes that sadly did not come together as well as they could have. Taken individually, I loved many aspects of this book, including the central premise and diverse characters, but presented as a whole, the experience somehow felt empty and unfulfilling. I’d say this novel is still worth the read for the things it does well, but at the same time, be prepared for the things it doesn’t.
Friday Face-Off: King
Posted on March 22, 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:
“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.”
~ a cover featuring a KING
Mogsy’s Pick:
Dragon’s Child by M.K. Hume
Dragon’s Child is the story of King Arthur (known here as Artorex) and his journey from a humble childhood to become the High King of the Britons. Artorex is presented to us as the reluctant hero, whose personal choice would have been to raise a family on his foster family’s farm and live out the rest of his days as a simple steward. Fate, however, has set him on a different path.
Like many, I’ve read my fair share of retellings and interpretations of the King Arthur mythos, but I am most definitely not well-versed in the historical details. This made me curious as to how M.K. Hume, a leading academic expert on Arthurian literature, would tackle the legend from more of a historical perspective than a fantasy or mythological one. It’s been a few years since I read this one, and in that time, more editions of the book have been published. Let’s take a look at some of the covers:
From left to right, top to bottom:
Headline (2009) – Atria (2013)
Spanish Edition A (2011) – Spanish Edition B (2013) – Spanish Edition C (2015)
Portuguese Edition A (2010) – Portuguese Edition B (2012)
Winner:
My favorite cover this week is the Portuguese Edition B (2012); I just love how the whole thing is laid out as well as the cool highlight effect of the white lines, almost like the entire image has been put through an illustration filter. Plus, the typeface is also very pleasing.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Audiobook Review: Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston
Posted on March 21, 2019 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In, Young Adult
Series: Star Wars Canon
Publisher: Listening Library (March 5, 2019)
Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Catherine Taber
I had high hopes for this first Star Wars new canon novel focusing entirely on Padmé/Queen Amidala, but unfortunately I was left a bit disappointed. On some level though, I think I had anticipated the issues, because from the moment I learned that Queen’s Shadow was to take place in the transitional time between the end of her reign as Naboo’s queen and the start of her career as a senator, I’d wondered whether there would be sufficient material for a well-rounded, interesting story.
The book begins on the cusp of a new election for Naboo’s next queen, and Padmé and her loyal handmaidens are all nervous and excited about what they will do once she steps down as the current ruler. For four years their lives have been tied to the politics of the planet, but soon they will be free to pursue any dream or career they choose. As Padmé watches her handmaidens discuss their future plans, however, she herself is still unsure of what her next move will be. Service to her people is all she’s ever known, and now that her reign is almost over, there is a both a bittersweet sense of accomplishment and loss about a chapter of her life coming to a close.
But with the election of Réillata, the new queen, an unexpected opportunity suddenly falls into Padmé’s lap when her successor asks if she would represent Naboo in the Galactic Senate, replacing another retiring senator. It is an offer Padmé can’t refuse, and though a part of her is sad to be leaving her home planet for the bustling ecumenopolis of Coruscant, another part of her is thrilled to be able to serve Naboo once more, as well as to improve the conditions of the Galactic Republic. For one thing, she would like to put an end to slavery in the Outer Rim. Padmé has never forgotten the boy Anakin Skywalker she met on Tatooine, as well as the fate of his mother Shmi who was left behind on the desert planet.
In the years since that day, Padmé’s youngest handmaiden Sabé, who was also the one most often chosen to be her decoy, has also become one of her closest friends and most trusted confidantes. As Padmé takes her place in the Galactic Senate, it is Sabé that she sends to Tatooine in her stead to search for Shmi and hopefully buy her freedom.
First things first: there’s nothing really wrong with this book—nothing wrong, unless you count the fact that barely anything happens other than a whole bunch of political drama and description into the wardrobe of Naboo royalty. Don’t get me wrong, stories about the politics of the Galactic Republic, and later the Galactic Empire, have always been a prominent part of Star Wars fiction. But to have it as the main focus of a Young Adult book about Queen Amidala? The only result this guarantees is a limited audience, beyond diehard Star Wars fans such as myself. For one thing, this is not exactly the most interesting story you can tell about the character, nor does it have the usual adventure and action of a more typical Star Wars novel, so I doubt it would hook even the mildly interested. Older, hardcore fans of Star Wars will likely also find the conflicts in this story too simplistic and/or juvenile.
That said, the writing’s great. E.K. Johnston also wrote Star Wars: Ahsoka, which I really enjoyed, and she’s brought that same smooth and accessible quality in her prose to Queen’s Shadow. The problem with this book, as I said before, has more to do with the lack of material to work with rather than any weakness in its technical aspects. We’re looking at a very brief and narrow timeframe in Padmé Naberrie’s life, after all, so in a way it’s understandable for some parts of the story to feel slow, drawn out, inflated. To her credit, Johnston did try to work in a separate storyline for Sabé in order to give the plot and setting a little more variety, but as a supporting character, her impact can also only go so far.
Still, some positive things to note include all the wonderful references to other people, places, stories and events in the Star Wars universe, including an appearance by Senator Clovis, who was first introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series in one of the few Padmé-centric episodes. I also liked how this book expanded and developed Padmé’s personality, so that we got to know more about her as a person with her own private hopes, fears, dreams and ambitions. So where Queen’s Shadow failed to deliver on good pacing and compelling entertainment, at least it worked extremely well as a character study.
Regrettably, the same could not be said of Sabé, who fulfilled her supporting role duties valiantly but was otherwise wasted in her potential. While her loyalty was admirable, it just sucked that her entire world and life’s purpose—by even her own admission—revolved around Padmé and serving her wishes and desires. If the ending to this book is indeed a setup for a Sabé story, my hope is that she will gain some of her own agency.
In short, Queen’s Shadow is probably a book I can only recommend to readers who really want to know more about Padmé, or if you’re generally into everything about Star Wars. While I count myself among the latter group, even I must confess it is one of the less engaging of the new canon novels I’ve read and not very memorable.
Audiobook Comments: Admittedly, I’m way more used to having January LaVoy read as the female narrator for Star Wars books, but for Queen’s Shadow, how could I say no to Catherine Taber, who also provided the voice for Padmé on The Clone Wars cartoon series? Just like the audiobook of Star Wars: Ahsoka, getting the voice actress for the title character to narrate the book was a stroke of genius and brought an extra layer of immersion to the listening experience.
Waiting on Wednesday 03/20/19
Posted on March 20, 2019 18 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
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky (October 1, 2019 by Grand Central Publishing)
Do you guys remember The Perks of Being a Wallflower? I’ve never read it, but as a teen growing up in the late 90s and 2000s, I can clearly recall how the book resonated with a lot of my high school peers. Well, twenty years later, the author’s second novel is apparently a literary horror about a boy and his creepy imaginary friend. I have no idea how this one’s going to turn out, but the story description sounds crazy intense and I am curious.
“Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.
We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.
Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.
At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.
Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.”
Most Anticipated Releases of 2019: April to June
Posted on March 19, 2019 44 Comments
The snow is melting, the grass is growing, and the days are finally getting warmer. It’s time to look ahead to the Science Fiction and Fantasy reads I’m most excited about in the months of April to June. Not only is it fun to organize my reading and to make lists, they also have the added benefit of focusing my attention to the highly anticipated releases that I’d like to check out. This year, I decided to try something a little different by posting a list every quarter to make the TBR seem more manageable. There’s already an impressive tower of books on my to-read pile, and while I’m under no illusions that I’ll be able to read them all, hopefully I can get to most of them (and also put some new books on people’s radars)!
What are your most anticipated releases for the second quarter of 2019?
April
April 2 – Descendant of the Crane by Joan He, The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling, The Finder by Suzanne Palmer, Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
April 9 – Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
April 16 – Atlas Alone by Emma Newman, The Binding by Bridget Collins, A Time of Blood by John Gwynne, Star Wars: Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray
April 23 – Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine, Inspection by Josh Malerman, Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
April 30 – The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso, Little Darlings by Melanie Golding
May
May 7 – Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs, Empire of Grass by Tad Williams
May 14 – A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay, Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Pariah by W. Michael Gear
May 21 – Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell, The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda, Starship Repo by Patrick S. Tomlinson
June
June 4 – War of the Bastards by Andrew Shvarts, The Soul of Power by Callie Bates, Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal
June 11 – Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron by Alexander Freed, Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich, Recursion by Blake Crouch, The Fall by Tracy Townsend
June 18 – The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
June 25 – Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong
Book Review: Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra
Posted on March 18, 2019 26 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: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Asiana
Publisher: Harper Voyager (January 23, 2018)
Length: 371 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
There’s really not much more to say about Markswoman beyond the fact it was a thoroughly engaging and straight-up good read. I blew through this book in a little over a day, and I loved how what started off as a typical YA-ish premise eventually developed and grew into a more enigmatic, mature and interesting story.
Our protagonist is Kyra, a Markswoman in the Order of Kali, a sisterhood of elite warriors trained to protector and enforce the laws of this unforgiving, post-apocalyptic-like world. Because of the nature of their work, Markswomen also occasionally take on the role of assassin, and although Kyra recently passed all her tests to become a full-fledged sister, the order’s leader Shirin Mam still has concerns about her readiness to take on these types of missions on her own. Due to her tragic past, Kyra was one of the youngest girls to ever join the sisterhood, and much unresolved anger still simmers within her for the bandits that killed her entire family. Secretly, she dreams of one day hunting them all down and exacting her revenge.
But then Shirin Mam dies mysteriously, and for Kyra it is like losing her mother for the second time. Worse, the order’s Mistress of Mental Arts named Tamsyn, whom Kyra has never gotten along with, becomes the new leader of the Order of Kali. Tamsyn’s veiled threats as well as her hunger for power makes Kyra believe she has something to do with Shirin Mam’s death. And so, before the order’s new mistress can claim her predecessor’s magical sword, our protagonist makes off with it and escapes through a Transport Hub, one of the strange portals left over from the world’s ancient past. Emerging in a desert, Kyra finds herself in the home of the Order of Khur, shunned from all the others because they are the only one composed of men. One of their Marksmen, Rustan, helps bring Kyra’s news of Shirin Mam’s death to his elders and heeds her when she expresses her suspicions about Tamsyn’s treachery.
The world of Markswoman, Asiana, is a very cool place. Its past is slowly revealed as we discover that many centuries ago, a Great War devastated the land and changed it forever. But because there is also magic and hints at the remnants of advanced technology, the result is a fascinating kind of fantasy and sci-fi dystopian mix. Harsh conditions have forged a very different kind of civilization, as merciless as the landscape. Thus, the Orders of Peace was born, giving rise to a new system to reign in the chaos and maintain harmony. The worst crimes were punishable by execution, carried out by Markswomen.
Kyra herself was an archetypal kind of protagonist, but that didn’t make her any less interesting to follow. She has the quintessential backstory of tragedy involving a murdered family, fueling her bloodthirsty desire for vengeance even though Markswomen are supposed to leave their pasts behind when they commit to their order. That said, her first mission ended in near disaster when she almost failed to kill her mark—a man who was part of the clan who massacred her loved ones—because of a momentary lapse of resolve. The experience forces her to recognize that there is still much for her to learn, as well as make her rethink her path in life.
For all that Markswoman was an enjoyable read though, plot and character development was still lighter than I would have preferred. Magical sentient weapons and the suggestion of alien tech aside, the world building was also sparse and lacked a quality to bring it all together despite all the wonderful ideas and imagination poured into its creation. As a reading experience, this was not a very deep one, nor do I think the story will end up being too memorable, as most of the plot (especially early on) relies heavily on prophecy tropes and other familiar elements. Still, to the novel’s credit, the second half contained a lot more surprises, and overall this was a quick and easy read, undeniably fun while it lasted.
A warning though, before I wrap this up: this book ends with an abrupt cliffhanger. Since I received Markswoman and its sequel Mahimata at the same time for review, I was already prepared to read both books as a whole, but readers who prefer their book endings with actual resolutions may want a heads up. Personally, I’m looking forward to diving into the next one, not only to see what happens next but because I’m also confident that Mahimata will bring much more on the characters, story, and world. I’ll be picking it up soon.
Audiobook Review: The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell
Posted on March 17, 2019 19 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 Devil Aspect by Craig Russell
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House Audio (March 5, 2019)
Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
Author Information: Website
Narrator: Julian Rhind-Tutt
It’s been a while since I read something like The Devil Aspect, a historical suspense-thriller displaying many characteristics of Gothic horror. In some ways it felt like indulging in a treat that I haven’t had in a long time, because I ate this one right up.
It is 1935, and the story opens with our protagonist Viktor Kosárek arriving at the infamous Hrad Orlu Asylum in Prague, where he is about to begin his new post as its newest psychiatrist. The secluded facility, converted from a medieval castle on top of a mountain, only houses six inmates, but they are considered some the most dangerous and incurably insane killers the world has ever known. The asylum staff call them The Vegetarian, The Clown, The Woodcutter, The Sciomancer, The Glass Collector and The Demon, but together they are known as the Devil’s Six, named so because of the unthinkably vicious and abominable ways they’ve murdered their victims. Intrigued by this common attribute that the six inmates have, Viktor hopes to experiment with a new technique he has developed which would prove the presence of a “Devil Aspect” in their psyches, a phenomenon which drives people to commit evil.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country is gripped in fear and uncertainty as dark news looms just across the border with the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. Within the capital, the city’s populace has also been rocked by a series of disturbing murders similar to those committed half a century ago in Britain by a serial killer named Jack the Ripper. Now it appears Prague has its own Ripper, whom the police and the papers have dubbed Leather Apron, and lead detective Lukas Smolak has vowed to identify and apprehend him as quickly as possible. Working under such pressures, it would be tempting to build a case around their only suspect, a gypsy they captured at the scene of the last murder, except the raving young man seems terrified, insisting upon his innocence while convinced that the devil will come for him next.
The Devil Aspect was exactly what I wanted—not exactly fast-paced but oh so deliciously atmospheric, as well as creepy and gory but in a subtle way that avoids throwing the horror directly in your face. I loved how the two POVs—Viktor’s and Smolak’s—wove in and out of each other, creating a complex narrative rich with clues, false trails and surprises. And yes, rest assured that readers will get to meet each of the Devil’s Six and discover why they have been locked up in the Hrad Orlu Asylum; I would have been disappointed if the publisher had dangled such an irresistible tidbit in the blurb without following through.
But while the two main characters were a fascinating study, the real winner was the setting, both in the location and the historical period. Horror is perhaps one of the few genres in which I am okay with a little less characterization in favor of more world-building and tone-setting, because so much of my enjoyment rests on the author creating the perfect mood. Craig Russell did an amazing job, for the atmosphere was practically palpable as a pall of gloom hangs over Smolak’s investigation into Leather Apron in Prague, and Viktor is wrapped up in his own darkness atop his isolated mountaintop milieu as he carries out his experiments on the Devil’s Six. This has always been the type of psychological horror I prefer, the creeping dread versus the more unsubtle forms of the genre, e.g. gushing blood and gore with heavy emphasis on graphic and gruesome violence. In this sense, The Devil Aspect was right up my alley. Although the book contains its fair share of grisly scenes and descriptions, I didn’t think any of these were overdone.
In terms of criticisms, I did feel the story had a tendency to stray off-course every now and then, but because we were pursuing so many threads, it was difficult to tell whether some of these instances were attempts at red herrings. It did throw off the pacing some, in that I felt my attention drifting during many of these sections, but thankfully the author was always careful to steer things back on track. I thought the ending was a bit predictable too, but mostly because I always come into these kinds of books expecting a twist, and I happened to peg the outcome accurately. That said, my enjoyment was in no way diminished.
Overall, this novel was a delightful joy to read, which might seem strange to say of a dark and somber tale of psychological horror. But truly, it had everything that I wanted. Ambitious and provocative, The Devil Aspect was impressive in its execution and the way it integrated all its parts. Highly recommended.
Audiobook Comments: Narrator Julian Rhind-Tutt had a great voice for this story, making a good book even better. The only thing I can think of that would have improved the experience was a second narrator to bring more distinction between the two main POVs, but even with a single reader this was an excellent listen.
The BiblioSanctum 