YA Weekend Audio: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Posted on February 24, 2019 25 Comments

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

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

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

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: The Grishaverse, Book 1 of The Nikolai Lantsov Duology

Publisher: Audible Studios (January 29, 2019)

Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Lauren Fortgang

Between the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, I’ve had some great times in the Grishaverse. However, as glad as I am for the opportunity to read King of Scars and embark on this next chapter of the journey, I can’t say unequivocally that I really enjoyed this book. It had its moments, but overall, I didn’t think it was as well put together as some of Bardugo’s better work.

It has been three years since the end of Ravka’s bloody civil war as we saw in the conclusion of Ruin and Rising, but sadly, the nation is still in turmoil. As King Nikolai struggles to keep his kingdom from tearing itself apart again before old rifts can even heal, he is also dealing with a terrible secret that can threaten everything he has ever built. A darkness has made itself at home within him, and it is growing stronger every day, making Nikolai fear for himself, his friends, and his people. With the help of those closest to him, he devises a plan to travel abroad to find a way to banish his curse, while putting a double on the throne to allay suspicions of his true whereabouts.

Meanwhile, following the events of Crooked Kingdom, Nina has made her way to Fjerda in her grief to seek out more Grisha. It is a difficult mission, for those who have the art of matter manipulation are still mistrusted and hunted down and killed, but Nina manages to find a promising young recruit in a wild region of the country full of mysteries and secrets.

In the months leading up to the publication of King of Scars, I remember stumbling upon an interview with Bardugo where she admitted she never planned on writing a book about Nikolai—and honestly, I wish she hadn’t. I know I’m being harsh, but I really did not enjoy his sections of the book (which is most of it) at all. Nothing against his character—I liked him very much in the original Grisha trilogy—but I found his storyline here incredibly dull and disjointed. And I may catch some flak for this, but I am so over the Darkling. Actually, I was never into him to begin with, never having understood the appeal for such an irredeemable monster who has done such abusive, horrible things. So it annoyed me a bit when I came across many sections of this story that felt like blatant fan service for the character, what with the entire cult that worshiped the Darkling and saw him as some kind of saint. It just left a real bad taste in my mouth.

Fortunately, the other storylines fared much better. Although Nina’s mission took a while to take off, I think her arc was the most interesting from an emotional standpoint. She goes through so many different feelings and inclinations on this journey, and I liked that it dealt with everything from loss to love. Her sections also introduced some of the best new characters, including Hanne, whom Nina forms a deep bond with by the end of the novel. And speaking of new characters, there’s Isaak—poor, poor Isaak…though strangely enough, I think his POV was my favorite of all. Between the slogging parts of both Nikolai and Nina’s storylines, Isaak’s role was like a shining beacon of humor and surprises.

On the whole though, King of Scars really could have been better. As it is now, my feelings are ambivalent, and I’m only glad I didn’t go into this one with hyped up expectations or I might have been terribly disappointed. The thing is, the first half of the book was just sooooo slow. During this time, I kept on asking myself these questions that had no clear answers—like, where is the main conflict? Or, what am I supposed to be caring about? It wasn’t until much later that I started getting an idea, and considering this one clocks in at more than five hundred pages, that’s a lot to demand from your readers. I also don’t recommend tackling this one until you’ve read all the main novels of both series that came before. The narrative does make a valiant attempt at rehashing some of the world’s previous events, but it was neither here nor there, and all it did was probably slow the plot down further.

But I did also say the book had its moments, and I stand by that. There was lots of excitement in the ending, as each storyline comes to a head. While it might not have been enough to increase my overall regard for King of Scars, the concluding sections injected some much-needed energy into what I thought was a pretty mediocre novel. And another silver lining? The ending made me feel much more confident in the next book in this duology, which I do plan on reading. I still love Bardugo and her Grishaverse, and despite the hitches, I’m optimistic that things will get back on track.

Audiobook Comments: I listen to a lot of YA in audio, enough that over time I have developed a list of favorite narrators that I know will never disappoint. Lauren Fortgang is one of them; I loved her performance on King of Scars as well as her work on all the other Grisha audiobooks, so to me she is the voice of this series. In fact, listening to this in audio might have helped me finished the book because I probably would have stalled on the slower parts had I read the print.

YA Weekend: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

Posted on February 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.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR (February 26, 2019)

Length: 432 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Wow, Four Dead Queens was pretty great, and if you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you probably know that’s not praise I bestow on YA too lightly, especially when it comes to debuts. Then again, it’s not often that I encounter a YA debut that completely takes me by surprise, which immediately made this one special—and I loved that it didn’t turn out the way I expected.

First of all, this story is really more of murder mystery—but with a twist. And there’s not much more I can say about that without spoiling the plot, but suffice it to say, it made things very interesting indeed. The book’s title refers to the four queens that rule the nation of Quadara, so named because it is divided into four quadrants, each boasting its own unique culture and specialties. Each queen is closely linked to the respective quadrant that she rules, governing the citizens within it with the help of a personal advisor. Queens are sequestered in their palace, never allowed to leave, and the only through death or abdication could they pass on their rule to an heir, who must be a daughter of their blood.

But what happens when a queen dies without an heir? This is the problem Quadara currently faces, with four queens on the throne who have yet to produce female issue—that anyone knows of, at least. And now they are being systematically targeted by a mysterious assassin, who seems bent on destroying the very foundation of the realm and its traditions.

Meanwhile in the Concord, a central area where the four sections of Quadara come together, a plucky thief named Keralie has unwitting stumbled upon a find of a lifetime. However, no great treasure ever comes without its dangers, which our hapless protagonist soon learns when the comm disks she’d managed to intercept are revealed to contain records of how all four queens are brutally murdered. Together with Varin, the messenger she originally stole her bounty from, Keralie must trace the origin and path of comm disks to discover the identity of those conspiring against Quadara and stop their plot before it’s too late.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Four Dead Queens was the story, which isn’t always the strongest aspect of a YA novel. There’s a tendency in this genre to retread common plot tropes, and for me, those books usually end up in the forgettable pile after a few months. Astrid Scholt’s debut, however, was different. While political machinations and threat of death at court are certainly not new ideas, the author chose a very bold and unique way to frame these themes in her novel, and only time will tell if her ambitious move pays off, but it sure worked wonders for yours truly. I loved how the main plot was told through Keralie’s eyes, but that the queens also got a chance to tell their side of the story. And even though more POVs often lead to pacing problems and confusion, I didn’t think that was the case here. In fact, I felt their queens’ part in it only added to the overall depth of the narrative, providing details in a way that wouldn’t have been quite as interesting or effective had they been revealed any way else.

The world-building was also fascinating, even if it wasn’t perfect. While I liked the idea of the four quadrants of Quadara being separate and different culturally and ideologically—e.g. Toria values intellect and education, Ludia values pleasure and entertainment, Archia values the natural world and is inclined towards a simpler lifestyle, and Eonia values logic, science, and technology—none of it really makes sense on a deeper level, and the systems in which they operate are superficial to the point of being absurd. Thankfully, the bulk of this story takes place within the palace and doesn’t venture much beyond, or I probably would have taken greater issue with this facile, all-or-nothing approach to world-building. One must simply accept this is the way of Quadara, and that somehow everything miraculously runs smoothly despite little to no explanation into how inter-quadrant relationships work or what the queens actually do to govern their country.

There were a few other minor issues, mostly related to how time was presented in this story because of the way it was written, but they weren’t enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. The overarching plot was really the main drive behind the novel, which kept me engaged and turning the pages. All in all, I thought the plot of Four Dead Queens was a refreshing change from a lot of the typical YA I’ve been reading as of late, and I found the characters and the mystery entertaining. It’s also a standalone that ties up quite nicely, but even though there will be no sequel to anticipate, that doesn’t mean I won’t be looking forward to Astrid Scholt’s future projects with interest. She’s got my attention now, and I’ll be keeping my eye out for what she writes next.

Friday Face-Off: Abandoned Buildings

Posted on February 22, 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:

“Woe, destruction, ruin, and decay; the worst is death and death will have his day.”
~ a cover featuring ABANDONED BUILDINGS

Mogsy’s Pick:

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Behold Newcago – the setting of Steelheart, the first book of Brandon Sanderson’s YA superhero trilogy. Built upon the metallic ruins of the city formerly known as Chicago, what’s left is a landscape made up of completely solid steel after a High Epic named Steelheart went bonkers and transformed everything around him with his superpowers. And just as I expected, this post-apocalyptic dystopian’s covers are rife with imagery depicting abandoned buildings and other defunct structures. Let’s check them out now:

From left to right, top to bottom:
Delacorte Press (2013) – Orion Books (2013) – Ember (2014)

French Edition (2015) – Danish Edition (2015) – German Edition (2016)

Polish Edition (2015) – Portuguese Edition (2016) – Russian Edition (2015)

Slovak Edition (2014) – Greek Edition (2016) – Czech Edition (2015)

Italian Edition (2014) –Dutch Edition (2016) – Thai Edition (2015)

Chinese Edition (2014) – Bulgarian Edition (2013) – Indonesian Edition (2016)

Winner:

So many covers, and representing such a wide range of styles and themes! Many of them aren’t half bad either, making it very difficult to choose my favorite this week. But maybe it’s my current mood, or just the cold, grey and drab weather outside right now, but I find myself repeatedly drawn back to the dark, moody atmosphere of the 2015 Danish edition. I also love the simple yet powerful effect of the sepia tones and just the stark drama of the crumbling ruins captured in this image.

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

Book Review: Crucible by James Rollins

Posted on February 21, 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.

Crucible by James Rollins

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Thriller

Series: Book 14 of Sigma Force

Publisher: William Morrow (January 22, 2019)

Length: 480 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

James Rollins is one of those authors who has been on the periphery of my attention for a while now, and so when I was offered a chance to review his newest Sigma Force novel, I decided to give it a try. Although Crucible is the fourteenth installment of the series and I usually balk at the idea of starting anywhere other than the beginning, I was reassured when I learned that book can be enjoyed as a standalone.

At the University of Coimbra in Portugal, the first test of an advanced artificial intelligence program is abruptly halted when the laboratory in which the experiment is taking place is invaded by a group of armed cultists. All the scientists in the room were slaughtered except for a young researcher named Mara, who had been the one to develop the powerful AI known as Eve. Frightened and alone, Mara has no idea why her lab was targeted, but knows that whoever the attackers are, they will stop at nothing until she and her creation are destroyed.

Meanwhile, in Silver Spring, Maryland, Commander Gray Pierce and his friend Monk of Sigma Force return home after a night out on Christmas Eve to find a horrific sight. Gray’s house has been ransacked, and his pregnant girlfriend Seichan is missing. Monk’s wife Kat is found unconscious on the kitchen floor with a serious head wound, and the couple’s young daughters are also gone, stolen away by whoever took Seichan. These mysterious kidnappers seem to believe that Sigma Force is linked to the massacre at the University of Coimbra, leading Gray and Monk to travel to Europe to investigate the possible connection and to try to get their loved ones back. Unfortunately, while Kat may be able to glean some information about their enemies, her injuries have put her into a comatose state. Knowing that his wife would do anything to save their girls, Monk agrees for her to be moved to a state-of-the-art MRI suite at the Princeton Medical Center, where Sigma Force members Lisa Cummings and Painter Crowe endeavor to work round the clock with the neurologists there to unlock the answers in Kat’s brain using cutting edge technology.

As a first-timer to Rollins, the best way I can describe Crucible is a techno-thriller and special ops action/adventure hybrid that blurs the lines between science fiction and reality, somewhat in a similar vein as Michael Crichton or Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. The main thrust behind this novel is the idea that a super artificial intelligence would eventually achieve self-awareness and one of its first orders of business would be protect itself against any kind of intervention from its human creators. However, the fear that a global catastrophe or even human extinction might occur if this happened has not halted the advancements in the AI field, which continue to be developed at an alarming pace.

In Crucible, Mara is the brilliant scientist who created Eve as an AI that would learn, evolve, and grow with empathy—presumably so that it would rethink going all Terminator on us if the program ever broke free from human control. But to the main baddies of this story, who are like the modern incarnation of the Spanish Inquisition, Mara and others like her who mess with the natural order of the world must be purged, as instructed in their venerated treatise, the Malleus Maleficarum, or the “Hammer of Witches”. To my surprise, while inundating us with details of high-tech gadgetry and complex scientific theory, the plot also includes elements that take us back to the seventeenth century for answers buried in the past.

Needless to say, there was a lot going on. Since this was also my first Sigma Force novel, I have no idea if this is standard for these books, but there were times where I felt completely overwhelmed with all the people, places, and things to keep track of. You had Mara on the run with her AI program. Kat in the neurology lab going through the most advanced and experimental neurological treatments. Seichan and the girls trying to stay alive in their kidnappers’ custody. Gray and Monk running all over Europe chasing down the clues to get their family members back. The main antagonists and their connection to secret society tracing back to Medieval Spain. Towards the end, Rollins even threw in some quantum physics and time travel for good measure, which I felt was a bit much. But again, this might be par for the course with these books, and for all I know, Crucible is simply serving up more of what fans want.

To its credit though, this book can indeed be enjoyed as a standalone despite the challenges of keeping up with all its moving parts. I felt only slightly disadvantaged when it came to not knowing the characters’ histories, and while I had some problems relating to their motivations and decisions, there was enough background information provided to make me at least understand. In a way, not being familiar with the characters also meant not being able to predict their behavior and actions, which might have actually increased the level of suspense and my enjoyment.

Overall, Crucible was wildly exhilarating, and as a reader coming to James Rollins for the first time, I also found his writing to be wonderfully readable and addictive. I also enjoyed his author’s note at the end describing all the topics he touched upon, revealing how there’s perhaps a lot more truth than fiction in many of the things he writes about. If this is the caliber of action, thrills and suspense I can expect from a Sigma Force novel, then I definitely wouldn’t mind reading another one after this.

Waiting on Wednesday 02/20/19

Posted on February 20, 2019 21 Comments

Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy’s Pick

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young (September 3, 2019 by Wednesday Books)

It’s rare for me to come across YA debuts I love, so whenever it happens, I take note to remember to pick up the author’s future books. The Girl the Sea Gave Back is the follow-up to Adrienne Young’s Sky in the Deep that I enjoyed so much, and I believe it is a standalone set in the same world.

“For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.”

Book Review: Gates of Stone by Angus Macallan

Posted on February 19, 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.

Gates of Stone by Angus Macallan

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Lord of the Islands

Publisher: Ace Books (February 19, 2019)

Length: 544 pages

Author Information: Website

Historical fiction writer Angus Donald begins a new epic fantasy series under his pseudonym Angus Macallan, drawing from his vast experience of living and working in Asia to create a world where nations war, rulers scheme, and in the midst of them all, a powerful sorcerer quietly pursues his bloodthirsty quest for the seven ancient artifacts required to destroy the world.

Gates of the Stone is the first novel of the Lord of the Islands series, and there are quite a few names and places to keep track of in this opening volume. Of the handful of key characters, however, the first of these is sixteen-year-old Princess Katerina of the Empire of the Ice-Bear. The story begins with the wedding between her and a foreign lord, but alas, their union is short-lived as the first thing Katerina does after their marriage is consummated is to jam the full length of a dull blade into the base of her husband’s brain. The princess has loftier ambitions than to be the wife of a mere lordling; she would have been heir to the throne of her homeland had her birthright not been snatched away because she was a woman, and she isn’t about to let this slight go unpunished. Murdering her husband and usurping his power was just the beginning; soon she will take her forces on the road to reclaim her inheritance from her traitorous cousin.

Next, we have Jun, a royal heir in his own right to a small idyllic island kingdom where he spends his days in lassitude working on his art and poetry. But all that peace is shattered one day when his home is invaded by an army led by a fiendish sorcerer, who killed Jun’s father and stole the blessed sword of their royal ancestors. Determined to get it back, Jun endeavors to get over his cowardice and joins a crew of unlikely allies to follow the sorcerer’s trail through pirate-infested seas. Then we have Farhan, who beneath his guise as a middle-aged merchant is actually part of a mercenary group with much larger designs. A man of many debts, Farhan also has a lot invested in the current venture, given that it is his only chance to get the creditors off his back. And finally, there’s Mangku, the dark sorcerer searching for the Seven Keys to fulfill his greatest undertaking in blood magic. A native of Laut Besar who has been shunned and beaten down his whole life, he is now one step closer to holding the power that will make the whole world break.

I’ll be honest, Gates of Stone was a novel that took me quite a while to get into. Much of the first half is not exactly what I would call fast-paced, and a lot of the “excitement” generated throughout the story felt very contrived and manufactured. From Katerina’s cold-blooded murder of her husband to the scene where she offers a fantastic sum of money to a drug addict to castrate himself, or the rape and torture that Jun encounters in the slave mines to the cannibalistic tribes that Farhan and his shipwrecked crewmates find on an island—all these examples were written in a way that made me think the author’s main priority was dramatic or sensationalist effect, which admittedly put me off for most of the book. The story obviously deals with a lot of dark and mature topics, yet unfortunately the presentation of many of these themes came across to me as superficial and overly simplistic, such as Katerina’s meteoric rise to power with little to no resistance, or her portrayal as cruel for the sake of being cruel. To be fair, these criticisms are likely the result of my own personal tastes in writing and storytelling style, but there were simply too many of these examples that don’t stand up to scrutiny.

More concerning to me were the POV characters, most of whom I found difficult to connect with because for the first half of the book they were all so two-dimensional with entire personas that could be summed up in a couple lines. It also didn’t help that they were saddled with very unpleasant flaws, and if readers were meant to find these characters distasteful from the start, I must say Macallan might have done his job a little too well. That said, things did start looking up in the second half as he began beef up both plot development and characterization, although I still found the supporting cast (Captain Lodi, Ketut, Ari, etc.) to be more interesting than our three main characters for the most part.

But here’s what I did like: the world-building of Gates of Stone is to die for, featuring a setting inspired by the island traditions and environments of Indonesia along with a slight smattering of influences from other Asian cultures like China and Japan. Macallan names this fictional region the Laut Besar, containing an archipelago in a tropical stretch of ocean teeming with pirates, slavers, and smugglers trafficking a potent narcotic known as obat. It’s ocean-faring adventures galore for those of us who love maritime fantasy; every place the plot takes us to is full of new wonders to discover. In fact, the world-building details were so richly described and vibrant and full of life, I only wished that our main POV characters had been given the same treatment.

Still, while it might seem like I’m being overly generous with my final rating of Gates of Stone considering all my criticisms, I could not bring myself to give it anything less. It’s true I couldn’t get on board with many of the characters, but at the same time, all this latent potential beneath the surface is proving irresistible and making me curious to find out where this story is headed. I also can’t deny that great leaps and bounds were made in the second half of the novel with regards to the plot and character development, which spells great promise for what’s to come in the sequel. As it stands now, I think the author’s first foray into the fantasy genre was an average but solid entry, and subsequent books are probably where the series’ full potential will be found and realized. As such, I’ll be waiting for news of the next volume with interest.

Guest Post: “Creating A Sentient Starship” by Gareth L. Powell

Posted on February 18, 2019 22 Comments

Today, the BiblioSanctum is pleased to welcome back Gareth L. Powell, who we’re excited to host again as part of a book tour in anticipation of the release of his new novel, Fleet of Knives! This sequel to Embers of War is the second volume in a three-part science fiction series about a sentient starship called the Trouble Dog, and is described as perfect for fans of Ann Leckie, Alastair Reynolds, and Adrian Tchaikovsky. Being perpetually behind, I am a bit late to this party, but I hope to be reading the first book real soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this guest post by Mr. Powell as he shares with us the process behind creating the Trouble Dog and all that makes this starship special. Published by Titan Books, Embers of War is currently available in stores while Fleet of Knives will be released on February 19th and can be pre-ordered now! Be sure to check it out and visit the other stops on the tour!

CREATING A SENTIENT STARSHIP
by Gareth L. Powell

Of all the characters in my Embers of War trilogy, the one that readers seem to respond to most is the starship Trouble Dog. Although much of the plot focuses on the humans she carries, Trouble Dog plays a decisive role in events. She even narrates part of the story herself. In fact, you could make the argument that she is the novel’s main protagonist.

In science fiction, intelligent starships are nothing new. One of the most famous examples is in Anne McCaffrey’s novel, The Ship Who Sang, in which the eponymous ship’s controlling intelligence is the brain of a disabled child that has been scooped out and inserted into the vessel. This concept was later updated and satirised by M. John Harrison in the novel Light, in which 14-year-old Seria Mau Genlicher escapes her sexually abusive father by having her limbs amputated so she can be inserted into the control matrix of an alien starship. Iain M. Banks wrote about a whole society of humanoids (the “Culture”) living inside ships and habitats that were vastly more intelligent than their inhabitants. And more recently, Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice follows the fortunes of a several-thousand-year-old troop carrier that finds its mind suddenly trapped in one frail human body.

What sets the Trouble Dog apart is that she’s not a brain in a jar or a hyper intelligent computer. The organic sections of her brain were grown in a vat, cultured from the harvested stem cells of a dead soldier. They were then integrated with artificial processors and other systems, and, as she was designed to be a warship operating with five sister ships, canine genes were spliced into her DNA in order to enhance her tenacity and sense of loyalty to the pack.

The only problem comes later, when as the result of trauma, human feelings start welling-up from the organic matter and she develops a conscience.

Rather than simply write a sassy AI like Eddie in the Hitchhiker’s Guide, I wanted Trouble Dog to be a fully rounded character, every bit as flawed and complex as her human crew. And I think this is what makes her such a fun character to write, and why readers sympathise with her plight. She becomes very relatable as she’s torn between what is expected of her, and what her own nascent morality tells her is right. It’s the old question of nature versus nurture, played out in the head of a killing machine capable of torching a planet. Sometimes she feels it’s easier to give into her conditioning and unleash violence to achieve her goals; other times, she’s disgusted with herself and the things she’s done. And all the while, those canine genes long for her lost brothers and sisters, who she had to abandon when she resigned her commission.

Like Clint Eastwood’s reformed gunslinger in the movie Pale Rider, the Trouble Dog has her share of demons. But will she overcome her propensity for violence? Can she atone for the things she did in the Navy? Will she find a new pack to which to belong?

You’ll have to read the book…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GARETH L. POWELL is a speculative fiction author from the UK. He has won the BSFA Award for Best Novel and been shortlisted for the Seiun Awards in Japan. His novels and novellas have been published in the UK and US by Solaris, Titan Books, and Tor.com Publishing. His short fiction has appeared in Interzone, Clarkesworld, and Gardner Dozois’s Year’s Best Science Fiction, and his story ‘Ride The Blue Horse’ was a finalist for the 2015 BSFA Award.

Gareth was born and raised in Bristol, UK, and was once fortunate enough to have Diana Wynne Jones critique one of his early short stories over coffee. Later, he went on to study creative writing under Helen Dunmore at the University of Glamorgan. Gareth has run creative writing workshops and given guest lectures at UK universities, been a guest speaker at the Arvon Foundation in Shropshire, and given talks about creative writing at various literature festivals around the country. His nonfiction book About Writing is an essential field guide for aspiring authors. Gareth has also written for The Guardian, The Irish Times, 2000 AD, and SFX. He has written scripts for corporate training videos, and is currently at work on a screenplay.

Fleet of Knives, the second book in the Embers of War trilogy is out on February 19th from Titan Books. You can find Gareth on Twitter at: @garethlpowell

YA Weekend: Slayer by Kiersten White

Posted on February 17, 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.

Slayer by Kiersten White

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Book 1 of Slayer

Publisher: Simon Pulse (January 8, 2019)

Length: 404 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Well, I had my doubts, but not anymore. In Slayer, Kiersten White has accomplished the formidable feat of writing a novel in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe that not only provides a wistful trip down memory lane but also thoughtfully builds upon the existing lore and mythos of the franchise. Since this book technically picks up shortly after the Dark Horse comic book series which served as the show’s canonical eighth season, Buffy fans will likely be the ones to get the most out of it, but still, make no mistake—this is a new chapter in the saga and thus would make for a comfortable entrance even for newcomers.

Our story begins with the introduction to Nina and Artemis, the twin daughters of Merrick Jamison-Smythe who was the first Watcher of Buffy Summers. After their father’s death, the girls’ mother whisked them away to Ireland where the family lived in a castle with a remnant group of Watchers, carrying on their research even though the world has been much changed since all magic went away. In light of those events, the Watchers have begun altering their academy’s curriculum to include more martial training—weapons and hand-to-hand combat, endurance and agility, strategic planning and the like. But unfortunately for Nina, she will never be able to experience any of that. Her mother, an important member of the Council, had ordered that she remain on the sidelines while her sister Artemis was the one chosen to be groomed for Watcher-hood, though in some ways, Nina can’t really take the decision too hard. After all, she abhors violence and has always gravitated more towards the healing arts, as evidenced by her commitment to become a medic.

But over the last two months, Nina has been experiencing some unsettling changes. She has become stronger, her reflexes are faster, and her dreams have started to become filled with strange visions. Concerned that these changes had come immediately after the Seed of Wonder event that broke or weakened all magic, she kept it all to herself, fearing that she was a victim of demonic possession. However, as it turns out, the truth is much more complicated—and to Nina, not much better. Since the Seed’s destruction, no more Slayers could be called, but somehow, in an act of bravery and selflessness, Nina had triggered her innate potential right before the critical moment. Making her the last Slayer. And although this news is welcomed by some members of the Watcher’s Council, it does not please Nina at all. Her father died because of a Slayer. A Slayer ruined her family’s life and practically tore the world asunder because of her recklessness and impertinence. And now, Nina is one too.

I’ll be honest, even though I’ve watched every single episode of Buffy, seen the cheesy movie, and even read all the comics, I do not really consider myself a mega-fan. Along with the Macarena, AOL, and Tamagotchis, it’s just one of those things I left behind in the 90’s and haven’t really given much thought to in years. In a way, coming to Slayer with this equivocal and noncommittal attitude might have helped, because it allowed me to simply sit back and enjoy without the burden of expectation or hype. Not that I wasn’t feeling skeptical at all, but that was mostly over the novel’s concept of bringing in a new Slayer and keeping the Buffyverse relevant.

Still, I should have known that if anyone could pull this off, it would be Kiersten White. I’ve enjoyed her Conqueror’s Saga, which was a historical reimagining of the life of Prince Vlad III of Wallachia if he had been born a girl. While Slayer might seem very different, if you think about it, the writing challenges White had to face in that series, i.e. combining her own ideas with what is known, are kind of similar to the ones she had to tackle here. And I think she did a fantastic job. Her love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer is obvious from the way she wove the details into her story and characters, allowing readers to feel anchored in the Buffy world, not to mention the plentiful references and Easter eggs that call back to some of the best and most memorable moments from the show. At the same time though, what we have here is also completely fresh and different. Sometimes I felt the novel’s “Buffy-ness” keenly, while at other times not at all. In essence, I thought the book straddled that fine line between the old and the new, hitting that sweet spot where the known and unknown come together. It seemed appropriate, considering the author is writing for and about a whole new generation.

Speaking of which, I think Nina has the potential to become a memorable character and a worthy Slayer, though she was kind of wishy-washy and exasperating in this one, enough to grate slightly on my nerves. To be fair, she does get put through the wringer in this book, physically and emotionally. There’s also a lot of resentment and confusion to work out in her past, and much of the story involves Nina being pulled in every direction all at once. But hopefully with a clearer direction going forward, our protagonist will eventually grow into her own.

In sum, I think Kiersten White has something great going here. Slayer will be a treat for Buffy fans but also accessible enough for readers who have no prior knowledge of the show or the characters, as long as you’re willing to be a little patient as everything unfolds. This book had a good mix of drama, action, and intrigue which I enjoyed tremendously, and it will be interesting to see what’s next for this universe and Nina.

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

Posted on February 16, 2019 36 Comments

Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.

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Received for Review

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

With thanks to Orbit Books for sending along this beautiful finished copy of The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. I’m really looking forward to this; I’ve read and enjoyed her Imperial Radch trilogy as well as Provenance but none of them exactly blew me away, so I’m curious to see if I’ll find that spark with her fantasy that I didn’t with her sci-fi.

And thank you to the kind folks at Titan Books for sending along this treasure trove of books in the last month: The Killing Joke by Christa Faust and Gary Phillips and The Court of Owls by Greg Cox are original novels adapted from their respective graphic novels, a thing they seem to be doing these days with DC’s most popular titles. The publisher was kind enough to send along hardcover copies of both, which I’m so grateful for because look how amazing they are! Can’t wait to dig in. Next up, I also received Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell, whose sequel is about to come out very soon. The BiblioSanctum is taking part in the book tour celebrating its release so be sure check back early next week for a guest post by the author, and you can be sure I’ll be tackling this first book posthaste in order to catch up. Finally, I also received a copy of The Smoke by Simon Ings, whose story I’ve been told is kind of on the weird and insane side which admittedly is making me kind of nervous, but I’m up for giving it a try.

Also thank you to 47North and the Wunderkind team for sending me a finished copy of Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg. I actually reviewed this book earlier in the week, be sure to check it out in the review links below.

Much thanks to Little, Brown and Company/Jimmy Patterson Publishing for sending me an ARC of Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman, and also a special shout out to the author for making it happen. I really enjoyed his debut Scream All Night last year, and he was kind enough to reach out to made sure I got a review copy of his upcoming YA thriller.

Thanks also to Ace/Roc/DAW for the following new arrivals: Terminal Uprising by Jim C. Hines is book two of the hilarious looking Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse series which I haven’t had the pleasure to start yet, but these sci-fi humor books are definitely on the list; Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor is an omnibus collecting all three novellas of the series, and not only is this hardcover edition incredibly gorgeous, it’s also nice to have the books in one handy place plus a brand new Binti story; and Atlas Alone by Emma Newman is fourth in the sequence of standalone novels taking place in the author’s Planetfall universe. I’ve loved pretty much every book in the series so far and I’m quite eager to see what’s next, hence my thrill when I received this surprise ARC in the mail.

Plus a big thank you to Tor.com for sending along another unexpected arrival, this lovely copy of Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore. I find myself intrigued by this little novella, described as “a story of music, obsession, violence, and madness.” It looks like a super quick read too, so I’m going to do my best to read this one before the end of the month.

Last but not least, thank you to SourceBooks Fire for this surprise ARC of A Place For Wolves by Kosoko Jackson. A YA historical fiction, it’s a little outside my wheelhouse, but I’m also drawn to the themes of action, thrills, and an LGBT romance unfolding amidst the violence, pain and cruelty of war. I have some other SFF to prioritize first, but if I have time I’d love to give this one a look.

In the digital haul, courtesy of Simon and Schuster publicity I was sent a widget for a review copy of The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper. I’ve enjoyed his books in the past, and his new psychological thriller sounds amazing! With thanks to Tor Teen via NetGalley, I also decided pulled the trigger on Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway. As you might recall from my Top Ten Tuesday post last week, I couldn’t make up my mind on this book, but thanks to several commenters chiming in to sing its praises, I realized I would be sorry if I didn’t at least give it a try. From Thomas & Mercer, I also wasted no time in downloading the galley of Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine the moment I saw it pop up. This is the third book of her mystery-thriller series Stillhouse Lake, and I just can’t get enough. I also immediately grabbed Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia because it sounds totally awesome (a dark fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore) and also I will read anything this amazing lady writes. With thanks to Del Rey.

Wrapping up, I received a couple more listening copies in the audiobooks folder this week: Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard is the long anticipated third book in the Witchlands saga, and it feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this book, so I’m glad it’s finally here. And lastly, Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt de la Peña is the fourth release in the DC Icons series of books, featuring an adventure starring the teenage Clark Kent and his best friend Lana Lang. Thank you to Listening Library for both of these!

Reviews

Here is a quick summary of my reviews posted since the last update. Will you look at that, my top two reads were both mystery-thrillers:

Murder Theory by Andrew Mayne (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor (4 of 5 stars)
Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik (4 of 5 stars)
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross (4 of 5 stars)
The Triumphant by Lesley Livingston (4 of 5 stars)
The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk (3.5 of 5 stars)
Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg (3 of 5 stars)

Roundup Highlights:

What I’ve Read Since the Last Update

Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR since the last update. More reviews coming soon!

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Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!

Friday Face-Off: Heart

Posted on February 15, 2019 21 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“…for Valentine’s day past.”
~ a cover featuring a HEART

Mogsy’s Pick:

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

There were actually several books I could have chosen to feature for this week’s theme, but then I’m not one to ever pass up a chance to shout about Sarah Pinborough. In Cross Her Heart, we follow the lives of Lisa and her sixteen-year-old daughter Ava. On the outside, theirs is like any other mother-daughter relationship. However, both are hiding secrets that can threaten to tear their lives apart, and neither realize that the other not knowing would ultimately lead them into great danger.

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

From left to right, top to bottom:
William Morrow (2018) – HarperCollins (2018)