Waiting on Wednesday 01/30/19

Posted on January 30, 2019 12 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

Unraveling by Karen Lord (June 4, 2019 by DAW)

I’ve been waiting years for Karen Lord to write another novel, after reading The Galaxy Game and wanting to check out more of her work. So I was thrilled when I found out she will have a new book coming out this summer, a fantasy mystery involving solving puzzles and a Trickster. I also love this cover.

“In this standalone fantasy novel by an award-winning author, the dark truth behind a string of unusual murders leads to an otherworldly exploration of spirits, myth, and memory, steeped in Caribbean storytelling.

Dr. Miranda Ecouvo, forensic therapist of the City, just helped put a serial killer behind bars. But she soon discovers that her investigation into seven unusual murders is not yet complete. A near-death experience throws her out of time and into a realm of labyrinths and spirits. There, she encounters brothers Chance and the Trickster, who have an otherworldly interest in the seemingly mundane crimes from her files.

It appears the true mastermind behind the murders is still on the loose, chasing a myth to achieve immortality. Together, Miranda, Chance, and the Trickster must travel through conjured mazes, following threads of memory to locate the shadowy killer. As they journey deeper, they discover even more questions that will take pain and patience to answer. What is the price of power? Where is the path to redemption? And how can they stop the man–or monster–who would kill the innocent to live forever?”

Book Review: The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Posted on January 29, 2019 40 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 Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Redhook (January 29, 2019)

Length: 544 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I expected to enjoy The Wolf and the Whale, but what I was not prepared for was how completely it swept me off my feet. In this stunning masterpiece, Jordanna Max Brodsky weaves a cinematic tale of adventure and survival, blending history, mythology and timeless romance. All of this is set to the epic backdrop of the Arctic wilderness at a time of great change towards the end of the first millennium.

Our story follows Omat, a young Inuit girl born into her tribe during a time of tragedy. But in death, her father gave his daughter his strong hunter’s soul, and the spirits sent the Wolf to watch over the child so that she would survive. Omat’s grandfather, a wise shaman, recognized the gift in her and believed that she was meant to follow in his footsteps, so he raises her as a boy to hunt and protect her people, while also teaching her the ways to commune with the spirits.

However, as Omat grew, some in her group began to question her role, concerned that the spirits are angered by the taboo of a woman hunting. Their people are starving, and with no new children being born, they are slowly dying out. So, when their group happened to come across another Inuit band on the ice one day, Omat and her grandfather thought for certain that their prayers have been answered.

Sadly, they could not have been more wrong. As Omat finds her entire sense of identity unraveling, her life is also now in danger because of the newcomers. But an even greater threat looms on the horizon, in the form of a group of Norse explorers bringing only violence and death. As the gods and spirits of multiple pantheons look on, Omat must find common ground with an unlikely ally and embark on a perilous journey together that will determine the fate of both their peoples.

The Wolf in the Whale is a coming-of-age story unlike any other. It is also about a meeting of two cultures. Told in gorgeously lush prose, this tale unfolds over a number of years, though most of it follows Omat’s life through her young adulthood. Painstakingly researched, as evidenced by the author’s extensive notes on the historical period, the setting was brought to life with incredible attention to detail. Like her first trilogy, Olympus Bound, Brodsky’s new novel perfectly balances myth and reality in an exquisite cocktail of facts and fantastical elements, creating a world infused with magic and folklore. Here you can read about the Norse gods, as well as Inuit traditions of animism and shamanism.

There is also much I would like to say about Omat. This is the story of her struggle to overcome many hardships, some horrific, but she manages to emerge a stronger and more determined person each time. Though her lessons in loss have been huge, they have also shaped her in ways that were fascinating to watch. Readers get to witness her transformation from an overconfident and short-sighted youth to a more levelheaded adult who has come to realize that no fate is set in stone—and one should never take anything, or anyone, for granted.

Omat’s journey was also an exploration into gender roles that I found unexpectedly well-balanced and insightful. Our protagonist begins this tale as a proud, almost arrogant shaman-in-training who revels in her special place in the group, disdaining women’s work and the female body because she believes them to be weak. Raised as a boy in a girl’s body, all Omat wanted was to become a man—until the spirits turned on her and took away her magic, leaving her untethered and her future in doubt. Over the course of this novel, Omat gradually reconciles herself to her new path, learning to appreciate the strength and skills of a woman, ultimately embracing both the masculine and the feminine, because as in all things, life requires balance.

Speaking of which, one of the most significant events in this book is Omat’s meeting with Brandr, a Viking warrior with whom she develops a complex relationship that teaches her more about that balance, as well as how to trust and love. I’m a sucker for stories about disparate strangers from worlds apart who come together and form a deep bond, so it was no wonder that I found myself completely enthralled by these two. Plus, what a delightfully interesting little family they made along with Omat’s three companion wolves; I simply could not get enough of their interactions together.

In short, I think I have my first real contender for my list of best books of 2019. No surprise that it came from the imaginative mind of Jordanna Max Brodsky, who has impressed me before with her stunning prose and expert storytelling. With the courageous Omat at the story’s heart and a beautifully rendered world filled with magic, myth and history, The Wolf in the Whale is a novel that will enchant and captivate fantasy and historical fiction fans alike.

Book Review: The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Posted on January 28, 2019 33 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 Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of The Masquerade

Publisher: Tor (October 30, 2018)

Length: 458 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Some stories just don’t need sequels. Imagine watching Humphrey Bogart bid his heartbreakingly romantic farewell to Ingrid Bergman on the tarmac at the end of Casablanca, only to follow him to a bar afterwards to hear him whine pathetically for hours on end about second-guessing his sacrifice and beating himself up over making the worst mistake of his life. Well, that would rob all the magic out of a classic ending, wouldn’t it?

This, in a nutshell, was pretty much how I felt about The Monster Baru Cormorant. Keep in mind that its predecessor, The Traitor Baru Cormorant, was one of my favorite books in the year I read it, and it had one of the most tragic yet exquisitely poignant and tear-jerkingly beautiful endings I’ve ever read.

And then this book had to go and ruin it all for me.

But first, lest it needs to be stated explicitly, stop reading this review NOW if you have not read the first book. There WILL be spoilers for it, especially the ending, which I will be talking about, A LOT.

Monster picks up almost immediately after Traitor, at the end of which I was left speechless when imperial accountant Baru Cormorant watched the Masquerade execute the love of her life—an execution order she herself had signed. But having glimpsed into the inner workings of Baru’s mind, I knew why she had done it. Every action, every decision was carefully measured and balanced, with an eye towards final results. Even Tain Hu, the rebel duchess who came into our protagonist’s life and thawed her cold, calculating heart had, in her final moments, reconciled herself to the fact that things had to play out the way they did. It was, after all, what made the ending of the first book so incredibly damned special. Mind you, I was completely gutted, but I understood.

Which, unfortunately, is more than I could say for this sequel. The steady and purposeful Baru I knew had been replaced with an insipid, wishy-washy milksop wallowing in her self-pity. The irony, of course, is that I would have given anything to see more of this softer side of our protagonist in the first book, but as they say, be careful what you wish for, because this was nothing like what I had in mind. While I certainly did not begrudge Baru for her regrets over Tain Hu, I did become angrier at her the more she dwelled on her part in the execution. Well, that was what you wanted, wasn’t it? Least you can do is own it, damn you.

So, needless to say, this book and I got off to a rough start. But things did not get better. The series seems to have lost its direction, or has simply gotten too big for itself, because now it just feels like we’re doing things for the sake of doing them. At times, some of the things that came out of the Baru’s mouth were so random and outlandish, I did wonder if they were thrown in just for the shock factor. Diversity also seemed forced, included not because it actually mattered, but compulsory-like, as if the author felt that it was expected of him. The story itself was contrived, not to mention the sheer amount of bloat in the plot which was all over the place. Quite honestly, given how all the pieces came together so perfectly at the end of the first book, the absolute confusion and lack of direction in this sequel came as quite the shock.

Bottom line? I can’t believe what I’m about to say but here it goes: I wish I never read this book. I wish I had kept my memories of The Traitor Baru Cormorant intact, untarnished by the knowledge of everything that came after. And this is coming from someone who wept tears of pure emotion at the end of the first book. Really, the only saving grace of this sequel is Seth Dickinson’s gorgeous writing, which is as irresistibly lush and beguiling as I remember it. Despite my disastrous time with The Monster Baru Cormorant, I will still definitely seek out more from him should he start on any new projects, but no more from this series. This book broke my heart all over again but this time for very different reasons, and I just don’t know if I can take any more.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Traitor Baru Cormorant (Book 1)

YA Weekend Audio: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Posted on January 27, 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 Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Book 1 of The Gilded Wolves

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (January 15, 2019)

Length:11 hrs and 55 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I loved Roshani Chokshi’s The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, so I dove into The Gilded Wolves with all the excitement you can imagine. However, for some reason I did not feel for this novel the same way I did towards her mythological-inspired duology. While it was not a bad read overall and I still enjoyed this book to an extent, I think my disappointment is the result of having higher expectations and the fact this story felt very derivative and not as well put together as the previous books I’ve read by the author.

To begin, this is a historical fantasy set in an alternate version of Paris, France in 1889. It is also a heist story. And like all heist stories, you must have a ringleader to gather the group and execute an elaborate plan to steal an extremely valuable, all-important McGuffin. In this case, the role is filled by Séverin Montagnet-Alarie, a prominent city hotelier who is also an avid treasure hunter on the side. Robbed of his true inheritance as a child, Séverin finds it impossible to turn away an opportunity to gain it all back when a powerful secret society known as the Order of Babel seeks him out to find a magical ancient artifact called the Eye of Horus.

But first, he’ll need a crew. Enter Laila, a charming Indian dancer with a magical ability to read objects. She also loves to bake and plays the part of den mother the group. Then there’s Zofia, a young Jewish Polish girl on the autism spectrum who has magical powers of the mind. She is also a mathematician extraordinaire and the brains of the operation. Next is Enrique, a bookish Spanish-Filipino whose expertise in history gives the crew the edge they need. And Tristan is the little brother of Séverin’s heart if not of his blood, a cheerful boy who loves all things to do with plants and animals (he also dotes on his pet tarantula Goliath, much to the consternation of the group). And finally, there’s Hypnos, the queer biracial heir of a French aristocratic house who is also the outsider/liaison between Séverin and the Order of Babel. The two of them have a history, which results in some interesting dynamics as this adventurous little caper plays out.

In the end though, I think my dissatisfaction with The Gilded Wolves stems from its mediocrity. I mean, I didn’t think it was terrible, but then it wasn’t great either. All the components were there and by and large well-written and decent enough, yet none quite crossed the threshold into spectacular or even noteworthy territory. First, the story: I’m afraid a lot of the criticisms likening this book to a watered-down Six of Crows may have some merit. The similarities were hard to ignore once the notion had wormed itself into my mind, which wouldn’t really have been an issue (after all, most heist stories re-use and recycle a lot of the same ideas to some extent) except for the fact I thought Leigh Bardugo did everything much better. Chokshi also wasn’t able to keep up the interest or momentum quite as well, and as a result, pacing in the beginning and middle suffered.

Then there were the characters, whom I desperately wanted to like, but instead they felt like a parade of diversity labels but not much in the way of substance, which was a shame. Their individual quirks (like Laila’s baking, Tristan’s obsession with his pet tarantula, Zofia’s social naivete, etc.) felt forced or like they were included for the sake of humor, coming across to me as flimsy attempts to make them a bit more likeable and genuine. I also didn’t feel many of the relationships between the members of the crew developed all that organically, leading to some awkward juvenile dialogue. The exceptions to this were Séverin and Hypnos, whose linked backstories made them my two favorite characters, as well as Séverin and Tristan (again, because they have a shared history together), though the exceptionally well-developed nature of their brotherly bond made certain consequences of the ending predictable. Overall, I think Chokshi might still be working out the challenges of writing an ensemble cast, which includes balancing the attention given to each character.

And finally, with regards to the setting, I probably wouldn’t have been able to peg this as 1889 Paris if the narrative hadn’t explicitly provided the dates and names of places and landmarks. The world-building in this book was definitely weaker compared to the author’s The Star-Touched Queen duology, perhaps because she was writing about a milieu she wasn’t as familiar with. Historical settings can be tricky to pull off, because capturing the authentic feel of a place is much more than simply regurgitating details from the historical record, and while the descriptions of the environment were done well, I missed not having a strong sense of place or the lush atmosphere I know the author is capable of.

All in all, I can’t say The Gilded Wolves really lived up to the hype for me, but it’s probably because I was expecting a lot more, being a huge fan of Roshani Chokshi’s other books. Still, I have no doubt this novel will find tons of love among YA fantasy readers, and it could be worth checking out if you enjoy historical fantasies and heist stories.

Audiobook Comments: I’m really glad I opted to review the audiobook version of The Gilded Wolves, because I think the format might have helped me through some of the slower parts in the beginning and middle of the book (but even then I had to play back a few times due to a couple false starts). I also liked that there were two narrators, though one or two more voices to reflect the large cast wouldn’t have hurt either. Laurie Catherine Winkel and P.J. Ochlan delivered good performances, but occasionally both would go a little overboard with their accents, becoming difficult to understand. Overall, a decent listen.

Audiobook Review: The Au Pair by Emma Rous

Posted on January 26, 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 Au Pair by Emma Rous

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

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Penguin Audio (January 8, 2019)

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrators: Elizabeth Sastre, Nicola Barber

The Au Pair is the kind of book that will make you clutch your head afterward and think, what the hell did I just read? It’s confusing, it’s excessive, and it’s crazy, but to its credit, it’s also entirely well pleased and unashamed of its implausible, absurd premise. Are you okay with that? Because if you are, then this just might be the wildest, most entertaining family suspense drama you’ll read all year.

The story alternates between two viewpoints. The first is Seraphine Mayes, whose father was recently killed in a tragic accident. While sorting out through his belongings at their childhood home of Summerbourne in a quaint little village on the Norfolk coast, our protagonist and her brothers come across an old photograph that raises a lot of questions. For one thing, in the picture is their mother, Ruth, smiling and holding a newborn baby with her husband Dominic and oldest son Edwin, just moments after the family welcomed Seraphine and her twin Danny into the world. It is a happy scene, but the siblings know that within hours after this photo was taken, Ruth would be dead, having hurled herself off the cliffs in an apparent suicide. But if this picture was in fact captured that day, then why was there only one baby? Where was the other twin? Was it Seraphine or Danny that their mother was holding in her arms? And why did this beaming woman, looking so happy with her family, kill herself so soon afterwards?

Concerned that these questions would raise doubts about her parentage and jeopardize her chances of inheriting Summberbourne (Is she even Dominic and Ruth Mayes’ daughter? Is that why she’s always felt like she was on the outside, and why people are always saying she looks nothing like Edwin and Danny?), Seraphine begins a fervent investigation into the secrets of the family’s past. Her older brother, who was only a toddler at the time of their mother’s death, doesn’t remember much, but believes that the photo must have been taken by his au pair who worked at Summerbourne at the time. We get to learn more about this young woman, whose name was Laura, from her POV chapters flashing back to the past. Hired by the Mayeses to take care of Edwin, she was only with the family for a brief time, disappearing from their lives immediately after Ruth’s suicide. Convinced that Laura would know more about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her and her Danny’s birth as well as their mother’s death, Seraphine is determined to track down the former au pair despite pushback from her grandmother, who believes nothing good can come from dredging up the past.

Things begin like your typical mystery, presenting the details surrounding a puzzling situation, as well as all the characters involved and their relationships to each other (and it’s important to pay attention here, because all these connections are going to come back into play in a big way). The dual timelines, following Seraphine in the present and Laura in the past, are instrumental in providing the full picture, and though this slows down the pacing some, overall Emma Rous manages to keep the atmosphere of tension and suspense at a high level. One immediately gets the sense that Summerbourne is not as idyllic as it appears to be, the setting’s tranquil vibes and picturesque location belying the dark secrets hidden within. In the village, locals whisper of changeling legends and rumors about the Mayes’ curse. From Laura’s point-of-view, we also learn that despite outward appearances to the contrary, Dominic and Ruth had a troubled marriage. Discovering all this in the present, Seraphine becomes more and more obsessed with finding the truth.

However, things kind of take a nosedive in the second half of the novel, as the pieces of the puzzle start coming together. Depending on the type of reader you are, you might in fact take great pleasure in these sections (after all, if you’re a daredevil in a stunt plane, nosedives can indeed be exciting). At this point, the plot flies off the rails, becoming this ridiculously convoluted and tangled mess of family relationships while giving light to several implausible revelations that don’t really make sense, but you sort of have to go along with it anyway in order to find out the ending. To a certain extent, a plot twist only works if the reader has a fair chance to work it out, i.e. the author isn’t just pulling one out of her butt at the most crucial moment, but some of that was what I felt was happening here and it all just became a little too much to take.

Still, whatever else can be said about The Au Pair, it was certainly entertaining, and I can honestly say I did not see that ending coming. Despite my skepticism over everything playing out the way they did, I had a good time overall, and would recommend this book if you don’t mind suspending your disbelief for some overdone twists.

Audiobook Comments: The Au Pair audiobook features two narrators, Elizabeth Sastre and Nicola Barber, because the book features two points-of-view, Seraphine and Laura. I thought the voices of the two women should have been more distinctive, given the huge differences our characters’ personalities. However, other than that I had no complaints. The narrators’ performances were wonderful, and this was overall a good listen.

Friday Face-Off: Priest

Posted on January 25, 2019 21 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:

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
~ a cover featuring a MONK/PRIEST/PERSON OF THE CLOTH

Mogsy’s Pick:

Dark Debts by Karen Hall

This week, I had a book in mind right away, as Dark Debts was a horror-thriller novel I read only a few short years ago, and the story along with its main character who is a Jesuit priest has stayed with me ever since. What’s also interesting about this novel is that its 2016 re-release was not simply a new edition of the 20-year-old cult classic, but actually a completely reworked version featuring extensive changes including a different ending. The reason, the author explained, had a lot to do with how much she has changed as a person in the last two decades, as well as gaining more knowledge and understanding into her own Catholic faith.

The novel itself is a Gothic horror involving demonic possession, exorcism, and a heavy dose of mystery. The story begins with protagonist Father Michael Kinney testifying as a witness to a horrific crime involving a teenage boy and his two parents, appearing in court against the wishes of the church. In response, Father Michael’s superiors transfer him to rural Georgia immediately after the trial, forcing him to leave his old parish in Manhattan. Believing his exile to be a result of church politics, Father Michael is stricken when he discovers the truth about the dark, terrible secrets in his family’s past and that his transfer might in fact be no accident at all.

If you enjoy experiencing the disturbing feelings of unease or creeping dread brought on by the atmosphere of old-school horror movies, then Dark Debts is for you. However, I am not sure any of its covers really convey those subtle horror elements:

From left to right, top to bottom:
Random House (1996) – Simon & Schuster (2016)
Ivy Books (1997) – Pan Books (1998)

Winner:

I’ll be honest, they’re all terrible this week. Sure, a couple are worse than others (to be fair, something tells me the Pan edition is meant to be foil, because they liked doing that stuff in the 90s), but they’re all pretty bad. For me, it was a toss-up between the “stone statue” or the “priest” cover, though ultimately I went with the Simon & Schuster, and mostly because this is also the edition I own (the 20th anniversary hardcover with blood-red sprayed edges).

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

Book Review: A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

Posted on January 24, 2019 33 Comments

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

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Book 1 of The Salvagers

Publisher: Orbit (June 26, 2018)

Length: 480 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe showed so much potential from its premise. You have an egotistical speed racer who loses her fame, fortune and friends after she is framed for a murder she did not commit. You have an ex-military pilot turned celebrity treasure hunter, except her biggest score didn’t pan out the way she’d hoped. All of this is set to the backdrop of space with a magical twist, because in this world, sorcery is as much a part of daily life as technology.

Which means, if you’re one of the few extremely rare people born without magic, things can really suck. Lizzie “Boots” Elsworth has long accepted that as her lot in life. She’s a veteran of a war that saw her home world destroyed, and now she makes her living selling fake treasure maps to gullible or desperate adventurers hoping to strike it rich with one lucky salvage. It’s mostly harmless, though Boots did make the mistake of selling one of her counterfeit maps to her former captain from the military, and now he and his crew are coming after her for some payback. While attempting to evade them, Boots runs into Nilah, a young woman who is in a terrible bind of her own. A pro racecar driver, she has just fled from the biggest event of the racing world after it was interrupted by the use of illegal magic. One of her rivals was murdered during the course of the spell, and the perpetrators have pinned his death on Nilah, forcing her to go on the run.

Both Boots and Nilah’s escapes are cut short, however, when Cordell, Boots’ old captain, intercepts the two women and holds them captive aboard his ship. And now, whoever is after Nilah is after him and his crew too. Realizing he’s been caught up in a greater conspiracy, Cordell has no choice but to keep running with his new prisoners in tow, learning more about their mysterious pursuers from Nilah and Boots’ accounts. Turns out, there actually might be real treasure out there, and somehow, it’s all connected to the maelstrom of chaos happening all around them.

Sometimes, no matter how much you want to like a book, you just can’t justify giving it more than an average rating. Still, average meant it was okay—it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad—and that’s pretty much how I felt about everything in this one, from its story to the characters and even the somewhat different-from-the-norm world-building. The reality is, there have been a number of these ensemble-crew-adventure-space-opera-type novels released in recent years, most of them attempting to capture the action and atmosphere of popular sci-fi franchises like Firefly or Star Wars. And quite honestly? I’ll keep reading them as long as they keep coming. I do love this genre, though admittedly, things can start to blur together the more of it I read, and at some point, my tastes must have become more demanding.

So technically, there really isn’t anything wrong with this novel. Still, while the people, places, and plot were all pleasant and entertaining enough to read about, they never truly cross the threshold into becoming interesting or memorable either. The characters have great backstories, but their personalities are archetypal, and they think and act in very predictable ways. Story-wise, we had our high points, though the plot on the whole is still your typical generic space adventure fare. The world-building, which should have been the novel’s crowning glory, also fell short, and I think it failed to shine for several reasons. First, any time you have both magic and technology in a sci-fi setting, things can get messy. To the author’s credit, he did manage to keep this mashup somewhat clean and easy to understand, though in doing so, I think he also played things a little too safe. We have some cool ideas here, like auto-racing with magic, but we only ever get to catch a brief glimpse or scratch at the surface. There’s a vibe of “just go with it” to many of the concepts, and most of the systems here, both magical and technological, are only lightly touched upon. The wider implications of a society having both at its disposal are also not considered or explored in depth.

In any case, A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe wasn’t a standout for me, though granted, I can be quite picky when it comes to this genre. Still, if you enjoy fun sci-fi adventure stories about treasure hunters and heists in space and are looking for a light fluffy read won’t require too much time or deep thought, this one might just do the trick.

Waiting on Wednesday 01/23/19

Posted on January 23, 2019 15 Comments

Mogsy’s Pick

Pariah by W. Michael Gear (May 14, 2019 by DAW)

Oh joy is me, the third and final book of a fantastic sci-fi trilogy I discovered last year finally has a cover to go along with its intriguing blurb. And the best news? Less than four months before it releases! Countdown starting now.

“Corporate assassin Tamarland Benteen’s last hope is the survey ship Vixen. With a load of scientists aboard under the supervision of Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, Vixen is tasked with the first comprehensive survey of the newly discovered planet called Donovan. Given that back in Solar System, Boardmember Radcek would have Benteen’s brain dissected, he’s particularly motivated to make his escape.

The transition that should have taken Vixen years is instantaneous. Worse, a space ship is already orbiting Donovan, and, impossibly, human settlements have been established on the planet. For Dortmund Weisbacher, this is a violation of the most basic conservation tenets. Donovan is an ecological disaster.

Down on Donovan, Talina Perez takes refuge in the ruins of Mundo Base with the wild child, Kylee Simonov. But the quetzals are playing their own deadly game: one that forces Talina and Kylee to flee farther into the wilderness. Too bad they’re stuck with Dortmund Weisbacher in the process.

Back in Port Authority, Dan Wirth discovers that he’s not the meanest or deadliest man on the planet. Tamarland Benteen is making his play for control of PA. And in the final struggle, if Benteen can’t have it, he’ll destroy it all.”

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To

Posted on January 22, 2019 47 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 Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To

Mogsy’s Picks

There are a lot of books I didn’t get a chance to read in 2018, but thanks to the handy “Must-Read” checklists I made throughout the year, I was able to narrow down to these ten that are still high priority. Have you read any of these? Let me know your thoughts, and whether there are any here that I should get to right away.

Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft

Forced by necessity into a life of piracy, Senlin and his crew struggle to survive aboard their stolen airship. Senlin’s search for his lost wife continues, even as her ghost hounds his every step. But the Tower of Babel proves to be as difficult to reenter as it was to escape.

While searching for an unguarded port, Senlin encounters the camp of Luc Marat, who seems equal parts bandit and humanitarian. One thing is for certain: his asylum for the downtrodden hods is not as peaceful as it appears.

In desperation, Senlin turns to the mysterious and dangerous Sphinx, with whom Edith shares a terrible bond. They discover the Sphinx’s help does not come cheaply. Senlin must choose between his friends, his freedom, and his wife.

Wildcard by Marie Lu

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

he erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.

The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.

Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.

The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark

Marith has been a sellsword, a prince, a murderer, a demon, and dead. But something keeps bringing him back to life, and now there is nothing stopping him from taking back the throne that is rightfully his.

Thalia, the former high priestess, remains Marith’s only tenuous grasp to whatever goodness he has left. His left hand and his last source of light, Thalia still believes that the power that lies within him can be used for better ends. But as more forces gather beneath Marith’s banner, she can feel her influence slipping.

Read the second book in this “gritty and glorious!” (Miles Cameron) epic fantasy series reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence where the exiled son of a king fights to reclaim his throne no matter the cost.

The Land You Never Leave by Angus Watson

The David Gemmell Award-shortlisted author of Age of Iron returns with the second book in his epic West of West trilogy, in which a mismatched group of refugees must battle animals and monsters, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfill a prophecy.

Welcome to the Badlands…

Newly and uneasily allied, two tribes from different worlds set off across the Ocean of Grass. Their mission is to fulfill a prophecy and take Ottar the Moaner west of west, to save mankind.

In their way are the denizens of the Badlands, the most terrifying and powerful collection of murderers and monsters the world has ever seen.

From Unseen Fire by Cass Morgan

The Dictator is dead; long live the Republic.

But whose Republic will it be? Senators, generals, and elemental mages vie for the power to shape the future of the city of Aven. Latona of the Vitelliae, a mage of Spirit and Fire, has suppressed her phenomenal talents for fear they would draw unwanted attention from unscrupulous men. Now that the Dictator who threatened her family is gone, she may have an opportunity to seize a greater destiny as a protector of the people — if only she can find the courage to try.

Her siblings—a widow who conceals a canny political mind in the guise of a frivolous socialite, a young prophetess learning to navigate a treacherous world, and a military tribune leading a dangerous expedition in the province of Iberia—will be her allies as she builds a place for herself in this new world, against the objections of their father, her husband, and the strictures of Aventan society.

Latona’s path intersects with that of Sempronius Tarren, an ambitious senator harboring a dangerous secret. Sacred law dictates that no mage may hold high office, but Sempronius, a Shadow mage who has kept his abilities a life-long secret, intends to do just that. As rebellion brews in the provinces, Sempronius must outwit the ruthless leader of the opposing Senate faction to claim the political and military power he needs to secure a glorious future for Aven and his own place in history.

As politics draw them together and romance blossoms between them, Latona and Sempronius will use wit, charm, and magic to shape Aven’s fate. But when their foes resort to brutal violence and foul sorcery, will their efforts be enough to save the Republic they love?

The Wolf by Leo Carew

Beyond the Black River, among the forests and mountains of the north, lives an ancient race of people. Their lives are measured in centuries, not decades; they revel in wilderness and resilience, and they scorn wealth and comfort.

By contrast, those in the south live in the moment, their lives more fleeting. They crave wealth and power; their ambition is limitless, and their cunning unmatched.

When the armies of the south flood across the Black river, the fragile peace between the two races is shattered. On a lightning-struck battlefield, the two sides will fight – for their people, for their land, for their very survival.

Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

In Sky Hawkins’s family, leading your first heist is a major milestone–even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you’re a wyvern–a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society–a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss

Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.

But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?

Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

Book Review: Vultures by Chuck Wendig

Posted on January 21, 2019 20 Comments

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

Vultures by Chuck Wendig

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 6 of Miriam Black

Publisher: Saga Press (January 22, 2019)

Length: 416 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

And so, it’s over. After six books, Miriam Black has her conclusion, and I’m trying to deal with a lot of different thoughts and feelings all competing for my attention. Obviously, there’s elation, because all in all, it was a good finale. And of course, there’s pain and sadness too, knowing that a favorite series of mine for years has finally come to an end. However, there were also plenty of disappointments, and I find myself really struggling with them right now, because after all, it’s always tempting to give the last book in a series a proper send-off by showering it with all the love you can give. But in truth, as far as endings go, I feel Vultures could have been better, and while I feel overall quite happy with the way things turned out, it also wasn’t my favorite book of the series by a long shot.

First things first, though. It’s important to note the high possibility that this review will contain spoilers for the previous books in the series, especially for the end of The Raptor & the Wren, because the last few chapters of that book delivered some seriously shocking twists. At this point we must deal with the consequences, so yeah, I would highly recommend being caught up before proceeding. Really. I mean it. Stop reading these words immediately if you haven’t read all the books up until this point. Because Louis, the man who has been Miriam Black’s rock ever since her first encounter with all the way back in Blackbirds, is dead. And now she is pregnant with his child. Boom.

Miriam, however, is far from joyous with the news. Not only is she still grieving for Louis’ death, because of her curse, she can also foresee how their baby will die. And it sucks. The kid won’t even get a chance to take her first breath before her life will be extinguished from this world, the moment she is born. But Miriam isn’t giving up. She is determined to do all she can to prevent her vision from coming true, because breaking the chains of fate won’t just mean saving her baby, it will also mean vanquishing her nemesis, the Trespasser, for good. And hopefully, that will also mean the end of her curse, so that Miriam might be able to give her unborn daughter a future, and finally have the chance to settle down to a normal life with her girlfriend Gabby.

Still, changing fate won’t be easy. Miriam will need help, something she’s not often comfortable with receiving, especially when it comes with strings attached. One of these strings is the requirement that Miriam help with the capture of a serial killer who has been claiming victims every month from Los Angeles’ never-ending crop of up-and-coming hot young actors. Miriam has a feeling that everything—the killings, the Trespasser, the fate of her baby—is all somehow connected but isn’t sure how…that is, until her violent past rears its ugly head.

Incidentally, that’s actually one of the things I loved best about Vultures: the fact that it brings back some of the most significant moments and people from the previous volumes, tying them into the events of this novel. In my opinion, a good series finale always endeavors to call back to the beginning, so that things come full circle. Another thing I loved about this book—which also happens to be the reason I kept returning to this series—is watching Miriam grow as a character. Admittedly, that growth isn’t always in the direction I’d prefer it to be, but the point stands. Interesting things are always happening to Miriam, and I’ve learned over the course of this series that reading about how she deals with the changes in her life is half the fun. Without a doubt, her becoming pregnant is the most consequential, life-altering thing that’s ever happened to her, and watching her actions, emotions, and motivations evolve and play out in response to her impending motherhood was incredible to see.

But now, for the things I didn’t like so much: ever since Thunderbird, I’ve felt that the series has lost some of its magic. I’ve talked before about how the visceral, sheer horror of Blackbirds was what made me fall in love with the series. Likewise, Miriam Black’s devil-may-care attitude and brash and crude ways were what made me fall in love with her. Still, while the last three books have seen the core of her character mature some, her caustic and biting personality has not changed at all. Now I get why this might be the case—Chuck Wendig is clearly trying to grow his protagonist while keeping the most memorable and defining parts of her character intact (i.e. the swearing, the sarcastic wit, the shoot-first-ask-questions-later attitude etc.) But it’s clear that these two goals are no longer as synergistic as they once were. As a result, a lot of Miriam’s actions and dialogue in this one felt forced, and more than once I found myself frustrated with her for going against her own grain, fighting her new and improved instincts by unnecessarily reverting to old patterns. In some ways, I think Wendig is also facing a similar struggle of his own. I love his books, but I also can’t deny that many of them are very similar in tone and style. With Vultures, it feels as though he’s trying to break out of a rut, except that a lot of the writing feels contrived and a bit cringey, almost like he’s trying too hard to be edgy or to seem woke. Whatever it is, it’s just not coming across as naturally or authentic as it used to be like in the earlier books. And neither really is Miriam.

But the plot, though? The plot was solid. Save for some pacing issues caused by the frequent shifts between timelines and the final few chapters feeling a bit rushed, I felt really good about how the story played out. The ending revelations were also terrific. Now, that’s the way you leave your readers chewing on the last scene after finishing a book! In that, Chuck Wendig has crafted an ending for the Miriam Black series that’s just right. There may have been a few issues kept me from falling completely in love with Vultures, but bottom line, if you are a fan of Miriam Black you owe it to yourself to experience this long-awaited finale.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Blackbirds (Book 1)
Review of Mockingbird (Book 2)
Review of The Cormorant (Book 3)
Review of Thunderbird (Book 4)
Review of The Raptor & The Wren (Book 5)