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
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
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.
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)
Audiobook Review: Lipstick Voodoo by Kristi Charish
Posted on January 20, 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.
Lipstick Voodoo by Kristi Charish
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Kincaid Strange
Publisher: Audible Studios (January 8, 2019)
Length:12 hrs and 10 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Susannah Jones
It was nice getting back into the world of Kincaid Strange with Lipstick Voodoo, and reading it has made me realize how much I’d missed this kind of urban fantasy. Thing is, I’m just not reading as much of the genre as I used to. I’ve gotten pickier these days, and my UF reads are mostly limited to series I’ve already started and to only books that I feel are breaking the mold. While I would hesitate to label the Kincaid Strange novels as “typical”, admittedly they do follow a certain type of formula, containing a lot of the tropes often associated with the genre. At the same time though, I’m guessing that’s where all the warm and fuzzy down-earth-vibes I’m getting are coming from.
Lipstick Voodoo is the sequel to The Voodoo Killings, and picks up soon after the events of the first book. As one of the only few licensed (and legit) paranormal practitioners on the entire west coast, Kincaid Strange has got her hands full with new jobs, and yet she’s still always nearly broke. At the moment, simply trying to keep her zombie roommate “alive” and in one piece is draining her bank account. Nathan Cade used to be a pretty big deal on the 90’s Seattle grunge scene before he died in a boating accident at the height of his fame, and until recently, he’s spent the last two decades or so continuing his musical career as a ghost. But now, due to a magical ritual gone wrong, he is trapped in an animated corpse that is slowly decomposing, and if Kincaid doesn’t find a solution to the problem soon, his spirit will die along with its vessel.
Meanwhile, Kincaid is also in trouble with Gideon, the ghost of a sorcerer who is currently furious with her for destroying a body he had intended to inhabit. Now Gideon figures she owes him a huge debt, and he’s not going to rest until it is exacted. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, Kincaid is also trying to sort out her feelings for Aaron, her ex-boyfriend who is a detective on the police force. The reopening of a twenty-year-old paranormal case has led to Aaron calling her up for her expertise, and the fact that it involves a murdered rocker who was a contemporary of Nathan Cade’s has both the detective and our protagonist wondering if her undead roommate may have had something to do with the death.
Lipstick Voodoo was everything I wanted—fast and fun, with just the right amount of offbeat humor and charm. We mostly have our main character to thank for that. In some ways, Kincaid Strange reminds me a bit of a modernized Anita Blake (but savvier and less raunchy), most likely due to her supernatural ability to draw energy from the otherworld to fuel her necromantic magic. But while she may conform to the familiar archetype of the urban fantasy female protagonist (e.g., strong and independent, to the point of preferring to work alone; having few female friends and strained relationships with remaining family members; always getting in trouble with the powerful head honchos of the paranormal community because of her snarky, sometimes impetuous attitude; dealing with a tricky situation with an on-again-off-again beau, etc., etc., etc.), Kincaid also possesses a number of qualities that endeared me to her personality. For one thing, unlike a lot of bull-headed heroines who can’t see past their own self-importance, she knows what her weaknesses are and isn’t afraid to take an L if it means fighting another day. She’s also very loyal to the people she cares about. And slowly but surely, she’s coming around to the idea that it’s okay not to have to fight one’s battles alone.
On the world-building side of things, I’m once more impressed. As any fan of this genre knows, establishing the setting and a “sense of place” is always a huge component of an urban fantasy series, and I like how Kristi Charish is continuing to build upon her paranormal version of Seattle with an eye towards detail and atmosphere. Not only has she populated her world with all manner of creatures from ghouls to ghosts, she’s taken care to include examples of how the presence of the supernatural has also impacted everyday life. Incorporating the musical culture of the city into her story was also a stroke of genius; I’d liked this aspect when I read the first book and was thrilled to see it carried through to this sequel.
Lipstick Voodoo also ties up several plot threads from the previous novel while introducing new ones to look forward to. For a series that only has two books out right now, Kincaid Strange is already flowing like an extremely well-oiled machine with the promise of even more quirky and entertaining stories to come. I am looking forward to the next adventure starring our plucky heroine.
Audiobook Comments: I made the switch from print to audiobook with this installment, a decision I do not regret at all. I generally find that most urban fantasy works great in audio, especially with a book as light and fun as Lipstick Voodoo. As a bonus, Susannah Jones was fantastic as narrator, possessing the perfect voice and cadence to portray Kincaid Strange, but she also delivered incredible performances for all the other characters. If you’re an audiobook listener thinking about checking out this series, I highly recommend this format.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Voodoo Killings (Book 1)
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on January 19, 2019 31 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.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
Thank you to 47North and the amazing folks at Wunderkind PR for Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg, a novel of magical steampunk, romance, and adventure. Right now I’m tentatively scheduling this one for a February read, and I hope it works out because the book sounds neat.
My thanks also to Crown Publishishing for this surprise ARC of Recursion by Blake Crouch. I loved Crouch’s Dark Matter so much, that any new book of his goes immediately on my to-read list! I hope this one will be just as fun and addictive.
A big thanks also goes to DAW Books as they have been spoiling me silly by surprising me with a bunch of awesome looking ARCs over the last few weeks. I didn’t know too much about Finder by Suzanne Palmer, but some research told me it is a sci-fi caper starring a protagonist who is a thief, con artist and repo man. Well, you have my attention.
Next up, Fire Season by Stephen Blackmoore is the fourth volume of the urban fantasy series starring the necromancer Eric Carter. I haven’t gotten around to trying this series yet, but it’s on the TBR. Looks like I’ll have some catching up to do. The Master of Dreams by Mike Resnick is the start of a new fantasy trilogy offering an adventure through space and time. Despite Resnick being quite a big name in SFF, I think I’ve only read like one book by him. This looks a little different from his usual stuff though, and I’m curious to check it out. And finally, A Parliament of Bodies by Marshall Ryan Maresca is the third book of the Maradaine Constabulary series. To be honest, the author has so many series set in this world that I can’t really be sure if this is one I’m caught up with. I think I am, so I’ll probably read this at some point closer to its late March release. My thanks again to DAW Books.
Courtesy of the awesome team at William Morrow, I received a finished copy of The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk. This one’s a new discovery for me, though I’m aware it’s a thriller and its description looks promising in that it sounds like something that I would have trouble putting down and keep me reading into the night. I’ll probably find myself in the mood to read this at some point.
And thank you to Tor Books for this arrival that I should have featured a while ago, because it actually came before the holidays but it somehow fell through the cracks (quite literally). Willful Child: The Search for Spark by Steven Erikson is the third novel in his highly humorous and tremendously silly Star Trek spoof series. It is completely off the wall, but I’ve been enjoying it. I’ll be sure to be reading this when I need some laughs.
Last but not least, I’d like to give a special shout out to author Edward Lazellari for sending me a copy of his book The Lost Prince, volume two of The Guardians of Aandor trilogy. Tor had sent me a review copy of the third book, but I wasn’t caught up with the series yet, and when Ed found out, he offered to remedy that immediately. I’m currently reading this one now, so a review shouldn’t be long in coming!
And a, uh, bit of an explosion happened in my digital haul this week, on account of a bunch of audio review copies becoming available all at once. Courtesy of Macmillan Audio, I received The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, which I just finished listening to, and, well, I guess there’s some truth to the early reports calling it a watered-down Six of Crows. But if you like heist stories, it’s all good. From Penguin Audio, I grabbed Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, the first book of a new trilogy steeped in fantasy, mythology and history about a mercenary hired to find a missing child. From their YA imprint, Listening Library, I was thrilled when I saw they’d put up an advance listening copy of The Triumphant by Lesley Livingston, the final book in her Valiant series about female gladiators – which was downloaded straight away, of course. From Hachette Audio, I also picked up Golden State by Ben H. Winters. Anything he writes goes straight onto my to-read list, and this police drama set in a dystopian state has a unique and special twist that I think I’ll enjoy. And from Audible Studios, I couldn’t resist requesting Lipstick Voodoo by Kristi Charish when I found out there was an audio version. I’ve finished this one already, so a review should be up in a day or two.
On to the NetGalley pile, The Philosopher’s War by Tom Miller was a “Read Now” that I grabbed as soon as I saw it was available from Simon & Schuster. I’ve made it no secret how much I loved the first book, and I was ecstatic at the prospect of continuing the series. Murder Theory by Andrew Mayne is another highly anticipated sequel and was also an instant download with thanks to Thomas & Mercer. I don’t think I’ve ever smashed that request button as fast or as hard as I did when I learned that the eARC had gone out into the world. And already, that auto-approval from Random House Children’s is proving to be a double-edged sword, but I somehow managed to limit myself to one book that was actually on my anticipated YA list. Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao is described as a dark Anastasia retelling, about a fugitive princess with the power to control blood. And finally, with thanks to Sourcebooks Fire, my request for Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé was approved earlier this week. I know expectations are never too high for YA Horror, but I really think there’s a lot of potential with this one.
Reviews
A quick summary of my reviews posted since the last update:
The Winter Road by Adrian Selby (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan (4 of 5 stars)
The Wicked King by Holly Black (4 of 5 stars)
Darksoul by Anna Stephens (4 of 5 stars)
The Lost Puzzler by Eyal Kless (3.5 of 5 stars)
Cold Iron by Miles Cameron (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale (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. I think I’ve only reviewed one of these so far, so more on the way soon…
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: Amulet
Posted on January 18, 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:
~ a cover featuring an AMULET
Mogsy’s Pick:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Wow, I had a lot more trouble with this week’s topic than I expected. Luckily, while browsing through a list of books I’ve read, I came upon one edition of Shadow and Bone on Goodreads that fits the theme, so that settled it.
Since this is another book that has had many versions published, once again I’m only featuring the covers I think are the most interesting or that are standouts, which should make it easier to narrow down my favorites.
From left to right:
Henry Holt and Company (2012) – Indigo (2012) – Square Fish (2017)
Polish Edition (2017) – French Edition A (2013) – French Edition B (2017)
Italian Edition (2013) – Indonesian Edition (2013) – Czech Edition (2017)
Cerman Edition A (2012) – German Edition B (2014) – Vietnamese Edition (2014)
Winner:
Oh, why are all the covers for this book so pretty? This week there are several strong contenders for my favorite, including the Indigo edition (not sure why they went with a different title), the Square Fish edition, the 2017 French edition, and the Italian edition (which has a very striking art style). I love cool blue shades, which is why narrowing it down to just one pick is very tough. There can only be one winner though, so I bit the bullet and made my choice.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: The Lost Puzzler by Eyal Kless
Posted on January 17, 2019 27 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 Lost Puzzler by Eyal Kless
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Harper Voyager (January 8, 2019)
Length: 528 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Lost Puzzler was a puzzle, in more ways than one. Not only was the story shrouded in mystery, the plot was also slow to unravel, inviting the readers to seek the solution to the big question while doling out clues gradually in a teasing fashion. In addition, the structure of the book felt like a series of many separate and dissimilar segments making up a whole, thus making it feel very fractured.
For obvious reasons, novels like this often present me with a conundrum: how to rate it when I enjoy some of its pieces but not the others? In the case of The Lost Puzzler, I loved everything about the first half. We begin the tale through the eyes of a lowly scribe of the Guild of Historians who has been tasked with a dangerous mission to discover the fate of a boy who disappeared more than a decade before. This boy—named Rafik—is said to be a Puzzler, an individual with a special talent to unlock mysterious puzzle box-like nodes that are scattered across the world, hidden away in labyrinths and other dungeon-like places, where they guard the valuable treasures of the lost Tarkanian civilization. Following an apocalyptic event known as the Catastrophe, those who survived have split into different groups, and one of these groups called the Salvationists believe that the answers lie in the ancient technology of their forebears. They send teams on dangerous expeditions to plunder Tarkanian strongholds, where the Puzzler will attempt to crack their defenses while the rest of the squad protects itself from threats like traps and attacking lizard-like creatures.
Soon after the intro though, the narrative shifts to tell the story of Rafik. He was born in a community that has reverted to the old ways after the Catastrophe, becoming deeply faithful to the new gods they worship while shunning everything to do with technology. When the strange tattoos marking him as special began appearing on Rafik’s fingertips, his parents feared their son cursed, sending him away to a “friend” of the family who promised to get a good price for him at auction. Recognizing his value, a powerful guild ends up purchasing Rafik at a high price, nearly bankrupting themselves in the process. To ensure a return on their investment, Rafik’s new handlers begin grooming him for the demanding role of Puzzler, putting him through rigorous training exercises to prepare him for his first expedition.
The book flips the reader back and forth between these two timelines—the one in the present, where our historian attempts to extract Rafik’s story from a woman who used to know him, and the one in the past, which flashes back to her knowledge of the boy’s history and her recollections of her time with him. The awkward transitions notwithstanding, I generally liked how the two narratives were presented, especially the way they framed Rafik’s backstory while doing an excellent job filling in the lore and background of the setting. Like I said, I loved the first half of the book, particularly the parts detailing the initial stages of Rafik’s exile, from the time he discovered the telltale markings on his hand to the harrowing journey on the road where he is traded from master to master.
Not surprisingly, some of my favorite moments from the book came from these early segments, with Rafik’s time with the charismatic Captain Sam and his supertruck Sweetheart immediately coming to mind. The problem, however, is that many of these fascinating encounters are much too short. While I really enjoyed Rafik’s backstory, I wasn’t so much a fan of the episodic nature of his narrative. It felt really fragmented, with his character being passed like a hockey puck from one situation to the next, not to mention how a lot of the entertaining side characters end up sticking around just long enough to endear themselves to the reader before they are swiftly left behind and never to be seen again. It seemed a little wasteful, in a way, how many of the incredible characters and concepts presented here were never explored to their full potential. It made me think that much of Rafik’s backstory of his time before being sold to the Salvationist guild could have been cut down or reworked because of the way it plodded and meandered.
The novel also started losing me in its second half. After Rafik is bought by the guild, the story descends into a confusion of ideas that remind me of a bit of a fantasy RPG campaign mixed with the premise of a YA dystopian like The Maze Runner. These elements didn’t mesh as well with the rest of the world-building. I also didn’t feel as invested in the story once the present timeline took over for good. And while the conclusion provided some answers, the explanations given were convoluted and I didn’t find them particularly helpful, especially since they led to even more questions.
All of this led to my mixed opinions on the The Lost Puzzler. At times, it was a compelling page-turner where all I wanted was to know more about the life of Rafik and his abilities; other times, I was uncertain how I felt about the story’s direction and disjointed sections. That said, on the whole I found this to be an entertaining read and a fairly solid debut, and at this point I’m up for giving this world another go if there is a sequel.
Waiting on Wednesday 01/16/19
Posted on January 16, 2019 14 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
Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong (June 25, 2019 by Minotaur)
I’m sure I’ll get around to reading Kelley Armstrong’s paranormal/fantasy one of these days, but man, she just keeps coming out with these amazing suspense and psychological thrillers.
“From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a brand new psychological thriller about the lengths one woman will go to in order to save a child.
“Few crimes are reported as quickly as a snatched kid.”
That’s what the officer tells single mother Aubrey Finch after she reports a kidnapping. So why hasn’t anyone reported the little boy missing? Aubrey knows what she saw: a boy being taken against his will from the park. It doesn’t matter that the mother can’t be found. It doesn’t matter if no one reported it. Aubrey knows he’s missing.
Instead, people question her sanity. Aubrey hears the whispers. She’s a former stay-at-home mom who doesn’t have primary custody of her daughter, so there must be something wrong with her, right? Others may not understand her decision to walk away from her safe life at home, but years of hiding her past – even from the people she loves – were taking their toll, and Aubrey knows she can’t be the mother or wife she envisions until she learns to leave her secrets behind.
When the police refuse to believe her, she realizes that rescuing the boy is up to her alone. But after all the secrets, how far is she willing to go? Even to protect a child.”
The BiblioSanctum 