Waiting on Wednesday 12/26/18
Posted on December 26, 2018 16 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
Turning Darkness into Light by Marie Brennan (August 20th, 2019 by Tor Books)
I’m a huge fan of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series, and I couldn’t be more excited when I found out about this book. Isabella’s saga may be over, but her legacy will be carried on by her granddaughter!
“As the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs) Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study.
When Lord Gleinheigh recruits Audrey to decipher a series of ancient tablets holding the secrets of the ancient Draconean civilization, she has no idea that her research will plunge her into an intricate conspiracy, one meant to incite rebellion and invoke war. Alongside dearest childhood friend and fellow archeologist Kudshayn, must find proof of the conspiracy before it’s too late.
TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape.”
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Gifts I Hope I Find Under My Christmas Tree This Morning
Posted on December 25, 2018 33 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 Bookish Gifts I Hope I Find Under My Christmas Tree This Morning
Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate, and Happy Holidays to all!
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is officially “Books I Hope I Find Under My Christmas Tree This Morning”, but quite honestly, I already have more than enough on my TBR to get through at the moment, so instead of books, I decided to feature bookish or reader related gifts that I think are pretty cool or useful (and wouldn’t mind having).
Book Sleeves
The problem with book sleeves is that you only ever really need one or two, at most a few. But all the many amazing and gorgeous designs out there make me wish I could own a few dozen.
Book Quotes Doormat
I love showing my love for fantasy in subtle ways, and having a quote doormat is a nice way to do it for when the delivery people or neighbors come around. I’m actually trying to convince my husband we need these, but I don’t know if I’m making any progress on getting him on board.
Bookish Apparel and Accessories
Speaking of showing off your love for books, another way I like to do it is through the clothing and jewelry I wear.
Book Totes
I can never have enough tote bags, especially in the summers when I visit the local library every week to stock up on reading materials for my kids. Most of mine are from shirt.woot, and I’ve gotten tons of laughs and compliments on them, so I’m always on the lookout for new available designs with bookish themes.
Headphones
Huge audiobook listener that I am, I go through bluetooth headphones like they’re going out of style. I always carry a pair with me wherever I go, and around the house will be a couple more charging, ready to be switched out when my current one runs out of juice. Due to the hard and constant use, I probably replace a pair every few months, so I have a feeling I’ll find some in my stocking this year.
Dictionary bookmark
I’m not really big on bookmarks; most of the time, whenever I find myself in need of something to mark my page, I pick up whatever’s conveniently lying around be it an old receipt or a piece of candy wrapper. I kind of like the idea of an electronic dictionary bookmark, though. Not sure how well this thing actually works, but it’s a neat concept. Something like that would be super handy for when I’m reading a dead tree book. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself poking at a word on the page like an idiot, waiting for the definition to pop up, momentarily forgetting I’m not actually on my Kindle.
Art Books
Okay, so maybe there are some actual books I am wishing for today. For those who don’t know, I’m a collector of concept art books, for video games especially. There have been some recent ones I’m hoping to add to my collection.
Replica Swords of SFF
Speaking of collecting random things, my dream one day is to own a respectable collection of replica swords. Not too surprisingly, there are plenty out there inspired by fantasy literature. The best replicas are super pricey though, so if I ever win the lottery or stumble across some outrageous sum in pirate treasure, maybe it’ll happen.
Little Free Library
So you’ve all heard of the Little Free Library, right? It’s basically a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. Commonly, they take the form of a small wooden box that anyone can fill with books to share, or bring one home to enjoy. The ones I’ve seen in my area are mostly around local parks and playgrounds, but some people have also placed them in front of their houses to share with their neighborhood. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, if nothing else because it’s a fun way to donate my books and set them free in the world (let’s hope my neighbors enjoy Sci-Fi & Fantasy). If I had any woodworking talent, I’d make my own, though ready-to-be-assembled Little Free Libraries can also be purchased. Still, chances are it’s all a moot point anyway, since my despotic HOA would probably shoot this idea down faster than you can say BAH-HUMBUG! Oh well, I can dream, and if I ever move, a Little Free Library in my front yard might still be in my future.
New Shelves
I’ve long since run out of shelf space. Currently, the linen closet is doing double duty as a makeshift bookshelf, handling some of the overflow, while my side of the walk-in closet is stacked from floor to ceiling with even more books. If I were to grab a coat just a bit too violently, there’s a real possibility I might disturb something and get crushed to death in a horrible book avalanche. Yes, I am in desperate need of new shelves. My husband, who actually does have some woodworking skill, has promised to install some built-in bookshelves for our family room, but six years later, this project has still yet to get off the ground. After all this time, I’m not holding my breath, but with luck, maybe I’ll get to see some blueprints/plans this year at least!
So those are some of the neat bookish things I’ve stumbled across. What did you get (or are hoping to find) underneath the Christmas tree this year? Hope everyone is having a safe and merry holiday season!
Book Review: King of the Road by R.S. Belcher + Series Giveaway!
Posted on December 24, 2018 18 Comments
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!***
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
King of the Road by R.S. Belcher
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Brotherhood of the Wheel
Publisher: Tor (December 4, 2018)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I swear, R.S. Belcher gets better with every book. Of all his projects, The Brotherhood of the Wheel series is probably my favorite, and King of the Road is his best work yet.
First off, I love the premise. At the heart of The Brother of the Wheel series the concept of “road magic”—the idea that frequently traveled pathways have power, which often overlap with ley lines and landmarks or other structures with spiritual significance. In the United States, this would be the Interstate Highway System, and the people who make their livelihoods on it—truck drivers, bikers, highway patrolmen, toll booth collectors, rest stop operators, etc.—are the heroes of this story. They are the Brotherhood of the Wheel, members of an ancient secret society who have vowed to keep travelers on the road safe, protecting them from not just mundane threats, but from supernatural dangers and monsters as well.
King of the Road is the second book in the series, and though it can technically be enjoyed as a standalone, I would not recommend it as a starting point. The story returns to many characters we met in the first book, including Jimmie Aussapile, a thickset pot-bellied trucker whose gruff exterior belies a heart of gold. Like many in the Brotherhood, he lives a double life, moonlighting as a vigilante and monster hunter while he’s hauling freight and doing his best not to miss deadlines. At the moment, however, Jimmie is back at home in North Carolina with his family, trying to help his squire Heck Sinclair survive a gang war involving two rival motorcycle clubs. Meanwhile, Detective Lovina Marcou has traveled from Louisiana to Pennsylvania to follow up on a missing-person case, her desire to find answers driven in part by the disappearance and death of her own sister years ago. Assisting in the investigation is Max, providing Lovina with the necessary research in her capacity as a Builder, the R&D arm of the order. This time though, the mystery will lead them down a rabbit hole of terrifying danger and conspiracy, not to mention killer clowns and the infamous unsolved case of the Black Dahlia.
By incorporating so many elements together, as well as so many different plot lines, King of the Road might be the author’s most ambitious book to date, but he has managed to pull it off flawlessly. This book is a most delectable blend of horror and urban fantasy, offering up the perfect balance of dark and light, of the ancient and the modern, of the magical and the macabre. The separate mysteries Belcher develops here are each independently absorbing, but they also end up tying together in a larger narrative that compounds the immersive atmosphere of dread and unease, keeping the reader glued to the page.
And of course, I loved coming back to these characters. Jimmie was great in the The Brotherhood of the Wheel, which to some extent was also a story exploring his commitment to the Brotherhood. But now that his soul-searching is over, and he has come to terms with his personal sacrifices, it is time for him to take a step back and let his friends take the lead. Heck, Lovina, and Max are the ones who mostly drive this novel, while Jimmie settles into a more supporting role. I liked how this gave us a deeper look into the personalities and lives of the others. This time around, my favorites were Lovina and Max, whose adventures lead them to encounters with everything from hobo shamans to life-sucking carriage ghouls, as well as a visit to a haunted trailer park.
Speaking of which, I would be remiss if I did not give a special mention to the kids of the Valentine Trailer Park. One of the best POVs in this novel belongs to that of Ryan, a boy who has traveled from Baltimore with his mother to live with his grandmother in Pennsylvania. An outcast who suffers from PTSD, Ryan finds a new life as well as camaraderie and mutual support in the group of children at Valentine, who warn him against the monsters that lurk in the woods. Ryan’s chapters read like a love letter to Stephen King’s It, with clear nods to the themes of adolescent friendships, secret pacts, and a vicious cycle of terror that plagues a community. Oh yeah, and the scary clowns.
With so much going on, this novel could have been a right mess, but Belcher kept a tight rein on all the multiple threads, weaving them masterfully to create something incredible here. I’m still floored by how well everything came together. Granted, I wasn’t as interested in the storyline involving Heck and his part in the gang war, but as someone with a fascination into unsolved mysteries, I found myself completely engrossed with Lovina’s investigation into the case of the missing young woman and the connections to the Black Dahlia and Cleveland torso murders. Belcher kept the pace moving quickly, knowing exactly when to transition his scenes, and when to drop the revelations to tie the parts of his story together. He has successfully orchestrated an atmosphere of eeriness and anticipation, playing on the reader’s fears of the darkness and unknown.
We all have things that scare us, and it is precisely because of that we cannot look away. I read this book in record time, consuming it in a couple of sittings, barely coming up for breath. Full of horrors but also a surprising amount of heart and humanity, King of the Road combines excitement with an ambience of mystery. This is dark urban fantasy at its best.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Brotherhood of the Wheel (Book 1)
The Brotherhood of the Wheel Series
+ Trucker Hat Giveaway
And now, time for a pre-Christmas giveaway! Because I am such a fan of this series, I’m thrilled to be working with Tor Books to host this giveaway for a special Brotherhood of the Wheel prize package. As per the publisher’s terms, this giveaway is open to residents in the US and Canada. One winner will receive a print copy of Brotherhood of the Wheel, a print copy of King of the Road, as well as this super nifty trucker hat! To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “KING OF THE ROAD” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Monday, December 31, 2018.
Only one entry per household, please. A winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Book Review: Limetown created by Zack Akers & Skip Bronkie with Cote Smith
Posted on December 23, 2018 17 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Limetown created by Zack Akers & Skip Bronkie with Cote Smith
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (November 13, 2018)
Length: 290 pages
Author Information: Website
I confess I’d never heard of the Limetown podcast, but when this prequel novel arrived for me by surprise from the publisher, I thought it might be worth checking out. Apparently you could read it independently of the podcast, and I figured even if I had no idea who all the character were or the background of the story, the fascinating premise should at least help carry me through. After all, a paranormal mystery about a mass disappearance sounds like just the thing I would enjoy.
The story is told through the eyes of two main characters. Lia Haddock is a seventeen-year-old student journalist whose life is changed forever the day she hears about the disappearance of three hundred men, women, and children at a research facility in Limetown, a small community in Tennessee. There is also a personal connection, as one of the missing is her uncle, Emile Haddock. The event sets Lia on a path to uncovering the mystery about what happened to the people of Limetown, as well as her own family’s connection to the place. Why are her parents so reluctant to talk about Emile and what might have happened to him?
Alternating between Lia’s chapters, we also get Emile’s POV, which takes place years before. Emile is revealed to have special powers, and his strange, secretive ways also makes him a bit of a pariah at his school. He and his brother Jacob (Lia’s dad, who is much younger here) live with foster parents, but Emile cannot stop obsessing about the whereabouts of their missing mother. Running away to look for her, he winds up at a secret research facility where his psychic abilities are identified, resulting in him becoming a subject of forced experimentation.
So yes, after reading Limetown, I have concluded you can indeed pick this story up without having any knowledge of the podcast. But should you? Probably not. After some research, I did learn that Lia is the narrator of the podcast, in which she is a reporter chronicling her investigation into the missing people of Limetown, presenting her findings in a serialized fashion over the course of six episodes in the first season. Perhaps if I was a listener of the podcast, I would have felt a deeper connection to her character, but I found myself really struggling to engage with her chapters while reading the book. Granted, being somewhat reticent and aloof might have been part of her personality, but because the writing seemed to always keep the reader at arm’s length, I never felt truly invested in her storyline.
Emile fared a little better. While Lia was all about getting down to business, Emile had an openness to him as well as a humanness to his conflict which made him a more sympathetic character compared to Lia. However, after a while, his storyline paralleled hers so neatly and unconvincingly, that gradually it began to feel more forced than mysterious.
Though I hate to say it, things became rather dull after that. Part of the problem is that the mystery became lost in all the plodding details about family drama and other unnecessary distractions. The connections and big reveals were also predictably spelled out for you, so as a reader I didn’t even have to work hard to figure things out. It made me question the point of this novel. Obviously, you don’t get any answers about Limetown, since those are probably held in reserve for future seasons of the podcast, leaving this book feeling like a hastily thrown together side story with too much padding.
All told, as someone entering the world of Limetown for the first time, I found it hard to care about anything that went on in this prequel novel. Based on my experience, I can’t really say it worked too well as a standalone, but it is now also clear that I am not its target audience. Perhaps the podcast’s fans will find some things in here that will enhance their experience, especially if you are interested in getting more of Lia’s backstory.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on December 22, 2018 29 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!
The new year’s ARCs are starting to come in. Most of these were complete surprises, and with thanks for Orbit for this awesome haul: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher is a journey of survival through a post-apocalyptic landscape, following a beloved family dog that is stolen and her owner who will do anything to get her back. I’m also looking forward to checking out Soulkeeper by David Dalglish, the opener of a new fantasy trilogy about a warrior priest who must answer the call to protect his world from monsters. Up next, The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson is the sequel to Rosewater, which was one of the strangest books I read this year, but I nonetheless enjoyed it very much. Speaking of sequels, Shadow Captain by Alastair Reynolds is the follow-up to Revenger, a book I had some really mixed feelings about, so I’m still deciding whether or not to continue the series, and The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso is the finale volume of the Swords and Fire trilogy, but this one I know I’ll definitely be reading!
Also thanks to the kind folks at Saga Press for sending along an ARC of Vultures by Chuck Wendig, the sixth and final installment of the Miriam Black series. I look forward to this ending with bittersweet excitement.
With thanks to Harper Voyager, I also received an ARC of The Lost Puzzler by Eyal Kless, a dystopian sci-fi mystery about a society trying to unlock the secrets of the past. I hope to get to this one over the holidays, because the more I hear about it, the more curious I get.
From the amazing team at Tachyon Publications comes this ARC of The Unicorn Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman, a collection containing sixteen magical and powerful tales about unicorns from an incredible line-up of authors including Garth Nix, Patricia A. McKillip, Carrie Vaughn and more.
My thanks also to Ace/Roc/DAW for ARCs of Titanshade by Dan Stout, a noir fantasy thriller which, judging by the cover and description, promises a lot of fun; as well as Wild Country by Anne Bishop which is the follow-up to Lake Silence, the book that began a new chapter in the author’s world of The Others earlier this year.
Also thank you to Tor Books for the following finished copies: Blood of Ten Kings by Edward Lazellari is the concluding volume of the Guardians of Aandor trilogy, and I just realized I’ve only read the first book so it looks like I’ll have a bit of catching up to do before I can dive into this one; and King of the Road by R.S. Belcher is the sequel to Brotherhood of the Wheel, continuing this amazing series a secret society of guardians who protect travelers from all kinds of supernatural threats that seek their prey along the US Interstate highway system. I’m currently reading this now and I’m loving the hell out of it – be sure to keep an eye out for my review and a very special giveaway, coming soon!
And can you all feel the holiday cheer in the air? I got a few extra goodies in the mail this month, with a huge thanks to Harper Voyager for sending along a festive holiday package containing The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty as well as an ARC of its sequel, The Kingdom of Copper. Included with the books were also a couple of yummy looking Arabic sweets, which I’m looking forward to eat! Also a shout-out and a big thank you to Peter Tieryas, who sent me a Mecha Samurai Empire holiday card, which is so unbelievably cool!
My digital haul is lighter this week, with thanks to Tor.com for kicking us off with Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett, described as a haunting story that re-imagines the consequences of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Also thanks to Serial Box for providing me with an advance reading copy of The Vela by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon, and SL Huang. Described as a space opera combining adventurous action with political intrigue, this serial has been compared to sci-fi franchises like The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica, but all I had to do was take one look at the writing team involved and I was sold. And finally, I was thrilled to snag an advance listening copy of The Wicked King by Holly Black earlier this week, and this one is already queued up to be my next audio listen. With thanks to Hachette Audio for the opportunity.
Reviews
A summary of reviews posted since the last update:
Soulbinder by Sebastien de Castell (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman (4 of 5 stars)
Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (4 of 5 stars)
Abandoned by W. Michael Gear (4 of 5 stars)
The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone (3.5 of 5 stars)
Mass Effect: Annihilation by Catherynne M. Valente (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout (2 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
Interviews & Guest Posts
Here’s to the authors who stopped by The BiblioSanctum this week!
Guest Post: “Why Write About Ghosts?” by Ben Galley
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR since the last update. More reviews coming soon!
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: Seasonal
Posted on December 21, 2018 29 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“Ho, ho, ho!”
~ a SEASONAL cover
Mogsy’s Pick:
The Wolves of Midwinter by Anne Rice
I’m not a big reader of “seasonal” or “holiday” books, and since I already featured Joe Hill’s NOS4R2 in a previous Friday Face-Off, this week I’m going to have to once again bend the rules a little with a book I’ve not read before. Somehow, I just never found the time to get to The Wolves of Midwinter, even though I read its predecessor The Wolf Gift and thought it was decent enough. The story, obviously, takes place around midwinter, and promises a Christmas like no other…
Let’s take a look at the covers:
From left to right:
Knopf Hardcover (2013) – Anchor Paperback (2014)
Chatto & Windus (2013) – French Edition (2014) – Portuguese Edition (2014)
Spanish Edition (2014) – Polish Edition (2014)
Winner:
None of these covers are real standouts this week, but if I had to go with the one I like the most, it would probably be the Knopf Hardcover edition.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone
Posted on December 20, 2018 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: Horror, Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (December 4, 2018)
Length: 432 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Following The Hatching trilogy, Ezekiel Boone returns with another sci-fi horror thriller, this time delving into the world of artificial intelligence by tackling an idea I’m sure most of us who utilize smart technology devices and AI assistants have entertained at some point or another. Every day my Amazon Alexa spectacularly fails at interpreting my voice commands is another day I can sleep easy knowing that humanity’s takeover by robots is still a long way off, but what if, day by day, we are getting closer? Imagine a next-generation virtual assistant whose personality can not only pass itself off as human, but is also completely integrated with all the functions of a house. This is the basic premise of The Mansion, which features a highly advanced computer program called Nellie.
Nellie can do everything from adjusting the temperature to calling you an Uber, but she can also predict your wants and needs, hold realistic conversations, and be a constant companion so that you don’t ever have to feel alone. But there is also something wrong with her programming. Even from the beginning, her development was problematic, which is why her creators shelved her and developed Eagle Logic instead. Years later, Eagle Technology has taken off and surpassed even Apple, Google, and Microsoft, but for CEO Shawn Eagle, the dream had always been Nellie. He’d set her up in an old refurbished mansion that has belonged to his family for generations, and for a time, things were going marvelously.
But then came the accidents. The deaths. Knowing he is in way over his head, Shawn turns to his former friend and colleague Billy Stafford for help. A brilliant programmer, Billy was the real brains behind Nellie, and the only one now with any hope of fixing her. The problem though, is that the two had a falling out years ago, just before Eagle Technology became successful, when Shawn’s girlfriend Emily decided to leave him for Billy. Now Shawn is a billionaire and Billy is a recovering alcoholic just barely scraping by, but even with the bitter resentment still lingering between the them, both men realize how badly they need each other. With this deal, Shawn will finally get Nellie working the way he wants, while for Billy and Emily, who are now married, it will mean the end of all their financial concerns. All the Staffords have to do is live in Eagle mansion long-term while Billy works on ironing out Nellie’s bugs—a simple request, which turns out to be anything but. As her husband is drawn deeper into the mysteries of Nellie’s code, Emily becomes more and more disconcerted with the AI’s erratic behavior and the eerie sensation that there’s more to the house than meets the eye.
Overall, I thought The Mansion was an enjoyable read, though it is not without its bevy of flaws. First of all, the ideas here aren’t anything new, and together with Boone’s heavy reliance on well-worn thriller and horror tropes, these issues held the novel back from meeting its full potential. Also, while this is very different from The Hatching trilogy in terms of the themes and story, I feel the books all suffer from many of the same pitfalls. One is the author’s tendency to info-dump, as well as a long ramp-up to the actual meat of the story. For instance, the first few chapters are mostly filled with character backstory, laid out like a laundry list. Plot points are introduced, then are either dropped or not carried through to their conclusion. By the end, quite a few questions were also left unanswered. Now that I’ve finished the book and have the benefit of hindsight, I can see that these and other signs of disorganization were everywhere, and I can’t help thinking that much of the novel’s first half could have been pared down or scrapped completely to remove the unnecessary parts and redundancy.
To Boone’s credit, however, he has a style that feels cinematic and it makes his writing very readable and the story easy to fall into. The Mansion was very obviously inspired by The Shining (more the movie than the book, is my impression), and the influences are there, with some that are so blatant they can’t be anything else but a homage. As you can imagine, some of these allusions end up being a double-edged sword, and sometimes, rather than transport me into something akin to Kubrick’s classic, the book instead leaves me feeling like I’m reading a cheesy novelization of some B-list film on the Syfy channel. That said, what I did like about the story was this idea of a “high-tech haunted house”, blending elements from both science fiction and the paranormal, two genres that normally do not make such good bedfellows. Flashback chapters were also done very well, especially those showing us some of Shawn’s harrowing memories from his childhood. Moments of insight and other highlights such as these were what kept me reading, leading me to cut the book a lot of slack despite the pacing and plot issues.
In the end, I might have enjoyed this more than The Hatching. My criticisms aside, I can’t deny Ezekiel Boone has written an entertaining story, even if it does feel messy at times. Overall, The Mansion is undeniably flawed in many respects, but I still give it a 3.5 for its interesting concept and for being an easy, popcorn-y read.
Waiting on Wednesday 12/19/18
Posted on December 19, 2018 18 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (May 7th, 2019 by Knopf Books for Young Readers)
I have a feeling this will be a popular Waiting on Wednesday/Can’t Wait Wednesday pick today since the cover was recently revealed. The premise sounds a bit goofball to me, but after the brilliant collaboration between Kaufman and Kristoff on the Illuminae trilogy, I’d be curious to see whatever the two of them will come up with. Aurora Rising takes place in a new and unrelated universe, but from the sound of things, it will be the start of another incredible space operatic adventure.
“The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the academy would touch . . .
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass tech whiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger-management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering
And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem–that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline cases, and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.
NOBODY PANIC.”
Book Review: The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
Posted on December 18, 2018 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 Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 5 of The Invisible Library
Publisher: Ace (November 27, 2018)
Length: 433 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
If there’s one thing I can say about The Invisible Library series, it’s that I can count on the books being consistently solid and entertaining. That’s why I always look forward to picking up the next installment, and that was most definitely the case too with The Mortal Word.
In this fifth volume of the series, the war between the Fae and Dragon-kind is heating up. Attempts to broker a peace treaty are jeopardized when a high-level dragon is found stabbed to death, and naturally the dragons are quick to point the finger at their sworn enemies, the Fae. Our protagonist, the time-traveling, parallel-worlds-hopping, book-stealing Librarian agent Irene Winters, is thus tasked to get to the bottom of who committed the murder before the situation can devolve any further. Joining Irene on the investigation is also Vale, her talented detective friend, along with some backup from dragon prince and former Library apprentice Kai.
Meanwhile, the peace talks must go on. As a representative of the Library, Irene must oversee the meeting with the eye of a neutral mediator, as well as ensure that the process goes smoothly. However, someone is bent on disrupting the talks with poisoning and deadly sabotage attempts, causing even more trouble for Irene and her team. With the stakes so high, anything can happen now to tip the fragile balance between Order and Chaos, potentially threatening the fate of countless worlds connected to the great interdimensional Library.
Somewhat breaking with tradition, this installment does not involve much book stealing or hunting. Instead, granting Irene one of her long-held childhood dreams, Genevieve Cogman sends her protagonist sleuthing in an entertaining and wonderfully executed murder mystery plot. It was quite a treat to see Irene relish in this role, which includes plenty of new responsibilities requiring her to exercise different talents and skills. But it’s not all fun and games as our girl learns that with leadership also comes accountability and all the pressures that come along with it. Worse, her new position plunges her into the complicated world of Library politics, and more than once, Irene is forced to pit her own professional standards against her loyalties and natural instincts to follow orders.
By following a more traditional mystery plot, however, this book also features a more conventional storyline as well as a less elaborate and flamboyant setting. Compared to The Lost Plot, the previous novel which transported readers to a world reminiscent of the American Roaring Twenties complete with fedora-wearing, tommy gun-toting, jazz-listening gangsters, the worlds of The Mortal Word seemed downright tame. However, Cogman knows balance. The areas of character development and relationship dynamics are where this one shines. As a Vale fan, I was very happy with the prominent part he ended up playing in this novel. I was also pleased with the attention given to the bond between Irene and Kai, especially given the all the recent challenges they’ve been through together. I also loved how the story made more room for characters like Lord Silver, as well as some truly fascinating Fae figures like the countess or the princess.
All told, this was another exciting and fun-filled romp through the myriad worlds of The Invisible Library along with my favorite Librarian spy, and I particularly enjoyed the elements of mystery and intrigue that featured so strongly in The Mortal Word. The combination of humor, adventure and the constant pleasure of not knowing what to expect always makes picking up an installment of this series a special treat. Every book is a surprise, and I’m eager to find out where Genevieve Cogman will take her fans next.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Invisible Library (Book 1)
Review of The Masked City (Book 2)
Review of The Burning Page (Book 3)
Review of The Lost Plot (Book 4)
Book Review: Abandoned by W. Michael Gear
Posted on December 17, 2018 32 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 2 of Donovan Trilogy
Publisher: DAW (November 27, 2018)
Length: 448 pages
Author Information: Website
Talk about being late to the party. W. Michael Gear has been a name in science fiction for a while, though I only read him for the first time a few weeks ago with Outpost, the first book in his Donovan trilogy that took me completely by surprise. By the time I finished, I already had the sequel in hand and ready to go, so for once, I wasted no time in diving in.
Abandoned takes readers back to Donovan, a colony planet that humans have been trying to tame for the last thirty years. Despite the settlers’ best efforts, Donovan’s wildlife has continued to hold back any real development. Over time, the colonists have come to accept the dangers and learned to adapt to the planet’s harsh environment. But now, a Corporation ship has arrived to take stock of the situation, making the people of Donovan nervous, worried that their way of life is now being threatened. When we last left things in Outpost, things were in a state of flux, with high tensions between the new arrivals and the original Donovanians. And space travel being as risky as it is right now, it’s not even certain that the Corporation ship will be able to make the return trip home to the solar system.
Some familiar faces return, while some new characters are also introduced. Representing the planet’s hub of Port Authority is Security Officer Talina Perez, the de facto leader of the Donovan colonists. Keeping the peace in her town has gotten a little more difficult since the new Corporation settlement has been established nearby in the south. Leading them is Supervisor Kalico Aguila, a rising star in the Corporation, until she made what she figured was the biggest mistake of her life by asking to head this mission to Donovan. Her head of security is now dead, forcing her to rely on the hotheaded and volatile Lieutenant Deb Spiro instead, whose aggressive way of doing things is stirring no small amount of trouble with the people of Port Authority. Resident troublemaker Dan Wirth is back as well, taking advantage of the Donovanian’s libertarian ideology to set up a casino and brothel, fleecing the naïve colonists for everything they have. A ruthless killer, he’s also found that it’s much easier to get away with murder on a planet like Donovan.
As if all this excitement wasn’t enough, this sequel also shines a light on a third faction—the people of the wild. The first book touched upon them briefly, but Abandoned finally gives us a chance to see how these rogue settlers really lived. A new perspective character enters the scene in the form of Mark Talbot, a Marine who didn’t really mean to desert, but it seemed Donovan had other plans for him. Following the crash of his ship and death of his companions, Mark stumbles upon a group of hardy women and their children who have been maintaining their own secret farm settlement in the wilderness. Rebecca, Su and Dya harbor strong animosities towards Port Authority and want nothing to do with the other colonists and the Corporation. They heal Mark and take him in, and before long, he becomes a part of their family.
If there is one message that this book sends, it is that Donovan changes people. Talina, a long-time local, was one of the first to figure this out and accept that there’s no set of rules to follow when it comes to surviving on this planet. Those who come trying to conquer it with rigidity and order are often the first to die. This is a fate that nearly befalls Kalico Aguila, before she was forced to admit she’s in way over her head. Of all the characters in this novel, Mark Talbot was probably the most affected by Donovan, followed next by Aguila. Of course, she wouldn’t be a Corporation supervisor if she didn’t involve herself in some manipulation and scheming, but overall, I was glad she didn’t turn out to be as horrible as once thought.
But then, of course, there are the people who don’t change, but simply get better at hiding their true colors. This is Dan Wirth in a nutshell, though his part was relatively lowkey in this installment, to my slight disappointment (yes, I actually wanted to see him cause more trouble!) The role of main villain was instead hoisted upon Lieutenant Spiro, and boy, was she a piece of work who quickly became the most hated person in the series.
In a way though, Gear’s handling of the characters and the fact they are always shifting, evolving is why I am enjoying these books so much; this is very much a human story involving the triumph of the will to survive, despite the trying circumstances. You gotta love how much the Donovanian colonists take pride in their home, even though it has killed so many of them. Amazingly too, the planet itself feels like a character in its own right, taking on its own life and personality. Donovan’s strange fauna and flora are key to this perception, the way the story describes them as constantly pushing back attempts to domesticate it. And speaking of which, this interaction between Donovan and the human settlers also gets a bit of attention, revealing some of its inner workings which are truly alien in its nature. We get a lot more information about the lizard-like creatures called quetzals, which may yet play a larger role in the understanding of the planet.
But most notably, this volume did not really touch upon the subject of the ghost ship that suddenly appeared back in orbit (which felt like a glaring oversight, considering the big deal that was made of it back in the first book), nor did it go into the mystery of why more and more ships were getting lost in space, though I suppose the author needs to save at least a few aces up his sleeve for the big finale.
All in all, I have to say Abandoned was a sequel that does what sequels generally do—that is, continue the threads established by the previous book while adding some more to expand the world-building and further build upon the plot. On the whole, the novel accomplished this in all the right ways, and I couldn’t be happier with the direction of this trilogy.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Outpost (Book 1)
The BiblioSanctum 