Book Review: Murder on Millionaire’s Row by Erin Lindsey
Posted on October 2, 2018 19 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Murder on Millionaire’s Row by Erin Lindsey
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Series: Book 1/Stand Alone
Publisher: Minotaur Books (October 2, 2018)
Length: 400 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’ve been a fan of Erin Lindsey for a while, and let me just say I was ecstatic when I found out about Murder on Millionaires’ Row. On her author’s page, it states that she is a lover of all things history, mystery, and fantasy, and I was happy to find this novel a jaunty mixture of all three.
It is New York City in 1886. Rose Gallagher is a young woman from Five Points who has always dreamed of a more adventurous life, though she knows things could be much worse than working as a housemaid in one of the city’s poshest neighborhoods. Secretly, she is also in love with her employer, the wealthy and handsome Thomas Wiltshire.
But then Mr. Wiltshire goes missing, and when Rose discovers that the police isn’t taking his disappearance seriously, she decides to take matters into her own hands. In the first few days of her investigation, she learns more about her employer than she ever bargained for. Apparently, Mr. Wiltshire traveled in some strange circles, and is not in fact an attorney as he claimed to be. What he was really up to before he disappeared, Rose doesn’t know, but she has strong suspicions that it has something to do with the Freemasons after tailing one of his friends to their headquarters. However, when a ghost of a woman suddenly appears in front of her one day, covered in blood and looking desperate and scared, Rose realizes that the man she loves may be in more trouble than she initially thought.
What follows is a delectable brew of lighthearted intrigue, drama, and yes, even a little bit of romance as we go hunting clues through the streets of late 19th century New York City with one of the most delightful lady detectives I’ve ever met. Part of the charm of Murder on Millionaires’ Row is its highly appealing throwback feel to some of the earliest mysteries to feature amateur female detectives (I was reminded a little bit of the works by Catherine Crowe, who was notable for featuring maid servant sleuths and ghosts in her stories). Erin Lindsey must have done an insane amount of research to get the setting and the atmosphere just right, and it was an effort that paid off as we got to experience all the wonders of the city with Rose on her exploits.
This book is also the author’s debut mystery, putting her abilities to write a compelling crime novel to the test, which she passes with flying colors. While on the surface, Murder on Millionaires’ Row might seem very different from her previous work, I still found it remarkably easy to get into. For one thing, readers who enjoyed Alix Black in her fantasy trilogy Bloodbound will recognize the same kind of courage and strength in Rose Gallagher, an incredibly resourceful woman who never quits. There’s also a supernatural component which may come as a surprise to unsuspecting readers because it doesn’t come into play until well into the mystery, though speaking as a speculative fiction fan, I really appreciated this aspect. We have everything from ghosts to magic, mediums and witches, as well as individuals who have special powers, or “luck”.
As supernatural mysteries go, this was by far one of the most lively and entertaining ones I have ever read. It offered up just the right amount of the paranormal without distracting from the mystery plot, and I think even non-fantasy readers would not be left feeling too overwhelmed. My only criticism is that the ending felt a little too rushed in stark contrast to the slow build of the investigation, and the resolution also felt too convenient. That said, I think the conclusion leaves room for many more fantastic storylines in the future, and I sure hope we’ll see more of Rose and Thomas. The two of them have amazing chemistry, which I sensed from only getting a small taste of their budding romance.
All in all, Murder on Millionaires’ Row is a fine debut bursting with potential, and definitely not your run-of-the-mill cozy mystery. The story pulled me in straight away, and it also didn’t take me long to fall in love with its courageous heroine and the rest of the plucky cast. Fans of historical fiction and detective stories will eat this one right up, especially if enjoy a touch of the paranormal.
Book Review: Priest of Bones by Peter McLean
Posted on October 1, 2018 25 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Priest of Bones by Peter McLean
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of War for the Rose Throne
Publisher: Ace Books (October 2, 2018)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Hmm, my thoughts are complicated for this one. Priest of Bones by Peter McLean is garnering all kinds of praise and I’m happy it’s getting the attention it deserves, but I’m just not feeling as enthusiastic about it as I ought to be. It’s as if on some level, I know I should like this—everything about the story screams “me” and the premise sounds exactly like the kind of dark fantasy designed to push all my right buttons. And yet, I felt a bizarre sense of distance when reading this, like how when an overzealous salesperson comes on too strongly with their pitch and actually winds up turning you off from a product you had wanted to buy.
In this novel, which feels a lot like grimdark sword and sorcery meets The Godfather, we follow mob boss and army priest Tomas Piety as he returns home to Ellinburg after fighting in a brutal war, only to find his criminal empire in shambles. Someone else had moved in during his absence, using the confusion of the war to take over all his properties and rackets. Keeping his trusted lieutenant Bloody Anne at his side and his volatile brother Jochan at arm’s length, Tomas sets out to gather up his gang of Pious Men in preparation to reclaim what he had worked so hard to build.
But in doing so, Tomas unwittingly uncovers the secret of who has been bankrolling his rivals, turning his once beloved city into a hollow shell run by foreign powers. Though he is loathe to do it, Tomas agrees to work clandestinely with the Queen’s Men, a group of agents for the crown, if it means saving the kingdom from invaders.
Credit where credit’s due: Priest of Bones is action-packed and fast-paced, wasting no time in getting right into the thick of things. From my experience reading the Burned Man trilogy, I already know McLean doesn’t mess around. His prose is sharp as a blade, his dialogue acerbic and punchy. There is hardly any preamble as we are thrown headfirst into the raging turf war, with the violence escalating from fist fights to fire bombs in no time flat.
There’s a dark tone to this one, no question about that. But here’s where its entire concept also started to unravel for me. Yes, a lot of unsavory things happen in this story, including but not limited to murder, sexual assault, violence and cruelty towards men, women, children, animals, you name it. As an avid reader of grimdark, none of this is anything I haven’t seen before, and yet, something about it in this case felt…off. While I wouldn’t stay the amount of violence is gratuitous exactly, I would say it feels a bit perfunctory and done for its own sake. There’s a real sense of going through the motions when it comes to a lot of these sequences, and character actions also feel scripted like they’re only doing and saying the things they do because it’s what the reader would expect.
It was difficult connecting with Tomas, as a result. There was a lot of telling and not showing when it came to his motivations, which made him come across as disingenuous. Simply repeating something over and over does not make it any more believable, for example, as when Tomas kept insisting that he respects women because he made Bloody Anne his second and pays her more than his other men. His persona felt artificial, like the very heart and soul of his character was missing. It also didn’t help that he was such a practical man. Tomas is someone who does what needs to be done, tackling problems with an almost detached and calculating approach. There’s a marriage-of-convenience plot in this story which perfectly illustrated this, where the protagonist might have felt something more for his expedient bride, yet at no point did I actually feel convinced. While I could definitely see what the author was trying to go for with Tomas’ character, I just couldn’t get on board with it.
Nevertheless, I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from reading this book, especially if it sounds like something you’ll enjoy. And to be quite honest, while I did not love Priest of Bones, I could still appreciate it for what it was: a fast-moving dark fantasy novel of moral ambiguity and intrigue that scores high on the readability and cool factor meters—and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Of course, it would have been nice if it had gone above and beyond those factors, but at the end of the day, this might just be another case of my misplaced hopes and hype.
Audiobook Review: Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout
Posted on September 30, 2018 24 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Middle Grade
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: HarperAudio (September 4, 2018)
Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Middle Grade fiction isn’t an age category I typically go for, but I’m a big fan of Greg Van Eekhout and when I saw the premise of Voyage of the Dogs I just couldn’t resist. This book was just too darn cute!
Billed as The Incredible Journey set in space, the story follows a team of four scrappy and adorable canine Barkonauts as they travel aboard the colonization ship Laika as companions and specially trained helpers to the human crew. Thanks to technological advancements, the vocalizations and behaviors of dogs can be translated into human language, allowing communication between the two species. As a result, dogs can also be taught to do so much more. Our protagonist is a terrier mix named Lopside, who fought hard against the odds to make it into the Barkonauts program despite his small size. His team also consists of Daisy, the Great Dane puppy who is already as strong as an ox; Bug, the Corgi genius who helps in Engineering; and Champion, the captain’s loyal Golden Retriever who also serves as leader of the Barkonauts. The four of them are especially close to Roro, their human handler who recruited and trained them for their mission in space. Their destination is Stepping Stone, a planet far outside of our solar system where the Laika hopes to establish a colony by first seeding it with agricultural crops and livestock.
The book begins with the crew preparing to go into hibernation for the long journey. Lopside is nervous about going into cryosleep, but is comforted by Roro who tells him all will be well. But when the dogs wake up, they find that everything has gone wrong. The Laika is severely damaged, the ship empty save for the four of them. Food, water, and supplies are also low, yet they are still a long way off from reaching Stepping Stone. Any way you look at it, the situation seems hopeless, and indeed, command back home has already given up on them, declaring the mission a total loss. Still, Lopside is unwilling to accept defeat. Alone with just their wits, he and his fellow Barkonauts must work together to survive and find out what happened to the human crew. That’s because they are good dogs, and good dogs always complete their mission.
I have to say, despite initial reservations that this book would be too childish, I actually ended up enjoying it a lot. Yes, it is cutesy and has talking dogs, but I was also impressed with the story and many of its deeper and more poignant themes. Obviously, at the heart of it is the idea of Man’s Best Friend and the enduring relationship between humans and dogs. It’s a bond that has been around since the beginning of time, making me wonder why it isn’t featured more prominently in space colonization sci-fi. Dogs are our comfort and joy, our helpers and our family—of course people would want their canine companions along with them for their journey to a new life on a new world.
The story also acknowledges how humans and dogs have evolved together, a process which has shaped society and culture, so it was interesting to see that idea expanded to technology as well. Still, while the dogs here may be ultra-intelligent and highly anthropomorphized, I was glad to see them retain many of their doggie traits. Lopside does rocket science, but still dreams of chasing rats. The Barkonauts communicate verbally with each other, but still nothing beats a good butt sniff. These and many more examples are what gives this book its charm and humor, which I’m sure any dog lover will be able to appreciate.
Voyage of the Dogs was overall a feel-good read, with appeal to wide audiences while staying age-appropriate in the 8-12 range. A couple topics with the potential to be mildly upsetting to sensitive readers include Lopside’s backstory, which heavily implies he was abandoned by his previous owners. Fortunately, he is eventually rescued by Roro, who nominates him for Barkonauts training after witnessing his unfailing optimism and perseverance. Then there is the true story of Laika, the dog who was launched by the Soviets on a one-way trip to space aboard Sputnik 2 in the late 50s. While the book avoids going into all the sad details, the story is referenced at a crucial turning point for our dog characters to gain a new perspective. When all is said and done though, we do get a happy ending, along with what I thought was a beautiful tribute to Laika.
All in all, Voyage of the Dogs was a tail-wagging good time, one that I would not hesitate to recommend to readers of all ages, especially those who love dogs. I don’t often find myself taken with a lot of children’s books, but this is definitely one to bark about.
Audiobook Comments: If you have children in the targeted age range, this audiobook would be a good one to listen with them. Patrick Lawlor provides a good voice for Lopside, and when the dogs started doing Morse code, I almost got a cramp from laughing so hard at the “bark-bark-woofs!” A very entertaining listen overall.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on September 29, 2018 36 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
Big 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!
My thanks to Titan Books for Occupy Me by Tricia Sullivan, which made a big splash last year and was a nominee for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke awards. I hear that it’s on the weird side, but the premise sounds so interesting that I can’t help feeling a little curious, so I’ll probably check it out.
From the awesome team at Orbit, I also received the following finished copies: The Land You Never Leave by Angus Watson is the sequel to You Die When You Die, a book I really enjoyed, so I’m doubly looking forward to reading this one. Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell has already been read and reviewed, and it was another fun installment in the brilliant Spellslinger series.
Also a big thanks to Pyr Books for this ARC of Black City Dragon by Richard A. Knaak. I know I’m painfully behind on this series, but one day I will catch up! Described as a historical urban fantasy combining action, mystery, and romance set in Prohibition-era Chicago, this just sounds too good to pass up.
Up next is The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders, which was unfamiliar to me. After some digging though, I discovered that it is a near-future YA sci-fi dystopian about a pair of twin sisters, written by a pair of twin sisters. Pretty neat, and the premise sounds interesting too, so I might check it out if time allows. Thank you Skyscape and Wunderkind PR for putting this one on my radar.
And my thanks to HarperVoyager for sending me a finished copy of The Accidental War by Walter Jon Williams. I’ve heard of the author and his Dread Empire’s Falls series, though I’ve never read any of the books. This one is apparently the start of a new trilogy set in the same universe. Thing is, I’m not sure how much I need to know about the previous trilogy or whether I can just dive right in at this point as a new reader. If anyone knows, feel free to chime in!
This next one I’m super excited about: Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean is a YA fantasy with East Asian influences featuring a protagonist who is secretly a yōkai (a supernatural spirit in Japanese folklore) training to be empress. But if her true nature is discovered, her life will be forfeit. Needless to say, when the publisher contacted me asking if I would be interested in an ARC, I said yes right away. With thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers.
Earlier this month I was also lucky enough to score an ARC of Lies by T.M. Logan from a Shelf Awareness sweepstakes. This is a thriller I’ve had my eye on for a while, and I couldn’t believe it when I won a copy. I’m definitely going to be reading this one soon. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity.
I also want to thank the kind folks at Tor.com for sending me an ARC of The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark. Smuggler airships, kidnapped scientists, and mysterious weapons, oh my. Add to that a supernatural element in the form of divine powers granted by the orisha of wind and storms, and this sounds like an amazing adventure.
And finally, rounding up this week’s new arrivals, I would like to thank the kind folks at Ace/Roc/DAW for the following finished copies: The Late Great Wizard by Sara Hanover is an urban fantasy about a magician’s daughter and her enigmatic quest to find her father after he vanishes mysteriously, and Worldshaper by Edward Willett is the first book of a new portal fantasy series featuring a young woman who discovers she has the powers to unlock an infinite possibilities of new dimensions. I’ve heard great things about both books, which are going onto my fall and winter TBR. And of course, last but not least is Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven, which you probably know I loved if you caught my review earlier this week. If you’re a resident of the US, there’s still a couple more days to enter my giveaway, so be sure to check out the link to the details in the sidebar.
Well, I almost made it through the two weeks without requesting from NetGalley, but earlier in the week I caved on White Stag by Kara Barbieri when an email popped up in my inbox from the publisher offering the eARC as a Read Now. What can I say, I can never resist a Goblin King story. With thanks to Wednesday Books.
Reviews
A list of my reviews posted since the last update:
Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven (4 of 5 stars)
Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell (4 of 5 stars)
Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas (4 of 5 stars)
The Chrysalis by Brendan Deneen (4 of 5 stars)
The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner (3.5 of 5 stars)
Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel (3.5 of 5 stars)
City of Lies by Sam Hawke (3.5 of 5 stars)
Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black (2.5 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR since the last update. I’m on a roll! A few of these have already been reviewed, but stay tuned, because more are 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: Eyes
Posted on September 28, 2018 23 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:
“Eyes wide shut”
~ a cover featuring EYES
Mogsy’s Pick:
Touch by Claire North
Touch was, in a word, fascinating. I’ll never look at the term “losing time” the same way again. Imagine, if you will, a group of near-immortal individuals (who call themselves “Ghosts”) that can jump from body to body, taking over their hosts and seeing through their eyes, feeling what they feel. They can choose to be anyone they want, live any life they want. All it takes is a single touch.
Whether a possession lasts for two seconds, two days, or two decades, the hosts won’t remember this time after the Ghost jumps away to another body. Have you ever looked at your cellphone and see a call you don’t remember making? Or found yourself in the middle of doing something, without remembering why? Have you ever lost time?
Like I said, a fascinating, amazing book. But let’s see how the covers measure up:
From left to right:
Orbit Hardcover (2015) – Orbit Paperback (2015) – Redhook (2015)
Dutch Edition (2015) – Polish Edition (2016) – German Edition (2016)
Russian Edition (2017) – French Edition (2015) – French Edition (2016)
Winner:
It was interesting to see so many different covers for this book, each with their own special touch (oh I slay myself). Notice, for example, the reflection you see in many of the eyes, which I thought was pretty damn cool. However, my favorite is probably the Russian cover because it takes the shattered mirror idea you see in the Orbit editions and takes it even further, depicting the concept of a Ghost’s multiple identities.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell
Posted on September 27, 2018 26 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 3 of Spellslinger
Publisher: Orbit (September 18, 2018)
Length: 448 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Once more, we join our protagonists the exiled mage Kellen, his Argosi mentor Ferius, and the unhinged squirrel cat Reichis on a road trip to their next destination in this third installment of the Spellslinger series. Building upon the events of the first two books, Charmcaster takes us out of the desert and into the land of Gitabria, where our characters are hoping to track down and help the first of many victims targeted by a Jan’Tep conspiracy. However, being a wanted man himself, Kellen finds his every step dogged by mercenaries. But then in a twist of fate, his latest confrontation with a group of bounty hunters leads him to rescue another mage on the run, who turns out to be none other Nephenia, an old friend (and secret crush) from his life before exile.
After a brief recuperation, our characters continue to make their way to the capital, where they get the chance to witness the unveiling of a miraculous new invention. While most of the crowd is blown away by the spectacle, only a few, including Ferius, are aware of the threat this could spell for the entire world if this technology were to fall into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, it appears that dangerous factions have already caught wind of the groundbreaking innovations happening in Gitabria, for the inventor’s daughter turns out to be one of their targets. After experiencing first-hand the devastating results of his enemies’ methods in the last book, Kellen is determined to do whatever it takes to free the girl from their evil influence.
Following the trend established by Shadowblack, we are introduced to a new setting, new cultures, and new side characters in this next chapter of Kellen’s journey. That said, the format feels very episodic in that each volume features a self-contained adventure, but together they make up an overarching series plot. As such, it is still imperative to start from the beginning and read the books in order.
That said, I am starting to notice a few repetitive patterns in the storytelling. The introduction paralleled the opening chapters in the previous book, which begins with an attack that our heroes barely manage to thwart and ends with them getting a new addition to their party, but for some reason I felt it took things in Charmcaster a lot longer to take off. On the bright side though, I did delight in seeing Nephenia again, despite her character being much changed from the girl Kellen used to know. A significant part of this book deals with the fallout of what has happened back home while our protagonist has been on the run, and some of this involves why Nephenia has become so different. In fact, I would say the strength of this novel is in the character and relationship building, because although we see the overall plot moving forward, it’s admittedly not by much.
Still, I am enjoying myself. Like its two predecessors, Charmcaster is fun, lively, and…well, charming. Sebastien de Castell continues to expand his world-building, adding even more detail and intrigue to this already rich setting. In Gitabria, our characters encounter a new land with different culture, politics, and traditions. They meet new people who teach them—and us—new things. Case in point, one of my favorite encounters in this book allowed both Kellen and the reader a glimpse into Ferius’ mysterious past, revealing that she too was a very different person in her youth. And of course, Reichis was his usual crass self, delivering most of the comic relief. As for Kellen, there were several interesting developments for his character too, mainly focusing on the deteriorating effects of the shadowblack and what this means for his mental capacities and how others treat him. In addition, Kellen is forced to face the harsh truth about his family and come to terms with the fact they are not the people he once thought they were. Needless to say, this book sees our protagonist growing up fast, whether he likes it or not.
But therein lies the beauty of this series. Kellen began this whole thing as a naïve and sheltered boy of fifteen, but gradually he is becoming a man. Every adventure is a learning experience for him, and with each book, the lessons are getting harder. Compared to the first two books, I felt that Charmcaster was slightly darker in tone, presenting Kellen with problems that are more complicated and disturbing. Still, our protagonist has retained the essence of who he is, the goodness that allows him to make the right decisions, and for that I am grateful to the author.
All told, every step of this journey has been great so far, and even though Charmcaster didn’t quite command my attention the way Spellslinger and Shadowblack did, I felt the book’s strengths came through in different ways. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Spellslinger (Book 1)
Review of Shadowblack (Book 2)
Waiting on Wednesday 09/26/18
Posted on September 26, 2018 22 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
The Toll by Cherie Priest (July 9, 2019 by Tor Books)
To be honest I have not loved everything I’ve read by Cherie Priest, but when it comes to horror, she sure knows how to write a creepy and atmospheric novel. In fact, her book The Family Plot is one of my favorite haunted house stories, so while I know that not all her books will strike my fancy, I’m still excited to keep reading her work. The Toll sounds like one I’ll really like. Can you say creepy?
“From Cherie Priest, the author of The Family Plot and Maplecroft, comes The Toll, a tense, dark, and scary treat for modern fans of the traditionally strange and macabre.
State Road 177 runs along the Suwannee River, between Fargo, Georgia, and the Okefenokee Swamp. Drive that route from east to west, and you’ll cross six bridges. Take it from west to east, and you might find seven.
But you’d better hope not.
Titus and Davina Bell leave their hotel in Fargo for a second honeymoon canoeing the Okefenokee Swamp. But shortly before they reach their destination, they draw up to a halt at the edge of a rickety bridge with old stone pilings, with room for only one car . . .
When, much later, a tow-truck arrives, the driver finds Titus lying in the middle of the road, but Davina is nowhere to be found.”
Book Review: The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Posted on September 25, 2018 30 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 Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Redhook (September 25, 2018)
Length: 464 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
A literary fantasy written in the tradition of books like Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale, The Sisters of the Winter Wood is Rena Rossner’s debut which blends magic and history with folklore and stories from her own Jewish ancestry. A nineteenth century narrative poem called Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti also provides much of the inspiration for the novel’s premise which centers on a pair of sisters who are tempted by the fruit of goblin merchants, but it is also about so much more.
Once upon a time, a swan and a bear fell in love. They married and had two daughters, sisters who are as different from each other as the sun is different from the moon. Liba is dark-haired, serious, and aloof, nothing like the younger Laya, who is blonde, beautiful, and prone to flights of fancy. Born into a Jewish family, the two of them live isolated from the town in the woods with their mother and father, who have kept the secret of their magical heritage from the girls. But as Liba and Laya begin to grow into womanhood, their parents are finally forced to reveal the truth: their Tati can transform into a bear, a gift which he has passed on to Liba, while Laya has inherited the power to turn into a swan, taking after their Mami.
However, soon after imparting these earth-shattering revelations, their parents are called away to attend an ailing family member on their deathbed, leaving their daughters with instructions to be careful and to look after themselves and each other while they’re gone. Much to Liba’s dismay though, Laya reacts to this newfound freedom from parental guidance with her usual reckless abandon. The younger girl immediately becomes besotted with one of the shady Hovlin brothers who have recently arrived in town to sell fruit at the market. Meanwhile, other strange things are putting the townsfolk on edge, like rumors of a rogue bear in the woods, people are going missing, and then two horribly mutilated bodies are found near an orchard. Amidst rising anti-Semitic attitudes and fears that her sister is being tempted down a dangerous path, Liba grapples with her own feelings for a young man who claims to be in love with her, as well as the changes to her body brought on by her ursine heritage.
The Sisters of the Winter Wood is gorgeously written, if a little over-embellished at times. For example, Laya’s chapters, which alternate between Liba’s, are completely written in verse-form. It’s a stylistic decision that didn’t do much for me personally, though it did help differentiate the contrasts in the sisters’ narrative voices. The prose also has a tendency towards melodrama, using awkward expressions in an attempt to sound more lyrical but more often than not they would merely stick out like a sore thumb. Because of the magical and evocative tone of the novel, however, I would say the writing style effectively adds to the haunting, beguiling atmosphere and the fairy tale undertones the author was obviously trying for.
And of course, as with most fairy tales, there are a lot of familiar motifs and tropes at play here, but I was also impressed how Rossner managed to inject a bit of novelty into the story. Plus, by using the familiarity to her advantage, she allows readers to tease out deeper meanings in the areas she has designed to stand out. At the end of the day, stories like these are about the enduring themes anyway—timeless concepts and values like family, devotion, and unconditional love. Needless to say, the bonds of sisterhood play a significant role, and so too does the characters’ Jewish heritage and how that has affected the way their family is treated. This latter subject has a distinct feel of being more personal and emotional to the author, and she gives some insight as to why in her afterword which includes a brief history of her forebears’ escape from the anti-Semitic pogroms of Europe and later the Nazis. There are elements of her family’s story in the setting of this book, creating a mood of high tension and foreboding. Its especially noticeable in Liba’s chapters, hers being the more anxious voice as she worries for her sister and frets over the darkness spreading through her town.
That said, this book is probably not for everyone. It’s a rather quiet, slow-moving tale, less plot-driven and more concerned with developing the characters and their relationships. However, fans of stories inspired by fairy tales or grounded in folklore will probably like it, especially if you have also enjoyed the genre’s recent offerings from authors like Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden. At the same time, The Sisters of the Winter Wood isn’t bringing us anything too new when it comes to books in this vein. Like most trends, I think fatigue is starting to set in, which probably explains why I’m not feeling as excited and enchanted by this novel as I wanted to be. Still, I enjoyed it a lot, and it’s absolutely worth taking a look if the description of the book’s story and style appeals to you.
Book Review: Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven + Giveaway
Posted on September 24, 2018 27 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.
Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Series: Book 1 of Fallen Empire
Publisher: Ace Books (September 25, 2018)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The first and only other book I’ve ever read by Grace Draven is Master of Crows, and clearly she has come a long way in the almost ten years since then. What hasn’t changed at all though, is her knack for writing a swoon-worthy fantasy romance. Speaking of someone who typically stays away from this subgenre, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Phoenix Unbound.
Set in a world inspired by the bloodier and more decadent elements of the Roman Empire, this story follows the journey of two people thrust together under unfortunate circumstances. Every year during the Rites of Spring, the capital holds a lavish festival in which a great bonfire ceremony takes place requiring each village to offer up a young woman as sacrifice to be burned alive. However, the village of Beroe has a secret: for the last five years, they have sent the same woman. Gilene is her name, and as a fire witch, she cannot be burned. Using her magic, she changes her appearance, takes her place on the pyre, and then conjures up an illusion of a grand inferno to mask her escape so that she can survive to do it all over again in a year’s time. While this process is painful, demoralizing, and traumatic, Gilene sees it as her sacred duty to perform, as it means sparing the other young women in her village a horrifying fate.
But this year, she did not anticipate Azarion. For close to a decade, he has been forced to fight in the brutal arenas to satiate his empress’s bloodlust, becoming a gladiator of much renown. And for some reason, he can see through Gilene’s illusions. Using her as a key to his escape, Azarion kidnaps Gilene after the ceremony, threatening to expose her secret if she doesn’t accompany him back to his village and help him reclaim his birthright. Trusting in his people’s reverence for fire witches, he hopes that Gilene’s support would allow him to challenge for the role of clan head, a position that was his before a traitorous cousin sold him into slavery. Thinking of Beroe and her own family, Gilene has no choice but to do what he says, realizing that the sooner Azarion can get his revenge, the sooner she can return home and prevent more death. What she didn’t foresee, however, was how the idea of home would also change for her.
I’ll admit it. There’s a lot of fantasy romance fiction out there that makes me want to cringe, tear my hair out with frustration, or roll my eyes at the cheesiness of it all. Apparently though, I’ve just been reading all the wrong books. Phoenix Unbound is proof that good writing can make all the difference. Building a believable, complex romance is an art, and too many authors try to rush the process without first establishing a connection between the characters. It is a step that becomes even more critical when considering relationships like the one between Gilene and Azarion. Hate-to-love romances are immensely popular, but I find they also get bungled a lot in many books, mainly because timing and rhythm have to be just right. Happily, Draven doesn’t miss a beat. Readers already know Gilene and Azarion will fall in love, but the narrative makes them (and us) work for it, drawing out their courtship and delaying the gratification until the two characters are emotionally invested in each other, and we’re emotionally invested in them.
This does mean the romance takes longer to develop, but it’s worth it, and I think the results speak for themselves. Far from making me want to cringe (or tear my hair out, or roll my eyes) the final scene in the book almost moved me to tears because it was so perfect and beautiful. Plus, I can’t say the measured pacing of the romance really bothered me at all, since there was so much else going on in the story to occupy my attention. Despite some of the more well-trodden tropes, there are many other aspects of the book that feel genuine and unique, like the personalities of the characters, both major and minor. Each person comes across as real and lived-in, with distinct attitudes, motivations, strengths and flaws. Draven also brings her Fallen Empire world to life with lushly described details and stunning imagery, instilling feeling into her environments which provides an extra emotional layer to the events and character interactions playing out on the page.
My point is, Phoenix Unbound isn’t simply about a love story. It is the full package. Grace Draven has been working hard at her craft, and it shows. This book is full of beautiful and tragic moments, scenes of both ferocious violence and intense passion. The exquisite slow-burning romance between Gilene and Azarion is balanced with outstanding characterization and world-building, fueling my enthusiasm and interest in the story as its developments unfolded. Fantasy romance authors and readers take note, because this is the way it should be done. This novel drew me in completely, and I hope we’ll be seeing more from this universe.
Phoenix Unbound Giveaway
And now time for some fun! Since I enjoyed Phoenix Unbound so much, I want to share the love with a copy I’m putting up for giveaway. With apologies to our international readers, due to the costs of shipping, this giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will receive a paperback copy of the book. 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 “PHOENIX UNBOUND” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Sunday, September 30, 2018.
Only one entry per household, please. The 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!
YA Weekend: Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel
Posted on September 23, 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.
Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Black Birds of the Gallows
Publisher: Entangled: Teen (September 4, 2018)
Length: 304 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Keeper of the Bees has all the makings of a popular YA modern fairy tale—cursed protagonists, magical villains, and a romance for the ages. It has even been described as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, though personally I find that comparison to be a bit of a stretch, and, to be honest, a disservice to the world of this book, considering how unique it is.
The story is told from the perspective of two teens: one who has been wandering the earth since time immemorial, cursed with a hive full of bees in his chest, and the other is from a small town where everyone knows her name, but only because it is said her entire family line is cursed with madness. Dresden, who was born in a faraway place long ago, was eighteen when he was captured by a wicked queen and turned into a monster whose insides crawl with bees that can cause psychosis and violent tendencies when they sting you. With his real visage having been lost to the centuries, his face now is an ever-shifting composite of all the people whom his bees have stung—all dead now because of him. His only consolation is knowing that he goes only where the Harbingers go, since where the crow shifters gather, death and destruction will soon follow. At the very least, his stings will only affect those whose days are numbered anyway.
But then came Essie. Dresden ends up following the Harbingers’ trail to a town in Missouri where something bad is about to happen, for the crows are never wrong. There, he meets a girl who can not only see through his shifting features when his magic usually keeps others’ attention off him, she also doesn’t seem to be afraid. In fact, she doesn’t seem at all bothered by what he is, or that a swarm of angry buzzing bees that live inside his chest. But then she confesses that she sees strange things every day, because she is Essie Wickerton, and like many members of her family, she is afflicted with a mysterious condition that makes her suffer hallucinations. She ends up being quite surprised that Dresden is real. A special bond forms between them, which eventually deepens into something more. But Dresden, who doesn’t always feel in control of his bees, fears he will bring harm to the first person he has ever loved since becoming a beekeeper, and Essie, whose condition is worsening by the day, knows that she is one wrong move away from being committed involuntarily into a psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, there is a ruthless killer in town, creating panic in this once peaceful community, and as the Harbingers warn, a big disaster is still looming on the horizon.
Keeper of the Bees is the second novel of the Black Birds of the Gallows sequence, though I was happy to learn it stands alone because I have not yet read the first one. This book takes place in a new setting and follows new characters, with Meg Kassel providing newcomers with a great rundown of her lush and imaginative world so you can slip right in without feeling like you missed a beat. As a matter of fact, the incredible world-building was the first thing that caught my attention. After all, how can you read the author’s concept of “beekeepers” and not be intrigued? The idea of a supernatural being with a hive of bees in the hollowed-out cavity where his insides use to be is pretty grotesque…but also fascinating. And we haven’t even gotten to the best part. The sting of a beekeeper’s bees contain venom that can trigger the dark instincts of already broken individuals, causing them to kill themselves or others. This effect often goes hand in hand with the Harbingers, who are also former subjects of the twisted reign that created all these magical beings. They can never truly die, and instead they are resurrected into crows, a form that they will live in for a time before assuming their human shape again, but as children. Then they grow, and the cycle starts over, forever trapping the poor soul in this cruel limbo. The Harbingers harvest the energies of the dying, so wherever you find Dresden, there is usually also one or two of these crow-shifters around, feeding off the mayhem left by his bee sting victims.
All this is just scratching the surface. There are also the Strawmen, watchers of immense power that strike fear into the hearts of both Harbingers and beekeepers. They are just one example of the many things in this book that I wish we had more time to explore, but as you can see, there is a lot of potential here and simply too much of the “weird and wonderful” to cover. That is why on some level, I think the blurb likening this book to Beauty and the Beast was unnecessary, and even hurts it to some extent, because being so strongly associated with a known fairy tale like that inevitably creates expectations, when the reality is that Keeper of the Bees can stand on its own without the help of any preconceptions. Its world is just SO unique, truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
That said, the world-building was perhaps this novel’s greatest strength, and thank goodness for that, because it was probably the one thing that helped bolster my interest in the admittedly humdrum YA romance plot. The only reason I’m not blasting it right now for insta-love is because there was so much else going on in the world-building which effectively masked the fact that Dresden and Essie barely knew each other before advancing to the “I’ll move worlds for you” stage in their relationship. Still, the insta-love was there, just not as obvious in this case. Other aspects of the plot were also pretty predictable, and cliched. Essie herself felt like a throwback to the classic fantasy damsels-in-distress who needed to be saved, and that bothered me a lot more than I thought it would. On the one hand, I applaud Kassel for attempting to create such an interesting female protagonist, but on the other, in making Essie’s condition so debilitating, the author might have gone a little overboard with it and made her character too helpless.
All told, Keeper of the Bees is a novel with incredible strengths in some areas, and disappointments in others. The pros include an amazingly complex world full of strange and darkly whimsical creatures and magic, brought to life by Meg Kassel’s rich prose. The superb world-building and the unique ideas found here are probably worth the price of admission alone. However, there are also the cons, with the hokey YA love story and archetypal characters making up the worst of it, though thankfully many of their negative effects are offset by the book’s strengths. I would still happily read more by the author, especially more of this series, if it means seeing more of her stunning world-building at work.
The BiblioSanctum 