Book Review: The Chrysalis by Brendan Deneen
Posted on September 22, 2018 18 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 Chrysalis by Brendan Deneen
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Books (September 4, 2018)
Length: 304 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Every so often, I find myself pleasantly surprised by books like The Chrysalis, which, for the record, I believe was indeed written as a horror novel, though marketing for the book may have oversold the whole “monster in the basement” and “haunted house” angle a little too zealously. I get it, though. With a story like this, the creep factor is easier to sell, despite there being so much more it has to offer.
The book follows married couple Tom and Jenny Decker, who are urban millennials and proud of it. Both their identities are wrapped up in their modest but up-to-the-minute Manhattan lifestyle, with Tom working as a bartender and Jenny as a personal trainer to rich bankers. But then the day comes when their building management company suddenly raises the rent on their Alphabet City apartment, leaving the young couple no choice but to leave behind the life they’ve grown to love. Feeling dejected about having to move to the suburbs, their spirits are nevertheless lifted somewhat by the fact they’ve managed to find a beautiful, spacious, and surprisingly affordable three-bedroom Victorian in New Jersey.
The reason for the low cost of the house soon becomes apparent, however, as the grim history of its previous residents is eventually revealed. By then, the Deckers have already moved in, and Tom has stumbled upon the mysterious slime-covered chrysalis hidden behind an old refrigerator in the basement, which he keeps a secret from his wife. Jenny, on her part, is also trying to adjust to some major life changes beyond settling into a new house, for not long after the move, she discovers she is pregnant. The subsequent loss of her job becomes devastating, with a mortgage to pay and a baby on the way, forcing Tom to quit bartending for a corporate position which would help bring in a stable income for his growing family. With work being barely tolerable most days, Tom finds it easier to start each morning with a clandestine trip down to the basement to see the chrysalis, seeking the euphoric, almost intoxicating effects being in its presence grants him, which gives him the confidence to succeed at his job. Jenny also starts her own business, and for a while, life seems to be looking up for the Deckers.
Unfortunately, like any drug high, their success doesn’t last. As Tom becomes more and more obsessed with the secret he keeps hidden in the basement, the chrysalis’ nefarious influence grows, filling his mind with violent visions, unraveling his grip on reality, and destroying his life with Jenny.
What I find interesting about The Chrysalis—despite the novel’s “Welcome to the dark side of suburbia” tagline—isn’t so much the idea that evil and wrongness can lurk so close beneath the surface of normalcy, but that it’s really a story about a young couple experiencing “quarter-life crisis” (along with the themes and associated fears related to “adulting”) told through a horror lens. While it had its creepy moments, what impressed me most was the author’s attempt to deliver a deeper symbolic message. Whether it was communicated successfully is debatable, but regardless, I thought this book was wonderfully atmospheric and a fine example of building suspense effectively. I also give it credit for what it tried to do with the idea that some people just don’t want to grow up, desperately clinging on to their superficial perspective of reality to avoid facing real-life problems.
Depending on the type of reader you are, you might find Tom and Jenny relatable…or you might not. Personally, I found them both rather infuriating and off-putting, especially Tom, whose whining about having to become a corporate sellout was the epitome of entitlement, considering how the job was practically handed to him while many in the country are dying to find work and would have jumped at a much lesser opportunity if it means putting food on their family’s table. But poor Tom had to cut his hair, boohoo. Here, let me play you the world’s smallest violin. Still, even if you can’t relate to the Deckers, the story delves into concepts like family responsibility and addiction, offering a more personal perspective on Tom and Jenny’s plight. For one thing, they learn that nothing wakes you up to the reality of the world quite like the news of a baby. The narrative dutifully portrays all the highs and lows during this stressful time, puncturing surface-level moments of traditional horror with deeper and more significant themes that explore the characters’ confusion, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness related to their impending parenthood.
In the end, I think these are the ideas The Chrysalis tries hard to but struggles to convey, as a lot of the story’s potential winds up slipping through the cracks. Still, it gets kudos from me in spite of its outward appearance as another typical entry into the horror-suspense genre, mainly because of its efforts to go beyond the usual scare tactics by playing off the fears and existential woes of a new generation of emerging adults who dread having to grow up. Tom and Jenny thought their worst nightmare was becoming boring suburbanites and corporate drones, but this is a story about how the thing in their basement proved them wrong, with the author keeping the horror elements ever-present but understated. As a result, this book is really more unsettling than scary, but I really enjoyed it.
Friday Face-Off: Clouds
Posted on September 21, 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:
“I wandered lonely as a cloud”
~ a cover featuring CLOUDS
Mogsy’s Pick:
Updraft by Fran Wilde
Updraft is a YA crossover novel that sends readers on a journey beyond the clouds and into a richly imagined world of open skies, towers and wings. The story follows a young woman named Kirit Densira who lives with her family in one of the many skyward bone towers that make up the city. She dreams of one day becoming a sky trader, but to do so, first she must pass a trial to earn her wings.
However, the status of every citizen is determined by which structural tier you occupy, and no matter where you’re from, chances are you’re at the mercy of the Spire, the tallest and most powerful tower located in the heart of the city. The Spire has the final say in all matters and uses its secrets to change history and keep the other towers under their thumb. An individual tower’s prestige and benefits are determined by a special class of law makers and enforcers called Singers, whom citizens both revere and mistrust. Citizens are allowed to challenge Singers, but the results are often rigged against them. The Spire will also make the other towers pay by making examples of their lawbreakers, sacrificing them in very public displays. Citizens are not only expected to accept this, they are also expected to be thankful. Not surprisingly, the main antagonist is also the most influential Singer, a dictator-like figure who has everyone in his pocket, and of course he’s out to use Kirit for his own means.
If this weren’t such an unpleasant dystopian, I think I would love to live in a world of this book, to soar above the clouds into the wild blue yonder on silken wings. And well, I guess I would also have to be not so afraid of heights. Anyway, let’s take a look at the covers now:
From left to right:
Tor Hardcover (2015) – Tor Paperback (2016) – German Edition (2017)
Winner:
Just three challengers this week, so picking my favorite was pretty easy. It’s definitely not the Tor Hardcover. I have to say, I’ve always hated that cover. It’s awful. The character has the most ridiculous expression on her face, and at first I thought all that cloud was snow.
The other two choices are much better. In fact, I was really happy when Tor gave the book a new look when it came out in paperback. Aesthetically, this cover is much more pleasing to the eye, with its soft colors and a superb perspective showing Kirit perched atop a spire and gazing into the depths below. It’s so well done, just looking at this image gives me vertigo! That’s my pick for sure.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: City of Lies by Sam Hawke
Posted on September 20, 2018 33 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Poison Wars
Publisher: Tor Books (July 3, 2018)
Length: 560 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
City of Lies might not have completely won over my heart, but I will however give it the award for the most intriguing opening line I’ve read all year. “I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me,” begins our protagonist Jovan, who is one half of a pair of highborn siblings whose family the Oromanis have long been entrusted to serve a sacred duty. Their job can be likened to that of Secret Service, keeping Chancellor Caslav of Silasta and his nephew Tain safe from unseen threats, though recognizing signs of poison is their specialty. From a young age, both Jovan and his sister Kalina have been trained by their uncle, the spymaster Etan, to identify all kinds of harmful substances, which sometimes involved being poisoned themselves in order to learn and become inured to their effects. But due to Kalina’s poor health, it was Jovan who was ultimately given the role of official proofer, whose task involves taste-testing Caslav’s food and drink for any signs of poison before it is consumed by the chancellor or his family.
Then one day, the unthinkable happens. Both Chancellor Caslav and Etan fall to a powerful poison, one that is unknown even to Jovan and his extensive records of poisonous substances. Tain is called upon to take up his uncle’s mantle, despite the heir being young and untried. The Oromani siblings subsequently pledge to become his protectors, all three of them stepping dutifully into their new roles even as they grieved for their murdered kin. They are tested nearly immediately, however, as a sudden uprising sweeps across the city, resulting in a rebel army amassing at their gates. Very soon, Silasta finds itself under siege. Still reeling from the sudden loss of Chancellor Caslav, the population is thrown into further chaos. Few have faith that the inexperienced Tain will be able to save the city, but Jovan and Kalina are determined to help their friend weather through the attack. First the deaths of their uncles, and now this surprise rebellion—it all just seems too coordinated to be coincidental. Perhaps if they can find out who poisoned the former chancellor and his spymaster, uncovering the conspiracy might give them a chance at survival.
Although it is rather clumsily executed, this novel’s aspiration to be a fantasy-mystery mashup is something I can appreciate. I also like the series’ focus on poison, a concept that is used both literally and figuratively in the narrative. Even as the story’s characters are dying from direct contact with poisonous substances, the city of Silasta itself is dealing with its own toxic situation. Something is rotten at its core, poisoning it from within and without. Told for the most part in alternating chapters in first-person between Jovan and Kalina’s perspectives, City of Lies is the story of the siblings’ efforts to sleuth out the ones responsible for the corruption in their midst. The book has elements of intrigue and spycraft, covert motives and betrayal, and eventually, a thread of magic even comes into play, though this aspect remains light and subtle throughout.
In the end, my main issue with City of Lies was its pacing. At times, it would read like a tensely wrought thriller, while at others, the plot slowed to a crawl. The book also struggled to maintain its air of mystery—though, to be fair, when this atmosphere was present, the story practically oozed a rich and almost cinematic quality. But perhaps what bothered me the most about reading this was this frustrating sense of stop-and-go, since I found it difficult to work up my enthusiasm for the story and characters every time the plot lost its momentum. I also wouldn’t exactly call this one an action-oriented novel, with its heavy focus on cloak-and-dagger elements which proved to be a double-edged sword. Keep in mind Jovan and Kalina weren’t really trained to be fighters; instead, they were taught to be observant, to memorize crucial information, and to charm and manipulate opponents rather than to attack them with physical force. While it was refreshing to read about protagonists who rely predominantly on more clandestine tactics, occasionally it could get a bit tedious watching them spin their wheels.
Speaking of which, I liked both Jovan and Kalina, but I found their POVs to be somewhat unbalanced. The focus favors Jovan, who appears to carry out most of the investigation, while his sister is relegated to tasks behind-the-scenes. Not that Kalina’s role in the resolution of the novel’s conflict was any less important, but it did feel as if she sacrificed a lot more, but her actions weren’t at the forefront due to the way this story was told. Already feeling overlooked, inadequate, and guilty because her health problems prevented her from taking on her rightful duties, her character probably deserved more attention from the author than she received, especially since Jovan’s chapters tended to be longer and more memorable the further we got into the book.
For a debut though, City of Lies is undoubtedly impressive. Whatever flaws it may have, I also feel there’s a good chance many of them will be ironed out as we progress through the series, due to the way this one ended. A follow-up called Hollow Empire is apparently already in the works, and since I’m curious as to what the future will hold for Silasta and its characters, I’ll be looking forward to reading the sequel.
Waiting on Wednesday 09/19/18
Posted on September 19, 2018 27 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
Twilight of the Gods by Scott Oden (April 30, 2019 by St. Martin’s Press)
I can’t believe I only just found out about this book! And I still would have been none the wiser had the author not stopped by my hidden gems post last week, and mentioned that one of my favorites, A Gathering of Ravens, will be followed up with a standalone sequel next spring. Guys, I’m fantastically excited about this one. If you enjoy historical fantasy, Norse mythology, and Orcs, you should check out the series.
“It is the year of Our Lord 1218 and in the land of the Raven-Geats, the Old Ways reach deep. And while the Geats pay a tax to the King in the name of the White Christ, their hearts and souls belong to the gods of Ásgarðr. But no man can serve two masters.
Pledging to burn this Norse heresy from the land, famed crusader Konráðr the White leads a host against the Raven-Geats, using torch and sword to bring forth the light of the new religion. But the land of the Raven-Geats has an ancient protector: Grimnir, the last in a long line of monsters left to plague Miðgarðr. And he will stand between the Raven-Geats and their destruction.
Aided by an army of berserkers led by their pale queen, Grimnir sparks off an epic struggle –not only against the crusaders, but against the very Gods. For there is something buried beneath the land of the Raven-Geats that Odin wants, something best left undisturbed. Something the blood of the slain, Christian and pagan, will surely awaken.”
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten 2018 Books I Want to Read Before the End of the Year
Posted on September 18, 2018 42 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 2018 Books I Want to Read Before the End of the Year
Mogsy’s Picks
My list today has been adapted from the topic Top Ten Books On My Fall 2018 TBR, seeing as I’ve already covered all the titles I’m most excited for in this “Can’t Wait” Books of Late 2018 post. But as book bloggers, we all know that throughout the year our TBRs can get out of hand, and as hard as we try, it’s simply impossible to read everything on our most anticipated lists. Whether it’s due to prior commitments, lack of time, or just plain forgetfulness, many new releases I had been looking forward to have slipped through the cracks since the beginning of this year. Most of these are spring and summer 2018 books that I still very much want to read, and I’m promising myself right that now I will try my absolute best to strike these off my to-read list before the year is out:
Master Assassins by Robert V.S. Redick
Kandri Hinjuman was never meant to be a soldier. His brother Mektu was never meant for this world. Rivals since childhood, they are drafted into a horrific war led by a madwoman-Prophet, and survive each day only by hiding their disbelief. Kandri is good at blending in, but Mektu is hopeless: impulsive, erratic—and certain that a demon is stalking him. Is this madness or a second sense? Either way, Kandri knows that Mektu’s antics will land them both in early graves.
But all bets are off when the brothers’ simmering feud explodes into violence, and holy blood is spilled. Kandri and Mektu are taken for contract killers and must flee for their lives—to the one place where they can hope to disappear: the sprawling desert known as the Land that Eats Men. In this eerie wilderness, the terrain is as deadly as the monsters, ghouls, and traffickers in human flesh. Here the brothers find strange allies: an aging warlord, a desert nomad searching for her family, a lethal child-soldier still in her teens. They also find themselves in possession of a secret that could bring peace to the continent of Urrath. Or unthinkable carnage.
On their heels are the Prophet’s death squads. Ahead lie warring armies, sandstorms, evil spirits and the deeper evil of human greed. But hope beckons as well—if the “Master Assassins” can expose the lie that has made them the world’s most wanted men.
Outpost by W. Michael Gear
Donovan is a world of remarkable wealth, a habitable paradise of a planet. It sounds like a dream come true. But Donovan’s wealth comes at a price.
When the ship Turalon arrives in orbit, Supervisor Kalico Aguila discovers a failing colony, its government overthrown and the few remaining colonists now gone wild. Donovan offers the chance of a lifetime, one that could leave her the most powerful woman in the solar system. Or dead.
Planetside, Talina Perez is one of three rulers of the Port Authority colony—the only law left in the one remaining town on Donovan. With the Corporate ship demanding answers about the things she’s done in the name of survival, Perez could lose everything, including her life.
For Dan Wirth, Donovan is a last chance. A psychopath with a death sentence looming over his head, he can’t wait to set foot on Port Authority. He will make one desperate play to grab a piece of the action—no matter who he has to corrupt, murder, or destroy.
Captain Max Taggart has been The Corporation’s “go-to” guy when it comes to brutal enforcement. As the situation in Port Authority deteriorates, he’ll be faced with tough choices to control the wild Donovanians. Only Talina Perez stands in his way.
Just as matters spiral out of control, a ghost ship, the Freelander, appears in orbit. Missing for two years, she arrives with a crew dead of old age, and reeks of a bizarre death-cult ritual that deters any ship from attempting a return journey. And in the meantime, a brutal killer is stalking all of them, for Donovan plays its own complex and deadly game. The secrets of which are hidden in Talina Perez’s very blood.
The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton
The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.
The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.
Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.
The Testament of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
In the sequel to The Gospel of Loki, Loki’s adventures continue when he finds a way out of the end of the world and plans to restart the power of the Norse gods.
The end of the world—also known as Ragnarok to the Norse gods—has occurred, and Loki has been trapped in a seemingly endless purgatory, in torture, until he finds a way to escape. It seems that he still exists in the minds of humanity and uses that as a way to our time.
Back in the ninth world (Earth), Loki finds himself sharing the mind of a teenage girl named Jumps, who is a bit of a mess. She’s also not happy about Loki sneaking his way into her mind, since she was originally calling on Thor. Worse, her friends have also been co-opted by the gods: Odin, Jump’s one-eyed best friend in a wheelchair, and Freya, the pretty one. Thor escapes the netherworld as well and shares the mind of a dog, and he finds that it suits him.
Odin has a plan to bring back the Norse gods ascendancy, but Loki has his own ideas on how things can go—and nothing goes according to plan.
The Outsider by Stephen King
An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories.
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
Drop by Drop by Morgan Llywelyn
From Morgan Llywelyn, the bestselling author of Lion of Irelandand the Irish Century series, comes Drop By Drop her first near-future science fiction thriller where technology fails and a small town struggles to survive global catastrophe.
In this first book in the Step By Step trilogy, global catastrophe occurs as all plastic mysteriously liquefies. All the small components making many technologies possible—navigation systems, communications, medical equipment—fail.
In Sycamore River, citizens find their lives disrupted as everything they’ve depended on melts around them, with sometimes fatal results. All they can rely upon is themselves.
And this is only the beginning . . .
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss
Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.
But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?
Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.
Ravencry by Ed McDonald
Four years have passed since Nall’s Engine drove the Deep Kings back across the Misery, but as they hurl fire from the sky, darker forces plots against the republic.
A new power is rising: a ghost in the light known only as the Bright Lady manifests in visions across the city, and the cult that worship her grasp for power even as the city burns around them.
When Crowfoot’s arcane vault is breached, an object of terrible power is stolen, and Galharrow and his Blackwings must once find out which of Valengrad’s enemies is responsible before they have a chance to use it.
To save Valengrad, Galharrow, Nenn and Tnota must venture to a darker, more twisted and more dangerous place than any they’ve walked before: the very heart of the Misery.
The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark
Marith has been a sellsword, a prince, a murderer, a demon, and dead. But something keeps bringing him back to life, and now there is nothing stopping him from taking back the throne that is rightfully his.
Thalia, the former high priestess, remains Marith’s only tenuous grasp to whatever goodness he has left. His left hand and his last source of light, Thalia still believes that the power that lies within him can be used for better ends. But as more forces gather beneath Marith’s banner, she can feel her influence slipping.
Read the second book in this “gritty and glorious!” (Miles Cameron) epic fantasy series reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence where the exiled son of a king fights to reclaim his throne no matter the cost.
Blood Cruise by Mats Strandberg
On the Baltic Sea, no one can hear you scream.
Tonight, twelve hundred expectant passengers have joined the booze-cruise between Sweden and Finland. The creaking old ship travels this same route, back and forth, every day of the year.
But this trip is going to be different.
In the middle of the night the ferry is suddenly cut off from the outside world. There is nowhere to escape. There is no way to contact the mainland. And no one knows who they can trust.
Welcome aboard the Baltic Charisma.
Book Review: Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas
Posted on September 17, 2018 18 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Alternate History
Series: United States of Japan
Publisher: Ace Books (September 18, 2018)
Length: 416 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mecha Samurai Empire takes place in the world of Peter Tieryas’ United States of Japan, an alternate history described as a spiritual successor to The Man in High Castle in which the Japanese won World War II and conquered America. While this is the second novel set in the USJ sequence, the author’s intention is for each book in the series to be a standalone focusing on a different aspect of this universe, and in the case of this one, our story follows a young man on his journey to become a mecha pilot so he can join the war against the Nazis.
The books starts off in the year 1994, and our protagonist Makoto “Mac” Fujimoto is a Californian teenager who has spent his whole life growing up under the imperial rule of Japan. With dreams of one day fighting for his country by joining the mecha corps, he must ace his upcoming Imperial Exams because the program will only accept the best of the best. The only problem is, Mac is a terrible student. Even with his powerful resolve and the fine skills he shows in the war sims he plays at the arcade and on his portical, his grades simply won’t be good enough to get him into one of the most prestigious mecha piloting schools in the world at Berkeley Military Academy.
So when his best friend offers him a way to game the exams, it takes Mac great difficulty not to simply give in to the temptation of doing something immoral to get ahead. Ultimately though, his refusal to cheat winds up saving his life, even as his dreams of attending Berkeley after graduation lies in tatters. Still, there may yet be a way for Mac to become a mecha pilot—as a civilian—but only if he manages to survive long enough in the dangerous political climate created by escalating tensions between Germany and Japan.
After reading United States of Japan and now Mecha Samurai Empire, I’ve started to notice that Peter Tieryas has a remarkable l knack for writing about underdog characters and getting the reader to cheer for them. Mac is a great example of an underachiever, particularly in the academics, who can still work his way to his goal with strong determination and a good heart. Perhaps apropos to this series, his journey also shows that while a disaster can alter the course of your entire life, new opportunities can arise from plans that go awry—opportunities that you may have never even considered before.
As a result, Mecha Samurai Empire is also a first-rate coming-of-age tale as Mac struggles to find his identity and carve out a role for himself while navigating this world of colonialism, conspiracy, and corruption. He discovers that reality isn’t as black and white as he’s been led to believe. He experiences what it’s like to be in a real battle and in real danger—so very different from the simulation games he plays. He learns about love and loss, forging new relationships while also realizing how much his old friends mean to him.
But now let’s turn to the main reason why you’re probably checking out this book: the totally badass giant robot on the cover. Yes, this story has mechas. A lot of them. In fact, if you were somewhat disappointed by the relative lack of mecha action in United States of Japan, I think you’ll be quite happy with how much of it you get here. Inspired by anime and games like Persona, Zone of the Enders, and Metal Gear, Tieryas packs this novel with plenty of thrilling and fast-paced battle scenes as well as references to gaming and geek culture, making it perfect for fans of sci-fi action and adventure.
In addition, the author has greatly expanded his world-building in this volume, giving us a look at another one of the many interesting sides to the USJ universe. A significant portion of it explores the cold war between the Japanese Empire and Nazi Germany, the latter of which has continued to commit the worst kinds of atrocities. Meanwhile, the government in the Unites States is also dealing with a group of rebels known as the George Washingtons, whose goal is to break the country free from the rule of Japan. Because of the modern setting, at times it’s easy to forget this is an alternate world, but inevitably something always happens to pull you back into this strange and unfamiliar place and remind you that the different outcome of WWII has affected all aspects of culture and society on a global scale.
That’s also why I was tremendously excited to read Mecha Samurai Empire, because I wanted to know more and explore this alternate timeline further after reading United States of Japan. While the two books may share a few thematic similarities due to the fact they both take place in the same world, on the whole they are still vastly different. Furthermore, Peter Tieryas has clearly been honing his craft, for I feel that the storytelling and pacing is better in this book and more polished. All in all, this was a great read and I hope this is just the beginning of more books set in the world of USJ.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of United States of Japan
YA Weekend: Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black
Posted on September 16, 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.
Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Teen (August 7, 2018)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
It is the mid-1800s in the small New England town of Feavers Crossing, and Valentine Deluca is a teenager who has grown up with the stigma of being a murderer’s daughter. It didn’t matter that Valentine was only six years old when her mother was hanged for the killing of Nigel Blackshaw, a local man from a wealthy and prominent family; towns like Feavers Crossing don’t forgive and forget easily, and people in power have a way of holding a grudge. Still, thanks to the financial support provided by a mysterious benefactor, Valentine is able to attend the most prestigious school in the area, even if her presence there is met with scorn and severe backlash. Valentine finds it hard to mix with her fellow students, who whisper vicious things behind her back. Even more awkward is that Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother killed, is also enrolled at the school.
Shockingly though, instead of blaming her for her mother’s crimes, Rowan sees in Valentine a kindred spirit. As graduation approaches, their friendship deepens into something more, much to the dismay of Rowan’s grandmother, the indomitable Mrs. Blackshaw, as well as Sam Frye, Valentine’s best friend who has loved her since they were both children. But then one day, new information comes to light on the murder of Nigel Blackshaw, turning Valentine’s world upside down. With equal parts terror and excitement, our protagonist realizes that what she has discovered may help clear her mother’s name, but fears that it might also mean the end of her relationship with Rowan, because surely the truth would break his heart.
I won’t lie; this book started off with a lot of promise, but sadly I felt that most of it was negated by the contrived storytelling and some really poor decisions on the main character’s part. Let’s start off with the elephant in the room: the dreaded love triangle. I know this is a contentious topic for a lot of readers. Some love them, others can’t stand them. Personally, I’ve had my issues with love triangles in the past, but for the most part, I can deal with (and even enjoy) them as long as 1) they are well written, and 2) they don’t get in the way of the main story.
Bearing these two points in mind, when it comes to Girl at the Grave, I truly cannot think of a book that needed a love triangle less. And it’s a shame, because it single-handedly sabotaged what I believe could have been a great YA mystery suspense. What I wanted was more examples of Valentine being strong, clever, and steadfast as she sought for answers and worked tirelessly towards getting to the bottom of her mother’s history. What I got instead was her bouncing between Rowan and Sam like some deranged ping-pong ball. Her character ended up embodying everything I despise about indecisive female leads, especially those who can only think about boys and kissing while other lives are at stake. In all fairness though, our lovesick Valentine did manage to pull herself together by the third act, but by then an undue amount of time had already been wasted dwelling on the love triangle theatrics.
To the novel’s credit, when you take away all the unnecessary romantic drama, the author does write a compelling mystery plot. The twists are slightly ill-timed and inelegant, but they work well in spite of that. A couple of the major reveals genuinely surprised me, which incidentally made me all the more eager to get past the love triangle and right back into the main story. The writing was also solid, though some word choices, descriptions, and dialogue probably could have been polished up or reworked to better reflect the setting in a historical context. The gothic-style atmosphere didn’t always come through, and sometimes the mid-nineteenth century setting felt only like a thin cloth draped over a modern teen novel.
In sum, Girl at the Grave held some true potential, and really, for a debut, it’s not bad. However, too many missteps and plot banalities like an annoying love triangle ultimately made this one a disappointment.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on September 15, 2018 28 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!
When I returned from vacation last month, I came home to some packages waiting for me – and what gems they contained! My thanks to Orbit for the following ARCs: Cold Iron by Miles Cameron is the first of a new epic fantasy series from the author who brought us the Traitor Son Cycle, and The Winter Road by Adrian Selby is a dark fantasy adventure about a crew of mercenaries accompanying a merchant caravan as they forge a road through an untamed and dangerous wilderness. The publisher also had one last surprise in store for me when I opened a third package, and out popped this audio cassette case. Yikes, I can’t remember the last time I held one of these things in my hands, though of course, it’s a perfect way to promote the audiobook and Spotify soundtrack to go with Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames. I’ll have to look at what’s on the playlist soon, but since I’ve already read and reviewed the book, if anyone has a Downpour account and would be interested in my download code for the digital audiobook, shoot me an email.
And from the kind folks at Random House, I also received a finished copy of Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey. Not a book I was familiar with before it landed on my doorstep, but its description of equal parts cult-story and 80’s nostalgia featuring a mother-daughter relationship taking on a dark side is intriguing enough that I think I’ll take a look.
Also with thanks to Tor Books, I received the following finished copies: The Chrysalis by Brendan Deneen is a horror novel I’ve been highly anticipating, and I’m actually planning on starting it real soon. The Moons of Barsk by Lawrence M. Schoen is the sequel to the wild and unique Barsk: The Elephant’s Graveyard. And Arabella the Traitor of Mars by David D. Levine is the third novel of the Adventures of Arabella Ashby series, one I really should get caught up with as soon as possible.
The next batch of books are courtesy of the amazing team at Subterranean Press, who sent me the following ARCs: The Big Crush by David J. Schow is an urban thriller, a modern mystery noir, a contemporary love story, and a whole lot more. More Walls Broken by Tim Powers is novella that brings together fantasy and quantum physics in a richly imagined fashion. And for this third one, I actually had to wait until this week to feature in order to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Whatever, John Scalzi’s personal blog: Virtue Signaling and Other Heresies is a collection containing the author’s selected writings from the site published over the last five years. To be honest though, while I’m a huge fan of Scalzi’s fiction, I’m generally not at all fond of reading political and social essays/rants which looks to make up a bulk of this book, so I’ll probably stick to reading his sci-fi.
And finally, rounding us this week are a trio of books with thanks to Night Shade Books. MJ-12: Endgame by Michael J. Martinez is the third book of Majestic-12, a historical thriller/superhero mash-up series. Black Lotus Kiss by Jason Ridler is the second novel of Brimstone Files, described as a “salaciously pulpy” adventure series starring occult detective James Brimstone. I’m really hoping this one is a standalone, because it looks awesome but I haven’t even heard of the first book let alone read it yet! And Gridlinked by Neal Asher is I think a re-issue of the first book in the author’s Agent Cormac series. I really want to read Asher again, but he’s got so many books in his Polity universe that as a relative newcomer, it’s really hard to decide where to start. Maybe this is as good a place as any.
And kicking off our digital pile, with thanks to Tor.com for sending over an e-galley of Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp. This dark fantasy novel of psychological horror sounds deliciously creepy! From HarperVoyager, I also received eARCs of Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White, the sequel to her wonderful debut Heartstone, and Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko, the English translation of their dark fantasy novel that mixes psychological suspense with magic and horror elements.
Also thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for a listening copy of Dracul by Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker, which is touted as the prequel to Dracula as inspired by notes and texts left by Bram Stoker. I was curious about this one, and I finally caved when offered a chance to review the audiobook. And I also couldn’t resist downloading Solo: A Star Wars Story Expanded Edition by Mur Lafferty because of the author and of course the narrator, the brilliant Marc Thompson.
And one last one: with thanks to Harper Audio for a listening copy of Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout. I don’t generally read Middle Grade books, but I love the author and this one simply looked way too cute to pass up.
Today I’m also very excited to share one of the coolest books I’ve ever received in my 6+ years of blogging. From the kind folks at Wunderkind and Candlewick Press, I received this absolute beauty: Beyond the Sixth Extinction: A Post-Apocalyptic Pop-Up created by Shawn Sheehy and illustrated by Jordi Solano is a pop-up book featuring some of the wonderfully weird and creepy creatures that might spring up and dominate a far-distant future earth if our planet were to go through another global extinction. The year is 4847, and only the lifeforms best adapted to this post-apocalyptic wilderness can survive and thrive. Eight elaborate pop-up pages are crafted to represent some of these amazing creatures, which are sure to delight sci-fi fans and art enthusiasts alike.
And here I thought pop-up books were something I could only enjoy as a child, but apparently not! I loved looking at all the pop-ups and I can’t wait to take the time to read and admire the accompanying text and illustrations that go with them. This massive, gorgeous book isn’t due out for another month so I’m not sure how much I’m able to reveal, but maybe I can give a preview of a few of my favorites. Check out these awesome pop-up creatures:
Reviews
A list of my reviews posted since the last update:
King of Assassins by RJ Barker (5 of 5 stars)
Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames (4.5 of 5 stars)
Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough (4 of 5 stars)
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena (4 of 5 stars)
You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine (4 of 5 stars)
Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Unfortunates by Kim Liggett (3 of 5 stars)
Temper by Nicky Drayden (2 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve managed to “unstack” from the TBR since the last update. A couple of these reviews are up already, but more 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: Wolf
Posted on September 14, 2018 22 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:
“He had killed man, the noblest game of all, and he had killed in the face of the law of club and fang.”
~ a cover featuring a WOLF
Mogsy’s Pick:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
This is a good one for a cold winter night, when all you want to do is to curl up on the couch with a nice warm cup of cocoa and a sweet tale of puppy love. Shiver was a book I read a while ago (pre-blogging) so I can’t say I recall too many details beyond the romance, but certainly its concept of werewolves that shift depending on temperature change is one that has stayed with me. Let’s take a look at some of the covers:
From left to right:
Scholastic Press (2009) – Scholastic (2011) – Scholastic Inc. (2014)
German Edition (2010) – French Edition (2010) – Portuguese Edition (2010)
Italian Edition (2009) – Bulgarian Edition (2010) – Polish Edition (2011)
Indonesian Edition (2010) – Polish Edition (2015) – Russian Edition (2011)
Portuguese Edition (2014) – Chinese Edition (2010) – Italian Edition (2011)
Winner:
Tough choice this week, as many of these are drop dead gorgeous. Still, I must confess that the whole reason I even read Shiver in the first place was because it was a impulsive cover buy. The delicate beauty and pale icy blues of original 2009 Scholastic hardcover edition immediately drew me to it when I first spied on a bookstore shelf years ago, so I’m choosing it as my winner because I find I still love it just as much now than I did then.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall
Posted on September 13, 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.
Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Ace (August 14, 2018)
Length: 416 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Stars Uncharted is an adventurous romp through space with three extraordinary characters: Nika Rik Terri is a talented body-modification artist who has made a name for herself with her innovative designs and methods; Josune Arriola is a traveler who has just signed on with the crew of the cargo ship The Road to the Goberlings, working as their junior engineer; and Hammond Roystan is the captain of that ship, who has just stumbled upon a find of a lifetime in the form of the disabled exploration ship Hassim whose databanks are said to be a treasure trove of uncharted worlds.
But what makes this story interesting is that no one is who they say they are. On the run after getting mixed up with some dangerous people, Nika flees from her old life aboard The Road with a rookie modder named Snow in tow. There, they get to know Josune and Roystan, who are dealing with their own set of problems. That’s because Josune is in fact a crew member from the Hassim, who had originally joined up with Roystan in order to spy on him and arrange a meeting between their two ships. Unfortunately, her plans go awry when it turns out that the Hassim was attacked by pirates, and everyone on board was massacred. With some very powerful enemies after her, she is now stuck in a precarious situation. Meanwhile, Roystan is also hiding his own share of secrets. His ship has become a target now that everyone thinks he holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Hassim, and the added threats are doing nothing for his already stressed mind and ill health. Traveling under a false identity, Nika beings to suspect that not all is right with The Road’s captain or his engineer, as her experience with body modding allows her to identify inconsistencies both their stories.
Stars Uncharted turned out to be everything I expected from a rollicking space opera: heavy on the action and adventure, though admittedly a little sparse on the details surrounding the world-building and technology. That said, the story was for the most part vastly entertaining. The first few chapters did feel slower, perhaps because of all the setting up required to establish the book’s premise and characters. However, once Nika, Josune, and Roystan finally met up and became a team, things got exponentially more interesting. Not surprisingly, it’s because the story’s three protagonist are at the heart of Stars Uncharted. The dynamics between them made this novel thoroughly engaging and addictive despite, or perhaps because of, all the secrets flying between them, for even though they come from different backgrounds, a sense of “We’re all in this together” prevails. Each character is well-developed with multiple layers of emotion and personality, which also interlock with each other to holds those relationship bonds together.
But as I made mention before with regards to the world-building and the technology described in this novel, those elements were relatively light. This, I believe, was a purposeful and practical decision, for it would have been no good to bog down the flow of this perfectly exuberant space opera with reams of techno-jargon and hard science. On the other hand, there’s not much in the way of guidance provided when trying to navigate this book’s universe, as readers are thrown into the thick of things from the very first page.
In order to keep up the story’s fast pacing, I suspect a lot of details were sacrificed, though there is one exception to this: body-modding. The narrative goes much deeper into the subject of body modification than it does for any other topic, though considering the role it plays in the story, I can see why. Incidentally, I also found it to be one of the most compelling issues in the book. As Nika’s specialization, I loved that she treated her work as an art as much as it is a science. While her job is to cater her designs to her clients’ needs, she isn’t shy about adding some flair of her own, which is why some laud her as a revolutionary trendsetter while others accuse her of being a rule-bending menace. However, the general idea is that identity is a much less important factor in the world of Stars Uncharted, since whatever you wish to be or look like can be arranged with a bit of money and a few hours spent inside a modding machine. The social implications of this is something I wish the story had spent more time exploring, though a lot of fascinating information can also be gleaned from the attitudes of the characters aboard The Road.
All told, it was a pleasure to finally read something by S.K. Dunstall. The pen name of this sister writing duo first landed on my radar with the Linesman trilogy and I’ve been curious about their work ever since. Stars Uncharted might not be breaking any new ground, but it sure managed to pull off exactly what it set out to do, which is to provide a fun sci-fi read full of exciting twists and other genuine delights, and the authors did a superb job.
The BiblioSanctum 