Book Review: The Hollow Tree by James Brogden

Posted on June 10, 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.

The Hollow Tree by James Brogden

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Paranormal

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Titan Books (March 6, 2018)

Length: 483 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I love horror novels based on urban legends, though in the case of The Hollow Tree, I only found out that it was inspired by a local myth in the author’s hometown after I finished the book. In his afterword, James Brogden describes the real life 1944 discovery of a woman’s skeleton inside the trunk of a hollow elm in Hagley Wood, Worchestershire, England. Her real identity was never discovered—and neither were her murderer’s—before the remains mysteriously went missing, and subsequently, a graffiti message appearing on a nearby wall reading “Who put Bella in the Wych Elm” soon solidified the legend behind the investigation. Fascinated, I went to do some more reading on the topic, and was chilled by what I found out. Unsolved crimes and mysteries tend to have that effect on me, and when it comes to the details behind “Wych Elm Bella”, I could certainly understand why the case would be a treasure trove of ideas for a horror writer.

Brogden, however, has created something truly vast and impressive out of Bella in the Wych Elm urban legend, drawing heavily on its basis as well as a lot of the rumors and theories surrounding it. The protagonist of The Hollow Tree is Rachel Cooper, a young woman whose life is suddenly shattered when she loses her hand in a traumatic boating accident. Fighting hard to remain optimistic through her recovery and therapy, she soon learns to adapt with living with only one hand, as well as how to deal with the symptoms related to limb loss such as phantom pain. But unfortunately, there is little she can do about the nightmares. In her dreams, she keeps seeing vivid images of a hollow tree, with a hand reaching out to her from it, as if begging for help. Soon, the visions get so bad that Rachel is starting to experience delusions even during her waking hours. Her missing hand also keeps bothering her, feeling so present and alive, experiencing all kinds of sensations that should not be possible. In a way, it almost feels like the hand is still there, but in another world…

For the purposes of this novel, the “Bella in the Wych Elm” legend has been changed to “Mary in the Hollow Oak”, though a lot of its other story elements have remained the same. I don’t really want to elaborate on how Rachel’s role relates to Mary’s fate in case I accidentally reveal too much, but suffice to say, the two women’s lives will be forever entwined because of Rachel’s connection to that “other place”.

To me, The Hollow Tree feels very much like a story told in several distinct parts. The first third of the book is a very good character study of Rachel. We’re along for the ride when she and her husband Tom go on that fateful boating trip that turns both their lives upside down, and the accident is as terrible as you would expect. I really felt for Rachel, who now must face her new reality of living without her left hand, but her determination and courageous attitude soon endeared me to her. I admired her a lot for her optimism, but at the same time, her struggles were portrayed realistically. Sometimes, memories of the incident would drag Rachel into a dark place, but those are also the moments in which her character felt the most genuine, with her true nature shining through as she resolutely refuses to wallow in her self-pity or to blame anyone for her problems. In fact, much of the suspense in this book stems from the fact that Rachel is so independent, always opting to tackle conflicts head on by herself, and that defiant streak often leaves her alone in many frightening situations.

For the rest of the book, however, my feelings were a bit more mixed. Sometimes, when too much is revealed too early on or all at once, a story can lose much of its mystique, and I think this is what happened here. Rachel’s nightmares and visions kept me intrigued for much of the first third; the ambiguity made me wonder if there was truly a supernatural explanation for all of the things she was seeing and dreaming, or perhaps they were simply the delusions of the protagonist’s stressed mind. So when all was revealed in the second third, it almost felt like the suspense was shattered too soon. In a way, it was like being able to see behind a magician’s tricks, removing all sense of wonder and mystery. While there was still plenty of action and danger to follow, sadly the story never quite managed to regain its foreboding atmosphere and eeriness, becoming a lot more like a straightforward paranormal thriller. Since I had been expecting a lot more horror, this made me feel slightly disappointed.

As a result, the later parts of the book took me a lot longer to read, because I just didn’t feel as invested in those sections of the story as I did in the first third. However, I won’t deny I found the ideas behind the novel intriguing, and I still loved the fact that it was inspired by a such a fascinating urban legend. While it’s true that the book could have been a lot more atmospheric and disturbing, ultimately I think The Hollow Tree would make a pretty good choice for fans of paranormal suspense and light horror.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Guest Post: “The Cat-Mummy of Curzon Street Station” by James Brogden

YA Weekend: City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Posted on June 9, 2018 10 Comments

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

City of Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Book 2 of Royal Bastards

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (June 5, 2018)

Length: 320 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Have you ever finished a book and thought to yourself, “Wow…I didn’t expect THAT?” City of Bastards made me feel like this for two reasons. First, there was the ending, because damn, I just couldn’t believe the author actually went there. And second, I didn’t think I was going to like this one as much as the first book, given how certain events at the end of Royal Bastards have led to a different cast makeup and a slight change in direction for the series. Clearly I was wrong, because ultimately I ended up liking this sequel every bit as much as its predecessor—maybe even more so.

This probably goes without saying, but you may want to skip reviews of this book if you aren’t caught up with the series yet. Spoilers for the first book are possible, and even likely, because City of Bastards picks up almost immediately from the point where Royal Bastards left off. Tilla, the illegitimate daughter of Lord Kent, has finally made it to the city of Lightspire with her companions, saving Princess Lyriana Volaris from assassination by bringing her home. But now, the king is left with a conundrum. While Tilla and Zell may have rescued his daughter, as the offspring of his greatest enemies—who are even now leading a growing rebellion in the west to try and topple his rule—they cannot be trusted to leave or to roam free. Thus, a plan is made for Tilla to enroll in the University, where she will be given shelter, safety, and a chance to learn about the history of Lightspire and the Volaris reign. Zell, on the other hand, will join the City Watch, putting his fighting skills to good use.

None of them could have hoped for a better arrangement. Finally, Tilla has everything she’s ever dreamed of: a life of luxury, the friendship of a princess, and a gorgeous boyfriend who loves her. But instead of being happy, Tilla is haunted by the past—all the deaths, betrayals, and, of course, her traitorous father, whose shadow is constantly hanging over her head. She’s treated as an outsider with few friends at the University, and then one day, one of those friends ends up dead. Although the authorities are quick to rule the death a suicide, Tilla doesn’t believe it. In the days leading up to the tragedy, she has been noticing a mysterious shrouded figure stalking her in the streets, and everything comes to a head as Tilla herself is targeted by an attacker whose existence shouldn’t be possible. Now even her closest friends have doubts that what she saw was real, and yet, Tilla still can’t bring herself to let her investigations go. The more she digs, the more she’s convinced she’s getting to the bottom of a greater conspiracy.

City of Bastards was such a fun ride, but as I alluded to earlier, I didn’t think this would be the case when I first started. Part of the reason for this is the beginning of the book, which was a far cry from the energy and excitement that filled the pages of Royal Bastards. The first book threw readers into an action-filled adventure almost as soon as it began, while in contrast, this sequel opened with a sense of hopelessness and melancholy as our characters grieved for those they’ve lost along the way. The story then shifts to a university setting, but instead of being shown the new things Tilla learns in her classes, we get to read about the way she and her friends are languishing their days away at posh parties, hooking up and getting wasted. I get it—losing Jax and Miles hit them all hard, but surely they could have found a more original and less irritating outlet for their anguish, especially since as a reader, I was champing at the bit to see more of the city.

Things also didn’t feel quite the same, with the main group missing two of its original five members. The void could be felt almost right away, with the lack of lively banter and interactions I’d come to love when Tilla, Lyriana, Jax, Miles, and Zell were all still together. A couple new characters were introduced, but I wasn’t sure if they would make suitable replacements, if the author had intended them to fill the shoes of the departed.

Around the quarter mark though, everything changed. Once I reached this point, it didn’t matter how quickly I was reading, it simply didn’t feel fast enough. I wanted badly to find out what was going on, yet the plot just kept teasing me with bigger and crazier twists and turns. The story continued to build until it reached its climax, and the aforementioned ending which left me reeling. In fact, a part of me is still in shock that the series has taken such a drastic turn. That’s the thing about these books—it’s easy to be fooled by the humor and slangy, contemporary language into thinking you’re in for a light and fluffy YA fantasy, then out of the blue the author will sucker-punch you in the gut with a sudden violent and traumatic event. After all, it’s easy to let your guard down when you’re having this much fun, but I just have to keep reminding myself that the world of these books can get downright nasty and brutal.

All in all, I’m quite impressed with the way this series is turning out. Even though City of Bastards had a drawn-out beginning and was slower to take off, the time it took to lay down the groundwork ultimately proved worthwhile, and somewhere along the way, the newer characters also started growing on me. Things have certainly changed a lot since Royal Bastards, and while I was initially skeptical, I feel now that this sequel has surpassed the first one in many ways. I’m really looking forward to what’s coming next.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Royal Bastards (Book 1)

Friday Face-Off: Stormy Sky

Posted on June 8, 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:

“Raining Cats and Dogs”
~ a cover featuring a STORMY SKY

Mogsy’s Pick:
The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Ten years ago, in the world of The Young Elites, an illness swept through the kingdom of Kennetra, killing many. Those children who survived were marked forever by distinctive scars and other features, like our protagonist Adelina Amouteru, who lost her left eye to the infection and also had her dark hair turn silver. Some even came away with magical powers, and were thus labeled the “Malfetto”. Today, they are still persecuted and looked upon with contempt by much of the population.

As one of the marked, Adelina’s status makes her undesirable for marriage, leading her cruel and unfeeling father to try and sell her off to become some nobleman’s mistress. After finding out about the plot, Adelina attempts to run away, only to wind up manifesting her powers, accidentally killing her father in a horrific accident. And so, we begin the book with our protagonist locked up in prison, awaiting her execution. Before she makes it up to the block, however, Adelina is snatched out of the Inquisitors’ grasp by a group of vigilantes known as the Young Elites, so called because their members are all like her – marked Malfettos who are empowered with special magical abilities.

It feels like we’ve seen this story many times before, and indeed, I kind of recall this one being your typical run-of-the-mill YA fantasy fare. But will its covers end up making more of a splash? We shall see by taking a look at the contenders…

From left to right:
G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR (2014) – German Edition (2017) – Italian Edition (2016)
Indonesian Edition (2015) – French Edition (2015) – Serbian Edition (2015) – Czech Edition (2016)
Russian Edition (2016) – Chinese Edition (2016) – Thai Edition (2018)

Winner:

Don’t get me wrong, I like pretty backgrounds and landscapes as much as the next person. But all things being aesthetically equal, you’ll likely find me drawn to a cover featuring an actual character. Of these, the Russian edition is probably the nicest, even if it’s a little cheesy. But given the fact I’m not entirely blown away with any of the choices this week, it’s the closest to being the winner, even though it’s hard to tell, but Adelina appears to have both her eyes in this image. (Also interesting to note, this is the second time I’ve given the top spot to a Russian cover featuring a girl in a purple dress.)

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

Novella Review: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Posted on June 7, 2018 37 Comments

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

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Book 2 of The Murderbot Diaries

Publisher: Tor.com (May 8, 2018)

Length: 159 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

All hail Murderbot! So glad to be back for another round of action and adventure with our favorite SecUnit. I am unequivocally loving these novellas, and it still amazes me how much punch Martha Wells has managed to pack into each slim volume. Artificial Condition is the sequel to All Systems Red, so keep in mind this review may contain spoilers for the first book if you haven’t started the series yet (plus, if you’re still not on the Murderbot Diaries train, you’re really missing out).

Following Murderbot’s leave-taking from its former team of human allies, our protagonist now has a precarious kind of freedom to decide where to take the next step. But with so much of its past shrouded in mystery, Murderbot is resolved to fill in the missing details in its memory bank first, especially given its violent history. There are so many questions still left to answer, such as how Murderbot went rogue in the first place, an event that resulted in a killing spree and the deaths of many humans. Was it Murderbot who hacked and disabled its own governor module, causing the rampage? Or was someone else responsible for those directives? To find out, Murderbot must first uncover where the massacre took place, and to do so it will need to pass itself off as human in order to travel freely.

Just its luck though, Murderbot gets stuck on a transport whose AI sees right through its cover story and disguise. But instead of alerting the authorities, the AI transport, called ART, decides to help Murderbot learn the truth. Together, the two of them narrow their destination down to a mining planet. ART proceeds to help Murderbot with augments and alterations so that it can pose as a human bodyguard and join a research team down to the planet’s facilities, where Murderbot will hopefully find the data it needs.

I always like to say that it’s the characters that bring a book to life and make me feel a connection, and this is especially true of the Murderbot Diaries. Murderbot is a part-organic and part-synthetic android, but its personality, as it were, is also decidedly unlike that of any robot I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. Murderbot is still constrained by a lot of its original programming, so its voice could not really be considered human by any stretch of the imagination. And yet, it still displays a lot human-like qualities I find endearing, not least of all its love for the campy entertainment feeds. Considering how Murderbot doesn’t even like humans all that much, it’s amusing how fascinated it is by the lives of the ones in its favorite soap operas. Even better is how Murderbot picks up so much of what it knows about human social cues from the fictional characters in shows with names like Worldhoppers and Rose and Fall of Sanctuary Moon—hiliarious!

Artificial Condition also stands out because of the very special relationship between Murderbot and ART. While the humans come into play later in the story, I loved how for the most part this book was all about the two AI. Is this the beginning of a beautiful new friendship? I sure hope so, even if the two of them didn’t exactly get off on the right foot. It was interesting to see how their programming differed, one being a SecUnit with the other being a powerful, albeit often lonely, onboard computer on a long-haul transport ship. Somewhat to my surprise, it was ART who was savvier to the social ways of humans, teaching Murderbot how to blend in (and also pointing out everything Murderbot has been doing wrong, much to our protagonist’s chagrin). This introduction to ART opens up the world a little bit, as we’ve been led to believe thus far that Murderbot is something of an anomaly among AI. With ART, however, we now know there may be other bots floating around that do not always perform in accordance to their programming, which begs the question: what other possibilities are out there?

I, for one, am looking forward to finding out. With each book in The Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells continues to expand and explore the personality of her protagonist, putting Murderbot in new situations where it must learn and adapt. Despite being somewhat prickly and a little awkward, Murderbot is charming in its own way, and I just love reading these adventures through the eyes of such a compelling character. I just can’t wait to find out more as Murderbot carries on its investigation to dig up its past and find out more about its identity.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of All Systems Red (Book 1)

Waiting on Wednesday 06/06/18

Posted on June 6, 2018 30 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 Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (February 26, 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing)

Looks like Samantha Shannon is taking a little departure from her usual work with this upcoming epic fantasy novel, and to be honest, since I’m not really feeling the The Bone Season series anymore with its weird mix of paranormal and dystopian vibes (I haven’t even read the latest book), I’m kind of curious to see what she will bring instead to my favorite genre. At almost 900 pages, The Priory of the Orange Tree is going to be quite a tome, which admittedly makes me feel a bit intimidated but also excited at the same time.

“From the internationally bestselling author of The Bone Season, a trailblazing epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons—and the women who must lead the fight to save it.

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.”

Book Review: Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

Posted on June 5, 2018 27 Comments

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

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Anthology

Series: Dresden Files

Publisher: Ace Books (June 5, 2018)

Length: 448 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Hard to believe it has been four years since the release of the last Dresden Files book, and sure, fans might have a little longer to wait until Peace Talks, but for now, an anthology would tide me over quite nicely. Peace Talks is a collection of new and old (but mostly old) short fiction that takes place in the world of Harry Dresden, collected in one convenient volume. Together with the previous anthology Side Jobs, these books give you a chance to catch up with all the stories if you haven’t had a chance to do so yet.

A more detailed review of the contents:

A FISTFUL OF WARLOCKS

The opening story is a Western, as evidenced by its title, following Anastasia Luccio long before she has achieved the post of commander of White Council wardens. Riding in pursuit of a rogue warlock named Alexander Page, Luccio heads into Dodge City where she meets Wyatt Earp and teams up with him to take on a couple of necromancers.

In his foreword for this story, Jim Butcher writes: “Some stories happen because a writer gets inspired by some wild idea that needs expression. Some stories are carefully put together as part of a greater whole. And some stories you write because a professional friend asks you if you want to contribute to an anthology, and it sounds like a really fun idea.” This third reason given is why I typically don’t tend to read “side stories” that are tacked onto a main series, preferring the “inspired” and “carefully put together” ones instead. Plus, with any series, I always seem to end up forming attachments to only a small number of characters, and as such, I find I have very little interest in novellas or shorts that feature the perspectives of other minor characters or people in the series universe.

I’m guessing this is why I didn’t like this story as much as I’d hoped. To be honest, I barely remember Anastasia Luccio from the main series, and while meeting Wyatt Earp was kinda cool and on the whole this was a fun little story, A Fistful of Warlocks still had that “throwaway” vibe to it that makes me doubt it will stick in my mind for very long.

B IS FOR BIGFOOT

I had much better luck with B is for Bigfoot, which is also the first story of what is now known as Butcher’s “Bigfoot trilogy”, a trio of short stories featuring Harry Dresden and his interactions with the Sasquatch known as River Shoulders. In this one, Harry is hired to help Irwin Pounder, River Shoulders’ son who lives with his human mother. It seems lately that Irwin has been having some trouble at school, and Harry takes it upon himself to give the boy a talk about bullies. For such a short tale, this one had a lot of heart, and both River Shoulders and Irwin are great additions to the Dresden universe.

AAAA WIZARDRY

Originally included in the manual Dresden Files RPG: Core Rulebook Volume 2 – Our World, this short story shows Harry in a role of teacher to a group of young wardens. I liked how it featured another side of the character, though plot-wise it was a bit undeveloped. Since the tale was first published in an RPG rulebook about the many different factions, people, and creatures of the Dresdenverse, I didn’t really expect a lot from it, but I had hoped that it would be a bit more memorable.

I WAS A TEENAGE BIGFOOT

We’re back to River Shoulders and Irwin Pounder in this story, and I couldn’t be happier. This time, Irwin is a little older, attending the prestigious Saint Mark’s Academy for the Gifted and Talented. But his supernatural origins might have attracted some unwanted attention, so his mother Dr. Helena Pounder hires Harry to keep an eye on her son. Sure enough, when Irwin gets sick, Harry is not convinced that it’s just a simple case of mono. These Bigfoot stories are becoming the highlight of this anthology, and this one had a funny twist at the end too that had me laughing. I had a great time with this one.

CURSES

Set between Small Favor and Turn Coat, this story begins when a man walks into Harry’s office attempting to hire him to remove the curse that was supposed placed on the Chicago Cubs during the 1945 World Series. It was an interesting premise, but I just didn’t find myself too invested in the story, though I’m sure it would be immensely more fun for baseball fans or Chicago natives. At the very least, I got to learn some new things surrounding what is known as the Billy Goat Curse.

EVEN HAND

Set between Turn Coat and Changes, this story is told from the perspective of one of the series’ most notorious characters, the mob boss known as “Gentleman” John Marcone. Things begin in his office with a visit from Justine, who arrives with a child in tow, claiming that she is being pursued by the Fomor, a race of water-dwelling creatures. Justine wants protection from Marcone, who is about to turn her away until the leader of the Fomor himself crashes his headquarters, changing the situation. I’ll be honest; I was a never a big fan of John Marcone, even though he’s one of the most prominent characters of the Dresden Files series, having been around since the beginning. That said, I’ve always liked the complexity behind his personality and motivations, and this one did a nice job showing him operating in his own world.

BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS

And so ends the Bigfoot trilogy with this final River Shoulders story about Harry helping Irwin Pounder for the third time. Irwin is now all grown up and in college, playing on the football team, dating a pretty girl, and generally busy doing college student things. However, when it is discovered that Irwin’s girlfriend Connie Barrowill is a vampire of the White Court, Harry goes to let River Shoulders know that his son may be in danger. But as always, things are never as they seem, especially when it turns out Connie is also unaware of her true nature. Things turn a little dark in this Bigfoot story, but I loved the deeper themes in the end about fatherhood and trusting in your children to make their own way.

BOMBSHELLS

A story about Molly Carpenter, Bombshells follows Harry’s apprentice showing how she’s been dealing with life since the death of her mentor. This one also begins with the sudden appearance of Justine, who shows up on Molly’s doorstep asking for help looking for her lover Thomas, who is also Harry’s half-brother. For a series I love so much, sometimes it surprises me how few of the key characters actually resonate with me. Molly is another member of the main cast whom I’ve never really felt much for, which might explain why I felt so apathetic about this story. It has only been a few days since I finished reading it, but I’ve forgotten many details from it already.

COLD CASE

Another Molly story, but I fared a lot better with this one. Cold Case begins with Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, charging Molly to collect an overdue tribute owed to the Winter Court. While on her mission, Molly meets up with Carlos Ramirez, a young warden of the Wizard Council, and they strike up a fast friendship and become intimate with each other. Unbeknownst to Molly, however, when she agreed to take on the Winter’s Lady mantle, certain unpleasant “rules” came attached. Admittedly, this story didn’t really wow me until near the end, when the revelations of the mantle’s influence finally hit me like a punch in the gut. I really felt bad for Molly then, and Butcher did such a great job writing her anger, frustration, and loneliness.

JURY DUTY

In this story, Harry is summoned for the direst and most unpleasant of tasks—jury duty. A man named Hamilton Luther is under trial for the murder, and it appears to be a straightforward case until information surfaces about the possible presence of little girl at the crime scene, who would be a key witness—if she could be found. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Harry follows the girl’s trail and discovers that she has been abducted by a vampire of the White Court. Featuring a mix of action and humor, this was one of the more entertaining and interesting stories of the collection.

DAY ONE

Yay, a Butters story! I was excited about this one, because here’s a side character from the series that I actually am quite fond of. Day One follows Butters as he embarks on a mission to track down a supernatural predator who has been targeting children, feeding on their nightmares and turning the kids into paranoid and sleepless husks. I have a soft spot for geeks and nerd characters, which is probably why I like Butters so much. Characters like him don’t get much of a chance to shine, so when they get to be the stars of their own stories, however short they are, I take notice. Plus, this one had a hilarious World of Warcraft reference, and because I just happen to be an avid pet collector in that game, huge points for that bit about the murloc egg.

ZOO DAY

Told in three parts, Zoo Day is the only story completely original to this anthology and hasn’t appeared before anywhere else. In it, Harry takes Maggie and Mouse to the zoo, and father are daughter get some quality time to get to know each other. That is, until a fledgling warlock interrupts their plans. These series of events are depicted three times, first from the perspective of Harry, then Maggie, and finally Mouse. This is a story that does many things, but I mainly liked it for showing Harry trying to be a good parent, and Maggie learning what kind of man her dad is. Their nervousness around each other really pulled on my heartstrings, especially with both of scared that they would be a disappointment to the other, when there is in fact no need for worry on that front. It’s immediately clear that the two of them are cut from the same cloth, in that they both have big hearts and want to help others. This was a sweet and touching tale to end the anthology, showing that despite all the troubles in Harry’s busy life, he still strives to make time for his daughter, recalling the loneliness he felt growing up without his parents. Mouse’s POV also succeeded in adding a little levity, because who doesn’t love getting a story from a dog’s perspective?

All in all, Brief Cases was a good read. I’m not usually one to pick up short fiction, but I absolutely would not hesitate to make an exception for an anthology like this one, mainly because the stories are in the world of a series I love. While it’s true that most of these fell into the “okay” to “good” category, there were some that were truly excellent, like the Bigfoot trilogy, that made it all worth it. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of the Dresden Files or Jim Butcher, this anthology is not to be missed.

Book Review: The Memory of Fire by Callie Bates

Posted on June 4, 2018 29 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 Memory of Fire by Callie Bates

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of The Waking Land

Publisher: Del Rey (May 17, 2018)

Length: 448 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Writing a negative is never easy, and there are certain books that make me feel extra crummy about it because I know the problem lies solely within me and not in the book itself. The Memory of Fire is a perfect example. It has a decent premise, a well-written story not marred by any serious technical problems, and it is also sequel to a debut I really enjoyed last year, called The Waking Land.

So then, why didn’t I enjoy this second volume, especially since it continued to expand the overall series arc by exploring many of the same world-building and magical themes from the first book? The main reason: a different main character. Instead of carrying on with the story through the eyes of Elanna Valtai, the wonderful star of the previous novel, The Memory of Fire changes tack and approaches things from the perspective of her lover, Jahan Korakides—whom I’m nowhere near as fond of. In fact, I came to downright detest him in the first book, as I found his personality to be incredibly dull and his romance with Elanna emotionally flat. As far as I was concerned, Jahan was little more than a distraction and an excuse for a romantic side plot, so I can’t say I was all that thrilled when I started the book only to discover that not only was he the focus of the sequel, we were actually getting the entire story from his point-of-view.

That being said, I was more than willing to give this novel a chance to change my mind. Learning about a character’s background and the experiences that helped shaped him can do wonders to alter existing perceptions, and I was hoping this book would warm me up to Jahan. We weren’t introduced to him until well into The Waking Land, and as a result, readers knew relatively little about his past and origins, except that he was a nobleman from Ida, and that unlike Elanna, he’s had a good grasp on his magical abilities since he was a child.

In The Memory of Fire, we get to find out exactly how Jahan developed his powers. The story takes us back to his homeland after he and Elanna’s time in Caeris is cut short by news that the empire of Paladis is planning an invasion. With Elanna’s powers exhausted from trying to restore the land, Jahan is forced to return to the court where he grew up to try and negotiate peace with the emperor.

But in Paladis, Jahan faces many challenges. With magic being outlawed and punishable by death, he must keep his powers under wraps, especially now that his friend Prince Leontius has turned his back on him, taking away any form of royal favor or protection. Worse are the political games he must play, as old enemies try to undermine the throne and threaten to reveal Jahan as a sorcerer. Returning home also means confronting his past and the painful memories of what happened to his family. Jahan is still plagued by memories of the manipulative witch Madiya, who secretly trained him and his brothers in magic—and caused a lot of emotional damage while doing it. Now her ominous messages to him are making it more difficult to focus on his mission, putting him in danger of being exposed.

I confess, I had really hoped reading a book from Jahan’s POV would change my impressions of him and make him more favorable in my eyes, but unfortunately, that just didn’t happen. I tried, I really tried. But far from getting me to get over my dislike of him, I think this novel merely exacerbated it, because I constantly found myself wishing we were still following Elanna–which isn’t fair, I know, since this is supposed to be Jahan’s chance to shine. To be honest though, his story just wasn’t anywhere near as interesting to me, especially since a good chunk of the first half was dominated by tedious political talk and the protagonist’s own fits of self-flagellating whining as he berates himself over and over for leaving his brothers in the hands of Madiya. Look, dude, you did what had to be done. Move on, and let’s get to some action already.

Thankfully, we saw the story pick up in the second half. The Memory of Fire is not only darker, but it is also more melancholy in tone compared to The Waking Land. It’s a good thing, I think, because this gives the series a bit more gravitas and shows it in the process of maturing into something greater. However, I don’t know if this is enough to overcome my ennui and lack of interest for most of this novel. I’m still rather apathetic towards Jahan, because he never really captured my attention the way Elanna did in the previous book. With her, the connection came effortlessly, in contrast to the narrative of this one, which tried a bit too hard to push Jahan upon the reader and, ironically, only served to drive me farther away.

Changing protagonists midway through a series is always a huge gamble, even if the story does require a different point-of-view in order to move forward. Callie Bates took the chance, and unfortunately, it didn’t pan out too well for me, though I’m sure it will work out just fine for plenty of others. In fact, if you enjoyed Jahan’s character in the first book, then there’s an excellent chance that you will enjoy The Memory of Fire. If you didn’t though, then your experience may be more touch and go. At this point, I’d still very much like to continue the series because the author is such a great writer, plus I love the world and the magic in these books. But if the story doesn’t return to Elanna, or at least focus more on her again, then I might have to reconsider. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Waking Land (Book 1)

YA Weekend: Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

Posted on June 3, 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.

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Book 1

Publisher: Entangled Teen (June 5, 2018)

Length: 400 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf was so much fun—much more fun than its grisly premise would lead you to believe. The book stars Zera, who was murdered in a brutal bandit attack when she was just sixteen years old, but was then “saved” when the witch Nightsinger resurrected her by carving out her heart, keeping the organ safe in a magical jar. Now Zera has become a Heartless—immortal, un-ageing, and unkillable by any earthly means, but this all comes at a very steep price. She is forever bound to serve Nightsinger, and to prevent herself from transforming into a mindless ravening monster, Zera must consume raw meat regularly to stave off the hunger.

For three long years, Zera has dreamed of becoming human again, which would only happen if Nightsinger gave her back her heart. But now, the witch would give her that very chance to earn back her humanity—with the stipulations being high-risk and dangerous, of course. Another Sunless War is threatening to break out, and in order to stop it from happening, the witches need a hostage they can control completely. Crown Prince Lucien would make the perfect target—but only if he can be turned Heartless. To lure him into the witches’ trap, Zera has been tasked to pose as a potential bride at the next Spring Welcoming, where she will mingle at the court, ingratiate herself with the other nobles, and attempt to steal Lucien’s heart—literally.

Without a doubt, what made this book such a delightfully entertaining read was its main character. Zera is always quick on her feet with a wisecrack retort, but she does it in such an easy and charming way that it’s hard not to like her immediately, especially when most of the victims of her sharp tongue deserve it. I can’t remember the last time I’ve cheered so hard for a protagonist, watching her take the royal court by storm and catching everyone there unawares. But Zera is also more than just a smart mouth and a sassy attitude; deep down she is also wrestling with a past filled with darkness and guilt. In fact, as time goes on, we find out that most of the time her flippancy is her response to her feelings of fear, loneliness, and uncertainty. As insistent as she is on calling herself a monster, she seemed wholly human to me, and for a girl with no heart who claims everything she does is to further her own gains, she sure cares a great deal about others.

The world-building in this book is also exquisite. The relationship between a witch and a Heartless is a little like the one between a vampire and their thralls, except it is much more intricate and nuanced. Heartless are a witch’s personal soldiers, but not all witches treat their Heartless like expendable chattel, and Nightsinger and Zera actually have something close to an affectionate bond. But while a witch can channel their magic into their Heartless to heal and help them, they can also put an end to them instantly by shattering their hearts in their magical jars, which means any kind of attachment between Nightsinger and Zera is still a very unbalanced power dynamic. This is a world full of old gods and ancient magic, and that’s just one of many mysterious and complex systems working behind the scenes. Bitter rivalries and backstabbing powerplays also rage in the royal court of Vetris, which would ultimately determine whose influence wins out, affecting the fates of both humans and witches alike.

The romance should be discussed here too, since it is so integral to the plot. That Zera and Lucien will eventually fall in love is sort of a foregone conclusion, because otherwise, where would be the conflict? Still, I liked that their romantic arc was developed steadily and carefully, with both of them getting to know each other before falling in love. It’s the crux of the novel’s premise after all, since it would be much easier to betray someone and rip out their heart if you saw them as a soulless enemy, but that changes drastically if the man you thought was a stuck-up and callous prince actually turned out to be a good person, with a lifetime full of hopes, dreams, and desires.

To my surprise, this was one of the best YA romances I’ve read in a while, though there were plenty of other relationships at play here that also deserve a mention, including the one between Zera and Lady Y’shennria, the noblewoman helping the witches by pretending to be Zera’s aunt. In truth, I probably enjoyed following their interactions even more than I enjoyed watching Zera and Lucien, because there was just something so earnest and heartbreaking about the desperate way Zera constantly sought Lady Y’shennria’s approval. When they eventually acknowledged each other like true family, I might have even shed a tear or two.

Only a few flaws kept this book from a perfect rating. First, Zera reminds readers every few pages that all she wants is her heart and getting it back is the most important thing to her, yet she sure seems to enjoy sabotaging herself any chance to gets by not sticking the plan or by taking stupid risks. Second, after a while, it becomes clear that everyone involved is on the same side and wants the same thing, which made me think that a good sit-down and bit of decent communication could have solved a lot of problems and made everything a lot less complicated. Third, there was this awful cliffhanger—except what happened was also kind of predictable, so I’m still torn as to what to think about the ending.

Still, when all is said and done, I had a great time with this book. Bring Me Their Hearts had everything I could ever want from a YA novel—superb world-building, a fantastically well-written story, and a phenomenal protagonist I could emphatically root for. I originally set out to read this story about Heartless and heart-taking, never once expecting it to steal my heart so quickly and completely too. But now I am irrevocably hooked, and I want more.

Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on June 2, 2018 38 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.

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Received for Review

My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received! For more details and full descriptions of the books, be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages.

Today we’re starting off with a parade of new sci-fi arrivals. Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio is something of a new discovery for me; I didn’t find out about it until this ARC landed on my doorstep. There hasn’t been much attention for it so far, but good reviews and several descriptions of it as being “The Name of the Wind in space” is making me curious to take a look. With thanks to DAW Books.

Next up, a couple of surprise ARCs from the amazing folks at Tor. There appears to be a recent uptick in sci-fi humor releases lately, and Gate Crashers by Patrick S. Tomlinson looks to be joining the trend. Based on the synopsis I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. And speaking of fun, The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams is described as an adventure-filled ride around a far-future galaxy in the tradition of Firefly and The Expanse. Let’s hope it delivers!

With thanks to Saga Press, I also received this hardcover copy of Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente. I didn’t even know this one had an HC edition, and it’s so pretty! And here’s my review in case you missed it earlier this month.

Also thanks to Simon & Schuster for a finished copy of The Completionist by Siobhan Adcock. The release date of this one snuck up on me quick. I still have plans to check out this near-future dystopian, so hopefully I’ll get some time next month to fit it into my reading schedule.

And of course, if you caught my review earlier this week, you’ll know how much I enjoyed Warlock Holmes: My Grave Ritual by G.S. Denning. I started the book practically the moment I got it, that’s how much I love this series. With thanks to Titan Books for sending me a review copy.

Next up, more goodies from Tor, in the form of several finished copies. In The Region of the Summer Stars by Stephen R. Lawhead was a surprise arrival, the first book of a new epic fantasy adventure series. Lawhead is an author I’ve seen popping up around a lot, but I’ve never read him, and I’m thinking his might be the perfect opportunity to try. With thanks to the publisher’s YA imprint Tor Teen, I also received these finished copies: Dive Smack by Demetra Brodsky is a book I actually hadn’t heard of before it arrived, but it looks to be a thriller. Reviews have been pretty positive so far, so I definitely want to take a look. And Guardian by A.J. Hartley is the third book of the Steeplejack series. I’m not caught up yet, but I did enjoy the first volume and I do have the second one on hand, so hopefully I will be soon.

With thanks to Lenny Books, I also received Providence by Caroline Kepnes, described as a supernatural thriller with a strong touch of Lovecraft. I actually wouldn’t have thought there would be anything Lovecraftian about this book, but I probably should have guessed from the title. I still know next to nothing about this one, but I’ve already seen a couple of amazing reviews from bloggers I follow, so I expect I’ll be reading this one very soon.

Earlier this month I also received an ARC of Driving to Geronimo’s Grave and Other Stories by Joe R. Lansdale from the awesome team at Subterranean Press. I’m not really into anthologies, but I may have to give this one a go anyway, because I still haven’t read anything by this author and I really really want to.

Finally, wrapping up this batch is The Memory of Fire by Callie Bates, the sequel to her debut The Waking Land. I actually finished this one recently, and I’m still not sure what to think about it, mainly because the focus has shifted to another character and in this case the POV change didn’t really work for me. I’ll be talking more about that in my review, which should be posted soon. My thanks to Del Rey for the finished copy.

Just a few new books in the digital pile this week. What’s this? Have I finally learned to show self-restraint? Eh, probably not, as the following are all from NetGalley where my TBR could still use a break from requesting. First up is Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst, whom I’ve become a big fan of since her Queens of Renthia series. I actually featured this one in a past Waiting on Wednesday post, so I was really excited to be approved, with thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers. I was also happy to snag an eARC of Redemption’s Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the first book in a new epic fantasy series. I’ve been wanting so badly to read more by the author, so this is perfect. Thank you, Solaris Books! Last but not least, last week I was sent a invite widget for The Raging Ones by Krista & Becca Ritchie, courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books. After reading the book’s incredible synopsis and a few early rave reviews, it became impossible to resist. See, I told you I haven’t learned.

Reviews

A list of my reviews posted since the last update:

Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan (4 of 5 stars)
Warlock Holmes: My Grave Ritual by G.S. Denning (4 of 5 stars)
Obscura by Joe Hart (4 of 5 stars)
Circe by Madeline Miller (4 of 5 stars)
All the Ever Afters by Danielle Teller (4 of 5 stars)
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (4 of 5 stars)
Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope (3 of 5 stars)
LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff (2 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’ve only gotten a couple of them reviewed, so stay tuned for more.

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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: Creeping Vines

Posted on June 1, 2018 28 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“Clinging and invasive”
~ a cover featuring CREEPING VINES

Mogsy’s Pick:
The Waking Land by Callie Bates

his book has been on my mind a lot lately, considering the sequel is about to come out very soon. The Waking Land follows Elanna Valtai, who was only five years old when she saw her nurse murdered right before her very eyes. Moments later, she was seized by the guards of King Antoine, the greatest enemy of her rebel parents. After her mother and father were exiled back to their ancestral lands, Elanna herself was taken hostage to ensure that there will be no more uprisings.

Subsequently, Elanna spends the next fourteen years growing up at King Antoine’s court. Despite being an outsider and the daughter of a known traitor, she is treated fairly well by the king and is even given a chance to study as a botanist. But then one day, Antoine sickens and dies and suddenly all bets are off. His heir Princess Loyce blames Elanna for killing her father with her knowledge of plant poisons, forcing our protagonist to flee to her homeland, where she reunites with her estranged blood kin. It is there where she finally discovers the truth about her birthright and the powerful earth magic that she always knew she had.

It’s going to be a simple head-to-head this week, but that’s okay because I think both covers in this match-up are very strong:

Del Rey (2017) vs. Hodder & Stoughton (2017)

Winner:

The first images to pop into my head when I saw this topic were vine-covered Gothic buildings and overgrown gardens – eerie and ominous scenes, in other words. So I was a bit surprised when I came across creeping, trailing vines done in a very beautiful and magical way for both versions of this book. It’s a really tough choice this week because I love them both. However, the Del Rey edition has a little too much white space for my liking, so in the end, I think I’ll have to go with the Hodder & Stoughton.

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