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

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:

“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?

Book Review: Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan

Posted on May 31, 2018 15 Comments

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

Wrath of Empire by Brian McClellan

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of Gods of Blood and Powder

Publisher: Orbit (May 15, 2018)

Length: 656 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

It’s good to see Brian McClellan’s second trilogy is coming along nicely. Wrath of Empire is the second installment of Gods of Blood and Powder, which picks up from the end of Sins of Empire, so bear in mind this review may contain possible spoilers for the first book if you aren’t caught up yet. In this sequel, the author continues to develop one of the major plot points from the previous novel concerning the ancient, magic-infused obelisks known as godstones. Intent on unifying his people, the leader of the invading Dynize army is seeking to claim these powerful artifacts for himself, with the goal of creating a new god.

Desperate to prevent this from happening, Taniel Two-Shot and Ka-Poel team up with General Vlora Flint, who along with her Riflejack mercenaries are currently assisting in the evacuation of refugees from the conquered Fatrastan capital of Landfall. With the help of Ben Styke and his Mad Lancers, our characters must divide their attention between fighting the enemy and finding the godstones before the Dynize can. Meanwhile, former Blackhat spy Michel Bravis has been tasked by Taniel to infiltrate the now Dynize-occupied capital. His mission: to locate the one known as “Mara” and to get them out of the city.

Once again, McClellan combines the action of battle, the intrigue of politics, and the magic of fantasy to bring us another stunning addition to the Powder Mage universe. However, I must confess I was a little skeptical at first. Despite recalling a fond experience with Sins of Empire, I was surprised to see how much of its plot I had forgotten, and being thrown headfirst into the events of this sequel without any preamble served only to increase my confusion. Thankfully, when all is said and done, I think Wrath of Empire will end up being a more memorable book for several reasons.

First of all, this sequel features a better balance between the characters. Despite my fondness for Vlora, who might be my favorite character this time around, I was nevertheless happy to see more attention devoted to Taniel and Ka-Poel. Their involvement in the first book was something of a surprise treat, though now it appears they have become fully integrated into the plot. There are some truly excellent scenes between Taniel and Vlora and even Ka-Poel and Styke as the characters begin to form new relationships or strengthen old ones. My second favorite character was probably Celine, even though she was a relatively minor figure. Through her interactions with both Ka-Poel and Styke, readers are able to get a deeper feel for these two characters, whose back stories were also greatly expanded in this novel via interesting side plots like Styke’s personal revenge tour or the revelations behind Ka-Poel’s secret origins. Truth be told though, while I may point out only a few examples, I think we got to see strong improvement in character development for everyone. In fact, the only POV I couldn’t really get into was Michel’s, simply because I wasn’t feeling as interested in his espionage storyline.

That being said, Michel’s mission in Landfall does help increase the urgency of the novel, with the higher stakes making this one a worthy follow-up. The story also continues to add depth to the situation surrounding the Dynize invasion of Fatrasta, underscoring the importance of finding the godstones. Still, as it is soon revealed, destroying these mysterious monoliths is only a piece of the puzzle. At the risk of sounding like a horrible tease, I am intentionally being vague in order to avoid revealing too much about the plot, but just when you think you have the ending figured out, hidden deep behind enemy lines are even more secrets and conspiracies, proving there is so much more left to discover. Wrath of Empire ends with another momentous showdown containing plenty of surprising twists and unexpected difficulties for our protagonists, which makes me think we’ll be getting even more bombshells before long.

Now to wait and see if McClellan can stick the landing, though with his winning trend continuing so strongly, I’m not too worried. I’ll be keeping an eager eye out for Blood of Empire to see how this epic journey plays out.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Sins of Empire (Book 1)

Waiting on Wednesday 05/30/18

Posted on May 30, 2018 12 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

Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven (September 25, 2018 by Ace Books)

My first encounter with Grace Draven was years ago with Master of Crows, which was one of only a handful of romance fantasy novels I’ve ever really enjoyed because of the skillful way the author balanced elements from both genres. I’ve not had a chance to read her again, though it appears she’s come a long way and garnered quite a huge following of fans in the almost ten years since. This fall, Draven will be launching a new series with the first book Phoenix Unbound, and I’m really looking forward to this opportunity to revisit her work.

“A woman with power over fire and illusion and an enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.

Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire’s capital–her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village’s tithe has been the same woman. Gilene’s sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses.

But this year is different.

Azarion, the Empire’s most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion–and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. And unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

To protect her family and village, she will risk everything to return to the Empire–and burn once more.”

#FearlessWomen: Vicious by V.E. Schwab Spotlight & Exclusive Excerpt

Posted on May 29, 2018 20 Comments

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women arehere.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.”

Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen will be a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

In anticipation of the publication of the sequel VENGEFUL on September 25, 2018, Tor Books is pleased to pleased to present a hardcover run-on repackage of New York Times bestseller V.E. Schwab’s VICIOUS, a masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates–brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find–aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge–but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

Exclusive Excerpt

TEN YEARS AGO

LOCKLAND UNIVERSITY

Victor stared up at the place where the lip of their apartment building’s roof met the cloudy night. Every time he closed his eyes he felt like he was falling over, getting closer and closer to the brick, so he tried to keep them open, focusing on that strange seam overhead.

“Are you coming?” asked Eli.

He was holding the door open, practically bouncing in his eagerness to get inside and find something else that could physically wound him. Zeal burned in his eyes. And while Victor didn’t exactly blame him, he had no desire to sit around and watch Eli stab himself all night. He’d watched him try all the way home, leaving a dotted red trail in the snow from the blood that escaped before the wounds could heal. He’d seen the ability. Eli was an EO, in the (regenerating) flesh. Victor had felt something when Eli had come back to life seemingly EO- free: relief. With Eli’s new abilities being thrust into his wavering line of vision all the way home, Victor’s relief had dissolved into a ripple of panic. He would be relegated to sidekick, note-taker, the brick wall to bounce ideas off of.

No.

“Vic, you coming or not?”

Curiosity and jealousy ate at Victor in equal parts, and the only way he knew to stifle both, to quell the urge to wound Eli himself— or at least to try— was to walk away.

He shook his head, then stopped abruptly when the world continued swinging side to side.

“Go on,” he said, mustering a smile that came nowhere near his eyes. “Go play with some sharp objects. I need to take a walk.” He descended the stairs, and nearly fell twice in three steps.

“Are you fit to walk, Vale?”

Victor waved him on inside. “I’m not driving. Just going to get some air.”

And with that, he took off into the dark, with two goals on his mind.

The first was simple: to put as much distance as he could be-tween himself and Eli before he did something he’d regret.

The second was trickier, and his body hurt to even think of it, but he had no choice.

He had to plan his next attempt at death.

About the Author

VICTORIA (V.E.) SCHWAB is the author of the NYT bestselling Shades of Magic series, as well as a number of MG and YA novels, including This Savage Song. She has been called “the heir to Diana Wynne Jones.” Her dynamic work has caught the attention of major TV and film studios. Schwab has a Masters degree in Art History from the University of Edinburgh. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, but frequents Edinburgh. You can visit her at https://www.veschwab.com/

Join the Conversation

Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) will be using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways beginning in May. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation – and get reading!

Be sure to also check out the other blogs on the #FearlessWomen tour to read more exclusive content and reviews!

Book Review: Warlock Holmes: My Grave Ritual by G. S. Denning

Posted on May 28, 2018 23 Comments

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

Warlock Holmes: My Grave Ritual by G.S. Denning

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 3 of Warlock Holmes

Publisher: Titan Books (May 15, 2018)

Length: 425 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

It’s a little ridiculous how much I’m loving this series. Despite the mountain of books in my TBR waiting to be read, I picked this one up as soon as it arrived on my doorstep because you know you’re always guaranteed a fun time with a Warlock Holmes book. While My Grave Ritual might have been a little bit less cohesive and a bit more meandering compared to the two previous volumes, I was happy to see that once again it did not disappoint in bringing the humor and hellfire.

Like the previous novels, My Grave Ritual plays on the original Sherlock Holmes tales and is presented as a narrative made up of a sequence of skit-like shorts featuring our protagonists Warlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. John Watson. But of course, those of us who have been following the series so far know that the real brain behind the operation is Watson. The so-called great detective here, Warlock, is in fact a bumbling idiot. Sure, he may possess the fearsome ability to commune with demons and wield untold powers of the arcane, but without Watson keeping an eye on him, Warlock couldn’t be counted on not to set fire to his own shoes. That said, to his credit, Warlock Holmes is something of an expert in the cryptic and occult. While the man can be exasperating, Watson can’t deny that by pooling their skills and resources, the two of them make a rather formidable team.

This time, Holmes and Watson find themselves embroiled in more adventures involving the paranormal and uncanny, including a disastrous Christmas dinner with a magical goose and a run-in with a betentacled eldritch messenger from Bohemia. Not to mention, of course, the trouble that still plagues their lives in the form of Moriarty, Holmes’ greatest nemesis who is waiting patiently in the shadows for the perfect time to strike.

Despite the short story format of these books, all the tales here are interconnected and come together to form a greater narrative. In this manner, G.S. Denning continues to develop the overall series arc for Warlock Holmes and Watson, expanding upon the characters’ lives and their unique setting. As I have alluded to before, however, things felt a little more disjointed this time around, perhaps due to the shorter length of the stories in this installment. As a result, I felt that this book lacked the focus of the two previous volumes, with a plot that bounced around a bit too much. Clearly, the story is starting to build towards a major confrontation with Moriarty, but there’s still a lot of groundwork to cover in the meantime. The series is still in the process of bringing many of the elements from the original source, putting a new and magical spin on them at the same time.

As always though, my favorite thing about these books is the humor, especially the witty laugh-out-loud banter between Watson and Holmes. These are wonderful characters, and the author has done a great job making them his own by offering a fresh and fun perspective on this classic duo. I also liked how Warlock got to play a bigger role in this book, and there were even a couple sections of the story from his point of view. Don’t get me wrong, while I still think it’s hilarious that Holmes is a depicted as an eccentric and incompetent buffoon, it was a bit refreshing to see him become a stabilizing force for Watson for a change, instead of it constantly being the other way around. In essence, I’ve been given exactly what I wanted—more developments in the two men’s friendship and seeing their characters interact with each other in more meaningful and interesting ways.

In sum, I’m loving these books, and despite the somewhat rambling nature of this one, I still think the series as a whole is progressing in the right direction. Warlock Holmes has become my go-to for some light and fluffy fun because I know these characters will never let me down when I want a good laugh. I really hope this trend will continue for the next installment and beyond, because I just can’t wait to read more.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of A Study in Brimstone (Book 1)
Review of The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles (Book 2)

Book Review: Obscura by Joe Hart

Posted on May 27, 2018 20 Comments

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

Obscura by Joe Hart

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (May 8, 2018)

Length: 348 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Combining elements from science fiction and thriller-suspense, Joe Hart brings us a gripping tale set in the not-too-distant future where a new form of dementia known as Losian’s Disease is sweeping across the globe, affecting both the old and the young. No one knows the cause, but as the widow and the mother of Losian sufferers, Dr. Gillian Ryan is determined to find a cure. She has already lost her husband, and she’s not about to lose her little girl too. But even as a leading researcher of the disease, Gillian has to show results to continue receiving funding, and unfortunately she has not been making much headway in her work. Desperate to keep her research going, she lets her old friend Carson talk her into taking part in a top-secret NASA mission to examine a space station crew that has been affected by symptoms similar to Losian’s, even if being in space will take her away from her daughter for six months. But if it will save her research and get her closer to finding a cure, Gillian convinces herself that it will be worth it.

However, her journey to space is plagued by problems from the start. Not only has Carson not been completely forthright with her on the details of the mission, there appears to be a saboteur on board, and it appears he or she will go to great lengths to damage NASA’s work—including resorting to murder. As the violence mounts, Gillian finds herself the main suspect as the evidence against her becomes more and more damning. She tries telling the others that she is being framed, that she is innocent—but after a while, even she is beginning to doubt herself. With all the lies and deception surrounding her, as well as the effects of withdrawal, isolation, and being far from home, it is difficult to be certain of anything anymore.

Mysteries set in space—especially those involving murder—always have a certain appeal to me. Usually these stories are set in a small confined area, emphasizing the loneliness and claustrophobic atmosphere. The number of suspects is often limited as well, but because of everyone’s close proximity, it always makes the tension feel much more present and urgent. Joe Hart uses these elements to great effect in Obscura, deftly evoking the feelings of terror and paranoia in his main protagonist. There’s nothing more disturbing than doubting your own sanity, and in this way, Gillian is pushed to the extremes at every turn.

Speaking of which, the characterization of Gillian is fantastic. Hart sets up her background perfectly, painting a picture of a grieving widow and loving mother who has already lost so much to Losian’s Disease. Finding a cure to save her daughter is the goal that drives her, and it’s also the only thing she would sacrifice everything for. She is also under a lot of stress, and has been secretly relying on heavy prescription drugs to get her through, ultimately becoming addicted. Being away from her little girl is bad enough, but when she finds out that she has been deceived—not once, but multiple times—to get her to agree to the mission, that is the last straw. I really felt for her character then, sympathizing with her anger, regret, and frustration. And then came the murder. Gillian might not always make the best decisions, but she feels genuinely like someone who is trying all she can to get out of a bad situation, especially when everyone seems to be against her. She’s terrified and uncertain of herself, but still she refuses to give up.

The plot also makes this novel a page-turner. Just when you think you have everything figured out, Hart throws a curve ball and the story takes a different turn. There are a lot of surprises not mentioned in the publisher description, and I had a great time discovering all of them. Let’s just say I was under the impression that Obscura was more of a straight-up thriller, and I was delighted when it turned out there are actually way more science fiction elements in this book than I thought.

My only criticism is that there might be too many ideas in this book, so that sometimes the plot felt a little fractured and disjointed. I can’t go into much detail without revealing spoilers, but there are a few concepts that aren’t explained very well, and plot points that aren’t as well developed. However, Obscura is still first and foremost a thriller and not a hard sci-fi novel, so in a way, this was to be expected. As long as these shortcomings didn’t affect the overall excitement and flow of the story, I didn’t really mind too much, and the good news is, no one can fault the book’s thriller and mystery aspects. The author did an excellent job of building up the suspense, and then capped it all off with a completely engrossing climax and conclusion.

All in all, Obscura is a fine example of an effective sci-fi thriller, hooking the reader with an intriguing premise. The wonderful characterization and swiftly-paced plot successfully pulled me in the rest of the way, the suspenseful atmosphere capturing my full attention and keeping me riveted, wondering what will happen next.

YA Weekend: LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Posted on May 26, 2018 30 Comments

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

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Series: Book 1 of Lifelike

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (May 29, 2018)

Length: 416 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Normally I love anything by Jay Kristoff, as you can see from my past reviews where I’ve rated all his stuff highly, but there was just something about LIFEL1K3 that fell short for me. Perhaps it was the genre or the particular subject matter of artificial intelligence, but trying to stay focused on the story was a struggle every step of the way. I also couldn’t feel connected at all to the people in this book, which is a shame because Kristoff’s characters are usually one of his greatest strengths.

LIFEL1K3 tells the story of Eve, who lives in a post-apocalyptic future where the radiation is so high that even spending a little too much time in the sun can kill you. Two years ago, her parents were murdered, and she still bears the scars of that attack in the form of cybernetic implants to see and remember. Now she lives with her grandfather, who is dying. With her talent for tinkering and building machines, Eve has been earning whatever money she can to support them by piloting robots in the popular gladiatorial arenas.

But then one day, a fight goes horribly wrong, and, in her desperation, Eve suddenly manifests a power that allows her to destroy another robot with nothing but her mind. Seen as an abomination, Eve immediately finds herself the target of bounty hunters, gangs, and mercenaries alike, who would all like to see her eliminated. Together with her best friend Lemon Fresh, their robot guardian Cricket, and a robo-dog named Kaiser, Eve has no choice but to leave her life behind and go on the run, rescuing a lifelike android boy named Ezekiel along the way.

First let me just say, while this was not by any means a bad book, there were just so many things about it that personally rubbed me the wrong way. Mainly, all the characters got on my nerves. LIFEL1K3 is technically considered a Young Adult novel, and indeed, some of the darker and heavier themes in the story seem to support this categorization. However, both Eve and Lemon both come across as much younger than their supposed ages due to some of their immature behaviors, questionable actions, and overuse of annoying slang. Not even the robot characters were innocent of this childishness. Cricket was most irritating of all with his constant disparaging of Ezekiel, calling him all sorts of names. After a while, I found myself gritting my teeth through so much of this elementary schoolyard bullshit that my jaws actually started to ache.

The author is also known to play on popular tropes in his books, but he usually puts an interesting or unique spin on them. Just take a look at his Nevernight Chronicle series to see what I mean, with the first volume based around a “Magic School” for assassins while the second one is all about the “Gladiatorial Games” action. Both books were nonetheless fantastically fun, though unfortunately I cannot bring myself to say the same for LIFEL1K3. This time, Kristoff seemed inspired to write his own “Bladerunner” type book, but then failed to really bring anything new or different to the table. His attempt at shocking revelations and twists also kind of fizzled, with many of the plot developments coming across as forced or uninspired. Worst of all, the “big reveal” was something I saw coming a mile away. This to me was the biggest disappointment, because it just seemed so uncharacteristic for Kristoff, who up until now has always managed to surprise me.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I didn’t like this book and had to force myself to finish, but I’m sure I’ll be in the minority with my opinions and that’s okay. LIFEL1K3 will no doubt find its audience, but it simply didn’t offer enough enjoyment for me personally. It was a shock for me too, that the author who brought me such favorites like The Lotus War trilogy, the Nevernight books, and The Illuminae Files (co-written with Amie Kaufman) could have written something that fell so spectacularly flat for me, but I suppose these things happen sometimes. For now, I’ll just set my sights on Darkdawn, the conclusion to the Nevernight Chronicle trilogy, which is much closer to the caliber of work I’ve come to expect from Kristoff. I’ll still enthusiastically keep an eye on his future projects after that, but I probably won’t be continuing with the LIFEL1K3 series.

Friday Face-Off: Footsteps

Posted on May 25, 2018 22 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“Trip trap, trip trap, trip trap”
~ a cover featuring FOOTSTEPS

Mogsy’s Pick:
The White Road by Sarah Lotz

The White Road takes place in the winter of 2006, at a time when YouTube stars and listicles are just starting to become a thing. Our protagonist Simon Newman and his roommate are a couple of slackers looking to grow their clickbait website, and the idea for their big break comes when they learn of the Cwm Pot caves in Wales where several years ago a group of spelunkers had gotten trapped and died. Simon gets the crazy idea to go down there and come back with never-seen-before footage of the dead bodies, which would be perfect material for their morbid audience.

Unfortunately, that venture ultimately ended in a media disaster, though it did nothing to deter Simon from taking his website’s new found attention to the next level. After descending into the depths of the earth in search of corpses, why not go the other extreme this time around, and do the same thing on the highest point on earth? Mount Everest is said to be the final resting place of more than 200 people, and their remains are often unrecoverable and left where they fell, sometimes for years and years. Surely it wouldn’t be too hard for Simon to go up there and capture more footage of a couple of dead bodies, which would undoubtedly bring even more traffic to their website?

Dumb idea, Simon. Just really, really stupid.

But thankfully, we’re not here to talk about the poor life choices of our protagonists, we’re here to talk about covers! So let’s take a look at them now:

From left to right:
Hodder & Stoughton (2017) – Mulholland Books (2017) – Russian Edition (2017)

Winner:

Slim pickings this week, unfortunately. The choice was easy, as both the Hodder and Russian editions are way too dark for my liking (I really hate that “underexposed photo” look), so while I’m not particularly impressed by any of the offerings this week, the Mulholland cover pretty much wins by default.

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