Book Review: The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
Posted on April 3, 2018 21 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 Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Penguin Books (March 6, 2018)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
For fans of atmospheric Gothic horror, it doesn’t get much better than this. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell is the kind of book that sneaks up on you like a cold draft. Soon after snaking its chilly tendrils down your collar and sending shivers down your spine, it’ll send you scurrying under the covers and make you want to stay there until the sun is up and the house is bright and warm and safe again. This is most definitely a story you’ll want to read in the light of day, when there are no shadows in which the things that go bump in the night can hide.
Set in 1865, the novel follows protagonist Elsie Bainbridge, owner of a London-based match factory that she co-manages with her younger brother. While her engagement to the heir of the distinguished Bainbridge family did cause a mild stir among the members of the gentry who felt she was marrying above her station, Elsie didn’t care—she was happy, in love, and relieved to be saved from the fate of spinsterhood. Mere months after the wedding, however, her husband Rupert dies under mysterious circumstances while making preparations at The Bridge, his family’s deteriorating estate out in the country. It was where the couple had hoped to welcome their first child.
Now instead of looking forward to a new life with Rupert, Elsie arrives at The Bridge grieving and pregnant, accompanied by Sarah, her husband’s peculiar cousin. The village is unwelcoming, her servants are rude and untrained, and the place is practically falling apart. At night, a strange hissing sound comes from the garret behind a closed door that won’t unlock to any key, but one day it suddenly opens to Elsie, revealing Bainbridge relics that have sat hidden for generations. Among them are a couple diaries dated from the 1600s, as well as a painted wooden figure of a little girl that looks so disturbingly lifelike that at first glance she could have been mistaken for the real thing.
After finishing this book, I went and did some googling, finding out tons of interesting information about these flat wooden oil-painted trompe l’oeil figures, known as “silent companions” or “dummy boards”, which were all the rage among aristocrats from the 17th through to the 19th century. Their exact purpose is still unknown, though everything from decorative use to security application by making potential burglars think someone is home has been floated by historians. Whatever the case, I find the concept behind them creepy as hell and reading this novel has not helped one bit. My skin still crawls from the memory of the spookier moments, and why anyone would want these wooden figures in their house with their unsettling gazes staring back at you is beyond me.
Needless to say, The Silent Companions was an intensely eerie and atmospheric read. It’s a bit of a slow-burner to start, as the story establishes itself because it is told in two timelines—one follows Elsie in the present as she is convalescing at an asylum following a series of tragic events, while the other is presented as a written account to her doctor about what she remembers happening to her. Interspersed throughout both narratives is also a third voice, taken from the diaries found in the garret. As the story unfolds, secrets within all three perspectives are gradually revealed, completing the full picture. One quickly learns not to take anything at face value when it comes to this book, with my own experience involving several complete reevaluations of everything I thought I knew about the situation and characters—which was pretty much every time a new surprise or revelation came to light. What’s even more impressive is that despite all the twist and turns, every piece of the puzzle ended up coming together seamlessly—planned and executed to perfection.
Time to put The Silent Companions on your wishlists, folks, for this is one Victorian ghost story you won’t want to miss. It’s portentous and gloomy, written in a subtle way that makes the dread creep slowly into your mind. It’s the type of scary that makes you feel on edge and nervous for the characters, and yet it’s impossible to tear your eyes away even when things become too terrible and tragic to watch. If you love horror fiction, especially books about hauntings, I just can’t recommend this one enough.
Guest Post: “The Bastard in the Mirror” by R.S. Belcher + The Night Dahlia Giveaway!
Posted on April 2, 2018 14 Comments
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!**
Do you ever find yourself drawn to the “irredeemable” protagonist? Have you ever come across an asshole character you just love to hate to love because they are just so complex and intriguing? This was how I felt when I first encounted Laytham Ballard, the star of the Nightwise series and a cynical and narcissistic trash-talking bastard who was capable of doing some truly terrible things. On April 3, 2018, Laytham will make his return in The Night Dahlia, the second installment in this dark and gritty urban fantasy series, and today The BiblioSanctum is pleased to take part in the celebration of the book’s imminent release with a guest post from the author R.S. Belcher himself as he discusses the creative process that went into creating his fascinating protagonist. I hope you enjoy, and if you’re in the US or Canada, don’t forget to enter the giveaway afterwards!
THE BASTARD IN THE MIRROR: WRITING AN IRREDEEMABLE PROTAGONIST AND HIS STAGGER TOWARD REDEMPTION
by R.S. Belcher
There are days where I hate Laytham Ballard, the protagonist of my second novel, Nightwise, and its sequel, my sixth novel, the Night Dahlia, releasing in April from Tor Books. Antiheroes are pretty much a dime-a-dozen in Urban Fantasy, but I wanted Ballard to be different, someone that would stick with my readers and induce a strong reaction. I think I succeeded.
There is no denying that Ballard is part of the “trench coat brigade,” the chain-smoking, foul-mouthed occultist detectives that folks like Alan Moore, Richard Kadrey, and Jim Butcher have been fundamental in creating as an archetype, but I wanted him to stand out from the crowd. I wanted Ballard to not have a heart of gold hidden under the dross of his demeanor. I wanted him to be a selfish, lying, arrogant, egomaniac, capable of sacrificing others to stay alive. Ballard started out wanting to use his legendary magical prowess to be a good guy, but, like many with vast power, he has fallen way past antihero, solidly into the realm of villainy.
It was a pretty big risk for a guy with one novel to my name at the time, to challenge my readers to invest in a bastard as a “hero” and hope they’d give a damn what happened to him. It has polarized my readers. Many dislike Ballard, others find him refreshing from the usual UF fare.
I think Laytham Ballard’s saving grace is that most folks can identify some of themselves in his struggle between doing what’s right and wrong. A reason for that connection is that Ballard is, in some ways, me. Nightwise and the Night Dahlia are the most autobiographical books I’ve written. I wrote them at difficult times in my life and there is a bit of catharsis and sympathetic magic sewn up into them. Readers can smell bullshit—they can feel what’s cut from the cloth of the writer’s life and what’s not and can feel a connection there to their own. It’s my job to tell a made-up story out of pieces of truth.
We’ve all fucked up, maybe not as hugely, or as often, as Ballard. We’ve all regretted what we did or didn’t do, and those who were hurt by us. As the years fall upon us, many get the feeling that it’s too late for redemption, too late to change the story, to fix our mistakes, or ourselves.
That’s the secret to writing Laytham Ballard. In a universe full of secret societies, and monsters and magic, his struggle to “be good”, to “do better”, to “not fuck up again”, is a human struggle, a real struggle, and hopefully, a struggle readers can empathize with.
In the Night Dahlia, you see who Ballard started out as, and how far he’s fallen. I do believe in redemption. There have been times in my life where I held to that belief like a grail. I have fallen many times, but I’ve gotten back up again every time. I think I have gained a little wisdom in that process. I think Lytham Ballard has too. Those days I don’t hate him quite so much, but don’t tell him that.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R.S. (Rod) Belcher is an award-winning newspaper and magazine editor and reporter. Rod has been a private investigator, a DJ, a comic book store owner and has degrees in criminal law, psychology and justice and risk administration, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He’s done Masters work in Forensic Science at The George Washington University, and worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly. He lives in Roanoke Virginia with his children: Jonathan and Emily.
The Night Dahlia Giveaway
We hope this has piqued your interest in The Night Dahlia, and if so, you’re in luck! With thanks to the publisher Tor Books, The BiblioSanctum is pleased to be hosting this giveaway opportunity for one print copy of the book open to residents in the US and Canada. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “THE NIGHT DAHLIA” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Sunday, April 8, 2018 and we’ll take care of the rest.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Audiobook Challenge 2018: 1st Quarter Update
Posted on April 1, 2018 12 Comments
Spring is upon us (though it might not feel like it where I am, brrr!) and with it comes a quarterly update on what I’ve been listening to for the last three months in audiobook format. This time of the year often presents opportunities to enjoy even more audiobooks (not that a reason is ever required) as hours are spent spring cleaning, enjoying the outdoors, and finding ourselves in various other audiobook friendly situations. Here’s a quick look at the first three months of the 2018 Audiobook Challenge:
Challenge Details
- Runs January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018. You can join at anytime.
- The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2018 than you did in 2017.
- Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
- ANY genres count.
- Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
- You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
- If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
Levels
- Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
- Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
- Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
- Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
- Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
- My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
- Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+
My current tally sits at 15 audiobooks completed, which is way better than I thought I would be at this point in the year. This have been very busy this winter though, and I often found myself relying on audiobooks in order to get any kind of reading done. At this rate, I should easily reach my tentative goal of My Precious by the end of the year, and hitting Marathoner is also very likely!
YA Weekend Audio: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Posted on March 31, 2018 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Legacy of Orïsha
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (March 6, 2018)
Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
For me, Children of Blood and Bone is a book that almost lived up to the hype. That said, I wouldn’t say I was too disappointed, since I still enjoyed myself, though I do wish some aspects of the story could have been handled better because otherwise this would have been a near perfect read.
At its heart, the novel focuses on two sets of siblings. Zélie Adebola and her brother Tzain are of the Maji, hailing from an island nation where their people revere the life and ocean around them as well as the magic in their roots. Those who are born with white hair are known as Divîners, gifted with the power to do incredible things. But ever since King Saran of Orïsha outlawed magic and targeted the Maji for death, Zélie has been living a life of bleakness and oppression, facing harsh abuse and insults simply because of her features that mark her as a Divîner. But even though magic has all but disappeared in her world, the fire in Zélie still burns, fueled by the memories of her mother before she died in the king’s brutal genocide.
Divîners are also subjected to outrageous taxes merely for existing, so in order to prevent her family from going into debt and living in servitude for the rest of their lives, Zélie heads into the city to trade, only to find herself caught up in a scuffle at the market. In a twist of fate, she ends up on the run with Amari, the princess of Orïsha herself. The daughter of King Saran, however, is nothing like her father. Caught in the middle of her own escape, Amari teams up with Zélie to avoid capture by Prince Inan, who has been tasked by the king to bring his wayward sister back. Our four young protagonists—Zélie and Tzain, Amari and Inan—soon come together in a desperate gambit to return magic to the world, following the surprising discovery of a mysterious artifact that has the potential to change everything.
Children of Blood and Bone started off well, but the story hit a few rough patches after the introduction and before we reached the climax. I find that a lot of debut authors struggle with pacing, which is why I wasn’t surprised to find some of these issues leaking in once we approached the halfway mark. At this point, I also felt that Tomi Adeyemi became a little too self-indulgent when it came to her characters, and maybe someone should have come in with fresh eyes and an editing pen to trim back some of her more awkward attempts to be dramatic. There are a lot of remarkable and uncommon ideas in this book, so to have some of that uniqueness spoiled by a handful of stupid YA romance tropes was such a shame. It’s frustrating as well because the characters were well on their way to showing exceptional promise, yet the author ultimately felt the need to create artificial conflict in their relationships, and she ended up doing it by turning to the same tired tricks.
Overall, characterization was also great but sometimes it got a little shaky at the personality level. The story is told via multiple POVs and sometimes I would find myself forgetting whose chapters I was following, especially when it came to Zélie and Amari. On the one hand, I feel as though this shouldn’t have been surprising, since the story features two brother-and-sister pairs and hence the occasional moment of confusion is to be expected, but on the other, shouldn’t there be a starker difference between the voice of a Divîner who has spent her whole life subjugated versus that of a princess who grew up surrounding by royal luxury? Sure, both characters have faced individual hardships, but mixing up the two shouldn’t have ever been an issue.
While minor hitches like that ended up slightly dampening my enthusiasm for this novel, on the whole it was still a very good read. The praise is well deserved when it comes to some aspects like the world-building and magic which is genuinely one-of-a-kind and unexpected, but in terms of characters and plot, I didn’t find enough in them to become truly excited. It’s a common trend in YA I’m finding these days, where I’ll love the world and the lore but find myself feeling less enthusiastic for the story and protagonists because I want originality in the relationships and plot developments as well (or maybe I’m just asking too much). Things also dragged in places and generally the book was probably a lot longer than it had to be.
Children of Blood and Bone didn’t quite live up to the hype for me, but by and large I think most YA fans will adore it, so if you are curious about this one, you should try it. I can also understand why a new author might want to use certain popular tropes and play it a little safe with a first novel, but with her talent for world-building and the loveliness of her writing style, I think Tomi Adeyemi will be bringing much more to the YA genre after getting her feet wet with this debut.
Audiobook Comments: This was my first experience with the incredible Bahni Turpin as a narrator, and I thought she was fantastic in her performance. She was also great fit for this book, and by using different accents, voices, and tones she was able to perfectly portray the thoughts and emotions of the characters. I think the audiobook could have been even more immersive with multiple narrators though (one for each character POV), not to mention this would helped with my confusion between some of the Zélie and Amari chapters, but all in all, this was a great listen.
An Interview with RJ Barker, Author of The Wounded Kingdom Trilogy
Posted on March 30, 2018 17 Comments
Just in case you missed all the gushing in my rave reviews of Age of Assassins and Blood of Assassins, you should know that The Wounded Kingdom trilogy is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. The third installment, Blood of Assassins, is due to hit shelves later this year, and I’m looking forward to it so much that I’m already counting down the days to its release. I am so honored and excited today to welcome author RJ Barker to The BiblioSanctum to chat about his books, his writing process, and a whole lot more! Please enjoy our Q&A!
Hi RJ, thank you for the interview, we’re very excited to have you join us today!
Hi BiblioSanctum! I am thrilled to be talking to you. When I first signed with Orbit another writer told me ‘oh doing interviews will get boring really quickly’ but it so hasn’t. I am like an excited puppy every time.
I’m so glad you’re excited too! First, I’d like to congratulate you on the success of The Wounded Kingdom trilogy. I’m loving it so far! Two of the books are out right now, with the third one to be released later this year. To kick us off, can you give us a quick rundown of what the series is about, and who the main characters are?
Yes! The books are, at heart, murder mysteries if you want to speak about pure plot, and each one stands alone in that way in that it tells a total story, you’re not left hanging at the end. The Main Characters are Girton Club-Foot, who is very martially skilled but not particularly worldly, especially when it comes to his peers, and Merela Karn, his master who is his teacher and a parental figure. Although the murder mystery might be the hook that starts you reading, their relationship is why you stay. Or I hope it’s why you would stay, anyway. Then, around them are a host of other characters all with various interlocking relationships that affect Girton, Merela and how the books progress.
Girton and Merela’s relationship is exactly why I’m so addicted to these books. What made you want to write a fantasy series about assassins? And what inspired you to include the mystery aspect?
I have no idea why I ended up writing a mystery about assassins. I can look back and sort of work it out but I really thought I was going to be an SF or Crime writer and then this idea, well, it just appeared. And it was INSISTENT. I wrote the first draft of Age of Assassins in about six weeks because it was just there, in my head and it all made sense. The mystery element I understand bit more cos as well as reading lots of fantasy and Sf when I was young I was brought up on sort of golden age Crime writers like Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham and the big draw in writing Age of Assassins was doing the whole sort of “drawing room” scene were you find out what was really going on. I love scenes like that, every time someone says ‘exposition is bad’ you should be allowed it hit them with a copy of an Agatha Christie. Well, maybe not hit, I’m not into violence. Maybe just give them a light tap on the head and say ‘not always, eh, mon ami?'[1]
Your protagonist, Girton Clubfoot, is one of the most genuine characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I also love his master-apprentice relationship with Merela, who is both a teacher and surrogate mother figure to him. Where do you find the ideas for your characters? Are any of them inspired by yourself or people you know in real life?
Everything is inspired by people I know or myself. When I started Age of Assassins, our little boy was about four and I was just becoming very aware of how important it is to watch how you are and how you treat this tiny forming human. Because we can ruin them without ever meaning to and there’s a lot of the experience of being a parent in AoA books. Also, I’ve always been a person who’s considered a bit odd, not in an unpleasant way or a way that made me unpopular but just in a way that left me aware I didn’t quite fit in, that definitely came in. And I’ve been very ill and that’s quite obviously wrapped up in Girton but, hopefully, the thing I bring most from me, and the people around me, is good people do good things. Though the world is grim, and bad things happen, good people do good things and it’s an important thing. Good people are out there doing good things every day.
Blood of Assassins jumps ahead approximately five years after the end of Age of Assassins, and likewise it appears we will get another gap of many years between books two and three, according to the description of King of Assassins. In fact, the whole trilogy is told from the point of view of an older Girton, recalling the events of his past. How do you handle the challenge of writing about a character at different stages of his life like that?
My plan from the start was to have big gaps between the books. One of my favourite writers is Patrick O’Brian (who wrote the books Master and Commander is based on) and he tends to leave big gaps between books where a lot happens ‘off screen’ so to speak. So there was that.
Anyone who’s seen me read or do a panel will have noticed that I’m quite an easily-distracted person, too, so I needed to make sure I didn’t get bored and these gaps allow me to sort of reinvent everything for every book. But, I also wanted, from the start, to take quite a ‘classic’ fantasy story (in this case the rise of a king) and tell it from a different angle – that of someone more behind-the-scenes, who maybe you would never read about in the history books. So I had in mind the idea of taking three really pivotal moments from this king’s story, and where maybe in a classic fantasy narrative it would be all ‘and then he rode to the rescue in his shiny armour,’ in the wounded kingdom books I get to show all these people behind that who had just as much influence on what happened. But it felt really natural and the best way of doing what I wanted, which was to show people grow and change.
I’ve veered wildly away from your question haven’t I?
TL/DR. I stole from Patrick O’Brian.
Ha, that was awesome! Speaking of which, what were some of the best moments for you when writing this trilogy? And on the flip side, what were some of the most trying and difficult?
Oh, this makes me sound awful and quite irritating but it has all been pretty wonderful. I am so very aware how unlikely and lucky I am to be in this position where, for now, I am making enough from writing to live off and people seem to be enjoying what I am doing. I mean there are moments when I complain on social media but it’s all pretty light-hearted and when it comes down to it there is no way on earth writing is harder than eight hours in a call-centre, or working on a building site, or being trapped in poverty and worrying about where every penny is coming from. So what I am doing – my favourite hobby and getting paid – is kind of amazing, to me, and I wake up aware of that. When your biggest difficulty is that sometimes you’d actually rather be playing on the PS4 than doing edits then it’s not really a difficulty at all.
I understand, and I don’t think it’s awful or irrtating at all, and in fact it’s actually quite wonderful. Now that we’ve talked a little about your books, I also want to talk about you, the author! Can you tell us a RJ Barker Fun Fact, something about yourself that might surprise readers?
I think, maybe people who’ve only seen me at things and know me through that or social media might be surprised to find out that I am actually a really quiet person. I like nothing better than being on my own. I love people, and being around them, but I’d also be a really good hermit too. Apart from the growing a beard but ‘cos I’d be rubbish at growing a beard.
Which authors or books have been your greatest influences?
This will be A LONG LIST. Watership Down by Richard Adams, Iain M Banks’s Culture books, The Chronicles of Morgaine by C.J. Cherryh, Patrick O Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin books. C.J. Sansom’s Shardlake books, Robert Crais, John Connolly and James Lee Burke and Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy. And also the British comic 2000AD was a huge influence, particularly Slaine and Nemesis the Warlock.
Do you have other creative outlets besides writing? What hobbies or pastimes do you enjoy?
I love music. I was a (very bad) musician for a long time before I started writing and I listent o music all the time when I work or in the car or doing whatever I am doing. I’m really drawn to music that isn’t like me so angry and sinister music is my thing, even though I am possibly one of the least angry and sinister people you are ever likely to meet. Reading. Obviously. I love games too, mostly first person role-playing stuff and now I have finished the Wounded Kingdom books I am going back and playing the new Assassin’s Creed game which is great cos I love ancient Egypt and I am enjoying pretending to be a Medjay.
I’ve been itching to play that one myself. I’m glad to hear the new AC’s good. Anyway, the final volume of The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, King of Assassins, is set to come out this summer, and I can’t wait! What’s next for Girton? Is there anything about the book you can share with us at this point, or tease what’s in store?
Well, there’s another big jump, sixteen years this time so we get Girton as an adult which has been nice to do as I wanted to slap him for at least half of Blood of Assassins. Quite a few people have said they wanted more about Merela and I kind of think about Age of Assassins as Girton’s book and King of Assassins as Merela’s.
We’re going to some very dark places.
Oh my goodness, that is seriously giving me chills. I’m also thrilled to hear about Merela, because I love her, LOVE HER. Are there any other projects you are working on currently, or have plans for in the near future, that you’d like to share (either writing or non-writing related)?
I’m working on a new thing that will be ship based. And for the special editions of the Wounded Kingdom books I’ve worked with an artist friend of mine called Tom Parker who is horrendously talented and I’d like to find an excuse for the two of us to work together on something. (He’s recently been doing some early concept sketches for the mounts form the books and they can be found on his Facebook page, Tom Parker Illustration.) I’m also always writing short stories and things and looking out for interesting things to do. I try not to stay no to stuff unless I really can’t fit it in.
It sounds like you’ll be busy! Thank you so much again for stopping by and sharing your time with us, RJ! Wrapping up, where can readers find out more about you and your work?
My twitter is a good place @dedbutdrmng or my Facebook author page is under @thatrjbarker. I’m in the midst of launching a website but I’m not sure if it will be up and running by the time this is up. It’s been lovely talking to you, thank you ever so much for inviting me.
FOOTNOTES:
- It’s like Poirot is IN THE ROOM.
RJ Barker lives in Leeds with his wife, son and a collection of questionable taxidermy, odd art, scary music and more books than they have room for. He grew up reading whatever he could get his hands on, and has always been ‘that one with the book in his pocket’. Having played in a rock band before deciding he was a rubbish musician, RJ returned to his first love, fiction, to find he is rather better at that. As well as his debut epic fantasy novel, Age of Assassins, RJ has written short stories and historical scripts which have been performed across the country. He has the sort of flowing locks any cavalier would be proud of.
Review: ReMade Season 2 created by Matthew Cody
Posted on March 29, 2018 12 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
ReMade Season 2 by Matthew Cody, Gwenda Bond, Andrea Phillips, E.C. Myers, and Amy Rose Capetta
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Series: Book 2 of ReMade
Publisher: Serial Box (March 29, 2018)
Length: 452 pages
Serial Box has published a number of gems since their launch, and to me, the most surprising has been their first foray into the Young Adult genre with ReMade, a futurist sci-fi thriller told in an episodic format similar to Lost. The first season was immensely enjoyable, and so with the second season now available in its entirety, I looked forward to continuing with the saga.
The second season sees our protagonists forging ahead in their new world—one that has seen them all “remade”. At the beginning, there were twenty-three, but since their run-ins with killer robots and other threats, their numbers are now considerably fewer. The group has also split up in the hopes of increasing their chances of survival. One team has decided to venture forth into unknown territory, searching for the human stronghold known as Sanctuary using coordinates found from the ruins of Arcadia, while the other team has opted to remain behind, giving time to those who need to recuperate as well as to maintain a defensible camp.
But then, one of the teams discovers something amazing. Led by Inez, the group comes across Jing Wei, alive and well, even though they all saw her die at the hands of a rampaging caretaker. Somehow, she had been remade again, sending Inez’s suspicions ringing, especially since this second version of Jing-Wei recalls nothing of her time with the group and is also accompanied by a robot of her own. Though Jing-Wei insists Sparky is harmless, the others are not convinced, terrified by his resemblance to the mechanical caretakers who have been slaughtering them. They decide it’s not safe to bring Jing-Wei back into their fold, in case she is on the side of the killer robots. As the search for Sanctuary intensifies and bears fruit, the characters also uncover even more secrets about their mysterious world, and of the artificial intelligence designed to run it—though unfortunately, none of the information they find spells good news.
Season two of ReMade contains fourteen episodes, and the first few were perhaps the most challenging to read. “Patch Job” kicked things off by dropping the bombshell about Jing-Wei, though the pacing immediately turned sluggish afterward as we returned to the flashbacks, killing whatever excitement had been created with the reintroduction of a character once thought dead. I understand that some of these pacing issues can’t be helped on account of the authors choosing to tell this tale via a very difficult format, though nonetheless, I’d expected a little more from an opening episode to a brand new season. Inez, whom I adored from the first season, also became an unbearable tyrant, and it was hard to reconcile the spunky courageous girl I knew with this power-hungry and out-of-control bitch queen who seems to have taken over her personality. Some minor character inconsistencies are to be expected when it comes to multi-author projects, but I was still surprised to see how unbalanced and paranoid Inez has become.
It wasn’t until around “Save Point”, episode four, where things started to pick up. No surprise that this is also the episode where the characters find Sanctuary. The pacing remained measured, however, as the group discovers that the human stronghold is not what it was purported to be. Again, we keep returning to the past in flashbacks, and certain characters have more interesting memories than others. Part of the problem is that we’ve covered some of the more dramatic and important ones back in first season, so the flashbacks in season two feel a lot more random and they don’t always seem to serve their purpose of explaining character motivations or personalities. Fortunately, there were still a few perspectives the authors had left in reserve, and we finally got to see them here, like in the case of Hyrum. Still, I have to wonder what will happen once we go through everyone, especially since the most interesting characters seem to keep dying off.
The highlights for me though were some of the later episodes, like “The Bones of Sanctuary”, “Siege Mentality”, or “Actus Reus”. Not only do we finally get some action, these episodes are the ones that start fleshing out the series, focusing on the group’s interactions and future plans. The tone also becomes more emotional as the characters start to form deeper connections with each other, including new romances and alliances. Previously relationships are also tested when one person betrays the group, and we are left on edge with questions as to how the characters will deal with the traitor. Gradually, the teens are starting to come around to the fact that they are the remnants of humanity, and the decisions they make here will set the course for what’s to come.
Overall, it was another great season, though perhaps not as strong as the first. The opening episodes probably wouldn’t have kept me waiting in anticipation each week, though some of the more exciting ones towards the end of the season might have, and this unevenness in serial novels is why I typically choose to read them once they are complete in a collected edition format. With the way things have unfolded in this second season, I’m looking forward to reading the third.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of ReMade (Season One)
Waiting on Wednesday 03/28/18
Posted on March 28, 2018 21 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
Someone Like Me by M.R. Carey (November 6, 2018 by Orbit Books)
It might seem strange to be looking forward to books in the fall already when it still barely feels like spring, but the months of October and November are some of my of my favorite times of the year when I get to round up some chilling reads to suit the atmosphere. Can it get any more perfect with a new book from M.R. Carey? I think not!
“From the author of the million-copy bestseller The Girl With All the Gifts comes a heart-stopping high-concept thriller with a gripping supernatural twist that you won’t see coming.
SHE LOOKS LIKE ME. SHE SOUNDS LIKE ME. NOW SHE’S TRYING TO TAKE MY PLACE.
Liz Kendall wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s a gentle woman devoted to bringing up her kids in the right way, no matter how hard times get.
But there’s another side to Liz—one which is dark and malicious. A version of her who will do anything to get her way, no matter how extreme or violent.
And when this other side of her takes control, the consequences are devastating.
The only way Liz can save herself and her family is if she can find out where this new alter-ego has come from, and how she can stop it.”
Book Review: Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Posted on March 27, 2018 16 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Streets of Maradaine
Publisher: DAW (March 6, 2018)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Nobody does light frothy fun better than Marshall Ryan Maresca, and his latest series set in Maradaine seems like the perfect avenue to showcase his skill and passion for stories featuring boisterous action and rollicking adventure. Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe is the second installment of The Streets of Maradaine starring the Rynax brothers and their ragtag crew of con artists and thieves, and like its predecessor, it is once again a heist novel.
In the aftermath of the events seen in The Holver Alley Crew, Asti and Verci Rynax finally have proof of what they suspected all along—that the fire that gutted their entire street, robbing them and their neighbors of their homes and livelihoods, was in fact no accident. But to get to the roots of the conspiracy, they’ll need to dig deeper. After uncovering a development project funded by some powerful people, the brothers follow the clues to a Lord Henterman, a rather empty-headed nobleman who likes to throw a lot of parties—hardly the criminal mastermind they’ve envisioned. But then, of course, looks can be deceiving, leading the crew to devise a plan to infiltrate Henterman’s next big soiree to see what he’s all about.
Meanwhile, the gangs of the city are becoming unsettled as a new boss known only as Treggin begins to move in on their territories. He’s quickly amassing a fair number of followers, enough to make Josie, the Rynax brothers’ patron, a little nervous. The constabulary forces have also stepped up their game, sniffing around the neighborhood for the perpetrators of the crew’s last heist, forcing them all to lay low. Asti himself is trying to deal with some personal demons, and the constant struggle to reign in his beast is putting him off his game. Even without all the distractions, their plan to infiltrate the Henterman party is a little more slapdash than usual, and that’s before they discover the truth about the lady of the house, which is when all hell breaks loose.
Indeed, the energy of the story was rather subdued until this point. Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe had a slower start compared to the first one, and it wasn’t until halfway that things began to pick up. As a result, I thought this sequel was a little weaker than the original, and also because the story wasn’t as tightly told. Heist books can be tricky, and the best ones are always those that involve elaborate plans and unexpected plot twists which keep up the level of suspense. Unfortunately, readers have come to expect the Rynax brothers’ plans to become “skunked”, which in turn diminishes any surprise or appreciation for their cleverness that might have been felt. In truth, the characters’ plans felt sloppy in this one, and there was also too much chaos. For instance, the heist on Henterman’s house was proposed by Asti with no distinct goal in mind, and yet the rest of the crew was simply content to go along with his idea to just wing it and see what happens? I just don’t buy it.
The aim of a heist book is also to get the reader to root for the main characters who are essentially the criminals trying to break the law and get away with their nefarious schemes. As such, your crew needs to be likable and they must have a sympathetic cause. While finding out who ruined their lives with the Holver Alley fire is unquestionably a good reason for everything the Rynax brothers are doing, I nonetheless found myself starting to become frustrated and annoyed with them both. Asti is a lot more careless and irresponsible in this sequel, and his dogged determination became more of a nuisance than a strength. And Verci, I just wanted to shake him for going along with Asti’s half-baked plans. Loyalty to your brother is one thing, but Verci’s choices repeatedly put the lives of his wife and young son directly at risk, making you wonder what the hell is going through his mind and why Raych puts up with him when he’s always choosing reckless Asti’s side over her and Corsi. There was really only one character who stepped up in this book, and that was Mila. She came across as more perceptive and competent than both brothers combined, often taking matters into her own hands and bringing the real leadership.
Still, in spite of the book’s weaknesses, I found it entertaining. Even though I didn’t think it was quite as good as the first book, Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe is a solid sequel and readers who enjoyed The Holver Alley Crew will want to continue the series to see how the characters have grown and how their quest has developed. Fans of heist stories should put this series on their list right away.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Holver Alley Crew (Book 1)
Book Review: Dayfall by Michael David Ares
Posted on March 26, 2018 19 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor (March 13, 2018)
Length: 288 pages
Website | Twitter
Dayfall is a novel that takes place in the near future where nuclear winter has plunged much of northeast United States into darkness. In New York City, the isolation and perpetual night has caused crime rates to soar, and residents now face a new threat in the form of a brutal serial killer wreaking havoc across the city. Enter Jon Phillips, a small-town cop from Pennsylvania who idolizes Philip Marlowe of Raymond Chandler fame and has always dreamed of becoming a great detective to solve big cases like his fictional hero. Very soon, he catches his big break. After single-handedly stopping a high-profile serial killer in his own town, Jon attracts the attention of the New York City mayor Rialle King, who recruits him to do what the corrupt Manhattan police force have not been able to do—stop a knife-wielding maniac from committing more murders, a mission that has become even more imperative in the final hours counting down to “Dayfall”, an event which would bring dawn to a city that hasn’t seen natural sunlight in years.
The atmosphere that greets Jon’s arrival is one of tension and dread. Everyone is on edge, not knowing what Dayfall will bring. Already, the fearmongering groups are out in force, warning that the sunlight can bring unexpected reactions and behavior, and that people should prepare for the worst. Jon also realizes there’s more to the situation than Mayor King is letting on, especially with the impending election and her rival the millionaire Gareth Render gunning for her job. Jon is paired up with an experienced but vulgar detective named Frank Halliday, and together they must navigate the tricky web of deceit and corruption to catch the serial killer before all hell breaks loose.
On paper, the premise of Dayfall sounds brilliant, but its execution left something to be desired. First, I also had to get over the hurdle of adjusting to the prose, which felt a little clunky and wooden. The author employs a style that involves a lot of telling-not-showing, and his stark, rapid-fire way of stating what’s on the page makes me think writing might work better in a movie. His characters are also caricature-like (again, something that could possibly work better in a popcorn Hollywood blockbuster rather than a science fiction crime novel) starting with his protagonist who strives to model himself after Philip Marlowe. The blatant attempt to call to mind real world politics with the portrayal of Mayor King and her rival Render also felt cheesy and forced. In fact, the only character I found interesting was Frank Halliday, despite—or perhaps because of—the shocking and crude things to come out of his mouth, due to the fact he would at least serve up a surprise every now and then.
Ironically, the world-building was an area that could have used more detail. The idea of New York City detective trying to hunt a serial killer in darkness was what initially drew me to this tale, but many of the concepts behind this premise were patchy and ill-defined. Far-reaching changes should have had an impact on almost all aspects of life, but we only get a few examples (though to be fair, these often involved some really cool ideas). The reader is left to fill in a lot of the missing information about the history of this world, or simply suspend their disbelief and accept the environmental and social realities of what’s happening in the setting.
Speaking from my own experience, if you can do this, the story should become immensely more enjoyable. The novel’s greatest strength is its plot, which is character-driven and fast-paced. The mystery is intriguing, and Jon and Halliday’s investigation takes as many twists and turns as Manhattan’s flooded streets itself. Some of the later, more action-oriented scenes are almost cinematic and highly riveting in the way they are written, which is where Michael David Ares’ no-nonsense style actually works in his favor.
Ultimately though, this one is a first novel, and it shows in many ways. The general idea behind the story is sound, but the actual content presented seems disjointed and the characterization and world-building aspects are lacking in some of their finer details. That said, my criticisms aside, Dayfall is a quick read and might even prove to be an enjoyable one if you can overlook some of its flaws, so my final rating is three stars for this average debut.
Book Review: The Feed by Nick Clark Windo
Posted on March 25, 2018 14 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: William Morrow (March 13, 2018)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
We’ve all heard the cautionary tales involving social media, about the dangers of being constantly plugged in. Nick Clark Windo’s dark thriller debut takes this idea even further, imagining a future where people are permanently connected via implants so that access to everything is instantaneous as well as continuous. This is “the Feed” that the novel’s title is referring to—a new tech that humans have become so dependent on, and so addicted to, that society can no longer function without it. And so, when the Feed collapses one day, the results are predictably catastrophic. Some of the most basic skills and knowledge are lost to the digital abyss as everyone must now learn how to survive offline and fend for themselves in this Feed-less new world.
For couple Kate and Tom, the adjustment has not been easy. But they have managed to keep going the past few years, living with a group of survivors as they raised their daughter Bea, who was born post-collapse. But then one day, Bea goes missing, snatched away by raiders, and so Kate and Tom must embark on a treacherous journey to bring her back.
It’s said that things have to get bad before they can get better, and likewise, some books make you go through some really rough patches before you can get to the good parts of the story. The Feed was a book like that. For most of the first half, I struggled with nearly everything—the characters, the plot, the world-building. From the moment the story opened, my patience was put to the test. I found both protagonists horribly off-putting. Kate was especially annoying, as a heavy user of the Feed before its collapse. She was an attention monger, self-absorbed and totally oblivious. To be fair, she was probably written this way by design, but in this case the author might have overplayed her personality. Tom, on the other hand, struck me as bland and lacking in any spirit or agency. I didn’t feel like I could connect to either of them at all, which made the first part of this book a difficult slog. I also struggled with the world-building and the exaggerated side effects of the Feed. Humans are biologically hard-wired for curiosity, and I found it hard to believe that almost the entire population would simply surrender themselves to the Feed unquestioningly and let themselves become so helpless.
And then the collapse happened, and subsequently, Bea’s disappearance really turned things around. Not to the point where I suddenly loved the book, mind you, but the story did become immensely more enjoyable once Tom and Kate finally had something to fight for. The second half of The Feed unfolded a lot more like a traditional dystopian novel, following our protagonists as they traversed the post-apocalyptic landscape, encountering violence and suffering. However, there is also a unique element to this world, which comes in the form of a very specialized threat. Even after the collapse, the sinister legacy of the Feed remains as those who possess the biological implants live in fear of being “taken”, a term to describe the process of being hacked and having your consciousness along with your personality and memories wiped clean and replaced. The result is a lot of chaos, mistrust, and panic, along with an “us vs. them” mentality among the survivors. While The Feed is not a zombie story, you can see how the overall tone and some of its themes can sometimes make it feel like one.
There is also a monumental twist near the end that changed nearly everything, and I’m still not entirely sure what to make of it simply because it was so out of left field. Did it make this book more interesting? Yes. But in terms of whether it made the story more coherent or feasible, probably not. That said, I’m impressed with how Windo handled the challenges that came about because of this surprising development. Everything could have fallen apart, but ultimately he was able to keep the threads of the story together and saw things through to the end.
I won’t lie, there were a lot of issues with this novel, particularly with the pacing and balance of the story’s numerous concepts. Still, there were plenty of fascinating ideas in here that I appreciated for their originality, especially once I got past the initial hurdles. There’s an almost sputtering, sporadic feel to the plot; in some ways, it’s like an engine that needs to be primed several times before it catches, but once it starts running, the ride smooths out and becomes a lot more enjoyable. The journey was certainly not boring, and that’s probably the best thing I can say about a novel in a saturated market like the dystopian genre.
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