YA Weekend Audio: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
Posted on January 28, 2018 32 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 Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Anthology
Series: Grishaverse
Publisher: Audible Studios (September 26, 2017)
Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Leigh Bardugo’s The Language of Thorns collects six short stories set in the “Grishaverse”, the world in which her novels like Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows take place. However, these tales are for the most part unrelated to either of those series—a point in this anthology’s favor, in my opinion—and therefore can be enjoyed on their own. It would be more accurate to think of these as fairy tale retellings, each self-contained and often involving their own message and lessons. Personally, I find this format more appealing, as I tend not to get as much out of “side stories” that are tied to (and hence feel “tacked on” to) existing characters and events from a main series.
Filled with dark undertones, many of these stories also call back to familiar classic fairy tales—but with a twist. An in-depth analysis and more of my thoughts on each story can be found below:
Ayama and the Thorn Wood
The king and queen of a small kingdom have two sons. The older one is handsome and well-loved, while the younger one was born monstrous and was hence locked away in a labyrinth beneath the castle soon after his birth. However, the beastly prince managed to escape, and is now terrorizing the village. Desperate, the king offers a large reward to anyone who can stop his monstrous son, and the call is answered by young girl named Ayama, whose family neglects her and treats her more like a servant than a daughter. With shades of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and even 1001 Nights, this opening tale is a good example of the kind of stories you’ll find in this collection—magical, subversive, and adheres closely to the classic fairy tale three-part structure. I was immediately transported to another place and another time, my head filled with evocative images of children sitting rapt and cross-legged by the fireside as they listened to their elders tell them stories. There’s a good takeaway from this one too, a reminder that even the most unassuming lives have value and volumes to them.
The Too-Clever Fox
Even from birth, Koja the fox was showing everyone why he was the cleverest animal in all the forest, convincing his mother not to devour him, the scrawniest and scraggliest runt of the litter. Using his quick wit and silver tongue, he somehow always manages to squirm his way out of certain death. However, one day a hunter arrives at the forest, ruthlessly picking off all the woodland animals. Undeterred, Koja decides to pit his wits against the human, confident that he can help end the slaughter. A cautionary tale against hubris, this story is another twist on a popular archetype often found in fairy tales, that of the quintessential trickster. Koja, however, will find that plot twists are none too kind to clever foxes.
The Witch of Duva
The protagonist of this story is a woodcutter’s daughter named Nadya who comes from an area where young girls from the surrounding villages frequently go missing. When her mother dies, her father is quick to remarry Karina, a spiteful woman whom Nadya secretly suspects might be a witch. This one might be the darkest tale in the collection, which possibly explains why I liked it so much. Again, there are plenty of subversions and twists, and some truly disturbing themes and imagery found here too, even if they are portrayed rather subtly.
Little Knife
This is another story that follows the traditional structure of a classic fairy tale, featuring a greedy duke whose daughter Yeva is so beautiful that the very sight of her instantly causes one to become smitten. When it became time for Yeva to be married, her father decides to hold a competition so that the best man may win her hand. This is a good story for anyone who has ever wondered at the illogical choices made by the typical fairy tale princess character, or why they have to put up with all the crap. The ending to this one is Leigh Bardugo’s brilliant answer to those questions, and it’s just priceless.
The Soldier Prince
The Nutcracker gets a nice retelling in this story, but with elements from the Grishaverse to spice things up. Thematically, it reminded me very much of science fiction narratives about artificial intelligence, with messages about moral and philosophical issues that make us question what makes us human or gives us free choice. Bardugo does not manage to go quite as deep as that, however, though not for the lack of trying. Quite honestly, I felt this one of the more lackluster tales, at least when compared to the stronger offerings that came before.
When Water Sang Fire
Fans of The Little Mermaid will probably enjoy this one, since it draws heavily from that story and offers a different perspective on its villain. It follows a sildroher named Ulla, an outcast among her people on account of rumors that she is half human. Still, she is a talented singer, and together with her friend Signy, the two girls can give rise to wondrous creations through the mere power of their voices. Out of all the stories, When Water Sang Fire is probably the most complex (and it might also be the longest), which is ironic because it did little for me intellectually or emotionally. Personally, I preferred the earlier stories in this collection which held all the charm and magic of traditional fairy tales, whereas this one struck me as rather contrived and a little too “fanservice”. A shame that it ended up being one of my least favorite stories, for I would have preferred ending this otherwise excellent anthology on a higher note.
Still, as far as short story collections go, The Language of Thorns is very good one. I don’t often find myself recommending anthologies, but I will in this case, since I think this book would appeal to a wide range of readers, especially those who love fairy tale-inspired fiction and imaginative retellings. Perfect for both fans of the author’s Grishverse and newcomers alike.
Audiobook Comments: Having listened to all the books in the Grisha trilogy as well as the Six of Crows series in audio format, I am no stranger to the incredibly talented Lauren Fortgang. She’s capable of doing a huge range of voices and accents, and listening to her narrate this book genuinely felt like I was listening to a master storyteller tell creepy fairy tales around a campfire. I would definitely recommend The Language of Thorns in audio, with the only caveat being that actual book contains some art and illustrations, so I would opt for the print edition if you don’t want to miss out on those.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on January 27, 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.
Received for Review
Thank you 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!
And away we go! Kicking us off are a couple of highly anticipated new arrivals from the amazing folks at Orbit: Olympus Bound by Jordanna Max Brodsky is the third and final book of the Greek mythology-inspired Olympus Bound trilogy, and I can’t wait to find out how things end. I’m also very excited for Blood of Assassins by R.J. Barker, the sequel to Age of Assassins which I read last year and completely adored.
Also thanks to Saga Press and the team at Wunderkind PR for this ARC of Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel, which sounds absolutely amazing. Gothic horror meets Regency romance in this novel described as a fusion of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein.
Thanks also to Gallery Books for sending me a copy of Apart in the Dark by Ania Ahlborn, an omnibus that collects the author’s horror novellas The Pretty Ones and I Call Upon Thee. I’m not a big reader of novellas, but I enjoyed Ahlborn’s The Devil Crept In so much last year that I’ll read anything of hers that I can get my hands on! So far I’m done the first story and about halfway through the second, and I’m enjoying myself (and thoroughly creeped out too).
Courtesy of St. Martin’s Press, I also received an ARC of Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope, an epic fantasy of magic and romance. By the way, if the cover looks a tad familiar, that’s because this book was a contestant in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off a couple years ago. More SPFBO books are finding their way to traditional publishers, I love it.
Next up is a surprise arrival, with thanks to Subterranean Press for sending me an ARC of Rough Justice by Kelley Armstrong. Seeing something new from the author always puts a smile on my face. I wish I knew more about the book, but at this time all I know is that it’s inspired by Welsh lore and Mallt-y-Nos, the lone woman who rides with the Wild Hunt. I feel all tingly just thinking about it.
And finally, a trio of finished copies from Tor! Child of a Mad God by R.A. Salvatore is the start of a brand new epic fantasy series called The Coven. The Midnight Front by David Mack is an alternate history which blends magic and sorcerers with the events of World War II. And Shroud of Eternity by Terry Goodkind is the second book of the author’s new series following the formidable Nikki, known as “Death’s Mistress”. I read and enjoyed the first book last year, so I’m hoping I can find time this winter to read the sequel.
On to the digital pile! From Edelweiss, I grabbed Feeder by Patrick Weekes, who is of course the author of the fantastically fun Rogues of the Republic series. With thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for the chance to try more of his work. Earlier this week, I also spied Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach, a horror-thriller about a young boy who goes missing, and the brother who won’t stop looking for him. Looks like this book won’t be published until the summer, but nonetheless I would like to thank Doubleday Books for the early galley. From NetGalley, I also requested Obscura by Joe Hart after finding out about this sci-fi mystery-thriller from Tammy at Books, Bones and Buffy. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer for approving me so quickly!
Speaking of books I find out from other bloggers, I also added Art of War edited by Petros Triantafyllou to Goodreads after I saw it featured by Bob at Beauty in Ruins. Not even an hour later, I was contacted through the site by someone close to the project, who offered me a review copy. If you’re unfamiliar with this short story collection, I urge you to check it out. Produced by the people at Booknest.eu, this is a charity anthology which each author voluntarily signed up for, and all proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders.
I also picked up a pretty big audiobook haul this week. First, with thanks to Audible Studios for an audio review copy of The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. I finally caved and decided to check this one out, and I’m glad I did! I typically tend to stay away from the random short fiction based on an author’s existing series or established characters (in this case, the Grishaverse), but this collection was nothing like I expected and I actually ended up enjoy it a lot.
From Penguin Random House Audio, I received The Gone World by Thomas Sweterlitsch, a sci-fi mystery involving time travel. I read one of the author’s cyberpunk titles a couple years ago and thought it was pretty cool, so I’m curious to see what this one will be like. From the publisher’s Listening Library list, I also received audio review copies of a couple of my highly anticipated YA novels: Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce is the start of a new series called The Numair Chronicles and I’m hoping to start listening to it soon. It’ll also be my first book by the author! About time, right? And last but not least, rounding up this book haul is Sightwitch by Susan Denard. This series and I have had our ups and downs, but for some reason, I just can’t seem to quit it! This book is actually a prequel novella, taking place about a year before Truthwitch. I would have preferred a sequel but, hey, I’ll take it.
Reviews
A quick summary of reviews I’ve posted since the last update:
The Defiant by Lesley Livingston (5 of 5 stars)
The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman (4 of 5 stars)
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor (4 of 5 stars)
Mass Effect: Annihilation by N.K. Jemisin and Mac Walters (4 of 5 stars)
The Sky Is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith (3.5 of 5 stars)
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Supernaturals by David L. Golemon (3 of 5 stars)
Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk (2 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve “unstacked” from the TBR since my last roundup post. I’ve reviewed a few of these already, and the rest will be coming soon.
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!
Friday Face-Off: Grass
Posted on January 26, 2018 31 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:
“The grass is always greener on the other side of personal extinction”
~ a cover featuring GRASS
Mogsy’s Pick:
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
This was a book that annoyed me to no end, but interestingly enough I ended up enjoying the trilogy as a whole. The story follows disillusioned protagonist Quentin Coldwater, a high school student who never really grew out of his love for a series of novels he read as a kid about the adventures of five siblings in a magical land called Fillory. Compared to that, the real world couldn’t help but disappoint.
So imagine his excitement when he discovered that magic was real. And not only was it real, Quentin himself was identified as a promising young magician and invited to highly secret and exclusive school called the Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy in upstate New York.
Here are some of the more interesting covers or the ones that fit this week’s theme:
From left to right, top to bottom:
Viking (2009) – Arrow (2009) – Plume (2015)
Polish (2010) – Dutch (2010) – Italian (2010)
Italian (2017) – Portuguese (2010) – Portuguese (2011)
Swedish (2011) – Bulgarian (2010) – Hungarian (2015)
Winner:
There are some really pretty covers going up against each other this week. My top three are probably the Arrow edition and the Hungarian edition, with the Portuguese edition (the 2010 version) coming in first place. What can I say, I just love shades of blue.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: The Lost Plot by by Genevieve Cogman
Posted on January 25, 2018 32 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 Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 4 of The Invisible Library
Publisher: Ace (January 9, 2018)
Length: 367 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Now that the Invisible Library series has become firmly established, the storylines are just getting better and better. Thematically, The Lost Plot is more mysterious and adventurous, drawing heavily from Dragon vs. Fae politics, and there are also strong attempts to involve as many world-building elements as possible. That said though, I do feel this installment takes a step away from series arc that has been developing for the last three books; the plot of this one is a lot more “standalone” than the others, which might make it a good jumping on point for new readers, but of course I would still highly recommend starting from the beginning if you can.
The Lost Plot once again follows protagonist Irene Winters, an agent of the secret organization known as the Invisible Library whose members are tasked with traveling to alternate worlds to procure rare books (and yes, sometimes that means stealing them). When the book begins, Irene is offered a business proposal by a mysterious stranger. The would-be client, clearly a dragon, wishes to pay handsomely for her services to obtain a rare copy of Journey to the West, one of Chinese literature’s greatest classics. However, because of the Invisible Library’s official mandate to remain neutral in matters regarding the Dragons and the Fae, Irene’s first instinct is to decline.
Only, it turns out that not all Librarians are as responsible as she is when it comes to playing by the rules. From her contact, Irene finds out that one of her colleagues had accepted a similar deal to find the book from another dragon, and if this information were to get out, it could cause some serious conflict with the Fae and possibly spark an all-out war. Unable to walk away now, Irene turns to her apprentice Kai for help, and together they travel to an alternate world reminiscent of 1920’s New York to seek out the Librarian who has put all their futures in jeopardy.
The Lost Plot might be them most entertaining book of the series so far. It’s nice to see the story taking full advantage of its premise, making use of the interdimensional library aspect to transport readers to strange new worlds—or, in this case, exploring interesting historical periods. Anything is possible in this series, and this time, Irene and Kai’s adventures take them to a time of fedoras, Prohibition, and tommy gun-toting gangsters. The Roaring Twenties are one of the most iconic decades in American history, and you’ll find all its hallmarks in this novel, from the instantly recognizable fashion styles to the clandestine speakeasies and all that jazz. As if attempting to extract the Library from the middle of a long-standing Dragon vs. Faerie rivalry weren’t enough, our characters also find themselves having to deal with interfering police chiefs and greedy mob bosses who are all trying to get a slice of the action. From beginning to end, this book was non-stop and fast-paced fun.
I also liked how this novel featured a dragon-centric storyline, which of course raises some important questions about Kai’s role in the Library. The ending with the courtroom-like setting and suspense was almost more than I could bear. However, as someone who has followed this series since the beginning, I noticed too that the focus has shifted slightly away from the conflicts of the previous novels, with the scope widening to encompass the Invisible Library’s role and exploring its significance in this world. This was something I’d wanted for a long time, so I was quite happy to see The Lost Plot go down this path. That said, there are some trade-offs. Here you will find little development in the areas regarding Alberich or the mystery behind Irene’s parentage, for example, and for those answers, I suppose we’ll have to wait for a future sequel. Vale fans should also be forewarned that he does not feature much in this novel, a point to which I will admit to a twinge of disappointment myself, since I’ve grown to like his character a lot. But oh well, you win some, you lose some.
All in all, The Lost Plot was another exciting and satisfying sequel which reminds me once again why I’m glad to be reading this series. There’s a reason why I keep coming back for more. If you’ve been enjoying the mysteries of the Invisible Library and the interdimensional adventures of its agents thus far, then you’ll want to pick this one up too.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Invisible Library (Book 1)
Review of The Masked City (Book 2)
Review of The Burning Page (Book 3)
Waiting on Wednesday 01/24/18
Posted on January 24, 2018 17 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
LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff (May 29, 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Any new book by Jay Kristoff is cause to celebrate – looks like he’s been hard at work!
“Seventeen-year-old Eve isn’t looking for trouble–she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she spent months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, she’s on the local gangster’s wanted list, and the only thing keeping her grandpa alive is the money she just lost to the bookies. Worst of all, she’s discovered she can somehow destroy machines with the power of her mind, and a bunch of puritanical fanatics are building a coffin her size because of it.
If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it. The problem is, Eve has had a worse day–one that lingers in her nightmares and the cybernetic implant where her memories used to be. Her discovery of a handsome android named Ezekiel–called a “Lifelike” because they resemble humans–will bring her world crashing down and make her question whether her entire life is a lie.
With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic sidekick Cricket in tow, Eve will trek across deserts of glass, battle unkillable bots, and infiltrate towering megacities to save the ones she loves… and learn the truth about the bloody secrets of her past.”
Book Review: The Sky Is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith
Posted on January 23, 2018 18 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Sky Is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Hogarth (January 23, 2018)
Length: 464 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
It’s rare that I find myself at a loss for words about a book, and while I’m sure I can come up with any number of adjectives to describe Chandler Klang Smith’s The Sky Is Yours, I doubt even that would be sufficient to give the full picture of the novel. This is just one of those once-in-a-lifetime books with a story that is much bigger than the sum of its parts, and can’t be easily summarized or placed neatly into any one category. Here’s to giving it my best shot, though!
Imagine a city, at once high-tech and futuristic, but also burned-out and falling apart. This is Empire Island, where our story takes place. High above in the skies, a pair of dragons continually rain down fire upon the buildings and citizens, creating mass havoc. This has been going on for so many years that they have become a become a fixture on the landscape; those who could not bear the constant threat of destruction have long since fled the city, while those who chose to remain have learned to live with the new reality.
As such, Empire Island has become a place of dichotomies. Within its crumbling underbelly there lives a thriving world of danger and violence, where the gangs are effectively in control. Meanwhile, the rich and the famous live in decadence and luxury, safely shielded from the chaos and poverty in their own backyard. One of our main protagonists, Duncan Humphrey Ripple V, is a young man who belongs to this wealthy upper class. As the scion of one of the city’s oldest and most powerful families, he is also the star of a reality TV show called Late Capitalism’s Royalty, and just like the monarchies of old, his parents have decided that it is time for their pampered and foppish teenage son to be married. A betrothal is thus arranged between Ripple and the Baroness Swan Lenore Dahlberg—AKA Swanny—whose mother will stop at nothing to see her daughter become ruler of all of Empire Island.
But before he can formerly meet Swanny, Ripple ends up crashing his hover car into a landfill, where he meets a young feral woman who has been living among the trash. Her name is Abracadabra—Abby for short—and she has been waiting her whole life for her prince to drop from the skies. Ripple becomes quite taken with Abby too, and when he is eventually rescued by his family, he decides to bring her along.
More than this, I dare not say for fear of revealing anything else; The Sky Is Yours is one of those books where it’s best to go in with a blank slate, the better to be surprised by all its wonders and oddities. The imagination and creativity displayed here is off the charts. It’s almost overwhelming at first; at times it felt like I was thrown into a hyper-imaginative child’s dreams without a tether, with the amount of new sights and sounds you have to take in, but the world is so amazing that you can’t help but give it your full attention. The writing also made it easy to immerse myself; Chandler Klang Smith’s prose is incredibly polished and well put together considering this is her debut, and the story’s wry, humorous tones succeeded in drawing me deeper into the plot.
This book is also populated with a number of fascinating characters. Ripple is a spoiled, self-absorbed, and impudent brat with a terrible case of “affluenza”, and yet I enjoyed reading from his perspective despite his many flaws. I watched with a perverse satisfaction as he lost everything and had to bumble his way through life in a series of events that were packed with both tragedy and hilarity. Then there’s Swanny, who is a study in contrasts. Intelligent, proper, and well-read, she’s nevertheless capable of the most outrageous thoughts and acts. Swanny’s anger is something to behold, though her character does mellow out somewhat once she discovers that a bizarre condition she suffers from will end her life prematurely. And finally, we have Abby, a girl who has been living wild in junkyard, scavenging for her survival. Before Ripple crash-landed on her doorstep, Abby believed all people to be evil half-machines—clearly, she has been alone for a long time with only her pet vulture for a companion—and her naivete can be as irritating as it is endearing.
Needless to say, this book will not be for everyone. Its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness, with the sheer weight of its creativity and uniqueness threatening to overwhelm or sidetrack the reader. Sometimes I felt like I was reading an epic fantasy complete with noble houses, dragons, and a sprawling quest line involving an orphan’s search for her true parents; at other times it felt like I was lost in a futuristic sci-fi dystopian not unlike Blade Runner, and the dissonance caused by this might prove jarring for some. Though I enjoyed the first and last sections of the novel immensely, I also felt the middle part of the story faltered by focusing on too many threads and meandering a little off-track. And finally, some readers might find the characters too off-putting. Ripple, Swanny, and Abby are all products of their environment and upbringing, and their flaws are the results of their individual circumstances. However, because they are also a part of this strange and unfamiliar world, some of their more eccentric or extreme personality traits can make them difficult to connect with.
If you’re seeking something fresh and completely out of this world though, look no further because The Sky Is Yours is the book you’ve been waiting for. I really enjoyed it for the most part, despite some of the plot’s more confounding and meandering moments, but readers with an interest in genre mash-ups and exploring strange new worlds should find Chandler Klang Smith’s debut irresistible and satisfying.
Book Review: Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
Posted on January 22, 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.
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Series: Book 1 of The Books of Babel
Publisher: Orbit (January 16, 2018)
Length: 448 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The BiblioSanctum was part of the SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) the year Senlin Ascends made a huge splash despite not making it to the final round—proof that the “word-of-mouth phenomenon” is not to be underestimated—so as you can imagine, trying not to let the hype color my opinion of this book was nearly impossible. Had I gone in blind, my experience might have been different, but clearly that ship has sailed now, and nothing could have changed the fact that my expectations were through the roof when I picked this up. Perhaps that would explain why I was not as taken with it as I thought I would be.
Don’t get me wrong, though; this was a great book and I enjoyed it. But I did not fall head over heels in love the way I wanted to. The story follows Thomas Senlin, the unassuming headmaster of a small schoolhouse in a rural fishing village. Everyone was surprised when he marries the vivacious Marya, whose unpredictable nature seemed a poor match for his stuffiness and formality. Still, the two of them were in love, and for their honeymoon, Senlin arranges for them to visit the Tower of Babel, which is the greatest wonder in the world. Ancient and immense, the structure is made up of an untold number of Ringdoms layered on top of the other, each one containing a city with its own unique characteristics and cultures. Tourists from everywhere flock to the Tower to experience its marvelous sights and sounds, and Senlin hopes to impress his new bride with all the information he has learned from the guidebook he possesses.
Unfortunately, the newlyweds are separated in the hectic crowds almost as soon as they arrive at their destination. Desperate to find Marya, Senlin realizes that the Tower of Babel isn’t exactly all it’s hailed to be. Beneath its wondrous façade lies the ugly truth, that far from orderly, the Ringdoms are worlds of danger and chaos. It turns out that his wife is not the first to become lost in their depths, but Senlin is determined to find her, and to do that he must enter the Tower and discover its secrets.
For the most part, this book was very enjoyable and kept my attention. Josiah Bancroft’s writing is wonderful, far beyond what I would have expected from a novel that was originally self-published. There’s also an art and elegance to his prose, as well as a quality to his story construction that is self-evident. After all, creative presentation can go a long way. Detailed descriptions also helped bolster the world-building, and one of the reasons why I was so captivated early in the novel was due to the sheer amount of imagination displayed in the portrayal of the different Ringdoms. My absolute favorite was the Parlour; as one of the earlier levels we got to experience through Senlin’s bewildered eyes, this strange and unsettling place helped set the tone of the rest of the story.
Speaking of Senlin, he’s an interesting study. Not exactly a classic hero nor the warmest of protagonists, there’s an air of aloofness about him that effectively also keeps the reader at arm’s length. Thus, it surprised me a bit to realize halfway through the book how deeply I cared about his character. This connection only grew stronger as I watched Senlin become shaped by the things he witnessed in the Tower, the way he was forced to evolve or rethink his worldview after each pivotal encounter. Despite his stiff uppity attitude, there’s no denying his love for Marya (even if he does pride himself too much on his self-control to really show it at the beginning), and his determination to find her is enough to pull on anyone’s heartstrings.
For me, the first signs of trouble appeared around the three-quarters mark. Before this, I was happily devouring the story, delighting in every moment. Somewhere in the middle of Part III though, the plot began to lose its hold on me and I felt my focus waver. I don’t know what happened exactly, but I felt myself gradually becoming less interested in the events unfolding on the page. It’s possible that the novelty was starting to wear off at this point, or perhaps I’d suddenly hit my limit of weirdness that I was willing to put up with in one book—whatever the case, these later chapters of Senlin’s journey were just not enough to keep my attention. Admittedly, I did feel that the last hundred pages of the novel meandered too much, with Senlin losing sight of his main goal. And when the action finally came, it struck me as too-little-too-late, not to mention the tone of it didn’t exactly feel in sync with everything that came before. It’s just a shame because I think a book like this deserves a much stronger ending, one that enhances the story’s themes instead of distracting from them.
However, keep in mine how much I’d hyped myself up for this book, and perhaps my expectations were too high—which is something I understand is all on me. At the end of the day, I still enjoyed Senlin Ascends, just not to the point where I’d call it a personal favorite, but I can also see why so many readers praise it so highly. There’s certainly a lot to love here, and no question about it, I’ll be reading the sequel.
Audiobook Review: The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
Posted on January 21, 2018 36 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 (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House Audio (January 9, 2018)
Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Euan Morton
I’m trying to add more mysteries and thrillers to my reading repertoire this year, so earlier this month when an opportunity to review The Chalk Man audiobook landed into my lap, I decided to take it. After all, you can hardly expect me to say no to a book that has been compared to the works of Stephen King and Stranger Things.
Described as a tale of psychological suspense and a murder mystery, this book is told through the eyes of protagonist Eddie Adams in a narrative divided between two timelines. In the summer of 1986, Eddie is a 12-year-old boy doing what all 12-year-olds do when school’s out and the weather’s nice: he and his friends Hoppo, Metal Mickey, Fat Gav, and Nicky spend their days playing in the park, riding their bikes, and exploring the woods around their quiet English village of Anderbury. Then Fat Gav receives a bucket of chalk for his birthday, which inspires the five of them to invent a way of communicating amongst themselves by using coded chalk drawings. Soon, all of them are using this system to leave each other secret messages—until one day, someone else uses their code to lead them to a grisly discovery.
Fast forward to 2016, and Eddie is a middle-aged man recalling the day thirty years ago when those unexplained chalk drawings pointed him and his friends to a dismembered body in the woods. He had thought the past was behind him, but then he receives a letter in the mail with a single stick figure drawn in chalk. The mystery deepens when he finds out that his friends also got the same message, reminding them all of what happened that summer. The whole town had thought the murder was solved, the killer identified, and the case put to rest—but the little chalk man suggests otherwise. Then one of Eddie’s friends, who claims to know who the real killer was, ends up dead. It seems the past will continue to haunt them all, unless Eddie can uncover the truth of what happened all those years ago.
This book had me engrossed from beginning to end. Like all debuts it had its flaws, but nevertheless, it’s hard to believe this was the author’s first novel, since she seemed to have such a firm grasp on all the touchstones of the genre. Atmosphere was something Tudor managed exceedingly well, creating a story filled with tension and suspense. The 1986 chapters painted a very authentic picture of the time period and of life in a small insular village where everyone knows each other’s business. As such, there were plenty of opportunities for side plots involving the townsfolk, as well as other elements all going on at the same time, and these were all blended perfectly together to add drama and intrigue to the main storyline. This kept the overall mystery unpredictable with carefully constructed false leads and surprising twists, resulting in a very entertaining experience.
This book was also a very detailed study on the character of Eddie Adams. We get to know him fairly well, seeing the events through his point of view as a child on the verge of adolescence, and then as a grown man. However, there’s a touch of the “unreliable narrator” about him too, especially when it becomes clear early on that Eddie is himself a bit of an oddity. Like many of the townspeople, our protagonist has plenty of his own secrets, and really, what 12-year-old boy is a paragon of honesty? As an adult, Eddie is more even-tempered and mature, though there’s no doubt that the events of that summer have affected him deeply, and we also get the sense of a man full of regret. Throughout the novel, there’s a recurring theme of inaction leading to misery, as well as unintentional acts leading to harm or misfortune, which might explain why the 42-year-old Eddie is so driven to find the truth, possibly because he feels the need to make up for past mistakes.
Engaging and intense, The Chalk Man is a book that will have you constantly wondering who, what, how, and why. Non-linear narratives can be tricky, but C.J. Tudor uses the alternating timelines to great effect, timing the twists and revelations perfectly to induce horror and suspense, creating an atmosphere of unease that is always creeping at the edge of your consciousness. Her debut is a psychological thriller worthy of the genre, well written with slow teases and cleverly dropped clues that gradually build up to a chilling finale. Highly recommended.
Audiobook Comments: Euan Morton was a great narrator, who pulled me into the story straight away. Between his reading and the author’s writing, this was an audiobook I couldn’t stop listening to and I finished it in two days.
YA Weekend Audio: The Defiant by Lesley Livingston
Posted on January 20, 2018 25 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Defiant by Lesley Livingston
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 2 of The Valiant
Publisher: Listening Library (February 13, 2018)
Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Fiona Hardingham
I adored the first book—finally, a Young Adult novel I was really hyped up for that didn’t disappoint me—but this sequel was even better. I think it’s safe to say if you enjoyed The Valiant, then The Defiant will continue to impress.
Warning: possible spoilers for the first book if you haven’t read it yet! Our series protagonist, Fallon, has gone from Celtic princess to captured slave to Rome’s most beloved gladiatrix, but now she’s about to learn that fame comes with a price. Following the events of The Valiant, Fallon is looking forward to spending some time with her sister Sorcha, with whom she was recently reunited. Their gladiator academy is also flourishing, having gained the favor of Caesar as well as the Egyptian queen Cleopatra.
But those Fallon has wronged have not forgotten nor forgiven the way she humiliated them. Bent on revenge, a rival school is about to threaten everything Fallon fought so hard to gain, including the autonomy she has won for herself and her fellow gladiatrices. Then there’s Cai, the Roman soldier she fell in love with, who is pulled into the conflict as Fallon and her friends are forced to make a desperate escape from their home in the middle of the night. With Sorcha missing and everyone fearing the worst, Fallon’s only hope now lies in locating a lost tribe of warrior women said to be descended from the mythical Amazons.
The Defiant was an addictive read. Lesley Livingston once again shows her talent for engaging storytelling as she brings this series to a whole new level, delivering fast-paced action and nonstop entertainment. Old foes return and new alliances are forged in this sequel, which also focuses on exploring the relationships between characters we’ve come to know and love. In addition, the story addresses some of the questions we were left with at the end of The Valiant: what exactly was the dark ritual Fallon witnessed, and how deep does the corruption go?
I loved what this book did for the main protagonist, showing us once more what a talented leader and fighter she is. Fallon also comes across as genuinely capable and motivated, and she has this no-nonsense approach that I find really refreshing. This attitude extended to the romance between her and Cai, which had the appropriate amount of tension without going overboard with the melodrama. It certainly didn’t distract from the main storyline, which the author has packed with plenty of action and intrigue.
The Defiant also brings interesting new developments to the overall series, and compared to the first book, this sequel does feel quite a bit meatier in terms of substance. It’s as if all the elements that worked in The Valiant were honed, polished, and made even better. There were also improvements aplenty, from more detailed world-building and character development to cleaner prose and writing. Livingston has been working hard at her craft, and it shows.
As a reader, it’s always a joy to find a sequel which surpasses its predecessor, especially when I already love the first book so much. It’s rare enough, especially in YA fiction, that I didn’t dare get my hopes up, approaching The Defiant with realistic expectations, not knowing that the book would ultimately exceed all of them. With luck, the trend will continue into the third installment, which I’m already looking forward to with much excitement.
Audiobook Comments: I just had to go with the audio edition for this one, considering the amazing time I had with the audiobook of The Valiant. Fiona Hardingham returns for the narration, and she was once again brilliant in her role as Fallon. Her wonderful accents, intonations, and impeccable sense of timing are all reasons why she’s one of my favorite narrators, and why I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this series in audio.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Valiant (Book 1)
Friday Face-Off: Letters & Words
Posted on January 19, 2018 23 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“You know your A, B, Cs”
~ a cover featuring only LETTERS & WORDS
Mogsy’s Pick:
World War Z by Max Brooks
It feels apt to choose an epistolary novel for the theme this week, and I’ve gone with a fun one. World War Z is a apocalyptic horror novel featuring a collection of individual accounts chronicling the global devastation following a zombie plague.
Let’s take a look at some of the covers:
First row, from left to right: Crown (2006) – Broadway Books (2013) – Duckworth (2011) – Thorndike Press (2006)
Second row, from left to right: Finnish Edition (2011) – French Edition (2010) – Italian Edition (2013) – Portuguese Edition (2010)
Third row, from left to right: German Edition (2010) – Polish Edition (2008) – Norwegian Edition (2012) – Romanian Edition (2012)
Fourth row, from left to right: Persian Edition (2006) – Spanish Edition (2008) – Thai Edition (2012) – Bulgarian Edition (2012)
Winner:
I’m not exactly the biggest fan of text-only covers, so I was glad to find plenty of graphical ones to choose from as well. These ranged from the atmospheric (Romanian Edition) and chaotic (Bulgarian Edition) to the creepy (Finnish Edition) to the downright insane (Thai Edition). In terms of overall aesthetics and art style preference, however, I’m going to have to go with the Portuguese Edition as my winner. It’s just so “classically zombie”.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
The BiblioSanctum 