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?
Book Review: The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler
Posted on January 18, 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.
The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 5 of The Shadow Campaigns
Publisher: Ace (January 9, 2018)
Length: 480 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Often it is said that the final book that can either make or break a series, but I’m thrilled to report that The Infernal Battalion is a finale that exceeded my expectations, bringing about a stunning conclusion to The Shadow Campaigns.
As this is a review for the fifth and final installment of the series, the usual caveats apply: beware of possible spoilers for the previous books, if you are not already caught up. A great deal has happened to bring us to this point, including the escape of the Beast—the demon of all demons, and a force of unspeakable evil—from its ancient prison beneath Elysium. Its influence spreads the way it feeds, absorbing the minds and controlling the bodies of all those it infects. Now it has amassed an unstoppable army of these drone-like soldiers, and at the head of this infernal host is none other than General Janus bet Vhalnich, whose faculties the Beast had stolen at the end of The Guns of Empire.
But to those who are unaware of Janus’s possession, his actions seemed like the worst kind of betrayal. Vordan has only just emerged from a bloody war, and Queen Raesinia had been looking forward to a period of peace for rebuilding. Instead, she now finds herself under threat from the very same man who won her kingdom its many victories in battle. Janus has declared himself Emperor, and his message to Raesinia is loud and clear: surrender her throne, or else he and his army will destroy anyone who stands in his way.
For readers who have been following The Shadow Campaigns and are familiar with Janus’s military prowess, we know perfectly well what his character is capable of. Perhaps it only makes sense for Vordan’s greatest hope to become its greatest threat, and in retrospect, this crux of the series might have been in development for several books now, under Wexler’s subtle guidance. It made for a gripping premise, one worthy of a grand finale, for not only did the phenomenal battle sequences and action make this the most intense novel of the series, Janus’s apparent betrayal also created a lot of interesting conflicts for our characters. Many of them are unaware that their general is under the control of the Beast, giving rise to a lot of uncertainty and tension—an element of suspense that I felt was missing in the previous book.
As you may recall, in my review of The Guns of Empire, I noted the sporadic pacing of the book, almost like the series seemed to be biding its time, holding itself back for the right moment to unleash its full force. Well, that time has finally come. Wexler is in his element as The Infernal Battalion shifts the focus back to the chaos and violence of the frontlines, making this one an action-packed installment.
However, the true strength of the novel lies in its characters. We’ve seen the cast expand in size and diversity over the course of five books, but the three main protagonists—Winter, Marcus, Raesinia—remain the heart and soul of this series. Individually, they’ve each endured so much, and now that we’ve arrived at the end of this journey, I desperately needed to know what would become of them. Happily, this finale did not disappoint; all three of our stars get their moments to shine, and there were plenty of revelations about them as well, with the surprises coming at us hard and fast. Marcus won my love in this one, as he was in the most unenviable position of having to go up against Janus—his former commanding officer that he greatly admired and considered a friend—knowing that his chances of winning were practically nil. I was also touched by his love and loyalty to Raesinia, even with their romance full of ups and downs. Winter was a joy to follow too, despite her constant guilt-ridden thoughts and self-pity parties, and I think her epic actions in the climax will end up being one of the series’ most memorable moments.
In sum, The Infernal Battalion is the culmination of everything that has been building up throughout The Shadow Campaigns. As a finale, I couldn’t have asked for more; the plot and characters were engaging, the ending was satisfying, and as far as I’m concerned, Django Wexler has written a pitch-perfect conclusion to one of my favorite series. It has been an incredible journey, one that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone with a love for epic fantasy fiction.
*** Originally reviewed at The Speculative Herald ***
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Thousand Names (Book 1)
Review of The Shadow Throne (Book 2)
Review of The Shadow of Elysium (Book 2.5)
Review of The Price of Valor (Book 3)
Review of The Guns of Empire (Book 4)
Guest Post: “Writing the Revolution” by Django Wexler
Waiting on Wednesday 01/17/18
Posted on January 17, 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
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (June 26, 2018 by Saga Press)
This book has been described as a Max Max: Fury Road inspired dystopian starring a monster-hunting Navajo heroine. I haven’t looked forward to a book this much in ages, and I just have one thing to say: please let this be as good as it sounds.
“While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.
Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.
As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.
Welcome to the Sixth World.”
Book Review: Blood and Sand by C. V. Wyk
Posted on January 16, 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.
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Historial Fiction, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Blood and Sand
Publisher: Tor Teen (January 16, 2018)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Well, that was, unfortunately, not as good as it could have been. Though, if you’re simply hankering for a standard Young Adult novel with a flavor of Ancient Rome, I’m sure this book will serve its purpose. I just wish it hadn’t been so…hokey.
What do I mean by that? You could feel the intrusive force of the author’s hand, nudging her characters through to the desired storyline every step of the way. None of it felt organic, from the events that transpired to the relationships between the characters. It sucked all the joy and charm out of what could have been an excellent novel.
The author begins with a note informing readers that many of the people and events that take place in the story are based on the historical record…except when it suits her needs. Don’t get me wrong, I read a lot of historical fiction and I know how it works; I don’t mind the occasional tweak here or there for the sake of making your story work better or more interesting. However, blatant manipulation of dates, say, for the express purpose of ending your novel on an “eruptive” note makes things seem far too contrived, if you know what I mean. This and other developments were “twists” I saw coming a mile away. Like I said, nothing unfolded organically; everything felt scripted.
Speaking of which, this segues perfectly into how I felt about the characters. The stars of Blood and Sand are Attia, a 17-year-old Thracian princess, and Xanthus, a Briton slave boy who grew to become the mightiest gladiator in Rome. Despite being a girl, Attia was chosen and trained by her father, the Maedi chieftain, to be his heir following the death of his wife and son. If the Romans had known, they would have killed her on the spot when they invaded her land and slaughtered her people, but they were expecting the Maedi heir to be a boy, which led to Attia to be captured and enslaved. In Rome, she was bought by Timeus, the dominus of a gladiatorial school, who wished to gift a beautiful Thracian girl to his best gladiator, Xanthus. Expecting the Champion of Rome to be a cruel violent brute, Attia prepares to fight tooth and nail to escape, only to find that Xanthus is nothing more than a misunderstood and tortured soul, soft-spoken, thoughtful, and gentle as a lamb (sigh…because of course he is). All her reservations about him disappear miraculously overnight. The two of them spend literally one night talking, and suddenly they are madly in love.
There was nothing to convince me these two had formed any kind of complex or emotional connection beyond sharing a few details in a very strained, orchestrated conversation about their past. Nothing to convince me that Attia would throw away her all-consuming desire for freedom and revenge for the sake of a stranger she’s only known for a short time. This has become a common refrain from me regarding the state of Young Adult romances as of late, but there was simply no spark of chemistry.
For a novel being pitched as a story about a “female Spartacus”, I was also profoundly disappointed by the lack of action we saw from Attia. We mostly got to see her kick ass in just one pivotal scene in the middle of the book, following a sequence of events that felt awkward and scripted in the manner they came about. Characters appeared to go out of their way to maneuver themselves into that very situation, even if their reasoning made little sense. Most of the supporting cast are also lightly sketched and felt like props for the author to use as she saw fit—namely, to make Attia and Xanthus look good. Xanthus’s gladiator brothers are hardly around except when they’re needed to talk up Attia’s beauty or battle prowess, and characters like Lucrezia and Rory felt written in for the sole purpose of being Attia’s charity cases.
Finally, this did not feel like a complete book. Early in the story, Xanthus is given the news that he will have an opportunity to face his sworn enemy in the ring, an event that never materialized, so presumably there will be at least one sequel where this will be covered. The novel instead ends with no resolution to any conflict, though to the author’s credit, she did seek to close things out with a spectacular bang—an effort in which she was successful, even if the ending left me with no sense of closure or satisfaction. There are loose ends aplenty, but somehow, I have a feeling I already know how a lot of them will resolve, given how predictable I found this novel.
Blood and Sand was a book I had high hopes for, and in truth, the first few chapters did make me think that perhaps I held a winner in my hands. With that said, perhaps the source of my frustration lies in the genuine potential for greatness that I glimpsed in this debut, if only it hadn’t been constrained by so many common first-timer mistakes as time wore on. My tepid response notwithstanding, I don’t think this was a bad book, just that it was too contrived for my liking, which killed a lot of my enthusiasm for the story and characters. Still, there’s room to grow with this series, so I’m not writing it off yet, but I’ll probably adopt a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the sequel.
Book Review: The Supernaturals by David L. Golemon
Posted on January 15, 2018 23 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Supernaturals by David L. Golemon
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Book 1 of The Supernaturals
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (October 18, 2016)
Length: 400 pages
Author Information: Website
As far as haunted house stories go, I’ve read better but I’ve also read worse. Following the current trend of bringing reality television and social media into the horror genre, The Supernaturals attempts a modern twist on a classic premise.
Nestled in the picturesque Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania is said to be a luxurious mansion, built at the turn of the twentieth century to serve as a retreat for the rich and famous. Known as Summer Place, it is also alleged to have inspired Shirley Jackson’s famous horror masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House. While it’s hard to imagine such a beautiful, charming place as the inspiration for such evil and terror, the mansion does have a somewhat checkered past. The most recent incident occurred in 2003, when a team of university students led by behavioral psychologist Professor Gabriel Kennedy ventured into Summer Place to debunk the presence of paranormal activity—only, the group re-emerged from the ordeal grieving and traumatized, with one less member. To this day, Gabriel has never forgiven himself for the loss of one of his students, who disappeared mysteriously without a trace that night, as though swallowed up by the very walls of the house itself.
Seven years later, a television producer named Kelly Delaphoy is eyeing Summer Place as the key to her big break: an ambitious undertaking to broadcast a live ghost-hunting event to millions of viewers on Halloween night. To lend legitimacy to the project, she convinces a reluctant Gabriel Kennedy to act as a consultant on the show, and he in turn recruits a few of his old friends to help, including a Native American dreamwalker; a young woman possessed by the spirit of a 1950s singer; a convict who is a clairvoyant; and a former gang member turned computer genius. Also along for the ride are an investigative field reporter smelling the opportunity for an exposé, as well as a homicide detective who has never stopped suspecting Gabriel for the disappearance of his student.
As you can see, there are quite a few characters to keep track of, and I can’t say many of them are very likeable (though to be fair, I think this is by design). Unfortunately, far too much page time is devoted to these unlikeable characters, and not enough on the really interesting ones like John Lonetree, George Cordero, Julie, or Lionel—Gabriel’s crack team of “Supernaturals”. While each of them had a compelling talent and backstory, ultimately I felt they were underutilized. It also probably comes as no surprise that the story became a lot more interesting once Gabriel’s team entered the picture—which doesn’t occur until well into the book.
As such, pacing issues abounded, and were perhaps this novel’s greatest weakness. I liked many of the ideas, but also got the sense that the author was overwhelmed in trying to include them all in his story. The plot was all over the place, like puzzle pieces that fit poorly together, and the result was an uneven narrative with stretches where nothing of importance would happen, punctuated with genuine moments of intrigue—though those were fewer and far between. It made me think this book could have benefited from more rigorous editing; it certainly didn’t have to be so long, and I think cutting down the more tedious sections would have improved the pacing.
As it is now, only final hundred pages or so held the real meat of the story. Still, what a conclusion it was! Full of thrills and chills, as all the build-up finally came to a head in Kelly Delaphoy’s live Halloween special. Secrets were revealed and mysteries were unraveled, and if some of the answers ended up being a little too predictable, at least I had fun.
The Supernaturals would probably make a good book for casual readers of horror, so long as you go in with the right expectations. Though it clearly draws inspiration from Shirley Jackson’s classic, this novel is far from being the next Haunting of Hill House, simply because the writing lacked the same intensity and the right sense of timing. Still, it was decent enough for a bit of light entertainment, and despite its weaknesses, I would put it on a list of “paranormal activity” novels worth looking into, especially if you’re a fan of haunted house stories.
The BiblioSanctum