Friday Face-Off: Insect
Posted on August 25, 2017 24 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:
“If I be waspish, best beware my sting”
~ a cover featuring an INSECT
Mogsy’s Pick:
Abomination by Gary Whitta
I have a confession to make. You see, I’m a bit squeamish when it comes to bugs. They’re icky and give me the creeps. So this week I figured, what better way to celebrate this week’s Friday Face-Off theme than with a horror novel?
Abomination is a historical tale of terror following Wulfric, a former knight who has fallen far from grace. Once the greatest soldier and former confidante of King Alfred the Great, he now lives in the shadows, wandering the English countryside dressed in rags and chains. Fifteen years ago, he fought to rid his kingdom of a plague of monstrous beasts known as abominations, and for his troubles he was cursed with a fate worse than death.
Any more than this, I’m not going to say; I’ll just leave you all to speculate as to why the insect featured on these covers is a giant scarab…
First row, from left to right: Inkshares (2015) – Portuguese: DarkSide Books (2017) – Spanish: Tusquets (2017)
Winner:
I love all three covers, to be honest. Each version does a great job portraying the eerie and disturbing nature of the story, but if I had to choose just one, I would probably go with the Portuguese edition as the winner. I’ve always thought the Inkshares cover is a little too dark, making it hard to see the detail on the scarab, and while I really like the Spanish edition, the imagery of the roots or veins or whatever they are just isn’t as eye-catching as the Portuguese edition featuring the black of the beetle and the red of the blood on a white background. This happens to be one of my favorite color combinations, and it’s easy to see why – the results are very striking.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: Swarm and Steel by Michael R. Fletcher
Posted on August 24, 2017 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.
Swarm and Steel by Michael R. Fletcher
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: A novel of Manifest Delusions
Publisher: Talos (August 22, 2017)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
You know the saying, “That’s so crazy, it might just work?” Well, this is definitely true of Michael R. Fletcher’s latest Manifest Delusions novel. Featuring a new standalone tale, Swarm and Steel brings readers back to this world in which magic is insanity and the more deranged you are the more powerful you get. This, my lovelies, is the realm of the Geisteskranken, home to those whose delusions are made real.
The protagonist of this story is a woman named Zerfall, whose abilities are unique even in a world full of strange and uncanny Geisteskranken. Upon waking up in a dark alley, she does not remember how she got there, or anything about her past, for that matter. All she knows is that someone has sent an assassin on her trail, leading to a harrowing chase which ultimately ends in the desert with Zerfall gravely wounded and fighting for her life. But in her struggles to survive, she’s also starting to overcome her amnesia, with snippets of memories coming back slowly but surely. She remembers almost killing her sister Hölle by putting a blade through her belly, though she cannot exactly recall why she wanted to kill the other woman (and trust me when I say that finding out the answer to this question is the fun part).
Meanwhile, somewhere else in the desert, a young man named Jateko is fleeing for his life after accidentally killing another member of his own tribe. Mad from hunger and thirst after being hunted across the wastes by the victim’s vengeful kin, Jateko chances to stumble upon Zerfall, thus kicking off one of the most bizarre and eerie relationships I’ve ever come across in a fantasy novel. Teaming up, they decide to travel back to the city on a dead horse (yes, I said a dead horse) to confront Hölle, who currently oversees the Täuschung, a religious sect founded by the two sisters. Zerfall believes she must completely destroy the Täuschung in order to undermine Hölle’s power, and Jateko is all too willing to help. Completely smitten with Zerfall, he vows he will defeat and cannibalize their enemies in order to grow stronger, the better to fight by her side.
If you read that last bit and thought to yourself, “What the fuck?”…well, I don’t blame you. I have to hand it to Fletcher. His ability to come up with the most crazy and messed up scenarios never ceases to amaze me, and I genuinely mean that as a compliment! Having read his other Manifest Delusions novels, I thought I had seen it all, but somehow Fletcher always manages to raise the bar on himself and surpass it with every new book. If you’re a fan though, you probably know this already. Swarm and Steel is certainly not for the squeamish, even for readers accustomed to the grimdarkest of grimdark, but if you enjoyed Beyond Redemption and The Mirror’s Truth, then returning to this world will likely be as enjoyable for you as it was for me.
Still, since we follow a new cast of characters in this story, if you’re a newcomer to the world, there’s no need to read the other Manifest Delusions novels before jumping in—though prior experience with the setting will probably make things a little less overwhelming and disorienting, especially given the little references to the previous books you’ll find here and there. Learning about the different types of delusions and picking up the terminology will come in time though, as the narrative sets up backstories for both Zerfall and Jateko. Admittedly, the two of them are no Bedeckt, Stehlen, and Wichtig—our new protagonists don’t have quite the same amount of synergy in their dynamic as the original trio from Beyond Redemption—but their interplay was fascinating to watch all the same. Fletcher is flexing his writing muscles here, trying out new characters and developing new forms of relationships, and I also loved how this allowed for more unique circumstances and opportunities for action and dark humor. In time, I found myself gradually warming up to Zerfall and Jateko in spite of their unusual bond.
As always, Michael R. Fletcher’s talent for characterization makes his work stand out from everything else this genre has to offer, not to mention the sheer depth of his imagination—which is as formidable as it can be frightening sometimes! All this makes him one of my must-read authors, and I would enthusiastically recommend Manifest Delusions to all avid readers of grimdark or dark fantasy, with a guarantee that they’ll be like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Waiting on Wednesday 08/23/17
Posted on August 23, 2017 17 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Deadlands: Boneyard by Seanan McGuire (October 17, 2017 by Tor Books)
Oh, you know how much I love my tie-in novels. Even though I’ve had no experience with the Deadlands RPG personally, the prospect of a story based in a fantasy western world is something that I just can’t resist. As a bonus, this book is also penned by none other than Seanan Mcguire, who will undoubtedly do the Weird West horror setting justice. And the best part is, like the other books in the series, it’ll be a standalone.
“The newest book based on the hit Weird West RPG franchise Deadlands!
Step right up to see the oddities and marvels of The Blackstone Family Circus and Travelling Wonder Show! Gasp at pit wasps the size of a man’s forearm. Beware the pumpkin-headed corn stalker, lest it plant its roots in you!
Annie Pearl is the keeper of oddities, the mistress of monsters. Her unique collection of creatures is one of the circus’s star attractions, drawing wide-eyed crowds at every small frontier town they visit. But Annie is also a woman running from her past . . . and the mother of a mute young daughter, Adeline, whom she will do anything to protect.
Hoping to fill its coffers before winter sets in, the circus steers its wagons to The Clearing, a remote community deep in the Oregon wilderness, surrounded by an ominous dark wood. Word is that a traveling show can turn a tidy profit at The Clearing, but there are whispers, too, of unexplained disappearances that afflict one out of every four shows that pass through the town.
The Clearing has it secrets, and so does Annie. And it may take everything she has to save her daughter―and the circus―from both.”
Book Review: The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter
Posted on August 22, 2017 17 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 Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 2 of The War of the Worlds
Publisher: Crown Publishing (August 22, 2017)
Length: 496 pages
Author Information: Website
The Massacre of Mankind is a book that wears several hats and for the most part wears them all well, serving as a sequel to H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds while also paying loving tribute to it. Taking place in 1920, approximately 14 years after the events in the original classic, the story continues through the eyes of Julie Elphinstone who now begins her own account of a second invasion. Yep, that’s right, the Martians are back, and they’ve learned some lessons from their first go-around. This time, it’ll take more than microbial infections to take them down, and worse, Earth isn’t exactly in its best fighting shape. Still rebuilding from the first Martian assault, places like Britain are still in complete disarray politically, socially, and economically, especially in the wake of this alternate world’s version of World War I.
While everyone knew that another invasion was possible, governments and armies thought they were prepared. They thought they knew how to beat the Martians and dismissed the warnings of the original narrator of The War of the Worlds—identified here as Walter Jenkins—who correctly predicted that the aliens would come back in force after adapting and developing new ways to avoid being defeated again. Now things are looking very bad for Earth, with extinction threatening the human race once more.
Lately I have been seeing a lot more efforts by publishers and authors to bring back popular characters and classics from the past, either through “reboots” or “official sequels” like this one. I’m still torn as to how I feel about this trend, but I suppose we also have to look at each work on a case-by-case basis. According to the description on the cover, The Massacre of Mankind is fully authorized by the H.G. Wells Estate. Presumably working under their direction and support, Stephen Baxter still nonetheless had some rather big shoes to fill, given the prominence of The War of the Worlds in popular culture and the staggering number of adaptations and retellings it has spawned since being published. In writing this follow-up, Baxter had to tell an equally gripping story while staying true to the style and spirit of the original, with the added challenge of presenting something new to the table.
On the whole, I think he has managed to do that, though as with any project of this nature, a reader’s enjoyment is going to largely depend on how well they know the source material. If you haven’t read The War of the Worlds (or, like me, you read it so long ago that you hardly remember anything from it at all), then you’ll probably not like this book as much as someone who is familiar with Wells’ original, for Baxter basically uses it as a jumping off point. Expanding the story from there, he puts forth what is also in many ways an alternate history of what might happen if the Martians had a second chance and were more prepared to dig in and set up a system for colonization. As well, there are strong ties to characters and events in the original, such as the protagonist Julie, who appeared in The War of the Worlds and is written in this book as the former sister-in-law of Walter Jenkins.
If I could do it all over again, I definitely would have refreshed my memory with a re-read of The War of the Worlds before tackling this one, because I think I would have enjoyed myself more if I had. I suspect too that the first half of The Massacre of Mankind wouldn’t have felt so dry to me if I had felt more connected with Baxter’s drawn-out descriptions of the various events and characters, especially given how much build-up is involved in the intro. The narrative didn’t hook me until well into the second half, and even then I had to really force myself to make it through the slower sections.
To Baxter’s great credit though, he’s gone all out in making us feel like this is a real sequel (perhaps even one that could have been written by Wells himself), adopting a style that recalls the time in which The War of the Worlds was written, including certain quirks and anachronisms of the period. Sure, sometimes a bit of the modern may leak through here and there, but overall the attention to detail is astounding and I can’t even imagine the level of research that must have gone into the writing of this novel. I also liked that we got to see this invasion play out on a more global scale, which I believe was an aspect that was lacking in the original.
In sum, I believe reader experiences will vary depending on how well they know The War of the Worlds. With this caveat in mind, I would still recommend The Massacre of Mankind, which I thought was a well put-together novel and captivating in its own unique way.
Book Review: Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
Posted on August 21, 2017 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.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of The Great Library
Publisher: Berkley (July 11, 2017)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
To be clear, I still love this series, but I’d be lying if I said my enthusiasm for it hasn’t cooled somewhat. As enjoyable as these last two installments were, I’m just not seeing the same caliber of storytelling that we got in the first book. How much of this is due to the fact The Great Library recently became a three-book series to a five-book one, I don’t know, but I suspect that not-insignificant change may have played a role. The story is still moving forward, but seemingly with more filler than usual in this one.
As the third novel in the sequence, Ash and Quill picks up immediately from the end of Paper and Fire, so if you haven’t started this series yet, keep in mind there may be possible spoilers for the first two books in this review. After fleeing from London and narrowly escaping the Archivist’s forces, Jess Brightwell and his fellow exiles find themselves in Philadelphia, a city run by the rebels known as the Burners. Believing them to be the agents of the Great Library though, the Burners capture Jess and his group and threaten to kill them all unless Thomas, the genius inventor of the group, agrees to build the rebels a working printing press. A deal is struck in order to buy time for our protagonist to figure out how to save his friends, but with the chaos descending upon the city, Jess knows that they can’t stay in the Americas and must quickly find their way back across the ocean in search of more allies.
First, the good: I like how each book is bringing more to the table in terms of character development, adding layers to established personalities and relationships. This is where Ash and Quill really shines. While the story is punctuate with occasional bursts of action, I generally preferred the quieter moments where we got to see the characters interact and find out more about their origins and family life. Who knew Dario came from such an illustrious family, for example? Like Jess, I still don’t really trust the guy, but we’re starting to see more of Dario’s deeper, more considerate side break through the cockiness, especially in his scenes with Khalila. As one of the few adult characters, Wolf continues to be my favorite, and I really appreciated this book giving his relationship with Santi some extra attention. Jess also gets some time to reflect upon his role as a brother and a son, deciding once and for all what to do about his future place in the family business, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this conflict will resolve.
Now, for the things that weren’t so good (and I’d like to warn everyone in advance that this is going to sound more negative than I intend), I honestly thought this book wasted a lot of time. Many scenes were padded with what I felt was unnecessary description, and there was constant repetition when it comes to Jess’ internal thoughts and dialogue. I was also slightly disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Philadelphia. Such a bummer when we finally get to follow the characters to a different city—an exotic place, in their eyes—and they end up spending most of their time there as prisoners listening to their Burner captors rant and rave. I feel there was a missed opportunity here to show a more multifaceted picture of a place that was in full revolt against the Great Library, but instead we barely got to scratch the surface.
Ironically, I’m also enjoying all the romances and relationships in this series except the one between Jess and Morgan. Granted, they’ve had a rough time of it from the start, with one or both of them either being on the run or in prison at any given time, but I really think the ship has sailed to really make me feel any chemistry or care about them as a couple. They feel all wrong for each other, especially with the darker truth behind Morgan’s powers emerging, so any attempt to bring her and Jess closer together just feels very awkward to me at this point.
Again, I know I’m sounding very critical of this novel, but I assure you that I had fun and enjoyed it—just not as much as Ink and Bone and perhaps merely a teensy tiny little bit less than Paper and Fire. Would I still recommend this series though? You bet. The overall story arc is exciting, and like the previous book, this one also ends on a cliffhanger that had me wailing, “Nooooo, things just can’t end like this, not yet, not yet!” Parts of this might have been slow, but when things do get tense, Rachel Caine sure knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. Her talent as a writer is what keeps me clamoring for more, and I can’t wait to see where she’ll take us with the next book.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Ink and Bone (Book 1)
Review of Paper and Fire (Book 2)
Book Review: The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley
Posted on August 20, 2017 15 Comments
I received a review copy from the author. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: BenGalley.com (March 30, 2017)
Length: 406 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the timing, or maybe it was just the nature of this book itself, but for some reason The Heart of Stone took me a long time to read. That said, I really enjoyed it. The story is not just about war and fighting, as the description had initially led me to believe. Amidst the action, we also have a lot of adventure and intrigue, as well as a number of unexpected twists in perspective and moments of pure emotion.
The story follows Task, a creature known as a Windcut Stone Golem. Built to be weapon of war by a long-ago creator, he is the last of his kind but also unlike any that came before or after him, for deep within that flinty exterior is a very real heart and soul. Task feels. He thinks. He dreams. However, for as long as he can remember, he has been suppressing that part of him in order to serve his purpose as a killing machine. For four hundred years, Task has been passed from army to army, bound by an ancient magic to obey the commands of his masters. He has fought in many wars, taken countless lives in battle, and seen enough examples of human avarice to know that this cycle of violence will never end. For a long time, he has believe that it is best to simply keep to himself and do as he is ordered.
But now, Task has been brought out once more to serve a new master in a bitter civil war between the crown and a fractured group of rebel nobles. Fighting on the side of the Royalists, he winds up being under the command of Huff Dartridge, a ruthless general who will go to any length to achieve victory over the enemy Fading. Not to be cowed though, the other side also has a secret weapon, acquiring the services of the Knight of Dawn whose reputation as a dragon slayer is sure to make him a formidable foe against a stone golem.
Still, as the war wages on, Task finds that his magically-bound loyalties are becoming tested as Huff’s demands grow more unreasonable and cruel by the day. In spite of himself, he also finds himself growing emotionally attached to some of the men and women he fights with. In particular, he strikes up a friendship with a young stable girl named Lesky, who teaches Task that there may be more to his existence than simply destruction and killing, and for the first time in centuries, Task finds himself pondering his purpose and questioning the nature of the war he is forced to fight.
Ben Galley is an author I’ve wanted to try for a while—or more precisely, ever since I first heard of him a few years ago in the inaugural Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off in which his book Bloodrush scored very highly with the blogger judges. I’m quite glad I finally got to read his work, because I really enjoy his style of writing and the way he goes deep into the hearts and minds of his characters. It is especially important in a novel like this, which features a non-human protagonist made of magic and stone. The people around Task may dismiss him as a mindless beast, but in truth, he possesses far more humanity than even some of the actual human characters in this book. It was a pleasure to get to know him, seeing through his eyes and finding out his deepest thoughts and desires.
I also really liked the plot. While it was not as evenly paced as I would have preferred, I did enjoy the story’s incredible battle sequences as well as many of the slower, more introspective sections in between. In fact, I found these quieter moments to be just as important as the action, if not more so, since so much of this book was about Task discovering himself and learning to be his own master. I had a great time watching the relationships develop between him and the other characters, especially the special bond he has with Lesky, who was one of my favorites. There’s also plenty of political intrigue in this tale, and a formidable villain whose machinations lend this novel a healthy dose of suspense by keeping you guessing at their endgame every step of the way.
All told, Heart of Stone is a solidly written and fascinating dark fantasy novel, one I would highly recommend to readers who enjoy character driven stories and reading about compelling non-human protagonists. It’s true that it’s a bit of a slow-builder, but I think it’ll get easier to appreciate the intricate details of the plot once all the pieces fall into place. Despite my quibbles about the pacing, ultimately this is a very engaging, unique, and wonderful book. Ben Galley has a real knack for this, and I look forward to reading more by him in the future.
YA Weekend Review Bites: House of Furies and Dreamfall
Posted on August 19, 2017 21 Comments
Review copies were received from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
House of Furies by Madeleine Roux
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of House of Furies
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 30, 2017)
Length: 407 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
House of Furies opens with an introduction Louisa Ditton, a seventeen-year-old girl who accepts a maid position at a boarding house in order to escape a harsh life on the streets. Shortly after her arrival at her new job though, Louisa begins to realize with growing dread that there’s something seriously wrong with Coldthistle House. As it turns out, guests who come to stay within its walls are judged for their past crimes, with harsh punishments carried out by the house’s mysterious owner Mr. Morningside and his unnatural staff.
However, among the lodgers is young man named Lee Brimble, whom Louisa can tell is not like Coldthistle’s other guests. Desperate to save her new friend, our protagonist knows she must find a way for both of them to escape this nightmare place before it can trap them in.
For a YA horror novel, there’s surprisingly little to say about House of Furies. In part, this had to do with the fact that its plot was on the simpler, sparser side. As well, a scene or two featuring some blood and gore aside, there’s really nothing too scary about this book, which relies more heavily on the slow-building atmosphere typical of gothic horror. Louisa herself was a complicated protagonist, whom I found hard to like at first because of the fact she was a selfish and manipulative thief, but ultimately I was able to come around to some of her more admirable traits, such as her courage and determination to help Lee.
While it’s not a bad book, I think a weak start coupled with uneven pacing probably held this one back from being truly great. Still, the story did have a very interesting premise, and it was a fun read overall. It might be worthwhile if you’re in the mood for a quick shot of YA horror, though at the end of the day I have my doubts that either its plot or characters would stay with me for very long.
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Young Adult
Series: Book 1 of Dreamfall
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 2, 2017)
Length: 288 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
In Dreamfall, a group of teenagers are signed up for an experimental study that is supposed to help treat their individual sleep disorders, which range from chronic insomnia to debilitating night terrors. However, the equipment hooked up to the teens ends up malfunctioning during the trial and the seven of them fall into comas—or at least, that’s what it looks like to the researchers overseeing the project. In reality though, they’re all dreaming, trapped in one nightmare together. Worse, they’re being hunted by their deepest fears come to life, and in this dream you’ll never wake up if you die.
Unfortunately, books like this one remind me of why most YA horror doesn’t work for me these days. As much as I wanted to like it because of its compelling blurb, Dreamfall reads like a made-for-TV movie complete with all the thriller clichés and teen drama archetypes. What makes this even more of a shame is that I sense a sincere attempt from the author to make her cast diverse, but none of it really matters in the end because most of the characters are so easily forgotten and expendable. The multi-narrator format that was intended to give us a well-rounded picture of everyone also meant the focus was diluted and no one stood out, and from there things went downhill. After all, I can’t bring myself to enjoy a story unless I first care about the people involved; without that as a basic foundation, everything else just becomes an empty experience.
Still, I don’t want to make it sound like I hated the book, because at the very least the plot was fast-paced and fun. However, apart from maybe that twist ending, Dreamfall was entirely unmemorable. It’s only been a day since I finished the book and I’ve already forgotten half the characters’ names, so I very much doubt I’ll be continuing with this series despite things finally getting interesting in the last couple chapters. There are plenty more other books I need to get to on my YA shelf.
Audiobook Review: Raid by K.S. Merbeth
Posted on August 18, 2017 15 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Raid by K.S. Merbeth
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Hachette Audio (July 25, 2017)
Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Rachel Frawley
If you took a buddy movie and combined it with the desolation of the Fallout series and the rip-roaring explosive action of Mad Max, then you just might end up with something that looks a lot like Raid. Set in the same world as the author’s debut novel Bite, this was another entertaining romp through a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with raiders and cannibals.
Told through the eyes of a scarred and vengeful bounty hunter named Clementine, the story begins with our protagonist cashing in on her latest kill at one of the many towns struggling under the control of a merciless dictator named Jedediah Johnson. Of course, for Clementine the greatest prize would be Jedediah himself, the man who is responsible for killing her family, but everyone knows that the raider leader would be too well-protected, surrounded by his many guards inside his impenetrable mansion. So when an informant tells her about a secret passageway that would lead her straight to the heart of his stronghold, Clementine immediately dismisses it as a trick. But to her surprise, the tip turned out to be good, and very soon she has her quarry tied up and gagged in the passenger seat of her getaway car.
The only problem? Clementine had not anticipated that no one would actually want to pay out for Jedediah. Captured he may be, but there are still many of his followers roving around the territory, and few are willing risk the wrath of an angry horde for when they inevitably come looking for their missing boss. Left with no other options in the east, Clementine is forced to take Jedediah across the wastes to hopefully find someone else willing to shell out for his bounty. After all, it would be a shame to kill him and have the biggest catch of her life turn out to be a total bust. Still, Clementine soon finds herself regretting that decision as the two of them are immediately beset upon by obstacles like low supplies, bloodthirsty raiders, and other bounty hunters trying to poach her prisoner.
Raid can be enjoyed without any prerequisites, though if you have read Bite you might be delighted to find that a few familiar faces will show up for a bit of the action. There are also some ties to the first book and other Easter eggs that will be fun to spot, giving something extra to the experience, though overall I would not discourage anyone from starting their wasteland journey with this one if they wish. To be honest, I might actually prefer Raid slightly over Bite because of Clementine, whom I found to be a fascinating protagonist and somewhat more compelling to read about than Kid. As a rough, tough bounty hunter, Clementine is a woman who makes her own way and refuses to let anyone dictate her life. Though she is brutal, she is also not heartless; the problem is that most people in this world are intimidated by her imposing presence, but Clementine has all but given up on being the first one to reach out, convinced that she’ll get nothing but fear and scorn in return.
Thus our protagonist lives a lonely existence, accepting it as the price for her independence. Not surprisingly, what makes Raid such a good book is the way the story transforms Clementine’s way of thinking. While for the most part I would still categorize this novel as a light, popcorny thrill ride, there are nonetheless some deeper themes to uncover if one cares to look for them. Much like it was in Bite, character development was top-notch, with the well-crafted relationships taking center stage. Merbeth’s writing is becoming increasingly polished and she really has a gift for building a believable post-apocalyptic world and making the people who live in it come to life.
My only complaint? The ending. Hate is a strong word so I won’t use it, but the way this story wrapped up left a really bad taste in my mouth. Plus, the author still seems to struggle with pacing issues when it comes to writing denouements, rushing through the final explanations and resolving matters too casually. It’s a shame since the book was well on its way to getting a 4.5 stars or more, but I just had to dock some points for the way the conclusion was handled.
Still, considering how amazing the rest of the book was, I wouldn’t say any of my criticisms are a deal breaker. Certainly I would not hesitate for a second to recommend this novel and the author, and I highly encourage you to pick up Raid if the story or the setting piques your interest. Better yet, pick up Bite too for the full experience! I can’t wait to see what K.S. Merbeth has in store for her fans next!
Audiobook Comments: Having really enjoyed Stephanie Willis’ narration in the audiobook for Bite, I was initially a bit disappointed to see that she was not returning for Raid even though the decision to go with someone else makes total sense since this book stars a different protagonist. And I have to say, getting Rachel Frawley to take on the role of Clementine was a pretty damn good choice. Her voice has a commanding presence which makes it a perfect fit for our rugged bounty hunter protagonist, and while I found her performance to be somewhat wooden in the beginning, she eventually finds a good rhythm. Like Bite, this one was another awesome listen.
Book Review: The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett
Posted on August 17, 2017 20 Comments
I received a promotional copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Berkley (June 13, 2017)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
The Space Between the Stars is a contemplative novel about one woman’s journey through a desolate, broken down galaxy after much of humanity has been wiped out by a deadly plague. Jamie Allenby was able to escape much of the chaos due to the fact she was working on a remote planet at the time, but while her choice to be alone may have saved her from the worst effects of the virus, it also left her cut off from the rest of civilization. Now she is desperate to reconnect with her long-term partner Daniel, whom she had sought some time away from after the loss of their unborn child. Jamie has no idea if Daniel is even still alive, but an unknown transmission received on her communicator gives her hope. Recalling a conversation they once had about meeting up in Northumberland if an apocalypse scenario ever happened, Jamie begins working on a plan to return to Earth.
Before long, Jamie meets up with another group of survivors and she is able to leave her lonely planet on a spaceship captained by a man named Callan. A ragtag crew made up of characters with diverse origins, her new traveling companions are all nonetheless struggling with similar fears of the future and trying to come to terms with the loss of so many people. Differences in opinion and beliefs are a cause of much friction among the group especially in the early weeks, as everyone must accept that the old ways are gone and that the way ahead is more uncertain than ever.
To begin, I didn’t think The Space Between the Stars was a bad book, but my overall enjoyment was admittedly dragged down by some pretty deep flaws. You may have heard already that the novel is inherently light on the science fiction, despite its post-apocalyptic premise and space traveling narrative. While this is true, I was surprised to find that I actually didn’t mind the lack of sci-fi elements. No, what I did mind was the novel’s thin plot and absence of any clear direction.
I believe part of the problem stems from the protagonist. Unfortunately, I found Jamie’s character extremely annoying and unlikeable, to the point where everything she did, said, or thought made me want to grind my teeth. I get that she’s a broken and complicated survivor, who has had to deal with some pretty rough stuff. Still, let’s be real—in a scenario where almost the entire human population has been wiped out, who hasn’t been touched by pain and loss? For Jamie though, self-reflection is almost non-existent. She’s also judgmental and hypocritical, too wrapped up with her own problems to open her heart and sympathize with others. This is a character who, by her own admission, dropped out of medical school and switched to veterinary medicine because pesky human patients had that pesky way of telling her about their pesky feelings. Heaven forfend! On top of that, she also can’t stop obsessing about her past. In a devastated world best served by positive attitudes and long-term thinking, she’s bogged down instead with lame excuses for her wishy-washiness and negativity. That’s because bitterness is a constant for Jamie. To see what I mean, just count how many times the words “resent”, “resentment”, and “resentful” come up in the book when they’re being used to describe her moods. The answer is: Way too much.
It’s rare for me to feel such dislike for a main character, but as hard as I tried to compartmentalize those feelings, they nonetheless played a huge role in influencing my overall experience. Often, I found myself wishing we could follow the tale through the eyes of the other characters, like kind and grandfatherly Lowry, pragmatic Gracie, or even the shy and awkward Mila. The story itself was decent, but I also didn’t come away feeling like I got much from it. For all the characters’ planet-hopping and space-faring, the novel’s universe felt small and uninspired, and while there were several interesting developments in terms of world-building, there just wasn’t enough follow through to satisfy me.
Still, I have no doubt most of my disappointment is rooted in my inability to connect with the protagonist. It’s always an uphill battle in these cases, so it’s really tough for me to look objectively at this book and separate its other aspects from my critical feelings towards Jamie. That said, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to check out other reviews if you’re curious about trying a quieter and more low-key sci-fi read. The Space Between the Stars was simply not a good fit for me, but as always your own mileage may vary.
Waiting on Wednesday 08/16/17
Posted on August 16, 2017 16 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong (February 6, 2018 by Minotaur Books)
Definitely sounds like Kelley Armstrong will be keeping things tense in this third installment of her new mystery thriller series starring Casey Duncan, a homicide detective who finds herself solving murders in a remote town in the wilds of the Yukon. The author has a real gift for writing suspenseful stories and I’m loving these books so far, can’t wait to see where things will go next.
“When Casey first arrived at the off-the-grid town, an isolated community built as a haven for people running from their pasts, she had no idea what to expect, with no cell phones, no internet, no mail, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. But the very last thing she expected was for the council to drop a dangerous criminal into their midst without a plan to keep him imprisoned, and to keep others safe.
Of course Oliver Brady claims he’s being set up. But the longer Brady stays in town, the more things start to go wrong. When evidence comes to light that someone inside Rockton might be working as his accomplice, helping him to escape, Casey races to figure out who exactly Brady is and what crimes he’s truly responsible for committing.”
The BiblioSanctum