Book Review: Ibenus by Seth Skorkowsky
Posted on September 23, 2016 15 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror
Series: Book 3 of Valducan
Publisher: Ragnarok Publications (September 13, 2016)
Length: 410 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
For those who have not yet been initiated into the strange, scary and wonderful world of the Valducan series, better strap in, because you’re in for one hell of a ride. Here you will find monsters and demons and the secret international network of warriors who hunt them, and at the center of it all is the most important tool in their arsenal—holy weapons. These are imbued with the spirits of angels, forming a deep and reverent bond with their wielders to grant them amazing supernatural powers.
Hands down, Ibenus is my favorite book in this series yet. There are so many reasons why, but most of all, thank you Seth Skorkowsky for giving me something I’ve wanted since the beginning: a Valducan story centered on a female knight! Victoria Martin is our protagonist, a former London police officer whose life falls apart following a vicious demon attack which leaves her traumatized and her partner dead. Her employers subsequently let her go, dismissing her report and claiming that the impossible things she saw was due to stress and psychological damage. Unwilling to accept this, Victoria decides to take matters into her own hands. This is how she winds up tracking down and fighting alongside the Valducans, after one of their most experienced knights saw potential in her and agrees to take her on as his student.
Allan Havlock, protector of the holy blade Ibenus, didn’t know why but agreeing to train Victoria simply felt right, like the angel in his weapon was showing him his path. Little did he know though, his new apprentice had been in contact with an internet conspiracy group led by a man named Tommy D, an amateur filmmaker who shares her desire to expose the world to the truth of monsters. On her part, Victoria thought she was doing the right thing, infiltrating the Valducans with the goal of blowing their cover wide open. However, this was before she got to know her fellow demon hunters, before she got to sympathize with their mission…and before she started to fall in love with Allan. By the time she realizes she might have made a mistake though, it may already be too late.
Ibenus is the third installment in the series, but like the previous novels it can be read as a standalone. In fact, I would even say it’s a great place to start, since it does a fine job introducing the Valducans and laying out the nitty-gritty of what they do. Unlike the previous two books, Ibenus also features a lot more team action, whereas both Dämoren and Hounacier focused mostly on their respective main characters. I think this gives the book an edge, showing the ins and outs of how a new recruit like Victoria is initiated and integrated into the complex Valducan network, as well as how this shadowy group functions like a well-oiled machine. It’s this level of detail in the world-building that makes Ibenus a wonderful jumping-on point. That being said, the stars from the earlier books also make cameo appearances, so if what you read of Matt Hollis or Malcolm Romero sounds interesting here, I strongly urge you to go back and read their backstories.
This book also offered up just the right blend of different genre elements. I am a big fan of urban fantasy tinged with horror, and the Valducan series has always scratched that itch for me. In this world there are everything from werewolves to wendigos, but these are the no-holds-barred kinds of monsters—brutal and terrifying. In Ibenus, the creatures the knights are going after are even worse. Called Mantismeres, they are giant insectoid demons that spawn doll-faced carapaced minions, which in turn lure in their unwitting victims by emitting sounds that imitate crying or giggling babies. Imagine meeting something like that in the dark.
There’s also a great plot here, involving more than just action and thrills. Skorkowsky takes the storytelling to another level in in this book, developing character relationships and using their different motivations to create tension. There’s everything from love and betrayal to hidden agendas and conflicts of interest. A new light is shone on the will of holy weapons like Ibenus, emphasizing the fact that they are fundamentally sentient beings and can be considered characters in their own right. The enmity between the Valducan and Tommy D’s gang also becomes a focal point, for while they may both fight on the same side against the demons, the two groups are driven by different forces. Yet it’s easy to understand where the “bad guys” are coming from, even if you disagree with their methods. Likewise, despite the Valducans being the “heroes” of this series, what happens in this story will lead to many questions about their motives. I really appreciated how things were never simply black and white.
All told, Ibenus is another amazing demon-gore-splattered sequel in the highly entertaining Valducan series. The author has come a long way since the first book, and the series itself has also grown from stories about lone heroes to a bigger, fuller, more epic experience involving greater consequences and higher stakes. I love it. Highly recommended.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Dämoren (Book 1)
Review of Hounacier (Book 2)
Interview with Seth Skorkowsky
Guest Post: “You Can’t Hide Everything…So Don’t” by Seth Skorkowsky
Book Review: Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Posted on September 22, 2016 15 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House
Length: 272 pages
Author Information: Website
I’m glad I got a chance to read some reviews before tackling Good Morning, Midnight, because it only reaffirmed my suspicions that despite its promise of a “catastrophic event” and its post-apocalyptic setting, the book in truth reads more like an evocative and haunting piece of human drama. It is powerful and moving, which almost makes one feel nostalgically wistful for quieter, simpler times.
The story is told mainly through the perspectives of two characters. Augustine is an elderly astronomer who spent his life traveling the world to make a name for himself, trading away all personal attachments for his ambition. Now, alone and nearing the end of his life, Augustine finds himself making a decision he never thought would come about, but once the choice is made there would be no going back. He’s at his latest research posting, located in a remote Arctic facility, when the unsettling news arrives: something bad is happening out there in the world, and all the scientists are strongly urged to evacuate on the last plane out. With no loved ones to return to and still plenty of work to be done, Augustine refuses to leave, which is how he came to be the only one left at the base while the rest of the planet goes silent. However, shortly afterwards, he comes upon a little girl named Iris, seemingly left behind in all of the commotion. Desperately, he tries to raise an alert on every communications system he can think of, but it’s no use. No one answers.
Meanwhile, Mission Specialist Sullivan is an astronaut aboard a spacecraft called the Aether, finally making her way back home following a years-long research flight through space to study Jupiter. She and her crewmates were not too far from the end of their journey when they lose contact with Mission Control, leaving them all perturbed over what might be happening to their families and friends back on Earth. For Sully, who left behind a young daughter with her ex-husband, the silence troubles her deeply and fills her with guilt, even though she thought she’d come to terms with all the sacrifices she made for her work. The Aether has been so gone so long, everyone on board is eager to be back on Earth again, but what might they find when they arrive, if they can even make it that far?
Granted, Good Morning, Midnight might not be a page-turning read, but it is nonetheless gripping in its own way. It’s one of the most atmospheric novels I’ve ever read, which is even more impressive when you consider how much of its themes focus on the emptiness of isolation and solitude. The characters Augustine and Sully may seem far removed from each other, both literally and metaphorically, but there’s still a strong parallel between their lives, marked by feelings of regret and the fear of the unknown. The people in this book are fragile and imperfect individuals, discovering truths about themselves while they delve into their pasts during moments of vulnerability. In many ways, this was not an easy book to read. My heart ached for the protagonists. Both of them yearn for answers, comfort, reassurance, but it’s clear that neither will find any of those easily. When the end of the world comes, many won’t realize what’s really important until it’s too late.
But while the tone of the book was pretty much what I expected, there were still a few issues which made it difficult for me to get into the story. We never get to find out what the catastrophic event was that presumably wiped out everyone on the planet. A part of me is aware that it’s beside the point, but not knowing a single thing about it still chafed, especially since there were plenty of hints dropped about what it might not be—reports of no radiation poisoning, clear skies above the planet surface, etc. I didn’t go into this one expecting a typical post-apocalyptic novel, but I guess you could say I still wanted the post-apocalypse to have a bigger role in the story. I also anticipated the more laid-back and steady pacing, but certain sections still slowed to a crawl, expounding on character thoughts and motives without adding anything new. The narrative does this a lot, practically spelling out all the connections so that I was really left with no surprises at the end.
Still, Good Morning, Midnight was a good read. The book’s cover depicting a lone tent among the Arctic dunes is a pretty accurate reflection of the story’s tone—a single point of light in the darkness, surrounded by a vast sea of stars. It’s a moody, broody novel which puts emotion ahead of plot, and if that’s something you think you’ll enjoy, I would highly recommend giving it a try.
Week 3: The Cloud Roads Read-Along
Posted on September 21, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’re starting a new Read-Along this week, with The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells! If you’re interested in participating, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
With thanks to Anya for the read-along banner!
Moon has spent his life hiding what he is — a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself… someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn’t tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power… that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony’s survival… and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself… and his newfound kin.
Week 1 – Wednesday September 7th: Chapters 1-5 – hosted by CoolCurry (Sarah)
Week 2 – Wednesday September 14th: Chapters 6-10 – hosted by Lisa
Week 3 – Wednesday September 21st: Chapters 11-15 – hosted by Anya
Week 4 – Wednesday September 28th: Chapters 16-20 – hosted by Imyril
1. Things between Pearl and Jade are getting even more tense. Do you think Pearl is lying about Jade using Moon? How do you think this conflict will end?
Mogsy: I don’t think Pearl is necessarily lying about Jade, but rather she senses how vulnerable and confused Moon is right now and sees this as the perfect opportunity to screw with him, taking advantage of these uncertain times to plant seeds of doubt in his head. I feel that Jade’s feelings towards Moon are sincere and she genuinely cares for him, but there are plenty of good reasons why she might not want to take him as a consort at this time (least of all the reality that they all might soon be killed by the Fell).
2. We found out a lot about Moon’s past with the Fell. What do you think of Kathras’ statement that the Fell would have loved Moon?
Mogsy: That line did strike me as strange at the time, but I think I just dismissed it as a taunt to get Moon riled up. But now that you mention it, I’m thinking back to the demands that Pearl said the Fell made of her regarding the breeding of their two species. Since consorts are the only ones capable of having clutches with queens, and Moon is a consort, the implications behind Kathras’ statement become much more awful and telling.
3. Speaking of Fell, it sounds like they have some strange powers that haven’t been seen before. What do you think is going on there?
Mogsy: Something’s definitely going on with the Fell, but I’m not sure what it is yet. I’ve always known they have their “hive mind” powers, but this is clearly a time of great change for both the Raksura and the Fell and I’m curious to find out the cause of all this upheaval.
4. The Fell poison seems like the last chance Moon has of saving Indigo Cloud. Do you think it’ll work? How do you think the final conflict will play out?
Mogsy: Using the Fell poison seems like a sound idea, but you know what they say about best laid plans. I have a feeling the poison will still come into play, but things are going to go awry and the Raksura will have to deal with some hitches along the way. You just know it can’t be that easy.
Waiting on Wednesday 09/21/16
Posted on September 21, 2016 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
Dead Man’s Steel by Luke Scull (December 6, 2016 by Roc)
It feels as if I’ve been waiting for this one forever, but come December, book three of The Grim Company series will be hitting shelves in the US. I feel like I can finally officially get excited!
“In the City of Towers, former rebel Sasha and her comrade Davarus Cole struggle to keep the peace between the warring mages who vie for dominion. But when the White Lady sends Davarus south to the Shattered Realms to seek allies among the fallen kingdoms, he finds that his hardest battle may be one fought within. The godly essence now residing within him offers power that could be used against the Fade—but with every death that feeds It, Cole risks losing a part of himself.
An association with a Fade officer grants the Halfmage Eremul a position of privilege among Dorminia’s new masters. He witnesses firsthand the fate that awaits humanity. But with his magic pitiful in the face of the Fade’s advanced technology, the Halfmage must rely on his wits alone to save whom he can…
And in the frozen north, the legendary warrior Brodar Kayne fights a desperate battle for his people. He is running out of time: an ancient evil sealed beneath the mountains is about to break free, an evil that is older than humanity, older than the Fade, older even than the gods—and it will not stop until the entire world is drowned in blood…”
Book Review: Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter
Posted on September 20, 2016 16 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Soulwood
Publisher: Roc (August 2, 2016)
Length: 358 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I have a feeling I’m going to be the sole voice of dissent on this one. It’s not that thought Blood of the Earth was a bad book, but quite honestly I was expecting a lot more. However, it should be made known that this was the first time I’ve ever read Faith Hunter; I’ve never read any of the books in the Jane Yellowrock series, and maybe that was part of the problem. A spinoff can be a tricky beast, and though this can be read separately from the main series, I’m guessing that not having the benefit of a previous connection to this world likely had an impact on my overall enjoyment—or lack thereof.
The story stars Nell Nicholson Ingram, who was, as I discovered later, a character first introduced in a Jane Yellowrock short story called “Off the Grid”. She grew up in a cult called the God’s Cloud of Glory Church, and was only a young girl when she was made to marry one of its other members, a much older man named John Ingram. For all his faults though, John had wanted to do right by Nell. So, when she turned eighteen, he also married her legally in the eyes of Tennessee law, which is why when he passed away, ownership of his entire estate was rightfully transferred to her. This, however, did not sit right with the Church. Even after Nell left the cult, its members still kept coming, harassing her about her property, which they considered as theirs no matter what the law says.
The attacks have made Nell nervous, which is why when a group of agents from PsyLED show up at her door one day, she isn’t sure whether or not she can trust them. Turns out though, Jane Yellowrock had referred Nell to the paranormal investigation agency after finding out about Nell’s earth magic and special connection to nature, so now Agent Rick LaFleur and his team of were-cat operatives are here hoping she can help out on a case. There has been a string of disappearances involving young women lately, and one of the missing victims is a member of a very important vampire house. PsyLED suspects Nell’s old cult might have something to do with it, and they believe access to her past and property could be a very useful resource.
As I mentioned previously, I didn’t think this was a bad book. That said, I also found nothing terribly exciting about it. First of all, a “missing girls” story? Urban fantasy isn’t exactly suffering from a dearth of missing-or-kidnapped-kids plots lately, so that ho-hum was one of the bigger disappointments. Second, the first third of the novel with its slow pacing almost did me in. What made it even more frustrating was the constant repetition, what with Nell finding about fifty thousand ways to beat it over the readers’ heads that the God’s Cloud Church wants her land because they didn’t agree with her late husband’s decision, or how some of their men came over and killed her dogs. Yes, Nell, cult goons bad. I got it the first time, and really could have done without the image of the poor dead pups over and over in my mind. The rough pacing continues in the later parts of the book, like when we’re introduced to the vampire family of the missing girl, and for the next hundred or so pages she is barely mentioned again. The story just feels like it’s all over the place.
I also didn’t think there was anything too special about the world. Again, I know I’m at a disadvantage because I haven’t read the Jane Yellowrock series, so I’m probably missing years and years’ worth of relevant world-building which would have helped me gain a better appreciation for it. Still, at this moment I don’t know if I’m jumping up and down to start another series about vampires and shapeshifters, since I’m already following a bunch of them that scratch that itch, though I did find Nell’s nature-based magic fascinating.
The main character’s background is also one of the most intriguing aspects of this book, since a life of growing up in a cult definitely shaped her into a very interesting person. However, I wasn’t entirely convinced of her random Sherlock Holmes moments. The story spends a lot of time painting Nell to be this country bumpkin, but every so often she will get these flashes of genius (all at the most convenient times, I might add) where she will surprise all her PsyLED team members and then proceed to lecture them all about how a lifetime spent hunting and trapping in the woods somehow taught her to become a whiz at deductive reasoning. And then when they all feel bad about judging her, Nell gets to pat herself on the back, all the while ignoring the fact she can be pretty judgmental herself, of course.
So yeah, this one didn’t exactly blow me away me due to a multitude of smaller issues that simply added up, hence the middling, uncertain rating. In spite of this, I haven’t entirely ruled out picking up the next book yet, especially since I still plan on starting the Jane Yellowrock series one of these days. I think there’s potential for Nell and Soulwood to be a lot more, so here’s hoping the sequel will help them grow on me.
Book Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Posted on September 19, 2016 31 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Nevernight Chronicle
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (August 9, 2016)
Length: 429 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I was a bit nervous diving into this book. It seemed to me that in spite of the great number of rave reviews praising Nevernight to high heaven, there are just as many savagely tearing it to pieces. After finishing this book myself though, I could understand a little better why this might be the case. There were times I couldn’t help but wonder what audience this book was intended for, exactly. Maybe the reason why the reviews are all over the place is because the story itself is kind of all over the place—though to be fair, that in itself doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
Nevernight is so titled because it introduces us to a world where its three suns almost never set. Our main character is Mia Corvere, a young woman whose father was a famed military leader until he led a failed rebellion and was consequently executed along with the rest of his followers. Mia was seized along with her mother and little brother, but she managed to escape, surviving alone for the next few years in the cold, merciless shadows of the city.
Well, not entirely alone. Mia knows there’s something very different about her, but she doesn’t really understand it. She has powers to cloak herself in darkness, which helps her hide from those hunting her. She is also always accompanied by a shadowy presence, a cat-shaped familiar she has come to call Mister Kindly because the not-cat has come to her assistance more times than she can count. As well, Mia has the help of her mentor, a shady man named Mercurio. Driven by the desire for vengeance on her father’s enemies, Mia ends up following her teacher’s instructions to a secret academy for assassins because she knows that in order to get at her targets, she’ll have to be the very best.
Along the way, she meets an enigmatic boy who simply calls himself “Tric”. It soon becomes clear to Mia that both of them are seeking the same thing—the Red Church, where the Republic’s most ruthless killers are made. However, to be inducted among their ranks is an honor only few attain. Not only is the competition fierce, the trials that the students must go through are also difficult and often deadly. To have her revenge, Mia will need to first pass all the Church’s tests to gain status as a full-fledged Blade—if she can even survive that long to do it, that is.
This isn’t my first experience with Jay Kristoff’s work; in fact, I really enjoyed his Lotus War trilogy, which is why I was pretty excited to start Nevernight. One of the first things I noticed while reading is that the author has made steps to move past his flowery prose—though admittedly, not by much. Kristoff is still very fond of over-embellishing his writing and peppering it with his long, sometimes head-scratchingly complicated metaphors. It clunks up the flow of the story somewhat, but I personally didn’t find it to be a huge problem. Of higher concern, perhaps, are the footnotes that have the potential to be way more distracting if you weren’t expecting them. I can’t even say it’s okay to skip them, because of how much background information they provide in fleshing out the world-building, and often they can be pretty funny. So, the pesky footnotes are just one of those things you have to grin and bear, I’m afraid.
In spite of our teenage protagonist, Nevernight is also most decidedly not a Young Adult novel. It features mature themes and content, including several graphic sex scenes (some of which were pretty awkward…I kind of feel bad for singling that out, but they were just not the best or the sexiest). With regards to my expectations for this book, this is where I stumbled a little. For one thing, this story contains an excessive amount of teen drama for a supposedly adult novel. Also, while I generally love “fantasy school” stories, in Mia’s case, her time at the Red Church felt sort of like one long stopover on her journey for vengeance. Maybe if you’re a YA reader looking for a more mature flavor in your reading, or an adult fantasy reader who wouldn’t mind a bit of high school cafeteria-type shenanigans in your stories, this would be the kind of crossover novel you’re looking for. Personally, it helped me to put myself in that frame of mind.
With all that said, I know I probably sound more negative than positive in this review, but the truth is I really enjoyed Nevernight. It’s not perfect, but it’s also far from being a bad book. I loved the world-building; a lot of effort was clearly put into it. And the plot is wildly entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns, even if they were predictable at times. On the whole, I have to say the book is really quite well-constructed, story-wise. It surely knew how to hold my attention because I could barely tear my eyes away.
Final verdict? Nevernight is not without its flaws, but in spite of them, at the end of the day if I ask myself whether or not I had a good time, the answer is an emphatic yes. Sometimes, that’s all that matters. I’ll definitely continue reading the next installment in the chronicle.
YA Weekend Audio: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Posted on September 18, 2016 19 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 5 of Throne of Glass
Publisher: Audible Studios (September 6, 2016)
Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
I’ve made it no secret that this series and I have had our ups and downs. To cut straight to the chase, Empire of Storms was definitely another “down”. Probably the lowest I’ve come to feeling about these books, actually. At least the first half of this novel was really good, and the audiobook narrator remains stellar, or I might have gone with an even lower rating. As it is, I have to start really considering whether or not I want to continue with the next book because clearly the direction of this series has changed, and has been changing for the last two books, and I am close to reaching the limit of what I can take.
For one thing, ever since Heir of Fire this series has been suffering an increasingly worsening case of bloat. At least the previous book Queen of Shadows had the courtesy of being really amazing at the end, finishing with an incredible finale. Empire of Storms on the other hand simply went on and on, with a lot of sections I probably would have skimmed had I been reading a physical copy of the book instead of listening to it. The same problem seems to keep rearing its ugly head. Namely, the plot spends an inordinate amount of time spinning its wheels, going nowhere fast. A lot of that also has to do with the pointless talkitty-talk-talk, which so often amounts to nothing but bickering and testosterone-fueled posturing between all these angry, egotistical roided-out characters.
Speaking of which, the romance between Aelin and Rowan still leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve said it before and I have no problems saying it again, Rowan was a million times more interesting as Aelin’s mentor, back when they still had their platonic relationship. As her latest love interest, he’s not only boring, but he’s also a creeper. The guy flies off the handle every time someone so much as looks at his precious Aelin the wrong way, and he also seems to have this weird fetish for biting. His whole territorial fae male thing with the marking and possessiveness of his mate is not only repulsive, it’s also starting to get really old. I don’t know why Aelin, who is a supposedly strong and independent woman, puts up with it. That’s probably one of my biggest issues with her character; she plays at being the badass heroine, but she always comes across as little more than a vainglorious little girl who needs to latch on to a boy in order to be complete.
And that’s another thing – the number of pairings in this series is becoming ridiculous. Why must everyone be involved in a relationship? Is Aelin’s complex where she can’t function without a boyfriend contagious?
Then there are the sex scenes. Thing is, the writing in this series has always struck me as a bit over-embellished or overdramatic, but nothing deal-breaking. That was before I read this latest installment though, where you get not one but multiple detailed sex scenes, and they are all awkward and hilarious. Granted, it might be the fact I was listening to the audiobook. I have to say, when you have writing that tries too hard, it comes through so much worse in this format. One thing that really gets to me is the use of, um, creative euphemisms. Several times I had to pause playback and skip back to listen again because I was struck by a certain phrase and had to make sure I heard right. Did the author really just refer to Rowan’s penis as a length of “velvet-wrapped steel”?
Another hitch in the writing that comes through really strongly in the audiobook is the excessive use of speech verbs like “breathed”, “rasped”, and “hissed.” I swear, it’s like there’s a shortage of air in this world or something, because no one simply SAYS anything naturally like a normal person. It gets quite distracting in audio.
Anyway, I know so far most of what I’ve done is talk about the things I didn’t like, but really, this book wasn’t all bad. Like I said, I really enjoyed the first half of this novel, before things started unraveling. After the crazy ending in the previous novel, I had my doubts, wondering what could possibly be left for book five. Well, I shouldn’t have worried, because there’s definitely a lot more to cover. All the more a shame that this book is so full of bloat, because when you trim off all the fat, the plot is actually REALLY GOOD.
I also love Manon Blackbeak. In fact, she’s probably the only character I’m still rooting for, since I’ve lost so much respect for all the others. If the earth were to suddenly split apart and swallow up Aelin and Rowan and their whole lot overnight, it would not break my heart. Manon though, is still my favorite wyvern-riding witch. She and Abraxos continue to be amazing, and I was glad that I got to have them at least, while Chaol is out of commission.
Finally, a tip of the hat goes to Elizabeth Evans, who is once again fantastic with the narration. I was able to get through the second half of this book thanks to her performance, since a good narrator can sometimes counteract faults in the story or the writing. She gives great personality and attitude to the characters, sometimes doing her job a bit too well. I’ll most definitely continue with the audiobooks—that is, if I even decide to pick up the next installment.
Until then, I guess I’ll have plenty of time to think about it. I would hate to stop after coming so far especially if there’s only one book left in the series, but there’s also no denying the story, the tone, the characters, and pretty much everything has changed from the days of Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. There’s nothing wrong with a series that grows and evolves, but I also have to accept it when it goes in a direction I don’t want to follow. I just don’t know if I even feel invested enough to see this through anymore, or whether it’s worth the frustration for the sake of completion. I’ll just have to see how I feel when the time comes.
More on the BiblioSanctum:
Mogsy’s review of Throne of Glass (Book 1)
Wendy’s review of Throne of Glass (Book 1)
Mogsy’s review of Crown of Midnight (Book 2)
Wendy’s review of Crown of Midnight (Book 2)
Mogsy’s review of Heir of Fire (Book 3)
Wendy’s review of Heir of Fire (Book 3)
Mogsy’s review of Queen of Shadows (Book 4)
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on September 17, 2016 34 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
Normally my Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other week, but today I wanted to slip in a special update to give a shout-out to the kind folks at Subterranean Press. A wonderful surprise came from them last week in a form of a care package containing a veritable bounty of ARCs. A big thank you to the awesome team at Subterranean Press for all these goodies! For more details and full descriptions of the books, be sure to check out their Goodreads pages, linked below!
Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi by John Scalzi ♦ The Four Thousand, The Eight Hundred by Greg Egan ♦ Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold ♦ Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold ♦ Last Train from Perdition by Robert McCammon ♦ Resume Speed by Lawrence Block ♦ A Long December by Richard Chizmar ♦ The Purloined Poodle by Kevin Hearne ♦ Voyages: The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones by Mike Resnick ♦ Coco Butternut by Joe R. Lansdale ♦ Dead on the Bones by Joe R. Lansdale
Almost all of these are novellas and collections of short stories, bite-sized portions perfect for some afternoon reading. The quandary is trying to decide what to pick up first.
Any time I see Lois McMaster Bujold’s name though, my interest is always piqued, especially since the Penric novellas are set in the same universe as her World of the Five Gods that includes her Chalion series (which are absolutely wonderful, wonderful books). I’m also eyeing The Purloined Poodle because I’ve heard it’s adorable and funny, which shouldn’t be surprising since it’s set in the same world as Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles. I’ll also happily check out anything by Scalzi, even his super short stories. Most of the rest are completely new to me, but given my penchant for fantasty westerns and weird pulpy books, Last Train from Perdition and Dead on the Bones is calling out to me too!
What looks good to you?
Reviews
A small list since it’s only been a week, but what a week! Here are the books I reviewed since the last update, and among them are some amazing gems. Feature spot goes to The Reader, for being my favorite YA novel of the year so far.
The Reader by Traci Chee (5 of 5 stars)
Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine (4.5 of 5 stars)
Invasive by Chuck Wendig (4 of 5 stars)
The Warlock and the Wolf by Delfy Hall (SPFBO)
Roundup Highlights:
Interviews & Guest Posts
Big thanks to Seth Skorkowsky who stopped by The BiblioSanctum this week with a guest post. His new book Ibenus is out now, so go check it out!
Guest Post: “You Can’t Hide Everything…So Don’t” by Seth Skorkowsky
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Adventure…seems I had a taste of a bit of everything this week. Stay tuned, here’s some of what will be reviewed at the BiblioSanctum very 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!
Book Review: Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine
Posted on September 16, 2016 18 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Books (July 12, 2016)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Meet Arabella Ashby of Mars. The year is 1812 and already humans have been capable of space travel for centuries, thanks to the advances in automata and airship technology made in the 1600s. Our titular heroine is Martian-born and Martian-bred, having been raised on her family’s frontier colonial plantation until the year she turned sixteen, when her mother deemed the red planet too unsuitable for the enrichment of proper young ladies. After saying goodbye to her father, her older brother Michael, and her childhood home where so many fond memories of her wild adventures have been forged, Arabella is whisked away along with her two younger sisters back to London, England on Earth, a planet as alien to our protagonist as Mars is to most English folk.
Growing up on Mars, Arabella’s Martian nanny Khema taught her how to be strong and independent—important traits to have if one hopes to thrive on the world’s harsh surface. But back in England, she is expected to be meek and gentile, following the myriad incomprehensible rules of etiquette expected from a young woman of high birth. Before she’s had much time to settle though, her family receives terrible news from Mars: Arabella’s father has passed on, leaving the ownership of the plantation to Michael, his only son and heir. However, members of the extended Ashby family have other ideas. Arabella’s cousin, Simon Ashby, has long felt slighted over his side of the family’s lack of inheritance, and sees this as an opportunity to seize what he wants. When Arabella finds out about Simon’s dastardly plans to kill her brother, it is a race to Mars in order to try and stop him.
But while she’s still on Earth, Arabella is just a girl with no resources or power, and her murderous cousin has a pretty big head start. In a desperate gambit, she steals a set of men’s clothing and poses as a boy looking for work on a ship bound for Mars, and that’s how she ends up on the Diana, a merchant airship for the Mars Trading Company captained by the handsome and mysterious Prakash Singh.
Ahem, if someone had told me this was predominantly a girl-disguised-as-a-boy story, I would have read this one much, much sooner! I can’t help it; as common and well-used as it is, I’m always a sucker for this trope. As an added bonus, I happen to love nautical fantasy. While the “sailing” here takes place in space instead of upon the high seas, and the airships might not look exactly like the traditional tall ships of history, one look at that gorgeous cover with the sails and rigging and you can probably tell that the general idea is the same. We may be trading ocean currents for solar winds, but you still have the ship crew, sailing lingo, the everyday activities that take place on a trade ship, and even a heart-stopping encounter with French privateers.
I’ve never read anything by the author before this, but I can see the reason for all his accolades and why his short fiction is so widely praised. David D. Levine is an excellent world-builder, imagining an alternate history where, instead of observing an apple fall to the ground, the great Sir Isaac Newton receives his epiphany after watching a soap bubble in his bath rise to the surface, leading him to form the principle of aerial buoyancy. Thus, humankind was able to develop space travel so quickly. Despite the themes of planetary colonialism and traversing the stars though, there’s also a strong fantastical nature to this novel. In truth, the elements of sci-fi are pretty light, making a lot of the “technology” feel practically indistinguishable from magic. This includes the society’s use of automata and other clockwork machinery, giving Arabella of Mars a strong Regency Era-inspired steampunk flavor.
As for the character of Arabella, it was impossible not to be drawn to her immediately. She’s a free spirit trapped by the strict conventions of the early 1800s, especially those placed upon upper class young women. But her Martian upbringing and her time with Khema had shown her see how things could be different (the Martians are a heavily carapaced race of aliens with eye stalks, and it is their larger, more powerful females who are the warriors and leaders) and so she has a much different outlook than her mother and her peers. Although this gives Arabella a “special snowflake” vibe at times (not to mention her knack with fixing automata which surpasses the abilities of even the most experienced adults) it was very easy to feel a connection to her character, and to cheer for her every step of the way on her quest to save her brother.
There are a few other nitpicks, but they are mostly minor. The plot was fast-paced but felt a little “forced” and too convenient, considering everything that could go wrong does go wrong, and at times it got very predictable. The romance between Arabella and Captain Singh also came on a bit too suddenly for me at the end there, especially since the latter spent more than half the book believing the former to be nothing more than his cabin boy. But since this novel appears to be designed for crossover YA and adult appeal, I didn’t mind these stylistic choices too much.
All in all, I loved Arabella of Mars and I couldn’t have asked for a more fun and exciting genre-bending tale. With its intriguing mix of steampunk, fantasy, science fiction and alternate history, readers of every persuasion will likely find something for them in this wonderful, action-packed coming-of-age adventure.
Guest Post: “You Can’t Hide Everything…So Don’t” by Seth Skorkowsky
Posted on September 15, 2016 6 Comments
Today I’m thrilled to welcome back Seth Skorkowsky to The BiblioSanctum with a guest post on writing his Valducan series. It’s always a pleasure to have you, Seth! Valducan is an urban fantasy with a horror twist, featuring a world of magic, demons, and sentient spirit-imbued weapons. Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds. I was hooked from the first book Dämoren, and was equally taken with its follow-up Hounacier. Earlier this month saw the release of the third book, now available from Ragnarok Publications! Ibenus is another gritty tale of mystery and action, this time starring police detective Victoria Martin as she attempts to track down the order of Valducans following her own attack by a demon. My review is scheduled to be up next week, but in the meantime, please enjoy this post by Seth on writing about Surprise and Suspense!
YOU CAN’T HIDE EVERYTHING…SO DON’T
by Seth Skorkowsky
The Power of Suspense.
There’s nothing more fun than a good twist. I’m not referring to the twist ending like “He was dead the whole time,” though those can also be fun. I’m referring to that moment when everything goes wrong and the best laid plans are thrown askew by some terrible event that the heroes didn’t see coming. This event is usually between the 45 and 55% mark in the story.
This can put the author in the awkward situation where they have to decide how much they want the reader to see it coming. We don’t want it to feel like it came out of nowhere so we use a little foreshadowing to pave the way for the moment when it all goes bad. However, we also don’t want to make it too obvious. Audiences love to be surprised, but they also love trying to figure out what’s going to happen before it does. It’s a game we all play, and if what we suspect ends up being true, then it can ruin the experience for us. We say that the story is predictable or that I “guessed the reveal.”
Fear of this can lead storytellers to hold back on the foreshadowing, reign it in so that it isn’t as easy to predict the big twist. This again leads to the problem that the audience might feel that it came out of nowhere and throw out phrases like, “deus ex machina.”
Authors lose sleep over worrying, “Is my story too predictable?” and “Does it feel like the twist came out of nowhere?”.
So instead of dwelling too much on what the reader might predict, an author should go ahead and assume that there will be parts that the reader will predict. Unlike the heroes in the story, the reader knows that this is a story. The audience knows there is plot structure. They’ve read the blurb that tells them what the story is about, and they know that there’s still two hundred pages left when the hero believes the adventure is near its end. So there is no point in hiding these facts or even pretending that you can.
When we watch Alien (1979) are we surprised when the crew encounters aliens? Of course not. Even if we hadn’t seen the trailer, the name of the movie is Alien. No one is in the least bit surprised when something comes out of the egg. But what none of us saw coming was what came out and what exactly it did.
When I wrote the summary for Hounacier, I threw in that the hero is betrayed. One reviewer in particular was very vocal that the summary was a spoiler and told too much. However, the reason I did it was because that prior to the betrayal, any attempts at hiding it would have been laughable. The reader knows this is a story. The character does not. So I just went out and admitted it.
Does this mean the reader will know too much? No. Because what the reader doesn’t know is the specifics. The how he’s betrayed is the real twist. How he deals with that betrayal and the limits it pushes him to are what drives the story once in incident happens. So instead of a reader saying, “I think I know what will happen,” they instead have, “When is it going to happen?” and “How will it happen?” This transforms plot-guessing into suspense.
Alfred Hitchcock has a brilliant quote that he gives about Suspense versus Surprise. Unfortunately, it’s a little long to use here, but I’ll summarize it.
Imagine two people are talking and a bomb explodes. Everyone is surprised, but that surprise lasts only a few seconds. Now imagine that the audience knows that there is a bomb that will detonate in fifteen minutes. They see it ticking while the characters are talking and the clock is getting shorter and shorter. You’ve now turned 15 seconds of surprise into 15 minutes of suspense. (That summary hardly gives the quote justice. You can find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/728496-there-is-a-distinct-difference-between-suspense-and-surprise-and )
It’s nearly impossible to keep a story 100% spoiler free. Even if a reader avoids all reviews and blurbs, they still begin the story with the knowledge that it is a story and how long it is. I like to think that most readers are smart enough to try to figure out what will happen next. So instead of letting them have access to the low-hanging fruit and giving them a chance to say, “Ah-hah, I picked your fruit. It was too easy,” just knock those low hanging ones down. Make the reader focus their attention on the tasty bits that are too high for them to easily reach.
The surprise should never be that something bad happens. The surprise should be the situation when it does, and the results that continue long after the bomb explodes. Instead of trying to completely conceal the twist, use the reader’s knowledge of it to build suspense or misdirect their attention until the full twist is revealed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raised in the swamps and pine forests of East Texas, Seth Skorkowsky gravitated to the darker sides of fantasy, preferring horror and pulp heroes over knights in shining armor.
His debut novel, Dämoren, was published in 2014 as book #1 in the Valducan series; it was followed by Hounacier in 2015, and the third book, Ibenus, arriving in 2016. Seth has also released two sword-and-sorcery rogue collections with his Tales of the Black Raven series.
When not writing, Seth enjoys cheesy movies, tabletop role-playing games, and traveling the world with his wife.
Find him at http://skorkowsky.com and on Twitter @SSkorkowsky.
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