Book Review: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
Posted on July 22, 2016 3 Comments
Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
Genre: Space opera, Children-Tweens
Series: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Canon
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press (September 2015)
Author Info: ClaudiaGray.com
Wendy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
“Look through my eyes.”
I’d heard the praise about this book and knew that it involved a pair of star-crossed lovers, but I guess I had expected their tale to be a new adventure of their own. And it most certainly is that, but set within an all too familiar back drop. I did not expect Ciena and Thane’s story to storm through every major battle that I have already seen on screen a thousand times and can replay in my mind’s eye as if I were there. But this time, those epic battles are revealed through very different perspectives that force me to question everything I’ve believed–no, everything I’ve simply assumed about Star Wars. Because Lost Stars is, at its heart, a story of differing points of view. When you’re not looking through the eyes of the hero, Luke Skywalker, the story changes entirely and most notably with the realization that Han is completely justified in his
belief:
Ever since meeting Luke Skywalker and subsequently reading all the current and former EU, playing all the games, watching the cartoons, etc, I have taken for granted that everyone knows about the Force and Jedi rolling around town brandishing lightsabers is an everyday occurrence. But the reality is that, outside of the council in the prequels and Luke’s inner circle, your average Joe wasn’t privy to the deadly rave sticks and epic displays of mythical power. Even the Emperor kept his mad skillz in check, never tipping his lightning tipped hand as his annihilated the Jedi.
And then came the propaganda. If China can obliterate Tiananmen Square from its history, imagine what the propaganda machine that is the Empire can do, especially without internet communications to worry about. Which makes it easy to seduce eager young children like Ciena and Thane into a life of planet-sized genocide.
Perspective is everything and Gray takes us through the stories we have known through the eyes of these best friends who are forced into situations that put them at odds with their own sense of loyalty, morality, and honour along side their friends as they watch participate in events like the destruction of Alderaan. It’s easy for us to see these actions as evil, but to those conditioned to believe the Empire to be the good guys, it’s not quite as clear. Or rather, Gray does an exceptional
job of showing us how such heinous crimes can be rationalized by very normal, good people.
Romance is a YA trope that I am wary of, but when it’s done well, then I’m all for it. That is the case here, where the focus is first on friendship and how their relationship develops–and I don’t mean how it develops into romance, but how it affects their decisions as their lives progress. The heart wants what it wants, but Ciena and Thane are so much more than the scope of their loins. As a result, as I read about them constantly being torn apart inside and out by the realities of war and their own personal conflicts, I couldn’t help but hurt. And even more surprising, despite knowing the outcome of the various battles portrayed, the hyper focus of seeing it through Thane and Ciena’s eyes creates such incredible tension.
After recently reading Star Wars: Shattered Empire and other books that take old fans back and introduce new fans to the original Star Wars trilogy, I am so pleased with this concept. It gives fans, both new and old, something new to share as the journey reawakens on screen.
Book Review: The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone
Posted on July 21, 2016 20 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (July 5, 2016)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’m not really afraid of spiders. Yes, they’re kinda icky, but unless I find one right in my personal space I tend to just leave the little crawlies be. Like they say, most house spiders are relatively harmless and I actually like to keep them around to take care of other worst insect pests that might be lurking about.
But the spiders in The Hatching, though? NO. Dear God, just…NO. In the reading of this book, I had to fight several urges not to jump into the shower every few minutes, because I was convinced I was feeling hundreds of tiny little skittering legs crawling all over my skin. And like I said, I am not afraid of spiders (or at least I didn’t used to be). If however you’re an arachnophobe, then this is going to go really badly for you.
The Hatching begins in the jungles of Peru, where The Swarm (given the kind of book we’re talking about, I feel it’s only correct to designate the spider horde as a character in its own right) claims its first victim. Before long though, other disturbing reports are emerging all over the world. In China, a nuclear bomb goes off, which their government claims was a “training incident” gone wrong. In Minneapolis, an American billionaire’s private jet suddenly falls out of the sky. In Kanpur, India, a group of scientists receive unusual seismic readings at their earthquake lab. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, screams suddenly ring out aboard a cargo ship. The commonality between all these events? Give yourself a pat on the back if you guessed eight-legged menaces.
Accordingly, this story follows a large number of characters in a large number of settings, but eventually we get to tease out a handful of perspectives that make up our main cast. At the American University in Washington DC, Dr. Melanie Guyer is a leading spider researcher working with a mysterious calcified egg sac found buried beneath the ancient Nazca Lines. Her ex-husband Manny is conveniently the White House Chief of Staff to President Stephanie Pilgrim, where he gets a front row seat to all decisions made by the top brass during this global disaster. In Minneapolis, FBI Agent Mike Rich is called to the scene of the aforementioned plane crash and makes a gruesome discovery. In Scotland, a couple find themselves stranded when all flights are grounded. In California, Corporal Kim Bock and her squad of Marines are getting ready to mobilize, not knowing where they’ll be going but are nonetheless prepared to follow orders. Not far away in an underground bunker, four survivalists take shelter against what they believe is the end of the world. And with that, the stage is set for some arachnid fueled anarchy.
This isn’t the first time I’ve expressed my love for the “natural horror” subgenre, i.e. stories featuring nature or animals destroying civilization and wreaking total havoc on the human race. And I’m sure it’s not going to be the last. For a novel of its type, The Hatching is actually really decent. It does its job well, kicking things off with a bang. Then after that little tease, it dials back a bit to spend the next quarter of the book or so building up the suspense, taking us globetrotting to show how The Swarm is affecting the entire world.
What I really liked is how the focus is spiders, but the narrative actually reads more like a global epidemic. One of the reasons why I can tolerate spiders is the fact they are usually solitary creatures; I would be an entirely different matter if they always appeared en masse. I’m also not too worried about them because they’re typically more afraid of you than you are of them, and are happy to leave humans alone. However, the spiders in The Hatching are not like normal spiders. They travel in thick groups, moving like a solid river of black, and they have no compunctions about swarming you and eating your face. What made for such a sweet, touching moment at the end of Charlotte’s Web is suddenly transformed into a hellish scene of nightmare proportions as flesh-eating spiders literally start raining out of the sky. They also find the squishy insides of the human body to be the most ideal place to lay their eggs, and you really don’t want to be the poor host when they hatch. These scary quirks in their biology make it virtually impossible to contain the spiders, so very soon The Swarm is out of control—think killer virus outbreak or a zombie plague.
The quality of writing isn’t bad either, though I found it fluctuated from chapter to chapter. Some POVs felt strangely sparse, for instance, while others were fully fleshed out and very well described. My favorite sections were those featuring Gordo and his fellow survivalists out in Desperation, California; I thought the chapter introducing them all could have been a great short story all on its own. None of the other characters really made an impression, however, not even the “main” characters like Melanie, Manny, or Mike. I found even fewer of them to be likeable, though to be fair, I’m sure many of them were solely written in to be spider food. And in the end, with books like The Hatching, what you see is really what you get. The novel delivered exactly what I expected of it, so I hardly have cause to complain. I enjoyed myself, which is the most important thing, and there’s no denying I was thoroughly entertained.
I believe The Hatching is the first part of a planned trilogy, and I’m glad. This was a lot of fun, and the ending sets things up brilliantly for a sequel. I’m really looking forward to seeing how humanity will survive the spider apocalypse…or if we even do.
Book Review: The Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson
Posted on July 20, 2016 15 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Series: Book 4 of Alcatraz
Publisher: Starscape (July 19, 2016)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Great to know I can always count on the Alcatraz series to lift my spirits. The Shattered Lens may be book four of the sequence, but I’m just as hooked on the story as I was when I first picked up Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, the adventure that started it all. Brandon Sanderson continues to deliver plenty of laughs and action as he prepares to ramp things up for The Dark Talent; now that the illustrated hardcover re-issues of books 1-4 are out in the world, the stage is set for the long-awaited big finale, dropping September 2016.
You’d think a nice vacation for Alcatraz Smedry and Co. are in order, after foiling the latest Librarian scheme to attack the Free Kingdoms—but no. This time, urgent news has come from Mokia, a Free Kingdom nation currently under siege by the Shattered Lens, the most zealous of the Librarian sects. Thinking like a Smedry, Alcatraz hatches up a crazy plan to charge headfirst into the heat of battle, hoping that his actions would encourage the Knights of Crystallia to follow his lead and send support to Tuki Tuki, the capital of Mokia.
It doesn’t take long for Alcatraz to realize he’s in way over his head. The Shattered Lens’ army of giant robots have Tuki Tuki surrounded, and every day more and more of the city’s defenders are falling to the enemy’s coma-inducing weapons. Still, Alcatraz is determined not to let Mokia fall—not while he’s in charge. He only has to hold out until help arrives, which should be soon…ish?
This was another awesome installment, but I probably didn’t like it as much as the first three books. Obviously I’m not the target audience here, but while the plot, characters, humor, etc. are definitely more on the “youngish” side, on the whole I’ve found this series to be very clever and witty, engaging enough so that adults like myself can enjoy the stories. That’s why I was surprised when I read the first couple chapters of The Shattered Lens and felt for the first time that the series might have gone just a tad overboard with the silliness. Alcatraz’s ramblings at the beginning of each chapter, which has become somewhat of a tradition, also felt a bit forced this time around. Like I said though, these books weren’t written for my demographic, and what matters is that the kids will still love this one, but I just wanted to give the main reason why I felt this fourth book didn’t mesh as well with me as the first three did.
Now that that’s out of the way though, I want to talk about the things that did work for me. Let’s get to the most important subject first: teddy bear grenades. After all, how else are Free Kingdoms children supposed to protect themselves?! I also really enjoyed getting to visit Mokia, despite having to see it in its besieged state. Sanderson continues to expand the cast as well, adding another member to Alcatraz’s family tree which also means—yay!—more bizarre Smedry talents. Aydee Ecks, Alcatraz’s bubbly little cousin, has the talent of being really bad at math…and I just love the way she puts it to good use.
And speaking of Smedry talents, the one thing I haven’t really talked about in my reviews is the way “magic” works in the Alcatraz universe. Considering some of the intricate magic systems in Sanderson’s adult works, I originally dismissed occulator lenses and Smedry talents, etc. as being superficial and overly simplistic. But I was wrong. Much has been revealed so far over the course of these four books, connecting the dots and fleshing out what is known as the Incarnate Wheel, which is a theory used to divide the different talents up into groups. This style of describing and categorizing talents is pure Brandon Sanderson. Although there’s still this humorous, farcical element to the talent system in Alcatraz, it’s probably no less complex and thought-out than the magic systems in his epic fantasy novels, and I’m really starting to appreciate that.
All in all, it’s become quite evident that we’re now gearing up for the final book, as plot threads are coming together or being tied up left and right. It felt like this was the main purpose of the novel, for even though the siege of Mokia played a central role, it’s the big reveals in here that really stole the show. But there are still so many questions: What’s the real deal behind Alcatraz’s talent? How will things play out between him and Bastille? What’s going to happen with his parents? And will we really, truly, finally get that long-promised, oft-teased altar scene? Diving into The Dark Talent soon, so I guess I’ll be finding this all out in due course!
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians (Book 1)
Review of The Scrivener’s Bones (Book 2)
Review of The Knights of Crystallia (Book 3)
Waiting on Wednesday 07/20/16
Posted on July 20, 2016 10 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
Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop (March 7, 2017 by Roc)
It didn’t take long at all for The Others to become one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Next spring, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on this fifth book in the sequence.
“After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…
As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.
With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave.”
Book Review: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan + Giveaway!
Posted on July 19, 2016 15 Comments
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!***
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own.
The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Draconis Memoria
Publisher: Ace (July 5, 2016)
Length: 592 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
A departure from his Raven’s Shadow trilogy, Anthony Ryan’s latest novel The Waking Fire is the start of a new series featuring a compelling blend of fantasy, adventure, and intrigue. And if there was one thing I learned from reading Queen of Fire, it’s that Ryan has a talent for writing amazing scenes of battle on the high seas—which are also plentiful in this new book. Then, there are the dragons. Oh, we mustn’t forget the dragons.
In this fascinating new world of The Draconis Memoria, no other commodity is prized above what the people call “product”, a deceptively innocuous term for something in fact truly magical and amazing: Dragon’s blood. By itself, product is unremarkable—volatile and dangerous, even—save for the powers it bestows to a very small slice of the population known as the blood-blessed, those rare men and women who are literally one in a thousand. Their abilities that manifest are so advantageous and formidable, that entire industries have been dedicated to the harvesting of dragon blood, either from hunting the creatures or taking it from those kept in captivity. Unfortunately though, over-exploitation has depleted their numbers in the wild, and those in the Ironship Syndicate who have noticed this weakening have real fears that the ensuing shortage of product will lead to war with their neighbors in the Corvantine Empire.
However, a group in the Syndicate has been clandestinely following up on the whispers of a rare breed of drake. Ancient texts tell of the White, a dragon that is supposed to be far more powerful than the commonplace Reds, Greens, Blacks and Blues. By all accounts, the white dragon is a myth—but there are those who believe with all their hearts that it exists and would do whatever it takes to get their hands on its blood, a treasure worth beyond anything imagined.
The Waking Fire tells a story of how three disparate characters find themselves on a quest to seek this elusive creature of legend. First there’s Claydon Torcreek, who is not just your run-of-the-mill slippery thief. That’s because Clay is also a blood-blessed, albeit unregistered, using his powers to give himself an advantage over his fellow criminals and scoundrels. Then one day, he gets arrested and pressed into his Uncle Braddon’s service. As it happens, Braddon is about to embark on a journey which would require someone of Clay’s talents. Next up is Corrick Hilemore, an officer newly assigned to an ironship, whose captain is in the early stages of testing out a faster, more powerful engine. As a character, Hilemore didn’t really stand out for me, and it was also a while before we saw his sections relate to the overall story. Still, I have to say his chapters were undoubtedly some of the most exciting (see earlier comment about amazing ship battles!) filled with encounters with pirates and with Corvantine enemy forces. But by far my favorite character was probably Lizanne Lethridge, a spy and assassin tasked by her superior to gather intelligence which would help in the hunt for the white drake. Lizanne embodies everything I love about female spy characters—disciplined and efficient, but also smart and independent enough to not blindly follow orders when her gut instinct tells her something isn’t right.
I also enjoyed Anthony Ryan’s dragons, even though they are more incidental than anything, for it is their blood that is the focus on this story. The power that a blood-blessed can summon upon consuming product will depend on the type of dragon the blood came from. A useful maxim to remember is “Blue for the mind, Green for the body, Red for the fire, Black for the push.” The idea of a “gifted” section of the populace being able to gain a variety of physical and mental enhancements or abilities from chugging certain kinds of substances is definitely not new (for instance, Brandon Sanderson’s magic system in Mistborn immediately comes to mind) but I liked how Ryan incorporated the dragon mythos, and he made it conceivable that uncanny powers can be derived from the essence of these magical creatures.
The plot pacing is a bit uneven, but to be fair that’s not something uncommon for a lot of these big epic fantasy novels. I liked that the book hooked me in straight away, the first ten or so pages of the prologue introducing a riddle which sets the tone for the rest of the story. The three character perspectives are well-balanced and explores multiple facets of the story in depth as well as a great deal of what’s happening around the world. If you enjoy fantasy quest narratives and all that comes along with them, then you should also have a great time following Clay, Lizanne and Hilemore on their individual trials and challenges. As with any long journey, the three of them will experience exciting adventures but also plenty of downtime to regroup and recuperate. Always though, the plot presses forward with its intrigues and character development. By the time the book ended, I was practically screaming at that cliffhanger.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I was left with a couple thoughts when I finished. First of all, Anthony Ryan has seriously upped his game. The Waking Fire is proof that his debut trilogy Raven’s Shadow was just a taste of more to come from that brilliant mind of his. And the second thought on my mind of course was: WHEN WILL WE GET THE SEQUEL? I’m definitely on board with this new series!
The Waking Fire Giveaway
Time for a giveaway! With thanks to the publisher, the BiblioSanctum has one print copy of The Waking Fire up for grabs! The giveaway is open to residents of the US. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “THE WAKING FIRE” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Friday, July 29, 2016.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Week 3: All is Fair Read-Along
Posted on July 18, 2016 6 Comments
Our read-along of The Split Worlds series continues, and this month we’re diving into the third book All Is Fair! If you’re interested in joining this Read-Along, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
With thanks to Coolcurry for the read-along banner!
Caught in the insidious designs of powerful puppet-masters and playing a life-or-death game for control, Cathy and her comrades face their greatest challenge yet: changing the balance of power in the Split Worlds.
Now at the heart of the Londinium Court, deceit and murder track Will’s steps as he assumes his new role as Duke. Faced with threats to his throne and his life, the consequences of his bloody actions are already coming back to haunt him…
Meanwhile, Cathy, wrestling with the constraints of the Agency and Dame Iris, comes to terms with her new status in Fae-touched society and seeks others who feel just as restricted by its outdated social rules. As Max works with Cathy to uncover the horrors that underpin Fae-touched society, he bears witness as the final blow is struck against the last Sorcerers in Albion…
Week 1: Monday 4th July, Chapters 1-6, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Monday 11th July, Chapters 7-14, hosted by Hisham El-Far
Week 3: Monday 18th July, Chapters 15-22, hosted by The Illustrated Page
Week 4: Monday 25th July, Chapters 23-End, hosted by x + 1
1. What do you think the fae could be breeding people for? And why Cathy and Will?
Mogsy: Finding out that the fae might be trying to breed people was disturbing, but sadly not a surprise. I’d been contemplating these questions since last week, ever since I became convinced this all had to do with Cathy and Will’s future child. I don’t really know why the two of them, though. And why a son? If we presume that the fae wouldn’t be bothered to do anything unless it benefited them, I started working at the problem backwards. What poses the most threat to the fae? The Sorcerers and their Arbiters? The Elemental Court? Maybe they are trying to breed a “Chosen One” to be a champion against their enemies? I really have no idea here.
2. Cathy’s third wish starts to provide some hope right when things look most desperate. Do you think she has a shot? Will the book group end up being of any help?
Mogsy: I thought it was really bizarre how her third wish suddenly “unlocked” just as she had her epiphany about herself. While it made sense for her silencing curse to break, I call bullshit on the ease of getting Carter on her side, whether or not that was indeed an effect of her wish as well. I guess if the wish also granted her these miraculous powers of persuasion, then yes, maybe she has a shot at getting help from the book group? It would feel a bit too easy though.
3. Will’s landed in some dire straits. Do you think he’ll be able to wiggle out of it? Do you want him too?
Mogsy: He’ll probably wiggle out of it. Unfortunately. We’ve always known him for a self-serving egotistical bastard, even without the fae pulling his strings, and so this section was simply classic Will being Will. I was so irritated with him this week because he all but admitted he was wrong, and the least he could do was an innocent man’s name. Honestly, Margritte could have demanded more, and she certainly had the right to. That he refused to do even the barest minimum asked of him is so disappointing. As far as I’m concerned, he deserved what was coming to him. I say let him rot, but he’ll probably get out somehow.
4. So much has been revealed about the Elemental Court. Do you think Sam’s making the right decisions? Will he be able to use his new power to create some change?
Mogsy: While his heart is in the right place, I doubt Sam’s preachy, haphazard attitude is going to get him anywhere with the Court, as he’s barely getting anywhere with me at the moment. I think until he learns the ropes and finds out exactly what he’s into, not to mention pull his act together so we can all take him seriously, he’s just going to keep spinning his wheels.
5. Any other thoughts?
Mogsy: Speaking of the Elemental Court, I still don’t understand them fully. The way the explanations are thrown together right now seem so hokey. And is what happened with Lord Iron an allegory for “power corrupts”? Could we expect to see Sam gradually change into the jaded and callous figure like his predecessor, or is there really something about him that makes him immune to those effects? If so, might that resistance have anything to do with his ability to shape iron, unlike those who are good with art or engineering or anything like that?
I also wonder at a possible alliance between Cathy and Margritte. Their meeting was super awkward, and it seems unlikely that their relationship would improve once Cathy finds out what Margritte has done with Will, but what if they in fact team up to pressure Will into joining their cause, in exchange for his freedom? Cathy has always been frustrated at Will’s lack of support when it comes to bringing feminism to the Nether, and if she ever finds out about him drugging her, or about Amelia and the baby, or any of the other crap he’s been up to behind her back, I doubt she’d still stick up for him.
Aliens: The Official Movie Novelization by Alan Dean Foster
Posted on July 18, 2016 6 Comments
Aliens: The Official Movie Novelization by Alan Dean Foster
Genre: Science fiction
Series: Alien #2
Publisher: Titan Books (April 2014)
(Originally published by Warner Books, 1986)
Author Info: alandeanfoster.com
Wendy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Aliens is one of my favourite movies so this book had a lot to live up to, with the potential to utterly fail me. As you can see from those five stars, it did just fiiiine. I’m trying to read more novelizations, which means Alan Dean Foster is going to appear often on my list. I should never have doubted him. He is skilled at capturing every element that makes me love the movies, with the added bonus of the inner monologues and varied perspectives that this format grants. My only complaint stems from the latter. The book opens with an unusual perspective: that of Jones, Ripley’s cat. The peek into the predatory animal’s mind serves as a chilling reflection of what might be going through the heads of the story’s deadly protagonists, the xenomorphs, who are the only living beings whose point of view we don’t get to see. After starting the book with Jones’ perspective and having interjections of the amusing things that only cats are capable of, I found myself wishing that Jones had played a bigger role in the film, rather than being left behind in the safety of Earth (though I’m sure Jones would disagree).
“Nah, Imma stay riiight here.” ~Jones
Aliens is the James Cameron sequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien. Both are stellar films that work tension and survival in different ways. In Aliens, the stakes are higher with more aliens versus highly skilled marines. Surely humanity shall prevail, right? Foster’s words lend weight to the already formidable force we see in the film.
Vasquez, Frost, Spunkmeier, my beloved Hicks, and even Hudson become even more real for me in this book thanks to the little details about their individual roles, their almost hive mind-like communication when the shit hits the fan, their camaraderie, even Bishop, the synthetic, gets to shine with a brilliant sense of humour from a machine that perhaps understands humans better than it should. The slimy Burke becomes even more detestable with additional dialogue and inner thoughts that ensure that no one will ever not look forward to his comeuppance.
No, wait! I have one more complaint. Foster’s digs right into the emotions of Ripley and also Newt, the little girl who survived the horror only to be cruelly stolen from me, along with Hicks, at the beginning of Alien3. Reading about the three of them here hurt my heart in a way that can only be resolved by writing fanfic (or reading the Dark Horse comic that has since been redacted) where Newt and Hicks survive the landing on the prison planet and continue on with Ripley, ripping apart those damn aliens like the happy family they were meant to be, waiting patiently for the arrival of Alien 5.
Oh oh and also, while the movie is R-rated, the book notably avoids naughty words. So I’ll just leave this here to make up for the loss. Say it with me now…
Book Review: False Hearts by Laura Lam
Posted on July 17, 2016 17 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: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of False Hearts
Publisher: Tor (June 14, 2016)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I really enjoyed this book. Clearly author Laura Lam has been busy honing her craft in the years since her debut Pantomime, the novel that first introduced me to her wonderful writing and storytelling. She’s taken those skills to a whole other level with False Hearts–a very different novel from her previous work to be sure, but it’s no less gripping and emotionally impactful.
Taema and Tila are two of the most amazing characters you’ll ever meet. For one thing, for the first sixteen years of their lives the sisters shared one heart. Even though this book takes place in a high-tech future where most medical conditions have been eradicated or can be cured, the conjoined twins were born to parents who were members of a cult that rejects any kind of advanced technology and medical treatments. In the closed compound of Mana’s Hearth where access to the outside world is limited, the girls grew up under the tutelage of a cult leader called Mana-ma, participating in the kind of mind exercises that keep all the Hearth’s members happily brainwashed. However, knowing that their shared heart will fail one day, worn down by the strain of supporting two bodies, the girls manage to escape Mana’s Hearth to San Francisco where they are surgically separated and given new mechanical hearts.
The main story of False Hearts actually starts ten years later, after Taema and Tila have both pursued their own lives separately but still remained close. One night, Taema is preparing dinner when Tila suddenly bursts into her apartment, terrified and covered in blood. The police arrive to arrest Tila, claiming that she killed someone, but Tila insists that she didn’t do it and Taema wants badly to believe her. After all, separated or not, after everything they’ve gone through together in their first sixteen years, she thinks she knows her sister better than anyone. Tila couldn’t have done it, she isn’t capable of being a murderer…is she? Just how much does Taema know about Tila now that they’ve been living their own lives for the past decade? As Taema embarks on a mission to save her twin, she begins to wonder if perhaps she has been wrong about everything. It turns out that Tila has been involved in some very dark and dangerous activities, and now her secrets are the only hope for Taema’s own survival.
While Taema is working undercover for the police to try to clear her sister’s name, Tila starts writing about her past in a journal as she waits in a holding cell for her upcoming trial. In this way, two stories are woven together, the past and the present unfolding side by side. This duality is further emphasized by the differences in the twins’ personalities. Tila is the more open and outgoing sister who pursued a career in art before getting hired to work at one of the city’s hottest nightclubs. There she works as a hostess to clients who come to the club to experience Zeal, a drug that allows its users to live out their deepest darkest fantasies in a dreamscape. In contrast, Taema is the more reserved, quiet and introspective one with few close friends. The differences between the two women can be seen in the way they speak, think, and act, and I thought Lam did an incredible job giving each twin a unique voice.
I also really enjoyed the book’s atmosphere. The dual themes continue, as beneath the bright and shiny surface of this futuristic version of San Francisco (where crime is supposedly non-existent) there actually lurks a dark and violent side of the city, where a criminal organization called the Ratel holds all the power. And while the use of Zeal has helped many people live happier and healthier lives, for those who become physically and mentally dependent on it, it can also lead to the exact opposite. I was as shocked as Taema to go from the safe, clean environment she knows into this gritty world of treacherous gang bosses and seedy drug dens. And as if that’s not enough, the twins’ past also comes back to haunt them. There was always this air of tension that kept me on my toes, bracing for the other shoe to drop. This part-thriller, part-mystery story is addictive as hell.
Of course, sisterhood also plays a huge part in all of this. There’s a larger message in here about growing up and realizing that everyone must follow their own path. Taema’s loyalty to Tila certainly moved me, but it also felt so innocent and naïve at the end of the day, when it was clear that their lives were already diverging even when the two of them still shared a heart. Of course, the irony is that the more one tried to protect the other from change, the more they actually put them in danger, and the secrets just hurt all the more in the end. Taema and Tila both attempt to hold on to the past in their own individual ways, and it’s just one wild ride as difficult truths emerge to turn everything upside down.
I was overjoyed when I found out that Lam is planning a follow-up to this. False Hearts works perfectly fine as a self-contained standalone, but believe me when I say that I wouldn’t mind revisiting these characters or even this world if Taema and Tila’s tale is done for now. Yes, I definitely want more after this one. Highly recommended.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 16, 2016 31 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
My thanks to all the publishers for the review copies received! For more details and full descriptions of the books, be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages.
Imprudence by Gail Carriger – For some reason I was unable to get into Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, but then last year I picked up Prudence, the new series starring the daughter of Alexia Tarabotti, and I loved it. I was really excited to receive this sequel, which is my current read right now and I’m really digging it. My thanks to Orbit Books for the ARC.
It Happened One Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton – A finished copy courtesy of the kind folks at Pyr. I’m hoping to dive into this one later this month, and I’m really looking forward to it. In case you missed it, be sure to also check out this nifty guest post by Laurence, and you have until Friday to enter our international giveaway for a chance to win a copy for yourself, as well as a galena crystal!
Flying by Carrie Jones – This one’s new to me, but apparently it’s about aliens! I wouldn’t have guessed that from the cover, and it definitely sounds like a different kind of YA novel. I’m definitely interested in trying it. My thanks to Tor Teen!
Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine – This sci-fi novel has been on my radar for a while, but I admit I didn’t really know much about it until a copy showed up one day. The book’s description as well as a few early reviews I’ve read have really piqued my interest, so I’m going to have to make some time for it this summer. With thanks to Tor.
Red Tide by Marc Turner – Thank you Tor for also sending me book three in Marc Turner’s Chronicle of the Exile. I’m really starting to dig this series, and I can’t wait to continue!
Deadlands: Thunder Moon Rising by Jeffrey J. Mariotte – More awesomeness from Tor! Deadlands is based off the Weird West RPG of the same name. Even though I’ve never played the game, I love checking out all kinds of tie-ins and novelizations, so I’ll most likely give this one a shot. Plus, Westerns! This book is actually the second novel in the sequence, but I hope I can just jump right in. My thanks to the publisher.
Ghostbusters by Nancy Holder – Speaking of novelizations, I was delighted by this surprise arrival! I didn’t even know there was a book based off the new movie. If I don’t get the chance to see it for myself in theaters this summer, I’ll probably read this. Thank you, Tor!
Scary Out There edited by Jonathan Maberry – My thanks to Simon and Schuster for this horror anthology. It was an unsolicited ARC, but I know I’ll definitely read this! While I’m not a big reader of anthologies, its hook–a collection of short stories by authors of the Horror Writers Association writing about what they fear most–is just too good to resist.
Wolf’s Empire: Gladiator by Claudia Christian and Morgan Grant Buchanan – I’ve heard some wonderful things about this fun adventurous sci-fi romp, and I couldn’t be more excited when this finished copy showed up in the mail. Thanks Tor Books, I can’t wait to read it!
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis – Finished copies, with thanks to Crown Publishing. I’ve been wanting to read Blake Crouch for a while, ever since his Wayward Pines series took off. Dark Matter is all set to be my next read, so by the time this post goes live hopefully I should be well into it. I’ve also been hearing some great things about The Wolf Road and I’ve got it on tap for later this summer, so hopefully I can get to it soon.
Dracula vs. Hitler by Patrick Sheane Duncan – What if Dracula were brought back to life to fight the Nazis? When I saw this book, I was like, is this for real? Yes! And it’s even written in an epistolary format like Stoker’s original Dracula. I don’t have much experience with the “horror mash-up” genre, but I’m really hoping this one will work for me. With thanks to Inkshares, I’m really looking forward to trying it out.
The Devil’s Evidence by Simon Kurt Unsworth – This surprise arrival was new to me, until I did some research and realized it’s the sequel to The Devil’s Detective, which I’m familiar with but have not read. I’ve had my eye on it for a while though, so maybe this is just the motivation I need to pick up the first book. My thanks to Doubleday!
The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power – Finished copy, with thanks to Simon & Schuster! Last week I posted my review, so in case you missed it, see the link in my review roundup section below!
Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black – Alien invasions and post-apocalyptic dystopia! I’ve had my eye on this book for a while, and now into my e-reader it goes with thanks to Ace and NetGalley.
The Sword of Midras by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott – Audiobook, with thanks to Audible Studios. I’ve been following The Shroud of the Avatar game for years now, since its successful campaign on Kickstarter which I also backed. I was intrigued when I heard that game developer Richard Garriott was teaming up with Tracy Hickman to write a SotA novel, and I think it’ll be a really good book to listen to!
The Iron Beast by Andy Remic and The Lost Child of Lychford by Paul Cornell – My thanks to Tor.com for also sending over two more e-galleys this week. Both are sequels to novellas I still need to read, so looks like I need to get moving!
Reviews
Here is a roundup of my reviews since the last update. So. Many. Great. Books. I couldn’t choose just one to highlight this week, so I picked the three that really stood out for me.
Red Queen by Christina Henry (4 of 5 stars)
The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells (4 of 5 stars)
Hope and Red by Jon Skovron (4 of 5 stars)
Borderline by Mishell Baker (4 of 5 stars)
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (4 of 5 stars)
Tracer by Rob Boffard (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power (3 of 5 stars)
The Transference Engine by Julia Verne St. John (3 of 5 stars)
Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn (2 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
Author Spotlights
My thanks to Laurence MacNaughton who stopped by The BiblioSanctum with a guest post last week!
Guest Post: “Creating Crystal Magic” by Laurence MacNaughton
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s some of what I’ll be reviewing at the BiblioSanctum in the next few weeks, minus the reviews that are already up, so stay tuned!
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? Nothing makes me happier than sharing my love for books, so let me know what you plan on checking out. I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Until next time, see you next Roundup!
#SPFBO2: Our Shortlist!
Posted on July 15, 2016 21 Comments
As we continue on into the third month of the great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-off 2, we’d like to thank everyone for their patience. Things have been definitely happening behind the scenes here! For the past 10 weeks or so, the reviewers of The BiblioSanctum have been busy poring through pages, scrutinizing details, taking copious amounts of notes, guzzling gallons of caffeinated beverages, comparing our results, arguing our cases, hammering out the specifics, all to finally bring you this huge announcement…
WE HAVE OUR SHORTLIST!
What that means is, we have now completed our read-through of the first five chapters (or approximately 20-25%) of every book in our batch of 30. After thorough discussion, the three of us have decided on the handful of books which will carry on to the next stage of our reviewing process. These are the titles that we will 1) read from cover to cover, and 2) provide with full reviews. This means that eventually, one of these will go on to the finals to compete with the picks from the nine other blogs participating in SPFBO2.
Things are heating up, and we’re very excited. Without further ado, here are the books The BiblioSanctum team has chosen to feature for a closer look. We look forward to reading these and bringing you their reviews:
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Assassin’s Charge by Claire Frank
The Alignment by Kay Camden
Beyond the Starline by Austin Hackney
The Warlock and the Wolf by Delfy Hall
Anathema: Transition by O. Rising
The Dragon’s Blade: The Reborn King by Michael R. Miller
Congratulations to the authors who have made our shortlist! We received a very strong batch of books this year, which made it extremely difficult to narrow down the field. So for those who did not make the next stage, please don’t let this discourage you. Having to choose only one book out of 30 at the end of this phase of SPFBO regrettably meant that we could only move forward with a very few, even though there were many that caught our attention. We definitely had to adopt some different, unconventional strategies for this part of the competition, which sometimes meant that we had to compromise or be extra critical–and yes, even ruthless–in our selection process. No matter what though, we just want to say it was an absolute pleasure and delight to have had a chance to read your writing, and we would like to thank everyone for all your hard work and wish you all the best for the future.
The following are some of our feedback and mini-reviews of the books that unfortunately didn’t make the cut, but we’d like to feature them and talk about them all the same. Keep in mind, our thoughts here are based only on the first five chapters/20-25% of each book. In some cases, while these books did not make our short list, they still caught our interest enough to read on outside of the SPFBO–so watch out for future reviews! If any of these titles interest you, we strongly encourage you to check them out.
Dragon’s Luck by Richard Hardeman
Fantasy adventure, with some touches of sci-fi. The story begins with our characters somehow finding themselves on a Goblin planet. Very soon, they encounter its inhabitants and become entangled in the dangerous and unpredictable politics of this world. A winsome tale with a fun, adventurous premise and endearing characters like Dobbins who is always getting into more trouble than he can manage. There are some intriguing cross-genre elements in here like goblins and spaceships, along with other unique alien creatures with creatively quirky-sounding names. Some jokes and humorous moments provide some much welcome comic relief. The book is quite dialogue-heavy, which sets a very snappy and quick pace, but some polish is required to smooth out the conversations to make them easier to follow. This quick back-and-forth style also sacrifices development in other areas like characters and world-building, and the story needs to be fleshed out more, but there are a lot of very interesting ideas here.
Gauntlet of Time by Trip Ellington
Fantasy, with Young Adult vibes. Xalo and his best friend Jirnik are scavengers, collecting and selling valuable things they find in order to eke out a living. One day, while out exploring a forbidden site, they encounter a desperate princess trying to escape a group of strange creatures. In her possession is a magical gauntlet, which calls to Xalo. This story feels fairly typical, and predictable. The writing is oddly extravagant in some places while sparse in others, but the descriptions of people and places are nicely done. Definitely has potential if the audience is Middle Grade to YA, and we think this cute and fun book would be an absolute delight for younger readers.
Shawndirea by Leonard D. Hilley II
Fantasy. One day while out netting butterflies to add to his collection, entomologist Ben Whytten accidentally captures a tiny faery. Feeling remorseful about shredding her wings, Ben vows to take the faery, Shawndirea, back to her realm of Aetheon. A very lovely, sweet story. Editing is required to fix some minor errors, but on the whole the writing is nice. Character emotions however are somewhat perplexing, e.g. everyone is suddenly overwhelmed with strong emotions, but those not apparently influenced by fae magic seem to act rather calm in the face of alarming circumstances. More character development would have been preferred because none of the characters here really connected with us, but this isn’t a bad start.
Urban fantasy, about a young woman named Leia Swanson who is just getting her life back together after addiction. All of a sudden though, she is starting to see demons all around her. Beyond the prologue and the first chapter, the storytelling became less polished and needed some tightening up and editing, but we felt the writing was decent and loved the set-up and the opening. It would have been nice if there was more build-up to Leia’s problems, and the character of her drug-dealing brother felt somewhat insensitive given Leia’s history, and he seemed only concerned with her on a superficial level without attempting to dig deeper into the cause of her troubles. Good premise overall, if a bit conventional.
Urban fantasy. Mac Brennan can’t remember anything about himself–not who he is, not why his right arm is blackened and covered with glowing red tattoos, and certainly not why he woke up in a dumpster tonight. All he knows is he saved a young woman, and now a death cult is coming after him. Very cool and intriguing premise, though there were mixed feelings about the main character’s voice and narrative, citing awkward snarkiness and pop culture references with some wordy internal monologuing that doesn’t add much to the story. The plot also felt too convenient, and along with strained dialogue/action choices, it felt very much like events were being deliberately pushed in one direction without letting them unfold more organically and consistently.
Epic fantasy about a mercenary who oversteps his bounds and offends a pantheon of gods. The angered gods then proceed to throw everything they have at him and his Crimson Blade guild in order to see them all destroyed, but the hero manages to face down all the obstacles one by one. There’s a strong RPG vibe with this one. The different gods at the beginning were compelling, though later on there are a lot of characters and elements introduced in a very short time, so there were also some issues with info dumping. Action scenes are plentiful, but some of the fight sequences are confusing and awkward due to too many things going on and the injection of multiple different PoVs to portray everything that happens. Not too terribly deep, with basic fantasy tropes, but a fun story regardless.
Journey to Kokoroe by Laura L. Comfort
Fantasy. A young outsider stumbles upon a small village, frightened and injured. The townspeople rush to help her, but they are also wary. The land of Galenia has been unstable as of late, as discontent between the races grow. As Hanna learns of Galenia’s destructive history from her caregivers, she resolves to help them in any way she can. Some polishing is needed to improve the flow of the writing, as the prose right now feels like a report of events, with dialogue feeling forced like the speaking is reciting world-building elements to the reader. There is a good story shaping up here, and we think it can be improved with further editing.
Rise of the Reaper by Lorna Reid
Fantasy, paranormal. Four teenage misfits’ lives are changed when they discover another world full of magic and darkness. The beginning introduces a lot of characters with a lot of POV switching, but generally good characterization of the four main characters Danny, Katrina, Poppy, and Russell. The writing is great, flows well, but there needs to be a better balance and spread in doling out the details and the world-building elements. For instance, when the kids pass through into the new world, readers are hit with an overwhelming amount of information in one go; things became problematic when the narrative tried to develop the story and divide attention between too many characters at all once. On the whole we thought this one had a fantastic introduction and presents a very original premise, but the first handful of chapters could have been pared down a little and tightened up.
Prison of Power by Chris Northern
Epic fantasy. The Crimson Throne needs an heir, and all the powers of the world are seeking the one remaining hope for restoration. The story’s style is slightly reminiscent of Steven Erikson’s Malazan or George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire; however, the prose also stumbles a little from wordiness (e.g. lots of repeated words and phrases for emphasis, when brevity would have been more effective and impactful). The book starts with a big battle to draw readers in, but after that the pacing slows way down. Giving more context in the first five chapters as well as more reasons to care about the characters would be ways to improve this intro and make it more attention grabbing.
A blend of some fantasy and science fiction. 400 years after his experiences in the Creata Adventures, the protagonist Han Storm starts a new journey on a faraway planet in another universe after transforming his consciousness into a new, donated mortal body of a teenager. Upon awakening, Han turns out to have no memory of who he is, which made understanding this story difficult at the beginning. Information is related in an almost “stream of consciousness” type narrative as our main character absorbs everything that is around him while leaving readers without much background information to any element. There’s potential for this story to become more, but the first few chapters were too confusing due to the lack of follow through on any of the thoughts presented to capture us right away.
Elven Jewel by Kasper Beaumont
Fantasy. Halfling friends Randir and Fendi are playing not far from their peaceful farm village when they suddenly stumble upon an invading force of Vergai emerging through a portal. They discover the invaders’ plan to steal something called the Elven Jewel, an powerful object that sustains Reloria’s defense system. The two halflings then embark on a journey to warn the elves about the Vergai, teaming up with the other races of the land to protect their home. At the heart of this story is a standard quest narrative, with fairly common tropes. Seemingly aimed towards younger readers and feels heavily influenced by The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The writing is weighed down by some info dumping here and there, and some oddly injected descriptions/exposition. Dialogue is awkward in places, like trying to fit as much information into conversations as possible, e.g. when the Vergai leader spells out his entire plan to capture the jewel in full detail, conveniently within earshot of the halflings. Some of the world-building elements are wonderful though, like the fascinating connection between the halflings and their fairies. Cute and adventurous story, but we were looking for something more unique.
The Tenants of 7C by Alice Degan
Urban fantasy, paranormal. Welcome to 7C, an apartment with a room for rent tucked above the Heaven & Earth Bakery in Toronto’s Kensington Market. If you can’t find it, you need not apply; they’re looking for a very special kind of tenant. However, protagonist Clare is not looking for a new place to live, she has something else in mind. A short, quick read with a wonderful concept of “Others” living in secret among humans. There are some unique twists to the creatures, and interesting world-building elements. Quality of prose is high, with the writing being very smooth. Awesome character development and fascinating story with an intriguing conflict. A very strong book that almost made it onto our shortlist, so this is one we may revisit outside SPFBO and you should definitely check it out too.
Science fiction, with dystopian elements. When the Rapture Virus came, it killed almost everyone. The book’s protagonist, video game entrepreneur Ben Gardiner has just lost his work and everyone close to him, and he’s on the verge of also losing his sanity. He decides to go looking for survivors, and ends up finding a small mysterious group of them in Montana. There are some fascinating things going on here, with the virus, the E*, the video gaming angle, etc. The large amounts of information to take in was overwhelming though, especially when delivered by characters that amount to talking heads with little more than a name to differentiate between them. Details are vague and confusing with little explanation, or, in some cases, explanations that seem to rely on a relation to gaming, but as gamers, we found the connections unclear or superfluous. We felt there could be something here, and things are certainly shaping up to be interesting, but the beginning felt like we were dropped into the middle of a story already in progress and we wanted a more immediate hook.
Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs
Fantasy. Religion and politics threaten to tear a realm apart in the face of a prophesied apocalypse, forcing Prince Kendryk into a decision that could be worse than war for his kingdom. The story switches frequently between several points of view, including Kendryk’s, allowing for various perspectives on the conflict from very different angles. However, there is a lack of world building within these views, resulting in some confusing elements. The aspects of religion and politics–heretical views versus practiced dogma–and the ambitions and motivations of the various characters are appealing. The simmering plot shows promise that could be better served by deeper prose and world building, as well as a bit more character development beyond the descriptions provided in the blurb to allow for more empathy for the various perspectives.
Liath Luachra: The Grey One by Brian O’Sullivan
Dark historical fantasy. It is 188 A.D in Ireland, a land of tribal conflict. The book starts with a young warrior woman called Liath Luachra (the Gray One) fighting a battle with her fellow band of mercenaries. Pleased by her prowess and potential, her battle leader offers her a mission that she cannot refuse. Writing is good, though there’re a lot of straight-up translations for the large number of Celtic terms used, which can be very distracting. Despite the battle at the beginning, the story is also slow to take off, though soon enough an interesting conflict presents itself and the character finds herself in a bit of a bind. This book was a strong contender, but it didn’t hook us as quickly as a few others did. Still, we loved the atmosphere, and there are some very strong grimdark fantasy vibes here, so it’s worth checking out if you are a fan of this sub-genre.
An Heir to Thorns and Steel by M.C.A Hogarth
Fantasy. A young university student struggles to hide his debilitating illness from his friends and all those around him until he learns that he may actually be the heir to a magical realm where he could find healing for what ails him. Characters and their relationships are well established in the beginning, but for some of us, the conversations that dominated the first few chapters offered little progression, and the narrative and inner monologue of the main protagonist in particular tended to bog the story down. We have had some experience with this author before and appreciate their conscientious handling of elements such as religion, sexuality, and politics and hope the protagonist’s disability will be handled with similar respect.
Descended from Dragons by Tricia Owens
Urban fantasy, paranormal. Anne Moody is a dragon sorceress running a cursed pawn shop in Las Vegas, selling anything you can imagine to the desperate and curious people of Sin City. Not much happens at the store usually, but one day a handsome young man comes in hoping to sell a gargoyle statue that is more than it appears. Reads like your typical urban fantasy, nothing too different, but regardless this feels like light, fun fare. The Vegas setting is delightful, as is Anne’s secret life as a sorceress with a familiar-like dragon companion. We enjoyed the casual dialogue and sense of humor, and the way supernatural details are tossed in almost nonchalantly at first, and then get more complex as Anne’s secrets are revealed. Another strong entry that almost made it onto our shortlist, and we’re curious to see where the story could lead, with hopes that the more unique angles will be explored. Recommended for fans of UF.
The Siren’s Mask by Edward Hendrik
Fantasy, paranormal. A story about a siren prisoner who just wants to escape her cruel captors. Her only hope is a brusque eunuch, but what are the chances that he’ll help her? This is a strange story with a bit of enticing mystery. The introduction was well done, and the siren’s transformation is curious. However, when the narrative changes course to describe the happenings of the here and now, the story loses a bit of its magic. There are extensive paragraphs about seemingly trivial matters, as well as a bulk of one chapter taken up to describe privy duty, when more focus could have been on more “big picture” world-building. The book is also in need of some editing work with grammar and punctuation issues. An interesting beginning, but plot needs a little more polishing and streamlining if it’s to really grab the reader.
A short work that collects the first nine parts of “Seven Stones”. Traveling preacher Absolution Kobb arrives in the village of Morth to disdain and suspicion, and it doesn’t take long before a misunderstanding leads the townsfolk to accuse him of grievous assault. However, a powerful evil also stalks this land, and before long everyone in the village is under attack. Unfortunately this one may be too short for SPFBO consideration, and its bite-sized format also greatly limits plot and character development. The rough, gritty atmosphere is excellent though, and there’s even some dark humor. If you enjoy fantasy with strong western vibes, and don’t mind the short length, this is worth checking out.
Missy the Werecat by P.G. Allison
Urban fantasy, paranormal. Missy is a werecat. Puberty first brought on her shift, and she goes into the mountains where she spends for the next two years trying to learn how to master her abilities and change back. Her disappearance leads everyone to believe that she was kidnapped. The story might have had some potential, but none of us were able to get very far into this book, with the writing being cited as the main issue.
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Malediction by Hans CummingsFantasy. Pancras, a mage who has left necromancy behind, is drawn away from his usual dealings with demons by the petty demands of the Mage’s Guild. Setting out on a journey with his friends, he expects the trouble to be at the end of his journey, but that’s not usually how these things work out. Nice to see a book that embraces fantasy by offering readers a world from the perspective of a minotaur, lizard creatures, and fae, instead of the typical humans. The journey Pancras is set to take promises an interesting adventure, as do the cryptic words of a dragon, but the story could benefit from a bit more world building. Descriptions are grandiose in some places, but then sparse in others. The physicality of the main characters in particular could use some polish as they often come across as far too human in their actions, despite their fantastical nature.
Frontier World by Jedediah Kurth
Science fiction with some urban fantasy elements. Rick Anderson is just your average high school student with a crush on Mara Friti, a girl from his history class. But Mara turns out to be no ordinary girl. Just when Rick finally scores a date with her, he finds out she’s not even human. And not only is Mara actually from another world, she’s already betrothed. A short novel with a funny premise, and while the plot succeeds at being humorous and absurd, the writing needs improvement and the story is not well developed.
A Symphony of Blood by Matthew Swiontek
A novella-length dark fantasy, adventure. A talented young scribe recounts the adventures of the famous monster slayer, Gerhold of Vilheim. In one of his quests, Gerhold is hired to kill a vampire after the creature had kidnapped the wife of a lord and taken her hostage. In the first stage of our reading, one of the factors we kept in mind while choosing which books to go forward with is its uniqueness, or inventiveness. This book was fun, but the main character and story bore too many resemblances to Geralt of Rivia of The Witcher novels and games for us.
Foul is Fair by Jeffrey Cook & Katherine Perkins
Paranormal fantasy, with strong YA elements. Megan O’Reilly thought she was just your average teenager, even though she’s had some occasional issues in school and she also has to take medication for her ADHD. But then she finds out there’s a lot more to her life. She finds out she’s not even entirely human. Somewhere beyond this world is also another realm, where a Fae conflict rages. Megan learns that her father is over there and he needs her help. While the insight into the main character’s ADHD was appreciated, it also felt like her experience wasn’t woven into the story deeply enough to give the situation more depth. Megan’s friend Lani’s actions were not only very dangerous and alarming, they also changed the emphasis on Megan’s challenges. The characters and story could have used more feeling, which could be related to the writing style. The prose was weighed down by some oddly worded phrases, trivial details, and stiff sentence structure. However, we did like the major plot ideas here, but felt perhaps they needed to be presented a little sooner.
The BiblioSanctum 