Waiting on Wednesday 06/22/16
Posted on June 22, 2016 11 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
Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black (September 6, 2016 by Ace)
I have this thing for alien invasion stories, which probably explains why I so enjoyed books like Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave or Will McIntosh’s Defenders. Usually these aliens come to earth wanting to claim our planet as their own, overpowering us with their superior tech and weapons. But never underestimate the human spirit! Always, the best part of these stories is when we fight back. I love the sound of Ninth City Burning, and I have a feeling that will will also contain some YA-crossover appeal.
“We never saw them coming.
Entire cities disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but dust and rubble. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it—until we discovered we could wield the power too.
Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. The talented few capable of bending thelemity to their will are trained in elite military academies, destined for the front lines. Those who refused to support the war have been exiled to the wilds of a ruined Earth.
But the enemy’s tactics are changing, and Earth’s defenders are about to discover this centuries-old war has only just begun. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back.”
Book Review: The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill
Posted on June 21, 2016 12 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (June 28, 2016)
Length: 400 pages
Author Information: Website
If you enjoy gritty and dark, violent futuristic sci-fi mystery thrillers, then The Dark Side by Anthony O’Neill will be just the book for you. O’Neill works crime, sex, drugs, and a psychotic murdering android into a full-on non-stop plot, and that’s just to name a handful of the topics covered in this book.
In The Dark Side, two key narrative threads can be discerned, but even though they are fundamentally related to each other, the connections won’t become clear until later on. In one storyline, Lieutenant Damien Justus has come to Purgatory, a lunar territory founded by megalomaniac billionaire-in-exile Fletcher Brass. Its capital, appropriately called Sin, has been turned into a haven for fugitives and other undesirables from Earth who have come to the moon to escape their old lives. It is the only place where the shadier your record is, the better the chance you’ll be let in. Even the police here have dodgy backgrounds.
Justus, however, is the patently incorruptible good cop who has just arrived from Earth, and he’s just the kind of guy Purgatory needs to clean things up. To him, no one is above the law—and no exceptions. He is immediately given the lead role in the investigation of a string of assassinations targeting the movers and shakers of lunar society. Fletcher Brass quickly shoots to the top of the list of prime suspects, naturally. So does his daughter, the manipulative and magnetic woman known as QT Brass. But while PPD is content to just look the other way, Justus most definitely is not.
Meanwhile, far from Purgatory in the Seidel Crater, the second storyline has begun. A black-haired, black-eyed, black-tied, black-suited homicidal droid takes his first steps towards self-discovery and a two-thousand kilometer journey of death and destruction, all the while spewing forth such mottos as “It’s good to have a rival. It’s even better to crack his skull”, “Friends help you get there. Everyone else is vermin” or “Smile. Smile. Smile. Kill. Smile.”
Those damn creepy androids.
All in all I really enjoyed this fresh and addictive mystery, notwithstanding a few stylistic choices that I found peculiar, such as the frequent cutaway shots to a second-person narrative mode—a form used here I believe for the sole purpose of giving the audience a quick-and-dirty overview of the big picture. And you know what? I liked what I saw, in spite of myself. The setting in which all of these characters pound away is an incredibly rich and vivid one, considering this story takes place entirely on the desolate surface of the moon. Reading about Sin in Purgatory made me think of a city a lot like Vegas—that is, if all the hotels and casinos on the Strip were to replace their individual themes with ancient Babylonian motifs and you dialed up the seediness to 11. This is pure noir, set in a world drenched in lawlessness and “wild frontier” vibes.
I also found this blend of styles at once interesting and effective at creating a palpable sense of foreboding. The book alternates between very different atmospheres, from the extremely sordid, extremely loud streets of Sin to the deep, dark, chilling emptiness of the lunar wasteland. Justus’s perspective made for some very tense, anticipatory chapters that got the gears in my head grinding, while the android Leonardo Black’s chapters were straight-up gorefests that were so shocking and freaky that they sometimes got too hard to read. O’Neill is really good at writing scenes that capture the sheer intensity of the moment, not to mention the ruthless and demented manner of the rogue android. The book was also well-paced, drawing the reader into the story by degrees. Before I knew it, I was sweeping through the pages. The story was fun to read and it was a joy to watch all its elements fall into place in the end.
Dark humor, uncanny science, futuristic tech noir and full-throttle tensions are all deftly married together in this wild and thrilling ride. The Dark Side would be a perfect choice for fans of sci-fi who might also be looking for a hard-boiled detective mystery with an edge sharp enough to cut. O’Neill proves inventive in his prose style, and there is a curious artfulness and elegance to his characters even when they are written to be fodder for a killer robot. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more by this author!
Week 3: Any Other Name Read-Along
Posted on June 20, 2016 6 Comments
Our thanks to Hisham for the read-along banner!
We’re gaining steam on our read-along of the The Split Worlds series this month, continuing with the second book Any Other Name! If you’re interested in joining this Read-Along, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
Cathy has been reluctantly married into the Iris family and moves to Londinium, the magical Nether reflection of London, setting her on a collision course with the restrictive, high-pressure social circles that demand propriety and obedience, things the vocal and free-spirited Cathy cannot abide. Will, meanwhile, is trying to find a compromise for his new bride, but whispers in his ear are urging him towards dark deeds…
Sam, determined to dive back into the world of Exilium to rescue innocents, crosses paths with Cathy and Max once again as Max and the gargoyle uncover more information about the mysterious Agency and the chain of events that wiped out the Bath Chapter. Sacrifices, terrible deals, and dreadful revelations mark this second installment of Emma Newman’s wondrous Split Worlds series.
Week 1: Monday 6th June, Chapters 1-6, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Monday 13th June, Chapters 7-13, hosted by x + 1
Week 3: Monday 20th June, Chapters 14-20, hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 4: Monday 27th June, Chapters 21-End, hosted by The Illustrated Page
1. Cathy has her first meeting with Lord Iris. What were your first impressions? And what do you think it is that Lord Iris and Poppy both now ‘see’ in Cathy??
Mogsy: Lord Iris makes Lord Poppy look like fuzzy baby chick. I mean, for all his nefarious ways, at least Lord Poppy fits the idea of what I think of when I picture a fae lord, i.e. manipulative, sometimes malicious and destructive, likes to play games, etc. However, it appears that Lord Iris has no compunctions about getting straight to the point, using direct threats and other such unsavory methods to get what he wants. Seriously, he’s terrifying. As for what the two of them see in Cathy, I really have no idea at this point. But I’m willing to bet it’s not as simple as the reason she gives Lord Iris.
2. We had an insight into Amelia and also an insight into Cornelius – what are your thoughts on the two of them now and also how does this make you feel in terms of Will?
Mogsy: Ah, so our suspicions on whether or not Amelia might be pulling Will’s strings with magic have been answered. I have to say it’s hard to feel any sympathy for Will at this point, but I suppose this does change things, knowing that his choices and actions might not have been all his own. To be honest, right now I’m feeling plenty of antipathy towards the whole damn lot, and I’m quite okay with that.
3. It seems that everyone is puzzled by Will and Cathy’s match. Even Will jokingly (or not) wonders if he’s being offered up as a sacrifice – any thoughts as to why Will and Cathy as oppose to their more ‘suitable’ siblings?
Mogsy: I confess, I hadn’t thought about this at all. I even remember reading about Will’s pondering about the sacrifice, but at the time I thought nothing of the implications so I can’t say that I have any theories on this as of this moment. We already know there’s something going on with Cathy, but it would be interesting though, if it turned out there’s something “special” about Will as well.
4. Let’s just discuss the consummation of the marriage and the overall feelings afterwards? Thoughts please.
Mogsy: How have things suddenly gotten so soap-opera-ish? I have many feelings on the way things happened, and none of it really good. Suffice to say if I went into all of my thoughts we’d be here forever, so I’ll just say that the entire situation has left a bad taste in my mouth, as well as this sick sense of dread in pit of my stomach that someone’s going to get hurt.
5. Max and the gargoyle, how do you think the investigation is fairing? What do you make of their tactics?
Mogsy: It’s not going as well as it could be, but I don’t think trying to threaten Cathy or blackmailing her is going to help much. I can see why they needed to press her harder, though; despite being the “supernatural police” in this world, poor Max sure has pretty dismal resources at this disposal. What I’d really like now is to learn the significance of those documents they lifted about Horatio!
6. Sam and his marriage. Any more thoughts about Lord Iron or Neugent?? What about the other couples who had rings forged?
Mogsy: I take back what I said last week, because now I’m no longer so sure that Sam’s wife is being protected rather than harmed. No doubt the “cage” in the apartment and the wedding rings are keeping the fae at bay, but maybe it’s more like a lion warning off the jackals from their kill. I wonder if the others who had had rings forged and died were the victims of having their life force sucked away or something like that, by Lord Iron or his agents. I just guessing wildly here, since I have absolutely no clue where this might be going, but it’s certainly my favorite plot thread of the book so far.
Audiobook Review Bites: Heroes & Villains
Posted on June 20, 2016 8 Comments
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia
Series: Reckoners #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press (September 24, 2013)
Tiara’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Twelve years prior to this story, Calamity appeared in the sky and burst, gifting astonishing powers on ordinary people. Instead of people using their powers for the betterment of mankind, these people–called Epics–use their powers to dominate their fellow man. Two years after Calamity appeared in the sky, David Charleston’s father is murdered by an Epic named Steelheart who takes over the city of Chicago, dubbing it Newcago, and ushers in a new age of terror. David makes it his mission to study Epics and learn their one weakness (which is the only way to destroy them) in order to avenge his father. David joins the Reckoners, a group of ordinary humans who assassinate Epics, and convinces them to embark on an ambitious plan to take down Steelheart.
This was like reading a novelization of a comic book arc. It’s fast paced, fun, and teeming with action and cool gadgets. It manages to be touching and smart, and while it’s fairly straightforward, it does present a couple of quandaries–one of which is considering the ramifications for the citizens of Newcago if they should defeat Steelheart. David is a likable character–intelligent, brave, brash, and bit of a nerd. His awkwardness makes him easy to like and to relate to. The Reckoners are a motley crew of characters who have banded together to form something of a family. I wished there had been more character development for a few of them, but I like them all the same. MacLeod Andrews provides the voice of this series. He brings exactly the right amount of youthful exuberance you’d expect.
I probably would’ve rated this higher, but the romance angle annoyed me so much for most of the book. It always felt inconvenient and out of place when it showed up. I did not care how tight Megan’s shirt was or how curvy she was or how pouty her lips were. I just wanted to get to this fighting Epics business. It stalled the story from getting to the point at times. However, the romance did start to feel more natural toward the end. This book probably won’t work for people who enjoy grimmer hero tales. It’s not all sunshine and roses, but it’s more fun than dark.
Prior to reading this novel, I’d been having some problem completing a Sanderson book. It’s not that I think he’s a bad writer or anything. His writing just never engaged me before this book. It could’ve just been the particular reading mood I was in before, but I think it has more to do with the fact that this gets on with the story and doesn’t dawdle around. I certainly plan to read the rest of the books in this series, and I think this book has convinced me to give his fantasy books a second chance if the payout is equal to the enjoyment I gained from reading this.
Narrator: MacLeod Andrews | Length: 12 hr and 14 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Audible Studios (September 24, 2013) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
The Rules of Supervillainy by C.T. Phipps
Genre: Science Fiction, Superheroes
Series: The Supervillainy Saga #1
Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing (June 8, 2014)
Tiara’s Rating: 3 of 5
Gary Karkofsky is an ordinary citizen living in a city filled with heroes and villains. After receiving a magical cloak that once belonged to the city’s most beloved hero, Gary does what any self-respecting ordinary person would do when gifted such power. He becomes a supervillain. Except he’s not very good at it. However, that doesn’t stop Gary. He has his ambitions set to becoming the city’s most notorious villain as long as it doesn’t require him to kill anyone or inconvenience anyone less fortunate than himself. He just wants to make money. Aided by his wife and a few villain friends, Gary sets down the path of making the city tremble at its knees one bad pun at a time.
This is a by the book hero–ahem, I mean villain–story. It crams all the superhero and villain cliches in it that you could ever want. Everything is over the top and exaggerated in a way that can be a little exasperating at times. Gary is a bit bumbling in his quest, but no one can ever accuse him of lacking the proper motivation. He often finds himself at odds with other villains in the city such as the Typewriter who wears a–wait for it–large typewriter on his head and spouts phrases from bygone eras. In other words, this book is extremely campy. What I really enjoyed about this story was Gary’s relationship with his wife. Early in the book, he makes this statement: “Supervillainy seemed like the sort of thing you needed to be upfront with your spouse about.” His wife sets down ground rules of his reign of terror which includes only stealing from people who deserve it, no killing, and not bringing his work home. It was fun to see a positive relationship being portrayed in a heroic story, as Gary sees his wife as one of his biggest allies.
Given the way this is written, and this is a criticism that I could level at most superhero stories, this does come off extremely immature at times. The characters aren’t developed that well and had a tendency to disappear when they were all used up, but this relies more on its quips and Gary’s clumsy adventures in supervillainy. So, I can’t expect this story to be a shining example of character. Parts of the story just seemed to drone on about things that didn’t seem important to the plot at all. Jeffrey Kafter fit the part of Gary well, and the quips rolled off his tongue with ease. Some of his voices for the characters weren’t distinct enough, but overall, he did a fine job.
This isn’t a bad story, but I was expecting something more. However, the premise for this was an excellent one, and I did find myself smiling at Gary’s misadventures. I’m curious enough to continue this adventure and see how Gary’s story progresses. I waffled on whether to rate this a 2.5 or 3, but decided to go with a 3 since it did manage to make smile a fair bit.
Narrator: Jeffrey Kafer | Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing (June 8, 2014) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (Writer), Adrian Alphona (Artist)
Genre: Young Adult, Superheroes
Publisher: Marvel
Tiara’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m a big fan of GraphicAudio‘s audiobook productions, and I have reviewed a few for this site–Marvel: Civil War by Stuart Moore, Marvel: The Death of Captain America by Larry Hama, and Disarmed & Dangerous by Tim Waggoner. I’m continuously impressed with the production value of these books. They’re always full cast no matter the length with high quality sound effects. You’d think the audiobook format wouldn’t fit something as visual as comics, but the comics play out like radio/podcast dramas.
No Normal is an origin story. Kamala Khan is a typical girl trying to survive the grind of being a teenager and all the drama and insecurities that come along with it. One night after defying her strict parents, Kamala sneaks out of her house to attend a party. After leaving the party in frustration, Kamala’s powers emerge and she manages to save one of her classmates from drowning. Now she’s on a quest to learn to control her powers while learning to accept that her differences are what makes her powerful.
Kamala has a couple of things that stand out in this comic. Her family is Muslim, and while her parents aren’t overbearing, they are strict. Their rigidity is something Kamala rebels against because she feels if she were a boy the rules wouldn’t apply to her. Because of her religion, Kamala suffers from teasing from her classmates who make jokes about honor killings and Kamala smelling like curry. Despite this ridicule, Kamala still wants to be like them. She wishes she was the blonde-haired blue-eyed girl that seems to have everything going for her. This was fitting as people of color often struggle with race and religion when everything around them tells them that the norm is pretty white people. Readers/listeners get to experience this through Kamala.
Kamala’s religion plays a strong part in her life. I think listening to this as I read made scenes such as Kamala having a visual of the Faith appearing as Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel, much more poignant. (The Faith appeared that way because they can take the form that appeals to the person, and Kamala is a huge Avengers fan to the point that she writes fanfiction.) The audiobook employed the use of prayer in the background during these scenes. If there’s one criticism I think I can level at this it would be that it feels like Wilson was a bit stereotypical in her presentation of Muslims. However, perhaps she was trying to be straightforward for readers who wouldn’t be familiar with the faith.
I did have the comic on hand when I was listening to this, and that made the experience much richer since the dialogue is taken from the book line by line while adding depth of detail for the audio format. I’ve been enjoying the art for the Marvel titles that are geared more toward Young Adults. They’ve managed to be fun, lighthearted, and vibrant much like the characters they follow. Listening to this book affirmed one thing for me. We need a Ms. Marvel cartoon or animated movie. Her story lends itself so well to the idea.
Narrator: Full Cast | Length: 1 hr and 30 mins | Audiobook Publisher: GraphicAudio (August 17, 2015) | Whispersync Ready: No
YA Weekend: Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen
Posted on June 19, 2016 20 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen
Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Book 3 of The Malediction Trilogy
Publisher: Angry Robot (May 3, 2016)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
To be fair, this wasn’t all bad. My disappointment probably stems less from my overall feelings for the book itself, and had more to do with how inadequate and unsatisfying I found it to be as a concluding volume—to what started off as such a strong and promising series, I might add. On the one hand, you have endings that are bittersweet, and on the other, there are the kinds of endings that leave a rotten taste in your mouth. To me, this one felt a lot more like the latter. Maybe it was an attempt to be bold and give readers something different, but I thought it was needlessly complicated and cruel, and I can’t help thinking this trilogy and its characters would have been better served with a more traditional happily-ever-after.
But more on that later. First, let me back up a bit here. Warrior Witch picks up right where the previous book Hidden Huntress left off, with Tristan and Cécile continuing their fight against their enemy, trying to save both the humans and the trolls after a deadly magic was unleashed upon their worlds. A great war is coming, and while his people are free, Tristan still has much to do to prove that he is the rightful leader of the trolls. Cécile is doing what she can to support her beloved with her newfound powers, but she too is recovering from learning several shocking revelations about her own family. Both our protagonists may have their debts to pay, but more importantly, the two of them also have a prophecy to fulfill, and it won’t do to underestimate the lengths they will go to do it.
This should have had all the makings of an epic finale. Instead, it turned out to be my least favorite installment of the trilogy. Right away, I knew something was wrong when I could barely reconcile myself to this shaky transition between the beginning of this book and the end of the last one. As I recall, the final few chapters of Hidden Huntress were amazing, setting readers up for this incredible high even when all was said and done. Instead of picking up that momentum, however, Warrior Witch began with a sluggish introduction, and continued with its lackadaisical pacing until well into the second half of the novel. I hate to say it, but there were so many parts of this book where having to read it felt like such a chore. If I hadn’t been so determined to finish the trilogy, I might have been tempted to throw in the towel long before the plot picked up again.
But even as the story got better, I had my issues with the characters. Several times I almost lost my patience with Cécile, whose actions made me feel like the only way she could contribute to the story was by running headlong into danger without a single thought to anyone but herself. While her pluckiness was semi-charming in Hidden Huntress, here it just felt like a bad habit. When it all inevitably goes wrong and she ends up blaming herself, all I could think was, “Yes, I blame you too, Cécile, you fool girl.” The relationship between her and Tristan was also problematic, for I think I actually like them more when they’re apart. So what does that say about their romance? Their love for each other seemed almost like an afterthought in this book, though granted they both had a lot more pressing things on their mind, what with the bad guys coming to kill them and all.
However, the final straw that ultimately went and destroyed the camel’s back was, as I said, the final few chapters. Truthfully, I’m not even all that angry over how it ended because I’m still trying to get over my staggering dismay and bewilderment as to why, WHY, we had to end the series this way. Look, I am not one to always demand a happy ending. In fact, most times I actually prefer it when things don’t end up with perfect outcomes for everyone so that they can all go home and have cake. Bittersweet endings can be really cool when they are done well. Unfortunately that’s not something I can say about this one. After all the build-up of the challenges, the conflicts, the struggles that the characters had to go through over the course of three books, what we ended up with here felt like a kick in the teeth. There was no pleasure tinged with sadness or pain here, just a pure sense of awkwardness that felt extemporaneous and out of place. I found it horribly off-putting, and there’s simply no other way to describe how it felt to be dealt such a blow.
But like I said, it wasn’t all bad. This book and I might have even parted on good terms if it wasn’t for the ending, which I just could not abide. But that’s just my personal take. If you loved the first two books like I did, then you probably should read Warrior Witch. If nothing else, that final epic showdown is well worth the price of admission just to witness how all the human, troll and fae conflicts resolve. Minus those final few chapters (which I’m now going to pretend never happened) it really is a lovely trilogy, as long as you’re prepared for a potentially vexing conclusion. It didn’t work out for me, but it might for you.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Stolen Songbird (Book 1)
Review of Hidden Huntress (Book 2)
Book Review: My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Posted on June 18, 2016 13 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Quirk Books (May 17, 2016)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Grady Hendrix is an author who first came to my attention a couple years ago when I picked up his book Horrorstör, a fun and creepy and slightly eccentric horror novel about a haunting at a big box furniture store. The book really stuck in my mind, so my interest was immediately piqued when I found out about the humorously titled My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Knowing more now than I did before about Hendrix’s style though, I had a sneaking suspicion that it’ll be a lot more terrifying than the publisher blurb lets on, and that I’ll be getting a lot more than I bargained for.
On at least one account, I think I got it right: there’s no doubt that My Best Friend’s Exorcism fits squarely in the horror genre, and I also thought it was much creepier and psychologically jarring than the author’s previous novel. The story, ostensibly about friendship and exorcism, follows the lives of two besties named Abby and Gretchen, two teenage girls living in the 80’s who have been inseparable since the fifth grade. One night while staying over another friend’s lake house, the girls experiment with LSD and Gretchen ends up having a bad reaction, running into the nearby forest and disappearing overnight. When Abby finds Gretchen the next morning, she finds her best friend acting different and very strange. Chalking it up to the effects of the drug and the trauma of being lost in the cold and dark, Abby isn’t too concerned, thinking that Gretchen just needs some time in order to get better.
But Gretchen doesn’t get better. She starts coming to school looking tired and wan. She stops washing and bathing. Then come the mysterious scars up and down her arm. The bizarre behavior only gets worse as Gretchen starts being nasty to everyone at school and at home, manipulating them towards harmful and destructive habits and driving a wedge between Abby and all her friends. Abby knows deep inside that something is very wrong, and will not accept that the real Gretchen is behind all these cruel acts. However, no one seems to be listening to her, and so it is no surprise either when no one believes Abby when she tells them what she really suspects: that Gretchen is possessed by a demon.
It would be accurate to say I had pretty high expectations for this book. The novel’s description is a bit sparse, but owing from my experience with Horrorstör, I figured we could be getting another story mixed with humor and horror. In this, I felt like I was a little off the mark. In the end, I didn’t really find it to be all that humorous—darkly or otherwise—but it was definitely horrific. If I had a problem though, it wasn’t because of that. In fact, I loved the horror elements in this book, but, as it so often the case with “exorcism type” stories like these, I simply found the lead-up to the titular main event to be too long, too drawn-out, and way too monotonous.
To be fair, Abby and Gretchen’s friendship is meant to be the theme of this story as much as the actual exorcism itself. I really enjoyed this element of the book, reading about the how the two girls met at a roller skating rink and the way they bonded over a shared love of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, teen magazine quizzes, and Phil Collins songs. The 80’s references were plentiful and fun without going overboard, even though most of them probably went over my head. Abby’s devotion to her best friend was also touching, the way she never gave up on Gretchen in spite of the awful things that happened.
The bulk of the book, however, felt like it was mostly made up of high school drama. Granted, it’s creepy, disturbing high school drama, but at the end of the day…it’s still high school drama. It takes a long time for the possibility of demon possession to even come up, and until then we have to sit through a whole inventory of the things that go wrong with Gretchen and how she goes about methodically ruining everyone’s lives. For all the good grades she pulls in, Abby can also be a bit dense. No rational person would immediately jump to the conclusion that their best friend who is acting strangely must be possessed, so I don’t blame her for not acting sooner. I do, however, blame her for the really dumb mistakes she makes, in some ways bringing about her own downfall even without the help of Gretchen’s machinations.
This book also commits a major pet peeve of mine: Stupid grown-ups. While I don’t think My Best Friend’s Exorcism is really a Young Adult novel (or at the very least, I’d exercise discretion before handing this one to a teen, considering its frightening subject and some of the nauseatingly graphic scenes) it features the trope of painting every single adult figure in this story as an incompetent boob. Parents are either emotionally absent or too conservative and narrow-minded to listen to reason, teachers and school staff are condescending and corrupt, and basically every authority figure who should have been in a position of trust (and responsible for supporting a student in need) are either too obtuse or self-important to do their damn jobs. Aside from being very annoying, this stereotypical approach also made everything feel predictable and unconvincing.
Don’t get me wrong, because I did enjoy this book; however, I also couldn’t ignore some of the issues that cropped up, and even the final exorcism itself felt a little anti-climactic after all the build-up. It’s probably fair to say I liked this one substantially less than Horrorstör. That said though, I certainly wouldn’t dissuade anyone from picking this up, especially if you are a fan of horror. For some, the healthy dose of 80’s nostalgia would also be a nice bonus, plus the “High School Yearbook” motif was clever and inventive. The best advice I can give to the prospective reader is to just dive in while keeping in mind the kind of elements Exorcist-like stories typically come with, both the positives and the negatives.
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on June 18, 2016 30 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
As June heats up, another big batch of books has arrived at chez Mogsy. There are some titles that I’m incredibly excited about, even among the surprise arrivals. 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!
The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough – I was a huge fan of Sarah Pinborough’s Mayhem and Murder, the two books that make up her Jack the Ripper horror-historical duology. I’ve heard similar amazing things about this melancholic fantasy novella, and was thrilled when I was offered a review copy in advance of its American release date from the publisher. With thanks to Quercus USA/Jo Fletcher Books.
Captain America vs. Iron Man: Freedom, Security, Psychology and Game of Thrones Psychology edited by Travis Langley – Dr. Travis Langley, king of Psych Geek books is at it again! While I’m not exactly the biggest reader of non-fiction and essays, after the great time I had with Star Wars Psychology I think there’s a good chance I’m going to love these two books as well. My thanks to Sterling.
Mechanical Failure by Joe Zieja – I featured this book on one of my Waiting on Wednesday posts back in November 2015 during Sci-Fi Month, and I can assure you I have not forgotten about it. When the book’s publicist contacted me to ask if I’d like to review this book, it didn’t take much convincing! My thanks to Beverly Bambury Publicity and Saga Press!
Spear of Light by Brenda Cooper – This second book of The Glittering Edge series and sequel to Edge of Dark was as fantastic as I’d hoped it would be. My review is up already and you can see it here! Thank you to Pyr books for the finished copy.
Gods of Nabban by K.V. Johansen – From the kind folks at Pyr also came this beautiful ARC of K.V. Johansen’s upcoming novel, set in the same world as her Marakand books. This series always gets the most gorgeous, amazing looking covers! I’ve read The Leopard but not The Lady yet, so I may need to do some catching up before I tackle this one.
All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda – The bulk of my reading may be sci-fi and fantasy, but I’ve been known to delve into psychological thrillers every now and then. This wonderful surprise arrived from Simon & Schuster, authored by YA novelist Megan Miranda breaking out with her adult debut. The story is about the disappearances of two young women, a decade apart. But the most intriguing aspect I found about this novel is that it is told in reverse (the description of the format reminds me a little of the movie Memento–just without the amnesia!) from Day 15 to Day 1. I’d be very interested in giving this a look.
False Hearts by Laura Lam and Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley – My thanks also to Tor Books for these finished copies! They were surprise arrivals, but seeing as both books have been on my reading list for ages, I couldn’t be more thrilled when they showed up. Definitely going to be making some time this summer to read them.
Unhonored by Tracy Hickman & Laura Hickman – When this ARC arrived, it took me a couple seconds to realize why it sounded so familiar. Then I remembered this is the second book in The Nightbirds sequence, sequel to Unwept that came out a couple years ago! As I recall, I had some mixed feelings about the first book, but I’m willing to give this series another go. What I’ll do is probably wait until closer to release to decide. Thank you, Tor Books!
Hope and Red by Jon Skovron – Well, I couldn’t resist! Lot of reviews for this have been floating around already, and I thought it sounded like fun. My thanks to Orbit for sending me a finished copy!
Song of the Deep by Brian Hastings – Earlier this year I received an ARC of this adorable little middle-grade fantasy adventure novel, based on the video game of the same name. In the game, a 12-year-old named Merryn crafts a makeshift submarine to search for her father, a missing fisherman. This book is her story. Though I doubt I’ll play the game, you know I can never resist a good tie-in. Thank you to Sterling Publishing for sending me a finished copy; it’s such a pretty book!
Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers and The Dragon Lords: Fool’s Gold by Jon Hollins – I’ve actually been doing very well this year reining in the number of review books I request or accept, but when it comes to NetGalley widgets and auto-approvals, it’s a different story. They make it so easy for the unsuspecting reviewer to bite off more than she can chew! Last week, I received e-galley invitations to view a bunch of Orbit books coming out this summer, and I’m proud that I only pressed the button on these two…for now. Behind the Throne has been compared to Star Wars and The Dragon Lords: Fool’s Gold is described as a humorous fantasy adventure. I’m really looking forward to reading both.
The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief by Lisa Tuttle – Speaking of invitations, earlier this month I was also sent a widget to review this gorgeous title from Jo Fletcher Books (UK). I couldn’t resist, especially since I’ve wanted to check out something by Lisa Tuttle for a while now.
Little Heaven by Nick Cutter – So, this book won’t be releasing for a while yet (January 2017!) but I freaked as soon as I learned about a new Nick Cutter book, and before I knew it my traitorous finger was already clicking on the request button. Big thanks to Gallery Books for giving me the opportunity to review (and for enabling my horror addiction).
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton – This book has been on my radar for a while so I wouldn’t say it was an impulse request exactly, but admittedly the incredible buzz surrounding it lately has gotten me to pay attention. The more I hear about this book, the more I wanted to check it out. My thanks to Random House via NetGalley!
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff and Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Ultimately, I caved and also requested these two titles from Thomas Dunne Books. First up is book one in Jay Kristoff’s new YA series. I’m usually very picky when it comes to choosing my YA books, but I’ve read Kristoff’s The Lotus War in the past and I know he’s a solid storyteller. I’m very curious to see what he’ll do with this brand new world. Next, I’ve been champing at the bit to read Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s upcoming dark urban fantasy novel ever since I learned about it last summer. Back then it was still under another working title, but it was the description of Aztec vampires in Mexico City that clinched it for me. With thanks to the publisher via NetGalley.
Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw – The generous team at Tor.com also sent over a new title this week, an eARC of a novella was completely new to me. I’m looking forward to checking it out!
Reviews
I’ve caught up on writing a bunch reviews since the last update, so here is a roundup of my reviews since then, gathered together and listed here for your convenience and viewing pleasure.
City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong (5 of 5 stars)
MEG: Nightstalkers by Steve Alten (4 of 5 stars)
The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North (4 of 5 stars)
Spear of Light by Brenda Cooper (4 of 5 stars)
Pride’s Spell by Matt Wallace (4 of 5 stars)
Dark Run by Mike Brooks (3.5 of 5 stars)
Spells of Blood and Kin by Claire Humphrey (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (3.5 of 5 stars)
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (3 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s some of what I’ll be reviewing at the BiblioSanctum, coming up in the next few weeks minus the reviews that are already up. I wish I could read ALL THE BOOKS! But life got really busy all of a sudden, so I probably wouldn’t have even finished this many books if hadn’t been for a novella, but hey, it sure was fun catching up with the Sin du Jour series, and it’s also been an excellent couple of weeks where I got to enjoy some very neat sci-fi.
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!
Novella Review: Pride’s Spell by Matt Wallace
Posted on June 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: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 3 of Sin du Jour
Publisher: Tor.com (June 21, 2016)
Length: 240 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Pride’s Spell is the third installment of Matt Wallace’s Sin du Jour series of novellas starring the ragtag crew of New York’s most exclusive kitchen and catering company. While these books can work perfectly fine as stand-alones, I was delighted to read this one and discover multiple overarching story threads and character paths finally coming together to form a larger picture.
Most of NYC’s in-crowd have heard of Byron “Bronko” Luck, a celebrity chef who used to have his own upscale restaurant and even a TV show. Now he is the head of Sin du Jour and the boss of the Lena and Darren, two ordinary junior chefs who have suddenly found themselves thrust into a world of the paranormal and bizarre. For one thing, Sin du Jour’s clientele is anything but ordinary. Lena and Darren’s first gig with the catering company saw them cooking and serving up a banquet for demons. Their second major job involved providing the food at a goblin wedding. But just when they thought they’ve had it with the weirdness factor, Bronko happily surprises the two of them with an assignment that actually sounds halfway normal: preparing a grand feast for a Hollywood movie premiere.
The team is split up. Understanding on some level that this is a test, Lena and Darren accompany Chef Bronko to California with only a few other staff in tow, while the rest of the crew stay behind to take care of the paranormal convention circuit, and Sin du Jour’s Stocking and Receiving department finally gets some well-deserved time off. Still, even as Ritter, Hara, Cindy and Moon are settling back to enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation, their enemies are not so accommodating. One night, all hell breaks loose as the New York team gets ambushed by the strangest group of assassins you could ever imagine. Meanwhile out west, Lena, Darren and Bronko are also dealing with troubles of their own, as they learn the hard way just how cutthroat the world of Hollywood can be.
No doubt about it, this was probably my favorite Sin du Jour tale so far. I was initially wary when came upon the book’s premise, expecting another celebrity-laden story related to the entertaining industry like in the last book, Lustlocked. Instead, Pride’s Spell had other ideas in mind. Matt Wallace deftly launches a two-pronged attack, hitting us with a storm of outrageous action and humor as both groups of characters scramble to deal with their respective crises. In New York, a wacky scenario unfolds as Ritter and his team are attacked by homicidal holiday icons, with the whole fracas finally ending in an epic showdown at Sin du Jour HQ where Dorsky and his kitchen crew have been holding down the fort while the big boss is out of town. In Hollywood, Lena and Darren struggle to come up with a suitable menu to suit the fastidious dietary demands of pampered celebs, while Jett and Nikki have sequestered themselves away to prepare the greatest, most transcendent dessert experience the world has ever seen. They say that sometimes, the after party is even better than the main event, but as we soon see, this is most certainly not the case for the Hollywood team.
In spite of its absurd plot, I thought there was a lot more substance to this sequel relative to the previous one. Looking back at my review for Lustlocked, my chief complaint was that it felt very much like a “throwaway” installment, a fun side-story that doled out plenty of action and laughs but ultimately added little to the overall series narrative or how I felt about the characters. On the other hand, while Pride’s Spell was every bit as zany and twisted, I thought it offered a lot more when it came to emotional weight. Finally, we can see how Lena and Darren have been integrating into the Sin du Jour family, making friends and forming attachments. In between all the cooking and fighting, we’re also seeing glimpses of who all these characters are on a deeper level, like how they’re starting to connect with each other, what kind of backgrounds they come from, or what makes them tick.
This was especially true for the Stocking and Receiving team. So far, Ritter et al. have featured prominently in their own mini-adventures in each book, and this one was no exception. Like a company of mercenaries, they’ve always stood a bit apart from the kitchen crew in my eyes, providing some extra thrills and comic relief on their rare ingredient-hunting escapades. This however was probably the first time I thought of them as more than a sideshow to the series, gaining a little more insight into the kinds of lives they lead when they’re not off doing jobs for Bronko.
Pride’s Spell ended up being everything I wanted and expected out of a Sin du Jour novella. It’s ridiculous but fun. Humor, action, insanity and violence are still key ingredients in this madcap urban fantasy series, but I’m also glad that we’re starting to see more development in the characters and their relationships. There’s a sense of everything coming together here, even tying in some elements introduced from the first book in the series, making me hunger for the next course. I have a feeling it’s all going to culminate into something great.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Envy of Angels (Book 1)
Review of Lustlocked (Book 2)
Our Favorite Narrators Pt.III
Posted on June 16, 2016 10 Comments
It’s becoming a yearly Bibliosanctum tradition for us to share narrators that we enjoy. (Okay, we did skip one year.) There’s no better time to highlight the narrators we’ve fallen in love with than the month of June. We’re continuously updating this list as more voices capture our imagination and our hearts with their narration. A talented narrator can take a story and make it a truly memorable experience for readers, and these following narrators are just a few who have commanded our attention over the past year.
Chris Kipiniak
Tiara says: Last year, I listened to Martha Wells’ The Cloud Roads and was completely blown away by Chris Kipiniak’s narration of the book. That continued this year when I started listening to the rest of books in this series. While I love the story of the Raksura, I credit Kipiniak’s narration for really gripping me and keeping me emotionally invested in the story of the Raksura as Moon and his court continue to face the many difficulties and hardships life deals them as they try to establish something permanent and lasting for their race.
Tim Gerard Reynolds
Mogsy says: I was shocked when I noticed I hadn’t featured Tim Gerard Reynolds on any of our past Favorite Narrator posts yet. A few of the first epic fantasy audiobooks I listened to were the Riyria Revelations novels by Michael J. Sullivan novels, narrated by Mr. Reynolds. Those three volumes comprising of six books add up to almost a whopping 80 hours. A narrator whose reading can hold my attention for that long and make me want to listen to more definitely deserves a spot on my favorites list. For me, Tim Gerard Reynolds is the voice of Riyria, no other voice will do for Royce and Hadrian!
Bahni Turpin
Tiara says: This woman’s voice is amazing! After she was highlight in an audiobook newsletter I receive, I had to listen to something by her. When I reviewed Unholy Ghosts, I’d mistakenly thought I hadn’t listened to anything by her before, but I was wrong. I’d had the pleasure of listening to her in The Help some years earlier. Her range, her command of various accents, everything about her reading is always exceptional. And after looking her up, I realized that I also know her from various shows and movies I’ve watched throughout the years.
Kate Mulgrew
Mogsy says: Kate Mulgrew is an American actress probably best known for her role in the TV series Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway. But did you know she’s narrated audiobooks too? In the audiobook world, her best known narrative performances are probably the novels NOS4R2 and The Fireman by Joe Hill. Kate Mulgrew has a very distinctive voice, her intense gravelly tones being perfect for tales of horror and suspense. And let’s face it, nothing beats putting NOS4R2 on at night and having Captain Janeway read you a scary story for bedtime.
January LaVoy
Tiara says: All of my experience with this narrator has been Star Wars related, and she’s been a real treat to listen to. However, for many years, Ms. LaVoy worked on a popular soap opera series while recording audiobooks in her spare time. For established media that has actors and actresses whose portray characters and whose voices I associate with those characters, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to enjoy listening to these character voiced by one person. See my review of Gears of War: Aspho Fields for a view of that struggle. However, a really good narrator can make me overlook that and just enjoy the story. January is one of those narrators. I enjoyed her voice of characters like Princess Leia without cringing that she wasn’t Carrie Fisher.
Peter Kenny
Mogsy says: As a fan of the Witcher video games, I had initial concerns that I would have trouble reconciling myself to anyone other than actor Doug Cockle as the voice of Geralt of Rivia, but Peter Kenny quickly disabused me of those notions the moment I heard his performance reading the English-translated audiobooks of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher series. He has a great voice for expressive storytelling, and is especially adept at doing accents and voices. Kenny is now the voice of Geralt for me, as well as all my other favorites like Dandelion, Ciri, Yennefer, Triss Merigold and more.
E’r’body
Word of Promise
Wendy says: Over the years we’ve been doing this list, it’s been easy to pick out the voices that inspire and thrill us and to add to that list as we listen to more and more audiobooks. But lately, I’ve been gravitating toward audio dramas where it’s not about a single person carrying the story, but an ensemble Hollywood cast, complete with music and sound effects. This is what drew me to my year long project of listening to the bible. And not just one version of the good book, but two because it was far too difficult to choose between the cast of Word of Promise versus The Bible Experience. Do I go with Idris Elba’s Isaiah and Angela Bassett’s Esther? Or Richard Dreyfuss as Moses and Jim Caveziel reprising his role as Jesus from The Passion of the Christ? Although my instincts always tell me to follow my heart (i.e. Idris Elba), I have started my listen with Word of Promise and am loving General Zod’s (Terence Stamp) petulant and angry God and Richard Dreyfuss’ fed up Moses.
Prior to these epics, I’ve listened to BBC radio dramas such as The Twilight Zone featuring Stacy Keach, Blair Underwood, Lou Diamond Phillips and more, and recently partook of the first book in a new Alien trilogy which starred Rutger Hauer as the chilling ghost in the machine.
Audiobook Review: Dark Run by Mike Brooks
Posted on June 16, 2016 14 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of Keiko
Publisher: Audible Studios (May 24, 2016)
Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Damian Lynch
Dark Run by Mike Brooks is a sci-fi adventure novel that first made its debut in the UK in the summer of 2015 to some pretty good reviews, and I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed that the book and its sequel Dark Sky were both made available in the US in audio format last month. I ended up deciding to give it a shot because a) I’ve never met a swashbuckling space romp audiobook I didn’t like, and b) the book stole my attention the moment I saw many a reviewer compare it to Firefly.
After finishing the book myself, I have to say the comparisons are somewhat accurate. Dark Run follows the exploits of the crew of the Keiko, led by its daring captain Ichabod Drift. One day, an old friend comes a-knocking and Drift is unexpectedly presented with a mission he cannot refuse—literally. On pain of death, he is forced to pick up a mysterious cargo and deliver it to a location on old Earth at a very specific time and date. The whole smuggling run smells fishy, but what choice does Drift have? In order to protect his friends from his past, he’ll also have to keep his employer’s identity a secret. Of course, that doesn’t sit right with the crew of the Keiko at all, though with the amount of money they’re being paid, Drift knows they’ll happily let it go…for now.
The calm doesn’t last. As the Keiko makes its approach towards their drop-off point on Earth, their carefully laid out plans suddenly go awry, and the crew find themselves in a serious dilemma. Not only does Drift have to come clean about their mission, he may have just put them all in grave danger. Tensions spark as old histories come to the surface, but can the crew of the Keiko get past them in order to exact vengeance on a new ruthless enemy?
Admittedly, both the plot and characters of Dark Run feel rather formulaic, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, certain formulas are successful for a reason, and this book falls squarely in the “Space Western” sub-category of science fiction, borrowing heavily from its themes and tropes. You have your pirates and smugglers and slicers, gun-slinging action and daring space maneuvers. Most of the story also takes place in gritty, lawless settings like information broker dens, seedy bars, mercenary markets, and even underground fight clubs.
However, the characters are the main draw. Despite being your typical heist team archetypes, they were also interesting and fun. Ichabod Drift is the captain, an enigmatic man with a devil-may-care attitude who nevertheless runs a tight ship. He’s trying to escape a dark personal history, but then so are most of his crew on the Keiko. They even have a rule on board: No talking about your past.
That suits their newest slicer just fine, a young woman named Jenna who was recruited for her incredible tech skills and talent for being able to break into any system. After Drift, she had the most POV sections. Next is Tamara Rourke, an experienced spacer who guards her past more fiercely than anyone else on board, including their captain. Where Rourke came from is a mystery, but having worked together on many jobs after all these years, Drift trusts her implicitly. She is also highly intelligent, frequently overseeing the details behind all their operations. If Rourke is the brains, then Apirana is the muscle, a big Maori man with a soft heart who lives in constant fear that one day his intense and terrible temper will take him over and make him do something he’ll regret. Next up are the siblings Jia and Kuai; one is an ace pilot while the other is a master mechanic. Finally, we have our weapons expert, a mercenary named Micah who loves all things that go boom.
This feels like the sort of ensemble cast I’ve seen many times before, but thankfully their individual quirks also make them very endearing. Each person brings something unique to the story, which is fast-paced and full of excitement. Still, I think I preferred the first half of the book a lot more than the second, because whereas the beginning held all the mystery and tension, the later parts held more of the talking, planning, and avenging. The entire story is solid, but personally I’ve always felt an inclination towards the parts with more anticipation rather than the actual action.
In terms of audiobook comments, I can find no cause to complain about anything in its production or the narrator. In fact, I was very impressed with the reading by Damien Lynch. Due to the diverse background of the crew, Lynch had to narrate with an accent through pretty much the entire book, constantly switching to the appropriate one depending on which character was speaking. He is very good with voices, and even with such a large cast there was never a problem with identifying who was speaking. I enjoyed his narration so much that I’ll likely to stick with the audiobook format for the sequel.
Speaking of which, I am very interested in the future adventures of the crew of the Keiko. I’d love to revisit these character again and learn more about their backgrounds. All told, Dark Run was an entertaining and fast read, filled with fun sci-fi action.
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