Book Review: The Lost Boys Symphony by Mark Andrew Ferguson
Posted on March 31, 2016 13 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Lost Boys Symphony by Mark Andrew Ferguson
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Literature
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (Paperback: March 8, 2016)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I knew before starting The Lost Boys Symphony that it would not an easy book to review, and now that I have read it, I find I am no closer to figuring out how to put my thoughts into words. What I do know is that when it comes to the prevalent theme of time traveling in sci-fi, few books these days can still make me see the subject in a different light—but this one did. Making a home for itself in that narrow niche between the literary and the speculative, this book probably isn’t going to be for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it a lot.
Time travel stories, by their nature, are not easy to describe. The Lost Boys Symphony presents an even greater challenge because it is unlike any time travel story I have ever read before. On the surface, the focus is on the lives of three friends: Henry, Gabe, and Val. Henry and Gabe have known each other since they were children. In high school they meet Val, and Henry starts dating her. The three have been inseparable ever since.
Partway through college, however, Val suddenly decides to break up with Henry and transfers to another school. Understandably heartbroken, Henry immerses himself in his other passion, music, while Gabe stands by and offers whatever support he can. But then Henry gets sick. Very sick. And his illness is manifesting in very strange ways, making him hear things and see things that he knows should be impossible. Searching for answers, Henry follows Val to New York City, but then ends up passing out on the George Washington Bridge. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a room with two strangers—but in truth, they aren’t strangers at all. They are him, Henry, at 41 and 80. His future selves have kidnapped the 19-year-old him to give him a message, placing several lifetimes of responsibility on his troubled young shoulders.
Rather than summarizing the book though, it might actually be more helpful to describe its themes, like the disillusionment of youth, the lasting regrets for the paths taken and not taken, not to mention the devastating effects of mental illness—for those who suffer from it as well as for their loved ones. At first, I was intrigued by the ambiguity surrounding Henry’s time traveling. Was he in fact seeing his future selves, and as an extension to that, capable of revisiting the past? Or was he simply experiencing an elaborate hallucination, as a symptom of his deteriorating sanity? Associating time travel with a person’s mental state is also interesting, and likewise the mode of it, linking Henry’s ability to travel through time by becoming one with the music and rhythm of the universe.
However, time travel is not the point of this story. It’s not even a big part of it. At its heart, The Lost Boys Symphony is about relationships, growing up, and coming to terms with the decisions you make in life. Henry’s character along with all the versions of him at various ages show how a person can change over a lifetime, and his efforts to go back and alter his future don’t always work out the way he wants them to. Val is another example of a character feeling lost and untethered, after leaving everything behind (her old home, her old school, her old boyfriend) to remake herself and start completely fresh. But it’s unclear that she even knows what it is she wants, and her life does not turn out the way she expected either. Unquestionably, the most melancholic parts of the book are the moments where the “what ifs” and the “what could have beens” come to the surface. If you were offered the choice to find out what your life could have become if you did things differently, would you want to know? For Henry, Gabe, and Val, not knowing might be less painful.
Needless to say, fans of time travel fiction will definitely want to check this book out, though be wary, for this is far from your typical time travel story. It’s easy to get confused if you don’t follow along closely, keeping track of all the different Henrys and the branching paths his life takes as well as how those paths intersect with those of his friends, Gabe and Val. Still, the way the time traveling was handled was one of this book’s most compelling aspects.
In the end, it’s probably safe to say The Lost Boys Symphony is one of the most unique books I’ve read this year. This is a very different book than what I’m typically used to, but the relationship dynamics and mix of emotions really spoke to me. Mark Andrew Ferguson’s novel is a very human tale about life and love, exploring a young man’s grief for lost dreams and hope for a better future. A fascinating read.
Tiara’s 1st Quarter Update
Posted on March 31, 2016 14 Comments
I learned last year that I am too busy (and lazy, probably lazy, as well) for monthly update posts, even when I do want to share what I’ve read/listened to. I can get quarterly update put the way. There’s always a solution to a problem. Four update posts a year shouldn’t be a huge hurdle for me to overcome. The only challenge that will be missing from this list is my audiobooks update since I’ll do a quarterly update with Mogsy and Wendy, but the books are on the list.
There is plenty of overlap here as I expcted there would be since I’m trying to consolidate and not overwhelm myself. Also, I’ve decided to add all books that I read that fit a challenge to that challenge, even if it wasn’t on my original list. I’ve also shuffled my original lists around a bit as I looked through my TBR piles. My psychologist friend dropped me various books to read, as well, so that’s mixed in here with the rest of the books. I finally read my first Gillian Flynn novel, and no, it’s still not Gone Girl. I’m trying to be the last woman standing who hasn’t read that.
Goodreads Challenge Update
I only made a 52 book goal for Goodreads this year, even though I’ll likely read more than that. I’ve decided that I’m probably going to keep that as my goal this year rather than upping it throughout the year as I did last year.
2016 Star Wars Reading Challenge
2016 Speculative Fiction by Authors of Color Reading Challenge
2016 Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge
Read the Sequel 2016 Challenge
The Year of Sanderson Reading Challenge
I am trying really hard with Sanderson. I made an ambitious goal to read like 7 of his books this year, which isn’t a ton of books given how fast I typically read. However… I’m having a hard time getting into his books. I’ve started two–Warbreaker and Mistborn. Both books have pretty much went on my “on-hiatus” pile. I said I was going to go back to Warbreaker because I’m more interested in that story than Mistborn‘s right now, but I’m afraid this is going to become my first DNF challenge of 2016.
TIE-In Fighter Reading Challenge
Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge Update
In Order: A Book Based on a Fairy Tale, A Book Translated to English, A Book At Least 100 Years Older than You, A YA Bestseller, A book with a Blue Cover, A NYT Bestseller (surprise Star Wars comic!), A Science Fiction Novel, A Book You Can Finish in One Day, A Murder Mystery, A Graphic Novel, A Book You Haven’t Read Since High School, A Book More Than 600 pages, A Book from Oprah’s Book Club, A Book That Is Published in 2016, A Book That Is Becoming A Movie This Year, An Autobiography
Miscellaneous Reading
Upcoming Reads
Discussions:
The Road to Civil War: Whose Side Are You On?
The Road to Civil War: The Road is Dark and Full of Terror
The Road to Civil War: The Fame Game
(Unfortunately, I’m going to have to discontinue the Civil War discussion because I have become a bit too busy between work and my kids’ softball/baseball season.)
Read-Along Posts
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #1)
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.1
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.2
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.3
Rosemary and Rue Read-Along Week No.4
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #2)
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.1
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.2
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.3
A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.4
Reviews:
Drown by Esther Dalseno
Casting Shadows by Jeanne Cavelos
Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo
Alpha & Omega (Alpha & Omega #0.5) by Patricia Briggs
Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs, narrated by Holter Graham
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, narrated by Robin Miles
Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) by Stacia Kane, narrated by Bahni Turpin
Blood Follows (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1) by Steven Erikson
The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura #2) by Martha Wells, narrated by Christopher Kipiniak
Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop, narrated by Alexandra Harris
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (The Malazan Book of the Fallan #1), narrated by Ralph Lister
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page (Dorothy Must Die #1), narrated by Devon Sovari
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, narrated by Ralph Cosham
The Day Boy and the Night Girl by George MacDonald, narrated by Paul Eggington
Should We Down In Feathered Sleep, narrated by Cris Dukehart
Star Wars: Deceived by Paul S. Kemp (Star Wars: The Old Republic #2), narrated by Marc Thompson
Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster (Star Wars Canon)
Star Wars: Skywalker Strikes by Jason Aaron (Star Wars Canon)
Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon by Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars Canon), narrated by Jennifer LaVoy
2016 1st Quarter Audiobook Challenge Update
Posted on March 30, 2016 10 Comments
We’re three months into 2016, and here at The Bibliosanctum we have made quite a dent in our reading goals with audiobooks. We love our audiobooks. For those of you participating in the challenge, how are you faring? Any recommended listens? As the weather heats up (or cools down for those in the Southern Hemisphere), do you begin to read more seasonal reads?
Reading Challenge Details:
- Runs January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016. You can join at any time.
- The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2016 than you did in 2015.
- Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
- ANY genres count.
- Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
- You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
- If you’re a blogger grab the button (on the sidebar) and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
Levels:
- Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
- Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
- Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
- Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
- Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
- My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50
- Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+
Tiara’s Progress
I think I have actually listened to more books than I’ve read this year, but don’t quote me on that. I’ve hit my short goal of Socially Awkward. Now, I’m working my way through Binge Listener (1 book until I hit 30) with my eye on the prize of My Precious.
Upcoming Listens:
Mogsy’s Progress
I’m slow and steady right now with my audiobook listening, but I’ve certainly already smashed the Socially Awkward level and am currently right on track for My Precious. I’d love it if I make Marathoner again this year, but I’m not stressed about it. The number of audiobooks I listen to can fluctuate greatly throughout the year, and there will be some lighter months just as there will be some heavier months, I’m sure.
Upcoming Listens:
Wendy’s Progress
Aside from my hopes to reach the My Precious rank this year, I’ve added a new twist to my audiobook challenge, which is listening to the Bible. I can’t recall how I stumbled upon this. Perhaps it was Audible having a laugh at me with its recommendations. Whatever it was, I was amazed by the incredible cast performing on this 90+ hour project. I’ve been listening to roughly an hour a day of The Word of Promise. I also started Blood of Mages a little while ago but… yawn… maybe I’ll try again in a little while.
Upcoming listens:
Waiting on Wednesday 03/30/16
Posted on March 30, 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!
Wendy’s Pick
The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May (Expected publication: June 7th 2016 by Chronicle Books (first published November 19th 2015))
I can’t remember how I stumbled upon The Falconer last year, but I’m so glad it did. It ended up being one of my favourite reads of 2015. Normally, I’m late to the party when it comes to great series, which means I don’t have to wait for the sequel, but this time, I’ve been chomping at the bit thanks to a cliffhanger ending
Aileana Kameron, the Falconer, disappeared through the portal that she was trying to close forever. Now she wakes up in the fae world, trapped and tortured by the evil Lonnrach. With the help of an unexpected ally, Aileana re-enters the human world, only to find everything irrevocably changed. Edinburgh has been destroyed, and the few human survivors are living in an uneasy truce with the fae, while both worlds are in danger of disappearing altogether. Aileana holds the key to saving both worlds, but in order to do so she must awaken her latent Falconer powers. And the price of doing that might be her life. Rich with imaginative detail, action, fae lore, and romance, The Vanishing Throne is a thrilling sequel to The Falconer.
Mogsy’s Pick
Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin (November 1, 2016 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
I freakin’ loved Wolf by Wolf, the first book of a series set in an alternate history where the Axis powers won World War II and rule the world. Yael, a teenage skinshifter escapes the horrors of the concentration camp and ends up using her abilities to help the Resistance, competing in a motorcycle race from Berlin to Tokyo in order to assassinate Hitler. Funny how Wendy mentions a cliffhanger, because Wolf by Wolf finished on a pretty open ending too, leaving me antsy to find out what will happen in the sequel, Blood for Blood.
“There would be blood.
Blood for blood.
Blood to pay.
An entire world of it.
For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun.
Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.
But dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all: how far can you go for the ones you love?
This gripping, thought-provoking sequel to Wolf by Wolf will grab readers by the throat with its cinematic writing, fast-paced action, and relentless twists.”
Book Review: In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
Posted on March 29, 2016 17 Comments
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 4 of Memoir by Lady Trent
Publisher: Tor (April 5, 2016)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
If you’re not reading this series yet, you should be! My love for it just grows and grows, and indeed I think In the Labyrinth of Drakes may be my favorite Memoir by Lady Trent installment yet! So many questions that I had are finally answered, and there are plenty of other major reveals (but don’t worry, I won’t say what they are here) for readers who have been following our protagonist on her adventures. I promise you, this is one book you do not want to miss. This is an important volume that covers the events that vaulted Isabella, Lady Trent into fame, and it is a must-read.
Author Marie Brennan has written that there will be five books in all in this series, but instead of winding down at book four, Isabella’s story is simply building up even more momentum. Past installments have brought us to the inhospitable mountains of Vystrana, the sweltering jungles of Mouleen, and upon the high seas to the tropical islands of Keonga. Naturally, In the Labyrinth of Drakes is another opportunity to visit another all new biome on the quest for more dragons and more science! This time, Isabella is heading into the scorching deserts of Akhia, hoping to study the golden drakes that live there.
But as usual, the situation is a lot more complicated. Isabella has long been snubbed by the scientific community because of her sex, and her much coveted post to Akhia with her colleague Tom Wilker was only secured after a hard won battle with the Royal Scirling Army, their new employers. Tensions have been fomenting between Scirland and Yelang for the last few years, with both nations racing to unlock the secrets of dragon breeding so they can harvest the beasts’ bones for materials to build airships and other war machines. However, large dragons do not thrive in captivity, and both breeding and egg hatching programs have failed over and over again because of the lack of knowledge in the subject. In this volume of her memoirs, Isabella recounts the research challenges that she faced during her time in Akhia, and how danger also threatened behind every corner as shadowy factions learn about her secret work and attempt to destroy her.
My fascination with this series continues unabated because reading every page is a reminder of my love for the natural sciences and why I went on to study Biology and Anthropology. As a girl, one of my biggest heroes was Jane Goodall, and her decades of research and fieldwork with the chimpanzees in the wild have been a major inspiration. While Memoir by Lady Trent takes place in another time and in a fictional world with dragons, I find that the stories in these books about Isabella’s passion for learning and discovery affect me in much the same way.
For me, Isabella has also become one of the most powerful and interesting feminist icons in fantasy fiction due to her role in championing her gender in her world through addressing problems and fighting back—with knowledge! Her most effective and awesome weapon is her intelligence, along with her determination and ability to achieve more than anyone in her field so that she can no longer be ignored. The greatest obstacle comes in this latest volume, because of the nature of her assignment in Akhia. As I’ve mentioned before, the best thing about this series is that every time Isabella travels to a new location, you don’t just get the dragons—you get the entire culture of the place as well! Akhia has some very strict customs when it comes to the role of women, which Isabella has to deal with on top of her Scirling employers’ old school attitudes regarding her presence among the all-male army.
I also liked how this book threw me right into the action, not to mention the dragons get a lot more page time compared to the previous books. Early in the series, “Not enough dragons!” was a common complaint I saw, but it’s definitely not an issue here. The question of breeding the desert drakes is the central problem in this novel, but there’s also the mystery and threat behind who is sabotaging the dragon research. The antagonist also comes in the form of nature, which is a recurring theme in this series. The merciless desert setting comes to life in this one; Brennan describes this forbidding environment in such exquisite detail, you can practically feel the sand in your underwear or your skin blistering beneath the sun’s dry heat. There’s one particular scene with a sandstorm that left me open-mouthed in awe and terror.
And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the romance. Suhail is back! I wanted to pump my fists in the air but ended up refraining, if nothing else because that would mean dropping the book and interrupting my reading. However, Suhail’s return does mean you cannot tackle this book on its own without having read The Voyage of the Basilisk (I would recommend starting from the beginning of the series anyway), since his relationship with Isabella would feel way too sudden if you weren’t familiar with everything they experienced together in the previous book. Their romance actually went further than I thought it would, but it was also a very welcome development. I so enjoy the chemistry between them, but don’t expect anything in Isabella’s love life to follow conventions! Remember, this is the woman who was initially attracted to her first husband because of his impressive library, so you can imagine the courtship between her and Suhail would be based on love but also much, much more! But you’ll just have to read to find out…
I think I’ve gushed enough about this book for now, but trust me when I say I could go on and on. I just love this series! Marie Brennan gives Isabella a voice that is so fresh and authentic that this is one of the few fantasy series that truly makes me feel like I am transported to another world. I highly, highly recommended these books; it is an experience like no other.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of A Natural History of Dragons (Book 1)
Review of A Natural History of Dragons (Book 1) (Audiobook review by Wendy)
Review of The Tropic of Serpents (Book 2)
Review of The Voyage of the Basilisk (Book 3)
Audiobook Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Posted on March 28, 2016 4 Comments
Genre: Shifters, Paranormal Romance, Novella
Series: Alpha & Omega #1
Publisher: Ace (July 29, 2008)
Information: Website | Goodreads
Tiara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Narrator: Holter Graham | Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Penguin Audio (January 15, 2009) |Whispersync Ready: Yes
Cry Wolf picks up immediately after the novella Alpha & Omega, which after reading this I do agree with the author’s recommendation of reading that before diving into this series. It will give you the context necessary to understand how Charles and Anna have already gotten to the moment this book starts with. The novella can be found in the book On The Prowl, as well as part of the hardcover edition of Cry Wolf, which is how I read it. There’s also an audiobook available on Audible, though I think it’s a bit pricey for just one story. This is a spin-off of the Mercy Thompson series and vaguely references some events in the first book of that series.
Charles Cornick, second to the Marrok–an alpha wolf who controls all the wolves in North America, has been injured in a fight with the Chicago pack. The Chicago pack is responsible for violating many of the pack rules (again, explained in Alpha & Omega). Among these violations is harming an Omega wolf, Anna Latham. Omega wolves are neither dominant nor submissive and work outside the pack hierarchy to bring peace to wolves. The Chicago pack abused Anna in order to hide what she is and led her to believe that she is a submissive wolf. When Charles and Anna meet each other, their wolves choose the other as their mate, and Anna leaves the years of abuse for a new life with Charles in Montana. Upon arriving at Charles’ home, Anna is still plagued with misgivings and fears. Her abuse at the hands of her old pack leaves her uncertain despite Charles’ reassurances that she is wanted. However, the couple isn’t given enough time to start hashing out their relationship as Charles’ father sends him on another mission into the Montana hills to find what he believes is a rogue wolf that has been attacking indiscriminately. The Marrok encourages Charles to take Anna along with him thinking she may be able to aid him, but what they find is much more sinister than they thought.
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been reading the first book of various series lately in an attempt to find a few series to get addicted to, and I have found quite a few that I want to continue, including this one. This story was fast paced and exciting. I could barely stop listening to it to eat. It turned out to be so much more than the paranormal romance that I was expecting. The romance in this series is heavier than in Mercy Thompson, but it still managed to to weave a good story around the romance while allowing for character growth and exploration–especially exploration of Anna’s Omega status. And this Omega thing, while interesting, still feels a little shaky. It’s only the first book, though. However, I do feel that Anna as a character is explored in greater detail than Charles in this book. Maybe it’s because Anna has so many more issues to get over than Charles who really worries more about how Anna will perceive him since he is the enforcer of the pack and seems a bit vapid at this point because Briggs seems to be holding on to that “Stoic Indian” stereotype. I am pleased with Anna’s personal development. I was afraid she was going to turn too much into a special snowflake. However, Anna became surer in herself. She didn’t grow out of all her timid nature, and as an Omega wolf, she’ll likely be more on the calm side in this series. She is allowed agency, though. She pushes herself, and when it’s too much, she pulls back. I don’t expect her to go from abuse victim to snarling badass, but I do appreciate what Briggs did with her. Also, I’m hoping later books will tell us more about some of the other members of this new pack, as it’s mentioned throughout the book that Bran’s (the Marrok and Charles’ dad) pack is made up of werewolves with various issues such as Asil who never got over his mate’s death and wants death and Sage whose past is hinted at as being abusive. Bran is the glue that keeps his pack sane, and you just get the feeling that he takes in the strays for their own safety.
Now, let’s talk about the ugly. First, I mentioned in my review of Alpha & Omega that I was a little worried how Charles would be handled as a Native American lead. I don’t remember there being an issue with Mercy Thompson, but it’s been quite some time since I read a Mercy book. I feel I’m much more aware of the roles that characters of color play in all media. Representation matters, and how that representation is presented matters as well. Yes, there were instances of this book that irked me in regards to how Charles’ heritage was handled and various comments made. It felt unnatural, forced. I am hoping, though, that as Briggs progressed through this series that some of these things became less of a focus and she handles him with a more delicate hand. I really would love to continue this series, but things like this can be deal breakers. I enjoyed this book enough to continue and hope for the best. Second, the narration was a bit “meh” for me. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t feel like enough was done to distinguish voices. Most of the men sounded the same with the exception of Tag, who was described as having a high voice that belied his big size, and Asil, who looked Middle Eastern but, since he’d spent some time in Spain, sounded like Antonio Banderas’ Puss in Boots. The women weren’t too much better with only Sage really standing out because of her thick Southern drawl (that I found a little laughable as a Southerner myself). I will continue to listen to the books since I didn’t dislike the narration. Holter Graham just might be the type of narrator that has to grow on me.
Being as this is about the pack that Mercy was raised in, I feel like I should be reading this side by side with those books. Part of me does want to take up the task of rereading the first book and continuing that series, as well. I look forward to reading more of Charles and Anna’s adventures and watching them grow as a couple.
Story
Performance
Overall
Man Crush Monday: Ronan Lynch
Posted on March 28, 2016 10 Comments
“Man Crush Monday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Roadside Reader meant to show some loving to our favourite literary males! From obvious choices like your Jace Herondales and Mr. Darcys, to more obscure or debateable characters such as the Nicolas de Lenfents or Heathcliffs of the world, here is your chance to make your case on their behalf!”
“And you, Ronan,” Niall said. He always said Ronan differently from other words. As if he meant to say another word entirely–something like knife or poison or revenge–and then swapped it out for Ronan’s name at the last moment. “When you were born, the rivers dried up and the cattle in Rockingham County wept blood.”
It was a story he had told more than once, but Ronan’s mother, Aurora, insisted it wa a lie. She said when Ronan emerged, the trees all grew flowers and the Henrietta ravens laughed. When his parents bickered back and forth about his birth, Ronan never pointed out that both versions could be true.
I’ve got a thing for the broken ones. The dark ones that others might cross the road to avoid if they saw them coming the other way. Not that I’m naive or foolish enough not to keep my distance too. But I’m more willing to dig a little deeper and find out what makes them tick, and maybe see if there’s a little light hiding among all those shadows. In Maggie Steifvater’s The Raven Cycle series, she does just that by giving us a character that we are not meant to like. A character that is dangerous, perhaps even deadly.
And Ronan was everything that was left: molt en eyes and a smile made for war.
But even as she describes him thusly, we also meet a young man who is loyal to his friends–friends who can see beyond the molten eyes and recognize a kindred spirit for what it is and what it can be. His loyalty and undying love also extends to his family, though not necessarily to his father who has caused all the trouble in Ronan’s life, and who Ronan fears to become.
Ronan isn’t exactly a teddy bear under the razor blade persona, but his relationship with Noah is adorable, and his reverence for Gansey is one of the many elements of friendship that make me love this series. And then, of course, there’s Chainsaw, the little raven that Ronan lovingly snatched from dreams and cares for with delicate hands.
Audiobook Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
Posted on March 27, 2016 15 Comments
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of A Darker Shade of Magic
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (February 23, 2016)
Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading
The moment I learned that Kate Reading and Michael Kramer would be performing the audio edition of A Gathering of Shadows, I knew this was the only format of the book I wanted. I’m a big fan of the audiobook power couple, who has narrated a bunch of my favorite fantasy series including Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled when I saw both their names attached to this sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic.
The story begins approximately four months after the first book. Without spoiling anything beyond what’s already in the publisher description, this is a relatively short time for the characters to come to terms with all that’s happened, considering the widespread repercussions. White London’s creepy rulers the Dane twins may have been dealt with, but that ordeal has nonetheless changed brothers Kell and Rhy’s lives forever. The antagonist Holland was also vanquished through the rift to Black London, left for dead with the shadow stone, the pesky thing that started all this trouble in the first place.
But when all was said and done, Lila Bard had decided to walk away, leaving Kell with only his memories and the guilt. This prompts Rhy to sneak Kell into the upcoming Element Games (which is kind of like this world’s Olympics of magic) in the hopes that it would cheer his brother up. Meanwhile, Lila has stuck around in Red London, meeting up with a pirate crew and becoming their best thief. However, her captain turns out to be one of the most talented magicians in the realm, and his intention to compete in the Games also steers their ship towards the capital. Little do our characters know, they’ll all be seeing each other again very soon—and unfortunately, that doesn’t preclude old enemies showing up as well.
The good news is, I liked A Gathering of Shadows more than the first book. I wouldn’t say A Darker Shade of Magic was a disappointment exactly, but I had also expected a lot more from V.E. Schwab, after she first blew me away with Vicious. Despite its unique premise and the excellent world-building, ADSOM was missing an edge somehow, and I could only point to the lackluster characters. In spite of their interesting backstories, Kell and Lila both suffered from having standard personalities and no remarkable presence. Still, I enjoyed the fast-paced narrative and the action-filled plot, and thought that ending set things up nicely for a sequel. I knew I was intrigued enough to want to continue the series, and it was my hope that the characters will finally grow on me.
And in a lot of ways, they did. I’m still not completely invested in Lila, but unless there’s an overhaul to her personality and she becomes less obnoxious, I doubt I ever will. She’s all about the grandiosity but weak on substance, and every time she opened her mouth to spout about running away from good things, I wanted to roll my eyes. Happily, Kell on the other hand has become a much more interesting character. The drastic changes he went through in the first book has transformed him into a protagonist I actually want to root for, going from the spoiled child who doesn’t realize how good he has it, to the man who self-sacrifices for the sake of others.
The story is also so much better! The Element Games was obviously the centerpiece of this novel, and I liked the excitement surrounding it. The only negative is how long it took to build up to the event, and the somewhat flimsy reasons for Kell and Lila to get involved. The insanity of the tournament and explosive action of the magician duels in the matchups are well worth the wait though, and the second half of the book is definitely a lot stronger than the first. Relationships between the characters are getting twistier and there’s also a side plot bringing back something from the past to haunt them again. Obviously we’ve not seen the last of Black London, and its rise will mean very bad things for all the other versions.
Plus, I think I made a great choice going with the audiobook version. With respect to Steven Crossley who did an excellent job narrating the first book, A Gathering of Shadows worked even better for me because of having two narrators. Michael Kramer read Kell’s perspective chapters, bringing the character to life. Kate Reading was great too, even though her voice was probably less of a match for the younger, less-refined thief Lila. There’s a reason why they’re two of my favorite narrators though, because they can make almost anything work.
Overall, I’m glad I decided to continue with this series because I was hoping I would like the second book better than the first—and I did. The abrupt ending was kind of cruel, but it was an effective cliffhanger to make me even more curious about book three. A solid sequel, and I look forward to see what will happen next.
Story: 
| Performance: 
| Overall: 
Audiobook Review: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
Posted on March 27, 2016 7 Comments
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror
Series: Downside Ghosts #1
Publisher: Del Ray (March 25, 2010)
Information: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Tiara’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Narrator: Bahni Turpin | Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Blackstone Audio (May 25, 2010) | Whispersync Ready: Yes
23 years before the start of this book, in the year 1997, ghosts massacred millions of people worldwide in an event that would become known as Haunted Week. The ghosts were eventually controlled and caged in a city for the dead by a group that would become known as the Church. While the Church shares many similarities with more radical religious beliefs, there is one notable exception. They teach that God/the gods do not exist, and they have outlawed all religion. They teach that only energy exists. They still follow a strict moral code, but the moral depravities of humankind are blamed on their own shortcomings and cannot be attributed to gods that do not exist. The tenants of the “faith” head each chapter with such gems as:
| “There is no sin, as the misguided and incorrect old religions would have people believe. There is crime, and there is punishment. There is right and wrong. But these are based on fact, and not belief.” —The Book of Truth, Veraxis, Article 56“ |
Cesaria “Chess” Putman was a baby when Haunted Week occurred, and 23 years later, she’s employed by the Church as a debunker–known colloquially as a Churchwitch. Covered in tattoos of holy symbols, her job is to investigate hauntings. The Church pays people who have genuine hauntings money and rid their homes of ghosts. They feel it is the Church’s obligation. However, people who fake hauntings are punished. They send in people like Chess to find out whether a home is truly haunted or not and perform the necessary rituals if they are. Chess is good at her job, but Chess is also a drug addict with a pretty severe habit. She manages to function, but just barely. Desperation for money to pay the large sum she owes her drug dealer causes her to take on another case instead of waiting her turn for another to be assigned. She also accepts a side job from her dealer that he says will help her clear her debts, as well. It seems like Chess will be able to get things in order, but what is that saying about the best laid plans?
There were two things that factored in to my listening to this book. First, I wanted to listen to something by Bahni Turpin. She was highlighted in an audiobook newsletter I received and has a huge catalog of books she’s narrated. She did do an amazing job with this book. Granted, I did think her reading was a little “lighter” than I’d expect for such a dark book, but wow, her range. She owned every voice male and female. I was particularly impressed with the voice she did for a young boy in the book. It was absolutely phenomenal. Also, her command of the patois in this story was remarkable. Second, I chose this particular book, as narrated by Turpin, because of the unconventional heroine. I can’t say that I’ve ever read an Urban Fantasy or a speculative book period that featured a protagonist with a near-debilitating drug addiction. Chess is a likable character despite her addiction, but that made me want her to clean herself up even more, even though that isn’t something that she even considers during the course of this novel. Chess’ world is certainly intriguing. It’s a not-quite dystopian universe that is dark, grim, and morally reprehensible. Instead of living on Church grounds, mainly due to the habit she’s trying to hide, Chess resides among people who fear and despise debunkers. She’s a necessary evil. Everything about the world she lives in is ugly. Scores of homeless children, prostitutes, addicts, and thugs are part of Chess’ every day life. Brutality is ignored. “That’s not my business…” is mantra used often by characters. Every part of the city isn’t as grimy’s as Chess’ neighborhood, but we don’t spend much time in the “good” areas. Instead readers are treated to a patois, a mashup of Southern/Caribbean style parlance and people who encompass all shades of black, white, and gray.
This wouldn’t be an Urban Fantasy without some type of romance, and it comes in the form of two men–Terrible, an enforcer for Chess’ dealer, and Lex, a thug for the other big drug dealer in town. Her relationship with both men is complicated, and there isn’t much sweet about either. They move beyond the typical bad boy love interests into the realm of downright dangerous. You might even think they’re pretty irredeemable at first glance, but Kane manages to give them some humanity throughout the story. Terrible is explored far more than Lex and will likely be the love choice that sticks in the end. However, the lack of Lex’s exploration may be just because Chess isn’t around Lex nearly as much as Terrible. There’s a great deal of lust in these two relationships, and it was hard for me to really see them as romantic. Her relationship with Lex I still don’t see as being terribly romantic, even as I conceded that her relationship with Terrible was showing more signs of romance.
This novel did start a little slow for me. There were so many things going on, but there was something that just didn’t click for me until I neared the end of this book and really starting getting into the mystery. The lore is interesting with the Church, the heroine is unconventional, and there are lots of interesting pieces. This book is definitely one that will not be for every UF lover. The heroine’s addiction, the talks/scenes of abuse, and the violence can be triggering and upsetting. Still, I applaud Kane for writing something that really thumbs its nose at the trends.
Story
Performance
Overall
The BiblioSanctum 