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.
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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.
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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.
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A Local Habitation Read-Along Week No.4
Posted on March 26, 2016 4 Comments
We take a trip back to October Daye’s world of mystery and magic in the second book of Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series. If you’re interested in joining this Read-Along, visit the SF/F Read-Along group for more information and to join the discussion.
Week 1: Saturday 5th March, Chapters 1-8 hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Saturday 12th March, Chapters 9-16 – hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 3: Saturday 19th March, Chapters 17-25 – hosted by Books By Proxy
Week 4: Saturday 26th March, Chapters 26-end – hosted by The Bibliosanctum
1. Alex and Terrie’s secrets are finally revealed. Was that the outcome you were expecting? If not, what theories did you have concerning the two?
Yeah, it pretty much went where I was expecting. I wasn’t sure what exactly they were, but I knew they had to be the same people. All the clues were pointing that way.
2. We get Toby doing more powerful things with blood during the course of this story aside from gleaning information. What are you thoughts on this? Do you think we’ll start to see her doing more wondrous things over the course of the series?
I like how McGuire is giving Toby’s blood magic some different aspects in the story, and I would certainly like to see Toby defy some odds with her magic despite being a changeling. I think McGuire will give her some reasonable powers as the daughter of a powerful fae. However, I hope she doesn’t get too overpowered during the course of the series. One of the things that I enjoy about October is that she uses her wits and her will to overcome rather than power much of the time.
3. Did you expect Tybalt to actually show up at Tamed Lightning? What’s your take on this “not-friendship” that is developing between Toby and Tybalt? Does learning more about the cats and sensing Tybalt’s own feelings about what has occurred make you feel differently about him or see new aspects to his personality?
I sort of expected him to show up and I sort of didn’t expect him to show up. Either way, it would’ve made sense. After the last section, you could tell that Tybalt was up in his feelings a little bit about Barbara (and maybe Toby). It makes sense that he’d come and check it out (and check up on Toby… what?!). I think for all that aloofness that Tybalt tries to project he cares more than he lets on about things. Even though he wasn’t a raving lunatic, you could tell that the death of the cats really bothered him.
You already know how much I’m praying for the book gods to get Toby and Tybalt together, so I am 100% rooting for this.
4. Despite being misguided, what did you think of the attempt to create something lasting for Faerie after hearing Elliot’s explanation? Is there a way to save and preserve Faerie or is Toby right that maybe its end is near?
Everything changes. I can understand wanting to preserve something because once you lose it its gone, but it may not be possible to preserve everything about Faerie. There are some aspects that I’m sure will live on, but I don’t know if there’s a way to keep it exactly like it is. There are so many good points made about some of the races dying out, not enough births, etc. So, I’m not entirely sure that it really can be saved, which is unfortunate. And when faced with that reality, it’s easy to see how they got caught up in this idea that they could save it, even with Gordan trying to taint it.
5. What do you think will happen at Tamed Lightning now that Jan is gone? Do you think April will be able to maintain or do you think things are just getting started between Tamed Lightning and Dreamer’s Glass? Do you think others will be willing to go to Tamed Lightning after this?
A small part of me is vicious and thinks it should be taken over (just not by Dreamer’s Glass), but a bigger part of me hopes that it does thrive. I understand that they did what they felt they had to do, but I do hope they are able to keep their autonomy from Dreamer’s Glass. Having more people there will likely help them in this endeavor, so maybe some of the old employees will return now. I can only hope for April’s sake.
6. Overall, what did you think of A Local Habitation? Did you like it more or less than the first book? Are you still excited to see where Toby’s journey leads? Any favorite parts? Least favorites? Gush as much or as little as you want.
I definitely enjoyed this much more than the last and really want to see where this leads Toby. I felt like this was a much stronger offering than the first book, but that’s typical for a series as the author finds their footing with the character and story. I felt much more invested in this book than the first, but I really enjoyed them both.
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
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
I’m out of town for the weekend for my birthday/anniversary, so I didn’t add all my usual frills. Hopefully, we’ll all meet up again for the next book! 😀
Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on March 26, 2016 28 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every other weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I round up what I’ve read since the last update and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
My deepest thanks to all the wonderful 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!
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – My thanks to Crown Publishing for a copy of this ARC! Here’s a pic of the wickedly creative package that it came in, which I thought was really cool. I’ve actually been meaning to check out Blake Crouch’s other series Wayward Pines for a while, so this was definitely a welcome arrival.
Armada by Ernest Cline – From the kind folks at Crown, I also received a nice surprise in the form of this paperback edition of Armada. As you can see, the book is sporting a brand new cover, and I love the look! Here’s my review from last year, I had a lot of fun with this book. The paperback release is April 12 so be sure to note the date on your calendar if you missed the hardback!
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor – The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series has been a bestseller in the UK for years, and this summer Skyhorse/Night Shade Books is finally bringing it to the US. My thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this quirky time-travel novel.
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay – One of my most anticipated books of the year! Guy Gavriel Kay always delivers, and I can’t wait to read his upcoming novel inspired by the conflicts and dramas of Renaissance Europe. With thanks to NAL.
And I Darken by Kiersten White – “What if Vlad the Impaler, the brutal prince, had been Lada the Impaler, the brutal princess?” If that’s not enough to pique your interest, I don’t know what will. That was the quite from the author about her inspiration, and I just love the sound of this book. Thank you to Delacorte Press.
Nightstruck by Jenna Black – My thanks to Tor Teen for this finished copy! The description had me at “paranormal horror.” Granted, it’s a tricky genre for Young Adult, but I’m looking forward to give this one a try.
Quantum Break: Zero State by Cam Rogers – My first reaction to this book was, “Wait, THERE’S A QUANTUM BREAK NOVEL?!?!?!?” Quantum Break the game is one of my most anticipated Xbox One titles this year, and they’ve been so hush-hush about this tie-in novel that I didn’t even know about it until earlier this month. I can’t wait to read this one, thanks Tor Books!
Pathfinder Tales: Hellknight by Liane Merciel – I’ve been playing the Pathfinder RPG with my gaming group for years now, but believe it or not I’ve never actually read any of the Pathfinder Tales novels, which you’d figure would be right up my alley. High time for that to change! Very happy that my first Pathfinder book will be by Liane Merciel, who has written some great tie-in novels, including one for Dragon Age. My thanks to Tor Books for this one as well!
Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer – I have a real weakness for political science fiction, and Ada Palmer is an author I’ve always wanted to try. I’m also really excited to be taking part in the blog tour later this spring, so stay tuned for more information on that! My thanks to Tor Books.
Company Town by Madeline Ashby – I also couldn’t resist requesting this sci-fi mystery by Madeline Ashby, who’s also the author of The Machine Dynasty series, the first book of which blew my mind when I read it a while ago. It makes me optimistic for her upcoming novel from Tor, which I hope will be as thoughtful and hard-hitting.
Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt – I’ll admit, when this one first caught my eye on NetGalley, I ended up passing it by (albeit reluctantly) because it was straight up historical fiction without a speculative element. However, the Orbit publicist made me decide to take a second look when she wrote me a note saying she thought this one would be right up my alley. How could I resist a recommendation like that? With thanks to their sister imprint Redhook for the widget invitation!
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab – When I saw that they had switched publishers and narrators for this sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic and that it would be performed by two of my favorite narrators, Kate Reading and Michael Kramer, I just knew I had to get my hands on the audiobook edition! Much thanks to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity.
Infomocracy by Malka Older – Thank you so much to Tor.com for an eARC of this cyberpunk political thriller from debut author Malka Older!
The Raft by Fred Strydom – It seems I just can’t say no to a dystopian. What happens when humanity loses its collective memory? This book sounds like it could either be really confusing or really awesome, but when I saw it up on Edelweiss from Talos, I saw no harm in giving it a shot.
The Binding by Nicholas Wolff – I’m feeling so optimistic about the horror genre this year, I pretty much want to check out anything and everything. This was on my list of debuts to watch, and doesn’t hurt that it’s a supernatural horror. With thanks to Gallery Books.
The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood – When one of the most renowned artists of dragons in fantasy fiction has written his debut novel about his beloved subject, hell yeah, I really need to take a look. My thanks to DAW!
The Devourers by Indra Das – This book was only peripherally on my radar for the longest time, but when I saw that cover I one-clicked that request button so fast you wouldn’t freakin’ believe. Evocative and dreamlike stories can be hit or miss with me, that’s true, but with a cover that gorgeous, I think I’ll take my chances. Yes, I’m a cover whore and I’m not sorry! My thanks to Del Rey.
Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen – An eARC of the third and final book of the Malediction Trilogy is in my reader now, locked and ready to rock thanks to Angry Robot! Looking forward to see how it all ends.
Reviews
Here are all my reviews since the last update, gathered together and listed here for your convenience and viewing pleasure. It was a pretty good couple of weeks, I must say.
Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop (4 of 5 stars)
Fellside by M.R. Carey (4 of 5 stars)
Of Sorrow and Such by Angela Slatter (4 of 5 stars)
Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor (4 of 5 stars)
United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas (4 of 5 stars)
The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley (4 of 5 stars)
Jaws by Peter Benchley (3.5 of 5 stars)
Lustlocked by Matt Wallance (3 of 5 stars)
Snakewood by Adrian Selby (3 of 5 stars)
Author Spotlights
My thanks to Brian Staveley who stopped by The BiblioSanctum with a guest post last week!
Guest Post: “The Unforgiving Net; the Horror of Publication” by Brian Staveley
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Here’s what I’ve been reading recently. There are many awesome new releases in early April so I’ve been checking out a lot of them during the second half of March. Keep an eye for reviews of the following books in the upcoming weeks, if they’re not up already that is!
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! 🙂
Sanctum Sanctorum: Gaming Groups
Posted on March 25, 2016 6 Comments
This month, our roundtable topic is gaming groups. As you may know, we love our games here at Bibliosanctum, many of which we play in a group setting and sometimes even play together. Here we’re chatting about our experiences with group gaming.
Are you a gamer? Feel free to use the comments to answer the questions too!
What kind of group games do you play regularly?
Wendy: I usually play online massively multiplayer role playing games like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Guild Wars 2. I have recently branched out into the world of table top — or rather, I’m playing Dungeons & Dragons, which is essentially table top game, but I’m playing via various online formats due to the fact that I have no one near by to sit at a table with. I also received Munchkins for Christmas, so I’ve been playing that with my daughters.
Mogsy and Wendy adventuring with author Freya Robertson and her husband in Guild Wars 2.
Tiara: For group games, I tend to play Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Sometimes you can find me on Champions Online, but I don’t really play MMOs that much. It’s fun to run around, but sometimes, I like something more linear and story-based, not that SWTOR doesn’t do an excellent job of that. I also dabble in The Secret World, but I haven’t stuck to that one because I have no one to play with. D: I really prefer story-based co-op at this point such as Borderlands. Oh, and I’m playing D&D with Wendy and a few more people.
Mogsy: Well, as a gamer I’m all over the place, but my first love is online gaming and I am an MMO fiend (if you know the story, that’s how I actually got the handle “Mogsy”). I used to play everything, and I mean like everything — Age of Conan, Aion, Neverwinter Online, Champions Online, Rift, Defiance, Elder Scrolls Online, SWTOR, Star Trek Online, just to name some examples. By their nature though, MMOs are a huge time sink, so unfortunately my gaming activity has plummeted ever since my little ones were born. These days I only get a few hours to play each week, and the only MMOs I still hang out in are World of Warcraft and The Secret World (which is an AMAZING game, by the way. Tiara, if you’re looking for someone to play with, you’re always welcome to join my TSW group!) Every Sunday, my Pathfinder group also gets together for a couple hours to do some adventuring over Teamspeak and Fantasy Grounds.
Our DM has thrown so much crap at us since last fall, but my Gnome Barbarian is still kicking around.
How did you find your first gaming group? What did you learn from that experience? Are you still playing together?
Wendy: It was in Final Fantasy XI, which was my very first MMORPG. I had heard awful things about MMOs and the treatment of new players, but I was very fortunate to find the kind of players that proved those stereotypes wrong. I have fond memories of Jadefox taking me to get my ghoul skull, Lilfitz teaching me how to mage, Romero lending me gil to buy my next cure spell, and Heimdall rescuing me from a marauding orc and inviting me to my first linkshell: Heroes of Asgard. As I grew in the game, the reigns of the linkshell were eventually handed over to me and a few others, and I would go on to lead other groups, while participating in yet other groups on the side for high level stuff, but I’ll never forget my first, even long after I’ve stopped playing the game.
Tiara: My first MMO was the now defunct City of Heroes/Villains. I played a brute, which isn’t quite a tank. They soak up a ton of damage like most tanks, but instead of just being the meatshield like a tank, they also deal a ton of damage. For this reason their health wasn’t as great as a tanks because they were tasked with getting things on them and killing them fast. A vet named Shadow took me under his wing and really got me to play outside my comfort zone. He’d been casually trying to get me to team with him for a while. I was determined I was just going to solo my way to through the game, but he was always so polite. Finally, I said, “What the hell?” I am more comfortable being on the front lines than defense, but Shadow taught me the merits of all classes and being all that I can be no matter what I played. And when I DING’D the highest level I could with my first character, it was actually with an Ice Empath, which was a total shock because she’s a support character. I don’t play with Shadow anymore. Sadly, he passed away. He was in the military, but I met three other guys that I do still play with and chat with regularly. Sometimes, my IRL friends got into it, too.
Me and my friend, Sparkle, celebrating our destruction.
Mogsy: My first gaming group was actually my first guild in World of Warcraft. That’s how I actually met my husband! We were both raid leaders, and planning strategies with him was how we eventually grew close and fell in love. I learned a lot in those Burning Crusade days, like how to organize and direct a group of 25 people to take down a boss, learning everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. We were a casual guild so there was never really any conflict or stress, just good old fun. Even though that guild is now dissolved and my husband and I have changed servers since, I still have great memories from those times. Nowadays, I game with a great group of people I mainly know through blogging and Twitter, fantastic folks I’ve been playing with for years. Some of these guys and gals I consider my closest friends, even though I’ve never met many of them face to face. It’s a fairly close knit community.
Magtheridon down, along with 23 of us.
Do you game with your family or is gaming a friends only thing?
Me and my daughter at Sick Kids Hospital for Extra Life.
Wendy: Neither my husband nor I expected me to become as involved with FFXI as I did, but really, it was just an extension of my online presence. We couldn’t afford to play together then, which caused tension in our relationship, but now we make sure to buy two copies of every online game. We both have differing play styles though. He likes solo work like crafting and gathering, while I’m more of a social butterfly who likes to poke at things that will probably get myself and the party killed, which is why I’m glad I have friends who are okay with this bad habit of mine. My nephew is the one who convinced me to finally try D&D and helped me create my first character. He’s currently DMing a game that I’m playing via roll20.net with friends. As I mentioned, I play Munchkin with my daughters and they were a big part of my Extra Life campaign this past year.
Tiara: Preferring to game with family or friends was never a thing. This is really a non-question for me. I game. I play with other gamers. I don’t care if they’re my family or my friends. The family that plays together, stays together. I grew up in a family of gamers, married into a family of gamers. So, I spend time playing games with my family a pretty good deal whether it’s Lego Avengers with the kids or Dead Island with my cousin, AJ. (Yes, I still hate zombies.) You can see how bad we suck here. Also, we had 99 problems and at least 98 of them were doing quests like finding booze for people hiding in bungalows because they couldn’t deal with zombies:
Mogsy: My husband is my steadfast partner in life and in game. We often play with friends too, but the two of us are always a gaming unit. Often we level our characters together, and so our roles will also complement each other. I’m usually the tanky/melee one while he’s the heals/caster, so this dynamic also comes in handy when our friends need to do a dungeon or a group quest or something. The two of us would show up and have everything covered.
What are the dynamics like in your average gaming group? Do people tend to fall into particular roles? What role do you play?
Wendy: When I first started playing online games, I chose a Red Mage because I wanted someone who could survive on their own. I wasn’t expecting to participate in groups, so I wanted to be self-reliant. Even in previous RPGs like Final Fantasy, I always made sure that every character was capable of healing themselves. As I found myself fitting more into the group settings though, I settled into the healing role. My desire for self-sufficiency mutated into a lack of faith in other players’ ability to take care of the people I’d come to call my friends and family. Of course, there were other healers in the group that I learned to trust, but until I reach that point with people, I place the onus on myself to heal. As the dynamics of games have changed, I’ve allowed myself to try other classes that might not have a cure spell handy when I need it. Others would fall into the other necessary roles as needed. But over time, I came to understand that there were “rules” about what was needed and I became determined to defy those rules because far too often, they alienated other players. Yes, having a tank, a healer, a damage dealer, and a controller is ideal, but it’s not the only way, and the challenge and excitement and amusement of finding other options is what gaming is all about for me. It took me a while, but I’m pretty proud of the day I convinced my linkshell mates to try out a deadly mission as a party of entirely naked black mages.
Tiara: If it’s there, I will tank with it. No joke. LOL. I don’t really say that there are dynamics (other than personal dynamics) in groups I play with. Everyone usually does what they’re comfortable with and feel like they’re good at. From there, we synergize and make up for any perceived weaknesses. The thing about City of Heroes and it being my first MMO is that I was never trapped in a role. Yeah, I may have been the damage dealer, but there was more to what I could do than just hit things like provide buffs for teammates in melee range as a sort of “BE ENCOURAGED BUT STAY BEHIND ME.” A common saying in that game was, “There are no healers.” And theoretically, that was true. With my Ice Emp, she had healing powers thanks to her empathy, but that wasn’t her only role in the group. She was also a powerful ice controller. She could make it very difficult for anything at all to hit you or even approach (LOOK TO THE SKY FOR THE ICE RAIN! THINGS ARE NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME!). Sometimes, people would still try to box empaths into that healing role, but I always showed them WHY we get two classes and not one. I was a fantastic controller and groups often marveled at how well I could control bosses while they killed it. Sometimes, they’d barely need any healing at all because I’d done my job as an ice controller. But I do like to be on the front lines. However, it is sometimes fun to sit back and buff others, but I credit CoH for making me a versatile gamer in MMOs because it forced you to be versatile. And yes, I still tried to tank with my Ice Emp, but mostly with just my friends who knew I liked to hit things.
Mogsy: I’m comfortable in many roles, which is why I have an uber soft spot for hybrid classes. In general though, I also like to hit stuff with a big sword, so you’ll often find me playing the warrior archetype. That also means I’m usually the tank. Being the meatshield can be the greatest feeling in the world when things go right, but when the shit hits the fan, it can also be the most thankless role in the entire game. First of all, you spend 99% of an encounter with the boss’s ugly crotch in your face. And if the group happens to wipe (even when it’s through no fault of your own) the person who gets blamed is almost always the tank. On the one hand, I love being the protector and having the key role in a group (if you go down, everyone else does too, it’s as simple as that). On the other, the pressure that goes hand in hand with the responsibility can sometimes get to me. These days you couldn’t pay me to tank a PuG, because you know what, I could really do without the abuse every single time I don’t do something exactly the way some jackass expects.
Boss crotches don’t get much uglier than this.
How do you know when you’ve found the right group?
Wendy: When my character gets drunk and starts dancing on the table and my group is like “Oh it must be Tuesday.” Or when I’m being all Boss Lady and everyone falls in line because they know that I have put all sorts of effort into organizing these plans and will make sure that everyone benefits in some way–unless they piss me off. Or when I say “Guys, I need some nice boots to go with this outfit, but they are all the way in a high level area that will probably kill us,”and they say, “BRT!” Or it’s New Years and I’m not doing anything and you’re not doing anything and do you want to kill a dragon? That’s when I know I am among my people.
Team Mission Failure: Trying not to die in Mass Effect 3 Mulitplayer
Tiara: When I’m not screaming out in the chat box, “I AM TAKING MY BALL AND GOING HOME,” while rage quitting, then we’ve found a winner. But these days I tend to stick to a select few friends and family as I’ve gotten older and less tolerant of bullshit. I don’t have time for squabbling. I want to smash things, and if you want to smash things, too, we are on the same page and you are welcomed here. Also, any group that lets me spend hours in the costume creator to do these things is a winner (click for better view):
Mogsy: The “right group” for me means I feel comfortable with those I’m playing with. We’ve all heard the horror stories about the greater MMO community at large, but really, the gaming world is made up of some of the best people you’ll ever meet. I’ve made friends for life because I found my perfect group and stayed with them. Whether we’re raiding, goofing off, or just having a dance party, I know I’ll always have a fun time.
#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine + GIVEAWAY!
Posted on March 24, 2016 14 Comments
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!***
If you follow this blog you also probably know by now that Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine was one of my top reads of last year, since I can’t seem to stop raving like a lunatic about this book and shoving it at everyone I know. Well, too bad, because I’m far from done!
On April 5, 2016 Ink and Bone will be released in paperback, and to celebrate it we at The BiblioSanctum are hosting a special edition of #ThrowbackThursday with a review re-post and giveaway. Time to reminisce about all the reasons why I am so in love with this book…
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Great Library
Publisher: NAL (July 7, 2015; Paperback: April 5, 2016)
Length: 351 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I spent most of the last week bouncing up and down telling everyone I know about Ink and Bone. In case I haven’t already gotten the chance to corner you with my mad ravings about this book, let me just tell you right now: this is an outstanding novel. Needless to say, it is going straight on my Favorites shelf and on my list of best books of 2015. There’s still almost half a year to go but I already know it’ll be hard one to beat. Books of this caliber don’t come along often.
Ink and Bone tells a tale of alternate history. As we all know, the invention of the printing press had an enormous impact on humanity, revolutionizing the way information is acquired, processed, and spread. But what if that never happened? Imagine a world where Johannes Gutenberg’s creation never came to light, a world where great minds like him were systematically silenced every time a new proposal for a method of printing came close to being realized. Imagine no ink plates, no moveable type, no presses – all innovations that were deemed too dangerous by an all-powerful ruling class that seeks to gather and control all knowledge, deciding who should have access to it, how and when.
Jess Brightwell lives in such a world, where the only books that exist are original works or copies painstakingly written out by hand. By law they are all property of the Great Library of Alexandria, that powerful bastion of knowledge that never succumbed to destruction in this reality. The scholars of the Library strictly govern the distribution of books to the public, using a complex alchemical process to deliver content instantly to an individual’s personal Codex or blanks. As a result, traditionally bound books have become very popular on the black market, as has the illegal trade of smuggling them into the hands of private collectors and other rare book hunters. It’s risky, but the Brightwells have prospered in this business, and Jess’ father has decided to take it to the next level by sending his son into the Library’s service, hoping that having an inside man will benefit the family in the long run.
But being a Library servant is a position of prestige, and as such, the trials used to seek out the best of the best are rigorous, brutal, and not always fair. I’ve always been fond of stories about magic schools, but Rachel Caine took the basis of that idea and made it all her own. Together with about two dozen other hopeful postulants, Jess Brightwell travels to the bright, magnificent city of Alexandria, home of the Great Library. Because knowledge is deemed paramount, training doesn’t just involve learning how to run one of the many daughter libraries present in every major city of the world; postulants are also taught to guard and protect it, keeping original works out of the public’s hands even if it means dying for the cause.
As an avid reader, I of course find it difficult to argue with the importance of knowledge. But to place its value above human lives? This should clue you in to the kind of place our protagonist has landed himself, and even with his book smuggling background, Jess is unprepared to learn about the corruption at the heart of Alexandria, or just how deep it lies.
Despite its secrets (or perhaps because of them), the dark underside of the Great Library was a wonder to explore. Imagine a world where the personal ownership of books is forbidden – what a horrifying thought. But the story also appealed to a part of me that understood all too well why some people would resist the rule of the Library, or risk their lives to own a genuine paper book for the chance to hold a hefty volume in their hands, take in the heady scent of age and ink, as well as feel the hard leather of the binding or the crispness of the pages. Ink and Bone had that addictive and intoxicating effect on the delighted bookaholic in me, and I just couldn’t get enough.
The novel is also so much more than that. I’ve never understood what a book hangover felt like until now, wishing I’m still in Jess Brightwell’s world. What Rachel Caine has created here is a rich and vibrant tableau, filled with beauty and amazing wonders but also no shortage of pain and darkness. Scenes of clean and shining Alexandria are juxtaposed by the ugliness of war in England as well as the destructive Greek Fire of the rebel Burners. The same alchemical processes that bring knowledge to the masses are also used to oppress them, keeping a watchful eye out for sedition or powering the nightmarish automatons that guard the Library from its enemies. All told, the world building is phenomenal but so is character development. Jess and his fellow postulants are part of an unforgettable cast, every one of them endearing themselves to me with their unique and individual personalities. Rare is it also to find an adult character in a YA novel as complex as Scholar Christopher Wolfe, who was not at all what I expected, and he quickly became a favorite.
Once I started reading this book, I just couldn’t stop. It has raised the bar for the YA I’ll read for the rest of the year. But it doesn’t matter whether you’re a teen or an adult. Ink and Bone is for everyone, and a must-read for all who treasure the gift of the written word. A perfect mix of breathtaking fantasy and edge-of-your-seat dystopian fiction, this is a masterfully written novel guaranteed to hook you in.
INK AND BONE GIVEAWAY
As you can imagine, I’m crazy excited to be presenting a giveaway for one of my favorite books ever. The BiblioSanctum is pleased to be hosting one print copy of Ink and Bone, up for grabs to one lucky winner. The giveaway is open to residents of the US. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “INK AND BONE” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Monday, April 4, 2016.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
Backlist Burndown: Jaws by Peter Benchley
Posted on March 24, 2016 14 Comments
As book bloggers, sometimes we get so caught up reading review titles and new releases that we end up missing out on a lot previously published books. As a result, one of my goals this year is to take more time to catch up with my backlist, especially in my personal reading pile. And it seems I’m not the only one. Backlist Burndown is a new meme started by Lisa of Tenacious Reader. Every last Friday of the month, she’ll be posting a review of a backlist book and is inviting anyone interested to do the same. Of course, you can also review backlist books any day you want, as often you want, but be sure to watch for her post at the end of the month to link up!
I’m reviewing something a little different for this month…
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: First published February 1, 1974 by Bantam
Length: 309 pages
Author Information: Website
A whole generation was scared off from swimming in the ocean by the Spielberg film based on this book. Embarrassingly, I have to say my own reaction was even more extreme. It was the early 90s and I must have been about 7 when I watched Jaws for the first time on VHS, and for an entire week I refused baths because I was terrified little great whites were going to pour out of the faucets and eat my face. I was an especially wimpy kid with an overactive imagination.
Anyway, fast forward more than ten years, because that was how long it took before I finally managed to screw up the courage to watch the movie again. By then, I was in college and had forgotten much of what happened in the story, so aside from my memories of a couple horrific iconic scenes that have forever burned themselves into the hard drives of my mind, in many ways it was almost like seeing it for the first time all over again. The difference was, I was no longer a child. And chalk it up to the impatience of my twenty-something-year-old self or the fact that the movie was already more than 30 years old by that point, I realized then how needlessly I’d hyped that experience up for myself. Watching Jaws through fresh eyes, it occurred to me that the movie was actually kind of…boring.
But don’t get me wrong; I’ve certainly come to love the film now that I’m older, because I obviously wouldn’t have bothered to check out the book it was adapted from if I wasn’t such a big fan. So, why have I rambled on and on about movie in this review so far when, really, I should have been discussing the Peter Benchley novel instead? Well, it’s because a lot of things because clearer to me after I read this. Let’s face it, barring a handful of edge-of-your-seat moments in the beginning of the film and of course John Williams’ classic score, things don’t really get going until Brody, Hooper and Quint finally end up on the ocean to hunt that big damn shark. Up until that point, much of it was terribly long and terribly dry, and if I thought that about the slow burn build-up of the movie, a part of me couldn’t help but wonder how I was going to make out with the source material.
Truth is, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The book kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and not only on account of the differences from the movie. It’s clear to me now that a faithful adaptation wouldn’t have worked at all, because of the much deeper, more profound themes in the novel—which I hadn’t expected at all. Benchley must also have realized that writing a horror/suspense-thriller book about a man-eating shark wasn’t going to be easy, if nothing else because every scene on land was going to require a little something extra. After all, no ocean means no shark, and no shark means no action. In other words, boring.
So, not surprisingly, actual scenes with the shark—or “the fish”, as it was called in this book—were written with this cold and almost detached attitude, leaving readers with no illusions as to its brutal nature, and when it kills, you can bet there’s no skimping on the blood and gore.
But hey, what about when the story isn’t focused on the shark? Well, as a matter of fact, plenty of other things happen, including Mayor Vaughn’s connections to the mafia, and a torrid affair between Brody’s wife and Hooper. Ellen Brody, who was barely an afterthought in the movie, is actually a central character in the novel with a major storyline surrounding her intense longing for the affluent life she led before she got pregnant by Brody, which is why she ended up marrying him and settling in Amity. The overall feel of the book is undeniably more melancholy and mature.
On the flip side, the darker tone meant that we lost much of the bromance that made the movie so enjoyable towards the end, and the characters were all so thoroughly unappealing that more than once I ended up rooting for the shark. The finale was also nowhere near as explosive or satisfying, so ultimately, I think it’s safe to say that while the book wins in some areas, it also loses spectacularly in others.
Still, I have to say reading Peter Benchley’s Jaws was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, especially for an older book that’s so inherently associated with its popular adaptation. I’m guessing if you’re interested in checking it out, it’s because you’re like me—a fan of the movie who was really curious to see what in the novel made it in, what got changed, and what got cut. If you want to get the full picture, this is definitely a must-read.
The BiblioSanctum 