Book Review: Star Bringer by Tracy Wolff and Nina Croft
Posted on July 25, 2023 14 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Star Bringer by Tracy Wolff and Nina Croft
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Red Tower Books (July 11, 2023)
Length: 608 pages
Author Information: Tracy Wolff | Nina Croft
Star Bringer by Tracy Wolff and Nina Croft blends together elements from the space opera and romance genres, resulting in a sci-fi adventure that delivers on both fronts to varying degrees of success.
In a system with a dying sun, the race is on to find a way to save the nine planets and their billions of inhabitants who depend on the star for survival. Nineteen-year-old Princess Kali, daughter of the Empress, is on her first royal mission to tour the research facility where scientists have been working on a promising solution to the problem when suddenly, an act of terrorism leaves the whole station in shambles.
In the chaos, Kali and six others barely manage to escape the flaming ruins of the lab by fleeing aboard a dilapidated starship. Her fellow passengers include Ian, a rough mercenary who immediately claims leadership of the group; his brother Max, a bit more soft spoken but no less ruthless; Rain, a high priestess from the Sisterhood of the Dying Sun; her bodyguard Merrick, a stalwart warrior monk; Beckett, an escaped prisoner with a massive chip on her shoulder; and Gage, a shady ex-Corporation employee who is loyal to no one but himself.
Trapped together in an unfamiliar and volatile ship, our ragtag crew suddenly find themselves hunted by almost every major faction there is in the solar system. Everyone on board seems to have a secret they’re desperate to outrun or a dangerous mission they’re trying to accomplish. Among them, clashes immediately ensue, but so too does a little bit of unexpected chemistry.
Star Bringer is the latest release from Red Tower Books, Entangled Publishing’s freshly launched imprint featuring new adult speculative fiction romance titles. Keep in mind though, while sci-fi may be the name, love is definitely the game. What this means is that world-building is on the shallower side, and the science is practically non-existent. Still, you can’t really blame the story as it makes itself very clear from the start: it’s all about the relationships, baby. Plus, it’s not shy about the instalove either. All the threats facing the group notwithstanding, most of this 600-page novel’s middle is dedicated to the two separate romance arcs that quickly emerge, one between Kali and Ian, the other between Rain and Beckett.
If you’re a romance reader, Star Bringer will no doubt be right up your alley, especially if you are a fan of the tried-and-true genre tropes and spicy hot love scenes. Personally speaking though, the relationships in this book kind of left a bad taste in my mouth, mainly due to both Ian and Beckett coming across as shamelessly taking advantage of their respective love interests’ lack of experience and naivete. Sorry, maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I prefer my romances built upon strong foundations and characterized by mutual respect, and Ian was certainly no charming scruffy-looking nerfherder capturing the love and heart of a princess. By the book blurb’s own admission, he was just an asshole, where pretty much every word out of his mouth was “fuck” or a putdown directed at Kali. Ugh, so gross.
Having expected Star Bringer to be lighter on the sci-fi elements, I wanted a little more out of the romance, but unfortunately that just didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. Still, I feel the authors succeeded in achieving what they set out to do. The potential is there, and I can see this being a lot of fun for the right reader.
Cover Reveal: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano #FinlayDonovan
Posted on July 24, 2023 5 Comments
Exciting news! Today I am absolutely thrilled to participate in a cover reveal for a book that I’ve been looking forward to, from a series that I love! Later this year, Minotaur Books will be releasing the fourth novel in the hilarious Finlay Donovan series, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano featuring our protagonist as she embarks on another wild adventure. This time, Finlay and her nanny/partner in crime Vero are hitting up Atlantic City where they are certain to get up to even crazier shenanigans.
Check out the cover in all its glory!
Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are—seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car—it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.
Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all—he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.
But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for—Marco, dead in his bathtub. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike—and after Finlay’s night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.
If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice will be available March 5, 2024 and you can preorder it here. In the meantime, don’t forget to also add the book on Goodreads and connect with the author (Instagram: @ellecosimano, Twitter: @ellecosimano, Facebook: @ellecosimano) as well as the publisher (Instagram: @minotaur_books, Twitter: @minotaurbooks, Facebook: @minotaurbooks).
Are you reading the Finlay Donovan series? What do you think of the cover and description? Tell me your thoughts!
Bookshelf Roundup 07/23/23: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 23, 2023 19 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every 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 summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week 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
With thanks to Tor Books for:
- Cassiel’s Servant by Jacqueline Carey, a novel from her Kushiel’s Legacy series which tells one of my favorite stories from the point-of-view of Joscelin Verreuil. The gorgeous hardcover landed on my doorstep as the release date is finally nearly upon us, and I’m excited to dive into this one sometime in the next week.
With thanks to Redhook for:
- Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs, a reimagining of Beowulf from the perspective of a female warrior. A book with Viking women and monster hunting epics, yeah you can just give it to me now.
With thanks to Orbit Books for:
- Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence by Rafal Kosik, a novel set in the world of the video game which I enjoyed despite some of the issues that plague it in its early days. The release of this book really snuck up on me but my interest is piqued especially since it’s been a while since I checked out a good media tie-in.
With thanks to Del Rey for:
- The Quiet Room by Terry Miles, the follow-up to the author’s mind-warping novel Rabbits which was based off the podcast of the same name. The first book was a wild ride so I’m curious about this sequel.
With thanks to Red Tower Books for:
- Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, described as Once Upon a Time meets The Office. A fantasy, romance, and humor mashup is definitely something I can get behind.
With thanks to Titan Books for:
- Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long, the author who also The Four Pillars series. This novel kicks off a new one called The Winter Sea, a swashbuckling maritime adventure about an ex-naval officer teaming up with a stormsinger to hunt a deathless pirate lord.
With thanks to Random House Children’s Books for:
- Defiant by Brandon Sanderson, the fourth book in his YA sci-fi series Skyward. I don’t check NetGalley that often these days, given the state of my TBR I hardly need any more temptation, but I did chance across this when I logged in to submit a review the other day. I couldn’t slam on that read it button fast enough.
With thanks to Listening Library for:
- The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall. I loved her adult thriller What Lies in the Woods so I figured maybe it’s time to try out her YA.
With thanks to Hachette Audio for:
- Rook by William Ritter. I was always regretful for missing out on the Jackaby craze, so when this standalone set in the same world as the series popped up for review, I decided I wanted to give it a look.
Reviews
- 4.5 of 5 stars to The Block Party by Jamie Day
- 4 of 5 stars to The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell
Recent Reads
Between all my kids’ activities (which included tennis camp plus a horse show) and day trips to amusement parks and such, it’s been a busy summer so far and I have only been managing about two books a week in July which is putting me pretty far behind. It didn’t help that some of my recent reads have pretty big doorstoppers, but I did manage to finish Silver Nitrate which was a lot of fun, as well as Star Bringer which was okay but contained some of my romance genre pet peeves. I’ll have more details in my reviews of each, which I hope I’ll get to post in the coming week.
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!
Thursday Thriller Audio: The Block Party by Jamie Day
Posted on July 20, 2023 5 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (July 18, 2023)
Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
Author Information: Website
Narrators: Megan Tusing, Suzy Jackson
Wow, so there are thrillers and then there are thrillers. When it comes to this genre, I can never resist a good domestic neighborhood suspense, and if you are like me and prefer them packed to the gills with drama and scandal, I’ll have a feeling you’ll enjoy The Block Party as much as I did.
Every year, the residents of Alton Road celebrate the arrival of summer by throwing an exclusive Memorial Day block party that is the envy of the entire town. And every year, the event is a spectacle, complete with sizzling barbecues, free-flowing booze, family games and activities for the children. It is the present when the book opens, and the party is in full swing. The story is first told through the eyes of wife and mother Alex, who has had a bit too much to drink. After falling onto her ass into a kiddie pool, her husband Nick orders her to go back home to sleep it off. Thoroughly humiliated, Alex crawls into bed and closes her eyes…only to wake up a few hours later to the sound of police sirens. At least one of her neighbors is dead.
The plot then takes us back to the year before, to the last Alton Road Memorial Day party. Alex’s daughter, Lettie, then a high school junior, has been suspended for the last few weeks of school for vandalism (but in her mind, it was for a good cause). We meet her cousin Dylan, the son of Lettie’s sister Emily and her husband Ken who also live on Alton. Next, we have Riley, Dylan’s girlfriend and Lettie’s former best friend turned nemesis. Riley’s parents are Willow and Evan, their troubled marriage headed for divorce. Rounding out the neighbors is Brooke, whose husband died under suspicious circumstances on their cruise vacation, leaving her a rich widow. On the day of party, Samir and Mandy Kumar are also in town with their college dropout son Jay, looking to buy a house on Alton.
The Kumars soon move in, and the rest of the story flows forward chronologically, hitting all the major holidays as the neighbors come together to celebrate throughout the year. Everything comes to a head exactly one year later, back to the same block party in the book’s intro, and we find out exactly who died and why.
Yes, there is a huge cast of characters to keep track of, making me think books like these should always come with a family tree or a web diagram for readers to refer to in order to remember all the different relationships. Everywhere you turn is another disaster (the good kind!) unfolding. Alex suspects that Samir may be abusing Mandy based on the couple’s strange behavior, while her own drinking problems get progressively worse. Her sister Emily discovers large sums of money disappearing from her joint bank account with husband Ken, who himself begins clashing viciously with “Bug Man”, an annoying rep from a pest control company. During a girls’ night out, Willow lets out a huge secret which would devastate and enrage her already volatile husband. Brooke causes quite a stir when the men discover her OnlyFans site, rankling their wives. And that’s just the adults! As for their children, Lettie befriends Jay, recognizing a fellow misfit, but realizes too late that he may be too much of a bad boy even for her. Dylan, already feeling overshadowed by his golden boy older brother, spirals further into anger and depression when he finds out his girlfriend Riley is cheating on him with a mystery man. Riley herself has recently come across a shocking piece of knowledge that has turned her world upside down, exacerbating her drug abuse.
As the story progresses, readers are kept abreast of the details surrounding these bitter disputes and all the juicy gossip, and it’s surprisingly easy to follow along even with so many characters. I definitely attribute this to the skill of the author in making sure that the focus is spread out and balanced, and the entire book had the punchy feel of a fast-moving TV series with an ensemble cast. Plus, the fact that there were only two POVs, Alex and her daughter Lettie, probably made the task of keeping track of everyone feel more manageable.
Ultimately, by the time we’ve reached the one-year mark, we’ve become aware of the many reasons why the residents of this neighborhood would want to kill each other. More importantly, the story does a good job of establishing that just about anyone could be the murder victim in the intro for whom the sirens tolled. Oh yes, with a story like this, it can only be murder. With the end taking us back to the beginning, I also loved the clever way this book was structured. The ending was even relatively believable, unlike a lot of thrillers that completely fly off the rails for the sake of sticking in one last twist or shocking reveal. Of course there are still moments of absurdity in this, but the point is, somehow I’m strangely cool with the way everything turned out.
Overall, The Block Party was amazing in terms of providing pure popcorn entertainment and might be the perfect contender for the ultimate beach read thriller of the year. The book was also extremely fun to listen to in audio, with both Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson delivering fantastic performances.
Waiting on Wednesday 07/19/23
Posted on July 19, 2023 7 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (February 6, 2024 by Del Rey Books)
“An eccentric detective and her long-suffering assistant untangle a web of magic, deceit, and murder in this sparkling fantasy reimagining of the classic crime novel—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.
In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.
Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.
At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.
Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.
As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.
Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.”
The 2023 Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag
Posted on July 18, 2023 21 Comments
The Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag was created by Ely @ Earl Grey Books and Chami @ Read like Wildfire, though I believe I first came across it on my friend Tammy’s blog, Books, Bones & Buffy. This is actually my third year doing this tag, after a gap of a couple years from 2021-2022 because I was slacking, but here’s to hoping that I can keep this feature a yearly thing again.
As you’ve probably noticed though, I’m not really a book tag person simply because there are too many reviews to write and too little time, but for this one I make an exception. Sometimes as life gets busy, I tend to lose track of checking in on my progress for reading challenges, but a tag like this is a good reminder that sometimes I’m not as far behind as I think I am and I could always use a shot of encouragement!
For instance, I am apparently chugging along quite nicely on my 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge:
I always set a target of 100 each year, and was shocked to see that I was actually 17 books ahead. I feel pretty confident that I will reach my 2023 goal.
Best Book I’ve Read So Far
I’m making some wiggle room for multiple books in the other categories, but for this one there can only be one. And quite honestly, it was an easy decision. The top spot goes to The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan, and though we still have many months to go until the end of the year, I have a feeling it’s not going anywhere. I mean, it’s going to be really tough to beat.
Best Sequels I’ve Read So Far
Andrew Mayne never disappoints, but even he’s outdone himself with the fourth book of the Underwater Investigation Unit series. Then there are the sequels like Don’t Fear the Reaper and Hell Bent that blew me away, but whose predecessors I was actually kind of on the fence on, so those are always a nice surprise.
New Releases I Haven’t Read (But Want To)
For this category, I simply referred to my past “Most Anticipated Releases” posts and selected the top three books that I haven’t gotten to yet. I’m always trying to play catch-up, and Orbit likes to publish chonky books that tend to get set on the backburner.
Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year
This was a tough category! There are probably a couple more books that deserve to be on here, but I have forced myself to narrow it down to three.
Biggest Disappointments
I had such high hopes for Nocturne, and I was so sad when we didn’t work out. But even more disappointing is when you pick up a book by a favorite author and it turns out to be a dud, which is what happened with Witch King by Martha Wells and Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong.
Biggest Surprises
Hands down, The Will of the Many by James Islington wins for hidden gem of the year. But then there are the surprises like The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten, whose first book I wasn’t especially keen on so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. I also didn’t expect Justin Cronin to catch lightning in a bottle twice after the massive success of his Passage trilogy, but The Ferryman was surprisingly good–and it’s such a different genre too!
Favorite New Authors
What Lies in the Woods was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall, but she’s written a bunch of YA before her adult thriller debut. Likewise, this year also saw my first foray into work of Heather Fawcett with her brilliant Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. And I’ve had several of Craig DiLouie’s books sitting on my shelves for years, but this year I finally read him for the first time with Episode Thirteen. Can you believe it’s taken me this long?
Favorite Characters
I loved: Sam from A House with Good Bones for her humorous voice, Livira from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn for her intelligence and pure moxy, and Tress from Tress of the Emerald Sea for being the sweetest and kindest protagonist you’ll ever meet.
Least Favorite Characters
On the other end of the spectrum, How to Sell a Haunted House was a great book but the siblings at the center of it, Louise and Mark, were both real pieces of work. And then you have What the Neighbors Saw, which took unlikeable characters in thrillers to a whole other level. Finally, we have The Splinter in the Sky which is a book I recently finished so I don’t even have a review up yet, but the protagonist grated on me so hard, she singlehandedly made reading this one a struggle.
Book That Made Me Cry
I rarely cry when reading books. Doesn’t mean it never happens, but when it does, it just means the book is very special. Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee didn’t make me cry technically, but the ending definitely packed an emotional punch. And it was an amazing book.
Book That Made Me Happy
Oh, how The Road to Roswell Made by Connie Willis made me laugh and laugh and laugh. If reading about a bunch of weirdos going on a road trip across the southwest with a tumbleweed-looking alien in a massive RV called the “Western trail wagon” doesn’t make you happy, then you have no soul.
Favorite Movie and TV Show
This section was supposed to be “Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation” but seeing as I don’t watch that many movies in the first place (who has the time when there are piles of books to get to) or the fact that I actually go out of my way to avoid watching adaptations in general (less chance to be disappointed that way), I will leave you with my favorite movie and favorite TV series that I’ve watched this year so far.
Favorite Post
My posts generally fall into three categories: review posts, feature posts, and update posts. So yeah, pretty boring. This is the first post I’ve done that actually counts as being somewhat different and fun and special, so I guess my favorite post so far this year would be…this one? LOL
Books I Need to Read By the End of the Year
Too many to list! But if you’re curious to see the 2023 must-reads I’ve got my eye on, you can always check out my “Most Anticipated” posts for the first three quarters of the year. Here’s the one from January to March, the one from April to June, and the one from July to September. Shocker, but I’ve actually gotten to most of them. Overall, it’s been a fun and productive first half of 2023 in terms of reading a lot of great books, and I’m happy I got to feature a lot of them today.
Book Review: The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell
Posted on July 17, 2023 14 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone/Book 1
Publisher: Mobius Books (May 16, 2023)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
If you’re familiar with the work of Sebastien de Castell, you’d probably know his stories can be pretty dark but also hilariously funny. For this reason, his Greatcoats series still remains one of my all-time favorites, and I was excited when I learned that his latest fantasy novel The Malevolent Seven will likewise feature comedy, grit, and anti-heroes.
As the book begins, readers are introduced to protagonist Cade Ombra who seems quite adamant that we understand he is not your average wizard. He lives in a world where magic users—called “wonderists”—draw their powers from different planes of existence, and these sources would determine what kind of wizard you are. Cade, for instance, has a special connection with the demonic realm and can summon its denizens to help fuel his magic, which understandably also makes others feel very uncomfortable around him. For his part though, Cade has never claimed to be a good person and thinks it’s probably wise not to trust him. He’s a wily rogue who runs with other cutthroat mercenaries like his friend Corrigan, a Thunder Mage whose powers enable him to manipulate lightning.
After the last gig with their employer goes south, Cade somehow finds himself roped into a dangerous mission with Corrigan to travel to the most inhospitable place on the planet to confront seven deadly mages. Sure, it’s a suicide mission, but what has he got to lose? On the other hand, there’s plenty to gain, including lots of riches and perhaps even a way to reverse his bad fortunes. As the two of them embark on their journey, they also pick up companions along the way, forming a rough group of wonderist misfits who are each on the mission to advance their own goals.
The Malevolent Seven was a lot of fun, just as I expected it would be. A classic quest narrative forms the story’s backbone, introducing challenges and trials along the way. At the center of it all is also our questing party, whose interpersonal dynamics provide the conflicts and the entertainment. Each member of the group is a distinct individual, many of them outfitted with larger-than-life personalities. Most of them are criminals, who claim allegiance to nothing but their moneypurses.
Just as amusing as it was to watch the characters’ social interactions, it was also fascinating to see how their different magical abilities played off each other. The world-building was well thought out and robust, establishing a unique magic system. Beyond the fantasy elements, however, a mystical and almost metaphysical component also comes into play later on which I felt was a little strange and unexpected. So, for those who might be turned off by the weird and the abstract, there will indeed be some mind-bending fuckery going on.
But as for what really made this book special and why I think you should read it, I have to especially highlight and praise the overall tone and style of writing. If you are a fan of Sebastien de Castell, you are probably nodding along to this because you know exactly what I’m talking about. Cade is a gem of a narrator, and as insistent as he is in trying to convince you he’s a bad, bad person (providing plenty of evidence to support this too, I might add), you simply can’t help but love and root for him. But while he may be sarcastic and double-dealing on occasion, claiming to lack any morals, there is a part of him deep down that genuinely wants to right thing (like where a certain Blood Mage is concerned), and his plain-spoken and tactless honesty that sometimes comes through is admittedly quite refreshing.
Even though Sebastien de Castell’s stories sometimes toe the grimdark line, they are often still lighthearted and humorous enough to appeal to readers who would typically avoid the hopelessly bleak genre. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading his work yet, well, you know I will never stop plugging his Greatcoats series! But if you enjoy fantasy with clever plots, witty dialogue, and characters with a keen sense of humor, you should also keep The Malevolent Seven on your radar.
Bookshelf Roundup 07/16/23: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on July 16, 2023 23 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every 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 summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week 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
With thanks to Delacorte Press for:
- The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young. Not one week after I posted my Waiting on Wednesday featuring this book, an ARC landed on my doorstep. I love the author’s YA but missed out on reading her adult debut Spells for Forgetting last year, so I don’t plan on missing out on her second one.
With thanks to Tor Books for:
- Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, described as a grim gothic tale about a sinister house that sits at the middle of a small haunted town, is another one on my highly anticipated list.
With thanks to Orbit Books for:
- The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-LaCruz, the first book of an epic fantasy series inspired by South American history and mythology. The book is gorgeous and I’m really looking forward to tucking into it later this month.
With thanks to Minotaur Books for:
- Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse. A surprise finished copy of this third book of The Burning Chambers series showed up earlier this month, which I wish I was caught up on because a historical thriller set on the high seas sounds amazing.
- Blood Betrayal by Ausma Zehanat Khan, the second book of the Blackwater Falls series featuring Detective Inaya Rahman. This time, our protagonist must team up with an enemy to prove the innocence of his son.
With thanks to Ace Books for:
- The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec, a historical fantasy following two women — one on a desperate search for her missing sister, the other on the path to become a witch but destined to be a queen.
Reviews
Recent Reads
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!
Book Review: Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin
Posted on July 15, 2023 15 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Book 1 of Night’s Edge
Publisher: Nightfire Books (June 20, 2023)
Length: 278 pages
Author Information: Website
One can argue that vampires are so overdone in fiction these days that anyone still writing about them need to tackle the subject from new and unique angles just to stand out from the crowd. Of course, this has spawned many interesting vampire books in recent years, and Liz Kerin’s gruesome, intensely heart wrenching Night’s Edge offers a particularly potent example.
In a way, the novel can be seen as a chilling allegory of a daughter’s struggle with a controlling mother whose codependency and tendency to get into abusive relationships have plagued her from childhood to well into her adult life. The story follows Mia who was only ten years old in 2010 when her mother Izzy contracted Saratov’s Syndrome from her boyfriend Devon. Caused by a mysterious virus, the disease was just beginning to emerge as a worldwide threat back then and not much was known, but those infected gain superhuman strength and immortality while becoming fatally sensitive to sunlight. They also need to consume fresh human blood to survive. Even at this early stage in the pandemic, the danger was clear. The infected, called Saras, were rounded up to be “monitored” at treatment facilities, though everyone knows there is no cure. To prevent being separated, mother and daughter go on the run, with Mia swearing to keep Izzy’s condition a secret.
Fast forward to the present, and Mia is now a 23-year-old woman trying to hold her life together. For the past thirteen years, she and her mother have been living in Tucson, Arizona where they remain hidden from the government and also from Devon, Izzy’s old boyfriend. To keep her mother alive but also from harming others, Mia provides Izzy with her own blood to drink. Their existence is a lonely one, just the two of them. By now, Saratov’s has become a full-blown pandemic, and with everyone on high alert, social engagement of any kind would only risk drawing unwanted attention. Still, Mia can’t help but be attracted to Jade, a young musician who frequents the bookshop where she works. As their friendship grows into something more, Mia begins dreaming of a future where she might finally be free to live her own life without the burden of her mother’s secret.
The story gradually unfolds by alternating between these two timelines. In the 2010 chapters, Mia is a child completely dependent on her mother for survival, though in truth Izzy can barely even take care of herself and this was before she became a vampire. After Izzy became infected, things got worse. Drinking blood becomes like an overpowering need for a Sara. As a result, Mia grew up in the most heartbreaking conditions with a mother who was in every respect like a drug addict going out every night with her menacing boyfriend in order to get their fix. All the while, Mia was kept in the dark, not knowing that every time Izzy and Devon were out until the wee hours of the night, someone had to die so they could feed.
But although older Mia in the present chapters is much less naïve, in a lot of ways she still has a childlike mind, likely due to the way Izzy has infantilized her. Even despite the traumas she has experienced and awful things she’s seen, Mia remains innocent and unsure of herself in social situations. She has no idea how to act around people, and never knows the right thing to say. Some days she dares to fantasize about being on her own, but also can’t imagine a life where she doesn’t come home to her mother every night to feed her blood. Mia loves Izzy, but also resents her deeply for her bad choices and all that she’s put them through.
As such, Night’s Edge probably isn’t the vampire book you’re expecting, but that’s okay, because it works for the story. Less about vampires or even the Saras pandemic, the primary focus is the mother-daughter relationship. It’s also about a young woman’s journey to find her own voice and say, ENOUGH. However, whether Mia actually achieves this may be a point of contention, and that’s what makes this book so thought-provoking and insightful. There is nothing simple or black and white about Mia’s dynamic with Izzy. Of course there are the moments where their loving bond is plain to see, but just as evident are the insidious and destructive elements.
In sum, Night’s Edge is harsh, brutal, emotional, tragic, beautiful, virulent and hopeful, all rolled into one. It’s a vampire book all right, but also guaranteed to be different from any you’ve read before, settling into that strange place where paranormal dread meets the horrors of a toxic parent you can’t escape. Because sometimes, it’s about more than blood.
Waiting on Wednesday 07/12/23
Posted on July 12, 2023 14 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall January 23, 2024 by Flatiron Books)
“The author of What Lies in the Woods returns with a novel about three sisters, two murders, and too many secrets to count.
Emma hasn’t told her husband much about her past. He knows her parents are dead and she hasn’t spoken to her sisters in years. Then they lose their apartment, her husband gets laid off, and Emma discovers she’s pregnant―right as the bank account slips into the red.
That’s when Emma confesses that she has one more asset: her parents’ house, which she owns jointly with her estranged sisters. They can’t sell it, but they can live in it. But returning home means that Emma is forced to reveal her secrets to her husband: that the house is not a run-down farmhouse but a stately mansion, and that her parents died there.
Were murdered.
And that some people say Emma did it.
Emma and her sisters have never spoken about what really happened that night. Now, her return to the house may lure her sisters back, but it will also crack open family and small-town secrets lots of people don’t want revealed. As Emma struggles to reconnect with her old family and hold together her new one, she begins to realize that the things they have left unspoken all these years have put them in danger again.”
The BiblioSanctum 