Bookshelf Roundup 07/09/23: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on July 9, 2023 12 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 Red Tower Books for:

Star Bringer by Tracy Wolff. After Fourth Wing, I’m interested in seeing what else the publisher has to offer. This time we’re delving into a science fiction romance.

With thanks to Del Rey Books for:

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig, a horror novel about a small town transformed by dark magic when trees in a local orchard starts growing strange, magical apples.

With thanks to Tordotcom for:

Be Sure by Seanan McGuire. My prayers have finally been answered! Behold the first volume collecting the first three novellas in the author’s Wayward Children series, which I’ve wanted to start for a long time. This will make it easier.

With thanks to Nightfire Books for:

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey, a story about monsters and mayhem in New York City’s dark magical underbelly. I confess to being very curious about this team-up.

With thanks to Gollancz for:

Against All Gods and Storming Heaven by Miles Cameron, the first two books of The Age of Bronze series. I thought I knew about every book by the author but I was unfamiliar with this trilogy inspired by gods and heroes of Greek mythology. The second book is about to be released and the publisher was kind enough to send me the first one as well.

With thanks to Orbit for:

The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft, a new fantasy about a couple who help their clients solve mysteries with their hexes and bag of charmed relics. I had mixed feelings about the author’s Books of Babel series but this one sounds more up my street and I can’t wait to read it.

With thanks to Crooked Lane Books for:

The Sight by Melanie Golding, which I am very excited for. I have read the author’s previous two books and enjoyed both a lot, and I’m optimistic I’ll love this one too.

With thanks to Tantor Audio for:

The Lurk by Ronald Malfi, which collects four more of the author’s previously published novellas into one volume. His last collection, Ghostwritten, was fantastic and I’m hoping this one will also be great.

With thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for:

Mister Magic by Kiersten White, a dark supernatural thriller that takes place thirty years after a tragic accident shut down a children’s program called Mister Magic.
How Can I Help You by Laura Sims, described as a suspenseful thriller about two small town librarians who get involved with a mysterious death of a patron in the library bathroom. Definitely sounds like an interesting take on the good old “books about books”.

The other exciting arrival this week is Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson, AKA Secret Project #3 from his Kickstarter campaign. So far, the rollout of the hardcover books and rewards has been almost flawless, and I’m so pleased this one has arrived right on schedule. The book itself is gorgeous, of course, and its design might be my favorite of the three so far. I definitely will find some time to fit this one into my TBR this summer.

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: The Islands of Elsewhere by Heather Fawcett

Posted on July 8, 2023 7 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 Islands of Elsewhere by Heather Fawcett

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Rocky Pond Books (June 20, 2023)

Length: 224 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Earlier this year, Heather Fawcett took my breath away with her thoroughly charming, absolutely enchanting novel Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. So, when presented with an opportunity to review her new novel, albeit one intended for Middle Grade, I did not hesitate for a second.

Steeped in magic and adventure, The Islands of Elsewhere follows the children of the Snolly family who travel to the Pacific coast of British Columbia where their grandfather lives. It’s summertime and the three older sisters—Hattie, 12; Bee, 10, and Plum, 8—are looking forward to a few weeks of sea and sunshine along with their baby brother in the appealingly named town of Misty Cove. But their mother also warns of a more serious reason for their visit. Their grandfather isn’t well, she tells the girls, and they’re here to keep an eye on him and offer him whatever help he needs.

Readers are able to quickly discern from clues that the children’s grandfather is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, but the sisters are not aware of this. To them, granddaddy doesn’t look to be too ill. In fact, he’s his usual cheery self, baking cookies with the girls and telling them tales of his own grandmother, the witch pirate known as Lucy Juniper. A local legend in Misty Cove, she is said to have sailed the waters around the village, using her spoils to help the poor. From their grandfather’s seaside property, the Snolly sisters can see a cluster of three islands close to shore—known as Fairy Fairy, Little Fairy, and Ghost—and the story also claims that Lucy Juniper had hidden her treasure on one of them.

Whether or not these legends are true, there’s definitely something special about the trio of islands. The locals refer to them as the “in-between places” and say they are magical, which only makes the Snolly sisters even more curious. Perhaps, if they were to explore the islands and chance upon Lucy Juniper’s treasure, they can follow in the footsteps of their great-great-grandmother and help others, staying in Misty Cove forever to care for their sick granddaddy.

While the writing style is technically best suited for middle grade children or younger teen readers, I have to say the reasons that make this novel stand out and why it’s worth checking out can be applied to all book lovers and fantasy fans of any age. Even though the characters are young, the themes in this story are sophisticated, complex, and—most importantly—they feel real. The Snolly sisters embody qualities that anyone can related to: Hattie, the oldest, has an artistic soul and is caught between the responsibilities of maturity and clinging to the artifacts of her childhood; Bee, who receives the most focus in the book, is the science-y one who doesn’t believe in magic but is nonetheless willing to do anything to help her family; and Plum, the youngest and the freewheeler who delights in dressing up in costumes is simply enjoying all the wonderful things life has to offer.

Despite not being the target audience, I am also no less impressed by the storytelling. The tone is lighthearted and warm, but Fawcett still manages to weave in heavier topics without derailing the book’s spirit of fun and adventure. The children’s parents are divorced but by all accounts the separation was cordial, and mom and dad are still friends who are completely supportive of each other and their kids. Their grandfather’s deteriorating condition is a constant presence but is also handled gracefully by not letting it define his character, though neither does the story shy away from the challenges and realities of living with a family member who has dementia. It’s hard not to be touched by how much love there is in this family; at times it almost overwhelms.

For these reasons, The Islands of Elsewhere almost feels like a contemporary fiction story about family, life changes, and growing up. However, there is most certainly a strong undercurrent of fantasy here, perhaps enough to make this novel fall comfortably into the magical realism category. All in all, it is a refreshing read, perfect for those sun-soaked summer days that take you back to less complicated times when everything seemed possible.

Thursday Thriller: The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni

Posted on July 6, 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 Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Random Houes (June 13, 2023)

Length: 384 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni has been pushed hard as the perfect book for fans of Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, but while I would agree that the story contains certain cerebral and paranormal elements that would appeal to that audience, it is also weaker in areas that sometimes made this a confusing and disjointed read.

The novel follows protagonist Mike Brink who rose to fame as a brilliant and inventive puzzle maker after a high school football injury left him with a real but rare condition called savant syndrome. The resulting synesthesia allowed him to see the world differently, granting him the extraordinary ability to recognize patterns at a glance. Suddenly, he could solve puzzles in ways no one else can, but like most gifts, it also came with a cost. He began struggling in social settings with his interactions with others, leading to isolation and loneliness. Following his graduation from MIT, he retreated into a quiet life as a puzzle creator for the New York Times, with only his beloved dachshund Connie (short for Conundrum) for company.

Everything changes when Brink is contacted by a prison psychologist with a request for him to meet with a notorious inmate named Jess Price. Once a promising young writer, Jess was convicted and sentenced to thirty years in prison for murdering her boyfriend, which was five years ago, and she hasn’t spoken a word since. Recently though, she has drawn a baffling puzzle, prompting the prison to consult with Brink. On his first meeting with the prisoner, our protagonist immediately senses something wrong with her silence, suspecting that there is more to her murder conviction. Clearly there is a greater mystery here that would involve more than solving her strange puzzle, one that will put Brink on the path to discover ancient secrets of Jewish mysticism and place him in the crosshairs of some powerful enemies.

In my opinion, The Puzzle Master was an enjoyable read, but there were also a number of issues that held it back from true greatness or even earning a solid four-star rating. The biggest of these was the focus—or the lack thereof. Trussoni appears to have subscribed to the “everything but the kitchen sink” method when it comes to storytelling. In a word, this book was STUFFED. Crammed to the brim with ideas, the plot was hard to follow as readers are jerked from one subject to the next. We have a puzzle master and a compelling mystery to solve, one that might possibly exonerate a woman who was wrongfully imprisoned—that I can handle. But it was when the story started veering off into “out there” territory that it started to lose me, with possessed porcelain dolls, secret societies, cyber security and quantum computing, Jewish Kabbalah, alternate dimensions and more all being mashed into a few hundred pages. Honestly, it’s hard describing what this book is even about, let alone determining its genre.

For novel called The Puzzle Master starring a protagonist who actually builds and solves puzzles for a living, I was also disappointed by the scarcity of puzzles involved in the plot. There weren’t that many flashes of inspiration, sparks of insight, or mind-blowing revelations from our characters, and Brink, whose cleverness and problem-solving skills are being hyped up constantly, seems to display relatively ordinary intellect in most situations. Of course, all of this is totally fine, for a standard mystery thriller. That is, the story is perfectly readable and entertaining, and I think most will find it worth reading. However, for a book that was really pitching the puzzle angle as a hook, I confess I was expecting a little more.

To conclude, The Puzzle Master was a quick and interesting read featuring lots of different topics, though none are really explored in any great depth on account of the sheer number of ideas packed into the story. This led to a plot that sometimes felt discombobulated and chaotic. Overall, I had a good time, but I feel that readers hoping for something more like The DaVinci Code will want to adjust expectations.

Waiting on Wednesday 07/05/23

Posted on July 5, 2023 9 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 Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (October 17, 2023 by Delacorte Press)

“A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’sdecades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant novel of romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.”

Book Review: The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis

Posted on July 3, 2023 16 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 Road to Roswell by Connie Willis

Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Del Rey (June 27, 2023)

Length: 416 pages

Author Information: Website

Connie Willis is an author whom I’ve seen many others rave about, so it’s hard to believe it has taken me this long to finally read one of her books. Still, better late than never—and I can’t tell you how glad I am that it was The Road to Roswell because this novel was all kinds of awesome!

The story begins by introducing us to protagonist Francie who has flown to New Mexico to be the Maid of Honor at her former college roommate and bestie Serena’s wedding—or rather, she hopes to be talking her friend out of a big mistake. Just like the last time Serena had been about to tie the knot with someone who was all wrong for her, this time her fiancé is a bigtime UFO fanatic and true believer, hence the wedding taking place at Roswell’s UFO Museum on the anniversary of the Roswell Incident which conspiracy theorists believe was a huge government coverup for an alien spaceship crash. A level-headed skeptic, Francie is confident that once she can talk some sense into Serena, her friend will also see how crazy it is and want to call the whole thing off.

Upon her arrival though, Francie discovers everything in disarray. Not only is it days until the Fourth of July holiday, but the airport is also crawling with tourists and UFO enthusiasts who are in town for Roswell’s UFO festival. Serena is running all over the place trying to get everything squared away for the wedding, and the two friends don’t get a chance to talk as Francie is roped into helping with the preparations. That is how, while retrieving some decorations from Serena’s car, Francie is suddenly ambushed and held hostage by a tumbleweed-looking tentacled life form—literally abducted by an alien. Thankfully though, it doesn’t seem to want to hurt her. The alien thing, which Francie dubs “Indy” on account of the way it cracks its tentacles like a certain whip-wielding fedora wearing adventurer archaeologist, just wants her to take it…somewhere.

Not being able to understand what Indy wants, Francie can only start driving in the direction the alien indicates, hoping that a way to communicate will eventually present itself. Somehow, along the way they also pick up fellow road trippers Wade, a hitchhiker; Eula Mae, a retiree whose sweet old exterior belies a wily gambler; Joseph, a film buff touring the southwest in his gigantic RV (AKA the “trail wagon”) who happily shares his love of classic Westerns with Indy; and Lyle, a UFO nut who thinks aliens are here to take over the world.

If all this sounds completely absurd, that’s because it is. But it was also fantastically fun and hilarious! I was delighted the whole way through, either smiling at the characters’ antics or straight-up belly laughing at all the uproarious humor. This is contemporary sci-fi comedy at its finest, offering up just the right amount of fluff and lightheartedness without being completely silly. The story is a mix of adventure (the novel’s entire premise is essentially a group of humans aiding an alien on his epic quest), mystery (What does Indy want? Why is he here? And what is up with his obsession with Monument Valley?), a little bit of romance (some adorable rom-com action happening here), and even a light dollop of Western (teaching Indy about humans and the way of our world through classics like Paint Your Wagon or Support Your Local Sheriff! was a sheer stroke of genius).

What more can I say? There was nothing too cerebral or even complex about this novel, but of course that was never the point. It came at the perfect time, scratching a very particular itch while raising me out of a mood funk which had resulted from reading a string of darker, more thematically heavy books. The Road to Roswell succeeded in that it was very effective in being an entertaining and engaging read, and I enjoyed every moment. This book has also sold me on Connie Willis, and I look forward to picking up more of her books.

Bookshelf Roundup 07/02/23: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on July 2, 2023 16 Comments

Received for Review

With thanks to Tor Teen for:

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard, the follow-up to The Luminaries. Very excited to continue the series with this sequel!

With thanks to Tordotcom for:

System Collapse by Martha Wells, who has been very busy with all her book releases this year. Anyway, speaking of excitement, we have the seventh installment of The Murderbot Diaries and I cannot wait to dive in.

With thanks to Subterranean Press for:

An Empyreal Retinue by Josiah Bancroft, a collection of short works from the author of The Books of Babel series which expands upon the world.
The Burglar Who Met Fredric Brown by Lawrence Block, the next volume in his Bernie Rhodenbarr series which follows a charming bookseller who moonlights as a burglar by night.
The Autobiography of Matthew Scudder by Lawrence Block. Also from the author is a book that takes readers back to the childhood of Matthew Scudder, the protagonist of his award-winning private detective series.
Bradbury Weather by Caitlín R. Kiernan, a collection of almost all the author’s science fiction short stories gathered in one volume.

With thanks to Saga Press for:

More Perfect by Temi Oh. From the author of the brilliant Do You Dream of Terra-Two? comes a reimagining of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus.

With thanks to Penguin Workshop for:

The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things by Rob Renzetti, the first book of a middle grade horror series about a mysterious bag and the spine-chilling world hidden within it.

With thanks to William Morrow for:

Edenville by Sam Rebelein, a debut novel described as equal parts horror and humor, exploring the urban legends that fuel our nightmares.

With thanks to Penguin Audio for:

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing, a new thriller from the queen of domestic suspense which follos a toxic young couple who go though a cycle of breakups and reconnections…until the police get involved.

With thanks to Hachette Audio for:

Bridge by Lauren Beukes, a genre-bending thriller following a grieving daughter’s search for her mother across different alternate realities.
Translation State by Ann Leckie, a novel that takes readers back to the world of the Imperial Radch series. I’ve read the original trilogy, and though this is apparently a stand alone that is just loosely tied, I’m still very curious to check it out.

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!

Most Anticipated Releases of 2023: July to September

Posted on June 30, 2023 25 Comments

July is almost here, so it’s time to look ahead to the Science Fiction and Fantasy reads I’m most excited about in the third quarter of 2023! Not only do I enjoy making these lists, they also help me organize my reading by focusing my attention to the highly anticipated releases that I’d like to check out. While I’m under no illusions that I’ll be able to read them all, hopefully I can get to most of them (and also put some new books on people’s radars).

Do you have any of these books on your list? What’s missing that I should be checking out? What are your most anticipated releases for the next few months?

July

July 4 – The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

July 11 – Star Bringer by Tracy Wolff, The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa, Ebony Gate by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle, Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi, Thief Liar Lady by D.L. Soria

July 18 – The Block Party by Jamie Day, Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle, Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem, Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing, They Lurk by Ronald Malfi

July 25 – The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec, Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena, The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz

August

August 1 – Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine, Mister Magic by Kiersten White, Cassiel’s Servant by Jacqueline Carey

August 8 – Whalefall by Daniel Kraus, The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

August 15 – Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, The Trade Off by Sandie Jones

August 22 – The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

August 29 – Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney, Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt, The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

September

Sept 5 – The Sight by Melanie Golding, Schrader’s Chord by Scott Leeds, The September House by Carissa Orlando, City of Bones by Martha Wells

Sept 12 – Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison, Dreambound by Dan Frey, Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong

Sept 19 – Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian, Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Sept 26 – Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig, The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft, The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

Thriller Thursday: What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Posted on June 29, 2023 9 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Length: 304 pages

Author Information: Website

In a nutshell: What the Neighbors Saw by debut author Melissa Adelman was a perfectly serviceable domestic thriller, but to be honest, I expected more.

As the book opens, readers are introduced to Alexis and Sam, a young couple who are in a wealthy suburb of Washington DC looking to buy a house. In truth, they would be living well outside their means here, but when an old fixer-upper suddenly comes onto the market for a really good price, the deal is just too good to pass up. Sam will be making partner at his law firm any day now, they rationalize, and with Alexis pregnant with their second child, their growing family is going to need a lot more room than the row house they’re currently living in. So what if the new house is a little rundown? Being able to say they live in an exclusive neighborhood is all that matters. Besides, they’ll have plenty of time to turn the place into their dream home, it’ll be their long-term project.

But pretty soon, Alexis and Sam realize they may have bitten off more than they can chew. The house is in need of more work than either of them expected, especially with the pressure to match their neighbors’ lifestyles. Just furnishing the larger space alone will be a strain on their bank accounts. With the arrival of the baby, Alexis also has her hands full caring for two young children, while Sam is putting in more hours at the office, still trying to get his promotion. All of this is causing them to fight constantly as the added stress takes a toll on their marriage.

However, the real kicker comes when the body of their neighbor is discovered by the river in the scenic woods just behind their property. Teddy was a local politician with a picture-perfect family who lived in the house right across from Alexis and Sam. The police believed he was out running when he was attacked and killed, and the case is being treated as a homicide. Alexis ends up befriending Teddy’s widow, Blair, learning all about their neighbors’ secrets. A killer is on the loose, and she believes there’s a high chance it’s one of them. Suddenly, their new neighborhood doesn’t seem so attractive anymore, and Alexis is starting to regret they ever moved.

Right off the bat, there’s nothing too new about this premise. Murderous drama taking place amongst the upper crust who live ostensibly flawless lives in well-to-do neighborhoods, why, that’s practically a staple of the genre. But with What the Neighbors Saw being Adelman’s first novel, I was willing to overlook a few clichés and go down some well-trodden paths.

And I’ve got to say, if there’s one thing she’s gotten down pat, it’s the “unlikeable characters” aspect. I get that characters you just love to hate are practically a requirement for thrillers at this point, but boy, the ones in this book are in a different league entirely. As much as I wanted to sympathize with them, for every admirable trait they possessed there were perhaps ten more that made me want to toss them down some deep dark hole and throw away the key. Alexis has a lot of emotional baggage and a troubled past that makes her somewhat insecure, but it’s hard to feel sorry for her when she’s also shallow, impulsive, frivolous, a busybody, and generally a flaky person all around. Still, that’s nothing compared to Sam, who is just a straight up sack of shit.

To the novel’s credit though, the plot did manage to keep me engaged with many unexpected and scandalous twists that, granted, may require you to suspend your disbelief. In fact, I was so taken by the story that when the end came, I couldn’t help but feel let down by the abruptness of the ending or the overall sense of “wait, that’s it?” that came over me when the dust eventually settled. While the author had managed to maintain a measured but effective pace through most of the book, the conclusion felt rushed and I thought things tied up just a little too neatly.

All in all, not bad for a debut, but it wasn’t enough to make a splash with me, though I feel casual readers of the thriller genre will enjoy this a lot more.

Waiting on Wednesday 06/28/23

Posted on June 28, 2023 8 Comments

Mogsy’s Pick

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff (February 29, 2024 by St. Martin’s Press)

“From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the much-anticipated sequel to the #1 international bestselling sensation EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone.

But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth.

And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.”

Audiobook Review: Deadly Memory by David Walton

Posted on June 26, 2023 6 Comments

I received a review copy from the author This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Deadly Memory by David Walton

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Book 2 of Living Memory

Publisher: Archaeopteryx Books (May 11, 2023)

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Sofia Rowley

Deadly Memory is the second novel of David Walton’s thrilling sci-fi and paleontology mashup series, picking up the story directly from the end of the first book, Living Memory. The last time we were with them, our cast of characters were scattered across the globe. Having recently been ejected from Thailand where her expedition to excavate a mass grave of a new species of miniraptor was abruptly cut short, Samira is back home in Colorado, fuming at the loss of her dig site. Soon, however, she is distracted from her frustrations by a miraculous discovery by her new contacts at the CIA. Somehow, the US government has acquired a living maniraptor whom they have dubbed Charlie, but readers will of course know him as Prey, since we’d met him in the first book. From his flashback chapters, we had also learned that maniraptors were highly intelligent and technologically advanced, communicating with each other through scent.

Meanwhile, the work of Thai paleontologist Kit has caught the attention of Princess Mai Sirindhorn, which is how he suddenly finds himself appointed her new science minister. As the last surviving member of the royal family, the princess is still in the middle of fighting a deadly coup, but she also has a secret weapon up her sleeve. A mysterious substance had been found amidst the bones of the maniraptors which would allow whoever using it to dominate the will of others, but unfortunately, the princess is not the only one who knows about this domination scent. Everyone from the Chinese government to the leaders of the Thai criminal network want to get their hands on this dangerous substance, and back in the United States, Samira is distressed to learn that even the CIA plans to use Charlie to manufacture this powerful scent for their own purposes.

If you enjoyed Living Memory, chances are you will also enjoy Deadly Memory which continues the trend of rip-roaring, suspenseful and action-packed storytelling. That said, we do experience a brief slowdown in the opening as catch up with everything that has happened to everyone since the preceding volume, but we soon power through these sections into the meat of the narrative. In addition, this sequel also has a leg up on its processor by introducing another major element into the plot— that of the Julian virus, so named because it originated from an oil rig in San Julian Basin which has been drilling deep into the ocean floor.

If you’re thinking, “Oh man, not another pandemic story!” I can’t say I blame you. In the wake of COVID19, this topic has been a growing trend in fiction leading to potential fatigue, but I’m happy to report that Walton puts a unique spin on Julian to keep things interesting and fresh. For one, the virus is much more virulent and lethal, but it is the conundrum of its origins and how it relates to paleontology and dinosaurs in this book that is the real hook.

The multiple threads in this story also come together beautifully, seamlessly knitting together the pockets of dramatic action unfolding on opposite sides of the world. However, there is also a possible downside to the disparate story arcs which are undoubtedly moving further away from paleontology and more into the realm of political intrigue. For example, Samira’s storyline first begins with her efforts to bond with Charlie, developing ways to communicate with him, and eventually culminates in a daring plan to keep him out of the wrong hands. And in Thailand, even though we are seeing things through Kit’s eyes, it is Princess Mai’s character and role which becomes much more prominent as she leads her loyal subjects into a campaign to keep her throne. As intense and fascinating as this all is, there are clear tradeoffs, and we do get noticeably fewer flashbacks to the prehistoric past or scenes involving fossil digs, dinosaurs, and science.

There is also the over-the-top nature of the premise which requires major suspension of disbelief, but again, if you are coming from Living Memory, you’ll already know to expect this. The finale was exciting and fun, but once more ends with a “to be continued.” That said, I am having a blast with this series and there’s no way I won’t be picking up the next installment. I was also very happy with my experience with the audio edition, narrated splendidly by Sofia Rowley, and I look forward to listening to more.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Living Memory (Book 1)