Book Review: Defiant by Karina Sumner-Smith
Posted on May 11, 2015 17 Comments
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Defiant by Karina Sumner-Smith
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Series: Book 2 of The Towers Trilogy
Publisher: Talos (May 12, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
This series definitely deserves to be getting more attention. Karina Sumner-Smith’s debut novel Radiant was one of the most unique speculative fiction titles I read in 2014, and it’s so good to see that its follow-up Defiant is still pushing genre boundaries and keeping things exciting.
Two months have passed since the events at the end of the last book, and we catch up with Xhea as she attempts to heal from the chaotic aftermath, though nothing seems to be helping her badly injured leg. She and the ghost Shai, her ever faithful friend, are holed up within one of the towers called Edren. Shai’s radiant powers essentially makes her an enormous battery, so her very presence is making Edren magic rich and that is definitely not sitting right with the rest of the towers who are stirring up political trouble in order to balance the scales again.
As things heat up, Xhea and Shai find themselves embroiled in a brutal power struggle. Everyone is looking to get their hands on Shai, but in a shocking turn of events, it is revealed that Xhea may be just as important to the survival of the towers. For someone who has always been dismissed, disdained or pitied for her lack of magic, this is a great change for Xhea. At last, she learns the dark nature of her own power, and it’s something that both thrills and frightens her. Then tower Farrow proposes a deal, offering her something she’s ever only dared dream of, but is it going to be worth what they are asking her to do?
Defiant expands greatly upon the world that we were first introduced to in Radiant, now that Xhea’s no longer on the streets scrounging work from people with ghost problems. Her life may have been hard, but at least it was remarkably simple: find food and a place to sleep every night. Ever since she met Shai though, things have become infinitely more complicated – and dangerous. Now we’ve shifted from the hardships of the Lower City to the cutthroat political arena of the towers. It’s a whole different ballgame, and yet this sequel retains so much of what I enjoyed most about the first installment.
As ever, the dynamics between Xhea and Shai make me cheer in support for meaningful friendships between strong female characters. Their loyalty to each other warms my heart, it really does. In fact, one plot development that got me down early on in the novel is the fact that Xhea and Shai become separated after a disastrous incident, and neither has any idea about the fate of the other. It’s only been one book, but already in my mind it feels wrong to see Xhea without Shai, Shai without Xhea. This could probably account for the part right after in which I felt the plot faltered, when Shai’s chapters felt weaker and lacked a bit of direction compared to Xhea’s after her tether to her friend is severed. Thankfully, the story picked up again very quickly, and even when the two of them were apart, their concern and thoughts for each other served to deepen their friendship in my eyes, adding another layer of complexity to it. Without each other, they were still able to accomplish some great feats on their own, proving just how powerful each young woman is in her own right.
There’s also a greater focus on the magical systems and concepts. In this world of radiants and floating towers, everything runs on magic. It can be found within its denizens and in its very infrastructure. Magic is treated on such a vast scale here that it boggles the mind; it’s infused everywhere to such a degree that an entire city literally comes to life. I’ve only read a handful of books where a physical location or the actual setting itself is rendered akin to a living breathing entity, and it’s always an amazing thing to experience.
As far as I can tell, there’s no sophomore slump here; this sequel is as rich and engaging as the first book and gives us even more in terms of surprising twists and revelations. Like its predecessor, Defiant is a brilliant cross-genre piece that blends elements from many sources so that the result is something new and never-before-seen. Looks like Karina Sumner-Smith has scored another hit with her second novel, offering a spellbinding story and characters who are sure to captivate a wide audience.
Also on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Radiant (Book 1) | Guest Post by Karina Sumner-Smith
Book Review: Mother of Eden by Chris Beckett
Posted on May 10, 2015 14 Comments
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mother of Eden by Chris Beckett
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 2 of Dark Eden
Publisher: Broadway Books (May 12, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mother of Eden certainly wasn’t a bad book, not bad at all. Still, I have to say it’s a far cry from the first book, which I absolutely adored.
First, it’s important to know that Mother of Eden isn’t exactly a direct follow-up to Dark Eden, taking place roughly five or six generations in the future. Be aware that if you are thinking of reading it as a stand-alone though, you’ll miss out on a lot of the background information in the first book. Remember how I’d ended my review of Dark Eden with the theory that characters like John Redlantern, Tina, Gerry and Jeff would eventually become the stuff of legends to their descendants, much like how “First Couple” Angela and Tommy became revered by Family? Turns out that is exactly the case, so it wouldn’t hurt to be familiar with the events of book one.
Still, the world of Eden has changed a lot since John Redlantern first destroyed Circle of Stones and took his supporters away from Circle Valley and over Snowy Dark. There are now thousands of humans living across the planet, divided into two main groups: Johnfolk, those who were descended from John and his followers; and Davidfolk, descendants of those who remained with the original Family led by David, John’s greatest rival. There are quite a few offshoot populations as well, and our protagonist Starlight Brooking is a young woman from one such tribe, a member of the Kneetree Folk who live on a tiny island far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Eden.
YA Weekend: 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger
Posted on May 9, 2015 13 Comments
Click to be taken to the Goodreads page.
Genre: Dystopia/Utopia
Publisher: Random House Children’s (May 12, 2015)
Author’s Information: Twitter | Website
Tiara’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just when I come off a rant with some friends about how much YA novels have been getting on my nerves as of late, I find one that not only doesn’t get on my nerves, but it actually made me get all emotional toward the end of the story. Holly Bodger’s 5 to 1 is set in India in the year 2054. India, whose parents for years have chosen boys to girls seeing them as the more precious commodity, is now faced with a crisis of boys outnumbering girls 5 to 1. Girls are soon given to the highest bidder, but one city, Koyanagar, proposes its own solution from its matriarchs, a solution that would give every man a chance by holding a test that allows all boys to compete and win a wife. After their proposal is rejected, Koyanagar builds a wall and becomes its own country, allowing those who wish to leave one day to do so before their country is closed for good to the rest of India. In this new country, women are treated as the highest form of riches, but their lives are still far from being ideal, even in a society where men are cowed, ridiculed, and only valuable for producing daughters.
This story follows two teenagers seventeen-year-old Sudasa, a daughter of a wealthy family, who doesn’t want to be a wife, and eighteen year old Kiran (known as Five through much of the novel), a farmer’s son who doesn’t want to be a husband not even to a wealthy wife. However, their destinies, hopes, and dreams still intertwined in this beautifully, heartrending novel of two people who just want to be seen as people and not as their genders.
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Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: New Books and What I’ve Been Reading
Posted on May 9, 2015 21 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is where I talk about the new books I’ve bought or received for review, what I plan to read soon, and what I’ve finished reading recently.
Received for Review
The Great Bazaar/Brayan’s Gold by Peter V. Brett – Print ARC, with thanks to Tachyon Publications. I was really surprised (and delighted) when the publisher emailed me after seeing my review of Brett’s latest Demon Cycle book to tell me about this collection of two novellas set in that world, and they very kindly sent this along in the post for me.
The Venusian Gambit by Michael J. Martinez – Paperback, with thanks to Night Shade Books. This is book three of the Daedalus series and it was an unexpected arrival, but I have plans on reading it as soon as I’m caught up. I’ve only read the first book, but it had some of the most mind-blowing ideas I’ve ever read.
Faces by E.C. Blake – Print ARC, with thanks to DAW/Penguin. I think I would have ended up requesting this one even if it hadn’t been unsolicited, because I really enjoyed the first two books and I believe this is the last book of the trilogy, so I really can’t miss that!
Mother of Eden by Chris Beckett – Digital ARC via NetGalley, with thanks to Crown Publishing. I loved Dark Eden so much, I went to request this follow-up even before I was finished. I an reading it now and will probably be done with it by the time this post goes live, but so far I have to say it’s quite good but nowhere near as subtle as the first book.
Seriously Wicked by Tina Conolly – Hardcover, with thanks to Tor Teen. Unsolicited review copy, but it looks seriously fun and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read by Tina Connolly in the past, so I’m definitely going to give this one a read.
Marked by Sue Tingey – Paperback, with thanks to Jo Fletcher Books. I hadn’t even heard of this one before, but as soon as I arrived I went to look it up. Ghost girls and demon assassins? Yeah, I’m in.
Cash Crash Jubilee by Eli K.P. William – Hardcover, with thanks to Night Shade Books. Unsolicited review copy, but once again, it sounds like a book that I must check out: “In a near future Tokyo, every action—from blinking to sexual intercourse—is intellectual property owned by corporations that charge licensing fees.” Never stop introducing me to cool stuff, Night Shade.
The Hanged Man by P.N. Elrod – Hardcover, with thanks to Tor Books. Really excited to receive this one, as it’s on my 2015 most anticipated list of SFF books by women!
Binary by Stephanie Saulter – Hardcover, with thanks to Quercus USA. I still can’t get over how incredibly gorgeous the cover is for the US edition of this novel. I can’t wait to read it, I absolutely adored the first book.
Zero World by Jason M. Hough – Digital ARC via NetGalley with thanks to Del Rey. Great to see Jason M. Hough follow up his Dire Earth Cycle with this fantastic looking new sci-fi spy thriller.
Alive by Scott Sigler – Digital ARC via NetGalley with thanks to Del Rey. I had featured this one in one of my Waiting on Wednesdays, so I was very happy when I got approved for it!
The Shadow of Elysium by Django Wexler – Digital ARC with thanks to Penguin. A novella that ties into Wexler’s Shadow Campaigns series which should tide me over until the third book, an ARC of which I’ve been told should be coming my way soon, yay!
Back to the Backlist
No new backlist titles on tap for this week because I listed a bunch last month that I haven’t had a chance to get to yet. It’s possible to fall behind on a backlist, who’d have thought?
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
A lot of books may be coming in, but a lot of books are also getting read and reviewed. Keep an eye out for my reviews of these books in the coming weeks. Ones for Hexed (dual review of the novel and graphic novel with Tiara), The Sword of the North (my guest review at Fantasy Book Critic), and The Gospel of Loki are already up.
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured in this week? What looks interesting to you?
Generation V Birthday Celebration: Series GIVEAWAY!
Posted on May 8, 2015 5 Comments
*** The giveaway is now over, thank you to everyone who entered! ***
Did you know, yesterday May 7th was the two year anniversary of the hit urban fantasy novel GENERATION V?
Happy birthday Fort, Suze, Chivalry, Madeline and yes, even you, Prudence!
To celebrate, M.L. Brennan and the BiblioSanctum are teaming up to throw a birthday giveaway for all three books of the series, signed by the author. That’s Generation V, Iron Night, and Tainted Blood:
Be sure to see below for the giveaway details. Right now is a great time to get all caught up before book four, Dark Ascension, set for release this August. Happy birthday to one of my favorite series, find out why I love these books and why everyone is talking about them!
* * *
GENERATION V SERIES GIVEAWAY
We’re very pleased to bring you this major giveaway of the three books currently out now in the Generation V series (Generation V, Iron Night, and Tainted Blood) all signed by the author M.L. Brennan — to one lucky winner! With apologies to international readers, this giveaway is US only due to shipping costs. 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 “HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEN V” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Tuesday, May 19, 2015.
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!
Book Review: The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris
Posted on May 8, 2015 20 Comments
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Saga Press (US: May 5, 2015)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s been so many years since I read Chocolat, that for all intents and purposes The Gospel of Loki may as well be the first book I’ve ever read by Joanne Harris. Highly entertaining and original, this novel chronicles the epic rise of the Norse gods all the way through to the coming of Ragnarok, completely retold from the point of view of none other than the trickiest trickster of them all – Loki.
First thing you should know though, if you’re like me and sometimes you get that temptation to skip everything before the prologue in a book? Well, fight it! Be sure to read everything, including the character list. I had started skimming it initially, right up until I glimpsed Thialfi and Roskva, the two siblings in Norse mythology who are the servants of the god Thor, respectively described as a “fanboy” and a “fangirl”. Chuckling to myself, I went back and read everything more carefully. Glad I did! Aside from being absolutely hilarious, the forward material sets the tone of the novel perfectly, and I knew right away that I was going to enjoy this.
Tough Traveling: Moms
Posted on May 7, 2015 46 Comments
The Thursday feature “Tough Traveling” is the brainchild of Nathan of Review Barn, who has come up with the excellent idea of making a new list each week based on the most common tropes in fantasy, as seen in (and inspired by) The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynn Jones. Nathan has invited anyone who is interested to come play along, so be sure to check out the first link for more information.
This week’s tour topic is: Moms
Everyone has a mother. Including people in fantasyland. Just in time to be slightly early for Mother’s Day.
Mogsy’s Picks:
Yes, everyone has a mother so mothers are everywhere in Fantasyland, which is why I saw this week as a great opportunity to talk about only books I don’t think I have featured before for Tough Traveling, because otherwise my list will be too long (but that gif was just too hard to pass up). Wishing my co-bloggers Wendy and Tiara as well as all you moms (and mom figures) out there a Happy Mothers Day this Sunday!
Some mothers are the revered matriarchs of an entire people. About 160 years ago, five humans were stranded on a lightless planet. Three left on their damaged spaceship to seek help, while two of them, Angela and Tommy, remained behind to wait for rescue. Angela is long dead now, but Family still reveres her and calls her the “Mother of them all” because every man, woman and child on Dark Eden is descended from her and Tommy.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
There are loving mothers, and then there are mothers like Elias’s. Also known as the Commandant, Keris Veturius abandoned her son to the desert as soon as he was born, and Elias was raised by the tribes who found him and took him in. Instead of being happy to see him again, the Commandant was furious and filled only with hatred when Elias was brought to the Empire’s military academy to train as a soldier.
Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
Then there are the mothers who show tough love. Bethesda the Heartstriker is a prolific dragon, having spawned more clutches than any other female. Like all dragons she can be cold and brutal, but she that doesn’t mean she’s incapable of showing affection to her favorite offspring. Too bad protagonist Julius isn’t one of them. After twenty-four years of watching him hide out in his room in the mountain, Bethesda has finally had it. Sealing him in human form, she banishes her son to the hostile territory of the Detroit Free Zone to fend for himself.
Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
Isabella knows that her maternal instincts have never been strong, and in her world that’s not something easy for a woman to admit. For a long time, her son Jake also served as a reminder of her late husband, and she found it hard to engage with the boy. But as Jake grows, Isabella’s feelings toward motherhood begins to change. In Voyage of the Basilisk, she brings her son with her on her latest research expedition. Over the course of the journey, she starts to appreciate him as a strong and intelligent young man with his own hopes and dreams.
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
Sometimes, a mother can be anyone who takes care of her own. Based on the real historical figure of 19th century Seattle’s Mother Damnable (real name Mary Ann Conklin), Madame Damnable runs a hotel and high-class brothel in the frontier town of Rapid City. She may run a tight ship, but no one better mess with her girls because as a mother figure to them all, she’s got each and every one of their backs.
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Speaking of which, you do not want to mess with Layla either, because her mother Detective Gabriella Versado will come down hard on your ass if you even think about harming her baby. The precocious teenager is sometimes more than Gabriella can handle though; her work keeps her away from home a lot, especially with the entire police department busy trying to catch the “Bambi” killer.
In the world of the Gaia Chronicles, it’s very common for the woman whose biological DNA you share, the woman who gives birth to you, and the woman who raises you to be three different people. In this novel, the protagonist Astra receives help from her “Shelter-Mother” Hokma to avoid getting the Security Serum, a shot that would make her the subject physically stronger but would also make them more obedient and alter their personality.
Wendy’s Picks
Often times in fantasy, we find mothers fulfilling very tragic tropes. Some are driven to madness–in Disney fairy tales, mothers are most often dead or dying, sometimes replaced by a woman intent on destroying the mother-figure image. Fortunately, as Mogsy’s gif points out, no matter how crazy or dead fantasy mothers happen to be, their love for their children is absolute.
Morrigan – Dragon Age
At times, her reasoning and her ambition might make you question Morrigan’s motherliness, and her surliness might have some believe her unfit for the role at all. But when her son is threatened, there is nothing she won’t give to protect him. Morrigan’s greatest wish is to be for her son what her mother was not for her, but perhaps she has misunderstood Flemeth’s goals all this time.
Mystique – X-Men
Alone and crying, afraid of what she had just done, a little girl named had no where else to turn. That was when Raven Darkholme found her. Granted, there’s a lot of questionable manipulation and a goodly amount of evil involved in the relationship Mystique built with her foster daughter, Rogue, but Rogue has, depending on the current canon, managed to forgive her mother.
And now a little something heartwarming from my youth:
Tiara’s Picks
Mrs. Lowood (Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake)
Having a son who’s determined to be a ghost hunter like his deceased dad would probably make most moms lock up their sons and throw away the key, but Mrs. Lowood knows that she can’t stop Cas’ destiny. Instead, as a white witch, she uses her powers to aid her son in any way possible while allowing him space to become the great hunter she knows he will be. They share a powerful, close, respectful relationship that isn’t seen much in YA books these days.
Morgause, Queen of Orkney (The Witch in the Wood/The Queen of Air and Darkness by T.H. White)
“Indeed, they did love her. Perhaps we all give the best of our hearts uncritically—to those who hardly think about us in return.”
Morgause is the mother to four of King Arthur’s greatest knights–Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, and Agravain. One of whom would leave to his eventual downfall. Morgause is a fair-weather mother, loving and ignoring her sons in equal measures, as they try to do things to impress her. One minute she’s brushing them away with a wave of her hand, and the next she is nothing short of a loving, doting mother. Her sons suffer serious mommy issues because of her fickle nature.
Auntie Sis (The Boys by Garth Ennis)
In Ennis’ world of The Boys, superheroes lead double lives of debauchery and terror including their women heroes. The exception to this rule is Auntie Sis who has been tasked with looking after a group of superheroes with special needs. Mom isn’t always defined by someone who gives birth to her children. Auntie Sis is a genuinely beautiful, loving person who tries to make each of her kids feel special despite their “disabilities.” Having lost her own parents when she was young, she treats each of her charges as if they were her children and will turn into a mama bear quickly if someone tries to hurt her kids.
Alana (Saga by Brian K. Vaughan)
Alana is an ex-soldier who fell in love with her enemy and prisoner of war, Marko, after bonding over books. Now, they’re on the run from a government that would see them hang just because they love one another. With a new baby to care for, Alana is willing to do anything to protect what’s hers.
Queen Ashe (Princeless by Jeremy Whitley)
Queen Ashe is the mother of Princess Adrienne, the princess who eventually saves herself. While her mannerisms point at her being all about the traditional roles of princes and princesses, as the story progress her attitudes seem to shift ever so slightly as her children become everything they’re not supposed to be. Regardless, she loves them whether they fit their roles or not.
Harley Quinn (DC Universe)
Harley may be a bit of a nutcase herself, but it’s very clear she didn’t leave her daughter because she didn’t love her or because she chose Joker over her daughter. She left her daughter because she knows her lifestyle isn’t the ideal for a child, that she isn’t in the mental position to care for a child, and you can tell from these panels that decision tears her apart. It’s easy to say what a parent should do to be a better a parent but sometimes, the best parenting decision is to allow your child to be with someone you know will provide a loving and safe place for them. As a former child whose own parents made such a decision, trust me when I say this is a very personal and painful decision for parents, but I understand that they did this out of love because they felt they couldn’t give me the stable home my grandparents could. In various comics, Harley shows quite a soft spot for children.
Comic Stack 05/06/15: Rat Queens, Vol. 1 & Vol 2 by Kurtis J. Wiebe
Posted on May 6, 2015 9 Comments
Today’s comic stack actually features a review for a graphic novel I’ve been eagerly awaiting. I hadn’t expected to be able to pick it up until today, but I was able to snag it Sunday night digitally on Netgalley to read and review! I still have every intention of buying the physical copy for my shelves, though. I never posted an official review of the first edition of this book, so I’ll backtrack a little and post two Rat Queens reviews in one today.
Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe (writer), Roc Upchurch (artist)
Publisher: Image Comics (March 26 2014)
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Leading Ladies
I actually finished this book while waiting in line for a WWE wrestling event back in October for my son’s birthday. No one even blinked at me standing in line reading a comic book. In fact, many curiously sauntered my way and asked about it, which led to many turbonerd discussions about comics while waiting. Yes, we’re big wrestling nerds in this house. And for the idiots who like to ask, “You know it’s fake, right?” I have to ask if you know that most of your favorite television shows are probably fake, too, right? Okay, just checking.
Wendy was sweet enough to send this to me on my birthday, which incidentally is the exact same day this volume was released. Sass and Sorcery introduces us to a rockabilly elf named Hannah, a candy-loving hipster smidgen thief named Betty, Dee the atheist who happens to also be a cleric (and struggles with her religion), and Violet, a dwarven lady warrior who says “fuck tradition” and keeps shaving her bad ass beard off. Together they form the all-female mercenary group the Rat Queens.
They spend their days drinking, brawling, sexing, and causing general mayhem along with other rival mercenary groups who plague the city of Palisades. Now, someone in the Palisade wants them (and the other mercenary groups gone, but especially the Rat Queens), which leads them on an adventure full of mayhem that’ll never stop making the readers chuckle.
This is such a great twist on the fantasy genre. They’ve blended some modern ideas into an old story. I love that this book follows a group of female giving them all the characteristics one would find “lovable” in a group of mercenary men, but everyone sort of scoffs at in women. Do you think they give a damn, though? Heck no. These ladies kick ass, and do exactly what–and who–they want. This was a fun introduction to a group of awesome women.
Favorite scene:
Don’t be a Gary.
Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe (writer), Roc Upchurch (artist), Stjepan Sejic (artist)
Publisher: Image Comics (May 6, 2015)
Genre: Fantasy, Leading Ladies
Following the events of the first book, the women are now seen as heroes and the overlords of Palisades\ would like to keep it that way through–what else–throwing large sums of money at them for their help. However, there is still a menace lurking in Palisade and Dee’s religious and personal life catches up to her in this latest volume as they once again find themselves being the good guys. First, let me say: T E N T A C L E S! YES!
This book delved a little more into the personal lives of the Queens, specifically Violet, Dee, and Hannah. I’m starting to think that Betty just fell from a happy pagan tree screaming, “Give me candy!” and there’s not a thing more to her than that (right now). I still love her, though. She’s double comedy relief, and I imagine her to be a female Ryback. FEED ME! FEED ME MORE! (Wrestling joke. Leave me alone, okay.)
Hannah’s story still left so much mystery to her character while being telling all at the same time. I really look forward to reading more about her, especially after she revealed a piece of herself that she never meant to because of the implications that doing so would mean something monumental in terms of that particular relationship, and she showed how vulnerable and scared doing so made her. There was just the right amount of telling and pulling back with Hannah.
I 
was really glad to know a little more about Dee’s religious background as well as her personal background. In the last book while everyone else was getting their freak on Dee shied away from any interest shown in her, and you sort of find out why that is in this book. She also struggles more with her faith and what she believes before deciding what’s truly right for her as far as her faith goes.
Violet’s personal story left me a little on the fence. On one hand, I thought it was really great, but on another hand, bits of it felt more shallow than I was expecting from her story. No, shallow isn’t the right word. It’s was more like they condensed it so much that some of the important bits felt missing like, as a reader, I could feel something more was going on there, but then, it managed to move on to parts that felt smaller than what they were really trying to get across with Violet. I still enjoyed it, though. Especially this scene where Vi asked another lady dwarf why she shaved her beard:
I absolutely adored this book much like the last one. The ending was a little more hurried than I would’ve liked, but I anxiously await more on these ladies’ adventures.
Also, I have to end this with Gary because nobody wants to be Gary.
I still love you, Gary, please, don’t be a Gary.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Waiting on Wednesday 05/06/15
Posted on May 6, 2015 11 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick:
The Price of Valor by Django Wexler: July 7, 2015 (Roc)
One of the most anticipated sequels this summer for me is the third book of The Shadow Campaigns (and from what the author’s said, the series will have five books). I became a fan of Django Wexler after picking up the first book The Thousand Names and also realized how much I liked flintlock/military fantasy!
“In the wake of the King’s death, war has come to Vordan.
The Deputies-General has precarious control of the city, but it is led by a zealot who sees traitors in every shadow. Executions have become a grim public spectacle. The new queen, Raesinia Orboan, finds herself nearly powerless as the government tightens its grip and assassins threaten her life. But she did not help free the country from one sort of tyranny to see it fall into another. Placing her trust with the steadfast soldier Marcus D’Ivoire, she sets out to turn the tide of history.
As the hidden hand of the Sworn Church brings all the powers of the continent to war against Vordan, the enigmatic and brilliant general Janus bet Vhalnich offers a path to victory. Winter Ihernglass, newly promoted to command a regiment, has reunited with her lover and her friends, only to face the prospect of leading them into bloody battle.
And the enemy is not just armed with muskets and cannon. Dark priests of an ancient order, wielding forbidden magic, have infiltrated Vordan to stop Janus by whatever means necessary…”
Tiara’s Pick
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi: May 26, 2015 (Knopf)
Will I ever get tired of post-apocalyptic fiction? Not as long as authors keep finding ways to make it imaginative. This one sounds like it’ll be a little bit noir, a little bit western, a little bit cautionary, and a whole lot dangerous.
“The American Southwest has been decimated by drought. Nevada and Arizona skirmish over dwindling shares of the Colorado River, while California watches, deciding if it should just take the whole river all for itself. Into the fray steps Las Vegas water knife Angel Velasquez. Detective, assassin, and spy, Angel “cuts” water for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and its boss, Catherine Case, ensuring that her lush, luxurious arcology developments can bloom in the desert and that anyone who challenges her is left in the gutted-suburban dust.
When rumors of a game-changing water source surface in Phoenix, Angel is sent to investigate. With a wallet full of identities and a tricked-out Tesla, Angel arrows south, hunting for answers that seem to evaporate as the heat index soars and the landscape becomes more and more oppressive. There, Angel encounters Lucy Monroe, a hardened journalist, who knows far more about Phoenix’s water secrets than she admits, and Maria Villarosa, a young Texas migrant, who dreams of escaping north to those places where water still falls from the sky.
As bodies begin to pile up and bullets start flying, the three find themselves pawns in a game far bigger, more corrupt, and dirtier than any of them could have imagined. With Phoenix teetering on the verge of collapse and time running out for Angel, Lucy, and Maria, their only hope for survival rests in one another’s hands. But when water is more valuable than gold, alliances shift like sand, and the only truth in the desert is that someone will have to bleed if anyone hopes to drink.”
The BiblioSanctum 
