Lootz: Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on December 20, 2014 32 Comments
Sneaking in my last book haul post of the year, and here is a look at the review books that came in the last couple of weeks. There are some goodies in here that I’m very excited about! It’s like Christmas in Decembe–oh wait.
Superposition – I’ve never read any David Walton, but he had a book called Quintessence come out last year that kinda caught my eye. So it’s no wonder the author sounded familiar to me when this book showed up in the mail. It looks like it’ll be the start of an intriguing new series coming out next year, published by Pyr. My thanks to the publisher for sending me the ARC.
The Mechanical – I was floored when a mystery package arrived from Orbit and when I opened it, this ARC was in it. OMG I’m a big fan of Ian Tregillis, and The Mechanical has been on my wishlist ever since I found out about it. My thanks to Orbit, I love it when you guys surprise me like this!
The Voyage of the Basilisk – And speaking of being excited, my heart probably skipped a beat when I saw Tor had sent me an advanced reading copy of this. If you haven’t read the Memoir by Lady Trent books, know that they are awesome and I highly recommend them. I can’t wait to dig into this one.
Half-Resurrection Blues – This new urban fantasy by Daniel José Older looks AWESOME. From other bloggers I learned that he has a new Young Adult novel coming out next year too, but it is Half-Resurrection Blues that caught my attention as soon as I saw the description. In early January I’ll be hosting a US giveaway for this book, so definitely keep an eye out for that. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
The Witches of Echo Park – Another review book courtesy of Penguin, I’m reading this one right now and it’s quite interesting. It was a bit slow to start, but the story is shaping up. Looking forward to seeing where things will go.
Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution – A book from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program which I won back in August but it only arrived this month. I’ve actually never watched the show, and truthfully I don’t watch that much TV at all, but I do see previews for it all the time when I catch up with my DVR’ed episodes of Gotham! I’ve heard great things, maybe I’ll check it out one day if I read this and enjoy it.
The digital pile:
A Crown for Cold Silver – Orbit is going to have an amazing 2015. I’ve heard only great things about this book from folks who got an early look. It’s been compared to Abercrombie and other grimdark authors, so if you like gritty stories and dark humor it might be a good idea to take note of this one. Can’t wait to read it!
The Autumn Republic – The third and final book of the Powder Mage trilogy. I need to know how things end! Like I said, Orbit is going to have a great year.
Son of the Shadows and Child of the Prophecy – Ever since reading Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier I’ve been asking myself why I took so long to read a book by her. I vowed I was going to go back and read her older stuff and I’m actually following through on that. I’ve had Daughter of the Forest on my TBR forever, after all, and so now I’m finally listening to the audiobook. Anyway, not even a third of the way into it and I’m already in love. You can see how much I’m enjoying myself, since I didn’t even hesitate to pick up the audiobooks of these books as well, books 2 and 3 of the Sevenwaters series so I won’t have to wait at all if I want to continue.
Novella Review: Hisses and Wings by Alex Bledsoe and Teresa Frohock
Posted on December 19, 2014 8 Comments
Hisses and Wings by Alex Bledsoe and Teresa Frohock
Genre: Supernatural, Angels, Fantasy
Publisher: The Story Vault (December 2014)
Wendy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love magic. I love interesting ways to present magic. In Hisses and Wings, music is the source of mysterious power, and anyone who has ever been touched by a song can attest to the truth in this fantasy story.
The story involves a seemingly young fae woman named Janet, who pieces together a song that could return her people to their ancestral home. To learn the song, she must earn it from Diago, who is of the Nefilim, and to do so, she must prove her musical skill — but does she have the wisdom to use such a gift properly? And is the goal she seeks worth the price that using this magic might cost.
This is a beautiful, bittersweet story, and though it is brief, it gives so much warmth and depth to the characters — particularly the Nefilim. It also wonderfully expresses their culture, as supernatural beings, as well as a close knit community that is both familiar and welcoming.
My only complaint is that the magic of the music could have gone deeper with greater imagery of what it invokes for those playing and listening to it.
Tough Traveling: Traveling Folk
Posted on December 18, 2014 21 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 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: Traveling Folk
TRAVELLING FOLK are quite common. They are of two kinds: Land travellers and River travellers.
These people are merry, colourfully dressed, dishonest, and knowledgeable…they will cheat you, cure your wounds, and hustle you off to the cart of their oldest lady who will tell you something about the future you need to know.
Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
The traveling folk in this book fit the theme’s description to a T. In the course of investigating a mystery, Blackthorn and Grim track the clues down to a band of roving traders, and are invited into the presence of an old lady who even reveals very important information that helps them in their quest and everything!
Kushiel’s Universe by Jacqueline Carey
The Tsingano are said to travel the Longo Drom, “The Long Road”. Believed to originate from the kingdom of Bhodistan, they have no permanent home, known for being traveling horse traders. The most prominent Tsingano character in this series is of course Phedre’s best friend the Hyacinthe who styles himself as “The Prince of Travelers”. It is Tsingano women, however, who are known to possess the dromonde, a clairvoyant ability to see into the past as well as future.
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
Kvothe’s parents were members of the Edema Ruh, a nomadic cultural group with no country to call their own. They’re almost always entertainers, and they travel the countryside in large colorful troupes, performing at towns in exchange for food and shelter.
Darkwalker by E.L. Tettensor
The Adal are a society of pastoral nomads, mistrusted and persecuted for their reputation of being thieves and cheats, all because of the actions of a few bad apples. Author E.L. Tettensor drew inspiration from pastorialist societies of northeast Africa, cultures in which raising and driving cattle are the foundation of the economy. Adali magic, called khekra, also plays a big role in the book, which is also inspired by cultures found elsewhere on the African continent.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
It’s been a very long time since I read the first book, but I do remember the Tinkers. As such, I’ll let the wiki do most of the talking here. “Tinkers” or “Traveling People” are formerly known as the Tuatha’an. The philosophy, called “the Way of the Leaf” earns them mistrust and disdain from most common folk, who consider Tinkers as habitual thieves and disreputable low-lives who try to lure away children by converting them to the Way of the Leaf.
Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
The trade caravans that travel to and from the city of Forge play a role in this series as a good source of information when you need news from far abroad. Having friendly connections to the traveling merchants also gives you access to rare, expensive goods and you never know when you’ll need a quick way to get out of town.
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
Not quite adhering to this week’s theme, but a bunch of ragtag characters on a journey across the barren plains to an uncharted frontier mountain town in a Wild West style wagon train surely counts as traveling folk right? Even just a little bit?
The Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin Hobb
My one and only entry to the “River Travelers” category in this week’s theme. Instead of settling in the big cities, the Rain Wild Traders have chosen to make their home on the acidic waters of the Rain Wild River, sailing their liveships made of a substance called wizardwood, which are actually the casings of dragon cocoons.
Novella Review: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
Posted on December 17, 2014 17 Comments
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2.5 of Kingkiller Chronicle
Publisher: DAW (October 28, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have so much to say about this novella, but to make a long story short: The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a gorgeously written novel, both haunting and whimsical at once if such a thing is possible, and an incredibly detailed exploration into one of the Kingkiller Chronicle series’ most fascinating and mysterious characters. And yet for all of that, I was disappointed and left feeling unsatisfied.
As a lot of reviewers and even the author himself have pointed out already, this book isn’t going to be for everyone. Rothfuss warns readers that without the context of the first two books of the series, you’re going to feel pretty lost. I’d carry that further to say that heck, even if you have read The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, you might feel pretty lost. On the one hand, I really appreciate Rothfuss’s caveat – that this book is going to be strange, different, and not going to do things that a classic story is supposed to do – and I admire him a lot for being straight up with us. But on the other hand, I wish he hadn’t plastered both his foreword and endnote with all these “warnings” and “apologies”. This is why I often skip author content like this. I’m not going to deny that getting hit first thing with a line like “You might not want to buy this book” might have biased me somewhat against it right off the bat. It grated me a little, because you’d figure something like that should be my prerogative to decide for myself.
But anyway, that’s beside the point. For this review, I’m not going to attempt a description or summary of plot summary, because to be truthful, there really isn’t one. All you have to know is that the book is about Auri, a secondary character from the main Kingkiller Chronicle series. I’ll admit, she’s not my favorite, but I don’t think that had any effect on the experience at all. What did affect me was the story and its plodding pace and its total lack of variation. Auri’s unique way of viewing even the most mundane objects around her as special and magical was fun at the beginning, but like all magic, it starts to wear off after a while with nothing else to drive things along. It’s a silent and lonely world that, while not completely devoid of color or life, gets tedious.
I guess I’m just the kind of reader that the author’s warning “The truth is, it probably just wasn’t for you” describes. And that’s totally okay. I’m into characters, and even though this whole novella pretty much boils down an incredibly detailed account into a week of Auri’s life as she makes her way through the ancient and labyrinthine halls of the Underthing, it didn’t work for me. I had originally thought it would, based on some of Auri’s feelings and behaviors that I can certainly relate to. As someone who has struggled with obsessive-compulsiveness and the resulting endless sleepless nights, some of the descriptions of the abject fear, anger, and anxiety Auri experiences when she feels something is not where it belongs or “out of sync” rings uncomfortably true for me. While I suppose I might count as “slightly broken”, sorry, but this still just wasn’t my cup of tea.
That said, there’s just no way I can write this book off, simply because there’s a so much else to like. The writing was probably worth it alone. It’s exquisite, probably the best I’ve seen from Rothfuss to date. I might not have enjoyed the particular style of storytelling, but if bringing out this side of the author’s writing was the result, then who am I to complain that much, really?
To sum it up, this book reads very much like a love letter to Auri. We know that Rothfuss has a soft spot for her, so I see it as a pet project of sorts. If Auri is a character that intrigued you in the main series, you will find this novella very enlightening. Even as someone who didn’t really care for her, the writing and atmosphere in here took my breath away. Despite wishing I had enjoyed it more, personally speaking I didn’t think this was a waste of my time. The book has its merits, and no doubt has an audience. The opinions will range all over for this one, I’m sure. Whether or not you’ll enjoy it isn’t a question I can answer, though; either you’ll like it or you won’t. Regardless, I’m grateful to the author for sharing this one with us.
Waiting on Wednesday 12/17/14
Posted on December 17, 2014 13 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:
Unseemly Science by Rod Duncan: May 5, 2015 (Angry Robot)
Angry Robot is on a little break right now, but you can be sure they’ll be coming back with a vengeance once the new year hits. There are so many books to look forward to from this publisher in the first half of 2015. One that I think deserves more attention is this sequel to The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter, which I think slipped through a lot of radars earlier this year. A shame, because it was quite good.
Also, get a load of that cover. I love the effect.
“In the divided land of England, Elizabeth Barnabus has been living a double life – as both herself and as her brother, the private detective. Witnessing the hanging of Alice Carter, the false duchess, Elizabeth resolves to throw the Bullet Catcher’s Handbook into the fire, and forget her past. If only it were that easy!
There is a new charitable organisation in town, run by some highly respectable women. But something doesn’t feel right to Elizabeth. Perhaps it is time for her fictional brother to come out of retirement for one last case…? Her unstoppable curiosity leads her to a dark world of body-snatching, unseemly experimentation, politics and scandal. Never was it harder for a woman in a man’s world…”
Graphic Novel Review: Criminal, Vol. 6: The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Posted on December 16, 2014 7 Comments
Criminal, Vol. 6: The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Genre: Noir, Crime
Publisher: Marvel (December 2011)
Wendy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars
Brubaker and Phillips are known for their off-the-wall noir storytelling, so it is no surprise to see all the noir elements at play in their Criminal series. But volume 6, The Last of the Innocent, adds an unusual visual twist by combining the dark, gritty noir vibe with a bright, cartoony style reminiscent of Archie comics.
The Archie similarities go far deeper than the art, though, as Brubaker spins a story of a man named Riley Richards. Riley has it all, thanks to his marriage to the beautiful, lusty rich girl. But it’s the girl-next-door that he really wants. When the death of Riley’s father draws him back to his backwater home town of Brookview, he begins plotting murder.
Basically, this is a cautionary tale for Archie, warning him that Betty was always the better choice over Veronica. That might seem like just a joke to you, or, if you’re an Archie fan, you might not like the idea of having your favourite characters presented so darkly, but for me, this was a stunning read, particularly because of how the story plays out around Riley’s best friend, Freakout. Freakout is a drug addict, and spends his time either high and constantly eating (sound familiar?), or looking for his next hit. When Riley returns to Brookview, Freakout is on the road to recovery, with an entire year drug free. But what are best friends for, if not to be the perfect alibi for murder?
Through Freakout, Brubaker gives heartbreaking look at friendship and loyalty, and forces us to question happiness and the lengths some might go to attain it.
Or the illusion of it.
This is the sixth volume of the series. There are small connections to the other volumes, which you can discern through the cover images of the other books, but the stories within each volume stand on their own.
Book Review: My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Posted on December 15, 2014 16 Comments
My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Zombies
Publisher: DAW (January 2011)
Author Info: dianarowland.com
Wendy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves have been getting the Hollywood treatment lately, turning them into sparkly objects of desire.
Well, zombies need love too!
Unfortunately, there’s that whole mindless, brain-eating, decomposing corpse aspect that makes them less than appealing…
But Diana Rowland fixes all of that! Sort of. Well, there’s still the decomposition. And the compelling hunger. But as long as brains are in fresh supply, the social stigma against zombies can easily be avoided!
Angel wakes up in the hospital with a vague recollection of a car accident and a lot of blood, yet she has no scars, and the strange note she finds leaves no answers. But the note does offer her a way out of her crappy, drug-addicted, domestic abuse life with a well-paying job at the local morgue as a driver. She has no idea who her benefactor is, but vows not to waste the opportunity.
Everything is going well, until she starts getting *hungry* and realizes that the only thing that will satisfy her are the brains of the dead she happens to be surrounded by at her new job. As she comes to understand her new state of undead, a mystery develops around her as bodies start to pile up…
This is, plain and simple, a fun book. Narrated in first person by Angel, it pokes just as much fun at itself and the main character, as it does the zombie genre. Angel’s self-deprecation is endearing and amusing, rather than melodramatic. She accepts her flaws and weaknesses, and, even before growing and overcoming them, she proves her worth.
I was not a fan of the True Blood television series, which is based on Charlaine Harris‘s Sookie Stackhouse books. White Trash Zombie shares a similar urban supernatural vibe, but it doesn’t take itself as seriously, which makes it much more appealing to me. I would love to see a white trash zombie on my television.
Book Review: The Genome by Sergei Lukyanenko
Posted on December 14, 2014 6 Comments
The Genome by Sergei Lukyanenko
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Open Road Media
Wendy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed Lukyanenko’s Night Watch, so I was quick to grab this one. I like when authors diversify their offerings. With Lukyanenko, he’s smoothly transitioned from an urban supernatural story in Night Watch, to hardcore science fiction.
Don’t let me scare you with the term “hardcore,” if you are wary of scifi. I don’t often read the genre, but I could easily get into the intricacies of Lukyanenko’s futuristic world where humans have spread far beyond Earth. Humanity has also expanded far into the field of genetic manipulation, right from the embryo.
Alex Romanov is a pilot-spesh. That is, upon metamorphosis, physical changes to his body allow him to easily compensate for gravity and inertia, while his mind has been altered to allow for integrity, honesty, and the utmost loyalty of his crew. He also is unable to love — which proves problematic when he helps a youg fighter spesh through her transformation and discovers there’s more to her than there seems.
When Alex takes a job with a mysterious company and must pull together an unusual crew, things really get interesting as Lukyanenko explores their various specializations (or lack thereof), their backgrounds, and their interactions with each other. All of which will truly be tested when they take on their first mission — transporting a clone and his alien charges.
Before I go on, I want to shower some praise on Lukyanenko for not only writing interesting female characters, but for actually dealing with their sex and sexuality — from breastfeeding to menstruation — in completely natural ways within the story. It’s almost as if these things are *gasp* normal.
I am, however, disappointed in the way he, like many other authors I’ve read, tends to focus on racial differences. I appreciate the diversity of the cast of characters, but I find it so annoying to have the black woman constantly described as “the black woman” when there is no contextual reason for it. How often do you read “the white man picked up his sword,” yet “said the black woman” is a constant thing. I suppose I should be blessed that Lukyanenko doesn’t go through the thesaurus of colours that George R.R. Martin does when he’s busy describing the “exotic” folks who are so obviously not white.
Anyway, Lukyanenko introduces an intriguing cast and a few interesting plot devices that promises an exciting second half.
But instead, the book suddenly becomes this strange Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, complete with a Sherlock Holmes clone and a Watson to solve it. The change is so abrupt and disappointing, that, what promised to be a great read, suddenly left a strange taste in my mouth as Alex tries to piece together the mystery and protect his crew before the detective does. Only, despite the story being told from Alex’s point of view, the reader isn’t allowed into his thought processes anymore, as he leaps from conclusion to conclusion, none of which make sense.
Everyone on board his ship has motive, and, based on the great character and political issues introduced at the start, I had such high hopes for where things were going to go. But the switch in tone is jarring and the detective work is just plain silly.
Still, I liked the beginning of the book well enough to recommend that much!
With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lootz: Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on December 13, 2014 22 Comments
‘Tis the season when the upcoming new year’s books are starting to come in. More have arrived this week after I already cataloged this post , but first we have the exciting titles that were received in the previous few weeks that deserve attention:
Master of Plagues – I was thrilled when this arrived! This book is of course the sequel to the amazing fantasy/mystery Darkwalker, which I recommend highly. I can’t wait to meet up with Nicolas Lenoir again in book two. My thanks to Roc Books!
The Whispering Swarm – I’ve yet to read anything by the esteemed Michael Moorcock, but I know the launch of his first new trilogy in ten years is something of a huge deal. Book one of the Sanctuary of the White Friars series looks really good, and I’m excited for The Whispering Swarm to be my first Moorcock book. My thanks to Tor Books.
Echo 8 – Also courtesy of Tor is Echo 8, which you might remember seeing me feature in one of my Waiting on Wednesdays during Sci-Fi November. I’m looking forward to reading this novel of romance and science fiction from Sharon Lynn Fisher.
The Traders’ War – A while ago, I received The Bloodline Feud from Tor Books, an omnibus that collects the first two books of Charles Stross’s The Merchant Princes series. Not long ago, the publisher kindly also sent me The Traders’ War, which collects books three and four.
City of Eternal Night – Courtesy of Orbit Books came this sequel to Kristen Painter’s House of the Rising Sun. I’ve already read this second book of the Crescent City series and in case you missed it, you can check out my review here!
Edge of Dark – Last year I read and reviewed The Diamond Deep, a compelling work of social science fiction by Brenda Cooper. When Pyr asked if I would be interested in reviewing an upcoming book by the author, I enthusiastically said yes. Edge of Dark is the start of a new series, so it’ll be great to be able to jump right in. My thanks to the publisher.
The Wide World’s End – Also from Pyr comes this third book from James Enge’s A Tournament of Shadows. I’ve read the first book but haven’t gotten to the second yet, but I’ve been intrigued by this “prequel” series featuring the author’s celebrated character Morlock Ambrosius.
I also bought a little something for myself. On Black Friday, I got a coupon and used it on The World of Ice & Fire, snagging this beauty of a book for about $17. I can’t believe I’d contemplated getting this one in audiobook or ebook format. I can safely say now that that would have been a mistake, as I’m admiring the embossed cover and gorgeous illustrations within this ENORMOUS volume. A must-have for A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones fans, this was an amazing addition to my collection of art books, and so worth it especially at the price I got it at.
Now the digital pile:
Golden Son – All I can say is *hyperventilate* *hyperventilate* *hyperventilate* As soon as I got that email saying Golden Son was finally available to request on Netgalley, you can bet I clicked that REQUEST NOW button so fast you’d think it was going out of style.
Owl and the Japanese Circus – Also from Netgalley, I finally got approved for this book after a long time of waiting (that’s what I get for requesting around Thanksgiving week!) I’m reading this now and it’s a lot of fun so far!
The Heresy Within – I got an email about Ragnarok Publications’ new titles in January earlier this week, informing me that the upcoming second book of Rob J Hayes’ The Ties That Bind series is available for review. I’m curious about this grimdark series but haven’t read the first book, so naturally I went and got it.
The Prophecy Con – My audiobook purchase of the week. Gotta put that $10 credit I earned from Audible back in November to good use, after all — and I’ve still got more to spare. I loved the first book of this fantasy heist series, and I can’t wait to read this sequel.
Book Review: Another One Bites the Dust by Chris Marie Green
Posted on December 12, 2014 15 Comments
Another One Bites the Dust by Chris Marie Green
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire
Publisher: Roc (November 4, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Another One Bites the Dust continues the Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire series which has the distinction of being one of the few urban fantasies out there featuring a dead girl as the protagonist. Jensen isn’t just technically dead, living dead, or undead – she’s DEAD dead, an ordinary California girl who was murdered in the woods by a serial killer in the eighties. She’s back now in modern times, pulled out of her time loop by a psychic named Amanda Lee.
Together with her ghostly friends and Amanda Lee, Jensen is putting her talents to good use by helping catch bad guy and solve mysteries, including that of her own murder. This second novel puts her skills to the test with a tough case involving a woman and her hotheaded and potentially dangerous boyfriend who might be just be a few short fuses away from snapping.
The neat thing is, ghosts in this series have quite an arsenal of abilities up their sleeves to go about investigating these kinds of situations, including creating hallucinations, entering dreams, or getting a feel for someone’s emotions and thoughts simply by making contact with them. This is just one example of the many unique ideas found in the first book, which impressed me enough to want to continue the series. I’m also quite invested in Jensen’s personal story, given how the mystery and details surrounding her horrific murder have been greatly built up. I’d like know who killed her, and hopefully see Jensen find closure and make peace with the fact that her life was so unfairly cut short.
What surprised me was that my wish might be granted sooner than I thought. I know there are at least three books planned so far for this series, and I did not expect it to even begin delving into Jensen’s death until at least the third installment. There are a lot of things going on in this book as a result – first, we have the main storyline involving Heidi and her concern for her friend Nichelle who is dating the loose cannon/possible psychopath Tim. Second, we have the major side plot in which Jensen does some independent investigating into her murder and makes some huge discoveries. Third, we get the chance to follow up with Gavin and Wendy, the siblings we got to meet in book one. Jensen still has some residual feelings for Gavin that she needs to resolve, not to mention her reluctant attraction towards “Fake Dean”, the mysterious supernatural entity that has taken on the guise of her old high school sweetheart.
Not surprisingly, Jensen is kept quite busy throughout this book, and we jump along with her from one event to another. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, the book feels very scattered. But on the other, you’re never going to have an opportunity to be bored. In the end, the pros and cons probably balance each other out, though I do wish we could have slowed down just enough to have gotten to know the side characters a bit better, especially Jensen’s group of “ghost budders” who so delighted me in Only the Good Die Young. Personalities like Twyla, Randy, Scott and Louis were pivotal in making the first book grow on me, and I just can’t get enough of them.
Poor Jensen, though. I think the author is attempting to inject a bit of romance into the series by giving her these complicated feelings for both Gavin and Fake Dean, but I just can’t help but feel both these relationships (if you can even go as far as to call them that) are simply doomed. The girl is a ghost, while one of the guys is very much alive and the other is some weird, ethereal and celestial…thing. Fake Dean is very much a big question mark, and it is still unclear whether he is a force of good or evil in Jensen’s life. In any case, I’m not getting a sense of chemistry between either of these pairings so admittedly, any romance is falling flat.
Still, overall we’re definitely getting somewhere with the main story. I am loving the tone of these books, enjoying the way light and dark mingle. We have some humor and cheerful interludes provided by the banter and camaraderie of the ghosts mixed with the creepy and disturbing circumstances of Jensen’s murder as well as the grim nature of the cases she and Amanda Lee decide to take on. The antagonist in this novel is a very troubled and unstable individual, and the few glimpses we get into his mind and into his dreams aren’t very pleasant at all.
All told, this was an enjoyable follow up. The series might not be blowing me away quite yet, but I like how it’s bringing something unique to the genre and the new ideas are enough to make me want to stick around, and I am also very curious how things will end up for our protagonist.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!
The BiblioSanctum 