The BiblioSanctum

Audiobook Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Posted on December 19, 2013 6 Comments

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Date of Publication: November 5, 2013 (audiobook)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars – “Gripping and full of surprises; the story and the characters are gradually built up into an intense finale”

It’s not often that a book catches me off guard, but this one sure did. Sometimes, the mood for a particular type of story or experience will strike me out of the blue, making me seek out the sort of book that will satisfy the hankering. At the time, what I felt like reading was a traditional young adult fantasy, complete with action and intrigue, a kickass heroine, a thrilling love triangles and all that goodness. I was pretty confident that Throne of Glass was going to deliver all that and more when I first settled back with the audiobook, and yet nothing could have prepared me for the way it swept me off my feet.

A year into her imprisonment and forced labor at the salt mines of Endovier, convicted assassin Celaena Sardothien is hauled before the Crown Prince and offered a chance to reclaim her freedom. The conditions Prince Dorian offers her are simple: act as his champion in the king’s upcoming competition to find a royal assassin, win, serve the kingdom for four years, and then she will be free.

However, the trials set up to prepare Celaena for the competition are challenging and brutal, and her opponents are all hardened, dangerous men. Chaol Westguard, the guard captain overseeing her training, pushes her hard and keeps her isolated from much of the court activities. Still, she cannot help but be drawn to him, much as she is drawn to the prince. Things get more interesting — and unsettling — when one by one, the other champions turn up dead, savagely ripped apart by someone or something unnatural. Celaena fears the killer will come for her next, ending her hopes before she will even have the chance to win her freedom.

I admit, I was a bit worried when I first met Celaena. I can take sassy, confident and badass young adult heroines, but what gets on my nerves is arrogance. And Celaena happens to have it in abundance. It’s not that her vanity is uncalled for; in fact, she’s quite the talented young woman, having all the looks, the smarts, the moves. But I could have done without her proclaiming her greatness every chance she gets.

Obviously, something changed my opinion of her at a later point, otherwise I wouldn’t have enjoyed this book so much. But more on that later because first praise needs to go to the narrator Elizabeth Evans whose voice work was exceptional, perhaps doing the job too well. Her delivery of Celaena’s lines were all spot on, nailing all the boastfulness and arrogance of her character. It’s really amazing how a good narrator can bring out the full gamut of a protagonist’s personality, for better or worse.

Definitely for the better, once I eventually warmed towards Celaena. Beneath the arrogance lies a lot more than I’d given her credit for, a much greater complexity. She’s really not as invincible as she thinks she is, and deep down I think she knows this. It cast her determination and her strength in a whole different light for me, and in time I grew to like her and want to see her succeed. I’m still not completely sold on the love triangle between her, Prince Dorian and the Chaol Westfall, but at least I desperately wanted to see her win the king’s competition.

And speaking of the competition, what a complete 180 it did on my emotions! Here I was, thinking that it’s just like the fantasy version of a reality-TV-show-type game where the champion with the worst performance gets booted out and goes home each week. That’s how it started off, but by the end I was completely enthralled, especially over the final duel scene. It’s good that audiobooks don’t allow you to easily flip forward to the end of a chapter to find out what happens like you do with a book, or else I would have been sorely tempted to spoil the outcome for myself. It was just that intense.

Like I said, I really didn’t expect this book to be this gripping and full of surprises. The beginning of it led me think it was going to be an average book, but gradually it built up both the story and the characters to make this one close to a five-star read.

Story, Performance, Overall:

4.5 of 5 stars

A review copy of this audiobook was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Posted on December 19, 2013 Leave a Comment

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Genre: Science Fiction
Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: May 2011
Author Info: whatever.scalzi.com

Wendy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars: Scalzi’s approach to science fiction is so refreshing and fun and he perfectly captures human nature at its best and worst.

I’m three books into my love affair with John Scalzi’s writing. He is clearly a master of snark, which his main characters wield with deadly precision. And who better to narrate the book than Wil Wheaton who does a great job of capturing the masterful way Scalzi uses tone to deliver his characters and their message.

Things are perhaps a little too perfect for Scalzi’s characters. They always seem to get the huge win in the end as a result of their mostly well-orchestrated plans and ability to adapt to any situation. I suppose this could get tedious after a while if it truly is a constant in his books, but for now I’m content with the all-loose-ends-tied-up results where the little guys win as a result of the characters actions. I’m even okay with the neon sign moral that appears in the epilogue of each book.

In this case, the little guys are actual little guys. Fuzzy cat-sort-of creatures that befriend Jack Holloway on the planet where he and his dog have just discovered a huge vein of sunstones, which are going to make Jack and the company he is/was contracted to, very, very rich. It becomes a case of big corporation against possibly sentient creatures and Jack, the disbarred lawyer with questionable motives.

While Jack is not a likable character and by no means tries to be a likable person, the fuzzies are, and before long, unsurprisingly, their survival became very important to me. I did not, however, expect to spend most of their fight for survival inside a courtroom when the story became Law & Order in space. That’s not a complaint. Scalzi’s approach to science fiction is so refreshing and fun and and he perfectly captures human nature at its best and worst.

Novella Review: Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu

Posted on December 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love by Mercedes M. Yardley

Genre: Horror, Paranormal

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Ragnarok Publications

Date of Publication: September 7, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars – “There is darkness but also a heart-wrenching beauty in this love story between two horribly broken souls who find and complete each other”

Ragnarok Publications is a publisher newly founded in 2013, but I’d heard of them prior to receiving a copy of Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love. These are the amazing folks behind the Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters anthology Kickstarter, which was successfully funded this fall and quite possibly one of the coolest projects I’ve ever backed! It was thus an honor and a pleasure to be offered a chance to read and review their inaugural title by Mercedes M. Yardley.

Don’t let the quirky title fool you; this is one dark and disturbing tale of supernatural love and horror…because after all, even killers and monsters can fall in love. Montessa Tovar, an exotic dancer who has only known a life of hurt and abuse is abducted one night while walking home by Lu, a serial killer whose unusual power has led him to be labeled a demon. But in time, the victim becomes the accomplice. As the two continue to form the deepest of connections, Lu leads Montessa on a cross-country tour of blood and vengeance.

Have you ever asked yourself if you believe in the concept of soulmates? Of finding that one person out there who completes you? This is the idea explored in the book, though if you find the notion utterly romantic, be sure to brace yourself because the author does not do it in a conventional way. It is far from idyllic; characters are depicted in extreme or frightening situations, and there is blood and violence and killing aplenty. It is, however, still a love story, and everyone knows how much I enjoy those. Most surprising of all is that in the darkness, there is also a heart-wrenching beauty.

Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu is one of the most interesting and deliciously twisted takes on soulmates I’ve ever read, and I think it perfectly embodies what the publisher is going for. The reader may never truly come to sympathize with the pair of lovers/killers, but I looked at their heinous crimes separately from the depth of feeling which the author has created. It is the storytelling that matters, and Yardley has accomplished something truly impressive by writing about a love that feels convincingly powerful and real at the same time, all in the short span of a novella. One thing’s for sure: it will be hard for me to forget this tale between two horribly damaged people, who somehow find that the pieces of their broken souls fit and complete each other.

4 of 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: I Am Satan by Tim Hawken

Posted on December 18, 2013 1 Comment

I Am Satan by Tim Hawken

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Series: Book 2 of the Hellbound Trilogy

Publisher: Rethink Press Limited

Date of Publication: June 25, 2012

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Tiara’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars – “Hawken’s writing can invoke very vivid imagery, especially if you’re a highly visual person who can easily get lost in descriptions and ideas.”

I’m not sure if I mentioned this in my review of the last book, but I really enjoy when authors explore theological themes and make old religious ideas feel fresh and exciting in their books. I think my interest in theology and religious themes stem from my background. It also may have a little something with me being a history geek as well. When writing heavy religious themes, especially when adding many unique elements, I often find that I think the writer is either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. I can be very particular about this, and for that reason, that’s why I’m pleased that this series has continued to entertain me.

I Am Satan is the continuation of Michael’s journey through Hell, the second book in Tim Hawken’s Hellbound trilogy. After the events of the last book, Michael is now Hell’s new caretaker, and he is not pleased. This displeasure doesn’t just come from his new role as Satan, even though it is part of the reason. In the last book, Michael learned some harrowing truths about God, Satan, and how he fit into this master plan. These new truths, along with his primary motivation (love) compel him to vow that he’ll get his revenge by building an army.

This book was more of a slow burn for me than the last one. In the first book, there was so much being introduced and so much going on as Michael and Satan traveled around Hell. There was much more mirth in the beginning of that book mostly because of Satan (the old Satan, I should say). The last part of the first book sort mellowed more into introspection, and that same feeling continues in this book. Now, that’s not to say that there isn’t any action or that this book is only thought-provoking prose. There’s plenty of action to be had, but in a way, it feels like the story ripens as Michael matures in his journey.

Even with all the knowledge Michael gained in the last book, this book reinforces that there is still more for him to learn. There was more emphasis on Michael’s learning process and exploring the idea of things like time, destiny (which I really liked Hawken’s take on that) and emotions, which is spun in refreshing ways that can give a reader pause to think about these things. I appreciated that Michael didn’t suddenly become this super being with all this unfathomable power just because he’s the new Satan.

Michael is set to rebel against his fate and create his own by amassing knowledge. In the last book, he’d made great strides with learning how to control things such as the elements. There are still many things he has to learn in order to challenge what he’s expected to do and take the fight to heaven, however. Then, there’s the added fact that Michael’s thirst for revenge, the fact that he’s holding hard and fast to hatred, is starting to shape him physically into something sinister, a demon. In Hellbound,going to Heaven is presented as a choice for Hell’s denizens which is a twist on the universal reconciliation idea. For some people, though, they decide to wallow in their sins, and they eventually become the avatar of the sin they hold to firmly.

Michael is starting down that path, but feels it will be worth it to save his love and forge his own destiny.As I stated in my last review, destiny is seen as something that isn’t linear. There could be many possible ways for a person to achieve their ending fate. This second book took that a step further and played with the idea that there are many final outcomes that could be achieved in a innumerable amount of ways with some outcomes being more likely than others. It doesn’t state that destiny doesn’t exist more so than it’s tempered with many external and internal factors.

With that in mind, Michael does have a clear goal for what he wants to achieve, how he wants to challenge his “fate,” but the road to achieving this is full of funny twists and turns.

Michael isn’t the only person who keeps this story running. There’s a colorful cast of characters that you’ll love and hate who help to round out Michael’s journey. Hawken added a few of The Bible’s more infamous characters to the story, and he even toyed around with some elements of The Divine Comedy, which I think I was expecting this to be some take on that poem originally and it turned out to be much more than that.

Hawken’s writing can invoke very vivid imagery, especially if you’re a highly visual person who can easily get lost in descriptions and ideas. The prose definitely pops. There were parts of the story that felt a bit too convenient and tidy in the midst of what was going on, but that didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the book. I think this was a strong follow-up to the first book, and I’ll be bumping the last book, Deicide, higher on TBR pile because I have to see how this all ends.

4 of 5 stars

I’d like to thank Tim and his publisher for providing me a copy of this book to review.

Waiting on Wednesday 12/18/13

Posted on December 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

“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 Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan: February 18, 2013 (Orbit)

The highly anticipated second book of The Power Mage series, sequel to Promise of Blood that I really enjoyed earlier this year. Check out that gorgeous cover.

‘The hounds at our heels will soon know we are lions’ Tamas’s invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy’s best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god. In Adro, Inspector Adamat only wants to rescue his wife. To do so he must track down and confront the evil Lord Vetas. He has questions for Vetas concerning his enigmatic master, but the answers might come too quickly. With Tamas and his powder cabal presumed dead, Taniel Two-shot finds himself alongside the god-chef Mihali as the last line of defence against Kresimir’s advancing army. Tamas’s generals bicker among themselves, the brigades lose ground every day beneath the Kez onslaught, and Kresimir wants the head of the man who shot him in the eye.”

Book Review: The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig

Posted on December 17, 2013 5 Comments

The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Series: Book 3 of Miriam Black

Publisher: Angry Robot

Date of Publication: December 31, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars – “The best and my favorite Miriam Black book yet”

I just can’t resist Miriam Black. Come to think of it, that might be how I start all my reviews for the books in this series. What can I say, though? It’s true. These books are so addictive, and I couldn’t put off reading The Cormorant any longer, knowing I had the eARC burning a hole in my ereader. I desperately needed my Miriam Black fix.

Our heroine with the freaky ability to foresee people’s deaths is back. And she has been busy experimenting with her powers, after finding out the one way to prevent a person from dying is to take the life of another, because Death will not be denied. But then someone is not at all pleased with the way Miriam is messing around with fate…

Miriam is lured to Florida by a rich businessman offering her an obscene amount of money just to find out how he dies. The death vision she sees, however, is of a brutal murder of the man in a year’s time, committed by a mystery killer with a bloody message written just for her. Someone clearly has it in for Miriam. Now everyone she has interacted with is in danger, including her own estranged mother, but how do you fight an enemy who knows your every move and is always two steps ahead?

The sheer awesomeness of this book is going to be hard to convey without getting into spoilers, but know that if you’ve been following the series all along the plot of this one is going to blow you away. It goes without saying, if you enjoyed Blackbirds and Mockingbird, you will love The Cormorant too because the nature of the character and story is as twisted as always. Furthermore, we get a nice beefing up of Miriam’s history, with a further look into her mysterious abilities as well as the appearance of her mother Evelyn Black. Finally, we get to watch the fireworks as the two women meet again for the first time in many years.

And still, Miriam remains the foul-mouthed spitfire I know and love. In her own words, “Rare is the other human who doesn’t mind being dragged over the deepening lines of impropriety while talking to Miriam Black.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. I would never want to be trapped in the same small space with Miriam when she goes off, but boy, she’s always a riot to read about. She’s a woman with a way with words, but also a bigger heart than she would probably like to admit.

Books that play around with time jumps and framing are also tough to pull off, but Chuck Wendig does it here perfectly, switching to flashbacks and other perspectives at the most appropriate moments, emphasizing the suspense when it is most required. Reading this one was like a roller coaster ride, except there are no dips, only highs and loop-de-loops. Between the outrageous things Miriam says and finding all about the creepy villain in this book, my butt alternated from being perched on the edge of my seat one moment to being laughed off the next. Yeah, let’s just put it that way.

The Cormorant is probably the best and my favorite Miriam Black book yet; I absolutely loved it, from beginning to end. Fans need to pick this one up too, and if you haven’t read this series yet, what are you waiting for? Miriam is totally awesome; I highly recommend this!

5 of 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes contained above are from the advanced reader edition and are subject to change.

Book Review: The Abominable by Dan Simmons

Posted on December 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

The Abominable by Dan Simmons

Genre: Historical Fiction Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Date of Publication: October 22, 2013

Author Information: Website

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars – “A decent book that is not without its high points; story is paced slowly and weighed down with a lot of technical detail”

Dan Simmons has always been hit or miss for me, but I have to say his historical-horror novel The Terror about Franklin’s lost expedition to the arctic remains one of my all time favorite books ever. While his newest novel The Abominable may not be a follow up, it certainly can be considered a companion piece; the fact that both books seem to share the same vein made me hopeful that Simmons will blow me away again.

Unfortunately, that just didn’t happen. Still, the book started promisingly enough, with an introduction from the author that really isn’t an introduction at all. Instead, it’s an interesting little meta-story about how Dan Simmons came upon a manuscript of this book, starting with a visit more than ten years ago to a former mountaineer named Jake Perry in a Colorado nursing home. The Abominable is essentially Jake’s account of his 1926 expedition to Mount Everest, which Simmons receives in the form of a whole stack of notebooks hand-written by the old man.

Thus it was not so surprising that most of this book read like a memoir. What did surprise me, however, was how little action there was in a book supposedly touted as a “thrilling tale of supernatural adventure”. A good chunk of it felt more like a guide to mountain climbing, complete with descriptions of climbing techniques and equipment which Simmons goes into with exhaustive detail.

Okay, I’ll give that it’s interesting and all, but where’s the relevance? I was more than a quarter of the way through this book (and that’s about 150 pages in this monster of a novel) and they still weren’t even in the Himalayas yet. At a certain point, I just desperately wanted the story to get moving, and the last thing I needed was yet another dozen or so pages on ice axes and 12-point crampons. At the end of this book, I felt like knew the ins-and-outs of how a Primus stove works more intimately than some of the main characters. This really bothered me, especially since I’ve never known Simmons to be the kind of author to flaunt his knowledge or research prowess by overwhelming the reader with unnecessary info dumps.

When he does get around to the action though, it can be very suspenseful. If I’d ever entertained thoughts of becoming a mountain climber, this book pretty much killed them dead. Mountain climbers are insane; I’ll settle for living their adventures vicariously though books like this one, thanks. That being said, readers with a fear of heights might have a rough time with this, and of course Simmons is also the master of pushing his characters to extremes by placing them in these horrible, godforsaken situations. And it doesn’t get any scarier and more extreme than on Mount Everest.

To date, more than a thousand people have reached Everest’s summit including a thirteen-year-old, but it’s still one of the most treacherous mountains in the world, killing climbers every year. Can you imagine what a nightmare it must have been like in the 1920s? Climbers back then didn’t have our current tech, didn’t have the kind of safety gear and improved equipment we have today. It was less than a hundred years ago, and conquering Everest was still just a dream. Or more like, a hopeless challenge. When you read The Abominable and take in the struggles of Jake Perry and his companions, Simmons doesn’t let you forget that for a second.

Nevertheless, this book fell short of my expectations. Its dragging pace played into this, certainly. By the time things really started to heat up it was already three-quarters of the way through the book and a little too late. Still, it was the climax and big reveal that disappointed me the most. Without going into spoilers, let’s just say that one of the reasons I loved The Terror so much was its touch of the supernatural. From its description, The Abominable looks like it teases the same, but things didn’t actually turn out that way. The big twist was ultimately a let down, and I’ll just leave it at that.

Bottom line, this book was not as good as I thought it would be, though it is not without its high points. History buffs with an interest in Everest and mountaineering will find the some of the details here fascinating (the doomed 1924 British Mount Everest Expedition and the deaths of renowned climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine served indirectly as a background for this novel) and a few sections of the plot are genuinely terrifying. Still, it is very little payoff for the amount of effort. The Abominable was a decent book, but I just wished it had been more the “bone-chilling, pulse-pounding story of supernatural suspense” its description vaunted.

3 of 5 stars

YA Weekend: Planesrunner by Ian McDonald

Posted on December 15, 2013 2 Comments

Planesrunner by Ian McDonald

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Everness

Publisher: Pyr (US ed.)

Date of Publication: December 6, 2011

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars – “One of the most well-written and interesting YA novels I’ve ever read and just plain fun, this book will appeal to a wide audience”

Add Ian McDonald’s Planesrunner to the list of the most interesting and well-written young adult novels I’ve read this year. With the third book coming out soon, I’d initially picked this up to get caught up with the series, but in doing so I also finally discovered why so many readers have been raving about Everness. Adventurous and fun but also fresh and clever, if you’re looking for a YA offering that’s a little different but has a great story at the same time, consider checking this one out.

Planesrunner tackles a topic in fantasy and science fiction that I have a great interest in: multiple universes and alternate dimensions. I have rarely seen it handled with such detail when it comes to YA fiction, though. The protagonist is Everett Singh, whose father is a brilliant scientist and one of the leading researchers in the study of parallel earths. But then Tejendra Singh is kidnapped from the streets of London one day, leaving his son with a mysterious file on his computer called the Infundibulum.

The Infundibulum ends up being a map to the parallel earths — all 10 to the power of 80 of them! — making Everett the guardian of the most valuable tool in the whole entire multiverse. But there are others who see the Infundibulum as a powerful weapon, nefarious factions in the group of plenipotentiaries of the Ten Known Worlds. To escape their reach, Everett travels to a very different parallel earth. With the help of new friends, he is determined to find and rescue his father, while fighting to protect the Infundibulum at all costs.

Hard sci-fi readers will probably find the science behind the quantum physics and theory of multiple universes to be on the light side, but I still find Planesrunner to be a fabulously clever novel. There’s enough information to enjoy this fun and action-filled story without getting bogged down with details, and when it comes to his imaginings of parallel earths, Ian McDonald takes things all the way.

The sights and sounds in the world Everett ends up in, designated E3, are beyond amazing. It is a world where fossil fuels have never existed, leading to a society powered by a system that can only be described as a souped-up version of steampunk or, as Everett so amusingly observed, “electropunk”. Everett ends up being taken in by an airship crew, thus introducing the reader to the rich, imaginative culture and language of the “Airish”. The author certainly does not skimp on the descriptions of the people and their way of life, making it easy to picture the setting and put myself right there.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the characters, though Everett himself comes off as a bit unrealistic as a 14 or 15-year-old boy. The extent of his intelligence is played up and so farfetched it’s difficult for me to feel otherwise, but on the other hand, his more mature point of view and way of thinking might make him more relatable to a non-YA reader, thus making Planesrunner a book that may appeal to a much wider audience.

And finally, this book was just plain fun. Where else would I be able to get the craziness and thrills of an actual airship duel outside the pages of this awesome novel? I love YA fiction like this — quick, clever and full of great ideas. The Everness series is simply “bonaroo”! Looking forward to continuing Everett’s journey with the next book, Be My Enemy, and then on to Empress of the Sun, dropping early next year.

4 of 5 stars

UK Edition

Mogsy’s Book Haul

Posted on December 15, 2013 Leave a Comment

Welcome to the latest edition of my Book Haul, where I feature and talk about the books added to my library in the last two weeks. Great deals on Black Friday have caused my leaning tower of books to grow a few more inches, as well fortune has smiled upon me in the last fortnight:

Red Rising – received an ARC of this book, which has been getting a lot of positive buzz lately. And no wonder. Reading this one now and thus far it is so so so so so good!

Season of the Witch – YA novel, first book I ever received from Random Buzzers’ program, which finally arrived after a couple months.

Shadow and Bone – I had a coupon from Black Friday, and using it on this book was a no brainer. I’ve been waiting to read it for so long, after seeing all the good reviews.

Bloodstone – the sequel to Firebrand which I read and enjoyed earlier this year. I was lucky enough to win this, with much thanks to Tor and the Little Red Reviewer for holding the giveaway.

The Waking That Kills – another giveaway win, this time with thanks to Solaris Books. I look forward to reading this one when I’m in the mood for a good horror.

Shift – finally, big thanks to Angry Robot Books for putting our humble blog on the shortlist for their Team Robot Blogger Award! It was such an honor just to be nominated, and I definitely look forward to another great year of AR books. The blogs that were short-listed got to choose a prize of three books from across all their imprints, and so myself and my co-bloggers each chose one. My choice was Strange Chemistry’s Shift by Kim Curran.

The ebooks and audiobooks:

The Grim Company – at the end of last month I realized I was only one book short of qualifying for a promotion that Audible had in November. I ended up going with The Grim Company out of all the other choices on my wishlist, and having listened to this one already I don’t regret that decision at all.

Ship of Magic – falling prey to Black Friday deals again. Couldn’t resist $5 audiobook deals and snagged this one, since I’ve had a hankering to read Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders ever since reading about the liveships in the books of her Rain Wilds Chronicles. I know I’ve been sort of reading her Elderlings series out of order…

Magic to the Bone – same Black Friday deal as above, but recall how I recently read Devon Monk’s newest book Hell Bent and only realized after I started that it was a spinoff of an earlier series. Magic to the Bone is actually the first book, which I did say I was curious about checking out.

The Waking Dark – a YA horror novel that I picked up for a good price, again during the week of all the big sales. I’ve heard a lot about this one from Random Buzzers. It sounds terrifying, actually.

Daughters of the Nile – I have been waiting for this book for what feels like ages. This is the third and final book to an amazing trilogy about Princess Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. If you’re into historical fiction with a touch of magic, this is a great series.

Mitosis – a short story set in the world of Steelheart. I loved that book, so it was a pleasure to pick this one up to enjoy while I wait for Firefight, not to mention Sanderson’s work is always top notch, even his shorts.