Book Review: Seven Forges by James A. Moore
Posted on September 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
Seven Forges by James A. Moore
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1
Publisher: Angry Robot
Date of Publication: September 24, 2013
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I really, really liked Seven Forges. Still, I’ll admit the book had me rolling with the punches for most of it. It left me cold for a long time, waiting for something awesome to happen, something to make me perk up and say, “Hey, now we’re onto something.”
A lot of this has to do with the book’s pacing, which is probably slower than I’d have preferred. I noticed while reading, for example, that even at more than halfway in, I was still treading in territory already covered by the blurb in the back of the book: a group from Fellein makes first contact with the mysterious warrior people of the Seven Forges mountains called the Sa’ba Taalor, and the expedition leader Merros Dulver brings a small entourage of them home with him.
Of course, there were other developments along the way, but not many that helped me tease out what was supposed to be the main conflict, even as I was well into the book. The world James A. Moore created here is highly imaginative and the characters and cultures are intriguing, but my heart still wasn’t pounding, at least not yet.
And then, all of a sudden, everything changed. Unexpected plot twists, shocking revelations, total chaos. Everything I thought I was signing on for when I picked up this book, I got. The only catch is? All this started occurring in the last fifty to sixty pages or so.
The question is then, can the final 10-15 percent of a book be so incredibly awesome as to impress me enough turn my opinion completely around? I struggled with this question and as a result also struggled with my review, but in the end, I have to say yes. And I don’t come to this decision lightly; very rarely does a book redeem itself in my eyes simply for having an extraordinary ending, but somehow this one manages. I went from feeling generally unaffected to being completely absorbed.
I don’t want to make it sound like I wasn’t enjoying myself at all before this point, though. I felt the book took its time getting to the meat of the conflict, yes, but even so, all the while I had the sense that it was there all along, just building up in a slow burn. Looking back now, I see that the bulk of this book reads like a very long introduction, all leading up to the point where the conflict finally ignites. And when it does, it happens in a very powerful, explosive way, in part due to everything in the book that came before providing the necessary kindling.
Speaking of which, James A. Moore is in his element when he is writing scenes with fighting and big battles, and his strength is definitely in crafting very realistic, frenetic action sequences. On the other hand, areas I felt needed more attention included character development and dialogue. For example, Desh Krohan the emperor’s sorcerer was someone I was very interested in, but would have also loved to see more exploration into his character. He talks a lot about what his powers are capable of, but even now, I’m not entirely sure what sort of magic he does and what the nature of it is.
I suppose all that will come in time, in subsequent books in this series. There’s a lot of untapped potential when it comes to the characters, but at the same time I see things moving in the right direction. Even now I think a hero is emerging in Andover Lashk, a character whose place I wasn’t sure of at the beginning, but now I see the author is actually raising him up in a very unique and unprecedented way, one I think I’ll enjoy watching.
Mission accomplished, Mr. Moore, you have me practically on pins and needles for the next installment.
Graphic Novel Review: Hawkeye Vol.1 My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction
Posted on September 19, 2013 Leave a Comment
Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life As A Weapon by Matt Fraction
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The best part about this Eisner nominated superhero story is that its not a superhero story. This is about what Clint Barton gets up to when he’s not on the Avengers clock. The opening scene immediately sets the tone with Clint falling from a building, sardonically noting that, unlike almost every one of his teammates, he has no unusual powers or devices that will make such a fall easier to handle. As a result, he ends up severely wounded and the story takes up shortly after, when he is released from the hospital.
There are two reasons to like this book. The first is Hawkeye. This is the perfect introduction to a character I know little about beyond his stoic and limited movie appearance and his fabulous modelling career on the internet. Turns out Barton is a very nice, funny, self-deprecating guy. At one point, he implies that, outside of Captain America’s influence, he might not be as nice as he seems, but his actions throughout speak otherwise, especially in the first issue, which focuses on his recovery, a new pet and his neighbours. Despite his hefty Avengers salary, he lives in a rundown apartment building and frequently hangs out with his neighbours, half-heartedly proclaiming that he is not an Avenger (which is difficult to deny when the helicarrier shows up to give him a lift).
The second reason to like this book is Hawkeye. That is, Kate Bishop, who also claims the moniker as a Young Avenger, granted the title by Captain America himself. After their initial encounter, which is depicted in the issue of Young Avengers Presents included within this volume, the two Hawkeyes become fast friends and Kate appears regularly within the pages. Their relationship is that of a casual dynamic duo where, despite Bishop’s youth, she sometimes seems to be the much older and wiser one, while Barton displays an amusing and endearing recklessness that unsurprisingly gets them both into a lot of trouble. They make a great team and their back and forth banter gave me a lot of smiles.
This volume combines issues one to five of the Hawkeye series, and includes issue six of Young Avengers Presents. I really enjoyed the first three issues and give them five stars, but was a bit disappointed when the art changed for the 2-part story arc called “The Tape.” Javier Pulido’s art, while good and somewhat similar in style, lacked the more subtle lines and muted feel and colours of David Aja’s issues. There was not nearly enough mauve. The first three issues also featured, in the letters page, suggested listening to enhance your reading pleasure. When I noticed this in the first issue, I made sure to skip to the end of the next to find out what I should be listening to as I enjoyed the story. This feature sadly did not continue.
I was also disappointed in “The Tape” storyline because Maria Hill, Captain America and Nick Fury showed up and sent Barton on a mission. While the story was good and Bishop was involved, it lacked the intimacy and unpredictability that had developed in the first three issues. The appearance of the Avengers felt like an unwelcome intrusion on the private, downtime world of Barton and Bishop.
Finally, the Young Avengers issue served as a useful introduction to the character’s relationship, but I felt it was an unnecessary inclusion that once again intruded on the characters and stories I’d cuddled up with at the beginning of my reading session.
Despite these disappointments, I will still say that I really enjoyed this read and have a whole new appreciation for both characters. I’m sure I can get over these quirks in order to continue with the series.
10…of Mogsy’s Favorite Reads this Summer
Posted on September 19, 2013 Leave a Comment
It’s hard to believe we’re already past mid-September, how quickly time flies. I hope everyone got some great reading done this summer, because I sure did! This year saw me reading a wide variety of genres, subject matters and authors, and with the last day of the season coming upon us in a few days, here’s a look back at some of the top books I read in the last three months. Bring on autumn!
EMPEROR OF THORNS by Mark Lawrence
Read from July 17 to 22, 2013
“All reigns must end…” and I have to say, finding out what will become of Jorg Ancrath in this finale to the Broken Empire trilogy made this one of my most highly anticipated fantasy novels of 2013. I was not disappointed at all. Even though finishing this meant the end of the series and a good bye to Jorg, I actually found myself happy and satisfied with how everything wrapped up. Every story needs an ending, and for me, this one was perfect.
GENERATION V by M.L. Brennan
Read from July 29 to 31, 2013
Hands down, the best Urban Fantasy I read this summer. If you’re thinking this is gonna just be another run-of-the-mill vampire series, you’d be so so SO wrong! M.L. Brennan’s take on vampires in this book totally blew my mind, and I love her sense of humor. It’s so great to see fresh ideas and bold new directions in this genre, and I’ve been recommending this book to everyone I know who loves UF.
HOLLOW WORLD by Michael J. Sullivan
Read from July 31 to August 7, 2013
I was able to read this one early because I backed it on Kickstarter. Admittedly, reading something by Michael J. Sullivan that isn’t related to Riyria felt a little strange…but it was the best kind of strange. I can’t wait until this releases so everyone can experience its awesomeness. Without a doubt, the best part is the fact that this is light and enjoyable reading but at the same time will also make you think.
LOVE MINUS EIGHTY by Will McIntosh
Read from August 14 to 17, 2013
This is one very special, simply gorgeous book. It’s a sci-fi novel with a futuristic high-tech setting, but at its heart it is also a very human story, about love and that timeless, unshakeable desire to seek a connection to another soul. This one evoked such a strong emotional reaction from me, but hey, books like that are why I love to read!
THE GREYFRIAR by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Read from August 19 to 24, 2013
Steampunk and vampires — great combo! But that’s not the only reason why this stood out. What struck me was the relationship between the two protagonists. The book isn’t even a romance, but my heart completely melted for it. For someone like me whose pet peeve is a heroine who falls for guys that treat her like crap, the love and mutual respect here between Adele and Greyfriar is so refreshing.
THE THOUSAND NAMES by Django Wexler
Read from July 13 to 17, 2013
I went into this with higher-than-high expectations, and ultimately I have to say even those were met and exceeded. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this summer, perhaps one of the best book I’ve read all year. The Thousand Names is just beyond epic, a flintlock fantasy at its finest with great characters that drew me in right away. Revolution and colonialism, military battles and gunpowder, what more could I ask for?
MAYHEM by Sarah Pinborough
Read from September 3 to 6, 2013
I enjoy a good horror novel now and then, and this summer I read a good number of them. Not only was Mayhem my favorite one, it’s probably also a top book for this entire year as well. A historical horror with a paranormal angle, it just pushed all the right buttons for me. I also loved doing research for this when I wrote the review, because I also learned all this fascinating stuff about Jack the Ripper, the Torso Killer, and the Whitechapel Murders.
MOCKINGBIRD by Chuck Wendig
Read from June 11 to 12, 2013
Ah, Miriam Black, I seriously can’t get enough of you! The second book of Chuck Wendig’s twisted and dark series about a woman with the power to see how and when someone is going to die simply by touching them, and it was just as amazing as the first! It’s not every day that a book makes me squirm in this uncomfortable-yet-not-too-entirely-unpleasant kind of way, so that certainly made this one hell of a memorable read.
KINSLAYER by Jay Kristoff
Read from August 30 to September 3, 2013
The highly anticipated sequel in The Lotus War series where the kicker is the steampunk-meets-feudal-Japan setting. This one took my emotions on a roller coaster ride this summer, with crazy revelations and shock after shock, I swear my heart almost gave out in the last hundred pages. Darker, more visceral and violent than book one, I got an Empire Strikes Back vibe off of this, and trust me, that’s never a bad thing.
ANGELFALL by Susan Ee
Read from September 9 to 14, 2013
This one squeaked in just before the end of summer, and WOW. It could have easily gotten lost in my big pile of YA-post-apocalyptic-dystopian-paranormal-romance-starring-teenage-girl-protagonist-told-in-first-person books, but color me surprised, this angels-and-end-of-days story was fantastically well written. I understand now why this title has gotten so much attention, and it’s an indie too, which makes it even more impressive.
Book Review: Thief’s Covenant by Ari Marmell
Posted on September 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Thief’s Covenant by Ari Marmell
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Widdershins Adventures
Publisher: Pyr
Date of Publication: February 21, 2012
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Our protagonist in Thief’s Covenant is a young woman who wears many masks and goes by many different names. Once she was Adrienne Satti, an orphan taken off the streets to be raised as an aristocrat’s ward, but soon after was forced to shed her old life to escape arrest for a savage crime she didn’t commit. Now, she is known simply as the thief Widdershins.
And really, how could I not be drawn to a book starring a character with a name like Widdershins? Along with its impishly clever cover (I kept thinking I was holding the book upside down), it made me believe I was going to be settling back to a cute young adult novel, but to my delight it ended up being something so much more than that. It’s true Thief’s Covenant could be light and funny at times, but at others it was also quite dark, grim and heavy.
For instance, the book opens with a scene following a bloody and brutal massacre on page one, which instantly dispelled any sort of preconceived notions on my part. But this I considered to be a point in the book’s favor, along with the fact that it doesn’t seem to fall prey to typical Young Adult genre conventions (I for one thought the decision to forgo a romantic arc was brave but ultimately wise).
As such, I really think a wider audience can enjoy this without being worried about it feeling “too YA”. Actually, I couldn’t help but make comparisons to Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora, not only for the obvious similarities like the subject of the orphaned thief and the past-present format of the novel, but because Thief’s Covenant also contains the kind of unexpected plot twists and gut-wrenching story developments that are so characteristic of the Gentleman Bastard books.
Being such a slim volume, I was also pleasantly surprised at the richness of the setting and how layered the story was. The book takes place in a world where every person from the wealthiest noble to the grimiest street urchin worships one of the dozens of gods approved by the Hallowed Pact. Widdershins, however, is a follower of the almost-forgotten minor deity Olgun, but their worshipper-worshipped relationship is one that is unlike any other. Olgun is in fact a major presence in Widdershins’ life, or more accurately, a rather major one in her head. Like I said, there’s plenty of fun and cheeriness in this book too, and the playful banter between the two of them is a very good example of the humor you will find to break up the tension.
I only wish the story had been better paced; part of this is due to the aforementioned time jumps which occur quite frequently, with flashbacks to an earlier part of Widdershins’ life almost every other chapter. On the one hand this was a very good way to give us better insight into her character and personality, and I find I really enjoyed her back story. On the other hand, it made the plot feel disjointed and gave the book a slow start, and because of this I couldn’t get into it right away.
And yet, one thing I did notice was the carefully planned and measured way the chapters were laid out, done with such a subtle elegance that the events told in the flashback chapters would always relate to what was happening to Widdershins in the present. In this way, all the questions you’ll have about her character and her history will eventually be answered. The steady doling out of details admittedly made this book a little tough to get through for the first half, but the rewarding second half made picking this book up well worth it in the end.
Waiting On Wednesday 9/18/13
Posted on September 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!
“Miriam is on the road again, having transitioned from “thief” to “killer”.
Hired by a wealthy businessman, she heads down to Florida to practice the one thing she’s good at, but in her vision she sees him die by another’s hand and on the wall written in blood is a message just for Miriam. She’s expected…”
Book Review: Charming by Elliott James
Posted on September 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Pax Arcana
Publisher: Orbit
Expected Date of Publication: September 24, 2013
Author Information:
My thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an e-ARC of Charming in exchange for an honest review. My first impression of this book — and keep in mind this was before I knew anything at all about it — was that it was going to be an urban fantasy targeted more towards female readers. I suppose it was the reference to “Prince Charming” that did it. And the cover image featured a tall dark and handsome young man wielding a shiny silver sword emerging from a background of predominantly light pastel teals and purples, the title rendered in pretty loopy scrollwork classical font.
Turns out, I was a little off-base. In actuality, found that Charming read more like an urban fantasy novel in the same vein as those in series starring male protagonists like The Dresden Files or the The Iron Druid Chronicles. More recently, I read Jim C. Hine’s Libriomancer which also came to mind when I read this. And what do all the leading men in these series have in common? They all have these kick-ass supernatural powers, possess a sense of humor that falls slightly on the geek-side, are all great at battling vampires and other forces of darkness that threaten the human populace, and always come to fights armed with plenty of witty pop culture references.
Which is just a rambling, roundabout way of me trying to point out that readers who enjoy the genre should also feel right at home with this book and its main character John Charming. Trained by the modern day version of the Knights Templar, John comes from a long line of monster hunters and was one of their best fighters. But a werewolf attack on his mother right before he was born had resulted in John becoming a new type of strange hybrid, and the day he manifested his symptoms was the day his own people turned on him, labeling him an abomination that must be destroyed.
Now John is on the run, hiding in rural Virginia with a new identity. He’s rented a home near the woods and has taken up a bartending job in a college town, hoping to stay under the radar. Everything’s copacetic, until two mysterious newcomers show up one night at the pub where John works, threatening the peaceful and quiet undercover life he has worked so long and so hard to maintain.
Like I said, if you love urban fantasy and especially the series I mentioned above, there’s a really good chance you’ll like this too. I think that’s one of the reasons I took so quickly to Charming and its characters, because reading it was like returning to a place that feels comfortable and familiar. The problem with this, however, is that it can always act as a double-edged sword. While on a certain level a lot of the urban fantasy series I read may share a lot of similar traits and elements, my favorites are always those that stand out amidst the rest somehow, very often setting themselves apart through a unique idea or memorable features, say, like an alternate history or an interesting magic system.
As such, one issue I have with Charming is that I don’t feel like it adds much to the genre. Many of the ideas I read here felt like the retreading old ground or that I’ve seen them elsewhere before. Somewhat related to this is also the sheer amount of info-dumping I noticed spread all throughout the novel. I usually give first-in-a-series books like this a pass on this since world-building from scratch is a tough but necessary evil, but I’ve seen other authors pull this off much more subtly. Of course, this also just might be an indication of me having read too damn much UF; I’m sure someone just diving into the genre reading this book through fresh eyes might have a totally different experience and opinion on this than me.
Anyway, every hero needs a team, and John Charming’s no different. As expected, we have the supporting cast here including a couple of your instantly recognizable archetypes (“the hot leader chick that everybody has a crush on”, “the genius techie guy with all the cool gadgets”, “the smarter-than-he-looks cop”, etc.) but on the whole I liked the diversity of characters. The ones that stood out for me are Parth the naga scientist that brings with him a refreshing take on South Asian mythology, and Dvornik the jealous boyfriend who despite his hideous personality has a pretty interesting dynamic with Sig, the aforementioned hot girl. I have to say this made the resulting Sig-Dvornik-John love triangle pretty interesting to read about, and this is coming from someone not usually keen on romantic drama bogging down my action in UF.
Character-wise, I think my one disappointment was actually with John himself, and more specifically, it was his “Prince Charming” background and angle of the book that I wish had been more overt or explored further. After all, Prince Charming is a prominent but often underdeveloped figure in many classic and beloved fairy tales, and he rarely gets top billing like this. The blurb for this book and some of the other publicity materials for it appear to play up this point, which is why I was surprised there was not more of a link between John Charming (and his ancestors) and the Prince Charming of legend and fable. It it weren’t for the family name, there wouldn’t have been much of a connection.
All in all, a fun read. I had some mild issues with the main character and wished that the plot, lore and world were a bit more inventive and unique, but on the whole I enjoyed this and would be interested in reading more of the series.
Book Review: The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough
Posted on September 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough
Genre: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic
Series: The Dire Earth Cycle #3
Publisher: Del Rey Spectra
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Author Info: www.jasonmhough.com
With thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey Spectra for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The second book of the Dire Earth Cycle, The Exodus Towers, ended with a slow, tense burn that continues in The Plague Forge. Skyler Luiken, the main character, now shares the spotlight with Tania Sharma and Samantha Rinn and all are on separate missions to retrieve the last three alien artifacts to complete the puzzle on the alien “Builders” Key Ship. Tania and Skyler’s teams deal with the ever present threat of subhumans and the SUBS disease, while Samantha, within Darwin, must steal the blue artifact from the cold and deadly Grillo and his Jacobites.
Initially, I appreciated the way the Jacobites, a cult based on Jacob’s Ladder, were unobtrusively incorporated into the story. I’m not fond of religious cults as authors often allow them to take up a lot of the plot with preaching and indoctrination. In the previous book, they did play a prominent role, which continued here as the official Big BadTM, but Hough did not bog the story down with their zealotry as I feared. The Jacobites and their leader, Grillo, existed as our heroes’ foil, and, while they did attempt to indoctrinate a few people here and there, it was not their prominent function within the plot.
Similarly, the characters of Pablo and Vanessa, Skyler’s new crewmates, served their plot function as efficient soldiers in Skyler’s new crew, but as actual characters, I would have liked to see them be more fleshed out. I never gained a connection with them as I had with Skyler’s original crew, no matter how often Skyler referenced them as “his crew.”
Otherwise, I really liked a lot of Hough’s characters, including some that were not meant to be liked, such as the deplorable Russell Blackfield. I’ve really enjoyed the insight into his character. When he was first introduced, he was the evil despot, but I loved that Hough allowed us to see more of him as the trilogy progressed without merely turning into a bad guy to be destroyed or redeemed. I respect that all the characters were very much flawed and the heroes weren’t necessary likable, while the evil despots weren’t necessarily bad, considering the circumstances. And I loved that Hough was not afraid to kill his babies. No one died needlessly, but it certainly raised the stakes to realize that any of them could die at any time.
As this was the final book in the trilogy, it meant that we finally got the answer to the question that hung over the entire story: What the hell do the Builders want?? Of course the heroes would obtain the three artifacts and of course they would put the puzzle together and meet the Builders, who were already on their way. But when I finally got to the answer, I was shocked by it and by the pithy perfection of its delivery. It offered the closure I needed, while opening an exciting, entirely new door. Don’t walk into this expecting any sort of happy ending, considering the devastation the Builders have caused, but Hough left me with a bittersweet offer of hope and forgiveness that surprised me and left me in 2am tears.
Book Review: 23 Years on Fire by Joel Shepherd
Posted on September 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
23 Years on Fire by Joel Shepherd
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 4 of Cassandra Kresnov
Publisher: Pyr
Date of Publication: September 10, 2013
Author Information: Website | Twitter
23 Years On Fire was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Not really knowing what to expect when the book arrived from the publisher for review, I didn’t exactly plan on reading this right away, seeing as it is described as the fourth Cassandra Kresnov novel and I generally prefer not to start reading in the middle of a series if I can help it.
However, my curiosity became too hard to ignore. Plus, the sleek, elegant cover image was part of the attraction, appearing to show an armored female black ops-type soldier in the midst of performing a military free fall jump. I flipped it open to read the first line, with the intention of just checking out the first few pages…only to get pulled in by the explosive opening scene of a covert assault on an enemy base. I ended up finishing the whole book in a matter of days.
As it turned out, not having read the first three books that came before did not hinder me too much, and I was able to follow this one just fine. It can definitely be read by itself, and the main character Cassandra “Sandy” Kresnov’s backstory is easy enough to unravel just based on what unfolds in this book alone. An artificial person or an android called a “GI”, Sandy was created by the League but defected to the Federation to join their security forces on the world of Callay.
That decision had a lot to do with the one thing Sandy would not stand for, which is the mistreatment of her fellow GIs. Just because they are synthetic doesn’t mean that they do not possess humanity, and when it is brought to light that New Torah is involved in ruthless experimentation with artificial soldiers, Sandy leads a mission there to investigate. What she finds on New Torah, however, is a lot more than she bargained for.
Before this, I never would have thought military sci-fi would be my kind of thing (actually, I hadn’t even read enough of it to determine whether it’s my “thing” or not) but this turned out to be highly entertaining. It rather reads like a summer Hollywood sci-fi flick, and as such I thought the sex was a little overplayed and the book is heavily indulgent on the action, gun fighting and explosions, but it is a high-tech in-your-face roller coaster ride as it should be.
Sandy herself is somewhat of an enigma, even though I think she’s a great character. She’s certainly a different and unique kind of protagonist, being a synthetic human. Because she is a more advanced designation, this also gives her higher intellect, thus leading to her ability to have a wider range of emotions, to question her circumstances and form her own moral code.
As a result, she has a developed personality but also a childlike attitude towards certain topics, sometimes caring too much about something and at other times caring too little, and often her approach is very direct. I think Joel Shepherd did an incredible job giving Sandy an identity that stands out and at the same time making it clear that she is hardwired to be a certain way. I still don’t know what to make of her yet, but then again I didn’t have the benefit of getting to know her from the beginning of the series.
Ultimately, I went into this book knowing very little about it, but came out glad for the experience. Furthermore, I enjoyed this even though it has a bit of a cyberpunk feel to it, which was surprising but also a credit to the author, given how that has been a subgenre I’ve had little luck with in the past. A lot of the ideas I encountered were very interesting, and the book proved tough to put down.
Mogsy’s Book Haul
Posted on September 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
Thank goodness the influx of incredible ebook deals seems to have tapered off, or else I don’t know how much more my TBR pile can take. After the explosion of my last Book Haul, I promised I would show more restraint…still, there were one or two good deals that I couldn’t resist. But more on that later; for this time, most of my new arrivals are from the wonderful publishers I’ve gotten in touch with, and you should really check out their books! Here are this fortnight’s epic book loots, the physical pile first:
The Rift Walker and The Kingmakers – after I reviewed The Greyfriar, Pyr sent over the next two books in the Vampire Empire trilogy, which was swell because I’m loving this series! You can already read my review for The Rift Walker, because I couldn’t wait one more second to devour it.
Thief’s Covenant – also sent was something to whet my appetite for YA fantasy fiction. A very fun novel about a thief named Widdershins, and I’ve just finished reading this one, actually. Keep an eye out for my review, coming soon!
A Guile of Dragons – described as darkly humorous, I was told this one’s actually the first book of a prequel trilogy to Enge’s Morlock Ambrosius books. Sounds like something right up my alley, I can’t wait to get to this.
Mayhem – I recently got in touch with Jo Fletcher Books, the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror imprint of Quercus. They may be new-ish, but already JFB has published a lot of great titles. Mayhem was one I’d wanted to read for a while, and I was not disappointed. Easily one of the best, most exceptional books I’ve read this year.
Autumn Bones – huge fan of Jacqueline Carey here, and her Kushiel trilogy featuring Phedre will forever and ever be a favorite of mine. So I was intrigued when I got word she would be writing an Urban Fantasy series called Agent of Hel. I found I very much enjoyed the first book Dark Currents, and Autumn Bones is the second book Roc sent my way. This one is going to be fun, I can tell!
23 Years on Fire – an unsolicited arrival and an unexpectedly pleasant surprise! Out of curiosity, I’d picked it up to read the first few chapters and ended up finishing it soon after that. I haven’t read enough military sci-fi to know how I feel about the genre yet, but this book makes me optimistic. Review will be coming up in a few days, so look out for that.
The digital pile:
Pantomime – I really wanted to get this book when Strange Chemistry discounted a bunch of their ebooks for their first birthday celebration last month, but for some reason this title was the only one not showing up on Amazon with the sale price. It finally did, and you can bet I jumped on it! It’s still for $1.99 as far as I know, but grab it quick, because I don’t know for how much longer!
Infinity Blade: Redemption – who am I kidding, how can I ever turn down anything Brandon Sanderson does, even when it’s a novella based on an iOS game I’ve never played? I’ve read the first one (Infinity Blade: Awakening) after all, and with this for $2.99, heck yeah I’ll bite.
Ancillary Justice – been seeing a lot of good stuff about this book already, and I have a feeling this one is going to be BIG. So when I saw it up on NetGalley, I couldn’t help myself.
Ex-Purgatory – also couldn’t help myself. Loved the first three books of the Ex-Heroes series by Peter Clines and I’m sure I’m gonna love reviewing this fourth book as well.
The BiblioSanctum 