Book Review: Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel
Posted on May 30, 2022 9 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Nightfire (May 17, 2022)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
On the surface, our protagonist Maeve appears to be living her best life. She has a job as an editor at a publisher, doing what she loves. She’s also romantically involved with a guy she really likes, and things seem to be going well there too. Sometimes, even Maeve finds it hard to believe how well-adjusted she’s turned out, considering her traumatic childhood raised among a cult called the Mother Collective. It took a long time, but once she was rescued and adopted into a stable loving family, Maeve was able to learn what it means to feel safe and happy.
But there was one person Maeve could never forget—her cousin and closest childhood Andrea, with whom she lost contact with after the Collective was raided and disbanded by the police. Years ago, on a whim, Maeve decided to send her DNA to an ancestry site, never expecting to find anything, but lo and behold, once day her account inbox alerts her to a match. They had found and connected her with Andrea, who has apparently become rather successful herself. Now a CEO of an up-and-coming tech company called NewLife, Andrea works to produce realistic AI programmed baby dolls to help women prepare for motherhood. After reuniting with Maeve, Andrea confesses that the dolls have also helped her and her husband grieve the loss of their own child.
At first, Maeve is thrilled to have found Andrea again. The two of them spend a lot of time catching up, with Andrea inviting Maeve to stay at her mansion nestled in the Catskills. There, Maeve meets Rob, her cousin’s husband, as well as a couple of their wealthy friends. But then, things suddenly take a turn for the eerie and weird. Maeve discovers a darker side to NewLife, and is horrified when Andrea approaches her with a weighty request—one that she could never agree to, even knowing how much it would upset her cousin.
Just Like Mother is a horror, mystery, and thriller, all rolled into one. Most of the time it’s more disturbing than scary, which is something to keep in mind if you are sensitive to topics such as nonconsensual sex, child abuse, child death, miscarriage, abortion, graphic sex and violence, and whole host of other issues. That said, I didn’t feel as though any of it was done gratuitously or needlessly; they all had their place in the plot, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
The things I liked about this book include the story, which was fast-paced and intriguing even if it bordered on absurdity in some places. The background with the Mother Collective was one of the highlights for me, and the trauma that Maeve was subjected to makes her behavior as an adult convincing and believable. But once our protagonist gets involved with Andrea and NewLife, that’s when the plot gets really wild. And yes, there were even some moments that plain don’t make sense. Nevertheless, the suspense was almost unbearable at times, and admittedly the crazier the story got, the more I just wanted to keep reading.
As for negatives, I wish we’d gotten more on the background of the AI dolls, and at the same time I also don’t—dolls creep me the hell out! Every time I see the book cover, I can’t help but shudder. Still, the dolls were a big part of the mystery, but ultimately they probably weren’t as integrated as they could have or should have been. There were also moments where I thought the author was a bit heavy-handed with the messaging around motherhood, and the ending was also a bit farfetched and rushed, but to be clear, I did like how the book wrapped up overall.
At the end of the day, I enjoyed Just Like Mother, flaws and all—though the flaws might not even be considered flaws at all, depending on the individual reader. It’s definitely not a book for everyone, though if you have a strong constitution and are willing to suspense your disbelief, it could work. I highly recommend this for fans of suspenseful dark stories with a cult thriller bent, and would definitely be interested in any future projects by Anne Heltzel.
Bookshelf Roundup: 05/28/22: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on May 28, 2022 7 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
A good mix of new arrivals from a wide spread of publishers this week. First up, with thanks to amazing team at Del Rey for an ARC of The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi, This was a relatively new discovery for me, but its description of an epic fantasy with roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia intrigued me, especially the plot following a trio of women who band together to fight against a cruel empire. Next, the publisher also sent me a finished copy of Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett, book three of The Founders trilogy, which I’m looking forward to starting very soon!
With thanks as well to the kind folks at Simon & Schuster for a finished copy of Charlie Thorne and the Curse of Cleopatra by Stuart Gibbs, the newest volume of the author’s series about a thirteen-year-old genius who travels the world solving history’s biggest mysteries. If you read Middle Grade books, this one’s definitely worth a look! A big thank you also to Subterranean Press for an ARC of The Carnival and Other Stories by Charles Beaumont, an anthology featuring a great number of the author’s unpublished or out-of-print stories, collected together now in one huge volume. Last but not least, with thanks to Grand Central Publishing for a review copy of A Face to Die For by Iris Johansen, the follow up to High Stakes.
Just a couple of new additions to the digital haul this week. With thanks to Hachette Audio for a listening copy of The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones. I read and enjoyed her book The Bone Houses, and this one is a standalone that takes place in the same world. And with thanks to Union Square Co. for sending me an e-galley for The House With the Golden Door by Elodie Harper after I let them know how much I loved The Wolf Den. Can’t wait to get started on this sequel.
Reviews
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne (4 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
What I’ve Been Reading
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!
Friday Face-Off: “You” In The Title
Posted on May 27, 2022 7 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
~ a cover of a book with “YOU” IN THE TITLE
You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
This week I wanted to choose a book in keeping with the Wyrd & Wonder theme for May, so that definitely limited my options somewhat. Luckily, one of the first fantasy books that popped up in my search through my shelves turned out to be one that I loved, not to mention I’ve always thought that the title was awesome.
Orbit (2017) vs. Polish Edition (2018)
Winner:
Just the two covers to choose from, but I’ve always liked the Orbit edition a lot. It’s the attitude of the figure in the image along with the typography of the title that really makes it pop.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
Posted on May 26, 2022 29 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Book 1 of The Wolf Den Trilogy
Publisher: Union Square Co. (March 29, 2022)
Length: 488 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Earlier this year, both my 10-year-old and I became fascinated by Pompeii, checking out all the documentaries and books we could find. But while my daughter was more interested in the eruption of Vesuvius, I gravitated more towards the archaeology and history of Pompeii—how the people back then lived day to day, revealed by the clues preserved under the ash and pumice.
So when I was offered a review copy of The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper, described as a novel of Pompeii which “reimagines the lives of women who have overlooked,” I did not hesitate to jump on the opportunity. The story is a historical drama following a closely-knit group of slaves forced into service as prostitutes in one of the city’s most notorious brothels. Our protagonist is Amara, a young Greek woman who was once a doctor’s daughter until her father died and her family fell into financial ruin, leading to her sale to Felix, proprietor of The Wolf Den brothel. There, she meets other women who have met similar fates.
She and the other “she-wolves” become friends, despite sometimes being in competition with each other. Their dream is to one day earn their freedom, until then, they have no choice but to subject themselves to the whims of their clients, many of whom can be depraved or cruel with their intentions. The women only have each other, enduring the pain and hardship the best they can while taking comfort in whatever joy they can find. With the education she received from her privileged background, Amara also tries to pursue other side jobs to earn more money towards her freedom, or to find a wealthy patron who would buy her price and rescue her from this life.
What impressed me most about this book was the way the author brought the world and the characters to life. The history books show the excavation of Pompeii and the things people left behind the day Vesuvius erupted. Of these, some of the most captivating were the wall art and graffiti found in homes, on the streets, or in commercial establishments like restaurants and even the brothels. In fact, the book quotes a lot of these, giving some context into what life might have been life back in AD 79 Pompeii. A lot of historical fiction aims to recreate the feel of a time and a place, using what is known to imagine a living, breathing society to fill in the gaps. And quite honestly, The Wolf’s Den might be the best I’ve ever seen it done.
There is also so much heart to this story. The characterization has a lot to do with it, of course, starting with our protagonist. Amara inspires many emotions, including admiration and sympathy. She’s clever and knows how to play the game, even as someone with little power. Furthermore, she makes the most out of the resources she’s given, pulling the strings behind the scenes and flying under the radar when the situation calls for it. If she’s manipulative and self-serving at times, it’s also understandable given her circumstances. That said, she can also be a good friend and confidante, even in this world that fosters an attitude of every woman for herself. There were many memorable and touching moments with the other She-Wolves, especially with Dido, a fellow slave whose life closely mirrors her own.
Then there’s the prose, which is incredibly eloquent. As you can imagine, The Wolf Den features a lot of unpleasant material, given its subject matter. The women frequently become victims of abuse at the hands of Felix or their clients, but the story is never obscene or overly graphic in its violence. The writing does not shy away from the stark truth of the horrors endured by Amara and her friends, but there is also an elegance to the words that brings out the emotional narrative within the sisterhood’s stories.
Bottom line, reading The Wolf Den was an utterly engrossing experience, and as a novel, it also made for a wonderful companion to my nonfiction readings into the history and archeology of Pompeii. I loved how the story sought to explore the lives of women like Amara, placing less emphasis on the day of the city’s doom, which is what most other books about Pompeii focus on. This was a nice change of pace, in more ways than one, and I can’t wait to dive back into this series with the next book of the trilogy.
Waiting on Wednesday 05/25/2022
Posted on May 25, 2022 11 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (October 4, 2022 by Berkley)
I loved Rachel Harrison’s The Return and I enjoyed Cackle even more, so I can’t wait to see what she’s got next in Such Sharp Teeth!
“A young woman in need of a transformation finds herself in touch with the animal inside in this gripping, incisive novel from the author of Cackle and The Return.
Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked.
Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver—and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She’s changing into someone else—something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance?
This darkly comedic love story is a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage, and vulnerability.”
#WyrdandWonder Book Review: The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
Posted on May 23, 2022 13 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Bloodsworn Saga
Publisher: Orbit (April 12, 2022)
Length: 672 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Picking up immediately from the end of The Shadow of the Gods, A dragon god of legend has been freed from her eternal prison and she’s about to unleash a reign of blood upon the world. As Lik-Rifa quickly amasses her army of tainted dragonborn followers, the plot of The Hunger of the Gods once more follows our three main characters as they each embark on their own individual quests.
Orka, a veteran warrior who has come out of retirement to seek her stolen son, is trying to stay one step ahead of the mayhem with a traveling warband of her own. Meanwhile, Varg has found a new freedom and family with the Bloodsworn, embarking on a mission of vengeance. And then of course there’s Elvar, a Jarl’s daughter who is determined to show the world she is so much more.
In an interesting development, we also see the addition of two new POVs, including Gudvarr, a morally complicated character who adds a bit of darkness and avarice into the mix, as well as Biorr, who gives us insight into this world of warring gods.
Plotwise, I’m not going to go much more in depth than that, not really over a concern of spoilers like in many of my other reviews, but simply because the story itself is truly that straightforward. In some ways, The Hunger of the Gods feels very much like a bridge book setting up a big hurrah in the final installment of the trilogy, but in the best way possible. That said though, at close to 700 pages it’s a doorstopper of a novel, and for most of it, we go nowhere fast. Author John Gwynne likes to put his characters under a magnifying glass, which sometimes is a good thing, while at others it can get a bit tedious. As Orka, Varg, and Elvar each set off on their respective missions, there’s inevitably a lot of downtime as we switch back and forth between their chapters, which I feel is a common pitfall for many multi-POV fantasy epics.
Thankfully, we get frequent bursts of breathtaking, action-packed sequences that ultimately help keep the pace from dragging, and there’s always something interesting happening despite the plot’s slower moments. Gwynne’s gift for character development should be highlighted here, as the story delves into the minds and motivations of our protagonists while exploring themes of family, friendship, ambition, revenge, and courage. I also loved how the world of the Bloodsworn Saga was greatly expanded in this sequel as our characters travel to new and faraway exotic places, introducing more mythical Norse elements into the series.
Still, at the end of the day, I would say The Shadow of the Gods is the overall better novel, though The Hunger of the Gods probably has the edge for having more depth. In fact, in certain respects I would even argue that it was more epic as well. Our characters continue to grow, and while I will refrain from gushing about how much I loved Orka, Varg, and Elvar since I feel like I already did enough of that in my review of the first book, I think Gwynne did a fantastic job continuing to flesh them out in this sequel, not to mention that with the addition of the two new POVs, I sense we’re deep diving into more complicated territory as the author challenges himself with new boundaries.
All in all, I have to say I’m pleased with the way things are going in this series. Now bring on the next one!
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Shadow of the Gods (Book 1)
Bookshelf Roundup: 05/21/22: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on May 21, 2022 20 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
This week, a trio of gems from the amazing folks at Titan Books! I was very excited to received Never the Wind by Francesco Dimitri, the author of The Book of Hidden Things which as you know I loved. I have been wondering for a long time if he would write another book in English, and I guess now I have my answer with this one which is described as a “bittersweet gothic fantasy.”
Next up is Hooked by A.C. Wise, who is also the author of Wendy, Darling. As you can probably tell by the title, this one’s also a Peter Pan reimagining, following Wendy and Captain Hook after the events in Neverland. Given its inspiration, how could I say no?
But perhaps what excited me most of all was the arrival of Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi. After the author’s previous novel Come With Me topped the list of my favorite books in 2021, this one is easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year.
And in the digital haul, a big thank you to Macmillan Audio for this huge ALC drop! It’s a lot, so I’m just going to list and link them. Many of these have featured in previous Waiting on Wednesday posts, including Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry, Black Tide by K.C. Jones, A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong, The Favor by Nora Murphy, The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison, Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro, Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert, and Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne.
Reviews
The Atlas Six by Olivie Black (3 of 5 stars)
Book of Night by Holly Black (3 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Been Reading
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!
Friday Face-Off: Yellow
Posted on May 20, 2022 9 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“Sunny and bright”
~ a cover that is predominantly YELLOW
Blade of Secrets by Trisha Levenseller
A pure yellow cover can be hard to find, and I also wanted a fantasy pick to fit the month’s theme of Wyrd & Wonder. Luckily, Trisha Levenseller’s Blade of Secrets provided a few good options, not to mention it was also a pretty awesome book.
From left to right:
Feiwel & Friends (2021) – German Edition (2022) – Pushkin’s Children’s Books (2022)
Winner:
A sword engulfed in flames seems to be the common theme among these covers, but the Pushkin’s Children’s Books edition immediately caught my attention because of the art style. The fire might not be as realistic looking as the others, but it’s bold and loud and it just stands out.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
#WyrdandWonder Audiobook Review: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Posted on May 19, 2022 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Atlas
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (March 1, 2022)
Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: James Cronin, Siho Ellsmore, Munirih Grace, Andy Ingalls, Caitlin Kelly, Damian Lynch, David Monteith, Steve West
3 solid stars for this one, no more no less. But how could a book with such an amazing premise be so mediocre, you ask? Granted, there were certain things I absolutely loved about The Atlas Six, but more often than not I found myself wishing there was more—wishing that everything about this book was just more.
The story begins with six magically gifted young people, called medians, who are given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Alexandrian Society, a top-secret organization for magical practitioners and academics, is looking for five new members to fill their exclusive ranks. They are looking for the best of the best, and the competition will be fierce. But once you’re in, you would be set for life as a caretaker for the world’s most precious stores of knowledge and secrets. The prestige alone would be worth it, but with the position also comes immense power and wealth.
The first of our candidates is Libby Rhodes, an elementalist. She’s embroiled in a bitter rivalry with Nicolás Ferrer de Varona, who’s also skilled in elemental magic and is gunning for a spot with the Alexandrian Society. Next is Reina Mori, whose specialty is nature magic, which gives her a strong connection to the power of life itself. Then there’s Parisa Kamali, whose telepathic gifts are unrivaled. The fifth candidate is Tristan Caine, the son of a criminal overlord with the ability to through illusions to the truth of the world. And finally, there’s Callum Nova. He’s got loads of money, good looks, and extraordinary powers of the mind.
The six of them are brought together to study at the Society, knowing that at the end of the year, one of them will be eliminated. With that knowledge hanging over all their heads, the rest of the story follows our characters as they learn about each other and hone their magical skills.
Quite honestly? That’s pretty much the extent of it. At its core, The Atlas Six is a magic school story—which normally would be totally up my street. Unfortunately though, the plot squanders much of that potential. Try to imagine Harry Potter but without the charm or the fun, and meanwhile, don’t forget to crank the angst up to 11. Like I said, the book had its moments, but they tended to get lost in drama. A lot of drama, unrelenting drama! What I wanted was more about the Alexandrian Society, more about who our six main characters on a deeper level, but instead, what I got was a lot of smarmy posturing and the usual snark of people trying to act cooler and cleverer than they actually are. Which, as you can imagine, got super old super quick.
Don’t get me wrong, the writing is lovely and the author Olivie Blake clearly has a keen imagination and a talent with words. The world is gorgeously described and brought to life, the tension among the characters thick enough to cut even when they’re all being miserable and insufferable. The problem was I disliked most of them, which is probably no surprise. The build-up to the final reveal was also much too long, and the payoff not enough.
Ultimately the ending was expected, though I would be curious to see what the next book will bring. Despite the mixed feelings I have for The Atlas Six, there are seeds planted here that can grow to be more. I just hope the plot will be more eventful, and that Blake won’t string readers along as much. I’ll also probably stick with the audiobook. In many instances, the full cast was what kept me motivated to keep going even when the story stalled, especially since it included some of my favorite narrators like Caitlin Kelly and Steve West.
Waiting on Wednesday 05/18/2022
Posted on May 18, 2022 4 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Raven Unveiled by Grace Draven (November 8, 2022 by Ace)
I’ve been loving the fantasy romance stories in Grace Draven’s The Fallen Empire world and I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll love this third one too. So excited!
“A woman with the gift to speak to the dead—and the assassin pursuing her—may be the only chance a crumbling empire has of holding back true evil, in this electrifying fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.
Siora has been on the run for longer than she cares to remember, from her past and her gift. Born with the ability to see and speak to ghosts, she has heard their desperate pleas as an otherworldly predator stalks the dead amid the fertile killing fields of the collapsing Krael Empire. The creature’s power and reach are growing with every soul it consumes, but Siora is preoccupied with her own troubles: namely an assassin who has sworn an oath of vengeance against her.
Gharek of Cabast was once the right-hand man of the reviled empress but is now a wanted fugitive. Although his reasons for hunting Siora are viscerally personal, what Gharek can’t anticipate is that when he finally does find her, she will hold the key to saving his world, or what’s left of it. To make good on old debts and protect the vulnerable dead from a malevolent force, Gharek and Siora will both need to make an ally out of an enemy—and trust that will be enough to save each other.”
The BiblioSanctum 