Waiting on Wednesday 03/16/22

Posted on March 16, 2022 7 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

The Voyage of the Forgotten by Nick Martell (November 1, 2022 by Gallery/Saga Press)

I’ve had an excellent time with this series so far, and as book two was even better than book one, with luck maybe this third one will continue the trend and be the best one of all? Regardless, I can’t wait to see how the trilogy will conclude.

“In this twistingly beautiful and epically thrilling conclusion to the fantasy trilogy The Legacy of the Mercenary King, Michael, the infamous Kingkiller, and Serena, the Hollow Queen, race against the odds to have the future they’ve worked so hard to protect…or risk bringing about the end of the world.

Michael Kingman has discovered his destiny, but the distance to what he wants, namely a life with Serena, the queen of Hollow kingdom, is as wide as the world, and just as cruel.

Meanwhile, Dark, the realm’s most fearsome mercenary, Michael’s sometime mentor, and son of his nemesis, Angelo, is trying to keep Michael in line, for his own purposes as he too has a hidden agenda. Michael comes to realize that he is outclassed by powers that have been working for centuries to bring about a fresh end to the world filled with those he loves. But when has merely being overpowered ever stopped Michael from getting what he wants?

To prevent what may bring about the end times Michael must gather his remaining allies and push himself to achieve the impossible because the alternative is worse than he can imagine: it’s not just the beginning of the end of the world, it’s being alone and forgotten.

In this epic conclusion, The Voyage of the Forgotten brilliantly wraps up the stories fans have fallen in love with as the characters struggle against odds that seem impossible to overcome.”

Book Review: The Resting Place by Camilla Sten

Posted on March 15, 2022 12 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 Resting Place by Camilla Sten

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Minotaur Books (March 29, 2022)

Length: 336 pages

Author Information: Website

I first discovered Camilla Sten last year with The Lost Village and enjoyed it enough that I immediately pounced on the chance to read The Resting Place when I was offered a review copy. And wow, I liked it even better! What a twisted and atmospheric mind trip it was.

Our story follows Eleanor, a young woman who suffers from prosopagnosia, a rare disorder commonly known as “face blindness” which causes the inability to recognize faces. Whether she is interacting with someone she’s meeting for the first time or a loved one that she’s known for years, her brain prevents her from registering their facial features. Unfortunately, this meant Eleanor was unable to recognize her grandmother Vivianne’s killer after accidentally walking in on the murder as it was happening. She even came face to face with them as they were escaping the scene of the brutal crime—but it was no use. Eleanor was unable to give the police anything useful, or even tell them if the killer might be someone she knew.

In the wake of Vivianne’s death, however, our protagonist discovers her grandmother had left something behind for her, a sprawling estate nestled in the Swedish woods called Solhöga. Arriving there with her boyfriend Sebastian, Eleanor meets up with her aunt Veronika as well as the lawyer handling Vivianne’s will. In truth though, Eleanor has come to Solhöga for another reason. She wants to know where her grandmother grew up, hoping the old mansion would reveal its secrets and explain how Vivianne became the cold, hard woman who raised her. And, just maybe, it may even answer the question of why she was murdered.

The Resting Place was a slow-moving mystery, though that is merely an observation, not really a criticism. In fact, I tend to enjoy such stories, where the suspense gradually builds, and at times even veers off into horror territory. Part of the reason for the pacing can be explained by the novel’s structure, which splits into two timelines with chapters alternating between past and present. The present timeline follows Eleanor, while the one in the past takes place in the mid-sixties, told through the eyes of a young Polish girl named Annushka. Eleanor first learns of the enigmatic young woman’s existence when she chances upon an old diary while exploring the house. The entries within reveal that Annushka was a servant girl at Solhöga, and that even in her youth, Vivianne was a cruel mistress.

Chapter by chapter, the author peels back the layers concealing the truth behind the estate’s history, which was filled with grief, pain, and tragedy. Piece by piece, the puzzle slowly comes together to form a clearer picture, and Eleanor starts to gain a better understanding of why her grandmother might have wanted to keep this part of her past hidden from everyone. The mystery aspect of the story was done well, and like I’d alluded to before, sometimes the tensions would be cranked so high that they bordered on creepy and disturbing.

My only regret was not seeing prosopagnosia play a larger role in the story. This might sound strange, considering the opening scene with Vivianne’s murder and the fact that the whole mystery rested on Eleanor’s inability to recognize the killer. But other than serving its purpose for this one critical plot point, our protagonist’s condition was practically a non-issue, and she certainly didn’t feel convincing as a character who had suffered from it her entire life, at least not to me. To a lesser extent, I was also side-eyeing the ending, which felt a bit out of left field. But because the twist was so good, not to mention that some suspension of disbelief is to be expected for this genre, I didn’t let that bother me too much.

All in all, I was riveted by The Resting Place with its innumerable secrets and shiver-inducing moments. Stories set in creaky old houses are a perpetual favorite of mine, filled with dark corners and hidden nooks in which to hide, and Camilla Sten certainly took full advantage of the setting, creating an unforgettable atmospheric and suspenseful experience.

Audiobook Review: Crowbones by Anne Bishop

Posted on March 14, 2022 7 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Crowbones by Anne Bishop

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: The World of the Others

Publisher: Penguin Audio (March 8, 2022)

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Author Information: Website

Narrator: Alexandra Harris

The long awaited Crowbones brings us back to the village of Sproing and I could barely contain my excitement to be reading The Others again! Plus, we’re just in time for Trickster Night, this world’s version of Halloween…what could possibly go wrong?

This year, innkeeper Vicki DiVine is hosting a gathering at The Jumble, and everyone is having a great time until one of the human guests thought it would be a great trick to show up dressed up as Crowbones, the bogeyman of the Crowgard. Unfortunately, no one is amused, and that much is clear the next day when the prankster turns up dead. Still, in a world where humans often live at the mercy of the much stronger Others, something like that isn’t typically an unusual occurrence—except a second body was also found, this time that of a young Crowgard member.

Surely, the deaths couldn’t be a coincidence, and soon the village is abuzz with word that a killer is on the loose. This affront displeases the Elders, who manipulate the elements to block off all roads in and out of Sproing, trapping all those within. The Jumble thus becomes a temporary home to all those stranded as police chief Grimshaw hunkers down to try and solve the case with the help of Vicki and Ilya Sanguinati, the town’s resident vampire lawyer. Time is quickly running out, however, as the elementals become increasingly agitated, and rumors abound that the real Crowbones has come a-calling to wreak havoc and teach wayward Crowgard a lesson.

What follows is a delectable mystery, a nice change of pace from the previous books! I do enjoy how this spinoff series allows Bishop some flexibility to explore other stories in the world of The Others, and even do some skipping around if she so chooses. Crowbones is more of a follow-up to Lake Silence, with Wild Country being seen as a kind of mini detour in between. As a result, it took a bit of resettling to familiarize myself with Sproing and its residents again, but the author thankfully provides plenty of references and reminders to make the task easier. That said, I still believe it would be helpful, if not a must, to have read Lake Silence first before tackling this one.

Needless to say, I had fun catching up with the characters. The alternating POVs gave us a deeper look into their lives as well as their relationships with each other, showing us how all these different dynamics have evolved and grown. I feel Anne Bishop has outdone herself again, with Crowbones being one of the stronger, more entertaining books of the Others. At times, the story reads like a compulsive whodunit, yet also features all the world-building elements that makes this series so irresistible.

There was also never a dull moment in the plot, with things really ramping up when the Elders closed off the town, plunging our characters into uncertainty and isolation. Not to mention, the Elders could be brutal in their retribution. With the volatility of the Others, you never had a clue what might happen next, and while you could be confident some of the characters were safe, there were others who weren’t so lucky. With so many visitors in town for the recent holiday, there was certainly no shortage of potential suspects—or victims. Detective Grimshaw really stole the show in this one, calling the shots on the investigation and gathering all the clues to put the pieces together.

Bottom line, fans of the series will not be disappointed with Crowbones. It feels at once familiar and fresh, combining older elements from the earlier books (like the human vs. Others conflict) with newer ones like different themes or styles of storytelling. Anne Bishop has proven that there’s a lot more to the world of The Others to explore, and I can’t wait to discover all of it.

More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Written in Red (Book 1)
Review of Murder of Crows (Book 2)
Review of Vision in Silver (Book 3)
Review of Marked in Flesh (Book 4)
Review of Etched in Bone (Book 5)
Review of Lake Silence (Book 6)
Review of Wild Country (Book 7)

Bookshelf Roundup: 03/12/22: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on March 12, 2022 12 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.

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Received for Review

Right now I’m so behind on reviews it’s not funny! I’m still reading quite a bit, but I have five or six books that still need to be written up so maybe it’s a good thing that I have another light week in the mailbox/inbox to share today. 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!

With thanks to Orbit Books for a finished copy of We Cry For Blood by Devin Madson, I’m looking forward to continuing this amazing series! And thank you also to Del Rey for sending along an ARC of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you’re aware of my love for this author, you’ll know how excited I am to read this one! And as always, much love to the incredible team at Subterranean Press who supplied me with an ARC of The Assassins of Thasalon by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is of course the next installment in the tales of Penric & Desdemona series, and at over 450 pages it’s the longest one yet and probably a novel in its own right.

Just one audiobook in the digital haul this week, but it’s a good one from an author I’ve been wanting to read for a long time. My thanks to Random House Audio for an ALC of Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel.

Reviews

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik (4 of 5 stars)
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (4 of 5 stars)

What I’ve Been Reading

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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: Recent Read

Posted on March 11, 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:

“The most recent book you’ve read that has covers to compare”
~ a cover of a RECENT READ

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten

This was a book I just finished, and since the Swedish original was pubbed two years ago, I was able to find a handful of covers to compare as more translated editions are coming out. Let’s take a look at them now:

From left to right:
Minotaur Books (2022) – Swedish Edition (2020)

German Edition (2022) – Danish Edition (2020)

Winner:

All the different art styles and design approaches made it a tough choice this week, but I’m going to have to go with the German edition. It might have drawn my eye because it’s the lightest cover there, but I also like the “sketch” effect and the ominous vibe it brings to the house’s facade. As far as I know, the cut-off text at the top is also intentional, as I’ve seen the author’s other books from this publisher done in the same way. It just further adds to the sensation that something is off-kilter and wrong.

What do you think? Which one is your favorite?

Audiobook Review: Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik

Posted on March 10, 2022 11 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Romance

Series: Book 1 of Starlight’s Shadow

Publisher: HarperAudio (February 1, 2022)

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: Frankie Corzo

I don’t often read romance, but when I do, Jessie Mihalik’s books are my go-to. I very much enjoyed her Consortium Rebellion trilogy. Sure, it was cheesy, but fun. Hunt The Stars looked like it would something in the same vein.

As it turned out, the story had the usual trappings of the genre, but the world and the characters were more fleshed out than expected. In it, we follow the crew of the Starlight’s Shadow, led by bounty hunter Tavi Zarola. Together, she and her crewmates Kee and Eli are veterans of the war between humans and an alien race called the Valoff, a conflict which ended in a tentative truce. After the fighting was over, each side established their own territories in space and agreed to maintain the peace by keeping to themselves.

So imagine Tavi’s surprise when she is contacted by General Torran, a notorious war leader of the Valoff. Even more bizarre is that he wants to hire her team to track down a family heirloom allegedly stolen by human thieves. It’s a dangerous job, and every one of Tavi’s instincts are screaming at her to turn it down. And yet, she also can’t ignore the fantastically large sum of money Torran is offering, or the fact that her ship is desperately in need of some upgrades that all those credits can buy. Thus ultimately, with much reluctance, she agrees to take his contact, but only after she extracts promises from the general that she and her crew would be protected as they travel through Valovian space to his home.

But Torran also has his own demands, one of them being that he and his own team be allowed to tag along on the Starlight’s Shadow to monitor Tavi’s progress. As you can imagine, the resulting dynamic of this arrangement began as awkward and tense, but the two groups eventually fall into a more comfortable camaraderie. As for Tavi, she is annoyed to find herself taking a liking to Torran. He may be her enemy, but underneath that handsome and stern exterior, she discovers that he is also a caring and fair-minded man. Knowing that these thoughts and feelings of hers can only lead to bad news, Tavi endeavors to complete her task as quickly as possible to avoid any temptations—which turns out to be easier said than done.

I know I can be critical when it comes to romance tropes, but to tell the truth, I generally don’t mind them as long as they’re done well—and they were, for the most part, in Hunt the Stars. For one, the novel’s entire premise is based around a love-to-hate relationship, and these have a tendency to move too fast and fall apart when rushed. Fortunately, Mihalik sensibly opted for a slowburn approach, which made Tavi and Torran’s romantic arc feel a lot more convincing and realistic. As our protagonist’s love interest, Torran was also far removed from the roguish, arrogant bad-boy meathead archetype which I so disliked about the male leads in the Consortium Rebellion series. Instead, he was humble and considerate, which was a huge plus. He and Tavi had fantastic chemistry.

Many romance authors also tend to focus too much on the relationship between the story’s main couple to the detriment of everything else, but I’m glad to report this was not the case here. In fact, we actually have very good side character development, like fully fleshed personalities and backstories for Tavi’s crew members, and their close bond was established early on, lending a familial vibe to the dynamic on the ship. World-building was also decent—not extensive, but there was enough to give the reader a sense of a living breathing universe where character action and motives can affect it.

I would be interested in exploring this series further becaue it appears the next book will switch tack to follow Kee and Varro, whose relationship was just starting to develop in Hunt the Stars. I believe the rest of the series will also follow this pattern of focusing on a different couple within the crew in each book, and I’m excited as this will give us a chance to know more about the other characters and to see more of the world.

Audiobook Comments: There are a handful of genres I actually prefer in audio format, and romance is definitely one of them. Hunt the Stars was an easy, breezy listen—exactly what I was looking for, and the narrator Frankie Corzo also delivered an impressive performance with her voicework.

Waiting on Wednesday 03/09/22

Posted on March 9, 2022 11 Comments

Mogsy’s Pick

Blitz by Daniel O’Malley (October 4, 2022 by Little, Brown and Company)

General information and release date has been changed so much for this book (and still might change, to be honest) but I think it’s pretty safe to get tentatively excited for now. Book three of the Checquy Files sounds like it’ll be another awesome standalone following a new character which will fit in with the greater series arc.

“From the acclaimed author of The Rook and Stiletto, the new book in the Rook Files series, about a new recruit to the the Checquy, the most powerful supernatural enforcement agency on Earth, who is accused of going rogue, and must go on the run to clear her name.

September, 1940. Three women of the Checquy, the secret organization tasked with protecting Britain from supernatural threats, stand in the sky above London and watch German aircraft approach. Forbidden by law to interfere, all they can do is watch as their city is bombed.

Until Pamela, the most sensible of them, suddenly breaks all the rules and brings down a Nazi bomber with her bare hands. The three resolve to tell no one about it, but they soon learn that a crew member is missing from the downed bomber. Charred corpses are discovered in nearby houses and it becomes apparent that the women have unwittingly unleashed a monster.

Through a city torn by the Blitz, the friends must hunt the enemy before he kills again. Their task will take them from the tunnels of the Underground to the halls of power, where they will discover the secrets that a secret organization must keep even from itself.

Today. Lynette Binns, a librarian with a husband and child, is a late recruit to the Checquy, having discovered only as an adult her ability to electrify everyday objects with her touch.

After completing her training, she is assigned to examine a string of brutal murders of London criminals and quickly realizes that all bear the unmistakable hallmark of her own unique power. Unable to provide an alibi and determined to prove her innocence, she flees, leaving behind her family to venture into the London underworld to find answers. But now she is prey, being tracked by her own frighteningly capable comrades.

As Lyn fights off powered thugs and her own vengeful colleagues, she will find that the solution to the murders and to the mystery of her own past lies in the events of World War II, and the covert actions of three young women during the Blitz.”

Audiobook Review: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Posted on March 6, 2022 11 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 Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: HarperAudio (February 22, 2022)

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Another delectable mystery from Lucy Foley, The Paris Apartment was a bit different from what I’ve read from her before, but it was no less addictive and riveting! The story follows Jess Hadley who has just arrived in Paris, newly jobless and not looking to go back home to England anytime soon, where she has burned all her bridges. Paris is where her older half-brother Ben lives, and she’s hoping that she can lay low at his apartment for a while. Even though he didn’t sound too happy on the phone when she told him her plans, Jess thought he would at least be there to meet her at the door. But when she arrives at the gates of his fancy building, Ben is nowhere to be found, and there’s no answer on his phone when she tries to call either. Inside his apartment, Jess also finds it empty, but there are disturbing signs that her brother might be in trouble.

On her quest to find Ben, Jess gets to know the neighbors, and what a strange bunch they are! There’s Nick Miller, Ben’s old friend from Cambridge, who seems like a super nice guy but she’s pretty sure he’s hiding something. Then there’s Antoine, an abusive alcoholic whose temper hasn’t been improved after his wife left him. In the penthouse apartment is also Sophie, the swanky older lady who lives with her husband Jacques, always proper but chilly and aloof. As well, there’s Mimi and Camille, a pair of college roommates who are as different as you can imagine. And finally, there’s the elderly concierge, her watchful eyes always keeping track of the building’s residents.

If you enjoy a good mystery, The Paris Apartment will keep you reading into the night. Ben is missing, his fate uncertain, but Jess is trying to stay positive. The only clues are an interrupted message he left on her phone, a cat with blood-stained fur, and a pair of ladies’ underwear found in his bed. Alone in an unfamiliar city with no money, no contacts, and barely a grasp on the language, Jess has few resources and even fewer leads. Her only hope is that one of Ben’s neighbors might have heard of seen something, but whether they are willing to help is another matter entirely.

In this book, everyone has secrets. As the story cycles through the various perspectives, readers have the opportunity to find out more about each character, the pieces gradually coming together to form the full picture. Not everyone is pleased at Jess’ arrival, which doesn’t surprise her. Our protagonist isn’t exactly your typical sleuth: she’s broken and a bit rough around the edges, a product of the foster care system, bounced around from home to home. She’s nothing like charming and well put together Ben, who is much older than she is, adopted early into a warm loving family and given everything he’s ever wanted.

There are times when Jess worries that she cares more about Ben than he cares about her, but at the end of the day, while they may live in two different worlds, he is all that she has left. Love her or hate her, you can’t help but admire her fierce determination and strength of purpose. Sometimes she shows a lot of agency, her actions driving the entire story, but there are also moments where she is helplessly swept along with the tide of events, when the other characters come into play. Nick, Antoine, Sophie, Jacques, Mimi and Camille—all of them have important roles, and when the connections between them finally come to light, it’s guaranteed to be a shocker.

While it might not adhere all that strongly to the classic whodunnit tradition, The Paris Apartment is probably my favorite book by the author so far. I didn’t even mind that the ending was a bit farfetched, because at least I had a lot of fun getting there. The audiobook was also a great listen, read by multiple narrators which made it feel very immersive, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Bookshelf Roundup: 03/05/22: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on March 5, 2022 13 Comments

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!

With thanks to the Wunderkind PR team as well as Saga Press for a review copy of Scorpica by G. R. Macallister. She also writes historical fiction under the name Greer Macallister, and this one is her epic fantasy debut. I hope to be reading this one soon, very curious to see how it will work out. Thank you also to Tor Books for a finished copy of Last Exit by Max Gladstone, which I’ve heard is a bit strange, but I love the author so I’m still eager and optimistic to try it. And last week, you may recall I received an eARC of Living Memory by David Walton, and this week I received the hard copy in the mail! Thank you again, David!

It’s the start of a new month so I picked up quite a few audiobooks in the digital haul this week. With thanks to Penguin Audio for an ALC of The Book of cold Cases by Simone St. James. After the amazing time I had with The Sun Down Motel, I’m looking forward to checking out another book by the author. Courtesy of Dreamscape Media, I also received a listening copy of The Damage Done by Michael Landweber, which looks like an intriguing sci-fi dystopian.

And huge thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for review copies of some of their March releases! I’m very excited for Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse, the sequel to her brilliant novel Black Sun. I also picked up All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes because I love cold settings for my horror thrillers, and it doesn’t get much colder than the Antarctic. Next is Tell Me An Ending by Jo Harkin, a dystopian debut about a tech company that offers to delete unwanted memories and the consequences for those who wish to forget. And last but not least, The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon was one I just couldn’t resist. I’ve never read anything by the author, and I hope to change that.

Reviews

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

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: Steampunk

Posted on March 4, 2022 12 Comments

This week’s theme is:

“Gadgets and airships”
~ a cover that is STEAMPUNK

Be My Enemy by Ian McDonald

Iverness was my first introduction to Ian McDonald’s work and it’s still one of my favorite YA series; I just wish he’d continued it! I think I’ve already featured the first book for a past Friday Face-Off so today I’m going to use the second.

Let’s take a look at the covers:

From left to right:
Pyr (2012) – Jo Fletcher Books (2013) – JABberwocky Literary Agency (2018)

Bulgarian Edition (2016) – Italian Edition (2018) – Russian Edition (2013)

Winner:

Tough one this week, because I really like several of these. While the Jo Fletcher UK covers for this series are all very lovely, I think I’m going to have to go with the Pyr edition for this one, because that art is just too damn cool.

What do you think? Which one is your favorite?