Thriller Thursday Audio: The Appeal by Janice Hallett
Posted on February 10, 2022 22 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): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (January 25, 2022)
Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Daniel Philpott, Aysha Kala, Rachel Adedeji, Sid Sagar
The Appeal by Janice Hallett was an unusual mystery, but then the book was also written in an unusual way. Had I known just how unusual, I would have chosen to read the print version over listening to the audiobook, because I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.
In the close-knit community of Lockwood, a group of residents have gotten together to form the Fairway Players, a local theater troupe. They are mostly made up of amateur actors, led by Martin Hayward, who is the director, and his wife Helen, the lead actress. When their two-year-old granddaughter Poppy is suddenly diagnosed with brain cancer, the couple turn to members of the Players as well as the community for donations to help pay for an expensive experimental treatment.
But while most were happy to pitch in, a few have expressed doubts about the Haywards’ appeal for help. Sam, an actress new to the Players, is suspicious of the family’s unwillingness to divulge any details about Poppy’s new drug treatment. There are also questions about where exactly the funds would be spent. As the questions grow and tensions escalate, the situation reaches its boiling point on the night of the dress rehearsal for the Fairway Players’ new production of All My Sons by Arthur Miller. The next day, someone is found murdered, and though a suspect is arrested, there are hints that the real culprit may still be unidentified and on the loose.
The Appeal is written in the epistolary style, presented to readers as a series of text messages, emails, letters, and newspaper articles, etc. The novel’s introduction reveals the context: following the Lockwood murder and arrest, a team of two law students have been tasked by their senior barrister to investigate. In trying to piece together what happened, they have gathered all the written material relevant to the case and arranged everything into chronological order. Somewhere in this collection of documents is the clue to find the true killer.
While generally I love a good epistolary novel, especially a mystery, there were several issues with this one that made it more difficult to follow. One was the sheer number of people involved. In all, there must have been more than a dozen key players to keep track of, and unfortunately when your entire narrative is told through a pile of documents, unique character traits and personalities don’t tend to come through as well. There were only a handful of characters I found memorable, while all the rest became a jumble in the back of my brain. Introducing everyone also took up a lot of time, and as a result much of the first half was slower and given to preamble.
With the plot growing ever more complex, things also got more confusing, which wasn’t helped by the audio format. I’m admittedly better at retaining information when it’s presented visually, and I don’t doubt all the characters would have been easier to remember if I had read the print version, which might be something to consider if you’re interested in The Appeal and are contemplating which format to pick up. The audiobook definitely has some disadvantages in this case.
Still, all in all, I am very impressed with the author’s ambitious undertaking. The Appeal had the vibes of a classis whodunnit, but the way it was written felt truly fresh and unique. Despite some of the confusion it caused, I loved the epistolary format, and it was fascinating to see an entire murder mystery play out in a series of documents like that! If you’re a mystery fan looking for something clever and different, and are not afraid of authors who break the mold, I would recommend checking out The Appeal.
Waiting on Wednesday 02/09/22
Posted on February 9, 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 Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne (September 13, 2022 by Thomas & Mercer)
Yay, more Jessica Blackwood and Theo Cray! This fall will see the release of book two and the conclusion of their crossover duology.
“Dr. Theo Cray and FBI agent Jessica Blackwood follow a deadly celestial trail in a thrilling novel by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Mastermind.
A signal is detected at the outer edge of the solar system. Computational biologist Dr. Theo Cray and magician-turned-FBI-agent Jessica Blackwood are looking—and listening—a little closer.
The man at the center of this cosmic mystery is billionaire Thomas T. Theismann. He’s spent a lifetime—and a fortune—trying to find out if we’re alone in the universe. Highly skeptical, Theo joins the effort to find the source of the signal, and he quickly enlists Jessica to look into the suspicious death of another academic at the lab. As their investigations converge, they uncover curious connections to the otherworldly contact, including a 1970s science-fiction writer and the body of an astronaut found buried in an ancient tomb.
As they delve into Theismann’s history, Theo and Jessica’s fascination with the signal intensifies. How dangerous will the investigation get? That depends on how deep into the unknown Theo and Jessica are prepared to venture.”
Book Review: Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Posted on February 8, 2022 14 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 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Nightfire (February 8, 2022)
Length: 416 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’ve been reading a lot of “haunted” books lately, but Echo was pretty special because it’s not every day one comes across a story about a haunted mountain.
It begins with an accident. Mountaineer Nick Grevers and his climbing partner Augustin had traveled to a remote Swiss Alps peak called the Maudit in an effort to scale it. Tragedy strikes, however, with Augustin falling to his death, while Nick survives, albeit with his half his face obliterated by rockfall. Or at least, that was the official story, though Nick’s boyfriend Sam Avery isn’t so sure. The doctors and nurses at the Swiss hospital where they are treating Nick are strangely evasive when asked questions about his injuries, or where he and Augustin were climbing. Nick himself has little recollection of the incident, doped up on morphine with his face wrapped up in bandages.
As Sam wrestles with the shock of almost losing Nick and what their lives will look like going forward, he leaves Switzerland to return to his home of New York in order to decompress. Meanwhile, 32 patients die under brutal and mysterious circumstances at the hospital where Nick is staying, and then come the suicides of the staff who were treating him. It appears when Nick attempted to climb Maudit, an ancient evil from the mountain may have come back with him.
One of the weirdest, creepiest horror novels I’ve read is Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, and I’ve been eager to read more of his work ever since. Echo definitely helped scratch that itch. The book begins with a spine-tingling opener, the perfect teaser as to what’s to come. But before we get into the meat of the story, there’s the setup, because even though this is a horror novel, it is also very much an exploration of relationships, often through the idealistic and naïve lens of youth.
In the middle of it is Nick and Sam, a happy and loving couple before the accident, despite the former’s enthusiasm for mountain climbing and the latter’s disapproval for the dangerous hobby. When Sam’s deepest fears are realized, he wonders if he can ever look upon Nick’s once beautiful but now mutilated face again without revulsion, and whether or not that would change their relationship. Those thoughts are next followed by no small amount of shame and guilt as he realizes how shallow he’s being. Nick, on the other hand, is more optimistic, though granted, readers are always reminded that his mind may be his own, influenced by a multitude of factors including painkillers, PTSD, and of course whatever malicious entity that might be growing inside of him.
Back and forth, we get alternating viewpoints between the two young men as Nick gradually reveals what happened to him on fateful climb at Maudit, while Sam realizes his true feelings for his boyfriend and sets off to do everything in his power to save him. There is also a good chunk of the story devoted to the relationship between Sam and his sister, and the shared trauma they both experienced as children that still haunts them and shapes their lives to this day.
The horror in this book itself is not the in-your-face variety, but more like slow creeping dread, which is what I love about the author’s books. You won’t find too much gore in here; instead, you get lots of disturbing scenarios, suspenseful moments and unsettling imagery.
My only criticism is that the plot probably could have been more streamlined, as there were parts in the middle that meandered and felt bloated with sections that didn’t feel as relevant or particularly useful to the overall story. This dragged the pacing down somewhat, significantly enough that it was a bit of struggle to push myself through these slower parts, but fortunately things pick up again in the second half and we get to finish on a strong note.
Echo would be a good book for you if you enjoy slow-burn horror, especially if you prefer a bit of vagueness to your scary stories, the kind that sparks the dark corners of your imagination. I would also recommend it highly for readers who like character driven stories enriched with deep, complex relationships.
Book Review: Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
Posted on February 7, 2022 18 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: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Nightfire (February 8, 2022)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
First let me just say I enjoyed Dead Silence, though perhaps not as much as the majority, so I also want to preface this review with a confession: I am extremely picky when it comes to sci-fi horror. And when your synopsis touts something as irresistible as “Titanic meets The Shining” then heck yeah, my expectations are going to be somewhere in the stratosphere. That the book fell short of them has more to do with me and my feelings on the different direction the story took in the second half, which I felt stole something away from the creeping horror. In other places, I also found myself distracted by the erratic, choppy pacing.
As the novel opens, a crew of a workers are finishing up a maintenance project in deep space when they suddenly pick up a distress signal from a luxury liner called the Aurora. Normally this wouldn’t be too unusual, except the Aurora went missing twenty years ago, lost to the mysteries of space…until now.
As the head of the team, protagonist Claire Kovalik decides to investigate, leading her crew of Voller, Kane, Lourdes, and Nysus onto the ghost ship. What they find is shocking. After more than two decades of drifting in space, the Aurora’s life support systems are all offline, and its interior is littered with hundreds of bodies. With increasing unease, Claire and her crewmates also discover that most of the cruise liner’s passengers appear to have died under mysterious circumstances. Something terrible had happened here, something strange and unimaginable. As the darkness and paranoia begin to close in around them, Claire must fight to find a way out.
As I had mentioned though, there was a clear shift after the first half of the novel. I have to say up until that point, Dead Silence was pretty much exactly what I’d expected and wanted, as Claire and her crew explored the haunted ship filled with the dead. The vibe I was getting reminded me very much of Event Horizon—creepy, atmospheric, and tense as all hell. Indeed, the first half unfolded beautifully into this awe-inspiring cinematic experience that made me feel like I was watching a movie.
With the second half though, that all changed. A lot of this had to do with the way the story was structured, split into two separate timelines, the past and the present. While the shift was somewhat jarring to begin with, there were other issues that fanned my cynicism towards it. For one thing, we lost much of the momentum as the pace ground to a halt during this transition, and recovery was impossible as things never felt quite the same again. I started to lose interest as more of the intrigue was removed, and the plot began to feel a tad too crowded with the addition of corporate politics, pandemic themes, conspiracies, and even a touch of romance (which kind of felt shoehorned in). Don’t get me wrong, the action and thrills towards the end were fun, but they were definitely feeling a lot less impactful at this point.
To wrap this review up on a high note though, I really enjoyed Claire’s character development and journey. As backstories go, hers is certainly one of the more tragic. When Claire was a child, she became the sole survivor of a viral outbreak that killed everyone else in her colony including her mother. The trauma of that event has stayed with her since, affecting her mind thus making her a somewhat unreliable narrator at times. We’re led to question her memories and what she sees, and to sympathize with her struggles against her own self-doubt.
If you enjoy sci-fi horror, then chances are you’ll love Dead Silence. There were certain elements of the story that I wish had been different or handled another way, but overall I had a good time with the book.
Bookshelf Roundup: 02/05/22: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on February 5, 2022 16 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!
Starting this week with a trio of middle grade titles with thanks to Simon & Schuster. From their children’s imprint Aladdin, I received a finish copy of City Spies: Forbidden City by James Ponti. I’ve been reading this one to my kids before bed each night and we’re all enjoying it a lot; a review will be posted soon after we’re done. From the publisher’s McElderberry imprint, I also received a review copy of Wilderlore: The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody, which my girls and I are probably going to read next. My oldest daughter loves marine biology and reading about sea creatures, so I think this one’s going to be amazing for her. And lastly from the publisher I also received a finished copy of Spy School: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs. The story and artwork look so fun, I’ll probably check this one out myself soon.
Moving on to more adult fare, with thanks to Redhook for a review copy of The Great Witch of Brittany by Louisa Morgan. I’m a big fan of her previous “witchy” books, so I can’t wait to dive into this one later this month. I’m also very excited about Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett which is book three of The Founders trilogy, and I’m looking forward to reading the conclusion. My thanks to Del Rey for the ARC. And last but not least, thank you to Tor Books for a review copy of The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood, sequel to The Unspoken Name. I very much enjoyed reading about the orc assassin Csorwe in the first book, and would love to continue the series to see where it takes her next.
In the digital haul, with thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong, book seven of her Rockton series which I love so much that I started this one right away! Courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio I also received listening copies of a couple books I’ve been looking forward to, the epic fantasy Scorpica by G.R. Macallister and the horror-thriller Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett.
Reviews
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (4 stars)
Deep Dive by Ron Walters (4 stars)
Evershore by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson (4 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: Grey
Posted on February 4, 2022 12 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:
“Brooding and dull like a cloudy sky”
~ a cover that is GREY
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
Sixteen-year-old Immanuelle hails from a shepherding family in the small isolated village of Bethel. Here, the people live in a closely-knit but insular community, following the word of the Father and a body of strict rules and laws based on the Holy Protocol. Still, the problem for Immanuelle is that her very existence is anathema to everything her society stands for. The product of her mother’s scandalous union with an outsider, our protagonist had been branded an interloper the moment she was born. One day, on the way home from the market, Immanuelle accidentally wanders into the forbidden woods surrounding the village, which are said to be filled with dark magic and evil spirits. After a terrifying encounter with witches, a curse is unleashed upon Bethel, putting everyone in it in grave danger.
Let’s take a look at the covers:
From left to right:
Ace (2020) – Bantam Press (2020) – Corgi (2021)
Portuguese Edition (2021) – Russian Edition (2021) – Hungarian Edition (2021)
Winner:
I think we have a tie this week between the only two editions that prominently feature the character on the cover. I just find the others too bland for my tastes!
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Thursday Thriller Audio: Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
Posted on February 3, 2022 15 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Book 2 of Finlay Donovan
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (February 1, 2022)
Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Last year Elle Cosimano gave me my most entertaining read of 2011 with Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, and I simply could not wait to dive into the sequel! This time, our eponymous heroine is once more up to her shenanigans, all the while trying to finish her next novel and raise her two young kids by herself. After everything that’s happened, she’d thought her troubles with her scummy ex-husband Steven were behind her, but as it turns out, things are far from over.
On an online message board, an anonymous user has insinuated that they would be willing to pay a hundred thousand dollars to anyone who would permanently dispose of Steven, and another user, again using suggestive language, appears to have accepted the contract. A liar and a cheat he may be, but Steven is still the father of her children, who adore him. Plus, as badly as their marriage ended, Finlay doesn’t want to see him dead. Still, if she went public with information about the forum, that might lead to some difficult questions about how she got involved in the world of contract killers and the mob in the first place, so going to the police was out. That just leaves the option of taking care of it by herself, with help from her friend/nanny/partner-in-crime Vero, who also has her own secrets.
From there, the situation only gets wilder and more incredible, rapidly spiraling out of control for our two leading women, which meant and uproarious time for me. I love how this series doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t afraid to be a little cheesy or go over the top with its scenarios, a nice change of pace from the kind of mysteries and thrillers I usually go for. This definitely isn’t my usual kind of read, but fitting one in every once in a while can be quite refreshing.
That said, I didn’t laugh quite as much with Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, though to be fair, I did expect the novelty and humor of the first book to be a hard act to follow. Regardless, I still had a blast reading this. Finlay and Vero are a hot mess, which is precisely why I love reading about them. Despite the chaos and confusion of her life, Finlay is actually the responsible one of the pair, while with Vero the only thing you can count on is to expect her to do with unexpected.
In the middle of all this is also a thread of romantic drama, as Finlay juggles a relationship with hot law student/bartender Julian while sexual tension remains high with Nick, the detective she worked closely with in the first book. One of the best quirks about this series is its meta-ness, in a sense, about the way much of the story also makes its way into Finlay’s novel that she is working on, in this weird art imitates life dynamic. There’s an amusing scene, for example, when Finlay’s agent harps on her about writing the hot cop out of her book, insisting she rewrite the manuscript to write him back in, etc. You just can’t but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.
All in all, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is a gem of a sequel, one you will certainly appreciate if you also enjoyed the first book. The style of humor and some of the farcical elements are the same, but that’s not the end of it. The story is essentially a continuation of what came before, extending the plot threads along with a lot of returning characters. Unfortunately, this means it cannot be read as a standalone, or at least I wouldn’t recommend it—but then, why would you want to deprive yourself the pleasure of starting from the beginning anyway?
Obviously, I highly recommend this series, especially if you love mysteries but are looking for some fluffier fare, perhaps with a story that’s light-hearted with drama that’s a bit more on the fun side. I also switched to the audio format with this sequel, and I have nothing but positive things to say about the experience. Angela Dawe is a fantastic narrator and gives this series the wittiness and charm it deserves.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Finlay Donovan Is killing It (Book 1)
Waiting on Wednesday 02/02/22
Posted on February 2, 2022 8 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
Book of Night by Holly Black (May 3, 2022 by Tor)
Like so many others, I’m curious to read Holly Black’s adult debut!
“In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences—but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.
Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.
With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isn’t playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.”
Book Review: Deep Dive by Ron Walters
Posted on January 31, 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.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Angry Robot (January 11, 2022)
Length: 400 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Deep Dive by Ron Walters is truly the perfect book for the video game lover, but fans of thrillers and stories with deep family themes should also thoroughly enjoy this one.
Our story follows Peter Banuk, a developer for a small gaming company called Omega Studios that is struggling to stay afloat after their last game ended up being a commercial failure. Now Peter is working on a new project, a VR game that he desperately needs to succeed. As a result, work has been dominating his life, to the point where he has been neglecting family obligations, much to the disappointment of his wife Alana and young daughters Evie and Cassie.
The novel opens on Evie’s birthday which should have been Peter’s day off, but when he is suddenly called into the office by his business partner and best friend Bradley with a invitation to check out a ground-breaking new VR technology that could help his game, what choice did he have? After a promise to his daughter that he will be back in time to celebrate her big day, Peter goes to meet with Bradley and discovers that that new tech to be tested involves a highly advanced, top-secret virtual reality headset that his friend had developed. Code named Deep Dive, the headset is the first of its kind, offering full VR immersion. Unable to resist testing out the technology for himself, Peter plugs in…
…And wakes up in his truck in the middle of the night with no recollection of the entire day. All he knows is that he has missed Evie’s birthday and that there will be hell to pay with Alana. But when he arrives home, he is greeted by an unfamiliar place. His daughters are not in their beds. In fact, Evie and Cassie’s rooms don’t exist at all. There’s no evidence in his house that any kids have ever lived there. When he wakes Alana in a panic, she merely confirms his nightmare, looking at him like he’s crazy, telling him that they don’t have children. On the other hand though, his career has taken off, after the runaway success of his last game, the one Peter remembers being a flop. Overwhelmed with grief, terror, and confusion, Peter knows this world can’t be his, and that he needs to find a way out fast—for the longer he stays, the harder it will be to tell what is real or not.
Many similarities have been drawn between Deep Dive and Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter, and for good reason. The two books explore a few common themes, and both stories unfold at a breakneck pace. Ron Walters brings a unique hook, however, with his knowledge of video games and his clear enthusiasm for the subject. Granted, you don’t have to be an avid gamer to enjoy Deep Dive, but those who can catch all the references and Easter Eggs from everything like The Last of Us to God of War and what I imagine are some of the author’s favorite games will definitely gain a deeper appreciation for the story.
But what elevated Deep Dive to another level for me was the human element. To put it another way, I came for the gaming angle, but stayed for Peter’s journey to find his way back to his family. I knew as soon as I read the synopsis that I would love the deeper conflict at the heart of this book, because I cannot even imagine waking up one day to essentially find out that everything you thought you knew was but a dream, and to be told that the children you have watched be born, held in your arms, and watched grow up have never actually existed at all. Honestly, I feel gutted just thinking about it, and it is this premise that the novel holds at its core, never losing sight of the fact that seeing his little girls’ faces again is what keeps Peter going. The author does a phenomenal job of conveying his protagonist’s guilt, desperation and love, which made it all the easier to relate to him and root for him.
For all the sullen themes present in Deep Dive though, the story remained positively thrilling. Walters always manages to balance Peter’s complex emotions with his drive to constantly move forward and find answers, which adds up to an action-packed adventure full of mystery and entertainment. If anything, at times I felt the plot was actually moving too fast. That said, even though Deep Dive was not perfect because we do run into a few pacing issues, on the whole I felt it was an excellent debut and a solid four-star book. I’ll be eagerly awaiting his next novel.
YA Weekend Audio: Evershore by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson
Posted on January 30, 2022 8 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Evershore by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Series: Book 3 of Skyward Flight Novellas
Publisher: Listen Library (December 28, 2021)
Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
Author Information: Brandon Sanderson | Janci Patterson
Narrator: Suzy Jackson
Everything I had felt was lacking in Cytonic, like the heart-pounding scenes of ship-to-ship combat or the easy conversations and camaraderie between the pilot characters, etc. managed to all find their way into Evershore, apparently. While in the main series, Spensa is working to free herself from the extradimensional limbo known as the Nowhere, her friends back at Detritus have been having a hell of a time with their own problems in this third and final volume of the Skyward novella spinoff trilogy.
This time, we follow Jorgen as he attempts to pick up the pieces following the disaster and chaos resulting from Superiority treachery. With no time to grieve everyone that he has lost, he is thrust reluctantly into a position to lead his team on another mission to intercept a strange signal from the planet Evershore, where they also hope to rescue two of their own.
Upon their arrival, the squad make contact with the world’s diminutive inhabitants, a race of small foxlike creatures called the Kitsen. Outside of the collective, the Kitsen nonetheless understand the threat of the Superiority and what it would mean for them if the enemy continues its relentless conquest across the galaxy. Still, would that be enough for the Kitsen to agree to an alliance? Within their ranks, there are factions that want to work with Jorgen and his team, while others are not so convinced of the humans’ trustworthiness.
For Jorgen fans, Evershore will be a treat. After the events of the previous novella ReDawn, that we would be getting an in depth look into the life of the DDF pilot known as “Jerkface” seemed like a foregone conclusion. His POV and development is needed now more than ever, as the series reaches its climax and end, requiring a strong lead character to bring it all together. Jorgen has always been a powerful presence in the main series, even if he isn’t the most interesting, but I have to say he impressed the hell out of me in Evershore. It took a long journey to get here, one full of struggle and strife, but I think the character has finally come into his own, and I am grateful that these novellas got to let us see that.
We also had a very action-oriented story. I don’t typically expect much out of novellas that take place outside of a main series, as in my experience a lot of them end up being throwaway side stories that are entirely optional—and unfortunately, most of the time that is also reflected in the effort put in. These novellas, however, are a rare exception. After finishing ReDawn, I decided to change my verdict about these books from a “maybe” to a “must-read” if you’re invested in the Skyward series. You’ll still be fine reading the main novels without them, but there is so much taking place in these novellas, it would be a shame not to learn more about what’s happening in the background or what Spensa’s friends might be up to while she’s off gallivanting in the Nowhere—especially since we’re seeing so much action here. These books also go into a lot more detail about Cytonics and their powers, which is another reason to pick them up if you want the full picture.
I also think Janci Patterson found a good rhythm with Evershore. It’s still apparent to me that she was responsible for much of the writing for these books, with Brandon Sanderson taking on more of a background role, but she’s done a superb job nailing the most important elements, such as the vividness of the world-building and the imaginative prose required to bring some of these new worlds and aliens to life. The character of Jorgen was also well handled, the internal conflict within him explored without getting too contrived or angsty. Patterson seemed to take well to writing about him, and we got the usual fantastic banter between him and his fellow squad mates as they rallied around him to help achieve their goals.
All in all, I have to say this was a great trilogy of novellas, and Evershore was probably the best of the three books, both in the way the story arc culminated and also in the depth of the emotions and conflicts where were at the heart of it.
Audiobook Comments: I do love Suzy Jackson’s narration and she’s excellent as Spensa in the main series, though I probably would have used another narrator here, as each of these novellas follow a different character and someone else for Jorgen might have felt more immersive. On the other hand, I can also understand why they would have wanted to keep the reader consistent, and a voice talent like Suzy Jackson is an asset to all the Skyward books.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Sunreach
Review of ReDawn
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