Bookshelf Roundup: 09/11/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on September 11, 2021 22 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!
Some very exciting new arrivals this week! First, my thanks to Tor.com for a review copy of Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston, which takes place in an African-inspired world dealing with an ever-growing poison desert that is destroying everything in its path. From the amazing folks at Grand Central Publishing I also received a hardcover copy of High Stakes by Iris Johansen, the start of a new series starring a professional gambler with some dark secrets in his past. I’ve always wanted to try the author, and this sounded like the perfect place to jump on board. And also a big thank you Orbit Books for a finished copy of The Bone Ship’s Wake by RJ Barker, the third volume in The Tide Child trilogy. Can’t wait to read this final act to find out how everything ends!
Moving on to the digital new arrivals, huge thanks to Hot Key Books for galleys of both Way of the Argosi and Fall of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell, which I had requested through Edelweiss. They are spin offs from the author’s Spellslinger books, featuring the origin tale of Ferius Parfax, one of my favorite characters from the original series. Naturally, I can hardly wait to check them out! And with thanks to Penguin Audio I also received a listening copy of Cackle by Rachel Harrison. I was a big fan of her book The Return, and if this one’s going to be anywhere near as creepy or disturbing, it’s going to be awesome. It doesn’t come out until October, but I probably won’t be able to wait that long to listen to it.
Reviews
Mastermind by Andrew Mayne (4.5 of 5 stars)
Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons (4 of 5 stars)
Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan (3.5 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
Guest Posts
“Five Novels About Siblings” by Fran Dorricott
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: King
Posted on September 10, 2021 14 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:
“I’m Henry the Eighth I am”
~ a cover featuring a KING
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Probably an obvious choice, but oh so appropriate for the theme. This sequel to Prince of Thorns sees Jorg a bit older and a little more mature, but still very much his asshole self minus some anger management issues from the first book. In King of Thorns, our protagonist seeks help defending his kingdom from a rival, and is determined to emerge victorious.
Let’s take a look at the covers:
From left to right:
Ace Books (2012) – Romanian Edition (2019)
Dutch Edition (2012) – Czech Edition (2015) – Polish Edition (2013)
Italian Edition (2013) – Russian Edition (2014)
Winner:
I feel the best ones today are all variations of the same throne theme, and that it comes down to individual taste as to which one is the best. Personally, my favorite is the Russian cover. The lighting is better so you can see more of the detail in the armor and throne etc., and the “washed out” look also gives it a nice effect.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Thriller Thursday Audio: Mastermind by Andrew Mayne
Posted on September 9, 2021 20 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: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Book 1 of Theo Cray and Jessica Blackwood
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (September 7, 2021)
Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Jennifer O’Donnell, Will Damron
Guess who’s back, and not alone this time? Our favorite computation biologist Theo Cray has resurfaced from when we last saw him at the end of Dark Pattern, the fourth book in The Naturalist series, but now he is joined by Jessica Blackwood, the star of another one of Andrew Mayne’s popular mystery thrillers. The author has said these two are his favorite characters, and even though I have not read the Jessica Blackwood books yet, I know enough about them and the protagonist’s reputation that when I first heard about Mastermind, I could hardly wait to get my hands on this opener to a new spinoff series featuring this brilliant partnership.
It was just another typical evening in New York City when the story opens, full of the regular hustle and bustle of sightseeing tourists and residents hurrying home from work. Without warning, all of it comes to a screeching halt as a mysterious storm descends upon Manhattan, plunging everything into darkness. Engulfed in a thick warm fog, the entire island looks to have disappeared, leaving a dark vast void in its wake. Initial attempts to reach those within the area have been met with failure, owing to the fact that the storm had knocked out all electricity and cell service.
FBI Special Agent Jessica Blackwood, having dealt with weird, difficult cases before, is immediately called to the scene. Surveying the effects of the storm, Jessica knows right away that this had to be a deliberate attack. The proficiency, trickery and sheer showmanship behind the act are the hallmarks of her old nemesis, the serial killer and cult leader Michael Heywood, also known as the Warlock. To Jessica, it all just seems so obvious, especially in light of Heywood’s recent escape from prison, but for some reason, no one else seems interested in heading down this investigative path, and it’s driving her crazy.
Meanwhile, in a prison in Myanmar where he had been captured by the local government for trying to distribute unauthorized medical aid to their people, Theo Cray has been starved and ill-treated for months. Little did he know, his name had come up as a person of interest in the probe into the New York City incident. Only when Jessica Blackwood shows up to his rescue does he find out all about what happened with the storm, and having followed the news of the Warlock closely, he understands why she has reason to suspect Heywood, and the danger they are all in now if her suspicions turn out to be true. As more cities start going dark, falling victim to the phenomenon now being called the Void, Theo and Jessica must race against the clock to track down a psychotic genius and put a stop to whatever he has planned.
Having been thoroughly preoccupied with Mayne’s Underwater Investigative Unit as of late, which is his new detective series that is far tamer in comparison, I hadn’t realized how much I missed the wilder, over-the-top scenarios that are more characteristic of The Naturalist books until I started reading Mastermind! Oh, Theo, never change. From cities seemingly vanishing into thin air to a terrifying battle with a troop of rampaging chimps, there appears to be no limits as to how crazy things will get. Still, if you’ve read the author before, then you should be no stranger to his style. You should also know that there’s always method to the madness, some clarity to the chaos whenever we get into the science and technology in his books. Many of the scenarios that Theo and Jessica find themselves in might be on the extreme side, but very often too there’s sound research behind the concepts.
I am also loving the dynamic and even the romantic tensions between our two protagonists. I suppose it’s only natural to bring the two of them into an eventual relationship, but I was surprised how well it worked for me, considering how Theo isn’t typically someone you would call boyfriend material (just look at how his last relationship imploded to see what I mean). Jessica, who strikes me as someone whose passions run high, wouldn’t seem like a good match for him at first glance, but I’m pleasantly surprised to far, if not completely onboard. The next book in the series will reveal more, I hope, and in the meantime, I am also enjoying their working partnership a lot. Whereas Theo can sometimes become fixated and myopic on a certain subject, I’ve noticed Jessica tends to see the full picture. Whereas he can be overanalytical, she is also better at reading the overall mood. And while they’re both very intelligent and used to fighting their way out of trouble, he’s more book smart and she’s more street smart. Overall, their strengths complement each other very well, and together they make a formidable mystery solving team.
Finally, I happy to say it’s not compulsory to read any of The Naturalist books or the Jessica Blackwood series before tackling Mastermind, because I think the author catches you pretty well. But, speaking as someone who’s only familiar with Theo Cray before this, having knowledge of at least one of the characters would probably help. After reading this novel though, I’m interested in picking up Jessica’s books now more than ever. Angel Killer has already been on my reading list for a while, and I guess I really shouldn’t wait any longer.
All in all, Mastermind was pretty awesome. Andrew Mayne is a must-read author for me, and not only is Theo Cray my favorite of his creations, he’s probably also one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. To see him paired up with Jessica Blackwood was a treat, and I am glad Mayne already has plans to have these two together again for a sequel, and hopefully there will be even more adventures after that.
Audiobook Comments: Jennifer O’Donnell and Will Damron take on narrator duties here, reading Jessica Blackwood and Theo Cray’s parts respectively, and they are truly spectacular as a team. The story’s fast pacing, delicious intrigue and non-stop action elements also make this audiobook a highly engaging and enjoyable listen. Absolutely recommended.
Waiting on Wednesday 09/08/21
Posted on September 8, 2021 14 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
Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett (June 21, 2022 by Del Rey Books)
Next summer will see the release of the concluding volume of the Founders trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett. After the fun I had with Foundryside and Shorefall, I’m really looking forward to this one a lot!
“A god wages war—using all of humanity as its pawns—in the unforgettable conclusion to the Founders trilogy.
Sancia, Clef, and Berenice have gone up against plenty of long odds in the past. But the war they’re fighting now is one even they can’t win.
This time, they’re not facing robber-baron elites, or even an immortal hierophant, but an entity whose intelligence is spread over half the globe—a ghost in the machine that uses the magic of scriving to possess and control not just objects, but human minds.
To fight it, they’ve used scriving technology to transform themselves and their allies into an army—a society—that’s like nothing humanity has seen before. With its strength at their backs, they’ve freed a handful of their enemy’s hosts from servitude, even brought down some of its fearsome, reality-altering dreadnaughts. Yet despite their efforts, their enemy marches on—implacable. Unstoppable.
Now, as their opponent closes in on its true prize—an ancient doorway, long buried, that leads to the chambers at the center of creation itself—Sancia and her friends glimpse a chance at reaching it first, and with it, a last desperate opportunity to stop this unbeatable foe. But to do so, they’ll have to unlock the centuries-old mystery of scriving’s origins, embark on a desperate mission into the heart of their enemy’s power, and pull off the most daring heist they’ve ever attempted.
And as if that weren’t enough, their adversary might just have a spy in their ranks—and a last trick up its sleeve.”
Book Review: Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons
Posted on September 7, 2021 20 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 1 of Constance
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (September 1, 2021)
Length: 352 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Strap in and brace yourself for some cloning fun and shenanigans in Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons, a sci-fi thriller that is guaranteed to warp your mind. Set in the near future, this story follows protagonist Constance D’Arcy, or simply Con to her friends, a musician who was involved a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her fellow bandmates and left her lover in a coma. Having suffered grievous injuries herself, the whole ordeal has left Con depressed and withdrawn.
Death has also been on her mind a lot lately, and not only because of what happened to her band. For you see, Con’s aunt is Abigail Stickling, the late genius behind Palingenesis, the world’s first and largest manufacturer of clones. The company offers a service to clients that, should they die, would allow for the downloading and transfer of their consciousness along with all memories into a engineered clone—a backup system, essentially, for just in case. Naturally, the cost for such a service is so high that only the world’s richest and most elite could afford it, but Con’s clone was a gift from her aunt before her suicide. Abigail might have been a pioneering scientist and a brilliant mind, but she also struggled for years with depression and ironically couldn’t have a clone of her own due to a genetic disease.
After some initial reluctance, Con had decided to keep her clone, though the process would require her to make regular trips to Palingenesis to have her memories uploaded to the system. If she dies, the company will automatically activate her clone and transfer the latest backup, so it’s a good idea to keep it as fresh as possible. So imagine our protagonist’s surprise when, after a routine memory upload, she wakes up at Palingenesis not in her original body but in that of her clone—which she can surmise because it is free of her tattoos or any of the physical scars sustained from her accident. Not only is she hit with the horrible realization that this means that the real Con, her old self, must have died, but she is shocked to find out that her last memory upload was actually a whopping year and a half ago, far longer than the recommended maximum of three months. Such a long lag would cause all kinds of problems including mental instability, and Palingenesis, already mired in scandal and bad publicity, would be ruined if this damning evidence of their lapse in protocol is ever discovered. As the company moves to eliminate her, Con finds herself alone in a desperate fight for survival while also trying to piece together her life from the past 18 months.
High-concept and cerebral, Constance is a heady combination of dystopian sci-fi, mystery suspense, and action thriller, perfect for those who enjoy the frenetic energy and driving pace of movies like The Island or books by Blake Crouch. That said, similar to a lot of these types of stories, what’s happening on the page is definitely more important than the whys and hows behind the scenes. In other words, you go in knowing full well the plot is going to be crazily over-the-top and a little ridiculous, so don’t ask too many questions or expect satisfactory explanations for any of the technology or sci-fi aspects of the novel and you should be just fine. On the flip side, I also believe these same characteristics can make a book more accessible to a wider audience. The story simply strikes me as having a lot of that mass appeal and can be enjoyed by both seasoned sci-fi fans as well as readers who might only have limited experience with the genre.
And to be fair, it isn’t all just popcorny fluff. While it’s true that the world-building and character development is pretty standard as far as mystery thrillers go, I do give Constance mega bonus points for tackling a number of ethical and philosophical issues in an engaging, thought-provoking way. Navigating a world that is still generally hostile towards clones, Con’s journey explores what it means to be human as well as the implications of cloning technology on both personal and societal levels, not to mention the number it would do on our legal system. The plot also touches upon the vast disparities between socio-economic classes, as most dystopian stories often do, as well as speculation around the politics and morality of cloning and treating human consciousness and memories like data.
All in all, I had a great time with this book. A high-octane thriller it might be, but Constance also features a complex plot that requires a fair bit of focus as things can get somewhat convoluted, especially towards the end. Blink and you might miss something important! Because of that, you might need to be in a certain mood or right frame of mind to appreciate the mystery and all its twists and turns, but if you’re willing to take that leap, the full experience is well worth it.
Guest Post: “Five Novels About Siblings” by Fran Dorricott
Posted on September 6, 2021 12 Comments
The BiblioSanctum is very excited to be part of a blog tour hosting author Fran Dorricott with a very special guest post celebrating the release of her book The Final Child! This intense psychological thriller described as perfect for readers of Ruth Ware and S.K. Tremeyne is nearly here, to be published by Titan Books on September 7, 2021. In the meantime, we hope you’ll check out the novel’s synopsis as well as Fran’s post about a topic that fits the story’s theme so well! Have you read any of the books on her list? Tell us in the comments, and be sure to also check out the other stops on the tour!
FIVE NOVELS ABOUT SIBLINGS
by Fran Dorricott
As you might be able to gather from my novels, I’m not an only child. Writing and reading about siblings from the perspectives of other authors has always interested me because we all have such different perceptions of the bonds of sibling-hood and what it means to be a sibling. This is probably why I choose to write about the loss of a sibling, which is one of the worst things I can imagine. While writing The Final Child I took the opportunity to revisit some of my favourite novels about siblings, and I’m excited to present (in no particular order) five of my favourites:
1. Dark Places – Gillian Flynn
It’s true that Gillian Flynn always ends up on my ‘favourite’ lists for just about everything but that’s genuinely because I think her books are a master class in prose, style, character and setting. She truly can build a picture of a world, of a person, of a life in just a few sentences, and Dark Places is my favourite novel for looking at what it means to be loyal to a sibling, of how far they might push us before we turn away for good. The set-up for Dark Places is genius: Libby Day, seven years old when her mother and two sisters were murdered, testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Years later she is approached by a secret society obsessed with famous crimes because they believe Ben was innocent, and she only agrees to humour them so she can turn a profit, but soon gets more than she bargained for.
2. Cuckoo – Sophie Draper
This is another novel I talk about a lot. If you’ve spoken to me about crime books you’ve invariably heard me recommend this one! Draper’s debut novel tells the story of Caro, who returns to her childhood home after the death of her stepmother. Being back raises many questions about the abuse she experienced as a child, and even more questions about why Caro’s sister Steph wasn’t treated the same. It’s a dark, twisty book that really plays on good old-fashioned sibling rivalry, and its use of gothic elements makes it a spooky read.
3. The Ice Twins – S. K. Tremayne
The premise of this one really draws you in immediately: a couple lose one of their twin daughters in an accident, they move to a remote Scottish lighthouse to start over, and shortly afterwards the surviving twin confesses to her parents that she isn’t the child they thought. This one is a wild ride, atmopsheric and underappreciated. These creepy vibes are the kind of tension I try to channel in my own work.
4. The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield
I hesitated to put this novel on the list but considering it’s the book that made me want to write a spooky crime book about siblings I had to have it! Setterfield’s debut is a masterpiece, part ghost story and part mystery complete with feral twins, an ageing novelist and an imposing gothic house. With her health rapidly declining, reclusive author Vida Winter enlists Margaret Lea, a bookish amateur biographer, to write her biography. With her own family secrets, Lea finds the process of unraveling the past for Winter bringing her to confront her own ghosts. Siblings and a haunting family history in one book is my favourite combination!
5. Flowers in the Attic – V C Andrews
This one is a bit of a wild card and it’s definitely a marmite book because of its style and when it was written, but if we’re looking at books about siblings that have made the strongest impact on me, this is absolutely one of them! It tells the story of four children who are locked in the attic of their grandparents’ house after the death of their father while their mother supposedly works up the courage to tell her father about their existence. It’s a fascinating ride from start to finish, genuinely dark and disturbing in places, but it truly explores the complex family dynamic of four siblings trying to be a complete family unit. Still, to this day, one of the most unsettling novels I’ve ever read.
The Final Child by Fran Dorricott
Erin and her brother Alex were the last children abducted by ‘the Father’, a serial killer who only ever took pairs of siblings. She escaped, but her brother was never seen again. Traumatised, Erin couldn’t remember anything about her ordeal, and the Father was never caught.
Eighteen years later, Erin has done her best to put the past behind her. But then she meets Harriet. Harriet’s young cousins were the Father’s first victims and, haunted by their deaths, she is writing a book about the disappearances and is desperate for an interview. At first, Erin wants nothing to do with her. But then she starts receiving sinister gifts, her house is broken into, and she can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. After all these years, Erin believed that the Father was gone, but now she begins to wonder if he was only waiting…
About the Author
Fran Dorricott is an author based in Derby, where she lives with her family, two cats, and three dogs (one of whom weighs more than she does). She loves to tell gothic, inclusive stories and drink copious amounts of tea.
Fran is also a bookseller working in the Derby branch of Waterstones, which is secretly just a way for her to fuel her ridiculous book-buying addiction. Her first novel, After the Eclipse, was released in March 2019. The Final Child (Sept 2021) is her second novel.
Audiobook Review: Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan
Posted on September 5, 2021 17 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: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Rise and Fall
Publisher: Audible Studios (August 3, 2021)
Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds
With Nolyn, we’ve reached yet another point in the Elan saga, the world in which the books of Riyria Revelations, Riyria Chronicles, and The Legends of the First Empire by Michael J. Sullivan take place. This novel kicks off a new series called The Rise and Fall, which is set a several centuries following the events of Age of Empyre, though it can be enjoyed as a standalone tale without any prior knowledge.
This story primarily focuses on two main protagonists, both of whom are the offspring of prominent characters who played a part in the birth of the First Empire. They are Nolyn, the half-human, half-Fhrey son of Nyphron and Persephone, as well as Sephryn, the daughter of Moya and Tekchin. After more than five hundred years of exile, Nolyn, the heir to the empyre, is convinced his father is sending him off to die when he is suddenly reassigned to active duty on the front lines of the Goblin Wars. Fortunately, fate lands him with the legendary Seventh Sikaria Auxiliary Squadron, made up of some of the most fearsome and elite warriors who will aid Nolyn in his fight to survive the battles ahead.
Meanwhile in the capital, seemingly a whole other world away, Sephryn is blackmailed into a scheme to steal a priceless artifact from the heart of the palace. Desperate to save her son, she has no choice but to go through with it. Having grown up with the weight of history and her mother’s famous legacy upon her shoulders, Sephryn also feels like she has a lot to live up to. Gathering up her wits and courage, she sets out to pull off an impossible heist with the help of a few quirky friends.
I confess, I never got to finish The Legends of the First Empire series, with Age of War being the farthest I got. However, getting into Nolyn was not a problem. You absolutely do not need any of the prior books as prerequisites to read this one. That said though, I think it benefited me to have some familiarity with the characters, places, and events from The Legends of the Fire Empire, even if just a little, as they helped anchor me to the setting very early on. After all, Nolyn and Sephryn’s storylines don’t have much in common when we first start out, and they remain rather separate until quite later. However, having some knowledge about their parents and their connections to the past made them more interesting to me right off the bat.
Still, there is definitely something that I call a “diluting” effect as we progress through each new series by Sullivan. Like so many others, my first experience with the author was The Riyria Revelations, which bar none remains my favorite work of his to date. When it comes to protagonists in Sullivan’s books, Hadrian and Royce will always be the gold standard in terms of characterization and development. As winsome as some of the characters were in The Legends of the First Empire series, none of them even came close (who knows, that might even be part of why I stalled out and never felt the urge to finish the series), and now that we have The Rise and Fall, I somehow felt even more removed and disconnected from Nolyn and Sephryn.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not like they weren’t written well. Quite the opposite, in fact. Between our two POV characters, we got to see a good mix of thrilling action as well as deep emotion. Nolyn’s arc, which took us to the heart of the fighting in the war against the enemy, brought us most of the former, while Sephryn’s chapters exploring her struggles with difficult decisions and painful memories brought much of the latter (to be fair, her heist plot also featured plenty of excitement). But at the end of the day, how much of it was truly different and memorable? Characterization was good, but probably not beyond what was honestly to be expected. I think they could have been more fleshed out, but given that this novel was written to be a standalone, maybe there just wasn’t enough time.
And yes, this book truly is a standalone, but while it might feel nice for once to get a self-contained epic fantasy story with a satisfying conclusion, this does give Nolyn a bit of that “throwaway” feel. The plot was on the simpler, more straightforward side, and many of the deeper themes it attempted were also glossed over or merely shallowly touched upon. Still, these can be seen as positive aspects depending on what you’re looking for. For one, the novel’s ideal audience might be fantasy fans interested in a lighter read, or even newcomers to the genre looking for accessible entry point. For those curious about Michael J. Sullivan’s work this would also be the perfect place to jump on board, and of course for longtime fans, returning to this world will bring much comfort and maybe even some entertainment spotting all the fun references and other cool easter eggs.
Finally, I was lucky enough to review the audiobook edition of Nolyn, and I just want to give a big kudos to Tim Gerard Reynolds, whose voice has done so much for the books of Michael J. Sullivan. It simply wouldn’t have been the same without his narration, and of course he was awesome as always.
Bookshelf Roundup: 09/04/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on September 4, 2021 24 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 big thank you to Titan Books for a review copy of The Final Child by Fran Dorricott, a thriller about a woman who survived a childhood abduction by a serial killer who only ever took pairs of siblings. Unfortunately, while she escaped, her brother was never found. I’ll be a part of the blog tour celebrating the release of this book next week, so stay tuned for the post!
Thanks also to the awesome folks at Subterranean Press for an ARC of The Best of Lucius Shepard: Volume Two edited by Bill Sheehan. This massive anthology follows the first volume in collecting more stories and novellas from the late Lucius Shepard, who left behind an unparalleled body of work in his long and impressive career.
Also thanks to the amazing team at Blink for this gorgeous copy of Heartless Heirs by MarcyKate Connolly, the sequel to last year’s Twin Daggers!
And a huge thank you to Orbit Books for the following exciting arrivals: The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie is the third and final book in the Age of Madness trilogy, and I’m glad I got to read the second book earlier this year so that I could be all caught up! I also received a finished copy of The Body Scout by Lincoln Michel, which I’m keen to check out because of its techno-thriller meets sci-fi noir premise. I was also super psyched to receive an ARC of The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart. It’s the sequel to The Bone Shard Emperor which was one of my favorite books last year, so I’m really looking forward to see what happens next.
In the audiobook haul, with thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for an ALC of Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry! This one’s going to be at the top of my list of creepy reads for fall, I’m sure. From the publisher I also received a listening copy of Star Wars: The High Republic – Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott, an audio original performed by a full cast. The last time I tried one of these, it was incredible, so I’m hoping this is going to be similar. And then there’s My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa which was a new one for me, but the description quickly caught my attention and convinced me to give this debut psychological thriller a try!
Last but not least, thank you to Brilliance Audio for a listening copy of Mastermind by Andrew Mayne. I already devoured this one, of course. Gotta get my Theo Cray fix! Anyway, it was pretty fantastic, and my review should be up next week.
Reviews
Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton (5 of 5 stars)
The Exiled Fleet by J.S. Dewes (4 of 5 stars)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (2.5 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: Noir Detective
Posted on September 3, 2021 10 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 that has a 1920s/NOIR DETECTIVE feel
The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez
I’ve long run out of books on my “Read” shelf that fit this prompt, but luckily my “To Read” shelf still had some options on offer, so I decided to go with this book by an author I’ve enjoyed in the past. I first discovered A. Lee Martinez with his hilariously quirky Constance Verity series, and knew right away I had to seek out more of his work. The Automatic Detective is one of his older books that I’ve had on my list for a while, simply because the idea of a sci-fi, humor, and noir mystery blend greatly appealed to me. Let’s check out some of the covers:
From left to right:
Tor Books (2008) – German Paperback Edition (2009)
German Ebook Edition (2008) – Chinese Edition (2012)
Winner:
Hands down, my favorite this week is the Tor edition. Can’t get more 1920s detective noir than that!
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: Billy Summers by Stephen King
Posted on September 2, 2021 16 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): 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (August 3, 2021)
Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins
Stephen King books can be hit or miss with me, which is why I don’t often pick them up right at release, preferring to hang back to see what other reviews are saying before I take the plunge myself. With Billy Summers though, I broke with that trend. Maybe it’s because I had a rather good run with the last few King novels I read, or the fact that the synopsis to this one sounded a bit different from what I was expecting. In any case, I became too overconfident, and in hindsight I probably should have passed on this one. Admittedly it wasn’t a complete miss, but personally speaking, it was also far from anything I would call a hit.
The eponymous protagonist of Billy Summers is a former sniper in the Marines and a veteran of the second Iraq War. Ever since leaving the military, he’s been making a living as a killer for hire, making a name for himself as being the best in the business because he always delivers. His only rule? The target must be a truly bad person, because he will not go after innocents.
When we find Billy at the beginning of this story though, he has come to grow weary of the assassin’s lifestyle and is contemplating retirement. However, as these things always go, there is one last job, and it’s a doozy. Not only is the client paying $2 million, the biggest offer Billy’s ever received, the hit will also require him to go undercover for months in a small conservative town, living under a whole different identity. There will also be lots of challenges in the way, but if he can pull it off, the money will set him up for life.
And so, Billy moves into the quiet neighborhood his clients have arranged for him under the guise of being an author looking for a quiet place to work on his new book. But with months still to go before the big hit, there’s a lot of downtime, and even though his new identity is only a cover story concocted for the job, Billy thinks, what the hell, and decides to try his hand at this whole writing thing anyway. As a result, what we have here is something akin to a novel within a novel, the present story featuring embedded snippets from Billy’s work-in-progress which is essentially an autobiographical account of his life.
I confess, my feelings were all over the place with Billy Summers. There were some really good parts, but then plenty of low points as well. Since most of the positives were towards the end of the novel, I’ll begin with the negatives. Stephen King books are a lot of things, but rarely are they tedious or dull, which is why I was shocked at how often I found myself bored and my attention drifting off with this one, especially since I was listening to the audio. After a strong intro, the momentum simply petered out, perhaps not surprisingly coinciding with the chapters where our protagonist’s own life story was just starting to take shape. I have to say, I did enjoy the early sections where Billy recounted his childhood which included the tragic circumstances around his little sister’s death. This terrible event would eventually shape the man he’ll one day grow up to be, playing into many of his actions and motivations in the second half of the novel.
However, I was much less impressed with the “war story” part of Billy’s novel. These sections were overflowing with war movie tropes and felt very much like a narrative cobbled together using a bunch of scenes from some of the most iconic war films ever made. Coming from King, this heavy reliance on clichés was somewhat disappointing, not to mention some of the inaccuracies, particularly when it came to certain details like military terminology or weaponry. On the whole, what probably should have been the most compelling chapters of the novel focusing on the protagonist’s service in Iraq ended up being the sections I wanted to skip over the most, which was beyond frustrating.
But what floored me the most were the circumstances around Billy’s first meeting with Alice, a young woman with whom he forms a fascinating and unique bond. To be fair, I loved her character, and as a duo, the two of them would go on to share some incredibly harrowing and also touching moments on the page together. Still, that doesn’t really change the iffiness of those early scenes, and without having to reveal any spoilery details, I’ll just say there were overall some problematic issues in the portrayal of certain topics, including trauma victims and rape. There was just an “off” vibe to it all that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Fortunately, the ending was pretty good, but alas, rather predictable again, robbing it of any surprise. Like I said, this book wasn’t all bad, and I didn’t dislike it. There was always enough intrigue and an entertainment factor that keep me going. But still, even after you take into account all that was positive and done well, it’s impossible to ignore everything else that went awry—uneven pacing, the drawn-out lulls where not much happens, as well as the predictability of the plot and overabundance of clichés, etc. I’m sure Billy Summers will find tons of fans, as Stephen King novels never fail to do, but overall I can’t really say it did much for me.
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