Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or thThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Coven of Consequence is the second book, and final(?) book in the Eternal Enemiesseries/duology. We are back with Quiet, our grumpy witch hiding cute little insect helpers in her pockets. That might be strange but they go to a void space so don't worry about all the little creepy crawlies. And Rorick, not just a vampire but thee vampire, also fated to be with Quiet in this word and many others. There is a creepy clown circus associated with death that is tied to Quiet and Rorick. They seem to be at odds about what needs to be done about the clowns...honestly I can't blame them.
“We aren’t investigating that bloody death circus,” he said, grinding his teeth. “I was clear on that!” “Well, you’re not the boss of us!” I said, voice rising. “You could have died!” Rorick roared. Anita shot webbing at me. The sticky silk struck me gently in the cheek. It was like being slapped by a slightly chewed marshmallow.
If the witches have a god, her name is Hecate and she has a job for Quiet and Rorick, investigate his death. This will lead them on an interesting journey into Rorick's past and the man he was before he died to become the first Vampire. While the first book of the series Quiet and Rorick were enemies and partners in solving crime, this time around it seems that Hecate is more of their enemy. With an interesting connection to Quiet and goals of her own, it is hard to say if she is helping the couple or leading them into certain doom for her own gains.
I enjoy Quiet and Rorick. They have great banter, trust and a complete understanding of each other. Even when they fight now, they are fighting to protect the other person, unwilling to lose them. They are off again on a new mystery to solve Rorick's first murder, figure out why death made him a vampire and let him return and figure out what is up with the freaky clown circus. Also, try not to die if it can at all be helped.
This was a fun gothic mystery with so many cool elements. Flying artifacts *cough* broom *cough*, insect and arachnid familiars, ghosts, illusions, haunted spooky mansion, shape changing ichors and psychopomps of death. Not to mention an interesting train that might carry to supernatural living to places but also serves to ferry souls to death. There are a few spaces that the story gets a little complicated if you aren't paying attention but overall it is a pretty interesting a quickly read intrigue.
Rorick and Quiet also get a little time to love one another. The depth of the things they are willing to do to protect and save the other are sometimes a bit scary, but they can be scary people when they aren't figuring out spells, alchemical equations and solving murders.
It is almost the spooky season of fall and Halloween so if you are looking for some fun reading that will fall into the spirit of the season, the Eternal Enemies duology might just fit your needs.
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of mThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Sunderworld Vol 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry is the first book in a new series following Leopold, an incredibly ordinary guy just trying to figure out what the next steps in his life are going to be. He has no plan, is completely mediocre in every way and sometimes sees things that aren't there, like that burning racoon outside his interview.
"The Executive called me 'remarkably unremarkable'," Leopold said dryly. "Average absolutely to the decimal point. Unspecial by every magical metric,' If we're going to insult my abilities, let's quote an expert."
I was really excited to see something new from Ransom Riggs. He has a really interesting imagination and I was excited to see what the author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children came up with for a new story. Well we are off to a good start. Leopold takes us on a journey though a very different LA were certain people can cross over to Sunderworld. He has been seeing this alternate version of LA off and on since he watched some very old VHS videos he found of this place that was supposed to be made up, but might just be real, if you have the right kind of magic.
Leopold is an easy kid to like. He seems a bit broken and is hanging on to anything that he has left from before his mother died. Including a old beat up Volvo. He is a little on the unusual side and doesn't have a lot of friends, but he is completely loyal to his best friend Emmet. You can tell there is going to be so much more to him once he figures out what is going on in his life and why he is seeing some of the characters that were in those VHS tapes in his waking life.
After Leopold finds a book he and his mom used to draw treasure hunts and maps in he is on a brand new adventure that takes him and his best friend, Emmet, in and out of this alternate LA, through dangerous battles and explorations of new magic. It was a fun ride and I had a lot of fun in it. There are discoveries to be made, like is that guy saying he is Leopold's father, really his father or is something more sinister going on there. Who was Leopold's mom really? That treasure map seems extremely magical for something a regular person was supposed to put together. And this girl he found in Sunderworld, well, she seems pretty cool and might even be someone who could have some romantic potential at some point. We will probably get answers to those and many more questions in the next Vol. But what I do know is that our 'remarkably unremarkable' character, well there is a lot of potential there and I'm looking forward to exploring that in next books.
Perfect for readers who are interesting in a trippy Alice in Wonderland type of vibe, with a secret world that seems a little bit on the crazy side, that might also include 'the chosen one' trope. We will see....more
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of mThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I don’t know what is going on…recently it seems like I’ve found a few more books that have angel/demon dynamics in them. I won’t say that Celestial Academy: Essence the first book in the Afterworld series has large religious intonations, because it definitely does not. It is more like various teams playing on the court. You have team Angels, they appear to be the upper crust of society now and make many of the rules in the human world. Then there is team demons who tend to run some of the shadier happenings in this world. There are also some fey, vampires, shifters, goblins and other supernaturals hanging out too. Then there is the bottom of the food chain so to speak, the humans. Most are sold into slavery to Angels, demons or others. They have been since the world was lost in the magical war twenty-ish years ago. This is the story of one of those Humans, Wen.
Wen, well what can I say I loved her from the beginning. She has sass, an unusual talent, a really high threshold to pain, a mouth that runs away with her when it should just shut up and a propensity to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Owned by a demon she is doing everything to get out of his clutches along with her best friend and roommate Sarah. Wen will do whatever it takes, even if that means selling Angel Essence (something only she seems able to collect) to earn the money needed to buy their freedom. After she is busted by Godrick one of the Nephilim, whom she dubs Angelhole (see sassy), she is swept away to the Celestial school to be trained by none other than the sexy half angel she just can’t help antagonizing. As Godrick tries to whip her into shape, Wen just tries to stay alive in this magical school that seems to want her dead.
There are fights and challenges to move to the next level. Wen, will have a shot to learn what she is capable of and possibly a little bit into the question of who/what she really is. With her bff Sarah also at the school, at least she has one ally.
I hear this is like Zodiac Academy (ZA), but I haven’t read that series yet and so cannot comment on the similarities. Still that said now I want to jump into ZA as well. I always enjoy the magical school set up. Wen is roommate with four other women of various background and the five of them make up one team. They are supposed to learn how to work together to pass the tests coming at them. A little had to do with a demoness, a fey, a paltry human, a Nephilim and whatever Wen is. It was also nice that all the characters are around twenty so them lusting a little here and there felt slightly more mature and less icky. The romance aspect of the story is a really slow burn. The forced proximity wore Godrick down as Wen is likeable overall and her needling of him turned from aggravating to flirtatious. It is a fun relationship to watch.
Come back to me - always
I’m really excited to see what is in story for the characters of this story in the next book. The ending wasn’t a cliff hanger, but the author definitively gave us a tease and dropped a little bomb to get the reader really excited to see where the next story is going to go.
"The world humans knew did end, if not in the way we thought it would. It’s now a whole new world – Afterworld – because of one tiny difference. We now have Hell – and Heaven – on Earth.”
Narration: I have listened to a few other books that Amanda Leigh Cobb has narrated. I think she is a good pick for this series as it is through Wen's PoV and Amanda delivers Wen's humor and snark really well. She brings out both the tough and the vulnerable sides of the main character while not diminishing the performances of the other characters. I enjoyed her performance of the novel and believe it added to my overall enjoyment of the book. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Dragon in Winter is the final book in the Kagen the Damnedseries. Like the endings to most epic grimdark fantasies we don't wrap everything in tidy little bows and happy endings. But we do get an ending and I will say overall it is a satisfying conclusion to this journey.
“We’re all pretending to be heroes, dear heart,” she observed. “Everyone is looking to us now, so we had better play the parts assigned to us.”
Mayberry did a great job of moving the story and keeping a lot of tension happening throughout. A lot of the chapters are really short, pivoting the reader between multiple PoVs quickly to keep the momentum of the story going until the last battle fought at the end. We, the reader, get to view this story through a lot of different character's eyes and it really helped with the pacing and the overall knowledge the reader is privy to, even when other characters are not. Even so, there were still a few surprises to be had along the way as scripts were flipped and various revelations made.
The veils between the worlds are blurring and Kagen is one that can see between them sometimes. Loved by a faery, he has some protections that help to carry him through the story. Maralina, will do what she can to help the mortal man who chained her heart to him. They are doomed and we know it, but I really longed to see Kagen and Maralina reunited sometime in this story.
There is so much going on though out the story. Kagen's brothers are traveling to the North looking for a lost brother and the last dragon in this world, Fabeldyr. The dragon brought magic to this world and her death will also be the death of all magic, she must be saved. The Witch King is gathering his strength and followers for a ceremony and transformation into a demigod. Kagen will need to defeat him before the ritual or all is lost. Alliances are made and the kingdoms will choose sides for the war of all wars.
“By the cast-iron balls of the god of blacksmiths,” growled Tuke. “That was a flag of truce. He came over to parlay”
“I know,” said Kagen, his voice as cold as winter ice. “But I came here to start a war.”
So many of the characters had parts to play in the bigger story. The Widow finally starts to show what she has become and how she will contribute to the war. Tuke and Filia are really the best friends Kagen could possibly have. I like how they keep him human and Tuke's various references to different gods balls were some of my favorite lines in the book. Jheklan and Faulker had one of the arcs that was the most interesting to me as I was really excited to get to the ice caves and see the dragon.
The Witch King is a fantastic bad guy. He was so easy to hate for so many reasons. The twist with him was both surprising and not surprising when it came. I had suspected for most of the book what the twist would be. The cost of magic was high and that was never sugar coated in our scenes with him. The Witch King was smart, ruthless and so cruel. But we the reader spend time in his head and so while I wanted him dead for so many reasons, I felt like he was one of he more intricate characters of the story and his chapters were fascinating.
At the end, while most things were wrapped up and this is definitely a concluded story I couldn't help but be disappointed it was over. I want to see where some of my favorite characters were years in the future and new stories made with some of the characters I'd grown to love. I could see Mayberry possibly creating another story in this word, although it is unclear if it will be something he will undertake later.
If you enjoy grimdark epic fantasy, I think this could be a good overall series for you. I enjoyed each book a little more than the last with the building of the characters, the world and the journey....more
What an interesting Novella. I really enjoyed Becky Chamber's Wayfarer series. She has such a great mind when it comes to aliens, new worlds and the lWhat an interesting Novella. I really enjoyed Becky Chamber's Wayfarer series. She has such a great mind when it comes to aliens, new worlds and the life that could be on them. She also writes beautiful prose in her stories and usually has just some fantastic observations or musings by the characters that I ponder throughout the book
“It’s difficult to assign value to discovery when you haven’t sorted out the parameters of reality yet.”
This story seems like miss Chambers had some ideas for a few different worlds in a writing exercise and then thought of a way to share them with us the reader in a very interesting way. There isn't a huge plot in this book or any of the books I've read by BC but the books she writes with stories of people traveling in space and the day to day life of that is always so captivating. The worlds well thought out, the life interesting even when it is not.
“We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship – to teach, if we are called upon; to be taught, if we are fortunate.”
We travel to four very different worlds with this unusual yet perfectly intertwined crew and see four very different types of worlds. The descriptions of space travel and how it worked along with the modifiers that astronauts had at each world were captivating to think about and I enjoyed being on this journey with the team as they lived lives on various planets, researching for research sake, just to learn and not get anything but knowledge out of the endeavor.
I think this story will work for anyone who enjoyed the Wayfarer series or just loves the idea of space and what could be out there. ...more
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of mThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Queen of Dreams is the second book of the Bound to Fire and Steelseries focused on the thruple of Ash, Sanci and Zanya. I'm not always a fan of threesome relationships, but I like the way this one was done, it completely worked for me. There is definitely more that could be done in this world if the authors choose but this book wraps up a lot of the threads and could be just a great duology. Sanci is the glue binding Ash and Zanya together, however they will need to find a way to love each other and come together even in her absence when she is kidnapped by the Destroyer if they are going to get her back.
I really enjoyed Consort of Fire, there was a new fantasy world to learn with interesting magic and magical being in it, along with a strong historic base the authors introduced. Add to that a lot of steamy scenes in-between all the traveling through the land while Sanci and Zanya figuring out how to kill Ash to save Sanci and it was a solid romantasy. But I think that Queen of Dreams flows a little better with was less time spent on the sex and more time spent on the actual story. Don't worry there are still a few really explicit and spicy scenes that take their time, but it doesn't overwhelm the story. I would say Bound to Fire upped it's game and the depth of the characters, plot and worldbuilding.
“So many lifetimes ago, the world promised me that I would never be alone again. I waited three thousand years for that promise to come true. And it was worth it.”
Zanya is learning how to handle her power and the newfound strength that has come with it. She doesn't trust herself and is afraid she could hurt Sanci if she can't learn to control it. Ash is trying to develop a relationship with Zanya as a lover, so he is not able to train her like he would another new born god. He will need to trust some of his court with his lover, if Zanya is going to come into her full potential. Sanci wants to help with all the upheaval in the country but has been sidelined for her protection. In a bid to help, she is accidentally captured to be in the betrayers court. She must use all the skill she was taught in order to get close to Ash and kill him, to save her Consort and the woman she loved since childhood. Sanci will need all of her power over the world of dreams to make this happen. One problem, sometimes you have to be on the verge of death to manifest into your full power and Sanci's journey is not easy and will leave some scars.
Ash and Zanya need to get ready, while it is hard to leave Sanci in the enemies' clutches, they must trust her to fight the battle she was trained for while they prepare for the fighting that will come when the right opportunity arises. Sorin, known as the betrayer, was awful and twisted. I liked how Sanci was able to maneuver in his court and the allies she was able to make by playing political games. There are more ways to fight than just the sword. The culminating battle at the end was epic in scope and the conclusion to the story very satisfying. I can see how we may get more books set in this world as there are definitely more stories that could easily be told. I for one would be interested in reading any of them.
Narration: Victoria Mei, Caitlin Elizabeth and Will Thorne reprise their roles for each PoV in the story. Each did a great job of capturing the main voice of the character they were narrating. I think Will was absolutely perfect for the deep timber I assumed the Dragon would have and his voice was my favorite. Victoria and Caitlin also performed really well and were able to capture both the strength and the vulnerabilities of the characters they were playing. There wasn't a PoV that I didn't like or that didn't carry the story well.
I usually enjoy Scalzi's works so I was more than willing to give this one a shot, even if it was his first published book. It has so many of the thinI usually enjoy Scalzi's works so I was more than willing to give this one a shot, even if it was his first published book. It has so many of the things I have come to expect from his writing. Interesting characters, witty dialogue, pop culture references and just an interesting plot line.
If you needed to present your entire species to the world in way that would make sure you get you off on the right foot, what would be the best way to do it. Well you probably need a spin doctor of sorts and that is exactly what the Yherajak were looking for when they found our main character. Tom, an agent of mostly B-list actors whose new job is to figure out how to introduce blob like creature to the world...and make it loveable.
“The Yherajk were a less immediate but infinitely more complicated problem—alien globs who want to befriend a humanity that, if asked, would probably prefer to be befriended by something with an endoskeleton.”
What follows is a fun story filled with interesting moments and a few unexpected turns as Tom tries to figure out how to make humanity love a blob that communicates with fart like smells, keep his main clients and get them a few roles and avoid the sneaky reported who thinks Tom would make a great story. I mean Tom would, just because of the alien side gig, but that is exactly what he is trying to hide from a nosy reporter.
“Your president only speaks for Americans. American movies speak for your world. Who hasn't seen Wizard of Oz? Or Jaws? Or Star Wars? We've seen them, and we're not even from this planet.”
Overall an interesting story that had all the elements John Scalzi has just honed since he wrote this book.
Narration
Wil Wheaton takes on the performance of this fun book. He has done some of Scalzi's other works and I always enjoy his narration and performance. He captures the characters and make the book just that more fun along the way. Always entertaining as Wil delivers on the wit and sarcasm portions of the book beautifully. ...more
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
T Kingfisher is on my automatic buy now list and has been since I first discovered the magic of her fantasy novels. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a loose retelling of The Goose Girl, which I have never read, so cannot compare the two. Kingfisher again did a fantastic job of drawing me into a new fairytale with interesting characters, acts of courage and a plan to thwart the evil Sorceress.
Cordelia and her mother, Evangeline, have lived in a little town their entire life. She has been sheltered and sequestered in their cottage for most of it and has no friends. Her mother even forcefully controls her for periods of time to make sure Cordelia can't do anything to embarrass her or do anything that might bother Evangeline as most children are wont to do. It is horrific and one of my worst fears is to be controlled like that. Cordelia's only escape is when she rides the white horse they keep, but that too is a lie. After Evangeline throws a temper tantrum in their small village and kills someone, they have to find a new home and a new benefactor for her mother. So they steal away to a new place for Evangeline to weave her web.
Hester escaped marrying the wrong man years ago, but it has made her unmarriable and now a spinster in her brother's house. The same thing that told her not to accept that marriage has woken her up in the middle of the night to let her know something bad is coming and beware. When Squire, her brother, brings home a widow to stay at their estate until other arrangements can be made, Hestor knows exactly what that trouble is, she just isn't sure what to think of Cordelia or how to save her smitten brother. But if Hestor can call in some reinforcements for a house party, maybe, just maybe, she might be able to throw a few wrenches into Evangeline's plans.
This was such an interesting story. Told from both Cordelia and Evangeline's PoV, we are pulled through this strange story where two women will bond together in order to save a kind man from a horrible fate. There are a few twists, magic, mayhem and apparently warrior geese that may help to save the day. I liked Hestor so much. She and Richard were once lovers but she couldn't marry him so she set him free. But being with him again and working to save her brother has sparked some of those old feelings. This gave the story just enough of a romance push and I loved the idea of a second chance for them.
The ending was so satisfactory for me and fitting for the characters. I really liked that all the women didn't really need a man to save them but at the end of the day the partnership shared was one of mutual benefit and didn't overshadow the strength of the women. Overall a new favorite from T. Kingfisher that I will relisten to again soon.
Narration: Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens are the voices of Cordelia and Hester. Each Pov was distinct and I really appreciate that when reading alternating PoVs that the narrators sound different, as they should. Cordelia is 14 and Hester was closer to 50, so the use of two narrators added to that distinctive PoV for each. I can't say I've ever listened to either of the narrators before but their voices are crisp and their diction and pronunciation really good. I enjoyed both narrators about the same and each had their own flair to add. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed.
Thank you to Netgalley for granting my wish for the Audiobook version of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my rThank you to Netgalley for granting my wish for the Audiobook version of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have wanted a Roman story since Andrea's novella. The dark Volhv who sometimes shows up in a variety of silly pajamas from time to time finally gets a story of his own. The Slavic gods are really interesting and getting to see Roman at his home protecting a boy and his dog that showed up asking for sanctuary makes me think he can't be all that evil.
It is time to see what Roman and Chernobog can do when a group of mercenaries come looking for the boy and the only thing separating them is a stretch of land Roman has carefully cultivated. Remember, Roman is beloved by evil things, which means he has some nasties living there along with a plethora of unusual creatures that are only slightly evil sometimes. Roman only seems rivaled by House Harrison in the pet department.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip through Ilona Andrews ideas for Slavic lore. Going through Nav and learning how a few of the gods interact along with Roman's origin story was just everything I was hoping for. Roman really is soft hearted to belong to a death god but probably brings great balance to that god as well. It is hard being devoted to a god and can definitely mess up your dating life, but maybe Roman has a shot with the character introduced within this story, since she also serves the gods.
“Those trees in the distance are the Twilight Forest, where wolves of Doubt and Uncertainty prowl. The open ground you see is the Grueling Field, where spirits of the punished plant and plow, but never reap or harvest. It is a place of thankless work, nourished by worries that plagued humankind since farming began. A place where seedlings die from crippling frost and plants are felled by cruel wind. The pines around us are the Evening Forest, where the birds of Regret and Missed Chances shriek and wail. When we pass through it, we will enter the Glades of Remembrance. They will make you relive your most painful memories.”
As always Ilona Andrews brings creativity and ingenuity into lore that isn't commonly known and creates something magical. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough...but that is always my complaint when I have to step out of one of the worlds they have created. From the ending, I'm thinking we could possibly get another story with Roman as the MC, we can only cross our fingers and pray to Chernobog or whoever else has blessed Ilona Andrews that happens.
Narration:
They got Chris Brinkley! He is the voice of all the Winston Brother's books by Penny Reid and I have loved his voice since I first heard it in that series and all the spin offs. He is a fantastic pick for our Dark Volhv, his voice is so rich and can do the slight accent I always assumed Roman to have with his Russian heritage. I read this when it was posted on IAs blog but he helped to really bring out the best in the story and made it all the more enjoyable....more
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
The entire Red Winter trilogy all in one great audiobook. This trilogy is steeped in Japanese culture and lore. It follows a young girl, Emi who has always known she would be a vessel for a goddess Amaterasu on earth one day and the sneaky fox she saved who has tricks up his sleeve and secrets in his body and soul. This is a solid Romantasy with a mystery to be unraveled and a forbidden love that just cannot be.
For those of us who are not very familiar with Japanese mythology and lore, this is a great introduction for readers to learn about various types of characters in the mythos and their roles in the supernatural world. From Kami and Yoki to the gods that inhabit vessels on the mortal plain. But most of all the Kitsune, who found a little Miko in the forest and protected her, kicking off the wildest of adventures and eventual love stories.
“Actions change our course, influence our futures, but intentions define us, empower us. Without intent, we are nothing.”
Emi, only has until the solstice before one of the gods ascends and takes her body. She has been sheltered her entire life living with monks and others who keep her safe until that ascension. Meeting Shiro was unexpected and when she asks him for a boon it kicks off an adventure Emi will never be the same after. As they travel to help Emi discover what becomes of her after the ascension of Amaterasu, they pick up probably the crankiest crow Tengu, Lord of Crow and Prince of Shadows to assist with the journey. Shiro has a mystery of his own to solve. Bound by some kind of magic, he has no memories of his previously life. Each layer that Emi is able to remove reveals his past and the creature he was before the curse.
Emi will transform throughout this story from the sheltered girl who is just a vessel for someone else, into a strong fighter and protector tasked with finding and saving the Earthly Gods that have all disappeared. She will need so many new friends from the supernatural world to help in this endeavor and Shiro might play the biggest role or be the key to being able to free them. Both will transform as we learn all the secrets of the kitsune, clever and patient that may just steal Emi's heart and a god's vessel along the way.
There are incredible fights and action. Betrayals and twists. And so many other things that happen throughout this story. Sacrifices and transformations will be made and a woman will lead an army to stop a deity from breaking the world.
This story is for anyone who loves a good longing romance and a great epic journey to save the world. It is a really soft and thorough introduction to Japanese lore for those of us that are newer to the mythos. I was able to understand the fantasy world created and all the players in it. I would say that anyone who is interested into expanding their knowledge base of this culture and the lore of it would find a good read in this story.
“I would have kept you forever, little miko." His words were soft, almost soundless. "I would have taken you with me wherever the tides of time carried us, and I would have loved you until the very end.”
Narration: Emily Woo Zeller is a narrator I have listened to numerous times. She brings a great performance to every narration I have listened to and you can tell she is seasoned in the art of narration. All the voices are clear, I appreciated her diction on words that are not common in the English language and I think it made the story overall easier for me to understand. Especially when Emi cast spells in Japanese. Really a great choice to help carry the story. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5x speed.
A great continuation of the story. The pacing picks up as the reader is aware of this fantasy world and the characters in it.
Emi really comes into herA great continuation of the story. The pacing picks up as the reader is aware of this fantasy world and the characters in it.
Emi really comes into her own in Dark Tempest as she is on a sacred mission form the goddess Amaterasu to find all the other gods on earth and free them with the assistance of Shiro the Kitsune who we have come to love. More secrets are revealed about Shiro's past and how he became bound by Amaterasu.
I loved the expansion of the world and the character development of Emi. She is becoming a strong woman and a force to be reckoned with.
Full review of the entire omnibus to come. ...more
Son of the Poison Rose is the second book in the Grimdark series, Kagen the DamnedThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Son of the Poison Rose is the second book in the Grimdark series, Kagen the Damned. Our story picks up soon after the events of the first book and the thwarted coronation of the Witch King. Kagen, Tuke and Filia are on the run and enemy number ones of the new Yellow Empire. They alone have cast some doubts into the hearts of rulers of the other lands and may be the only reason the Witch King finds himself on the verge of war.
I am going to be one of the few who liked this book more than the first and that is probably because it felt like there was more world and character building moments than in the first book. In Kagen the Damned, I struggled a little because the start of the book was one big battle and then there was Kagen's depression after failing the seedlings and becoming damned. In Son of the Poison Rose, Kagen is still Damned and has a cause to save the two children he saw at the Witch King's palace, two of the seedlings that did survive and the Witch King is pawning them off as his own children. To even hope to win this fight, he will need some new allies and to build an entire army.
With the help of Tuke, Filia and Mother Frey he has a path that might just work, but it means traveling into the treacherous jungles where a race of cannibals live to search for some mystic tombs that may hold the key to the Witch Kings undoing. There will me many trials along the way and some great moments as Kagen becomes 'the hero' of this story. His gods may have turned their back on him but there is something brewing within him and I could see how he was changing from a guy trained to kill and protect, to an actual hero who might be the lynch pin to saving an entire world from the Witch King and his tender mercies.
The Witch King is a cruel master and he proves it ever more in this book. He has called forth beings long asleep to his cause and as they start showing up to the court they bring with them both wonders and horrors. In an attempt to consolidate his power, he will unleash an unspeakable plague on the people to further his ambitions. Using his underlings the Witch King will do horrific things.
Kestral was one of his most prized advisors and underlings. The Witch King has given her a task that is almost impossible and will probably kill her. She is to find Kagen's blood in the hall and create a deadly razor night to hunt him. As she works to her task, we see how it changes a few of the Witch King's other trusted underlings and might sow some distrust as to the safety of their positions too. The arrival of the Prince of Games to court adds all new kinds of trouble as he bring chaos with him where ever he goes.
There are some other small side stories happening. The largest is with Ryssa, grieving the loss of her lover and new initiate into the faith of the Dreaming God. She is becoming something. Named the Widow, she will have a larger part to play in the overall story it seems.
The pacing in Son of the Poison Rose worked better for me since it was a little more steady overall. With the PoV shifts and the format of the chapters, I felt like the book moved along at a good pace while opening up the work even more to the reader and building on the original story. Jonathan Maberry also did a great job of reminding the reader what happened in the first book without doing an official recap. It had been a little over a year and a half since I read it and I was able to be reminded of the most important parts of the first book while staying engrossed in this one.
The cast of characters is large, but each PoV is important to the overall story. I specifically liked the chapters with the Twins in them. Held at the palace, told by the Witch King, he is their father and forced to be other children, I liked their small rebellions and how they are fighting back in their own ways. As the reader seeing all the PoVs helped build all of the characters even more as they are not all good or all bad but just working most of their own agenda's. Lady Kestral, for instance, won my appreciation and her twist was very interesting to the overall scope of the book.
This is going to work well for people who are fans of Grim Dark and complex fantasy novels. There are a lot of moving parts, morally gray characters and interesting plot lines. I'm so excited to actually see the Dragon in the next book and find how our tale will conclude.
Narration: Ray Porter is a fantastic narrator with a huge collection of titles in his catalog. For me he is always a win with a rich voice, fantastic diction and pacing of words along with enough variation on voices to carry a story with this many characters. I've never had a bad experience with any book he has narrated and I think he brings a lot of depth to this role. I'm sure that listening to his performance of the second book added to my enjoyment of the overall story.
Wise Men of Gotham picks up not long after the events of The Hungry Dreaming. Seelie is staying with T4 a Deconstruction of Alice in Wonderland Stars
Wise Men of Gotham picks up not long after the events of The Hungry Dreaming. Seelie is staying with Tyler who has basically adopted her. Nell and Tyler still work together but the paper has been bought out and they want fluff pieces no hard hitting journalism anymore. All three are pulled into a new mystery when one of the daughters of Hekate is gunned down. Was it for her job because she was a cop, or was it because she was a witch? The team is going to have to figure that out.
"Never punish a student because they don't know what you didn't teach them in the first place."
This takes us on another adventure through New York as Seelie explores the different powers she has and finds out maybe she isn't the only dreamer in the city. Tyler and Nell will be pushed out of their comfort zone too, not only investigating the crime but looking long and hard at their feelings when Tyler is offered a job on another coast doing is comic drawings.
In true Schaefer style the story will take us on some odd twists and turns through the underbelly of New York. There are dirty cops, interesting artist types, a father with questionable morals, a roaming hit team taking out ghouls, spiders being a bit helpful and just because it wasn't all wierd enough, to top it all off a Jaberwalkie possible tied to all the people who are going to sleep and never waking up. Our trio will be neck deep in it all to get the scoop and save the day.
The story is really engaging. There are a lot of moving pieces and so it always felt like something big was happening. Nell is put in a pretty big bind, but Tyler and Seelie would never leave her side through it and they all make a great makeshift family.
"Remind her that witchcraft and ingenuity go hand in hand. Her imagination will point the way."
Seelie learning more about her witch powers with a little help from Nell and a very dead Alyce gave both some cool history to the story and an idea of how strong the coven was back in Alyce's day. Also an interesting idea of what a dream witch could really accomplish once trained.
Who knew I was going to like the Ghouls so much but Princess Dergwyn and not only some menace to the story but also an interesting side plot. Someone is hunting Ghouls and draining their blood. Seelie owes the princess a favor so it is her job to find the hunter and the ghouls will take it from there. I did like the dynamic between Tyler and Seelie through this scenario, as Tyler attempts to be a supporting parent and Seelie tries to remember she isn't on her own anymore and can build bridges and quit lying to the people in her life.
Overall the plot was strange and intricate with all the different lines blending together. Looks like with that ending there will be at least one more story in this world with a very interesting semi-villain of sorts. I'd also like to see where Tyler and Nell end up in their I love you, but maybe I'm not ready relationship. So I'll be looking for where this series leads next.
Narration:
Susannah Jones is a fantastic narrator. I've probably listened to around 30 books she has narrated and I'm never disappointed in her performance. She does UF and PNR so well and her voice brings the magic practically to life. All the characters are distinguishable and feel unique. She always adds to my overall enjoyment of a story with her capture of both the serious and the silly in a story....more
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Tidal Creatures is the third book in the Alchemical Journeys series and needs to be read in order to make any sense. Seanan McGuire focuses on the the lore of the moon and all the gods who have incarnated into this world in Tidal Creatures. People are chosen to take on aspects of different moon deities and travel across the sky of the impossible city at the heart of creation. The Alchemists are looking for a way to use them to finally make it to that Impossible City to rule the world.
At its heart, Tidal Creatures is a murder mystery. Jane, the human aspect of Change’e, goes to meet up with one of the other moon gods as he travels back to the from his journey across the sky and pick up the key to the door. However what she finds is the aspect of Mani, another moon god, carrying a dead body. One of the other moon gods was killed on the path to their journey across the sky and no one knows why. Jane will enlist some help from a few other of the more powerful of the aspects of the moon to try and find the killer, and figure out how they got into the secret area in the first place as there is supposed to only by one key.
The second thread of the story follows Kelpi. She thought she was transformed in a horrible lab experiment. But the truth is much different, the alchemists were trying to create familiars of the moon gods in order to find one of the more powerful ones. Kelpi is the incarnation of Artemis's Hinde. She has her own journey to take once she leaves the lab and will run into some people that might be able to assist her as she tries and finds the Goddess she was made for, before the Alchemists find her.
The story is set at Berkley and Jane is avidly trying to avoid a certain professor there as she thinks she will be discovered. Said professor is Roger and as a reader I couldn't wait for him to enter the story since I loved most of the characters from Middlegame. Roger, Dodger and company do finally enter the story and we learn a lot of what they have been up to and why they haven't tried to get to the impossible city yet since they are the living embodiments of the Doctrine of Ethos and the city is theirs to rule.
I enjoyed most of this story. The lore and creativity of the story is fantastic and Seanan McGuire remains one of the most creative writers with her worldbuilding and storylines. Most of her characters are rich, complex and mostly good even though they can be terrible and fierce when needed. That said, I think she has also fallen into something that I've seen a lot of writers do lately with some of the social concerns in the current world and they try to jam pack too many of those in small snips and snipes into one story. There were multiple times and characters the referenced white males in a negative connotation and twice it occurred at times I really didn't think it fit. Also the other "bad" person was a rich white housewife that was bored and just wanted to be special but there was so much emphasis on her 'privilege'. There are ways to put things into stories that do not take your reader out of the story and when they pile up and the author's bias shows it can be distracting.
Overall, if you enjoyed Middlegame, I think this is going to fit into your life quite well and be very entertaining. I will say that the ending felt a little rushed but overall the pacing in the book is really good and kept me very engaged in the characters and the mystery. I loved Kelpi and her overall arc. The Alchemists are mostly a terrible bunch, evil scientists and all that, but they are also amazing at the things they create and their ambition towards their ultimate goal to get to the impossible city. While I did think this was the last book in the series, there is still going to be one more and I'm really excited to see how it all plays out and if we will get some of the characters from Seasonal Fears to contribute to the ending as well. Carry on to the Impossible City!
Narration: Amber Benson is back again for Tidal Creatures, she did a great job on both of the other books of the series and so I'm happy to see her back to reprise her rolls of the prior characters and create new voices. She has a great flow for the story and I enjoy her cadence. Amber's narration makes sure you can tell all the voices apart and some of them carry almost a singsong effect, but I think that for those characters it is fitting. I enjoyed her performance and believe it adds to my overall enjoyment of the story. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contenThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hell for Hire is the first book in a new world and the new series Tear Down Heaven. Don't let the title fool you, for something with heaven and hell in the title this doesn't fall into much religious dogma, but instead makes up a whole new world with its own history and versions of the war between Heaven and Hell. Think of them more like countries or dimensions than actual "good" and "bad".
Bex runs a mercenary crew of cast out demons. Since hell was conquered all demons are bound to warlocks, there are a rare few still free and Bex is determined to keep her crew firmly in the free category. She has picked up a new client and is supposed to spend the next month protecting him while he builds a new witchwood on the West Coast. Thing is, this is going to bring Bex and crew really close to some of the worst warlocks of the bunch. As she protects her new client, it looks like she will set her crew up for a huge fight against some pretty big odds. But they are the best demons out there and will fight tooth and nail for Bex because of who she is.
Adrian Blackwood ran away from his warlock apprenticeship he never wanted but was forced into. He has one goal to start a magical Blackwood forest and he has planned this for a century. One problem, he knows that soon the warlocks he ran from will find him. His only chance is that Bex and her crew buy him the time needed to get his baby forest going and strong enough to keep his enemies out. With the help of his cat familiar, they will get to work and make some friends of the demons hired to protect them.
“Adrian Blackwood, I’ve been your cat since you were seven and your familiar since you were thirteen. When you say ‘I’m worried,’ I know what you actually mean is ‘I’m about to do something colossally stupid,'
I was really engrossed in this story. Rachel Aaron has created a very cool world with an interesting backstory to it. Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh overthrew the kingdoms of Heaven and Hell a thousand years ago. Since then he has set himself up as a god and king. Using warlocks, captured and bound demons, Heaven's Princes and the captured Princesses of Hell to take control of everything and rule the world. As information is teased out about the characters and the world I was more and more drawn into this underdog story. It is Bex and her crew of demons against the former man who overthrew Heaven, then become a god.
There was a great blend of action, intrigue and perhaps a few hints that there might be a romance on the horizon. Hell for Hire had everything I wanted in a first book of a series. The introduction of the characters, set up of the world and lore and a redemption story to get behind. Learning how the crew got their start and Bex's history was quite an interesting journey but I loved how it played into the overall arc of the story. Adrian and his witchwood creation along with how he interacts with his familiar cat added fun to the story and some interesting visions of how the magic systems of this world worked.
I have enjoyed many of Rachel Aaron's other series. This first book in the Tear Down Heaven series is really promising and leads me to believe I'm going to enjoy this story just as much if not more than other series I read in the Heartstrikerworld. This left off in a great place. Not quite a cliffhanger but a place full of suspense so that if the next book was out I'd be ready to jump back in. I was also happy that this never gave me religious dogma vibes ever. I was a bit concerned as I'm not really into current religion in my reading. I think Rachel Aaron did a great job making sure everything seemed like a something in a new fantasy world instead of current religion.
Now you see, Drox said as the flames overwhelmed her. Rage is useless, a knife with no handle that’s as likely to cut yourself as the enemy, but wrath is directed. It has choice, intention.
Team Weird is usually a fun time for me and I do really enjoy all the shenanigans that seem to happen at the time police. And while St. Mary's is a diTeam Weird is usually a fun time for me and I do really enjoy all the shenanigans that seem to happen at the time police. And while St. Mary's is a different kind of crazy there is still a lot of fun to be had with Team 236 as they muddle their way through different time catastrophes
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We start off with a quandary of will the team chose to stay together or fall apart. But before we get to find out there is an emergency that puts Jane, Matthew and Luke on the way to search for some kids that time traveled to the past to sightsee a train. Seems the train is slated to disappear and become a ghost train travelling though time. As always when you put team weird on the trail something is bound to blow up in their faces and this time is no exception.
“Hansen, pull up what you can on the Ukraine sightings and we’ll put together a plan. Everyone else take a break. We’re chasing a runaway train through Time and space – this could take a while.”
Jane and Luke end up on the train. Matthew and Mikey use some unusual methods to try and help the team working to find them in time and get them off. And Grint, well he isn't going to stop until they find Jane.
Lets just say that in the beginning of this series I kinda wanted Jane and Luke to hook up. But I'm totally loving Grint and Jane and how rubbish both are at being in a relationship. They are completely perfect for each other and adorable in the awkwardness.
There were a few other things going on like relics from Easter Island on the black market and a silly string incident that took out a lot of time police for part of the story. Shenanigans abound in this and while the beginning took a minute get going, after we introduce the ghost train (which is a character all unto itself) the story really picks up pace.
I always enjoy Taylor's writing and Killing Time is no exception to that.
Narration:
Zara Ramm has done all of the books in the Chronicles of St Mary's and Time Police series. I think she really adds to my overall enjoyment of the series as her performance of the British humor really shines through. Her narration is always fun and I believe adds to my overall enjoyment of the entire series....more
This series has been so cute so far every short story in it is a winner and Rosie and the Dreamboat is no exception to that.
Rosie is a girl stuck in aThis series has been so cute so far every short story in it is a winner and Rosie and the Dreamboat is no exception to that.
Rosie is a girl stuck in a float pod and Leo is the fireman on the outside working his PR magic to keep her calm while they try to figure out how to get her out. As they talk to one another through the clamshell-esk prison something magical happens between them.
I completely enjoyed this story and the interactions of Rosie and Leo as she is trapped. You could see they were meant to be and I completely adored the ending to this. What a great story of, how I met your mother, to tell there kids down the road....more
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of mThis review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Icon and Inferno is the second book in the Stars and Smoke series. This is a fun spy type story taking a famous pop star and using him as cover to get into places that the Panacea group (Offshoot of the CIA) might not be able to get into. Winter and Sydney get a second chance at both another mission and exploring the feeling they have for each other as they team up again to find a missing agent and try and stop an assassination.
This is a really good follow up story to Stars and Smoke and while I don't think it was better than the first book, it was a great book for some character growth and overall story development. The chemistry between Winter and Sydney is undeniable and even though both have their exes a bit in the picture for this story it never really felt like a love triangle or square, it just pushed them into really evaluating their pasts and prior relationships to discover what they want in their futures.
The plot to the story was fast paced and fun. There is a plot to assassinate the President of the United States and it is really hard to tell who is on team good or evil in this. In an attempt to thwart the assassination true alliances and huge deceptions will be revealed. It looks like Sydney might also be targeted in this story, which means her cover has been blown and someone in Panacea can't be trusted. Sydney and Winter will learn that they can only trust themselves and possibly find a bigger bond in that.
The story ties up in the end really well and I think we will get to see more Rock Star Spy stuff in the future. Marie Lu has set this up well for at least one more story to the series. I liked the tone of the story and the nice blend of all the action with the romance between Winter and Sydney. Both were balanced well and never overshadowed the other aspects making it a really fun read. Sure you have to suspend some disbelief in this book, but I think that is known going in based on the concept of the story.
Overall a great YA read with a good blend of both action and romance. Just a fun series so far.
Narration: My first experience with Becca Q. Co was in Stars and Smoke the first book of the series. She looks to be a relatively new narrator to the scene with only a few titles to her credit so far. I think that will not last long as her performance of all the characters was great. Her diction and voice changes made it easy to tell who was talking and she was able to capture both the fun and solemnity of the characters in various situations. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5x speed.
He was trying to do his brother a favor and left a valentines day note on what he thought was his brother's girlfriends caWhat a completely cute read!
He was trying to do his brother a favor and left a valentines day note on what he thought was his brother's girlfriends car. She was having a hard day as a hospice nurse, taking car of her grandmother at her end of life and happened to have a car the same make and color as the brother's girlfriends car.
What started as an accidental car noting turned into a cute exchange of notes and small gifts between two people who both helped each other at turning point in their lives.
This was such a fun read and I completely loved their interactions as they eventually found their way to each other.
Great short read, when you just want to feel good :) ...more
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