The Mirror of Beasts is the sequel to the Silver in the Bone duology, a young adult Arthurian Legend retelling. After giving the first book 4 stars anThe Mirror of Beasts is the sequel to the Silver in the Bone duology, a young adult Arthurian Legend retelling. After giving the first book 4 stars and being left with so many questions, I was really excited for book 2.
This was a fantastic conclusion to Tamsin's story. It was very fast-paced, captivating, and thrilling. The Mirror of Beasts continues right where book 1 left off and has beautiful depictions of female friendships and family. The rivals-to-lovers romance makes a reappearance and compliments the story. Bracken's characters are fantastic - with realistic strengths and weaknesses and genuine interactions that readers will find relatable. Paired with the higher stakes adventure, the characters and world were immersive and engaging. I really enjoyed the many plot twists, and the way Arthurian legend is woven throughout this duology.
The Mirror of Beasts was such a fun read, and I highly recommend giving this duology a try. 4.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
The Secret History of Sharks by Professor John Long was a fascinating read. As indicated in the title, this is primarily a review of the paleo historyThe Secret History of Sharks by Professor John Long was a fascinating read. As indicated in the title, this is primarily a review of the paleo history of sharks, from their first appearance in the Devonian Period to the rise of modern sharks.
I love how this is broken down. Readers are taken on a journey of discovery of prehistoric sharks and their evolution, described by time period and pivotal points in evolution or especially impactful paleontological discoveries. Also highlighted are major geographical events and extinction events, as well as the mention of other prehistoric species during the time period. After this 465-million-year journey, we explore modern sharks and especially the impacts that humanity and climate change have on the species.
Each chapter contains subsections, with a short section at the end of each that briefly wraps up what we have learned and introduces the next focus, time period, or species. The artwork and photographs are fantastic, and I particularly love the diagrams included. There is a lot of information presented here, so it can feel dense at times, but the author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader engaged.
The author utilizes his own discoveries and experiences in the field, but also refers to the discoveries and accomplishments of many other paleontologists and shark experts with background information to explain who they are.
The Secret History of Sharks is now definitely one of my favorite paleo nonfiction books of all time, and I highly recommend it to any reader interested in sharks or paleontology. 5 stars - excellent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
The Book of Elsewhere is a science fiction novel inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.
As in BRZRKR, we follow "B" - a demigod who cannot dThe Book of Elsewhere is a science fiction novel inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.
As in BRZRKR, we follow "B" - a demigod who cannot die, currently working with a government secret task force while searching for answers to his existence. While we also follow the 2 government agents working alongside B, The Book of Elsewhere is less character-driven and focuses more on the mystery of B's godlike abilities and how it is related to another soldier who miraculously comes back to life.
I would classify The Book of Elsewhere as 'weird science fiction' and a military thriller. There are horror aspects as well. I really enjoyed some of B's flashbacks throughout history. This is written in a very unique style, and each character's differences are portrayed in how their POV or reflection is written. There are sometimes long paragraphs of reflection that can contain run-on sentences (meant to emphasize the stream of conscious thinking). I believe the writing style is the most challenging aspect of this novel. It was difficult to read and understand at first, but I was surprised with how quickly I adapted to it. I was hooked on the mystery and found myself wanting answers as much as B.
The story, told from our main character POV's, with interlude-style flashbacks from various characters, is fast-paced and thrilling, with poetic prose that reflects on the meaning of life and death. I would recommend this for weird sci fi and military thriller fans, and of course, fans of the comic books. I really enjoyed my time reading The Book of Elsewhere and gave it 3.75 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC. ...more
Wow. Lost Ark Dreaming was just fantastic, and I didn't want it to end.
This post-apocalyptic dystopia novella takes place in the future, where survivoWow. Lost Ark Dreaming was just fantastic, and I didn't want it to end.
This post-apocalyptic dystopia novella takes place in the future, where survivors of rising water levels live inside five partially submerged towers known as 'the Fingers'. We follow three of these survivors whose world is turned upside down one day with the truth about these towers and the ocean-dwelling dangers surrounding it.
"In the silence that ensconced them all, Yekini experienced a true moment of the sublime, her mind racing upon contemplating the vastness of the ocean, the malleability of species, the inadequacy of the concept of humanity, the endless possibilities of being."
This short novella pulled off impressive world-building, West African mythology, and a dystopian tale, to convey a powerful message about climate change and humanity. I was hooked from the start and will be thinking about Lost Ark Dreaming for some time. 4.5 stars - I highly recommend to fans of the dystopia and post-apocalyptic genres.
Side note: I can't believe I haven't read anything by this author before and am really looking forward to trying his fantasy series in the future. (I'm also very much hoping for more sci fi like this novella!)
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
This entire novel is written in epistolary fashion, and I wish I had known that before starting it. This just didn’t work for me.
The academic dialogueThis entire novel is written in epistolary fashion, and I wish I had known that before starting it. This just didn’t work for me.
The academic dialogue was charming at first, but quickly got old when everyone speaks the same way and you’re reading letter after letter from various characters to other characters. I found myself invested in the world, but not these characters. There is a mystery about a tragedy and the world itself that teases you from the start, and I found this to be my only motivation to continue. Thankfully, you do get some answers, which is where the book picked up for me.
I was also seeing this advertised as fantasy, but it really felt more like science fiction (which I love, if I’m correct in some of my theories). In the end, I’m still not sure which genre it is, or if it’s both.
A Letter to the Luminous Deep was a well-written novel, and I know many people who would still enjoy it as more of a character study. 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Fiasco follows bounty hunter Cyn Khaw, who also happens to be Generosity from Calamity, the first book in this series. I was so excited for her story,Fiasco follows bounty hunter Cyn Khaw, who also happens to be Generosity from Calamity, the first book in this series. I was so excited for her story, and it did not disappoint. I loved her character and learning that there's much more to this unsuspecting cultist. Cyn, who actually has a deadly reputation, takes on a bounty with the crew of the Calamity to search for a notorious kidnapper which added a bit of mystery to this sci fi thriller. There's also a bit of spice that picks up between Cyn and Micah, the medic on the Calamity, that we started to see in book 1. Everything was so well done here - from the mystery to the character growth to the romance.
I had a lot of fun reading Calamity, and I loved Fiasco even more. This is such a fun space opera with great characters and just the right level of sci fi. Fiasco is one of those fast-paced reads that are so much fun, I tend to devour them in a couple of days. I love the characters, the unique planets, and different space stations so much, this series has quickly become one of my favorite space operas.
I don't think reading Calamity is a requirement, as Fiasco works well as a standalone, but I would recommend it for more background information on The Families and the crew of the Calamity. Plus, it's just a good read.
4.5 stars, I am so excited for book 3.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
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