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thecandlelightlibrary
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Bone Ships, is a magnificent seafaring epic fantasy best-suited for readers who really enjoy world building. The first book in a new fantasy series, The Bone Ships was a story I wanted to savor and read slowly. The world building pulled me in, and even if parts of the culture were extremely disturbing, they were offset by the sheer wonder and uniqueness of this strange world.
Barker offsets the bleakness of the society in The Bone Ships by creating an incredibly colorful and vivid world - the plant life is no color you would expect to find (such as bright purple leaves and bright pink vines), and color is used to signify status in the characters. Meas is described as having long, grey hair that is dyed with streaks of bright reds and blues, signifying she is a shipwife and therefore captain of a ship. I wish there had been a few color illustrations to go with the sketches at the beginning of each chapter so I could have grasped the full depth of the world.
In terms of characters, I wasn’t a huge fan of Joron at the beginning of the story (he really wasn’t that likable), but he did eventually grow on me, as did several of the other characters. My favorite character was definitely Meas, with Black Orris and the gulliame (both the Tide Child’s and the race in general) taking close seconds. I loved Meas’ character: she’s intelligent, inspires incredibly loyalty from her former (and future) crew, and takes control of her future whenever she is able, usually without much outward consideration for others (but, since I didn’t like Joron that much at the beginning I didn’t really care). While The Bone Ships is told from Joron’s point of view, I’m not sure if it was the best choice. However, it could be because I’m such a fan of multi-POV narratives and preferred Meas’ character so much more than Joron’s.
The Bone Ships also includes a chapter index, a world map, sketches at the beginning of each chapter, a glossary, and in the acknowledgements the author gives a brief mention of some of the music that inspired this story (a cool touch that I hope stays in the final version).
However, the story doesn’t really seem to kick off until the 25% mark, which for some is too slow of a start. If you like jumping into the story in the middle of the action, this book may not be for you. However, since it’s an entirely unique and vastly different world than the one I’m used to, I appreciated the long beginning to acclimatize to the world and lingo. The dialogue and terminology were especially difficult at first, but the glossary in the back did help and sometimes I just needed to be content with not fully understanding an unfamiliar term before continuing.
In all, The Bone Ships was a magnificent adventure and I was completely enthralled with this tale, giving it a 4.5/5 stars. It releases September 24th and I’m already looking forward to reading the next book in the series! Thank you again to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
The Bone Ships, is a magnificent seafaring epic fantasy best-suited for readers who really enjoy world building. The first book in a new fantasy series, The Bone Ships was a story I wanted to savor and read slowly. The world building pulled me in, and even if parts of the culture were extremely disturbing, they were offset by the sheer wonder and uniqueness of this strange world.
Barker offsets the bleakness of the society in The Bone Ships by creating an incredibly colorful and vivid world - the plant life is no color you would expect to find (such as bright purple leaves and bright pink vines), and color is used to signify status in the characters. Meas is described as having long, grey hair that is dyed with streaks of bright reds and blues, signifying she is a shipwife and therefore captain of a ship. I wish there had been a few color illustrations to go with the sketches at the beginning of each chapter so I could have grasped the full depth of the world.
In terms of characters, I wasn’t a huge fan of Joron at the beginning of the story (he really wasn’t that likable), but he did eventually grow on me, as did several of the other characters. My favorite character was definitely Meas, with Black Orris and the gulliame (both the Tide Child’s and the race in general) taking close seconds. I loved Meas’ character: she’s intelligent, inspires incredibly loyalty from her former (and future) crew, and takes control of her future whenever she is able, usually without much outward consideration for others (but, since I didn’t like Joron that much at the beginning I didn’t really care). While The Bone Ships is told from Joron’s point of view, I’m not sure if it was the best choice. However, it could be because I’m such a fan of multi-POV narratives and preferred Meas’ character so much more than Joron’s.
The Bone Ships also includes a chapter index, a world map, sketches at the beginning of each chapter, a glossary, and in the acknowledgements the author gives a brief mention of some of the music that inspired this story (a cool touch that I hope stays in the final version).
However, the story doesn’t really seem to kick off until the 25% mark, which for some is too slow of a start. If you like jumping into the story in the middle of the action, this book may not be for you. However, since it’s an entirely unique and vastly different world than the one I’m used to, I appreciated the long beginning to acclimatize to the world and lingo. The dialogue and terminology were especially difficult at first, but the glossary in the back did help and sometimes I just needed to be content with not fully understanding an unfamiliar term before continuing.
In all, The Bone Ships was a magnificent adventure and I was completely enthralled with this tale, giving it a 4.5/5 stars. It releases September 24th and I’m already looking forward to reading the next book in the series! Thank you again to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Crichton Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Erosion: Essays of Undoing, is a collection of environmental essays written by the author between 2012 and 2019. I was first drawn to this book because of the concept, which sounded promising: the essays were to explore “the concept of erosion: of the land, of the self, of belief, of fear”. I was also looking forward to reading pro-environment work on current issues. Unfortunately, I found the over 300 page collection to be very disappointing and it took me two months to finish (an abysmally slow rate for me).
First, though, let’s start with what I enjoyed most from Erosion. Of the 32 essays (not including the preface), I really enjoyed only 3. Paper, Rock, Scissors was my favorite essay: it was lyrical and compelling and made me realize just how much the other essays were lacking. A Public Bench Made of White Bark Pine was a beautiful short poem that I will continue to return to, and The Park of the Future was a fascinating short speculative piece on what Canyonlands National Park might look like in 2155. While I immensely enjoyed this third essay, it really didn’t seem to fit the rest of the collection.
However, as environmental essays go, this book isn’t riveting. I think Erosion covers too many topics in too short a space; I would have enjoyed spending more time on fewer issues and ensuring each essay complemented the others. In The Council of Pronghorn Tempest takes the time to explain how words matter, but fails to follow her own advice throughout Erosion. The synopsis promised a look “at the current state of American politics: the dire social and environmental implications of recent choices to gut Bears Ears National Monument, sacred lands to Native People of the American Southwest, and undermine the Endangered Species Act. She testifies that climate change is not an abstraction, citing the drought outside her door and at times, within herself.” but I had difficulty finding material to take away.
Overall, I’m sad with how underwhelming I found this book. Erosion releases October 8th; thank you again to NetGalley and Sarah Crichton Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Erosion: Essays of Undoing, is a collection of environmental essays written by the author between 2012 and 2019. I was first drawn to this book because of the concept, which sounded promising: the essays were to explore “the concept of erosion: of the land, of the self, of belief, of fear”. I was also looking forward to reading pro-environment work on current issues. Unfortunately, I found the over 300 page collection to be very disappointing and it took me two months to finish (an abysmally slow rate for me).
First, though, let’s start with what I enjoyed most from Erosion. Of the 32 essays (not including the preface), I really enjoyed only 3. Paper, Rock, Scissors was my favorite essay: it was lyrical and compelling and made me realize just how much the other essays were lacking. A Public Bench Made of White Bark Pine was a beautiful short poem that I will continue to return to, and The Park of the Future was a fascinating short speculative piece on what Canyonlands National Park might look like in 2155. While I immensely enjoyed this third essay, it really didn’t seem to fit the rest of the collection.
However, as environmental essays go, this book isn’t riveting. I think Erosion covers too many topics in too short a space; I would have enjoyed spending more time on fewer issues and ensuring each essay complemented the others. In The Council of Pronghorn Tempest takes the time to explain how words matter, but fails to follow her own advice throughout Erosion. The synopsis promised a look “at the current state of American politics: the dire social and environmental implications of recent choices to gut Bears Ears National Monument, sacred lands to Native People of the American Southwest, and undermine the Endangered Species Act. She testifies that climate change is not an abstraction, citing the drought outside her door and at times, within herself.” but I had difficulty finding material to take away.
Overall, I’m sad with how underwhelming I found this book. Erosion releases October 8th; thank you again to NetGalley and Sarah Crichton Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, Running with Sherman wasn’t the book for me, but the author is clearly talented with storytelling and I liked his humorous outlook on life. I did enjoy many of the interesting tidbits throughout, especially the short section on animal therapy with inmates (which decreased the percentage of repeat offenses in the example included) and the author’s experiences with a part of the Pennsylvania Amish community.
Running with Sherman started out slow, but began to pick up by chapter 5. However, I quickly began to lose interest as the chapters seemed to get more and more disjointed. Since this is my first book by McDougall I’m not sure if this is his writing style, but each chapter goes off on a tangent that eventually connects with the main story. But, by the time the author reaches that connection the chapter is over and I’ve forgotten both the point of the chapter and lost track of the main story, which I found increasingly distracting.
Don’t get me wrong, the author’s stories are entertaining and I generally enjoyed reading them, but they weren’t the reason I picked up the book. I picked up Running with Sherman to read about Sherman and the author’s journey to get a rescue donkey ready for a burro race the following year in Colorado. I would have enjoyed more time spent on that and less time spent on tangent stories and the author’s friends and family. Additionally, I was really uncomfortable reading the author’s account of others’ personal struggles, especially since it was unclear if he had gained prior permission to share those stories. I did not feel these stories were the author’s to share, and I hope the ambiguity surrounding that issue is cleared up in the final version.
Overall, this just wasn’t the book for me but thank you again to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Unfortunately, Running with Sherman wasn’t the book for me, but the author is clearly talented with storytelling and I liked his humorous outlook on life. I did enjoy many of the interesting tidbits throughout, especially the short section on animal therapy with inmates (which decreased the percentage of repeat offenses in the example included) and the author’s experiences with a part of the Pennsylvania Amish community.
Running with Sherman started out slow, but began to pick up by chapter 5. However, I quickly began to lose interest as the chapters seemed to get more and more disjointed. Since this is my first book by McDougall I’m not sure if this is his writing style, but each chapter goes off on a tangent that eventually connects with the main story. But, by the time the author reaches that connection the chapter is over and I’ve forgotten both the point of the chapter and lost track of the main story, which I found increasingly distracting.
Don’t get me wrong, the author’s stories are entertaining and I generally enjoyed reading them, but they weren’t the reason I picked up the book. I picked up Running with Sherman to read about Sherman and the author’s journey to get a rescue donkey ready for a burro race the following year in Colorado. I would have enjoyed more time spent on that and less time spent on tangent stories and the author’s friends and family. Additionally, I was really uncomfortable reading the author’s account of others’ personal struggles, especially since it was unclear if he had gained prior permission to share those stories. I did not feel these stories were the author’s to share, and I hope the ambiguity surrounding that issue is cleared up in the final version.
Overall, this just wasn’t the book for me but thank you again to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Foul is Fair was an incredible read that I absolutely savored. It’s a revenge fantasy retelling of Macbeth full of violence, murder, and manipulative people. But while it’s haunting, it’s also engrossing, absolutely beautiful, and ultimately very satisfying to read. Our main character, Jade, is brilliant and cunning and vicious and I rooted for her every single step of the way. I also adored her coven of friends, and I hope we get to see more of them in the future.
Since this was my first introduction to Capin’s writing, I’m not sure if the lyrical style Foul is Fair is told in is unique to this book, but it was definitely the right choice. I couldn’t put this book down and I reread so many passages simply because I wanted to savor the words.
However, potential readers be warned: this book is full of triggering topics and heavy language use. If you are sensitive to traumatic topics, please make sure to read the full trigger warning list and content advisory on Capin’s website before diving in: https://www.hannahcapin.com/foulisfair .
I’m still reeling from reading this book, and I will definitely be picking up more of Capin’s work in the future. Thank you again to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Foul is Fair was an incredible read that I absolutely savored. It’s a revenge fantasy retelling of Macbeth full of violence, murder, and manipulative people. But while it’s haunting, it’s also engrossing, absolutely beautiful, and ultimately very satisfying to read. Our main character, Jade, is brilliant and cunning and vicious and I rooted for her every single step of the way. I also adored her coven of friends, and I hope we get to see more of them in the future.
Since this was my first introduction to Capin’s writing, I’m not sure if the lyrical style Foul is Fair is told in is unique to this book, but it was definitely the right choice. I couldn’t put this book down and I reread so many passages simply because I wanted to savor the words.
However, potential readers be warned: this book is full of triggering topics and heavy language use. If you are sensitive to traumatic topics, please make sure to read the full trigger warning list and content advisory on Capin’s website before diving in: https://www.hannahcapin.com/foulisfair .
I’m still reeling from reading this book, and I will definitely be picking up more of Capin’s work in the future. Thank you again to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Brightstorm is a middle grade steampunk adventure with delightful potential that ultimately didn’t pull through for me. Although, with hints of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Golden Compass, I do know some young readers who would enjoy this adventure.
In my opinion, the strongest part of this story is the steampunk world-building and its strong female role models. Felicity (the cook) and Harriet (skyship captain and one of the female explorers) were two of my favorites. I also really enjoyed the animal characters and the varying roles they played. The twins, Maudie and Arthur, also showed promise: Maudie is an engineer and invented a prosthetic limb for her brother while Arthur, born with only one arm, is more of a daydreamer and thinker. Arthur also has an egg allergy, and I wish there had been more time spent integrating it into the main story.
However, I found Brightstorm to be quite slow and not the fast-paced adventure it was promised to be. I also despised the beginning of the novel; I’m not a fan of humiliating situations simply for the characters to hit rock bottom. It’s also super clear which characters are the good characters in this story and which are the bad - there’s little to no gray area and so your first predictions as a reader usually come true. For some readers, such as young or reluctant readers, this might be the perfect fit for them, but it didn’t work for me.
In all, this is a cute steampunk adventure with themes of family, friendship, animal rights, and a touch of environmental consciousness. Thank you again to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
Brightstorm is a middle grade steampunk adventure with delightful potential that ultimately didn’t pull through for me. Although, with hints of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Golden Compass, I do know some young readers who would enjoy this adventure.
In my opinion, the strongest part of this story is the steampunk world-building and its strong female role models. Felicity (the cook) and Harriet (skyship captain and one of the female explorers) were two of my favorites. I also really enjoyed the animal characters and the varying roles they played. The twins, Maudie and Arthur, also showed promise: Maudie is an engineer and invented a prosthetic limb for her brother while Arthur, born with only one arm, is more of a daydreamer and thinker. Arthur also has an egg allergy, and I wish there had been more time spent integrating it into the main story.
However, I found Brightstorm to be quite slow and not the fast-paced adventure it was promised to be. I also despised the beginning of the novel; I’m not a fan of humiliating situations simply for the characters to hit rock bottom. It’s also super clear which characters are the good characters in this story and which are the bad - there’s little to no gray area and so your first predictions as a reader usually come true. For some readers, such as young or reluctant readers, this might be the perfect fit for them, but it didn’t work for me.
In all, this is a cute steampunk adventure with themes of family, friendship, animal rights, and a touch of environmental consciousness. Thank you again to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.
It Was You started out with promise, but unfortunately it quickly deteriorated for me. I know the author has asked for honest and constructive reviews that can help her grow as a writer, so here are my thoughts summed up:
- The cover was the first thing that drew me to this book. It’s excellent - well done!
- However, I found the main character completely unlikable and grew tired of reading the same descriptions of how much she was drinking and constantly mixing alcohol with medications.
- I guessed the final twist (in the Epilogue) in the first chapter (which is definitely okay!) but I didn’t feel satisfied for having figured it out before the reveal.
- Please spend some more time on interior formatting. The double spacing, especially, made the story read more like a university course submission over a published novel and took quite a bit of getting used to.
With that said, congratulations to the author on her debut novel and I wish her all the best on her writing journey.
- The cover was the first thing that drew me to this book. It’s excellent - well done!
- However, I found the main character completely unlikable and grew tired of reading the same descriptions of how much she was drinking and constantly mixing alcohol with medications.
- I guessed the final twist (in the Epilogue) in the first chapter (which is definitely okay!) but I didn’t feel satisfied for having figured it out before the reveal.
- Please spend some more time on interior formatting. The double spacing, especially, made the story read more like a university course submission over a published novel and took quite a bit of getting used to.
With that said, congratulations to the author on her debut novel and I wish her all the best on her writing journey.
This is an adorable book with gorgeous artwork, perfect for story time and search-and-find activities.
I had high expectations for this book after following McSpadden's publishing journey on Instagram. I liked the basic premise and some of the characters started to grow on me, but overall nothing really grabbed and held my attention. Additionally, while I love Easter eggs and nods to other popular works, the ones in Praetorian Rising were quite blatant, surprisingly numerous, and distracted from the story. I felt this story needed a bit more fleshing out and another proofreading pass.
With that said, congratulations to McSpadden on her debut work! I know she is working on book two in this series, and I wish her all the best in her writing journey.
With that said, congratulations to McSpadden on her debut work! I know she is working on book two in this series, and I wish her all the best in her writing journey.
I LOVED the first 2/3rds of this book and was fully expecting this to be a 5-star read for me. I enjoyed the premise and the style of writing, and I liked Stevie and Janelle well enough. However, I didn't enjoy the romance subplot and probably would have preferred the book without it.
And then, there was the ending. Truly Devious lost an entire star from me for the cliffhanger ending (which made me more disappointed and angry rather than looking forward to the next book) and lost a second star because NOTHING really seemed to be resolved. I don't expect each book in a trilogy to be a standalone novel, but they should at least resolve some of the plot and drop enticing hints about what might come next.
And then, there was the ending. Truly Devious lost an entire star from me for the cliffhanger ending (which made me more disappointed and angry rather than looking forward to the next book) and lost a second star because NOTHING really seemed to be resolved. I don't expect each book in a trilogy to be a standalone novel, but they should at least resolve some of the plot and drop enticing hints about what might come next.