Ahoy there me mateys! This book was part of the Maine book haul. I had never heard of the author or this book. Apparently this author is Australian. Hooray for non-US authors! The lovely cover is what drew me in:

I mean seriously – a kick-ass woman holding a giant sword and riding on a pearlescent sea creature for only 25¢. I had to have it. And I really really liked it. Interestingly, it was Shortlisted for the Best Fantasy Novel in 2003 at the Aurealis Awards for Fantasy and Science Fiction.

This book is the first of a trilogy called the Isles of Glory. The main character is a woman named Blaze Halfbreed who is attempting to find a slave woman which will get her closer to her goal of citizenship. I liked this lady. From an orphan on the streets with an unusual upbringing to a competent adult who is independent and relies only on herself, Blaze is bad-ass. I mean, yes she likes to take the easy way out for survival but when push comes to shove she is more than willing to fight back.

Besides the magic in this world which was fun, I also enjoyed watching Blaze makes friends and learn to trust other people. There are non-humans in the world like ghemphs (awesome!), Fen lurgers, and of course the sea-ponies! (Side note: I have a thing for ponies and the term sea-ponies reminds me of a certain childhood movie whose song is now stuck in me head). I loved the island setting and all the references to the sea. The side characters of Tor and Flame and Ruarth were wonderful.

There were a couple of downsides of this novel like the use of rape in the plot (not graphic at all but present), some periods of action happening off the page while the main character waited, and some odd/slow plot points that didn’t float me boat. Oh, and though the bad guy has a reason to be bad, he seemed very two-dimensional. But overall I liked the book so much that I just ordered the second book to read. So if ye can find a copy and want a fantasy that is fluffy but fun . . . check this one out.

If ye liked this review see me others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this urban fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .

So a confession of a sort: this pirate is not that into urban fantasy. Now to be fair there are some such novels that I have liked including magic bites which I reviewed on me blog. But in general it doesn't usually float me boat. However I kept being mesmerized by this cover and title on NetGalley.

Every time I saw it I felt compelled to click on it again. After multiple views, I gave in and requested it thinking, "well, if I am not approved then I have me answer." Then I got approved. I couldn't help but be giddy. I am a sucker for all things dragon, and I had to know about why the dragon was in the garden. A compulsion had come over me.

So I read it and while I can say that I did not love this book, I do think that it is me not the book. And that's okay. The story is about a woman, Siobhan, who has the sight and has a pivotal role in the fight between evil and mankind. This book has it all - kick-ass heroines, a variety of angels, an Oracle, a prophecy, demons, fey, other dimensions, and above all an awesome dragon.

The dragon was the highlight for me, the world-building fun, and the snark along with silly details like slogans on t-shirts made me happy. Siobhan was a decent main character. I could have done without the love triangle though. And how people were always rushing in to save her. I mean I get that she is learning to use her powers but still.

Also there was a lot of sitting around and exposition for the first half of the book interspersed with brief "fights." It is the first book in the series and the plot seemed slow but I imagine that will pick up in the next book. While I do not plan on reading the next novel, if ye like urban fantasy, ye might want to give this one a try. Just make sure to tell me what ye think of it.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tirgearr Publishing!

If ye like this review see me others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this middle-grade fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .

This was a beautiful little gem of a book. I originally saw a review of this book by Lola @ hitormissbooks. It was the stunning cover of the book that made me know I had to read it.

The premise of the book cemented it. The story takes place during World World II at Briar Hill Hospital in the English countryside. The hospital takes care of children with tuberculosis. Our main character is a wonderful girl named Emmaline May, and she can see winged horses in the mirrors of the hospital. Until one day she finds a winged horse in the old abandoned garden on her side of the mirror. What happens next?

The idea of winged horses drew me in but it is Emmaline May's story that is truly magical. Her perspective is sensitive, compelling, bittersweet, and completely engaging. Her friendships in this book are endearing. But above all it was Emmaline's determination that I reveled in. I couldn't help but cheer for her.

The writing is lyrical and beautiful. The illustrations are stunning. I would consider this book to be magical realism. The end of the book can be interpreted in many ways. For a while after reading, I continue to change my mind about which reality could be true. I have also continued to think about the book many hours after finishing it and know that I will be forever grateful for Lola's review for the introduction, NetGalley for accepting my request, and the author for creating a stunning book that captured my heart.

Please read Lola's review to get another perspective on a truly lovely book.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Penguin Random House!

If ye liked this review and want to see me others visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/

Ahoy mateys! Another port plundered. Arrrr! And this one was super fun to explore. This novel was action packed from the very beginning. It was also a very fast read. Though it did take me some time to wrap my head around the world and its characters due to the fast pace, I managed quickly enough.

The two main characters Safiya and Iseult have a strong friendship that underlies the plot and is wonderful. This bond is filled with love and caring even though they are not lovers nor related by blood. Not that friendships cannot be like that in both novels and “real” life. Think of Frodo and Samwise Gamgee as an example of that type of friendship in novels. I have a few mateys like that in my real life and am grateful for them everyday though I see them only rarely when our ships happen to be in the same port. But ah the adventures we have had . . .

It is lovely to see two women in a novel with a friendship bond of strength that do not spend it talking about men, fashion and gossip. Not that those elements are not in this book. But they are not primary or even secondary to the plot. They come up in the course of the lives of Safiya and Iseult and are dealt with in a mostly realistic fashion. I mean this novel does have magic in it after all!

While the two women are the heart and focus of the novel, I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters. I hold a particular fondness for Prince Merilk, a ship’s captain (Arrr!). But I enjoyed many of the other characters in this novel. The secondary women characters were particularly wonderful – from monks, to ship girls, to empresses.

This book was a New York Times best seller, has blurbs from some of the biggest names in the business, and even has its own website which includes fun items like a playlist, quizzes, chapter excerpts, and videos of the author discussing topics like what kind of magic she would choose. I cannot wait for the next novel in the series.

To see other reviews I have written visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/

I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

Yet again, the cover caught me eye (shocked?). In the past I would have said covers didn't make me pick up books. But gorgeous cover art now tends to lead me to the blurb which usually determines if the book be a likely fit for me. This cover had 1) a young girl; 2) holding a sword; 3) with Japanese flair; and 4) a hint of magic to it. Cause of the mountain maybe? Her hair whipping in the wind?

The main character Sora (great name) is living on Mt. Fuji with the kami. On the day of her 17th birthday, she longs to begin training for her major duties on the mountain. Only the mountain and all the kami are taken hostage by a demon and Sora learns she is a human changeling. Can she and her companion find and train the "true hero" in time? Can Sora adjust to her new place in the world?

While I enjoyed this novel overall, I had some quibbles. Good things first. The setting in Japan was lovely with Mt. Fuji as the center point for the action. Seemed well researched overall. I liked the author's use of kami and ki particularly where it came to Sora. Sora was a good character and the parts of her coming to terms with her humanness and the loss of her powers was the best part for me. The secondary character Midori was wonderful and I wish she could have played a bigger part. Oh, and I liked the ghosts and a certain sparrow. The set-up in the plot for why these characters existed made me happy.

The less happy things started in the second half of the book where the book's premise wasn't as strong. Add in prophecy and love triangle. Neither of which I enjoyed. The prophecy seemed like an afterthought with the humanness of Sora taking focus. The love in the book was simplistic and rather irksome. I did like that characters made mistakes but the resolution of them was kinda anti-climatic. As was the ending. It just kinda stopped.

There were magical artifacts that were never really explained. Action that took place "off-page." Sora's musical talent that is talked about a lot and then never plays a part of the plot. The characters go into cities and shrines as part of the plot and not much exciting happened in any of them though the ideas around them had potential. There was some blending of technology and magic. I would have liked to see more. The actual kami girl, Chiyo was kinda bland. Maybe some chapters from her point of view of how her life changed would have been fun.

Overall I just feel the extremely interesting ideas of this novel were not developed as much as they could have been. The book was a little repetitive. But again, I enjoyed the book and I am glad I read it. I would be willing to read another book by this author.

Side note: While perusing the author's website, I saw the e-book is currently on pre-order for $0.99 and ye get some bonus content when ye buy.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Another World Press!

To see me other reviews go to https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi/horror eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

You see, the first mate has a Piney Pa in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, and through him, I had heard of the Jersey Devil. It's just that the idea that the Pine Barrens, of all places, has its own monster was just ridiculous and silly to me. Kinda like the Chesapeake Bay monster Chessie. Seriously, who thinks of this? But it is a THING. Many Southern New Jersey folk I've met on excursions seem to talk about the Jersey Devil with a mixture of fondness and fun. Most of them include "Yes, I have seen it." Cracks me up. Plus I wanted to switch to some sci-fi after reading so many fantasies. I miss the genre. So, mutant monsters that live in that bizarre corner of the world known as the Pine Barrens.

And the first half was great. The death and mayhem in the Pine Barrens cracked me up. The Pineys were portrayed as loner gun-toting inbreed crazy psycho families. Gun-toting loners, yes. I have met a few. The rest was just silly and made me laugh out loud. I liked reading about places and then looking them up to see if they are real. Cranston. Check. Apple Pie Hill. Check. I love stuff like that.

The book also has a family destined to fight the Jersey Devil - the Willets. The family is marked with hoof prints that stem from the family matriarch's encounter with Devil 60 years prior. She moved to New York with her husband, Sam, after the encounter. No one knows why her children have inherited the mark. But they will have their revenge. This involves a tricked out van, lots of ammo, and a bad-ass attitude. I enjoyed this family immensely. Old Sam was just awesomely fun. There is also a cryptozoologist friend who is silly too.

However the second half of the book failed. There is going to be a mild spoiler so read on at yer own peril. Once the Willets have their first real encounter with the Jersey Devil, the plot kinda falls apart. The prepared Willets family just never seems prepared enough. There are kidnappings and side stories that just muddied the waters. Also some exposition in the middle set-up where the final showdown was going to take place. And how they bring down the Devil was good but predictable.

Also the reason for the mark turns out to deal with bestiality which just grossed me out. The descriptions surrounding the Jersey Devil and rape were just a little too unnecessary for me. Plus the "reality" behind the myth was a let down. But it was so close to the end of the book that I chose to finish.

I wouldn't choose to read this book again, and I wish somehow it could have ended with one major fight rather then a longer drawn out mess. Overall a disappointment. But I did enjoy the author's style of writing and other Goodreads fans seem to rather love it. Maybe it's just me.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Kensington Books!

If yer interested in reading me other reviews go to https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/

Here is a mini-message in a bottle mateys. I thought the story started out promising, the miniatures were interesting, and the setting was lovely. I also liked the writing overall. But the mystery resolution was odd. The subplots involving Marin were unusual too. Altogether not what I was expecting and I could have done without.