Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.39k reviews by:
thecaptainsquarters
Ahoy there mateys! Though the first mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other. Books the first mate introduced to me included xom-b, holes, and the perks of being a wallflower. He and I both read the following:
rogues of the republic trilogy (Patrick Weekes)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So the First Mate and I were plotting potential heists to do when we came across this instruction manual. It has an awesome cover.
So we decided to give it a whirl. And it was wonderful. The first book starts with a situation wherein Loch (a Captain, Arrrr!!!!!) and her right-hand man, Kail, are locked in a prison under a floating city by it’s leader who has stolen a priceless artifact from her. So the two plot both a prison break and a heist to get back the artifact. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and it’s delightful.
The highlight of the series are the characters themselves. In addition to Loch and Kail, there are seven members of her team and it is their banter and personalities that stole the show. Besides the Captain and her second, ye meet:
- Tern – a lockpick specialist with a penchant for pockets and fruity drinks
- Icy Fist – a martial artist monk with a non-violence policy and a pretzel twisting body
- Hessler – an illusionist who was barred from university and whose greatest illusion is his belief is in his own abilities
- Ululenia – a talking unicorn who is on the prowl for the nearest virgin
- Dairy – the nearest virgin about whom absolutely nothing else seems special
- Desidora – a love priestess who has developed a split personality with death
- Ghylspwr – a talking warhammer “Kun-kabynalti osu fiur’is”
After reading the first book, the First Mate and I quickly gobbled the rest. All three involve fun heists, plot twists, witty banter, implausible crazy fun, fighting, true love, and revenge. Arrrr! The plots were good, if silly, but seriously I would love to meet the whole crew in person. They are all fantastic. The minor quibble of the series for me was how it ended but the journey was so engaging, funny, and silly that it hardly mattered. Pick book one up, ye might fall in love . . .
From the First Mate:
Just a super crazy fun silly series. It’s basically an “Ocean’s 11” type of tale set in a high fantasy world, but really the fun of the series is in the characters. Almost every character is an absolute delight. From out protagonist, Loch, and her even shifting plans, to the absolutely coolest monk ever, Icy Fist, to a second in command who never fails to insult someone’s mother. Witty banter abounds, and the characterization is always on point. Some of the best scenes in the novels really are the characters sitting around just talking and jibbing.
In addition to the awesome characterizations, we also get at least one quality heist in every book. And, like in the best heist films, there is a duality in the fun of watching the heists play out. The villains have plans as intricate as Loch’s, and watching those plans work against each other is delightful.
The only minor negative of the series is that the overarching storyline is not terribly interesting. During the first two books, I was mostly bored whenever that storyline was dealt with. I really just wanted the books to be about the characters and the heists. By the last book, though, that storyline is the only storyline and Weekes does a good job of making it more interesting than it had been in previous books. That third book also does a good job of further advancing the characters, having lots of fun callbacks to the two previous books, and wraps everything up fairly well.
If you’re looking for silly high fantasy fun, these books simply cannot be beat.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
rogues of the republic trilogy (Patrick Weekes)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So the First Mate and I were plotting potential heists to do when we came across this instruction manual. It has an awesome cover.
So we decided to give it a whirl. And it was wonderful. The first book starts with a situation wherein Loch (a Captain, Arrrr!!!!!) and her right-hand man, Kail, are locked in a prison under a floating city by it’s leader who has stolen a priceless artifact from her. So the two plot both a prison break and a heist to get back the artifact. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and it’s delightful.
The highlight of the series are the characters themselves. In addition to Loch and Kail, there are seven members of her team and it is their banter and personalities that stole the show. Besides the Captain and her second, ye meet:
- Tern – a lockpick specialist with a penchant for pockets and fruity drinks
- Icy Fist – a martial artist monk with a non-violence policy and a pretzel twisting body
- Hessler – an illusionist who was barred from university and whose greatest illusion is his belief is in his own abilities
- Ululenia – a talking unicorn who is on the prowl for the nearest virgin
- Dairy – the nearest virgin about whom absolutely nothing else seems special
- Desidora – a love priestess who has developed a split personality with death
- Ghylspwr – a talking warhammer “Kun-kabynalti osu fiur’is”
After reading the first book, the First Mate and I quickly gobbled the rest. All three involve fun heists, plot twists, witty banter, implausible crazy fun, fighting, true love, and revenge. Arrrr! The plots were good, if silly, but seriously I would love to meet the whole crew in person. They are all fantastic. The minor quibble of the series for me was how it ended but the journey was so engaging, funny, and silly that it hardly mattered. Pick book one up, ye might fall in love . . .
From the First Mate:
Just a super crazy fun silly series. It’s basically an “Ocean’s 11” type of tale set in a high fantasy world, but really the fun of the series is in the characters. Almost every character is an absolute delight. From out protagonist, Loch, and her even shifting plans, to the absolutely coolest monk ever, Icy Fist, to a second in command who never fails to insult someone’s mother. Witty banter abounds, and the characterization is always on point. Some of the best scenes in the novels really are the characters sitting around just talking and jibbing.
In addition to the awesome characterizations, we also get at least one quality heist in every book. And, like in the best heist films, there is a duality in the fun of watching the heists play out. The villains have plans as intricate as Loch’s, and watching those plans work against each other is delightful.
The only minor negative of the series is that the overarching storyline is not terribly interesting. During the first two books, I was mostly bored whenever that storyline was dealt with. I really just wanted the books to be about the characters and the heists. By the last book, though, that storyline is the only storyline and Weekes does a good job of making it more interesting than it had been in previous books. That third book also does a good job of further advancing the characters, having lots of fun callbacks to the two previous books, and wraps everything up fairly well.
If you’re looking for silly high fantasy fun, these books simply cannot be beat.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there mateys! Though the first mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other. Books the first mate introduced to me included xom-b, holes, and the perks of being a wallflower. He and I both read the following:
rogues of the republic trilogy (Patrick Weekes)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So the First Mate and I were plotting potential heists to do when we came across this instruction manual. It has an awesome cover.
So we decided to give it a whirl. And it was wonderful. The first book starts with a situation wherein Loch (a Captain, Arrrr!!!!!) and her right-hand man, Kail, are locked in a prison under a floating city by it’s leader who has stolen a priceless artifact from her. So the two plot both a prison break and a heist to get back the artifact. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and it’s delightful.
The highlight of the series are the characters themselves. In addition to Loch and Kail, there are seven members of her team and it is their banter and personalities that stole the show. Besides the Captain and her second, ye meet:
- Tern – a lockpick specialist with a penchant for pockets and fruity drinks
- Icy Fist – a martial artist monk with a non-violence policy and a pretzel twisting body
- Hessler – an illusionist who was barred from university and whose greatest illusion is his belief is in his own abilities
- Ululenia – a talking unicorn who is on the prowl for the nearest virgin
- Dairy – the nearest virgin about whom absolutely nothing else seems special
- Desidora – a love priestess who has developed a split personality with death
- Ghylspwr – a talking warhammer “Kun-kabynalti osu fiur’is”
After reading the first book, the First Mate and I quickly gobbled the rest. All three involve fun heists, plot twists, witty banter, implausible crazy fun, fighting, true love, and revenge. Arrrr! The plots were good, if silly, but seriously I would love to meet the whole crew in person. They are all fantastic. The minor quibble of the series for me was how it ended but the journey was so engaging, funny, and silly that it hardly mattered. Pick book one up, ye might fall in love . . .
From the First Mate:
Just a super crazy fun silly series. It’s basically an “Ocean’s 11” type of tale set in a high fantasy world, but really the fun of the series is in the characters. Almost every character is an absolute delight. From out protagonist, Loch, and her even shifting plans, to the absolutely coolest monk ever, Icy Fist, to a second in command who never fails to insult someone’s mother. Witty banter abounds, and the characterization is always on point. Some of the best scenes in the novels really are the characters sitting around just talking and jibbing.
In addition to the awesome characterizations, we also get at least one quality heist in every book. And, like in the best heist films, there is a duality in the fun of watching the heists play out. The villains have plans as intricate as Loch’s, and watching those plans work against each other is delightful.
The only minor negative of the series is that the overarching storyline is not terribly interesting. During the first two books, I was mostly bored whenever that storyline was dealt with. I really just wanted the books to be about the characters and the heists. By the last book, though, that storyline is the only storyline and Weekes does a good job of making it more interesting than it had been in previous books. That third book also does a good job of further advancing the characters, having lots of fun callbacks to the two previous books, and wraps everything up fairly well.
If you’re looking for silly high fantasy fun, these books simply cannot be beat.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
rogues of the republic trilogy (Patrick Weekes)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So the First Mate and I were plotting potential heists to do when we came across this instruction manual. It has an awesome cover.
So we decided to give it a whirl. And it was wonderful. The first book starts with a situation wherein Loch (a Captain, Arrrr!!!!!) and her right-hand man, Kail, are locked in a prison under a floating city by it’s leader who has stolen a priceless artifact from her. So the two plot both a prison break and a heist to get back the artifact. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and it’s delightful.
The highlight of the series are the characters themselves. In addition to Loch and Kail, there are seven members of her team and it is their banter and personalities that stole the show. Besides the Captain and her second, ye meet:
- Tern – a lockpick specialist with a penchant for pockets and fruity drinks
- Icy Fist – a martial artist monk with a non-violence policy and a pretzel twisting body
- Hessler – an illusionist who was barred from university and whose greatest illusion is his belief is in his own abilities
- Ululenia – a talking unicorn who is on the prowl for the nearest virgin
- Dairy – the nearest virgin about whom absolutely nothing else seems special
- Desidora – a love priestess who has developed a split personality with death
- Ghylspwr – a talking warhammer “Kun-kabynalti osu fiur’is”
After reading the first book, the First Mate and I quickly gobbled the rest. All three involve fun heists, plot twists, witty banter, implausible crazy fun, fighting, true love, and revenge. Arrrr! The plots were good, if silly, but seriously I would love to meet the whole crew in person. They are all fantastic. The minor quibble of the series for me was how it ended but the journey was so engaging, funny, and silly that it hardly mattered. Pick book one up, ye might fall in love . . .
From the First Mate:
Just a super crazy fun silly series. It’s basically an “Ocean’s 11” type of tale set in a high fantasy world, but really the fun of the series is in the characters. Almost every character is an absolute delight. From out protagonist, Loch, and her even shifting plans, to the absolutely coolest monk ever, Icy Fist, to a second in command who never fails to insult someone’s mother. Witty banter abounds, and the characterization is always on point. Some of the best scenes in the novels really are the characters sitting around just talking and jibbing.
In addition to the awesome characterizations, we also get at least one quality heist in every book. And, like in the best heist films, there is a duality in the fun of watching the heists play out. The villains have plans as intricate as Loch’s, and watching those plans work against each other is delightful.
The only minor negative of the series is that the overarching storyline is not terribly interesting. During the first two books, I was mostly bored whenever that storyline was dealt with. I really just wanted the books to be about the characters and the heists. By the last book, though, that storyline is the only storyline and Weekes does a good job of making it more interesting than it had been in previous books. That third book also does a good job of further advancing the characters, having lots of fun callbacks to the two previous books, and wraps everything up fairly well.
If you’re looking for silly high fantasy fun, these books simply cannot be beat.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
.jpg)
Ahoy there mateys! Though the first mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other. Books the first mate introduced to me included xom-b, holes, and the perks of being a wallflower. He and I both read the following:
rogues of the republic trilogy (Patrick Weekes)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So the First Mate and I were plotting potential heists to do when we came across this instruction manual. It has an awesome cover.
So we decided to give it a whirl. And it was wonderful. The first book starts with a situation wherein Loch (a Captain, Arrrr!!!!!) and her right-hand man, Kail, are locked in a prison under a floating city by it’s leader who has stolen a priceless artifact from her. So the two plot both a prison break and a heist to get back the artifact. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and it’s delightful.
The highlight of the series are the characters themselves. In addition to Loch and Kail, there are seven members of her team and it is their banter and personalities that stole the show. Besides the Captain and her second, ye meet:
- Tern – a lockpick specialist with a penchant for pockets and fruity drinks
- Icy Fist – a martial artist monk with a non-violence policy and a pretzel twisting body
- Hessler – an illusionist who was barred from university and whose greatest illusion is his belief is in his own abilities
- Ululenia – a talking unicorn who is on the prowl for the nearest virgin
- Dairy – the nearest virgin about whom absolutely nothing else seems special
- Desidora – a love priestess who has developed a split personality with death
- Ghylspwr – a talking warhammer “Kun-kabynalti osu fiur’is”
After reading the first book, the First Mate and I quickly gobbled the rest. All three involve fun heists, plot twists, witty banter, implausible crazy fun, fighting, true love, and revenge. Arrrr! The plots were good, if silly, but seriously I would love to meet the whole crew in person. They are all fantastic. The minor quibble of the series for me was how it ended but the journey was so engaging, funny, and silly that it hardly mattered. Pick book one up, ye might fall in love . . .
From the First Mate:
Just a super crazy fun silly series. It’s basically an “Ocean’s 11” type of tale set in a high fantasy world, but really the fun of the series is in the characters. Almost every character is an absolute delight. From out protagonist, Loch, and her even shifting plans, to the absolutely coolest monk ever, Icy Fist, to a second in command who never fails to insult someone’s mother. Witty banter abounds, and the characterization is always on point. Some of the best scenes in the novels really are the characters sitting around just talking and jibbing.
In addition to the awesome characterizations, we also get at least one quality heist in every book. And, like in the best heist films, there is a duality in the fun of watching the heists play out. The villains have plans as intricate as Loch’s, and watching those plans work against each other is delightful.
The only minor negative of the series is that the overarching storyline is not terribly interesting. During the first two books, I was mostly bored whenever that storyline was dealt with. I really just wanted the books to be about the characters and the heists. By the last book, though, that storyline is the only storyline and Weekes does a good job of making it more interesting than it had been in previous books. That third book also does a good job of further advancing the characters, having lots of fun callbacks to the two previous books, and wraps everything up fairly well.
If you’re looking for silly high fantasy fun, these books simply cannot be beat.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
rogues of the republic trilogy (Patrick Weekes)
We were talking about the books and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered him to write a review. So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew. Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks. Hope you enjoy!
From the Captain:
So the First Mate and I were plotting potential heists to do when we came across this instruction manual. It has an awesome cover.
So we decided to give it a whirl. And it was wonderful. The first book starts with a situation wherein Loch (a Captain, Arrrr!!!!!) and her right-hand man, Kail, are locked in a prison under a floating city by it’s leader who has stolen a priceless artifact from her. So the two plot both a prison break and a heist to get back the artifact. Of course, nothing goes quite as planned and it’s delightful.
The highlight of the series are the characters themselves. In addition to Loch and Kail, there are seven members of her team and it is their banter and personalities that stole the show. Besides the Captain and her second, ye meet:
- Tern – a lockpick specialist with a penchant for pockets and fruity drinks
- Icy Fist – a martial artist monk with a non-violence policy and a pretzel twisting body
- Hessler – an illusionist who was barred from university and whose greatest illusion is his belief is in his own abilities
- Ululenia – a talking unicorn who is on the prowl for the nearest virgin
- Dairy – the nearest virgin about whom absolutely nothing else seems special
- Desidora – a love priestess who has developed a split personality with death
- Ghylspwr – a talking warhammer “Kun-kabynalti osu fiur’is”
After reading the first book, the First Mate and I quickly gobbled the rest. All three involve fun heists, plot twists, witty banter, implausible crazy fun, fighting, true love, and revenge. Arrrr! The plots were good, if silly, but seriously I would love to meet the whole crew in person. They are all fantastic. The minor quibble of the series for me was how it ended but the journey was so engaging, funny, and silly that it hardly mattered. Pick book one up, ye might fall in love . . .
From the First Mate:
Just a super crazy fun silly series. It’s basically an “Ocean’s 11” type of tale set in a high fantasy world, but really the fun of the series is in the characters. Almost every character is an absolute delight. From out protagonist, Loch, and her even shifting plans, to the absolutely coolest monk ever, Icy Fist, to a second in command who never fails to insult someone’s mother. Witty banter abounds, and the characterization is always on point. Some of the best scenes in the novels really are the characters sitting around just talking and jibbing.
In addition to the awesome characterizations, we also get at least one quality heist in every book. And, like in the best heist films, there is a duality in the fun of watching the heists play out. The villains have plans as intricate as Loch’s, and watching those plans work against each other is delightful.
The only minor negative of the series is that the overarching storyline is not terribly interesting. During the first two books, I was mostly bored whenever that storyline was dealt with. I really just wanted the books to be about the characters and the heists. By the last book, though, that storyline is the only storyline and Weekes does a good job of making it more interesting than it had been in previous books. That third book also does a good job of further advancing the characters, having lots of fun callbacks to the two previous books, and wraps everything up fairly well.
If you’re looking for silly high fantasy fun, these books simply cannot be beat.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there mateys! This is the companion novel to the wonderful sci-fi novel planetfall which continues to linger in me thoughts as being a super pleasurable previous read. As a companion novel, the books can be read in any order even though personally I am glad I read planetfall first. Planetfall was the story of a human colony on a remote alien planet far far from Earth. After atlas is a sci-fi murder mystery novel set on Earth forty years after Atlas has left the planet.
The story involves Carlos who works for one of the big corporations on Earth. When he was an infant, his mother left him behind on Earth when she traveled on the Atlas. Forty years later he is a top level detective to the Ministry of Justice. There is just one catch – he was sold to them years before as an indentured slave who has to work off his debt before he is free. But everything has a price and adds to his debt. They control him and he won’t work off his debt until he is at least 80, or maybe longer . . .
So when his boss at the Ministry arrives in his apartment with a new job assignment with the details off the record, he realizes something is different. There has been another murder, only this time he knows the victim. Can he solve the crime, avoid the politics, and kept his personal feelings under control? There may be no real choice as the clock is ticking, the debt is growing, and all he wants is freedom.
Again, Emma Newman creates another fascinating main character whose personality and circumstances are a delight. The novel evolves in such a way that ye follow the unfolding investigation while slowly learning the details of Carlos’ life and his past relationships. Again the tech in the novel like the APA’s are richly drawn and central to the story. While Carlos is the main character, through him ye get to known the side characters who are all well drawn out. Some of the murder mystery clues were guessable but how she resolved the story overall was not.
In any case this was another awesome effort by Ms. Newman and I truly hope there is another story set in this world. Do pick up either one of the Planetfall books and treat yerself to a delightful story.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
The story involves Carlos who works for one of the big corporations on Earth. When he was an infant, his mother left him behind on Earth when she traveled on the Atlas. Forty years later he is a top level detective to the Ministry of Justice. There is just one catch – he was sold to them years before as an indentured slave who has to work off his debt before he is free. But everything has a price and adds to his debt. They control him and he won’t work off his debt until he is at least 80, or maybe longer . . .
So when his boss at the Ministry arrives in his apartment with a new job assignment with the details off the record, he realizes something is different. There has been another murder, only this time he knows the victim. Can he solve the crime, avoid the politics, and kept his personal feelings under control? There may be no real choice as the clock is ticking, the debt is growing, and all he wants is freedom.
Again, Emma Newman creates another fascinating main character whose personality and circumstances are a delight. The novel evolves in such a way that ye follow the unfolding investigation while slowly learning the details of Carlos’ life and his past relationships. Again the tech in the novel like the APA’s are richly drawn and central to the story. While Carlos is the main character, through him ye get to known the side characters who are all well drawn out. Some of the murder mystery clues were guessable but how she resolved the story overall was not.
In any case this was another awesome effort by Ms. Newman and I truly hope there is another story set in this world. Do pick up either one of the Planetfall books and treat yerself to a delightful story.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! If ye haven’t read the first book in this series, the girl from everywhere, then ye might want to skip this post and go read the first book. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
The first novel in this duology was one of me favorite reads of 2016. I was so excited to get me mitts on the sequel. And sadly this was just an okay read for me. For about 3/4 of the novel I was engaged and happy. I loved getting back into Nix’s world. Reading the author’s new blend of myths and storytelling was a joy. I went on several journeys into the interwebs while reading the book to get the historical facts to enrich the remainder of me reading of the novel. Check out Donald Crowhurst and Ker-Ys for example. These forays into history lessons did not throw me out of the story but rather increased me excitement and awe at the author’s wit and devious mind. Her ability to explain why the myths diverge in our time were especially well done.
In addition, I loved the villain in this story. He is seemingly complex and as he is based on a real person this was awesome. I continue to love the crew and got more glimpses of Rotgut and Bee. I fact I would love Bee to have her own book frankly. It was interesting to get some point-of-view chapters from Kash.
So what then was the problem? The last quarter just felt disjointed. The parent/daughter relationship seems worse than ever after the hopeful ending of book one. I know Slate has issues but he was annoying in this book. Also Blake became highly frustrating and his motivation seemed almost a caricature. Nix lost most of her spunk and wallows about the situation. She is so filled with angst about how to deal both with the villain and her love life. The story was too bogged down by angst. I feel that Nix should have been a fighter all the way. Also the ending in particular was so open ended. The author’s website states this was the conclusion to the story but not much was decided. I can see lots of possible paths for another book to go in.
I guess frankly, the ending was just not to me taste but I seem to be in the minority. I wouldn’t mind more books about the further adventures of Nix but would prefer her to be more mature, focused, and clever about how the adventures evolve.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
The first novel in this duology was one of me favorite reads of 2016. I was so excited to get me mitts on the sequel. And sadly this was just an okay read for me. For about 3/4 of the novel I was engaged and happy. I loved getting back into Nix’s world. Reading the author’s new blend of myths and storytelling was a joy. I went on several journeys into the interwebs while reading the book to get the historical facts to enrich the remainder of me reading of the novel. Check out Donald Crowhurst and Ker-Ys for example. These forays into history lessons did not throw me out of the story but rather increased me excitement and awe at the author’s wit and devious mind. Her ability to explain why the myths diverge in our time were especially well done.
In addition, I loved the villain in this story. He is seemingly complex and as he is based on a real person this was awesome. I continue to love the crew and got more glimpses of Rotgut and Bee. I fact I would love Bee to have her own book frankly. It was interesting to get some point-of-view chapters from Kash.
So what then was the problem? The last quarter just felt disjointed. The parent/daughter relationship seems worse than ever after the hopeful ending of book one. I know Slate has issues but he was annoying in this book. Also Blake became highly frustrating and his motivation seemed almost a caricature. Nix lost most of her spunk and wallows about the situation. She is so filled with angst about how to deal both with the villain and her love life. The story was too bogged down by angst. I feel that Nix should have been a fighter all the way. Also the ending in particular was so open ended. The author’s website states this was the conclusion to the story but not much was decided. I can see lots of possible paths for another book to go in.
I guess frankly, the ending was just not to me taste but I seem to be in the minority. I wouldn’t mind more books about the further adventures of Nix but would prefer her to be more mature, focused, and clever about how the adventures evolve.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I was looking to read something short that fit me current mood and this book was found in the hold. Now urban fantasy is not me go to genre but I had previously read some of the author's Hawk and Fisher novels and enjoyed them so I gave this a shot.
At 230 pages and a couple of hours worth of reading, I found this to be a fun read. It centers around John Taylor, a private eye, who is hired to find a rich woman's missing daughter. He is an expert on finding lost things. However this time there are two problems 1) the rich woman wants to come with him and 2) it means going back to Nightside, a place he has avoided for over five years.
What is Nightside ye ask? Well it is a square mile in the middle of London that may or may not be part of our world. It is always 3:00 a.m. and nighttime. Monsters and myths abound. Death is always present. Some people call it Hell. John grew up there.
It certainly is an odd little book. I enjoyed the introduction to John Taylor even if it was obvious in reading it that it is the first book in a series. Nightside had great atmosphere. I particularly liked the pub, Strangefellows. I also adored the character of Suzie Shooter. There were some creepy elements dealing with insects and haunted houses. Neither of which were like what I expected. The only downside was that for a short book, the pacing felt a little slow and there was a lot of talking and not quite enough showing. But it fit me mood and I am glad I read it. I don't however feel the need to read the other 11 books in the series! Ye may love them all.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
At 230 pages and a couple of hours worth of reading, I found this to be a fun read. It centers around John Taylor, a private eye, who is hired to find a rich woman's missing daughter. He is an expert on finding lost things. However this time there are two problems 1) the rich woman wants to come with him and 2) it means going back to Nightside, a place he has avoided for over five years.
What is Nightside ye ask? Well it is a square mile in the middle of London that may or may not be part of our world. It is always 3:00 a.m. and nighttime. Monsters and myths abound. Death is always present. Some people call it Hell. John grew up there.
It certainly is an odd little book. I enjoyed the introduction to John Taylor even if it was obvious in reading it that it is the first book in a series. Nightside had great atmosphere. I particularly liked the pub, Strangefellows. I also adored the character of Suzie Shooter. There were some creepy elements dealing with insects and haunted houses. Neither of which were like what I expected. The only downside was that for a short book, the pacing felt a little slow and there was a lot of talking and not quite enough showing. But it fit me mood and I am glad I read it. I don't however feel the need to read the other 11 books in the series! Ye may love them all.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! For those of ye who are new to me log, a word: though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. Occasionally, I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were.
This novel captured me fancy when I read a post from yvonne @ it’s all about books stating that it is a modern Robinson Crusoe type tale wherein two people end up on a deserted island and struggle to survive. Now bein’ a pirate Captain and all, I find books about shipwrecks and deserted islands to be extremely fascinatin’. I was thrilled to give this one a look-see.
In this tale, a French architect named Sophie and an American ex-banker named Barry find themselves stranded on a small island after a plane crash. The only problem is that the uninhabited island is “some 2,359 miles from Hawaii, 4,622 miles from Chile, and 533 miles from the nearest living soul.”
This was an engaging tale from the beginning, and I read this in one sitting. Sophie and Barry are seemingly opposites at first glance but their need for each other to survive slowly allows their commonalities to shine through. The growth and dreams they exhibit are lovely. I particularly loved how these two communicated in both their highs and lows. And of course how and what they did to survive was fascinating in its own right.
The writing style of this novel was lovely. Interspersed with the story of survival are brief but beautiful glimpses into other places and times. Ye get the history of the island and the Polynesians who visited it. Ye get an idea of other castaways from the past. There is backstory of the doomed pilot and his mistakes that led to the present. These forays enriched the understanding and depth of the central story of Sophie and Barry. The eventual explanation and unfolding of the meaning of the novel’s title was mesmerizing and heart-wrenching.
I am so very glad to have this novel imprinted on me heart. Truly me words are inadequate.
So lastly . . .
Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Thomas Dunne Books!
I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for me thoughts. Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This novel captured me fancy when I read a post from yvonne @ it’s all about books stating that it is a modern Robinson Crusoe type tale wherein two people end up on a deserted island and struggle to survive. Now bein’ a pirate Captain and all, I find books about shipwrecks and deserted islands to be extremely fascinatin’. I was thrilled to give this one a look-see.
In this tale, a French architect named Sophie and an American ex-banker named Barry find themselves stranded on a small island after a plane crash. The only problem is that the uninhabited island is “some 2,359 miles from Hawaii, 4,622 miles from Chile, and 533 miles from the nearest living soul.”
This was an engaging tale from the beginning, and I read this in one sitting. Sophie and Barry are seemingly opposites at first glance but their need for each other to survive slowly allows their commonalities to shine through. The growth and dreams they exhibit are lovely. I particularly loved how these two communicated in both their highs and lows. And of course how and what they did to survive was fascinating in its own right.
The writing style of this novel was lovely. Interspersed with the story of survival are brief but beautiful glimpses into other places and times. Ye get the history of the island and the Polynesians who visited it. Ye get an idea of other castaways from the past. There is backstory of the doomed pilot and his mistakes that led to the present. These forays enriched the understanding and depth of the central story of Sophie and Barry. The eventual explanation and unfolding of the meaning of the novel’s title was mesmerizing and heart-wrenching.
I am so very glad to have this novel imprinted on me heart. Truly me words are inadequate.
So lastly . . .
Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Thomas Dunne Books!
I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for me thoughts. Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys!
the girl with all the gifts (M.R. Carey)
This book was a terrific sci-fi thriller that once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. The story stars Melanie, a brilliant young girl that everyone is terrified of. I could get into the whys of it, but of course then the discovery would be spoiled. Though I wish I could discuss all the details with ye because I loved it so.
Let us just say that the book is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the United Kingdom. The story is told from multiple points of view. The main character is weird, surprising, interesting, and thoughtful. All the characters were extremely well written. My opinions of them kept shifting throughout the book which was awesome. Part of that was the plot and the other part was when due to the switch of getting another character’s perspective. Melanie’s relationship with Ms. Justineau seems to be the heart of the story. Though this story has love, it is certainly no picnic. And the ending just about broke my heart. Wonderful magical ending but so not what I expected. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book if you haven’t. It’s just that good.
Side note: It’s being made into a film. Who knew . . .
If ye liked me review see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
the girl with all the gifts (M.R. Carey)
This book was a terrific sci-fi thriller that once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. The story stars Melanie, a brilliant young girl that everyone is terrified of. I could get into the whys of it, but of course then the discovery would be spoiled. Though I wish I could discuss all the details with ye because I loved it so.
Let us just say that the book is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the United Kingdom. The story is told from multiple points of view. The main character is weird, surprising, interesting, and thoughtful. All the characters were extremely well written. My opinions of them kept shifting throughout the book which was awesome. Part of that was the plot and the other part was when due to the switch of getting another character’s perspective. Melanie’s relationship with Ms. Justineau seems to be the heart of the story. Though this story has love, it is certainly no picnic. And the ending just about broke my heart. Wonderful magical ending but so not what I expected. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book if you haven’t. It’s just that good.
Side note: It’s being made into a film. Who knew . . .
If ye liked me review see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
I found this book to be even more compelling than me last read by Mr. Carey. This yarn be what I call a companion novel to, the girl with all the gifts. In me mind, it be a sequel but certainly can stand on its own.
This was a roller-coaster of a ride. This novel also takes place in Britain during the end of days but follows a different group than the previous book - a scientific exploration team. A mixed group of scientists and military personal are riding in an armored tank named Rosie. Humanity is dying out and the group is out to collect samples that have been left in the field to hopefully find the clue to survival. Of course, nothing goes as planned . . .
This team consists of twelve people. One of the best things about both novels are the fascinating characters. In particular, I fell in love with both Rina and Stephen. Stephen is a young brilliant scientist who everyone dismisses as a useless child because of his age and autism. Rina is his friend and fellow scientist who is one of the only folks to recognize his potential. Like the relationship of Melanie and Ms. Justineau in the previous novel, the thoughts and feelings of Stephen and Rina drive much of the enjoyment.
Though there is plenty of other enjoyment to be had. Whether it involves the breakdown of interpersonal relationships, politics, or dealing with ambushing hungries, I didn't want to put this one down. I suggest ye pick up either of the two novels and fall in love with Mr. Carey's stories and characters. I will certainly be reading more of his work, starting with fellside.
Side note: Any one seen the film of the first novel?
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Orbit Books!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
I found this book to be even more compelling than me last read by Mr. Carey. This yarn be what I call a companion novel to, the girl with all the gifts. In me mind, it be a sequel but certainly can stand on its own.
This was a roller-coaster of a ride. This novel also takes place in Britain during the end of days but follows a different group than the previous book - a scientific exploration team. A mixed group of scientists and military personal are riding in an armored tank named Rosie. Humanity is dying out and the group is out to collect samples that have been left in the field to hopefully find the clue to survival. Of course, nothing goes as planned . . .
This team consists of twelve people. One of the best things about both novels are the fascinating characters. In particular, I fell in love with both Rina and Stephen. Stephen is a young brilliant scientist who everyone dismisses as a useless child because of his age and autism. Rina is his friend and fellow scientist who is one of the only folks to recognize his potential. Like the relationship of Melanie and Ms. Justineau in the previous novel, the thoughts and feelings of Stephen and Rina drive much of the enjoyment.
Though there is plenty of other enjoyment to be had. Whether it involves the breakdown of interpersonal relationships, politics, or dealing with ambushing hungries, I didn't want to put this one down. I suggest ye pick up either of the two novels and fall in love with Mr. Carey's stories and characters. I will certainly be reading more of his work, starting with fellside.
Side note: Any one seen the film of the first novel?
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Orbit Books!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/