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 had previously read and enjoyed Carrie Vaughn's young adult sci-fi novel, martians abroad. When I saw that she had a dystopian murder mystery sci-fi coming out, I was excited to read it. And it exceeded me expectations.

The story is set "after the fall" in the coastal United States. The coast has flooded. Cities have fallen. The world is slowly rebuilding. The novel follows Enid, a young Investigator who helps police the towns along the Coastal Road. That job involves anything from helping people in the aftermath of storms, settling disputes, or in this case, investigating an extremely rare potential murder.

This book totally worked for me based on the strength of the world-building and Enid's character. It was a thrilling character study of one person living at the beginnings of a new era. The people in Enid's part of the world have been rebuilding through generations in an agrarian society where people live in structured households and must earn the right to bear children. Going against the norms are frowned upon because no one wants to repeat the mistakes of the past. When an outcast in another town is found dead, an investigation is requested. Enid takes the lead on her first major case where the stakes keep getting higher.

Now the murder mystery was a fun background but is not the true point of the story. This novel is really structured around Enid's life both past and present. This involves the fantastic use of flashbacks that help the reader understand some of the reasons Enid chooses to take the steps she does in the solving the crime. Enid is inherently curious and wants to be helpful. Because of the fall, society has lost so much knowledge. While the rest of the people seem to be focused on the future, Enid ponders both the past and the present. This is a dystopian with an optimistic outlook. I would love to have Enid on me crew.

I enjoyed the glimpses into why the world fell, the societies that exist outside the coastal road, the seemingly realistic mix of old technologies and new, the strong place of women in society, and above all watching Enid's journey. I will certainly be reading more of this author's work.

So lastly . . .

Thank you John Joseph Adams / Mariner Books!

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

So mateys, why should ye check out this book? Because it is a fun romp of a tale about time travel and a female Robin Hood! Sign me up. As usual the cover first drew me interest. Kick-ass girl with bow? Sign me up. I also like the target vibe going on. And I am so glad I read it. It is light and silly and fun watching Ellie set the Robin Hood myth into action. I thought she was a great character - spunky and intelligent.

The secondary characters of Sir Henry and Sir James were fun to read about also. I enjoyed their animosity towards each other. Another great character was the young boy, Much, who helpfully is related to practically everyone in Nottingham and surrounding environs. He is also sweet and endearing. Eleanor of Aquitane also makes an appearance too.

I had a few problems with the book that stemmed from the anachronistic elements of the story that the other characters seemed to just accept. Ellie being a girl for one. I suspended disbelief for this one. Other things like sneakers and passports I had slightly more problems with. But overall, once I stopped being so critical, I found even this silliness to be enjoyable.

Oh and also I learned an awesome fact from reading this book - where the word sheriff comes from - "shire-reeve" Further research led me to this fact: "The Anglo-Saxon word for chief was gerefa, later shortened to reeve. During the next two centuries, groups of hundreds banded together to form a new, higher unit of government called the shire. The shire was the forerunner of the modern county. Each shire had a chief (reeve) as well, and the more powerful official became known as a shire-reeve. The word shire-reeve became the modern English word sheriff - the chief of the county. The sheriff maintained law and order within his own county with the assistance of the citizens."

I have to admit that I kept picturing the sheriff in this novel to be Alan Rickman's version in Robin Hood: Price of Thieves. Because Alan Rickman makes everything better. Anyways if ye want a quick paced retelling then give this one a try . . .

Side note: The author has a fun post on her website showing showing photos and telling stories from her trip to THE Nottingham. Ye should check it out.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Random House / Delacorte Books!

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Ahoy there me mateys! While drawin' up me lists of 2016 for me log, I realized a curious thing - out of 134 books read, not a single one was a re-read. In me enthusiasm of discovery and taking suggestions from me crew, I did not revisit a single old port for plunder! And part of what I love about readin' is re-visitin' old friends. So I decided to remedy that in this here new(ish) year and thus created me new category where I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin' it again . . .

This was an old favorite from back when I was a wee youngster. I am not completely sure which edition I first read but I do remember that it had the illustrations by Tasha Tudor from the 1960s (as did the secret garden). The copy I eventually purchased had her illustrations as well.

I made the mistake of lending me copy many many long years back to a young lass so she could experience the magic. And then never got it back! I could only hope she couldn't part with it because she loved it so. Then earlier this year at a Friends of the Library sale, I found an excellent pristine copy and swooped it up with glee.

Then came the day to revisit this old companion. Ye see I had not read this book since me copy was commandeered and I was looking forward to seeing if I loved it as much as me memory suggested. The answer is an astoundingly yes! Arrr!!

I still adore this book. The reading had the wonderful nostalgia of rediscovering details of the story as well as the perspective of seeing Sara's journey through me eyes of an older jaded salty dog. I found Sara to be just as I remembered - compassionate, intelligent, and imaginative. I still loved the secondary characters of Becky and Ermengarde. I adored the lady who sold hot buns. The riches to rags story still appeals heartily. I loved Sara's treatment of everyone in spite of her circumstances. She is polite, hardworking, and caring.

The part I found odd was the portrayal of the role of the adults in Sara's life. So many people see Sara as a starving ragamuffin and yet don't help her. Underclass poor children are depicted as savages as though it's their own faults that they have no money or education. So many people outside of Ms. Minchin's school see and comment on poor Sara's state and yet she is not helped throughout most of the book except by a small compassionate child. Now granted there would be no story if the adults helped her. But it is odd that these children were left to rot. Of course the author had her own riches to rags story growing up so I can only assume that it influences this work.

But despite the larger thoughts of child poverty, I still felt the magic of Sara's story and gobbled up this book. I only hope that I don't wait so long for a re-read the next time.

Side note: I have fond memories of the 1996 movie though I haven't seen it in forever. And the Broadway musical sucks.

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Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings. If ye haven’t read the first book in this series, age of myth, 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 . . .

So I be lucky again! Arrrr! Ye see a ways back in time, I won me first ever book from Goodreads Giveways, which happened to be the first book in this series: age of myth. It was also me first experience reading the works of Mr. Sullivan. The novel was one of the best books I read in 2016 and I adored it. So then when I saw book two on NetGalley I requested it and the publisher said yes! Arrrr!

The only problem was finding an uninterrupted day where I could lock meself in me cabin with the understanding that anyone who bothered me was going to be run through by me cutlass! But of course being Captain, I recently had me heart's desire and read this gem in one sitting. It be first-rate.

The highlight fer me was how this story continued to portray strong female characters. While there are side stories in this novel, the main action involved me favorite women from the first novel including, but not limited to, Suri, Persephone, Moya, Brin, Roan, and Arion. In fact this group is a powerhouse of different strengths and talents who work together and trust each other. Empowering and awesome. Many of the men sit back on the sidelines arguing and accomplishing nothing. Made me laugh. Of course not all of the male characters are pointless. We get to see me other male favorites like Raithe and Gifford as well. There are a quite a few new characters introduced that I know I will enjoy discovering in later books.

The storytelling overall was full of action and the time spent reading whirled right by. I was completely enthralled for 99.99% of the novel. I perhaps even shed more than a few salty tears. There were only a few quirks that made this novel slightly less fun than the first.

One was the point of view chapters of Mawyndule. He is a hateful, spoiled, annoying brat. While I understand his existence, his naivete and attitude made me sigh when I had to hear what was inside his head again. I would love to make him walk the plank and then be eaten by treacherous sharks with the remainder of him sunk to the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker never to be heard from again.

The other minor problem was that a large portion of the book took place in what felt like the mines of Moria with the Balrog. As I read that famous trilogy every year for 16 years, it took me a little bit to shake the sensation of deja vu. I decided in me head that it was deliberate homage and got over it. Besides even though it is an epic fantasy, the characters are me true joy and I loved watching the consequences of their choices whether it be heartbreak or growth.

This is not to say that the plot, politics, world building, magic, and other elements of the story don't float me boat. They did. Plus the ending was delightfully foreshadowy. I loved this novel and already know I want the other four. The author suspects we might be able to get our hands on the rest of the series on an accelerated schedule. Arrrr!

Side note: for an excellent breakdown of the different series by Michael Sullivan and his advice for reading same, check out this page on his website.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Del Ray!

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Ahoy there me mateys! This book is a retelling of Cinderella where the main character is mechanically inclined. There are magicical fae elements, steampunk elements, and classic fairytale elements. Overall I thought this was a very entertaining read with more positives than negatives.

Our Cinderella is this version is Mechanica. She is intelligent, hardworking, a voracious reader, and has big dreams for the future. In particular I loved how the combination of magic and machinery is used to clean the house and deal with the demands of the evil stepmother and the “Steps.” I also adored the tiny mechanical horse named Jules and the other mechanical creatures that are her friends. The world-building was fun and the twisting of classical fairytale elements was lovely.

The introduction to the world through the middle of the novel were the best parts. For me, the problems began when the love interest was introduced. I mean of course he is the prince and the blurb makes it clear that the ending is not a fairytale romance. But the setup for the story and Mechanica’s discovery of the workshop and inventions were the fun parts. Mechanica’s conflict over her love interest and the “resolution” of her relationship problems were kinda irksome. It was a rather odd version of a love triangle. I didn’t hate the ending; I just wanted Mechanica’s relationships with her friends to have gone in a different direction.

That said I am glad I read it and I do believe at some point I will read the sequel if it arrives in a local library at whatever port I find meself in.

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

This book caught me eye because of the premise and the comparisons to the giver and fahrenheit 451. I loved the concept. It takes place in post-apocalyptic America. Climate change has caused the sea levels to rise. The community of Ark is one of the last places where humans survive.

This village is controlled in every way by its founder, John Noa. One of the ways in which the population is controlled is through language. There are 700 sanctioned words on The List. Because if ye can’t express a concept then ye can’t act on it, right? The only people who have access to more words are the leaders and the local Wordsmith (kind of a living dictionary and the keeper of more complex words). For example, if a person learns a trade, like carpentry, then that person is allowed to learn additional words (like 25 or so) relating specifically to that task. Use words outside The List too often and face banishment or worse.

The story centers around Letta, the Wordsmith’s apprentice. The master wordsmith goes off on an errand, leaving Letta in charge. Circumstances ensue which cause Letta to confront everything she has ever believed to be true.

While the concept was fascinating, the execution did not, to me mind, do it justice. It was a far cry from the two favorite books it had been compared to. For one thing, the use of language by Letta just seemed too complex. The List was hardly used at all in the author’s writing. Letta’s thoughts involve words like cerulean, pineapple, etc. despite having never seen pictures. How can you truly understand the words without a real frame of reference – especially with such a limited List to try and explain them. It would have been more interesting to me if the entire beginning of the novel had been put together only using List and got more complicated as Letta’s understanding of Ark grew more complex.

Also the plot was sort of meandering. Letta makes extremely stupid mistakes to set up future plot points. For all of her learning, Letta just seemed helpless, unintelligent, and clueless. There is a type of insta-love connection between her and the non-Ark boy she helps. People sneak in and out of her house so easily that the guards are practically non-existent or just that plain dumb. The flow of the story was just not to me taste. The characters also seemed poorly developed and rather simplistic. Overall I would like to see this concept tackled in another way.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Sourcebooks Jabberwocky!

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Ahoy there me mateys! Me nephew recommended this one to me. It happens to be one of his summer vacation reads. He said it was both very good and short. This amounts to a very high recommendation from him. So I thought I would give it a shot even though I didn’t know what it was about. I thought it was a sci-fi judging just by the title. Nope. It’s a young adult coming of age story.

I have to say that overall I thought this was highly compelling. It involves Ponyboy (yes, really) who belongs to a gang of “greasers.” He is being raised by his older brothers. His gang fights with the Socs (pronounced SOSH-es) who are the rich boys from the other side of town. The thing is, Ponyboy is only fourteen, rather intelligent, and sensitive. As the fighting ratchets up, there are some serious consequences that cause Ponyboy to mature and change his view on life.

This book gave me the feel of catcher in the rye or a separate peace even though the circumstances and writing of the three are very different. Perhaps it is because they were written around the same decade. Of those three, I do prefer a separate piece. That said, the outsiders has some truly memorable characters and some very heartwarming relationships. It grabbed me attention and didn’t let go until the final page.

I found Ponyboy to be a loving, thoughtful, and rather insightful person. Even though he hangs out with “hoods,” he isn’t quite one of them. He watches sunsets, reads books, and doesn’t mind being a loner most of the time. I particularly loved his relationship with Johnny. It was sweet and sorrowful. Actually Johnny was a mascot for the whole gang in a good way. Though Johnny’s life was particularly hard, his friends cherished him despite their hard exteriors. This allowed for the reader to see the gang’s softer side.

While the plot is engaging, it is Ponyboy’s commentary and viewpoints that are the foundation of the enjoyment of the book. I can see why it is considered a classic and I be grateful to me nephew for recommending this one. So I pass along the recommendation to me crew . . .

Side note: I did not know that this novel was written by a sixteen year old girl back in 1967. She received the contract for the book on graduation day. Cool, huh? Also I have never seen the movie though it has quite the cast.

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

So as usual the cover drew me in. And the premise is quite fun. A girl accidentally finds a room in a neighbor’s house that contains matryoshka (nesting) dolls. The catch is that there is one painted to look like every villager. Why is there a doll painted with her face? This glimpse leads her to be drawn into the mystery of her neighbor Slava’s world. He wants her to be the next caretaker of the dolls and their magic. The catch is that for every one of her dolls that she opens, serious consequences occur that expose her to the truth she doesn’t know how to handle.

I liked the ideas in this book but unfortunately the writing does not do them justice. The main character, Matrona, is 26 but acts like a very immature twelve year old. She is more concerned with her worry over not being loved by her betrothed and going through with her arranged marriage then the problems of the village being controlled by Slava. At the same time, she has a crush on another neighbor from a less prosperous family and waffles about that too. Her naivete grew tiresome.

All of the characters seemed flat, Matrona included. I understand magic is involved but everyone seemed like inhuman cardboard cutouts. I would have liked full fleshed out people.

While the first two consequences of Matrona’s dolls were especially interesting, the plot was confusing overall. There were periods of intense information dropping, especially in the beginning, and then other parts where nothing happened. There are entire sections with Matrona wandering around the village waffling over her love life. Her love interest falls in love with her in just a week. Part of the action was delayed because there were 3 day gaps between opening the next doll. The villain didn’t really do anything other than intimidate Matrona and disappears for entire sections of the book so that Matrona can do something to further the plot.

Then Matrona has a vision in Chapter 16 / 73% in and the book had a sharp decline that lasted through the end. The explanations for the mystery of the dolls and Matrona’s decisions and methods in fighting back were so lackluster. I was so close to the end at that point that I finished so I could see how the author chose to resolve the issues. Again interesting concepts but poor execution.

I seem to be in the minority so far with this opinion so take it with a grain of sea salt. If ye chose to read it, I hope ye like it far better than I. I just know I won’t be readin’ another book by this author.

So lastly . . .

Thank you 47North!

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