Ahoy there me mateys! When I last read a book by this author, I was reminded that I had never read his debut novel. In fact, it was the only one I hadn’t read. That oversight had to be remedied. Apparently this novel was a finalist for both the Locus Award for Best First Novel and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best SF Novel. So I finally snatched up a copy and loved it!

At the start of the novel, the United States is in the midst of an extreme economic depression with unemployment hovering at 40%. To put this in perspective the highest period of unemployment to date in the U.S. was 25% in 1933.

At the start, the protagonist, Jasper, is an out of work, homeless sociologist who is traveling with his “tribe.” The tribe is a random collection of folks who are helping each other out while waiting for society to improve. And for Jasper and certain members of his tribe, life does seem to get better in small increments. But what happens when the apocalypse doesn’t arrive in one large explosion but rather in small seemingly incremental changes?

Well ye get this delight of a book. It takes place over 10 years. We follow Jasper and through his eyes watch the world slowly crumble. Bad things happen. People adapt. Jasper’s life improves. More bad things happen. Jasper’s life gets worse. There is action in this book but it is a slow burn of overall destruction.

While watching the consequences of the world slowly imploding, ye get to see Jasper’s relationships and personality evolve and his ideas on love and survival change. This book takes place mostly in and around the environs of Savannah. The author certainly seemed extremely familiar with the area. I adored the format, the writing, the characters, and well, everything.

As usual if ye haven’t read anything by the author, I suggest ye hoist those sails and get moving!

Side note: While researching fer this blog, I discovered that Mr. McIntosh had a book come out in June and has another coming out in October! Arrrrr!!! I must get me hands on the booty!

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

I found out about this novel from a member of me hearty crew. I had recently finished castle of water about plane crash survivors on a deserted island, and I loved it. So when I read Liz's review and praise about a YA novel where a plane crashes in the Amazon and there is a sole survivor I added it to me list. Imagine me surprise when the author read me comment and offered me a copy. Arrrrr!

I am so very glad he did. This book was a thrilling look into the story of the sole survivor, Emily. Now the book begins with Emily in a hospital bed. So ye know that she makes it. Her story is partially told through the use of her journal. At first I thought this juxtaposition between the present and tales of Emily's past would spoil the sense of suspense. Little did I know that instead these slips back and forth in time added to the drama.

The survivors of the crash (all six of them teens of course!) have history between them. And not all of it is good. Their lives back home have direct consequences on how they treat each other in the jungle and the choices they make towards their ultimate survival. Whether we were dealing with Emily's thoughts about "normal" school life, the chaos in the jungle, or with Emily's present thoughts, each part was engaging. Somehow each switch felt perfect in the moment.

I loved reading about the relationships between all the characters. I loved that I would change me thoughts back and forth about their behavior as I read. I would love Emily one moment and want to strangle her in the next. The relationship between Emily and her best friend Viv was of particular interest. The suspense was wonderful, the pace was quick, and the plot twists super fun. Even the cliche aspects that I normally dislike (student/teacher romantic relationship - ugh) somehow were turned into plot points that became fascinating. And that ending! Divine.

I truly enjoyed this novel and think its a great read. I recommend it to any of me crew.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Matey Morris!

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Ahoy there mateys! This being Banned Books Week and having just finished a historical fiction about witchcraft in England, I thought it be high time to read the beloved favorite. I reread this in one delightful sitting.

This book is a young adult historical fiction about a girl named Katherine, i.e. Kit, who is forced to leave her home in Barbados and move to Connecticut to live with her Aunt and Uncle. She goes from a care-free rich island lifestyle to a hard-working Puritan one in America. It is a tale about growing up, change, and family. And it has witchcraft. Or better yet it doesn’t.

The two people accused of witchcraft in the book are not witches. However this book has been banned because of promoting witchcraft and violence. Huh? What is shown instead are the consequences of gossiping, fear, and ignorance. The book dispels the notions of witchcraft using proper proof. Instead the book promotes hard work, good relationships, and education. I find the idea of banning this book to be ludicrous.

The book certainly stood up to the passage of time and I found meself happily rediscovering old details that had been clouded over. Kit is strong, intelligent, and above all changes for the better. The other characters are equally well drawn and compelling. I love that Kit is challenged over her ideas of politics, religion, slavery, and class. It is still fast paced and engrossing. The love and friendships and bonds formed by Kit and her family and neighbors made me happy. I also think credit goes to this novel for teaching me to call kittens “tiny balls of fluff.” I believe that it completely deserved winning the Newbery Medal of Honor.

If ye haven’t read this one then hoist those sails and get moving!

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Ahoy there me mateys! This young adult novel caught me eye because many many crew members wouldn't stop talking about how good it was. I have been meaning to read a Seanan McGuire book because I loved her Newsflesh trilogy that she wrote under the name Mira Grant. Plus this novella won all those awards!

So I read this novella and found it to be absolutely stunning. I have to admit that the style took a wee bit to get used to but then I grew to love the worldbuilding, writing style, diverse characters, and just well everything. I don't even know how to adequately explain this one and frankly think it is better to go into this story blind as I did. I don't have the words.

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

I was perusing fer treasure as I do and I came across this. I previously read poison and charm by this author and truly enjoyed her writing style. So when I saw she had a young adult thriller me curiosity was piqued. Luckily I managed to snag a copy.

The book begins with a girl in the process of drowning. This girl, Hannah, is found by a passerby and is subsequently saved but not before being dead for 13 minutes. She wakes with amnesia and begins to unravel how she ended up in the river and who wants her dead. She trusts no one and so enlists the help of her former best friend, Becca, to figure out what happened.

This book kinda reminded me of the movie "Mean Girls" with some murder mystery thrown it. The chapters in the novel changed perspectives though the majority of it is told through Becca's point of view. Add in a sprinkling of text messages and other documents that give the reader clues that add excitement but certainly still kept me guessing.

I found meself enthralled with this book. I read this in one evening and actually stayed up into the wee hours of the morn readin' in me bunk because I had to know how it ended. It was a bit of a roller coaster actually. I found meself changing me mind about the perpetrator, which girl involved I sympathized with the most, which girl I wanted to stab through with me cutlass, etc.

One of me favorite bits was the tie-in to the crucible because I stage managed the show back in the day and therefore am very familiar with it. The layering of those themes was lovely. What made this a slightly less fun story was the last chapter which annoyed me and an "aha" moment that involved a grownup reminiscing. I was however entertained by the teens perspectives on how useless grown-ups were. I am very glad I never had friends that nasty or teenage apathy and angst that strong.

In any case, this was a super fun read that was outside of me normal young adult fantasy and sci-fi fare. I certainly will read more of this author's work.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Flatiron Books!

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Ahoy there me mateys! I absolutely loved the author's Bartimaeus trilogy + 1. I could gush about these books all day but I am on tight schedule so another day mehaps. I hadn't known about this series for some unknown and presumably silly reason so when NetGalley offered me the chance to read the first book I of course said Aye!! It is listed as a middle-grade but bah! I don't put age limits on things.

This was the perfect read for the beginning of Spooktober. Ghosts! The story is set in England where several decades ago the Problem began. Paranormal phenomenon became widespread. The catch is that only children and young adults can see and deal with the unsavories. Society has adapted and agencies have sprung up to deal with the problems.

Lucy Carlyle is one such ghost hunter. She has traveled to London to find work at a new agency. However her past is getting in the way and so she ends up working for a bottom of the barrel agency run by Lockwood. It is an agency run by teens with no adult supervision. Mistakes and chaos abound. Lockwood & Co. mess up big time and discover an unsolved murder mystery case. With the firm in peril, the agency gets a chance at redemption with one of the most haunted houses around. Will they survive?

That was one of the items I liked best - that ye can learn from and improve upon past mistakes. I also loved the relationships between the three ghost hunters, the wonderful atmospheric writing, the sophisticated world building, and the engrossing storyline. I had to know what happened next. While the murder mystery villain was extremely predictable I still had fun watching the case unfold. And the haunted house was just plain awesome. I actually got tingles. I highly recommend this one for readers of any age.

Side note: Apparently the fifth and final book of this series was just released in September! I think I may try to read the other four this month if I can track them down. Challenge accepted! ::brandishes cutlass:: Arrrr!

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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings. Arrrrr!

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

The first and only book I have read up to this point by Elizabeth Bear was karen memory way back in the days before I had a blog. And I adored it. So when I heard she was releasing the first book in a new trilogy I just had to have it. I starting reading this one in me bunk as day was turning to dusk and I didn’t finish it until night was turning into dawn. No sleep for me! But it was so worth it. The book completely and utterly fit me mood in that moment. I do so love when that happens.

The story starts out with two people in a caravan trying to get to their destination in order to deliver the message of utmost importance entrusted to them. One is a brass automaton who once was human. The other is a human called the Dead Man who was a body guard for a ruler who no longer exists. I adored their friendship. Later add in an odd priest and many highly unique strong female rulers. Plus light politics, intrigue and fantastic character relationships.

The beginning was an explosive entry into the world and while the pace slowed a little after that, I was obviously engrossed. The world building is fantastic, the characters are extremely diverse, and I couldn’t guess many of the plot twists. The relationships between characters stood out for me and I loved getting further hints into backstories and motivations as I read. The only small quibble that I had was there were some insta-lust-ish relationships and a sex scene that was rather abrupt and unnecessary. I didn’t hate it but would have preferred these things to have been removed or handled differently. That said I would recommend this book to fantasy readers and am keeping details of plot on the down low so readers can make their own journeys into the Lotus Kingdoms. I certainly will be reading the next book in the trilogy. I just don’t want to have to wait so long.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!

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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 . . .

The stunning cover is what originally drew me in. Then the first line of the blurb was "for fans of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender." I loved that book so the comparison drew me in further. Then I discovered it is about five teens who go on a treasure hunt on the mysterious Gray Wolf Island. Treasure! Adventure! Islands! Maps! Magical realism! Arrrrrrr!

I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. The magical realism in this novel was a lot more subtle than in ava lavender and I loved it. The opening chapter is one of the best set-ups for a story I have read in a very long time. I was immediately sucked into the story and entranced. The main character, Ruby, loses her twin sister Sadie. Ruby was Sadie's shadow and is lost without her sister. But before she died, Sadie made Ruby promise to complete one unfinished quest - to find the treasure.

One of the greatest choices of the book was that Ruby is the reluctant treasure hunter. Her sister was her treasure and now is gone. Ruby has survivor's guilt and feels strangled by her promise. But she eventually feels compelled to see it through. Unfortunately this means that she has to have assistance and Ruby is not a people person. One "helpful" teen brings friends and Ruby finds she needs them all. Each teen also has a secret and the island demands the truth in exchange for survival.

I absolutely fell in love with the characters. All five teens were uniquely drawn and interesting. Also the many adults in the novel also had distinct personalities and actually cared about the teens. Refreshing. While I love a treasure hunt, the friendships portrayed in the novel become the true focus. I cannot even adequately explain the love I feel for these teens and how absolutely delightful it was to watch them grow and interact with each other.

The mythos of the island were captivating and rich in detail. The treasure hunt details were well wrought and suspenseful. The only problem I had was with a sideline story about Cooper. It tied in well and is seemingly explained but I think I missed a crucial detail and so am a bit confused. Small detail though. Maybe one of me crew can explain it to me one day.

Bottom line - fabulous read so check it out.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Random House Children's and Knopf Books for Young Readers!

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Ahoy there mateys! This was a random find in a local library that I just had to pick up. Why? Because I love post-apocalyptic stories that deal with climate change. As the title suggests, this one deals with flooding. The bonus was that it was written by a British writer. I love to read other countries takes on climate change.

Side note: This book was referenced as Cli-Fi in an article. That term cracks me up!

The story centers around Roza Polanski and her family living in an abandoned building in Birmingham. A virus has devastated the population and flooding has led to the ruination of most population centers. There is a small government in Brighton. Having been there, this fact entertained me to no end. Technology is slowly failing due to lack of maintenance and the number of people is in steady decline due to virus related fertility issues. The people that do exist are in the later stages of life and there are not many children or teens.

Roza's parents are one of the few couples to remain fertile and had four children. Her childhood is a seemingly happy one despite the family's isolation. The children are fed, loved, fairly healthy, educated, and safe. Roza is set to be married soon and life seems to be headed towards a hopeful future. However, one day a stranger named Aashay appears in their lives. His presence brings a fresh perspective on the state of the world to the Polanskis and leads them away from their isolation. But can they trust this stranger in their midst and retain their safety?

The world building was me favorite part of the novel. I loved the images of riding bikes on abandoned highways, how the flooding cycles through, the family's resourcefulness and intelligence, and above all the inter-family relationships. It was wonderful to see a family who was supportive and cared for each other.

The plot was more problematic for me. Aashay is charming and mysterious and not very forthcoming with his past. The family is seemingly charmed by him and suspicious of him the whole time. I got somewhat annoyed by the waffling which, to be fair, is a pet peeve of mine. There is some suspense in the second half of the novel which was extremely fun but overall the later portion of the book along with the ending was unsatisfying. Too many unanswered questions.

I was mostly confused by how an intelligent family could waffle so much about Aashay. Can charm really go that far? Well apparently the author wrote about that based on her own experiences. An article from The Independent says "Take Aashay Kent, the novel’s ambiguous male lead and dead-ringer for Epstein’s Lucifer. 'I became interested in the concept of charm,' Morrall says, offering as an example one of her daughter’s ex-boyfriends. 'One in particular was quite an intriguing man we were all charmed by. Then you realise, bit by bit, there was quite a nasty underside to him. Then he comes bouncing back with a great big grin. The bizarre thing is you know what you see is not the reality, and yet the way this charisma works is you are drawn back into it.'”

Very interesting. The novel was a solid read even if I had some problems with it. Ultimately I am glad I read this book and would read other works by the author.

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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, brother's ruin, 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 . . . . . .

It was excellent fun to get back to this next installment of Charlotte Gunn's story, and it was another quick read. Charlotte is asked by her brother, Ben, to visit in Manchester where he is currently studying and working in a mill. But it's not just a friendly family visit. Someone is sabotaging the mill and Ben needs Charlotte's help. Of course, Charlotte agrees because she is awesome and goes undercover to solve the case.

The mill was an interesting setting and I loved some of the new characters that were introduced. I enjoyed the mechanics of how the Royal Society of the Esoteric Arts's magic helps run and use the mill. I love Charlotte and Hopkins. Charlotte continues to struggle with her magic and the potential for going "Wild."

I personally would have preferred more character development and less naivete from Charlotte. I don't really like the developing love-triangle even though there was no question that it was going to happen from the very beginning. I would have loved more details and explanations of how the magic worked. That said, I was satisfied with how the novella ended and am interested in the tantalizing hints of what may happen next.

I certainly will be reading all the other books in this series and now consider Emma Newman an auto-buy author. Both her sci-fi and fantasy are great. So if ye haven't read any of her books, hoist those sails and get moving!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!

Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/