Ahoy there mateys! I bought this book back on 11/26/18 when I saw that the Kindle price had dropped to $1.99. I have been hearing good things about this series and so thought I would give it a shot. And turns out that I really enjoyed book one!

This book is a military sci-fi set in the year 2108. America is a commonwealth where the poor live in massive welfare cities where violence is the norm. Moving up in society is basically impossible. Andrew Grayson is one of the welfare rats who can’t help but dream of a different life. One of the ways to achieve his goal is a lottery ticket for a colony world in space. The odds are abysmal and the system might be rigged. The other is the military. Andrew’s test scores are good enough to earn him a slot in military boot camp. He just has to survive it.

I really, really enjoyed Andrew’s story. While Andrew can be self-absorbed, I was rooting for him from the beginning. I really liked the plausible version of the future envisioned by the author. This book isn’t a deep exploration of culture, politics, or morals but it is entertaining. Plus there be aliens! It is fluffy and fun and full of action. It was a quick read that completely held me attention and I read it in one sitting. I don’t have a lot to say about this book other than that.

The only real negative is that there are 5 more books in the series! Yikes. I will have to find time to read them all. Arrrr!

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It is time to abandon ship me mateys!

I so wanted to love this book and yet all I can say is meh. While I liked the main character, Sefia and her side-kick Archer, it was soooo boring. All Sefia basically did was wander around in the woods forever. I hate that trope in fantasy novels. Even the passages in the novel about pirates didn’t make me happy. And for this log, that is really saying something. This novel was so hyped and loved and here I am again with an unpopular opinion. I know I made it through more than half way but then let it sit. Then me rental expired. Then I waited for a while for it to be available. Then got it again. Then tried three more times to get back into it. Then it expired again with me having only explored another handful of pages. Bah! Pirates, assassins, magic, a book within a book, two somewhat interesting main characters, and yet no major plot to speak of. So abandoned it be.

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Ahoy there me mateys! So a recent theme for “Top Ten Tuesday” was “Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads.” I don’t tend to do memes here in me log but I love readin’ the posts by me crew. Especially when they be fun topics which lead me to unexpected treasures. One such gem was this delightful book recommended by Breanna @ paws&paperbacks. In her post she says:

"I hadn’t read this yet when I wrote my post on the least hyped books that released last year, but I’m glad I included it because I can now say after reading this, that it deserves so much more recognition than what it gets. This was an excellently executed fantasy: the perfect blend of adventure, mystery, a hint of romance, great writing, and dynamic characters. I’m so excited to read the companion novel set to release later this year!"

The premise is that the two child princes of St. John del Mar were kidnapped 18 years ago. Several adults also disappeared with no trace. One of them was the Royal Navigator. Elias, the Royal Navigator’s son, has followed in his missing father’s footsteps. He is set to go on his next grand adventure when a map turns up. This map is in his father’s hand and appears to hold the answers to the missing princes. Elias has to solve the riddle for the kingdom and his own satisfaction. This novel only has 857 ratings on Goodreads. I am happy to be adding one more. Seriously this book was excellent fun for the following reasons:

- Maps! I absolutely loved the culture of exploration and the sea. I loved how important maps are to the society. Plus the main map in this tale be part of a mystery. Arrr!

- The main character – I really enjoyed Elias. He be smart, conscientious, and interesting. Getting both his world-view and his reactions to the unfolding mystery were wonderful.

- The other characters – I particularly liked the king, his cousin, young Reyna, and the Brother. I thought it was wonderful that people made mistakes, didn’t always act as expected, and reacted realistically to the occurring events.

- The tone – This book is marketed as a young adult but doesn’t feel like one. Not that I dislike YA but the author didn’t tone down the story. For example, Elias is 19 and is considered an adult. He acts like one. I think older readers can find plenty to love about this book.

- The plot – While I did guess the bad guy and thought his justifications were rather lame, I did respect how the author did not take the story on a predictable path in terms of resolution. There were plenty of plot twists that I did not see coming and yet they were logical in retrospect. I thought it had a super strong ending in particular.

- The romance – I actually liked the romance in this. It was based in friendship and mutual admiration. Watching it unfold was sweet. No real angst was involved so that be a breath of fresh air.

I will certainly be reading the companion novel when it comes out later this year! Now Matey Breanna’s list included lots of other cool sounding books besides this one so make sure ye check them out!. Arrrr!

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

So killer machines and a human clone. That’s what got my attention. I generally find books about what happens when a person is cloned to be interesting. In this particular story, the woman who is cloned (Rhona) has two special circumstances: 1) her memory load was interrupted so she only has part of her first life and 2) who and what she was in that first life.

I really enjoyed a lot of the challenges that those two facts caused her to face. Sometimes memories are triggered when she sees someone and sometimes they are not. This juxtaposition of remembering fondness for someone while not remembering why she is fond of them is wonderful. I like that the character is struggling to deal with the partial memories and also changing in this newest incarnation of herself due to the circumstances she now finds herself in. It’s the whole nature v. nurture thing to some extent.

The questions of self that Rhona faced were my favorite part of the story for me. I was not as crazy about some of the plot points:

1. Of course Rhona and her old love have to learn how to deal with the new circumstances of her coming back from the dead. This was fun in lots of ways. What wasn’t fun was the inclusion of a love triangle in terms of how Rhona deals with her best friend Samuel. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the character of Samuel. The writing on the wall about who Rhona chooses just seemed to be obvious from the beginning and so the tension around Samuel just seemed unnecessary.

2. The world building was a little off to me in terms of the machinations of the machines themselves. For example why didn’t any of the enemy machines fly? Why didn’t they just create millions of them and overwhelm the humans when they did know where they were? I just wish I had a better understanding of why the machines made some of the choices they did. The machine stuff almost seemed like afterthoughts to the central plot i.e. Rhona being a clone.

3. While the plot against the machines was not what I was focused on, there were parts about it that irked me. Like old technology working “magically” when a character needed it. Think of how the U.S.S. Missouri museum worked in the movie Battleship with the help of veteran tour guides to save the world.

These quibbles aside, I really did have a fun time reading this one. And its e-book price of $2.99 is cheap enough that ye may want to give it a shot too.

Side note: I didn’t even know that Hydra is “Random House’s digital-only imprint focused on science fiction, fantasy, and horror titles.” Cool.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Hydra!

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

So ye scalawags, many of ye likely know about me first love, horses, before the sea stole me heart.  So of course I was also obsessed with unicorns, too.  Peter S. Beagle's, the last unicorn is one of me favourite books along with the joyful animated movie of the same name.  So when I saw that there be a new unicorn anthology out, I knew I had to read it.  Many of these stories have appeared in other places and were not new to me.  For me this anthology was uneven.  But I do have several from this collection that are now new favourites:

“The Magical Properties of Unicorn Ivory” (Carlos Hernandez) - I absolutely loved this reporter's article of the first time she gets to see a unicorn in the wild.  The ending was unexpected and poignant.  Beautiful

“The Brew” (Karen Joy Fowler) - This is about what happens when ye brew something using unicorn horn and how the mixture changes the life of two young teens.  The use of memory in this story was lovely.  Apparently this story was in immortal unicorn volume 2 but I don't remember reading it back then.  Glad to be reintroduced.

Falling Off the Unicorn” (David D. Levine and Sara A. Mueller) - This story is about an older teen riding the unicorn show circuit at the top level.  It explores the main character, Missy's, conflicting relationship with the sport.  Plus there is a lovely romance.

“A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait” (Carrie Vaughn) - I love other works by this author but this story just gave me the creeps and I did not like it.  It is a sensual look at the use of a young virgin as bait, hunting unicorns, and the changing relationship between the hunter and his bait.  Ugh.

“Ghost Town” (Jack C. Haldeman II) - This was so good.  It is about a guy who ends up in the middle of nowhere and what he discovers about himself in this ghost town.  Bascially a lovely story about turning points and life-defining choices.

“A Thousand Flowers” (Margo Lanagan) - I previously read this story in zombies vs. unicorns.  This was still a miss for me.  I actually enjoyed the writing style immensely and was drawn into the mystery.  But the plot faltered, narrators changed, and the beastiality in this was not to me taste.

“The Maltese Unicorn” (Caitlín R. Kiernan) - This is set in New York City in May of 1935.  The main character works for a mob boss who happens to be a demon.  The unicorn in this is a dildo of power.  I could have done without the sex scene but I did like the worldbuilding.  Just weird.

“Stampede of Light” (Marina Fitch) - I loved this story!  This is the tale of what happens to lost children and the teachers who make a difference.  I thought the unicorns in this were awesome.  This may have been me favourite of the collection.

“The Highest Justice” (Garth Nix) - This was another story from zombies vs. unicorns.  I loved rereading it. It deals with a dead queen, her daughter, and a unicorn who helps out.

“The Lion and the Unicorn” (A. C. Wise) - This was an odd story that I didn't like.  The unicorn and lion are trapped as slaves.  The lion is trying to escape. The unicorn is basically used for sex via rape.  It was an uncomfortable story.

“Survivor” (Dave Smeds) - I read this story in immortal unicorn volume 2.  The unicorn is a tattoo with unexpected consequences.  I enjoyed rereading this one.

"Homeward Bound" (Bruce Coville) - This was another miss for me.  I usually like Coville's writing but I didn't connect with this story at all.

“Unicorn Triangle” (Patricia A. McKillip) - I am not a McKillip fan so this one was bound to not be for me.  But I found that I did love the beginning up to the half-way point before it bombed.  I consider that a win.

“My Son Heydari and the Karkadann” (Peter S. Beagle) - I enjoyed this story about unicorns in Persia.  The unicorns hate elephants.  Humans hate the unicorns.  This be the story of what happens when a young boy tries to help one of the beasts.

"The Transfigured Hart" (Jane Yolen) - Tachyon Publications previously released this story as a novella which I adored.  See that review here!

“Unicorn Series” (Nancy Springer) - This is a poem in eight parts.  I don't really get poetry but thought this was pleasant enough.

Out of the 16 stories I liked 6 of the new ones and still loved 3 of the tales known previously.  I didn't like 6 of the new ones and 1 previously read before.  So about half of this collection floated me boat.  In addition to the stories, there is also a lovely introduction by Peter S. Beagle on what it be like to be known as the "unicorn guy".  If ye haven't read any of these stories previously then I do think this could be a good place to start.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .Thank you Tachyon Publications!

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Ahoy there mateys! For those new to me crew, this be a category for those novels whose stories of acquisition be strange and unusual – like the time someone commandeered me 12 pages! There be a tale to tell on how I got me grubby mitts on this one . . .

Ye see I finally settled in to read what I believed to be a fantasy book. I didn‘t remember the cover and didn’t want to spoil things by rereading the blurb so I picked it up because of the title. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the seven husbands. But after a little bit of readin’ I was waiting for the time-travel. Where was it? Turns out I was reading the wrong book!

Instead of a murder mystery with fantasy-type time travel, I got a wonderful historical fiction about the golden age of Hollywood with a LGBT twist! Apparently, what I meant to read was a book called the seven deaths of evelyn hardcastle. Similar titles, hence the confusion. While for a brief time I was confused by the lack of fantasy, I quickly mentally shrugged and became completely enthralled by the story I was reading.

Turns out the book I did read was the story of Evelyn Hugo, a movie star, who spent most of her life in the glare of the spotlight where every portion of her life was fodder for the press and fans. However in mid-life, Evelyn abruptly gives up Hollywood. Everyone wants to know why. In the present, a writer named Monique, is working her way up the ladder in journalism. So when Evelyn Hugo requests this little-known writer to write her tell-all biography about what really occurred in those relationships with the seven husbands and why she departed from fame, everyone is surprised. Especially Monique. Why did Evelyn pick her and what are the secrets she has been hiding?

I found Evelyn’s story to be fascinating. I loved the take on old Hollywood and the studio system. I loved Evelyn’s mix of audacity and cunning. I felt like I was reading about a combination of some of the Hollywood greats like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Rita Hayworth mixed together with someone like Meryl Streep. I loved the difference between the “truth” of the papers and what actually happened. It wasn’t a murder mystery but I was desperately turning pages to find out what happened next in both Evelyn’s past and Monique’s future.

The only major flaw for me was the twist involving why Evelyn picked Monique. I thought it was lame and it weirdly made me angry (for the wrong reasons). I could have done without. While I will still read about Evelyn Hardcastle in the future, I am so very very glad I made the mistake of picking up this book. I recommend that me crew picks this one up too. Savvy?

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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 have become a major fan of Malerman's work.  Ye tend to always get interesting concepts, compelling characters, and ambiguous endings.  This book had all of those things even if the execution was less than desired.  I also read this one without reading the blurb so I had no idea what the story was about before picking it up.

The concept is that there are two towers in the wilderness set up for an experiment called the Parenthood.  The goal is to raise children to the best of their potential with a focus on mathematics and the sciences.  To do that the curriculum must be strictly adhered to.  The distractions that must be avoided at all costs a) religion; and b) the opposite sex.  The complete focus ended up being on gender.  One tower is for boys and the other for girls - 26 of each gender and named after the letters of the alphabet.  Raised from infants, these children have reached the age of 12 and puberty is on the horizon.  The Parenthood is determined to protect their innocent charges from the ravages of their hormones.  But what if these pre-teens start questioning their elders?

The book is set up in four parts 1) the alphabets boys; 2) needs; 3) K; and 4) spoiled rotten.  What is most interesting about this book to me was the structure.  The first part relates the boys' life in the tower and ye are introduced to (boy) J.  I actually really enjoyed J's perspectives and character and watching his journey was the most satisfying part of the book.  In the second part ye be introduced to an adult in the facility who be having "the guilts" and is part of the propaganda writing machine.  These are interspersed with (boy) J's doubts.  I liked the juxtaposition of the two.

The third part introduces the girl's side of things and how they are questioning their environment.  I loved that the girl's are substantially further along than the boys in both education and rationale and are so practical in discovering answers.  The girls resort to action and the boys don't.  Nice change of the usual.  And of course part four is where all hell breaks loose.

There were major problems with the book's structure and plot.  One is that the pacing is extremely slow, especially at the beginning.  I didn't have trouble following the story because of this but because both the questions and answers are handed out piecemeal, the flow of the writing was impeded in multiple parts.Two, I thought the motivation of all the adults were rudimentary at best.  Only the "M.O.M.", "D.A.D.", and two novelists really have any personality.  All the others are lost in the background, basically nameless, and rather pointless.  And yet there are tons of adults, like cooks, guards, etc., mentioned for such a large facility.  I wanted better details on how the towers functioned.  Also the adults were kinda naive and one-dimensional in their thinking just so they could underestimate the 12-year olds.  And seriously what do those "M.O.M." and "D.A.D." acronyms stand for?  Did I miss it?

Third, I thought that even the concept of gender was dealt with in the most arbitrary and surface way.  For example, all the children are assumed to be heteronormative.  It would have been nice to have some nuance to sexual development in an arena where sex as a concept has been avoided altogether.  And some things were just plain stupid.  Boy meets girl for the first time and basically immediately start kissing and making out.  Life altering facts have been discovered, they are complete strangers, and yet they take a break and jump right into bed.  Bleck.

Four, from the makeout session the plot literally spiraled into almost a farce of ridiculousness.  Believability went right out the window.  Reality went out the window.  The entertainment value was in how crazy and silly the story was getting with each new page.  It made me laugh and I don't think that was the intention.  And the ending was super open-ended.  I had kinda expected it based on his other works but I think this be one time where there should have been an epilogue with something along of the lines of "10 years later" and brief descriptions of where (boy) J, (girl) K, (boy) D, (girl) B, (girl) Q for example ended up.

All those problems aside, I got what I love Malerman's works - cool ideas that make me think.  So I am very grateful to have been given a review copy and to have read this one.  I will be reading whatever he writes next.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .
Thank you Random House!

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