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

I was excited to read this full-length novel from the author who brought us hippo cowboys.  This is a murder mystery set in a magical school.  Ivy is a professional PI that spends her time investigating cheaters and such.  She has always been upset that her twin sister got the magic and glory and she got the grit and mundane.  But this murder mystery could be the step that takes her to the next level.  Unfortunately this was a book that had problems and ended up being highly unsatisfactory.

The positive things that made me finish the book were:

- I loved the hippo books so much for their characters and world-building that I gave the author the benefit of the doubt.
- It had a very nice set-up.  I was highly engaged by the premise.  I expected the overall journey to be worth it.
- I liked some of the practical magic on display.  I particularly liked how healing magic worked.
- I enjoyed the characters Rahul and Mrs. Webb.
- There is good use of romantic consent in this book.
- There is some nice diversity in the book.

While those things keep me reading, the world-building and plot made it harder and harder to finish the book.  Unfortunately, there were major issues that made this an unlikable read for me.

- The Main Character - Ivy is a woe-is-me drunk who makes bad choices all the time.  The sympathy from the beginning is destroyed by her desperate and slightly pathetic choices.  She makes ridiculous decisions and then tries to justify how they work within the investigation.  She also uses the investigation as an attempt to play-act her life as a magician.  Someone was murdered and she wants to play make-believe.  It was odd.

- The Other Characters - I didn't really love any of the characters besides Rahul and Mrs. Webb.  And those two weren't particularly unique despite their enjoyability.  After the hippo books, I frankly expected more.

- The  Magic - I liked the practical, if silly, uses for some of the magic (like all the magic of Rahul) but how it works is never actually explained.  Also there is no real indication of what adults do with their magic other than teach.  Why do the magicians hide it from the world?  Is it used for the greater good ever?  It seems from this book that magic seems to be used for things like protecting the coffee machine from students and for the students to pass notes to each other.  I wanted more insight into the rules of magic and the uses that were only hinted at.

- The World-Building - I feel like neither Ivy's life in the "real" world or the school are truly set up as actual places.  They felt kinda like a two-dimensional film set only without the visual clues.  The suggestion of parts taking place in Oakland or Sunol seemed irrelevant to the story.

- The Chosen One trope - This felt shoe-horned in.  There is never a good explanation of what being the Chosen One actually means or what the consequences are going to be.

- The Romance - While Rahul was me favourite character, the romance subplot stalled the action and was pointless.  It did not need to exist at all.

- The Murder-Mystery - I knew immediately who-dun-it so it came down to wanting to know the whys and wherefores.  And I found those to be lackluster and stupid.  I get why the characters made those emotional choices but frankly didn't care.  It just all seemed so melodramatic and pointless for no reason.  And how the solution was exposed was silly.

- The Ending - One of the worst endings ever.  Ivy made two horrible and ridiculous choices.  The author decided to leave the ramifications of the case and the effects on the students and staff are not discussed.  The book ends in such an odd fashion that I thought there might another book coming.  Nope.  This be a standalone.

The author includes lots of dark topics in this book and then never explores any of the actual life consequences of such choices.  She ends the book with no closure or realistic ramifications.  Instead the entire plot felt more like a facade for Ivy to realize that a) her problem is herself; and b) for her to fall in lust.  Shame because I wanted to like this one.  Unfortunately it must walk the plank!  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!

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. So today I bring ye a memoir with cool fish facts!

Okay I now kinda have a thing for books that combine memoirs with science and fun animal facts. So far, I have read about ravens, hawks, owls, octopuses, and snails (seriously snails are AMAZING). I like fish and think they are cool denizens of the deep. With a name like dragon fish, I had to know more. Like this:

The Asian arowana is the world’s most expensive aquarium fish. It is a tropical freshwater fish from Southeast Asia that grows three feet long in the wild. That’s roughly the size of a snowshoe. It is a fierce predator dating back to the age of the dinosaurs. It has large, metallic scales, like coins; whiskers that jut from its chin; and it undulates like the paper dragons you see in a Chinese New Year’s parade. That resemblance has spawned the belief that the fish brings good luck and prosperity, which is why it has become a highly sought-after aquarium fish.source

I absolutely loved the beginning of the book and the introduction to the weird world of high priced aquarium fish. When I had guppies and tetras as a kid, I never questioned where the pet store got them. Now I know. I also know that there is a fish beauty pageant called the Aquarama International Fish Competition. I learned that a man named Kenny the Fish is one of the biggest fish sellers in the world . . .

Emily Voigt @ Emily_Voigt - "Kenny the Fish posing nude with fish. Tried this for author photo but fish bags too slippery."

View image on Twitter

So while the fish facts were excellent, I did have problems with the memoir part of the story. The author went on a search for wild dragon fish. This took up the majority of the book and seemed rather bland. Part of the problem is that it felt mostly like a listing of the people she met and the places that she went. It seemed more about the lengths the author went to try and set up trips. I never really got a feel for the scenery of the countries or people she met. The descriptions were so vague at times that some of the people and places could have been swapped and it wouldn’t have mattered. I did think her brief insight into wildlife protection laws were very interesting.

The most tantalizing bits: the murder of the fish store owner, the illegal animals of New York City, and fish surgery were glossed over. The minutiae of the author’s personal travel struggles were not. I wanted more fish and less author story. This is never a good sign for a memoir. I am glad I learned about the fish but ye could read the National Geographic article that I found and basically get a very nice overview of the good parts of the book. Arrr!

Ahoy there me mateys! This tale be described by Goodreads as “a fantastical crime novel set in an alternate Seoul where assassination guilds compete for market dominance. Perfect for fans of Han Kang.” I love Han Kang. I love assassins. I love translated works. I love the cover. I loved Fiction Fan’s awesome review which led me to this fun read. She said:

I’m not sure if I’ve made this sound as appealing as it deserves. I found it compulsively readable and, despite the apparent bleakness of the subject matter, full of humour and emotional warmth. I highly recommend it as something different from the usual run of things – well written, well plotted and ultimately strangely satisfying.

There is no doubt that this book is odd and quirky. I highly enjoyed it. This is the story of an assassin named Reseng who is part of a specialized group of assassins whose existence is a thinly veiled secret and whose trade was governed by an elaborate system of rules under the old dictatorship. But the new democracy is here and with it a change of the societal norms. The assassin code of ethics is over and someone is out to kill the competition.

Reseng is skilled as an assassin but is rather naive when it comes to the rest of Seoul and how normal people work. That’s what happens when ye be raised from childhood to kill. So when he finds himself a target, he chooses to figure out why and how he ended up becoming the contract. It is this deeper look into Reseng’s life and the world of assassins that became fascinating. The fact that a very unusual library is used as front for the business was a big bonus. It was also interesting that Reseng is a sympathetic character despite his stance on killing.

I can’t really explain more than that about the plot. For all the complexities of the world-building and assassin lifestyles, this was a well-crafted book that was not difficult to read. There were many wonderful and memorable characters. I absolutely loved the resolution and Reseng’s journey. I think that both the author and the translator, Sora Kim-Russell, deserve a lot of praise for their work. If the idea of this book intrigues, then I suggest ye give it a chance. Arrrr!

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

Ahoy there me mateys! With about 80 active series in progress, I really shouldn’t have started one more. But I saw this and couldn’t help meself. The crew has been raving about this one and y’all be right! In fact, I will let me scalawags convince ye lollygagger’s to go with the flow and join the rest of us!

Tammy @ books,bones,andbuffy:

The nitty-gritty: As twisty and complex as Shakespeare, this story surprised me in every way possible. This is definitely one of 2017’s “must reads!” . . . I can honestly say I’ve never encountered a world quite like this before. If you love genre mash-ups, then you’ll love this heady combination of steampunk, court intrigue, and mystery, with a dash of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers.” . . . [This be] one of the most surprising books I’ve read in quite some time. And by surprising, I mean that it continued to surprise me up to the end. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Craddock adds yet another layer to his story. I often use the term “multi-layered” when writing book reviews, but reading this book was literally like watching a garden of strange and beautiful flowers unfurl their petals.

Mogsy@thebibliosanctum:

Its story’s scattered allusions initially prompted me to approach this one with a wariness I usually reserve for unknown quantities, but ultimately this mishmash of genre elements ended up being one of my favorite aspects of the book. There seems to be something for everyone, whether it’s science fiction, fantasy, historicals, steampunk or action and adventure that tickles your fancy . . . Musketeers, Bloodshadows, clockwork cyborgs, Glasswalkers, airships and floating islands…is there anything this book doesn’t have? And as if that wasn’t enough, in the middle of all this is also a disorienting jumble of court intrigue and deadly politics . . .Also, I can’t tell you what a breath of fresh air it is to read a book where the heroine actually SHOWS readers how smart, strong and capable she is through her actions.

Lynn@lynn’sbookblog:

So, great characters and an amazing world. What more could you possibly want. Oh, maybe a beautifully written story that puts you in mind of the likes of Dumas, easy to digest prose, vivid descriptions and a slippery eel of a plot that is huge in scope but that comes together in a very satisfying way? Well, if that’s what you’re looking for then prepare to be happy because it’s all here in abundance . . . A mash up of European alternate history and steampunk told with flair and absolutely wonderful to read. I loved this.

Yer Captain:

All ye dimwitted dunderling fools who have not yet read this gem deserve 20 lashes and no rum rations! Ye must visit this port as soon as possible because Isabelle and Jean-Claude be adventurers worth knowing. And who doesn’t want to learn everything they can about continents in the sky and the sky ships that sail them? Arrrr!

I need book two immediately!

x The Captain

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

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

I have recently been reading and loving many of Jane Yolen’s short stories. So when I saw this novella involving dragons and Russian history, I said “Aye!, Arrrrr!” I was lucky to get an eArc of this historical fantasy retelling. And I loved it!

This tale involves the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II is fighting wars and continuing to lose. One of his weapons to fight his enemies, the Bolsheviks and the Jews, are his stable of fighting dragons. The problem is that these dragons are equally likely to destroy non-enemy property and persons. This story tells of the days leading up to the Revolution and what really happened to the Romanov family.

In this ye get perspectives from the tsar himself, Rasputin, the tsarina Alexandra, Leon Trotsky, and a nameless bureaucrat. Other folk like Lenin and the tsar’s children appear as side characters. The dragons are not shown as characters and really are treated as tactical weapons. But having dragons is cool regardless.

As always I found the writing to be superb and was captivated by this version of the Romanov family history. Like other offerings by this publisher there is also a very nice authors’ note at the end discussing the writing process and evolution of this particular story. There also brief but lovely historical notes as well. I very much enjoyed this historical fiction with dragons and feel that every Jane Yolen fan should too.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tachyon Publications!

PS Did ye know that in 1981 the Romanovs were made saints by the Russian Orthodox Church? In 2000 they were canonized as passion bearers by the Church. Learning new things every day. Arrrr!

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

Okay mateys, I know I haven't even finished Marko Kloos' Frontlines series and yet here I be starting another series by him.  I have no regrets.  I picked this up and devoured it in one sitting.  It also helps that it be under 300 pages.

In this book a nasty war has ended and it has been five years since the peace treaty.  But peace seems to be faltering.  This series has multiple points of view.  Ye follow four perspectives:

Aden - a POW from the losing side of the battle who is released five years after defeat to start anew;

Idina - a soldier from the winning side who holds a grudge, she is part of the occupying military force on the defeated planet;

Dunstan - a member of the winning naval space fleet whose simple guard duty turns into a mess with epic ramifications; and

Solvieg - a civilian who was a minor during the war now has to deal with the consequences of her planet's loss and what it means for the family business.

Like the first book in the Frontline series, this one was enjoyable entertainment of the popcorn fluff type.  Nothing wrong with that.  These characters are all likeable in their own ways and I was rooting for them all even when they were at cross-purposes.  Aden was me favourite.  The world-building was sufficient and the plot was fun but the characters were the driving force for me.  The peace is about to destruct and I want to know what happens next!

Be advised that this has a major cliffhanger ending that had me surprised at the abruptness and wanting more.  For those crew members who dislike these, mehaps wait until more books are released.  I will be reading them as they come.  Arrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you 47 North!

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

Ahoy there mateys! I love survival stories and thought the mystery aspects of this sounded interesting. I read quite a bit of this one but did not like the daughter character and so I gave up. Not for me. Arrr!

Ahoy there mateys! While recently sailing on the Norwegian Sea with me maman, we had a very nice dinner wherein we discussed favourite books from both of our childhoods. It was a delightful foray into me memories of all the books that me mom read to me when I was young and the lovely purchases she let me make at the local bookstore after every birthday or good report card. One of her beloved books from childhood was Heidi. She read it to me when I was little and I adored it too. In fact it was part of the inspiration for her wanting to visit Switzerland which was another trip we took together back when I was in college.

Later on the flight to head home, I was surprised to find out that 1) not only did the plane’s entertainment include audiobooks but 2) Heidi was one of the offerings. Sadly the photos concerning the audiobooks offered on the plane were eaten by the phone. But I was excited to revisit an old favourite especially after that conversation of nostalgia.

That audiobook only ran about 25 minutes at normal speed. I was startled by what I did remember and was confused by what I believed was left out of the version I listened to. So in no real order, here are some of me thoughts:

- I still love the idea that Heidi helps enrich her Grandfather’s life and make him less of a curmudgeon;
- I love the idea of Heidi scampering through Alpine meadows with the goats;
- I adore Clara and Heidi’s friendship;
- I was still sad at how much Heidi hated living in Frankfurt;
- Peter destroying Clara’s chair was evil;
- I very much enjoyed the audiobook narrator;
- I couldn’t remember how much was missing but it seemed like a ton; and
- All religion had been removed from this version.

The original books were in German and written in 1881 and Goodreads lists over 1,100 editions and yet I could not find a photo of the cover of the version I had as a child. I remember that it was a glossy hardcover with a blue spine that was disintegrating. There were wonderful illustrations that I loved to look at. I have no idea how long it was but assume the story was truncated due to the drawings. I also remember loving a black and white film version of the story too.

So after listening to the super short version of Heidi, I thought I would check out the unabridged version and see what I missed. I know it was a lot because the unabriged audiobook clocks in at 2 hours and 34 minutes according to Amazon. That is quite a difference! So I headed over to Project Gutenberg and checked out a 1916 translation. And it was both better and slightly sillier than I imagined. Some thoughts:

- I continue to adore Heidi and her good-natured cheer;
- I loved Grandfather’s transformation in the longer version as it seemed more natural;
- I think the staff in Frankfurt were silly in how they thought about the ghost and their actions overall;
- Fräulein Rottenmeier was a hateful jerk;
- I can’t believe that Peter gets rewarded at the end because he is a little jerk too;
- The version I read as a child had more parts of the story in it than the audiobook did;
- I didn’t mind the Christian themes in the original;
- The feel-good story of Clara walking was sweet;
- They left both Grandmothers out of the audiobook but the story is better with them in it; and
- I still love the goats!

Basically reading the unabridged version made me happy and I am glad to have revisited it. After reading this book, it put me very much in mind of other childhood favourites I read where the themes involve sick children getting well again. Others I can think of include the lame little prince, pollyanna, and the secret garden. Arrrr!

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

Ahoy there mateys! Unpopular opinion time. This book has been described as Gravity, Alien, and The Martian combined. I should have loved this one but only managed to make it to the 4% mark. I was struggling with the narration style from the beginning. This is certainly a case of wrong book for this particular reader. But give it a shot if it sounds good to ye because the crew loves this one!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for me honest musings. Grateful for the review copy. So sorry that it didn't work out for me.