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

This be a goofy little book about goblin/elf relations as told through the experiences of two scholar-historians.  It sounds odd and it is but it is full of quirky delight.

On one side ye have the elf, Brangwain Spurge.  His nickname in school was "the Weed" but since his school days he became a rather upright fellow.  He has been tasked with taking a goblin artifact back to the goblins in the name of peace.  While Spurge has sworn to uphold his duty to the king, his superiors have ulterior motives that may actually lead Spurge to uphold his oath "to the death."

On the other side ye have the goblin, Werfel.  He has been selected to be Spurge's host and how he carries out those duties reflects on all goblin-kind.  From trying to procure food for the elven palate, to making sure the sheets are just so, to trying to show off the best that the goblin kingdom has to offer, Werfel is determined to do his utmost best.  It is endearing and fabulous to watch Werfel try to impress and comfort his elven counterpart.

Seriously, Werfel is adorable.  All he wants to do is swap stories with Spurge and become friends.  The story is told from his point of view.  The misunderstandings and shenanigans are delightful.  And yet Werfel does his duty, above and beyond really, when things all start to go wrong.

This book does have illustrations which are supposed to show Spurge's point of view but I didn't get to see many of them in me arc copy.  Yet what I did see was whimsical and silly.  Additionally there are excellent letters to the king from his spymaster updating Spurge's progress.  They crack me up.  I need to get me hands on a hardcopy.  Because this book does deserve a second look.

This silly story does prove to have greater heart and purpose.  The message is one of friendship, overcoming cultural misunderstandings, how historical events have more than one viewpoint, and above all trying for peace in an uncertain future.  Werfel captured me heart and even stick-in-the-mud Spurge is viewed fondly in the end.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Candlewick Press!

Side note: Also thank you to matey Millie @ milliebotreads for letting me know about this book's existence.  Arrr!

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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 . . .

This book was an odd wonderful mix of western, fantasy, and magical realism with a dash or two of creepiness thrown in.

The story involves a woman named Carol who “dies” frequently and yet always has awakened. These deaths take the form of a coma where she appears to be dead but is instead transported into another place where she has the sensation of continuously falling, can’t move, can’t see, and yet can hear the conversations around her. She never knows how long these spells will last and has kept the condition a secret from everyone in her present and past except for her long-dead mother, her husband, and her recently deceased best friend.

With only her husband remaining, she goes into a coma only to realize that her husband has no intention of letting her come back to life. He declares her dead and Carol has no hope. Or so she thinks. But there was one other person who knew her secret long ago and ran away out of fear . . .

There are many aspects of the story that I loved. The setting was an enormous forest with one trail that is a menace to all travelers. The trail begins at one town and leads to series of others on a path, which eventually ends at another town far south. There is seemingly no other outlet to the outside world. These settlements feel like western towns complete with saloons, general stores, brothels, and lots of outlaws. Of course there are the other more genteel members of the towns with money as well. Carol being one of them.

The outlaws are the absolute fun of the novel. There is the notorious “magical” outlaw, James Moxie, who has been retired from the trail and is on a mission to redeem himself. There is the delightfully insane outlaw, Smoke, who has been hired to stop him and has definitely earned his name. There are several others who have individual quirks and fun perspectives. I very much enjoyed all of their viewpoints. There also be perspectives from Carol, her jerk of a husband, the sheriff, and others.

The novel takes place over the course of a couple of days and is mixture of quiet thoughtful sections and outlaw action vignettes. The downside of the novel for me was that Carol is almost a non-entity in the story due to being “dead.” It’s not her fault and makes sense in the novel but I would have liked for some true action from her. I also didn’t love the conclusion of the novel. I did like the otherworldly elements and the lack of many good explanations though I can see how others wouldn’t.

I am glad I read this hard-to-define zany novel and will be trying others by the author for sure.

So lastly . . .
Thank you Random House!

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Ahoy there me mateys! I read the first book, karen memery, back before I had this log. It was fantastic. This be book two. They both take place in a “steampunk Victorian Pacific Northwest city” with a western feel. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book then ye might want to skip this post. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

I think Karen Memery be one the more fun characters to read about and is written with a truly distinct voice. The first book was full of action, great world building, and excellent, diverse characters. So I was excited to see where this story picked up.

I can’t really tell ye where it started due to spoilers but I have to admit that I was surprised by the turn of events for the characters. What I can tell ye is that the characters be in the midst of a dinner at a fancy hotel restaurant when a haunting begins. Ye see a grisly series of murders took place there back in the day. Luckily the hotel is currently hosting a female magician and two female spiritualist sisters. Only the sisters and the magician don’t get along and have some bad history. Can Karen get the three women to cooperate to solve the the haunting? Or is it all one big con?

I loved getting to visit Karen again. She be awesome. But this was an odd story. The action portion of the story involving the haunting only takes up a little over half of the 192 page novella. The other focus of the novella is on Karen’s romantic situation and involves a lover’s quarrel and the angst about the escalation of the adult responsibilities of the relationship. Both sides be stubborn. And while I understood both points, both of the lovers were kinda ridiculous and I just wanted them to resolve it and get back to the action. Only the action was over.

So while I rather loved the first part of the novella, the second part was just okay. The problems in the relationship really were the point of the novella. I wasn’t expecting that. I am glad I read it and I do want more adventures of Karen in the future.

Side note: This was another novella by Tor.com. I love them and want them all!!

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

Ahoy there me mateys!

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. The spine of the book had a pink unicorn, which of course made me think that it was a fantasy. But, no, it was not. It is a silly, goofy contemporary murder mystery based around an online gaming community called Zoth. And I loved it. I was in a mood and needed a light fluffy book that would cheer me up. This zany novel did the trick.

I kept smiling and smiling at the ridiculousness of the main character, Dahlia and her world. In spite of the funny premise, the book’s characters felt real enough to cheer them along. I actually miss geeks and crazy theatre people and oddballs in my real life. At one point in the past I was surrounded by these types of endearing and entertaining people. At the moment I have more “normal” people around, which is great, but it was nice to read about more quirky folk in this novel. Dahlia’s roommate is a hoot and a half.

So if you want a crazy novel that is dorky and makes you laugh, pick this one up.

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