Ahoy there me mateys! While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first two books in this series then ye might want to skip this post and go read them. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

While the second book remains me favourite, this book was a satisfactory end to the series. Some thoughts on this book and the series as a whole:

- The reason why I thought book three was the weakest is because the worldview was expanded. I am not saying I didn’t like what happened but ye lost the immediacy of tension by jumping around to the different points of view. It was still a quick and engaging read though.

- I was surprised that book three took place three years after the events in book two. And at what happened in those three years was surprising.

- Rowan was one of me favourite characters in the books and he did not have much page time in book three. I didn’t love that choice.

- While Greyson was a wonderful character in book two, he really did not have much agency in the last book. I expected a lot more from his storyline and what ye did get was rather substandard.

- In fact, I wish there had been a lot more time with Rowan, Greyson, and Citra. I missed them being the central figures of the story.

- I really did love the world building in this series and it will stick with me as an interesting concept.

- I loved the Thunderhead’s role in this last book and how it works around the rules.

- There was a little too much philosophy in this book and I didn’t think it was necessary. There were also some jokes thrown in about the current world we live in and I am not a fan of that in me fiction.

- Finding out what happened to the Nimbus agents after the events of book two was awesome!

- Jeri the sea captain was me new favourite character. Arrrr!

- The ending had some unexpected resolutions and I rather liked Citra and Rowan’s ending in particular.

- I did not however like the resolution to the scythe problem. Why was the “fix” the original solution all along? There was some inconsistencies and things not to me taste.

- As entertainment, this series was a success.

I am excited to have finished a series and have no regrets about this one. However, I do not think that this be a series I would end up rereading. Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this thriller through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings.  Though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. So 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. This be the fifth book of a series.  If ye haven’t read the other four, then ye might want to skip this post and go get caught up.  While I try to post no spoilers, if ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

I love Kelley Armstrong!  I discovered her through her young adult book, sea of shadows, and she became me most read author of 2016. I have really been enjoying this series and I didn't even read the blurb before I requested this.

This novel continues the adventures of Rockton's detective, Casey Duncan.  For those who be adventurous and are readin' this post having not read the previous books, Rockton is an off-the-grid town in the Yukon.  People pay a council to spend time in this town to hide from their pasts.  Some flee domestic abuse.  Some flee other more unsavory problems.  Suffice to say, the town is not an idyllic wonderland.

I loved that, unlike in the previous books, all the important action in this mystery takes place in the forest and the communities outside of Rockton.  Rockton has been weirdly well-behaved and is focused on the preparation for December's holidays.  Casey is supposed to be enjoying a mini vacation but that goes out the window when she hears a baby cry while out in the middle of the woods.  Aye, a baby.  But with that baby is a dead body that clearly shows signs of murder.  Casey be determined to find the babies relatives.  She just has to figure out who they are first.

This case involves visiting the other settlements in the forest who don't like outsiders.  I really enjoyed getting insight into how the other Yukon groups choose to live.  Also some questions about hostiles are answered which of course lead to bigger questions for Casey to eventually solve.  Ye get more answers (and questions) about Dalton's past too.  I can't wait to see where those plot lines go in future books.

The first three books were more self-contained.  Books four and five hint at a larger picture and have had interwoven threads.  The nice part is that each book's problems are solved even while the ramifications of Rockton's existence are getting more tricky.  I did miss not having much time with Rockton residents but got a ton of fun in exchange.  I read this book in one sitting and time flew by.  If ye haven't visited Rockton yet, ye should!

So lastly . . .

Thank ye kindly St. Martin's Press!

Ahoy there me mateys! Finish two series and so start another right? This military sci-fi trilogy has been on me list for a while because the first book was a Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Locus Award Nominee for Best SF Novel (2014), and John W. Campbell Memorial Award Nominee (2014). Plus it was written by a woman. Arrrr!

I thought this was an excellent novel. The story follows Lieutenant James Shelley who is the member of a squad of soldiers that are linked together via a neural network. War is big business and defense contracting companies rule the world. Shelley’s goal is to serve his time and keep his soldiers alive. Part of what helps him not die are his precognitive premonitions. But when his current mission goes wrong, Shelley ends up needing cybernetic replacements. He is inadvertently drawn into the bigger picture as both a new prototype of elite soldier and the war hero image he wants nothing to do with. And everyone wants to know – what is the voice in his head?

The book is split up into “seasons” which correlate to the reality tv program that Shelley didn’t sign up to star in (poor guy). Part one deals with Shelley’s mission in Africa that goes wrong and I thought was a stellar introduction. Part two deals with Shelley’s injuries and readjustment. Part three deals with the escalation of politics and drama which of course involves Shelley. And part four sets up the next book.

This was excellent. I loved Shelley as the main character. He is the inadvertent, snarky soldier who does a good job and ye can’t help but root for him. I loved following him on his journey and watching him question his reality and purpose in life. I also enjoyed the side characters even if they aren’t as well fleshed out. I really didn’t predict how any of the story was going to go. I also liked the diversity and gender equality. The only downside was the very end of part three which dragged a bit for me.

The technology is fun, the AI mystery aspects are engaging, and the set-up for the next book sounds great. I will be reading it and luckily I already own it! Arrrr!

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

I fell in love with Moreno-Garcia's work because of her stellar vampire novel, certain dark things.  So I was very much looking forward to this Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico.  And this book was absolutely wonderful.

I have to admit that I have very little knowledge of Mayan history and culture outside of the bare basics from me trip to Mexico when I was in me early teens.  That was a long time ago and facts fall out of me noggin.  So this book was a delightful foray into Mayan folklore.  I was often looking up places, names, and words while reading to enrich me understanding of what I was reading about.  These diversions did not cause me to lose the grip or flow of the storytelling.  Rather it intensified the enjoyment.

Part of this was the languorous journey of the plot.  The story had the feeling of reading an older historical saga in terms of style.  The plot was not full of heady action or serious psychological studies.  Instead it was very much showing the individual journey of Casiopea Tun and how she handles the quest she finds herself on.

Casiopea has always longed to get away from the house of her tyrannical, rich grandfather and have a life of her own somewhere else.  She has secret dreams of riding in an automobile, dancing the night away, and swimming in the sea.  These wishes are held close-to-heart and never spoken aloud.  But Casiopea's upbringing is at odds with her rebellious, curious nature.  That curious nature is what leads her to inadvertently release a captive Mayan Death God and change the trajectory of her life.

I absolutely loved Casiopea and the Death God, Hun-Kamé.  There was no predictability in terms of their journey or relationship.  Casiopea truly felt like a real girl thrown into an extraordinary situation.  She has no real magic but that of her inner strength as a person and her moral compass.  The change in the relationship between Casiopea and Hun-Kamé was subtle and yet absolutely compelling.  I loved how the magic worked between them.

The writing style was once again lyrical and beautiful and unique.  It is a story that feels a bit unreal and as a reader I was both engaged and somewhat unattached like I was floating over the story watching from afar.  And yet I was also very much concerned with Casiopea's circumstances and how the story would pan out.

This weird dichotomy only served to intensify the feelings that I was experiencing a fairy tale in a world way outside of me own.  I very much enjoyed reading another fairy tale based on a culture that is completely unfamiliar and yet absolutely human in its experiences and feelings that arise from following Casiopea's story.

This is also a book that for me had the perfect ending.  Hopeful and tragic and magical and yet somehow completely realistic.  Seriously I need to pick up all of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work.  She floats me boat.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Random House!

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

Ahoy there mateys.  As someone who very much wants a self-driving car, I was excited when I heard about this book from Matey Tammy @ books,bones,&buffy.  Then Matey Ashley @ sociallyawkwardbookworm did a giveaway for her fifth year anniversary and I won!!  Arrr!!!  So this be the book that she kindly gifted me.  It was a hoot.

Basically this thriller showcases what not to do in the self-driving car industry.  The three perspectives in this book belong to Tyler, Naomi, and Brandon.  They are part of a start-up in college involving self-driving cars that goes drastically wrong and sends the friends scattering in different directions.  But as each is still drawn to the auto industry the rival factions fight, hacking occurs, and profit is more important than personal safety.  I especially enjoyed the aspects dealing with the evolving laws and court cases.  There wasn't a ton of it but what was showcased was fun.

Naomi was me favourite character.  She is shy, smart, and geeky.  Her programming and the intended consequences were super entertaining.  Brandon was great to dislike.  Tyler was good guy with a mission and I enjoying watching how much his path diverged from his original intentions.  My other favorite character was the angel investor.  I would like to have seen more of her.  Bonus about this book included all the references to geek culture.  The author even includes a list of them at the back of the book!

Basically the author did a great job and giving me lots of ramifications to ponder regarding self-driving cars.  As is the case with any major technology intervention, it be hard to understand or contemplate how society will change as things advance.  I have to hope that the author's version of the story won't be the one we actually get but it makes for a fun and dramatic story.

Side note: the AI in this was cool.

Ahoy there me mateys!  Matey Sarah @ hamlets&hyperspace had an awesome review that led me to this amazing read.  She said:

The writing and the translation (done, I believe, by Stephen Snyder) are beautifully done.  It doesn’t seem like anything special at first, and I don’t recall any passages that made me think: ‘I need to save this for my review!’.  But at the same time it kept me consistently engaged despite the slow pacing and plot.  It whisked me away and offered me an escape.  Albeit, to a rather depressing sort of place, but I often had a hard time putting it down and found myself eager to keep going.

In this book, an unnamed protagonist lives on an unnamed island where things like perfume, ribbons, birds, etc. are randomly disappearing.  People wake up in the morning knowing that an object has been irrevocably and completely lost.  With each item's disappearance comes the loss of all memories relating to the object.  The Memory Police is tasked with making sure that every single object relating to the lost memories are destroyed.  The citizens voluntarily burn the banned items or throw them in the river to be swept away.  But there are some exceptions.

Ye see not everyone loses their memories.  These few fight to keep the objects that hold sentimental or intrinsic value.  The Memory Police are determined to find and eliminate the rule breakers and those things they hold dear.  The people who lose memories are not bothered by the loss of objects or the missing recollections.  They are however upset by the arrest and subsequent deaths of their loved ones.  So a hidden underground has emerged to save the memory keepers.  The unnamed protagonist is a writer who learns that her editor can remember and is determined to save him.  So she helps him hide.

The premise is rather simple in structure but is divine in execution.  The language and imagery is absolutely stunning.  The storytelling is slow, melodic, and ultimately captivating.  It is both otherworldly and yet vivid in terms of evoking the sense of a tangible place.

Part of this surreal nature is because characters don't have names, just descriptors.  And yet the characters were endearing and well-developed.  In addition, the author does a fantastic job of juxtaposing the difference between those with memories and without.  Those without are desperate to cling to those objects and thoughts which contain parts of their ideas of self.  They believe that both memories and objects can be reclaimed with hard work.  The Memory Police can be overcome.  And yet those who have memory loss are baffled by the angst about the disappearances.  Life goes on and people adapt.  The fear of the Memory Police is just something to endure.  I absolutely loved how the three main characters of girl, editor, and old man showcase the complexities of this situation.

Another element that added to the unreal sense of place were some magical realism type choices.  The weather, time, food, memory, etc. don't always follow reasoning as ye normally experience it.  As the book progresses, reality warps a little bit more in both subtle and unsubtle ways.  Yet these elements are deftly used to enrich our understanding of the world, the philosophical issues of the society, and the attachment to the characters.  Seriously I adored this translation from the Japanese.

I also loved the ending.  It is abrupt, unsettling, and yet seemed completely right.  But the lack of answers and the nature of it will not satisfy everyone.  Also there is a story within the story (the girl's manuscript) that I also loved.  Some may see it as a distraction or unnecessary.  This book was weird, wonderful, and absolutely perfect for me.  Arrrr!

Side note:  Some reviews say this is an Orwellian book.  While it be a dystopian, the focus is not on the totalitarian aspects of the government but instead on the world-building and the concepts surrounding memory.

Ahoy there me mateys! While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book in this series, the murders of molly southbourne, 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 . . . . . .

The first book in this series was weird, awesome, and fabulous. And bloody. It could have been a standalone but I have to admit that I was glad when I found out there was going to be a second book. I needed to know more about Molly Southbourne! So image me surprise when I won Matey Tammy’s giveaway to pick one of the books she read in July! I just had to get this one. As soon as it was in me greedy hands, I put everything else aside and read it. As she said:

The nitty-gritty: Another strange and bloody tale, part horror, part sci-fi, and one hundred percent WTF.

Yup. It be awesome. I can’t say that it was as good as the first book but it certainly veered further into crazy-land and dumped everything ye thought ye knew upside down. As this book features a clone, ye really should read book one first before jumping into this one. The original “prime” Molly may be gone but the new molly is a whole new mess. Really the novella is so short (128 pgs.) that I am not going to go into the plot. I can say that the story sometimes made little sense but was fascinating all the same.

I highly recommend both novellas. This story does seem finished after the ending of the second book. But as there are tons of unanswered questions, I wouldn’t be adverse to another. I do really enjoy this author’s work and I am glad to now own both novellas in this series as I will enjoy rereading these. Thanks Matey Tammy! Arrrr!

Side note: The First Mate is looking forward to reading this one as well. But I had to read it first!

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

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from Serial Box in exchange for an honest review. Here be me honest musings. . .

Well mateys, do I have some absolute treasure to share with the crew. Settle down because I have a yarn to spin. Ye see I have been avidly reading everything Becky Chambers writes because she be awesome (new novella coming in 2019!). And recently I read some of Yoon Ha Lee’s work and he be awesome. Book one of his machineries of the empire series is on me 19 for 2019 list. S.L. Huang’s novel zero sum game has been glitterin’ in the hold waiting to be read at the first spare moment. Plus I have me eye set on Rivers Solomon’s lovely looking novella about denizens of the deep coming out later this year. This be a talented bunch o’ scribblers.

So shiver me timbers was I was extremely surprised when a company called Serial Box contacted this salty Captain to ask if I would be willing to read the vela. I wasn’t sure exactly what Serial Box was but took one look at the list of authors and immediately said “Aye!” Oh ye scalawags, rascals, and reprobates why didn’t any of ye tell me about Serial Box sooner? Me spy network apparently needs a shakedown but, luckily fer ye, Serial Box be savvy enough to approach yer Captain first! For those of ye knuckleheads that still don’t know by now, Serial Box nicely informed me that:

"Serial Box brings everything that’s awesome about TV (easily digestible episodes, team written, new content every week) to what was already cool about books (well-crafted stories, talented authors, enjoyable anywhere).

Like TV, we release a new episode of our serials every week and serials typically run for seasons of 10-16 weeks. Easy to pick up, episodes are enjoyable on their own but build over the course of the season to tell a bigger story. Each episode is available in ebook and audio and takes about 40 minutes to enjoy."

Serial Box was generous in their terms and offered me the entire series of the vela in one go. Seriously how sublime is that? So I stole some time and settled in for a whopping good tale.

The Vela is a missing spaceship filled with refugees from a dying planet. Asala Sekou is a soldier-for-hire who has been tasked with finding the missing ship in the name of politics. However Asala wants nothing to do with this assignment or to be saddled with the President’s youngest child in tow. Asala knows the life of the refugee and that dying planet all too well. She has put that past behind her in the name of survival and has no wish to return to said planet in person or in memory.

But of course she gets sucked into the madness. I absolutely loved Asala and her toughness, intelligence, and tactics. She really floats me boat and I would be happy to have her on me crew any day. Even the President’s kid Niko managed to get some sea . . . er space legs and grew on me in time. But while the characters are fantastic, the plot be even better. It seemed like every single person’s plans went sideways at every opportunity. And what a debacle and fun it be! Seriously by the end I didn’t really know what was gonna happen or who to cheer for besides Asala. And her choices were awful and worse. The plot kept me guessing and the writing by four authors was practically seamless. I was just hangin’ on fer the ride and grinnin’ like a madwoman. I refuse to spoil it by giving more details but I want more seasons of what happens next! Avast ye swashbucklers! Go out and listen to this fantasic tale.

So me hearties, I raise me grog in toast to Serial Box and this fantastic season. May we continue to savour this truly wonderful partnership. Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Serial Box!

Side note: I read the ebook version of the vela but am certainly going to look into their back catalog of audio books beginning with Sarah Gailey’s the fisher of bones. Have ye read her hippo westerns yet? Arrr!

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

Ahoy there me mateys! I really wanted to like this book. I really did. The book is an alternate history of Victorian England where sin is marked in a person by Smoke that pours out of their skin. The rich rule in absolute authority because they be clean and seemingly free of Smoke. The poor live with an abundance of Smoke and are covered in soot. Their dirtiness literally signifies their status in life and their inability to govern. At least that is what everyone has been taught.

Thomas and Charlie are two boarding school elite who have two basic aims: 1) to learn to better control their smoke and graduate and 2) to avoid the headboy and his vendetta against all costs until they do graduate. However these best friends unwittingly become pawns in a high stakes political divide which has them running for their lives and trying to figure out who they can trust.

I absolutely loved the Victorian setting. I absolutely loved the concept of the Smoke and how it has permeated every facet of society. I like how the aristocracy has tricks and training that help maintain the status quo. The world building was really fun. I immensely enjoyed both Charlie and Thomas as characters. The problems were found in the execution of the novel.

The book is split into six parts. The first part was in the boarding school and was stellar. Not only was the boarding school itself wonderfully portrayed but the social complexities of the world were intense and fascinating. I particularly loved the students’ trip to London and how they first encounter the harsh realities of the poor and Smoke. In addition, the larger political problems of England are nicely encountered through relationships between the students and teachers. Seriously I was hooked.

Then the holidays come and part two begins. In this section politics have decreed that both Thomas and Charlie will spend the winter break with relations of Thomas. Thomas has had little contact with them and is confused by the summons. Neither boy wants to be there but has been forced by the adults and societal expectations. This section was overall fine. The boys begin to really discover the lies and secrets behind Smoke. I was intrigued by the mystery and wanted to know more. I was interested in the machinations of the Lady of the manor and her daughter. The headboy also entered the larger picture. Unfortunately upon the boys leaving the manor house, the plot began to die.

The remainder of the novel takes place with the boys on the run and not in school. There be a love triangle. Characters appear once to pontificate and never be seen again. The action stalls in many sections with the characters waiting around and doing nothing. Both Charlie and Thomas make arbitrary decisions to move things along. The gang be in situations where the downtrodden adults of London should have murdered, stabbed, or harmed them in some fashion. Nothing of the sort happens. The plot rambles and makes very little sense.

I kept reading because I needed to know the great reveal and point of it all. I kept expecting the disparate parts to coalesce into a brilliant scheme with the grueling tension of part one. Turns out when the reveal came it was confusing and silly and lackluster. The novel failed to make sense. The politics, emotions, and rationale were just absurd. I was highly disappointed and felt like me time and the lovely concept had been wasted. So this one walks the plank! Arrrr!

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