Ahoy there me mateys! It’s been a long while since I read anything by this author and I was reminded about this free short story (4 pages) and so thought I would give it a whirl. Is yer Thanksgiving full of family drama? Read this and see how much subtext and characterization ye can get about one family history at one holiday dinner. Do it. It’s quite something. Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys! This book has been on me list ever since it was featured in the SPFBO #5 in 2019. It was the book that sounded the most interesting to me from that year’s list and then it won the contest. Well I just found the time (and mood) to pick it up and raced through it in two days. It was a perfect fit.

The main reason I wanted to read it was because one of the characters is a 34 year old mother, Misaki, who put her sword fighting behind her to marry and have children. She tries to focus on being a good housewife but when war comes to Kaigen she chooses to defend her family and reflect on her past. Between the older mother protagonist that I never really see used as heroes in fantasy and the Asian inspired setting, I was sold.

Now by the time I got around to reading this book, I didn’t recall the blurb and I mistakenly thought the book was all about the mom. Not so. The book actually starts out following Mamoru, Misaki’s fourteen year old son. It didn’t matter because I was immediately drawn into the story. Mamoru belongs to the Matsuda clan whose family trains with swords but can also fight with ice. He believes in the Empire and its teachings but life is disrupted when a new outsider comes to the school. But the story quickly spirals from there.

I can’t really do this story justice. For a book over 500 pages, the time flew by and I was completely immersed. The novel starts out as a tale of two school boys and morphs into a larger story of familial relationships, personal growth, and survival. The magic was lovely. The world building was excellent. But the characters were exquisite.

The majority of the book is told through two perspectives – Mamoru and his mother. Seriously this was fascinating. Mamoru is the stereotypical teenage prodigy who just needs to tighten his magic control so he can save the world. And then suddenly he isn’t stereotypical anymore. He is a human fighting with himself and his understanding of the world. He struggles in spite of his powers. Nothing I thought about his character proves true in the long run. His personal growth was amazing to watch. He is wonderful.

But the highlight is Masaki. Everything about her character is engaging. Ye meet her and are confused at first. She is nothing that I could have expected. In fact her path is the story is never straight forward and never anticipated. It was stunning. She has become one of me all time favourite characters ever. She is complex and confusing and compelling. And kickass. I can’t explain her satisfactorily but love her.

This book made me cry and celebrate and contemplate. The secondary characters are lovely, the plot turns are unexpected, and the conclusion was perfect. The author’s ability to have the people evolve and change was just awe-inspiring. This book is so nuanced and layered and yet flowed so well. It is seemingly simple at times only to leave ye stunned by another revelation that seemingly comes out of nowhere but really was delicately being drawn out the whole time. I was satisfied and drained and still wanted more.

This book was described as a standalone. I was sad. I went to see what else the author had written only to find out there is a series set in this world. Only to find out that the author decided to abandon the series because “. . . my writing has changed so much since then that those drafts [books one and two] are no longer usable and I’ve realized that, as an adult writer, I lack the skills to make the series what it should be.” words in italics are mine. Dang I respect that. I will take the author at her word, not read those Theonite books, and wait patiently for whatever she writes next. Because I am in love. Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I was interested in this novella as soon as I heard about it.  It was described as a martial arts story involving bandits and a young nun.  I requested an eArc immediately but was denied ::sob::.  Then Matey Tammy @ books,bones,andbuffy was nice enough to send me an extra copy ::cheer!::.

This wasn't quite what I was expected based on the description but I did enjoy it nonetheless.  I thought the martial arts aspects were going to be front and center.  Instead it was more about the three main characters and their interpersonal relationships.  This novella is classified as wuxia fantasy.  I didn't know what that meant.  Turns out these fantasies are set in classical Chinese eras with martial arts traditions and a hint of magic.  As I am not familiar with this genre, I can't tell the crew how it compares to other works in this style.

I absolutely loved the young nun, Guet Imm, who is both naive and cunning.  She is funny and it was lovely to watch her discomfit and change the group dynamics.  The leader of the group, Lau Fung Cheung, is a bit mysterious and I enjoyed all the silliness around how good looking he is.  But the best character for me was Tet Sang by far.  I enjoyed learning about his background and he was always surprising me.  I particularly adored the ending of this novella.

I liked this read well enough but I am not sure why I didn't love it.  The elements seem to be there but I wasn't head over heels about the story.  Maybe this is one of those times where I just needed more details.  The world building is light.  Besides the three main characters, all the others felt interchangeable.  The blend of serious and silly was well done but I am not used to that kind of writing so maybe that was the disconnect?  I am not sure.

I have no regrets and certainly enjoyed reading this.  I just don't think that the plot details will linger even if the characters certainly will.  Arrrr!

Ahoy there mateys!  This author's work is fairly new to me but I am really enjoying it so far.  It seems that the author writes in a variety of styles with a variety of subjects.  The first sci-fi novella was walking to aldebaran which was definitely unusual but made me laugh.  The second, a novel called dogs of war, took some time to track down but I ended up finding that one interesting too.  Strange sci-fi about bioforms but good.  So I was looking forward to reading this fantasy that involves puppets.

This world building was freaking awesome.  The story follows Coppelia who is a thief and pickpocket with an unusual ability - to make intricate puppets.  But not just any puppets.  These six inch tall puppets are alive.  Made out of wood, metal, and other materials, the tiny magical beings have recently moved to the city of Loretz.  Coppelia and the homunculi strike a mutually beneficial deal for survival.  Until the local crime boss gives them no choice but to help with a heist.

Seriously the homunculi were just awesome.  I loved how the different materials influenced how they functioned.  I loved that how they dealt with gender.  I loved the back story of their origins.  I loved their plans for the future.  And I loved their friendship with Coppelia.  I could have read about them for a lot longer.

Besides the amazing world, the plot was also unpredictable in the best way possible.  The story felt light at times and very dark at others.  Coppelia was fun to follow and I did actually get anxious for her chances.  The book did not end up where I thought it would.  Cool.

The only negatives were I got a lot of the criminals mixed up and also the plot details are fading already.  That said, I would certainly reread this one and enjoy refreshing me memory.  Arrr!

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

This be fifth book I have read by the author and me fifth five star read.  I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other.  The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history.  The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico.  The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era.  The fourth was a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979.  This was a gothic horror set in 1950s Mexico.  I adored this book!

The story follows Noemí, a 20-something socialite whose night out partying is cut short when her father receives a strange message from a newly married cousin.  Noemí is sent on a mission, to find out what is going on with her cousin, not only because her father cares about family, but also to avoid a scandal.

To quote Matey Imyril's excellent teaser:

"Moreno-Garcia wears her inspirations proudly: cousin Catalina is an orphan, who grew up telling Noemí fairytales and reading the Brontës. Catalina is a hopeless romantic: of course she fell for the handsome Englishman with the tragic family history and a remote estate decaying in the mountains. Why yes, it does look an awful lot like he married her for her money. And now she thinks Virgil Doyle is trying to poison her, and Noemí’s father can’t decide if Catalina’s got psychological problems or a bad case of melodrama."

Sounds excellently gothic right?  Well of course strong-willed and independent Noemí is going to go and save the day.  Of course everything goes wrong and Noemí is in over her head from the moment she arrives at High Place estate.  And of course, Silvia Moreno-Garcia makes me love every delicious second and every shiver that runs up me spine.

The atmosphere of this novel is brilliant and wonderful.  The modern city girl goes to an estate where there is no electricity, no conversation allowed at dinner, and old-fashioned rules about proper decorum.  The house is falling apart and seems almost sinister.  The gothic elements are so nicely swirled with the more modern viewpoints that I kept second guessing many of the mysteries of the house and its inhabitants.  I didn't really love Noemí but she still didn't deserve the High Place.  And of course the ending was bittersweet but also kinda perfect.

I absolutely love Silvia Moreno-Garcia and can't wait for whatever she writes next.  Arrr!

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 . . .

The cover drew me in and three things convinced me to read this book:

1. I love dark fantasy;
2. It is a Subterranean Press book and they do great work; and
3. This collection has 10 stories.  I have only read 4 of the authors' other works but the P. Djèlí Clark story cliched it.

Out of the 10 stories I loved 5 of them, 3 were just okay, and I didn't like 2.  I will try to give ye an idea of the bare bones and thoughts on the stories:

"Orderly Progression of Hearts" (Kat Howard)- This story was written in second person and didn't work for me at all.  Ugh.  Apparently me heart turned to stone then other things.  Not a good start to this anthology.

"Cherry Street Tango, Sweatbox Waltz" (Caitlín R. Kiernan) - This story is about an assassin's gig gone wrong and the interrogation is going through.  It took a moment to get settled into the style but I started to like it before it abruptly ended.  Teaser tale that just wasn't long enough to be completely satisfying.

"Estate Sale" (Bentley Little) - A woman goes to a neighborhood estate sale only to get confused when she recognizes some of the items being sold.  Light and kind of silly but fun.

"Twisted Hazel" (Stephen Gallagher) - I rather enjoyed this ghost story.  It is very poignant and had a semisweet ending.  I thought the atmosphere was nicely done.

"Death Comes for the Rich Man" (Robert McCammon) - A rich man hires a problem-solver to delay Death so he can speak with his estranged daughter one last time.  The hired man has an usual night.  I enjoyed this story even though I feel like I have already read a version of this tale before.

"At the Threshold of Your Bedchamber on the Fifth Night" (Sarah Gailey) - This certainly is the best story of the collection so far.  A suitor comes to win a challenge - receive the hand of the beautiful princess if they can remain awake for five whole days and nights. And of course there is a twist.  Lovely.

"Final Course" (C.J. Tudor) - This was first story that actually felt like dark fantasy.  I loved it.  It's the end of the world where darkness and monsters reign.  Five old college friends gather at a manor in the country with hopes of survival.  Then of course one goes missing.  I love this author's work.

"Lamagica" (Ian R. MacLeod) - I liked the setting of this world and the characters and the quest for the missing brother.  I did think that the story was too long and didn't love the ending.  The first half was stronger than the second and I ended up not really liking it overall.

"Razor Pig" (Richard Kadrey) - Creepy dark carnival and a missing daughter.  I wasn't expecting how this worked out but I rather liked it.  Gruesome.

"Skin Magic" (P. Djèlí Clark) - A fantastic story but what an abrupt ending!  Please make this into a full length novel.

I be very grateful to have a chance to read these stories and am glad I pushed through the beginning.  While I didn't love every story, I do have a few new favourites.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Subterranean Press!

Ahoy there me mateys!  This book was the second book on me list from SPFBO #5 in 2019.  I recently read the book from that year that sounded the coolest and it freakin' rocked (and won).  This placed second in the contest and also sounded like the book for me.  Sadly I only made it to 36% before abandoning ship.

This book seemed to have all the elements that I love - a woman who dresses like a man, is snarky and intelligent, has a magical arm, used to be rich before a downfall, became a mercenary for survival, and is out for revenge.  Sounds cool right?

The book started out with promise.  The scarred and battered Kyrra d’Aliente we meet at the beginning seemed like a kinda gal I could grow to love.  I wasn't so enthused with her not so great secret plan but I was trying to keep an open mind.  Unfortunately the book quickly changes time frames and takes us back to Kyrra's life before her fall from grace.

I did not like stupid, younger Kyrra.  She has a great life but is a bubble head who whines and causes trouble because she is bored.  The choice she makes that causes her disgrace was just SO dumb.  Kyrra was set up to be this smart girl who acts the fool.  And I couldn't stand her.  The only thing that earned some grudging respect was how she dealt with her lowly position afterwards and how she could be blunt and outspoken at times.

I kept reading for Arsenault, the man who comes into her life and begins helping her for mysterious reasons.  He was a very interesting and flawed character and I wanted to know more about his background and missions.  Turns out when I got the first inklings about them, I was less than enthused.  Add in romance leanings, less than interesting special snowflake magic for Kyrra that are gifts from the gods, and her unending stupidity; I was getting annoyed.

Then I found out the book was 767 pages.  At 265 pages we still hadn't gotten back to fierce warrior Kyrra.  "Young" 17 year-old Kyrra matured a little as the book progressed but not nearly enough.  I couldn't reconcile that this idiot could become the Kyrra hinted at in the beginning.  I didn't want to read any more of the sappy romantic feelings that Kyrra had with Arsenault.  The gods and magic just didn't seem worth the struggle to develop a connection with Kyrra.  Arsenault even started to infuriate me with his choices.  He would reveal a secret, Kyrra would have a temper tantrum or pity party, and then rinse and repeat.  She had gone through this ordeal and then turns into a timid 13 year old idiot for the rest of the book that I tried to get through.

I couldn't bear to read anymore.  This book had some interesting ideas and some decent writing but could have used a major trimming and a bit more of an editor's insight and touch.  Or it could just be me.  I am abandoning the book and the rest of the series (whenever it gets written) too.  Arrrr!

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

This be me fourth book by the author.  I adored her shining girls and thought it was one of the best time travel books I have read.  I also very much enjoyed zoo city cause who doesn't want a giant sloth? 

This is a dystopian thriller where a plague has wiped out most of the men.  The remaining men are locked up for their own protection.  A mom, Cole, and her teenage son, Miles, have escaped and are on the run.  They make their way across the US with Miles dressed as a girl.  I should have loved this one but I wasn't thrilled by it at all.

While I liked the concepts, everything was dealt with on a surface level. Instead of getting the interesting point of view of Miles as one of the last men on earth, ye primarily get an anxious mom's looping thoughts.  The government chasing the fugitives doesn't come into play.  The bad guy is a relative who only is able to track the duo because a) the son's bad use of social media or b) because mom actually gives directions!  The pandemic could have been removed and replaced with any other big issue and not much would have changed in the story.  Also minor points that are personal dislikes include the use of the religious cult and mention of current politics and people.

I was expected a fast-paced action thriller that delves into the social structure of a post-apocalyptic world run by women.  Instead it is an uninteresting take on family dynamics where not much really happens.  A miss for me but I will still be reading future work by the author.

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Mulholland Books!

Ahoy there me mateys!  Those who have been aboard for a while know that urban fantasy and I are not usually friends.  In fact we tend to be enemies.  I can't explain why.  It's just a truth.  And yet recently I loved the DFZ urban fantasy series.  Then when I was perusing me Goodreads' ports for plunder list to find something that fit me mood, the First Mate told me to scroll back up to see what had a caught his eye.  Apparently his unconscious mind was finding me the perfect book because I ADORED this!

Ivy is the laziest witch around.  She does the bare minimum so that she can lay on her couch, eat tasty treats, fight with her cat, and enjoy entertainment.  Sounds like me kinda gal.  Then a case of mistaken identity gets her magically attached to an investigator of the Order.  She is not down with that.  But the spell lasts for 588 days and unless she can find a work-around, she has to deal with annoying (but cute) Adeptus Exemptus Raphael Winter.  She doesn't want to be part of any investigation (or work!).  She just wants her old lazy life back.  But the magic has other ideas.

Aye, this have romance in it.  But it also has a snarky cat named Brutus who made me hysterically laugh out loud.  Seriously he made the book for me.  I also very much enjoyed Ivy who (like me) just wants to lounge around all day.  I actually didn't mind the romance in this because it was not the focus.  Plus Ivy is an excellent person to hang out with.  I love her humor and outlook on the world.  I also very much enjoyed the mystery aspects and the side characters.  The book is fun and entertaining and was exactly what I needed to read.  I read it quickly in one sitting.

Much thanks to Matey Sarah @ Brainfluff for letting me know about this book.  I will be reading the next in the series.  Arrr!