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

I really, really wanted to love this book.  Just look at the beautiful cover!  It features the sea!  Pirates!  Female Captains!  Magic!  Sadly, I had to abandon ship at 50% cause the story wasn't working.  I even spoiled the ending by reading other reviews to see if I should push through in case it got better.  I chose to stop.

The Pros:

- The Setting:  This features a sea that is not water but grass!  There is a world beneath the grass but humans don't know what exists there besides monsters.  Cool concept.  I particularly liked that instead of fishing, sailors sail around to harvest different types of grass and plants.

- The Magic:  I really enjoyed the idea of the hearth fires helping to run the ship.  I adored the bird-caller having feathered friends help with navigation.

- Lots of female characters:  There are all female sailing crews.  They do not pine for men but rather for adventure and loot.  Arrr!

- Water Subplot: I liked the idea of the water shortage on Arcadia and how it affected the social structure and rules of the city.

The Cons:

- The Main Character:  Kindred (horrible name) ended up making me upset with her actions.  She was selfish, impulsive, reckless, and irrational.

- The Framing Device: I hated this.  It takes place far in a dystopian future where a supernatural type being is telling the history of the world.  It was a boring beginning to the novel and interrupted story flow every time.

- The Magic:  While the magic ideas were fun, they really didn't make any sense in terms of how they functioned or what the rules were.  The author chose to make Kindred learn by instinct.  This made the magic seem like gibberish.

- Repetitive Themes: I got tired of the author making the same points over and over again.  Kindred's unorthodox and reckless use of hearth fire.  How her training was both truncated and haphazard.  Her unusual love for and connection to the sea.  How she is Special.  How Kindred's grandmother was a Larger than Life Figure.  Humans causing environmental devastation.  Seriously this book needed trimming.

- The Plot: The story did not make sense to me in the slightest.  Kindred chooses to lie to everyone and go on a hazardous crusade regardless of the consequences to those she cares about.  The reasons for this abrupt turn around of her beliefs were silly.  The evil villain had lame politics of "power at any cost" and felt completely flat.  Much of that subplot felt forced.  I didn't even get to the actual pirate town because I was so bored and the pacing was so slow.  When the giant wrym battle happened I was perplexed at how uninteresting it was.  I should have loved the life on the sea but the events in the story were all too coincidental or too simple.  Character motivations also seemed petty or nonsensical.

This book appealed in concepts but it didn’t work for me at all in the end.  To the grass wyrms it goes.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you DAW!

Ahoy there me mateys!  This be me eighth novel by Will McIntosh and it was exactly what I wanted - fun!  This story follows twins named Vick and Tara who are homeless and living on the edge.  They are surviving because of their abilities with regards to technology.  Tara is an engineering whiz and Vick is great at scavenging the parts she needs.  But when Tara builds a small watchdog named Daisy, the twins come under the notice of a local crime boss.  Can Tara and Vick keep their freedom?

This was a fantastic read for me.  Normally I would want the sci-fi or plot to be a bit more realistic.  With this middle-grade, I just wanted a good time.  I loved the relationship between the twins.  I loved Daisy.  I loved watching the bad guys lose.  I enjoyed the friends made and the escapades they had.  I thought that Tara's autism was dealt with compassionately.  And I thought the ending was a hoot even though I don't think most kids would understand the concepts used in it.

The small negatives are that the bad lady is very one-dimensional and the children make some less than moral choices.  I also would have liked more robots.  However, these are small issues as the book otherwise completely fit me mood.

I can't want to read more by this author.  Luckily, I still have one novel and four novellas to read by the author.  Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I learned about Ursula Vernon through her work under the pseudonym T. Kingfisher.  I was surprised to find that she has a lot of work written for children published under her "real" name.  As she says,

In order to never again have that horrific experience where I find myself running in slow motion across a library crying “Noooooooooo…!” as the well-meaning librarian hands a seven-year-old boy a copy of The One Book With The Torture Scene, I write for adults these days under the pen-name T. Kingfisher. It’s just easier for everybody, particularly for my nerves.

This does mean that some short stories previously published as Ursula Vernon will pop up in T. Kingfisher anthologies. It’s cool. I’m not plagiarizing me, I swear.

I was in a somber mood and wanted something to cheer me up.  I loved castle hangnail so I thought I would try another of the author's books for young readers.  This was book one of the Hamster Princess series.  It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with animals rather than people.  It is also illustrated by the author.  It is adorable and fun!

Harriet is awesome.  She is a princess who wants more out of life then her normal boring existence.  Harriet is smart, clever, and likes math and fractions.  As an example, when Harriet finds out about the curse at age 10, she isn't sad.  Instead she determines that she be Invincible!  Until she turns 12 anyways.  Her pet riding quail, Mumprey, is so loyal and lovely.  The tropes are here but twisted in such lovely ways.  It is funny, sweet, and unexpected.  This lovely book certainly cheered me up.

The only major problem was that I read this on my phone and the illustrations were hard to read.  They tell part of the story so ye don't want to skip them.  I managed to read all but one but would recommend reading this in book form to get the full impact.

I loved this as an adult but wish I had it as a kid.  I loved this enough that I will likely pick up more of the series in the future.  Arrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  This be another delightful novella that takes place in the World of the Five Gods from the trilogy of that name.  That said, ye do NOT have to have read the trilogy first, though I did.  Book one of the trilogy, curse of the chalion, is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read and I really enjoyed the remaining two.

Last year, the Penric and Desdemona novellas were republished in a two-book omnibus set.  The first omnibus contained novellas 1 - 3 in the internal chronological order not publishing order.  The second set had the novellas 4 - 6.  I had mistakenly believed that those two books contained the whole series only to find out there were three more!  I normally read in publishing order but have to admit that I strongly feel this series should be an exception if ye be new to it.

This novella is number 7 and it contains spoilers (particularly for 4 - 6).  That said, it can be read as a standalone though it is richer if ye do read it in order.  This story follows Penric and Desdemona on what should be a simple journey that goes awry when pirates capture his ship.  Of course things be complicated when he finds himself in a cell with two little girls that are bound for the slave trade.  Penric has to save them of course.

I continue to love Penric and Desdemona.  As this is one of the later novellas, their relationship is pretty smooth going unlike earlier episodes.  I do miss watching their relationship develop but there is comfort in watching them do their thing.  Penric causes ruckus wherever he goes (of course!) but I rather enjoyed watching him scrabble in this one.  Also the ending is delightful and satisfying in how it turns out for the bad guys (the pirates of course!).

“Just once, Pen thought glumly, he’d like to get an answer to prayers, instead of being delivered as one.” ― Lois McMaster Bujold, The Orphans of Raspay

Side Note: I am so very excited to get started on the Vorkosigan Saga from the treasure trove the First Mate brought me.  Can't wait to see how the sci-fi goes cause the fantasy be wonderful.  Arrrr!

Ahoy there mateys!  While I did originally receive an eArc of the novel from the publisher via Edelweiss, I ended up waiting for the audio book version to come out because Tim Gerard Reynolds really does make this series better.  This book is book three of the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series.  While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first two then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

The First Mate and I listened to this together.  I absolutely love Ashok and was delighted to get this installment.  This really is the book that gets the war started and so, unlike the first two books, does seem like a bridge book.  That said, the author really does know how to end books in a way that have ye itching for the next one.

I continue to love Ashok, the librarian, and the librarian's protector.  Jagdish also makes me happy.  Oh and the romance in this was surprisingly sweet.  The major problem was all the time in the Cove.  I was annoyed every single time the story went back there.  I am glad the tiger man is dead.  I still think Omand is a jerk.  And I can't wait to see what Gutch gets up to next.

Much of this book is fighting and traveling for fighting so the plot already feels blurry in me noggin.  That's okay cause I enjoyed following along and I know it will come back when book four comes out.  And I will be listening to that one too.  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 love Marie Brennan and requested this book based on a) her being the author; and b) it dealing with Japanese folklore.  I did not know that this book took place in a fictional world called the legend of the five rings which apparently is a card and role playing game.  I cannot speak about how it fits into that world but I can speak to how it stands alone.

In this story, Agasha no Isao Ryotora, a samurai goes to a small isolated village to determine why supernatural creatures descend on the town at the full moon leaving destruction and death in their wake.  While there, he unexpectedly meets samurai Asako Sekken from an opposing clan.  The two of them are drawn into a much bigger problem that could destroy the world.  Can they work together and solve the issue?

This book centers around Yōkai, which are historical Japanese monsters, and the legend of the Hyakki Yagyō or parade of demons.  I very much enjoyed getting to learning more about these concepts.  The highlight was the characters.  I loved watching Ryotora and Sekken's relationship develop in the novel.  It is slow-burn in terms of relationship development and plot but unfolded more like an older style myth so I very much enjoyed it.  Additionally, I liked how the chapters switched back and forth between the two samurai.

The mystery itself was fun to watch unfold.  Though the pace was steady, the ending ramped up.  And I adored the ending which is rare for me.  I am very glad that I picked this book up.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Aconyte Books!

Ahoy there me mateys!  Somewhere I heard this book described as Jane Austen with magic.  So color me curious.  When I wanted a light-hearted fun read, I scooped this one up.  No disappointment here!

The main character, Elizabeth Knight, is a spinster who, of course, is a burden on her family.  When her beloved uncle dies, he leaves her with an unusual gift - his occult library.  Women are not really supposed to do magic.  Brides and babies are the expectation.  And when one of those bequeathed books turns out to have a ghost living in it, it seems that every male is out to steal what is rightfully Elizabeth's.

I loved Elizabeth!  As always it was lovely to have an intelligent female to follow.  It was annoying to watch how stymied her life was by the men in it but also fun to watch the women work around it.  I loved her feisty Aunt, her newfound friendships, and the commentary on society.  I loved that one of the relationships of the book is a married couple who banters and are such excellent friends.  I love that it becomes a story about women gaining agency through their hard work and those friendships.  It was also nice to see Elizabeth's grief being dealt with in the story because she really did love her uncle.

But above all I loved the occult library.  A lot of this book discusses sorting through her uncle's gift.  I found this to be excellent fun, especially when the ghost starts giving her opinions.  So many of the books seemed real and like they would be fun to get a hold of.  And of course who doesn't like a women's secret society set up to read all about the forbidden magic.

The negative for some is that the plot is slow moving and there is not a ton of action.  The focus be on the relationships with a bit of a foray into social commentary.  I was certainly okay with that.  There be a second book out.  I need to track it down.  Arrr!

Ahoy there mateys!  Though the First Mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other.  He and I both read the following:

barsk: the elephants' graveyard (Lawrence M. Schoen)

We read and talked about the book and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered asked him to write a review.  So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew.  Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks.  Hope you enjoy!

From the Captain:

This is one of the best books I have ever read.  Period.  The cover of this novel drew me in and the synopsis was weird and intriguing.  But the book sounded like something that I would need to be in the correct mental space for.  And I just didn't ever pick it up.

Then this year the First Mate and I were trying to figure out what our next joint audio book was going to be.  He happened to mention that he was thinking of re-listening to barsk and would I be interested?  I wasn't sure if I was in the right mood but his description of the book made me willing to give it a chance.  I am so frickin' glad.

This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever listened to.  The opening sequence was one of the most beautiful and perfect ever.  It made me both cry and grin madly at the lush imagery and at the characters.  While the tone of the overall book is bittersweet, the world building, concepts, and characters stole my heart.  Aye, human-like elephants (Fants) are the main characters.  While it seems weird in concept, it is stunning in execution.  I cannot do this justice.  But I wish I could give all the crew members a copy.

One of me favorite things in this book (besides the amazing writing) was in the character relationships.  There is an older scholar named Jorl who helps teach a young Fant named Pizlo.  Their relationship was beautiful, poignant, and heart-warming.  I love them individually and love them even more together.  I am tearing up just thinking about it.  In fact all the characters are fascinating and fully realized - even the minor ones.

The world building is also exquisite.  The planet Barsk itself sounds extraordinary from the shadow dwell, to the various islands, and because of the people themselves.  The politics of the world were complex and fascinating, particularly the use of Speakers.  These Speakers are able to speak to the dead and this concept is central to the novel.  This book is nuanced and beautiful and watching the story unfold was like having the amazement of seeing the pearl slowly manifest before yer eyes.

Me words fail, fail, fail at how amazing this book is.  Please do yerself a favor and read this book that deserves all the love and more.  Check out the First Mate's words below and have them help tip this book off the tbr and into yer hands.  It be worth it.  Arrrr!

From the First Mate:

Barsk has one of those cover/synopsis combinations that always make me want to read the book but also makes me continually put it off, telling myself that I'll pick it up when I'm in the proper headspace to deal with something weighty. I don't know why I initially waited so long (around 2 years after purchase) to read the book, but I suspect I'm not the only one that has done so. Most of the people to whom I've mentioned the book have also said that they've had the book on their TBR for a while. I want to start a movement. Barsk deserves to be read and appreciated; this is an amazingly awesome book.

With absolute certainty I can state that Barsk would have been the best book that I'd read in any of the past years since it's been published. Schoen has written a deep, complex, perceptive, sad, and beautiful novel that, once read, has continued to come back to my thoughts over the last several years. Concepts raised in the work have been so intriguing to me and I've thought about them for so long that they're now like smooth stones in my mind that have been long handled.

On the first descriptive level, Barsk could seem a little silly. Yes, it's essentially a space opera populated with anthropomorphic animals and includes psychic abilities. Certainly understandable if someone took that element of the synopsis and assumed that the book was going to be something akin to Bucky O'Hare or Zootopia in space. And yet the very first scene of the novel is of an old artist waking up and coming to realize that his life is over, setting his affairs in order, and then making arrangements for the way the Fant (elephants) come to die on their world. That scene is achingly beautiful in its description. Subdued and introspective, it was definitely not the type of opening I was expecting for the novel, but it was absolutely perfect.

Then we meet our protagonists, Jorl and Pizlo, a psychic historian and a genetic abomination. A man who has been devastated by the loss of his best friend and the son of that best friend. Two kind, perceptive, unique characters who wonder through their world continually asking "why." As events in their world start to change the nature of their lives, both Jorl and Pizlo continue to ask "why is this happening," "is this good," and "how can I help to make things
better." Faced against the forces of the law, tradition, prejudice, physics, and even the the bounds of life and death, Jorl and Pizlo continue to search for the right thing to do. And we also get many beautiful conversations between the two of them on a myriad of topics.

The topic that is most central to the book is that of speaking to the dead. Schoen makes the decision to develop a scientific explanation for the psychic ability of Speaking. While not the first author to do so, Schoen's skill at presenting a plausible scientific backing for a psychic ability is truly first rate. Perhaps the aspect I admire the most is the way in which Schoen explores the boundaries of what is possible within the rules of what he's set up. Several
times various characters believe something is impossible only to have another character show them how that very thing is possible within the very rules of the universe as set up. A continually expanding exploration of various ideas.

As with any creative work that deals with death, loss, and prejudice, Barsk is a fundamentally sad book. While Pizlo has a child's fundamental optimism about the world, Jorl has been alive long enough to know that there's a lot of sadness in life. Jorl witnesses many things in Barsk that are fundamentally unfair and for which there are no good solutions. Schoen presents elements of dissatisfaction with the world and coming to acceptance with the way things are probably better than any author I've read in quite some time.

As I said before, Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard is one of the best books I've ever read. It works perfectly as a standalone novel. In fact, that's what I thought it was when I first read it, only to be delighted a year or so later when it's sequel, The Moons of Barsk, came out. And, to be perfectly honest, The
Moons of Barsk is even better. The sequel is not as self-contained, requiring both the introduction of Barsk and ending on a dangling plot thread (though wrapping up the main storyline just fine).

Unfortunately, Schoen has indicated that his publisher has not expressed interest in getting a third book, which is totally unacceptable to me. There needs to be a Barsk revival. This series needs to be celebrated for the beautiful,
perceptive work that it is. More people need to read and love Barsk.

Also the audiobook version of Barsk is fantastic. Read by J. G. Hertzler (General Martok from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). His rich, resonate voice made me feel like I was sitting by a fire, listening to an older friend tell me a parable. Soothing, interesting, an informative.

Unreservedly recommended to almost everyone. Avoid if you're not currently in an emotional place to deal with a beautiful work that is fundamentally sad.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I have been hearing about this series from the crew for quite some time.  I did end up enjoying it despite it being urban fantasy but I will not read the rest of the series.

The main problem is that this was read in early January and I did not write me review right away like I normally do and already the details of this read have faded immensely.  The plot is basically gone so I will not be able to give a recap here other then this was action packed.  Perhaps there was just too much going on.  The characters in this book did stand out a bit better.  I particularly liked the relationship between Brand and Rune.  They have a snarky friendship and the banter was lovely.  Though Rune is the main character, Brand was the favorite.

The world building was fun.  I remember more about that.  There is a magical island of New Atlantis which is like our world but also filled with magical people and creatures.  There is diversity in the world, though those looking for strong female protagonists will not find it here.  It is very much male dominated.  The relationships are mostly queer.  I particularly liked how the architecture of the city was done and how the magic operated.

The series is supposed to be nine books split into three arcs.  While I am done, I can see why others really enjoy this series. Arrr!