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

While this was a decent debut and had lots of things I loved, there were also things that majorly irked me.  I am torn about this novel.  So here be me thoughts:

Pros

Dragons: erm . . . dinosaurs!  There were different kinds and I loved them.

Characters: there be some excellent people in this one.  Particular fave was Saana who was fierce, awesome, a woman, and the mother of a grown daughter.  There were many excellent women in this.  And quite a few men too!

LGBTQ+: Same-sex relationships, 5 genders, etc. Awesome.

Negotiation: While tempers flared at times, a lot of problems were solved by talking and not fighting.  Cool.

The Sea: I loved all the sections dealing with ships.  Arrr!

Cons

Characters: Though I had a couple of favorites, many of them didn't grab me at all or feel realistic.  This be unusual for fantasy.

POVs/Plotlines:  There was a side plotline about a thief that I wasn't crazy about.  It felt too YA in her chapters even if she is young.  Also there were some unnecessary viewpoints and sections that could have been removed with no real change to the story.

Pace: I had trouble being excited about this throughout.  It was uneven and there were times I struggled to keep going.

Bad Guys: The bad guys were very one-dimensional.  As were their motivations.

Realism:  I know it be fantasy but there were lots of times the plot felt too easy or unrealistic given how the world was set up.  The entire ending in the Blackcreek especially.

While I am conflicted about this novel, dragons and Saana may have me picking up the next in the series.  Arrr!

Ahoy there me mateys! I won a copy of this young adult fantasy eArc from Goodreads Giveaways! Arrrr! Here be me honest musings . . .

I have read five of this author's novels so far, although three were pre-blog. I had been meaning to read the Renthia trilogy forever. When I saw a giveaway for a standalone novel set in the Renthia universe, I thought that would be an excellent way to be introduced to the world without having to start a new series. Unlike the recent read of race the sands, this one didn't end up working so well for me.

Where the race the sands book had excellent plot and characters and was lighter on the world building, I felt this was the opposite. I loved the world set up but did not love the plot. And I did not love the main character, Mayara. Mayara was said to be tough and intelligent and a risk taker. I could see some intelligence but most of the time she was whiney about wanting to go home. I get that some people could find that realistic. Mayara just annoyed me. All she wanted to do is hide. There was no real risk taking. I did enjoy that she had basically no magic training and how that impacted the story.

Surprisingly I loved the romance in this book. I loved Mayara's partner Kelo and how their relationship worked. It was lovely to see an established relationship with no angst about each other. I actually would have rather have had Kelo's story to be honest. He was naïve but sweet. I liked that their personalities complimented each other and both had strengths and weaknesses.

The major problem was the plot. Why the trials exist and how they are run made no sense. The plot twists were predictable and boring. Kelo's plan to get to the Queen was not thought out and then he gets involved in a political scheme that was so poorly planned it shouldn't have worked. There were a ton of lucky coincidences and some people not being dead and characters that serve no real point except as an excuse to move Kelo away from Mayara. As I read the book became less and less engaging. I only finished it because of winning it in the giveaway and wanting to give the author the benefit of the doubt because of her other books.

Sad to say that I really didn't like this one. I am still very interested however in her books the bone maker and catalyst. Arrrr!

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

Aye, I really, really enjoyed the first book.  But this one be better.  It took me a while to get hold of this yarn and then find time to read it.  I wondering if the span of time between the two would cause some problems with me noggin forgettin' things.  Nope.  Sunk right back into the world of bone ships and dragons and gulliames.  Sucked right back into the action and adventure.  Stuck clinging to every word with bated breath and hoping the crew and Lucky Meas didn't go down in the storm.

What a swell time.  If ye haven't read this series, ye should.  I need the next one like I need the sea air and grog and treasure.  Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I picked this one up because it deals with genetically engineering dragons.  The description is "Build-A-Bear workshop meets Jurassic Park."  Dragons as pets?  Sign me up.  This was a fun read in some parts and extremely annoying in others.  Here by me thoughts:

Pros

- Dragons: I loved the idea of build-a-dragon to yer specifications. Security dragon?  Children's pet with polka dot scales?  Delivery dragons?  The design program and the silly work competitions were why this book didn't walk the plank.  I also liked 3-D printing the eggs and how obsessive the egg handlers were.

- Customer Service: I liked reading the transcripts of customer service calls and the parts of owner's manuals.  Silly and cheesy but still fun.

- Octavius: Aye, a dragon.  I wanted so much more of Octavius and his forays and antics.  For being so cool, he wasn't used enough or explained enough.  I would love to have Ocatavius in my life.

Cons

- Characters: I kinda hated the main character.  I almost didn't want to read this book based on how he was describing women at the beginning.  He also mostly came across as social inept but full of himself.  I never liked him or his motivations.  But dragons!

- The Dog Subplot: I could buy why this was there for the set-up of the novel to work.  I did not however like the deus ex machina resolution of this subplot at the end of the book.  The motivation of the bad guy involving the dogs was lame.

- The Younger Brother Subplot:  This was there to make main character seem sympathetic and unselfish and give him reasons to work for the dragon company.  This subplot didn't work at all.  In fact, he seemed even more selfish because he never seemed to really care what his brother would want.  Also his younger brother never felt like a real character.  Plus how the dragons were used to solve this issue was evil.

- The Geocaching: Subplot This was made into a fierce competition between him and love interest. It was to help ramp up tension between the two and help them meet and fall in love.  It was boring.  Especially how the dragon and pig helped them win.  So unrealistic.

- The Ex-Girlfriend Backstory:   Love interest was ex-girlfriend's roommate.  Just there so love interest and dude can have a bad past and lead to an enemies to lovers trope.  Ex-girlfriend is said to be crazy and seems to have a mental illness that is never really explained.  Could have had one scene to explain the "enemy" situation and removed the ex-girlfriend details altogether.  It slowed down the story and the pacing.

- The Dragon Business:  The more the operations of the company were described the less sense the company structure and day-to-day management made sense.  The big "evil" reveal was lackluster.

- The Mystery:  The main character spends a lot of time running around and supposedly hiding things from others.  He sucked at this.  Security cameras should have caught him.  Random strangers should have asked questions and caught him.  His co-workers should have caught him.  He should  have failed.  But nooooo, he is just too smart and amazing.

- Jeep and Girl:  Aye, girlfriend has to be so "hot" and her jeep is "so sexy."  Blech.  It got old.
Dragons:  I know!  There were such cool dragons but lots of weird interactions with the main character seemed ridiculous.  It was like they could read his mind and understand human thinking.  Except that main character was not logical and made horrible choices,

- The End:  Bad, just bad.  Basically the climax to the very end was confusing and seemingly out of nowhere.

So while this one doesn't walk the plank because I loved the genetic engineering sections, I really didn't like the rest of the book.  But I am in the minority so what do I know?  Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  This be a Victorian murder mystery romance series.  Not me usual fare but I needed a change of pace.  Luckily Matey Milou wrote a lovely review of book three in this series wherein she said:

This series is, for me, quite romance heavy. Especially in this book, which is set in the week of Lily’s wedding. Surprisingly though, I don’t mind it at all. Frances is a widow, and has been married for 10 years. She has a daughter. She has been through it all. So her relationship isn’t angsty whatsoever. It is based on friendship, with a lot of mutual respect and an equal partnership in every aspect. And it is just really lovely. Also, because most of their ‘alone time’ is spent discussing the case, the mystery never suffers under the romance either.

This book appealed because it was a Victorian murder mystery but I like me romances to be minor to the plot.  I loved the idea that this book had a (slightly) older widow as a main character.  I loved the idea that the romance is based in friendship and doesn't get in the way of the plot.  I also loved that Milou had read all three and enjoyed the series thus far.  So I gave it a whirl.

I was highly entertained by this one.  Frances is a wonderful character.  I thought the set up for this book was excellent and immediately was rooting for Frances' independence and the start of a new life.  Her dead husband was a cad.  She is intelligent and fun and it is nice to see her taking charge of her life.  Of course unusual circumstances get in the way.

The book can be silly at times but in a way that makes me smile.  How can ye not enjoy thievery, murder, suitors, and the Season?  I thought the blend of husband hunting, family shenanigans, and murder investigation was mixed really well.  This book was lighthearted and lovely and just what I needed.  I will certainly be reading more of the series.  Books two and three are out and book four is scheduled for July 2021.  I have time to catch up!  Arrr!

Ahoy there mateys!  I had never read anything by this author but the idea of a mannequin coming to life is always fun.  Wasn't there an 80s movie about a mannequin coming to life in a department store? I believe that was a comedy and this one was a horror.  I was excited but this novella ended up being just an okay read.

The beginning of the novella was excellent.  I loved the premise of a prank going wrong.  I loved how the mannequin comes to life.  I loved the unreliable narrator who is trying to save the town and happens to be going insane because of it.  How Sawyer tries to save the world was both funny and horrible.  I was completely enthralled for a bit.  Had the book stayed in this vein it could have been a favorite.

Unfortunately, the climax and ending were not to me taste.  The story kinda took a sharp random turn that didn't really fit with the rest of the plot.  And some of the revelations were kinda random and silly.  I don't mind ambiguous endings but this one just seemed really off.  That said, it was short and fun and I have no regrets.  Not sure if I will read any of the author's other works though.  Arrr!

Matey Mogsy had a great review of this one in audio book format and said:

In my very limited experience with the author, I can already tell he loves his ambiguous stories, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. Throughout this entire tale, you can never really trust what you’re seeing or hearing through Sawyer’s eyes because as you’ve probably guessed, he’s as unreliable as they come. The writing also reflects his frame of mind, presented in an almost stream of consciousness flood of memories, thoughts and observations. It likely would have been a struggle reading this book in print, but fortunately the style wasn’t as much of an obstacle with the audio format.

Side note: I had no problems with the print version.  Arrr!

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

"When "Don't Be Evil" Fails, Try "Don't Be Boring": It's worked for us since 1958."

The first novella in this series answered the question about what would happen if a wormhole opened up in Ikea, I mean, LitenVärld. I thought it was fun even though I wanted more world building. I was so excited when I heard about this installment.

Derek is the perfect employee and dedicated to the company. But the one day he calls out sick, a wormhole attacks his store. Derek is assigned to help clean up the mess. He finds out his perfect company might have flaws after all.

I adored this one and thought the length was perfect. I loved the nod to the prior book. I loved all the internal memos and policy manual tidbits. I loved the characters and the consequences of Derek's choices. I love the #ownvoices rep. I loved the ending

I know the author didn't originally plan to write more set in LitenVärld but I am super happy to have gotten this one. I also know I didn't discuss the plot. That's cause ye should read the first book and this one too. Arrrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Tor.com!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this middle grade eArc from NetGalley in exchange for me honest review . . .

Well me scalawags, I always be ready for a sea yarn and this middle grade is packed with pirates, djinn, shapeshifters, an assassin spy, and other unsavory creatures.  The highlight of the book be Cap'n Cinn who robs spices from the rich to give to the poor.  Because eatin' just hardtack be rough.  I be hankerin' for some of Cap'n Cinn's lemon cake or hot chocolate.  I very much enjoyed the idea of a world where spices are controlled by a guild. 

In this adventure Young Max's parents go missing and his search for them brings him into contact with Cap'n Cinn.  This pirate is not an old bitter salty dog like me.  Cap'n Cinn is trying to save the world and bring deliciousness to the masses.  He won me over.  Max is very naïve and silly but extremely good hearted.  He likes to believe the best of everyone.

I do think the story will please its target audience.  For this older reader, I felt there were too many characters, not enough world building, and a rather convoluted plot.  But if the younger reader focuses on the pirates, shapeshifters, and Cap'n Cinn then this novel should float their boat.  Arrr!

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

This be the second full-length CatNet series novel by Naomi Kritzer.  The first novel was based on "Cat Pictures Please" which won the 2016 Locus and Hugo awards for best short story.  Book one followed Steph who was on the run from her evil father.  She is saved in the end by her friends from a social media site called CatNet and the AI in hiding called CheshireCat who runs the site.

I enjoyed the first book and was glad to hear that it was getting a sequel.  Turns out that I liked this book even better.  Steph is back and trying to live her life out in the open and gain some stability.  At her new school, she makes a new friend, Nell.  Nell's mother happens to be missing.  And Nell happens to have grown up in a cult.  The two friends join an online social media game.  But something seems weird about it.  Steph, Nell, and Cat find themselves trying to solve the mystery of Nell's mom and maybe also save the world.

What I loved about this one was how lovely the friendships are, how grown-ups are involved in saving the day, and of course CheshireCat.  I really do enjoy getting to see Steph again.  But I thought Nell was an excellent character.  Watching her change during the course of the book was awesome.  I also thought her family was a hoot.  Old friends make an appearance and well as some new unexpected arrivals.  The larger themes of privacy, family, and trauma are here too.  This book was fun and I was glad to see what was evolving with the AI.  I recommend this book but make sure ye read book one first!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tor Teen!

Side note: I have to admit that the cover of this book in the series also doesn't thrill me.