Ahoy there me mateys!  This series is hopping.  This be book three (and me favorite so far!) and it's a fun fast popcorn romp where I couldn't guess what was going to happen next.  It is the strange sort of read because ye follow four POVs and I would be riveted to one person to be sad to have to switch to a new one and then be riveted all over again.  The people ye follow remain from the previous books:

Aden - a POW from the losing side of the battle who is released five years after defeat to start anew;

Idina - a soldier from the winning side who holds a grudge, she is part of the occupying military force on the defeated planet;

Dunstan - a member of the winning naval space fleet whose simple guard duty turns into a mess with epic ramifications; and

Solvieg - a civilian who was a minor during the war now has to deal with the consequences of her planet's loss and what it means for the family business.

I can't get into the plot because I don't want to spoil it.  Suffice to say that there were plot twists I was NOT expecting.  Again these books end on rather abrupt notes that still set up what's to come.  Some readers might not enjoy that type of ending.  Just like with the first two books, I ended this with a "Dang it!  I want more!"  I will avidly be waiting for the next installment and will pick it up as soon as it is released.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you 47 North!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I was excited to read this novella around Halloween time.  The pros for this book were the concept and cover.  The cons were the execution and characters.  I didn't love the writing style as it was a bit purple prosy.  However, the major issue is that I actively disliked all the characters and thought they were selfish and immature.  I have no idea why they were friends at all.  There was too much focus on character backstory and not enough focus on the ghost bride.  I finished this one cause it was short but was bored.  So this one walks the plank!  Arrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for me honest musings.

Ahoy there me mateys! Today I bring ye a thriller by Samantha Downing which I listened to in honor of Halloween being round the corner.

And I have to say that I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. In this novel ye follow a husband as he discusses the hobby he has with his wife. A body he thought was well hidden is discovered . . . and things get out of hand.

I very much liked following the evolving story and its ups and downs. It is an odd book in that there isn’t a ton of gore or real investigation. It really focuses on the husband and how he views his wife and family.

I thought the main character, let’s call him Tobias, was a bit of an idiot but I still wanted to know how this would all work out. I also thought the children were a bit ridiculous but it was all from this silly husband’s point of view. I particularly enjoyed the backstory of the husband and wife’s relationship and their 15 years together.

The downsides for me were some of the unbelievability of the plot, particularly the rundown to the finale. However, I didn’t truly dislike very much except for the final paragraph or so. I thought it was unnecessary. Aye, a very vague review but the fun was going into this one blind. Arrr!

Ahoy there me mateys! I be a huge Kelley Armstrong fan. I just found out that there is going to be a new book by her called twist of fate but when I went back to read me review for the first book, I realized there wasn’t one (despite the strong memory of having written one). Better late than never.

This book is a historical fiction dealing with time travel and ghosts and a romance. It takes place in Thorne Manor which is on the moors in England. Bronwyn could pass through a “time slip” when she was a little girl where she played with a boy named William. A tragedy in her teens forces her away from the Manor and she learns to put her imaginary friend into the past. Then she inherits the Manor and has to come to terms with what happened there.

This book was enjoyable enough that I want to read the next one in the series. It did have some problems. Bronwyn was pretty selfish and a bit ridiculous. The mechanics of how the time slip worked made no real sense. The murder mystery is a bit too rambling and there were a ridiculous amount of ghosts. And I could have done without the light sex scenes and one very weird seduction scene.

That said, I liked that Bronwyn did have a husband in her past. I love the cats. It was a fast read and I wanted to know what happened next. I know that doesn’t sound like a great endorsement but it just seemed not as well written as many of her other books. But I did enjoy it and it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys! This one caught me with it’s premise of a woman named Anna working for a temp agency that helps villain’s file administrative roles. She is excited to get full time work as a hench but the job goes poorly. I loved the set up for this one and the first villain employer.

Once Anna is injured though, I did not love the rest of the book. It was enjoyable and a quick read but I have to admit that I ended up not liking who she becomes. I also didn’t like the ending at all.

I would have preferred this one to be a series of interconnected vignettes that showcased a variety of temp jobs interspersed with dealing with the regular folk. Cause dang was her date with a “normal” guy funny. Don’t regret this but wasn’t in love with it either. Arrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy 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 Kelley Armstrong!  I discovered her through her young adult book, sea of shadows, and she became me most read author of 2016;
2. It is a Subterranean Press book and they do great work; and
3. This is the second book in the a stitch in time series.

This book was much better than the first!  This story follows Rosalind, who accidentally enters the time slip and lands in the 21st century leaving her husband and son in the past.  When she gets back to the past, she finds out that everyone believes she is dead.  Fate takes a hand by getting her a job as a governess to her son.  How can she convince her family that she is back especially when ghosts are afoot and someone wants the governess dead?

The first book's relationship problems could have been solved with some honest communication. I am glad there was less of that in book two. Both books require some heavy suspension of disbelief.  I was annoyed that how Rosalind survives her many years in the 21st century are skipped over.  I also thought how threads of the plot tied together in the end were hasty stitched together.

Overall though, I focused on the story being a silly fun melodrama with ghosts and let it be light entertainment.  I did enjoy the relationship between Rosalind and her son.  I enjoyed watching the husband realize his mistakes.  It was a fun read for halloween.

Happy Halloween!  Arrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Subterranean Press!

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

I am a huge fan of this author and love his work.  I was thrilled to hear about this new series.  The novel takes place in a dystopian England with a western flair.  Civilization is held in a loose collection of cities and the wilderness is a scary place of blighted landscapes and creatures.

At home in this wilderness is a gal named Scarlett who is wanted pretty much everywhere for robbery and assorted crimes.  She fierce and stubborn and awesome.  She happens to come across a boy named Albert Browne who is basically a walking accident waiting to happen.  He is sensitive and dreamy-eyed and never sees the danger even as it is about to eat him.  Against her better sense of self-preservation, Scarlett helps Browne.  Her world implodes and she just knows that boy is hiding something.

The best thing about this novel is the juxtaposition between Scarlet's sass and Browne's wishing to view the world at its best.  The banter and development of the relationship between the two is pure entertainment.  Then ye have the world itself with the dangers of both creatures and people alike.  I loved the world building and the characters even if there are more answers than questions.

I can't wait to find out more!  Arrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Random House!

I love Jane Yolen and really thought I would like this book. I ended up not being able to finish this. I did not like the writing style or tone for this book. Rare to have a miss for Yolen and me. Sad. Arrr!

Ahoy there mateys! This was fascinating even if not a whole lot ended up explained at the end. I loved the main character, Sankofa, who digs a meteor “seed” out of the garden and gains the power of giving death by glowing green and giving out electric sparks. It is not a gift I would wish on anyone.

This story felt like a folktale but had a lot of sci-fi elements. I loved this blend but I admit that, in general, I am fan of the author’s writing style. I felt this was a fantastic character study with lush world building where I was emotionally connected to Sankofa’s every move. However, Sankofa’s journey through Ghana is unpleasant at times and even Sankofa herself is not always likeable.

I thought the audio book narrator, Adjoa Andoh, was wonderful and I am very glad to have listened to this one. Recommended for sure. 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 . . .

I am a fan of the author's writing having read six of her previous works and I will continue to read new releases and catch up on old ones. 

Noor follows the life of Anwuli Okwudili who changed her name to AO - short for Artificial Organism.  She was born with birth defects and made the choice to get augmentations to her body.  She embraces the pain and her choices and is determined to live life on her own terms.  Others call her freak, devil, and worse and see her mechanical legs and arm as abomination.  The day comes where AO protects herself in self-defense and her life is destroyed.

The novel follows her journey on the run and the truths she discovers.  I really loved AO as a character.  The pain she suffered, her self-will, and her ability not to see the world through the lens of hatred were admirable. I love both her body positivity and her realistic viewpoints on human behavior and prejudice.  Not that I wish people weren't so horrible of course. This novel doesn't shy from the selfish things folks do out of ignorance or selfishness or fear.  But there is good in humanity as well.  I also loved the herdsman DNA and his two awesome cows.

The world building is as wonderful as usual.  This book was inspired by the author's visiting an African solar plant.  I loved the solar and wind powered tech.  I loved the desert life and the tech for survival..  I loved how the big bad corporation controlled the world and how there is a small amount of justice in the end.  This comeuppance may not last long but it is nice to see the maligned and outcast part of society win.  There is always satisfaction in that.  If ye haven't read this author's afrofuturism style before, this is a good place to start.

So lastly . . .

Thank ye DAW!

Side Note: There is going to be a third book in the Akata Witch series out in January 2022.  Cool!!