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thecaptainsquarters
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this fantasy novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
I love T. Kingfisher's writing and this was no exception. This is the story of princess Marra whose life is no fairytale. The third of three sisters, her kingdom lies between two other more powerful nations that are always looking to gobble it up. Marra is not considered a great princess. She be shy and awkward. She wants to be unnoticed and live a simple life devoid of politics. She believes she has succeeded. But when a Northern prince brings suffering to her sisters, Marra wants revenge.
Much like others of Kingfisher's work, there is a lovely, twisted blend of horror and humor. The situation of Marra's sisters is reprehensible and individuals live awful lives for the greater good. And yet there are lovely elements like a bone dog, a demon inhabiting a chicken, and a reluctant fairy godmother. The writing is wonderful.
The book can distinctly be broken into two parts. The first is a description of Marra's life and how she eventually landed on the path to revenge. The second half deals with how Marra gets that revenge and how she changes in the process. I happened to love both aspects equally and enjoyed how they were woven together. I also enjoyed that all of the main characters in the revenge portion were over 30 and some very much so. I also loved how all of the characters had to work together to accomplish the goals. Without one, they all would have failed.
There is a light romance and some excellent friendships. I will certainly reread this treasure. Arrrr!
I love T. Kingfisher's writing and this was no exception. This is the story of princess Marra whose life is no fairytale. The third of three sisters, her kingdom lies between two other more powerful nations that are always looking to gobble it up. Marra is not considered a great princess. She be shy and awkward. She wants to be unnoticed and live a simple life devoid of politics. She believes she has succeeded. But when a Northern prince brings suffering to her sisters, Marra wants revenge.
Much like others of Kingfisher's work, there is a lovely, twisted blend of horror and humor. The situation of Marra's sisters is reprehensible and individuals live awful lives for the greater good. And yet there are lovely elements like a bone dog, a demon inhabiting a chicken, and a reluctant fairy godmother. The writing is wonderful.
The book can distinctly be broken into two parts. The first is a description of Marra's life and how she eventually landed on the path to revenge. The second half deals with how Marra gets that revenge and how she changes in the process. I happened to love both aspects equally and enjoyed how they were woven together. I also enjoyed that all of the main characters in the revenge portion were over 30 and some very much so. I also loved how all of the characters had to work together to accomplish the goals. Without one, they all would have failed.
There is a light romance and some excellent friendships. I will certainly reread this treasure. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this fantasy novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
I have read Barnhill's young adult work before so I was intrigued to see how she would deal with dragons. This book follows Alex Green. In 1955 America experiences the Mass Dragoning where over 300,000 women spontaneously turn into dragons. This book explores the event through the lens of Alex's childhood into adulthood and beyond.
I thought the first third was absolutely engaging. I loved reading about Alex's family and how the Dragoning manifested and was originally dealt with. I particularly loved Alex's aunt. I found the subsequent parts less compelling. The second third deals with what happens when Alex's family splinters and how she finishes high school. I did enjoy this section though the pacing was much slower. Sadly the last third of the book where the dragons reenter society and how Alex deals with the implications was much less fun.
I think the major problem about the last section of the book was how the internal logic seemed to make little sense to me and have no real point. And I really didn't like the ending at all. That said, I truly loved the beginning and did love Alex and the aunt as characters. I found the author's work to be well written with interesting societal commentary even if the parts didn't fully come together for me in the end. Arrrr!
I have read Barnhill's young adult work before so I was intrigued to see how she would deal with dragons. This book follows Alex Green. In 1955 America experiences the Mass Dragoning where over 300,000 women spontaneously turn into dragons. This book explores the event through the lens of Alex's childhood into adulthood and beyond.
I thought the first third was absolutely engaging. I loved reading about Alex's family and how the Dragoning manifested and was originally dealt with. I particularly loved Alex's aunt. I found the subsequent parts less compelling. The second third deals with what happens when Alex's family splinters and how she finishes high school. I did enjoy this section though the pacing was much slower. Sadly the last third of the book where the dragons reenter society and how Alex deals with the implications was much less fun.
I think the major problem about the last section of the book was how the internal logic seemed to make little sense to me and have no real point. And I really didn't like the ending at all. That said, I truly loved the beginning and did love Alex and the aunt as characters. I found the author's work to be well written with interesting societal commentary even if the parts didn't fully come together for me in the end. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this horror eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
The big pros for this book were the cover, Olivia the cat, and that the story did keep me second guessing for most of the book. The con was the ending. In fact there were several false endings I would have liked better. I think this book is going to be a hit for most readers. I can't write much about the plot because of spoilers. I did appreciate the author's note at the end that discussed her reasons and research for the book. I wish I would have loved this more but the ending was not for me. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Tor Nightfire!
The big pros for this book were the cover, Olivia the cat, and that the story did keep me second guessing for most of the book. The con was the ending. In fact there were several false endings I would have liked better. I think this book is going to be a hit for most readers. I can't write much about the plot because of spoilers. I did appreciate the author's note at the end that discussed her reasons and research for the book. I wish I would have loved this more but the ending was not for me. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Tor Nightfire!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this sci-fi novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings. This be book 4 of a series. Though I try to post no spoilers, read at yer own peril . . .
This series be just plain over-the-top and silly fun. I continue to love Teagan and the other members of the China Shop. This installment was a little odd in that it didn't really further the plot set up in previous books. Ye could toss out this book plot-wise. However, character-wise it is extremely enjoyable to watch the relationships between the members of the China Shop evolve. Many of the chapters are from Annie's point of view. Given what happened to her in the previous book, watching her struggle and learning more about her past was excellent. Also excellent was watching Teagan lose her powers and yet continue to be her snarky self who cares about others. I look forward to the China Shops adventures in the next book. Arrr!
This series be just plain over-the-top and silly fun. I continue to love Teagan and the other members of the China Shop. This installment was a little odd in that it didn't really further the plot set up in previous books. Ye could toss out this book plot-wise. However, character-wise it is extremely enjoyable to watch the relationships between the members of the China Shop evolve. Many of the chapters are from Annie's point of view. Given what happened to her in the previous book, watching her struggle and learning more about her past was excellent. Also excellent was watching Teagan lose her powers and yet continue to be her snarky self who cares about others. I look forward to the China Shops adventures in the next book. Arrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this sci-fi novella through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
The first novella in the series is a perfect standalone that I still feel would make a fantastic, if bloody, movie. I didn't think I needed more Molly but I am still glad to have gotten two more. The conclusion to this series was awesome. This book had a perfect beginning and twist that made perfect sense but I didn't see coming. No plot information here because it is short and it is better to go in blind. I skipped the blurb before reading and it increased me enjoyment. The series is finished and ends well. However, I still can't help but wonder what Molly does next. Arrrr!
The first novella in the series is a perfect standalone that I still feel would make a fantastic, if bloody, movie. I didn't think I needed more Molly but I am still glad to have gotten two more. The conclusion to this series was awesome. This book had a perfect beginning and twist that made perfect sense but I didn't see coming. No plot information here because it is short and it is better to go in blind. I skipped the blurb before reading and it increased me enjoyment. The series is finished and ends well. However, I still can't help but wonder what Molly does next. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! After I read this Finnish author’s debut novel, memory of water, I knew I had to read her next book when it came out. And while I enjoyed her first novel more, there was a lot to be enjoyed in this one as well.
The world building in this novel was wonderful. The story takes place on an island where everything is deeply regimented. One of the main rules is that dreaming is not allowed. It is treated like the plague and if discovered to be a Dreamer then the person is thrown into House of the Tainted never to be seen again.
There are other Houses like the House of Words and the House of Webs. Our main character, Eliana, lives in the House of Webs and weaves. She has secrets, among them being able to read and also being a dreamer. She tries to stay invisible and safe in her structured world. Then one day she discovers an injured girl, Valeria, who happens to have Eliana’s name tattooed on her palm. Eliana can’t help but be drawn into the mystery. As Eliana begins to become closer to Valeria, will she give up her safety and worldview to solve the puzzle?
The relationship between Valeria and Eliana is one of the highlights of the book for me. Their connection is slow burning but wonderful and kept me avidly reading. While not the focus of the book, their relationship drives the story. It was sweet and endearing. I also enjoyed the loving relationship between Eliana and her brother Janos. There is also a kick ass healer whom I adored too.
The details in this novel were as stunning at the ones in the author’s first novel. The circumstances and explanations of the tattoos were fun. The glimpses into the other Houses felt realistic and left me wanting to know more about the purposes of them all. I adored how the island would flood. Those descriptions were so vivid and stark. This author’s writing feels magical.
While I loved the world the author created, I did have some issues with the dreaming aspects of the novel. The dreaming is very fantastical and even though there is an explanation for why dreaming is dangerous, I didn’t really love it. The ending of the novel in particular seemed extremely odd. I wouldn’t say that I hated it. It just left me sort of confused.
Despite that I did find this novel thought-provoking and am glad I read it. I will be reading whatever this author produces next.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
The world building in this novel was wonderful. The story takes place on an island where everything is deeply regimented. One of the main rules is that dreaming is not allowed. It is treated like the plague and if discovered to be a Dreamer then the person is thrown into House of the Tainted never to be seen again.
There are other Houses like the House of Words and the House of Webs. Our main character, Eliana, lives in the House of Webs and weaves. She has secrets, among them being able to read and also being a dreamer. She tries to stay invisible and safe in her structured world. Then one day she discovers an injured girl, Valeria, who happens to have Eliana’s name tattooed on her palm. Eliana can’t help but be drawn into the mystery. As Eliana begins to become closer to Valeria, will she give up her safety and worldview to solve the puzzle?
The relationship between Valeria and Eliana is one of the highlights of the book for me. Their connection is slow burning but wonderful and kept me avidly reading. While not the focus of the book, their relationship drives the story. It was sweet and endearing. I also enjoyed the loving relationship between Eliana and her brother Janos. There is also a kick ass healer whom I adored too.
The details in this novel were as stunning at the ones in the author’s first novel. The circumstances and explanations of the tattoos were fun. The glimpses into the other Houses felt realistic and left me wanting to know more about the purposes of them all. I adored how the island would flood. Those descriptions were so vivid and stark. This author’s writing feels magical.
While I loved the world the author created, I did have some issues with the dreaming aspects of the novel. The dreaming is very fantastical and even though there is an explanation for why dreaming is dangerous, I didn’t really love it. The ending of the novel in particular seemed extremely odd. I wouldn’t say that I hated it. It just left me sort of confused.
Despite that I did find this novel thought-provoking and am glad I read it. I will be reading whatever this author produces next.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I adored book one which tickled me fancy in all the right ways. This was more goodness. El continues to be a favorite character in her snarkiness. At this point in the story it appears that the school is out to get El specifically in some kinda weird vendetta. I was completely absorbed in trying to figure out what was going on. I loved watching the characters I thought I knew doing unexpected things. Everything surprised me. Especially the ending. Book three is going to be hard to wait for. And aye, yet again ye get no real plot or insight from me. Did ye love the first one? Then read it. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this sci-fi novella through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
I wanted to read this near-futuristic novella because it deals with the topic of an Universal Basic Income ("UBI") in the United States. The idea is that on January 15th, the U.S. government hands out the UBI payment to its citizens. The novella follows four people who get their payments that day.
The author was clear in her forward that she would not get into the specifics of how the UBI was determined or how the programs worked and would focus on how it affected the characters. I thought this was a sad choice especially given the research briefly mentioned. I personally would have preferred a sci-fi work that dealt more with practicalities. Though I get that a novella would make this hard.
But ultimately this was just an okay read. It felt like a slice of life piece with no real point. Was UBI good or bad? I don't know. How the UBI really impacted the character's lives was very lightly touched on. It emotionally felt like UBI was being criticized for helping no one but with no real details. So I don't actually know if that is what the author was trying to say. The complicated issue of UBI felt like a backdrop with no realism.
Also, for me personally, I felt that the characters all felt very one-dimensional - not quite caricatures but close. Pregnant teen cult member. Mother dealing with domestic violence. Bored rich college kid. Activist turned journalist who is jaded about the policy she set into place. The plot felt surface level because it takes place on one day and none of the plotlines resolve.
It was a quick read that I felt didn't do the topic justice even it I thought the concept was interesting. Arrrr!
I wanted to read this near-futuristic novella because it deals with the topic of an Universal Basic Income ("UBI") in the United States. The idea is that on January 15th, the U.S. government hands out the UBI payment to its citizens. The novella follows four people who get their payments that day.
The author was clear in her forward that she would not get into the specifics of how the UBI was determined or how the programs worked and would focus on how it affected the characters. I thought this was a sad choice especially given the research briefly mentioned. I personally would have preferred a sci-fi work that dealt more with practicalities. Though I get that a novella would make this hard.
But ultimately this was just an okay read. It felt like a slice of life piece with no real point. Was UBI good or bad? I don't know. How the UBI really impacted the character's lives was very lightly touched on. It emotionally felt like UBI was being criticized for helping no one but with no real details. So I don't actually know if that is what the author was trying to say. The complicated issue of UBI felt like a backdrop with no realism.
Also, for me personally, I felt that the characters all felt very one-dimensional - not quite caricatures but close. Pregnant teen cult member. Mother dealing with domestic violence. Bored rich college kid. Activist turned journalist who is jaded about the policy she set into place. The plot felt surface level because it takes place on one day and none of the plotlines resolve.
It was a quick read that I felt didn't do the topic justice even it I thought the concept was interesting. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this historical fantasy through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
I love Kelley Armstrong. This be me 18th book by the author. I really wish I could say that I loved this one but alas it must walk the plank! No one is more surprised then me that I found this book to be so difficult to read, enjoy, and finish.
The book follows Mallory, a cop, who is transported from 2019 to 1869 and lands in another person's body. That person happens to be Catriona, a housemaid for a funeral director whose side hobby happens to be the study of forensics. In a series of truly silly circumstances, Catriona (Mallory), ends up helping her employer try to solve the mystery of a serial killer.
Now often in Kelley Armstrong books, ye have to suspend disbelief and realize there are some over-the-top plot points. This book just had too much. Mallory is said to be intelligent but is constantly using modern language and reacting without thought. The time travel element makes no sense and the ending of the book only confuses things further. Too much time is spent in Mallory's wishy-washy noggin. The characters in 1869 accept she is from the future so easily I actually laughed out-loud. And not in a good way. The pacing was uneven and sort of boring at times. Mallory helping with the police investigations was just plain ridiculous for the time period. Seriously I had trouble with the whole plot.
Good things? Umm I liked the character of Isla and wished I could have been reading a historical fiction about her helping her brother with his cases instead. In a time period appropriate-ish way of course.
I wish I could say I wanted to read more of this series but I cannot. Arrrr!
I love Kelley Armstrong. This be me 18th book by the author. I really wish I could say that I loved this one but alas it must walk the plank! No one is more surprised then me that I found this book to be so difficult to read, enjoy, and finish.
The book follows Mallory, a cop, who is transported from 2019 to 1869 and lands in another person's body. That person happens to be Catriona, a housemaid for a funeral director whose side hobby happens to be the study of forensics. In a series of truly silly circumstances, Catriona (Mallory), ends up helping her employer try to solve the mystery of a serial killer.
Now often in Kelley Armstrong books, ye have to suspend disbelief and realize there are some over-the-top plot points. This book just had too much. Mallory is said to be intelligent but is constantly using modern language and reacting without thought. The time travel element makes no sense and the ending of the book only confuses things further. Too much time is spent in Mallory's wishy-washy noggin. The characters in 1869 accept she is from the future so easily I actually laughed out-loud. And not in a good way. The pacing was uneven and sort of boring at times. Mallory helping with the police investigations was just plain ridiculous for the time period. Seriously I had trouble with the whole plot.
Good things? Umm I liked the character of Isla and wished I could have been reading a historical fiction about her helping her brother with his cases instead. In a time period appropriate-ish way of course.
I wish I could say I wanted to read more of this series but I cannot. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this horror eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
The story begins with following Beth, who is a mess of a person. If there is a bad choice, she will make it. I had a hard time with the beginning of the novel because I didn't find Beth to be likeable at first. I also didn't like the continuing analogy of her being a "car wreck." I did find her job of house-sitting for the rich to be kind of fun. Beth is bored and looking for trouble so she goes to seduce the neighbor, Mike. But the one-night-stand happens to coincide with the end of the world.
Mike and Beth initially don't know what is going on because they were focused on other things. I enjoyed that set-up. The two (and the dog) go to the local beach to collect meteors that fell that night. While there, they begin to learn what really happened and also end up trapped in the car. For a story where the characters are stuck, I actually found a lot of tension and suspense. Both the characters and the reader are learning as the day progresses and that was a lot of fun. Plus I enjoyed the reason the world ended and how Beth and Mike deal with it. The strangers have to rely on each other to survive.
There were some negatives. Things do not go well for Jake the dog and really was the dog necessary? He seemed added in to elicit sympathy and be a plot device. Also a third character is thrown into the mix and that is where both the plot and especially the ending did not appeal to me. The book is filled with unbelievable things that are still fun but when third character arrives, the unbelievability involving the human behavior is ratcheted up and I didn't like it. It is personal preference though. Others might enjoy that twist. Oh and there is a random sex scene in the latter part of the book that could have been tossed out for the better.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the tension of being trapped in the car on a beach with otherworldly creatures. The ending was vague and the characters seemed hopeful. But I don't think things bode well for them. Arrr!
The story begins with following Beth, who is a mess of a person. If there is a bad choice, she will make it. I had a hard time with the beginning of the novel because I didn't find Beth to be likeable at first. I also didn't like the continuing analogy of her being a "car wreck." I did find her job of house-sitting for the rich to be kind of fun. Beth is bored and looking for trouble so she goes to seduce the neighbor, Mike. But the one-night-stand happens to coincide with the end of the world.
Mike and Beth initially don't know what is going on because they were focused on other things. I enjoyed that set-up. The two (and the dog) go to the local beach to collect meteors that fell that night. While there, they begin to learn what really happened and also end up trapped in the car. For a story where the characters are stuck, I actually found a lot of tension and suspense. Both the characters and the reader are learning as the day progresses and that was a lot of fun. Plus I enjoyed the reason the world ended and how Beth and Mike deal with it. The strangers have to rely on each other to survive.
There were some negatives. Things do not go well for Jake the dog and really was the dog necessary? He seemed added in to elicit sympathy and be a plot device. Also a third character is thrown into the mix and that is where both the plot and especially the ending did not appeal to me. The book is filled with unbelievable things that are still fun but when third character arrives, the unbelievability involving the human behavior is ratcheted up and I didn't like it. It is personal preference though. Others might enjoy that twist. Oh and there is a random sex scene in the latter part of the book that could have been tossed out for the better.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the tension of being trapped in the car on a beach with otherworldly creatures. The ending was vague and the characters seemed hopeful. But I don't think things bode well for them. Arrr!