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Ahoy there me mateys! I really enjoyed the start to a new series. Aelis is a graduate of the Magisters’ Lyceum and a female necromancer, among other talents. Assigned to a backwater town hundreds of miles from anywhere, she misses city life and the pleasures her wealth afforded her. Lone Pine only seems to have cold weather, goats, and peasants that need her talents but are scared of her. Aelis expects the posting to be boring and is planning to serve her time and get back to the real world. Instead she finds unexpected trouble.
A lot of the enjoyment of the book will come down to if the reader likes Aelis. I happened to love her. She is snarky and grumpy and extremely self-indulgent at times. She is also principled and stubborn and fun to root for. There are not many fleshed out characters in this. The tracker, Tun, is one of the few nuanced people in the book. I loved him too.
The pacing of the book is a bit slow and takes about half the book to get to the conflict. The world building is light and practically non-existent. I did like the slice-of-life insight into Aelis' life and thoughts. The magic system is very interesting and is slowly revealed in the form of Aelis' reminiscing about her studies. There is not a lot of explanation for the magic overall though.
The novel has an old school feel to it and I really disliked having to put the book down. I am look forward to the next book after the abrupt cliff hanger ending. I need to know what happens to Aelis next. Arrrr!
A lot of the enjoyment of the book will come down to if the reader likes Aelis. I happened to love her. She is snarky and grumpy and extremely self-indulgent at times. She is also principled and stubborn and fun to root for. There are not many fleshed out characters in this. The tracker, Tun, is one of the few nuanced people in the book. I loved him too.
The pacing of the book is a bit slow and takes about half the book to get to the conflict. The world building is light and practically non-existent. I did like the slice-of-life insight into Aelis' life and thoughts. The magic system is very interesting and is slowly revealed in the form of Aelis' reminiscing about her studies. There is not a lot of explanation for the magic overall though.
The novel has an old school feel to it and I really disliked having to put the book down. I am look forward to the next book after the abrupt cliff hanger ending. I need to know what happens to Aelis next. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! There be spoilers for the other books because this be for book three so proceed at yer own peril. This is getting five stars all over the place. Not from me. This was a very uneven read. Part of the weirdness was the pacing. I had chapters and character povs that I wanted to read and others that were a slog to get through and some that I hated reading altogether. The strangest thing was that Lin went from being me favorite character (by far) to being irritating and whiny. I wanted a decisive leader and didn't get that. She seemed to be making horrible choices the entire book and not using her intelligence at all.
Jovis, who I hated in book two, ended up being a more interesting character in this one. I loved the two year time jump that began the book in how it affected his character. His struggle to come to terms with his actions and fight the magic was engaging and I ended up rooting for him the most. Though I think the author could have done way more with Jovis' use of lies to . And of course Melphi was the highlight of the book for me.
Ragan's chapters were also infuriating because he is so one-dimensional with all hate and no thinking. I didn't like reading about him or Sand at all. Though Sand I could at least sympathize for somewhat. Though her teaming up with Ragan really made no sense. Neither did Ragan's survival in several keys parts of the book.
The Ranami scenes with the Shardless Few were lackluster. If fact the Shardless Few resolution really didn't make a lot of sense either and kinda got dropped in the final conflicts of the book. This was especially true for how the Dione's narrative resolves. His stated goals contradicted each other and his role peters out during the final showdown.
The author made some interesting choices with how the war ends. I enjoyed Lin's decisions in that regard. I did not think the logic behind the reason for witstone and alanga magic made any sense. How to take down an island was absurdly easy.
Overall the major problem with this book was the separate povs never really come together satisfactorily. The internal logic failed in multiple ways in trying to bring the series to a conclusion. And I didn't like the magic water which served as a deus ex machina. I will read more of the author's work though based on the parts of this series that I loved. Arrr!
Jovis, who I hated in book two, ended up being a more interesting character in this one. I loved the two year time jump that began the book in how it affected his character. His struggle to come to terms with his actions and fight the magic was engaging and I ended up rooting for him the most. Though I think the author could have done way more with Jovis' use of lies to . And of course Melphi was the highlight of the book for me.
Ragan's chapters were also infuriating because he is so one-dimensional with all hate and no thinking. I didn't like reading about him or Sand at all. Though Sand I could at least sympathize for somewhat. Though her teaming up with Ragan really made no sense. Neither did Ragan's survival in several keys parts of the book.
The Ranami scenes with the Shardless Few were lackluster. If fact the Shardless Few resolution really didn't make a lot of sense either and kinda got dropped in the final conflicts of the book. This was especially true for how the Dione's narrative resolves. His stated goals contradicted each other and his role peters out during the final showdown.
The author made some interesting choices with how the war ends. I enjoyed Lin's decisions in that regard. I did not think the logic behind the reason for witstone and alanga magic made any sense. How to take down an island was absurdly easy.
Overall the major problem with this book was the separate povs never really come together satisfactorily. The internal logic failed in multiple ways in trying to bring the series to a conclusion. And I didn't like the magic water which served as a deus ex machina. I will read more of the author's work though based on the parts of this series that I loved. Arrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .
Title: the syndicate
Author: Sophie Davis
Publisher: Sophie Davis Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 9781310788826
Source: NetGalley
So the gorgeous cover is what caught my eye first. Second and third were the ideas of time travel in the 1920s and trying to find a lost manuscript respectively. What reader wouldn’t want to get their hands on a lost manuscript? And the 1920s are one of me more beloved time periods. Set in Paris, one of me favorite cities . . . I am in.
I really enjoyed this novel a whole bunch. It started out in Florence in 1796 with the main character, Stassi, literally on the run and continued happily from there. I adored this prologue by the way and was instantly sucked into Stassi’s story. In this prologue you also briefly meet Stassi’s partner, the runner Gaige.
The relationship and banter between these two is super fun and helped totally make the book for me. The best part? They have NO romantic interest in each other. Yet they care for each other deeply. I love a novel where a man and a woman can have a friendship that does not revolve around sexual desire but instead mutual respect and experiences. Yay! Of course that does not mean that there isn’t romance in this novel but I will leave ye to find out about it on yer own because it is happy and sweet and worth discovering for yourself.
So back to the 1920s. This novel has everything: famous people, a murderer on the loose, 1920s clothes, mystery, and an awesome main character in Stassi. She is a bit of a hard head with slightly poor impulse control at times. She is also intelligent and loyal and inquisitive. Stassi gets herself into a lot of trouble. The secondary characters are lovely as well. I thought the world created by the author was rich in detail and wonderful to read about. I kinda am jealous of runners. Wish I could be one at times. I have an entire list of historic places I would like to visit. Like the Library in Alexandria, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, 1920s Paris . . .
A minor issue with this book was changing some well known history facts involving the Hemingways. Grrr. But I loved this book. The ending was super fun. I will be reading the next one.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Sophie Davis Books!
If you liked this review see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Title: the syndicate
Author: Sophie Davis
Publisher: Sophie Davis Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 9781310788826
Source: NetGalley
So the gorgeous cover is what caught my eye first. Second and third were the ideas of time travel in the 1920s and trying to find a lost manuscript respectively. What reader wouldn’t want to get their hands on a lost manuscript? And the 1920s are one of me more beloved time periods. Set in Paris, one of me favorite cities . . . I am in.
I really enjoyed this novel a whole bunch. It started out in Florence in 1796 with the main character, Stassi, literally on the run and continued happily from there. I adored this prologue by the way and was instantly sucked into Stassi’s story. In this prologue you also briefly meet Stassi’s partner, the runner Gaige.
The relationship and banter between these two is super fun and helped totally make the book for me. The best part? They have NO romantic interest in each other. Yet they care for each other deeply. I love a novel where a man and a woman can have a friendship that does not revolve around sexual desire but instead mutual respect and experiences. Yay! Of course that does not mean that there isn’t romance in this novel but I will leave ye to find out about it on yer own because it is happy and sweet and worth discovering for yourself.
So back to the 1920s. This novel has everything: famous people, a murderer on the loose, 1920s clothes, mystery, and an awesome main character in Stassi. She is a bit of a hard head with slightly poor impulse control at times. She is also intelligent and loyal and inquisitive. Stassi gets herself into a lot of trouble. The secondary characters are lovely as well. I thought the world created by the author was rich in detail and wonderful to read about. I kinda am jealous of runners. Wish I could be one at times. I have an entire list of historic places I would like to visit. Like the Library in Alexandria, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, 1920s Paris . . .
A minor issue with this book was changing some well known history facts involving the Hemingways. Grrr. But I loved this book. The ending was super fun. I will be reading the next one.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Sophie Davis Books!
If you liked this review see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! In this second book of the series, the outlaws Scarlett and Browne are continuing their life of bank robbery and survival. Much of the joy of this installment is watching how much the duo has grown by interacting with each other. Scarlett remains snarky and awesome. Browne is the tempering force that is teaching her how to be less selfish. Scarlett is teaching him the life skills he needs not to die. Both are still learning to trust and depend on another person. The banter between them delights.
Scarlett's past comes knocking and brings the duo a seemingly impossible heist. I loved that both Scarlett and Browne are wrong-footed and scrambling to come up with a plan to beat the clock. They do not have the upper hand and nothing goes to plan. While there was a lot of action, there are also introspective moments from both characters. Their growing friendship is wonderful.
The plot of this book is wound up but there are many possibilities for what comes next. I want another! Arrr!
Scarlett's past comes knocking and brings the duo a seemingly impossible heist. I loved that both Scarlett and Browne are wrong-footed and scrambling to come up with a plan to beat the clock. They do not have the upper hand and nothing goes to plan. While there was a lot of action, there are also introspective moments from both characters. Their growing friendship is wonderful.
The plot of this book is wound up but there are many possibilities for what comes next. I want another! Arrr!
Ahoy there mateys! I am not a huge romance reader but this world building sounded like so much fun that I decided to give it a shot. And I have no regrets about reading this. Elle is a Chinese glyph maker who is hiding her real skills to work in a fairy temp agency doing basic calligraphy. She has a crush on Luc, a French half-elf secret agent. So she makes him some better charms that save his life. But he has secrets too. Chaos and coincidences ensue.
The first half of the book was a delight. I liked Elle and I liked Luc and I enjoyed their playful banter and the basis of their friendship. For the most part, I enjoyed their backstories. Elle can be annoying and Luc is a bit tortured but the action was fun. I didn't even mind the sexy times too much.
The second half of the book was different. I truly appreciate what the author did here in terms of character and themes but it was more about Elle and Luc's inner demons and making choices about how they wanted their relationship to unfold. I wasn't interested in the angst even if it made complete sense. I also didn't love the resolution of the ending.
I wanted the whirlwind action of the first half and more information about the mythological creatures in the world. I wanted more about how the fairy agency works. That said, I would certainly read more from this debut author. Especially if there is more insight into the fun world she created. Arrrr!
The first half of the book was a delight. I liked Elle and I liked Luc and I enjoyed their playful banter and the basis of their friendship. For the most part, I enjoyed their backstories. Elle can be annoying and Luc is a bit tortured but the action was fun. I didn't even mind the sexy times too much.
The second half of the book was different. I truly appreciate what the author did here in terms of character and themes but it was more about Elle and Luc's inner demons and making choices about how they wanted their relationship to unfold. I wasn't interested in the angst even if it made complete sense. I also didn't love the resolution of the ending.
I wanted the whirlwind action of the first half and more information about the mythological creatures in the world. I wanted more about how the fairy agency works. That said, I would certainly read more from this debut author. Especially if there is more insight into the fun world she created. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! This is a dragon book and the start of a new series that ended up being an uneven read even though I do want to read the next one when it comes out.
Pros:
- Dragons: Cause who doesn't love them?
- Indigenous main character: I really enjoyed Anequs and did sympathize with her plight regarding her world being colonized by the Anglish.
- Diversity: I enjoyed the ideas of a bi-sexual main character who comes from a culture that is okay with polyamory. I enjoyed the neurodivergent friend. I loved Anequs befriending a servant against the norm.
- Alternate History: I like worldbuilding where our world is twisted.
Cons:
- Dragons: How can they be a con? Not much happens on the page with them. If they were turned into fancy horses or dogs, a lot of the story would stay the same.
- Indigenous main character: Anegus world seemed like an utopia with only a little bit of money. It seemed like an overly idealized version of such a culture.
- Diversity: Some of the friendships seemed contrived, and I am not always a fan of the friend group being made up of all misfits. Makes it feel like the characters are checkboxes.
- Alternate History: I felt that this alternate history was too much English and Nordic culture. We did not get enough of Anequs' world. I also feel like the message about colonization took away from the plot. Too much moralizing and not action.
- Too Long: This book was over 5oo pages. A lot of the political philosophizing could have been removed as well as the chemical educational lectures. This novel needed about 200 pages trimmed. And more dragons!
Arrrr!
Pros:
- Dragons: Cause who doesn't love them?
- Indigenous main character: I really enjoyed Anequs and did sympathize with her plight regarding her world being colonized by the Anglish.
- Diversity: I enjoyed the ideas of a bi-sexual main character who comes from a culture that is okay with polyamory. I enjoyed the neurodivergent friend. I loved Anequs befriending a servant against the norm.
- Alternate History: I like worldbuilding where our world is twisted.
Cons:
- Dragons: How can they be a con? Not much happens on the page with them. If they were turned into fancy horses or dogs, a lot of the story would stay the same.
- Indigenous main character: Anegus world seemed like an utopia with only a little bit of money. It seemed like an overly idealized version of such a culture.
- Diversity: Some of the friendships seemed contrived, and I am not always a fan of the friend group being made up of all misfits. Makes it feel like the characters are checkboxes.
- Alternate History: I felt that this alternate history was too much English and Nordic culture. We did not get enough of Anequs' world. I also feel like the message about colonization took away from the plot. Too much moralizing and not action.
- Too Long: This book was over 5oo pages. A lot of the political philosophizing could have been removed as well as the chemical educational lectures. This novel needed about 200 pages trimmed. And more dragons!
Arrrr!
Ahoy there mateys! This novelette was a finalist for the 2015 Nebula awards. This is from the prospective of a woman named, Aviya, who appears in the four profound weaves novella. This story is a prequel of sorts to the novella and deals with grief, autism, transphobia, and societal expectations. Reading this story recontextualized aspects of the novella. I loved this and am very glad that I read these in the order that I did. Arrr!
to read the story for free visit - "Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds" (Birdverse novelette), Beneath Ceaseless Skies, June 2015
Merged review:
Ahoy there mateys! This novelette was a finalist for the 2015 Nebula awards. This is from the prospective of a woman named, Aviya, who appears in the four profound weaves novella. This story is a prequel of sorts to the novella and deals with grief, autism, transphobia, and societal expectations. Reading this story recontextualized aspects of the novella. I loved this and am very glad that I read these in the order that I did. Arrr!
to read the story for free visit - "Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds" (Birdverse novelette), Beneath Ceaseless Skies, June 2015
to read the story for free visit - "Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds" (Birdverse novelette), Beneath Ceaseless Skies, June 2015
Merged review:
Ahoy there mateys! This novelette was a finalist for the 2015 Nebula awards. This is from the prospective of a woman named, Aviya, who appears in the four profound weaves novella. This story is a prequel of sorts to the novella and deals with grief, autism, transphobia, and societal expectations. Reading this story recontextualized aspects of the novella. I loved this and am very glad that I read these in the order that I did. Arrr!
to read the story for free visit - "Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds" (Birdverse novelette), Beneath Ceaseless Skies, June 2015
Ahoy there mateys! This was described to me as a cozy mystery where the focus was not the romance. In the beginning this was true. I really enjoyed the character of Maeve and the holy Sisters who perform exorcisms and rites for the dead. I enjoyed Maeve's friends. The world building was not deep but was highly enjoyable. The set-up for the novel was fun and I really enjoyed the introduction to Maeve's world and thoughts.
The mystery was pretty predictable and convenient. The plot also went into a rather weird tangent when the mystery was supposed to be investigated. There wasn't much action in trying to figure things out. The story got bogged down by the romance subplot and the ridiculousness of Maeve learning about the sexy, selfish real world. I enjoyed the first half then the story lost its way.
The majority of the problems stemmed from the romance. I didn't have any faults with the same-sex aspect. I didn't find the romance to be believable. Some lust perhaps but not the deep attachment the book tried to portray. The idea of Maeve being in love with the undead woman really didn't work for me. I thought the sex aspects were boring. I didn't like that Maeve gave up everything she was at the beginning (and that I loved) for the relationship. I do not feel that she changed for the better. Plus how the love interest was eventually saved didn't make sense.
Not sad I read this but wish it had played out a lot differently. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
The mystery was pretty predictable and convenient. The plot also went into a rather weird tangent when the mystery was supposed to be investigated. There wasn't much action in trying to figure things out. The story got bogged down by the romance subplot and the ridiculousness of Maeve learning about the sexy, selfish real world. I enjoyed the first half then the story lost its way.
The majority of the problems stemmed from the romance. I didn't have any faults with the same-sex aspect. I didn't find the romance to be believable. Some lust perhaps but not the deep attachment the book tried to portray. The idea of Maeve being in love with the undead woman really didn't work for me. I thought the sex aspects were boring. I didn't like that Maeve gave up everything she was at the beginning (and that I loved) for the relationship. I do not feel that she changed for the better. Plus how the love interest was eventually saved didn't make sense.
Not sad I read this but wish it had played out a lot differently. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
Ahoy there me mateys! I have read and enjoyed books by this author before and was so excited for this read. However despite starting it in early May, I had trouble finishing. I though that maybe it was just me mood that was problematic. But once I begin dreading picking books up, I know that I have to give up on books and abandon ship. Sad but true.
I loved the idea of mercenary wizards in grimdark world who have to go on a quest. The blurb had me intrigued. The world’s set-up was fine. I wasn’t as fine with children whores. I wasn’t hugely a fan of “angels” and “demons” but that is on me and not the writer because I don’t normally like books in that vein. I didn’t love the main character. However, the worst problem was that by 45%, we had only collected 3 of the 7 wizards for the quest. A big reveal happened that was rather boring. Flat female character. Too many info dumps, not enough action. Then there was the section on the brothel ship and, well, I just lost steam. Because the characters were about to go on a side quest. Apparently this is the first book of a series and not a standalone like I thought. I am not sure this author’s work is for me overall. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
I loved the idea of mercenary wizards in grimdark world who have to go on a quest. The blurb had me intrigued. The world’s set-up was fine. I wasn’t as fine with children whores. I wasn’t hugely a fan of “angels” and “demons” but that is on me and not the writer because I don’t normally like books in that vein. I didn’t love the main character. However, the worst problem was that by 45%, we had only collected 3 of the 7 wizards for the quest. A big reveal happened that was rather boring. Flat female character. Too many info dumps, not enough action. Then there was the section on the brothel ship and, well, I just lost steam. Because the characters were about to go on a side quest. Apparently this is the first book of a series and not a standalone like I thought. I am not sure this author’s work is for me overall. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
Ahoy there mateys! I have read and enjoyed books by this author before and was so excited for this read. However despite starting it in early May, I had trouble finishing. I though that maybe it was just me mood that was problematic. But once I begin dreading picking books up, I know that I have to give up on books and abandon ship. Sad but true.
I am infinitely sad that this book didn’t work for me. I loved the set-up and mystery of what happened to the Witch King. The major problem for me with this one was the split of the book into Past and Present. I enjoyed the present but began to dislike reading the past. Immensely. I only ended up making it to 32%. The world building seemed interesting (despite the demons) but I wasn’t really connecting with any of the characters. The idea of the found family talked about in the novel kept getting me to put the book back up but I was stuck in a Past chapter, I kept putting it back down. I like Wells’ other fantasy books. Just not this one. Sad. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
I am infinitely sad that this book didn’t work for me. I loved the set-up and mystery of what happened to the Witch King. The major problem for me with this one was the split of the book into Past and Present. I enjoyed the present but began to dislike reading the past. Immensely. I only ended up making it to 32%. The world building seemed interesting (despite the demons) but I wasn’t really connecting with any of the characters. The idea of the found family talked about in the novel kept getting me to put the book back up but I was stuck in a Past chapter, I kept putting it back down. I like Wells’ other fantasy books. Just not this one. Sad. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.