Tag Archives: 4 stars

books, Ghost Story, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Ghost Detective (Myron Vale Investigations 1) by Scott William

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Stars: 4 out of 5

This was a surprisingly good book, though not what I expected when I started reading it. I mean, it’s classified as a mystery book, and even though yes, we have a private detective investigating a possible murder, the book isn’t really about that.

This book is about human connections and ties that bound. About love and hate, and everything in between that can spark between two people and can often transcend death. It’s about how we often hurt the people we love, or stay in a toxic relationship because we still love the person hurting us.

I was actually surprised at how much I liked Myron Vale, our protagonist. If you think about it, his life is a bit of a nightmare. He can see ghosts… all of them… all the time. Not only can he see them, but he can also hear them, and smell them, but he can’t touch them. But more importantly, he can’t tell the difference between the dead and the living. To him, they all feel real. The only way for him to differentiate the living from the dead is to touch them. And touching strangers is kind of frowned upon in our society.

I could understand the depth of despair he descends into after the shooting when he realizes that his not being able to differentiate between the living and the ghosts means he can’t do his job as a police detective anymore. When he can’t tell which treat is real and which is just a ghost, he can’t react quickly and efficiently. Worse, he can put his partner in danger.

I wasn’t particularly fond of Billie, but the more I learned about their relationship, the better I understood her as well. Theirs is the perfect example of a love that has turned toxic, but neither is willing to end the torment. In a way, I’m glad about her decision in the end.

The murder mystery case that Myron is paid to investigate in this book isn’t really all that interesting or mysterious, but it was never the emphasis of this book, just a vehicle for the story.

I do have some questions though. Like why did the priest want Myron to drop the case? Why did he imply that if he followed through with it, some entities in the ghost world might consider him a threat and might even eliminate him? This is never brought up again. Maybe this will become important in the following books in the series, and I think I will check out book 2.

books, Fantasy, Reviews

The Ruin of Angels (Craft Sequence 6) by Max Gladstone

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Stars: 4 out of 5

I love coming back to this world. It’s so rich and complex, and every book shows us a new facet of it. I feel like each book gives me more puzzle pieces to a giant picture that I’m assembling by reading the series.

In this book, we reconnect with Kai from Five Fathoms Deep, and she is away from her island in a city she doesn’t understand or particularly like, trying to help her estranged sister. Well, first Kai reluctantly meets with her sister and refuses to help her, but then she spends the rest of the book trying to rectify that error.  I missed Kai. She is a very good character. She isn’t a Craftswoman, she doesn’t have much personal power. She is a priestess to idols made by men from scratch to store their soul stuff in. And very recently a real priestess to a new Goddess. She is out of her depth in this strange and broken city where the God Wars started, and where the first Craftsman is still frozen in time, dying but not dead, tearing the world apart. 

I loved this city. Both the Alikand that was lovingly preserved in the books and stories of its citizens and the broken Dead City where the war was still being fought in infinity, with both sides endlessly dying but not quite dead. And the strange order of the squid city that was so foreign to both the other cities, but was necessary to keep the wound of the Dead City from destroying the rest of the world. I am happy that Kai found a solution that preserved Alikand in the end.

I have one issue with this book – it dragged a little bit in the beginning when the heist of the train was being organized. We spent too much time with Kai’s sister, and I didn’t particularly like her as a person. Yes, I understood her motivations by the end of the book, and I could even sympathize, but I still think she could have handled all of this better if she stepped on her pride and asked for help, instead of trying to play everyone around her. You could argue that she caused most of the problems she worked so hard to solve afterward.

I was happy to see Tara again since she is by far my favorite character in the series, but she doesn’t play a very big role here. She helped where she could, but was mostly relegated to the background. Which I understand. This is Kai’s book. And the Blue Lady’s, because she finally came into her full powers here. The Goddess of thieves and street children, and lost and forgotten people, the fleeing, the downtrodden. The one who ate the Wastes. 

What I love the most about this series is that despite some horrible things that happen to the characters in the books, there is always a hopeful note in the end. Kai and her sister finally make peace, and the poppy fields around Alikand are blooming once more.

Onward to the next book in the series.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, YA

Poison by Chris Wooding

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

I admit that this story turned out differently than I expected. Not that I complain, mind you. I was expecting a fairy tale retelling with a YA vibe with a usually annoying protagonist who knows everything better than the adults around her. Who never listens to anyone else, yet somehow is rewarded for it. Oh and yes, who is always right. 

What I got instead is a much darker and more subtile story, and a reflection about fate, predetermination, and freedom of choice. Are we really the masters of our destiny, or are we merely stories written by a superior being somewhere? Whether you call him or her God, creator, Hierophant, it doesn’t matter. That is a very deep issue to ponder, but don’t worry, the book isn’t heavy on existential angst. This is a fairy tale, after all. 

I was not particularly fond of Poison in the beginning, because she came across exactly like the YA protagonist I described in the first paragraph of this review – sullen, stubborn, thinking that she always knew everything better than the adults. I grew to appreciate her as the book progressed though. That deep sense of not belonging where you live, of being a stranger even to your family, that’s… sad, but also very human. There have been times when I felt that way as well. And that sullen stubborness is what pushed Poison to keep on going, to keep on fighting even when the odd seemed overwhelming, or the horrors to face were too much. 

I liked the side characters as well, even if they don’t get nearly as much attention as Poison does. But Fleet, Bram and Peppercorn are fun characters to follow. And there is a very intelligent cat in this story, which automatically adds an extra star from me because cats are awesome. 

And even though the story turned a bit meta for my taste at one point, I loved the (logical) ending of this. It made sense, and it was right, and I will not say another word about it not to spoil anything.

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space Western

The Warded Gunslinger (Warded Gunslinger 1) by Filip Wiltgren

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This was a pretty good novella, and honestly, for how short it was, it managed to accomplish the most important thing – make me interested in the characters and the world. The author doesn’t waste time or words. The action moves swiftly, and there are no superfluous scenes at all. 

Also, that book cover is pretty badass.

But he still manages to introduce the protagonist and clearly set the stakes. We know why Jake is at Jackson Depot, and we know why he is dead set on finding those who decided to break into his ship and steal his cargo. And it all makes sense, and I can root for him. I also liked a lot of the secondary characters, no matter how little pagetime they got. They were all memorable and relatable. Even the thieves, because they had done this out of desperation more than malice towards our protagonist.

The world itself is a fascinating mix of science fiction and fantasy – where magic infuses every day things, but humanity is flying on spaceships and has managed to colonize space. Oh, and there are dragons, or void wyrms, how cool is that?

My only complaint is that we don’t get enough information about this world. A syndicate is mentioned, and the Federation, and a Magical Academy of sorts, but I have no scope. How far did humanity spread from Earth? Are there any other alien races out there apart from the Void Wyrms? Many questions and not enough page time to get the answers. I will have to pick up the next books in the series to find out more. From what I have seen, there are at least three more already out, and I will definitely check them out.

PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Between Kings (The City Between 10) by WR Gingell

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Stars: 4 out of 5

What a great ending to a great series. All the different threads carefully hinted at during the previous books finally come to play and are resolved in a satisfactory manner. All the friendships Pet has cultivated in the previous books come to play as well.

You can really see just how much Pet has grown up between book one and book 10. In the first book, she might as well have been a ghost. She was so afraid of loosing her house that she lived only in order to earn enough money to buy it out. Nothing existed beyond work and hiding in her own home. We watched her gain confidence, both in herself and her abilities. We watched her make friends and stick by them in difficult moments. Most importantly, we watched her open her heart to other people and actually enjoy life instead of trying to exist as a ghost in her own house.

I loved that all the friends she collected along the way came to her help in the end, even the leprechaun. This was a nice juxtaposition to the idea Behindkind has that friendship is a burden and that anyone can stab you in the back, or that there is no such thing as freely given aid. Pet helped all of those people at one point of the other, and didn’t ask for anything in return. So they all showed up to help her, and to save the other heirlings stuck in the King’s arena. Heck, even the old butler had a redeeming moment.

I was surprised by the twist in the end. Not going to mention it to avoid spoilers, but let’s just say that the new King of Behind is… an interesting fellow.

My only complaint is that this book dragged in the beginning. There is a lot of running around doing mostly nothing for the first 50% of the story. So much so that I had to put it down and walk away for a few days because I was getting bored. Once the action picks up again, it’s a fun ride to the end, with satisfactory conclusions all around. The way Pet defeated the former King is a stroke of genius.

I am glad I found this series, and I will definitely check out other books by this author.

books, Horror, Reviews

Rags by Ty Drago

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Stars: 4 out of 5

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. I knew it was horror, and I knew there was some kind of evil spirit involved. What I hadn’t realized is just how much heart this novel would have. 

Abby is a foster kid. She’s been bounced from foster home to foster home all her life, until she finally ended up in her current foster home with another twelve foster kids that she calls her sibs. It’s a good home, and her foster parents are good people. Problem is, the foster home is a run down hotel right on the broadwalk in Atlantic City, which is prime real estate for casinos and such. And bad people want that stretch of land, and they won’t take no for an answer. But Abby has a a dark power of her own, one she is terrified of, but that she will have to use if she wants to save her family.

I grew to really like Abby and her siblings and feel for them. I heard horror stories about the American foster system, and here the author managed to convey the point of view of a foster child pretty well. The helplessness, the need to have something that belongs to them in a world where all your possessions can fit in a trash bag and your whole world can be uprooted in a moment’s notice by adults for whom you are just a number in the system. So when you find something good, something that feels like family, of course you will hang on to it for dear life.

And the mystery with Rags was intriguing and resolved in a satisfying manner. Rags isn’t your run of the mill evil spirit. It didn’t want to be a mindless killing machine in the service of a vodou practitioner. It wanted to tie itself to someone who had a moral compass. To become a guardian instead of a butcher. 

There is still plenty of violence, mind you, preformed both by Rags and the bad guys. And the bad guys are truly villainous, even excessively so, I would say. I am not sure that crooked cop could have gotten away with as much as he did get away with, but then again, I am an optimist who believes that those who choose to serve (be it in the police or the military) do it mostly from altruistic reasons, apart from a few bad apples. But it sure makes it easy to root for Abby the underdog and cheer when Rags dishes out its brand of justice onto them.

The final choice Abby had to make to save her family was heart-wrenching but logical. There was really nothing else she could do. Yes, she could have run away and decided that it wasn’t her problem, but having followed her from the beginning of this book, I knew that it wasn’t a choice she could ever have made. And now her foster home has a guardian against all the evil people who want to harm her sibs and her adoptive mother.

PS: I received  a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Splintered Nights by Veronica Del Rosa

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This was a surprisingly good book by an author I have never read before, since she writes mostly paranormal romance, and I don’t read PNR. It has been languishing on my TBR list since 2018, and I finally got around to it. I’m glad I did.

On the surface, the world is the usual urban fantasy fair – with humans living mostly oblivious of the nasties that live alongside them. And the nasties are also the usual fair – vampires and werewolves. 

Those are not the sparkly vampires and noble soulmate werewolves that you will encounter in other urban fantasy books. These are monsters, and there is nothing noble or beautiful about them.  And I liked that. These monsters are ruthless and downright cruel. Their societies are violent and bloody, and humans are just food or playthings to them. This is honestly refreshing.

I also really loved Pearle. She is what a strong character should be – self-reliant, smart, resourceful, and she always manages to get back up no matter how many times she gets knocked down. She just doesn’t give up, despite the fact that her life sucks. I mean she is homeless, working a thankless job for a boss that hates her guts. Every night is a battle for survival against vampires that keep coming for her. 

She learned to rely only on herself, and the one time when she let that rule drop and chose to become close to someone, that person betrayed her. That was rather messed up. Shows you that even the meekest of the monsters are still monsters. And sometimes the meekest monsters are the most cunning and ruthless.

The ending was also rather sad, because even though Pearle defeated the vampire that had been after her since her childhood, she is still homeless and she made powerful enemies in the werewolf clan. Oh, and the vampires are still after her. So is she really better off than she was at the beginning of the book? At least she knows why the vampires are attracted to her now, or what happened to her father. 

I would have loved to read about her adventures with the vampire hunters, but it seems like this book is a standalone and no continuation is planned.

books, Fantasy, Reviews

Hexes of the Fall (The Hex King 1) by L. Marton

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Stars: 4 out of 5

This is a good story, and a solid first book in a new series. I would argue that you might want to read Sand and Ichor before you start this book, because a couple characters from that novella play a major part in the events happening in this book. Also, it will give you better understanding into Rhaka’s motives, and why he behaves the way he does. 

But ultimately, you don’t have to read the novella to enjoy this book, because this story is about Genry and his difficult journey of trying to grapple with circumstances that are out of his control.

I liked Genry, though he came across as naïve and overly idealistic most of this book. But what else would you expect from a 17 year old boy? He is the youngest of the royal siblings. He never expected to assume any important political role in the kingdom. Everyone assumed that his sister Ellix would be the next Queen and she was groomed for this role since childhood. All Genry ever wanted was to become a knight. That’s what he trained for, that’s what he dreamt about, and he couldn’t care about anything else.

I really felt for him when circumstances conspired against him, and he realized that that dream was now shattered. Talk about a soul-crushing discovery – that in order to do your duty to your kingdom and your family, you would have to abandon everything you ever dreamt about and become basically a puppet in the hands of your family. No wonder he ascended the stairs so quickly and without regret at the end of the book – he had nothing tying him to the world of the living. 

It’s also a very interesting world that the author created. At first, it seems almost a utopia – a thousand years of peace and prosperity… Until you realize that that peace is bought at the price of magical enslavement. The oaths that the citizens make to the crown are binding magical contracts, and attempting to break such a contract causes real physical pain. A kingdom where everything is a contract, where every good deed is expected to put the other person in debt. There is no altruism, only duty. There is no self-sacrifice unless it’s worth something. That’s a sad state of affairs.

And I would say that the mad seer created a self-fulfilling prophecy in the end. Had she not tried to kill Genry, who knows what kind of crown prince he would have become? If his soul had remained intact, he might made different choices when he becomes a king. I’m afraid she created the Tyrant she was so afraid of.

All in all, this is a really good book, even if the story dragged in place, and I felt like we were circling around the drain a couple times with nothing happening. I am definitely looking forward to the next book. I want to see what becomes of Genry, and Ellix, and Rhaka.

PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Fantasy, Ghost Story, Reviews

The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slater

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This was one dark tale. I don’t know if I should categorize it as a fairy tale or a gothic tale or  just historical fantasy, but that doesn’t particularly matter, does it? It’s a good book.

The world is reminiscent of Victorian England, only with traces of magic still around, and magical creatures still lurking in the shadows of everyday life (though who is to say that is not the case in our world as well?).  Asher Todd arrives at a remote manor in a remote village to assume the role of governess for the three grandchildren of the lady of the manor. Only Asher Todd is not who she seems, and her reasons for arriving here are not altruistic. She has two goals at Morwood Grange – one requested from her by the person who sent her there, and another one very personal. As customary for any gothic tale, things won’t go well for anyone. 

I liked Asher Todd, and I really rooted for her to accomplish her goals and win… until I slowly discovered what those goals were and who she was doing all this for. Then I rooted for her to finally break free of her past and the unhealthy hold her mother has on her. Because Asher never lived for herself a day in her life. Her mother made sure every breath she took was full of guilt and sense of duty. I’m glad that Asher managed to tear herself free of Morwood in the end. 

The other inhabitants of Morwood Grange are rather depictable human beings. I was happy that they got their just desserts in the end. That whole house was like a big jar full of poisonous spiders ready to sting each other to death. The only innocents there were the children, so I’m glad they were spared. 

I liked how the author introduced the world and slowly wove details from Asher’s past into the unfolding story of Morwood Grange. And even though the book dragged a little in the dreaded middle, it still managed to keep me invested in Asher’s quest. I will definitely check out other books by this author.

PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Ghost Story, Horror, Reviews

Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women by Lee Murray

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This collection of short stories seems better put together than the previous collection I read in this cycle – Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror. I think the decision not to add anything to the collection except an introduction and an afterword and let the stories speak for themselves was a good one.

And the stories themselves are good. Some I liked better than others, but all of them kept my attention and made me think about the messages they wanted to convey. I also know that I will check out some of the authors features in this anthology and see what other works they have.

All in all, it was a good collection of short stories that I read between other bigger novels as a palate cleanser and had fun doing so.

PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.