Tag Archives: 5 stars

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

To Ride a Rathorn (Kencyrath 4) by PC Hodgell

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I continue to be impressed with this series. The complexity of the worldbuilding is staggering. Every book adds a new piece of the puzzle to the bigger picture of creation. I am fascinated and I want to know more.

I also really like Jame as a character, and I think that she grew and evolved a lot since the first book where we saw her emerge out of the Haunted Lands. She is finding her stride and her own worth in this world. She is finally making peace with her powers and her destiny, even though, in true Jame fashion, she will follow that destiny on her own terms. I think she is beginning to realize that family isn’t only blood. That it’s also the connections you create or the creatures you bind to yourself (either intentionally or not). And that you are responsible for that family. Speaking of that, I am not happy with how she treats Graykin in this book. Hopefully, she realizes that and course corrects in the next book.

It’s also interesting to see that Jame is already performing her function as Nemesis, albeit in a small way. She is like a hot knife puncturing old abscesses everywhere she goes. Things hidden for decades come to light, horrible crimes committed in the past have repercussions in the present. And Jame is in the middle of it, whether she wants it or not.

Speaking of old crimes. The more we find out about what happened 60 years ago with Jame’s family, the more I feel for both Jame and Torisen. No wonder they are so broken, coming from so much pain, misery and death. No wonder their father went mad. Sounds like his life had been horrific. 

As I said, I think Jame had a lot of character growth in this story and became a better, and more stable, person. My complaint is that Torisen didn’t get that chance. He seems stuck in his soulscape, constantly listening to the poisonous words of his dead father, doubting himself and his sister. He needs to open that door and face what’s behind it, the sooner the better. He can’t afford not to, if he wants to remain the Highlord and save his people from the moral corruption that seems to have infected the Kencyrath. 

I also loved Jame’s dreamlike travels through Rathillien’s countryside and her interactions with the local Gods, Mother Raga especially. And I’m glad that her and the rathorn colt didn’t kill each other. 

I will definitely continue with this series because I want to know more about this complex world and I want Jame and Tori to finally vanquish their demons and become the twins they were destined to be.

books, Fantasy, Ghost Story, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co 1) by Jonathan Stroud

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

I watched the Netflix series based on these books and liked them, so I decided to check out the original works as well. Especially since there was a lot less backstory and worldbuilding in the tv series then I would have liked. Well, I’m glad I picked up the books, even if they are technically YA. This is quality storytelling, and I loved every minute of it.

I also noticed that while the tv series follow the first book almost word for word when it comes to the events that happen, they are a lot less effective at describing the character motivations. I honestly thought that Lockwood was a pretentious ass when I watched the series. And an ass who constantly puts others in danger to boot. Well, I’m glad to say that he isn’t like that in the books. Reckless, yes. Excitable – definitely. But also brilliant, smart, and with nerves of steel. I actually liked his character in the book while in the tv series I found him mildly irritating at best. 

Same goes for George. The way he is and the way he behaves in the book is much more natural than how they portrayed him in the series. And I’m not against race-swapping characters, but they could have found an actor who fit George’s description a bit better. After all, the fact that he is overweight and not particularly handsome weights heavily on his character and his behavior. That’s where a lot of his insecurities come from. And that opportunity was completely lost in the tv series.

Also, is it me, or is the book a lot more scary and more… cinematic, shall we say? I mean the Red Room episode in the series just made me shrug, but when I was reading about it in the book, I literally had shivers. That whole night in the most haunted house in England was extremely well-written. And showed all the team members at their best, especially Lockwood and Lucy. The whole Annie Ward story was also better presented than in the TV series, in my opinion. 

I also loved that we get a lot more backstory on the Problem and more examples of the Visitors, as well as how everyday life is in a world where nights aren’t safe, and ghosts that the majority of the population can’t see can still seriously harm and even kill them. I would like to know more about this. I also would like to know if this Problem is only local to England or if it spread to the rest of Europe as well. It was mentioned that it had started in London and was slowly spreading into more rural parts of the country over the last fifty years, so maybe it hasn’t made it across the Channel just yet. 

I’m sure I will get answers to at least some of my questions if I continue with the series, which I most certainly will!

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews, YA

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King 1) by Rachel Gillig

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This book is dark and poetic, cruel and poignant, horrifying and fascinating. I loved every page of it, which is rare for a YA book. So I would say this is a YA book done right. No over emphasis on “feelings” and love triangles, but just good old-fashioned storytelling at its best. 

The world in this book is fascinating – it’s dark and unforgiving, but has a strange poetic beauty to it as well. This is a single kingdom that is cut out from the rest of the world by a wall of mists that turn anyone who wanders into their midst without a charm insane. And they also slowly choke the land, advancing closer and closer to human habitations, killing the crops and blocking out the sun. Oh, and some citizens get the fever and acquire magical abilities, which in this kingdom is a certain death sentence not only for the infected, but for their family as well, if they hide them from the King’s justice.

Oh, and magic in this world has a price. Any sort of magic, even the Providence Cards, exact a bloody price from the user. Nothing is free, and the reckoning always comes. I loved that! I’ve read too many books were magic is seemingly effortless and free for the caster, as if creating something out of nothing is a perfectly normal occurrence. Having magic exact a price is a refreshing change. That way there is a balance – a magic user can do terrible things in this world, but the price to pay would be just as terrible.

I also really liked the characters, especially Elspeth. All her actions and reactions made sense. She wasn’t the Chosen one, or a special snowflake. She was real and very human, and very very flawed. And she was lost and battling her own personal Nightmare, a loosing battle, I must say. I also liked how she slowly changed in this book from only caring about staying safe and hidden to actually embracing a dangerous cause. Yes, she’d done it at first because she wanted to be cured of her affliction, but by the end of the book she gives in to the Nightmare, fully knowing that she would be lost, for the hope that by her actions she can save others.

The writing is also very engaging. It’s rather poetic at times. I found myself repeating some sentences out loud just because they had a certain hypnotic rhythm to them. I think this adds to the slightly surreal and dreamlike impression that this book gives. A kingdom shrouded by mists where monsters dwell. And sometimes monsters wear human clothing…

I would say that my only complaint is that I didn’t like Elspeth’s love interest as much as any other characters. Ravyn isn’t bad per se… He is just blah. Dark and brooding with a hidden heart of gold – we’ve seen that done a hundred times over. He gets lost in the background any time Elm or Emory or even Ione are in the scene. And honestly, Elspeth had a lot more chemistry with all of them instead of Ravyn. 

Other than that, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, because there are a lot of unanswered questions left in the story and some rather unpleasant revelations. I also want to know what happened to the Shepherd King to turn him into the monster he became. Oh, and the events at the end of the book 1 definitely need an answer. It’s not a cliffhanger, by any means, it’s just not a happy ending you would expect from YA. Then again, this is not a world that thrives on happy endings.

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

books, Reviews, science fiction

Shards of Earth (The Final Architecture 1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I love discovering a new series that I thoroughly enjoy and knowing that there are still at least two more books I can look forward to. Strangely enough, the only book by Tchaikovsky I have read before this one was One Day This all will be Yours, which is a novella about the consequences of time travel and a time war. And I had loved it as well, but I hadn’t tried his scifi series until I found this one on my TBR list. Well, Mr. Tchaikovsky, I’m a convert now. You write it – I will read it!

The premise of this book is interesting. Sixty years ago, humanity stood united with other alien species, locked in a desperate battle with an alien treat that destroyed entire planets in a matter of hours. They were desperate, they were on the brink of extinction, and all they could do was evacuate as many people as possible before the Architect showed up and destroyed yet another planet. Then an Intermediary, a specially modified human, managed to make contact with the vast consciousness of the Architect, and the Architect just… left. None has been seen since.

It’s been 60 years, and none of the desperate unity remains. humanity is squabbling for power and dominance. The war’s heroes are now humanity’s pariahs, mistrusted and hated by regular humanity. Who aren’t much fond of other alien species as well. Tempers are high, and the known galaxy is on the brink of yet another bloody war, until the crew of a small salvage freighter uncovers proof that the Architects might be back. Now the whole galaxy is after them, and not everyone’s intentions are friendly.

Most of the time, characters are what makes or breaks a book for me. I had been known to read stories with wobbly worldbuilding and giant plot holes because I was in love with the characters. I’ve also been known to walk away from a wonderfully constructed story with a lot of thought put into the structure of the world because the characters were one-dimensional or I simply couldn’t connect with any of them.

Fortunately, it’s not the case here. I LOVED the crew of the Vulture God! Idris was damaged and confused a lot of times, but loyal to his friends, and with a strong sense of what is right and wrong. And willing to die for humanity when that was needed. Solace was wonderful as this grizzled soldier who started caring about the crew of the Vulture despite herself. She could also relate to what Idris was going through because she experienced the war with the Architect first hand as well.  And I am still so  so salty about Rollo. That particular death really packed an emotional punch. 

This book answered some questions, but left a lot for the following books. Even though the wreak was a hoax, the Architects are back, and they will continue exterminating inhabited planets. Not because they want to, but because they have no choice. So all sentient life in the galaxy is in danger. Everyone would have to band together if they want to survive what’s coming. And the crew of the Vulture God will be right in the middle of it. And I will be along for the ride.

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

books, Post-Apocalyptic, Reviews, science fiction

Wool Omnibus (Silo 1) by Hugh Howey

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

This book has been languishing on my TBR list since 2013. Thanks to the Cleaning out your TBR list challenge, I finally decided to read it, and I don’t understand why I waited so long. This is excellent storytelling and excellent science fiction. 

I loved how well thought out the world of Silo was. At no point in the story did I have to suspend my disbelief or cringe because the science didn’t add up. The author laid out the rules of his world and followed them rigorously throughout the story. And I love that. I am willing to suspend my disbelief when I pick up a book. Heck, that’s why I read science fiction and fantasy in the first place. But I need to believe in the world I am introduced to. I need to know the rules, and I need the author to follow those rules or have a good reason or explanation for breaking them. I’m glad Hugh Howey does all that and does it brilliantly.

I am also impressed with the large cast of characters introduced in these books. Some you love, some you love to hate, but none will leave you indifferent. Which hurts even more when the inevitable confrontation happens, and blood is spilled. I loved Juliette. She is a force of nature. No matter how dire her circumstances were, she never gave up, she always found a way to go forward. I was frustrated with Lucas, but I understood why he behaved like he did. He is not leader material. He had never wanted the responsibility, and the enormity of the secret IT was hiding pushed him almost to the breaking point. Solo really surprised me. He was mildly irritating when we first met him, but I guess he just really needed someone to take care of. It’s the solitude that drove him crazy. And of course, I loved to hate our main villain. And like all the best villains out there, he didn’t believe he was actually evil. In his mind, he was doing the good work to keep the silo safe and to burn out any signs of disease before it infected the whole silo. But by disease he meant any ideas that went against the doctrine he was taught.

The story is also very compelling and terrifying, to tell the true. The decision of one man to stop living with a lie and join his wife outside the silo has a snowball effect that creates an avalanche that almost destroys the whole silo and buries a lot of lives along the way. It also shows how small actions can quickly escalate to a point of non-return, and suddenly you are staring at the barrel of several guns wielded by people you used to eat dinner with in the same cafeteria, and now blood is spilling and people are dying. And you can’t even understand where things went so horribly wrong, and what you could have done to prevent it. 

While the ending gives a good resolution to the story started in this book, it still leaves a lot of questions. Like who are the people in Silo 1 who seem to dictate the policy for all other silos. Will Juliette be able to connect Silo 18 and Silo 17 and rescue Solo and the kids? What happens in other silos? Will there be retaliation for Silo 18 insubordination and killing of the head of IT? I am definitely picking up the next book to find out the answers!

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

A Murder of Crones (London Bones 2) by S.W. Fairbrother

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I am loving this series so far! The world is so unique and well-integrated. I mean, I can “see” something like that really evolving if supernaturals lived alongside us. 

The first book introduced the world and our protagonist and had her solve a murder mystery involving one of her co-workers. This book goes a lot more personal. It dives deep into Vivia’s childhood, and I can tell you that’s stuff nightmares are made of. We finally discover where the hags came from, who her mother was, and why her sister had to die. 

Since the story is more personal, it had more impact, at least on me, because I happen to like Vive as a protagonist. She tries really hard NOT to be like her mother. And seeing how Desma behaved with her daughters (and everyone else that wasn’t Desma for that matter), I can understand why. Had her family been fully human, child protective services would have taken the two girls away immediately and charged Desma with aggravated child abuse. But as it stands, nobody cares what happens to some supernatural kids. It’s a reminder of what often happens to children who aren’t part of the main demographic in our world right now, sadly.

I found Vive even more relatable in this book than in the first one. She is faced with impossible odds – trying to solve a decades old murder before her time runs out, and trying to undo the hex that is killing her sister… again. And to accomplish either of those things, she is forced to dig through her often painful past. Also, the revelation about the origins of the hags are rather heartbreaking. It’s horrible to discover that you were just a means to an end, that you were never loved by the person who created you.

And while I’m glad that this situation was resolved in a (sort of) happy ending, it seems to me that Vivia lost more than she gained in the end. She lost her mother, she all but lost her sister, and she lost her youth. Yes, she gained freedom, but that seems like a very high price to pay for that, especially since she was paying for the sins of her parents. Literally, as it turns out. 

I will be interested to see where the series goes in its final book. Now that Vive finally paid all the karmic debts her family had accumulated over the millennia, I would like to see her build a life for herself that is not dependent on her mother’s teachings and abuse. I want to see her happy and accomplished in what she does.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, YA

Seraphina (Seraphina 1) by Rachel Hartman

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This book has been languishing on my TBR list since 2013, and I’m glad I joined the Cleaning out your TBR list this year, because I have read some amazing books that I had added on my list way back when, and never got around to reading. Seraphina is one such book.

I don’t usually read YA or romance. I used to love these genders when I was younger, but I grew tired of the tropes, and some typical plot lines in these book usually drive me up the wall, like the inevitable love triangle or a too dumb to live heroine who nevertheless is a special snowflake. 

I am glad to say that none of these tropes are present in Seraphina. This is a very well-written story with an interesting world, fleshed out characters, and a clever plot. This doesn’t read like YA. No, scratch that. This reads like what good YA should be.

I loved Seraphina as a character. She is smart and headstrong, but also vulnerable. She has unresolved issues and a deep sense of worthlessness. I am glad that her journey in this book is of self-discovery, but more importantly of discovering her own worth. She goes from someone who tries to be as ordinary and unnoticeable as possible, to someone who can perform in front of a ballroom full of people and not flinch from the limelight. She goes from hating herself for being half-dragon, to embracing her heritage and feeling a sense of pride. 

I also love that by the end of the book, she finally accepts the other grotesques as part of her tribe, instead of just figments of her imagination that she had to hide in her mental garden. I could feel her joy when she met Lans and Abdo, and even Dame Okra. When she finally allowed herself to feel like she was part of a family.

The central theme of this book is self-discovery and evolution, I think. Selda and Kriggs grow up tremendously through this book as well, and a lot of it is thanks to Seraphina. Even Orma finally makes the decision not to hide his feelings anymore or feel ashamed of his family. Everybody learns and evolves through the events of this book and comes out better at the end of it. Or at least, with a better sense of what their purpose in life is. 

And even though this book leaves our heroes with a lot of uncertainty – a war with dragons looming on the horizon, the Queen’s health in jeopardy, a shaky alliance with other human kingdoms, it also leaves us with a sense of renewed hope. The status quo of the last 40 years has been broken, but hopefully something better will emerge out of it in the end. I also hope that Seraphina will find her place in this world and her worth.

I am excited to see where the story goes from here, so I have already purchased the second book in the series.

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

The Well of Ascension (The Mistborn Saga 2) by Brandon Sanderson

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This book is a big step up from the first book in the series, at least in my opinion. The story is top notch, the stakes are higher than ever, and there is substantial character development. In short, everything I like in my books. 

We had left Vin and Kelsier’s old crew in charge of the city of Luthadel, the capital of the Final Empire, right after Vin killed the Lord Ruler, thus ending over a thousand years of tyranny. It was a happy ending, of sorts, with the big bad deposited, and our heroes triumphant… minus Kelsier that is, and yes, I’m still salty about that one.

In this book, we deal with the aftermath. What happens after the revolution? After the dead are buried, the victory is celebrated, and people need to decided how to keep on living. There is a city to run, mouths to feed, order to be maintained… all of that while the rest of the Final Empire dissolves into bloody wars as nobles everywhere fight for power and a chance to declare themselves king of a small domain. Which means less people to work the fields and harvest food. And winter is coming. Now, there are three armies at the gates of Luthadel, the Assembly inside the city doesn’t accept Elend’s authority… oh, and the mists linger longer and longer after sunrise, and they started killing people.

I loved that the author put all of his characters through the wringer in this book. Vin, Elend, Sazed, and everyone else had some hard decisions to make, that came with great losses and responsibilities, and, yes, guilt they had to live with afterwards.

And because of that character growth, the relationship between Vin and Elend feels a lot more grounded. It’s not teenage inta-love anymore. They are allies, they trust each other, they are one another’s port in a storm and a strong shoulder to rely on when things get tough. This realization comes a bit later in the book for Vin, because she was still operating under the impression that she had to protect poor weak Elend, being a Mistborn and all. I love that she comes to realize that there are different kinds of strengths, and not having Allomantic powers doesn’t make a person weak or useless. I was on board and fully invested in their relationship in this book while it was mostly eye-rolling in the first one.

Sazed also had some major obstacles to overcome in this book, and I’m not sure where this left him. Damaged, certainly. Disillusioned, most definitely. Heartbroken. I think it was a hard realization for someone who spent his life preserving lore and memories, to discover that none of the religions he remembers could help him at the moment he needed it the most. Or that the greatest prophecy of his people, the one that brought about the Final Empire, was a lie. Something perverted by a greater evil.

I also loved how the stakes kept getting higher and higher in this book. It starts with a besieged city, which is already a desperate situation. But it ends with a much bigger catastrophe and even the annihilation of a whole caste of people, if Terris has truly been sacked by the Steel Inquisitors.

Our heroes fought against a tyrant, but in doing so, they brought something much worse into the world. The question is, what are they going to do about it now? I can’t wait to start book three and find out.

PS: This book had been languishing on my TBR list since 2014. I’m glad I finally got a chance to read it.

books, Horror, Reviews

Lockdown (Escape from Furnace 1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This was terrifying y’all! 

My problem with a lot of horror books is that the characters in them are either not fully realized or so unpleasant that sometimes you wish the monsters got them, so it’s hard to root for them. Not so in this book. The author has a knack for writing reliable characters that feel real. Are they good people? Not by a long stretch, but neither are they bad people. They are kids. They are teenage boys trapped in a nightmare and left to fend for themselves. Of course there will be acts of extreme cruelty involved.

The premise itself is terrifying in its inhumanity. Imagine locking away children, since some of them are barely 10 years old. For Life. With no possibility of appeal and parole. In an underground prison. And they are never allowed visitors. As far as humanity is concerned, the prisoners cease to be human and become property as soon as they cross the gates into Furnace. What should have happened to society for the public to think that a prison like that was normal or even welcome? What happened that parents would agree to something like that? That human right activists aren’t up in arms and railing against this?

So the children stuck in Furnace have no hope, and no future. That in itself would be terrifying. No wonder they form gangs and lash out against each other – they are all desperate and, frankly, they don’t have anything to loose anymore. Now add to that the cruelty of the guards and their indifference to the violence happening between inmates. Oh, and things worst then guards prowl the halls at night, and sometimes they take prisoners. Those taken never come back, or if they do, they are changed. 

Like I said, just the premise would have made for a terrifying book, but what distinguishes it from other horror stories and YA books is that the author has a knack for writing relatable characters. I got to know and care for Alex, Donovan, Zee, and a few others. I grew to like them. So the sheer terror of their everyday existence in Furnace hit closer to home. They weren’t just two-dimensional characters destined to die in horrible ways just to add to the horror factor. Those were kids I cared about. I mean even Morty being taken was hard. The loss of another character closer to the end of the book was a real gut punch. 

The action is also pretty tight in this book. There are no slumps, and the sense of dread grows the closer you get to the ending. And while the ending provides some kind of resolution to the immediate issue of the book, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The most important of them being – where they actually able to escape and what will they do now that they did?

I am definitely invested in the characters and the world this author has created, so I will be picking up the next book in the series. In fact, I put the whole series on my TBR list.

books, Fantasy, Horror, Reviews, Urban fantasy

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I am continuing my dive into my TBR list. This book was languishing on my list since 2014, and I’m really not sure why I didn’t read it sooner. I even had the ebook on my Kindle and all that… Anyway, I finally got to it and I’m happy that I did.

Neil Gaiman is an absolute master at writing books about children that are interesting for both children and adults. I loved his Coraline and the Graveyard book. They were engrossing and at times horrifying, but also very genuine. Same happened with this book. 

The author has a rare gift of capturing the magic of childhood without turning it into something extraordinary. In fact, the very ordinary way he describes some rather extraordinary (and often terrifying) things that happen to his characters is what makes his books so impactful. This books brings me back to my childhood, when the world was new and I didn’t know the rules, so even most ordinary places could be magical doorways to other world. A tree in the backyard could be a castle and the pond at the end of the lane could be an ocean.

Children see a lot more then adults do, because they haven’t accepted the norms society and adulthood imposes on them yet, and adults readers should be reminded that there still wonders in this world that science and technology cannot explain. And that those wonders aren’t good or evil, they just are. They behave in accordance to their nature, and they don’t particularly care about human norms and rules, so interacting with them is always a gamble.

I loved that our protagonist is just a little boy who loves to read and is more comfortable in his own imaginary world with his books than with other children. He isn’t a genius. He isn’t the chosen one. He is just a kid who stumbles into something extraordinary and tries to cope with it the best he can. He isn’t particularly brave or strong, but he has enough courage to stand up for himself and say it when the situation doesn’t feel right. And standing up to an adult, especially if that adult is your parent, is the most terrifying thing in the world when you are a child. Most of us forget that when we grow up. 

That’s why the most terrifying experience in this whole story wasn’t even Ursula or the hunger birds. It was the fact that his father tried to drown him in the bathtub. Whether he was enthralled by Ursula or she’d just played on his baser instincts doesn’t matter. When the person who is supposed to protect and support you tries to kill you, it shatters something inside of you. I’m glad the Hempstock snipped that night out of his memories.

All in all, this is a wonderful story about the fact that the extraordinary lives next door to us, you just have to look carefully for it. Question is, do you really want to venture down that lane?