books, Ghost Story, Reviews, Romantasy, Urban fantasy

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

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Stars: 2 out of 5

This started so strongly, then puttered out somewhere around the midway point.

Mostly because the author didn’t quite know what story she wanted to tell. Was this a romance? A coming-of-age story? A story about grief and how different people deal with it? About the afterlife? Love and betrayal, and courage in the face of adversity?

I think the author wanted to include all of these themes, but didn’t manage to cover any of them in a meaningful manner in the end. It feels half-backed, with a meandering plot and underdeveloped characters.

I loved Nera, though. If this were her coming-of-age story, I would have been all for it. She is bright and alive, and I enjoyed discovering the world of the living with her, as well as getting to know the other souls at the station.

However, I couldn’t stand Charlie, so their romance was a lot harder to stomach. Yes, I know she is suffering, and has PTSD, and her family is all together shitty to her, but she still comes across as selfish and rather cruel.

And, I’m sorry, but her choice near the end of the book was so out of character even for her selfish self that it felt ridiculous. It happened only because the author needed to bring Harosen and his demon face-to-face again somehow. I would argue that there were better ways. He could have put Nera in danger while she was out in the city, and Harosen would have had to conquer his fear and step out into the world to save her. That would have been a great redemption arc for him, instead of whatever pathetic ending was written.

And while I love magical dogs and the idea of them being guides for the souls of the dead, the way they were written was… jarring, I guess? Their interactions with each other are surprisingly petty. I was more annoyed than endeared with them for most of the book.

And the ending was… underwhelming, to say the least. I also don’t particularly agree with the end of the Station. It served a purpose – it let some souls heal and rest before they were ready to cross over. Or to wait for their loved ones so that they didn’t cross alone. What happens to those souls now? Do they just get forcibly escorted to the veil, or are they stuck in a loop in Chicago until their time comes? Also, what about other cities? Do they have Veils like that as well?

There is a good story in there somewhere, but I think it would have benefited from a tighter plot and less purple prose. It’s also very heavy on feelings, often to the detriment of the story, especially when Charlie is concerned.

PS: My thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.

books, Horror, Reviews, science fiction

The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui

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Stars: 4 out of 5

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked up this book. I was surprised to find a “murder ship” story with a strong element of cosmic horror. I also didn’t expect to enjoy Iris and his AI companion as much as I did.

Iris and his AI companion are definitely the highlight of the book. They are a fascinating duo—two separate consciousnesses sharing a single mind. They bicker and can even hurt each other at times, but they also genuinely care about one another’s well-being. As you learn more about their relationship, it becomes increasingly compelling and easy to appreciate.

The deeper I learned about Iris’s trauma, the more I empathized with him. He constantly strives to be useful, to do the right thing, yet he feels he is never quite enough—that he is falling short of what it means to be a Vessel. I was glad to see him eventually find some measure of peace, even though it comes after a series of difficult and painful events.

I wasn’t as engaged with the other characters, as they are less developed and often feel like expendable background figures. I found it difficult to distinguish between the students for much of the book. They are mostly portrayed as frightened and helpless, with others trying to protect them, but they lack distinct identities.

In terms of the story, it’s a strong example of cosmic horror combined with claustrophobic suspense. A group of people explores a derelict generation ship, only to discover that the ship is not as lifeless as it appears—and that it poses a deadly threat.

The book also explores interesting ideas about what it means to be alive versus simply aware, along with a thoughtful perspective on the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next installment, especially since the ending leaves things on a cliffhanger.

PS: My thanks to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

books, Horror, Native American, Reviews

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This was a hard book to read, not only because it is a horror novel, but also because of the dark themes it covers. But it is also a darn good book.

As a first-generation immigrant, I don’t know a lot about the different Native American nations and their cultures, so this book was a fascinating window into that world. And I would have loved it for that little glimpse of a different culture alone, but it accomplishes so much more.

Yes, it’s a horror story, but strangely enough, even though there is a supernatural element behind all the deaths and horrifying things happening on the reservation, it’s not the main focus of this book.

The main horror is the bleakness of the lives of everyone on the reservation. The author manages to paint an oppressive picture with just a few words – the oppressive heat and humidity, the rundown trailer homes parked on overgrown lots, dirt roads with no street signs on them, and the lack of hope in everyone who lives there. The children are the only ones who are still smiling; everyone else has been beaten down by life into resigned apathy, fueled by drugs and alcohol. No prospects, no way out, no future… My skin is crawling just remembering this.

As far as the story itself goes, it’s broken into two narratives – the present-day story where Noemi is trying to understand why her boyfriend seemingly jumped in front of a car and died, and the past story when her uncle Louie faced something horrifying and won.

I admit that I was a lot more involved in Louie’s story than Noemi’s. The reason for that is that there is a progression and resolution to his story. He witnesses some horrible events, but he discovers what caused it and he defeats the evil spirit (at least within himself). Yes, it leaves him scared both physically and mentally, and he decides to run away from those memories, but at least his story has a conclusion. With Noemi, we still don’t know whether it was an accident or if her boyfriend had killed himself. Plus, I wasn’t as invested in her story, to tell the truth.

All in all, this was a wonderfully creepy story about human desperation and the darkness that lurks within all of us. About balance and what happens when we disrupt it. And about hard choices. I will definitely read other books by this author.

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (Dark Lord Davi 1) by Django Wexler

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Stars: 4 out of 5

I must admit that I wasn’t particularly enamoured with this novel in the beginning, because I couldn’t figure out the direction the author was taking it. Was it supposed to be satire or humor like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series? It had too many dark vibes for that. It was creating a weird dissonance in my brain. But once I got past the first few chapters and decided to go with the flow and see where the story took me, I enjoyed the journey quite a lot.

I think the biggest reason why it took me a while to warm up towards this book is Davi herself. She has a rather cavalier attitude towards life and death, especially her own. But she is also very quick to kill and maim others because she believes that once she dies and resets to the beginning, everyone will reset with her, so none of this is real.

I understand where this attitude is coming from. If you spent a thousand years dying horribly over and over again, and watching people you get attached to die no matter what you do, you either go insane or stop taking anything seriously. And I think that Davi is a bit insane by this point. Thinking that this is all just like a video game, where she can just reset to the beginning if it doesn’t work out, is her way of coping with the horrors of the situation.

And I love the fact that the further she progresses in her attempt to become the Dark Lord, the more she gets invested in the lives and well-being of her companions. And that when a certain event happens that causes a reset, she comes to the realization that her actions have consequences. That everyone who died until now will stay dead, and it’s her fault. The sheer moment of panic she had after that was very relatable.

I also loved most of the supporting characters, and even some of the villains are pretty interesting and multidimensional. The world is also fascinating. I really want to know who built the ruins where the Convocation takes place. They look a lot more advanced than anything either the humans or the wilders of this world would be capable of now.

I am not a fan of cliffhanger endings, but I can accept it in this case. After all, Davi accomplished the objective she set for herself at the beginning of the book. I am willing to wait until the next book to find out where the story takes her afterwards.

PS: My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Cold Iron Task (The Unorthodox Chronicles 3) by James J. Butcher

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Stars: 4.5 out of 5

This is an excellent story. Both Mayflower and Grimsby are put through the wringer here, but both come out on the other side with some significant character growth.

What I like about Grimsby is that he is genuinely a good guy. Life really tried to beat him down time and time again, but that didn’t make him bitter or jaded. He isn’t trying to lash out at a world that frankly put him through hell. He chooses compassion and believes in treating people right. He cares about his friends, even too much sometimes.

My only complaint is that he seems to be a little too trusting for someone who’s had such a hard upbringing. I mean, I understand that he feels guilty for what happened to his friend and wants to help, but he could have asked a few more questions before agreeing to the heist, don’t you think?

But it’s also wonderful to see how much of a positive influence he is on his friends, even if he doesn’t realize it. The fact that Mayflower turned to him when he needed support is very telling. Mayflower from book 1 would have laughed at the mere idea of it, then punched you in the face for even suggesting it.

I’m glad that Grimsby finally learned a new spell, and OMG it is so fitting of his character! Hopefully, now that he has found peace with himself and realized that his magic isn’t damaged, that the burns are an intrinsic part of him, he will be able to advance as a magic user.

This book also raises more questions about who his mother was and what really happened during that apartment fire. Hopefully, we will get more answers in the next book.

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

The Five Faces (Markhat 8) by Frank Tuttle

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5

Don’t get me wrong, I love Markhat and his friends, and the beginning of the story tugs at my heartstrings. I am a dog lover, and I work in animal rescue, so any mention of dog fighting makes me see red. So I was right there with Markhat when he went Hulk Smash on the b&%tards in that warehouse.

I really wanted more of that plotline, but unfortunately, it gets dropped almost immediately. Sure, we find Cornbread by the end of the book, but it’s almost a side note. We don’t even get to see the reunion with Saffie, which was a bit disappointing.

Instead, we get a story about yet another ancient would-be big bad crawling out of the nether and into Ranith. And while it was a fun ride, the stakes didn’t seem as personal as the previous books. Which is weird, considering the fate of the whole city was on the line.

There were also a lot of unanswered questions. Like, what was the point of taking over the drug trade in the city or beating up other members of Ranith’s underground, if the big bad was playing host to a literal Death god who was going to kill everyone anyway? That was the end goal, so why go into all the trouble with the rest?

Also, the whole jumping in and out of time, into the future and back, was a bit confusing. And it lowered the stakes in the end. Yes, Markhat made a sacrifice in the end to defeat the death god, but Markhat is also here and unhurt at the end of the book, so it cheapens what happened.

Don’t get me wrong, it was still a really good book, and I’m still loving this series. It was just a bit less enjoyable than the previous ones.

books, Horror, Reviews

The Murmors (Annie Jackson Mysteries 1) by Michael J Malone

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Stars: 2 out of 5

This book started very strongly – Annie has no memories of her childhood due to a terrible accident that killed her mom and landed her in a coma, and on top of that, she starts hearing murmurs and sees how people will die when their death is imminent enough. What would she do with this strange ability? Especially since she just started working in a nursing home.

Well, turns out, nothing at all. Annie quits after the first day there, and her ability doesn’t really come into play at all during the rest of the book.

I felt cheated. Like the blurb was a bait and switch. I came for a woman with a strange ability, not a generational drama and a plot that ground to a halt after the initial setup and then proceeded to creep towards an ending at a snail’s pace.

It doesn’t help that the actual plot of the book is not interesting, at least not to me. Any of the supposed twists were telegraphed way in advance, so I didn’t even have any aha moments to look forward to. And, as I mentioned, the plot went into a completely different direction than I expected.

I also couldn’t connect with Annie at all, even though I tried. To me, she just reads as very immature and full of herself. She only thinks of how things impact her and never even tries to consider how her actions impact those closest to her. And everyone tiptoes around her as if walking on eggshells, even before her curse manifests.

I also wasn’t particularly invested in the other timelines we follow in this story – the one of Annie’s mother and her sisters, and the one of the original twins who brought the curse into being.

Mostly, it was a slog to read and left me rather underwhelmed. I honestly am confused where all the raving reviews are coming from. Did I read a different book than everyone else? I will not be continuing with the series.

PS: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

books, Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery

The Will of the Strid (The Wells of Fate 1) by Kingsley M Hobson

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DNF at 35%

I just couldn’t get into this book, and I usually love a good fantasy story. Good versus evil, coming of age, and all that. Heck, I can even enjoy a Chosen One trope from time to time, but here, I just kept losing my interest in the story.

I think the biggest issue is that it felt like there were no stakes in what was happening, at least not for the protagonist.

We are told that a great evil is waking up and will destroy the world as we know it if Storn and his two companions don’t go into this magical realm and make sure he keeps sleeping. Okay, good. Yet nothing in what the author describes of the land and people who inhabit it so far points towards this resurgence. We get mentions of tavern talk that things are getting bad, but we never experience it firsthand.

Also, it’s said that this great evil was imprisoned 80 years ago, yet only legends remain. What, nobody talks about those times because they “don’t like talking about them”? Really? WW2 happened about 80 years ago as well, and everyone still remembers what that was and the horrors it caused. You are telling me that all the people all over the land just spontaneousely decided to forget something just as traumatic? I don’t believe that.

More importantly, this big evil has no impact on Storn’s life. Well, apart from those weird bats tracking him during his journey to Ursula, but even that is only mentioned twice. What are the stakes in this journey for him? He is not in danger. He is not seeking anything. He is just told that he has to go into the Strid, and he just nods and tags along.

As far as my protagonist go, I like them actively participating in their fate and making decisions, even if they are bad ones. The only active decision Storn made was to run away from home by hitching a ride in the ragman’s wagon. After that, he just follows along and does what he is told for vague reasons that are never fully explained. He could walk away at any time, and his life wouldn’t be particularly changed.

This makes for a boring read, and I don’t feel like trying to fight my way through more pages to see if it ever gets more interesting.

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Fantasy, Grim Dark, Reviews

She Dreams In Blood (The Obsidian Path 2) by Michael R Fletcher

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Stars: 2 out of 5

I really liked the first book in the series. It was dark and brutal, but also had a very interesting concept. I wanted to find out what shattered Khraen’s heart and why his empire crumbled. I also wanted to learn more about this world and the danger that the Demon Emperor was guarding it from.

Well… I kind of got the answer to both of those questions, but honestly, it was very underwhelming.

More importantly, where the first book was full of adventures and palpable tension, this book drags. Yes, the opening is fast-paced and interesting, with the sinking of the ship Khraen and Henka are on, but after that the book is boring until about 90%.

The main reason for that is that Khraen stops being the driving force behind the story and becomes a passenger to Henka’s plans. Henka frees him from the necromancers. Henka hands him the next shard of his heart almost on a platter. Henka persuades him to sail to their next destination. Henka makes all the plans and preparations.

And Khraen? He spends this whole book moaning about how he doesn’t want to be as horrible as the Demon Emperor, while doing terrible things and killing countless people, both himself and by letting Henka butcher them without saying anything. And he tries to justify it by saying it’s necessary… while hating himself for it and feeling sorry for himself and saying that oh no, he is still not like his past self, and blah, blah, blah. So on and so forth, and we are running in circles for 350 odd pages.

I lost all respect for this character. He is honestly pathetic. By the end of the book I wanted to slap him and yell: “We get it that you want to be a better person! Well, either start acting like one, or stop with the moaning and start with the killing. Sh*t or get off the pot already!”

I also don’t understand his blind fate in Henka. He doesn’t remember her. He only has her word that she is his wife. Yet he believes that she loves him and will never harm him. Why?

And yes, he unleashes a can of whoopass at the 90% mark in the book, but even that show of force is useless in the end. He murders hundreds of people. Destroys an entire city… and ends up losing everything anyway – his friend, his wife, even his freedom. What was the point of all this?

I am disappointed in this series, and I don’t think that I will be continuing with the next book. I don’t care enough about Khraen at this point to try and find out where his pathetic self ends up.

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries 8) by Martha Wells

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Stars: 4 out of 5

Murderbot is back! And his risk assessment module is repaired and functioning better than in the last book. He even added an emotional check subroutine on it, and let me tell you, the results of that check are often hilarious.

Here we have Murderbot at his best – when he is in charge and trying to extricate humans out of tricky situations while pretending that he doesn’t really care about them. But we all know that he is a big mush under that gruff exterior, and that he absolutely cares about his humans.

Murderbot has a plan (well, the bare bones of one at least), but that plan goes out of the window as soon as he enters the taurus anyway. Shenanigans happen, with lots of snark from our favorite SecUnit, and I loved every minute of it.

We get to meet DR Mensah’s extended family, including one of her spouses and her daughter. Sofi is an amazing character, but I loved Granma the most. Also, it’s hilarious how awkward Bot is with children, but how good he is with them as well. No matter how much he gripes about it, it’s like he senses when little humans need him to be there for them, even if it’s just a strong hand to hold on to when the world around is scary.

Oh, and Three freeing other SecUnits with Murderbot 2.0 code, and the rogue SecUnit panic that spreads through the taurus is rather funny to read about. Especially Bot’s reaction when one of those units tried to interfere with the rescue of his humans.

My only complaint about this book is that once again, we get very little of ART and Bot interactions. I miss ART. I want them exploring the galaxy together, watching soap operas and being hilariously snarky about the humans they have to deal with.

PS: My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy.

My dreams and stories. The life of a writer.