Review: The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton 
Tor, 2018

Hardcover. 575 pages.

About The Queens of Innis Lear:

"'A kingdom at risk, a crown divided, a family drenched in blood. 

The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes. 

The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted. 

Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided."

The Queens of Innis Lear is a fantasy reimagining of the classic Shakespeare play "King Lear." I'm not overly familiar with the story of King Lear myself--I've read it, but it was so long ago that I hardly remember a thing. Before jumping into this one I checked out some reviews to see if it was necessary to know the play, and most said that said knowing the general plot points of the play is helpful in fully enjoying this book, but not necessary, so I opted to read it without a refresher and I had no issues whatsoever. I'm sure I missed out on some King Lear-related subtleties, but I had no problem enjoying this book or following along with the story.

The most prominent thing about this book is the prose itself, which is beautiful, elegant, and extensive in style. This makes for a rather dense read that really forced me to slow down and appreciate the writing as much as the story itself. Personally, I really liked the prose and thought it made for a gorgeous story. This style isn't everyone's preference, though, and I think this is partially what caused a lot of people to give this book a lower rating; if you don't mind some drawn out and descriptive prose, however, then I implore you to give this one a shot.

Another shining part of this book is the cast of characters. I am floored by how deftly Gratton created these well-developed, fully fleshed out characters that are all strong and and powerful in their own way, none of which ever felt stereotypical or cliche'd. The three sisters that prove the main focus of the plot are Gaela, Reagan, and Elia. These three women are phenomenal and each have their own unique form of power that is expressed in very different ways and effects, but still holds its own at the end of the day.

Elia is the youngest and has stayed by her father's side while her other two sisters have essentially divorced themselves from him. Outwardly, she could be seen as the weakest of the bunch, the most sensitive and 'gentle,' but this would not be an accurate description of her as the story goes on. Elia has a quiet strength that erupts from her only when necessary. Reagan is described as being the 'manipulator,' and that is completely accurate. She is sly and rather devious, but always maintains a sense of authenticity that makes her shine with vibrancy. Reagan is someone that I would always want on my side, but at the same time I'm not sure I'd fully trust her. Lastly is Gaela, the eldest and also the most physically powerful. She is the warrior of the three and is constantly training and ready for any battle. She does not want to be shackled by the 'limitations' of regular women, such a giving birth and dealing with menstruation, so she makes sure these are not issues for her. Even though each sister does things that are good, bad, and everything in between, I still felt myself drawn to them and completely invested in following their every action.

There's a lot more that I can say about the other characters in this book as well, such as King Lear himself, Ban the Fox, Rory, Morimaros, and others, but in order to not make this review endlessly long I'll simply say that they are just as carefully and intricately crafted as the three sisters. If strong, well-written characters, then this is definitely a book to keep on your radar. The way Gratton weaves each character into the other's story line and gives them such meaningful roles in this story is fascinating.

The setting often takes place in a forest or forest-surrounded area, which adds to the darkly beautiful tone of the book. There is always a deeper meaning to things that are said and the events of this book were very obviously created with great care. It's apparent that Gratton knew what she was doing when writing this book and planned out every last action to make everything stand out wonderfully, and it certainly paid off.

Overall, I've given The Queens of Innis Lear 4.5 stars! If you have a little patience and are looking dive into a beautifully told story with lush scenery and fully developed characters, then you couldn't find a better book than this one.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 
Master Assassins by Robert V.S. Redick

Review: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

*Once Upon a River will be released Tuesday, December 4th!* 

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield 
Atria, 2018

Hardcover. 480 pages.

About Once Upon a River:

"'A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child. 

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. 

Is it a miracle? 

Is it magic? 

Or can it be explained by science? 

Replete with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale."

Once Upon a River was the most beautiful, cozy, and perfectly intriguing story that I've read in a while. This is a book that has all of the 'cozy up by the fire and listen to this story' sort of feel to it. It's wintry in its style, full of fully-fleshed and enchanting characters, and has a myriad of stories that all tangle up together and eventually unfold into brilliant cohesion. 

As much as I loved this book, I am almost unsure how to go about describing this because of how unique and enchanting it is. It feels largely like historical fiction, but there are some strong fairy tale and magical realism elements to it, including mentions of dragons (though admittedly they are not a big role). The writing itself is very much casual and takes its time to set the stage and introduce all of the characters thoroughly, which is something that I think really sets the tone for this book.

The plot is centered around events that take place at The Swan, a local inn and pub-style location. At The Swan, storytelling is the main event, and locals take turns telling new and old stories. This really sets off the tone for the entire book and invites the reader to sit down and partake in a local story-in-the-making. The biggest location element that brings the entire book together is the River Thames, and I loved how Setterfield made this the central component of the book, and it truly does bring almost everyone's story together in one way or another. 

I could talk about all of the characters in this book for days, both because there are so many and because they are all so wonderful. That's not to say that all of the characters are wonderful people, but that the way they are developed and explained to us by Setterfield is done in such a way that I devoured every detail given about them and their backstories--all of which are very important and will probably come up at some point in the story. There is so much meandering of sorts regarding the characters' personalities and lives, but it all fits so well and doesn't feel meandering in a bad way. It's that perfect sort of wandering that's similar to when you're listening to a delightful story and you just want to soak up every single bit of it that you get.

Some of my favorite aspects of this book had to do with the themes and ideas that Setterfield plays with. Everything is so real and rooted in reality, yet at the same time there is an ever-present sense of something... other in the air. Not a negative or spooky 'other,' but a sense of something supernatural that exists in the world, which is where the magical realism elements seem to take place. One character has an eye that can See people in the deeper sense of the word, the River Thames has a mysterious guardian known as Quietly--is it myth or reality? I loved this part of the book and the many different themes that came with it. There were also a lot of other big life themes at play that provided a lot to think about and that I think would make for a great discussion with others. 

Overall, I've given Once Upon a River five stars. If you're looking for a beautiful story with compelling characters and an intriguing storyline, then you absolutely need to pick this one up. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of Once Upon a River courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Review: Queen of Nod (The Balance #2) by C.W. Snyder

*Queen of Nod is now available!*

Queen of Nod (The Balance #2) by C.W. Snyder
Curiosity Quills Press, 2018

Ebook. 274 pages.

About Queen of Nod:

"Alice hoped to find peace after the death of the Red Queen. Instead, she faces a new foe: a plague of madness that threatens to bring Nod to its knees, shaking the foundations of the afterlife. Forced to flee from her home and abandon her throne, she is led on a journey that has the potential to remake or break her. 

From the forest world of the Fae to the expanse of the multiverse, Alice and Zee search desperately for a cure before it's too late. Along the way, they meet new companions and enemies - the powerful and deadly Magi, the changeling princess Maggie, and the Triad, a sinister trio of brothers who would stop at nothing to subjugate all they see. 

The fate of Nod hangs in the balance, and the key might just lie in the one place Alice has never dared to go - the depths of her own mind."

I read and reviewed the first book in The Balance series, Child of Nod, earlier this year and was deeply impressed by this darkly imaginative take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story. In this series, Alice wakes up to find herself not in Wonderland, but in Nod, a corrupted fairy tale land where she also discover that she is, in fact, dead. In Child of Nod we got to know Alice as she discovered exactly where she was and what her purpose was, and now in Queen of Nod we get to follow Alice as even more challenges befall her as she takes on her role as queen.

As a sequel, Queen of Nod did not disappoint me in the slightest and is just as imaginative and sinister as the first book. I wasn't entirely sure where the story would pick up in the sequel or what the main plot conflict would be (and I won't give spoilers), so I was very pleased to see the direction that Snyder did choose to take the story. One of my favorite aspects of the first book was the inclusion of so many different hints of different myths and classic stories that popped up in various places, and I was so glad to see that this continued in this book. The pacing in this book also felt slightly faster than Child of Nod, and it seemed as though there was a bit more action overall in this book, which was a great addition. The world-building was expanded even more and there are a myriad of new creatures and beings introduced that I loved, although at times it did feel a bit overwhelming to remember everything. 

In Queen of Nod, we get a closer look in the inside of Alice's head, as that is where one of the main sources of conflict for this book lies. This was done with such an interesting perspective that added some extra depth to Alice's character and allowed me to dive further into the darkest parts of Nod along with her. Although we got to know Alice quite well in the first book, I didn't fully connect to her at the time and this book seemed to expand her character just enough to really help me feel more connected to her.

There are plenty of gore and horror elements in this book, so do keep that in mind if you feel are sensitive to that sort of content. That being said, none of these elements are done in an excessive or unnecessary manner--it all seemed to fit the story and the specific event taking place at the time really well, and I appreciate Snyder's taste in that aspect. I also really enjoyed the way that the narrative tends to jump around at times between different (and sometimes unexpected) characters, especially since each one's voice felt very distinct from the other. There is oftentimes a dreamlike quality to the narrative that adds an extra element of intrigue to the storytelling.

I love my stories dark and creepy, and that is one reason why I have enjoyed these books as much as I have. Snyder manages to tell a story that is endlessly creative and full of wonder, yet also incredibly dark, unsettling, and full of grim realities and frightful events. It speaks to something very real about our world and how this darkness seems to exist everywhere. 

Overall, I've given Queen of Nod four stars! If you have an open mind and like some creepy Alice-inspired retellings or just some quirky, creative stories in general, then I encourage you to check these stories out.

Buy the book: Amazon

*I received a copy of Queen of Nod courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

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Child of Nod by C.W. Snyder
Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Review: Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

*Empire of Sand is now available!*

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Orbit, 2018

Paperback. 496 pages.

About Empire of Sand:

"A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy. 

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. 

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda. Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…'"

Empire of Sand is a Mughal India-inspired fantasy debut that combines beautiful worldbuilding, a highly riveting culture, and a varied cast of characters that left me hanging onto every word. I had been eagerly anticipating the chance to read this book for quite a while, so when I received a copy from Orbit I was thrilled, and I was not disappointed in the slightest--this book was amazing. It was right about the time when I realized that I was subconsciously reading this book slowly because I didn't want it to end that I knew this would be a winner for me. 

One of the biggest things that set this book apart from others for me was the main protagonist, Mehr, who is probably one of the best characters I've read in a while. Mehr is strong. She is not strong in the cliche'd 'strong female protagonist' way, but she is strong because she has conviction, she fully believes in her culture, and she will not bend to things that go against her morals or that treat people poorly. Because of this, I was constantly impressed with her decisions and how she decided to move forward with her life, something that I don't often find myself doing in books. Mehr has had a privileged life in some ways, such as growing up in a palace-like place and being the daughter of a governor, but what I liked about her was that she was very much aware of her privileged lifestyle and did not allow that to be ignored even thought she also had many struggles because the people in her land have such disdain for the magic in her blood and what she stands for. Mehr is resilient, always finding hope in places where others, such as another wonderful character in this named Amun, can see none.

The world itself was something else that I really liked about this book, and the only complaint that I have is that there wasn't more of it. I hope that in future books we are given the opportunity to explore more of this world and visit new places because the foundation laid for this world is incredibly intriguing. I love the dessert setting, the South Asian influence, and the general ruling structure of the world--one mortal emperor and one godlike ruler--and I look forward to seeing how the balance is shifted and dealt with in the next book.

This is a book that definitely moves at a slower pace than your usual high action fantasy, but that somehow still creates a story  that felt packed with engaging scenes and a plot that I desperately wanted to know more about. The pacing starts out strong with an introduction to Mehr and the basic setup of the world, and from there it continues on at a very solid pace, slowly building up anticipation for what would happen next. I can see where some might say the middle of the book felt a bit slow, but I found that the it provided an abundance of input in the way of character development and more political and magical development. Suri's writing itself is also beautiful; it's simple but elegant in its reading and I found this book impossibly easy to sink into every time I picked the book up.

One last area that I thought was exceptionally well done was with the religion and culture of the world. In particular, I loved learning about the Amrithi culture and the rites that Mehr and Amun performed; the dancing element was so beautiful to read and I found myself almost falling into the movements in my head while I read them. Everything about both this culture and the rest of the world felt so rich and full of thoughtfulness that I can tell Suri really put a great deal of effort and care into her development of it.

Overall, I have given Empire of Sand five stars! I couldn't help but fall in love with the world and the characters and I am anxiously awaiting the next installment. 

*I received a copy of Empire of Sand courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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Torn by Rowenna Miller
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Review: A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

*A Ladder to the Sky will be published Tuesday, November 13th!*

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
Hogarth Press, 2018

Hardcover. 384 pages.

About A Ladder to the Sky:

"'The new novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Heart's Invisible Furies , a seductive Highsmithian psychodrama following one brilliant, ruthless man who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of fame 

Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for success. The one thing he doesn't have is talent - but he's not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don't need to be his own. Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful - but desperately lonely - older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect material for Maurice's first novel. 

Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall..."

Before I jump into the review, I just want to say that as nice as the final cover is, I really liked the cover from the ARC (right):

I don't how John Boyne keeps doing it, but A Ladder to the Sky was yet another brilliant book that left me shaking my head with joy at Boyne's cleverness. This book was spectacular. As much as I want to dive in and discuss this book in detail for this review, I'm specifically going to keep things as vague as possible about the characters and plot itself because I think a big part of this book is meeting the characters yourself and developing your own opinions as the plot progresses. Just trust me on this one.

The backdrop of this story falls within the literary world, focusing largely on the high-brow, pretentious authors and the role of publishing deals. The sheer amount of literary criticism found throughout these pages was highly entertaining to read, as well as rather insightful in making the reader consider more about the inner workings of literary circles and the like. Boyne is a genius when it comes to his attention to detail in creating his setup, as well as with his intricate, thoughtful plotting. His prose is smooth and flows easily, making it easy to follow the story and lose yourself in the lives of his characters. He is not one to shy away from adding detail to his characters' lives, but it never feels slow or plodding, and in fact many of those small details tend to come back around in one way or another.

A Ladder to the Sky is a book that hides a lot of dark themes, horrible secrets, duplicitous people, and other morally questionable things under a veneer of literary politeness and business workings. Something that I really liked was how Boyne experimented with issues relating to terrible things that people have done in their past and whether or not they should affect the person's later life, even if they are regretful. Similarly, he deals with what constitutes true plagiarism and whether or not a story can ever really belong to one person if it hasn't been written down. It's topics such as these that really stand out and add so much extra depth to the story.

One of Boyne's other strengths is easily in his characters. In The Heart's Invisible Furies, which I read and loved last year, it was the characters that I fell in love and wanted to know more about, and it's the same sort of thing in this book. I may not love the characters (I'll get to that in a moment), but Boyne still develops his characters in such an engaging and realistic manner that you can't help but hang on to their every word and action. The sheer amount of wit that is hidden within the dialogue and commentary of each narrator is so engaging and felt like such a trademark of Boyne's writing style.

To expand a bit on the characters themselves, it's safe to say that almost none of the characters are particularly likable. The story is narrated in three different parts, each one with a different narrator. Out of the three narrators, we have: Erich Ackerman, an author with a rather tumultuous career; Edith, who is also a writer; and lastly, there's Maurice Swift, who's flat-out horrible and finishes the tale off. No matter how I felt about a character, though, I still loved each part of the story and enjoyed each section. The way in which Boyne weaves together the different characters' lives and elements of this story is phenomenal and left me unable to put this book down.

I won't say anything specific about the ending, but I will say that I loved it. It absolutely got a head-shaking, grinning-in-disbelief reaction from me that cemented how much I loved this book. If you love some good character studies, strong dialogue, and a story that will keep you guessing, please pick this book up and check it out. You will not be disappointed. 

Overall, I've obviously given A Ladder to the Sky five stars!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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Review: The Shadow of What was Lost by James Islington

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

Orbit, 2017. 

Paperback. 736 pages. 

About The Shadow of What Was Lost:

"As destiny calls, a journey begins. 

It has been twenty years since the god-like Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them - the Gifted - are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers. 

As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything. 

To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is... 

And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir."

The Shadow of What Was Lost had been sitting on my shelf for about before I finally plucked up the courage to read it. I'd been wanting to check it out for quite some time, but it's quite a chunker and it was a bit intimidating to start yet another series (I don't even know how many series I've started over the years), especially with a book of that size. But every time I heard something about it (which wasn't all that often, this one is a bit underrated), it was constantly raves. I finally decided to pick it up and now I'm having those 'why didn't I pick this up sooner?' thoughts. With all that being said, let's dive into the review!

The story starts off in a school setting, but it doesn't stay there for long and instead picks up rather quickly into an entirely unexpected storyline. I was fascinated by this story and how it evolved throughout the book. I'd also like to address the reviews that say this is a "rip-off Wheel of Time series," because although I can understand where they get that, it's clearly not. You can absolutely see inspiration between this book and other popular fantasy books, but Islington makes this entirely his own and incorporates his own unique storyline and world that sets it apart from others. There were so many twists and turns that left me feeling that this was a truly unpredictable novel, something that I really appreciated.

The world-building is really strong in this book. It felt expansive, but also manageable and not overly complex. I could follow along fairly easily with places and events that were described, something that certainly cannot be said for all fantasy books. One of my favorite locations in this book was a city called Deilannis that is semi-briefly visited, and it is locations like that that really added to my excitement and overall engagement in this book. In addition, the magic system was particularly interesting and I genuinely enjoyed learning how it worked. People in this world are separated into three main groups: the Gifted, the Augurs, and those with no magic. Augurs are the rarest and are considered to be essentially eradicated after they became unreliable and seen as a danger to the population. As a result of this, the Gifted were also 'bound' to the Four Tenets, which basically means that, at the core, they are unable to use their powers on any non-Gifted people--not even for self-defense--and are closely watched by the Administration. They are also, for the most part, completely hated and feared by all non-Gifted people. I thought that this setup made for an interesting story as it examined the various power constructs among these groups. For instance, the Gifted are technically more physically powerful, but the non-Gifted have them bound and unable to defend themselves, so therefore they are actually weaker. It seems like a basic setup, but it provided for a strong story and I liked seeing the differences between Augurs and the Gifted become more apparent.

I also loved our three main protagonists. I have seen a few complaints that the characters weren't developed well, but again I have to disagree. I thought all three of our main protagonists, Wirr, Davian, and Asha, were really well-written characters. Davian is what I would consider out main protagonist, though the POV shifts between him, Asha, Wirr, a man we meet named Caeden, and a few others along the way. I was never confused about whose POV we were in or what was going on, so I give props to Islington for using multiple POVs so successfully. It's not overdone and it's easy to follow along with what is going on--something I always appreciate in a complex fantasy series.

Davian appears to be your average young man, not overly outgoing, but also not exceptionally shy. His character begins to develop as the story moves along and we are able to learn more about him. His rather 'generic' initial impression changes immensely and he becomes a much more interesting character to follow as the story progresses. Wirr is a physically stronger person than Davian and has a more charismatic nature allows him to more easily journey in secrecy. He's an exceptionally loyal and trustworthy person and I loved watching his journey throughout the story as well. The final character I want to mention is Asha, who I would say is one of the more intriguing characters of the lot. Her journey through this story was so interesting and I love her relationship dynamics with various characters, as well as her own difficult journey that allowed her to grow and develop into a strong, fascinating character.

My favorite aspect of this book is simply how 'classic epic fantasy' it felt. Of course, I don't mean it's another Lord of the Rings or anything, but there was something very old school about the storytelling, the narrative, and the events of the story. It's very unique and highly engaging, and it also has an overwhelming epic quality that made me feel so at home and I desperately wanted to read it at any moment when I set it down. I wanted to race through this story, but I let myself read at a leisurely pace because I was enjoying it so much.

Overall, I've given The Shadow of What Was Lost five stars! If you like epic fantasy with compelling protagonists, strong magic systems, and and exciting plot, then you will love this one.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne
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Review: Dead Man's Number by Matthew Cox

Dead Man's Number (Roadhouse Chronicles #3) by Matthew Cox

Curiosity Quills Press, 2018

Ebook. 398 pages.

*I received a copy of Dead Man's Number (and the first two books in the series) courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

About Dead Man's Number:

"Safety is at best a relative thing in 2073, fifty-one years after nuclear war scorched the world. 

Kevin found a quiet little place to hole up with the woman who came to mean more to him than his lifelong dream, and a little girl she took in after the Virus wiped out her home. They’re well defended against bandits, raiders, and the occasional stray Infected. 

But walls don’t face the sky, and all the guns in what’s left of the world won’t do a thing against a biological weapon dropped from an Enclave drone. 

A message from a dead man disturbs this tenuous peace with a chance to stop the Virus for good, but it would send them right to the Enclave’s back yard. Tris can’t say no, and Kevin refuses to leave her side again, but they won’t bring a child along for such a dangerous ride. 

Knowing it’s not only their lives, but the lives of everyone outside the Enclave at stake, they decide to hit the road once again, hoping their home―and their daughter―will still be there when they return."

I don't tend to read a lot of post-apocalyptic books, but the premise of the Roadhouse Chronicles books sounded exceptionally interesting, plus I read and enjoyed another book by Matthew Cox earlier this year--Wayfarer: AV494--so I figured I should try them out. Dead Man's Number is the third book in the series, and although I will avoid any large spoilers from this book and others, there may be hints of minor spoilers from the previous two books so just keep that in mind if you have any plans to begin the series.

With this third installment, Cox continues to expand upon the harsh, fascinating world he created and adds new obstacles for his characters to overcome. Although circumstances and threats change, the overarching high-intensity of this series has not diminished. Dead Man's Number is just as thrilling and action-packed as the previous two books and is a hard book to put down.

Our main characters, Kevin and Tris, are now joined by Abby whom they now act as caretaker for. Kevin has already grown a lot over the series, going from a loner to figure to now being emotionally attached to two people, and he continued to grow even more in this book. I found it interesting to see just how much change Kevin has undergone as a character and how positive much of it is. He seems more confident in various areas, but also more mature and aware of those around him.

Tris has grown in  many of the same ways as Kevin and I've enjoyed seeing her personality develop. Despite the positive aspects, both Kevin and Tris remain just as mistrustful--if not more--of the Enclave and the world around them. They are both a bit jaded by this point and are constantly worried for both their safety and now the safety of Abby. Abby is an exciting, fresh new perspective that we get to enjoy fully in this book. I enjoyed seeing her take and experiences in this world.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the mixture and use of technology in this post-apocalyptic world. This is what gives it more of a sci-fi feel to me at times, since some of the weapons and technology used are not quite what we have in our regular world. However, the part that I love is that there is nothing overtly 'out of this world' or anything that you have to majorly suspend your disbelief for. Cox incorporates a slightly futuristic sense that makes everything used and explored feel viable and authentic.

As much as I've enjoyed this series, there is something about it that doesn't make me fall in love with it. I was very much interested in the storyline itself and in finding out what would befall our protagonists, but I never felt overly connected or invested in them. The dialogue was well-written most of the time, but there were a few instances where it felt unnatural and hard to follow. It's a well-written story overall, but it just wasn't quite as strong as I expected.

Oveall, I've given Dead Man's Number 3.75 stars! If you like post-apocalyptic sci-fi with high-intensity action and strong characters, then be sure to check out this series.

Buy the book: Amazon

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Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew Cox

Review: Melokai by Rosalyn Kelly

 

Melokai by Rosalyn Kelly

Self-published, 2017

Ebook. 392 pages.

About Melokai:

"Legendary warrior Ramya has successfully ruled as Melokai for longer than most. Prosperous, peaceful, and happy, her people love her. Or so she thinks.

 Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy. 

Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power? 

Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation. 

She thinks it’s the end, but it’s just the beginning..."

This is a tricky review to write because my opinions are somewhat all over the place. On the whole, this is a really fascinating novel with complex, innovative ideas explored and an expansive fantasy world that is brilliantly created. Despite this, I didn't love other aspects of this book quite as much as I expected to.

Peqka, the main location of this book, is a strong matriarchal society in which men are basically kept as a form of sex slave for the women and are thus treated as such, with pretty much no rights or worth outside of those duties. This was one of my interesting aspects of this novel and I loved exploring this experiment to see how Kelly had everything play out. Peqka is really a harsh, cruel land that is (obviously) not fair to all of its residents, but I think this provided a really interesting look at alternative worlds and the potential for different societies. I was initially surprised by just how violent the Peqkan culture was, but it just added more intensity and elements to consider when learning about this culture.

There are a lot of characters, and of those characters... it's hard to pick a favorite. In fact, it's hard to say whether I really liked any of them at all. I've seen in some other reviews that this lack of likability of characters was a big issue for them, but I have to say it didn't really remove all that much from my experience. Do I like having characters to root for? Of course.  Is it necessary that I root for and respect all of the characters in a book? Nope! I know this will be different for many people, but following questionable people can be just as interesting as lovable people. The thing that makes these good unlikable characters is that they have motivations, goals, hopes, passions--they are multidimensional, which is most important.

Melokai Ramya, for instance, is an extremely ambitious, strong-willed woman who pretty much does whatever she wants, whether it defies those she works with and the people she rules over or not. In ways, her passionate demeanor is admirable, but she also makes some extremely questionable decisions throughout the book that left me wondering what exactly her purpose was and why she seemed like a such a flaky, overly trusting leader.

There are other prominent POVs that we follow, such as Ferraz, Jessima, Darrio, Ammad, and many more, all of which have many negative aspects to their character. However, Ferraz also has some reasonable justifications for some of his actions and there are a few times when I did sympathize with his situation, despite any other attitudes he may also have. I think one of the biggest issues in regards to the characters for me was their lack of consistency. There were times when I felt the dialogue was a bit similar in style and the characters seemed exceptionally flighty or not consistent with their established personality. To add to the dialogue issue, I also found some of the dialogue between characters to be a bit stiff or forced at times, which left a rather unnatural feeling.

Just as there are a lot of characters, there is also a lot going on in this book. We visit multiple lands and are introduced to a wide variety of conflicts and goals among each one, making it important to keep track of each one. I enjoyed the variety and getting to know more about everyone that inhabits this world, but it just felt like it was a bit much at times. Perhaps if the book were longer or if certain smaller parts were removed it might not have felt quite as overwhelming. Despite this, I did really enjoy learning about all the different lands, how they were run, and the cultures associated with each. I loved having the 'wolf' pack POV for the originality it added, and I was also fascinated by the Trog community and their way of life. In the end, I really just wanted to learn more about some of the cultures that were described, as I felt some weren't elaborated upon quite as much as others.

The best thing about Melokai was that no matter how much my feelings wavered throughout, I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen and I never felt the desire to not finish this book. To me, that shows unmistakable skill at storytelling and being able to maintain the attention of an audience. Despite any of the complaints I had about this book, I do still find myself interested to know what is going to happen to these lands and how the fallout at the end of Melokai is going to be dealt with, so I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for the next book.

Overall, I've given Melokai 3.75 stars! If you love a unique, complex society to explore that likes to experiment (such as the matriarchal society), then I definitely recommend Melokai. If you like or don't mind unlikable characters, then this one is for you.

Content warning: There's a lot of sexual content and violence (including sexual violence) in this book, so if that's not your thing then just keep that in mind.

*I received a copy of Melokai courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book. This was a TBRindr request!*

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Review: Suicide Club by Rachel Heng

Suicide Club by Rachel Heng
Henry Holt and Co., 2018
Hardcover. 352 pages. 

About the book:

"In this debut set in near future NYC—where lives last 300 years and the pursuit of immortality is all-consuming—Lea must choose between her estranged father and her chance to live forever. 

Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever—if she does everything right. She’s a successful trader on the New York exchange—where instead of stocks, human organs are now bought and sold—she has a beautiful apartment, and a fiancé who rivals her in genetic perfection. And with the right balance of HealthTech™, rigorous juicing, and low-impact exercise, she might never die. 

But Lea’s perfect life is turned upside down when she spots her estranged father on a crowded sidewalk. His return marks the beginning of her downfall as she is drawn into his mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a network of powerful individuals and rebels who reject society’s pursuit of immortality, and instead chose to live—and die—on their own terms. In this future world, death is not only taboo; it’s also highly illegal. Soon Lea is forced to choose between a sanitized immortal existence and a short, bittersweet time with a man she has never really known, but who is the only family she has left in the world."

Suicide Club is another one of those books that leaves me with endless mixed feelings. The premise is incredibly compelling, and I was so excited to read a book following this idea of a society in which immortality is such a strong goal that death itself becomes illegal. Unfortunately, this is one of those books that suffers from great ideas with poor execution.

The beginning was promising, with strong, incredibly detailed world-building that made me excited to find out where the story would go. And then at some point it just sort of... petered out. It felt as though the author explained just enough about the world to get you started, and then decided to focus solely on plot points and moving the story forward rather than continuing to focus on the bigger themes and ideas that could be explored. The most frustrating part is that the concepts in this book are so intelligent and truly fascinating, but Heng never really dives deeply into any of them and doesn't take there this book to levels where it could thrive.

The two main characters we follow are Lea and Anja and after three hundred pages I still don't really feel like I know much about either of them. As the summary states, Lea is a Lifer, meaning that she can potentially live forever if the technology is developed, which she is full-force on track to do. She eats what she's supposed to, she stretches and de-stresses regularly--essentially, she does every thing possible to make sure that she keeps her body and mind in top form. But then she sees her antisanct father one day and her whole life spirals, which is where things really started to fall apart in the book as well. Lea's transformation and journey in this book felt so disjointed and didn't really make any sort of logical sense. I feel like I still don't understand her or her actions and I couldn't possibly predict anything she is going to do. She's entirely unrealistic, and for someone who just turned one hundred, she acts as though she's still incredibly young. There are many flashbacks to Lea's childhood that were randomly placed and also didn't make sense, and things she did as a child aren't really explained in regard to the motivation behind it and aren't connected well enough to the present.

Anja is a much more interesting character than Lea, and I almost wish we had followed her life more than Lea's. I still had some issues with Anja, but overall I found her to be a more realistic character that actually had semi-predictable patterns in her life. Her back story makes more sense and she acts more like a normal human being, which is always nice when you are reading about actual human beings. One major issue I had with these two characters, however, was that for some reason I kept mixing up various past experiences between Anja and Lea, which led to a fairly confusing and frustrating experience.

There are also many plot holes and similar types of issues that showed up in this book that really took away some of my enjoyment of the novel. Some of the ways in which society worked just didn't make sense and were highly inconsistent throughout the story. Even the entire reason for Lea's demise is flimsy and truly doesn't make sense at all. Despite that, I still managed to finish this book, if not for enjoyment than purely because I was interested to see where the author would take the story. I'm very unsure of whether or not I liked the ending, because on the one hand I found it be very satisfying and interesting, but on the other hand... nothing felt fully resolved. I'm just really uncertain on my thoughts on it.

The only sort of silver lining to this book is that this is a debut novel, so I do still have high hopes for Heng's future work. She has great ideas and thought-provoking topics, so the only thing missing is the execution, which fortunately is something that can be improved on as one writes more and more. I will definitely keep my eye out for Heng's future work!

Overall, I've given Suicide Club two-and-a-half stars. It just didn't live up to what it promised.

*I received an ARC of Suicide Club courtesy of NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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Windsworn by Derek Siddoway

Windsworn by Derek Alan Siddoway 

Self-Published. 2017.

Ebook. 225 pages.

Windsworn is a charming young adult fantasy adventure that features a dynamic female lead and plenty of gryphons! I managed to blow right this book in just two days because of how fast-paced and entertaining it was.

Windsworn tells the story of Eva, a young girl living with her adoptive father, who one day stumbles upon a thief in possession of an unhatched gryphon egg. Once it hatches, she ends up becoming attached to it and learns she must now train and join ranks known as the Windsworn. The Windsworn train in battle tactics to become warriors who go into battle with their gryphons. While training, Eva uncovers a large plot that threatens the Windsworn and much

This was a really engaging, fun read. Siddoway has created an imaginative and entertaining world that really made me want to be  part of it. His world-building is strong and I appreciate that he put such time and effort into creating a fully-fleshed world with a variety of unique elements. A lot of interesting details were added to the story to make it authentic, and I particularly loved the addition of a Golem in this book.

One of the things that drew me to this book was the emphasis on and inclusion of gryphons, since they are a fantasy creature that tends to be overlooked more than others. I thought that Siddoway's description of them was vivid and he brought them to life extremely well; every gryphon comes out just a bit different in every author's unique vision, and I loved what resulted from Siddoway's imagination. My only disappointment was that there wasn't quite as much about them as I would have liked, as I felt that a book that so heavily focuses on gryphons should have included more about them.

The characters all felt very well-developed and each seemed to add an important element to the story. Eva in particular has a lot of important growth throughout the novel that I really liked following along with. She undergoes many momentous events and experiences and, as expected, she changes with them and learns a lot as a person, all of which molded her into a really well-formed character. Her father, Soot, is also a fantastic character that I personally really liked. He is a good man that adds a lot to the personality and formation of Eva's own personality. I was a bit skeptical at first when a romantic interest was introduced, but I felt a bit relieved when I saw how well Siddoway handled it. It didn't overwhelm the story as most romantic subplots tend to do, which I was very thankful for.

The pacing of this book was a bit off and on at times. The beginning and end of this book felt like there was good, even pacing, but there were a few parts throughout the middle that did feel rushed. The training in particular felt rushed, and I would have liked there to be more time spent in some of these areas. I also had mixed feelings about many of the plot elements and the path this story takes. At times, I felt it was rather predictable and a bit trope-heavy, but at the same time I felt that Siddoway did a good job of making things unique and fresh, so it wasn't entirely consistent one way or the other.

Overall, I've given Windsworn four stars. This wasn't the most amazing thing I've ever read, but I really enjoyed it all the same and would absolutely recommend it. I look forward to book two!

*I received a copy of Windsworn in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

Buy the book: Amazon 

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Review: Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant 

Orbit, 2017. Hardcover. 440 pages.

*Note before review: There is a prequel novella, Rolling in the Deep, that I was not aware of and did not read before this book. It's not necessary to read it, but it's one that you would be fine reading or not reading first and that I personally will go back and read. It basically tells of the events that led to the events of Into the Drowning Deep.**

Into the Drowning Deep is one of those books that lingers in your mind every time you put it down. It is delightfully creepy, immensely compelling, and a book that I desperately want more of.

Seven years before the events of this book, a "mockumentary" company sent a large ship into the Mariana Trench to determine whether or not mermaids actually exist. Tragedy struck when the ship was attacked and the entire crew was killed, presumably by the horrifying creatures that live in the depths of the water. Some people do not believe this tragic event was real and unplanned by the company, while others are convinced that mermaids are real. This book begins when the company sends a new vessel with a new crew of many scientists and new crew members back into the deep to find out exactly what happened to the original ship and whether mermaids do or do not exist

Into the Drowning Deep is, at its core, as story about terrifying, violent mermaids and the quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious creatures that are believed to dwell in the Mariana Trench. Along the way to this discovery, however, we realize that there is much more to this story than just that. This story is also about science and how scientists work, the moral and ethics of using, training, and killing animals, what is considered a sentient being or an animal, and many more fascinating topics.

This is a fascinating book that is written in an incredibly accessible manner. There are a lot of topics in this book that are very intricate and specialized in nature, which causes Grant to include a rather hefty amount of info-dump style areas throughout this book. I found this a bit cumbersome at times, but a part of me also appreciated getting a crash course in things like marine biology and sound waves--things which I really didn't know the fine details of until now. I definitely feel like I've come away smarter after reading this book than I was before. These info dumps also make it clear that Grant did a lot of research for this book, which is always appreciated, but I do still wish she had cleaned them up slightly. Despite this, I still found myself incredibly bewitched by this story and how carefully it was told. This isn't a super fast-paced novel, but it's definitely not slow, either. Grant seems to have captured the ability to write a wonderfully paced horror book that reveals just enough details and hints at just the right times.

There are a lot of interesting characters in this book that I enjoyed following, whether they were likable or not--and there are plenty of unlikable characters int his book. I also really liked that Grant included some LGBT representation (though I cannot speak on behalf of whether the representation is considered good or not, it seemed very positive), a deaf character, and more that added so much to this book. The main protagonist that we follow is Victoria Stewart, whose sister was lost in the original accident. Her goal on this ship is twofold: 1) to advance science and discover mermaids, and 2) to discover the truth of her sister's death. Victoria is an exceptionally capable, intelligent woman with an interesting storyline. I can't say that she was my favorite character, but I was definitely interested in her and was intrigued by what she brought to the story. Victoria is accompanied on this trip by her lab partner, Luis Martines, who brings with hi his own unique personality that is both amusing and also obsessive. Among other characters are the owner of  the company, Theo Blackwell; a professional academic in the field of mermaid research, Dr. Jillian Toth; two big game hunters that are brought along for protection (but who each personally want the acclaim of being the first two to ever hunt mermaids), Jacques and Michi Abney; and a spokesperson/host for the company's new vessel, Olivia. Whether I liked all of these characters or not, I loved what they added to the story and was invested in all of their storylines. I also found myself yelling at almost all of them at some point to stop being so stupid, but I feel like that's part of any classic horror story, so it felt right to be doing that.

Into the Drowning Deep was such a fascinating book. I personally love books like this that explore new territories and test out theories about beings or myths that could be real. There's something about the potentially horrifying unknown that majorly entices me and led me to really enjoy this book. What I particularly loved about the mythical mermaids in this book was how well Grant made them realistic. They weren't some mythical being that defied reality, but beings that seemed scientifically plausible and more developed by Grant in a way that seemed authentic in appearance and anatomy. It made them so much creepier and left me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. Also as a head's up--this book is very violent and gory, so if you think reading about mermaids brutally attacking people and the aftermath of that might bother you, you might want to read this book with caution.

On a final note: I've always had a slight fear of the ocean, and I'm pretty sure this book confirmed it. It's not that I think there are mermaids (but, I mean, there are some whacky monsters creatures out there), but that the ocean is decidedly not a place for us clumsy two-legged humans. As this book mentions, the ocean is not a gentle mistress, and I think humans are meant to be on dry land. Let's just let the scary ocean creatures do their thing and not be bothered by us, okay?

Overall, I've given Into the Drowning Deep four stars! Despite the occasionally dense writing, I enjoyed this book so much and I cannot recommend it enough. I so badly want a sequel, but I don't know if we'll get one.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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The Abbot's Tale by Conn Iggulden

The Abbot's Tale by Conn Iggulden. Pegasus Books, 2018. Hardcover. 480 pages.

The Abbot's Tale is a a fictional autobiography of Saint Dunstan of Glastonbury during the mid-900s AD. This story follows Dunstan through the beginnings of the creation of England as well as his creation of the Glastonbury Abbey and the Canterbury Cathedral.

This was a highly interesting story about a man who I really knew next to nothing about. I've seen Conn Iggulden's books around, but this is the first book by Conn Iggulden that I've read--and it certainly won't be the last. It's clear that Iggulden performed immense research on the setting and historical events of the story and did his best to fill in the gaps about Dunstan for the rest, as there isn't all that much known about Dunstan himself. The Abbot's Tale completely transported me to this historical time period and I loved learning about it because I really haven't read much during this particular setting.

Dunstan is an extremely unlikable character. There are not a lot of redeemable qualities present in his personality and character, but somehow he is a still a fascinating figure to follow. He presents some interesting ideas and undertakes a variety of different actions and projects that make it interesting enough to follow along and become invested in him and his life. He accomplishes much throughout his life in many unexpected and creative ways, but outside of that he is a bit of a horrible person that does a lot of questionable things throughout his life. He's a smart man, but he's not a good man.

Despite the interesting subject matter of this book, it's still a moderately length book that took me quite a while to get through. It's very slow-paced without many large events occurring, so it takes a lot of determination and effort to really follow along. There were times when it felt like the story dragged, but I hesitate to say that it was boring, however, because when I think about my time reading it I never found myself struggling to get through. I was very much engaged in the story, but I wasn't necessarily blown away by what I was reading.

This review is a bit shorter today simply because I feel as though I don't have much to say about this book. It is a strong, solid story about a fascinating person, but it's nothing overly special or something I want to rave about. In the same manner, it's not a bad book in any way and I would absolutely recommend it. It falls somewhere in the middle as a great book that I am glad I read, but that doesn't exactly stand out in any exceptional way.

Overall, I've given The Abbot's Tale four stars! I can't wait to dig into more of Iggulden's extensive bibliography of other historical fiction novels.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of The Abbot's Tale courtesy of NetGalley and Pegasus Books in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

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Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew S. Cox

*Wayfarer will be released Tuesday, May 8th!*

Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew Cox. Curiosity Quills Press, 2018. Ebook. 300 pages.

This book was... insane. I haven't been that 'on the edge of my seat' in quite a while. If you like foreign planet/space thrillers, then this one's for you.

In Wayfarer, Kerys Loring jumps headfirst for the opportunity to explore an alien ruin on a foreign planet. Once there, however, she is shocked to discover that her ex is also stationed on the planet, an issue that takes the backseat when an extreme unknown alien threat takes over and plunges the base in chaos.

Wayfarer was a little slow at the outset and I wasn't sure if it was going to pick up enough to keep me fully interested. I'm here to tell you not to worry about that because boy, does it pick up! I loved the basic premise of simply exploring a new planet for potential alien life and that is what initially hooked me. And then, for lack of a better phrase, the shit hit the fan and things went crazy. I had no idea what was going to happen in this book and I don't want to tell you anything about it other than to say things get dark... and stay dark.

One thing that I didn't love about being caught so unawares was how blindsided I was to the immense violence and gore that occurred throughout the events of this book. I don't usually have a problem with violence and gore (I mean, I love grimdark books), but this was just so unexpected for me and done in such a real and relevant way that it really shocked me and sort of threw me for a loop. If you're okay with some violence then you'll be fine, but if you're really sensitive to violence then you might want to consider that before picking this one up.

I'm not sure how much else I can really say about the plot without giving away anything important, so I'm going to jump into talking about some of the characters and the writing. Our main character is Kerys, a young woman who is beyond thrilled to have an opportunity to be a part of history and explore this new planet and newly discovered alien activity. Kerys is, overall, a very bright and interesting character, but I found it hard to connect with her at times. This doesn't really pose as a huge issue for me because I don't always need to connect with a character, but I just felt like some of her actions were a bit odd at times. For being as bright as she was said to be, I found her lack of common sense and lack of inquisitiveness about questionable things a bit annoying. There were certain things that I was surprised she didn't question more and that she brushed off too quickly and I found myself wanting to yell at Kerys on more than one occasion for different things she did or didn't do. Despite this, I was still very much captivated by her strength and determination; she has learned not to sit back and let things happen to her, but instead sticks up for herself and tries to be a stronger person everyday.

There was a decent variety of supporting characters in this book as well, though I never really felt like I got to know any of them very well so I don't really have all that much to say about them. One of the other prominent characters in this book is Kerys' ex-boyfriend, Will, someone she was horrified to find already on the base at the planet due to a previous abusive relationship and not-so-great break-up back on earth. I'll be honest an say that I did have my misgivings that this ex-boyfriend aspect would overtake the book in a negative way, but it actually didn't and instead ended up taking a very interesting turn. I felt the other characters were oddly interested in their past relationship (no one usually cares that much), but it didn't bother me too much. I wish I had known the other characters a bit more so I could separate who was who more easily, but they still added some great personality to the story.

The writing itself was pretty well done an captured the horror and suspense of the situation on the base. The only issues I had were with the dialogue itself, which just sometimes felt a bit stilted and awkward. Some of the responses and conversations people would have just felt a little bit off and pulled me slightly out of the action of story a little as well.

Overall, occasional issues with the writing and pacing aside, I definitely enjoyed reading this crazy and unpredictable book and have settled on four stars, rounded up from 3.75. If you like thrillers and space and a gripping story, then definitely pick up Wayfarer.

*I received a copy of Wayfarer courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review.*

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